A SECOND POWDER-PLOT, Discovered in his EXCELLENCY the LORD GENERALLS army. Truly relating the manner of this desperate, cowardly, and malignant PLOT: In two several Letters. The first from one of the Lifeguard to his Brother in LONDON. The other from a lieutenant in the army.  
Published according to Order.  
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons, September 5. 1644.   

TWO LETTERS; Discovering a second Powder-Plott in his Excellency the Lord Generalls army: wherein the admirable hand of GOD hath appeared.  

Loving SIR,  
I Hope you have received the Last I writ of the 15th Instant, wherein I certified you that the Army was twenty miles into Cornwall, where the King with his own Army, Prince Maurices, Hoptons, and Greenvils had lain about a week, within half a mile of us. Since which time the Enemy hath marched down upon us, and wee have been in Skirmish a week to morrow morning; in which time, blessed be God, wee have lost none of note, and but very few private Souldiers. What the Enemy hath lost I know not. The reason the Battle hath continued so long, and is like to continue much longer, is in regard both Armies are within enclosures: wee are come very near one of the other: many of our great Pieces and theirs are within Musket-shot of each other: The Enemy doth confidently assure themselves of Victory, using many opprobrious speeches to us; for wee have much talk with them. The first morning they fell opon us, I was sent out 〈◇〉 a party of men to encounter them; wee had very hot service all day, and were within ten yards one of another; sometimes wee argue together, some times wee scoulded together like the Fish-women in Cheap-side, and sometimes wee fought very hot; wee were so near, that sometimes the Kings men would leap over the hedge into the midst of us, taking us for their own men: They use all the power, violence, and treachery they can, to destroy and cut us off. But in God in whom our strength doth lye, and on whom the eyes of our farewell are fixed for succour and relief, hath hitherto helped us, and owned his own Cause, and given us and the whole kingdom new experience of his love and goodness to us, in preventing the treacherous design of our Enemies: yesterday the Enemy were ready all to fall upon us at once, and that they might more surely prevail against us, had procured one whom yet wee have not found out, to blow up our train, and had so far effected it, that the wild-fire and lighted Matches were put into some wagons; one Match( by the providence of God) contrary to the nature of Match, went out of itself, and another Match was found burning in a tin Box, ready to give fire to the wild-fire. I hope the deliverance from this second Gunpowder-Plot, will never be forgotten by us: The Lord is good to us in providing for us in so barren a place. Wee were above a fortnight without beer, but now wee have some sometimes from the Lord of Warwick, as also biscuit, Butter and Cheese, so that, blessed be God, wee are in no great want. Wee daily expect colonel Middleton to come to us with relief. Wee question not but the Lord will either sustain and strengthen us, or else will supply us with relief in due season.  
August 26th.   

Sabbathi 25 Aug. 1644. Loving Brother my best respect presented.  
WEE lye now at Leatthell in the middle of Cornwall, where wee have endured much hardship for want of bread, yet find provision beyond expression, blessed be God. When wee entred Cornwall at Lanceston, where wee took sixty barrels of Powder, besides great store of Ammunition, and twelve Pieces of Ordnance taken at Salt-Ash: and likewise two hundred Prisoners: The 22 of this month we fought from morning to night, and thorough Gods mercy wee had but little loss; but divers of the Enemy. The 25 of this month being Sabbath day, wee have had a second Powder-Plot, which had not God wonderfully prevented, it might have proved of as dangerous consequence as the first: And thus it was; On Sabbath day 25th of the said month, our whole train was intended by the Enemy to be blown up: the Enemy plotting by some members in our Army, caused two great gabs of wild-fire to be made, which was put into a wagon, and two ends of Matches being tied to the mouth's of both the bags, a Bandeleire being fastened to one of them, the bottom of it being broken out, and the end of the Match within the Bandeleire, the Regiment of foot standing about the Artillery, the Match burning, and the Enemy round about the town, expecting execution, that they might be ready to fall on, to cut the throats of our Forces: Now stand still, and see the salvation of God: The first Match burned clean out to the Powder, and there dyes, doing no execution at all: The second Match was burned within two inches of the Powder, where the Controwler going to deliver out some Powder to the Regiments, found these things thus done, yet the actor in this bloody intended Massacre is not found out; Digitus Dei; to the Lord, the discoverer of secrets, be all the glory.   
FINIS.