THE PLOT in a DREAM: OR, THE DISCOVERER IN Masquerade.  
IN A Succinct Discourse and Narrative of the late and present Designs of the Papists against the King and Government.  
Illustrated with Copper Plates.  
By PHILOPATRIS.  Fictae Religioni ficta decent. 
LONDON, Printed by T. Snowden for John Hancock and Enoch Prosser, and are to be sold at their Shops at the Three Bible's next Popes-Head Alley over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill, and at the Rose and Crown in Swethings Alley at the East end of the Royal Exchange in Cornhill. 1681.   

THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.  
Courteous Reader,  
THe ingenious Author wants neither Wit nor Eloquence, to recommend this delightful Mirror of the Popish Plot to thy acceptance; but his great humility restrains him from doing that Justice to himself, and kindness to me. Yet rather than so fair a Birth should perish in the bringing forth, so curious a Work lie by for want of a few good words, I resolved to say somewhat myself: and not only for the Author's praise, but a little for my own profit.  
I know what hath been said in some Prefaces, of the bottomless deserts of some Writings to deceive the Credulous World. And it is easy to say more in a Page, than you shall find true in a volume. But my design is not to swell this Book or thine expectation, by a prolix and undeserved Encomium. My purpose is only to bespeak thy Faith, as the Author (I doubt not) hath pleased nor a damnable black and bloody Plot against our King, Laws, Lives, and Religion more fully discovered, and fairly represented, than you do in this Vision. To conclude, If thine eyes be shut, this Vision will open them; if open, it will delight them. What thou seest in it, or by it intended, but defeated; designed, but discovered; let it excite thy praises to that God, whose Allseeing eye beholds, and whose infinite power and wisdom bounds the Rage, and baffles the Counsels of these wicked Achitophel's. Neither do thou cease to pray, that the same Jehovah would evermore mightily defend our Gracious Sovereign, this great and populous City, the whole Kingdom, and all the Churches of God both at home and abroad, from Hell's Rage and Rome's Religion, till Christ shall come in glory to judge that Scarlet Whore, and give us and all his Saints a clearer Vision of that Mystery of Iniquity than the World ever had, or shall have till that day.  
Farewell.   

To the Ingenious Dreamer.  
'tIs well, when others with their waking Wit,  
Won't see a Plot, that Dreams discover it;  
When our grave Narratives grow out of date,  
You lend brisk Fancy to perpetuate  
Its Memory: Pray take the other Nap,  
And dream who would our Phileroy entrap.  
What yet I saw is but the midnight Theme,  
But hope ere long to see a Morning Dream  
That will reveal not only what is past,  
But what conclusion they'll come to at last.  
Servile Applauses to no man I own,  
Yet on your Dream my Verdict, I'll bestow,  
More Truth nor better Sense no Dreamer spoke,  
But Sir you dream as if you were awake.  
Your unknown Friend, T. D   

Ad Authorem Epigramma.  
Heu! quam grande nefas haec dira insomnia narrant?  
Ni fallor, verè, somniat hic, vigilans.  
T. D.   

THE PLOT in a DREAM: OR The Discoverer in Masquerade.  

CHAP. I.  
The Author in a Vision travelling over the Petropolitan Countries, arrives at Strombolo (the supposed place of Purgatory) in company with some Petropolitan Travellers; There they met with an Apparition talking to itself about the present Plot; A pleasant passage of the fright the Petropolitans were put into by the Apparition, and their flight upon it. The Apparition proves to be Phileroy, the Discoverer of the Plot, and an acquaintance of the Author's; upon renewing their acquaintance, Phileroy, discourses with him concerning the Plot, and of his end in coming thither, which was to attend a Consult there holden by the Great Bishop and his Emissaries, about carrying on their Designs against Albonia: Their arrival at the place of the Consult: A description of the place: The Author placed on Phileroy's Apartment, where incognito, he takes his Observations.  
BEing naturally delighted in reading of Foreign Peregrinations and Observations of the different Manners and Customs of strange Countries, I was one night musing upon such Subjects, till sleep (the Ape of Reason) had dispossessed me of my considering faculty, and turned it wholly into Imagination and Fancy; by the force of which on the sudden I was carried into the Hysperian Countries, where having stayed a small time to remark some most noted Observables of that Catholic Region (me-thoughts) I approached towards the Sea-coast, and finding a Vessel ready, did (having agreed for hire) therein embark myself for Italy, the principal of the Petropolitan Countries, and thence to return again to Christendom, having past the Fretum Gaditanum, and entered into the Levant, we were by force of Winds carried to the utmost parts of Italy, amongst the burning Islands; the chiefest of which is Strombolo, commonly affirmed by the Petropolitans of those Countries to be the Jaws of Hell, and that therein the damned souls are tormented; here, notwithstanding the frightfulness of such Reports, we were forced to put in for a Refuge against the Storm; and having landed ourselves at the foot of that burning Mountain, I and some of our Company had a mind to ascend it, to see the curiosities of that feigned Incendium. We had by leisurely and winding Ascents arrived to near three parts of the way, when in a solitary by-way amongst a queach of bushes, we discovered something in the shape of a black man, softly moving before us; I and my company were, I must confess, somewhat startled and surprised to see any thing like humane in that desolate and uninhabited Region, and therefore concluded it must be some Devil or other that was sent out as a Scout to surprise such unwary passengers as ourselves; or else some poor Purgatory Soul (that by the power of Masses) had got leave to cool himself in the open Air: My Company were at the point of turning back again in a fright, but I persuaded them against it, telling them, if it were the Devil, it were more safe to resist him, than to fly; whereupon they all besides myself being Petropolitans, began to cross themselves a main, to rattle their Beads, and to mutter over their Ave Maries at such a rate, that for my part, though I could not forbear smiling at their folly, yet I was more afraid of such their ridiculous incantations, than of the supposed Devil: The best on't was, all this while his back was towards us, and his posture rather standing than progressive, taking his steps so leisurely, as if some weighty notions in his head had retarded the motion of his heels: By this means we hoped to avoid his sight of us, and proceeded forward, when on the sudden we heard him (who had hitherto kept silence) break out into these expressions, which he uttered with somewhat a low, but earnest voice, and plain enough to be heard [Oh Albonia, Albonia, Dear Albonia, What will become of thee?] The Company heard the words as well as I, out understood them not, being spoke in the Albonian Language, which being my own native Dialect, made me wonder much more, and to be more attentive to what followed, which after a short pause was this; [Here's a Plot indeed with Hell and destruction at the beginning and end on't— Now the Devil take the Plot, and Hell take Devil, Plot, Plotters, and all, I'll get rid of them as soon as with safety I can, and discover, and then let their Devilships do their worst, I will put myself under the protection of the Albonian Prince, & defy their malice; and as I have now opportunity to know, I shall be then as well able to countermine their designs. These expressions I heard and understood, but were as mysterious to me as a Delphian Oracle: My Company were surprised too, to hear what they understood not; and imagining by my attention, and some alterations they discerned in my looks, that I might understand the Lingua, they desired me for once to be so kind to them, as to be Interpreter for the Devil; but I excused myself with a Pardonne moy Messieurs; I told them I had not been bred up long enough in the Infernal Countries, to understand any more of their Lingua than themselves— The truth is, hearing talk of Plots, and my own dear Native Country of Albonia named, I was unwilling (till I could be better informed) to discover any thing to them, that I knew as they were Petropolitans, were Enemies to us. But however, with the muttering noise we made, the Apparition turned about, and looked at us: I confess when I saw him move, I was afraid I should have seen the Devil's Countenance, that like Medusa's head, should have turned us all into Stone, or Changelings; but seeing him look with an humane Form and Visage, I took heart of grace, and stood my ground till he came nearer to us; but then standing still, and looking steadfastly and grimly upon us, he spoke to us in the Hysperian Language, which my Company then understood thus: Sirs, What are you? Whence come you? What make you here in the Luciferian Territories, which is ground not for Mortals to tread upon— These words were Thunderbolts to our Company, who without any other reply, fell to crossing and blessing themselves as before, expecting nothing but presently to be devoured— or to have their Souls shaken out of their Bodies, and carried directly to Limbus— But his next words were yet more dreadful, when he told them, That he was Bailiff to the Infernal Lord of those Countries, and that his office was to seize upon all Waiss and Strays that he found there as forfeits to the Lord of the Soil, that finding us such, his commission was presently to uncase us of our Bodies, and to faggot up our Souls together, and carry them to Limbus. Dreadfully did these words sound in the Ears of the poor trembling Petropolitans, who needed no other disanimation than their own fears, who thus hearing their doom, and knowing no way to avoid it, did pitifully request one boon only of the Apparition before their seizure, That he would give them leave to return back to their Vessel, that brought them thither to send away Letters to their friends to say Masses and Dirges for them (when in Purgatory) for their releasement. This their request, urged with their pitiful looks and behaviour, was at last granted upon their solemn Paroll given of returning back to the same place, as soon as they had sent away their dispatches; and leaving one of the Company in hostage for the return of the rest, and for this we were to cast lots, which we did; and the Lot fell upon me— The truth is, I had no such pretence to make for myself as they had, and joined not with them in theirs: I had security of better means to preserve myself against the Infernal Powers, than Masses and such fopperies: Neither indeed did I much dread them, having a strong persuasion grounded upon reasons best known to myself, that this whole Scene which appeared to them so Tragical, was no other than mere Figment and delusion. Well, thus I was left, and my Companions having received their Manumission, turned down the Hill swifter than they intended to return, which indeed they never did, as the Apparition upon our after-acquaintance told me pleasantly he expected not they should; notwithstanding they had pawned their Words and Oaths to boot for it; for he told me their Religion was such, that they could easily dispense with such things; and as they stick not to break their words with Heretics, so neither would they keep it with the Devil himself, except it were to serve him on their own designs— Timor addidit alas, the source of a Torrent from the fall of a precipice was not more swift than their motion in their retreat, they ran as if the Devil (indeed) had driven them. After they were gone, and I left alone with my Guardiane— I perceived his Eyes steadfastly fixed upon me, but knew not the meaning of it, till he resolved me by the kindness of an affectionate Embrace, and calling me by the term of his dear Friend and Countryman Philopatris, and at the same time upon more strict observance of his voice and features, I knew I was in the Arms of my old Friend Phileroy— I was glad, you may conceive, to find an old Friend in a New Soil, which (upon his request) I informed him how I came to Land upon, with a short History of my Adventures in the Neighbouring Countries; but being especially desirous to know how things stood in Albonia, I satisfied him that I left all things well, that we enjoyed the benefit which our Neighbours round about us were deprived of, of a secure and happy Peace— God grant it be so, quoth he, and that it may continue. But I fear it will be too soon disturbed by that Cursed Plot that is now hatching against them— Hearing again the name of a Plot, I could not be much disturbed in my mind, till I understood what he meant by it. I knew Phileroy of old to be no Flash, or one that would speak things unadvisedly, or at Random, and therefore desired him at once to heal my fears and curiosity, by explaining his meaning— But what, quoth Phileroy, Is indeed the name of a Plot so strange a thing to you, that you seemed so surprised at the hearing of it? Herd you no rumours of it in Albonia before you left it? Not a word, quoth I— nor any suspicion or jealousies, replied he, of a Party there lurking upon design to take off the Prince, and subvert the Government? Forbidden it Heavens, quoth I again, (then in a great passion) That our Dear Albonia should harbour any such Vipers in her Bowels. You know full well, Dear Phileroy, how well we are secured against any fears of such Attempts by the graciousness of the Prince, and happy Constitution of the Government we live under: It is Tyranny and Oppression that first raises discontents, and then puts factious spirits upon designs of Rebellion; but as there are no such grounds amongst us to provoke to such designs, so we the less fear any to attempt, except the Devil himself should raise any Cursed-Instruments that out of mere Envy to our happiness, should go about to destroy it. To suppose any such Intestine Monsters lurking amongst ourselves, that should go about to disturb that blessed Peace and Tranquillity we enjoy, were to conclude men Enemies to their own good, as well as their Country's, in whose welfare they are joynt-sharers. You know we are an United Christian Kingdom under a Christian Prince, whose prerogative it is to be Scutum Fidei both to us and the Christian World: And though it be our unhappiness to have some Parties amongst us, that out of respect of Conscience do dissent from others in some lesser matters, relating to Modes and Ceremonies of Worship, yet as the Principles of that Religion (wherein we are all united) does bind them; so also, the clemency and moderation of our Prince has farther obliged them to their duty and obedience by those in-indulgencies which he has graciously allowed them against the severities of the Laws against them. And though contrary to the Prince's inclination, some ill men have gone about maliciously to exasperate some of them by forcing the Edge of those Laws against them; yet the Experience of now above twenty years, has confirmed us, that there hath no such Plots or Attempts on their parts been attempted. And this Phileroy is so well known to you, that I may suppose these are not the Parties you mean for the Plotters— No, replied Phileroy, yet those persons that are the real Plotters, have laid their design so, as to endeavour to represent them such, and so to Shame it off themselves— But seeing we are so happily met in a strange place, and have opportunity to discourse things so material to the welfare of ourselves and Country; let us quit our Station, and walk on; for I know you have a curiosity of seeing that place, which your timorous Companions are so glad they are freed from. I will discourse these things more fully to you by the way, and withal the reason of my coming hither, and stay here; with all my heart, cried I—So we proceeded, he leading the way through solitary by paths, still leisurely ascending. We had not gone far, nor entered into any farther talk before we were attacked with the noise of a great shout from the top of the Flaming Mountain, and after that a roaring kind of noise, like the bellow of a Bull; at which I startled, being frightfully possessed with an apprehension that I should be put to encounter with Monsters or Devils, if I proceeded farther. I expected indeed that my Friend Phileroy (that I knew was neither Witch nor Conjurer) should be scared as well as I— but instead thereof I was surprised to see him fall into a loud fit of Laughter, ask me pleasantly what was the matter? The matter (quoth I) Are you so danger-proof to make a jest of these things? Herd you not the shouts and hollow just now over our heads, together with the bellow of a Bull: For my part I am apt to think now indeed, that I am in the Devil's Country, and that some of his Scouts, having discovered our Arrival, are gone to inform the Garrison of it, to come and seize us: Courage man (replied Phileroy still laughing) I thought you, being a Christian, had been Devil-proof, though your Companions, the Petropolitans, were not; you are more afraid than hurt, I will assure you: And to evidence this to you, I will endeavour to release you from your frights and astonishments by this short Narrative, wherein (to prevent farther questions) I will first acquaint you with the Cause of my coming hither; you know, when I left Albonia about two years since I designed to travel into the Petropolitan Countries, not to learn their Religion, but to observe their Manners, and to satisfy my curiosity concerning their Policies, and those things which are so commonly reported of them in our Country. Having with little stay posted over the Adjacent Countries, I came to Petropolis itself, the place where I intended to make my Residence; there the Arch-Flammin, or Great Bishop of the Petropolitans keeps his Court; I had a great desire to inform myself of the present State of it, and of those grand Affairs that were there managed relating to the Petropolitan-Weal, by the Grand-Bishop and his Scarlet Senate. But this being a thing difficult, you know, for a Christian to enterprise amongst professed Enemies, I had learned so much of their Arts, as to conceal my Religion, and to profess myself one of theirs conforming myself in all places to the same Modes and Customs as they did; and by this stratagem insinuated myself so far into the good Opinion, not only of the People, but the Priests themselves, that at last I was persuaded by them to take upon me a Religious Habit; then I thought myself a fine fool indeed; but having so got a cloak for my knavery, I thought I should thereby have the better opportunity to discover theirs, and so indeed it happily fell out; for by this means being looked upon as a Brother of the Petropolitan-Tribe. I had the more freedom to be present at their Consults and Meetings, which I quickly understood to be then managed principally against Our Dear Country of Albonia. Nor (although I was well known by them to be a Native of that place) were they any wise jealous of my company, or debarred the freedom of theirs, looking upon Renegades, (such as they took me to be) to be most serviceable to their Designs and Interests.  
They had now by the influence of their great Bishop fully resolved upon the ruin of our Hilbonian State, whose happiness in our Religion, and that civil peace we enjoyed, had been such a continual eyesore to them; And to accomplish this the better, Lucifer their old Friend is to find them with fit Instruments, to carry on their treacherous Designs, such as shall not stick or boggle at the greatest Villainies, the subversion of our ancient Laws and Religion, the destruction of our Towns and Cities, the massacreing of their Inhabitants, and (which is more than all and the most likely means for them to make a full Conquest of us) the assassinating of our dear Prince, in the preservation of whose sacred Life consist the Securities of our own Lives, Liberties and Religion; This is the work they had cut out for their hellish. Instruments to dispatch for them— Here I interrupted him having heard him thus far with the greatest terror and amazement imaginable— But what quoth I, if they should succeed (which God in mercy prevent) to take away the life of our gracious Prince, what would they be the nearer, when the next immediate Successor, shall by his Authority at once Revenge their Treasons past, and prevent their Designs to come against us— That's true indeed, replied Phileroy, could we be secure of a Christian Prince to succeed in the Government; but to prevent that, they have by their wicked Agents already made sure of him, that is presumptively to succeed, by seducing him from the Religion of his Country, to the Petropolitan Faith, whose future Authority thereby so necessarily obliged to their Interests, instead of being a Terror, is become their greatest encouragement in their Proceed. This they look upon as their Masterpiece and very groundwork of their Conspiracy: And having gained this great point by securing one that shall be true to their Interest, their next work is to make way for him by taking away the life of our present Sovereign, to carry on which cursed design (as the Devil has helped them with Agents enough, and fit enough for their purpose) so now they are at this time engaged in deep Consults, how to manage them in their Attempts of it. And because they would (in a matter of such Secrecy and importance) be the more private in their Consultations. The great Bishop and his Counsel, and Agents have chosen this place as most fit for their purpose, where they have been retired for some days in the sooty apartments of the Luciferian palace, which is the place I shall presently discover to you; it lies at the very mouth of the sulphureous Gulf, underneath which, they say, is the place of Purgatory: The great Bishop holds himself by virtue of his Keys Lieutenant of this fiery Garrison, and has thence arising a very great Revenue for sees of releasing tormented Prisoners out of it; and this they rather chose for the place of their Cabal, that they might have their great Friend and Oracle Don Lucifero present at their Consultations; I accompanied them hither, not out of any great desire I had to give the Devil a Visit, but to observe the Progress of their Designs; upon which they have been now these 3 days in close Consultation; This morning being quite, quite wearied and almost stifled with heats and clamour, I stole away from my Company to recruit my Spirits with a little fresh air, and taking the next solitary path I met with, I walked on musing upon these matters, and contriving with myself, how I might make means to prevent their Proceed by a timely discovery, which I resolved to do, as soon as possibly I could with any safety to myself, get lose from them. In the midst of these cogitations it was, that you found me in that solitary place and posture; and glad was I so happily to meet one with whom I can with freedom discourse of those things, that have been so long burdensome to my thoughts— And now dear Philopatris having given you an account of the occasion of my stay here, you shall bear me company back to the Consult, where you shall yourself be a Witness of what is acted amongst them. And this you may do without fear or hazard, being in my company, and pretending yourself to be a Petropolitan, and one of my Friends and acquaintance, you shall far no worse than I do, and have as good entertainment as Purgatory can afford, I will assure you; I thank you for your kindness replied I, (smiling at the conceit of it;) No question but the entertainment must be extraordinary where the Devil is the Host and his Imps the Servitors; but if we come to Table with him, I hope we shall have long Spoons to eat our broth with; I know not (quoth Phileroy) what length your Spoons are of; but I will engage your Commons shall be short enough— discoursing thus together, we were come almost to the pitch of the Hill. When we were alarmed with another great Shout like that before. I asked my friend if he knew what it meant; he told me, he supposed it was occasioned by a Bull which they had designed to send over into Albonia, and were that morning preparing him for the voyage, with Swords, Pistols and Fire-bolts fastened about him (like the Bulls in the Bear-garden harnessed with Crackers and Serpents) which were designed for some dismal Execution; I hope said I when he comes there, he will be baited to some purpose: No doubt on't replied Phileroy, and I hope myself ere long to be one of those that shall worry him— He is to roar out Excommunication against the Prince, and Threaten (of no less than damnation) against such Subjects as shall dare to Obey him contrary to the great Bishop's Pleasure; but as cursed Cows are said to have short Horns, so have their Bulls too, too short to do mischief, let them make what noise they will; Our Christian Albonians neither value nor fear them— But Whist— no more of this, lest we hap to be discovered by some of the Sentries that are posted up and down about this place— See yonder's one stands ready to examine us— and with lifting up mine eyes (upon the very brow of the Hill) I saw an ugly, black, Grim-looked Fellow, with a Musket on his Shoulder, and Match in his Hand, who, upon our nearer approach towards him, cried out, Stand— Who are you— Friends, replied Phileroy, (and with that privately shuffled a Rosary of Beads with a Crucifix into my hand, which he bid me put in my Pocket) We are Friends I tell ye; But how shall I know that (says the Devil's Officer) I know you (Phileroy) well enough; but who is the other with you— An Honest Fellow, replies my Friend, I will engage for him— An honest Fellow, says the Sentry— What should he do here, you know this is no place for such Persons— What have we to do with Honesty- he looks like an Heretic, be he what he will, I will have him before the Inquisition— Soft Friend, quoth Phileroy, you are mistaken in the man, I tell you he is a Friend and a Petropolitan, which he shall make appear to you by his Certificate, and with that he whispered me in the Ear to produce the Beads to him, which I did, and thereupon he let us pass— I was afraid by this passage (as I told Phileroy) that Honesty being so much abhorred in that place, I should by some looks or gestures pretending to it, betray myself to their Suspicion, and so incur their Censures— But for that he told me, I must learn to dissemble as well as he, when I came amongst them; to lay off my natural Serenity, and to assume a distorted, furious, and troubled Visage— This I thought I might easily be forced to do, when I came amongst such a company: The apprehension of which, methoughts had already altered my very form and I questioned not (as I told him) but if I stayed any time with them, I should be so far bewitched by their Society, as to look as ugly as themselves. One Caution more he gave me, that I should have my rosary always in sight, either in my hand, or at my Girdle, as a badge of the Religion; but because I did not much care to handle such Sorceries, I chose to have them hung dangling at my Girdle— And thus on the sudden I was turned Friar in Masquerade— And wishing myself good luck in the Adventure we proceeded till we came to the very gates of Limbus. Horror itself cannot express the dismalness of that place, it is seated in the midst of a little Plain, about a furlong over on the highest top of the Burning Mountain, the flames of which in several places from the Caverns and Hollows of the Earth, (caused by their eruptions) broke forth in an hideous manner, and darkened the Sky with mighty Clouds of sulphureous Smoke and Vapour arising from them: The passage to the Infernal Palace lies through a hollow Way descending from the surface some few paces to a great pair of Gates that gives Entrance to it; here we arrived, and my friend Phileroy knocked at the Wicket: But it seems they were very close at their business; for we stood a considerable time before we could gain Admittance— At last one of them came and opened the door, holding it in his hand, till he had taken a full view of us; and seeing (by the glimmering of a Lamp that was set over the door for such purposes) who it was, Phileroy was presently admitted, who taking me by the hand, endeavoured to pull me in after him; but the suspicious Fiend would not suffer that, till I was fain to show him the baubles at my Girdle; and that Phileroy had assured him that I was a friend of his, and a Petropolitan; then I was admitted, and taking fast hold of Phileroy, stumbled along through a blind Entry, so rough and declining withal, that I think if it had not been for Phileroy, I had broke my Neck before I had come to the end of it; but he being better acquainted with the passage, bore me up steady, till he brought me through it into a very large Room, as big for its dimensions as the Vatican at Petropolis; the place was sultry hot, as a Dutch Stove, or rather much hotter, insomuch as I was fain presently to rip  my doublet, and fall a breathing like a Fish out of water, expecting to be stifled forthwith, if I could not get in some mouthfuls of Air into my gasping Jaws to relieve me; and yet that very Air I did suck in, was so sultry and scalding, as made my very lungs to boil like a Pot over a Furnace: Besides, the Room was all over so full of stinking Smoke and Vapour, that there was no possibility of seeing any thing, or distinguishing one person from another, had it not been for a numerous company of Candles, that were set up and down round about it, the flame of which seemed to me to look of a blood-red colour (as we see the body of the Sun sometimes to look in misty Wether.) I was afterwards informed by Phileroy; that these Candles were compounded of the Grease of humane Bodies taken out of the Massacred Carcases of the poor Martyrs of B●gland, or 〈◊〉 Tories' Country, and reserved as choice Ware for the special use of the Consistory— We made no stay here to make any Observations; the room was indeed full of People or Spirits walking up and down and making a croaking noise, like Frogs in a quagmire; but Phileroy seeing me begin to make ugly faces (as he advised me, though for the heart of me I could not help it) concluded the purgatory Air did not well agree with me, wherefore haling me along through the crowd, he brought me without stop or stay to the end of the Room, where at one corner of it, was a little Wicket, which with a Key that he took out of his pocket, he presently opened and led me up an ascent of ten or a dozen Steps into a little Cell, which he told me was his own Apartment, assigned him for his repose and Conveniency, during his stay in that place: This was somewhat cooler than the place we came from, having a little fontinel in it, which brought in the air from the top of the Mountain. This did wonderfully refresh me (being almost stifled before) so that now I began to look ●bout me, and to consider where I was, 〈◊〉 what I had to do here: I had a great ●uriosity (seeing I had proceeded thus far) ●o discover the manner of their Consults, ●nd to understand their proceed upon ●t; but was loath to become a Martyr to ●ny own fancy, by venturing myself again ●nto that sultry Region; but for that, my Friend told me he would take care of a place where I should see and hear all passages, without exposing myself to such inconveniencies; and accordingly at the corner of his Cell he showed me a little window which looked into the Court, and where we might plainly see and hear every thing without being discovered ourselves or the least notice taken of us. I was very glad of the opportunity, and presently planted myself ready to make my discoveries getting Phileroy (who stood by me) to be my Interpreter, in explaining every thing to me.   

