338 Notes to "Winchester Song," and "Justice Triumphant." up, great Genius of this potent Land!" sung to the tune of Burton Hall (also here reprinted, on our p. 245), we read concerning Ward, First Yorkshire Patience twirls his copper Chain, Dares not change sides for fear to lose his Trade. 15 See our pp. 248, and 269 to 272, as to Thomas Papillon and John Dubois. 16 On the writ of Quo Warranto, and the forfeiture or recall of London's Charter, see pp. 247 to 251, and 268, 273. 17 Sir Robert Clayton had been Lord Mayor in 1679-80, and, with his scarletgarbed Lady Clayton, he is thus hit off in Tom D'Urfey's already given Song of "London's Loyalty" (our pp. 245, 246): : Now Clayton murmurs Treason, unprovok'd, First supp'd the King, and after wish'd him choak'd; 'Cause Danby's place was well bestow'd before, He Rebel turns, seduc'd by scarlet ǝ10ч. His sawcy pride aspires to high renown, Leather-breeches are forgot in which he trudg'd to Town; The text in 18 "Old Player's grown rampant, late pickt up a W.”oman. final verse is slightly disguised" (as Sir Thomas Player was sometimes, but in his case it came about with liquor, and in company with Mother Creswell). Perhaps it is due to this notorious Lady, with whom he was supposed to be on particularly intimate terms, that we mention her portrait, still extant, drawn by M. Lauron, in P. Tempest's Cries of London, 1711. Like most of her profession, she advanced strong claims to the character of a pious matron, and, if she did not die in the odour of sanctity, she certainly left ten pounds for a clergyman's fee, who should preach her funeral sermon, mention her name, but to say nothing but what was well of her." Somebody was found, of course, and he fulfilled the injunctions, taking a general discourse until he reached the conclusion, when he named her and her request, with which he complied literally, saying, "She was born well, she lived well, and she died well; for she was born with the name of Creswell; she lived in Clerkenwell: and she died in Bridewell." Sir Thomas Player had been re-elected Civic Chamberlain (thanks to political faction) in 1682, and died (thanks to nature, not Jack Ketch) in January, 1688. The following Notes belong to the next ballad, "On Sir George Jeffereys' Installation as Lord Chief-Justice." 1 As mentioned on previous p. 337, Jeffereys was made Lord Chief-Justice in September, 1683, after having been Recorder of London and displaced for Treby. 2 Heraclitus Ridens, the Tory Journal which scarified the Whigs, as did the Observator, conducted by Roger L'Estrange; whom they caricatured as the dog "Towzer," and insinuated that he had become a Romanist. Comp. p. 377. Nat Thompson, the loyal but persecuted publisher, is mentioned in next line, see p. 176. 3 William Williams, on whom see pp. 221 and 224. Gilbert Burnet, concocter of Lord William Russell's printed Last Speech. 5 The Council of Six: see pp. 340, 343. Justice Triumphant : An Excellent New Song, in Commendation of Sir George Jeffereys, Lord Chief Justice of England.' TO THE TUNE OF, Now ye Tories that Glories [see p. 151]. Ow the Traytor, King-hater (that glories still in his Crime), Now Let the Whigs in the Tower, who thought to make us a prey, 2 And Thompson, with all who right us, were led about for a show, And burnt for Papists, by Atheists, [who] own'd no Religion or Law. 3 England's Justice, so loyal, whom all the Tribe did oppose, Has now before him the Tryal of the new Good Old Cause; Williams, who did so gore him, when he did sit in the Chair, Must now, for Treason, before him hold up his Hand at the Bar. Noble Jeffreys, who thinks it a scorn Oates or Evidence to suborn, Or by taking Bribe be forsworn, as some others before; But he, Chief Justice, our trust is, they'll pay for the old Score. Let not Rebels enslave you, with hopes to make you more free, Nor wilful Bigots deceive you, with shews of Loyalty; No Blunderbusses be planted against the life of the King; Nor Rouse nor Russel be Sainted, for first promoting the thing: Let not Rascals forge Speeches, to make rebellion and breaches, And clear the blood-thirsty Leeches, who for Innocents pass, By hatching Treason, 'gainst reason, to set up an Ignorant Ass. Then shall London promoted be, by a Loyal Lord Mayor, In spight of Villains that voted against the Lawful Heir; No Committees of Rebels, who in blind corners harangu'd; 5 [The Six. No more Seditious Libels, when Care, Vile, Curtis are hang'd. Then all hands shall address the Throne, Peace and Plenty possess the Throne, Rogues no longer oppress the Throne: Oates shall gull us no more, And London quarter a Charter, more glorious than before. [In White-letter. No woodcut. Date, September, 1683.] The Rye House Plot Litany. 