Master Rigb'ys SPEECH IN Answer to the Lord FINCH, of that he delivered before the House of Commons, in behalf of himself. With a conspiracy DISCOVERED: OR, The Report of a COMMITTEE to the House of Commons in Parliament, of the Examination of divers of the Conspiratars, and others in the late Treason, June the 17th. 1641. 1. Concerning the Tower. 2. Wherein the French are concerned in this Conspiracy. 3. Of provoking the Army against the Parliament by false Reports. Printed in the year, 1641. Master Rigbies' answer TO THE LORD keeper's SPEECH, in the House of COMMONS, 1640. Mr Speaker. MY Judgement prompts me to sit still, and to be silent, yet the duty I owe to my King, my Country, and my Conscience, moves me to stand up and speak. Master Speaker, had not this Siren had so sweet a tongue, surely he could never have effected so much mischief to this kingdom: you know Sir, optimorum putrefactio pessima, the best things putrified, become the worst; and as it is so in the natural, so it is in the body politic; and what's to be done then, Mr Spea. we all know, Ense recidendum est, the Sword (Justice) must strike, ne pars sincera trahatur: M. Speaker, 'tis not the voice, non vox, sed votum, not the tongue, but the heart and actions, that are to be inspected, for doth not our Saviour Christ say it? show me thy faith by thy works, O man: Now Master Speaker, hath not this kingdom seen, (seen say I) nay felt, and smarted under the cruelty of this man's injustice? so malicious, as to record it in every Court of Westminst, as if he had not been contented too with the inflam●●● of us all, unless he entail it to all posterity, Why shall I believe words now? Cum factum videam: Shall we be so weak men, that when we have been injured and abused, will be gained again with fair words and compliments? Or like little children, that when we have been beaten and whipped, be pleased again with sweet meats? O●●o, there be some Birds that in the Summer of a Parliament, will sing sweetly, who in the Winter of Persecution, will, for their prey, ravenously fly at all, upon our goods, nay seize upon our persons, and hath it not been by this man, so by some in this Assembly. Master Speaker, it hath been objected unto us, that in Judgement we should think of mercy, and be you merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful; Now God grant that we may be so, and that our hearts and judgements may be rightly rectified, to know truly what is mercy, I say, to know what is mercy, for there is the point, Master Speaker: I have heard of foolish pity, foolish pity, do we not all know the effects of it? and I have met with this epithet to mercy, crudelis misericordia, and in some kind I think there may be a cruel mercy; I am sure that the Spirit of God says, be ye not pitiful in judgement; nay, it saith, be not pitiful of the poor in judgement: if not of the poor, than a fortiori, not of the rich, there's the Emphasis, we see, by the set and solemn appointments of our Courts of Justice, what provision the wisdom of our Ancestors hath made for the preservation, honour, and esteem of justice; witness those frequent Terms, Sessions, and assizes, and in what pomp and state the judges in the circuits by the Sheriffs, knights, and justices, and all the Country are attended oft times for the hanging of a poor thief, for the stealing of a hogg or a sheep, nay in some cases, for the stealing of a penny, & justly or in terrorem and now shall not some of them be hanged, that have robbed us of all our propriety, and shered at once all our sheep, and all we have away, & would have made us all indeed a poor Beliasarius to have begged for a halfpenny, when they would not have left us one penny as we could have called our own. Let us therefore, M. Speaker, not be so pitiful, as that we become remiss, not so pitiful in judgement as to have no judgement, but set the deplorable estate of Great Britiaine now before us, and consider how our most gracious sovereign hath been abused, and both his Majesty and all his subjects ini●red by these wicked instruments, for which my humble motion is, that to these particulars we become not so merciful, as to the general (the whole kingdom) we may grow merciless. Fiat Iustitia. FINIS. A conspiracy DISCOVERED: OR, The Report of the Coramittee to the House of COMMONS in PARLIAMENT, of the Examination of divers of the Conspiraters and others in the late Treason, June the 17th, 1641. Mr. FYNES made Report to the House of COMMONS of three Heads. 1. Concerning the Tower. 2. Wherein the French are concerned in the conspiracy. 3. Of provoking the Army against the Parliament by false Reports. Captain Billingsleyes' Examination was reported by Mr. Hambden, who says, he had no hand in the conspiracy, only that Sir John Suckling invited him to the employment in the Army. Also, one Nuts Examination reported, who deposed that the Earl of Straffords escape was practised. Then the lieutenant of the tower's Examination was reported, who says clearly, that the Earl of Strafford endeavoured an escape, promising 20000 l. to marry his Son to his Daughter, and to have made her one of the greatest Marriages in the kingdom. Concerning the Army, Lieutenant colonel Ballads' Examination was reported by Sir Philip Stapleton, which shows, that Captain Chidley had brought downto the Army many instructions. And that colonel Goring should be Lieutenant general of the Army, and the Prince, and the Lord of Newcastle to meet them in Nottingamshire, with one thousand Horse. All which propositions came from Master Henry Jermin, and were dispersed by sergeant Major Wallis and Captain Chidley. Sergeant Major Wallis upon his Examination, says, that the French would assist them, and the clergy would at their own charge, send 1000 horse. Colonel Goring upon his Examination, says, he was tied up by an Oath of secrecy, and therefore durst not answer to all the Interrogatories, which Oath he saith was given him by Mr. Piercy in his Chamber at White-Hall, in presence of Mr. Wilmos, colonel Ashburnham, captain Pollard, and others, who said, they had all of them taken this Oath, and that he was the last of the company that was to take it. Mistress Plumwell, says that a French man, a ●●●ver to the Queen, brought arms to her house, and desired her to keep them, for that the house of Commons had made an order, that no Papists should have arms in their custody, and then fetched them back again, about the time the Earl of Straffords escape was practised. There was also a report of a Letter from Mr. Jermin to Mr. Montague, which was intercepted, wherein he writ, that he hoped that the horse Leeches would be starved for want of food. Also, of another Letter from Mr. Montague to Master Jermin, which showed, they expected the Lord of Strafford shortly with them. Also, Mr. Bland upon his Examination, saith, that Mr. Jermin much endevaoured to get Portsmouth into his hands. And that there was two Letters from one Roberts a Priest to the Bishop of Chalcedon, in recommendation of two English Priests. FINIS.