CHAP. II.  
A View of the Company attending the Consult. The Description of Heraclitus; the Designs of him and his party. The Furniture of the Consult Room with relics of Saints and Pictures, as, namely, one of the Massacre at Paris, another of that in Bogland. The Description of a company of Scribblers and Pamphleteers concerned in the Plot, particularly of one called the Discoverer. The Entrance of the Great Bishop with his company, and the form of their sitting described; upon proclaiming of silence, they are interrupted by the clamours of some Souls in Purgatory, that were broke lose, exclaiming against the Great Bishop for his ungratefulness to them for their Services and sufferings. The lame Apologies he used to excuse himself. Their Remission back to the place of punishment.  
THe Room, as I said before, was very large and spacious, and yet full of Company walking to and fro, as they do at the Exchange, and talking together with much warmth and earnestness, with stretching out the hand, thumping the Breast, and looks composed to so much austerity, as somewhat exceeded the natural gravity of the Spaniard, though those Majestic Don's we know are the most solemn and grave in their deportment, of any other. Only one fellow I observed much to be admired, being both in his habit and carriage different from all the rest of the Company; his habit was party par-pale, the one Moiety of his karkals from head to Toe, was dressed up in the Spanish Mode, with all the formal habiliments of a strutting Don, with Beaver cocked, and arm a kimbo; the other half of him was on the contrary accoutred in a most ridiculous dress, like the Knave of Clubs, in Coat and Hose, with an hanging Sleeve, made up of patches of more various colours than a tailor's Cabbage-bed, or a Party coloured Cushion, on that side of him, he wore a Cock's Feather in his Hat, and other mimical and antique accoutrements; He was of himself an ugly squinting fellow, whose Eyes looked nine ways at once, and that which was more strange in him, his looks were as much diversified as his habit; for look upon him on his Spanish side, and his look was composed to a demure and supercilious gravity, rather frowning than otherwise; but look upon him on the other side and his face was all ape and ridicule, and his Jaws drawn up into the form of laughter, all fop and foolery. I was much pleased with the humour of this compounded Animal, but could not tell for the life of me what to make on't, except a Jack-a-lent, having seen Puppets so called in Albonia, patched up in that manner. But Phileroy better informed me, that it was the great Bishop's jester, and that he called himself by the name of Heraclitus— That, said I, methinks is a very improper Title for a man of mirth, (as Jesters should be) Heraclitus we know was all over sober sadness, nothing of fop in him; That's true replied Phileroy, but this Fellow acting both knave and fool has taken upon him a double part accordingly, which you see he represents both in the garb and gesture. He pretends himself a Tragi-comedian, and acts both jest and Earnest, upon which account he might as well have compounded his name as his humours, and called himself Heramocritus, it would have sounded in my mind much better, however as strange a Creature as he appears to you. He is looked upon here, as a very serviceable instrument for the Promoting the Petropolitan Interest; being one of those Factionmongers (of whom there are a great many in this place) that betwixt jest and earnest are to create divisions, and set the Government and People at odds one with another; thus when he is in sober earnest, his serious part is employed only about dreams, and stories of a former Rebellion long since acted in Albonia; of which though the Actors are long since dead, and their crimes almost forgotten, yet this politic Whister would needs persuade the Government that the Ghosts of those Rebels are revived under a new form to act their old parts over again; and by this means to divert the Magistrates ftom all suspicion of the Petropolitan party, and to believe the Albonians themselves to be the Plotters against their own Country; And thus his serious part is made up of mere fiction and foolery, but his fooling part is compounded on the contrary of things of a most sad and solid nature (enough to make a true Heraclitus to weep In earnest (the fear and troubles of the People about the Events of this hellish Conspiracy, now on foot against them all which (his part is to turn into droll and ridicule, and to persuade the People, that their Governors do but laugh at them for their foolish fears; and that that is all the remedy they will afford to prevent them— And by this way he designs to jest the People into hard thoughts of the Government, and so to set them one against another. Well, having received this account of Heraclitus, I thought him not worth any further regarding, so let him pass on in his jocular huff to divert my eyes with some other prospects: But here I must not omit to acquaint you (before I pass further) with the furniture of this sooty Palace; there were hanging against the Walls of it, in some places, the Relics of some of the Petropolitan Martyrs, which the great Bishop and the Conclave for their zealous services and sufferings had cannonised with Saintship; in one place was a Knife hanging besmeared with blood, which Phileroy told me was the instrument wherewith Ravillaie murdered Henry the fourth of France, and for that fact tormented to death (as he deserved) with most exquisite tortures; next to that was placed the dark Lantern of Guido Faux the Albonian Traitor, that was to have blown up the Senate House, with the Assembly of the two grand Estates and Royal Family in it, had not Providence by a Discovery in a very strange manner prevented the Design, for this Fact he received a deserved punishmenr, but was afterwards at Petropolis Sainted for it— there was also hanging by a thread a Ball, in resemblance of the Fire-balls wherewith the Petropolitans lately since had destroyed the famous City of Londinople the Metropolis of Albonia; the principal Author of which, was afterwards hanged, though the rest by the means and interposition of some great Interests, for that time escaping, are yet reserved for a future Vengeance— Besides these were hanging several pictures the designs of which particularly Phileroy explained to me. One of them was a representation of a most horrid Massacre, acted within the circuit of a great and populous City by the Bloody-thirsty Petropolitans distinguished from the rest by Crosses and other signatures; the slaughter was so great, and the Villainies and Cruelties there acted (which the Painter with great Art had most lively deciphered) so notorious, as made me shrink with horror at the sight of it. This he told me was intended for the Massacre, at Lutetia, of the poor Hugenot Christians. A piece of service esteemed so meritorious and grateful to the great Bishop and his Consistory, that they ordered a Jubilee to be observed for it, with many other Expressions of Joy and Triumph for so glorious an Undertaking.  
The next I observed was that of another Massacre or Slaughter like the former, but varied (if possible) with cruelties of a more surpassing nature than other; the Painter indeed in this piece had played his part so well that all the most brutish and barbarous Villainies that were ever acted in the World, seemed to be crowded together in this model. The Scene of this Tragedy was a large and spacious Country (yet environed every way with the Sea) full of Lakes, Fens and Marshes, and very woody in some places. Here was to the Life described a crew of Bloody Ruffians (bearing the Petropolitan colours) roving up and down the Country, like savage Tigers with Instruments of Death in their hands, wherewith they killed and destroyed all they met with. In some places We might see Cities and Towns weltering in destructive flames, while the distressed Inhabitants flying out of the Gates for the preservation of their Lives, have fallen upon the Swords of their Enemies; and so lost those lives which by their flight they endeavoured to save. Otherwhere were seen those brutish Villains gratifying their beastly Appetites in ravishing Women, stripping of them, and so driving them together in herds (naked as they were) to the bogs and Rivers to drown them. Some were pictured wresting the tender Infants from their Mother's Breasts to slay them, and then spitting them upon their Pikes to carry them about in that manner as trophies of their Cruelty. These Slaughters (as they were there described) were so Universal, that the whole Country seemed but one Aceldama, or field of Blood. The Scene of this Tragedy I understood was Bogland or the Tories Country, and this was the Description of the horrid Massacre there acted some years since within our memory, and much feared (as Phileroy told me) to be acted over again by the treacherous Petropolitans, who swarm in that Island, and notwithstanding the Country is a Colony or Tributary Province belonging to the Albonian Prince: yet neither the tutelage of his Government, nor all the Reliefs and Aids he can afford them for their Defence and Security, have been sufficient to preserve them from the restless Attempts of their Petropolitan Enemies; who, said he, are at this day as busy in their Designs as ever, for the Ruin of that poor Christian Country; and it is one part of their present Consults in this grand Conspiracy either by secret Treacheries, or open Force by the Assistance of the Franconian Monarch and other of the great Bishops Friends, to reduce that Province to the Obedience of the Petropolitan Chair; and this ●sland is looked upon as the most likely to begin with for the reducing of Albonia itself, with the rest of its dependant Provinces. The Albonians having a Proverb currant amongst them to this purpose: 
He that would Albonia win  
Must with Bogland first ●●●in.   
This Picture in a very large frame was hung up at the end of the Room, just over against the great Bishop's Chair, who ('tis said) from thence uses to take a Prospect of it with much Delight and Satisfaction, often applauding the Religious Zeal of the Petropolitan Tories in those inhuman Slaughters by them committed upon the poor Christians, with such Sacrifices I perceive the Devil and the Gr. Bp. are always well pleased.  
There were several other Pourtraits which I would have perused, but was diverted by a sudden bustle, that was made by the company at the coming of two persons with great Satchels at their Backs, which they threw down upon a long Table at the end of the room, and thence took out several fardels of Paper Books, Parchments with Seals, Standishes, and other things necessary for the Consult. It seems this was the place where the great Bishop and the Consistory were to sit; who having for some time retired themselves to their apartments there adjoining, were now returning, and these Harbingers coming before to prepare for them, was the occasion of this bustle: For immediately upon their appearing, I perceived the Company that were before promiscuously mingled together, to separate themselves into several parts according to their distinct Orders and Capacities, and took their several Stations up and down the rooms, where they stood together ready against they should be called upon by the Council to receive their Order. 'Twas strange to observe how this great Body, that were so lately united, were on the sudden dwindled away into so many divisions; whereupon I told Phileroy, I marvelled, that the Petropolitan Church that pretended so much to Unity, should admit of so many fractions! That's no wonder, replied he, there are by far many more different parties amongst them than you see here; and yet all this makes no Schisms amongst themselves; for they are but several Limbs of the same Body, and agree well enough together in this grand Affair; and their separate Companies argue no breach amongst them; but are intended to cause Breaches and Divisions amongst their Enemies the Albonians, as you shall hear presently when their Instructions are read to them. Near to the great Table where the Council were to sit, was a side Board of an Oval Form, round about which were a company of Scribes perpetually scribbling and blurring Paper they were most of them in Albonian habits (as were several others ●●out the place) only they had the Beast's Mark upon them for a distinction. I stood amazed to see and consider, that so many of my own Countrymen should (setting aside Religion and Allegiance to God and their King) be such Apostates as to be concerned in such an horrid and cursed Design as was here on foot against their own Country. But what cannot the Devil and his dear Vicar do with ill minds, that have first given up themselves unto their Service? I was curious to know what they were, and what it was that their Pens were so busily employed about. Phileroy presently resolved me, that they were a sort of men that were ambitious of being counted the Wits or the Thinking-men, (forsooth) a company of frothy Sots! That all the thoughts in their Skulls are not worth the breaking of a Pullet's bone to know them) their Employment was to compose Libels, Lampoons, Drolls, Forces, Visions, Characters, Dialogues, Appeals, Discoveries, and such like sustian Pamphlets, wherein they were with their utmost endeavours to promote the Petropolitan Interest; either by vindicating their Innocency (upon any discovery) by some impudent Lies and Falsehoods, or palliating their crimes by subtle and sophistical discourses; whereby to amuse the Unthinking herd into a misbelief of them, or else by wheedling insinuations to reflect the Plot upon the Albonians themselves as the proper Authors and Agents of it, or (whether these Stratagems succeeded or not) they were still to vindicate the Right and Title of the Albonian Duke, whose Succession to the Monarchy they knew would make good all their Interest; this he told me was their business: And subservient to them were another Company (none of Apollo's Birds) but Mercurists or Intelligencers, whose work it was to impose upon the Vulgar all manner of fictitious Trash, Lies, and Stories, under pretence of news, to create Faction and Sedition amongst the rest. he shown me one far different from the others, he called himself the Discoverer; a Fellow that pretended he could see many foot deeper into a Millstone than all the World besides; a politic Coxcomb, that writes nothing but Palinodes and Rehearsals of things done in the days of his Grandfather. All his news are but repetitions of old things in Forty One and Forty Two, which the Politooke Gentleman would persuade you is the very Plot now in Being. The Devil himself (said Phileroy) the other day could not forbear laughing at the pretty odness of this Fellow's humour; and to say the truth, this whole pack of whifling, trifling, scribbling Pragmaticos, are no other than a select company of mercenary tools, that his Devilship has picked up for the service of the Grand Vicar and the Petropolitan cause. Well, I had enough of this Discovery, and before I could proceed to make any farther observations. The Pageant came in (to wit) the Grand Vicar with his attendants, which consisted of Cardinals and other Ecclesiastical Dignitaries of the superior Orders. Before him came an Officer to make way, an ill favoured black Creature whether humane or Devil I know not: But he made a great noise and bustle in preparing a passage, crying out, make room for the great Bishop and the Conclave. The great Bishop was not at this time (I perceived) in his Pontificalibus, or attired in that sumptuous manner, which he uses to appear in at Procession, or in giving Audience to Ambassadors; but in a plain black Gown, as a colour most agreeable to the Place and Business: Yet for the greater grace of the matter, his reverend Baldpate was covered with a Triple Crown; the Pontife Crosier in his Hand, and his Keys at his Girdle, together with his rosary Crosses and other trinkets. Before him were carried three Crosses of ingraved Work, and embossed very richly: after him followed first the Conclave of Cardinals in black also, only with red Hats and Tassels hanging down from them. Amongst this number I spied out one that I knew to be our Countryman, and of no mean rank of the Nobility in Albonia: After these followed the mitered Clergy in their proper Habits, several of which had this Inscription upon their Mitres, viz. [Titular] these Phileroy told me, were a kind of sine Cures, upon whom the Great Bishop had bestowed Titles of several Bishoprics in Albonia and Bogland, with free leave to take possession of them as soon as they could get them into their hands, by means of this Plot, or any other way whatsoever. Ay marry, said I, they are good fish when they are caught indeed; but I hope the Fisher (as the great Bishop styles himself) nor those his Anglers will be ever able to hook any thing of that nature, while our King continues Lord of the Soil, whose undoubted right it is to have the donation of those places: next followed a company of mixed Orders, some of them being Ignatians, others Franciscanes, and others Benedictines, all of them in the several distinct habits of their Order: These I understand were a fraternity of a distinct faculty, that had a Commission from the G. B. ad propagandum fidem, for propagating (I should have said perverting) the faith, these made up the whole board, who after the Gr. Bp. had seated himself in his Chair at the upper end of it, did severally take their places according to their Rank and Precedencies, after the order they observed in their coming thither. I wondered something at it to see so much Order observed in a place of Darkness and Confusion, but I was told by my Friend, it was a thing not so much to be admired, that those ambitious Churchmen, that stood so much upon their Privileges upon Earth, should hold their precedencies as well here— They were no sooner seated, and the Companies in the Room beginning to draw about them, but proclamation of silence was ordered to be made, which was accordingly done by that ugly creature that was their Harbinger to the Board (whose Office Phileroy told me was to be Keeper of the Purgatory Prison, and the Infernal Vaults underneath that place) with a solemn O●●es. But no sooner was Silence thus proclaimed, but it was as suddenly broke by a lamentable and hideous Outcry, which put the whole Court into a frightful amazement; it came, it seems, from some of the Purgatory Captives, who in the absence of their Keeper, had stole up to a private Door, that led into the Court Room; and understanding that his ●unoliness was then there Sitting with the Conclude, they set up their Acclamations, crying out, Release, Release, Thou Old Sot that pretendest to have the Keys of this place at thy Girdle, if thou hast as much power to let out, as to let in, why dost thou not come thyself and discharge us, seeing it is for thy sake, and those Treasonable services, that to gratify thy Ambition we performed against our Native Prince and Country, that we are come into this misery, to be first hanged on Earth for Traitors, and then punished here as sinners. Are these the rewards? Is this the Elysium thou promisedst us— O cursed Cheat? and than they fell a howling in a horrid manner— This unexpected Outcry gave the Gr. Bp. a deadly Flea in his Ear, as we might perceive by the coming and going of the colour in his countenance; for as Phileroy told me— (smiling at it) he knew the Vicar must— needs be dreadfully nettled at it, to have such a clamour so surprisingly break out against him in the hearing of those that were now attending upon the like services with which those his Prisoners had so reproached him for rewarding them no better; and he might justly fear hereupon that his new Serviteurs upon such a discouragement, would be but cold in their services when they were to be so hotly rewarded— however his unholiness perceiving there was so much notice taken of their words, as to cause a muttering, and almost a mutiny amongst the Company— he was put so to his Trumpets, that he sat a while as in a stunned; but at last bethinking himself of an help at a dead lift, he rises up and declares to the Company, that the Authors of that clamour were a pack of Lying Villains to asperse him with ingratitude, for that their services to him had been rewarded before this time (and should be hereafter if they behaved themselves accordingly) to their content in the place of happiness [that is, thought I with myself, The Fool's Paradise] but that they came not hither upon any account of their services performed for him, or defect of merit in any such services to secure them from coming into such misery; but that their slipping it there contrary to their own expectation, and his promise, must be occasioned either by their concealing and dying in some mortal sin, without receiving Absolution for it; or else they had at their death (though they suffered as Martyrs at the Gallows in the Church's quarrel) confessed something that tended to the prejudice of the Church's Designs & Interest, which they ought rather flatly to have denied, or by some feigned Equivocations to have concealed rather than the Church should suffer by their plain confessions: One of these two he told them must needs be the cause of their coming into that place of misery: And therefore by the way, he gave it as a Caution to the New-listed Reformadoes there present that had offered their services in his and the Churches quarrel [in the present design] to be courageous to the death; and if ever they should upon their discovery come to the honour of Martyrdom, that they should not (to save their Lives) betray the Church's Designs by any sneaking confession which might turn to their prejudice, which if they did, they might be in danger of coming into the same condition that these poor-wretches were in; but if on the contrary they persisted courageously to vindicate the Cause, though they denied the Truth, the Crime of the Falsehood (being for the Church's Service) should be pardoned, and themselves rewarded— both with Saintship here, and immediate Felicity in the other World— But as for those poor Souls that by their own folly had lost the merit of their Services, and brought themselves into that place of misery, he bade their Keeper (whom he first checked for his negligence) to go back to them, and assure them, that after this grand business was over) he would order a Jubilee to be kept in order to releasing them and their fellow-prisoners.  
This latter part of his Oration he spoke with an Elevated Voice, much louder than the former, intending (as I fancied) that it should reach the Ears of the Purgatorians; but the former part he spoke so low, that the Company in the Room could hardly understand him; this he did purposely, that those Apologies that he made for suffering them to come into that place, might not be understood by the Prisoners, lest they should reply upon him, and return him back the Lie he had given them; which he knew might possibly occasion such broils between them as might make the place too hot for him to stay in (though it were warm enough already.) The Prisoners I perceived by their present stillness, were attentively listening to what he said, but I supposed heard but little, except (what he intended they should) his cokesing conclusion; immediately upon which their surly Gaoler, with Hell and fury in his countenance, and Keys gingling in his hands, runs back to the door, which which he rattled open, and with a good Cudgel that he carried with him, fell upon the poor Slaves, and beat them back again to their Infernal Stations, telling them by the way, That he would make them dearly suffer for this their insolent misdemeanour, for which, had it not been for his Unholinesses Goodness, he might have lost his Place and Office.   

CHAP. III.  
The Gaoler that carried back the Prisoners, giveth an account to the Court, of the Merits of their Sufferings, that one of them, a Carthusian, died of the wound he received by the loss of his Testicles cut off by the Husband of a woman whom he had abused; some descants upon the passage. The Speech of the Great Bishop to the Assembly at the opening of the Consult about the Designs of the Plot; some descants between the Author and Phileroy upon it. The Petropolitan Secretary (who ordered the business of the Consult) described; calls over the several Parties concerned in the Consult, beginning with the Commissioners ad propagandum fidem, declares to them the Great Bishop's Decree to them against Albonia; their Instructions read to them. A Description of the Seminaries. Phileroy's discourse to the Author of the Original of this Fraternity, and the History of their Proceed. Lastly, Their Instructions for the Service.  
I Question not but he was as good as his word to them; for a little after, we could hear them (though not so list as before) howling and yelling in a pitiful manner; after he had secured his Prisoners, he returns back to the Court in a great heat, puffing, and rubbing the sweat off his greasy Brows dripping upon his fiery Nose: after he had panted a while and recovered breath enough to give an Answer, I heard the Great Bp. ask him, who those Prisoners were that had occasioned the Uproar; for that they pretended themselves to be Martyrs for the Petropolitan Cause, which, if it were truly so, they should be taken into Consideration, and rewarded with Canonization if they deserved it— I know not, replied the Gaoler, whether their deserts will reach such a Reward or no, but must leave that to the discretion of your unholiness and the Conclave. I will give you an account only of the bare matter of Fact, for which they came hither. The Ringleader of them, that mouthed it so fiercely against your unholiness, is a mere cock-gelding, an untesticled person; He was upon Earth a Carthusian Brother, who, in Obedience to his Order (which I suppose he intends to be the Merit of his Sufferings) having kept himself out of the Yoke of Matrimony, did, for the necessary Relief of Nature, take occasion sometimes to root in his Neighbour's Enclosures: But one time amongst the rest happening to light upon a pretty spot of Female-ware, belonging to a Butcher; the Husband, whether he had any suspicion of it, or whether it were by accident, unfortunately broke in upon them, and finding the sign in Aries, without consulting farther he took this fit season for the gelding of such kind of Cattle; wherefore to cure him of his Calenture, he was resolved to phlebotomize him, which with his slaughter-knife he did, applying it to the Sedes Morbi, and castrating him so close, that together with a torrent of blood, that followed upon the amputation, his lecherous Soul, after some dismal Screeks and Ave Maria's uttered, was released from his Body, and came limping hither, whining more for the loss of his Mistress than for the pains he had suffered. I saw the poo● thing was so i'll with the loss of blood, that to comfort him, I put him into one of the hottest baths we had, where after he had sweat a while, I asked him how he liked Purgatory, and whether the place were warm enough for him; he told me, he had been in some purgatories on Earth, that were as hot as this, namely, when he frequented the Stews at Petropolis amongst your Vnholiness' licenced Courtesans, where he was once burnt by a pocky Whore so terribly, that had it not been for the skill of an able Mountebank, he might have saved the Butcher the labour of Castration; but since he came hither, he has been pretty well fluxed for it. And this, so far as I know, is all the reason of his pretence to Martyrdom; the Services he has done for the Mother-Church, being his Endeavours (ad propagandam prolem) or getting Bastards for their keeping, which he looks upon as a Work so meritorious, that he hopes (considered together with his Sufferings upon that account) your Apostleship will not fail to remember him for it at the next instalment of Martyrs.— And is this the service he boasts of? (quoth the Grand Vicar.) Out a poned, this will not do: Our Mother-Church has too many such Bastards already in her keeping, except we could enlarge her Revenues to make better provision for them. What! (said I then to Phileroy) I perceive the poor Purgatorian is like to lose his Expectations of Saintship: Yes, yes, said he, that he will indeed; there is nothing carries it in such cases, but what tends directly for the Interest of the Papal Chair; but that being sufficiently supplied already with Nephews of the blood, has no need of any other assistances of that nature, however had this Lecherous Fool been so lucky to have committed Treason, when he did Adultery, by taking away the life of an Heretical Prince, and been hanged for his pains, he might have been Red-lettered before this time, both with Saintship and Martyrdom. This tragi-comical passage so unexpectedly intervening, caused no small noise amongst the Company, muttering one with another whatever came into their minds to say about it; insomuch that the Vicar was forced to order another Proclamation of Silence to be made, which was done accordingly with three solemn Cries as before; after which the Great Bishop rising up from his seat, began a Speech to the Assembly (that now began to gather about him in a posture of Attention) in this manner. ● Worthy Petropolitans: The Design of our meeting here at this time is well known to you, to be for the reducing of that Rebellious, and Heretical Province of Albonia, to the Obedience of the Apostolic Chair, from which it hath long since departed, by a schismatical Separation; and having thereby not only cast off their Allegiance unto us (to whom as St. Peter's Successor all States and Kingdoms in the World do owe an undeniable Subjection) but also sacrilegiously rob the Church itself of its Incomes and Revenues; All which they have converted to their own use and benefit: We have out of the constant Zeal for the promoting of the Glory and Interest of the Petropolitan Empire, and to regain so considerable a part of our Patrimony, as are by those Heretics detained from us, Resolved to leave no means unattempted till we have fully subdued that Rebellious People and either brought them back again to their duty to us, or so consumed them, that they shall not have a name left upon the Earth; and for you (our dear Children) that have so dutifully and freely offered yourselves to our service, and to become the Ministers of our Revenge upon them. Be courageous and proceed with Vigour in this great undertaking, you shall not want either Encouragements or Rewards; let your valour and Resolution appear as evident for the subduing these Enemies to the Ecclesiastic State, as ever the ancient Romans did for the Enlargement of their Empire. We go not to subdue them with open Force or Strength of Armies; those Heretics being that way too hard for us, as we experienced when our Catholic Son sent out his invincible Navy to invade them; but were by those stubborn Albonians in a short time miserably overthrown and ruined. Their Fleets and Armies are so powerful, as keeps the whole Europian World in awe of them; so that it is to no purpose to attempt by any such means to subdue them: but what cannot be gained by Strength, must be done by Policy and secret Contrivances; for which end we have now the fairest opportunity in our hands, that we could wish for, to encourage our Proceed, sufficient to redeem all those former defeats, that we have suffered by them; We know the time is yet fresh in memory, when those that the World could not subdue, were destroyed by themselves by an Intestine Civil War, created by their own Factions, but fomented and carried on by our Petropolitans; this flame could not be extinguished but by the blood of their own Prince and Sovereign, who was sacrificed to the revenge of the insulting Vulgar before the Gates of the Imperial Palace. This Fact contributed no little to our Designs, while our Party, many of them siding with the Prince against the Rebels (as it was either their interest, or necessity then to do) did thereby take off the suspicion of the Treason from themselves, and left it upon the Factions, who by that means have rooted such Jealousies and Suspicions in the Government against those Factions, that (as we by Our Agents amongst them have and do continually improve the Argument) they shall be sooner suspected of Treason and Disloyalty, than their Enemies the Petropolitans; there are those heats and feuds (as the effects of that Civil War) yet left amongst them, as 'twere easy for you by stirring up the grounds of their Old quarrel, to work into them another Rebellion, or to keep their Divisions open so wide, as to afford a fair way towards it. Albonia (says one of their own Writers) is a great Animal that can no ways be destroyed but by killing itself; let us but put swords into their hands, and they are mad enough to thrust them into their own sides— Divide & impera is a true Maxim in Policy; Divide them a while, and we may come in time to rule them. Now than it is the opportunity presents itself fairly to our hands; we need not make Divisions amongst them, but only keep them open; the Order of their Church is disturbed by Dissenting Parties. Mingle yourselves disguisedly amongst those Herds; foment their differences; incense them against the Government by suggesting fears of troubles and persecutions from them. And at the same time stir up the Government against them, to increase the provocation. Thus keep the Body Politic in a posture of Opposition, till they fright one another into fightings, and then will we come and part Stakes between them.  
In the mean time, while we disease the Body, let's strike at the Head; the former remedy may be chronical, this must be fatal; the Petropolitan Church acknowledges no Head besides ourselves: And seeing the Albonian Princes, since their Apostasy from us, have usurped that Title to themselves, by arrogating a peculiar Jurisdiction and Supremacy over the Churches within their Dominions; It is necessary that such Heads be lopped off, that so the body may be again united to its proper one the Petropolitan Vicar: And therefore I adjure you all by that Obedience, that you own to me and to the Apostolic Church, that you will by all means imaginable, according to your several powers and Capacities, endeavour to cut off the present Heretical, Albonian Prince, as the nearest and likeliest means for us to attain our ends in reducing the Albonian Countries to the obedience of our Government; which meritorious fact, when once it is accomplished, we have already taken care, that the next Successor shall be one true to our Interest, and a Petropolitan; one that we have proselyted to our Religion, and such an one, that though the People detest him for his faith, yet must admit him upon his right to the Government of those Kingdoms. And besides this, the better to facilitate your proceed, we have engaged our dear Son of Franconia the most Petropolitan King, to assist you both with Men and Moneys upon all occasions to carry on your designs. We have farther issued out our Bull of Excommunication against that Heretical Prince of Albonia, thereby (by virtue of our Apostolic Power) depriving him of his usurped Title to the Albonian Countries, and absolving the Albonians (his Subjects) from their Duty and Allegiance to him, under pain of our highest Displeasure and the bitterest Curses we can inflict upon them, And such of them as out of an holy fear of our Indignation shall observe our Pleasure in this particular, by turning Traitors to their Prince, to become Friends to us and our Interest, shall not only have our Dispensations and Indulgencies granted to them for so doing, but shall have the Benefit of our sacred Benediction, and such rewards as the merit of their do or Sufferings shall require. And now (our dear Friends and Children) if those Encouragements be not sufficient to animate you in your proceed, yet let ●he Interest of your Mother-Church (which should be dearer to you than your very Souls) provoke you to it; Consider what a goodly part of St. Peter's Patrimony is kept from us: That Albonia whose fruitful soil and large revenues did sometime plentifully enrich both our own Coffers and our Clergies purses, a Country once so piously devoted to the Church's Interest, that the best and greatest Estates within it, were hallowed to divine Uses; Our Levites had not only the Tenths but (rather) Nine parts in Ten set apart for them; What goodly Monasteries, Abbeys, and Relgious places were there founded? how richly endowed? how large their Revenues? All which upon their Apostasy from our Church were by Edicts of that Heretical Tyrant Hen. 8. sacrilegiously taken from the Clergy and devolved into the hands of the Lay-People; They yet enjoy them, but the right is ours; nor can any Antiquity of prescription or Authority of Records so supersede our Title, but that the right is still in us if we can but gain the Possession of them. Ay (my Lads) win them and wear them; turn out those heretical Robbers, and possess their places, the Inheritances of your Fathers. We have of our Apostolic bounty freely given the Land amongst you; destroy the Canaanites, that brood of Heretics that enjoy it; a People accursed by us. Balaam was by a divine hand restrained from cursing the Israelites; but nothing shall restrain us from cursing them as a Nation devoted to destruction; We have given you full power to be the Executioners of our Vengeance upon them, to kill their Persons, destroy their Cities, possess their Lands, and to rule and reign over them. And lastly if all this be too little, I conjure you by the blood of your Martyred Ancestors, that have been hanged like Traitors for their Zeal in this holy quarrel; and by all those Severities and Persecutions that you yourselves have suffered from them, that you now take a full and fierce revenge upon those wicked Albonians: If you succced in your Attempts you have the booty for your Reward. If you miscarry in them yet shall you not be unrewarded, while we your Father have a Blessing left for you: your Sufferings shall be rewarded with Martyrdom, and yourselves with Happiness. We give you our Apostolical Benediction, and so go on and Prosper.—  
And here the Grand Vicar concluded his Oration, seating himself again in his Chair, and puffing for Breath, as having almost spent himself with his over earnest delivery: For my part I was glad of his close, being as much wearied with hearing, as he was in speaking such horrid and bloody matters against my own Country. I perceive (said I to P●●eroy) the Grand Bishop can sometimes play the Devil for Godsake, here is a pretty Scheme of Treason and Rebellion covered over with Religion. But what shall we do for our Lands when we return home again, seeing his Viccarship has now so frankly given them away from us to his Petropolitans. We must even Petition our new Masters for the favour to be their Bailiffs over our own Demesnes, and be contented to exchange our Rents for Wages. Soft there (replied Phileroy) we are not brought to that pass yet; to let them Ride while we are in the Saddle: We have yet eleven points of the Law in our own hands, let them have the twelfth and make the best on't: Their Title to Heaven, and to our Lands are grounded much alike upon the Promises of the Great Prophet, who is most liberal in giving away those things that he hath no right to himself, although the proud Prelate claims the same prerogative over us, as the Israelites of old (by God's special Commission) did over the reprobate Heathens, whose Countries (by Covenant with their Fathers) God gave to them; or as he hath done over the poor Americans, Millions of whom by his Authority been have slain and murdered, to make way for their Conversion, but more truly to gain their Possessions: Yet till he can make out such another Title to our lands as the jews did to the Canaanites, by some Feoffement or Deed of Gift from the supreme Owner, let him make what Grants of them he pleases, or to whom he pleases, he shall give us leave to hold our proprieties as long as we can. He must first buy them and pay dear for them too before he has them: And as for the Church-Revenues in the hands of the Albonian Clergy, we can plead an antiquity of Prescription before them, or that the Petropolitans had any thing to do amongst us. We had a Christian Prince before ever they had a Christian Bishop, that by virtue of a Universal Monarchy could lay claim to any Homage from us: And until our King and Country shall come to pay their fealties to him again, our Tenors are such, that the Fee and Homage are inseparable, and he shall never gain the one without the other. Well here we broke off our parley to make our Observations of the following passages. The Great Bishop, as I said before, having finished his Oration, some of the Company began to shout, others humed a little, the rest were silent. But after a little pause of some few minutes, they all fell close to their business; the several parties being gradually called up to the board to receive their Instructions and Commissions; which, by the Great Bishop's Order, were particularly delivered out to them by one that sat at the board not far from him. This person, by his looks and habit, seemed to be an Albonian, I asked Phileroy if he knew him; he told me yes, That he was indeed our Countryman, the Son of an Albonian Divine, and that having a liberal Education bestowed upon him in one of the Albonian Academies, and one of a strong and quick apprehension, he having an humour of Travelling (to satisfy his Curiosity) into the Petropolitan Countries, was there amongst the learned of that Religion so far insinuated into by their subtle Arguments and persuasions, that he was proselyted to their faith, and thereupon had in great esteem amongst them, as one that by reason of his great parts and abilities might be a very fit Instrument for them to make use of in their Designs; for which the better to qualify him, they got him into the service of a great Princess in Albonia of an Italic Family, and a Friend to the Petropolitans, where he might conveniently hold correspondencies by means of hers, and the Great Duke her Husband's Interest, with such Princes and States as were friends to the Petropolitan Interest. And in this Capacity, having by some signal services already obliged them, they have thought fit to choose him their Secretary in this grand Consult, and entrusted him with the management of the most principal matters relating to their present Designs.  
This person thus deciphered by Phileroy, I perceived, was very busy in tumbling over and sorting the Papers and Parchments that lay before him, which he disposed into several parcels, ready to be distributed to those that they particularly belonged to, which having done, he proceeded to call over the several parties to receive their Orders, and first began with the Commissioners or Congregation (as they call it) de propaganda fide, for propagating the faith; of which number was the Great Bishop himself, the Scarlet Senate, the Mitred Men or Bishops, (most of which were the Titula●s) upon whom the Vicar had conferred the promotions of several Bishoprics in Albonia and Bogland, and appointed for their principal the noble Albonian Cardinal as his Legate and Procurator, in his Viccarship's name to take possession of the Albonian Territories: Besides these Were included in the same Commission, several of the superior Orders of the Clergy together with some eminent persons of the Laity, all which were by their Names and Titles distinctly called upon, and answered to it in their places, they all sitting about the board where the Gr. Bp. was present: Then he took up an Instrument and read to them signed by the Gr. Bp. wherein he declared▪ [That all the Albonian Dominions and Territories were part of St. Peter 's Patrimony, as forfeited to the Holy See, for the Heresy of the Prince and People, and so to be disposed of as he should think fit.] This short Declaration it seems was their grand Charter, by which they were to proceed in their Designs. Then next he read over to them a Paper containing Instructions to direct them in their Proceed to this effect; That they should take upon them the superintendency and Government of all the inferior Consults, to direct them in their Managements, to appoint their Stations and Orders of Meeting: to receive Advices from them, and give out Orders thereupon; to grant Licences, Indulgences, and Dispensations by the grand Viccar's Authority (as his Delegates) where they saw occasion for them; to keep Correspondencies by Legations and Missives with such Princes, States, and Persons of Eminency, as were known Friends to the Petropolitan Interest; that they were from this place to adjourn themselves over to St. Omers, which being an Academy and Nursery of Learning, they were there to found a College or Seminary for the training up of Youth in the Petropolitan Religion, and in the Arts and Policies of the Petropolitan State, so to fit them for their Services, when ever they should have occasion to employ them, either in Albonia, or other places; here they were for the future to keep their grand Consults, to send out their dispatches, and to receive advices, the Effects of which they were from time to time to send over to his Viccarship at Petropolis in Order to the receiving such farther Order and Direction from him as he should think fit. This was the Sum of their Instructions, which was then in Writing delivered up to the noble Albonian Cardinal for the use of himself and the rest in Commission with him. Next to these was called up to the Board another party by the name of Seminaries, (sowers or seeds-men) there drew up a great number of them all in religious Habits, with Baskets on one Arm, and throwing the other Arm about in the posture of one that scatters Seed before the Blow. I wondered what the Devil was the meaning of this humour, I thought this burning Soil was too hot and parched to nourish any Seed that should be cast into it. But it seems all this was but a figure or representation of their Name and Office; For ask Phileroy the meaning of these Actions, and who they were that performed them, He told me they were the great Bishop's Planters or Seeds-men that he employed to cultivate all those Lands that the Vicar laid claim to, as any part of his Patrimony, and to sow them with the seeds of the Petropolitan Doctrines and Discipline (this is their pretence) but indeed rather to sow the seeds of Sedition, Treason and Rebellion, in the heads of the Unthinking Vulgar, whose thick, and soft Skulls they make use of as a fit ground for such disseminations; and these you see here, are now designed upon the same Employment into our Country of Albonia— How, said I, into Albonia? Nay then— and here without prosing it farther, my Indignation against these Varlets threw me into a poetical fury, which I expressed thus— 
— If this be true,  
Cursed be the Vicar and his seeding Crew;  
Never may Heaven on their endeavours smile,  
That thus their Seed sow in another's Soil;  
But blast their Crop, and all their Pains defeat,  
That go to sow their Tares amongst our Wheat.  
And while among us they design to sow  
Their Treasons, may the Devil speed the Blow,  
And When 've done, pay them their Wages too.  
And they that sow false Doctrine and Delusion,  
May they again reap Halters and Confusion,   
Phileroy smiled at the fancy, but could not but be surprised to see me fall into such an unusual rapture, ask me what I ailed, and whether the warmth of the place had made me hot-brained or no? I told him not so much that, as the warmth of my own Zeal justly kindled at the sight of those Religious Monsters, that not content to brood, and spawn in their own corrupt and putrid soils, must go about to spread their infection in the wholesome air of our reformed Countries.— However I desired Phileroy (while their Commission was reading to them, which I did not much mind) to discourse to me something of the Order and Constitution of this Religious Fraternity, which (at my request) he readily performed in this manner; These Seminaries, said he, were an Order of Priests at first instituted by a Countryman of ours, one Alanus, a Petropolitan Cardinal, about the latter end of the reign of their grand Enemy, our unparallelled Christian Princess Elisa, by whose successful care in the Reformation of Religion, the Petropolitans finding they had lost their Harvest, they contrived to lay in for another, by sowing again those Principles of false Worship, Sedition and Rebellion against Government, which had been by the endeavours of this Princess for some time happily rooted out from amongst us. To the undertaking of this great work, Ala●us, out of a Company of straggling Albonian Fugitives, had in a short time selected such a parcel of Scoundrels fit for his purpose, as were amassed into a great and bulky body; these he convened into the Order of a distinct Fraternity, which, for their better Convenience and Discipline, he incorporated within the Walls of a Foundation, purposely raised at his own charge for them at Douai in Flanders; where under the tutorage of Precedents and Provincials set over them, they were studiously instructed in all the arts of carnal Policy for the propagating of a false Religion, and stirring up of an unnatural Rebellion against their native Prince and Country. This College of Priests (or rather Kennel of the Devil's Beagles) he instituted by the name which yet they retain of Seminaries or Sowers: Sowers of Strife and Mischief, Sowers of Schism and Faction, Sowers of Treason and Rebellion; these were the happy parts, these well qualified Gentlemen were to act, and to these purposes after they had been nursed up to some maturity there; they were sent over in great numbers (as they will be now) into Albonia, to practise their sowing Trade under several disguisements to avoid Suspicion of their designs. But this new cultivated Country though it was their natural Soil, yet proved too unnatural to receive any of their pestilent Seed within it, but cast it out with abhorrency; and wherever it did take root, yet all the Crop they gathered from it, was but an unkind and pernicious sort of Hempseed, which afterward proved so fatal in the winding up of the matter, as to be the Instrument of their Destruction; So true holds that old adage.  
— Nec Lex ●st justior ulla  
Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ.  
Those that Destruction sow and Death,  
'Tis fit themselves should lose their breath.  
In short, they justly received the reward of their Treasons at the Tyburnian Trident; and we through God's Mercy kept our Peace and Religion secure out of their grasping clutches. Yet still they continued their Consults at their new founded College at Douai, where no sooner one Treason was knocked down, but presently like Hydra's heads they hatch and start up a new one; till all at length became but Victims to the prudence, Courage, and Piety of our blessed Reformer: But Wars afterwards breaking out betwixt her and the Catholic Monarch, he would no longer suffer these Alboniaus (though Petropolitans) being her Subjects to roost themselves within his Territories, but broke them up to go whither their own Wills or the Devil would carry them; thus being dislodged from their old dear Habitation to follow their fate in a Pilgrim Condition, the then great Bishop hearing of their Misfortune, and esteeming them for the merit of their Undertaking, did, out of his compassionate tenderness to such pious Creatures, as well as good Will to their Designs, allot them two other new places for their reception, the one at R●mes, and the other at Petropolis itself, where they became again Collegiate, and resumed their former Order and Discipline that they observed at Douai. Besides this great favour, his Viccarship, for their better Encouragement, endowed them in these places with large Stipends and Revenues: And well he might; for you know the Labourer is worthy of his ●ire; while they bring grist to his Mill, he may well suffer them to take toll, and while they sow his corn, to let them eat of his bread, since they have been so well settled, and such ample provisions made for their Encouragement; their Order has increased wonderfully to a great unwieldy Bulk and Proportion; they are become as ●umerous as the Frogs in Egypt, and like ●hose noisome cattle, we may find them ●●aking (so impudent are they grown) ●●ea in the most sacred retirements of ●●e●s Courts; their very Closets and ●ed Chambers, where they spare not to ●it their Venom, if possible, to infect the ●ery Government itself; of the same ●eaven are the ●erd now before us, which ●ou see of themselves are of a pretty considerable number, besides those that are already sent over into Albonia upon the same service. They are most of them Albonians, but Renegadoes, and I hope when we come to meet them shortly in Albonia, we shall see them punished accordingly.  
Here Phileroy broke off his Discourse, (which was very pleasant to me) for now the Secretary, who all this while had been reading the Commission, had concluded, and then proceeded, as we perceived, to fill their Seed-baskets with heaps of odd kind of trumpery, such as Crucifixes, Agnus This, Crismes, Rosaries, little pots of Water, Scrolls, Pamphlets, and a world of such kind of Frippery.  
This was their Seed it seems, but 'twas not Wheat,  
To say the truth, 'twas nothing but a Cheat.  
Well, thus the Asses being saddled for their journey, the next thing in order, was to discipline them, according to the paper of Instructions, which was then formally read to them after this manner, (their consents being first asked whether they were all willing to undertake the design, which they all jointly consented to by the holding up of their hands) They were all of them forthwith to embark themselves for Albonia, where upon thei● landing, they were to disperse themselves, in such disguised habits as were most proper for their concealment, into the most populous and noted places of the Kingdom; where, while they continued, they were by a free and generous Converse, to insinuate themselves into the familiarities of all sorts of persons (especially the illiterate) where they had hopes of proselyting any to the Petropolitan faith, and to use their utmost Endeavours to bring them over to the Mother-Church; and that they might not be frighted by the Albonian Laws against such practices, his Viccarship had granted them full and ample Dispensations (under the Seal of the Fisher) for their concealment (if any danger should happen) that they might pretend, equivocate, falsify or use any artifices whatsoever, that might be conducible to their Preservation.  
They were under pretences of Religion, to assume the habits of the Religious amongst the Albonians, and under ●hat pretext, having procured some estimation amongst the Clergy, to get into their Pulpits, and there to vent, under some smooth and glossy way of expression, their Petropolitan Principles, and to exasperate the Conforming party against the Dissenters.  
On the other side they were to ingratiate themselves with the Dissenters and under pretences of the more strictness in their profession, to get in (with such of them, especially as would admit of a Lay Communion betwixt Pastor and People, and permit unordained persons to preside in their Congregations) to teach in their Assemblies, and to instruct them in such things, as upon the opposite point would exasperate them against the Conformists.  
Thus by the usual art of Petropolitan ambodextership, they were to set one party against the other, and so using them as Sampson's Foxes, by linking them with opposite faces and fire brands between them of their own kindling, to cause a flame of Faction and Difference, that should terminate in destruction and ruin to them both.  
They were to ingratiate themselves with such of the less knowing Nobility, as might by their subtle persuasions be the more easily  to the Petropolitan faith, and having proselyted them to that faith, they were so far to endear themselves to them by their obliging Converses, as to become Masters of their purses, and to extract from them such supplies as might be conducible to the carrying on of the present design.  
They were by their most strenuous endeavours to obstruct the convention of the Grand Senate, (the greatest Oppugners of the Petropolitan Interest) and either to corrupt them by gaining upon the Vulgar, to prefer such Persons in their popular Elections, as should be for the Petropolitan Interest, or by some means to cast bones of Dissension amongst them, to raise a quarrel between themselves, and so to occasion their breaking up.  
They were to amuse the people by scattering such papers and Pamphlets amongst them, as should tend either to incense them against the Government, or to create divisions between themselves.  
These, as near as I can remember, were the principal heads of their Instructions, a Copy of which was afterwards delivered to them, together with some Pardons and indulgences necessary to such sinners as they were like to prove, if they followed their Directions; All which being dispatched, they were dismissed with his Viccarship's solemn Benediction, and so having made their low obeisance to the Great Bishop, they went back again in Order to their place.   

