AN ANSWER TO A LATE PAPER, ENTITLED, A True Copy of a Paper Written By Capt. THO. WALCOT In Newgate after his CONDEMNATION, and Delivered to his Son immediately before his EXECUTION; being also his Last Speech at the Place of Execution.  By ROBERT WEST. 
AS I will always be tender of any man's Life, so I would be of his Fame after his Death; but the Duty I own to myself, and to truth, obliges me to give an Answer to part of this Pamphlet. Though through God's and the King's Mercy I am not at the apparent point of Death, yet I will declare the truth as sincerely as if I were so: for I hope I am much more convinced of the Horridness of my Crime, and have more truly Repent of it than Capt. Walcot seems by this Paper to have done; for notwithstanding his large Profession of his Faith there, He has not stuck to insert as many falsehoods in this last Paper, as any man that suffered in the Popish Plot is charged to have done in his Last Speech.  
In October last Capt. Walcot acquainted me that there was a Design to Assassinate the King and Duke in their return that Month from Newmarket; and that if that were not effected, an Insurrection was intended on the Nineteenth of Nou. following, which was the first knowledge I had of any Real Plot whatsoever carrying on against the King. He told me indeed though he thought an Assassination Lawful, he looked upon it as an ungenerous thing, and therefore would not engage Personally in it; but he told me he would be concerned in the Insurrection, and expected to be a Coll. of Horse, and would have had me taken a Command under Him, which I refused; and he desired me to buy Him a Tuck and lend him my silk Armour, which I agreed to do. To this he gave no Answer at his Trial, nor gives any in this Paper: so that he tacitly Confesses it true, which I think is a clear Evidence that he first drew me into Plots, and I did not draw him into any.  
The Assassination not taking effect in October, and the intended Insurrection being diverted, I had several discourses with Ferguson, who as Capt. Walcot told me, had the chief management of it, concerning an intended Assassination after the several manners I mentioned in my Evidence at Capt. Walcots' Trial; at some of which I think Capt. Walcot was present, and I am sure he was made privy to them all by me (he coming often to my Chamber) and by Ferguson with whom he was very intimate. He always approved of it, but, to do him right here as I did at his Trial, he still refused to engage Personally in it for the same reason of its being dishonourable. About the Nineteenth or Twentieth of Nou. he and Ferguson went with the late E. of Shaftsbury into Holland, and returned to London about Ash-wednesday last. In their absence some discourses were had concerning an Assassination and an Insurrection, but no resolutions were taken by us till their return. Then Ferguson undertook the management of an Assassination, and to procure money to carry it on, and at one meeting told us he had engaged Capt. Walcot to Act in it, and that the Capt. would meet us for the Future, which he did several times as oft as his Gout would let him; particularly he met us twice or thrice about a fortnight before the King's last return from Newmarket, and then declared he would be one to fight the Guards, but would not set upon the Coach; not out of any scruple of Conscience, (as he falsely insinuates in his Paper, we alleged he did,) but out of a scruple of honour; saying it was base to set upon a naked man, but to fight armed men had darger and some bravery in it. After news of the fire at Newmar●et he met us twice more to consider whether the attempt might be made notwithstanding the King's sudden return; at both, which times he continued to express his resolution, to be one to fight the Guards. I confess he said it might bring a reproach upon his Children, and therefore dear to have his name concealed, and did urge, the D. of Monmuth might revenge the King's Death for his own Vindication; but that objection was taken off by resolving to kill the Duke of Monmuth, if he did offer to punish the Actors, and Fer●uson, not myself, undertook the Duke should not. All the injury I did Capt. Walcot in my Evidence was the omission of an expression of his when he declared he would fight the Guards, which in that multitude of particulars I then delivered, slipped my memory, viz. that he looked upon the Action to be so lawful and Justifiable that he could die in it with a safe Conscience: so far was he from making any scruple of Conscience to Act in it.  
