A ROYALL Message From the Kings most Excellent Majestie to the Honourable Houses of PARLIAMENT.

VVith the Answer of the House of Commons concer­ning the said Message.

Likewise the true Relation of a Bloody CONSPIRACY▪

By the Papists in Cheshire.

Jntended for the destruction of the whole Countrey.

Invented by the trecherous Lord Choomes and Henry Starky his Steward.

Also the Relation of a bloody skirmish be­tweene the Traine Band of Chester and the Conspirators, with the number of those that were slaine,

Likewise the Confession of the said Henry Starkey being grievously wounded in the said skirmish.

LONDON, Printed for John Greensmith. 1641.

His Maiesties message to the Lords, Knights and Burgesses, of the high and Honorable Houses of Parliament.

His Royall Maiesty, was graciously pleased to send a Message to the vpper house on Friday last being the next day after his Entertain­ment from Scotland, on which day he was expected by both houses, but his Royall Maiesty being other­wise disposed, deferd his going till some other time.

Yet neverthelesse out of his Royall disposition & clemency toward his subjects, he was graciously pleased to make the summe of his desires knowne to the houses of Parliament, wherfore he sent a Lord to the vpper house, to informe them that it was his Ma­jesties Royall Pleasure, that the Traine bands should be dischargd, so great is his care of his Subiects and so gracious a consideration he had of the great care, cost, and dammage they sustaine, by reason of the long time that they had continued vnder command, and had attended on both houses.

His Maiesties pleasure was made knowne by the Lords to the house of Commons.

The house of Commons having received this message sent instantly to the Lords, desiring them to move his Majesty to condiscend to their requests so farre, as to give leave that the Traine Band might continue their service till such time as the affaires of the King­dome were better setled.

Which was granted by the Lords, and a messenger im­mediately sent to the King being at his Royall Pallace at Hampton-court.

A bloody Conspiracy of the Pa­pists in Cheshire, i [...]tended for the destruc­tion of the whole Countrey.

ALas poore England, how doe thy enemies the bloody Romish Catholiques plot thy downfall, how art thou beset with griefe and sorrow round about.

But shall the Philistins prevaile against Israel for ever? shall their Goliah still defie the hoast of God? No no, but Israel trust in the mighty Jehovah, and pray to him, & he will send a David from the sheep-fold to cut off the insulting vncircumcised Goliah's head, the wicked shall not be able to withstand the righteous, but shall fall as the corne before the Rea­per, wherefore England still serve the Creator God of Heaven, and he will, as he hath done hitherto de­fend thee and discover all the wicked designes of these Trecherous enemies, for God doth daily bring them to light, as you shall now perceive by the plot lately discoverd in Cheshire.

There was an order made by the High Court of Par­liament, that all Papists throughout England should be disarmed, which command the primate Officers in Cheshire went about to obey, but the Papists there were so resolute that they told them plainely they would not be disarmed, which answer being car­ryed to the Major of the City, he very wisely, com­manded [Page] the Trayned Bands to goe search, each one charging his Musket with a Bullet, and those Papists which would not yeeld to have their houses sear­ched, presently to shoot downe their house aboue their eares, which was to be done the next day being the 20. day of November 1641. which the Papists having intelligence of, gathered themselves altoge­ther to my Lord Chomes his house, the chiefe Lea­der was one Mr. Henry Starkey, and in the night time some of them having Armor on, the watch heard thē to make a very great noise without the City gates, and going, to see what might be the cause thereof, they discovered fifteene in Armes, battering downe the City walles, at which the watch were very much amazed, and being for the most part old men, to goe to resist them they were fearefull, but went into the City gate againe and cryed out Treason, Treason, a­gainst the City, upon which the Citizens presently did arise, the Trayned Bands presently were in rea­dinesse, but thirteene of the Traytors escaped away, but two of them were taken, who confesse that the o­thers were runne to the Lord Chomes his house, who were presently pursued thither, and taken at the Lord Chomes his house gate, for the Porter thereof and the Guard thinking them to be some of the Trayne Band would not suffer them to enter in thither, away they were carryed to prison, a strong Guard being left at the Lord Chomes his house, that none of the Papists might issue out there.

So soone as those fifteene were layd fast, the trayne Bands came to the aforesayd Lord Chomes his house, & comm [...]ded the doore to be opened, but [Page] they were denyed to have any entrance.

Then ten of the Trayne Band discharged their Mus­kets and battered downe part of the house, at which the aforesaid Lord made an escape by a posterne doore which opens into the fields, the Trayne Band most of them went into the house and searched it, wherein they were like all to have beene slaine, for comming into a private Wood-house there stood 50. Papists with Muskets ready charged, and so soon as they saw the Trayne Band they discharged altoge­ther, and slew 25. of the Protestants, and then retrea­ted back and run out of a back doore which led into the Wood-house, but being met by the rest of the Trayne Band which were without, betweene whom grew a bloody skirmish, but at length the Papists trusted to the swiftnesse of their feet, but the bullets made great hast after them, and slew nineteene of them, Starky their Leader was wounded in the thigh which forced him to yeeld, and was presently com­mitted to prison. A great uproare there was in the City, & much lamentation of both sides for the losse of their husbands which were trayterously slaine in the aforesaid Woodhouse, all being still the afore­said Starkey the Leader of the Rebels was examined being ready to depart the world by reason of the multitude of his wounds. Who confessed what their intents were, being vrged thereunto by the Lord Chomes to have beate downe privatly the grea­test part of the City walles, and before they could be possibly builded, againe the Papists in Lanca­shire and Cheshire should have had an advantage to use the Protestants as they pleas'd themselves, which [Page] would have beene welcome Newes to the Rebels in Jreland, much more he did not confesse but dyed, and hee together with the other nineteene Rebels which were slaine, running away, were buried in the high-way together, but the Protestants in se [...]all Churches; those Rebels which were taken awaite the Parliaments pleasure for their judgement, which will be very speedily.

FINIS.

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