royalty restored-第57部分

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ark；　Kirby　drew　near；　and　in　a　mysterious　tone　bade　his　majesty　take　care；　for　his　enemies　had　a　design　against　his　life；　which　might　be　put　into　execution　at　any　moment。　Startled　by　such　words；　the　king　asked　him　in　what　manner　was　it　intended　his　life　should　be　taken；　to　which　he　replied；　〃It　might　be　by　pistol；　but　that　to　give　a　more　particular　account　of　the　matter；　required　greater　privacy。〃　　The　monarch；　who　quickly　recovered　his　first　surprise；　resolved　to　take　his　usual　exercise；　and；　subduing　his　curiosity；　he　bade　Kirby　attend　him　on　his　return　from　the　park；　and　tell　him　what　he　knew　of　the　subject。

When　the　time　arrived；　Kirby　saw　his　majesty　alone；　and　related　to　him　in　brief　that　two　men　waited　but　an　opportunity　to　shoot　him；　and　Sir　George　Wakeham　had　been　hired　to　poison　him；　which　news；　he　concluded；　had　been　imparted　to　him　by　a　worthy　man　living　close　at　hand；　who　would　attend　his　majesty's　pleasure　when　that　was　manifested。

Bewildered　by　such　intelligence；　yet　suspicious　of　its　veracity；　the　king　ordered　Kirby　to　summon　his　informant　that　evening　by　eight　o'clock。　　When　that　hour　came　his　majesty　repaired　to　the　Red　Room；　and　there　met　Dr。　Tonge；　who　delivered　his　narrative　into　his　hands。　　The　rector　was　convinced　the　great　moment　he　had　so　long　awaited；　in　which　he　would　behold　the　monarch　aroused　to　a　sense　of　his　danger；　had　arrived。　　He　was　doomed　to　bitter　disappointment。　　His　majesty　coolly　took　the　narrative；　and　without　opening　it；　said　it　should　be　examined　into。　　On　this　Tonge　begged　it　might　be　kept　safe　and　secret；　〃lest　the　full　discovery　should　otherwise　be　prevented　and　his　life　endangered。〃　The　monarch　replied　that；　before　starting　with　the　court　to…　morrow　for　Windsor；　he　would　place　it　in　the　hands　of　one　he　could　trust；　and　who　would　answer　for　its　safety。　　He　then　bade　him　attend　on　the　Lord　Treasurer　Danby　next　morning。

In　obedience　to　this　command；　Tonge　waited　on　his　lordship　at　the　appointed　time；　and　by　the　character　of　his　replies　helped　to　develop　his　story　of　the　plot。　　When　asked　if　the　document　he　had　given　his　majesty　was　the　original　of　the　deponent；　Tonge　admitted　it　was　in　his　own　handwriting。　　On　this；　Lord　Danby　expressed　a　desire　to　see　the　original；　and　likewise　become　acquainted　with　its　author。　　Nothing　abashed；　the　rector　replied　the　manuscript　was　in　his　house；　and　accounted　for　its　possession　by　stating　that；　singularly　enough；　it　had　been　thrust　under　his　doorhe　did　not　know　by　whom；　but　fancied　it　must　be　by　one　who；　some　time　before；　had　discussed　with　him　on　the　subject　of　this　conspiracy。　　Whereon　his　lordship　asked　him　if　he　knew　the　man；　and　was　answered　he　did　not；　but　he　had　seen　him　lately　two　or　three　times　in　the　streets；　and　it　was　likely　he　should　see　him　soon　again。

Being　next　questioned　as　to　whether　he　had　any　knowledge　of　Honest　William；　or　Pickering；　the　villains　who　sought　the　king's　life；　he　answered　he　had　not。　　Immediately；　however；　he　remembered　it　was　their　habit　to　walk　in　St。　James's　Park；　and　said；　if　any　man　was　appointed　to　keep　him　company；　he　was　almost　certain　he　would　have　opportunities　of　letting　that　person　see　these　abominable　wretches。　　Finally；　Lord　Danby　asked　him　if　he　knew　where　they　dwelt；　for　it　was　his　duty　to　have　them　arrested　at　once；　but　of　their　abode　Tonge　was　completely　ignorant；　though　he　was　hopeful　he　should　speedily　be　able　to　obtain　the　required　information。

He　was　therefore　dismissed；　somewhat　to　his　satisfaction；　being　unprepared　for　such　particular　examination；　but　in　a　couple　of　days　he　returned　to　the　charge；　determined　his　tale　should　not　be　discredited　for　lack　of　effrontery；　On　this　occasion　he　said　he　had　met　the　man　he　suspected　of　being　author　of　the　document；　who　owned　himself　as　such；　and　stated　that　his　name　was　Titus　Oates；　but　requested　Tonge　would　keep　it　a　strict　secret；　〃because　the　papists　would　murder　him　if　they　knew　what　he　was　doing。〃　Moreover；　Oates　had　given　him　a　second　paper　full　of　fresh　horrors　concerning　this　most　foul　plot。　　Taking　this　with　him；　the　lord　treasurer　hastened　to　Windsor；　that　he　might　consult　the　king；　having　first　left　a　servant　with　Tonge；　in　hopes　the　latter　might　catch　sight　of　Honest　William　and　Pickering　in　their　daily　walk　through　the　park；　and　have　them　arrested。　　On　Danby　recounting　Tonge's　statements　to　the　king；　his　majesty　was　more　convinced　than　before　the　narrative　was　wholly　without　foundation；　and　refused　to　make　it　known　to　his　council　or　the　Duke　of　York。　　Therefore　the　lord…treasurer；　on　conclusion　of　a　brief　visit；　left　Windsor　for　his　country　residence；　situated　at　Wimbledon。

