AN ACCOUNT OF AN ATTEMPT Made upon the Person of Mr. Arnold,  
ONE OF His MAJESTY'S Justices of the Peace FOR THE County of Monmouth.  
IN Bell-Yard, near Temple-Bar; upon Thursday, the Fifteenth of April, between Nine & Ten a Clock at Night.  
NOt to trouble the Reader with Prefaces, which are so much Exploded by the Wits of the Age, I cannot but take Notice of an Excellent Observation made by a Worthy and Ingenious Divine of the Church of England; who Discoursing concerning Papists, expresses himself thus: I doubt not, but Papists are made like other Men; Nature hath not generally given them such Savage Dispositions, but their Religion hath made them so: I am loath to say it, and yet I am confident 'tis very True, That many Papists would have been Excellent Persons, and very Good Men, if their Religion had not hindered them, if the Doctrines and Principles of their Church had not perverted and spoilt their Natural Dispositions. And in relating some of their Meritorious Acts of Treason and Murder, designed by the Papists, and applauded by some of that Party, the same Excellent Person speaks thus: Good God That any thing that is called Religion▪ should so perfectly strip Men of all Humanity, and transform the Mild and Gentle Race of Mankind, into such Wolves and Tigers. And this is the Exact Character of a Papist; and lest we should forget what they are, they daily give us fresh Occasions to satisfy us, that they are still the same Men, and that no Favour nor Kindness on our Parts, can alter their cursed Natures, nor secure us from their Designing the utter Destruction of any that dare appear against their Villainous Contrivances: And this we have a new Instance of, in the following brief Account, as it is related by the Inhabitants and Neighbours in and near the Place where it was Acted.  
Upon Thursday the Fifteenth of this instant April, John Arnold, Esq one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Monmouth, was at a Tavern with some Persons of Honour, near Temple-Bar; and going from thence he had occasion to pass through a Place called Bell-Yard, near Chancery-Lane, between Nine and Ten a Clock the same Evening, toward his Lodging in Fleetstreet; as he was going along, he observed Two or Three Persons to follow him, which he supposed to be his own Servants; but coming nigh a little Lane, called Jackanapes Lane, one of these Persons stepped before him, and threw a Cloak over his Head; and dragging him a little out of the way, threw him down; and instantly Three Men fell upon him, and with their Swords or Daggers, endeavoured to Murder him, stabbing him in the Head, Breast, and Arm, and run him quite through the Side; but finding their Weapons met with some Opposition, they swore Damn 'em, he wore private Armour, or a Coat of Mail, or words to that purpose; whereupon one said, God Damn the Dog, Cut his Throat, or to that effect, which one of them Immediately endeavoured to do, kneeling down upon him, and cutting him from one Ear to the other, and likewise up to his mouth in a most Horrid manner, yet happily miss his Windpipe; one of the Villains said, Damn me ye Dog, now Pray for the Soul of Captain Evans. This Evans it seems being a Jesuit, who was lately Executed for High Treason in the County of Glamorgan in Wales, and who sometime before his Apprehension had threatened to Pistol the said Mr. Arnold; One of them attempting to give another Wound to Mr. Arnold, struck one of his Companions into the Leg, which made him swear God Damn me, you have Wounded me; While they are proceeding in their bloody Purpose to dispatch him, it happened that a Gentleman having occasion to send his Servant out, and the Villainy being Acted very near his Door, the glance of the Candle it is thought affrighted them, for they Immediately fled, and Mr. Arnold Crying out Murder, several of the Neighbours came in and found him there weltering in his own Blood, who desired they would help him to his Lodging, which was at the Posthouse in Fleetstreet, where he now remains.  
He hath received no less than Seven Wounds from the Hands of these Cursed Villains: One in the Throat, one in the Head, two in the Arm, two in the Breast, and one in the Side; and yet it is very much hoped that through God's Assistance he may escape with his Life, though no question the same Fate was designed for him as was for that Worthy and never to be forgotten Gentleman Sir Edmundbury-Godfrey.  
One of his Majesty's Justices of Peace, who Lives near that Place, having an Account of this horrid Fact, was pleased to take a particular Information of all Circumstances, and humbly presented it to His Majesty, who was extremely concerned at this Villainous Attempt; and his Majesty was further Graciously pleased to order one of his own Surgeons to Visit Mr. Arnold: and upon hearing the whole matter in Council, His Majesty was Graciously pleased to Order, that the Lord Mayor of London, and the Justices of Peace of Middlesex, and City of Westminster, do cause diligent search to be forthwith made within their several Jurisdictions for the said Persons, or any of them, or any that did incite, encourage, or set them on to make this Attempt: And for an Encouragement, his Majesty is pleased to promise an Hundred Pound to any who shall Discover or Apprehend any one of the said three Persons, or any who did incite them thereto; and if any of the three Persons, shall Discover his Accomplices, His Majesty is Graciously pleased to promise him his Pardon for the same, besides the said Reward.  
John Arnold Esq is known to be a very good Protestant, and a strong Opposer of the Plots and Designs of the Papists, and has been likewise very Instrumental in the Discovery of the late horrid Conspiracy; and we may therefore Reasonally suppose he was marked out for Popish Vengeance, and that this cursed Attempt came from their Hands, as their words at parting seem very much to confirm, bidding him Pray for the Soul of Captain Evans, who was lately▪ Legally Condemned, and Executed as a Jesuit; so that it seems Papists can take up any shapes, (and both Captains and Cobblers) as well as Act the greatest Crimes for advancing the Catholic Cause.  
The occasion of Mr. Arnold's being in London, was (as hath been often Published) about an Accusation of one Master Herbert in Monmouth-shire, concerning some Transactions in that Country; and Mr. Arnold had now brought several Witnesses from thence, to make good the Accusation, and the Cause was ordered to be heard the very next Day, that is the Sixteenth Instant before his Majesty in Council: Now by Reason of some Words uttered by Mr. Herbert, a while before, and other Circumstances: Mr. Herbert was ordered to be taken into Custody; and we hear that notwithstanding this misfortune upon Mr. Arnold, there will be a hearing of the Cause by Council of both sides at the time appointed.  
In the mean time let all good Protestants beseech Almighty God to Discover and bring to Justice, these, and all other our Cursed, Popish Adversaries, who design the Destruction of his Majesty and his Protestant Subjects, and the overthrow of our Religion and Government Established, and to this let all the People say,  
Amen.