CHAP. IU.  
The next Order that comes up, is that of the Ignatians; a Description of them; their Original, and practices; Instruments of Slaughter delivered to them by the Gr. Viccar; their Instructions. Then come up the Provincials of several Countries, that were to superintend the other inferior Ministers. Their Names and particular Instructions about the management of the Plot. Next come up the Benedictines who were to settle themselves in a College in Albonia. Then the Petropolitan Physician that was to poison the King, some pleasant passages concerning him. A Glass of poison, and purse of Gold delivered to him by the Gr. Bp. The Petropolitan Advocate succeeds him; his Description and Instructions. The Petropolitan Mesqueraders described; their ridiculous Habit, some particular persons of that faction merrily hinted at.  
NExt unto those came up a Crew of Fellows, such as in my Life I never saw the like before, so uncouth and ugly both in their looks and Deportment; They were called on by the name of Ignatians; their habit as black as Hell, form after the manner of a religious Order, only their Gate was novel and strange every one of them as they marched along limping and halting with one Leg. I did not for all their religious outsides, take them for such sanctified Persons, that they got their lameness (as jacob did his) by wrestling with Angels, but that they rather got it by some excessive Exercises in Franconia, however, be the cause what it would, I wondered that the Grand Vicar should make use of such lame tools in his Service: But my Oracle Phileroy presently resolved me, who told me they had their Name and Institution from one Ignatius a famous Saint amongst the Petropolitans, sometimes an Hysperian Soldier of the lowest rank, and for his Debaucheries afterwards cashiered, and then turned Religious who having obtained Orders for himself, did afterwards institute that Order which is now so called after his name, and that he being himself a Cripple, his Disciples do thus imitate him in their counterfeit lameness.  
This Order, said Phileroy, since their first Institution are become so numerous, that they have their Societies in most parts of the Petropolitan World, and are become so famous for their Exploits in the Great Bishop's service, that he seems to repose more confidence in them, than in any other Order of the Hierarchy. They are indeed his Janissaries, persons so bold and daring, that they will venture upon the greatest dangers and difficulties to do him service, though it be to kill● monarch, to burn Cities, massacre a Country, or to perpetrate any other villainy, and afterwards be hanged, or otherwise tortured to death for their pains.  
These Vermin are not more savage in their practices, than subtle in their Designs, and therefore they take none into their Societies, but persons of most quick and acute parts, whom they afterwards educate in the most sublime arts of State and Policy according to the Machiavellian documents; and having so prepared them, they are sent abroad into the Courts and Countries of Christian Princes to execute such designs (though never so villainous) as the Grand Vicar shall impose upon them. I desired to hear no more of them, but to observe the Passages of their proceed; but then a new fit of Wonder seized me, when upon their coming up, the first present that was made to them (after their Commission) was a parcel of tragical Instruments of death and destruction, as Knives, Daggers, Pistols, Match, Fire-balls, and such like, all which were by his Viccarship first solemnly consecrated, by taking them in his hands, and bestowing upon them his Apostolical Benediction, and then delvered by the Secretary into the hands of the Ignatians, who received them with the Ceremony of Kissing, and then disposed them at their Girdles, or in their Pockets, as they thought fit.  
After which their Instructions were likewise read to them as the former, the substance of which was,  
That they were according to the solemn Vow of their Profession, and their Duty to his Viccarship, and the Mother-Church, to endeavour the Extirpation of Heresy and Heretics out of all places in the Europian World, especially Albonia (the principal Place designed in this grand Consult) And to this end they were speedily to embark themselves thither; and having there fixed the places of their Consults and Meetings together, were to disperse themselves into the countries', and to endeavour by the Arts and Methods of their Policy, either to proselyte the People to the Petropolitan faith, or to make them lose their own by raising and occasioning such Schisms and factions amongst them, as should terminate in destruction and confusion.  
But in order to the more grand design of Subverting the Government (as the Gap by which the Petropolitans were most probably to enter) they were with those consecrated Instruments of Death and Destruction delivered to them, by themselves (or their agents) to destroy the sacred person of the Albonian Monarch, and all others commissionated by him, that were known Enemies to the Petropolitan State. And if Heaven should cross them in these Enterprises; Flectere si nequeant superos (yet) Acheron a movere; (that is) [Devil do thy worst] if the King, in spite of the Devil and his Agents, should continue to live and reign, yet let his Subjects suffer; They were to fire their dwellings (and themselves run away by the light of them) and if any other fair opportunity of Mischief happened in the way, to raise a Mutiny, to pilfer their goods, or to cut the throat of any well-willer to the Albonian Weal, they were not to stick at the doing of it.  
And if any Christian Magistrate should be overactive in his Office, either in prosecuting the Laws against them, or enquiring into the Mystery of their Designs; He was presently to be taken off; Their Eye must not spare him; but they or some agents employed by them, must by some means or other get him discharged both of his Life and Office at once. And if in attempting any of the aforesaid Villainies, their Designs should happen to be discovered before their Execution, and they thereupon called to question about them, they had Dispensations granted them by his grand Viccarship, to conceal them by any Lies, Denials, or equivocations, that their Wits should help them to make use of.  
Nay, if they should be prosecuted so far, as to bonds and Imprisonments, and afterwards be brought to their Trial, and receive judgement of Death, and brought to Execution, yet should not their very Lives be dear to them in such a case, and for so glorious a cause; but they should rather part with them in an obstinate affirming of their pretended innocency (let there be never so many or sufficient proofs to the contrary) than to save them by a sneaking or timorous Confession of the truth to the discouragement of the other Undertakers, and marring their designs.  
And if thus like true and courageous Champions of the Petropolitan Church, they persisted to the death in the Vindication of their cause. The great Bishop had granted them the glorious Titles and Rewards of Martyrdom, they should be Canonised and Kalendered amongst the Red-lettered Worthies; they should be immediately freed from the pains of Purgatory, and be taken into Paradise, and their Blood and Bones, and the very Rags of their Vestments be consecrated and laid up in the Petropolitan Conservatories as eternal trophies of their Faith and Martyrdom.  
Thus they're encouraged to destroy their lives  
Themselves; needs they must go, the Devil drives.  
Thus we may see what Martyrs Rome has owned,  
The vilest Traitors thus as Martyrs crowned:  
Let Rome reward their sufferings as they please,  
Halters and hatches still are here their Fees.  
Armed with these Instructions (pure Gospel documents were they not) these Sons of Violence and Confusion, after having received their consecrated Tools Dispensation and other Trinkets, at the hands of the aforesaid Secretary, went limping back to their place, as did the former, not without his Viccarship's Apostolical Benediction solemnly bestowed upon them; and they had mine too in to the bargain, though after the manner that witches say their prayers, and the Jews read the Talmud. I hearty wished that God would blast and confound them in all their cursed Designs and Practices, and did not question, but such wishes might be as prevalent as his Vnholiness' Blessing. I expected to see no more of them, till I should meet them at the Gallows, and then I should see how well they observed their Instructions.  
Next to these came up an Order of Churchmen in more costly habits than any of the former, and seemed by their Garb and going to be none of the small Prophets, but some special Dignitaries amongst them. These, Phileroy told me, were Provincials invested with presidencies over the several inferior Orders, and were according to their Instructions to hold their residencies in several of the Petropolitan Countries as namely the Catholic Provinces, Franconia, Castilia, etc. Where they had their several Titles and Jurisdictions; and these were to hold Correspondence, and to give directions to those Provincials in Albonia, and other places that were inferior and subject to them, as namely, Father Paulus d' Oliva Provincial general, presiding the Ignatian Order, was to direct the Consults and Managements of that Order residing at Londinopolis, and had a particular Commission delivered to him to that purpose.  
Then came up Mounsieur jeronimo Provincial of the Ignatians in novo Castilio whose instructions were according to the form of his Commission, to furnish such of that Order, that were engaed in the present Design, with Counsel and Money, and to misrepresent the actions and intentions of the Albonian Monarch in the Catholic Court, so as to create Jealousies and Feuds between the Two Crowns; as knowing that as the Interest of their Kingdoms did oblige them to a mutual amity; so such an amity would be inconsistent with the interest of their present Designs, and very much hinder their proceed, unless it were some way broken, or disturbed by them.  
Enter next Father le Cheese, an Ignatian, who though no Provincial, yet being a person of great Eminence and Authority, as being Confessor to the Franconian Monarch, was thought fit to have his place amongst the aforesaid Dignitaries. He was it seems a notable Sacropolitico of that Order in whose Policies the grand Bishop reposed much Confidence as to this Affair; and besides was a great Friend of the Secretaries, with whom, when in Albonia, he was to hold a constant, but very private Correspondence by cyphers and Figures, whereby the said Secretary was to inform the said Father le Cheese, and he to inform his great Master, the Franconian Prince with all the most considerable matters of State, according to which they should take their measures, and for his Encouragement in such services, the most Petropolitan Monarch would allow him a considerable pension, (as the Reward of his Treasons.) I perceived the Secretary in speaking to him, did observe more than Ordinary Reverence towards him, but had he then known what afterwards I knew happened, that his negotiations with him should be rewarded with an Halter, I suppose he would not at this time have been so officious in his Observances to him.  
This Service indeed was dangerous and difficult to manage in the Court of a Ch istian Prince, and such an one whose own known sagacity, besides the assistance of an able and discrete Council, might very probably, in good time, discover, and so prevent such treasonable Correspondencies: but the Petropolitan Politicians are men too bold and daring to start at dangers, though they lie in immediate prospect, their usual Motto being Neck or nothing, when (like foolish hardy people, rushing themselves from precipices) they venture upon such desperate attempts in the service of their ambitious employers.  
The last of this company, that presented himself to the Board, was another Provincial; that by his looks and gesture seemed to be an Albonian, and so indeed he was (as Phileroy informed me) an own dear Traitor Countryman of ours, that out of his devilish Zeal to the Petropolitan Cause, was going (with the rest of his parrieidian crew) to destroy his own natural Prince and Country. I asked Phileroy the name of this Monster, he told me his surname was Strange, but by what name of Baptism he was called, whether Roger, or Thomas, or john, he knew not, but that he was commissionated to be Provincial over the Ignatians in Albonia, whose Instructions were no other than that he should govern and direct them in the management of this Design, according to their general Instructions, and as he should be Ordered from time to time by the Father general at Petropolis. These were all the Persons (so near as I can remember) of this Gang, who having severally discharged their Duty at the Board, went off as the former.  
I thought there would be no end of this tragical Procession, the scenes multiplying so fast one after another, and to say truth I began to be almost tired with beholding them: But Phileroy told me there was one Order more to come up in the rear of these, who were an Albonian Fraternity, called Benedictines, to whom his Viccarship (of his special Bounty) had by his Patent granted an ancient and goodly Structure (sometime the residence of the Albonian Princes) situate in Londinopolis, called Savoy, which they were to use and enjoy as a College for their Fraternity therein to repose their Library and sacred Utensils, and to manage there their Consults with the rest of their Brethren, as they should see occasion; there was a pretty number of them I saw draw up to the Board, most of which by their Countenances seemed to be Albonians, but what they did there, or what was said, I minded not; for the truth is, at the understanding of this, I fell into a deep fit of musing, thinking with myself of the presumptuous arrogance of the Petropolitan Bishop, who would not be content only to let his destructive Beagles to skulk up and down in shelters, in a Country where their Company was so much abhorred and hated, but should assign them so public a place in the midst of a populous City, and near to the Prince's Court (as it was) to kennel in. I confess my admiration at this and some other passages that I had observed, put me into a very profound fit of musing and thoughtfulness, so that I never observed this new Company, either what they did at the Consult, or when they departed; But my Friend Phileroy seeing me stand in such a studious posture, with my Eyes fixed upon the ground, and Head leaning upon my Hand, began to rouse me up by plucking me by the Elbow, and saying, What, are you asleep? A wake-man, Here is another rare Show a coming; No, no, said I, Phileroy I ●m asleep; though I lied in that, for 〈◊〉 was asleep all this while; but however at this time, I fancied myself awake, only got into a brown Study, out of which being thus roused by Phileroy, I opened mine Eyes again to see what Pageant was next, and presently I discovered a single person by himself, and without any other Company, marching up in great haste (as if he had forgot himself) towards the Table; he shown himself by his habit to be an Albonian, and was a spare thin-faced old man, pretty tall, having over his other  along scarlet Gown and Hood, such as in Albonia are used by those of the Degree of Doctor; to satisfy my curiosity, Phileroy told me that he knew him very well, and that he was an Albonian Physician: (A Physician (said I) what need is there of such here) their province being to save men's lives; but those are all for destroying them. 'Tis true indeed replied he, it is a Physician's work to preserve Life, if they can, though through their ignorance too often they destroy many; but what such do ignorantly, this great man (for he is a person of quality) shall do wilfully, and kill as many at once (if he succeed in his Design) as Nero would have done, when he wished that all the Citizens of Rome had but one Neck, that he might strike it off at a blow. The Albonian Nation have but one supreme Head upon whose preservation, the Lives and Properties of the whole Kingdom does depend? Him this Devil's drugster is to take off by poison, and to facilitate his way to it, he hath already got a place in the Albonian Court, whereby he may have the freer access to the King when he has occasion, and is lately come over to the Consult to receive his Orders; the Great Bishop has had several discourses with him in private, since his being here, and I suppose has firmly engaged him to the business, and that he now attends the Board for Instructions. And accordingly I saw the Secretary deliver him some Instruments into his hand, and wished him to be very careful in his management. The Great Bishop himself than beckoned up to him, and whispered something in his Ear (what it was I know not) and then took up a small glass of liquor, which Phileroy said he believed was the poison, and having mumbled a few words over it, which was the Blessing or Consecration of the Vicar to make it effectual; he than delivered it to the Darts, wishing its operation to be successful, and him to be saithful and courageous in the applying of it; after which he took up a good bulky purse (of Gold as 'tis supposed) and having likewise bestowed his Benediction upon it (such blessings I confess I thought I could be content to receive from his Viccarship myself) he likewise gave the Physician that; upon this purse was plainly inscribed this Motto in Capitals, 
— Auri sacra Fames  
— Quae non mortalia pectora cogis? Virg.  which Phileroy was pleased to english thus, 
— The sacred hunger of Gold  
Will Judges make corrupt, and Cowards bold.   
Thus furnished with his poisonous drug, and healing bag, this new Doctor Lopez made his Obeisance to the Court and vanished; In whose room starts up presently another Gown-man (an Albonian) but of a different Robe, having on him such an one as is usually worn by the Advocates and Pleaders in Albonia; he seemed to be about 50 years of age, a spare man, but of a comely aspect, and very grave in his deportment; the Court seemed to give him much respect, he being as Phileroy informed me, the chief Counsellor and Advocate to all the Petropolitan party in Albonia, and his services in that particular was looked upon to be of no small consideration to their Designs and Interest, being to draw up the Conveyances of such Estates as they should purchase in Albonia, or such Stocks as they should raise for the carrying on their Designs, to settle them securely, as also to draw up such Commissions and Patents, as should be necessary to their purpose; His charge which he received from the grand Vicar himself was no more in short than that he should be careful and faithful in his trust, in the management of which, they knew his own skill and learning in the Laws would be most proper to direct him without receiving from them any particular Instructions.  
Thus Physic, Law, and feigned Divinity  
In heats against their Native Country burn,  
Let them go on, but may that Misery  
Designed to us, upon themselves return.  
The Lawyer, after a short stay, did likewise make his Exit: And who the Devil should come up next but a sort of Masqueraders or Protesto-petropolitans, for so Phileroy called them; their habit indeed was per● Masquerade; for their inside Garments was after the Petropolitan guise, a monkish kind of Gear with Rosaries and Crosses dangling at their Girdles, But over these they wore an upper Garment of the Albonian fashion, some in Cloaks, and some in Coats, and some in Gowns, such as our Clergy in Albonia do usually wear; upon their first appearing I saw the Secretary deliver out to them Instruments under the Seal of the Fisher, containing Indulgences and Dispensations; I minded not much what was said to them, being willing rather to be inform by Phileroy, who told me that those Indulgencies given them were for Lying & Disturbing, the main necessary part of their Undertaking. These, 〈◊〉 he, are looked upon as no part of their standing 〈◊〉, but a kind of Aluri●●a●i●● or 〈◊〉 that being bred up in the Christian Faith, are yet in their Hearts and Judgements Petropolitans, which they keep close to themselves, and only wear the profession of their Country Religion, for a D●g●i● and 〈◊〉  
— Sic, sic juvat ire per umbras.  
In masquerading Shades these Sons of Night  
And Darkness, love to hid them from our sight,  
Ravencus Wolves in 〈◊〉 clothing, a pack of knaves, whose Religion is made up of Hypocrisy and Apostasy, Faction and Treachery, their piae fraud●s are by those Indulgences and Di●●●sations warranted, so that by virtue of these, they may assume the pretences of the highest Zeal for the Worship of the Albonian Church, to join in Communion with them, and partake with them in the most solemn Mysteries of their Religion; yea, they had a Liberty given them (upon occasion, and to avoid suspicion) to write and rail against the Petropolitans, and the grand Vicar himself; and yet they were at the same time covertly to act for them, and by their sly and subtle insinuations to amuse, the thoughtless people into a Disbelief of any Plot or Designs acting against them.  
Amongst this herd I observed one, that methoughts looked very Strange-lee, he was an elderly person, with a Pen in his Ear and a Broom under his Arm. I was very desirous to know of Phileroy, who this person should be, and the meaning of his humour; but he (smiling) told me he would forbear informing me at present, but that I should know more of him hereafter. But as for the Broom he told me, it was a necessary Utensil used by him and others of his party, for the sweeping away of the dirt and filth from the Petropolitans Doors, and laying it at the Doors of the Christians: 
A pretty Artifice indeed of Rome,  
To skim their Pot and throw on us the Scum.   
Well, at the tail of these rutted another sort of Animals different in their habit, but so close joined to them, that the seemed to be all of one herd; their Garb and Gesture was as strange and uncouth as any I had yet observed amongst them; I believe afric or Nile never produced such variety of Monsters, as were spawned at this Assembly: Their under Garments were (contrary to the others) exactly of the Albonian cut and fashion, over which they wore a full Garment patched up of Wolves and Foxes skins promiscuously interwoven, which hung so lose about them, that they could readily throw them off, or put them on at their pleasure; as I perceived (upon what account I know not, except it were to represent the humour of their Design) they sometimes did waggishly, snatching off their Cloaks and throwing them upon others backs, whom they then laughed at, while they themselves skipped up and down the room in querpo.— These Ridiculoso's, Phileroy informed me, were properly called Sham-Plotters, a name that very properly agreed with their Office and Designs: For, said he, their business is, having contrived some lecherous Design, if they should happen to be discovered, or but suspected of it, presently to shame it off themselves, and throw it as they do their Cloaks upon others, (namely) the Christians, especially the Dissenters, and such of them as are men of Power and Estates, whose names they shall get into Lists and present to the Government, as persons designed to subvert the same by an open Rebellion.  
And thus these coupled Mates in Masquerade  
By different ways drive on their hellish trade;  
The one for his Knavery gets a Cloak; the other  
His knavish One casts on his honest Brother.  
I had enough of this Pageant, and therefore what they did at the board, or what was said to them, I minded not, I perceived they stayed not long there before they retired; and so this Scene being likewise withdrawn, I perceived the Court began to be in a great bustle, as if they were breaking up, a time that I hearty longed for, being quite tired with their fopperies; but the Coast being somewhat clear, I perceived a company of fellows (all Albonians) bussling up in great haste towards the Table, who by their Instruments and badges of their Trade that they carried with them, appeared to be Printers.  
Sulphur and Print, both Jesuits Inventions  
To blast the World with Ruin and Contentions.  
One of them amongst the rest carried before him a Tablet, wherein was figured the Great Bishop's Keys (as I supposed them) being two gilded Keys a crossed, which perhaps might be a badge of His Viccarship's favour: I saw they addressed themselves to the Secretary, and their Errand was to desire a Faculty or Licence from the Great Bishop to serve him in their Mystery by printing such Pamphlets as should be contrived by the Ma●queraders or other their friends for the furtherance of the present Design. Th● request of theirs was no sooner asked bu● granted. The Secretary presently drawing up a Licence or Instrument, which th● Grand Vicar signed and delivered to them, bidding them not spare for Ink or Paper in his Service, they should be well enough rewarded for their pains; ay, said I to myself, if you do not, I hope the Devil himself will pay them their Wages; for I know not any sort of men upon Earth, that do him better service than those sort of fellows do: Well, having got what they came for, after some formal Observance made to the Court, they turned back again, very well pleased, as I perceived; for they began to be frolic with one another: One of them smearing some of his Printing Ink upon his finger, smutted his next companion upon the face with it, saying, O Sir, you are a Fanatic, I'll mark you. No, says the other, you are mistook, I am an abhorrer of them, and all their actions. By this (said Phileroy, who observed the passage as well as I) you may see the humours of these fellows, who (to please a party that they are sure to be no losers by) will not spare to blacken or bespatter any one that comes in their way, by fastening on them all the vil●i●ing terms they can think of, to make them odious to the Vulgar; well, let them go, they will be made look as black as their own Ink, by that time they are known to the World a little better.  
This was but a kind of an Interruption, the Court, as I said beginning to bustle towards a breaking up, in order to which the Grand Vicar again rising up from his Chair, told the Board and the Company, that they had now no more to do, but to take their leaves one of another, and from that place to disperse themselves unto the several places and Countries where their business was ordered for the carrying on of this present Design; there they were to Govern themselves according to the Instruction now given them, which as they were the results of the grave and mature Debates of this great Consult, were to be regarded accordingly with all Care and strictness; and for the better ordering their business, they were from time to time upon all Emergencies to have recourse to their Provincials and Superiors, who were in all cases of difficulty to direct them in their proceed, and by whom he expected himself to receive frequent accounts of them: He thanked and commended them for their Zeal and Readiness to his and the Church's Service, assuring them, that as soon as Albonia was theirs, which he questioned not but by their faithful Endeavours would soon be, he would distribute it amongst them, the ancient Rents and Revenues of the Church should be theirs, and in the mean while they should not want Encouragement; for that Order was taken for the raising of several Stocks to be deposited in the hands of their Provincials for their present Supplies; and so wishing them all good Success in their proceed, and with his hands stretched abroad, bestowing upon them once more his solemn Apostolical Benediction, he bid them all hearty Farewell: at which the Company universally gave a great Shout, crying, long live the great Bishop. And the Scarlet Senate themselves seemed to join with them, who yet (for all their anniversary Ceremony of (ad multos annos) may be thought to pay those respects but formally, their ambitious hopes of succeeding him rendering them not over fond of his continuance.  
After this Dismission we saw the several Companies withdraw themselves successively to their several apartments, which they went into by several Doors leading through subterranean passages (the Devil knows whither) leaving the Vicar and his Commissioners still sit at the Board, till such time as the Secretary had packed up his Tools and Papers; but before he had quite done, something came into the great Viccar's head, which he called to him about, and that was, that when he came into Albonia, he would have him strictly to search into all such Statutes as have been published in the Reigns of the several Albonian Princes, since the time of their Apostasy from the Mother-Church, against the Petropolitans, especially those in the Reign of Queen Eliza, and such as related only to their recusancy or refusing to join in Communion with them in their public Worship. He was to observe whether the dissenters amongst themselves upon the account of the like recusancy, were not intended to be comprehended and liable to the same penalties; which however he was to endeavour to get some Persons eminent in the Law, to make such Constructions of them, that so the force of them might be wrested against the dissenting Christians, and the Petropolitans escape.  
This was a sudden fit of Policy that came into the Old Viccars' mind, which the Secretary with an humble cringe promised faithfully to observe, withal telling him, that the work would be more facile, to bend the force of those Statutes against the Dissenters, for that they had Enemies enough amongst them of their own Religion, who would sooner prosecute a Dissenter upon those Statutes than a Petropolitan, as has been found the Experience of some years past. This Answer much satisfied the Great Bishop, who presently thereupon removing from his Chair, with his aforesaid Harbinger before him, returned back to his apartments, the Scarlet Senate and the rest of the Consult, together with the Secretary following him, much after the same Order that they came hither. And now the Actors being withdrawn, there remained a clear Stage, and our Observations were ended: Wherefore Phileroy taking me from the window, we sat down to chat a while about these matters; but being both tired with standing so long a gazing upon these Pageants; he first went and fetched out of a little hole in the room, a bottle of rich Canary Wi●es, and some Tobacco, and then struck a light, (for the lights that glimmered upon us out of the great Room were now all taken away) and having drunk down one glass, I found my Spirits much revived, which were before very lumpish and heavy, but the refreshment of the Wine and the company of my dear friend did much allay the melancholy, which otherwise the dismalness of that place and company would have moved me to; but I knew I should far no worse than he did: But then beginning our chat together, it came into my head, to ask him how he came to be excused from giving his attendance at the Consult all this while, together with the rest of the company; he told me for that he was  (though had it not been for my Company he would have been there) he being none of the Commissionated Orders or Parties amongst them; but though, said he, I am admitted into the Ignatian Order, yet they permit no Novices, as they yet account me for some time, to engage on any considerable Enterprises amongst them; and therefore my Province hitherto hath been no other than to carry Letters and Missions from one place to another, yet notwithstanding the meanness of my present Employ, I will assure you, I have got into so much favour with them, as twice to be admitted into the Great Bishop's own Cabinet, where His Viccarship has very freely discoursed me about matters in Albonia, and seemed to have so much confidence in my Faithfulness, that he assured me he had ordered our Provincials to put me soon after our arrival there, into some higher place of Trust, and that my services should be amply considered: I thanked His unholiness for his kindness (which truly in my heart I was little ambitious of) and promised to serve him to the utmost of my abilities, and so I will, said Phileroy, if ever I get over into Albonia, I will serve him according to his Deserts, by discovering his Treasons to him against whom they are intended; but when will that happy time be, said I, that we shall be moving thither, Purgatory is no comfortable place to dwell in; though my Entertainment here (by your means) I find to be much better than I expected; you shall far no worse than I do, said Phileroy, while we stay, however I think our Stay will be no longer than to morrow, the business of the Consult being now all dispatched: And I heard the Great Bishop give order for his Galleys (and the rest of the vessels that brought us) lying in Harbour at the foot of the Mountain, to be ready against that time; Most of the Company are bound for Albonia, but disperse themselves in several Ships, and are to land themselves in several ports of that Kingdom; to avoid suspicion of their Numbers, if any of them should happen to be discovered. But you and I (said he to me) will go together in a small Frigate with some others, old Companions of and all Albonians; some of whom I know to be true Christians, and only have mixed themselves with this rabble upon the same accounts that I do, to have as Spies to betray them, and hereafter according to their Observations to make Discovery of the Petropolitans practices. We are all well known one to another, and when we can get aside together in private, we use to manage our little Consults together to Counterplot the greater; their company will be a good diversion to us in our Voyage, when we can get privately into our  together; I would have you be acquainted with them, Philopatris, they are honest Lads I assure you; With all my heart replied I, I love true hearts and honest men, but did not expect there would have been any in this place besides myself, but it seems I am mistaken; certainly did His Viccarship know what a crew of prying Heretics were here, he would stay some days longer to call an Inquisition for us, and secure us for ever getting out of this place. You may be sure on't, said Phileroy; but as I have had hitherto the good luck to conceal myself from their suspicion, so we must for the future carry ourselves warily to avoid it, till such time as we are arrived in Albonia.  
Thus methoughts we passed away our time talking and discoursing till it grew late, and our Eyes waxing heavy, we began to play a game at Noddy. But Phileroy went and spread his  and quilt (the same that belonged to his  in the Ship) and so we lay down together and in a little time I fancied we fell asleep; but what strange whimsies are there in dreams; for alas I was asleep all this while, yet my fancy in this Parenthetical slumber ran into new fancies, dreams within dreams, like the Petropolitans Plots, one within another. Well, as I fancied I slept, so I fancied I waked again in the morning, and my mind being intent about our Removal, I jogged Phileroy to strike a light, that we might see to rise, which he presently did, and looking upon his Watch, found it was near Eight a Clock, whereupon we bussled up as fast as we could, and Phileroy fell to packing up his things; for we perceived by the lights set up in the great Room, and the bussling to and fro of the Company, that they were preparing to departed. After we had packed up the things, we withdrew to the little Window, where we saw a Company of Sailors (who were sent for to that purpose) with burdens on their backs to carry them down to the Ships; amongst the rest that were unburthened Phileroy saw five or six jolly Albonian Sailors, that belonged to the Vessel that we were to go in, and calling out to one of them by his name, to take his parcel with him, which we together heaving down Stairs, the fellow took upon his back and went off with it, telling us we had now a merry gale of Wind for Albonia. I would have had Phileroy that we should go along with him; but he told me he must stay till the rest of the Company, that were to go along with us were ready; several of the Companies that we observed yesterday, we saw marching off one after another. I perceived they were most of them now (if not all) in Lay habits, their Monkish Vests and trumpery being sent before, trussed up in their baggage; nay, Phileroy himself had now left off his disguise, and put himself into an Albonian habit. I told him, he now looked like Phileroy himself, but he cautioned me not to call him by that name, which he durst not own amongst those people, but Petrophil, which was the name he had assumed, and was known by amongst the Petropolitans, to whom he knew the other name would be odious, and a dangerous Intimation to them of what he endeavoured to conceal; I promised to observe his Direction. After this the next Company that appeared, was the Grand Vicar himself (with some harbingers before him) and his Scarlet Senate following; but they were all now (even the Bishop himself) in black Coats (I suppose their usual travelling habits) girt close to them. Phileroy seeing the Great Bishop marching along, suddenly drew up towards him, and I followed him at a small distance; The Vicar I perceived presently took notice of him (Phileroy making a very low Obeisance to him) and said, I see Petrophil you are prepared for your Voyage, Pray remember us to all our Friends in Albonia, and to our Rebellious Son your King, when you see him, (I imagined what kind of Remembrance His Viccarship meant) Phileroy acquainted His Unholiness he would do both; the latter I am sure he did soon after to some purpose, though quite contrary to the Great Bishop's meaning. This was all that passed betwixt them, the Vicar went on; and presently after came up the Company we waited for, that we were to go along with, with whom we joined ourselves, and marching the way we came in at, through the dark Entry, we ascended the brow of the Hill, and so down again to the Harbour, where our Vessel lay ready to take us in; we got to it by a Shallop sent out to fetch us, and being on Board, the Seamen presently hoist Sail, and having a fair Wind with us, set forward, and in a few days came to Anchor at one of the five Ports in Albonia.  
During the time of our Voyage, Phileroy brought me into some acquaintance with those Christian Albonians before mentioned, with whom, when we could get opportunity, we discoursed together about the present affairs, and how we should do to circumvent the Designs laid against us; to which end we resolved, when we were got into Albonia, to keep together, and to have frequent meetings in order to considering of the most effectual ways to do it.  
At our first landing upon our Native Soil, we went altogether in a company to a Tavern, to congratulate each other upon our happy arrival, but chief to attend our Provincial who came along with us, and to receive his Commands, where we were to wait upon him at Londinopolis, (the chief place intended of our Rendezvouz) in order to our Consults; which he having informed us, and an health drunk round to the good success of the Petropolitan Design, (which we, that were abhorrers to it, durst not, for that time, but pledge) we parted Company, betaking ourselves to our several Inns. Phileroy, myself, and our Christian Countrymen still keeping Company together, (as we had before resolved) both that night and the next, (taking up places in the Stage Coaches belonging to the Town) we journeyed together to Londinopolis, where we all desired to be, for that all our particular Concerns lay in that place.  
Our Petropolitan Friends we left behind, some of them resolving to stay some time in the place they were in, others intending to travel some time about the Countries, as our Provincial (called Blancpain) for o●, yet all of them designing to be in the ●●ty, at the time prefixed for the Gra●●● Consult, at which we (for I was now counted one of them) were to meet them.  
Being arrived at the City (having first taken account of each others Lodgings, and agreed upon a certain place of our meeting together) we went every man to his own home, and spent some days in settling our concerns there.  

