royalty restored-第61部分

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　will　serve　as　an　example　of　the　injustice　meted　to　those　accused。　　One　day；　William　Staley　happened　to　enter　a　pastrycook's　shop　in　Covent　Garden；　opposite　his　bank；　where　there　chanced　to　stand　at　the　time　a　fellow　named　Carstairs；　one　of　the　infamous　creatures　who；　envious　of　the　honours　and　riches　heaped　on　Oates　and　Bedlow；　resolved　to　make　new　discoveries　and　enjoy　like　rewards。　　At　this　time　he　was；　as　Bishop　Burnet　states；　〃looking　about　where　he　could　find　a　lucky　piece　of　villainy。〃　　Unfortunately　the　banker　came　under　his　notice；　and　Bedlow　and　an　associate　pretended　to　have　heard　Staley　say　the　king　was　a　rogue　and　a　persecutor　of　the　people　whom　he　would　stab　if　no　other　man　was　found　to　do　the　deed。　These　words　Carstairs　wrote　down；　and　next　morning　called　on　the　banker；　showed　him　the　treasonable　sentence；　and　said　he　would　swear　it　had　been　uttered　by　him；　unless　he；　Staley；　would　purchase　his　silence。　　Though　fully　aware　of　his　danger；　he　refused　to　do　this；　whereon　Carstairs　had　him　instantly　arrested　and　committed　for　trial。　　Hearing　of　his　situation；　and　knowing　the　infamous　character　of　his　accusers；　Dr。　Burnet　thought　it　his　duty　to　let　the　lord　chancellor　and　the　attorney…general　know　〃What　profligate　wretches　these　witnesses　were。〃　　His　interference　was　received　with　hostility。　　The　attorney…general　took　it　ill　that　he　should　disparage　the　king's　evidence；　Lord　Shaftesbury　avowed　those　who　sought　to　undermine　the　credit　of　witnesses　were　to　be　looked　on　as　public　enemies；　whilst　the　Duke　of　Lauderdale　said　Burnet　desired　to　save　Staley　because　of　the　regard　he　had　for　anyone　who　would　murder　his　majesty。　Frightened　by　such　remarks　at　a　time　when　no　man's　life　or　credit　was　safe；　Burnet　shrank　from　further　action；　but　rumour　of　his　interference　having　got　noised　abroad；　it　was　resented　by　the　public　to　such　an　extent；　that　he　was　advised　not　to　stir　abroad　for　fear　of　public　affronts。

Within　five　days　of　his　arrest；　William　Staley　was　condemned　to　death。　　In　vain　he　protested　his　innocence；　pointed　out　the　improbability　of　his　using　such　words　in　a　public　room；　and　referred　to　his　character　as　a　loyal　man　and　worthy　citizen。　　He　was　condemned　and　executed　as　a　traitor。

The　next　victim　was　Coleman。　　He　denied　having　hired　assassins　to　murder　his　majesty；　or　entertained　desires　for　his　death；　but　honestly　stated　he　had　striven　to　advance　his　religion；　not　by　bloodshed；　but　by　tolerance。　　Whilst　lying　in　chains　at　Newgate　prison　under　sentence　of　death　members　of　both　Houses　of　Parliament　visited　him；　and　offered　him　pardon　if　he　confessed　a　knowledge　of　the　plot；　but；　in　answer　to　all　persuasions　and　promises；　he　avowed　his　innocence；　protesting　which；　he　died　at　Tyburn。

A　little　later；　three　Jesuits；　named　Ireland；　Whitehead；　and　Fenwick；　and　two　attendants　of　the　queen's　chapel；　named　Grove　and　Pickering；　were　executed　on　a　charge　of　conspiracy　to　kill　the　king。　　Oates　and　Bedlow　swore　these　Jesuits　had　promised　Grove　fifteen　hundred　pounds　as　price　of　the　murder；　Pickering　chose　as　his　reward　to　have　thirty　thousand　masses；　at　a　shilling　a　mass；　said　for　him。　　Three　times　they　had　attempted　this　deed　with　a　pistol；　but　once　the　flint　was　loose；　another　time　there　was　no　powder　in　the　pan；　and　again　the　pistol　was　charged　only　with　bullets。　　These　five　men　died　denying　their　guilt　to　the　last。

