A New Martyrology, Martyrology · Life 2 – Life 3
Mr. ARNOLD.
BUT though the Providence of God was pleas'd, no doubt for wise Reasons, to suffer this last worthy Person to fall a Victim to the Malice and Cruelty of our Popish Enemies; tho' there was perhaps a sort of a sad necessity —that this one man shou'd die, to alarm a stupid Nation, and rouze 'em from that careless believing temper which since that has gone so fair towards their Ruine; and tho' 'twas to cost England more and nobler Blood, before its entire deliverance; yet the Government of the World is not so absolutely given up to the disposal of him who is call'd the Prince of it, as that in every Attempt, Villany should be triumphant, and Vertue miserable. However kindly 'twas meant, the Stroke here was not home enough, and Mr. Arnold prov'd only a Confessor, tho' they intended him a Martyr. One wou'd have thought their ill Success in taking off one Justice of Peace, shou'd have cool'd their Fury a little, and hinder 'em from venturing upon another.— But this 'tis when men list themselves of a Religion where they must be given up to the Salleys and Transports of a blind Zeal, and refuse the Conduct either of their Senses or Reason.
Mr. Arnold had been a vigorous Prosecutor of the Priests and Jesuits which sculkt about in his own County of Wales. This was a crime not to be forgiven, nor any ways attoned by less than his Destruction. In order to which he was assaulted by several Villains, fit for such a business, in a little dark Lane near the Temple, as he was passing through it pretty late in the Evening; and had no doubt dispatch'd him; and either found some way to make the World believe he had done it himself, as they wou'd have done in the former instance, or started some other Sham to have remov'd the Odium from their own Party. But the Gentleman, having had apprehension of some such Accident, made better use of it than Sir Edmond before him; and having luckily a Sute of private Armour on, receiv'd several Stabs the Villains gave him, upon that, and so sav'd his life. But they finding their Attempts that way unsuccessful, were resolv'd to take another course with him, and having got him down, with some desperate weapon or other fit for the purpose, made several Trials to cut his Throat, and gave him some dangerous wounds about that part; which while he was strugling with them to preserve, a Boy providentially goes by with a Light, which their Deeds of Darkness not being able to endure, they all ran away, and left Mr. Arnold weltering in his Blood, who yet, by God's Providence, recover…d again, and liv'd to see Justice done to one of the Villains that used him in that barbarous manner: His name was Giles, and was discover'd by a wound in his Leg, which one of his Accomplices ran through in the scuffle, as he was making a Stab at Mr. Arnold. He was try'd for the Action, found Guilty of it, and Sentenced to stand in the Pillory for the same, which was accordingly executed, with a liberal Contribution over and above from the enraged Rabble, who sufficiently made up for the Gentleness of his Sentence, though as Severe a one as our mild Laws could inflict upon such Offenders.
Mr. COLLEDGE.
NO Body can doubt but that 'twas now very much the Interest of the Papists to get off, if possible, that foul Imputation of a Plot which stuck so deep upon 'em; which had been confirm'd by Sir Edmond's Murther, Coleman's never to be forgotten Letters, Arnold's Assassination, and a great deal of Collateral Evidence, which fell in unexpectedly, many of those who gave it being utterly unacquainted with the first Discoverers. After several unfortunate attempts they had made to this purpose; after the Living had perjur'd themselves, and the Dying done worse, to support their desperate Cause; after Attempts to blast and ruine some of the Evidence, and buy off others of 'em, in both which, publick Justice took notice of, and punish'd 'em: being of a Religion that sticks at no Villany to serve an Interest, and certainly the most indefatigable and firm People in the World when they set about any Design, especially where Diana is concern'd, not being yet discouraged, they resolv'd to venture upon one Project more, which prov'd but too successful, to the loss of the bravest and best Blood in the Kingdom; and that was to Brand all those who were the steddiest Patriots, and so their greatest Enemies, of what Rank soever they were, with the odious Character of Persons disaffected to the Government, or, in the old Language, Enemies to Caesar: They pretended to perswade the World, that after all this great noise of a Popish Plot, 'twas onelyonly a Presbyterian one lay at the bottom: This they had endeavour'd in the Meal-tub Intrigue, the Names of most of the worthy Persons in England being cull'd out to be sworn into it: But this miscarrying (like the Mother on't, Mrs. Celiers Miscarriage in