THE French Plot Detected.  
BEING A Relation of a late Barbarous and Horrid Design of the French, to Burn and Destroy the Spanish Fleet, in the Port of Naples; and of their Design of Bombarding that City.  
With an Account of the Examination, Confession, and Execution of an Italian Abbot,( late Confessor to the Spanish Admiral) and Five Romish Priests, his complices, for the said Horrid Conspiracy.  

licenced according to Order.   
THE Dint of Sword, and Policy of Conduct, together with a due Reliance on assisting Providence to Crown the Success of Battle, are the great Hinges of War, on which every just Cause and glorious Arm should depend. But as France has too little of the last two Pretensions, it has not overmuch Gonfidence in the sole strength of the three first Supporters; and therefore has recourse to a Fourth Auxiliary, vix. Infidelity, such as the vile and abject Treachery of sordid and mercenary Renegadoes and Traytors, to betray Success and Victory into their Hands, if those fair Names may properly be given to such foul practices. A more notorious instance of which has not been, than in their late Italian Expedition, the Desings and Attempt of their Thoulon Fleet, upon the City and Fort of Naplas, and the Spanish Fleet before it.  
The marshal part of our Relation has been already sufficiently and loudly published: Nevertheless, as a necessary Introductian to our following Narration, we must make some short Repetition, and tell you, that the French Thoulon Squadron, consisting of 22 Capital Ships, with Nine Bomb-Ketches, and 12 Fire-Ships, and all other necessary Attendance, set Sail the 12th. of the last Month, with a Design upon the City of Naples, and the whole Spanish Fleet, as well Merchants as Men of War, lying in the Port before that City. Now so far as this Expedition was silently formed, and carried on so near to Execution; as to that part of the French Conduct, to be just to an Enemy, we must ascribe them all due Honour: The Execution likewise of such a Design, as endeavouring no less than the Burning the whole Spanish Fleet, and Bombarding of so capital a City under the Dominion of Spain, as Naplos, which gives its Name to the whole Kingdom, and possibly grants the Precedence to no fairer, nor richer Sister ( Rome only excepted) thro' all the Principalities of Italy; so formidable a Design, we must aclowledge a Projection of Bulk and Importance.  
But when we must descend, so far as to inform you of their poor and sordid Measures, taken for accomplishing so vast a Design, instead of France's priding her self in her high achievements of Glory, she has but too much Reason to blushy at the infamous Foundation, on which she builds them. For example, for managing this intended Blow upon Naples, as the stroke was not to be so much their own handy work, as indeed no such open, or generous Hostility, they had privately corrupted and suborned a traitor, of no less Figure than an Italian Abbot, and Confessor, to Papuchino the Spanish Admiral, who together with five other bejesuited Sub▪ villain Tools, had laid this Horrid and Execrable Plot, which was upon the first Advance of the French Fleet, to have set their own Admiral's Ship of fire, by a Fire-Chest, prepared for the purpose; the effects of which, as possibly it might be of that dangerous Consequence, as spreading a larger Conflagration thro' the whole Spanish Fleet, or at least it would certainly strike that Consternation and Confusion through them, as to facilitate the French Access, by giving them means and opportunity of making an easier Execution by their own Fire-Ships; and thereby, after the entire Destruction of the Spanish Fleet, to have been made Masters of the whole Port, and so have been rendered capable of laying one of the most glorious Cities in Europe in Rubbish and Ashes, by their Bombs and Mortars.  
This Egregious Villainy, though thus near hatched, had nevertheless this peculiar Defeat, through a special Blessing and Providence, as to be crushed in the embryo. For by a private Intelligence, received from Rome, not only the intended Approach of the French Fleet was advertised( though not many Hours before its appearance) but likewise this whole Treachery was informed the Viceroy of Naples; who causing the Traytors to be all Apprehended, the Treason was charged upon them, though very obstinately and utterly denied by them all, especially the Abbot, Nevertheless, the Vice-roy's Intelligence being too authentic( as being supposed to come from no less a Hand than the Pope's) and being likewise supported and confirmed in each part and point, by a frail weak Brother, whose remorse of Conscience bad made him fall off from the Party, he was so fully confronted with it, till at last he confessed the Fact, and was accordingly, with the rest of his wicked complices, immediately hanged at the Yards Arm. After this Conviction, upon some Questions made him, viz. What motives could induce him to so barbarous a Treason against his own Native Prince, and that too in behalf of the Universal Enemy of Europe, he was pleased to Answer, That what be acted was out of a principle of Religion. For as the King of France had in so many several Respects signalized himself so true a Son of the Church; and on the other side the King of Spain had so notoriously Leagued and Consorted with heretics, he had entertained a veneration for the one, and an aversion for the other; and from thence had been persuaded into this particular Service to France.  
Having given you this full Matter of Fact, I shall not make any long Flourish or descant upon it, only ohserve, That we are not so much to wonder at France's clandestine traffic with Villains and Miscreants, for gaining her ends; for 'tis not to be supposed she could shrink at hiring of Traytors to burn Navies, when last Campaign in Flanders,( to her only glory be it recorded) she could hire Ruffians to murder Kings; nor is this Abbot's Religions Motives for his Infidelity, any new Miracle, when if we will but look back, we shall find the surrender of Mons ●o be owing to much such another ecclesiastic Persuasive: All that looks strange in it, is, that the Enthusiastick Members of a Church, should have those Transports of extravagant Zeal, more than the Head of it himself has. They may call it their Religion to contrive and perpetrate such a Treason, when he may think it a part of his Religion to detect and blast it.  
But to return to our Narrative, The Accomplishment of this Design, besides the blow it had given the Spaniards, had yet a further reach. The Scene of Action was laid in the Miditerranean Seas, as offering, possibly, one of the best occasions of Aggrandizing the French Glory, when so important a Naval Success( as expected) so near his grand ally, the Turk, had undoubtedly not only confirmed the glorious Character of the French King, so industriously heightened and magnified at Constantinople, and thereby not a little strengthened the Interests and Confederacies betwixt the most Christian, and most Antichristian Monarch; but likewise had, in a very high measure, repaired their last Years Dishonour and Losses at Sea.  
But whatever Renown or Advantages they had proposed to themselves, their whole Conduct herein has, on the contrary, so blazoned both their weakness and shane, that though their loss has not equalled that of the last Year, their Reputation has suffered little less. For on the 18th. of the last Month, with 22 Capital Ships, with English and Dutch Colours, they appeared before Naples, on the 19th. they advanced so near, as within reach of Cannon Shot, both from the Spanish Fleet, and the Castle of Baya, and the Batteries from the Rocks on the shore; from all which they were very warmly saluted with the Enemies Shot: but instead of returning the Compliment, the next day they drew farther off; and the 21th. and 22th. lay off at Sea, and the day following, without the least Attempt whatever, not so much as the discharge of one single Gun, they very shamefully retired towards Thoulon.  
Thus their Plot detected, their Hirelings hanged, their Enemies provided and prepared for their Reception, they poorly Skulkt home again, and being immediately after dispersed and shattered by a violent Storm, they made hard shift, not till the fourth Instant, to reach Thoulon, with not only some sad marks of the angry Heavens, the Tempest they had suffered under, but likewise with the double mortification of so glorious an enterprise so meanly frustrated, and so potent an ally as the Grand Seignour, so near neighbouring a Witness, of so inglorious a Retreat and Defeat.   

London, Printed for J. Wright, in Fleet-street, 1693.