royalty restored-第56部分

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and。'〃



CHAPTER　XVII。

The　threatened　storm　bursts。History　of　Titus　Oates　and　Dr。　Tonge。A　dark　scheme　concocted。The　king　is　warned　of　danger。　The　narrative　of　a　horrid　plot　laid　before　the　treasurer。　Forged　letters。Titus　Oates　before　the　council。His　blunders。　A　mysterious　murder。Terror　of　the　citizens。Lord　Shaftesbury's　schemes。Papists　are　banished　from　the　capital。Catholic　peers　committed　to　the　Tower。Oates　is　encouraged。

The　marriage　of　the　Lady　Mary；　though　agreeable　to　the　public　mind；　by　no　means　served　to　distract　it　from　the　turmoil　by　which　it　was　beset。　　Hatred　of　catholicism；　fear　of　the　Duke　of　York；　and　distrust　of　the　king；　disturbed　the　nation　to　its　core。　Rumours　were　now　noised　abroad；　which　were　not　without　foundation；　that　the　monarch　and　his　brother　had　renewed　the　treaty　with　France；　by　which　Louis　engaged　to　send　troops　into　England　to　support　Charles；　when　the　latter　saw　fit　to　lay　aside　duplicity；　and　proclaim　himself　a　catholic。　　And；　notwithstanding　the　rigorous　Test　Acts；　it　was　believed　many　high　positions　at　court　were　held　by　those　who　were　papists　at　heart。　　Occasion　was　therefore　ripe　for　the　invention　of　a　monstrous　fraud；　the　history　of　which　has　been　transmitted　under　the　title　of　the　Popish　Plot。

The　chief　contrivers　of　this　imposture　were　Titus　Oates　and　Dr。　Tonge。　　The　first　of　these　was　son　of　a　ribbon…weaver；　who；　catching　the　fanatical　spirit　of　the　Cromwellian　period；　had　ranted　as　an　Anabaptist　preacher。　　Dissent；　however；　losing　favour　under　the　restoration；　Oates；　floating　with　the　current　of　the　times；　resolved　to　become　a　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England；　He　therefore　took　orders　at　Cambridge；　officiated　as　curate　in　various　parishes；　and　served　as　chaplain　on　board　a　man…of…war。　　The　time　he　laboured　as　spiritual　shepherd　to　his　respective　flocks　was　necessarily　brief；　for　his　grossly　immoral　practices　becoming　notable；　he　was　in　every　case　ousted　from　his　charge。　　The　odium　attached　to　his　name　was　moreover　increased　by　the　fact；　that　his　evidence　in　two　cases　of　malicious　prosecution　had　been　proved　false；　for　which　he　had　been　tried　as　a　perjurer。　Deprived　of　his　chaplaincy　for　a　revolting　act　of　profligacy；　driven　from　congregations　he　had　scandalized；　homeless　and　destitute；　he　in　an　evil　hour　betook　himself　to　Dr。　Ezrael　Tonge；　to　whom　he　had　long　been　known；　and　besought　compassion　and　relief。

The　Rev；　Dr。　Tonge；　rector　of　St。　Michael's；　Wood　Street；　was　a　confirmed　fanatic　and　political　alarmist。　　For　some　years　previous　to　this　time；　he　had　published　quarterly　treatises　dealing　with　such　wicked　designs　of　the　Jesuits　as　his　heated　brain　devised。　　These　he　had　printed　and　freely　circulated；　in　order；　as　he　acknowledged；　〃to　arouse　and　awaken　his　majesty　and　the　parliament〃　to　a　sense　of　danger。　　He　had　begun　life　as　a　gardener；　but　left　that　honest　occupation　that　he　might　cultivate　flowers　of　rhetoric　for　the　benefit　of　Cromwell's　soldiers。　　Like　Titus　Oates；　he　had　become　suddenly　converted　to　orthodox　principles　on　return　of　the　king；　and　had；　through　interest；　obtained　the　rectorship　of　St。　Michael's。　　Bishop　Burnet　considered　him　〃a　very　mean　divine；　（who）　seemed　credulous　and　simple；　and　was　full　of　projects　and　notions。〃

Another　historian　who　lived　in　those　days；　the　Rev。　Laurence　Eachard；　Archdeacon　of　Stowe；　states　Dr。　Tonge　was　〃a　man　of　letters；　and　had　a　prolific　head　filled　with　all　the　Romish　plots　and　conspiracies　since　the　reformation。〃　　According　to　this　author；　Tonge　took　Oates　into　his　house；　provided　him　with　lodging；　diet；　and　clothes；　and　when　the　latter　complained　he　knew　not　where　to　get　bread；　the　rector　told　him　〃he　would　put　him　in　a　way。〃　　After　this；　finding　Oates　a　man　of　great　ingenuity　and　cunning；　〃he　persuaded　him；〃　says　Archdeacon　Eachard；　〃to　insinuate　himself　among　the　papists；　and　get　particular　acquaintance　with　them；　which　being　effected；　he　let　him　understand　that　there　had　been　several　plots　in　England　to　bring　in　popery；　and　that　if　he　would　go　beyond　sea　among　the　Jesuits；　and　strictly　observe　their　ways；　it　was　possible　there　might　be　one　at　present；　and　if　he　could　make　that　out；　it　would　be　his　preferment　for　ever；　but；　however；　if　he　could　get　their　names；　and　some　information　from　the　papists；　it　would　be　very　easy　to　rouse　people　with　the　fears　of　popery。〃