Newgate) they had by this time taken breath, form'd new Designs, and procur'd new Witnesses which might do business more effectually, and, tho' they cou'd not write nor spell their Names, and so were not very well skill'd in Book-learning, yet at Buke-blawing they were admirable; by which Character you may easily guess they were Irish-men. Nor did they want Fools to believe, any more than Knaves to manage this Design; by their continued unwearied Contrivances a great many easie, and some well-meaning People having by this time been wrought upon to believe almost as implicitly as they themselves, whatever the Priests wou'd have 'em. One thing, whatever happen'd, they were pretty sure of, That whether this Plot were believed, or no, they shou'd carry on their Intrigue by it: If 'twas, they had what they wish'd: If it shou'd be discover'd, 'twou'd yet confound and amuse Peoples minds, and make 'em so sick of Plot upon Plot, that it might make 'em almost stagger in their belief of the other. They had besides all this, a strong Party at Court to favour their Enterprizes. The King was the Duke's, and the Duke —all the World know who's▪ Twas necessary to flesh their Blood-hounds by degrees, to bring People on by little and little▪ to attempt some of inferiour Rank for a beginning▪ and not split the Cause for want of good management. And who so fit as poor Colledge to be the first Victim of their Perjury and Malice; by whose Death, besides being rid of a troublesom Fellow, and breaking the Ice to make room for those to follow; they might also expect this advantage, That the middle sort of People wou'd be discourag'd in their just hatred of Popery and Papists, and prosecution of the Laws against them.
'Twas by such Methods as these that Mr. Colledge began to signalize himself in the VVorld. Being a Man of Courage, Industry, and Sharpness, he made it much of his Business to serve his Country, as far as possible, in searching after Priests and Jesuits, and hunting those Vermin out of their lurking Holes, in which he was very serviceable and successful, and for which, no doubt, they did not fail to remember him. The first time we meet with him in Publick, is, I think, in Stafford's Trial, where he's brought in for Mr. Dugdale, as a Collateral Evidence. But by that time the VVind was a little upon turning, and the Tide of Popular Aversion not quite so strong against Popery, being by the cunning of our common Enemy diverted into little Streams, and private Factions; and Arbitrary Power driving on, as the best way to prosecute the Designs of Rome; to which the City of London in a particular manner made a vigorous Resistance; which displeasing the grand Agitators, no wonder they endeavour'd, as much as possible, to do it a mischief; their kindness to it having been sufficiently experienced in 66. and even since, In order to which, the K. was pleas'd, by the advice of his Ghostly Brother, to alter the common and almost constant course of Parliaments, and call one at Oxford instead of London. Many of the Members whereof, and especiall… those of London were apprehensive of some design upon 'em there, having formerly in the Gun-powder Treason, and ever since, sufficiently found the Love of the Papists to Protestant Parliaments, and knowing very well what they were to expect from their kindness, if they shou'd be attempted upon by 'em, and found defenceless. And more ground of Suspicion they had, because, as Colledge protests in his Speech, there had been Affidavits judiciously made of a form'd Design against 'em, being besides remov'd away from the City of London, which had always so much of the English Blood in't, as heartily to love Parliaments, and for that reason wou'd have ventur'd all for their defence. From these, and such like Reasons 'twas, that several of the Parliament men went accompanied with some of their Friends, well arm'd and accoutred, to Oxford, of which number this Mr. Colledge was one, he waiting on my Lord Clare, Paget, and Huntington to Oxford; where the Parliament, foreseeing what has since happen'd, wou'd have gone on where they left off in former Sessions, which, causing great Heats, every body knows how abruptly they were dissolv'd not long after their meeting. 'Twas now grown the entertainment of every Coffee-House, and the Subject of every Buffoons Pamphlet to expose and vilifie Parliaments as much as possible, and the very name of it was now grown as odious to some men, as that of Protestant. Mr. Colledge had, besides all his other forementioned Crimes, been, as he declares in his Speech, a great Honourer of that august Assembly, and had been in former Sessions engaged by …me of the honourable Members to search the places adjoyning the Parliament-House, lest there should be a new Gun-powder-Treason hatching for 'em; from whence, as he says himself, he believes he got that Popular Name of Protestant Joyner.
