I Shall acquaint you of the happy discovery and prevention (by the wonderfull mercy and goodnesse of God) of a most hellish, cruell and bloudy plot (very little before it should have been put in execution, hatched and contrived by and between the Malignants of this City, Prince Ru­pert and his brother Maurice, George Lord Digby, their fel­low Cavalliers, sonnes of Beliall and others of that accursed crew, who with an Army of ten thousand of horse and foot, of their own forces and Malignants, they rouled up in their march, advanced almost to the very walls of this City: upon Monday the sixth of this instant March, they came to Chippingsodbury, from thence upon Tuesday, the next day they marched to Westbury, Horvill, and Durdon-hill, which is within a mile of this Town, who could not be so ig­norant, as to promise to themselves any hopes of Entrance by sudden assault, but by surprisall and trechery, confidently presuming on the malignant party within, that first invited them hither; a designe more damnable then the Powder [Page]Treason, and more barbarous and Cruell then the Massacre of France, being destroyers of their own liberties, and sup­planters and overthrowers of the same Religion that they themselves pretend to professe. The Agreement betwixt the Chavaliers and the Malignants here in this City was, that about eleven of the clock on the Tuesday night, a house neere unto Froome Gate was to be blowne up; which was to give warning to the Chavaliers to make their onset; who against that hour were to draw downe unto the City, and Prince Robert with his Army came so nigh as the gallows: a bell at St. Iohns Church on a hill above the gates was to toule, another bell at St. Michaels Church upon the hill above the Green was to ring, to give notice to the Malig­nants of this Towne to rise in an instant; sufficient parties were made to have forced all the Courts of Guards, thereby to have let the Cavalliers in without opposion; for that purpose there were in readinesse in the house of Master George Butcher of Christmasse street, a new made Captaine for this designe, about 160 armed men, and in the house of Master Robert Yeomans (who was one of the Sheriffes of this City the last yeere, foure and twenty men ready to put themselves in armes which there they had; the one to sup­prise the maine Guard, the other, the Guard at Froome­gate, and to let in these bloud sucking Chavaliers; two other Bells were to toule at the same time to give notice to the Malignants to rise in all parts of the City. Both Monday and Tuesday, white peeces of Incle were given to divers, and to the better sort of people Ribbins, who did weare them in their bosoms and hats for distinction, and all that had not the word Charles, or those Marks, were to be put to the sword, murthered and destroyed, besides divers houses in many places of the City were marked with white chalk, who were designed to utter ruine and destruction. The businesse is not, [Page]as yet fully examined, but this and much more is confessed by the principle and maine plotters of this wicked designe: I want time to give you a perfect Relation, you shall speedi­ly have a fuller and better account, as soone as we have a little recovered our selves out of these distractions; for the present, here is enough to stirre you up to joyn with us in the admiration of Gods infinite goodnesse and mercy to us, and to give God his glory and prayse for this wounder­full and gracious deliverance, that hath preserved so many thousands of us that were innocent, and sold, and almost given up into the hands of these cruell and bloud thirsty men.

The Cheife actors of this mischievous designe were the aforesaid Robert Yeomans, and George Butcher, Mr. Iohn Taylor, Mr. Colestone, and his brother, Mr. Fitzherbert, two Colsons, and two Herberts, N. Cule, E. Arundle, Mr. Caple, and Captain Cole of St. Augustins, who with at least one hundred more Actors and Accessories, are already taken and imptisoned in the Castle, and hourely more are disco­vered and secured, many of them upon examination have confessed the plot to be in manner as before is described; and that threescore families of men, women, and children were to be put to the sword, without quarter, given in upon a note. Twogoods house was searched and therein were found many papers that did discover the whole plot, and between three and four thousand pounds in money and plate, and twenty muskets charged with bullets, besides divers instru­ments to murther and destroy with cruelty, such as wee never saw before.

Prince Rupert and that Army marched away as soone as their Plot was discovered.