Meanwhile；　Dr。　Tonge；　the　ingenious　inventor　of　the　plot；　had　sunk　into　insignificance　by　comparison　with　his　audacious　pupil。　Not　only　did　the　latter　have　apartments　at　Whitehall　allotted　him；　and　receive　a　pension　of　twelve　hundred　a　year；　but　he　was　lauded　as　the　saviour　of　his　country；　complimented　with　the　title　of　doctor　of　divinity；　honoured　in　public；　and　entertained　in　private。　　Eachard　mentions　〃a　great　supper　in　the　city；〃　given　in　compliment　to　Oates　by　〃twenty　eminent　rich　citizens；〃　and　Sir　John　Reresby　writes　of　meeting　him　at　the　dinner…table　of　Dr。　Gunning；　Bishop　of　Ely。　　Nothing　could　exceed　the　insolence　and　arrogance　of　the　impostor。　　He　appeared　in　a　silk　gown　and　cassock；　a　long　scarf；　a　broad　hat　with　satin　band　and　rose；　and　called　himself　a　doctor　of　divinity。　　No　man　dared　contradict　or　oppose　him；　lest　he　should　be　denounced　as　a　conniver　of　the　plot；　and　arrested　as　a　traitor。　　〃Whoever　he　pointed　at　was　taken　up　and　committed；〃　says　North。　　〃So　that　many　people　got　out　of　his　way　as　from　a　blast；　and　glad　they　could　prove　their　last　two　years'　conversation。　　The　very　breath　of　him　was　pestilential；　and　if　it　brought　not　imprisonment；　it　surely　poisoned　reputation。〃　　Sir　John；　speaking　of　him　at　the　bishop's　dinner…table；　says　〃he　was　blown　up　with　the　hopes　of　running　down　the　Duke　of　York；　and　spoke　of　him　and　his　family　after　a　manner　which　showed　himself　both　a　fool　and　a　knave。　　He　reflected　not　only　on　him　personally；　but　upon　her　majesty；　nobody　daring　to　contradict　him；　for　fear　of　being　made　a　party　to　the　plot。　　I　at　least　did　not　undertake　to　do　it；　when　he　left　the　room　in　some　heat。　　The　bishop　told　me　this　was　his　usual　discourse；　and　that　he　had　checked　him　formerly　for　taking　so　indecent　a　liberty；　but　he　found　it　was　to　no　purpose。〃

The　impostor's　conversation　on　this　occasion　furnishes　the　key…　note　of　a　vile　plot　now　contrived　to　intercept　the　lawful　succession；　either　by　effectually　removing　the　queen；　and　thereby　enabling　the　king　to　marry　again；　or　otherwise　excluding　the　Duke　of　York　by　act　of　parliament　from　lawful　right　to　the　crown。　Though　Shaftesbury's　hand　was　not　plainly　seen；　there　can　be　no　doubt　it　was　busily　employed　in　working　out　his　favourite　design。

The　blow　was　first　aimed　at　her　majesty　by　Bedlow；　who；　on　the　25th　of　November；　accused　her　of　conspiring　to　kill　her　husband。　About　eighteen　months　previously；　he　said；　there　had　been　a　consultation　in　the　chapel　gallery　at　Somerset　House；　which　had　been　attended　by　Lord　Bellasis；　Mr。　Coleman；　La　Faire；　Pritchard；　Latham；　and　Sheldon；　four　Jesuits；　and　two　Frenchmen　whom　he　took　to　be　abbots；　two　persons　of　quality　whose　faces　he　did　not　see；　and　lastly　by　her　majesty。　　The　Jesuits　afterwards　confided　in　him　as　a　person　of　trust；　that　the　queen　wept　at　a　proposal　to　murder　the　king　which　had　been　made；　but　subsequently　yielding　to　arguments　of　the　French　abbots；　had　consented　to　the　design。　Indeed；　Bedlow；　who　was　in　the　sacristy　when　her　majesty　passed　through　at　the　termination　of　this　meeting；　noticed　her　face　had　much　changed。　　Here　his　story　ended；　but；　as　was　now　usual；　it　was　taken　up　and　concluded　by　Oates。