All these Reasons together were more than enough to get him taken out of the way; and for the performance thereof, Heins, Macnamarra, and one or two of the Apostate Evidence of the Popish Plot, informed against him. Nor is it a wonder that after so many attempts, some of those men should be prevail'd with to prove false; but rather, that under so many temptations, any of 'em resisted▪ or were not sooner Villains. These Persons swore such mad things against him, of taking Whitehall, and pulling the King out of it, and such other odd wild Stories, that partly from the improbability of the matter, and partly from the ill Character of the Persons who witness'd it, the Jury here in London refus'd to find the Bill, but return'd it Ignoramus. On which, contrary to all Justice, and President, and Law, and Common Reason, which forbids a man should be twice in danger of his Life for the same Offence; the business was remov'd to Oxford, where how little Civility or common Justice he met with in his Tryal, was then notorious to all the World: A Person being check'd, for giving him but assistance and notes in the way of his calling, to make his defence, when his Life was engaged: Yet tho' even those Notes were deny'd him: None that heard the Tryal, or so much as read it, but must grant, that he made a very extraordinary Defence, and much more than could have been expected from a man of more Learning. But he might have spared all his Labour; the Business was no doubt on't resolv'd upon before, and he was found Guilty, Sentenc'd and Executed according to Order. To look back once more, and enquire a little deeper into the very original of the matter: That there was a design laid to bring in most of the worthy Patriots of England into a Sham-Plot under the odious, scare-crow name of Presbyterians, not only the Meal-tub-attempt, and several other of the same Batch, makes sufficiently appear; but the late Essay of Fitz-harris above all the rest, was enough to satisfie the most prejudiced Persons. He had conspired with some others to write a scandalous Libel against the King, which was to be laid on such as they'd call Presbyterians, and this to be sent to their Houses, or conveyed into their Pockets, and there to be seiz'd, and the Persons prosecuted thereupon. This business the Oxford Parliament had before 'em, and began to smell out who set it on foot; and being resolv'd to find the bottom on't, lest he should be hang'd up on the sudden to prevent his Confession, (he now beginning to melt a little) as Hubert, who fir'd London formerly was, they impeached him, to keep the examination of that matter to themselves. 'Tis too long to run over the Proceedings against him, and the Court-Parties subtle contrivance, to Hang, Draw, and Quarter him, and so to hinder effectually his telling any more Tales. 'Tis sufficient to observe, that this design was prosecuted for several years after, and poor Colledge was to bear the first brunt on't, as has been already declared.
If we reflect y…t further on the manner of his Tryal, and not look on to any others, one wou'd be apt to think 'twas impossible a man could be destroyed with more injustice and barbarity than he was, or that twelve men who look like Christians, could be found out, who would hang a Man upon such Evidence as was given against him.
