A DISCOVERY To the praise of God, and joy of all true hearted Protestants, of a late intended plot by the Papists to subdue the Protestants.  
Being a true Copy of a Discourse between William O Conner a Priest, and Anne Hussey an Irish Gentlewoman: as it was brought and confirmed by oath in the Parliament House.  
Printed Anno, 1641.   

A Discourse betwixt William O Conner a Priest, and Servant to the Queen-mother, and Anne Hussey an Irish Gentlewoman of the House of Galtrum, usually working at Mistress Pinoks House a School-mistris on the backside of Lion's Inn in the Strand, at several meetings of theirs since Easter 1640. in these words, or to this effect.  
I Anne Hussey coming to Goodwife Walker, a stocking mender in the Strand, who said to me, I would your Countryman were as honest as you, that lies at my house, than I asked her, who he was? Goodwife Walker answered me, and said he is a Priest, and a servant to the Queen-mother, and if any had wit to search it out, they would find out a great deal of Treason in him, than I said to Goodwife Walker, if you will be true to me, and not discover me to be a Protestant, I will fetch it out of him if I can, and Goodwife Walker promised, that she would not discover me, so the next day early in the morning, I went up to his chamber at the said Goodwife Walkers house, and was directed to it by her Husband, and when the Priest had opened his door, and I in his chamber, he asked me, if I knew him? I answered no, but I inquired for an Irishman, that came with the Queen-mother, and hearing that he was one, I was bold to come up to him, to entreat him to inquire for an Uncle of mine, one Master Nicholas Hussey (a Priest) at the Spanish Ambassadors, whether he was alive, or come over into England, William O Conner answered me, why do you not go and inquire yourself? I answered, I being a woman, was loath to go amongst so many men.  Priest. 
Are you a Catholic?  Hussey. 
I was born, and bred one.  P. 
What house of Ireland are you of?  H. 
Of the house of Galtrum.  P. 
They are Royal Catholics, and worthy people, than he asked me what my name was? I told him Anne Hussey, so he brought me to Mistress Pinocks house, and so departed for that time.  
At a second meeting on Saturday after, William O Connor the Priest came again to Mistress Pinocks house to ask for me, and desired me go drink with him at a Tavern, which I refused, but went with him to one Master Hils an Alehouse, and there we fell into this following discourse.  H. 
I told him I was troubled in mind about one thing that I desired to know.  P. 
You must relate it to a Priest.  H. 
If I knew an Irish Priest, that would tell me faithfully, I would.  P. 
I am one myself, and immediately he crossed me over the forehead.  H. 
I asked him, whether the number of the protestants, or the papists in England were the greatest?  P. 
He said the papists were.  H. 
Then they will conquer our Country (meaning Ireland.)  P. 
First, we must begin with England.  H. 
How, or in what manner will they begin with England? and when will it be?  P. 
When the King goes to Scotland.  H. 
There is no hope of the Kings going to Scotland.  P. 
I'll warrant you he doth.  H. 
Can not you procure me Letters from beyond Sea, to help me to be a Nun.  P. 
It is a hard task for you to perform, to be a Nun.  H. 
Why, I can live chaste, I never mean to marry.  P. 
Although you do not marry, you may lie with a man.  H. 
I but that is a sin.  P. 
But the Priest can forgive it.  H. 
I know he can.  P. 
Yes you may lie with a man, steal, kill a man, or any man may kill a King, for the advancement of the Church of Rome, and the Priest can forgive him.  H. 
I have heard there is a protestant book called a Bible, and by their report it saith, that whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, and we must fear God, and honour the King, and pray for the King, that we may live a peaceable, a quiet, and a holy life.  P. 
For your life read not that book, for I will not read it for a thousand worlds, and further said, whether do you go to Mass?  H. 
To a private house I do go.  P. 
I praise God there is many of them, and bid me come next day (being Sabbath day) to Saint James', and I should hear him say Mass before the Queen-mother.  H. 
I have business to morrow, that I cannot go thither to Mass, nor to any other place, but will some other time.  
So ended our discourse at that time. At an other meeting, etc.  H, 
At his request I went to his Chamber at Mistress Scarlotts house in Coven Garden, in Blackmoore street, at the sign of the Sedan (about a fortnight after) one day in the after noon, where I found him upon his Bed, and he gave me three shirts of fine holland of about sixteen shillings an ell (as they were judged) to mark for him upon the breast or bosom, in this manner following.  
jesus Maria. William O Conner.  
At which time he shown me his beads, and other knacks, and clothes made of black plush, scarlet, and as I think a hairecolour satin, after this I left him and carried away the shirts to be marked, but instead of marking them as he directed, I marked them only with a Crucifix and his name, and the same night about nine of the clock, hee-came to me for his Shirts, and brought an Irish man with him in a long grey coat, with a sword girt close to his side, under his arm, I asked the priest who he was?  P. 
He is one of the number of 7000, that is in private pay, and in readiness to aid the Catholics, & to cut the protestants throats that should resist them.  H. 
What office hath this man with them?  P. 
He is one that blows the Pipe, with the Drum.  H. 
Let me see it, and immediately he drew it out and would have played on it, but I desired him to forbear, lest he was discovered, which advise they liked well, and praised me highly, and offered me the lives of any, that I would desire to be saved.  
And so they departed.  
About the latter end of July 1640, he came to me at Mistress Pinock's house aforesaid, and said he came upon great occasion, and in great haste, and he must immediately return back.  
I asked him the occasion?  P. 
I have three Letters from the Queen-mother, to be delivered to three Ambassadors, the Spanish, the Venetian, the French.  H. 
Wherefore?  P. 
To send to the Pope.  H. 
Can you do nothing without the Pope's leave?  P. 
Either by himself, or his Legate, we must know when to begin.  H. 
To begin what?  P. 
The subduing of the Protestants.  H. 
I do not like their fury, if they once draw the sword, they are like Lions.  P. 
What are they, if their King be cut off?  H. 
You can never overcome the King by the Sword.  P. 
If we cannot that way, we can another.  H. 
How?  P. 
Do you think my Lady and Queen is a fool?  H. 
I do not think she is a fool.  P. 
If no hand will do it, this hand shall.  H. 
Do what?  P. 
Kill him.  H. 
Who?  P. 
The King.  H. 
What, you kill the King?  P. 
Ay, kill an Heretic at any time for the advancement of the Mother-church of Rome, and swore by Saint Francis, and Saint Dominick, that he would do it, and promised to come again, on Monday after, to pay me for marking of his shirts, and to bestow some Bracelets upon me, but he never came to me afterwards.  
This William O Conner, the Priest, would not suffer me to speak a word in all this discourse, but in Irish, and confessed he hath been long employed by the Queen-mother in her business with all the Princes in Christendom, and with the great Turk, and he professed further to Goodwife Walker, (as she told me on Monday last) much of his care in the keeping of the Queen's secrets, and that he would be burnt in a fire before he would reveal them.   
FINIS.