To which purpoſe they took ſeveral ways; For, whilſt ſome were contriving a general Inſurrection in this Kingdom, and likewiſe in Scotland; others were conſpiring to Aſſaſſinate Our Royal Perſon, and Our Deareſt Brother, and to maſſacre the Magiſtrates of Our City of London, and Our Officers of State, that there might be no appearance of Government, nor any means for Our Subjects to unite for their Defence.

In caſe it had pleaſed God to permit theſe wicked deſigns to have taken Effect, there could have been nothing in proſpect but confuſion: For, inſtead of the Reformation they pretended, their ſucceſs would have produced Diviſions and Wars among themſelves, until the predominant Party could have enſlaved the reſt, and the whole Kingdom.

But the Divine Providence, which hath preſerved Us through the whole courſe of Our life, hath at this time in an extraordinary manner ſhewed it ſelf in the wonderful and gracious deliverance of Us and Our Deareſt Brother, and all Our Loyal Subjects from this Horrid and Damnable Conſpiracy.

As it is therefore Our deſire that all Our Loving Subjects ſhould joyn with Us in giving Thanks to Almighty God for this mercy, ſo We thought it neceſſary they ſhould be now in ſome meaſure Informed of the Fact as it hath been Diſcovered to Us by undoubted proof, and the confeſſion of divers of the Accomplices in this Conſpiracy; whereof, though We have not as yet perfectly Traced all the Particulars, the principal and main Deſigns of it nevertheleſs, have appeared to be as followeth.

About the beginning of October laſt, when the Heads of the Faction ſaw the Magiſtracy of Our City of London Settled in Perſons of Loyal principles, they became impatient, and fell immediately to Conſult of Riſing in Arms; for which ſome thought their Party ſo well prepared, that they could not fail of attaining their ends whenever they ſhould break out into open Force.

Whereupon there was a meeting of ſome of the principal Conſpirators, to Agree about the beſt means to Maſter Our Guards, and to Seize Our Perſon; but upon Conſideration, they found it neceſſary to prepare their Friends in the ſeveral Counties, as alſo the Diſaffected party in Scotland to joyn with them, without which, any Attempt in Our ſaid City, or upon Our Guards, appeared too raſh to be undertaken; ſo that they laid aſide the thoughts of a preſent Riſing, and diſpoſed themſelves to find, by a Correſpondence with Scotland, and with ſeveral parts of this Our Kingdom, how far they might be Aſſiſted by a General Inſurrection, ſo that they might not in Human probability fail of Succeſs.

Whilſt this firſt Deſign was Forming, ſome Villains were likewiſe carrying on that Horrid and Execrable Plot of Aſſaſſinating Our Royal Perſon, and Our Deareſt Brother, in Our coming from Newmarket, and Mony was depoſited for that purpoſe: But by the ſhortneſs of the time (We being then immediately upon Our Return) and for want of necceſſary preparations, they were forced to defer the Execution of it till further Opportunity.

It was then propoſed among them, Whether they ſhould Attempt the ſame at Our next going to Newmarket, in March laſt? But ſome objected, That Our Guards, which uſually remain here ſome time after Our Departure, would be capable of making a great Oppoſition upon the arrival of the News. For which Reaſon, and becauſe they were not then in a Sufficient Readineſs; It was Agreed to be done at Our Return from Newmarket.

The place appointed was the Houſe of one Richard Rumbold a Malſter, called the Rye, near Hoddeſdon in the County of Hertford: And it was Reſolved, That Forty-perſons in number, who were to be Actors in this Aſſaſſination, under the Command of the ſaid Richard Rumbold, ſhould hide themſelves in or near the ſaid Houſe; And when Our Coach ſhould come over againſt them, then Three or Four were to Shoot with Blunderbuſſes at the Poſtilion and Horſes, and if they ſhould fail killing the Horſes, ſome were to be ready in the way, who in the Habit of Labourers ſhould turn a Cart croſs the paſſage, and ſo ſtop Our Coach. Others were apointed to Shoot into the Coach, where Our Royal Perſon, and Our Deareſt Brother were to be, others to Fire upon the Guards that ſhould be then attending Us. And it was further Reſolved, that upon the ſame Day, Many Lords and other perſons of Quality, whom they ſuppoſed favourable to their Deſign, ſhould be invited to dine in Our City of London, that they might be the more ready to appear among the Citizens upon arrival of the News. The Actors in the ſaid Aſſaſſination having Contrived the manner of their eſcape, by a nearer paſſage than the uſual Road, By which means they hoped to get to London as ſoon as the News could be brought thither.

They thought it would be eaſie upon their perpetrating this Horrid Fact, to poſſeſs them ſelves of the Government, preſuming upon the numbers of the Diſaffected.

