Blundel the Jesuit's letter of intelligence, to his friends the Jesuites at Cambray

BLUNDEL thejefuics Letter of
intelligence 9 to his Friends the Jefuites at Cambr iy in Flanders, taken about him when he
was Apprehended at Lam^etb7 6n MunJay the zyb. of June i679«
T0 Madam Katharine Hall inCpmhr&y.
MJ Ds*c* rflfi. 4. MArit*
N the Thirteenth of Jutt* being f rydsy, Mr, Whitebread. Mr. Hartourt, Mr, Tamer, Ftn'xkk, and Gavin ©f the Society, arid Mr, Cerk«r were
m \ brought to the Bart in the Old Bayly, Mr. Ctrk&r moved the Coust for a longer time bring only warned the night before, whereas theother Pnfoncrs
M had eight days warning to prepare themfdves, whereupon he was remanded to Prilon tiH the next day then was the Jodifttnent^ read a gain ft
the five above named Jefuits,for conlpiring the Kings death, Sub/erftofti of Government and ProLeftanc Religion then Mr.Oat/ (War* that on the z^th. of Afril
there was aconfuk held in London, where the dea:h ofthe King was confpircd, and that he rarryed this Rcfolve from the one to the other ,for their fubferib ng, and ivore
particular eireatnftancts againft each: to cortoberatc this Jelfimosty, other Witaeffes Bodlow, Prame,Dugdalc and Chet win came in with overtures to the Matter farcin by
■Oat a, then did the Prifoners ( after a raoft folenan and Religious protection of their Innocence and ignorance of any eonfpiracy againft his Majefty ) defire that their wk-
ucfSTes mig')t be heard, wide h could demon ftrae that Mr. Oaret was a&ualty at S. Qmcrs ail the whole time, bin the judge Scrovgs askc each witnels as he did appear, of what
Religion fee was, and upon anfwer that he was t Roman Catholick, the whole Court gavea ihouc of laughter, then the judge would fay to them, well, what have you been
mg * to fay,aiidby many fco®ng<|uefto.is( which sno^d the Court to freetjent laughter) hedid endeavour to take off the credibility of the witncfTe#^ then the Batler,
7*5 and GjiKifewiv* of St, offered to f.vtar that they ftw Mr. all the time at St. (9/»err, wh.R he fwore he was at London , after that the Priloners at the Barr
proincedlmeen wkneffes taoretiat proved Mr. Oats forfwornin Mr. Sr elands Tryal, bccaufJe he was in Sbropfhtre, when he attefted he was in London, then did Gwen one
*3! the Prifoners with a great deal of cleurnefs *a i eloquence and with a cheerful countenance draw up their juftiftcation, ffeewing the faceof their Evidence, and how fully
fheir wimsffs had proved Mr. Qxtts puiured. Then fee did lay open the improbability offmh a Plott, ani ho.v unlikely Mr. Oates Ihould be in: ru fled in delivering Cona-
frnf&onsto perfons of Honour* and Effaces^ whom he never (as he acknowledged} had feen before or lince, this was delivered by Mr. Gavetn with a coontenance wholly un¬
concerned, and in a voice ve, y audible, andfargely and pertinently exp reft > the judge was incenled at thisfpeech which he often interrupted him, but G avert ftiU urg’d asy
l^ord , >1 plead now for my Life, and for that which ti dearer to me then life, the hone or of my ReUgien, therefore S be fetch yew have a little patience with me*
AfterdnsPleaofMr. the Judge rr.ait his Array net© the Jury telling themibat what the Prifoners had brought was only the bare affertions ^"boyes, who wer^
ratught it as a point of their Religion, to lye for the honour of tbdr Religion, whereas Mr. Oats Mr. and others were upon jtlteir Oathes, ^nd ifOaihes werenot tobe
ti^ten no Courts could fubfift.d'hen Mr. brought in four Wimeffes which he had kept in referve'* an old Parfon in his Canonical Gown , m old Dominican PiieflL'
IPwh dolor & oudor L women that fwore they faw Mr. Qat*v in tbe tveginning of May 1678- at this the whole Court gave a fhotit of laughter and hallow /that for al-
asoft-a quartet the Crycrs could not ftiUtheni^ never yras Bear-bay ting more rude and boyilerous then this Iryal: Upon thisrhe Judge difrnift the Jury, toconfidcr and
bring in their Verdids, who af er hah an hours abfence bf ought in the hve Prifoners at the Barr all Guilcy ol High rreafon v !rhereupon the whole Court clapt their hands