1683. "From immoderate fines and defamation, From Braddon's merciless subornation, Libera nos, Domine! "From a body that's English, a mind that is French, Libera nos, Domine!" [Laurence Braddon. [Charles II. [Sir Wm. Jones. [Qu. Jeffereys? -A Third Collection of Poems against Popery. When in 1817 three separate trials, for publishing three separate Parodies of a political and so-called blasphemous character, were successfully contested by William Hone, friend of Charles Lamb, and yielder of delight to all who read the Every-day Book, there seemed to have been a general forgetfulness of the multitudinous Litanies which during two centuries before had been so common. Lord Ellenborough, before whom the two latter trials were argued, has been much ridiculed and censured for his charges to the Jury, denouncing such MockLitanies as being insults to religion: viz. Hone's "John Wilkes's Catechism," "The Political Litany," and "The Sinecurist's Creed," likewise all those earlier parodies which were quoted in defence by Hone, as showing what had been tolerated of old. Ellenborough was conscientious in his animadversions. He believed them one and all to be objectionable, libellous, and condemnable. He would not have tolerated these, belonging to Bagford and Roxburghe Ballads. THE Council of Six is mentioned at the beginning of this Litany on the Rye-House Plot, and frequently alluded to elsewhere: e.g. in the "Pindarique Ode." We insert at this place an account of this Cabal, as given by one of themselves, viz. the traitor Lord Howard of Escrick, on July 11th, 1683. It shows incidentelly how it was deemed necessary to awaken by factitious means, both in England and Scotland, the slumbering discontent : After the death of the Earl of Shaftsbury, it was considered that as there had appeared both in City and Country a very prompt and forward disposition to action, so it might justly be feared that either the minds of men might (in time) stagnate into a dull inactivity, unless proper Acts were used to keep up the fermentation, or (which was equally dangerous) that the unadvised passions of a Multitude might precipitate them into some rash and ill-guided undertakings, unless they were under the steering and direction of some steady and skilful hand. For prevention of both these Evils, it was thought necessary that some few persons should be united into a Cabal or Council, which should be as a concealed Spring both to give and to guide the motion of the Machine. The persons designed to this general care were the Duke of Monmouth, the Lord Russel, the Earl of Essex, Mr. Algernon Sidney, Mr. Hambden Junior, and another whose abilities and qualifications did in no degree fit him for such a province. [Howard's humility and tenderly-expressed modesty is peculiarly touching. When there was an allotment of punishment to be expected, the traitor's fine sense of his own disqualifications could not fail to become manifest: when money was in view, he swelled, and remembered that he was of importance.] Lord Howard of Escrick's betrayal of Confederates. 341 The first meeting of these Six was about the middle of January [1683], at Mr. Hambden's house, at which Consultation there was only propounded some general heads, which were afterwards upon more mature thoughts to be debated: viz. Where the Insurrection should be first made, whether in the City, or in the more remote parts of the Country, or in both at the same instant; what Counties were thought to be best disposed to, and best fitted for, this enterprize; what persons in the respective Counties were the most useful and most ready to be engaged; what Towns easiest to be gained, and the most proper for a general Rendezvous; what Arms were necessary to be provided, how to be got, where to be disposed; what sum of Money was of absolute necessity to answer publick occasions; how and by what methods such a sum of money was to be raised, so as not to draw into observation, nor to administer occasion of jealousie: And lastly, which was the principal, and thought to challenge the chiefest care, how Scotland might be drawn into a Concert with England, and which persons there fittest to be consulted withal about this matter. This was the sum of that day's Conference. The second Meeting was about ten days after, at the Lord Russel's house, where were present every one of the 'foresaid Six. At this Meeting it was propounded that a speedy understanding should be settled with the Lord Argile, and that in order thereunto some fit person or persons should be thought of to be sent to him, and to be a constant medium of Correspondence betwixt him and them; that care should be taken to be rightly informed of a true state of Scotland, of the general bent and inclination of the