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succeed him, lawfully begotten, then God never sent me, nor spoke by me. The oid pious praying Mr Reid, late minister in Lochrutton in Galloway, Mr. Shiels, and George Lapsly who lived and died at the Bowhead, heard him utter these expressions: They were all at London in the time that he was poisoned, who made all search to know when, where, or how he was buried, but could never find it out, being buried clandestinely; and all know that he had none to succeed him, although many said, and some write, That if all the women he lay with, in adultery and fornication, had conceived and brought forth, his offspring would have been as the stars in the firmament, spending his time only with wine and women, unconcerned about either heaven or hell, and easy about all religion. Not driving on Rome's interest, as they expected, and he engaged when abroad with the Popish princes; his brother, the Duke of York, being a sworn vassal to Antichrist, and longing to be at the throne, that he might be more active in all mischief, made them all conspire to give him a dose and send him off. The aforesaid friends at London said to me, That it was commonly roported, that when he found the poison working upon him he sat up in his bed, having one of his many whores in bed with him, as was his ordinary, and took a snuff; and it being poisoned also, he fell a-roaring and said, "O madman that I have been, they have murdered my best subjects, and banished my son, the Duke of Monmouth, and committed myself to the hand of murderers!"
6thly, After that excommunication in the Torwood, the full account whereof is to be found in the Hynd let Loose, written by famous Mr. Shields: After this there was a price of 6000 merks set upon his head, for any to catch him quick or dead. The violent avowed enemies were still in search of him before this, but more after, who, to gain the prize, had curst Doeg-like intelligencers every where lying-in-wait to betray him into their hands; notwithstanding he was remarkably preserved, and many times narrowly escaped their hands, until his work was done and his hour come; and then suddenly and surprisingly was catched, as afterwards I shall make plain.
Beside