5 Lords Seduced by ye jesuits   

the Grand Consult at the white horse   

Kirby Offering Oats Informations   

The 2 Ruffians Attempting to kill The King   
One time my Visions carried me in a melancholy posture into the Solitudes of a shady Grove, curiously cut out into Walks and Ambulets, and near adjoining to a magnificent Building, but what the place was, or who it belonged to, I knew not; here I discovered six persons very earnest in discourse together; One of them I knew by his habit to be an Ignatian, the rest I supposed by the Sumptuousness of their Garb, and Titles of Honour and Respect that the other gave them, were Noblemen; after they had discoursed a while, I saw the Priest take a Book from under his Arm, which, holding out to them, they severally kissed, and something they said each of them, bu● what it was I could not well hear: I took this for the Ceremony of some Oath that the Ignatian imposed upon them; for ●●eard him say to them very audibly, that it would be no less than Damnation to them, if they should in the least matter violate what they had promised, telling them what great Confidence the Great Bishop had in their assistance, and that they could not sacrifice their Estates, no nor their Lives upon a better account than the Service of the Mother-Church, nor do better Service to it, than by cutting off their Heretical King, from their Obedience to whom, they were by the Grand Viccar's Bull (lately come over) ipso facto absolved; and for their better Encouragement informs them how bountifully the Great Bishop had considered them by conferring on them several places of the greatest Trust and Honour, as namely, one of them (naming him and all the rest particularly) to be Lord Great Chancellor, a second Grand Cashier, the third to be General of the forces, a fourth to be Lieutenant, and a fifth to be Paymaster of the Army; for all which Places and Offices, he told them there were Commissions ready for them, remaining in the hands of their chief Advocate at Londinopolis, and so wishing them to be constant and resolute in their proceed, (in so glorious an Undertaking as he called it) and not to stick at venturing their Lives and Liberties in the promoting it, the Vizard concluded by giving them his Benediction; In requital of which, I saw them return him theirs, every one bestowing a handful of Gold upon him, which they told him, was but an Earnest of their future Liberality, and promising jointly to exhaust their Revenues (if need should be) to the last penny in this Service. I now (laying those passages together) imagined to what they tended, which filled me with such a rage against the Devil in a Cowle, the Ignatian, that I had certainly fell upon him and beat him burr that the impetus of my fancy at this very time hurrying me away from their compaany, broke off my revenge, and placed me again in my own house, where I became more troubled and discontented than I was before, still longing to meet with Phileroy, that I might confer a little with him about these things.  
And according to my Wish, the next day he sent to me to meet at a place near by, I presently went to him, and after usual civilities passed between us, I presently acquainted him with my Dream yesterday which he listened to with good attention; and then asked me if my Memory would serve to describe the several persons I saw there; I told him yes, and accordingly did as near as I could remember describe them to him; whereupon he told me that my Vision was a real thing, and that those five Persons were five Noblemen of great Estates in Albonia, and the other an Ignatian, who together with some others had, in pursuance of their Instructions received at Strombolo, treated with, and disposed the aforesaid Lords, both by voluntary Contributions out of their Estates, and otherwise to give in their assistances from time to time to the carrying on of the present Design: As they had acquainted the Provincial and other Members at their Grand Consult, which (Phileroy told me) was by appointment held last night at the White Horse in le Strand, a Tavern there so called, which was the usual place of their Meetings.  
— The treacherous Trojan Horse of old  
Did not more Mischiefs in his Bow'ls enfold,  
Than did this place.—  
I was extremely desirous to hear how things passed at this Consult, and in what posture their affairs stood. All which Phileroy (who carried a continual load within him, and had none to unbosom himself to but myself) did very freely and satisfactorily inform me after this manner; he told me at this Consult, there was a far greater appearance than there had been at any of the former, and that there were scarce any of any Order in Town, or any of their Agents and Instruments, who was not then present: The Provincial Blancpain sat there in chief, to whom the several persons engaged in the Design, gave in particular accounts of their Actings and Proceed: The first that did it was the man of Cole, as the Albonians call him, or the Great Duchess' Secretary, he acquainted the Board how successfully he had engaged his Master the Great Duke to the Petropolitan Interest, and what an amity and Correspondence he had maintained between his said Master and Mr. le Cheese Confessor to the great Franconian Monarch, and a powerful Minister in that Court; and had so far prevailed (by his Letters) with him in the behalf of the Petropolitans here, that the said Le Cheese had sent over the Sum of 10000 l. which was now lying in the Banker's hand, ready for their use and Service: And for that his great Master's Title of Succession to the Imperial Crown, (he being now suspected for a Petropolilitan) was like to be questioned by the Grand Senate, at their now near approaching Convention; he had farther by his strong and plying mediation with the aforesaid Minister, obtained from him a promise of a vast Sum of Money, out of Franconian King's Coffers, wherewith to allow Pensions and for other secret Services in Court, for to hinder the Senate's sitting, or to cause their sudden breaking up when ever they should enter upon the point of the Succession: That withal if his great Master's Interest could not be secured this way, yet to hasten it another, he had not, nor should be wanting to consider of some way to take the King off, (the word they commonly use for the intended Murder of him) and should not stick to do it himself, if he could meet with a fair opportunity to do it: Besides this Narrative he pulled a packet, containing Copies of the Letters that he sent to Le Cheese, and those Letters that Le Cheese had returned back again to him; all which he laid before the Provincial, who looked them over, and did as well highly applaud his Services as congratulate his success in them; telling him, that the Great Bishop had been already acquainted with his Endeavours, and in recompense thereof had (besides other favours intended) by his Apostolical Patent constituting him chief Secretary to the Apostolical State, which he would in a few days deliver to him, and in the mean while, setting aside the lesser Title of her Highness', he was to be known by no other stile than that of His Vnholiness' Secretary.  
The joy that the Secretary fell into at the hearing this blessed News (as he called it) seemed less than astonishment, standing for some time in a fixed posture, with elevated Eyes, and hands folded together like one of Medusa's Statutes, but at last recovering himself, with a profound Reverence he bowed himself with his arms cross, his breast towards the Provincial, desiring him to return his humble thanks to the Grand Vicar, with an assurance that (though he did not deserve, yet) he should by all means endeavour to answer so great a Trust with the utmost hazard of his Life and Fortunes: This unhappy word was spoken truer than perhaps he was then ware of, as the Event shortly showed.  
— Tolluntur in altum  
 lapsu graviore ruant.—  
— Lift up on high  
To fall into the greater Misery.  
The Provincial having thus done with the Secretary, took the opportunity here, not to be unmindful of his own Services, acquainting the Board how that himself had obtained of Pedro d' Oliva, Principal of the Ignatian Order at Petropolis, the Sum of 11000 Crowns; from jeronimo de Corbuda 10000 l. and of the Monks of the Benedictine Order 6000 l. all which Sums he told them, were new in bank in Londinopolis, ready for such uses as they should be employed for. These Services he strait ordered the Secretary, as an handsel of his Office, to be entered into Registry kept for such purposes; I stood amazed to hear of such prodigious Sums to be already got in, besides what was after expected. But Phileroy told me that all this was nothing, and might be counted but as their running cash, or spending Money, they having already far greater Stocks in Albonia than these came to; as namely, one single Order amongst them of the Ignatians had, by Advocate Horne's procurement, Lands settled in Trust for their use in several Provinces in Albonia, to the value at least of 60000 l. per annum, besides a Stock growing at Interest of at least 100000 l. you may think (said Phileroy) that they should not know how to employ so vast a Revenue; but if you could consider (besides what is necessary for maintenance of their numerous selves) the charges of their Consults, sending away dispatches, buying up of Arms and Ammunition (whereof they intent to have great Stores and Magazines (concealed) in several Counties) the allowing of Pensions, besides excessive Rewards (for they resolve not to be sparing) to such as shall perform any signal or desperate Services for them. I say, lay all these together and it will abate your Wonder. I was very well pleased to hear from Phileroy, that the Petropolitans were so rich and able, hoping in time when they should come to be discovered; Our King himself would be never the worse for it; very likely so, said Phileroy. But to proceed in my Narrative, as this was a general Consult, so the principal Design of it was to consider of a speedy way of cutting off the King, whose sacred life (which God long continue) they looked upon as the greatest Remora to their Designs; several persons came and offered to be employed in it; They refused none, but took them in all, that they might make sure Work on't, and though they laid their Designs several ways, yet they, whose Designs took first, were likely to be best rewarded; yet every one had a round Sum propounded for his Encouragement.  
The first that came up and offered his Service on this Design, was the Devil's Drugster the old Physician that we saw at Strombolo, who having, as I there told you, by the means of some great Petropolitan Friends, crept into so much favour as to be attendant to the Royal Consort had so much the fairer opportunity of perpetrating his Designs; The dose of consecrated poison, that we saw the Great Bishop deliver to him at Strombolo, was the Instrument he chose for the dispatch of his Treason, as most suitable to his faculty; but for the dose of Gold then also given, he esteemed that but a retaining Fee, he resolved he would not venture his Neck for nothing, but stood gaping as he used to do over his sick Patients after he had dispatched his Recipes, expecting the Proposal. The Provincial proposed 15000 l. (too great a Reward for a Traitor, but too little a price to value the life of such a King at) part of which was to be paid him down by the Provincial of Londinopolis, and the other to be likewise paid him when the Design was perfected. Whether he liked the proffer I know not, but I suppose he did; for having withdrawn from the Board with a low Obeisance, he promised to be careful; after he was withdrawn came up three persons two of them in Priests habits, the other in a Lay one: One of these Priests was to contrive the way and Method of the Design, the other two were to execute it, and the way then proposed, was that they should take some opportunity of the King's walking privately in his Royal Park, and then to shoot him, to which purpose they had each of them a Pistol delivered to them, with silver Bullets (forsooth) because they were to soak in Royal Blood (which God grant they never may.) These Pistols, being made of a length more than ordinary, that they might do Execution the further, were first consecrated by the Provincial in the name of the Oreat Bishop, the Rewards proposed to them for this Service, was to one of them (being the Layman) the Sum of 1500 l. to the other, being a Priest, 30000 Missals, which at 12 d. a Mass (the usual rate of that Commodity) amounts to the like Sum. After these came up four rude, ruffianly, hectoring Blades, I understand they were Tories or Inhabitants of Bogland, their very looks spoke Death and Terror, fit Instruments for such a purpose; these boldly bussling up to the Board, offering their Services, that they four, or some of them should shoot the King at one of his Country Palaces Westward, where he was then retired, as soon as they could find an opportunity fair to do it; their Motion was presently accepted, but what rewards were agreed upon I could not well understand; being withdrawn to the other end of the Room, they stayed not long, but they withdrew also with a Compliment, but at a huffing rate, with their hands upon their Swords, as if they had been presently going about the Execution of the Design. After a little space, all the aforesaid Undertakers were called up again together to receive the Provincial's Blessing, but indeed to take the Oath of Secrecy, an old, but cunning Invention of the Petropolitans, to oblige undertakers to the most obstinate silence; this Oath was made Penal with Imprecations of no less than Hell and Damnation to the Violators of it. This Oath they severally took, by repeating the words of it, and then kissing the Book they were swore by.  
This was the sacred Padlock wherewith they  
Locked up the Mouths of those they did employ,  
Filled with a Curse, which if it should fly ,  
Was to afflict them, though they scaped the Rope.  
But this was not all, they were for farther Confirmation, severally to receive the Sacrament upon it at the hands of their Priests or Confessors, before they went about their Enterprise, sure bind, sure find, said the Provincial, but thought I with myself, as the Devil here binds, so I hope God will unbind, and loosen their cursed Intrigues: This was the effect of this damned Consult: there were other matters of less moment then dispatched, which I will not now trouble you with, it being now late; so we fell to some other chat a little, and then took leave one of another: Phileroy appointing a short time after to meet me again, and to acquaint me further.   

CHAP. V.  
Phileroy's Proceed about making a Discovery. The Grand Cashier's practices to stifle it. The Petropolitans Practices to seduce the People under several religious Disguises.  
ACcording to this Appointment I met him a few days after at our usual place of Meeting, and having conferred notes a little of what we had observed since we came to Town. I told him my Thoughts (which I knew was agreeable enough to his mind) concerning a Discovery. He told me (with a look much more troubled than ever I had seen him with before) that while this horrid Conspiracy against his Prince and Country lay concealed in his bosom, he carried a fire within him much more hot than the place we came from; but for him at that time to attempt a Discovery, being a stranger at Court, and knowing no great Person there, whose acquaintance should be a means of his Introduction, and give Credit to his Testimony, he thought would be altogether in vain; and besides the Petropolitan party being now all in Town that knew him, should he attempt a Discovery before he had got some protection from the higher Powers for his security, he should be in continual danger to have his Life and Evidence taken off together. But withal he told me he would acquaint me with a secret, which he had never yet revealed to me or any one, which was, That the Provincial Blancpain had enjoined him to murder an eminent Albonian Divine one Dr. Tongues, who had lately put forth a Book, called, the Ignatians Morals, a Book so palpably detecting the Villainies of that Party, that in revenge thereof they had engaged him to that barbarous service of cutting him off. But, said Phileroy, I have considered with myself, that taking hold of this Thread, I might possibly unravel the whole bottom of their Designs; and therefore I have purposed to go forthwith to the Doctor, and first to acquaint him with the Mischief intended against himself, and then to inform him of the Plot in general (in its various Contrivances) against the King and Kingdom; to which end I have drawn up a Paper consisting of forty three Articles, and containing the general heads of my Discovery, which I intent to deliver to him, and withal to engage his assistance (being a person of so much Note and Eminency) to get it preferred to (him whom it most concerns) the King himself, with a Promise to appear myself to justify it, when ever I shall be thereto required.  
This project of Phileroy's did exceedingly well please me, wishing him without delay to proceed upon it, and withal to give me an account of the Result at our next Meeting.  
Which accordingly he did, for then looking with a more gay and pleasant Countenance than before, he told me merrily that he had been at Confession; but said he, it was to a Christian and not a Petropolitan, though I wish I may not come to be pennanced by them for so doing.  
In fine, he acquainted me how that he had been with the Doctor, and made his Discoveries to him, not only of the Conspiracy against himself, but that against the King and Kingdom, both which he accepted very kindly; and as for the latter (as a loyal Subject concerned for the safety of his Prince) he had engaged a Noble Colonel (a Person great at Court) to deliver the Articles into the King's own hand) which he accordingly did, taking a fit opportunity for his purpose, as the King was for his Recreation walking in his Park. And His Majesty received the same very graciously from him, and afterwards at his return from his Walk, vouchsafed to hear him more particulary of the Treason intended against him, as also an account of the Traitors themselves, their Names and Characters. But being more secure in his own Innocency, than ware of the danger threatened him, and being to go the next day to one of his Royal Palaces in the Country, told him he would leave the Papers in the hands of his Oreat Cashier, and ordered the Colonel to attend him, that he might put him in mind of them, a Person whom he said he could confide in, but one that has since proved himself too much a friend to his Enemies, but not so much a friend to his Master, as the Duty of his Place, besides the Rewards of it should have obliged him to have been, especially in an Affair of this Nature, wherein no less than the Life of his Sovereign was concerned. For, said Phileroy, although for the more clear evidencing of the Design, it was offered him to produce the very Persons that should perpretrate the intended Murder (with their Weapons and Instruments of Death about them) in such time as the King should happen to take a Walk next in the aforesaid Park, and although farther the Colonel acquainted him with a means how to seize the Letters of their Correspondents, which might give a further light to the Discovery, yet all these opportunities were slighted or neglected by him: Neither would he permit any access to him by the Discoveror, to give in his farther Information; burr put him off with delays from time to time, and hardly any notice taken of this important affair; so that the Progress of our Discovery being retarded thus by one that appears so much a friend to the Petropolitans, we are in danger of being Discovered ourselves before we can make out our Discovery against them.  
I was much dampt to hear that the Design should be thus slighted by a man in Power, and so near to the Prince's Person, as the grand Cashier (by his place) was; and withal I feared by this Instance, that the treacherous Petropolitans had corrupted more such men as he was, and by Bribes, or otherwise, drawn them over to their Interest; and, said I, if they have gained this point of us, to enfeeble those that should be the Supporters of our State, and to render them defenceless to us, we may well give over stirring and leave them to play out their game; for who shall hinder them?  
That will I (replied Phileroy bravely) so long as I am sure the main Pillar of all stands fast, and unshaken: I mean His Majesty, to whom I am resolved, seeing I can have no better success with his Minister, to go myself as soon as ever I can find means of access to his presence, and give in my Informations myself to him, and leave it to his own Royal Breast to consider of his own and his Kingdom's danger; I very well approved of his Resolve, and encouraged him by all means to proceed and to leave no means unattempted till he had perfected his Discovery. After a little more chat passed concerning this and other matters, we broke up for this time, leaving the rest to our next Meeting.  
During which time, our Petropolitan Friends swarmed about the Town; for I met with one or other of them very often as I walked in the Streets, and notwithstanding their various disguises, I knew them by their faces to be the same persons that came over with us from Strombolo. One of them (that I knew to be a Priest) I saw go huffing along in an Hectorian Garb, Hat buttoned up, a long Periwig, and a Rapier by his side, I avoided taking notice of him for that time; but the next Sunday in the morning, going by an Anabaptist Meeting, I looked in, and saw my Gentleman again in another Garb, being new cast into a religious Form, a short black Cloak, black Cap, and pricked Ears (the ambuscading Periwig being now laid aside) little Collar Band, and other precise accoutrements, and having got into the Speaking-place or Pulpit, he was thus with great vehemence and earnestness preaching to the unwary people. This was a Seminarian or Sower; and I perceived by this Instance, how close they kept to their Instructions. I stayed not long to hear his Discourse, which all tended to Sedition, and to incense his auditors against the Government, but withdrew to the next neighbouring Church, where I heard something more profitable: Not long after upon a weekday, I happened to go by a meeting of the Enlightened men, as they call themselves, or Quakers, as we call them, where my curiosity again leading me in amongst them, I observed another of our Strombolians, a Seminary, that was perkt up, and holding forth, as they usually do, with an obstreperous noise, and excessive bawling, stretching his Jaws and distorting his Looks with such uncouth postures, that Strombolo itself could not afford a more ugly Visage; he was in a plain, and untrimmed coloured Suit, after the guise of that whimsical People, who place more Superstition in holding to their own little Singularities, in being contrary to other men in their Garb and Speaking, than any they can find in those they most condemn for it.  
But good Lord! what a farce of ridicule and Nonsense did I hear from the Mouth of this cunning Impostor, who had so well learned their way of Cant, that he could artificially dissemble his Reason, and speak without it as well as they themselves: All that his extravagant bawling tended to, was no other than to inform them of the miserable Persecution that their dear Brethren of the Light had suffered, and were like to suffer from the Priests and men of this World, such as have denied the Truth and walk in Darkness; but the time of Vengeance was now come, yea, judgement was at the very door, the Decree was past, the Nations should be judged, and the Powers of the World should be shaken, and then the Saints should be all of one Heart and one Way; with abundance of other such nonsensical Stuff, whose Coherencies were like Ropes of twisted Sand, without any cohesion: But these were the Seeds (Seditions enough) that this subtle Seminary sowed in the impressible heads of this bigoted party, who were ready enough to take any Impressions of this Nature. I tired myself for about a quarter of an hour in hearing his Harangue, and then drew off to follow my occasions. But the next day happening to go again that way, in a little Ally, hard by the aforesaid Meeting-place, whom should I see in a little Cobbler's Stall, but the aforesaid Speaking man of Light, mending of Shoes; I knew him again exactly, and had a great desire to have a little private Conference with him, which to accomplish the better, I withdrew to a door near by, and loosening the Heel of my Shoe, by knocking it against the Grunsel, I went to the next Alehouse and sent it to the said Cobblers to mend, and to bring it thither to me, which in a little time he accordingly did, and I paid him for his work: And now being alone in a room by ourselves, I caused him to sit down and drink with me, and then fell to question him after this manner: I asked him if he was not a Quaker? he told me he was one of those whom the men of the World in scorn called so; and whether he did not yesterday preach to his Brethren? he told me he did then speak to them the words of Truth and Soberness as the Spirit moved him; Come, come, said I, (resolving to be plain with him) you are no Quaker but a Priest, and a Petropolitan, I know you well enough. 'Tis unexpressible what a strange damp and confusion these words of mine put him into, as appeared by the sudden alteration in his Countenance, notwithstanding he began stoutly, and with some show of abhorrency, to deny it, till I told him it was a folly for him so to do, having myself seen him at the Consult at Strombolo, and come over with him from thence in the same Vessel; which upon better observing of me, he confessed to be true, as knowing me by the Companionship I had with Phileroy in that Voyage; whereupon taking a little more heart of Grace, as thinking he had met with a Petropolitan; He inquires of me whether I was of the same Order with Phileroy; which (not being willing at this time to be known what I was) I told him I was, whereupon my new modelled man of Light began to be more free and open with me, telling me the reason of his Undertaking: That he was before his entering into the Order of Priesthood, by profession, a Shoemaker, and that (the better to disguise himself) in the management of his part in this grand affair, which he presumed, was well enough known to me, he had taken upon him now (since his return over) the Employment of a Translator (or a Shoemaker translated) which being generally a sociable faculty, and none more talkative over their Cups than they are, he had thereby opportunity to insinuate himself into the good opinion of the Vulgar, especially the Enlightened herd, whose company he mostly used so far, that for his pretended Zeal to the humours of that idle Faction, he was soon admitted a Member, and quickly after a Teacher in their frantic Meetings, and thereby got into great Esteem amongst them, and questioned not but by this means, he should win over many of them to the Petropolitan Interest; of which his Service in this particular Agency, he intended to give the Provincial a satisfactory account at the next Consult. I asked him when that would be; he told me the time and place, and I promised him then and there to meet him, wishing him in the mean while (but very feignedly) good success in his Undertake, and so after a draught or two to our better acquaintance, my Gentle-craftsman and I for this time parted, he again to his stall, and I to my business.  
Thus to conceal his cloven Foot  
The Devil will draw on a Boot;  
And thus to hid him from our sight  
The Jesuit turns Man of Light;  
Friends, mind the Light, (cries he) and whilst they stare  
To see where 'tis, they drop into his Snare.  
I was methoughts passionately desirous all this while to hear from Phileroy, what further Progress he had made in his Discovery: At the time appointed therefore I went with much eagerness to meet him at the usual place; I happened to be there first, but he was not long after me, bringing along with him a grave comely Person in the habit of a Divine; and this it seems (as Phileroy told me) was Doctor Tongues, whom he had brought along with him at that time, to begin an acquaintance betwixt him and me, I thanked him for doing me so great an honour, so I applied myself to the Doctor, and after mutual Salutations passed betwixt us, I asked him pleasantly how he durst trust himself so freely in the company of his Murderer: (meaning Phileroy) He answered me again as pleasantly, That he took him rather for a Cheat than a Murderer; for that he had cheated the Petropolitans of their expectations of a Revenge upon him, and that if he ever went upon the kill account, he hoped it would be to murder that cursed Plot they had then on foot, and to bring that Blood which they designed to draw from others upon their own heads. But, said the Doctor, (smiling) your friend Phileroy has been paid for his Service already, though his work be unfinished. Ay, says Phileroy, that I have, but I will see them all hanged before I will work any longer for them for such Pay: I seeing this Passage to be managed pleasantly on both sides, desired to know the Mystery of it, which Phileroy presently resolved me in this manner. The payment, says he, that the Doctor means, I received from the hands of our Provincial Blancpain, who having some Information from the Great Duke's Confessor, that two persons, the one in such a kind of Habit as I now wear, (which was the noble Colonel I formerly mentioned) the other a Minister (the Doctor here present) had been with the King to make a Discovery of their Designs, concluded that I must needs be one of them, and so without any farther examination of the truth of it, the old Rogue in a great rage fell upon me & beat me; he knew that as he was my Superior, I was bound to take my Penance with Submission, and I durst not at that time do otherwise, else, rathe● than to be so abused by a Religious Monkey, I should have cuffed his treasonable Soul out of its rotten Enclosure, and rather ventured to be so hanged for him, than to be hanged for serving him; so I spared him as a reserve for the worse punishment. After he had thus pennanced me, and his anger began to cool a little, I got liberty to speak for myself, and then I told him that he was wrongfully possessed against me; for that I never was with the King since my coming over into Albonia, which I affirmed to him (as truly I might) with many solemn Protestations: The Provincial knew we had no Dispensation to lie or equivocate amongst ourselves, though we might do it with Heretics, and so seemed to be satisfied with my Vindication, and after an unjust Penance gave me his Absolution, only as a further trial of my fastness to them I was to prepare myself for a sudden Voyage beyond Seas, where I was to negotiate some special business for them.  
An account of these Passages betwixt the Provincial and me I presently gave in to the Doctor and the noble Colonel, who thereupon perceiving that our Designs of a Discovery had taken scent amongst them, concluded that without farther delay we must with all Vigour proceed in the Undertaking; and to that purpose the Colonel resolved the next day to take a journey into the Country to the King, and the Doctor in the mean while was to get his Informations sworn before some Magistrate, to render them more authentic when they should come to be examined by Authority; pursuant to which Resolves, the Doctor soon after went before one Sir Edmond, a worthy Magistrate, and true friend to the King and Christian Interest, before whom he took his Oath of the truth of his Information, as they were contained in Papers there showed to the justice, but without permitting him to read over the particulars, but that in general they contained matters of Treason and other high Crimes, and that His Majesty had already Copies of them: In the mean while the Colonel attending at the Court, found that the great Duke's Confessor had, by some prepossessions to take off the credit of our Informations, obstructed his way so that after two days waiting he could not obtain audience; whereupon he repaired to the Grand Cashier, and acquainted him that the Original Informant was now discovered, having been beaten out of their service by one of the Petropolitan Superiors. This account his Greatness seemed to be well pleased with, yet put him off then, and so delayed him from time to time, that he could never get to speak with him, but was forced with these discouragements, after a long attendance, to return back again to Londinopolis.  
During these transactions of the Colonel and the Doctors, I was forced to hold on my Correspondencies with my Ignatian Brethren, whom I durst not quite fall off from, till our Discovery had got so much credit as to afford me a Protection against their malice.  
And this that I so much desired, was soon after by a strange accident (I question not but ordered by Providence, as well for the preservation of the Kingdom as myself) effectually brought to pass; for being one day at the Provincials house, where several Ignatians were attending to receive their Orders, I was standing without the Door, and heard them discoursing together about disposing of a Person, whom they designed to take off; some of their Expressions were these: [This man has betrayed us, we will give 20 l. to a Coach man to take him up, who by byways shall carry him to one of the five Ports, and when we have got him beyond Sea, we will force him by tortures to confess who had been with the King and informed him of the business] I presently imagined (especially having been so lately under the suspicion of the Provincial himself) who it was they intended, and therefore thought it high time to break off from them, and to go on with my Discovery, seeing I was myself discovered, and in danger of being made away by them; wherefore concluding it was not safe for me to stay longer there, I pulled off my Shoes, that I might make no noise in my retreat, and softly crept down stairs, and got clear out of Doors; glad was I to be thus delivered out of the hands of my treacherous Companions, but durst not for that night go home to my Lodging, which was too well known to them, but concealed myself at another place. The next night I ventured, when it was something late, to go to my old Lodging to fetch some necessaries that I wanted; but the mischievous Varlets had so waylaid me, that I was set upon by one of them before I got thither, and had certainly been murdered, had not Providence sent in some persons timely to my rescue, by whose kind assistance I did for that time get clear of my bloodthirsty Enemies, and resolving now wholly to quit my old Lodging, I repaired to the Pegasus in the Royal Ville, where I met my trusty Friends, the Doctor and the noble Colonel, and by their persuasions (for my better concealment) took up my quarters for some time in that place.   