Hungering　for　gold；　and　thirsting　for　notoriety；　Oates　quickly　agreed　to　the　scheme　laid　before　him。　　Accordingly　he　became　acquainted　with；　and　was　received　into　the　Catholic　Church　by；　Father　Berry；　a　Jesuit；　and　in　May；　1677；　was　sent　by　the　Jesuits　to　study　in　one　of　their　seminaries；　situated　in　Valladolid；　in　Spain。　　Oates；　however；　though　he　had　proved　himself　an　excellent　actor；　could　not　overcome　his　evil　propensities；　and　before　seven　months　had　passed；　he　was　expelled　from　the　monastery。

Returning　to　England；　he　sought　out　Dr。　Tonge；　to　whom　he　was　unable　to　recount　the　secret　of　a　single　plot。　　Confident；　however；　that　wicked　schemes　against　the　lives　and　properties　of　innocent　protestants　were　being　concocted　by　wily　Jesuits；　the　fanatical　divine　urged　Oates　to　present　himself　once　more　before　them；　bewail　his　misconduct；　promise　amendment；　and　seek　readmission　to　their　midst。　　Following　his　advice；　Oates　was　again　received　by　the　Jesuits；　and　sent　to　their　famous　seminary　at　St。　Omer's；　where；　though　he　had　reached　the　age　of　thirty　years；　he　was　entered　among　the　junior　students。　　For　six　months　he　remained　here；　until　his　vices　becoming　noted；　he　was　turned　away　in　disgrace。　　Again　he　presented　himself　before　the　rector　of　St。　Michael's；　knowing　as　little　of　popish　plots　as　he　did　on　his　previous　return。　　But　Tonge；　though　disappointed；　was　not　disheartened；　if　no　scheme　existed；　he　would　invent　one　which　should　startle　the　public；　and　save　the　nation。　　Such　proposals　as　he　made　towards　the　accomplishment　of　this　end　were　readily　assented　to　by　Oates；　in　whose　breast　wounded　pride　and　bitter　hate　rankled　deep。　　Therefore；　after　many　consultations　they　resolved　to　draw　up　a　〃Narrative　of　a　Horrid　Plot。〃　　This　was　repeatedly　changed　and　enlarged；　until　eventually　it　assumed　the　definite　shape　of　a　deposition；　consisting　of　forty…three　distinct　articles；　written　with　great　formality　and　care；　and　embodying　many　shocking　and　criminal　charges。

The　narrative　declared　that　in　April；　1677；　the　deponent　was　employed　to　carry　letters　from　the　Jesuits　in　London　to　members　of　their　order　in　Spain；　these　he　broke　open　on　the　journey；　and　discovered　that　certain　Jesuits　had　been　sent　into　Scotland　to　encourage　the　presbyterians　to　rebel。　　Arrived　in　Valladolid；　he　heard　one　Armstrong；　in　a　sermon　delivered　to　students；　charge　his　majesty　with　most　foul　and　black…mouthed　scandals；　and　use　such　irreverent；　base　expressions　as　no　good　subjects　could　repeat　without　horror。　　He　then　returned　to　England；　and　was　soon　after　sent　to　St。　Omer　with　fresh　letters；　in　which　was　mentioned　a　design　to　stab　or　poison　his　majestyPere　la　Chaise；　the　French　king's　confessor；　having　placed　ten　thousand　pounds　at　the　disposal　of　the　Jesuits　that　they　might；　by　laying　out　such　a　sum；　the　more　successfully　accomplish　this　deed。　　While　abroad　the　deponent　had　read　many　letters；　relating　to　the　execution　of　Charles　II。；　the　subverting　of　the　present　government；　and　the　establishment　of　the　Romish　religion。　　Returning　again　to　England；　he　became　privy　to　a　treaty　with　Sir　George　Wakeham；　the　queen's　physician；　to　poison　the　king；　and　likewise　with　an　agreement　to　shoot　him；　made　between　the　Jesuits　and　two　men；　named　Honest　William　and　Pickering。　　He　had　heard　a　Jesuit　preach　a　sermon　to　twelve　persons　of　quality　in　disguise；　in　which　he　asserted　〃that　protestants　and　other　heretical　princes　were　IPSO　FACTO　deposed　because　such；　and　that　it　was　as　lawful　to　destroy　them　as　Oliver　Cromwell　or　any　other　usurper。〃　　He　also　became　aware　that　the　dreadful　fire　had　been　managed　by　Strange；　the　provincial　of　the　Jesuits；　who　employed　eighty…six　men　in　distributing　seven　hundred　fire…balls　to　destroy　the　city；　and　that　notwithstanding　his　vast　expenses；　he　gained　fourteen　thousand　pounds　by　plunder　carried　on　during　the　general　confusion；　a　box　of　jewels；　consisting　of　a　thousand　carat　weight　of　diamonds；　being　included　in　the　robbery。

The　document　containing　these　remarkable　statements　was　finished　in　August；　1678。　　It　now　remained　to　have　it　brought　before　the　king　or　the　council。　　Tonge　was　resolved　this　should　he　done　in　a　manner　best　calculated　to　heighten　the　effect　of　their　narrative；　at　the　same　time　he　was　careful　to　guard　the　fact　that　he　and　Oates　had　an　intimate　knowledge　of　each　other。　　Not　knowing　any　one　of　interest　at　court；　he　sought　out　Christopher　Kirby；　a　man　employed　in　the　king's　laboratory；　of　whom　he　had　some　slight　knowledge；　and；　pledging　him　to　the　strictest　secrecy；　showed　him　the　〃Narrative　of　the　Horrid　Plot；〃　and　besought　his　help　in　bringing　it　under　the　notice　of　his　majesty　in　as　private　a　manner　as　possible。

This　aid　was　freely　promised；　and　next　day；　the　date　being　the　13th　of　August；　when　the　monarch　was　about　to　take　his　usual　airing　in　the　park；　Kirby　drew　near；　and　in　a　mysterious　tone　bade　his　majesty　take　care；　for　his　enemies　had　a　des