and gave a great Mow, it being nowerght at night ,*he Court adjourned till next day at fevena Clock which was Saturday ,1 was prefent from rive in the morning till the
Court broke np, the Prifoners conporeJ thcmfelves moft Apoftolically at the Barr, not the leaft pafiion or alteration appeared in them, at the invedives of the Judge, or at
^heclamours of the people, bat made a dear and candid defence, with a cheerful and unconcerned coun:enan:e,(as a ftander by faidj ifthey had been a Jury of Tuiks they
■^adbeen quilted,! was wichthem both before and after their Tryal, andhadthc Honour to be in my Fundrion ferviceable toehem, which I look upon as that Godfavoured nue
im , d hope for .n^faKire good.; Next day Mr. Langhornst Lawyer,-Sir George Wakentan, Mr. Cooker, Mr. MarJh,iAt. Runtbly:, the three laft Benedi<fttines, Were brought to
sheBarr, where theindi^ment being readagainft them f r confpiring the King’s Death &e. they pleaded all not guilty, then was Langhornfiift tryed, whole Tiyal held fo
lof^,thatrbey had notimet© Try theoctierfour, anJtheCommiftionby which they fate, expiring that day, the judge ad forned the Tryal of the ori>er4 till the
dj., and then the judge commanded the Keeper to bringahe rive jeftiits, whom with Langhorn were Sentenced to be Bang’d, Drawn and Quartered , Mt> Corker and Mr-
ALrrfli areclole Priloners, and have beenfothis eight months, with whom 1 have been ,God has fiteed and is ftiU fitting them as faciiriees for himfelf, they are very well dif-
^»ofcd and resigned toGod*s holy will, Mr. RttmUy hath thc Liberty ©f the Prifon, with whom is Mi\ Heskett ,aHchcerful and expttft the good hour j On 7 hurfday tiie day be*!-
fore the ^vejefuits were Executed, j^y Lord was with 7W«£*r and ^o^ promiring the Kings Pardon ifthey would acknowledge the Con(piiacy4 Mr. Galen
^mfwered he would not murder his Soul to fave his Body , lor he rauft acknowledge what he knew not, and what he did believe was not. '& if.
•On F riday the 2;o' a f June Mr. Whitebread u pen one Sledge with Mr. Harconn ^ Mr. Turner and Mr. Gaven upon another Sledge ,Mr. Fenwick upon a Sledge by him-
Self, were drawn from Mewratv to Tiburn^ Mr. Langhorn isfor a time Repreived and,promt fed Pardon, if he will (as tit Reported} difeover the Eftates of the Jeluitcs, he
was their Lawyer tis certain, ray Lord Sbaftsbary has been often with him.
In leeway they comported th^mfrivesfcrioufly and chceriiilly, Mr. Gaven had fmng’d himTelf up asif he had been going to a Weddings when they arrived at Tib urn
it&y each made a Speech, fit ft, all averring their ignorance ©F any Plott againft His Ma jefty, fecon ity , pardoning their Accufers, thirdly, hartily f , aying for them.
Bat Mr. in his Speech maile an A A ©f Contrition which was much liked by all, for he was anexeellenc Preacher : then tliey all betook theiablves to Medtration,
far more ftien a good quarter ,the multitude was great, yet there w^s a profoundfilenee, and their mqft Religious campott men t has wonderfully allayed thefury of the Peo-
^ple.^ vt;henrthey had ended their Prayers., and the Ropes were abouttheir necks there came an Horfeman in full fpeed from White Hall, crying as he Rode, a Pardon, a Pardon,
with.difficulty'he made through the Prefe to the Sheriff, wfeo was under the Gallows to fee Execution performed i ’then was the Pardon read, which «exprefled,77ow/fee
dCingmoflgraci&ufy and out qf hie inclination ^to Clemency had granted them their lives, which by Treafon they had forfeited,, ttpon condition they would acknowledge the Con-
Jyiracy and lay open what they knew thereof. But thcy all thanked his Majcfty forhis inclination of mercy to wards them, bat as do any Confpiracy fhey knew ol none much
ie& are guilty o ffiny ,fo they ^could nor accept of any Pardon upon thofe conditions, after aiiitle Recollecftion the Cart was driven away, -after they were dead they were
'Quartered /bur fhtrr Qjartcts were given to theirfriends, Sanguis Marty rum fit femen Ecclefta.
Tfent to you an accompt of Mr. 'PickeringtH et .ht;an'd will tell you what may happen, but 1 know wt if they eoroc toyou , yofamaryxover JW Letter to me, ff<fr
Jftteydon at my Lady HDrufnmmdsin Idueenjlreet} London.
Printed in
the year 15