CHAP. VI  
The Doctor and Phileroy make their Discovery to the King and Council, and are taken into the King's Protection; The Author's Vision of the Murder of Sir Edmond; Another of the Grand Senate's Sitting. The Author meets Phileroy with some Priests that he had seized. Phileroy gives him an account of his seizing the Physician, and his Examination before the Council; the Secretary seized and examined. Phileroy gives the Author a full account of Sir edmond's Murder, and the Practices of the Petropolitans to conceal it. The Murder stangely discovered.  
 

D Oates Sieznig of jesuits   

Execution of a Traitor   

Reading standin in The Pillory.   
The Town appeared to me now like a Swarm of Bees; its Inhabitants in swarms hurrying and humming up and down, having their peaceful Repose disturbed by the breaking out of this Discovery of a Plot, which filled all things with noise, tumult and distraction.  
In these Ecstasies I seemed one time to be transported into the most glorious place that ever mine Eyes beheld; it was a spacious Room, hung round with rich Tapestry, at the upper end of which, upon a stately Throne was seated Our Great Albonian Monarch in his Royal Robes, and the Imperial Crown encircling his sacred brows, which rendered his presence very august and awful; round about him on both sides were seated an illustrious company of Grandees, in most magnificent Robes, with Coronets on their heads, which I concluded was the Peerage of the Realm; and this to be the Upper Order of the Great Senate or Assembly of Estates convened in this place, amongst whom all things relating to the Interest of King and Kingdom, are first judiciously consulted, and then such Votes, Orders and Acts passed thereupon, as they think needful to the purpose.  
At the Bar, at the lower end of the House, whom should I see standing but my friend Phileroy, who I perceived was now upon his Examination before that Great Assembly concerning the matters of his Examination given in to the King; I was glad to see things brought to this ripeness, that now not only the King, but Nation too (the People whereof were representatively included in this great Assembly) should be acquainted with this Hellish Conspiracy, and that it now lay before them whose united Wisdoms could not fail finding out the Mysteries of it, & their powers as well serve them to make provisions against the Author's of the Design. Methoughts I lift up my heart in a hearty prayer for a blessing upon their proceed, and here my Vision terminated in a strange transport of joy and admiration, upon the consideration of the Divine goodness so evidently appearing in these hopeful beginnings.  
Some time after methought I was walking about the West parts of the City, where I met with a crew of Matchmen and Soldiers that guarded along three or four persons, whose dejected looks well enough showed what their Condition was; One of them (looking wistly in his face) I knew to be a Petropolitan Priest, one of those that came over with us from Strombolo. I was glad to see these Beasts of prey to be taken in our Toils; but did not presently understand who it was that chased them thither, till hearing a voice behind me crying out, look well to your Prisoner. I looked back and saw one following them dressed after the Mode of the Albonian Clergy and followed at a small distance by a party of the Royal Guards, observing him more wistly, I knew him to be Phileroy, I did not so much wonder at his Divinity Habit, as knowing he had Title to it by those sacred Orders which he had taken up in Albonia before he fell in with the Petropolitans; the Guards I imagined were those allowed him for his defence in those dangerous Services; notwithstanding his haste and business, I could not forbear speaking to him, but his haste would not permit him to parley with me, only taking me by the hand he whispered me in the Ear, that he would meet in the Evening at the usual place, and treat me with a feast of Wonders. I expected indeed, having not had his company a considerable time since, to be now extraordinarily treated with accounts of things which I perceived begun to work now very briskly; so with much seeming impatience, and with a world of fancies, that like Atoms fluttered up and down in my heated brains, I dreamt away the time till Evening, and then posted to the place where I was to meet with Phileroy.  
He had got thither (luckily) before me, and I found him with his Royal Guard of Partisans about him, and a Bottle of Wine upon the Table, which after I had saluted the Company, we drank about, Phileroy being pleased at that time (though a thing not usual with him) to begin an health which was to the Preservation of His Majesty's Royal Person and Government against the Plots of the Petropolitans. This Health was echoed with hearty Amens, and as cheerfully pledged by all the Company, amongst whom it went round, and was lastly pledged by myself; after which Phileroy taking me by the hand, told his Guards that he had some private business for which he must withdraw from them for a little time into the next Room, bidding them in the mean time to make much of themselves, so we withdrew together; and being by ourselves, Phileroy told me, that to make good his word to me, he had with much difficulty got lose from his business, which said he, at this time lies very hard upon me; for having made my Discovery to the King and his Councils, they have ordered me to pursue the Chase of these Petropolitan Vermin till I have brought them into their Toils, and so to the Tribunals of justice to receive the Reward of their Treasons; and when you met me in the morning, I had been upon the hunt, and seized one crafty old Fox (a Priest) in his kennel, together with two other Petropolitans, whom I carried before the Council, and having proved my charge against them, they were by Order of that Sacred Board committed to the Den of Thiefs, the fittest receptacle for such Cattle. But to proceed in my Narrative of the State of things since we were last together, I then told you that upon my Discovery the King was graciously pleased to allow me a Guard for my defence (as you see I am now attended with) otherwise it had been impossible for me to have ventured upon discovering of the traitorous gang (which was the province I was now enjoined to) without apparent danger to my own Life; yet being thus guarded, and as well defended within by my own Innocency, I have made many bold Sallies into the retreats of my abjured Friends, but now revengeful Enemies, and have not left till I have left them in the hands of Justice. The first I seized were some of my old Companions of the Ignatian Order; they called me Achitophel, judas, Renegade, Apostate, and what not; I gave them leave to speak their Will, it being the Privilege of losers, as I saw plainly they were like to be in this Bargain: After these proceed according to the Method of my Informations, I went on with the rest in Order; the next being the Physician before mentioned, I got a Summons from the Privy Council for him to appear before that Board, where I justified my charge against him of his Undertaking to poison the King, and did prove it by a Letter under the hand of Provincial Blancpain to one of the Confederates, that he had, for the Reward of 15000 l. undertaken to do it, and that 5000 l. of the said Money had been already paid him (as an earnest) by the Secretary; The Defence he made for himself was nothing to the purpose, or any denial of the fact, but only an insolent kind of boasting of his Loyalty to the King, expressed in some former Services done by him; what those Services were I knew not, but what the present Service was I knew so well, that I hoped he would be rewarded according to his deserts; however for that time he got off impune, but some littte time after was taken into Custody, and committed Prisoner to the Den of Thiefs, amongst the rest of his Companions.  
Next after him, I proceeded against the Petropolitan Secretary (the chief Engineer in this Plot) and having got an Order to search his house, we seized on some of his Papers, and brought them to the Council, before whom (hearing there was a Warrant out against him) he voluntarily appeared, and bore the brunt of the Articles I charged against him with a true Petropolitan Courage, that is, with impudence and slighting. However the Council thought fit to deliver him into the hands of the Lictors, and afterwards ordered him to the Den of Thiefs; some farther Discovery being made of other of his Papers of a very dangerous Consequence, the consideration whereof was left to a Committee of Lords appointed for that purpose.  
Then I proceeded against the Petropolitan Advocate, whom I caused to be apprehended and imprisoned with the rest.  
The Petroplitans perceiving me so active in my Discoveries, and yet that I was but one single Witness (which is an Evidence too little in Law to convict in cases of Treason) began to grow insolent, and to brazen it out with Lies and Falsehoods vouched (by some powerful Friends, that they had got in to their Interest) that there were no Plot on foot; or if there were, it was not theirs, but rather the Dissenting Christians; nay, to strengthen their design, they wanted not some of the Christian party themselves (men unworthy that Title) that counting it a piece of Gentility to be singular in their fancies, spared not their Endeavours to elude the belief of it, by turning the whole truth thereof into jest and ridicule: Notwithstanding which, their Artifices to conceal their Designs, it pleased God so to order it, that in a little time they discovered themselves in a piece of Villainy of undeniable proof against them,  
For their Actings being influenced, as well by Revenge as Interest, they contrived now how to wreak their spite upon that worthy Magistrate, that received our Informations, and took our Oaths upon them, whose life they resolved should now pay for that Service.  
To which end having waylaid him several days together by some of their party, whom they had confederated to that purpose, they dogged him (that day they acted their Tragedy upon him) from place to place, from Morning till Night, till they had fixed him at a certain place near the Queen's Palace, where their Confederates were, and where they designed to dispatch him, and then went to prepare their fellows for the bloody Undertaking against he should (as he must of necessity) come by that way. They had so laid their Design, that one of them, being a Priest, and another should begin a Quarrel, just as notice should be given that the justice was coming by, as a means to draw him down to them, which Design of theirs accordingly took effect; for the Rogue that watched for him at the Gate leading down to the Queen's Stables seeing Sir Edmond coming, presently dispatched notice to the other two to begin their pretended Fray, and that being himself well known to the justice (as having frequented his House some time on purpose to find an opportunity to mischief him) he confidently went up to him, and telling him there were two Persons in the Yard below that had begun a quarrel, and he was afraid, if they were not suddenly parted, would murder one another; and therefore earnestly desired him to go down to them, supposing his presence, as a Magistrate, would cause them to leave off. Sir Edmond was loath to engage himself in the business, it being not so proper for him, as a Justice, to intermeddle with Frays, as to punish them, besides the lateness of the night (he being an orderly person and keeping good hours at home) might have excused him from so troublesome an Office; notwithstanding all which he was overcome by the importunity of this Ruffian, to walk along with him to the place where the Fray was, which was near to the rails over against the Queen's Stables, and a kind of scuffle was there in Mockery made a show of, but no sooner did the innocent Gentleman begin to interpose his Authority to part them; but the Scene was presently altered, and that rage and Fury that they pretended against each other, was now turned upon him; these two together, with that villainous judas that betrayed him to them, and another of their Comrogues falling altogether upon him, got him down upon the Ground, and taking a Neckcloath or Cravat that he wore about him, and twisting it about his Neck, they pulled the Ends thereof so hard, that they soon throatled him, and by that means, and some other violences they used towards him, they deprived him of Life, and left him a senseless Carcase prostrate at their murderous feet: The News of this Tragedy was not presently known; but being miss two or three days without any tidings come to his house of him, it was concluded by all that knew how zealous and concerned he was against the Petropolitan Plotters, that they had by some means or other murdered him; for the better Discovery of which, the King himself, as well out of a Princely abhorrency of such an horrid Fact, as the affection he had to this worthy Magistrate for the services he had done him, caused his Royal Proclamation to be issued out, commanding a strict search and enquiry to be made about it, and promised a great Reward to any that should discover the murder (if any were) besides a Pardon to the Discoverer, if concerned in it.  
This Alarm nettled the Petropolitans to some purpose, and put them to their old shifts of Evasion and dissimulation; so that now they spread reports about the Town, that Sir Edmond was gone a journey into some remote Country, to be married to a great Lady, and took the confidence to name her.  
But it pleased God (who seldom (if ever) leaves Murders undiscovered, or unpunished) in a little time to reveal the Mystery of this Villainy to the World; for not long after the fact two or three persons walking over the fields upon the Northside of the City, near to a certain Hill there, well known to, and frequented by the Towns men, they discovered lying in a Ditch, the Body of a man, habited like a Gentleman or Scholar in black , his Periwig, Gloves, and Scabbard of his Sword lying upon the bank by him, and a Sword run through his Body, but without any blood appearing; surprised at this tragical Sight, and knowing it was fit there should be a legal Enquiry made into the causes of it, they found out an Officer of the Peace whom they brought to the place, and from thence conveyed by them to another place, where the Body might be more conveniently viewed by those that came to see it.  
It is remarkable that his Rings, Watch, and some Moneys both Gold and Silver were found in his Pockets, which should evidence that he was not murdered by Thiefs or Robbers, but that it was done either out of revenge by some others, or in discontent by himself.  
The Petropolitans as well to excuse themselves, as out of a farther Revenge to him, by taking away his Good-name as they had done his Life, would have fixed it upon the latter, and to that end they had left his own Sword sticking in his Body, but without any Blood appearing to be let out by it; nor did they spare to confirm this suspicion with reports about the Town, that Sir Edmond being a melancholy man, had in a fit of Discontent acted this Murder upon himself.  
But it pleased God upon this Discovery of his Body, to bring things so about, that in a short time both his Innocency was cleared, and their Villainy detected.  
The rumour of this Murder being quickly spread about the Town, drew many people to the place, out of curiosity, to see the murdered Body, of whom several of them that were acquainted with him in his life time, knew it to be the Body of Sir Edmond; whereupon his mournful Relations upon notice of it, took him into their Custody, in order to bestow upon him (as he deserved, and afterwards had) a decent and becoming Funeral.   

