AN ACCOUNT OF THE Arraignment, Trial & Conviction OF James Lord Preston▪ For High Treason,  
IN Conspiring the Death of the King and Queen, and endeavouring to bring in the late King James, and Betray the Nation to the French King.  
AT THE Sessions-House in the Old-Baily, on Friday and Saturday the 16 th'. and 17 th'. Instant; before the Lord Chief Justice, WITH The Manner of the Taking the Lord Preston, Mr. Ashton, Mr. eliot, &c▪ And an Account of the several Treasonable Papers and Letters, that were found on Shipboard.  
To which is added, Divers▪ Remarkable Relations in the Life of the said Lord Preston.  
INformation being given, that the Lord Preston, and others, had designed to go to the late King James in France, upon Dangerous Designs, and in order thereunto▪ had hired a Vessel; for which, they were to give the Master a Considerable Reward. Some Officers went in a little Sloop, or Yatcht, in Search after them; and they coming on Board, seized the abovesaid Lord Preston, John Ashton, and Edmund eliot, Gentlemen; and with them divers Treasonable Papers, and Letters, etc. After they were brought on Shoar▪ and Examined, they were all three Committed to the Tower, where they remained till Friday the 16 th'. of this Instant January; which Day, early in the Morning, the above mentioned Lord Preston, John Ashton, and Edmund eliot, were Conveyed in three Coaches, with Guards and their Warders, from the Tower to Newgate, and from thence, to the Sessions-House in the Old-Bayly; and being set to the Bar, they were Artaigned by the Names of Sir Richard Grahme Baronet (Viscount Preston in the Kingdom of Scotland) John Ashton, and Edmund eliot, Gentlemen, upon an Indictment of High Treason, for Conspiring, Imagining, and Compassing the Death and Destruction of the King and Queen, and the Subversion of the Government, and for Adhering to Their Majesty's Enemies, by endeavouring to procure an Invasion of this Kingdom by the French King, and Informing and Advising him, and other Enemies, and Ill-disposed Persons, of the Times, Ways, and Means, how to effect the same, and how they might Depose Their Majesties, and cause Their Subjects to rise, and raise War and Rebellion within this Kingdom: To which, they severally pleaded, Not Guilty, and the next day, being Saturday the 17 th', Instant, the Lord Preston only was brought to his Trial. He first desired, that his Indictment might be read a third Time in Latin, then excepted against a great many of the Jury, after which, the Jury was Sworn, Justice Peyton, Son of the late Sir Robert Peyton, was Foreman. Then divers Treasonable Letters were read, three of which (by comparing of Hands and other Circumstances) were proved to be the Lord preston's, by the Oaths of two Substantial, and very Credible Witnesses, that is, to be of his Lordships own Writing, in which (among other Matters.) there were contained an Account of the Posture of our Army, and Navy, the Names of the Commanders, and how they stood affected to Their Majesties and the Present Government, as also of some Lawyers, whom his Lordship adjudged to be King James' Friends▪ In fine, a Project how to overturn the Present Government, and Introduce the late King James and the French King, and with them their two Darlings, Popery and Slavery; to all which his Lordship made a very slender Defence, and did not so much as bring any one Person to prove his Conversation; after which the Lord Chief Justice, very Justly and Impartialy summed up the Evidence, which was very full and clear, and the Jury going out somewhat above half an hour, returned, and brought him in Guilty of High Treason.  
This Sir Richard Gramme, alias Lord Preston, being Viscount Preston in the Kingdom of Sc●tland; is the Son of Sir George Grahme of Cumberland, being Born within Seven Miles of the City of Carlisle, he has three Brothers, one of which is Page to the late King James, and with him in France: a Second, viz: Colonel Grahme was the late King James' Privy Purse, for whom Warrants of High-Treason are Issued out, he being fled from Justice; and the Third is a Divine. His Father Sir George, was a Colonel in the Army of King Charles the II. and Dying▪ left his Estate to the present Lord, considerably encumbered with Debts, for the clearing of which, the late King James when Duke of York, was considerably Assistant. He Married the Sister of the Right Honourable the Earl of Carlisle by whom he has had several Children, to whom, and to his Lady by Jointure, his Estate was made over long since. He was sent Ambassador by the late King James, to the French King (in the Room of Sir William Thrumbal) and after he had continued at that Court for some time, being recalled, the late King James made him one of his Principal Secretaries of State, in the Room of the Earl of Sunderland, in which Station he continued till the Abdication of the late King, who then would have made him Viscount Preston, in Amounderness Lancashire in England.  
Certainly did Men but look to the Emergent Providences of God, towards His Present Majesty from his very Infancy; they may easily see that he is the Darling of Heaven and designed by God to do Eminent Service; and that therefore, all the Plots and Contrivances▪ that the Wit and Hellish Policy of Mankind can form against him, will be brought to naught; for as when he was but a Child, he was by a Potent Faction, in a manner, turned out of all that ever he had a right to, from his Noble Progenitors, so he was marvellously restored to all, nay, to a greater Power than they enjoyed, and the Miscreants that Injured him, brought to Condign Punishment. When he exposed himself (Codrus like) to many Dangers, for the Safety, and Liberty of his Country; which otherwise had undoubtedly been at this day Groaning under French Slavery, it pleased God many times to preserve him, and by him his Country. And no less Stupendious was the Providence that attended his Expedition hither, when he came to Rescue us srom the Jaws of Death, and to deliver us from the Antichristian, Egyptian Darkness, which overspread our Horizon; and how it hath pleased God ever since to defeat the Attempts of many Wicked and unreasonable Men. Nay, What considering Man does not see the great design of God in it? That Foundations are thereby laid for a beautiful Fabric of Peace and Truth: While it has pleased God to set forth in their own Colours, a Party of Men, who how strong retences soever they have made to Loyalty and Peaceableness beyond all others, have been really our Incendiaries all along, and have had a hand in all the Calamities that have befallen us; they all along diging their Councils deep as Hell, and what by Violence, Importunity, and Brazenfacedness, sticking at nothing that may carry on their Designs. And when they have done all, like that Impudent Harlot in the Proverbs, they can wipe their Mouth, and say, they are Innocent.   

London, Printed for T. Collins▪ near Fleet-Bridge, 1691.