A BRIEF ACCOUNT Of the Commitment of the Earl of Sh. And the Crimes laid to his Charge.  
IT has been much admired at by the most sober and considering part of the Nation, that those who came in these three years past to discover a cursed Design against his Sacred Majesty's Life and Government, should be most intimate with Persons discontented, and notoriously dissassected with his. Majesty's Government both in Church and State; Nay, should be supported and maintained, if not Instructed and Catechised by them in all their measures and Proceed. And indeed 'tis very strange, that no Informer yet appeared to discover the Plot either in England or Ireland, but first he made his Address to the E. of S— before he applied himself to ●ing or Council: For 'tis plain, neither his Lordship's Loyalty, (which always seemed Retrograde, but when he Governed all; nor his Religion, which in all the Revolutions of his time, he measured still by his Interest,) could invite these Informers to Him, more than to other Peers of the Realm. But now People begin to find out the Mystery, and are pretty well satisfied, that his Lordship did not promote the Discovery of the Popish Plot out of any extraordinary Zeal he had for the good either of the King or Kingdom, but was resolved to make a good hand of this Hellish Conspiracy, to advance another of his own: But our little Weathercock of State made a Pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the Ditch which he made. Those very Witnesses, whom he so much extolled for the Saviour's of both Kingdoms, and endeavoured to persuade to Swear against her Sacred Majesty, and his Royal Highness, have of late positively sworn Treason, or rather a heap of Treasons against himself; the sum whereof is as follows. 

I. That he has imagined to compass and procure the Death of the King, and the Subversion of the Government, and of the known Laws of the Land, by reducing this ancient Monarchy into a Republic.  
II. That he used great endeavours to possess the People that His Majesty is a Papist, and designs to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Power; and to that end has promoted several Seditious and Treasonable Libels against His Majesty's Person and Government, purposely to bring His Majesty into an odium and Contempt with his loving Subjects.  
III. That He endeavoured to Levy War against the King both in England & Ireland, and bring Bloodshed and Confusion upon His Majesty's good People, under pretence of prosecuting the Popish Plot, and preserving the Protestant Religion, the Liberty and Property of the Subject, as He and his Confederates have done in the late Rebellion.  
iv That He endeavoured to render the Church of England as Ridiculous as Popery, and Defamed all His Majesty's Officers both by Land and Sea; and all others, who out of a due sense of Loyalty adhere to the Crown, styling them Tories, Tantivies, Masqueraders, etc. purposely to frighten them from their Duty, and wean them from their Sovereign, to adhere to Him and His Faction.  
V That He countenanced, harboured, and hired Persons to swear against the Queen, and His Royal Highness.  
VI That He procured several sums of Money to be Raised and Collected to carry on these most abominable Designs.    
This Charge is made out against his Lordship by 15. Persons of as good Credit and Reputation as any of those his Lordship so much extolled and admired while they swore as he would have them; Four are Irish, the rest English; and all known Protestants of the Church of England; And several of them were lately esteemed by his Lordship very fit Persons to swear against the Queen and His Royal Highness Yet perhaps they must not be thought of sufficient Credit now against such a true Protestant, who was as Zealous to suppress Popery in 79. as he was to promote it in 72. and Polypus-like in all the Changes and Revolutions of the Government always appeared of the same Religion with the Faction or Party he espoused.  
'Tis well known, that whosoever swears for the Presbyterians, (though hired for that purpose,) must be cried up for a Saint, and a Saviour of the Nation: But if ever he is touched with any Remorse of Conscience, and thereupon discover the Villainous Practices of that Party, He is immediately Metamorphosed into the greatest of Villains, and worst of Perjurers. And 'tis very observable, that among the Brethren there is a Common Purse made, and a Swearing Office erected, where all Persons that have Conscience large enough to swallow any Oaths, and swea● what their Benefactors please, are frankly entertained and liberally Rewarded.  
But above all, 'tis worth the enquiring after, what Motives can induce the Godly Congregations to be so free of their Purse to the Irish Evidence, who are known Papists, Priests and Friars? For the Conspiracy in Ireland (as they tell Us,) was To bring in the French, and cut the Throats of all the Protestants in that Kingdom What Reason then have the fanatics of England to be so liberal to the Discoverers of that PLOT, when the very Parties concerned, (the Protestants of Ireland never gave them a Farthing? Is it possible the English fanatics, can be more concerned for the safety of the Irish Protestants, than They Themselves? Or that the Pootestants of that Kingdom could be so stupid, as not to consider these Discovere●● that saved their Throats from a General Massacre, if they believed there was a●● such Design in Agitation? As for my part, let the world believe what they plea●● I am certain, the Brethren do not part with their Money for nothing; and I a● afraid there lies a Snake in the Grass, as I hope will shortly be found out.  
In the interim our great Patriot is sent to the Tower, and kept close Prisoner 〈◊〉 the foresaid Crimes; And 'tis said, that last Saturday morning, when the Sergeant 〈◊〉 Arms went to Apprehend him, and desired his Lordship to eat something before 〈◊〉 appeared before the King and Council, the Earl replied, He had no stomach to e●● unless he could get a roasted Irishman; which others hearing, they answered, No●● was fit for his Lordship's Table, than his own Creature and Precursor Mr. Fit● Harris; and had his Lordship come but the day before, he might have overtake him at Tyburn. But if his Lordship's Appetite still continues, he may perhaps  lon● have his belly full of his dear Pupil Mr. Hetherington.   

LONDON: Printed for H. R. 1681.