A Brief Account of many memorable Passages of the LIFE & DEATH OF THE EARL OF SHAFTSBURY. Sometime Lord High Chancellor of ENGLAND, Who Departed this life the 21st. day of 〈…〉 1683.  
GIVING An impartial Relation of his Loyalty to His Majesty in the late times, and the great endeavours he used, to bring in the King into England, unto his just rights, in peace and safety; with His Majesty's grateful acknowledgement of these his kindnesses to him, in preferring him to several Eminent Places of Honour, and Trust. Together, with his great patience under the loss of the same. Also his twice Imprisonment in the Tower, and his witty answer to one of the Popish Lords upon his Imprisonment; his Releasement, and several Plots, and Sham-Plotts of the Papists, used to take away his Life for his vigalancy, and care for the Protestant Religion, and their disappointments. Of his arrival in Holland, and his kind entertainment there. Together, with his Sickness, and worthy Speeches a little before his death. Concluded with a Prayer, worthy of the perusal of all persons.  
Printed for J. Coniers in Ducklane.   

A brief Account of some Remarkable passages of The LIFE & DEATH OF THE EARL of SHAFTSBURY.  
IT is not my presumption, in this Sheet to write the Life of this great Statesman, but to give the Reader a brief Account of some remarkable passages in the same, for the satisfaction of the meaner sort, that cannot purchase large volumes.  
Anthony Earl of Shafisbicry, Baron Ashley of Wimbourn, and Lord Cooper of 〈◊〉 as descended from the honourable and ancient Family of 〈…〉 ●●imbourn, St. Giles', in the County of Dorset.  
We 〈…〉 first place, (laying aside all his other virtues) treat of the Loyalty of this noble Peer, in the words of the late Author, saith he, Can we have taken a view of the inside of this noble Peer, we might have seen his heart full of Loyalty to his Prince, love to his Country, zeal for the Protestant Religion; the festlement of which can only secure us from the attempts of His Majesty's, and his people Enemies. With what admirable policy did influence and manage the Councils in the late times, in what he was concerned in? during the Inter Regnum, towards His Majesty's interest, and with what admirable subtlety did he turn the stream of their Counsels? and with un●● wearied diligence did he tug at the helm of State, till he had brought in his great Master the King into his Kingdoms again, in prosperity and safety, to the joy of all good Subjects.  
His House was a Sanctuary for distressed loyalists, and his correct pondency with the King: Friends, though closely managed, as the necessity of those times required, are not unknown to those that we● the principle managers of his Majesty affairs at that time; this ma● the late Usurper O. Cromwell so jealous of him, whose arbratary Government he withstood to the utmost of his power. And we find that Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper was accused before the RUMP Parliament, in the Year 1659. for keeping intelligence with the King, and having provided Forces in , to join with Sir George Booth, in attempting to bring in our noble King, that now is to his rightful Throne; and also his concurrence with General Monk, in that importunant juncture, if we remember that his Regiment was one of the first that declared for a Free Parliament, and General Monk in March, 1659. so zealous was he in putting all his strength to turn the great Wheel of State.  
And at the time of his Majesty's Restoration, as most signal testimony of His Majesty's good opinion of his former actions, he was advanced to be one of the first rank in His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, and was placed above his Royal Brother the Duke of Gloucester, even General Monk himself, whom the King used to call his political father: And three days after His Majesty's Coronation, he was created Baron Ashley of Wimbourn St. Giles', and also Lord Cooper of Paulet, and at last another mark of Royal favour in the Year 1672. He was made Earl of Shaftsbury, for his wise administration in his Majesty's affairs, he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer, and some time after that, made Lord High Chancellor of England, about the beginning of the year 1672. which place he executed with the greatest Judgement and Equity imaginable.  
Thus having briefly traced this great Minister of State in these mighty employments under his great and good master the King; I shall take some notice of his relinquishment of that high employment, and what happened to him since:  
About November, 1673. His Majesty was pleased to send for the Lord Chancellor to Whitehall, where he resigned the great Seal of England to his Majesty, and was dismissed from being Treasurer of the Exchequer; In the Afternoon of the same day the Earl of Shaftsbury was visited by Prince Rupert, with other great Lords, at Exeter house, whore they gave his Lordship thanks for his faithful and honourable discharge of that great employment. Thus this great Minister of State, to the universal satisfaction of all good men, being raised to that high degree of interest in his Master's favour, without a murmur, laid all his honour at his Majesty's feet, and was observed not to abate of the cheerfulness of his temper, upon the loss of all these temporal, honourable, employment: I shall conclude this part of his life with a Chanacter that a late Author gave of him.  
His choice sagacity, 
Straight solved the knot that subtle Lawyers tied,  
And through all fogs discerned the oppressed side,  
Banished delays, and so this noble Peer  
Became a Star of honour in our Sphere:  
Aneedfull Atlas of our State.   
