Friday January 3rd 1678[/9]. Friday the Judges were to report the Triall of the 3 condemned persons at White Hall and to give theire opinion concerning [P105] the Lords in the Tower, whether they may bee tryed by Bill before the Parliament or by their Peeres.

His Majesty hath appointed some Councillors to Examine the Plott, whereof those are 3 the Lord Privy Seale, The Earle of Essex, the Earle of Bridgwater. The Judges have reported the tryall of the 3 condemned persons to bee fair, and Equall, and the proofes to bee full : And that it is their opinion That the Lords should bee tryed by Impeachment and the Bill before Parliament and not otherwise.

Tuesday January 7th 1678/9. There is an Informacion come to Towne taken out of a Book found at Combe in Herefordshire, which saies, that there are 3 Jesuite Colledges founded in England. One in London dedicated to St. Ignatius One to St. Aloytius in Staffordshire, One to St. Xaverius at the said Combe, in which is found a very fair Library, and very many Reliques and Legends. Sir John Preston is enter'd into orders and hath given his whole Estate (which is 2 or 3000l a yeare) to One of them. One Mr. Dugdale was sent for up out of Staffordshire by a Habeas Corpus to give Evidence concerning the plott.

Upon the 20th of December 1678 there were 68 persons 〈all Scots〉, Two of them Ministers 2 Students and most of them Farmers and Tradesmen whereof many of them were married and had families, severall were 50 yeares old, and 2 above 60 were shipt on board the St. Michaell of Scarrborow (Edward Johnson Master) by vertue of a Councell Table order (Because they had beene at A Conventicle, and would not accuse theire fellow hearers) to be Transported into some of our forreigne plantacions as Virginia &c. Mr. Williamson a Young Merchant that lives in London, begged (or bought) them of the Board there, upon this expresse Condition To sett them ashore in Virginia, and to bring a Certificate from the Governor thereof that he had soe done, In order (as is conceived) to theire Sale for Slaves to those that will give most for them.