IT is not unknown to the whole kingdome with what violence and spleene the good Towne of Kingston upon Hull has been laid at by the Malignants of it, being the most famous and considerable Port of the whole North parts, those perverse Coun­cellors intimating to His Majesty that it was the mainest Engine to advance their designes that could possible be fastened upon His Majesty; therefore com­ming thither in person with his Cavaliers demanded en­trance into the Towne, which Sir Iohn Hotham the Gover­nour instituted by Order of Parliament, though he paid His Majesty all the due respects of a Loyall Subject, refused to doe, well knowing the danger might arrive to the Common­wealth if those enemies to the State, the Cavaliers, should get possession of that excellent Haven; by which meanes they might give free admittance to any forraigne forces, their malice should call into their aids against the just pro­ceedings of the Parliament. This action, howsoever the King was pleased to misconstrue and take as an indignity to him­selfe, was censured just and honourable by the Parliament, who furnished the said Sir Iohn Hotham with Forces for his defence against those malignants in case they should draw the King with His Army against him and the said Towne, which they effected, though the strength of the Towne and courage of the Governour inforced them to wave the siege of the place. Since there has been divers practises made a­gainst the said Towne and the life of Sir Iohn Hotham▪ as has [Page 4] been confessed; but none of them suiting to effect God, pre­venting their wicked purposes, the malignants in and abou [...] that riding of Yorkeshire, thinking that now the businesse of Hull had layne so long dead, Sir Iohn Hotham and his Garri­son were growne carelesse and so fearelesse of any attempt could be made against them. Upon these false Principles therefore▪ grounding their erronious opinion they made cock-sure of the effecting their determination, some fifty or threescore Gentlemen being engag'd in this affaire, their ser­vants and followers compleating them the number of 100 persons, not doubting to find some malignants in Hull assi­stant to their treachery, over they went to Grimsby in Lin­colnshire, from thence meaning to passe the Humber to Hull in the disguised habits of Seamen undiscovered: so comming thither in divers Companies by two and two, to avoid suspi­tion to get passage over to the Towne, some day one, and some day another in severall Barques; where they (when all met) resolved to evade questioning or suspect, never to be seen together, not so many as three in a Company till that very night they were to put their fatall determination in ex­ecution. Some of them had most mind, if it were possible, to murder Sir Iohn Hotham as he should issue out of his house; others, if it were possible, to seize the Magazine of the Garri­son or blow it up; but both these opinions, as too uncertaine and full of danger to themselves was rejected and their reso­lution fixed on this, that seeming saylors and such as wanted imployment, they should pretend they were Mariners had serv'd in Denmarke and the Hans Townes, and being now out of service they came to offer themselves to Sir Iohn to be as souldiers for the defence of the Towne, if he accepted them, as there was no reason nor likelyhood but he would, that then they would some night, having the watch, seize upon some part of the Towne, and turne the Ordnance a­gainst them, that should oppose them till some Troops of my Lord of Cumberland who was pre-acquainted with their intentions, should enter the Towne and destroy the Garri­son, [Page 5] or else, if it happened so luckily that they could surprize either of the blocke-houses or forts, that then they should not doubt to master the towne with much ease, or beat it downe about the garrison and Inhabitants cares. This re­solved upon, as the safest way for atchieving their practice, they went some ten of the likeliest fellowes of them to Sir Iohns Lievtenant to offer their owne and their companions services to their Captaine the Governor, alledging, that they were come out of Denmarke, and had rather hazard their lives for the safety of the Common-wealth in that towne, then any other place, the Lievtenant glad of obtaining so ma­ny proper men (the garrison being much debilitated, by rea­son of drawing out good store of the best experienced soul­diers to furnish Master Hothams Regiment for the service at Yorke) went to Sir Iohn and acquainted him with the state of the matter, who gave him order to afford them courteous entertainement, and to disperse them for the re-inforcement of those companies that had most need of supplies. The Lievtenant performing Sir Iohns Commands, distributed twenty of them into their Serjeant Majors company, that was very weake, ten into their owne Company, and so the rest as occasion served into every Company that wanted men in the towne. The ten that were in Sir Iohns owne Com­pany, the better to insinuate themselves into favour, demea­ning themselves very civilly, and upon all occasions, either of watch or other service, most exactly performing their duties; so that they were in very good repute, both with Sir Iohn himselfe, his