A Sight of the Transactions of these Latter Years, Section 5
Anno 1643.
72. A notable plot againſt the City of London, immediately upon the Cities prefe…ing a petition to the King, by the hands of two truſty Aldermen, and foure Commoners of the ſaid City, in reply to which petition, the King ſending as his meſſenger, one Captain Hern to the City, and the whole body of the City aſſembling at a Common Hall, this Hern deſires Faire-play above-board of them; But the buſineſſe being found to be a notable deſign of the malignant-Citizens againſt the Parliament and the (then) Lord Mayor of London, and the Government of their City, the honeſt, and farre major party, cry out in the hearing of Hern, they would live and dye with the Parliament, and ſo ſent Hern away with a flea in his care.
73. Another plot immediately after, contrivedat Oxford, by a Letter ſent to all the Freemen, Journeymen and Apprentices, of the ſaid City to aſſemble at their ſeverall Halls; and there the Maſters and Wardens of all Companies to read the Kings Letter to them, and to perſwade them to yeeld to all the Kings comemands againſt the Parliament and City; but this letter was nipt and croſt alſo in the neck and nick of it, and voted by the Parliament to be evill and ſcandalous.
74. A plot alſo to betray Briſtol into the Royaliſts hands by one Yeomans and Bowch…r, and divers other their aſſociates; but by Gods mercy the plot being timely diſcovered, and the danger avoyded, thoſe two principall conſpirators were by Martiall Law condemned, and hanged, and ſo the plot utterly fruſtrated.
75. Cheapeſide croſſe, Charing-croſſe, and all other croſſes, in and about London, utterly demoliſhed and pulled down, and that abominable and blaſphemous book of tolerating ſports and paſtimes on the Lords daies, voted to be burnt, and ſhortly after accordingly burnt, together with many crucifixes and popiſh trinckets and trurnperies, in the very ſame place where Cheapeſide-croſſe ſtood.
76. M. Prynne ſent by the Parliament to the Towre of London, to ſearch the Arch prelate of Canterburies▪ chamber and Study there, where he was priſoner, who accordingly ſearching his Study, and his pockets of his wearing cloathes (a juſt requitall of his dealing with Mr. Prynne and others) found the originall Scotch Service-book, with the Arch…Biſhops owne hand-writings in it, the cauſe of all the Scots warres; and his Diary, Devotions, and diſcoveries under his own hands of matters of high concernment.
77. The City of London to have been betrayed into the hands of the Royaliſts, under a pretence of a petition for peace, plotted by Mr. Waller, a member of the Houſe of Commons, M. Tompkins, Mr. Challenor, and others; and this wicked plot, te…med by King Charles in his letter to the Queen, one of his Fine Deſignes; But God manifeſted th… to be wicked and accurſed Deſignes; and Waller on… of the prime complotters, was by the ſentence of the Parliament fined 10000 li. in his eſtate, and ſent out of the kingdom into perpetuall baniſhment, and Tompkins and Challenor hanged in London.
78. The breaking out of Sir John Hothams rotten-heart and infidelity to the Parliament, in his intended and … pl…t▪ for the betraying of that mighty ſtrong Town of Hull into the Queens hands, which treachery was plotted and contrived between Sir John the father, Captain Hotham his ſon, and Sir Edward Roades, and began to be ſuſpected, by Sir John Hothams deſerting of the moſt noble Lord Fairfax, by an intercepeed letter of the Queens to the King, and divers other ſumptomes of it, but eſpecially by Captain Moyers letter to Mr. Ripley, and Mr. Ripley's faithfull acquainting the Mayor of Hull therewith, and their firſt ſeizing on the Block-houſes, Caſtles, and Commanders of them, and at length their apprehending of the perſons of Sir John Hotham, and Sir Edward Roads, for which treachery Sir John Hotham and Captain Hotham his Son was alſo apprehended, and both of the… beheaded at the Tower of London.
The 2 of May▪ 1643. ye Croſſe in Cheapeſide was pulled downe▪ a Troope of Horſe & 2 Companies of foote wayted to garde it & at ye fall of ye tope Croſſe drum̄es beat trū pets blew & multitudes of Capes wayre throwne in ye Ayre▪ & a greate Shoute of People with ioy, ye 2 of May the Almanake ſayeth, was ye invention of the Croſſe, & 6 day at night was the Leaden Popes burnt▪ in the place where it ſtood with ringinge of Bells, & a greate Acclamation & no hurt done in all these actions.
10 of May the Boocke of Sportes vponupon the Lords day was burnt by the Kingman in the place where the Croſſe ſ…ode, & at exhange▪
Die Merturii; May 10. 1643.
By vertue of an Order of the Houſe of Commons, and agreeable to a Bill paſſed by both Houſes of Parliament, for ſuppreſſing of divers innovations in Churches and Chappels, this Committee doth require you, and every of you, to take away and demolliſh every Altar or Table of Stone within your Church or Chappell, and to remove the Communion Table from the Eaſt end of the ſaid Church or Chappel, and to place the ſame in ſome other convenient place of the body of the ſaid Church or Chappell, and to remove and take away all Tapers, Candleſticks, and Baſons from the Communion Table, and to take away and demoliſh all crucifixes, Croſſes, and all Images and Pictures of any one or more perſons of the Trinity, or of the Virgin Mary, and this Committee doth further require you to demolliſh all crucifixes, Croſſes, Images or Pictures of any one or more perſons of the Trinity, or of the Virgin Mary, upon the outſide of your ſaid Church or Chappell, or in any open place within your Pariſh. Whereof you are to give an account to this Committee, before the 20 day of this preſent monethmonth.
To the Church-Wardens of the Pariſh of, &c. and to every of them.
79. A deſperate plot for the betraying of the City or Town of Lincolne, by the two Purfries, two Captains of Hull, who let in 60 Cavaliers by night in diſguiſed habits, and who iſſuing out about 12 of the clock that night, to act their deſigne, where a plain fellow of the Town diſcharging a piece of Canon upon them, ſlew 10 of them at one ſhot the reſt ſlain and taken by the centinels and Souldiers of the town, and ſo by Gods mercy the City preſerved.
80. The Queen wrote a dangerous letter to the King, to come with all his forces to ſurprize London; but by Gods over-powring wiſedome and good providence, the King refuſing that counſell reſolved to take Glouceſter firſt, which he fiercely aſſaulted, but was as bravely repulſed, and by Gods bleſſing on Major Generall Maſ…ies fidelity, and magnanimity of ſpirit, timely aide comming to relieve the Town, it was admirably freed, and by the Lord Generalls Army, and the City of Londons Regiments, delivered.
81. A deſperate rebellion raiſed by the Ke…tiſh malignants, but by Gods mercy timely ſuppreſſed about Tunbridge, by the valour of Colonell Brown, and the wel-affected Gentry of the County of Kent.
82. A Ship bound from Denmark to the King, of about 300 t…n, richly laden with armes and …; another Ship bound from Newcaſtle to Holland, laden with …, but in the midſt thereof … between 3 and 4000li. hid in the … to buy arms for the King; and a third great ſhip called the Fellowſhip, … leaſt 400 tun, carrying 24 pieces of Ordnance, all theſe 3 ſhips taken by the Parliaments ſhips, and made prize of.
83. The comming in of our brethren of Scotland with an army of at leaſt 20000 horſe and foot, invited thereunto by the Parl: in the bitter depth of winter, when they marched up to the middle in ſnow, and were forced to bring their Artillery over the ice of the frozen river of Tyne, and the Citizens of London lent the Parliament a 100000 li. for the Scots firſt pay, to encourage their advance to helpe us againſt the Kings forces.