A DISCOVERY Made by his Highness the Lord PROTECTOR, to the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Common-council of the City of London, on Friday, March the 12. 1657.  
Concerning the new Attempts and designs of Charles Stewart and his party both at home and abroad, to imbroile this Nation again in a new War, and to imbrue it in blood.  
To which purpose he had employed the Lord of Ormond, who had three weeks been in this City to promote the design by encouraging and engaging all he could in and about the CITY.  
And that in order to this Invasion he had quartered eight thousand men in Flanders near the water side, and had hired two & twenty ships to transport them into England,  
Together with the settling of the Militia of London in the hands of pious and faithful men, who may carry on the work with alacrity and discretion, and be in a condition to suppress Tumults and Insurrections.  
Printed for Tho. Vere, and Will. Gilbertson.   

The Great Discovery made by his Highness the Lord Protector on March the 12. 1657.  
TO speak of princes is a task of as much difficulty as danger; Their wrath is said to be like the roaring of a Lion which makes the wilderness to tremble; Or like the dreadful Summons in the A●re when the Clouds do break, and the Battle of the thunder is reported: Their prudence and providence is compared to the eye of an Eagle, or to the restless Intelligences that do move the heavenly bodies. Their eye is like that of the sun, over all Lands both to foresee and to prevent dangers as soon as they are meant. When we thought we had no vissible enemy but our own Ingratitude for misprizing the great blessing of Peace, which other Nations cannot obtain  
His Highness (whom God hath set over us for our Protector) and whose waking is our sleep, hath discovered the new designs of the old Enemy Charles Stuart and his party who are watching all opportunities to fill the Land with blood, and to destroy the flourishing of the Gospel amongst us, which we have enjoyed in a purer way than was ever in the days of his Father, or any of his Predecessors: For although men do fail in their practice, the Gospel certainly was never more purely taught then is at this present: His Highness to give unto the City a knowledge of what so happily he had discovered, and so provide a remedy to prevent the great danger that did threaten to ensue, was pleased to give order that the Lord Mayor the Aldermen, & the Common-counsel of this City should attend upon him on Friday, March the 12. who in obedience thereunto did make their appearance, and in so great a number that the like hath hardly been before: for they all knew that they owed both their lives and Liberties to his Highness' Protection, and it being whispered abroad that some dangers were on foot, they would feign understand from him the straits into which they were like to be reduced, and the means to provide a remedy for it.  
The Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and the common-council of the City being come in a full number to attend his Highness at White-Hall on Friday March the 12. they found there many of the Commanders and Officers of the Army, who were all admitted to his Highness' presence, who in a large Speech did represent unto them the great deliverances which God hath vouchsafed to this Nation during the whole course and progress of the late wars, from the violence of their implacable Enemies, and their combinations both public and Domestic: He represented unto them how eminently God had owned and prospered him in the great work in which he stood interested for the establishment of Righteousness and peace, and at this present he could not but declare unto them the eminent danger in which both the City and the whole Nation was like to be involued by reason of the contrivements of Charles Stuart and his party, both at home and abroad, who secretly have used the utmost of their endeavours to embroil the Nation and this City (the principle place at which they aim) in a new war, which suddenly would appear, as soon as ever their Intented Invasion should take effect.  
To make the truth of this discovery more apparrent, His Highness insisted that he knew it to be true, and not only by Letters of his, and the Cities adversaries which were intercepted, but by certain Intelligence from several other hands beyond the Seas of their proceed, as also by information from the mouths of such persons, who had promised to Engage themselves to comply and act with them.  
And to make this yet more manifest, he Informed them that the Lord of Ormond (whom by his own Party is now called the Duke of Ormond) had been in person in this City for three weeks together being come out of Flanders on purpose to draw all unto him that possibly he could by encouraging and Engaging them to forsake all other interests to adhere unto the Cause of his Master: His Highness did also acquaint them th●t he having used his uttermost endeavours to promote the Cause for which he came, be departed privately from London on Tuesday March the ninth.  
But what was above all, he declared that in order to this Invasion, Charles Stuart was waiting in Flanders having got together an Army of about Eight thousand horse and foot, whom he had quartered in several comodious places near unto the Sea side, as Bruges, Brussels, Ostend, and other places, and that withal he had contracte● for two and twenty ships, who were in readiness to Transport his Army and only waited for the opportunity of some dark ni●ht to slip by the English Fleet, when the Mist had covered the face of the Sea and in being ships of no great burden he represented that the ships of the Enemy had some advantage over our ships, who were of a great burden and drawing much water, and therefore not able to ride upon the Flats.  
He concluded that seeing the dangers was so apparent and so near at hand, and that the safety, and the peace of the City, & the whole Nation was highly concerned in it, he desired the City to be sensible of it, and laid open to them how deeply it concerned them to provide for their own security, and the security of the whole Nation.  
