THE HISTORY OF THE PLOT:; Or, A Brief and Historical Account of the Charge and Defence of Edward Colman, Esq, William Ireland, Thomas Pickering, John Grove, Robert Green, Henry Berry, Laurence Hill, Tho. Whitebread, William Harcourt, John Fenwick, John Gavan, Anthony Turner (Jesuits), Richard Langhorn, Esq., Sir George Wakeman, Baronet, William Marshall, William Rumley, James Corker, Benedictine Monks, Not omitting any Material Passage in the whole Proceeding compiled by ... by Authority
first edition
1680 · London
by (POPISH PLOT) L'ESTRANGE, Roger
London: Henry Brome and Richard Tonson, 1680. Second edition (actually the first edition of 1679 with a cancel titlepage). Folio, pp. 88. Bound in later calf backed boards, lower corner of title page restored with several letters of the imprint added in facsimile, a very good clean copy with wide margins. Wing L1259. L'Estrange (1616!1704) was one of the earliest English journalists and writers of political pamphlets. He was an active Royalist and had to flee the country during the parliamentary wars. After the Restoration, in 1663, he was appointed surveyor of printing presses and the licenser of the press. He maintained this position until he was discredited by the Popish Plot. In addition, he was an accomplished linguist, translating Josephus, Cicero, Seneca and other standard authors. from Wikipedia: "The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the executions of at least 22 men and precipitated the Exclusion Bill Crisis. Eventually Oates' intricate web of accusations fell apart, leading to his arrest and conviction for perjury. (Inventory #: 57621)