A brief RELATION, Abstracted out of several Letters, OF A most Hellish, Cruel, and Bloody PLOT against the City of BRISTOL, Hatched and contrived by the Malignants of the said City, Prince Rupert, George Lord Digby, and their fellow Cavaliers, to have massacred, murdered, plundered, and destroyed, not only the well affected in the said City, but all others, that had not the mark of the Beast upon them; happily discovered and prevented by the goodness and mercy of God, upon Tuesday the 7th this instant March, a few hours before it should have been put in Execution.  March 13. 1642. 
Ordered by the House of Commons, That this Relation be forthwith Printed.  H. Elsing Cler. Parl. D. Com. 
LONDON, Printed by Richard Bishop for Laurence Blaiklock, at the Sign of the Sugar loaf, near Temple Bar, 1642.   

A brief Relation, abstracted out of several Letters, of a most hellish, cruel, and bloody Plot, against the City of BRISTOL.  
SIR,  
I Shall acquaint you of the happy discovery and prevention (by the wonderful mercy and goodness of God) of a most hellish, cruel and bloody plot (very little before it should have been put in execution, hatched and contrived by and between the Malignants of this City, Prince Rupert and his brother Maurice, George Lord Digby, their fellow Cavaliers, sons of belial and others of that accursed crew, who with an Army of ten thousand of horse and foot, of their own forces and Malignants, they rolled up in their march, advanced almost to the very walls of this City: upon Monday the sixth of this instant March, they came to Chippingsodbury, from thence upon Tuesday, the next day they marched to Westbury, Horvill, and Durdon-hill, which is within a mile of this Town, who could not be so ignorant, as to promise to themselves any hopes of Entrance by sudden assault, but by surprisal and treachery, confidently presuming on the malignant party within, that first invited them hither; a design more damnable than the Powder Treason, and more barbarous and Cruel than the Massacre of France, being destroyers of their own liberties, and supplanters and overthrowers of the same Religion that they themselves pretend to profess. The Agreement betwixt the Chavaliers and the Malignants here in this City was, that about eleven of the clock on the Tuesday night, a house near unto Froome Gate was to be blown up; which was to give warning to the Chavaliers to make their onset; who against that hour were to draw down unto the City, and Prince Robert with his Army came so nigh as the gallows: a bell at St. john's Church on a hill above the gates was to toll, another bell at St. Michael's Church upon the hill above the Green was to ring, to give notice to the Malignants of this Town to rise in an instant; sufficient parties were made to have forced all the Courts of Guards, thereby to have let the Cavaliers in without opposion; for that purpose there were in readiness in the house of Master George Butcher of Christmas street, a new made Captain for this design, about 160 armed men, and in the house of Master Robert yeoman's (who was one of the Sheriffs of this City the last year, four and twenty men ready to put themselves in arms which there they had; the one to surprise the main Guard, the other, the Guard at Froome-gate, and to let in these blood sucking Chavaliers; two other Bells were to toll at the same time to give notice to the Malignants to rise in all parts of the City. Both Monday and Tuesday, white pieces of Incle were given to divers, and to the better sort of people Ribbons, who did wear them in their bosoms and hats for distinction, and all that had not the word Charles, or those Marks, were to be put to the sword, murdered and destroyed, besides divers houses in many places of the City were marked with white chalk, who were designed to utter ruin and destruction. The business is not, as yet fully examined, but this and much more is confessed by the principle and main plotters of this wicked design: I want time to give you a perfect Relation, you shall speedily have a fuller and better account, as soon as we have a little recovered ourselves out of these distractions; for the present, here is enough to stir you up to join with us in the admiration of God's infinite goodness and mercy to us, and to give God his glory and praise for this wonderful and gracious deliverance, that hath preserved so many thousands of us that were innocent, and sold, and almost given up into the hands of these cruel and blood thirsty men.  
The Chief actors of this mischievous design were the aforesaid Robert yeoman's, and George Butcher, Mr. john Taylor, Mr. Colestone, and his brother, Mr. Fitzherbert, two Colsons, and two Epirotes, N. Cule, E. Arundle, Mr. Caple, and Captain Cole of St. Augustins, who with at least one hundred more Actors and Accessories, are already taken and imptisoned in the Castle, and hourly more are discovered and secured, many of them upon examination have confessed the plot to be in manner as before is described; and that threescore families of men, women, and children were to be put to the sword, without quarter, given in upon a note. Twogoods' house was searched and therein were found many papers that did discover the whole plot, and between three and four thousand pounds in money and plate, and twenty muskets charged with bullets, besides divers instruments to murder and destroy with cruelty, such as we never saw before.  
 
