ILL men plot mischeife, and the good may su [...] fer, yet not always, The Acts of trechery doe n [...] ever prosper; The guard of heavenly power d [...] fend the Saints, from the malice of hell, and wicke [...] men.

A Designe was layed against his Excellency S [...] Thomas Fairfax, what the bottome of it was, is pr [...] vate only to the Plotters yet not hid from the deity.

A Cooke who came out of France, (as he said,) with some gentlemen, came to Hammersmith, to the Lady Crispes House, where hee desired to speake with th [...] Lady herselfe.

The Lady Crispe comming to him, he told her that he was come from two Gentlemen, newly come from France, who were there, well acquainted with Sir Nicholas Crispe her Husband, who is now there in good-health, And they would bee very willing to waite upon her, (saving moreover,) that these Gentlemen had some Officers of Sir Thomas Fairfaxes Army to invite to a dinner, And the businesse of his comming at that time was to intreate the use of her house, for him to dresse the dinner for them, which would bee a very convenient place for that purpose, and a noble favour to those Gentlemen who would bee glad to injoy that opportunity to acquaint her Ladiship, with some things from her Husband, And that if shee pleased to doe that favour for them, They had appoynted him, to get the Dinner ready for them.

The Lady Crispe, being desirous to heare from her Husband, and willing to accommodete, any Gentle­men with such a courtesie, especially in such a case as this, and to receive such Guests, she told him, that with all her heart, her house was at their service.

Then this Cooke went to Turnham-greene, to the Generalls Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax; where his Excellency then was with his Lady, intending to re­turne from his Lady, back to Putney after a day or two.

The Cooke asked to speake with the Generalls La­dy: where hee was demanded by one of the Ladies Gentlewomen whom hee came from, he answered, from [...] Lady Crispe, upon a businesse which requir­ed a [...]aine Answer.

The Generalls Lady came to him, and asked what [Page 3] he had to say to her, The Cooke told her Ladiship, that he was sent from (a noble Lady) the Lady Crispe Sir Nicholas Crispes Lady, who is at Hammersmith to desire her Ladyship, that with his Excellency, shee will be pleased to honour the Lady Crispe so farre as to Dine with her, and that her Ladyship would take it for a very great honour, if his Excellency, and her Ladyship, will be pleased to answer her expectations herein.

The Generalls Lady told her, that she knew the Lady Crispe, to be a very noble Lady, and of good repute in those parts, And that she would speake to her Husband, and suddainly returne an answer.

Accordingly the Generalls Lady went to his Ex­cellency and told him, that the Lady Crispe had sent to invite them to a Dinner, with her, The Generall was unwilling to goe, but by the perswasions of his Lady in regard of that good repute which the Lady Crispe hath in all those parts, she prevailed with his Excellency to consent to it. And accordingly the Cooke was told, that hee was desired to give thanks to the Lady Crispe; And that the Generall with his Lady would waite upon her at the time desired.

The Cooke returned, and acquainted the Lady Crispe, that the Gentlemen would be there to trouble her house for meeting and dressing of a dinner, upon her Ladiships consent: and for that purpose this Cook brought in meat, so much as cost him only 16. s. and no more, which he dressed for dinner in the Lady Crispes house.

About noone his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, with his Lady, came to Lady Crispes house, it being the time appointed; and with his Excellency, came [Page 4] Colonell Reinsborough, Doctor Steines, with his Ex­cellencies, and her Ladiships attendance.

The Lady Crispe had newes presently brought to her, that Sir Thomas Fairfax was come thither, with his Lady and others, which did no little amaze her, won­dring what should bee the cause of his comming thi­ther, and yet it came into her minde, that perhaps his Excellency might be invited by some eminent persons though shee knew not who they were, but in regard she knew nothing how things were appointed, shee was puzled exceedingly what to doe.

The Generall wondred as much that hee should come and sit in the Hall, and the Lady Crispe not come presently to welcome them, yet charitable thoughts made the best construction of it.

His Excellency (after a while) was brought into the dining roome; but the Lady Crispe wondred that the Generall and his Lady were there, and no body but the Cooke to entertaine them, so that she knew not how to carry herselfe in the businesse; but she went in and saluted the guests, though she was very ignorant whose they were, yet was loath to discover it, untill she knew what the issue would be, yet shee did much admire that none should appeare to invite such guests but the Cooke.

At last dinner was brought up, and his Excellency with his Lady, and Colonell Rainsborough, and Do­ctor Steines late downe with the Lady Crispe to din­ner, the Generall, & the rest of his company supposing it had been provided by the Lady Crispe, and the Lady Crispe (though puzled what to thinke of it, yet) imagining that perhaps it might bee sent in by the Gene­rall.

There was of this meat which cost but 16. s. made above twenty dishes of meat, all French Quickslas, such as none of the company knew what any of them were, save only the Cooke himselfe, yet they all had very good tastes, and it was supposed they had beene dishes of greater value: the Generall conceiving them to bee appointed by the Lady Crispe, shee by the Ge­neralls Lady: but the Lady Crispe called for wine, and what she had in the house fit for that table.

About the middle of the dinner, the usuall time of discourse, and drinking one to another, and bidding each other, much good doe it you, and the like; the Lady Crispe made an Apology to his Excellency, and the rest, desiring to be excused, that she was so wan­ting in things fit for their entertainments, in regard shee had no knowledge at all of their comming, and that had shee knowne herselfe to be worthy of that vi­sit, shee would have had something fitting for the en­tertaining of such honourable persons, the want whereof she desired to be excused in, because of the sudden surprise.

With that they were all startled, and the invitati­on by the Cook (in the Lady Crispes name) told: where upon the Cook was called for, who being de­manded the reason of his abuse therein: Answered, that he heard his Excellency wanted a Cook, and he did not know how to present himselfe better to his Excellency, then by making a visible demonstration of what he was able to doe, and with little cost.

The Cook hereupon is committed to the custody of the Marshall-Generall of the Ar­my.

And a great fear being had of some poy­son, that might be in the meate (as proba­bly some mischiefe was in it) They all had potions given them, and have since been in a course of phisick, so that (God be prai­sed) they are all well.