He therefore recommended to the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen, & Common-councill of the City there assembled the settling of their Militia; and that it might be established in the hands of faithful and pious men, and such as were well affected to the present Government, and such as are free from all discontent, and faction to put the City in a posture of defence, that they may be ready to suppress all Tumults. and Insurrections designed by the Enemy against the peace and safety of the City.  
This and much more to this effect His Highness represented as to the Transaction of the Affairs of State from the beginning of the wars unto this present, and this happy Propagation of the Gospel in these three Nations.  
The Citizens departed with great chéerfulness and satisfaction, and going home they might revolve with themselves their honourable Achievements they acquired at Newbury Redding▪ Grafton-house, and several other places when they returned with songs of joy in their mouths, and Laurels in their hands, & make the same Addresses in their representation to his Highness as the Commanders of the Army have done before them. showing that amongst the Officers and Soldiers of the Army, they for their parts have not been altogether negligent in laying near unto their hearts the great providence which God hath been pleased to set his seal to the righteousness of that cause wherein they have engaged with his Highness, In which it hath pleased God to make him an eminent Instrument of much good to the three Nations in General, and to the City in particular, and it hath pleased God after all these great hazards and labours to call his Highness to the Government of this Commonwealth which as they look upon to be the work of the great God, so do also acknowledge it to be a very seasonable mercy to these distracted, and divided Nations, which seemed to be inclining to u●ter confusson, had it not pleased God to raise up his Spirit to undertake a work of so great a difffculty in which his Highness hath been exposed to so much Ermity even of those persons from whom he might justly have expected the greatest Concurrence and assistance.  
That they have observed also his Highness pious Endeavours for the propagation of the Gospel of Truth in the purity and the glory of it, and the Establishment of the Spiritual Lib●rtyes of all good Christians, (though differing in Opinions) and his great care of securing Propriety, and the Civil Rights of these Nations, and in preventing their probable Ruin and destruction, For which mercies they must most sincéerly confess that they have infinite cause to bless God. And therefore they cannot but in humble duty represent unto his Highness, that they are resolved with the hazard of their lives and utmost fortunes to own, & stand by him in the pursuance of those ends for which he hath so fully declared, And that (by the assistance of the Almighty) They will faithfully attend their duties in the several places in the City, and else where, for the defence of his Highness' person, and the Preservation and Peace of this City, And of the whole Nation  
This indeed would be a great and Univocal Expression, they might also add unto it▪ That by reason of the many secret plots and Combinations threatening further trouble and confusion in these Nations by strengthening and encouragement which the common Enemies receive by the advantage of our Intestine discords to promote their design, which if accomplished will be unvoydably of that cause and Interest, for which his Highness hath so often and so fully declared for, and in which God hath so eminently owned him & prospered him, that for the blessed effects thereof which they enjoy they have abundant cause to bless the Almighty.  
They are therefore fully resolved to attend his Highness commands in the faithful discharge of the duties of their places. for the defence of his person and the Security of the Commonwealth, In the pursuance of which great Interest, They will Engage themselves to the utmost hazard of their lives against all Tumultuous Insurrections that may hereafter be raised by the Enemies of his Highness, and the peace of the City, and the Nation, and that he may assure himself that the same presence will attend him from on high which formerly hath appeared in his Achievements in so many fields for the accomplishing of that great work so happily begun to the glory of God, and the rejoicing of the hearts of all the people in this City and Nation.  
These are the honourable and pious Resolutions In which the City will join with the Commanders of the Army to the mutual preservation of each othershappynesse, and the Terror of all their Enemies whatsoever,   

The Resolution of the Lord Mayor, and common-councel-men of the City of London, upon the aforesaid discovery.  
THe Lord Mayor of London, with the consent of the Court of Aldermen, and the Common-council of the said City upon their return from his Highness, taking into their serious consideration the weightiness of the Reasons then proposed unto them, and withal considering how much their own safety was wrapped up in this serious Discovery, did immediately like true Patriots to their Country resolve to act something that in such a Juncture of time might render them famous to Posterity, and to that end they immediately issued out their Orders to the Commanders of the several Regiments in the City of London, to summon in a the inhabitants in their respective devisions which either formerly have or now are in a Capacity to be listed for the present safety of the City, the peace and quietness of the whole Nation, who very cheerfully appeared and declared their honest resolutions to maintain the Government now established, with the hazard of their lives and Fortunes against any Malignant party or discontented Faction whatsoever. And I do believe within a few day's ther● will be as gallant an Army of truehearted Citizens, really to maintain what they have Verbally promised as London could have shown this many years.   
FINIS.