and therein, if I reflect on some of the busy and designing men, I hope I shall not break the laws of decorum, because things are brought to that crisis, that, if an honest English heart will not now speak home to the purpose, for aught I can see, he may evermore hold his peace.

Well then, my lord, do we not now perceive, as clear as the sun at noon-day, that the same men, or men of the same principles, are again hard at work to undermine and destroy both our church, and state too? What divided interests and factions have there been, for seven years last past, and more, to bring the king and governors into disgrace, by fre quent clubs at coffee-houses and taverns, on purpose to break the bonds of unity among us! From these places and sinks of sedition and rebellion, have there not been many of a higher form, who, through discontent, or love of faction and change of government, or for not being continued, or preferred to the highest and most honourable places there. in, have endeavoured all they can to breed differences between the two houses of parliament, by throwing in a little matter with a ball of contention at the end on't, purposely to hinder the prosecution of what should tend to the advancement of the publick weal; and what can be more plain, than that such designs since were like those of 1641? Because the bishops would not herd with commonwealth's-men's interests. Yet, my lord, I do believe the bishops are as prudent men, and can as well tell the nature of an oath, together with the design as well as the consequence thereof, as any states-men I know of in the kingdom, let them pretend to what they will; and besides, I am sure their interest is so interwoven in the monarchy of England, that neither popery, nor any other interest besides that of their own church as established by law, can any ways preserve them, unless they will all as one man fall down and worship the great image, and be all things to all men, that they may be sure to get something, as many, my lord, pretended famous states-men have done in the several changes of government in these kingdoms. But that is not to be supposed of them, since they would not, nor did ever join with any such interest as opposed church or state; and thus did both city and country, clubs, and coffee-houses ring, that the bishops were the only opposers of the true interest of the kingdom, and the great occasion why justice could not be done on capital and notorious offenders. This, my lord, is a true spice of old 1641, and your lordship cannot but observe, that it hath brought the bishops into suspicion with the vulgar sort, that they are driving on the popish design, and that there are not above two protestant bishops amongst them all, as they give out.

Well, but this will not do yet; 'tis not so long since Laud was murdered, and Strafford: people sufficiently smarted under covenanting reformers, and army saints, and 'tis not easy to play the same game over again the same way. And this the designing men see, and so are fain to have other artifices to rend the government in pieces, and reduce it to its former chaos or designed commonwealth; so that if neither dis quieting or dividing parliaments, nor secret combining clubs against great ministers of state, nor a seeming weariness of the monarchy of England, nor disgracing the governours of the church, nor suspicion of popery, and the introducing thereof, will do the business to exasperate

the people, as in 1641: Why truly then comes forth a plot full of treason and popery; then forsooth the duke must needs be the foundation of this damnable plot, and the discoverers (who no doubt have been blessed instruments to save us at this time from the paw of antichrist) must be revered as demy-gods among the vulgar, but more especially among the precious independent and anabaptist faction; but not to reflect on the king's evidence, for no doubt deservedly did those suffer who were condemned by the justice of our laws, and many more deservedly may that have a hand in that pernicious and bloody design against his majesty's sacred person and government. In this hurly-burly what a confusion did it bring the kingdom into? How did it necessitate the king to prorogue and adjourn, yea, and dissolve parliaments from time to time? When he could not but so do for the preservation of the peace of the kingdom, and defeating the designs both of popish and self-designing men who sought to disturb it; and so apparent this was, that no loyal heart but trembled at it. Then again forsooth all miscarriages of this nature must be attributed to the duke and his party, and given out by the designing men, that no parliaments should ever sit again, but all would be arbitrary, and accordingly guards must be doubled to defend us from Jesuits, and popery, and this bugbear of arbitrary government. Now in the name of Machiavel where are we going next? "Oh!' cries the first and deepest among the designers, 'let us keep off the king from parliaments till his revenue will not answer the charge of the crown, and put him into the condition his father of blessed memory was, that he will be necessitated to call one; then he shall be obliged to redress all the grievances, hang all plotters (provided they be none but such as are popishly inclined), punish church offenders, and saint persecutors; then shall he be obliged to hearken to every thing we shall propose about succession; then we shall be able to make our own terms with him, either we will have Monmouth, or we will know why: we will have one black-box or other found, wherein the writing is, that will prove what we would have legitimate, and successor to the crown, in opposition to royal word, and whatever demonstrations shall be the contrary, provided it effectually hinders and deprives the known, true, and lawful successor that is popishly affected; and we will never leave clubbing nor meeting, till we have effected this, maugre all former designs by popish counsels, or protestants whatsoever.'