Lievtenant, and all his inferiour offi­cers; the other that were in the Serjeant Majors and other Companies, carrying themselves with the same cunning, spending their money very liberally among their fellow souldiers, which they pretended they brought out of Denmarke with them, so to ingratiate themselves among them, that they might with greater ease facili­tate their purpose, intending to draw as many as they pos­sible could to their party, yet very cautious of discovering [Page 6] their designe to any, lest it should be made knowne to Sir Iohn, giving the Earle of Cumberland by a private and subtile messenger they had in the towne, and receiving incourage­ment from him to goe on couragiously, promising them, that when they should signifie to him the probable time for sur­prizall of the town he would not faile against that very night to have some able troopes in readinesse, which about the dead of the same night should be in armes before that gate which they should open. All things going on thus without suspicion, they continued a whole fortnight in this manner, watching (like wilde beasts for their prey) for all occasions that might quickly furnish and effect their wicked intenti­ons, meaning also, as some advised inhumanity, to fire the towne, that while the Inhabitants were imploy'd in extin­guishing that, they might with more ease let in their ac­complices the enemy. On Sunday therefore the seven and twentieth of November, most of them being to be upon the watch at one of the Courts of guard close to the gate that opens towards Yorke. So on that night they resolv'd to [...]n the horse, or lose the saddle; and therefore by the aforesaid intelligence gave notice to the E [...]le of their resolution, inti­mating the possibility they had of effecting their designe, if his Lordship did not faile to send them those which they could easily let into the towne. The Earle sent backe the messenger with assured and certaine promises, not to faile against the time; this being on the Sunday before the fatall night, as it hapned to themselves: for the troopes with each[?] a Musketier behind, to the number of three hundred men, ad­vancing before day, by a backe way out of Yorke, before they could recover the way to Hull, were espi'd by some of my Lord Fairefaxes Centinels, and set upon by his horse troops, to it they went very roundly, and fought it out very val [...]t­ly with our men who assaulted them on all sides, beating them downe from their horses without mercy, so that after the slaughter of their chiefe Commander, quitting their Musquetiers, who were all either slaine, or taken prisoners, [Page 7] the surviving horsemen betook themselves to flight, but were son arrowly surpris'd, and charg'd so hotly by our men that being impossibled of escape, they were all slaine, or taken pri­soners, not one getting away to carry tidings back to the Earl of their disaster, being brought before the Generall the Lord Fairefax, and strictly examined, Letters were found about some of them, that testified whither they were imploy'd, and to what purpose. My Lord Fairefax and Master Hotham amaz'd at that unexpected danger which was so neerly imi­nent on Hull, dispatch'd with all speed a Post thither to Sir Iohn, giving him all the intelligence they could possible of this mischiefe, but could not discover their number, that be­ing not expressed in the Letters. Sir Iohn a wise and under­standing Gentleman, no whit terrified with these tidings, cast about to prevent the danger, musing who the men should be that should be so trecherous; of the fidelity of the townes­men and garrison souldiers he had no reason to doubt, at last these Saylors came into his minde, and weighing their man­ner of comming thither, and their generall deportment since their arrivall, hee and his Councell, absolutely determin'd they might be men in whom this treason lurk'd, and under­standing that most of them were to be upon the watch that night at York Port, he then concluded it was so, and resolv'd to give the Gudgeons line til they were fast caught by the gills, commanding his owne guard, and an hundred more of able souldiers, when the watch was set, to have an eye to that gate, and to seize these treacherous villains, who making sure account to surprize the towne, at the houre of the watch, were repayr'd to their stations, and because the keyes of the gates were carryed to the Governour, they had provided pe­tars to blow them open, expecting onely the signall from my Lord of Cumberland, which was a light in the fields; for which, some of them watched on the rampiers. A Millar dwelling without the towne, going to his Mill about twelve of clocke with a candle and a Lanthorne, gave them the signall they expected, and imagining the troops were come [Page 8] to the gate, they went, and were fastning two pet [...]rs to it; when Sir Iohns guard, who had waited their attempt, taking them in the manner, laid hold or them, some of them dre [...] their Swords, and shot off their Musquets, but hurt not a man of ours, two of them onely being slaine, who had Crucifix [...] about their neckes, the rest bound and committed to prison▪ discovered their plot, for which they are to suffer condigne punishment.