A full and certain Relation concerning the Horrid PLOT Of the PAPISTS.  
AND The Barbarous and Bloody Murder of Sr. EDMUNDBURY GODFREY, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace.  
Who was found on the 17 th'. of October last most inhumanly Murdered in a field about three miles from London.  
With an Exact Account in what manner he was found, and what wounds he had on his Body.  
Together with the most noble manner of his being Buried, and the Text of the Sermon there Preached before many Thousands of persons of Quality that attended the Corpse in Honour to his memory.  
London, Printed for Laurence White in Whitecross Street, 1678. With Allowance.   

A true Narrative concerning the Plot of the Papists, and the Murder and Burial of Sir EDMUND BURY GODFREY, etc.  
GReat is the malice of wicked men, and their Cruelty not to be expressed; the best of Kings have had Plots and Conspiracies against them, and the most innocent men have been barbarously murdered; The day before Michaelmas day last, there was some Discovery made of a most horrid Plott, laid by Jesuits and Papists, against the Life of our Sovereign Lord the King (whom may the Arm of Almighty God Protect and preserve, and  all His Enemies with shame and Confusion) as also that they had Conspired to Overthrow the Protestant Religion, altar the Government, etc. Upon which some persons were taken and sent to Newgate, and several other Discoveries have since been made, and persons Imprisoned but of particulars we have no Commission, 'tis out hope and good me●s Prayers, that the villainy may be wholly discovered, and those concerned in it deservedly punished.  
And so I shall proceed to give you an account of the Murder of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, who may be called the first Martyr in this Cause, For this worthy Gentleman being one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, was concerned in taking the Examinations upon the first Discovery of this Treasonable design and (as became him) was very diligent therein; whereby 'tis verily believed some Papists conceived such a malice against him as occasioned his lamentable Murder, for going forth on Saturday the 12th. of October, from his House in Green's Lane near Charing Cross, he neither came home to Dinner, nor returned at night, which much amazed his Servants, but from that time till the Thursday following, no certain tidings could be heard of him, although all earnest and diligent Inquieries and Searches were made for him; but on Thursday the 17th. of October his body was found in a field out of any Road or Path, near a place called Primrose Hill, about three miles from London, The manner how he came to be found, is Related thus, Two persons going to an Alehouse, called the white house, two or three fields off, on some occasion, to go the nearest way cross over this field, and near the Hedge, saw as they thought, a Sword and Belt, and a stick and a pair of Gloves, but supposing them to belong to some person that was gone into the ditch to ease himself, did not meddle with them, but told the man of the Alehouse of it, who as they returned would go with them to see the things, because (as he said) there had been several Soldiers out that way of late a Hedge-Hog-Hunting, and possibly some of them might have carelessly left them behind them; coming to the place, they found a Belt and Scabbard, but without a sword, and the Gloves and stick lying as aforesaid, and o●e of them going to take them up, perceived something like a man in the Ditch, and going nearer, a body lying on its belly in the ditch with a sword run clear through him and remaining therein, Hereupon they immediately called an Officer, who with several Neighbours came to the place, the sword was run in just under the  pap, and stuck forth at the right side of his back, about seven or eight inches. The Officer knowing it to be the body of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, and ●aving removed it out of the ditch, found in his Pockets seven Guinnies, four broad pieces, and two small pieces of Gold, four pound and half a crown in Silver, and three Gold Rings about him, 'tis believed the villains had a design to murder his Reputation as well as his person, and left him in this manner with his money, to make it be thought that ●e Murdered himself: But 'tis well known he was a more judicious and christian person, and had a plentiful Estate, and no colour for such a scandal, and that which makes it plain to be an inhuman Murder in them, are these circumstances.  
First, there was nothing missing about him but his band, and his Pocket-Book wherein he used to carry the Examinations of such as came before him, which probably these Murderers had occasion for, that it might be concealed.  
Secondly, th●re was no sign of blood in the ditch, nor thereabouts to be seen.  
Thirdly, There was a Seam or Circle about his Neck, and the blood settled in the upper part, whereby it appears that he was first strangled before he was run through, and as for his large laced band, which he went from Home with, on, and now was missing, 'tis like being a long necked man and using to wear a high Collar, when they came to strangle him, he might struggle, and they could not do it without tearing it to pieces, and so durs● not bring any of it with the body, lest it should discover the violence they had used to him.  
And lastly, the soles of his shoes were as clean as if he had been but just then brought off a bed or out of a Chamber, and that he was killed elsewhere and brought thither a little before he was found is evident, because on the Tuesday before, which was four days after he was first missing, the owner of this field having lost a Calf, searching diligently along this ditch and two other men with him, and then there was ●either body in the ditch, nor Belt Gloves or Stick on the bank, upon all these circumstances, and many others, the Coroners Jury gave in their Verdict, That he was wilfully Murdered.  
In pursuance of which the King's Majesty out of his zeal to Justice, and detestation of such ●orrid villainy, was pleased to set forth first a Proclamation, and then a Declaration, whereby be graciously promises o● his Royal Word, that whoever will discover the Murderers shall have five Hundred pounds, and if any of them will discover the rest, he shall be sure of pardon, and the Five Hundred pound too; there are some persons in hold upon suspicion, and 'tis hoped it may come out shortly to the glory of God, and shame and punishment of those wicked persons concerned in it.  
The Corpse being Imbalmed, was kept till Thursday the last day of October, and then was carried in most Noble manner, from the Great Hall of the Corporation of Old Bridewell (whereof he was one of the Governors) unto his late Parish Church being St. Martin's in the Fields; never was seen a more solemn, or decent Funeral, Eight Knights, and all Justices of the Peace held up the Pall, All the Aldermen of the City attended the Corpse, and above an hundred Ministers that came of their own accord without any invitation, but that of respect to his memory, and of persons of Quality and other company the crowd was so great, that the Train reached at once from Bridewell beyond the New Exchange in the Strand, and the Church so crowded, that persons of Quality had offered great sums of money to get a place in any seat where they might hear.  
The Reverend Dean of Banger, in Wales, Minister of that Parish, Preached a most Excellent Sermon from that suitable Text, 2 Samuel. Chap. 3. ver. 34. As a m●n falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou, and all the people wept over him, which being finished, he was decently interred with great lamentation, especially of the Poor, whom he had always made it his business to employ and relieve, and had given and lent several hundred pounds to that Parish on that Account.   

An Epitaph, on Sr. Edmund Bury Godfrey.  

UNder this weeping Marble, Reader, lies.  
The People's Love, the Nations Sacrifice,  
A First-rate Martyr, and to raise thy dread  
A Justice most unjustly Murdered.  
Whom Popish Bloodhounds did●s● fast pursue  
They would have killed his Reputation too.  
But that's Immortal, and shall never want  
Esteem, whilst there is Priest or Protestant.  
The one to spread his Praise in noble writ  
The other to Admire and Honour it.   
FINIS