On the 16th. of February, 1676. this Earl was sent Prisoner to the Tower, by the order of the House of Lords; there were at the same time committed several other Lords, for maintaining, That the than Parliament was dissolved, and ought not to sit any longer; where he continued Prisoner about a years time, and after his submitting himself to His Majesty and the Parliament, he was discharged by acknowledging his fault. A little after his releasement this parliament was preroged and after dissolved. Now was the wicked Plot of the Jesuits, and Papists, discovered by the great fidelity of Dr. Oates, which convineed both King, Lords, and Commons, and all the Nation in general, of a damnable, treasonable, Popish design to murder our King, with the rest of the Nobility, and Gentry, and to reduce the Protestant Church to Komish Idolatry, and the State to a Catholic slavery.  
On the 7th. of march, 1678. Another Parliament met at Westminster; This Parliament did, like noble Patriots, endeavour to give check to the bloody Popish designs a foot, and passed many excellent Votes for that purpose, many Members acquitted themselves in their Speeches like men of high sense of the miseries the nation was like to be involved in; this House carried up their impeachments to the House of Lords, against the Lord Povis, Stafford, Arundel, Lord Peter, Lord Bellasis, for high Treason, and other high Crimes: But I shall forbear mentioning any farther, only instance how this noble Peer was struck at in the Hellish design; I shall refer the Reader to what hath been already published in Print, only note two or three things of some persons, that made attempts on the life of this noble Peer, first, by Dangerfield, who had a great sum offered him to have murdered the Earl of Shaftsbury, on whom the rage of the bloody Romish party was now so great, that they left no base and unwarrantable action unattempted, To rob him of his life; some were hired to stab or Pistol him; others to swear Treason against him; or any other way the Devil put in their heads. Another design against this noble Peer was to have been acted by a woman, called, Madam C●llier, a Popish Midwife, which she attempted that cursed design under the pretence of a visit to the Earl, and under pretence of her paying her thanks for favours received through his means; but she had a consecrated Dagger under the skirt of her gown, ready to have expressed her gratitude, by opening the veins of this Protestant Peers heart.  
Is then loyal innocency, and Protestant integrity, Armour of proof against Poisons, Pistols, and Poniards? no; the Catholic Gallantry stops not here, but pursues this noble Peer with forgery of his hand, and other little sham-plotts; what base and villainous acts the bloody Papists used, to destroy the Earl of Shaftsbury, by many endeavours to have stabbed him, as hath been deposed by many persons, to whom the Parliament, as well as the nation, have given belief. I shall instance one more of their mischeifous practices in this kind: There was a Gentleman who was a Commander of a Regiment of Horse, in the late King's Army, and lost all for his sake, and his present Majesty's, writ to this noble Peer about a remedy against the Gout, which he used to be afflicted with very much; this Letter was intercepted, and (the person then living in the French King's Dominions) after adding to it an account, that the Writer was able to furnish the Earl with forty thousand Soldiers from France, to oppose the D. of Yorks Interest; it was then conveyed to some of the French King's Ministers, who, they suppose, would send a Copy hither: but by a strange providence, the original was returned into the Gentleman's own hands.  
Nor were they yet wanting in throwing dirt and slandering this Noble Peer, in his Reputation, which faculty they are famous at, for now a Packet of base Libels and treasonable reflections were by the Penny post sent to a Printer, and Copies of the same dispersed about the parts of Westminster, All of venomous and malicious slanders and imputations, tending to the taking away the Life of the Earl of Shaftsbury and divers other Peers of Honourable account; but the Printer detesting such a design, published an invitation to any person that would discover the Author or publisher of that infamous Libel. And now we are got into such a bog of Plots, shamplots, Perjurers, subornations, as the histories of no Age can parallel: In October, during the Sessions of the last Parliament, its remarkable, that Francisco de Faria Interpreter to the Portugal Ambassador, amongst other matters relating to the Plot, gave Information to the Bar of the house that he was tempted to kill the Earl of Shaftsbury by throwing a hand Granado into his Coach as he passed the road into the Country. But to sum up all, several methods that were invented to be Executed against the Life of this Peer were innumerable by these Jesuited Crew, who set all her inventions and engines on work to make away the Earl of Shaftsbury, he was the Beam in their eye, and that clog that hindered the motion of their cursed designs; what have they not attempted to make him distasteful to the King through the foulness of their treasons on him as was made appear before the King & Council in October 1681. that Fitzgerard told Mr. Haines that he the said Fitzgerard possessed his Majesty, and had given it under his hand and Seal, that the late Plot was a Presbyterian Plot, and invented by the Earl of Shaftsbury on purpose to exterpate the Royal Family, and to dethrone his present Majesty, and turn England into a Common-weal, or else to set the Crown upon the Earls own head, with more such wicked treasonable matter, a further Account you may have in his Trial.  
But a new Parliament was summoned to appear at Oxford, where things of as high nature was Agitated, as ever came before the consideration of a Parliament, no less than preservation of the King's Majesty's person, the Protestant Religion, & the good of the people of England, All which now was invaded by the bloody dsigns of the Papists, but being very hot about the business of Fitzharris & things of the like nature, it pleased his Majesty to dissolve them.  