Indeed, my lord, it were to be wished for the quiet and welfare of the nation, that these, and such like designs, were laid aside, and every one studied to do his own business, to obey wholesome laws, rather than to trust again to new law-makers: for my part, my lord, I wonder what it is these men would have. If they think that ever popery or arbitrary government can govern in this kingdom, then they have reason to be thus concerned. But, my lord, though I am a plain old Eng. lishman, I can see as far it may be as one that sees less; and I protest, my lord, that after having read over abundance of such ware as little Andrew Marvel's unhoopable wit and policy, and the Independent Comment amongst it, together with the Growth of Popery, &c. as also the Naked Truth, Treatises about French interests, and the Succession of

the Crown, and all this bustle they have made amongst us: to say the truth, my lord, I am Tom Tell-troth, and, between your lordship and I, I do not believe there's any need of such books, or any such jealou sies; for, in God's name, what can preserve us, but being zealous for our religion, and obedient to our superiors? And what can preserve them, but the love of their subjects, and governing according to the laws they have made, and are obliged to maintain ? And, for my part, I don't see any invasion of liberty and property as they term it; I see indeed a sort of men, who will be always restless and buzzing the vulgar ear with strange fears and jealousies, which tend to nothing but destruction both of prince and people. Truly, my lord (your lordship being a person of such eminent parts, and having known most of the publick humours of this land and people these forty years) I think your lordship would do well to find out some of these underminers of the publick peace of the kingdom, that meet at taverns, and other publick houses, and by your strong arguments convince them, that this is not the way to bring about their designs, whatsoever mixture of counsels they may have; and, since your lordship lives in that great city wherein these persons are said to reside, your lordship would send them such unquestionable rules to walk by, as may tend to the securing of the peace of the kingdom, and rooting out all jealousies and fears of popery and arbitrary government: as also to fix them to the old ways of loyalty and obedience, which are the only paths of peace to dwell in. Then shall we see that it will be our interest (whatever we imagine liberty and property to be) to promote the honour of God, and the religion of the kingdom as established by law; to honour and obey the king according to the laws, to love one another as men and christians, and to lay all our heads, hearts, and hands together to support the same. My lord, I shall now conclude this long epistle without any other compliment, than that I am,

Wilts, the 9th of
July, 1680.

Your lordship's most

humble servant,

TOM TELL-TROTH.

A NARRATIVE OF UNHEARD-OF

POPISH CRUELTIES TOWARDS PROTESTANTS

BEYOND SEAS:

OR, A NEW ACCOUNT OF THE BLOODY SPANISH INQUISITION.

Published as a Caveat to Protestants. By Mr. Dugdale.

London, printed for John Hancock, at the three Bibles in Pope's-Head Alley overagainst the Royal Exchange in Cornhill, 1680.

FOLIO, CONTAINING THIRTY-TWO PAGES.

To the most excellent Prince James Duke of Monmouth, &c.

I have often wondered that the cruelties as well as villainies of the Romish Church have not long before this provoked Almighty God to avenge upon her all the blood of his saints, which she hath every where, as so much water, spilt upon the face of the whole earth; but reflecting upon the many sins of God's own people, which certainly have been the only cause of the withholding of his most just and expected judgments from being poured forth upon her from the fullest vials of his wrath, L have again considered of the justice as well as goodness of God herein; justice to be revealed from heaven upon her, when the fulness of her abominations shall be accomplished; and his goodness and mercy to his people, in purging them by these his chastisements from the dross and sin of their iniquities. Here we have a revelation of the great God in two of his greatest and most glorious attributes, his mercy and his judgment, according to their respective objects. The holy King and Prophet David wondered no less than he grieved at this matter, till he went into the sanctuary of God, where he understood the end of wicked men, and that verily there is a reward for the righteous, and a God that judgeth in the earth.' With what antichristian, no less than inhuman, cruelty she hath behaved herself towards the saints and servants of God, whom she calls Hereticks, this small history will sufficiently acquaint your grace, and will, I hope, prove a sufficient alarm to the nation, to rouse her up as one man, to prevent and hinder the rooting or springing of her vile superstitions here for the time to come. No, sir, the people of England are doubtless sufficiently cautioned and fortified against any such attempt; however, it may not perhaps be unseasonable to remind them, and fully set before them the barbarous cruelties and unchristian severities, wherewith the holy inquisition, for so they falsly stile it, is to the shame and sorrow of the best amongst them in foreign countries, where it is suffered in the highest pitch of rigour to be managed; no, we hope so great is the goodness of God, both towards our prince and people, that it is past not only the strength, but malice of our Romish adversaries to hurt either his sacred person or the government. May the good will of him that dwelt in the bush preserve and ever keep your grace from any of their wicked attempts upon your excellency's person, from dividing you from your prince's favour, or, which can never be, our most sacred and ever dread sovereign from his good subjects and people; and let all true-hearted Englishmen say, Amen. Your grace's most humble servant,

