324
NOTES AND QUERIES, [ii s. vm. OCT. 25, 1913.
The revived interest in Swedenborg, which
culminated in this striking manner, had
been earlier in the same year of signal
service to the Committee of the Swedenborg
Society in the arrangements for celebrating
the centenary of its origin (on 26 Feb., 1810),
by the holding of an International Sweden-
borg Congress, on 58 July, 1910. Not only
was the King of Sweden the Patron of the
gathering, and the Swedish Envoy to the
Court of St. James its Honorary President,
but gracing its list of Vice -Presidents were
the names of many Swedish scientific men,
who largely contributed, by their presence
and oratory, to the success of this unique
gathering. The ceremonies at Upsala in-
cluded the celebration of the 200th anni-
versary of the Scientific Society of that city,
in the establishment of which Swedenborg
took an active part.
In the compilation of the present notes the undersigned has been indebted to articles in The New-Church Magazine (1902, p. 253 ; 1903, pp. 256, 417 ; 1908, p. 337 ; 1909, p. 211 ; 1910, p. 546 ; 1911, pp. 450, 500, 546), where the inquirer may obtain, or be directed to, fuller information than can here be afforded.
CHARLES HIGHAM.
THE FORGED 'SPEECHES AND
PRAYERS' OF THE REGICIDES.
(See 11 S. vii. 301, 341, 383, 442, 502; viii. 22, 81, 122, 164, 202, 242, 284.)
XV. ' THE PANTHER ' : OWEN LLOYD AND JOHN ROGERS.
WHEN giving evidence against Simon Dover, Sir Roger L'Estrange proved that he printed a seditious tract commonly called ' The Panther ' (see ' Cal. of State Papers, Do- mestic,' for 1661-2, p. 543, and for 1663-4, p. 162), and said :
" When I came to his [Dover's] house, which was about the middle of October, to search, I found at that present a little unlicensed quaking book, and in his pocket the libel that was thrown up and down the streets, called ' Murder will out,' ready printed.
" L. Ch. Ju. Hide. Which was a villainous thing, and scattered at York.
" Mr. L'Estrange. Since that, I was at his house to compare a flower, which I found in the Panther (a dangerous pamphlet) ; that flower, that is, the very same border, I found in his house, the same mixture of letter, great and small, in the same case, and I took a copy off the press. I found, over and above, this letter (producing
the letter) dated the 7 th of February, 1663 (4), and
addressed ' For my dear and loving wife J. Dover.'
Is it your lordships' pleasure I shall read it all ?
" L. Ch. Ju. Hide. If it be touching the print- ing of things you found, do.
" Mr. L'Estrange (reads it}. ' I would fain see my sister Mary. Therefore, since sister Hobbs will not come, take her order ; and, instead of her name, put in sister Mary's, it will never be ques- tioned here. However, do it as wisely and hand- somely as you can,' &c. And then, in a P.S. ' You must get either Tom Porter or some very trusty friend (possibly C. D. may help you) to get for you a safe and convenient room to dry books in as fast as you can.' And again. ' Let me know what you intend to do with the two sheets and a half, I will have it published when I am certain I shall be tryed.' " ' An Exact Narrative of the Trial of John Twyn,' and others, p. 61.
A warrant to Catherine Hobbs to see Dover appears in the State Papers, and is dated 25 Jan., 1664.
' Murder Will Out ' may possibly have been the same tract as ' Murther Will Out ; or, the King's Letter justifying the Mar- quess of Antrim,' published also in 1689. If this is so, the king's letter is genuine, and is to be found in the Calendar of Irish State Papers ; and the seditious part of the tract must have been the introduction.
But, in any case, the Fifth Monarchy tract called ' The Panther ' was highly inflam- matory. The title of the copy in the British Museum runs :
" The Panther-prophecy ; or, a Premonition to all people of sad calamities and miseries like to befall these islands. To which is added, an astrological discourse concerning that strange apparition of an army of horse seen in Wales, near Mountgomery, December the 20th, 1661.... Printed in the year 1662."
This pamphlet is, in effect, a prediction of the destruction of the king, lawyers, clergy, and citizens of London, with an incitement to the wholesale slaughter of the ruling classes and to firing the City. It con- tains seven half folio pages, including a preface, in which it is stated of the pro- phecy :
" Others, again, say that December 1653, a person of honour and integrity, out of an extream sence of the misery (which hath since been made sufficiently evident to common sence, and is daily more and more) that was coming upon his country, as well as his own private affairs, by the actions then a foot, fell into such a bitter agony of spirit as brought him very low ; and, upon the 28 th day of the month, in the morning about day- break, whether asleep or awake, he was not certain, that which is contained in the following paper was presented to him," &c.
In 1688 ' The Panther ' was reprinted in Holland in Dutch (apparently against James II.), and on the title-page the name
