NEW PLOTS Discovered, against the PARLIAMENT, And the PEACE of the kingdom.  
In two Letters, the one sent from the Marquis of Hartford, to Sir Ralph Hopton, the other sent from Sir Ralph Hopton to the said Marquis.  
Also an exact relation of the Treachery of Master Montague, kinsman to the Lord privy seal, who (notwithstanding his Excellence had commanded the contrary) delivered Banbury to the Cavaliers, without resistance  
Also declaring how the King's majesty in his own Person, caused the inhabitants to be disarmed, imprisoning the bailiff, and other well-affected persons.  
LONDON Printed by T. faucet. for I. R. Nov. 3. 1642.   

The copy of a Letter sent from the Marquis of Hartford to Sir Ralph Hopton.  
Sir Ralph Hopton,  
I I have acquainted his Majesty of our disastrous fortune at Minieard, and Dunstar, occasioned by the multitude of your countrymen evil dispositions; & cowardly behaviour in them, upon which I remembered a reverent speech of that worthy soldier Swin●●n who was general of Ostend in the time of the Infanta, arch-duchess of Flanders, (who said that our English nation stood too much upon their own conceit, and valour, and that he would with a considerable Army run through our whole kingdom, knowing the vulgar sort of our Nation to be faint he●rted and unexperienced in martial discipline, this relation of the generals happened to be true, for in our best actions, and in the midst of our hopeful success, captain Digby's, Sir John Sto●●ls, and your own soldiers ran cowardly away from us, insomuch that had it not been for that small number of my own Horse & Foot, we had lost our Ordnances, hazarded our persons, and lo●t the honour of that day's work, I have heard that you have many stout and courageous Gentlemen at this present on your side, to wit, the Lord Mohone, Mr. Arrundell, Sir Bevill Greenvill, and others, whom I hope will not wag with every blast of wind, but with wisdom stand firm, constant, and faithful to God, their Prince and Country, I desire you to let me understand the number of your Forces in those parts, that I may assure his Majesty therewith, and if any occasion you shall have of my furtherance, you shall not need thereof, in the Interim be steadfast in your resolution, and manage those places under your Command, with valiant men, and no doubt but God will prosper you herein, and perpetually favour you and yours, Vale.  
HARTFORD.   

Sir Ralph Hopton's Answer to the Marquis.  
May it please your Lordship with humble pardon, according to my weak ability I have considered your worthy advertisements and to vindicate myself and Country of your lordship's mistake, I shall make it appear, that my actions and those under my Command have been concurrant to your lordship's Command and I have in brief devoted myself to answer to every particular of your lordship's Letter.  
First, whereas your Lordship condemned our endeavours and cowardly behaviour at Miniard and Dunstar, your Lordship may well remember and saw three to one of the Earl of Bedford's forces forsaken him, than those of our County under your Lordship might see that his majesty's forces under your lordship's command had good success considering the great odds (five to one.)  
Secondly, that whereas your Lordship remembered me of the general his speech of Ostend, that our Nation stood too much upon our own strength and valour and that he would with a few experienced soldiers run through our Kingdom. My Lord, the question herein is not disputable, for nature at home bindeth filial affection, and one Brother or one Nation to fight against another is not warrantable by God's laws, and in that respect there might be faint-heartedness in our Nation, but my Lordlet the general of Ostead or any other foreign Princes invade this our land. I know that your Lordship believes that our Nation will not run, or give one foot of ground to such an Enemy, for we are all sensible with whom we quarrel, the father against the son, and the son against the Father, and if Alexander the great, or the Emperor of Persia were now alive, whose Armies drank Rivers of water, yet my Lord it would daunt the hearts of these gallants to destroy their own blood.  
3. Whereas your Lordship hath desire to know the number of our Forces in these parts, my Lord since the Earl of Bath his apprehending, our soldiers have revolted, yet we have a considerable strength at Peasants, Foy, Lanceston, and other places, about the number of 5000. and upwards, and upon all occasions we can betake ourselves to Sea, and so to land where we please, therefore your Lordship may stand upon firm ground in these parts, if you please to hazard your noble person among us.  
My Lord, Nature and Nature, Fortune and Fortune, Action and Action, State and State, Time past, and Time present, your Lordship now seeth, I will here break off, for I find that I have exceeded the convenient length of a Letter, and come short of such discourse at this Subject doth deserve, your Lordship may perhaps find many things in this Letter superfluous, and most of it lame, i will as well as I can supply that defect upon your lordship's second writing, if your Lordship call me to an account, what confusion soever your Lordship finds in my order and method, is not only my fault, whose wits are confounded with too much business, but the fault of the season▪ which confusion and disorder hath not only been winked at, but warranted, if there be but any one thing which your Lordship may make use of, i think my pains well bestowed in all, and howsoever my council may be weak, yet my wishes shall be as strong as any man's for your lordship's happiness.  Your lordship's obedient Servant, Ralph Hopton.  

A copy of a Letter sent to to Mr. Gorge, from Joseph Johnson at Warrington in Oxfordshire.  
cousin Gorge, since the last Post, his Majesty on Thursday night came to Banbury, with 4000 soldiers, and immediately sent Sir Charles Lucas to demand entrance into the town, Mr. Montague a kinsman of the Lord Privie-Seales, as is reported, had the total trust and charge thereof by command from the Lord general, made little or no opposition, but betrayed the trust and the town he had in charge, into his majesty's hands, though the Earl of Essex commanded him to use his endeavour to resist the Cavaliers but one 4 hours and he would relieve him, nevertheless his Majesty had free entrance without any opposition, and his Majesty seized on 3000. men's Armour, and have left the inhabitants therein quite naked to defend, or offend, and the Cavaliers have so strengthened it, that it is invinicble for the art of man to take it, the four thoroughfares or passages thereto are made so little that it is impossible for two men to march on a breast, and this hath been done in two days, and for the town itself, it is wholly paved and strewed with Hey-forkes, blocks of wood, pickaxes, spades, and all manner of rusty implements that the wit of man cannot invent the like.  
The bailiff and others of the better sort are imprisoned, his Majesty is at this present at woodflocke, and the Lord general his Army at Warrington, I have nothing for the present more to write, only I will entreat you write the business of Sir John Conyers, and who is in his room, so I leave you to God's protection, and rest,  
Your assured Friend and Kinsman Joseph Johnson. Bletchington, Octob. 29. 1642.  
FINIS.