and daily orator,

RICH. DUGDALE.

WH

HEN King Ferdinand and Isabel had expelled the Turks out of the city and territories of Granada, and other places of Spain, who had lived there seven hundred and seventy-eight years, they set upon the reformation of religion, and gave the conquered Moors liberty to stay, and to enjoy all their goods, provided they would turn Christians; and, whereas also there were many Jews, who had continued there since Titus conquered Jerusalem, they gave them leave to stay, upon the same condition; but all such, as refused, were com. manded presently to depart out of Spain: yet afterwards, finding that those persons were Christians only in name, and had submitted only to save their estates, instead of providing godly ministers with meekness to instruct them, and to reprove them for their errors, by the advice of the Dominican friars, they erected the inquisition; wherein the poor wretches, instead of instruction, were robbed of all their estates, and either put to most cruel deaths, or else suffered most intolerable torments, by whipping, &c. and led the rest of their lives in ignominy and poverty. Neither was this inflicted only upon such as blasphemed

Christ, but for the observation of the least Jewish or Moorish ceremony, or the smallest error in the Christian religion. But this inquisition, at first erected against Jews and Moors, was afterwards turned against the faithful servants of Jesus Christ, and for the suppressing of the gospel and the profession of it.

As soon as information is given in against any one, though but for a very small matter, they do not presently cite the person to appear before them; but they suborn one of their own officers, called a Familiar, to insinuate himself into his company; who, taking occasion to meet the party thus accused, uses thus to greet him: Sir, I was yesterday, by accident, at my lords inquisitors, who said, that they had occa 'sion to speak with you about certain of their affairs; and therefore they commanded me to summon you to appear before them to-morrow, at such an hour.' The party, daring not to refuse, goes to the place, and sends in word, that he is come to attend on them; and so, when he is called in, they ask him, what suit he bath to them? And, when he answers, that he comes upon summons, they enquire his name; for, say they, we know not, whether you are the same man, or not, but, since you are come in, if you have any thing to inform this court of, either concerning yourself, or any other, you may let us hear it, for the discharge of your own conscience. The party's safest way is constantly to deny that he hath any thing to declare to them; but if, through simplicity, he doth accuse himself, or any other, they rejoice, as having attained their desires, and so presently commit him to prison. If nothing be confessed, they dismiss him, pretending that, for the present, they know not whether he be the party, or no. After his departure, they let him alone for some space, and then send for him again, exhorting him, that, if he know, or hath heard any thing, that concerns their holy court, he disclose it to them; for, say they, we know that you have had dealings with some person suspected in religion; and therefore remember yourself well: if you confess, you shall fare the better, and you shall but do therein, as a good Christian ought to do. If still he refuse, they threaten, and so dismiss him.

Yet they have always one or other to keep him company, to creep into his bosom, and grope into his conscience; who, under the colour of friendship, shall visit him daily, and have an eye to all his dealings; observe what company he keepeth, with whom he confers, &c. so that, without God's special assistance, it is not possible to escape their snares. The inquisitors also, if they meet him, speak courteously to him, promise to befriend him, &c. and all to make him more careless of himself, that they may undo him before he be aware: but, if the party be a stranger, or one that is like to make an escape, or from whom they hope to gain any thing by his confession, they presently clap him up in prison; in which prison great numbers die, either starved with hunger, or by extremity of racking of them, &c.

If any one, that is accused, chance to make an escape, they have many devices to find and fetch him in again: they have store of searchers, to whom, besides the common signs, they give his lively picture, whereby they may easily know him. An Italian, at Rome, having wounded an apparitor, fled to Seville; the Familiar swere sent to seek