He owns being at some meetings where discourses were held concerning asserting our Liberties and Properties, yet mentions not what those discourses were, but would insinuate they were to some other purpose, and calls it his misfortune and unhappiness that he was present at them. Those discourses were only about an Assassination and an Insurrection, and the misfortune was of his own choosing: for if he did not come over from Ireland principally for such purposes, I am sure he told me he stayed in England for them, and 'twas only his Gout hindered him from the unhappiness (as he calls it) of being at every Meeting.  
'Tis very true I went several times to visit him after his return from Holland when he had the Gout, but went alone but twice or thrice, and one of those times he was got abroad. I usually gave him an account of what passed at the Meetings when he was absent, but I did not urge an Assassination at the Playhouse as he falsely suggests; For after his and Ferguson's return from Holland, it was agreed to lay aside all Attempts any where but in the return from Newmarket, and all the debates were about mangaging that. What I talked to him about the Playhouse, was before his voyage into Holland; and though I believe I did use that expression to him, and afterward to Rumbold, [that at the Play house they would die in their Calling] I only repeated it after Ferguson who was the first Author of that saying. The Arms he mentioned to be bought by me, were agreed to be bought at a full Meeting, but not till Easter and after the King's return from Newmarket; and Capt. Walcot was present at that Meeting, and joined in the directions about the nature and sizes of those Arms. The Arms were Blunderbusses, Carbines, and Horse-Pistolls, which certainly were very improper, to be used at a Playhouse, and the King was then going to reside at Windsor and Winchester for all the Summer, as was reported; and therefore no man in his senses can believe I bought them for that purpose, or could design the effecting it at a Playhouse, but must look upon that as a malicious charge upon me, and his pretence to forgive us only a piece of Hypocritical and customary Cant. There was then some proposal by Ferguson to see for an opportunity of an Assassination between Windsor and Hampton-Court; but all thoughts of that and of the Playhouse which was then also named, were soon laid aside, and a General Insurrection became the thing only intended. 'Tis true he never saw the Arms because they were never fetched from the Gunsmith till after the Discovery, but he was very Intimate and familiar with Rumbold who was to be the principal Actor in the Assassination, and was at most of the meetings, and particularly at that when the Arms were agreed to be bought. The men to commit the Assassination were all provided by Ferguson, Rumbold and Goodenough, as Capt. Walcot very well knew, and not one to be procured by Coll. Rumsey or myself. He thought not fit to urge any thing of this at his Trial, because he knew he could be so easily answered.  
As to the Combination he charges me and Coll. Rumsey with to swear his agreement to fight the Guards, nothing can be more improbable. We parted at his Lodgings to several places unknown to each other, and after we were in custody were kept close Prisoners without the possibility of sending a Note to, or receiving one from each other or any body else, and we saw not each other till we were called to give Evidence, and I had delivered my Evidence to the King (and so I believe Coll. Rumsey had his) before Capt. Walcot was taken. Neither was there any necessity to contrive such a Charge against him, for his being at any meetings and debates which he confesses, was sufficient to make him Guilty of High Treason Had he not been conscious how fully we could charge him, he would not have directed his Son to tamper with Coll Rumsey and me to mince our Evidence against him, as appeared by a Note produced at his Trial. I am not concerned at the sly denunciation of judgements upon us, which is an usual thing with Men of his persuasion (and it may be he recommended us to the revenge of his Sons or some of his friends) but wish he were no more guilty of prevaricating with God, than I am of Perjury in my Evidence. He hath not thought fit to express in this Paper any sense of his Gild or Repentance for it, but rather seems to retain his Old Opinion of its being a lawful thing. He only blames his own Credulity, and advises his friends only against trusting men, not against his crime, and in effect repeats what he said to us at our parting after the discovery, viz, that he believed God would yet deliver the Nation, but he did not like the present Instruments who have undertaken it.  
If it shall please the King to spare my Life for my Confession and Repentance, it is a great happiness I can have it for doing no more than my Duty. By his Letter to the Secretary of State produced at his Trial, it appeared he would gladly have saved his own so, and desired to have made the D. of M. and other Persons of Quality's blood (to use his own Phrase) the Price of his own Life: which is a full Answer to that Popular Objection he makes against our Evidence.   

LONDON, Printed, and are to be sold by Walter Davis. 1683.