I Received yours, dated the 7 present, &c. I shall now relate unto you the unspeakable mercy of the Lord to this City, in preserving it this last week from the Cavaliers without, but above all from a most damned Conspiracy of Malig­nants who had designed us all to slaughter and massacre. On Sunday last, hearing of the Cavaliers marching from Basin­stoke, or thereabouts and making their course towards us; Collonel Fines our Governour (whose diligence is indefa­tigable, and his successe prosperous) made all the prepara­tions that could be to entertaine them with powder and bul­lets, mounted Ordnance good store everywhere was needfull, whereof two upon a new mount or fort made upon the hill about a mile from the heart of the City, and there hath kept a good strong Court of Guard. The same night the Gover­nour gave us a false alarme about one of the clock in the night, to try our readinesse to be in armes, and in a short space our men were all at their Colours, and remained there all monday, and at night all guards were doubled, and some trebled. On Tuesday we heard of the enemies approaching within five or six miles about us on Glocestershire side, but on Somersetshire none, by reason Kensome bridge was by order of a Councell of war broken down. On wednesday to­ward the evening we did descry thē from the Castle to draw to Durdum Down (about half a mile from our new Fort) and we had intelligence of hey and provisions brought thither, and there they remained and made fires upon the Down till the morning, expecting the Malignants in the Town to play their exploit, and cut the throats of the maine Guard, and [Page]the guard at Frome gate, and there to let them in, who should have notice by the ringing of the bels at S. Iohns, and S. Michaels. But see Gods infinite mercy, how it was pre­vented but a little before the time of execution. We were many of us at a Councel of war, with the Governour, and about one of the clock one brought us intelligence, that there were many met together at Mr Robert Yeomans house in Consultation, and immediately was sent Captain Buck with forty musketiers to surprise them, who comming to the doore, Yeomans hearing of it, came to him and swore deeply there were none in the house, but his own family; but they pressing to search were encountred with men upon the stairs that stood upon their guard, and threatned the death of any man that offered to come up; the other charged them to lay down their armes and submit, or they would give fire upon them, who seeing themselves over powered, immedi­ately submitted; and there they apprehended twenty and four of them; more there were certainly, but they got away over the gutters of the house: these 24 were prepared for slaugh­ter of the maine guard, and were provided with pistols and other weapons for present surprise; and immediately upon their taking, they were sent by a strong guard to the Castle, where they now are in irons, and 51 more of the great Ma­lignants, many whereof are found to have a hand in this plot. One amongst the rest is one Butcher who was designed for Frome gate (neere to which his house is) but all the men that he had provided were not found, in regard that his house was not searched a good while after Yeomans; but yet they found there 60 men and muskets hidden, one whereof was charged with 12 peeces of iron, of about three quarters of an inch long. This Boucher hath since confessed much of the plot, viz. the ceasing upon the guards, and the ringing of the bels; others confesse the wearing of white tape, for they [Page]intended when they came into massacre all the Roundheads here, and all that had not the word, Charles, and those white Tapes tied on their brests and hats. This plot being spoiled, and the gates kept close, that none could goe out to give Prince Rupert and his forces notice, made them expect till the morning, when our Gunner from the Fort let fly at them and killed a horse, which was found dead there the next day by our scouts: immediatly upon this, they all marched away, and were heard to curse the Seamen that had betrayd them.

On Thursday Prince Roberts trumpeter came to towne, but as a spy, his errand was to demand two dead bodies that we killed upon the Downe, one whereof was one Stroud, as he said. The trumpeter enquired for mee and said, my Lord of Cleveland desired me to send him a pound of to­bacco, but I being out of the way, Colonell Fines sent him one pound, and Colonell Popham another. We expected to heare of them again last night, but they came not, and fince they are marched quite away towards Cicencister and Oxford Thus the Lord hath wrought our salvation, for which let us abundantly blesse his holy name: declare this comfortable newes to all our friends, that they may praise the Lord with us.

The Country came in to us very strong, and wee are very couragi­ous (God be praised) and when that Sr. William Whaller comes, wee shall be so strong as to drive them out of these parts. He is not above 12 or 14 miles from us, and we expect him on munday at the farthest, but he doth much good service as he comes along.