Sometime after Fiezharris was tried and Executed, The Earl of Shaftsbury was again committed to the Tower of London, the circumstance of his Examination and Aquital would take too much room here to be recited. To finish this tragical story, only I cannot omit that on the 15. August 1681. Mrs, Fitzharris gave a deposition on Oath, that her husband a little before his Execution, not only told her what great offers he had made him if he would have charged that treasonable and infamous Libel (for which he was executed afterwards for,) on this Noble Peer, and the Lord Howard, and that he advised her to do it to save his life, though he protested at the same time that they were wholly innocent; she likewise deposed that a certain Gentleman assured her that she should have what money she pleased, if she would accuse the Earl and the Lord Howard as the Authors of the said Libel, but they having tampered with so many on the account of this basted design, but that it was impossible but their consult must take wind, especially when we consider they were a people, that either to supply their necessities, or to feed their ambition, or more probable thought inresistable fatility had blabbed and discovered the secrets of holy mother, and had spoke so unseasonably in her tip that they had spoilt her game, what security could these Romish Sophisters have, but that their corked vessel would prove leaky again? I shall give one memorable passage, said to have passed between the Earl and one of the Popish Lords, soon after his Commitment; the story is this, meeting accidently with one of the Popish Lords, he was asked by him what his Lordship did there, and that he little thought to have his good company? to which the Earl of Shaftsbury replied, that he had lately been sick of an Ague, and was come there to take some Jesuits powder. It was said, during the whole time of his Lordship being in the Tower, he remained very cheerful beyond what could have been expected from a person labouring under such extreme pains and diseases; during the Earls imprisonment, many made it their business to detract and vilify him and it was their mode to drink his health at an hepenstring, and call him Tony Tapskin and King of Poland. After the Earls Trial, it is reported he Arrested one Baines, one of the witnesses for a Conspiracy, also several others, but being not suffered to have his Trial against them in London, and Midlesex, he remitted the same till another opportunity. Thus have we given a brief account of the most remarkable things relating this great Peer, to this time, after which he lived very private at his house in Aldersgate street, till the beginning of the month of November, when 'tis reported he left England and landed at Brill in Holland, where he was nobly entertained by the States, and as some say, hath put into their stock a considerable sum of money.  
But amongst the rest, let us take cognizance of his deportment in the time of his seeming affliction, he was little or nothing dismayed at the contrary current which opposed the stream of his aspiring mind, which was a generous and magnanimous spirit in him, for indeed he was as much befriended by unexpected favours abroad, as afflicted by domestic troubles in his own native soil, his reception in Holland was unquestionably very kind, as doubtless was appertinent to a person of his parts. It is not to be doubted but the many transactions happening in his time had recorded him there as well as in other Countries for a Politician, and so was he received by them. His deportment there was such, that he obliged all that came near him, indulged all that knew him, and at this death, left no man without an obligation of a memento. It was much to be taken notice of, that during the time of his illness, he rather seemed to be of better composure in mind than ordinary, as seeming to embrace his malady, with a kind of welcome, that might transmute his soul into that endless happiness which he had been so long labouring for, he seemed to covet after that continual blessing which alone makes happy, and rejoiced at his approaching change; Oh happy is that man, who like an undaunted Champion, can boldly look upon the pale messenger of grim death without terror, when no astonishment comes to amaze the drooping senses, but on the contrary, if filled with comfort, at the perfect assurance of a better state, by the help and assistance of a blessed change, no peace like a quiet mind, no comfort like the peace of conscience, nor no conquest like the victory over sin, thrice happy is that man whom the thoughts of death cannot terrify; then let us all labour so to live here, that we may assure ourselves of an inheritance hereafter that shall furnish our souls with joys everlasting that have no end. But when he perceived that his fatal hour was most certainly appreaching, with a most heavenly frame he prepared himself to meet with that unwelcome messenger, taking great and particular care of his Menial servants, that will imprint a memorial in their (now bleeding) hearts; so having settled affairs in his house according to his own mind and Will, he recommended his soul to him that gave it, in these following words and manner.  
O Most gracious and merciful Lord God, who out of thy infinite mercy and goodness hast preserved and protected me through an Ocean of trouble and perplexity, yea, and brought me out of a labarinth of danger, which without thine assistance I could never have waded through, and now since by thy mercy I am made sensible of thy unspeakable Love so me in this my last hour; I beseech thee with an unfeigned desire to have mercy upon my immortal soul, and let thine Angel conduct it to the Throne of thine everlasting happiness. Lord preserve and keep my Severaign Liege Charles the II. King of the Land of my Nativity, protect that poor Nation, now in a tottering condition, from the yoke and burden of Popish tyranny, that the Gospel may flourish in the dominions thereof, Lord strengthen me in this hour of tribulation, that I may cheerfully pass through the dark passage, which leads to thy never fading light; Amen.  
FINIS.