But leſt the blackneſs of ſuch an Action might deter any from joyning with them, they prepared to palliateit as far as they could, by ſome remonſtrance, or Declaration, which was ready to be Printed and diſperſed in that Confuſion, to amuſe the people. And leſt Our Officers of State, and the Magiſtrates of Our ſaid City, with the Militia thereof, and other Our Loyal Subjects, ſhould be able to put ſome ſtop to their Carrier, they reſolved to follow this Blow with a Maſſacre; wherein they particularly deſigned for immediate Slaughter, Our Officers of State, the preſent Lord Mayor, and Sheriffs, and the Magiſtracy of our City, and other our Subjects that had been moſt Eminent for their Loyalty.

But it pleaſed Almighty God, by His wonderful providence, to defeat theſe Councels by the ſudden Fire at Newmarket, which neceſſitated Our return from thence before the time We had appointed.

Yet theſe Villains were not thereby diſcouraged from purſuing the ſame Bloudy Deſign, but reſolved to take the firſt opportunity for effecting the ſame, and propoſed to themſelves that it might be done either in Our paſſage from Windſor to Hampton Court, or in Our journey to Wincheſter, or when We ſhould go by Water in Our Barge, or under Bedford Garden Wall, as We ſhould paſs that way, or at the Bull Feaſt, which was to be in Red-Lion Fields; they being informed that We and Our Deareſt Brother had intentions of coming thither.

And that they might be the better prepared when there ſhould be occaſion, by having a certain number of Arms lying always ready for that purpoſe; Arms for forty men were beſpoke in all haſte, (viz.) thirty Carbines, with Belts and Swivels, thirty Caſes of Piſtols, and ten Blunderbuſſes, which were accordingly made, and paid for.

And for the more eaſie drawing their Party together againſt the time of Execution, they contrived to divide Our Cities of London and Weſtminſter, and the Suburbs into twenty parts; from each of which they expected five hundred men to be ready at the firſt Onſet; and ſome Agitators were to give an account of the men to be furniſhed in each diviſion, and to give out Orders to them, as there ſhould be occaſion.

And to the end the Forces they ſhould raiſe might be the ſooner modelled into the form of an Army, there were one hundred Old Officers, who had been engaged in the late Rebellion, ready in Town to take the Command of them; In the purſuit of which project they continued, till they knew that a diſcovery had been made to Us.

During all this time, the principal Conſpirators were managing their other deſign for a general Inſurrection in both Kingdoms.

The late Earl of Shaftsbury, who had at firſt preſſed them to ſudden Riſing, which he would have had before the ſeventeenth of November laſt, or upon that day at the fartheſt, ſent to the Conſpirators, at a Meeting appointed by them, to know their reſolution; and finding they would not adventure without farther preparation, conveyed himſelf ſecretly into Holland, to avoid the danger he might be in by a diſcovery.

His withdrawing himſelf from their Councels, did not diſcourage them from purſuing their deſign, only made them more cautious; whereupon a new Councel was appointed of ſix perſons that were to have the chief management of Affairs, in order to a general Inſurrection, by a correſpondency with their Party in Scotland, and ſeveral Counties of this Our Kingdom. And becauſe a correſpondency by Letters was thought dangerous, it was held neceſſary that ſome perſon ſhould be ſent into Scotland, to invite the Heads of the diſaffected Party in that Our Kingdom, to come hither, under pretence of purchaſing Lands in Carolina; but, in truth, to concert with them the beſt means for carrying on the deſign joyntly in both Kingdoms: And a Treaty was thereupon had with Archibald Campbell late Earl of Argile, already Attainted of Treaſon, who demanded thirty thouſand Pounds at firſt; but afterward agreed to accept of ten thouſand pounds for buying of Arms in Holland, and making other proviſions neceſſary for a Rebellion within Our Kingdom of Scotland.

In the ſaid Councel of Six it was debated, whether the Riſing in this Kingdom ſhould be firſt in our City of London, where, by reaſon of the vaſt numbers that might readily unite, they thought they might eaſily maſter the Guards, or rather in ſome remote parts, whereby We ſhould be under a neceſſity of ſending Our Guards to ſuppreſs them, and thereby the Riſing in Our ſaid City would become more ſecure and effectual: But at laſt it was reſolved, as moſt convenient, that it ſhould be in all parts at the ſame time, leſt Our City might be defended by the Militia thereof, without the help of Our Guards, which We might ſend for the ſuppreſſing any Inſurrection in the Countrey; and they did all diſpoſe themſelves accordingly, for the compaſſing their deſign, which was very near taking effect.

But ſuch was the abundant mercy of Almighty God, while they were yet meditating their execrable Miſchiefs againſt Our Royal Perſon, Our Deareſt Brother, and the Government, a Diſcovery was made unto Us by one of the Accomplices, on the twelfth of June laſt; ſince which time We have uſed the beſt means we could for the Detecting, and prevention of ſo Helliſh a Conſpiracy.