For　some　days　no　fresh　disclosure　was　made　concerning　this　horrid　plot；　until　late　one　night；　when　Dr。　Tonge　arrived　in　great　haste　at　Lord　Danby's　house；　and　informed　him　some　of　the　intended　regicides　had　resolved　on　journeying　to　Windsor　next　morning；　determined　to　assassinate　the　king。　　He　added；　it　was　in　his　power　to　arrange　that　the　earl's　servant　should　ride　with　them　in　their　coach；　or　at　least　accompany　them　on　horseback；　and　so　give　due　notice　of　their　arrival；　in　order　that　they　might　be　timely　arrested。　　Alarmed　by　this　intelligence；　Danby　at　once　hastened　to　Windsor；　and　informed　the　king　of　what　had　come　to　his　knowledge。　　Both　endured　great　suspense　that　night；　and　next　day　their　excitement　was　raised　to　an　inordinate　pitch　by　seeing　the　earl's　servant　ride　towards　the　castle　with　all　possible　speed。　When；　however；　the　man　was　brought　into　his　majesty's　presence；　he　merely　delivered　a　message　from　Dr。　Tonge；　stating　the　villains　〃had　been　prevented　from　taking　their　intended　journey　that　day；　but　they　proposed　riding　to　Windsor　next　day；　or　within　two　days　at　farthest。〃　　Before　that　time　had　arrived；　another　message　came　to　say；　〃one　of　their　horses　being　slipped　in　the　shoulder；　their　trip　to　Windsor　was　postponed。〃

Taking　these　foolish　excuses；　as　well　as　Dr。　Tonge's　prevaricating　answers　and　mysterious　statements；　into　consideration；　the　king　was　now　convinced　the　〃Narrative　of　a　Horrid　Plot〃　was　an　invention　of　a　fanatic　or　a　rogue。　　He　was；　therefore；　desirous　of　letting　the　subject　drop　into　obscurity；　but　Lord　Danby；　foreseeing　in　the　sensation　which　its　avowal　would　create；　a　welcome　cloud　to　screen　the　defects　of　his　policy；　which　parliament　intended　to　denounce；　urged　his　majesty　to　lay　the　matter　before　his　privy　council。　　This　advice　the　king　refused　to　accept；　saying；　〃he　should　alarm　all　England；　and　put　thoughts　of　killing　him　into　people's　heads；　who　had　no　such　ideas　before。〃　　Somewhat　disappointed；　the　lord　treasurer　returned　once　more　to　Wimbledon；　the　king　remaining　at　Windsor；　and　no　further　news　of　the　plot　disturbed　the　even　tenour　of　their　lives　for　three　days。

At　the　end　of　that　time　Dr。　Tonge；　now　conscious　of　the　false　steps　he　had　taken；　conceived　a　fresh　scheme　by　which　his　story　might　obtain　credence；　and　he　gain　wealth　and　fame。　　Accordingly　he　wrote　to　Danby；　informing　him　a　packet　of　letters；　written　by　the　Jesuits　and　concerning　the　plot；　would；　on　a　certain　date；　be　sent　to　Mr。　Bedingfield；　chaplain　to　the　Duchess　of　York。　　Such　information　was　most　acceptable　to　Danby　at　the　moment；　he　at　once　started　for　Windsor；　and　laid　this　fresh　information　before　the　king。　　To　his　lordship's　intense　surprise；　his　majesty　handed　him　the　letters。　　These；　five　in　number；　containing　treasonable　expressions　and　references　to　the　plot；　had　been　some　hours　before　handed　by　Mr。　Bedingfield　to　the　Duke　of　York；　saying；　he　〃feared　some　ill　was　intended　him　by　the　same　packet；　because　the　letters　therein　seemed　to　be　of　a　dangerous　nature；　and　that　he　was　sure　they　were　not　the　handwriting　of　the　persons　whose　names　were　subscribed　to　the　letters。〃　　On　examination；　they　were　proved　to　be　most　flagrant　forgeries。　　Written　in　a　feigned　hand；　and　signed　by　different　names；　they　were　evidently　the　production　of　one　man；　the　same　want　of　punctuation；　style　of　expression；　and　peculiarities　of　spelling　being　notable　in　all。　　The　Duke　of　York；　foreseeing　malice　was　meant　by　them；　forcibly　persuaded　the　king　to　place　the　epistles　before　the　privy　council。　Accordingly；　they　were　handed　to　Sir　William　Jones；　attorney　general；　and　Sir　Robert　Southwell；　who　stated；　upon　comparing　them　with　Dr。　Tonge's　narrative；　they　were　convinced　both　were　written　by　the　same　hand。

Meanwhile；　Tonge　and　Oates；　aware　of　the　coldness　and　doubt　with　which　his　majesty　had　received　the　〃Narrative　of　the　Horrid　Plot；〃　and　ignorant　of　the　fact　he　had　placed　the　letters　before　his　privy　council；　resolved　to　make　their　story　public　to　the　world。　　It　therefore　happened　on　the　6th　of　September　they　presented　themselves　before　Sir　Edmondbury　Godfrey；　a　justice　of　the　peace；　in　the　parish　of　St。　Martin's；　who；　not　without　considerable　persuasion；　consented　to　receive　a　sworn　testimony　from　Titus　Oates　regarding　the　truth　of　his　narrative；　which　had　now　grown　from　forty…three　to　eighty…one　articles。　　This　action　prevented　further　secrecy　concerning　the　so…called　plot。

A　few　days　later　the　court　returned　to　town　for　the　winter；　when　the　Duke　of　York　besought　the　privy　council　to　investigate　the　strange　charges　made　in　the　declaration。　　Accordingly；　on　the　28th　of