CHAP. VII.  
Captain Lobed comes in a Discoverer. The Queen's Goldsmith seized, as one of Sir Edmond Murderers; His Confession and Discovery. The Author's Vision of Staley's Ghost; the Narrative of his Treasons and Sufferings. The Author in a Vision meets the Ghost of the Secretary, with whom he travels to Strombolo. A Court there holden by Radamanthus; the Secretary, and other Albonian Traitors, that were executed for their Treasons, examined by him, to whom they give an account of their Sufferings, and are all sent to Purgatory.  
THis Narrative of Phileroy's put me in mind of my late Vision, which hereupon I acquainted him with, and concluded by the congruity of Circumstances, that this was the very person that I saw then carried dead before a man on Horseback, and afterwards laid in a Ditch, and his Sword by one of them run through him and left in his Body.  
And all this, said Phileroy, has happened to be true, as hath been since proved by some unexpected Evidences, that God by his providence hath raised to confirm the truth of it. The first whereof was one Captain Lobed, sometimes a retainer to one of the Petropolitan Lords, and by him recommended to some of the chiefs of that party beyond the Seas, where he had got so much credit amongst them (especially the Ignatian Order) that they employed him, as their Agent in several Negotiations about the present Plot, carrying Letters into foreign parts where the business required, and other Services; by which means he came to have an understanding of their present Designs.  
He continued thus a Servant to them till after the time that I had made my Discovery, when being jealous lest he also should become a Discoverer, they obliged him by taking the Sacrament and the Oath of Secrecy once a week, to continue faithful to them.  
And then treated with him about their Design to murder Sir Edmond B. an● to get an acquaintance with him upon tha● account, and told him that there w● 4000 l. offered, by the Petropolitan Lord whom he had served, to any person that should effect it, which was to be paid by the Petropolitan Secretary; but he out of a natural principle of honesty, abhorring their Designs, still failed them at the times appointed, only once was present with the rest of the confederates at their request, to see the Murdered Body, where he took notice of the persons concerned in it, and understood something of their Proceed; but being disturbed in his mind about it, he retired to a City on the Western parts of Albonia, whence he dispatched Letters to one of the Royal Secretaries; upon which he was sent for back to Londinopolis, and made his Discovery which (notwithstanding that he and I had never any acquaintance or knowledge of each other) agreed so exactly with mine, that it got a better credit to the Belief, and proved a greater Confirmation of the present Plot.  
After this, one of the Confederates in the aforesaid Murder, by Trade a Goldsmith, and servant to the Royal Consort, having, before the aforesaid Murder, in a Coffee-house offered to defend the case of some Petropolitan Traitors that had been lately executed, and being himself known to be a Petropolitan, fearing to be called in question about what he had said, did therefore abscond himself for two or three days from his house. But some time after, a quarrel happening betwixt him and one of his Neighbours, who understood by a Servant of his, that the time of the Goldsmith's absconding was about the time of Sir Cdmond's Murder. He went presently to the Council, and charged him as a Confederate in that Design: A Warrant was issued out against him to answer the Charge, upon which he appeared, and Captain Lobed being present, knew him again to be one of the persons concerned in the said Murder, and swore it against him; whereupon he was by Order committed to the Den of Thiefs; but the next day made a Discovery of the Design, and the Persons concerned in it; who were thereupon taken into Custody. Yet, although the Petropolitans had prevailed so far with him, as to deny what he had said, the Impulses of his own Conscience, besides the promise of a Pardon and Reward to any that should make a Discovery of it, by the King's Proclamation, obliged him to assert the truth of his first Information, (which he hath since published to the World) and therein gave an account, how that after they had strangled Sir Edmond, as I before told you, they conveyed him into the Palace where they kept him (shifting the Body out of one Room into another for the more privacy) for two or three days till they had an opportunity to remove him to the place where they designed to leave him.  
The Evening that they designed to remove him, having got the Soldiers that attended at the Court Gates out of the way, at a drinking match that they had provided for them, they had hired a Sedan, into which they put the murdered Body; and two of them carrying it out of Town, late at night, when few people were stirring, at the Towns end they set the Body upon an horse, with which one of them was there ready, and with two or three more of their Confederates, that walked a foot by them, they carried him in that manner that you saw him in your Vision, to the place where he was afterwards discovered, as I have told you.  
This Witness hath discovered the Ruffians engaged in this Murder, the principal of whom, being Vernatti, is since fled, as also two other Priests concerned in it, but three of them that were actual instruments in the Murder, one of them being the Porter at the Court Gates, and two others that were there, Servants to the Royal Consort, have since been taken into Custody, and at the Petition of the Great Senate, a Court of justice summoned by the King, before whom they have been tried, and by many undeniable proofs brought against them by the aforesaid Witness, and others that came in against them, they were legally convicted and condemned, and have since received the just reward of their horrid and unparallelled Villainy at the Tiburnian Trident.  
The Body of this martyred Worthy, attended by the Magistrates of the City, and many of the Nobility and Gentry in a numerous company, was carried to one of the principal Churches in the West parts of the City, where, after an elegant Oration made upon the Occasion, by an eminent Prelate of the Albonian Church, it was with many Tears and Lamentations afterwards decently interred.  
An Honest, Worthy, Loyal Magistrate,  
Who was the Proto-Martyr for the State;  
His Death preserved our Lives by pointing out  
The cursed Designs the Papists were about.  
The Justice as an Enemy to their Cause  
Must die; could they as well have killed the Laws,  
Oh, happy Rome! how would the Devils Brats  
Insult, and we no Laws nor Magistrates  
To punish them; The Sword of Justice yet  
Is keen, and we have men to manage it,  
And maugre all the Plots they have devised,  
All are not Godfreyed yet, nor Arnoldised,  
His Name shall live, and we shall live to see  
Their Plots to end in their own Tragedy.  
The murder of this Loyal Gentleman gave so great a light to the Discovery of the Petropolitan Designs, that the Great Senate of the Nation (being now met together) were pleased to take notice of it, and after having examined me and some other Evidences (that were summoned in) upon the particulars of the Plot, they came to this unanimous Resolution which was recorded in their journals: [That there has been, and is a damnable and hellish Plot contrived and carried on by the Popish Recusants, for assassinating and murdering the King, and for subverting the Government, and destroying the Protestant Religion by Law established.]  
This being made matter of Record by one of the three grand Estates of the Kingdom, is a sufficient Confirmation to all the World, of the reality of the Petropolitans Design against us.  
But (said Phileroy) my Narrative having wasted time, I must be now obliged to return to my Company, and leave the rest to the next Convenience we shall have of meeting.  
So for this time we broke up our Conference, and going back to the Company we had left in the other room, we took a glass or two with them, and then friendly parted.  
It was not long after this meeting, that I was by the Impulse and Ecstasy of these Visions, transported to a solitary place not far from the City, but near adjoining to the Tiburnian Trident (become now sacred in the Eyes of the Petropolitans, by the Martyrdom of their Confederates) where I discovered a tall Person, halting and limping along in a strange untoward posture, and now and then reeling, as if he were falling to the ground; I imagined that something extraordinary was the cause of his disorderly motions, and that he was either drunk, or troubled with some kind of Epileptic fits; to be resolved of which, and out of Compassion to his Condition, I drew towards him, but going to take hold of him, he flew from me like the Wind, and I took hold of nothing; whereupon I concluded he was a Spirit, but being now myself an ecstasied Person, I dreaded no apparitions, but pursued the Spectrum for a better acquaintance.  
Upon my next View of him, he began to make an hellish noise (that scared me ten times more than the sight of him) and withal his Tongue hanging out of his Mouth, swelled, and of a loathsome black colour; I saw him snapping it betwixt his Teeth in a most cruel manner, so that the blood seemed to run about his Jaws, and sometimes with one of his hands he seemed to tear and scratch the other in the like unmerciful manner; his actions appeared to me a strange kind of selfe-revenge, such like as the Petropolitans use to inflict upon themselves in way of Penance, but for what cause, or to what purpose, I know not; wherefore to be resolved, I asked him two or three Questions, which as soon as he could get his mortified Tongue into his mouth, he civilly answered me, First, I demanded what he he was— He told me, he could not tell, but asked me what I was, for he never saw any thing like an humane creature, since he came out of the other World: Why, what World, said I, do you think we are in now? I know not (replied he) but it is a strange World to me, having lost my friends, company, estate, hopes; nay, and my body too all in an instant; your body man, said I, why, what Body have you now? or have you any at all? I cannot tell, replied he, what I am, or where I am; whatever form I appear in to you, you need not fear me, for I assure you, I can neither by't nor scratch, having left my body lately at the Tiburnian Trident, mangled by the hands of a cruel Carnifico into four quarters; I took a sad leave of them, and what is become of them I know not, being since become a Wanderer in shades of darkness, to find out that place of light and happiness which the Petropolitans told me would be the certain portion of all such as died in that Cause that I suffered for: Why, said I then, were you a Petropolitan? Ay, replied he, or I had never left the other world so untimely; it was my Zeal, my Zeal for their Cursed Cause— and with that he began to by't his Tongue afresh, and to rave at the rate he had before done: I stayed with some trouble in my spirit till his passion was over, and he began a little to recover himself; and then I asked him the meaning of his biting his Tongue in that violent manner; he told me, it was but a just Revenge he took upon that Member for betraying him to that Cursed End; but, said he, to satisfy your Curiosity at once (for I perceive you are a stranger to the affairs of the other world, as well as I am now:) I will tell you in short the History of my Tragedy; I was upon Earth the Son of a Citizen of Londinopolis. and a Petropolitan, and being educated and instructed in that Religion, I betook myself for some time to travel, where I was farther instructed in the Policies of that People, and of a Design they had laid against my late native Country of Albonia, which I suppose is yet on foot, although I am untimely taken off from seeing the end of it? Upon my return into Albonia I was employed by my Father to look after the Cash which (he being by trade a Goldsmith) was entrusted in, his hands by the Petropolitan Party; but the Plot, for carrying on of which the said Money was treasured up, coming unluckily to be Discovered; they began to call in their moneys so fast, that I began thereby to be perplexed and confused in my mind about clearing my accounts with them; upon this I contracted such a spite and revenge in my mind against the Albonian Government as the cause of this disaster, that I could not forbear letting lose this cursed Tongue of mine one time amongst Company, where I was overheard into these expressions which I then spoke in the Franconian Lingua, my Consorts being of that Country [The King of Albonia is a grand Heretic, and the greatest Rogue in the World: There's the Heart (striking his hand upon his Breast) and here's the hand that will kill him myself]  
Some other words I spoke to the like purpose, treasonable enough; all which being overheard by the Company in the next room: One of them, a Loyal Gentleman, was so exasperated thereby, that he drew towards the room (where we were) to have run me through with his Sword, and had done it, had not his Friend interposed; so they spared me for this time to reserve me for a worse punishment; for upon this they having enquired out my Lodging, presently went and gave in their Informations of this passage, (for by the Laws of Albonia, no man dares conceal Treason, as this was, under peril of his own Life) and thereupon the next day being summoned to answer it before the King and his Council, I was by them committed to the Den of Thiefs, where I remained till my Trial, and then upon clear proof made of the words spoken, (notwithstanding I would fain have made my Tongue then to have loosened what it had tied before by some Petropolitan Evasion) it was the opinion of the Court, that I deserved to die, and had Judgement accordingly passed upon me to be executed as a Traitor, by strangling and dismembering of my Body, which Sentence has been lately executed upon me; and now Bodiless as I am, I wander in these Shades to find a rest: The little comfort I have is, that before this time my poor limbs are disposed by my Friends in some quiet repository, that they may not remain as standing Dishes for Kites and Crows to feed on. But Oh this Tongue, this Tongue! (cried he) beginning then to rave again as before. I advised him; seeing that noisy Instrument was so great a torment to him, to by't it off, rather than to be troubled with the keeping of it, telling him withal that I was going back to the other World, and if he thought good, would take it along with me, and present it to some of his Petropolitan Friends, who, no doubt, would dearly esteem it as a precious Relict. No, said he, it deserves no such foolish honours, although such (for aught I can see) be the only Recompense that the Petropolitan Church allows its Martyrs (as they call us) when they suffer in its Cause. I will rather keep it to punish it for my own folly; and with that gnashing upon it twice or thrice, as a Token of his Revenge, I heard him give a shriek, and then presently disappeared.  
Farewell thou poor deluded Ghost, farewel,  
Stories unto the other World go tell  
Of thine own folly, let this be thy Note,  
I am the Caitiff that hath cut my Throat  
With my own Tongue, cursed be that Zeal that first  
Inflamed it, and that devilish Cause be cursed  
That caused it; Now the difference I feel  
'Twixt sober Actions and a wrong-placed Zeal.  
My Vision presently carried me back to the City, entering into which by one of the Gates, methoughts I saw upon the battlements of it, fixed upon a long P●le, the Arms and Shoulders of a Man, with many Spectators gazing at it; I supposing it to be of the quarters of some Tra●●or lately executed, enquired of one of the Bystanders whose it was; he told me it was the Goldsmith's that was lately executed for speaking treasonable words against the King. Why, said I, were not his quarters buried? Yes, replied the other, by the King's leave he was suffered to be buried; but his Petropolitan Friends, to take of the ignominy of his End, performed it with so much superstitious Devotion, besides the extraordinary pomp of it, as if it had been the funeral of some great Saint, or Worthy, rather than a Traitor; which being looked upon as an affront both to the Government and justice of the Nation: His Body was Ordered to be taken up again, and the mangled quarters of it to be set up on some of the principal Gates of the City, in such manner as this here is disposed of. I could not but think nowhow the poor Ghost was cheated, thinking his Body might have been suckling of Worms in some earthly repository, when alas (the thing he so much abhorred) it was hung up for Birds meat.  
I was, not long after, transported by a like Vision into a most dismal place, and full of Horror, I expected I was then again in the Regions of the Dead, and that I should meet some more Spectrums, as one I did, a proper comely Person to look to, but in his motion, his limbs quivered and shaken about him, as if they had been hung on with wires, and his head, though he could not keep it from wagging every way, yet he would often throw it up, and seem to look very loftily about him; before I came near him, I heard him use this expression, repeating it often with a stern and angry voice, There is no Faith in Man. Where am I now? Is this the Reward of my service? Is this the Elysium of Martyrs? or where shall I find it? But perceiving me now to draw near him, he courteously saluted me with a [Comment portez vouz Monsieur] I imagined by his dialect, together with his crinkling postures, that he was some Frenchified Person, but looking wisely upon him, I knew him to be one that much used that Lingua, and that he was the famous Petropolitan Secretary, whom I perceived Justice had sent into those Shades to seek the Rewards of his Martyrdom, I answered the civility of his salute with a bien, mercy Dieu, Mounsieur Secretary, Why, said he (wondering at the appellation) Do you know me? very well said I; I remember you at the Consult at Strombolo, and have often seen you in Albonia, and am well acquainted with your History both of your services and sufferings in the Petropolitan Cause; why then you are a Petropolitan, I perceive, replied the Secretary; Are you a Martyr for the Cause? No, said I, nor ever will be as long as I have life left me upon Earth to spend in better services. The more Fool was I, said he, to lose my own life so simply, but it was my dependence upon my great friends that made me hazard it so ventrously (otherwise a free confession might have saved it) but they fearing I should babble something to their prejudice, resolved to prevent me by leaving me to the course of Justice, and slipping me out of the hands of their protection, dropped me into that fatal Noose that brought me hither. Well, There is no Faith in Ma●. But now that I am loosed from that treacherous Race of Mankind, what company shall I have next, and where lies my way; Are you (Sir) acquainted with these Countries? No, said I, I am a Stranger in them, being an Inhabitant of the Earth, only was brought hither by an Ecstasy for a Diversion; however, as long as my stay suffers me, I will bear you company in your way to whatever place you are determined: Discoursing thus together in a moving posture, a little farther we entered upon a Road, rising with a winding ascent, and well beaten by Travellers; as we marched along, to divert the way, I desired my limping Companion to give me an account of his Trial and Execution; for as to the previous matters of his actings in the Petropolitan Service, I told him I was already sufficiently acquainted with them. This my Request he readily granted, and informed me, that at his Trial before the great Albonian Tribunal, being charged with High-Treason against the King and Government, his Papers that were before seized by Phileroy, were produced in Evidence against him, by which it appeared that he had on the behalf of his great Master held a strict correspondence with the Confessor of the Franconian Monarch, to prevail with that Prince for moneys to carry on the Petropolitan Designs, and by keeping off the Great Senate's Sitting, to preserve the Great Duke's title undisturbed until such time as they could rid the King out of the way, by the contrivances of those that were designed to do it; That it was farther proved against him, that to expedite the taking off the King, and to encourage the Design, he gave money himself, and promised great sums in the behalf of others, to such as should attempt it; for which, and several other acts of the like nature, which he thought to be highly Meritorious, in respect it was for the Petropolitan Cause, he was by the Judgement of the Court condemned to suffer as a Traitor; which Sentence was shortly after accordingly Executed upon him, although he depended to the very last gasp upon the kindness of his Great Friends to free him from it; but how he was rewarded for these his sufferings and services, he was yet to seek.  
At the Conclusion of this Discourse I heard a crackling noise, and perceived the glimmerings of some fiery eruptions ascending as 'twere out of the Earth, which made me think we might be now again at (the place we lately came from) Strombolo, and so it was as it happened; for as we drew nearer, I perceived the passage into the Purgatorian Confines, where a Scout standing ready presently seized upon the Secretary, and hurried him into it: I was my Self so secured by the Magic of my Visions, that I dreaded no dangers either from Flesh or Spirit, and so boldly ventured in after him, where in the Great Room where the Consult was formerly held, I perceived a company of Sooty Fiends like Lictors, or Officers of justice, with Whips, Chains and Fetters, walking up and down the Room, expecting Orders: For it seems there was a Court held there; At this time Rhadamanthus, the Judge of that Place, sitting in great State at a Table in his fiery Purple, to Try the Prisoners that should be brought before him. At the same Board I saw the Great Bishop (with some of his Scarlet Senate, all now in black) sitting in a very melancholy and dumpish posture, I imagined it was for that their Designs succeeded no better in Albonia. The Officer bringing up his Prisoner to the Board, he imagined, I suppose, that they were holding another Consult, and so was going to take his place as Secretary, and sit down amongst them: But the Lictor pulling him back, carried him before Rhadamanthus, telling him, the case was now altered; and that he was not there now as Secretary, but as a Prisoner; and that he must answer to the judge there such Questions as he should be demanded; who presently demanded of him for what Cause he came thither, he told him, for being over-credulous in confiding to his deceitful friends, but he hoped the Great Bishop (turning himself towards him) would not prove one of them, having performed such signal duty in the services he was employed in, and for which he was rewarded as a Traitor, with a bitter and severe Martyrdom; the accounts of all which to the purpose of what is before related, he fully gave them, and hoped, that upon the merits of the same, he should be condignly rewarded, as he was all along made to believe he should, if ever Fate brought him to that Condition: The Great Bishop shook his head a little in way of compassion, telling him, he was sorry for his sufferings, and that thereby they had lost the benefit of his future services, but that he might thank his own Folly in being so over-credulous in trusting to the Faith of Man, when he knew the Petropolitans used theirs no farther than their Interest served: However, knowing him to be one of an ambitious humour, he would in requital of his past-services, desire of Rhadamanthus the judge, to prefer him, and that he might be promoted to the place of Secretary in Chief to Don Lucifero, which at the Grand Viccars Request was accordingly granted; and thereupon he was led away by the Officer towards the Sulphurian Palace, to take possession of his New Office.  
No sooner was the Secretary carried off, but in comes another (led by a L●ctor) who I perceived was the Gentleman I first met in the Regions of the ●ead, champing the Bit (with his Tongue betwixt his Teeth) as when I first saw him: Rhadamanthus demanding of him whence he came, he told him, from the Tiburnian Trident, where he received his Martyrdom for the Petropolitan Cause: The Great Bishop then asked him, what services he had done them, he answered, that he confessed that the greatest services he had done, was with his t, t, Tongue, in treasonably speaking his intentions of Cutting off the Albonian King, that it was that cursed t, t, Tongue that said it. In pronouncing which, he gnashed his Tongue with his Teeth so vehemently, that he could not speak without stammering: But the Vicar replied, That his service was so slender, as no great reward coul● be due to it; and that though he was to be commended for his Zeal, yet he deserved to be punished for his folly, for looking to his Tongue no better; and therefore left him to the sentence of the Judge, who presently ordered him to be carried down to Purgatory, which was done accordingly.  
Next after him were brought up the three bloody Murderers of the Albonian justice. They gave in a large account of their Services and Sufferings, in so much that the Great Bishop himself began to plead in favour of them; but Rhadamanthus was so incensed, that the Violence was done to a Magistrate, that he resented it as an affront to himself, being one in that place, and therefore ordered their Lictors to carry them away, and to punish them severely as Contemners of Justice; upon hearing their Sentence, they all fell a howling most terribly, and hung an arse, as loath to leave the place; but Volentes Nolentes, the Lictors hurried them away: For they must needs go whom the Devil drives.  
The Great Bishop seemed somewhat displeased at the severity of this Sentence but Rhadamanthus told him, that if he suffered his Martyrs to come to receive their Rewards from him, they should expect no better.  
Afterwards came up three other Ruffians, Tiburnian Martyrs also: Their names, as they gave them in to the Judge, were Bogland, Ringepick, and Wood These were the Villains that undertook to take away the sacred Life of the Albonian Prince; two of them viz. Bogland and Ringepick were Priests, the other a Layman. The account they gave of their Services, was to this effect: That at a Grand Consult held in Londinopolis, a Resolve being there drawn up by the Petropolitans for the kill of the King, they three had subscribed the same, and resolved to attempt it: Bogland being to contrive the way of doing it, and the other two to execute it; for which Services (when performed) one of them was to receive 1500 l. the other 30000 Masses, amounting to the like value.  
That in pursuance of this Resolve, they two having armed themselves with short Guns, fit for the purpose, did once attempt to shoot the King walking in his Park near the Palace of St. jaques; but the party that was to fire, perceiving theflint of his Carabine to be lose, durst not attempt it, for which neglect as it was esteemed, the party was pennanced by his Superior with twenty or thirty strokes of Discipline, yet they resolved to proceed with their Design, but could never find an opportunity to do it.  
That they afterwards were taken by Phileroy, who being revolted from the Petropolitans, had now discovered their Designs and Parties concerned in them to the King himself. Pox take him (quoth the Vicar, biting his nails for madness) that Rogue has undone us all.  
That being brought to their Trials before the Tribunal of justice, Phileroy and one Lobed a Renegade Discoverer, both of them formerly Messengers to the Consults, appeared against them, and gave in full proof of the aforesaid particulars, upon which (notwithstanding they did in vain endeavour to invalidate their Evidence by slanders raised against them) they were by the Justice of the Court condemned as Traitors, and were accordingly executed; Bogland and Wood first, and Ringepick some time after, by strangling and dismembering.  
That at their Deaths they were so careful not to betray the Cause they died for, that they rather ventured upon the Displeasure of the great jehovah, by dying with a Lie in their Mouths, in denying the fact, than to incur His Viccarship's Displeasure, or to prejudice his Cause by an untimely Confession; and therefore hoped His unholiness would grant them the rewards of Martyrdom, and give them the turn of his Key to let them into Paradise.  
The Vicar, who could hardly forbear smiling under his Hat, to see the folly of his deluded Martyrs, told them gravely, that indeed he was sorry to see them there; for that they had mistaken their way, and instead of Paradise they were come to Purgatory; but however neither could he make use of his Key if they were at the Gates of Paradise; for that the Wards of the Lock that should open them were lately altered, upon some distaste taken there at their violent proceed against the Christians, so that he could not open them, till such time as he could procure another Key.  
☞— Which Key His Viccarship will find  
When Rome turns honest, or the Devil blind.  
However he told them that as they had lost their Rewards on Earth, by their not performing what they had undertaken; so they could not expect to be otherwise rewarded here than as Bunglers, in betraying a Design which they should have executed, 
Thus right or wrong the Vicar saves his Bacon,  
By telling all his Friends they are mistaken.  and so leaves them to the Judgement of Rhadamanthus, who presently order his janissaries to convey them to the Fiery Garrison, where he told them there was a very warm room provided for Regicides, and they should have Entertainment accordingly, besides the Society of some of their Albonian Country men, as Guido Faur, Ravillaie, and others of the King killing crew, who had been long his Prisoners, and, he questioned not, would be glad of their Company. This was all the Comfort they could get in this place; so they were carried away after their fellows.  
However it was no small pleasure to me to see my old acquaintance, these Strombo●●●●s returned hither in this manner instead of making their public Orations at Petropolis, as they expected.  
Some small time after these, was produced another crippled Martyr, one of the Hangman's jointed Babies, whose Limbs hung about him like wire works, by reason of his late dismembering at his Execution, yet a grave comely person to look on: upon view of his Countenance I knew him to be the Petropolitan Advocate. At his coming up, seeing them sit in form of a Court, and that he was to be tried before them, he began like a Lawyer to put questions to them, demanding of them Quo Warranto they sat, and what jurisdiction they claimed, and that if they had any thing there to charge him with, he had already made satisfaction upon Earth, upon an Execution executed upon his Body, Limbs and Members, and therefore demanded the judgement of the Court, si ulterius implitetur, with such like canting terms, which the judge Rhadamanthus hearty laughed at, who told him, that though they had several of his Profession in that Place, yet they used no other Law there but their own, by which he was now to be tried; and therefore without more ado required him to give an account for what cause he was brought thither.  
The Advocate turning his head, & seeing the old Vicar sitting at the other end of the Board, enquired if he were in Commission as a judge there, or no; Rhadamanthus answered him no; he was only an Associate, and that he himself was the sole judge in that place, and that he must direct his Speech to him, which the Advocate after a formal cringe accordingly did, beginning thus.  May it please your Lordship (or) Devilship, if it please you. 
I was, while upon Earth, Advocate to the Petropolitans, and retained by them at the Consult here lately holden, to be assistant to them in their present Designs; pursuant to which, since my return into Albonia, I performed them these Services; as namely, by contriving Settlements of such Estates as they had purchased, in such Dispositions as they might be secured of the same; by, holding Correspondence with the Franconian Confessor; by encouraging the Designs and Agents employed for the kill of the King; by taking care of delivering out the Commissions granted by His Viccarship to the Petropolitan Lords, and others of Places and Offices conferred upon them; by procuring 6000 l. of the Benedictine Fraternity for carrying on of the Cause; in the interim of these my Endeavours, the Plot being discovered by Phileroy, I was upon his Information seized, and brought to my Trial, when upon his and other Witnesses, fully proving the aforesaid matters against me, I was, according to the Albonian Laws, condemned to suffer the penalties of High-Treason, which was executed upon me accordingly; yet at my Death I stoutly denied the fact, as I heard those that had gone that way before me had done.  
These were my services, and these have been my sufferings; for which I hope and expect by your gracious suffrages, to receive the honorary Fee of Martyrdom.  
Out upon't, cried Rhadamanthus, laughing hearty, a Fee for your Folly! we have many Lawyers that are punished here for their knaveries done in the other World, but none that I know for being thrust out of it by their own folly, as you have been, and therefore for that, if not for your knavery, you must be punished; so look to him Gaoler, and then he was carried off.  
At last to make up the full compliment of Martyrs, were brought up the five great Worthies of the Ignatian Order, who had been the most active and stirring, in carrying on this Conspiracy, of all others (viz.) The Provincial Blancpain, Father Courthar, Father Vanga, Father Wickefen, and Father Tornero, all of them, as appeared by the tales they told there, were lately Executed together at the Tyburnian Trident; I could but think with myself how gay and jocund these Gentlemen were when I saw them last here consulting upon their Designs, and now how pitifully they looked; they would fain have made their application to his Viccarship, who at their coming up gave them a formal bow, for old acquaintance sake; but Rhadamanthus perceiving it, angrily called to them to come before him, looking at them the while, as they say the Devil looks over Lincoln, as if he would devour them: For the Truth is, the Devil (however sometimes they juggle together for their own ends) loves Priests and holy Water both alike (i.e.) he cares not a Fart for either of them; as appears by the sequel; for after they were forced to come before him, Father Vanga began in an elegant discourse (as he was one indeed with a good stock of Eloquence) to set forth the privileges of Priesthood, and that as they were Spiritual Persons, they ought to be tried by none but the Spiritualty, and therefore they appealed to his Viccarship: Why, What the Devil do you make of me (says Rhadamanthus) an Ass, or an Hobby-horse? I will maintain it, I am more Spiritual than you, or your Vicar himself; And where, I wonder, lies this precious Spirituality of yours? in the Metaphysical embraces of your Beloved Courtesans in the Seraphic pleasures of delicious drinking and feeding, or in the refined morals of bloody and villainous practices, such as makes Hell itself to blush at you for outdoing them in wickedness: Well, you see what your Spiritual practices have brought you to; but indeed, had you been as truly Spiritual as I am, you had saved yourselves a Martyrdom, and cheated the Hangman of your Quarters; but I will not be trifled with Gentlemen, and therefore come to the business, and tell me plainly for what you came hither.  
They seeing there was no trifling with this Angry Devil, did then severally give accounts to him of their practices and Sufferings; which Practices, though in some particulars they differed, yet in the main were complicated together, as being joint Associates, that had the management and direction of the inferior Undertakers. Blancpaine confessed (or rather boasted) that (as he was Provincial) it was by his Authority and Order, that their grand Consult was holden at the Blanc-cheval, where they jointly subscribed an Instrument of a Resolve to take away the life of the King: Courthar alleged, that he was the man that gave 80 Guinies to the Ruffians that were to Assassinate the King, besides one Guiny to the Messenger that carried them to drink the Secretary's health with? And that he did also give 2000 l. to the Physician that was to poison the King; Vanga insisted upon his great Zeal, in stirring up, and encouraging Villains to prosecute the King's Murder; and as soon as the Deed was done, to charge it (as they have endeavoured all along in other their practices to do) upon the Christian Dissenters. The other two acknowledged they were all along assisting and contriving with the rest for the carrying on of the Design to Murder the King; that for these and the like practices they had been apprehended and tried; and the truth of the aforesaid facts being particular, and proved against them by several Witnesses, they were therefore condemned and executed as Traitors; yet that at their Deaths they all stoutly denied the Facts, that the Cause might not suffer by their doing otherwise; for which act of courage at last they hoped they should be rewarded accordingly.  
And that you shall, I assure you, quoth Rhadamanthus, ho, ho, ho, you are pure Spiritual Villains i'faith, to think, because you can cheat the world with your lies and Equivocations, that you can cheat the Almighty, who is Truth itself; or dare to provoke his angry Vengeance with a dying Falsehood; or did you think your Cheating Viccars Dispensations could reach to the other World? or that Heaven would renew them? Poor Souls! how miserably are you cheated! I have no more to say to you, but to pronounce your Sentence, that you be carried from hence to the place where all Liars and Murderers have their portion. And so farewell.  
And now ye Petropolitans behold,  
You that on Earth for Empire act and Gold,  
What your Rewards will be,  
On Earth the Fatal Tree,  
Hereafter, horror, pain, and misery.   

