CHAPTER IV.

KIFFIN'S POLITICAL HAZARDS.

Apprehended on a charge of Treason-Brought before Monk -Committed to Prison-Examined by Chief Justice Foster-Defends himself to his Lordship's satisfaction-Exposes the Forgery of the Letter which occasioned his be ing apprehended-Opposes the Hamburgh Company—Is examined by the House of Commons-Is brought before the King in Council-Is honourably dismissed-Enjoys the favour of the King and Lord Clarendon.

AFTER the return of his Majesty, I remained in quiet for about six months; till it pleased God to take away by death the Princess of Orange. A plot was then laid, which if it had taken effect, would have cost me the loss of life and estate.

A letter was forged, as if it came from Taunton, directed to this effect:-That the Princess of Orange being now dead, they were ready to put their design into execution;-that according to my promise, I would provide, and send down, powder, match, and bullet, &c. for that they believed the promise, that one of them should chase a thousand

This was the substance of the said letter. Upon which, I was seized on a Saturday at midnight, and carried to the guard at Whitehall. None were suffered to speak with me, and I continued all next day under many taunts and threats of the soldiers. On the Lord's day evening, I was sent for before General Monk, and several others of the Council, who read the said letter to me. They even charged me, that I must needs be guilty of those things in the said letter. To whom I replied, that I knew not so much as the name of the man mentioned in the letter, by whom it was said to be written; and I did abhor even the entertaining any thoughts of doing any thing which might be to the disturbance of the peace of the kingdom.

After the examination, I was put into the hands of the soldiers, to take care of me, and ordered to be sent next day to the Lord Chief Justice Foster, to be examined. I was strictly watched by them all that night, in an inn in King's Street, whither they carried me.

Under this dispensation, I found many supports from God; and knowing my own innocence, did not doubt but the Lord would one way or other work

for my deliverance. The next day, I was carried in a coach to Sergeant's Inn to be examined. Soldiers being about the coach, occasioned a great concourse of people, who inquired what was the matter; some crying out traitors, rogues, hang them all.

On coming to my Lord Chief Justice, I was strictly examined by him about the said letter; to which, when I had returned answer, I told his Lordship, that I did not doubt, but his Lordship took more pleasure to clear an innocent man than to condemn a guilty; and therefore prayed him that I might have liberty to speak for myself, and I doubted not but my innocence would appear. He returned me for answer, I should speak freely what I could.

I told him there were some things in the letter itself which might give satisfaction that it was a mere forgery. For first, the letter states the rise of the execution of this plot from the death of the Princess of Orange, and yet it was dated at Taunton three days before she died. To which my Lord replied It was a considerable observation; and looking upon the date of the letter to be so indeed, said that might be but a mistake in the date, yet the letter might be true,

To which I made answer, I should leave that to his Honour's consideration. But there was one thing more, which, with submission to his Lordship's judgment, could be no mistake: that was, that there could be no letter written from London to Taunton, and an answer to it from Taunton, from the time of the death of the Princess of Orange, to the time I was seized. For I told him, his Lordship knew the Princess died on the Monday night, and no letter could give advice of it by post till the next night; and no answer could be to that letter till the next Monday morning; while I was seized the Saturday night after her death, which must needs be before any post came in.

Upon this, my Lord looking very steadfastly upon the Lieutenant Colonel, whose prisoner I was, the said Lieutenant Colonel desired my Lord to give me the oaths. My Lord replied to him in great anger, that he would not. And that things were come to a fine pass, when a Lord Chief Justice muşt be taught by a soldier what to do. Telling him it was a trappan : and then my Lord directed his speech to me; and told me he was satisfied I was abused, and that if I could find out the author of the said letter he would punish him and discharge me.

Mr Henry Jesse and Mr Crape were mentioned with me in the letter from Taunton, and they were both examined and discharged also... Thus did God work for my deliverance, and insnare them which contrived this letter in the work of their hands, while we escaped as a bird out of the net of the fowler : having great cause to praise his holy name.

A little after this, being at a meeting on a Lordsday, in Shoreditch, we were apprehended and carried before Sir Thomas Bide, and by him I was committed to the new prison, with several others: but having continued there about four days, I was by him released.

It pleased God, after this, to give me some time of respite; but by the providence of God, I was called to manage another affair that might have exposed me to ruin.

The Hamburgh Company endeavouring at this time very much to get themselves established, obtained a proclamation from the King, that none might trade into the places of Holland and Germany woollen manufactures, but those that were This occasioned several mer

with any

of the company.