A Postscript.  
Prince Rupert and that Army marched away as soon as their Plot was discovered.   

The Copy of another Letter written by a Captain in the City of Bristol, to a friend in London.  
Sir,  
I Received yours, dated the 7 present, etc. I shall now relate unto you the unspeakable mercy of the Lord to this City, in preserving it this last week from the Cavaliers without, but above all from a most damned Conspiracy of Malignants who had designed us all to slaughter and massacre. On Sunday last, hearing of the Cavaliers marching from Basinstoke, or thereabouts and making their course towards us; Colonel Fines our Governor (whose diligence is indefatigable, and his success prosperous) made all the preparations that could be to entertain them with powder and bullets, mounted Ordnance good store everywhere was needful, whereof two upon a new mount or fort made upon the hill about a mile from the heart of the City, and there hath kept a good strong Court of Guard. The same night the Governor gave us a false alarm about one of the clock in the night, to try our readiness to be in arms, and in a short space our men were all at their Colours, and remained there all monday, and at night all guards were doubled, and some treble. On Tuesday we heard of the enemies approaching within five or six miles about us on Glocestershire side, but on Somersetshire none, by reason Kensome bridge was by order of a Council of war broken down. On wednesday toward the evening we did descry them from the Castle to draw to Durdum Down (about half a mile from our new Fort) and we had intelligence of hey and provisions brought thither, and there they remained and made fires upon the Down till the morning, expecting the Malignants in the Town to play their exploit, and cut the throats of the main Guard, and the guard at from gate, and there to let them in, who should have notice by the ringing of the bells at S. john's, and S. Michael's. But see Gods infinite mercy, how it was prevented but a little before the time of execution. We were many of us at a Council of war, with the Governor, and about one of the clock one brought us intelligence, that there were many met together at Mr Robert yeoman's house in Consultation, and immediately was sent Captain Buck with forty musketeers to surprise them, who coming to the door, yeoman's hearing of it, came to him and swore deeply there were none in the house, but his own family; but they pressing to search were encountered with men upon the stairs that stood upon their guard, and threatened the death of any man that offered to come up; the other charged them to lay down their arms and submit, or they would give fire upon them, who seeing themselves over powered, immediately submitted; and there they apprehended twenty and four of them; more there were certainly, but they got away over the gutters of the house: these 24 were prepared for slaughter of the main guard, and were provided with pistols and other weapons for present surprise; and immediately upon their taking, they were sent by a strong guard to the Castle, where they now are in irons, and 51 more of the great Malignants, many whereof are found to have a hand in this plot. One amongst the rest is one Butcher who was designed for from gate (near to which his house is) but all the men that he had provided were not found, in regard that his house was not searched a good while after yeoman's; but yet they found there 60 men and muskets hidden, one whereof was charged with 12 pieces of iron, of about three quarters of an inch long. This Boucher hath since confessed much of the plot, viz. the ceasing upon the guards, and the ringing of the bells; others confess the wearing of white tape, for they intended when they came into massacre all the Roundheads here, and all that had not the word, Charles, and those white Tapes tied on their breasts and hats. This plot being spoiled, and the gates kept close, that none could go out to give Prince Rupert and his forces notice, made them expect till the morning, when our Gunner from the Fort let fly at them and killed a horse, which was found dead there the next day by our scouts: immediately upon this, they all marched away, and were heard to curse the Seamen that had betrayed them.  
On Thursday Prince Robert's trumpeter came to town, but as a spy, his errand was to demand two dead bodies that we killed upon the Down, one whereof was one Stroud, as he said. The trumpeter enquired for me and said, my Lord of Cleveland desired me to send him a pound of tobacco, but I being out of the way, Colonel Fines sent him one pound, and Colonel Popham another. We expected to hear of them again last night, but they came not, and since they are marched quite away towards Cicencister and Oxford Thus the Lord hath wrought our salvation, for which let us abundantly bless his holy name: declare this comfortable news to all our friends, that they may praise the Lord with us.  
Yours, most affectionate I. H. Bristol this 11th of March 1642.  
The Country came in to us very strong, and we are very courageous (God be praised) and when that Sr. William Whaller comes, we shall be so strong as to drive them out of these parts. He is not above 12 or 14 miles from us, and we expect him on monday at the farthest, but he doth much good service as he comes along.  
FINIS.