Appearing　at　the　Bar　of　the　House　of　Commons；　this　vile　impostor　cried　out；　〃Aye；　Taitus　Oates；　accause　Caatharine；　Quean　of　England；　of　haigh　traison。〃　　Then　followed　his　audacious　evidence。　　In　the　previous　July；　Sir　George　Wakeham；　in　writing　to　a　Jesuit　named　Ashby；　stated　her　majesty　would　aid　in　poisoning　the　king。　A　few　days　afterwards；　Harcourt　and　four　other　Jesuits　having　been　sent　for；　attended　the　queen　at　Somerset　House。　　On　that　occasion　Oates　waited　on　them；　they　went　into　a　chamber；　he　stayed　without。　　Whilst　there　he　heard　a　woman's　voice　say　she　would　endure　her　wrongs　no　longer；　but　should　assist　Sir　George　Wakeham　in　poisoning　the　king。　　He　was　afterwards　admitted　to　the　chamber；　and　saw　no　woman　there　but　her　majesty；　and　he　heard　the　same　voice　ask　Harcourt；　whilst　be　was　within；　if　he　had　received　the　last　ten　thousand　pounds。

The　appetite　of　public　credulity　seeming　to　increase　by　that　on　which　it　fed；　this　avowal　was　readily　believed。　　That　the　accusation　had　not　been　previously　made；　that　Oates　had　months　before　sworn　he　knew　no　others　implicated　in　the　plot　beyond　those　he　named；　that　the　queen　had　never　interfered　in　religious　matters；　that　she　loved　her　husband　exceeding　well；　were　facts　completely　overlooked　in　the　general　agitation。　　Parliament　〃was　in　a　rage　and　flame；〃　and　next　day　the　Commons　drew　up　an　address　to　the　king；　stating　that　〃having　received　information　of　a　most　desperate　and　traitorous　design　against　the　life　of　his　sacred　majesty；　wherein　the　queen　is　particularly　charged　and　accused〃　they　besought　him　that　〃she　and　all　her　family；　and　all　papists　and　reputed　papists；　be　forthwith　removed　from　his　court。〃　Furthermore；　the　House　sent　a　message　to　the　Peers；　desiring　their　concurrence　in　this　request；　but　the　Lords　made　answer；　before　doing　so　they　would　examine　the　witnesses　against　her　majesty。　　This　resolution　was　loudly　and　indecently　protested　against　by　Lord　Shaftesbury　and　two　of　his　friends。

The　king　had　discredited　the　story　of　the　plot　from　the　first；　but　remembering　the　unhappy　consequences　which　had　resulted　upon　the　disagreement　of　the　monarch　and　his　parliament　in　the　previous　reign；　he　weakly　resolved　to　let　himself　be　carried　away　by　the　storm；　other　than　offer　it　resistance。　　On　the　condemnation　of　the　Jesuits；　he　had　appeared　unhappy　and　dissatisfied；　〃but；〃　says　Lord　Romney；　〃after　he　had　had　a　little　advice　he　kept　his　displeasure　to　himself。〃　　The　Duke　of　York　states；　in　the　Stuart　Papers；　that　〃the　seeming　necessity　of　his　affairs　made　his　majesty　think　he　could　not　be　safe　but　by　consenting　every　day　to　the　execution　of　those　he　knew　in　his　heart　to　be　most　innocent。〃　　Now；　however；　when　foul　charges　were　mad