When a Criminal shall be kept a close Prisoner in the Tower, without having sufficient means to make his Defence, till he come to his Trial: When, as has been said, he shall be rifled of his Notes, by which he could only save his Life, on which he depended, and that just before he came to his Tryal; though assisted therein by that very Council assigned by the Court for him: When he shall in vain demand 'em again, and call Heaven and Earth to witness, that he's meerly cheated of his Life for want of 'em: When all his redress is such a frivolous excuse, as not only a Judge, but any honest Man would be asham'd to make use of—Nay, such a sort of a one as is commonly made before the Judges, but seldom by 'em — That 'twas somebody else did it—That the Court, the Chief-Justice, had 'em not, nor did take 'em from him; when the very Person stood by who rob'd him of 'em; and yet he could have no reparation: When the Kings Council must whisper the Chief-Justice on the Bench, and the Court must be adjourned, on purpose to examine into those Minutes which the poor Man had got together to save his Life, and even from them get an opportunity to take it away, altering the manner of their Prosecution, strengthning and bolstering their Evidence where they found it weak or contradictory: When all the Evidence against him, were not only such as an honest London Jury wou'd not believe, though a Country one, directed by the Kings Council, could make a shift to do it; but were every one of 'em who witness'd any thing material, confounded by such home Evidence, as if any thing in the World could do it, did certainly invalidate and annul their Testimonies: When one of them swears horridly, He cared not what he swore, nor whom he swore against, for 'twas his Trade to get Money by swearing.— That the Parliament were a company of Rogues for not giving the King Money, but he would help him to Money out of the Fanaticks Estates, which is explained by what Smith says, —That if the Parliament would not give the King Money, but stood on the Bill of Exclusion, 'twas pretence enough to swear a design to seize the King at Oxford. When this same Heins very pleasantly says, 'Twas a Judgment upon the King and the People, and the Irish-men's swearing against 'em was justly fallen on 'em, for outing the Irish of their Estates. When others of 'em swear, That since the Citizens deserted 'em, they would not starve; That they would have Colledge's Blood; That tho they had gone against their Consciences, 'twas because they had been persuaded to't, and could get no Mony else; and when they had said before t…ey believed Colledge had no more hand in any Conspiracy against his Majesty, than the Child unborn; When they would have hired others to swear more into the same Plot; when the Bench was so just and kind Counsel for the Prisoner, as to tell the Jury, The Kings Witnesses were on their Oaths, the Prisoners not, and so one to be credited before the other; in which case 'tis impossible for any man living to make a defence against a perjur'd Villain. Lastly, When the Prisoner himself very weightily objected— …hat there was no proof of any Persons being concern'd with him in the design of seizing the King, and 'twas wisely answer'd,—That he might be so vain to design it alone—A thousand times more Romantic Improbability than an Army's lying conceal'd at Knightsbridge, and of the same stamp with Draweansirs killing all on both sides. Taking all these things together, hardly ever was a man at this rate banter'd out of his Life before any Judicature in the World, in any place or Age that History hath left us.
Nor ought the great Service he did to the Nation in general to be ever forgotten; since notwithstanding all the disadvantages he was under, the publick stream running so violently against him and his Witnesses, and the surprize which such strange Treatment, when he was on his Life, might cast him into, he yet made so strong a Defence, by shewing what sort of Witnesses were brought against him, hindring them ever after from being believ'd, and thereby certainly saved many anothers Life, tho he could not his own.
Nor can the undaunted Courage, and firm Honesty of the man be hardly ever enough admired. Since besides what he shewed in his defence, after he was condemned, as he himself said, as good as without a Tryal, he boldly ask'd, When he was to be executed? without any the least seeming concern. And tho he had time considerable before his Execution to consider on't, refus'd to save his Life so meanly, as to make other innocent men's the price of his own; without which design they had hardly been so kind to have given him so long a Reprieve.
As for his Behaviour at his Execution: 'Twa… such as convinc'd more than a few of his greatest Enemies, and made 'em entertain a much better opinion of him than before. From his last Speech we shall remark several Passages as another argument for his Innocency. But before we proceed any further in 'em, 'twill be needful to fix one assertion, which we may presume few modest unprejudiced Persons, will deny, and which we shall have occasion to make further use of.—'Tis,— That a Protestant, who believes an Heaven and Hell, and is not a Man of no Principles, or debauch'd and atheistical, would go out of the World, into the Presence of that God who must Judge him, with a Lie in his Mouth.—This none will deny, but those who have a very great kindness for the Papists; and yet of all men in the world, such as these must not offer to do it,— since 'twas the very argument they made use of for the Innocence of the Jesuits, and other Traytors. Tho' on that side we know there are unanswerable Arguments not to believe them; their Religion recommending Pe…jury, and all sorts of Villanies to 'em as meritorious, when Holy Church is concerned. Their Church besides allowing 'em Dispensations before, and Absolution after, and Purgatory at the worst, whence a few Masses would fetch them out again.—Things being thus, what can any Man of Modesty say to Mr. Colledges Protestations over and over, both in Prison, and at his Death, that he was perfectly innocent of what he dy'd for? [I did deny it then, (says he, that is, before the Council) and do deny it upon my Death: I never was in any manner of Plot in my days; nor if I had had any such design as these have sworn against me, I take God to witness, as I am a dying Man, and on the terms of my Salvation, I know not one Man upon the face of the Earth which would have stood by me.] And lower, [I knew not of any part of what they swore against me, till I heard it sworn at the Bar.] Again, [All the Arms we had was for our Defence, in case the Papists should have made any attempt by way of Massacre, &c. God is my witness this is all I know.] And in his solemn Prayer, and some of his almost very last Words— ['Tis thee, O God, I trust in.—I disown all Dispensations, and will not go out of the World with a Lie in my Mouth.] —And just after to the People, [From the sincerity of my Heart, I declare again, That these are the very Sentiments of my Soul, as God shall have mercy upon me.]
