Mercurii, 30 die Octobris, 1678.
Prayers.
Coleman's Examination.
MR. Sachaverell reports from the Committee which
by Order of the House was appointed to take the
Examination of Mr. Coleman, That the Committee went
to Newgate: And laying before Mr. Coleman his present
Danger; and that he could have no Hopes to escape it,
but by a full and plain Discovery of his whole Knowledge
of the Conspiracy; Mr. Coleman, without any particular
Questions put to him, said to the Effect following;
As to any Design against the King's Person; or for the
Taking away of his Life; or the Lessening of his Power, he
totally denies any Knowledge of it, or that he ever did
design it, or ever heard of any such Design or Intention,
either directly or indirectly: He totally denies, that he
ever knew or heard of any Commissions for raising an
Army, or any Intent or Design of raising an Army, till
of late that he heard so, when he was examined by the
Lords: He utterly denies, that he ever designed or endeavoured to change the Religion established in this Kingdom, or to introduce Popery; but confesses, he did endeavour to have this Parliament dissolved, and by That
Means to gain a Liberty of Conscience; which he thought
this Parliament would never grant: And said, He observed every Sessions of Parliament the Growth of Popery
complained of, notwithstanding all their Endeavours
against it; and believed the Catholick Religion to be the
true one, and the Protestant the false; and therefore only
proposed a Toleration, as concluding, that if the Catholick Religion stood upon equal Ground, it would prevail:
And says, He did endeavour to get Three hundred thousand Pounds from France; hoping that thereby his Majesty
might be prevailed on to dissolve this Parliament, rather
than wait for an uncertain Sum: And says, there was not
Three Men in England acquainted with these his Designs,
or with his Correspondence; but that the Duke of York
was acquainted with them; and he believes he communicated them to my Lord Arrundell of Warder: And
said, He concluded it most probable to have Money from
France for dissolving this Parliament; in regard the Confederacy against France was chiefly supported and held
together by the Countenance and Expectation they had
from this Parliament.
The first Correspondency, he says, which he had in
France, was by some Letters of News, which he wrote to
Sir Wm. Throgmorton, about the Time of the Siege of
Mastreicht; any News being welcome at a Siege; and
by That way the Correspondency between him and La Ferrier was introduced: And says, That upon the Death of
La Ferrier, which was about the Time that the French
King possessed himself of French Counte (which, he takes
it, was the Year after the Siege of Mastreicht) he sent a
Narrative to La Chese, to give him an Account of the
Transactions that had passed betwixt La Ferrier and him;
but after that wrote not above Three or Four Letters
to La Chese; and that then the Correspondency betwixt
them ceased.
He also said, That he had kept a Correspondency
with the Pope's Nuncio at Bruxells; which Correspondency was first introduced by a Proposition that Father
Patrick brought from the Nuncio there into England, of
a great Sum of Money that should be given by the Pope
to the King of England, if the Catholicks here in England
might have some Favour answerable to it: But the Proposition being so confused that they did not understand it,
he was sent by the Duke of York to the Nuncio at Bruxells,
to understand the Proposition.
And he says, When he came to Bruxells, the Nuncio told him, He had no Authority from the Court of
Rome to make any such Proposition; but did it as a private Person, and not by Order from the Court of Rome:
But says, That the Nuncio, being then to go to Rome,
promised Mr. Coleman to do what Service there he could
in that Business: But says, he hath not held any Correspondency with the Nuncio this Three or Four Years;
nor with any other Person so as to manage an Affair: That
perhaps might touch upon the Business in some Letters.
He says, The Cypher marked with the Provincial's
Mark, was the Cypher betwixt him and St. German; and
that he always wrote to the Provincial in plain Words,
and not in Cypher; and that there was another Cypher
betwixt him and Blankart, who was Secretary to Monsieur
Rovigney; but That was only upon small Concerns, and
not upon any thing of this Nature.
And Mr. Coleman being then asked by the Committee,
Whether he knew of any other Sum of Money that was
proposed or treated on; he answered, That he believed
there was Money proposed, to keep the King of England
from joining with the Confederates against France; but
does not know of any Money paid.
Keeper of Newgate to attend.
Ordered, That Mr. Richardson, Keeper of the Prison
of Newgate, be forthwith sent for to attend this House.
Answer to request for Papers.
Mr. Secretary Williamson acquaints the House, That in
pursuance of the Order of this House, the Members of this
House which are of his Majesty's Privy Council, had attended his Majesty: And that his Majesty was pleased to
signify, That all the Papers and Writings relating to the
Plot should be communicated to the House: And that
Orders were given pursuant to his Majesty's Command.
Ordered, That the Papers relating to the Plot now under Examination, be delivered to the Committee appointed
to translate Mr. Coleman's Letters: And that Col. Birch,
Sir Wm. Frankland, Sir Cyrill Wych, Sir Tho. Mompesson,
Sir John Coventry, Lord Clifford, Mr. Devereux, Sir John
Hanmer, Sir John Reresby, Sir John Waerden, Sir Edw.
Mansell, Mr. Hall, Lord Arlington, Sir Rich. Temple, be
added to the Committee: And they are to meet this Afternoon; and to sit de die in diem, until they shall have
perfected the Matters to them referred: And they are impowered to send for Persons, Papers, and Records.
Keeper of Newgate examined.
Mr. Richardson, Keeper of the Prison of Newgate, being called in, to give an Account, What Persons have had
any Communication with Mr. Coleman since his Commitment; he acquainted the House, That there had not
been any Person admitted to come to or converse with
Mr. Coleman since his Imprisonment, except his Servant,
to know what he wanted, and his Wife, by virtue of an
Order from the Privy Council: And that he himself was
present whilst she was with him; and that she did not deliver him any thing; and that she was not permitted to
discourse to him any thing of News, nor any thing relating
to the Plot now under Examination, besides the Committees appointed by each House of Parliament to examine him.
Committees added.
Ordered, That Sir Thomas Meeres, Mr. Solicitor General, and Sir Robert Sawyer, be added to the Committee
appointed to examine Mr. Richard Langhorne's Papers.
Clerk of the Crown to attend.
Ordered, That the Clerk of the Crown be summoned
to attend this House To-morrow Morning.
And then the House adjourned till To-morrow
Morning, Eight of the Clock.