CHAP. VIII.  
The Author leaves Strombolo. The Designs of the Petropolitans to cast the Plot upon the Dissenters. The Author in the disguise of a Petropolitan scouting abroad, meets with Phileroy, is like (by mistake) to be seized by him. Phileroy taking him to his Lodging, gives him an account of several Plots laid against him, and the success of them. Phileroy relates the Practices of an Advocate against Captain Lobed, to corrupt his Evidence, who discovers the Design, and brings the Advocate to condign punishment for it. The Death of Captain Lobed, and his Confirmation then of the truth of his former Evidences. A Narrative of Daravers sufferings, and his four years' Imprisonment in the Royal Tower, released thence by means of the Grand Senate. The coming in of Fitz Janny a Discoverer. The Trials and Temptations he met with from his Relations, by reason thereof, with some other passages relating to that story.  
THus was the Exeunt of the poor deluded Petropolitan Martyrs, whose Delusions, had they not been wilful, might have been the more easily excused; but, Si vult populus decipi, decipiatur. They made pitiful rueful faces at their carrying off, and Vanga nodding his head at the Old Fox, the Orand Vicar told him, that as they had been his Friends upon Earth, he hoped this would be no long parting, but that they should shortly have his company with them; to which his Viccarship replied, That he did not desire it, and so they parted indeed for this time, but for how long I know not▪ I perceived the Vicar was strangely moved at the affronts Rhadamant is gave him, and that his pretended Power and Authority should be so much contemned by him in the presence of his vassals; but not knowing which way to help himself, he was forced to endure it. The Court stayed some considerable time after, expecting others to be brought in; but none appearing, Rhadamanthus calling his Officers to attend him, adjourned the Court, and drew off, giving the Great Bishop, as he passed by him, a slight Salute, telling him, that he hoped he would shortly come and give his friends a Visit in his Territories, to which the other made no answer; but wishing his Devilship good night, drew off also with his company, and departed: Whereupon my Visions in this place being likewise finished, my Airy Genius, which was always so much a friend to me in these Discoveries, as to transport me when, and whither I pleased, did in the tenth part of a moment (according to the flight of Spirits) bring me safe again to my own habitation at Londinopolis, where, methoughts, conversing abodt the Town at the Exchange Coffeehouses, and other places of Intelligence, out of Curiosity to hear how matters had passed in my absence concerning the present Plot, I found by all reports, besides Printed Papers, that my last Discoveries at Strombolo were real matters of Fact, and true in all their Circumstances.  
But for my better Information, till such time as I could meet with my old friend Phileroy, who was my best Oracle in this affair, I fancied a Design to walk sometimes in the dusk of the Evening incognito, under the disguise of a Petropolitan, with a Rosary of Beads and Crucifix at my Girdle (the same that Phileroy had bestowed upon me at Strombolo) to such places as I knew the Petropolitans used to meet at, where, under this disguise, I got free admittance into their companies, and understood their Designs; which notwithstanding the late Discovery and Execution of the aforesaid Traitors, I perceived they still carried on as vigorously as ever, only they were fain now to alter their Scenes, and to act in Masquerade (hiding their Cloven Feet) and pretending themselves to be Albonian Christians; when if their Designs should chance to be discovered, they were to charge it upon the Dissenters, it being now their chief Endeavour by Libelling in Print, by the means of some Booksellers Fitz Tom Ekoot, and others (whom they had procured to serve them) to take off the Plot (which was now so much noised through the World) from themselves, and to charge it upon the Dissenters, as their sole and proper Design and Practice.  
One Night, as I was in my Fancy walking towards one of their haunts with my Beads and Crucifix dangling about me, as I used to appear at such times, methoughts I met my old Friend Phileroy, attended with his Royal Guard about him, who, I suppose, was at his old Trade of Priest-hunting, so that I was unwilling at this time to be taken notice of by him●, and therefore would have avoided him by crossing the way; but he (by that little light that appeared) perceiving the Trinkets at my Girdle, bobbing out at the waving of my upper Coat, presently took me for a Petropolitan, and thereupon stopped my farther motion, by laying hold on my Arm, and saying, Sir, you are my Prisoner. I was troubled at the Surprise, not that I feared Phileroy, but because of his Company, that upon these words began to draw about me, and whose presence, had I been really such a one as I was taken for, I should have feared more than all the Devils in Strombolo.  
But Phileroy was as much surprised as I, when looking nearer in my face, he perceived who I was; wherefore upon the sudden, to make the best of the matter, he gave me an Embrace, putting one hand under my Coat, with which he privately snatched off my Petropolitan baubles and put them in my Pocket; and then turning him to his Guard, he told them I was indeed, and must be his Prisoner for that night, but neither for Felony nor Treason, but upon the account of Friendship, I being an old Friend of his and a good Christian; to which they replied, God bless me; that if I was a Friend of his, they were sure I was no Cnemy to the King or State, and had no more to say to me.  
Phileroy had finished his Expeditions for this day, and was now returning to his Lodgings in the Royal Palace, where for that night he would needs have me to bear him company, which I did pretty willingly assent to, that I might after a long absence recruit myself from him, of some farther particulars relating to the present Plot.  
As we walked along, Phileroy whispering me in the Ear, asked me for what purpose I wore my rosary so openly, and whether I was in jest or Earnest. I told him I was no Heraclitus, neither in jest nor Earnest, but betwixt both, of which I would acquaint him farther at a more convenient opportunity.  
Being arrived with him at his Lodgings in the Palace, and his Guards dismissed, he and I sat down seriously over a Bottle of Wine that he had ready, to discourse of the passages that had happened in this now overgrown Plot since our last meeting: And first at his request I gave him an Account of my late dreaming Voyage into Strombolo, and the passages I observed there in the Trials, before Rhadamanthus, of the Albonian Traitors, that I understood by them were here lately executed; as also the accounts they gave in of the particular facts for which they suffered, ask Phileroy, he being (I perceived by them) the principal Witness that was used against them, whether their Informations were true as to the principal heads they delivered of the causes of their sufferings; and he informed me they were; but wondering withal what kind of Enthusiastic Spirit or Genius I was possessed with, that should inform me so truly of things in Vision, which were really acted, and the present Subject of all men's discourses.  
I was, said Phileroy, (raised by providence to this grateful, though hazardous office) the principal Witness made use of against them, which hitherto I have managed with that success as has cleared the Truth, confounded their Designs, and brought them to exemplary punishment.  
Yet have I not managed this Province without apparent dangers and difficulties, by means of the revengeful Petropolitans Designs against me, interweaving their grand Plot against the State with others against me, (as their most offensive Enemy) to invalidate my credit, by raising such malicious Slanders upon me, as should render me a person not fit to be believed or trusted.  
To this End they had tampered with a Priest, being then a Prisoner in one of our Town Gaols, and acquainted with the Petropolitan Lords, to endeavour to corrupt (with promises of large Sums of Money) some particular persons, named by them, to swear against me and Capt. Loved, such things as should be dictated to them, which were in effect to oppose our Evidence, to scandalise us with odious Crimes, and to charge the Plot on the dissenting Christians, as if they were the principal Authors and Contrivers of it. The Name of this Priest was Vile-Netter a Boglander, who was influenced and directed in this project by another of the Fraternity, who lay committed in the same Gaol by a strange Name that he had assumed for his Concealment; but was indeed Dominieo, one that has been since discovered to have had an hand in the Murder of Sir Edmond.  
The Persons they would have corrupted were two Gentlemen of good Repute, the one an Alderman, and the other a Captain in Bogland, who having some former acquaintance with this Vile-netter, when living there, and hearing now since their being here, of his Imprisonment, went sometimes out of civility to see him; to whom the crafty Priest, imagining their occasions for Money, by reason of their Expense about their business, might make them greedy of the bait, did at times break his mind of the business to them severally and apart, that one might not know of the others being concerned, under promises of great Sums of Money, if they did effectually proceed in the Design.  
The Cant. (an honest Gentleman and a Christian) abhorred the Design, and scorned their Rewards; yet that he might get a farther Insight into their Designs, he seemed to adhere, and proceeded so far, that he learned from whose hands he was to receive his Reward, and a promise of a Paper to be drawn up, containing the particulars of the things he was to swear to, saying, [That if they could but turn off this Plot, there was no fear of effecting their business.]  
The honest Capt. from time to time made his Discoveries of these Passages to one of the Royal Secretaries, yet holding in still with them, till he should come to find out the bottom of the Design.  
In the mean while we came to get a Discovery of Dominico, by a strange accident; for having wrote a Note to one of the Fraternity to come to him, and got the Alderman to deliver it, he had so far forgot himself, as to leave out his feigned name, and to subscribe his true, and withal to send it open; by which means it became presently known, that he was the person concerned in Sir Edmond Murder: whereupon Capt. Lobed and I, taking with us a worthy Magistrate that succeeded Sir Edmond, as well in place, as Loyal and Hearty Endeavours in prosecuting the Plotters, went to the Prison to take an Examination of the business. But the crafty old Fox Dominico finding himself likely to be noosed, had gnawed the Snare in two that held him, and got lose: For having procured two fellows for 10 s. a piece to become bail for him, he thereby having got himself at large, took his Flight, and is not since to be heard of.  
The Information of these passages upon promise of Pardon, we got from Vile-Netter, but hereby it happened, we prevented a farther Discovery, which the Boglandian Captain would have made in the business; but Vile-Netter suspecting that he had discovered the Design to us, would now treat with him no farther.  
Another Design yet more devilish than this hath been since laid against me, by the means of one Knoxius, a Retainer to the Grand Tashier, who, at the instigation of the said Cashier, and other Petropolitan Lords, on purpose to hinder my Evidence against them, had corrupted two persons that had been my servants, Bornos and Elan, by feigned Letters and Papers contrived to their hands, to defame me in the most horrid manner imaginable, charging me with vile words, that I should use against the King himself, and several of his Nobility; as also that I should contrive with Capt. Lobed upon a way of swearing falsely against the Grand Cashier; and to complete their malice, that I should attempt to commit (that not to be named sin) sin of Sodomy, with one of the Villains, who was so far Reprobate in his wickedness, as to swear it against me before a Magistrate. These were the batteries laid against me, yet I thank God my own Innocence was a sufficient Sconce to me against them all, 
— Murus hic aheneus Esto,  
Nil conscire sibi— Horat.  
— The best Defence  ' 'Gainst Slander, is a man's own Innocence.  
This Design I was well assured, was encouraged by the Grand Cashier himself, who upon the hopes of its succeeding, after having some time absconded himself, did now venture to surrender himself up to the hands of the Senate; and the same day this Servant Knoxius made his Instruments again to swear to stand to their Information.  
Having now fully understood their Contrivance against me, I made my Complaint thereof to the Royal Council, who sending for the Conspirators, and taking their Informations; Bornos and Elan freely confessed that they had been suborned by Knoxius, who in the Grand Cashier's Name, promised them great Rewards to swear against me and Captain Lobed; dropping a Guinney to them in Earnest, and maintaining them with Meat, Drink, and Lodging for their Service; that to oblige them the more, he had given them the Oaths of Secrecy, and swore, they should be killed if they offered to discover. But now they freely confessed the falsity of those things they were to swear against me, and gave sufficient proof of my Innocency, and how I had carried myself while they were my Servants.  
Yet they being for some time retained in Prison upon this matter, were afterwards tampered with again by some new Agents of the Petropolitan Lords to revive their Evidence upon review and alterations made in the former Papers; to oblige them to which cursed Apostasy, they first made means to discharge them of their Imprisonment, and then taking them into their own keep, entertainments and Rewards so far prevailed, as to repeat their former Designs against me; which having tinkered over their faces with a new Stock of B●●ss, they (notwithstanding their former Confe●sions to the contrary) did now proceed to do, and did exhibit a Bill of S●d●n●y against me to the Grand jury; but they being sensible of their Designs against me, and withal perceiving the slightness of their Evidence, and the in●●●y of the Witnesses themselves, refused to admit their Indictment, but threw it out with Detestation of such an horrid practice.  
They having thus foiled themselves in their Undertaking, I thought it time as well for the better clearing of my own Innocency, as to punish such unheard of Villainies, to proceed against the Authors of them by due course of Law; wherefore having brought in a Bill of Conspiracy against ●noxius and Elan, (Born●s being fled) I had a Trial in the supreme Cover of ●ustice, called the King's Court, where, in the presence of many Noble Peers and persons of honour, that were desirous to hear my Trial, I cleared my own Innocency, and by full proofs detected their practices to their Shame and Confusion, who were afterwards punished according to their Deserts.  
As God had hitherto raised Witnesses (many besides myself) by their several Discoveries to detect the Policies and Designs of these cursed Plotters, so the Devil hath (as a Countermine) raised not a few persons of corrupt and villainous principles, by various & subtle ways of management, to endeavour the baffling of our Evidence, and to render it ineffectual, either by slandering us with such horrid Crimes as should take away the Credit both of our Persons and Testimony (as they did to me in the case ) or else by Bribes and Promises of Rewards to endeavour to corrupt them, as in the case I shall now tell you concerning my worthy friend Captain Lobed, whose Evidence (having himself been so long acquainted with their practices) they feared (next to mine) above any man's living: And therefore as it related to some Petropolitan Lords, and others, whose Preservation they more particularly esteemed, they endeavoured to cause him either to abate the rigour of it against such Persons, or to say nothing to the purpose, when he should be called as a Witness against them.  
The Instrument they employed in this Affair was an Advocate at Law, a great Friend to their Party, and one that did business for many of them, and amongst the rest, some of the Petropolitan Lords; on whose behalf, and by them, he was engaged thus to tamper with Captain Lobed, with free expressions of encouragement for the present, and large promises of future Rewards, if he should herein effectually serve them.  
Lobed intending to out-craft them, if possible, did seem for some time to comply with the Advocate in the design; and as a proof of his compliance, did omit some things in his Evidence against Blancpain and Wickfen at their Trials, thinking such an omission not to be of so great consequence, as the loss of an opportunity in making a further Discovery of this Design would be: upon which account having settled a belief of his fidelity in the Advocate, he was now the more pressed to the like faithfulness to them in the greater Service. And for his encouragement, besides several sums of money which the said Advocate paid him beforehand, he promised at such a time to come to Captain Lobeds Lodgings, and bring with him the final Answer of the Petropolitan Lords what rewards they would give him for his Service. But Lobed, cautiously to prevent any Traps that might be laid for him, did before the time, acquaint some of the Albonian Nobles, (viz.) the Noble Prince of the Rhine, and other Christian Lords, of the Design on foot, and procured a Friend of his (at the time appointed) to plant himself behind the Hang, and making a hollow place in his Bed, laid his Man there covered over smooth with a Rug, that they might overhear what passed, and not be descried. At the hour appointed the Advocate came, and acquainted him in the hearing of the aforesaid Witnesses, that the Petropolitan Lords had ordered him to draw Blank Deeds, both for sums of Money and Estates, which they would settle on him, and that one of them was felling Timber to raise money for him.  
So sweet is Life, so impudent is Vice,  
That to preserve their Breath there's no device  
So base but they'll attempt it; and they'll Fee  
Their whole Estates to set their Persons Free.  
A little after this; the said Advocate and Captain Lobed, drew up in a Paper the substance of what matters the Captain had to charge against the Petropolitan Lords, which being carried to them, for their perusal, and after they had pulled out all the stings of it, that might hurt them, and made it as harmless as they could for their purpose; returned it back again so much as was left undefaced in his own hand writing.  
The business being now ripe for a Discovery Captain Lobed acquaints the Secret Committee appointed by the Grand Senate to examine such matters, with the Proceed of it: who finding it a matter of great weight and consequence, acquaint the whole Senate, therewith leaving it to their Wisdoms to consider what farther should be done about it.  
The Senate by their Address, acquaint the King with the business, and pray his Commission to call a Court of justice for the Trial of the Advocate; which the King graciously grants. And at his Trial the aforesaid practices were fully proved against him by Captain Lobed, and those other ambuscade Witnesses that I before mentioned. Upon conviction of which, the judge sharply reflecting upon him as an Advocate to dishonour his Profession with such base and illegal practices, did for his punishment award this Sentence [(viz.) That he should be Fined 1000 l. be imprisoned for one Year, and stand one hour in the Pillory in the Yard of the Palace before the High Courts of justice] which last part of the Sentence was presently after executed upon him in the presence of thousands of People, who were not any of them so commiserate of his Sufferings, as to pity him, but on the contrary, were so enraged, that had it not been for a strong Guard placed about him to keep them off, he had certainly perished by their fury.  
— No better far all those  
That once declare themselves the People's Foes  
The Law keeps Bounds, but the unbounded Crew,  
Think what they can inflict on such is due.  
The latter part of his Sentence, as to Fine and Imprisonment, after he had continued some little time endurance, was by I know not what sinister means remitted, and he freed.  
Here I may not omit to acquaint you with another Design of theirs against Captain Lobed, acted by the Grand Cashier himself, with whom the Captain having some business about getting in of moneys which he was to receive out of his Office; the Cashier knowing who he was, began to sift or rather to trappan him with questions, as, Whether he was not hired by some Christian Lords to give evidence against the Petropolitans? Which he denying, as well he might, the other than began to try him another way, by promises of great Preferments and Rewards, to corrupt him to fail in his Evidence. But this neither being taken, at last he proceeds (the Devils usual method) to Menaces; threatening, That if he would not serve them at home, a Vessel was ready, which should transport him far enough from doing any service against them. The effect of this threatening Captain Lobed soon after found (though not in specie) the Grand Cashier maliciously misrepresenting him to the King, so that the Guards that were allowed him for his Protection, were now set over him as Spies: of which discouragement Lobed gave an account to the King, who graciously took the same into consideration, and ordered a remedy.  
Many good Services (said Phileroy) notwithstanding all these discouragements, did this worthy Captain Lobed perform in the discovery of this Plot, and would have done more, had not Death prevented him, by cutting him off in the midst of his days and of our hopes, in the Wes● parts of Albonia, a thing which the Petropolitans at first rejoiced at, but with little reason, as afterwards appeared, when they understood, that by his dying attestations (of a thousand times more credit than any of their treasonable Martyrs) he did before an eminent Judge of Albonia and one of the Royal Council, upon Oath assert the truth of all that ever he deposed against the Petropolitans, in relation to the present Plot: and at the same time his loyal Spirits (then expiring) were passionately affected with the resentments he had of the danger he should leave the King in, by the means of this cursed Conspiracy; with hearty Prayers to God to protect him against it.  
But to proceed with my Narrative; There was one other of the Witnesses or Discoverers, that came not off so happily with them as I and Captain Lobed did; one Darever a Gentleman, by Birth a Scote-britain, who being in Franconia at the time when our Noble Cambrian Duke (the Flower of Chivalry at this day) commanded the Albonian Forces that were sent over to assist that King in his Wars. The said Darever was employed as Agent for the Albonian Militia at the Franconian Court: and at the same time getting an acquaintance with an Albonian Lady, a zealous Votary of the Petropolitan Religion, she acquainted him with the present designs of introducing Petropolitanism into Albonia, and of making the great Albonian Duke King of that Country, upon taking off our present Sovereign, whom God preserve. And hereupon engaged him by his Interest to introduce one Peter, titular Arch Bishop of L●●dub in Bogland, to the Franconian King, which he did; Peter presenting him with a Letter and other Papers, had private conference with him, for half an hour. The substance of which, Peter afterwards told him, was to propose ways to the Franconian Prince to relieve the persecuted (as he called them) Petropolitans in Albonia, but more especially in Bogland, by undertaking their Protection, furnishing them with Arms, and securing one of their principal Ports for his own use.  
Darever being now acquainted with their treasonable Designs, to which before he was a Stranger, discovered the same to an Albonian Knight then at the Court, for his assistance to communicate it to the King of Albonia; but he revealing the matter to a Brother of the titular Bishops, a Petropolitan, and Colonel in the Army, and of Darevers intention to discover it at his return to Albonia; the Colonel and his Party hereupon threatened him, that if he ever attempted such a thing, he should be certainly committed to the Great Tower at Londinopolis, or some other Prison, by their Procurement.  
Notwithstanding the Loyal Gentleman (though with much difficulty) escaping their revengeful hands, got safe into Albonia, where he intended to acquaint the Cambrian Duke, who is esteemed a great Enemy to the Petropolitans, and was now likewise returned from Franconia with this Design, but before he could get an opportunity to speak with him, the Petropolitans had made their interest at Court against him: whereupon being had up before one of the Royal Secretaries, he was without any Examination, or proof of any crime against him, sent to the Great Tower, where after some Months stay, he was examined by the Lieutenant of that place, to whom he discovered what he intended to have said to the Cambrian Duke concerning this Design. But this was so little satisfactory to the Lieutenant (how prepossessed, or how much a Friend to the Petropolitans, I know not) that he charged Darever, himself with a Design against the said Duke, and threatened to torture him if he did not confess it. This was, and is one Artifice of the Petropolitans by their powerful interests to gain so firm a possession of credit in persons, perhaps (otherwise ) as the defence of an Innocent person, whose Interest shall not bear weight with theirs, shall not be able to remove it.  
Most mighty Slander (one said well)  
What is it thou canst not do!  
Canst change the place of Heaven for Hell,  
And make a Friend a Foe:  
A Foe to Treason make a Malefactor,  
And the Discoverer himself the Actor.  
Under this suspicion yet unproved, of an Enemy to the State, and the same suspicion kept warm by the interest of his malicious Adversaries, this poor Gentleman was continued a Prisoner in a dark and uncouth Dungeon within the Tower (a place assigned only for the worst of Malefactors) for the space of four years; in which time (as it is Romanced of St. George in his seven years' Imprisonment in the Persian Court) he became so savage in his looks, overgrown with hair; and mean in apparel, that they that were acquainted with him before, could now hardly know him.  
But from these miseries, he was at last released by the happy Convention of the Albonian Senate. The two Grand Estates thereof, being both informed of their Proceed against him, and his Sufferings, did take upon them the Examination of the business, and being sufficiently made sensible of his innocency, and the wrongs done him, did obtain of his Majesty a discharge for him: and he hath since his releasement, been very instrumental in making farther Discoveries of this present Plot.  
One more instance I shall give you (said Phileroy) of another Witness, whom God raised to confirm the truth of this Plot, one Fitz-Ienny a Gentleman of good Extract and Quality; but himself and Family all Petropolitans. And though the Principles of that Religion, in which he had been educated from his Childhood, did engage him to the Interest of that Party, yet he had so much reason and judgement yet left untainted in him, as to see into the horrid wickedness of rheir Practices, and so designed to leave them, and make a Discovery.  
But this was not to be done without the difficulty of losing his Relations, who, as I said, were all Petropolitans, (besides what advantages, as to his Estate, he might expect by them) Bogland, one of the two Priests that were lately executed for conspiring against the Life of the King, was his near Kinsman, and his Elder Brother, a person deeply concerned in the present Plot, for which he was after put into the Den of Thiefs, about the time that this Fitz-Ienny was about to make his Discovery. Whereupon the Petropolitans grounded this malicious report of him, that he had betrayed, and would prosecute his Brother merely to get the Inheritance of the Estate from him, by incapacitating him to enjoy it. But the Vanity of this Slander he easily made out, by his generous declining all such selfish advantages, in that he would not deliver in his Informations, till such time as he got a promise, from the Lords of the Royal Council to obtain the Kings Pardon for his said Brother.  
His Kinsman Bogland did, both at his Trial and at his Death, like (a true Petropolitan) deny a necessary circumstance in the Evidence against him, which was material to his Conviction, as namely that he was at Londinopolis upon such a day acting in the Design, when at the same time he affirmed with solemn Protestations that he was remote off in the Country. This Circumstance for a time, the Petropolitans did much glory in. But this his Kinsman Fitz-Ienny knowing the truth of the matter, being called upon to attest the same at the Trial of some other Priests afterwards, did honestly declare that he was with the said Bogland at the same time mentioned in the Evidence, at Londinopolis, by which means the truth of that particular was cleared, and the Petropolitans defeated of their design.  
Thus see (you Cheats) what truth the dying words  
Of your pretended Martyrs now affords,  
What credit's to such dying sayings due,  
That live and act so wickedly as you.  
This was the first proof of the integrity of this worthy Confessor, after which he proceeded to discover several other of their Practices, both at home and abroad, as namely, that being at Petropolis, he heard the Ignatians affirm, as a Canon of their Religion, that the Grand Vicar had Power to depose Kings; and that Princes being by him once excommunicate (which in their sense is not only to Vn-christian them, but to Vn-king them) it is not only a thing lawful, but meritorious for their Subjects to kill them.  
And by the way (said Phileroy) this Doctrine of theirs (known to be allowed and approved by them in their most authentic writings) may serve to un-riddle that mysterious Salvo, so formally used by them in their dying Speeches, and by which the over-credulous Vulgar are so easily amused into a persuasion of their Innocency viz. [That they are Innocent of any Design or Endeavour to kill the King.] For according to this Doctrine, and in their Petropolitan sense, Our King is no King, being deprived both of Name and Office by the judgement of the Chair.  
But to return to our matter; this worthy Fitz-Ienny being more true to his Country and Conscience, than regardful of his dearest Interests hath spared neither Friend nor Foe in these his Discoveries: A Narrative of which he hath since published to the World, and therein informed us, how his Kinsman Bogland offered to forgive him a Debt of 20 l. if he would be assisting to them in taking off the King; which he absolutely refusing, the other then pressed him to acquaint him (if he knew of any) with some Boglanders, Petropolitans, that were fit for that (devilish) purpose; Fitz-Ienny then named three to him, besides one Fitz-Will an Albonian, who were the four Ruffians (first approved by Bogland) that were after employed to kill the King at his Palace in the Country; the names of whom particularly he mentioned in his Discovery, upon which the Royal Proclamation was afterwards issued out for their seizing.  
It was no small temptation to this worthy Confessor, that during this while he was continually attacked by the most passionate and importunate Letters of his nearest Relations, urging him as a Rebel to his own Blood, with the necessity of bringing a certain ruin upon his whole family, if he went on in his proceed; but these powerful Suadas had so little Influence upon the Constancy of his mind, and prevailed no more to reduce him to his former (but now abandoned) Principles, (the thing they principally aimed) than that they produced the quite contrary effects, both to confirm him in his Resolutions; and the Consideration thereof, together with the Conviction of the (now clearly detected) Villainy of that Party whose profession he had owned, did so far prevail with his aged Father, that (abjuring his own) he became a Proselyte to the Christian Religion; and farther, to make the Triumphs of his Testimony and the truth more illustrious, he gained another Convert out of his Father's Family, a Secular Priest, and Retainer to it in that Office, who, by this means, was taken from performing Idolatrous Worship in a private Family, to the service of (more than one Tribe in Israel) his King and Country.  
This Person, by name Smithus, since his Conversion, hath gratified the World (as an Evidence of his sincerity) with some excellent Treatises of his own penning, evincing the inconsistency of Petropolitan Principles, with the Peace and Security of States and Kingdoms; a thing, said Phileroy, which if Christian Princes were sufficiently sensible of, they would no more suffer any of that viperous brood to harbour within their Dominions, than they would known Traitors and Murderers to dwell within their Palaces: Besides, having in those Treatises exposed their Villainies in this present Design, (according to those Principles) he hath justified the Honour and Justice of the Albonian Tribunals, in their procedures against the Plotters, and also vindicated the Testimony of Fitz-Ienny, particularly by manifest Demonstration of passages relating to it, whereof he himself had been an ocular Witness.  
And now you Petropolitans dare you vie  
The Glories of a cursed Obstinacy,  
In dying Traitors to the Constancy  
Of this brave Man, that for his Country's good  
Trampled on all the Ties of Flesh and Blood,  
And braved your Malice with a well fixed Zeal,  
What you durst act, he dared to reveal;  
And whiles your traitorous Breathes with lies expire,  
His Breasts inflamed with the sacred Fire  
Of Truth, such Truths as the Preservatives  
Of our Religion, Properties and Lives  
Against your Treasons, in the Rolls of Fame  
Shall be recorded to your lasting Shame;  
And Spite of all your damned Treachery  
Justice and Truth shall gain the Victory.  
And thus, said Phileroy, (having ended his poetical Rapture) I have given you, my dear Philopatris, a summary Account of those Witnesses, that it pleased God, in his gracious Providence, to raise for the farther Discovery, and better Confirmation of this cursed Plot, and next to the Divine Favour that honoured me so far, as to make me the first Discoverer of it. I am obliged to that goodness of God, that has raised so many to bear their Testimony with me, that I have no reason to complain with Elijah, That I only am left: God has yet reserved many and many ways for the carrying on of this great work of his Providence, to the Confusion (as we hope) of his and his Church's Enemies; although you may perceive by these last Narratives, that they have not been wanting, by all the treacherous ways they could think of, both to defeat our Evidence, and to ruin our persons, if it lay in their Power; so that one Witness should be too many to survive amongst us, if they could help it.   

CHAP. IX.  
St. Omers Lads sent for over; their impudent Practices to defeat the Evidence of Phileroy, but to no purpose. Dagdule comes in a Witness against the Plotters; their practices to suborn him defeated. An account of the Trial of the Physician that was to poison the King; his unexpected acquittal upon it. An Account of their Designs of firing the Towns and Cities in Albonia; what Progress they made, and the Discovery of their Designs. A Relation of the Proceed (in the Grand Senate) against the Petropolitan Lords; and the Trial, Condemnation and Execution of the Lord Fordstaff. The Author in a Vision discovers the Meal-tub-Plot; meets then with Ovi-pellupus ● Sham-plotter, who at a retirement, acquaints him with the Design of that Intrigue, and the Discovery of it by Camperil a Renegade Discoverer. Camperil, engaged by the Petropolitan Lords, in several Services relating to the Plot. An account of his Treaty with Gad the ginger about it.  
YEt now it comes into my mind, I will, (before I leave this Subject) acquaint you with another help they had at a dead lift, to assist them in baffling our Evidence. You know we heard when we were at Strombolo, that St. Omers in Franconia was assigned them as the chief place of Rendezvous: and also for a College or Nursery for training up their young Fry, and instructing them in the sacred mysteries of King-killing and destruction of States and Kingdoms.  
Here a Party of them have kept their Consults, and hence as occasion hath required, they have from time to time sent over Supplies to their Correspondents in Albonia, in which Negotiations I and Captain Lobed have several times been sent over thither, while we were of their Party, and there the Younkers got some acquaintance with us, which their Friends here have made an opportunity now of a Design against us. For the Old Foxes having had so bad Success in following their Game that they were continually taken in our Toils, and defeated of their prey. Not knowing which way better to help themselves, they sent over to St. Omers for a Litter of those Cubs, that by this time had been so well instructed in the Game, that they could follow the scent of Blood, and imitate the Old Reynards in their wily ways of Lying and Equivocation pretty dextrously. No sooner was this Litter come over, but their Game was showed them, I it was that they were to worry. Indeed I had got some of the Old Foxes in a Noole (Blancpain and the rest of his Gang, being now upon their Trial) and these young Cubs were to gnaw asunder the Cord (if they could) to unsnare them, that is, to thwart and contradict my Evidence. I had sworn that I was present in the Month of April at a Consult in Londinopolis; their Lesson was, that I was then, and some Months after with them at St. Omers; yet they had not so well conned their Lesson, but when came to say it, they faltered pitifully.  
And though they opened wide and yelped amain, yet all was little to the purpose; for it was perceived, that while they built the Babel of a mighty confidence upon these Younkers undertaking, they had sent amongst them the Confusion of Tongues, so that Hammer and Morter were there as relative to one purpose, as their Evidences one to another: For some of them would make me to leave St. Omers in May, others would have me not to leave it till june, but one Gentleman, whose tongue had got the start of his wit, retched it as far as july, which the Court taking notice of, told him that his Evidence was wide of all the rest, who agreed upon either the latter end of May, or the beginning of june. But to help the matter, he told them, if he failed in any thing as to the punctuality of the time, yet he was sure I stayed at St. Omers till the Consult was over. This was the Mark they aimed at, (shoot high or low) to prove that I was not at the Consult at the time I alleged, and so could not be a Witness of what passed there. But this confident Lad, though he and the rest had mistake their Proofs, yet he remembered the Text, to prove that I was not at the Consult, for he was sure, (right or wrong, when or when not) that I stayed at St. Omers, till the same was over. The observation of this passage caused some laughter in the Court, but more satisfaction to them; when after these Whelps had done mouthing their idle tales and falsehoods) I brought in six or seven credible Witnesses to make good my own Allegation, that I was all the Month of April here in Town. This, as it was full satisfaction to the judge and Jury, so it proved such a defeat to the Younkers, that upon the discouragement thereof, they have not since appeared so publicly to confront Evidence.  
Yet still privately they endeavour (if possible) to corrupt them, as lately one Dagdule a Witness lately come in against them, having published his Informations of their Practices, they procured a man and a woman with proffers of great and certain Rewards, to tempt him to retract what he had said or written; and had drawn up a Paper ready for him to sign to, to that purpose. But though out of a design to try how far they would proceed with him, he kept them for some time in suspense about it; yet in that time having acquainted some Magistrates with it, he (by Virtue of their Warrant) took a convenient opportunity to seize them, and hath laid them both in Prison till such time as they shall be called to their Trial to answer for their Subornation. This hath been the success (and no better) that they have hitherto met with in tampering with our Witnesses, and this hath made the Wheels of their Motion to go on so heavily hitherto. And may they never move swiftlier till they be overwhelmed with the torrents of a deserved Vengeance.  
Phileroy having given me these accounts of the Witnesses, which were very pleasing and satisfactory to me, I desired him (having first drank a Glass of Wine to recruit his Spirits) to inform me of some other matters relating to the Plot, as they should come into his mind, for that all late passages were News to me, being come over so lately from Strombolo. Phileroy told me, that in a Design so confused, and that tended to nothing but confusion, as this did, it was impossible for him to observe any order or method, in his Discourses. And therefore he would rather I would hint to him what matters I would desire to be resolved of, and he would give me the best satisfaction he could about them.  
I thanked him for the kindness, and the first thing I desired him to satisfy me in, was about the Devil's Drugster, the Physician that was employed to poison the King, whether since his imprisonment he had been brought to his Trial. Phileroy informed me, that he had; together with two Benedictine Monks and a Lay-Brother of that Order, who were all tried before the Supreme justice of the Kings Court. But (said Phileroy) although I then sufficiently proved what I told you I had formerly charged him with before the Royal Council, of his being hired to kill the King by a Letter which I proved to be of his own hand-writing, by a Note entered in their Registry, under the pretended Rector of Londinopolis Courthar's own hand, of his acceptance of 15000 l. for that Service. And although it was farther proved by Captain Lobed that the said Courthar at one time gave him a Bill for the receipt of 2000 l. in part of payment; and at the same time that the Physician should declare that the business must be closely followed, and that if they should miss doing of it in one place, they must do it in another; yet notwithstanding all this Evidence, the Twelve Men (who according to the Albonian Laws, are the proper Judges of matters of Fact) brought in a Verdict for him of Not guilty; and did the like by the other four that were tried with him, though it was apparently proved that they were all Abettors of the Plot, and consented to the giving of 6000 l. for the carrying of it on, to be raised out of the Stock of their Society; notwithstanding which, they also were brought in Not guilty; so they were all acquitted. It is thought that the Purse of Gold that the Physician received from the Grand Vicar, had so strong a Charm in it, as to render him invulnerable against any penalties of Law or Justice.  
Now sure Astraea's fled unto the skies,  
Or she would punish such damned villainies.  
Cursed be that Gold, and cursed that Sentence be,  
That bribed the Judge, and set such Traitors free.  
The next thing that I desired to be informed of, was concerning one part of their Design which I heard given them in charge at Strombolo, of firing our Towns and Habitations. In this Phileroy told me they were not idle; for that besides that dreadful Conflagration that laid this great City in ashes in the year 1666. which Captain Lobed, who was after in the year 1676. engaged by the Benedictine Monks at Paris on the like Designs, hath in a Narrative (since published to the World) made out to be begun and carried on by the Petropolitans, with a considerable booty of many thousand pounds' value, which they got to themselves as Plunder, out of the Goods of the distressed Citizens.  
They have since carried on the Design as hotly as before, by firing several other Towns and Corporations in Albonia, and particularly lately a great part of a famous and populous Burrow on the South side of Londinopolis.  
This Design is carried on by a particular Committee, who have subdivided themselves into several Parties, according to their various managements, to contrive the most likely means and places for the carrying on of their work. It is said they have been contrived no less than twelve several distinct ways to cause and promote these Fires; One of which is by bribing Servants to fire the Houses of their Masters. The Manager of this part, was one Father Giffordus, a Villain that hath been a principal Actor in most of the former Conflagrations, who had engaged one Nicholas to play the Devil in his room. This Nicholas, as a proof of his skill, having some acquaintance with a Servant-Maid living with a Lawyer in the West parts of this City, insinuated himself by his subtle Arguments so far with her, as upon promise of 5 l. and half a Crown in earnest, he procured her to set fire on her Master's Papers, which set fire on the House; but Watchmen coming by (it being late at night) prevented its spreading and seized her; when carrying her before a Magistrate, she confessed the Fact, and who it was that employed her. Whereupon Warrants were issued out against the said Nicholas, who was likewise taken, and upon his Examination, vouched over Monsieur le Priest, the aforesaid Giffordus, as the principal imployer; whose Maxim he said it was, That it was no sin to fire all the houses of the Heretics and Hugonots (meaning the Christians.) Besides this, he being now upon the Stool of Repentance, and willing to have the honour of a Discoverer, did so largely set forth the merits of his Patron Gifford in several other Exploits of the like nature, some already acted, and some only in design: besides some goodly Treasons of no small size, that the said Gifford went very big with, and waited to be delivered of; that for the sake and service of this Discovery, he obtained his pardon, and the Maid likewise. After which a Proclamation was issued out for the taking of the said Gifford.  
Thus we may see how Rome 'gainst us conspires,  
By deeds of darkness and destructive Fires.  
Let them proceed, but at their peril know,  
Our Fires above will kindle theirs below.  
I perceived after these long Discourses, that Phileroy began to be heavy-eyed, and so (methoughts) for all I was sleeping and dreaming all this while, I was too; but my Fansic did so violently work upon these matters, that I could not rest till I were satisfied in one thing more; which was, how matters stood with the Petropolitan Lords, who I understood by Phileroy, were now imprisoned in the Royal Tower. I desired him only to give me some short accounts of the proceed against them, and then I would give him no farther trouble at this time. Phileroy willing to gratify my curiosity to the utmost (rubbing his eyes a little) began thus:  
I have already, said Phileroy, in some of my former Discourses with you about these matters, acquainted you how these five Lords came to be drawn into the Plot, and the nature of their Crimes; which as they are complicated together, would be tedious to recite to you. But for these Crimes being imprisoned in the Royal Tower, they had afterwards an Impeachment drawn up against them by the Lower Senate, consisting (as you know) of the Commonalty of the whole Kingdom, wherein they were severally charged with High-Treason, for conspiring with the Secretary and the other Traitors (whose Facts and Trials have been already mentioned) to subvert the Christian Religion, and introducing Petropolitanism, to murder the King, to alienate our Estates, to seize our Garrisons, to introduce foreign Arms, and to that end receiving Commissions of Places and Offices by allowing Contributions out of their Estates to carry on the Designs of their Treason, with several other particulars, too tedious to enumerate; which Impeachment, according to custom, was carried up to the Senate of Lords, before whom the matters therein charged were to be tried.  
To this Impeachment, the said five Lords being called upon to give in their Answer, made a Demur, (a Phrase you know used in their Forms by our Lawyers in Albonia) which they gave in in Writing; for that the Facts alleged in the Impeachment, were so general, and the times and places (wherein they were mentioned to be done) so uncertain, that they could not with safety give any direct answer to them.  
But, by the Votes of the Lower Senate, this Demur was overruled, and they Ordered to plead according to form of Law to the matters of Fact charged against them; and then they put in their Pleas severally, the substance of which in general was only Protestations of their Innocency, and submitting the Trial of their Peers.  
And now great Expectations were of their being brought to a speedy Trial, and Scaffolds for that purpose erected in the midst of the High Courts of Justice. But in the mean time the Grand Cashier whom the Lower Senate had now likewise impeached for Treason, but had for some time absconded, did now unexpectedly come in and surrendered himself, insisting upon a Pardon, which he had obtained (although as yet there was no Crime proved against him.) But this the Lower Senate Voted illegal; upon which, and upon another point (of the right of the Spiritual Lords to be judges at those Trials) which they denied, such misunderstandings arose betwixt the Lower Senate, and the Senate of Lords, that the King was forced at last to dissolve the Session: After which the Grand Cashier was secured a Prisoner in the Royal Tower, where he and the rest of the Petropolitan Lords, except the Lord Fordstaff, are yet remaining: Although several Senates have been since called, but their Sittings so short, by reason of some unhappy Misunderstanding amongst those Grand Estates about the Proceed against the Great Duke, occasioning their sudden Dissolution, that they have not had opportunity to proceed upon their Trials; only the Last Senate that has been since called, saving one, the aforesaid Lord Fo●dstaff was brought to his Trial before the Senate of Lords, where the Lower Senate as Prosecutors appeared against him, charging him particularly with Design to murder the King, and offering Money to have it done: This horrid Fact was by two Witnesses fully proved against him, whereupon after several days Trial (which the Senate in favour allowed him) he was convicted of High-Treason, and had the Sentence of Traitors passed upon him, but by the Mercy of the King, that Sentence was mitigated only to the taking off his Head, which Death he hath since suffered upon the Hill adjoining to the Royal Tower, dying like a true Petropolitan, by justifying his Innocency, and denying the Facts charged upon him, which he formally read out of a Paper, supposed upon good grounds to be drawn up for him by some of the party, as the like hath been proved in other cases; some Petropolitans about the Staffold were observed to dip their handkerchiefs in his Blood, which no doubt was esteemed by them as a precious Relic.  
Phileroy having thus far obliged me, by giving me in so large an Account of the matters I desired to be satisfied about, I thought I could do no less than gratify him in that which I perceived Nature and his Weariness required, by suffering him to take a Repose, it being now late at Night, or rather morning, when our Discourse was finished, so we lay down together, at least I fancied so; for no sooner was I laid down, but the Magic of my Fancy (still in continual motion) transported me to a place, where nolens, volens, I was forced to stay (being now a mere passable subject to my own imagination) and expecting to meet with some adventure, I stayed not long before I perceived some Persons, that I knew to be Petropolitans, to enter into an house just over against me, and amongst the rest, one that I had observed at Strombolo to be of the crew of Sham-plotters, attired in one of these habits which I observed were there wore by them: This Person coming over with us in the same Ship, had there so much knowledge of me, and I of him, that I resolved at this time to renew acquaintance with him, that I might thereby understand what Designs they were then upon; Whereupon taking my Ticket (that is) my rosary and Crucifix out of my pocket, I hung them at my Girdle, that I might appear no other than a Petropolitan. I made up to him, and saluted him with a Salve mi Frater: He hereupon looking wistly upon my face, stood still, not knowing whether he had best own his own knowledge of me or no, lest I should prove a Trappan; But my rattling my B●●ds at my Girdle drew his Eyes off to that place where (and only where.) I was a Petropolitan; this served to removed his Suspicion, and thereupon without farther scruple (telling me he was glad to see me) he took me by the hand, and drew me into the House, telling me by the way, that we should now understand the Results of their Sham-Plot. I durst not presume to ask him what Shame he meant, lest I should appear to be as ignorant as indeed I was, and so incur a new suspicion; but told him, I longed myself very much to understand the Consequence of it. So we proceeded and came into a Room where the Managers were; a pretty Company there was of them, all sitting in a very disconsolate posture, and amongst the rest a Woman in a Matron-like dress, looking with a very rueful Countenance, and often wring her hands in a passionate manner. I heard her often repeat, [Never was so hopeful a Birth spoiled for want of due Care and Management; since the time that I have practised Midwifery I never met with the like Miscarriage.] By this I understood she was a Midwife, and one that perhaps might be employed to obstetricate in this present Plot; The rest of the Company were mute as Fishes, & their  and visages besmeared with something white, like Meal or Flower; I concluded this was the Reason they were so mealy Mouthed: And in the midst of the company I perceived a Tub of Meal standing, but what the conceit of it should be I knew not, except it were some Grist of the Seminaries grain, prepared to send over to Petropolis to make Norfolk Dumplings for the Albonian Cardinal; I understood nothing of their Design by all this, and durst not ask questions for fear of being suspected for a Novice or Intruder: But my old Mate that introduced me, gave me some light by the question, that I overheard, put to one of the Company, to whom he applied himself, ask him what was become of the Book of the Model of the Plot, and whether there had been any Discove-to whom the other replied, yes, and that the whole Design was discovered by means of that Apostate, Renegade Camperil, who violating his Trust, had disclosed the whole Design to the Londinopolian Magistrates; and for the Books and Papers wherein the Model of the Design was contained, and were hid in the Meal-Tub there before them for more security; the same (upon some unhappy notice thereof given) had been seized by a Magistrate, Sir Edmond Successor, and carried to the Royal Council. By these short hints I perceived that their Sham-Plot (of what nature soever it were) was defeated.  
And that their Meal, though wrought and kneaded so.  
Their Cake ill baked was, and proved dough.  
Alack and welladay, this was all the language now amongst them, though some sat in a sullen discontent, and said nothing; I confess I had no inclination to sympathize with them in their Sorrows, but on the contrary had a violent temptation upon me to laugh it out, and my spleen was already so tickled with the pleasure of their defeat, that I had certainly done it, if I had not by force changed my looks into another posture, by making as well as I could, an ugly and whining kind of face as they did.  
Dolores ingentes stupent, the trouble of this defeat had so dampt their Courages, that they sat together like the Friends at a Quakers silent Meeting, looking one upon another, as whist as Mice, until their unsociable silence began to make their company wearisome to each other, so that some of them beginning to rise up, the rest did the same; and having made their compliments to the Midwife, who I perceived was Mistress of that house, they then took leave one of another, and departed to their several quarters; only I and my Companion, who called himself Ovipellu●us, took a way by ourselves. For, methoughts, I was very unwilling to part company with him, till I had got from him some farther Informations of this present Design. As we passed the Streets I perceived a Tavern on the other side of the way, into which I invited my Strombolian to accompany me, that we might drink a condoling cup, and wash away our Sorrows; he easily accepted my offer, and we went in together; it was as I remember at the Mitre near to the St. Dunstan, a house much frequented by the Petropolitans; to avoid suspicion, Ovipellupus (as the rest did) had left his Sham-Cloak at the house we came from, and now appeared in querpo like a Gentleman of the Town: I had also put my Bead-banbles into my pocket, that I might be as unsuspected as he; being fixed in a room together, I contrived with myself how I should do to pump him, I perceived he had no mistrust of me, that I was other than I pretended, and therefore I was fain to carry myself accordingly, beginning with a very solemn groan as he did; but on my part nothing in the Earth could be ever more feigned, telling him how deeply I resented the miscarriage of a Design that had been so carefully managed; Carefully (said Ovipellupus) no, there you are mistaken, had it been so carefully managed as it ought, it had never miscarried: But a pox upon that Rogue Camperil, had not he played the knave with us all had been well; but we may thank ourselves for admitting such Knaves into our Society; (and I wonder) thought I with myself, were all such removed from you, what a mighty Number there would be of you.  
I tell thee Brother (said he) we have a Company of Traitors amongst us, (true still thought I) that lie lurking for opportunities to betray us: I fear so too, said I, but we must be the more wary for the future whom we trust; for my part I was always afraid that this Camperil would prove treacherous. It is proved too true, replied he, and the old proverb is made good in him; that tells you, [Save a Chief from the Gallows, and he will cut your throat if he can.] I will maintain it, we had better have gone to Hell for an Instrument to have served us, than to have rob the Goal of such a Rogue as he is. It was mighty pleasant to me to hear the Religious Knave speak the truth so ingeniously, out of a Design to rail down the Honesty of a Discoverer.  
Before he proceeded farther, he would needs know of me what my Office or Employment was; I told him, I was a Masquerader (or Brumingham, as the moderate term is used) for that Party. That is an Employment, said he, much like to mine; (nothing thought I, but honesty makes the difference.) But being earnest to enter upon my enquiry into this business, I could not tell which way better to excuse my ignorance, and to get an Information from him, than to acquaint him, that though I understood the Design in general, yet as to the particulars I was a Stranger, having been for some time absent from Albonia, in parts beyond the Seas. He asked me what Parts? I told him Strombolo, at a General Court of Assize there holden by the Sieur Rhadamanthus. His next Question was, Whether any of our Friends were tried there? I told him, Yes, and named several, as Blancpain, Courthar, Wickfen, etc. all which were (notwithstanding, the merit of their Services) by the judge's Sentence committed to Purgatory. With that, fetching an heavy fie, he replied, That he was afraid the Grand Vicar had deluded them all; and that that would be the place they should all go to. But, said he, rather than I will be hanged up like a Dog for my Services, and then be roasted in Purgatory after that, I am almost in the mind to try to get to Heaven the new way, and turn Renegade myself. I told him that would be his surest course, and mine too, for that there was but little dependence to be had upon the Grand Vicar, I having myself heard him declare, that his Clavis Coeli was become useless, for that the Wards of the Locks had been altered since this Plot was designed, which I presumed was upon some distaste taken in Heaven at it. I hoped by this discourse of mine, that I should fetch the Devil of Rebellion out of him; but in the mean while, I desired him to give me some short account of their late proceed; which he did with the Exordium of an Insandum (frater) jubes renovare dolorem: Virg. Aeneid.  
You are not ignorant, said he to me, what provisions the Designers of this Plot have made in case of Discovery, by shamming off our Designs upon the dissenting Parties of the Albonian Christians; and to set up them for the Criminals in our own room. And having been of late so often detected by the Renegade Discoverers, we thought it high time to set our Designs on foot.  
To this end we acquainted some of the Petropolitan Lords (now in the Royal Tower) with our intentions, who have since their restraint been serviceable to us in many of our designments.  
The Instrument we pitched upon as most fit for our purpose, was this Renegade Camperil, a person (though of broken Fortunes, yet) of ingenious parts, a subtle head, and profligate enough to attempt any Villainy he should be put on.  
Our Design was broke to him by the Midwife, at whose house you found us, the Wife of a Franconian Merchant, and so zealous a Votary to the Petropolitan Religion, that she declared a courage and resolution beyond what is usual in her Sex, in all her actings. This person was a great Confident of the Lady Wispo's, Wife to one of the Petropolitan Lords, and as zealous in this Cause as herself. By whose advice and assistance, the aforesaid Camperil, after some petty trials had of his abilities, was employed in the Service.  
He was then a Prisoner in the Den of Thiefs, but upon confidence of the great Services that (when at large) he might do them, the Midwife procured his Liberty; and when afterwards he was again clapped up in the Debtors prison for Debt, she got him removed into the Royal prison, where he enjoyed more liberty, and allowed him 20 s. a Week for his maintenance. In this place he was employed to trappan some Prisoners by hard drinking, to get something out of them against Captain Lobed, which came to nothing; but finding him dextrous in his attempts, they resolved to free him, that he might be wholly at their devotion; when having compounded his Debts for 700 l. The Midwife paid down the money for him, and so discharged him out of Prison. And upon his release, he is by her brought acquainted with the Lady Wispo, who well approving of him, provides him Lodging and Money, with promises to raise his Fortunes. Then acquaints him with the Lord Maincastle, who likewise approves him.  
Then they employ him to get some Petropolitan Priests discharged out of Prison.  
After that, he is sent by the Lady Wispo with a Packet to a Priest in the Country, from whom he receives back some Papers, which he was to deliver to the said Lady containing the Groundwork of the present Plot, That Pamphlets should be writ, and persons employed in places of public Entertainment, to rail against the dissenting Albonian Christians.  
Some other Services in which he was employed by them, before they engaged him in this Plot, were namely these:  
To be Tutor under the Lord Maincastle (who was their Grand Instructor) to the Youths of St. Omers, who were for some time kept in close Pickle in the Midwife's house, ready for use when occasion should require.  
To get two Villains, Knoxius and Elan discharged out of Prison, and to corrupt them to swear false matters against Phileroy, the Renegade and Grand Enemy to our Party, namely Sodomy and Buggery. But this Design would not take, but Phileroy, after a Legal Trial, was acquitted.  
He was farther to write some Pamphlets, and dispose others in the most public Coffeehouses and places of Entertainment, tending to raise Sedition amongst the People, and especially to incense them against the Dissenters. And besides this, he is employed in transcribing Letters, and forty Lists of the Names of Persons, each List containing above 800 Names: which were privately to be dispersed by our Agents all over Albonia, in the houses of the Christian Dissenters, and then Searches were afterwards to be made in those houses upon other pretences; and upon finding these dangerous Papers, the Masters of those houses were to be seized for Treason.  
He is afterwards sent for to one of the Petropolitan Lords in the Royal Tower, and by him tampered with for a great reward to kill the King. But this he not having courage enough to undertake, he was then (for the reward of 500 l.) put upon killing the little Earl Anthony, a great Enemy to our Party; but this Design, though he undertook, yet never effected.  
He is then employed by the Midwife, in the company of some persons of Quatity, to go to one of the Devils Counsellors, one Gad a Petropolitan Stargazer, who was to be consulted by his Art to find out, whether the King should outlive the Great Duke, or the contrary. If it happened the King should survive, than we were to proceed in our Design to dispatch him. And the Conjurer told them that he had discovered by his Scheme, that the Stars had allotted the King the Survivorship, if some violent Fate did not determine his days sooner; and blamed Camperil very severely that he refused himself to kill him, being a person, as he said, who (upon calculation of his Nativity) he found to be very fit for that purpose.  
And here Ovipellupus paused a little to refresh his spirits with a Glass of Wine, and I in the mean while standing in a profound amazement at these mysteries of iniquity, especially at the treachery of this impudent Wizard, diverted my fancy with these Distiches on him, and the passages of the Treason.  
To find the Fates of two Great Brothers, he  
Was to inspect the Book of Destiny.  
The Stars must be made Parties to the Plot;  
‡ And Heaven, called in to do what Hell cannot  
‡ Flectere si nequeo, etc.  
If the Possessors life held longest date,  
He must dispatched be by some dire Fate,  
To let in a Successor; but let Rome,  
And all such Wizards fall, ere that day come.   