People, of the capacities or incapacities they were under, and that some trusty Messenger should be forthwith dispatched thither to invite two or three of the most valuable Gentlemen of that country into England to the end they might be advised with about the general Design. The persons nominated to be called into England were the Lord Melvin [or Melville, Sir John Cochran, and I remember another gentleman of the family and alliance of the Lord Argile, who (if I mistake not) was of the same name also and a Knight [i.e. Sir George Campbell of Cessnock], but of this I retain but an indistinct remembrance. Some other things were considered of, but of no great moment. At the conclusion of this Meeting it was agreed, that there should not be any other meeting of this Cabal (unless in case of some extraordinary emergency) until the return of the Messenger sent from hence, and the arrival of the foresaid Gentlemen out of Scotland.—Information of the Lord Howard to the King, p. 71. The messenger sent to Scotland was Aaron Smith (chosen by Algernon Sydney, and furnished by him with funds for the journey). He had acted as legal adviser to Stephen College at Oxford, but unsuccessfully. Aaron Smith assumed the alias of Samuel Clerk, and made pretence that the business to be transacted with the Laird of Ochiltree (Sir John Cochrane), and other Scotchmen, was about a company to allot certain land-property in Carolina. This business was the ostensible object of the Scotch intriguers journeying to London. Most of them escaped for the time, in various ways, and fled to Holland (afterwards joining the Duke of Argyle in the expedition which preceded Monmouth's landing at Lyme: Robert Baillie of Jerviswood was seized in London, conveyed to Edinburgh, tried and executed, December, 1684; the evidence fatal to him being the depositions of William Carstares, alias Reid, or Red," alias William Swan in Kent: but he said there that his name was Moor). 342 Argyle's attempt to foster Rebellion in Scotland. Alexander Gordon of Earlston, who was 'a zealous field-conventicler and Bothwell-Bridge rebel,' had been early taken at Newcastle, bearing an alias, Pringle, and trying to get a passage by sea. On him were found important documents, which he vainly attempted to destroy. Some bore evident marks of containing secret meaning, different from what the surface showed: the phraseology dealing with 'breaking merchants,' that it was better to venture out than to keep Shop till all be gone, that "(if all hold that is intended) they think it is almost at a point to set forward, if they had their Factors home, who are gone to try how the Country will like such goods as they are for," etc. Among other suspicious matters was this one, not understood until after Keeling's and Rumsey's betrayals: “if any strange thing fall out this week or the Next, I will again post it towards you." This letter was signed "Jo. N.," written by John Nisbet (one of Argyle's agents, who was arrested in Kent). It was dated March 20, 1683, and the week indicated would be that in which the King was expected from Newmarket; when he was to have been waylaid, but for his having departed eight days sooner in consequence of the fire. This letter was found on Alexander Gordon. Another, in cypher, written by Argyle's own hand, was also found, addressed to Major Holmes; it was guessed at, by the intelligent Grey of Crechie; William Spence afterwards (19th August, 1684) gave the key to this cypher, and it affords unmistakeable proof of the insurrection being planned. The clue is contained in these words, which follows the cyphers: "The total sum is 128 Guilders, and 8 stivers, that will be paid you by Mr. B." The system is this: Eight columns are made, with one hundred and twenty-eight words in each column descending: then the true sense appears. It was written by Argyle, the very day before Josiah Keeling made a first betrayal. B., or Butler, is the alias of William Spence. It was pretended that it stood for "Mr. Brake, a Minister in Lewarden in Friesland." Argyle was finding refuge in Holland. Major Holmes had long been his dependent and friend, bearing one alias of "Robert Thompson," and sometimes another of "West;" trusted by Argyle, but needing the assistance of Spence to decypher his letters. These, when interpreted, expressed dissatisfaction at delay, and at the niggardliness of the English conspirators in providing money, to be sent to Holland, where it would be spent for arms and ammunition to be used in the projected Scottish rising. We have briefly annotated the chief allusions to persons in the following Litany: one of the numerous lists of things to be avoided or prayed against politically. It had originally appeared as a broadside. |