Now upon the whole I'd ask any sober man, what he would answer to this, and how he can forbear, without the greatest Violation to all Principles of Good Nature and Ingenuity to pronounce this Person innocent?
Thus dy'd Mr. Colledge, whose Blood as he himself desir'd it might, sufficiently spoke the Justice o… his Cause ▪ who seem'd in his Speech to have some Prophetick Intimations, that his Blood would not be the last, as indeed it was not, but rather a Praelude to that which follow'd, the Edge of the Laws being now turn'd against all those who dar'd defend it.
He has one Daughter yet living, whose Gratitude and Generosity to those who were kind to her under the Misfortunes of her Family, is at present the wonder and entertainment of the Cou…t of England, and whose brave Soul speaks her the true Child of such a Father.
For his Character. How great and undaunted his Courage was, both his Tryal and Death testifie. He was very vigorous and earnest, almost to a Fault, in his undertakings. But certainly there are so few who err on that hand, that we may without flattery account this his warm zeal for his Country, if it did a little exceed, a happy as well as a very pardonable error. He was extraordinary ingenious in his own Trade, and imployed amongst great Persons for his dexterity therein. He had an entire love for the City of L…ndo…, and stood up for its honour and priviledges as highly as any man living. He ha… a Soul so very great and generous, that many who knew him well, have said, considering his Education, they wondred how he came by it. He was a man of very good sound sense, considerably more than those of his Rank generally have, which he had much improved in his latter time by conversation with Persons of Honour and Quality. In fine, he liv'd sufficiently belov'd by those who knew, and did not fear him; and dy'd lamented by his Friends, and admired and esteemed by his very Enemies.
Some time after his Death his Picture was sold about Town, which as I remember very much displeased the Observator. Under it were these Lines engraven,
By Irish Oaths, and wrested Laws I fell,
A Prey to Rome, a Sacrifice to Hell.
My guilty Blood for speedy Vengeance cries,
Hear, hear and help, for Earth my Suit denies.
Part of a Poem written by Mr. Stephen Colledge, a while before he was sent to Oxford, where he suffered Death, Aug. 31. 1681.
WHat if I am into a Prison cast,
By Hellish Combinations am betray'd?
My Soul is free, although my Body's fast:
Let them repent that have this evil laid,
And of Eternal Vengeance be afraid;
Though Racks and Gibbers can my Body kill,
My God is with me, and I fear no ill.
What boots the clamours of the giddy Throng?
What Antidote's against a poysonous Breath?
What Fence is there against a Lying Tongue,
Sharpen'd by Hell to wound a man to Death?
Snakes, Vipers, Adders do lurk underneath:
Say what you will, or never speak at all,
Our very Prayers such Wretches Treason call.
But Walls and Bars cannot a Prison make,
The Free-born Soul enjoys its Liberty;
These clods of Earth it may incaptivate,
Whilst heavenly Minds are conversant on high,
Ranging the Fields of Blest Eternity:
So let this Bird sing sweetly in my Breast,
My Conscience clear, a Rush for all the rest.
And sure of this the World's so well aware,
That here 'tis needless more for me to say,
I must conclude, no time have I to spare,
My winged hours do flie too fast away,
M… (work) Repentance must I not delay,
I'll add my Prayers to God for England's good;
And if he please will Seal them with my Blood.