CHAP. X.  
Ovipellupus relates at large the management of the Meal-Tub Plot, designed against the principal of the Albonian Nobility, and the manner of its Discovery by Camperil: The Author's Vision of the meeting of the Grand Senate at Minerva's City, where meeting with Phileroy, he receives an account from him of some passages relating to the Plot, particularly of the Libel published by the Midwife: Her sentence upon it of a Fine, and to stand three several days in the Pillory; She is afterwards (upon new matters) indicted of High Treason: The attempt of the Petropolitans to assassinate Arnoldus a Magistrate: The Assassinates discovered and punished: An account of the Bogland Plot: The impeachment of Fitzar, and the difference that arose in the Grand Senate about it: The Senate Dissolved: The Grand Cashier accused by Fitzar of the murder of Sir Edmond: A Shamplot contrived upon it, and its discovery: The Ghost of Sir Edmond appears to the Author, gives him an account of the Design. The Conclusion.  
WHile I was mumbling over these lines (as they came into my mind) softly to myself, I perceived by the fixing of his eyes upon me, that my Companion took notice of it; wherefore to blind the matter, I fell a rattling over my Beads, that he might think I was at my prayers, which put him into the same humour; so that he began also to jumble his Trumpery, and mutter over his Pater-nosters very devoutly. Whosoever had seen us in these postures (upon such a Subject as our last was) would have thought that the Spirit of Conjuring had invaded us likewise.  
Well after our Devotions were over, I desired Ovipellupus to proceed in hi● Story: which he did thus;  
Having, said he, given you in short some accounts of the Exploits of Camper● in this Service, I come now to the mai● business, which hath so unhappily succeeded.  
This Shamplot was intended to be fixed chief upon the Dissenters, b●● was withal to take in the principal Parties of the Christian Nobility and Gentry, against whom we had prepared those that by confident swearing should infallibly maintain our cause against them, and make them the Plotters.  
Our Instrument Camperil, having, as I told you before, prepared the way to our design by scattering seditious Papers abroad in the name of the Dissenters, was now (for the perfecting of it) introduced to the Great Duke, to whom (according to the Model of the Design) he related the names of several of the Christian Nobility (the Cambrian Duke being one) that should be concerned in this present Plot.  
The Great Duke having rewarded him for his Discovery, brought him to the King, to whom he gave in the same account, and had by his Majesty 40 l. ordered him for a gratuity; after which he sent a Letter to the K. (being at one of his Country Palaces) with another Wheedle, that the Dissenters held a great correspondence with his Enemies of Belgia.  
All this while the management was carried on well, and all things promised fair; there was now no more to do but to make an actual Discovery of the treasonable Papers in some of the Dissenters keeping, and to put the stolen Goods into some honest men's Pockets, that should therefore be charged with them, and clear the Thief of the suspicion. And this was contrived by the Lady Wispo to be fixed upon one Colonel Selman, a Christian Gentleman and inveterate hater of our Party. Camperil having found out his Lodgings, goes to take one himself in the same house; and looking up and down amongst the Rooms, takes his opportunity to fix some of his treasonable Papers behind a Beds-head, and then goes and informs some Officers belonging to the King's Customs, that there were some prohibited Goods concealed in the house, to the value of 2000 l. and taking the opportunity of the Colonel's absence, brings them to the place, in order to seize them.  
The Officers suspected nothing of Plaits or Treasons, but being busy in their Search, and Camperil pretending to be as busy as they in ransacking the Rooms, finds out (what he need not have looked for) the treasonable Papers in the place where he left them, and then makes a hideous outcry of Treason. The Officers being to search for Goods, and not for Treasons, take the Papers for the prohibited Goods, and carry them to their Office.  
After which Colonel Selman returning to his Lodgings, and being acquainted with these passages, suspects the Design, and enquiring after Camperil, finds that he lodged at the Midwife's house, and thereupon gets on Order to bring him before the Royal Council, who examined the business, and found by the attestations of the Witnesses, that the Design was forged by Camperil, who as stoutly denied it, and persisted to charge the Colonel, but to no purpose. Afterwards a Letter was intercepted, which Camperil had writ to the Lady Wispo, giving her an account of these passages; by which it appeared that she also was a Party concerned in the Design.  
The Model of our Design, and some other Papers relating to it, were hid by the Midwife in the Meal Tub that we saw lately, but upon some unhappy notiee given thereof to a Magistrate, the same were soon after found out and seized▪ wherein Commissions were feigned to be given out to the Chief of the Christian Nobility for raising a Rebellious Army, and other treasonable matters; all which now signified nothing against them: for Camperil finding himself now trapped in his Designs, went before some Magistrates of the City, and voluntarily made a Discovery of the whole Design.  
This (the sad Catastrophe of our business) I understood by one of the Company where we were, and you see how it hath dampt them: for my own part if our sham's succeed no better than they have yet done, but that we must be contented to be the Traitors ourselves still, and at last be hanged up for our Roguery: I am resolved to do as Phileroy and the rest have done, and turn Discoverer too: Hang it, 'tis better venturing at Preferment in an honest way, than to hazard an Halter by the contrary; and with that, filling a brimmer of the consolating Liquor, he drank to me upon't; and I freely pledged him, telling him, I was clearly of his mind; for I perceived by the bad Successes we have had in all our Attempts hitherto in this Plot, that we did but fight against Heaven, which plainly took part against us, and would certainly ruin us if we still proceeded; wishing him to persist in his Resolution, and that when ever he put it into Execution, I myself would accompany him; and upon the same account I answered his Glass to me with another to him; and so washing down our Sorrows, and having emptied our Bottle, we called for a Reckoning, and departed, not without mutual Assurances of a farther Correspondence to be had betwixt us, (so confident was the Shammer of my faithfulness to him;) but I was resolved to be wary myself how I trusted him, lest I should bring a Shame upon myself. And now my Fancy being released from this Adventure, while I was studiously musing upon the Occurrences of it, I was suddenly attacked by another Ecstasy, by the force of which, I was rapt into a most pleasant Country, and within that, to one of the goodliest Towns that ever mine Eyes beheld; Scituate upon the Banks of a large and pleasant River; I understood upon enquiry, that this was Minerva's City, our Albonian Athens, and one of two Seminaries of Learning belonging to this Country. I was glad (methoughts) by this opportunity to satisfy my Curiosity with the Delights of this place, which I had never before seen; and to that end, entering at one of the Gates, I went on, gazing upon the sumptuous and stately Structures of the Colleges and places of Learning; but wondered that I saw so few Scholars in them, but instead of them, to see them filled with great numbers of Illustrious Persons of the Nobility and Gentry, walking with their Swords by their Sides, and Lackeys after them: Many of them had Papers in their hands, which I perceived, that they were busily discoursing about; and the whole Town, I perceived, was very full of People of all Ranks and Qualities. I could not imagine the meaning of this great Convention, till I was soon after resolved by this accident; for happening (in my perambulations) upon a pleasant Garden belonging to one of the Colleges, I entered into it, and taking a private walk within a Grove of Trees, whom should I meet there, but my old Friend Phileroy, who admiring to see me there, and to find him out in that solitary place: I resolved him that I came hither I knew not how, and met here I knew not who; but desired him (as he had hitherto been my Intelligeneer) to satisfy me what was the meaning of this great Assembly; this he promised to do, but before he did that, would needs know of me, what News I could tell him from Londinopolis: To gratify him in which, I told him what I had heard and seen of the late Adventure of the Meal- 〈◊〉, and of my Discourse with O●●● 〈◊〉, all which, he told me, he understood before he left Londinopolis, and some other passages relating to that Design he acquainted me, which I knew not before; as that after Camperil had fully made out his Discovery, and thereby detected the several parties concerned in the Design; the Lady Wispo was examined by the Royal Council about it, and upon substantial proofs being convicted of having an hand therein, was by their Order sent a Prisoner to the Royal Tower; Gad the Conjurer was sent to the Den of Thiefs, where he pretended to make a Discovery, impeaching some Persons of quality as concerned with him, and so (said he) by what means I know not, he got at last his Discharge: And as for the Petropolitan Midwife, said P●●●crey, she so obstinately persisted in Justification of her Practices, that she published a Book in Vindication of them, and reflecting too much upon the Justice of the Government, in matters relating to this Discovery, she was for this (upon a Trial had for the same) fined the Sum of 1000 l. and sentenced to stand three days in the Piliory, which Sentence was accordingly executed upon her in the midst of Thousands of Spectators; who (besides whole volleys of Curses spent upon her) had it not been for a Board that she held in her hand to defend herself with, had certainly brained her before she was taken down; but being by a strong Guard at last delivered from the fury of the Rabble, and carried back to Prison; but a worse misfortune than this soon after befell her; for Camperil and others making out some new Discoveries against her, of a more dangerous consequence, she was thereupon continued in Prison, under no less charge than that of High-Treason against the King and Government. But, said Phileroy, (leaving this) heard you nothing in Town of one Arnoldus? I told him no; why then, said he, I will acquaint you with a new Design of the Petropolitans lately acted: This Arnoldus a Magistrate in the Cambrian Countries a Loyal Gentleman and great Enemy to the Petropolitans, coming up to Londinopolis to make some Discoveries against them to the Royal Council, was one night late set upon in a narrow Lane by a crew of Ruffians, (Petropolitans all of them) who got him down, and with their Knives had certainly murdered him, had not a Boy with a light accidentally passed by, which caused them to fly, and leaving him weltering in his Blood, having cut his Throat from Ear to Ear, but not so mortally, having scaped his Windpipe, but that he afterwards recovered: Two of these Dillains were afterwards discovered and brought to Trial; and fined in a great Sum of Money; besides the punishment of standing in the Pillory near to the place where the Fact was committed, where the Guards about them had much a do to preserve him from being torn in pieces by the People, before they could get them back to Prison; their durance for some time in which, was to make up the Consummation of their Punishment.  
And now, said Phileroy, I shall proceed to satisfy you concerning the great Convention you have observed here.  
Here are at this time (by the King's Royal Order) assembled the three grand Estates of the Senate, by him lately called to consider of the arduous affairs of this Kingdom; the former Senate being upon the account of some unhappy differences, arising upon their Proceed to exclude the Succession of the Great Duke to the Crown of this Kingdom, some time since dissolved; but most of the old Members of that Senate being chosen by the Countries to serve again in this, it is much feared if as their Dictator hath declared, (They are not given to Change) lest they should fall upon the same measures they did before, which if they do, will inevitably cause another Dissolution; and all our great hopes of their Proceed in the Discovery of this Plot, and to bring the Petropolitan Lords to Judgement will be utterly defeated.  
And I the rather fear, (said Phileroy) that (notwithstanding all the great and sumptuous Preparations made here for their Reception) their stay here will not be long upon account of another matter which has unhappily fallen out.  
For, said he, you cannot but know, that there has been a great noise made, for some time, of another Plot like to this (if not the same) carried on by the Petropolitans in Bogland, to kill the Viceroy of that place, to massacre the Inhabitants, and to cause an Invasion of that Country by the Franconians; several Persons have been seized upon this account, and Informations given to the Royal Council by Witnesses that have come over from that place to give in Evidence against them, who have fully proved the truth of the said Plot; notwithstanding the Petropolitans, according to their old wont, have endeavoured several ways to Shain it off upon the Christians, though without effect.  
Amongst others that have been seized for this Plot, there was one Fitzar notoriously concerned in it, and now a Prisoner in the Royal Tower, who ('tis said) hath, since his being there, discovered things of such a dangerous Consequence to some great Persons, that Endeavours have been made to prevent his farther Proceed on that kind, by bringing him to speedy justice, to which end they have obtained the Royal Commission for the trying him by judges therein specially deputed.  
But the Lower Senate having now notice of it, have endeavoured to prevent that Proceeding by having the matter brought to be examined before themselves, and to that end have preferred an Impeachment against him in the Senate of Lords before whom he appears to stand now chargeable.  
And this way of proceeding appearing, as it were, designed to prevent the other, it is much feared, may occasion such misunderstandings as may cause the breaking up of the Session.  
And according as Phileroy had prognosticated, it unhappily fell out. For within a little time after, I perceived the bright Glory that had for some days made this place Illustrious, to set in a black Cloud of Grief and Amazement; especially to the Townsmen of Minerva's City. The Senate being dissolved, and the Senators all in a bustle preparing for a departure, my nimble Genius out stripped the greatest haste they could make, and lodged me again in fancy at Londinopolis, before any of them could be one foot on the Road towards it.  

papists hireing Serv 〈◊〉 fire house's   

Stafford beheaded   

Parham Return fram Oxford   

Mealtub Plott defeated.   
These airy flights so expeditious were,  
Thought I a place, than I was straightways there.  
We had been so long dreaming over this Plot with long Halts and Pauses, that I perceived many of our Townsmen fancied their apprehensions of it to be no other than a Dream indeed. So that, methoughts, I have been fain (when I have been in company with such) to pinch them hard, and rub their eyes for them, to make them believe themselves to be awake.  
Yet one passage, suddenly after this late Discovery, broke out with so great a noise, as made our Gentlemen to open their Eyes indeed, and look about them; being a new Discovery made out to confirm the truth of the Original action in this multiform-Plot the Murder of Sir Edmond.  
The Circumstances of which, as I had them from Phileroy, and the last Intelligence that I ever had from him, were these:  
Since the dissolution of the last Senate, Fitzar was brought before the Judges of the King's Great Tribunal, to be there tried for his Treasons, but he refused to own the jurisdiction of that Court, as standing impeached in the Great Senate, who were a Superior jurisdiction.  
This Plea of his (though strongly urged) by his Advocates) was overruled by the judges, who affirmed their own jurisdiction, and so proceeded to try him, and caused him to answer in Court to the Charge against him.  
Which having done Fitzar requested of the judges that he might be examined by some of them in private concerning some matters that he had to reveal to them of this Plot. This his request they granted, and thereupon Fitzar informed them that he had been one concerned in or at least acquainted with the Murder of Sir Edmond; and that besides other persons, the Grand Cashier himself was a Party concerned in it.  
And having taken his Oath of the truth of this matter before the Inquisitors of that Court, they presently drew up a Charge of Murder against the Grand Cashier, who, 'tis expected (it being his own desire) will very suddenly be tried by his Peers upon it, although at the same time he stands impeached in the Grand Senate, for Crimes, according to the Albonian Laws, of an higher nature.  
But now to blind this Discovery, another piece of Villainy is contrived to shame off the credit of it, by hiring one Maegar, a Petropolitan Boglander to give out a Report that Sir Edmond was not murdered (contrary to what the World had hitherto believed) by any but himself, that he had hanged himself with his own hands, but that to save his Estate (which according to the Albonia) Laws in such cases is forfeited) Sir edmond's Brothers had procured him to run him through with his own Sword, and leave him in such manner as is at first mentioned. This Tale he must needs tell first to the Grand Cashier himself, who gets the Constable of the Royal Tower to have the hearing of it; who thereupon sends him to the Royal Council to be examined about it: Before them, at first he very stubbornly persists in affirming the Reports. But while he was in Custody, having leave given him to write a Letter to one of the Royal Secretaries, he together with that, slips a Letter into the Messenger's hands directed to the Petropolitan Midwife (the famous Instrument of of these Designs) acquainting her with what he had done, and desiring to receive new instructions from her. This Letter was by the honest Messenger conveyed to the Royal Council, who upon Examination, charging him with it, he presently owned it; and withal made a free, and (if I may call it so) ingenious Confession of the whole Intrigue, and how he was hired, and by whom, to carry on this shame and Villainous Design.  
I was now (methoughts) diverting myself in a solitary place not far from the City, musing upon these matters, when it came into my mind, that as the finding out this execrable Murder was the very Groundwork of our Discoveries, and belief of the Plot; so now we may plainly see the Policy of the Petropolitans, after so many Discoveries made, and their sham's to overthrow them defeated, that they should go about to weaken thi● foundation, so to render our subsequent Informations of the less credit.  
But could not these Execrable Villains (thought I with myself) be content to take away the life of that Innocent Gentleman, but they must take away his good name too, by making him guilty of their Murder. O Impudence! O Villainy in the Abstract! Whilst I continued in this Thinking Fit, I was on the sudden diverted by the approach of an Apparition towards me; it was different from those infernal ones that I had hitherto been conversant with, being encircled with a Glory that spread itself round about like the Rays of the Sun, and the Luster thereof rendered its Form (which was that of a comely tall person) not only awful but amiable; its looks were Angellike, full of Gaiety and Sweetness: but withal I perceived a Sword run through his body. He glided towards me with a leisurely motion, and upon a convenient approach stood still, and in a sweet and delightful air (far more tuneable than any mortal breath can express) he spoke to me in these Distiches.  
From blissful Shades and Springs of Joy● come  
(Bearing the Signal of my Martyrdom;)  
To thee, (O Mortal;) I was once the Man  
That first opposed the Petropolitan  
Design against Albonia, and for that  
Became the Object of their vengeful hare.  
For that by their accursed hands I fell  
A Martyr for the King and Commonwealt  
This Sword they then ran through my guiltless side,  
To make men think by mins own hands I died:  
Not satisfied to take away my breath,  
But as it were to kill me after Death,  
They wound my name, and by prodigious lies,  
They make of that another Sacrifice;  
This they attempt now by a new Design  
To make my Murder not their own, but mine▪  
But (Mortal) Go and tell the World that I  
Deserve to have my dying memory  
Better esteemed. Some guilty blood they have  
As Victims offered upon my Grave;  
But I'm not yet appeased, my Blood yet cries  
For theirs, by whom I fell a Sacrifice.  
Tell the World this, and let a Statue be  
S●● up to vindicate my memory.  
Upon the close of this I heard a melodious Chore of Ravishing Voices; wh● while I was attending to, I perceived t● Apparition with a brisk Levatto, to ascend the Air in a triumphant manner, and then I waked out of my Dream, and fell to my Devotion.  
Kind heavens defend our Gracious KING, till he  
Shall livingly refute Gad's ' Astrology,  
And all the other Romish Calculations,  
Predicting the KING's ruin and the Nations.  
Lord let him live beyond the Scheme they set him  
I wish, and longer too than they would let him.  
Yea let him live so long, so long, till we  
His famed Successor shall desire to see,  
Then shall he live unto Eternity.  
My Dream is out, I wish the Plot were so,  
And that my Dreaming might no farther go:  
But if provoked by these designing men▪  
'Tis ten to one but I shall dream again▪   
FINIS.