Chap. X. 7be HIS T 0 R Y of tbe PuRITANS. 733 the bed from under him. Dr. Annejley, and feveral other minillers, King had their goods di!l:rained for latent conviClions; that is, upon the oaths qf Cha(,J~s .rr. perjims tbey never Jaw, nor received fltmmons to ~rfwer fir themftlves be. ~ fore a jujlice qfpeace. Thi.s was fl:abbing men m the dark. Some w~re imprifoned on the corporation act. The reverend Mr. Vmcent was tned. and convicted at the Surry a(Jizes on the 35th of queen Elizabetb, already mentioned: He lay in prifon many months, but was at !all: releafed by the interceffion of fame great men. The diifenting laity were harafied every where in the (piritual courts, warrants were figned for dijh-effes in the village of Hackney alone, to the fum of fourteen hundred pounds; one of which was for five hundred. The reader will then judge what mull: have been the cafe of the interefl: in general. But in the midfl: of all this oppreilion and violence, the court found Rye-houfe that the fpirit of engli)h liberty was not ealily fubdued; there was a fet .plot. of patriots who !l:ood in their way, and were determined to hazard their lives and fortunes for the confl:itution; thefe were therefore to be removed or cut off, by bringing them within the compafs of fame pretended plot again fl: the government. Some who were more zealous than prudent, met together in clubs at the taverns and other places, to talk over the common danger, and what might be done to fecure their religion and liberties in cafe of the king's death; but there was no defign in any. of them formed againfl: the king or the prefent government. The court however laid hold of this occalion, and as Mr. Coke fays, fet on foot three plots, one to affailinate the king and duke as they came from New-Market; another to feize the guards; and a third was ca)led the Blackheatb plot; in all which, for ought I can find (fays he), the fox waJ tbe finder. Dr. Wehvood adds, that the fhattered remains of engfijh Mem. p. liberty were attacked on every fide, and fome of the noblefl: blood in 132. the nation, offered up a facrifice to the Manes of popifn martyrs. Swearing came into fafhion, and an evidence office was fet up at Whitehall; the witneifes were highly encouraged, and initead of judges and juries that might boggle at half evidence, care was taken to pick out fuch as fhould fiick at nothing to ferve a turn. The plot which the court made Burn.p. 544 , ufe of was called the Ryeho~fe plot, from the name of the houfe where 550, 633. the two royal bro,hers were to be fhot ; it was within two miles of Hodf don in Hertfordjhire, and was fir!l: difcovered by one Keeling an anabaptijl, after him Goodenough, Runifey, and W1f, made themfelves witneifes, and framed a fl:ory out of their own heads, of lopping qff the t7vo brothers, as they c.nne from Nnv Madet, and having heard of conferences betw~en the duke of Monmouth, lord Rujjel, and others, concerning fecurmg the prote!l:ant religion upon the king's deceafe, they impeached <hem to tht: couucil, upon which lord Ru(/el, Algernon Sidney, the earl of
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