Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	day_n	great_a	part_n	5,328	4	4.0128	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85266	An extraordinary deliverance, from a cruell plot, and bloudy massacre contrived by the malignants in Bristoll, for the delivering up the said city to Prince Rupert and his forces; but discovered by Gods goodnesse two houres before it should have beene acted, the chiefe conspirators taken, and imprisoned in the castle. Fully and exactly related in a letter from Colonell Fines commander in chiefe there, to the Right Honorable the Lord Say; and three letters more, read at a conference of the Lords and Commons on Tuesday, March 14. 1642. Die Martis, 14 Martii. 1642. Ordered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that these letters shall be forthwith printed and published. Io. Browne Cler. Parliamentorum.	Fiennes, Nathaniel, 1607 or 8-1669.; E. H.; R. A.; Reverend minister now residing in Bristoll.	1643 (1643)	Wing F873; Thomason E93_10; ESTC R18611	5,765	15

My Lord I Am so full of businesse that I cannot write to your Lordship but very briefly It hath pleased God to give us an extraordinary deliverance from a cruell conspiracie and massacre from malignants within the City and from a powerful invasion from without by Prince Rupert and all his forces God discovered unto us the conspiracie some two houres before it was to be acted we tooke the chief actors with their Armes and preparations in severall houses by threescores and forties in a house we have layed them safe in the Castle and the Enemy after two or three Cannon shot perceiving that the plot within the Towne whereon they depended was discovered wheeled about and left us in some haste fearing we should fall upon their reare and indeed foure of my Troopers chased seven of theirs tooke foure of their Horses their Armes and Cloakes and forced them into a River to save their lives Whosoever shall consider the condition this Town was in in respect of the townsmen and in respect of the Garrison one Regiment viz. Col. Essex'es something disteinpered by their Collonels removall especially the Officers although they did very good service with great diligence and the other Regiments being raw Souldiers and hardly having one old souldier for an Officer amongst them all and how I was without money without counsell and without experience in my owne particular for matters of this nature must upon these and many other considerations conclude that though as I writ in my last to your Lordship that it is not to be expected that I should do miracles yet God hath been pleased to preserve me almost by a miracle the praise and glory of this good successe being only due to him And it is very probable that Prince Rupert will make another attempt upon this City which is of infinite consequence to them and without a good proportion of men it cannot be defended it will require 1500 or 2000 men to be upon the guard constantly to make a sufficient guard there is no better way then to have here a body of an Army of four or five thousand men at the least which when the Enemy approaches may have recourse to the City and at other times may disperce it self to the defence of the adjacent Counties My Lord never did man make such shifts for money as I doe my Regiment of Horse Col. Essex his Regiment of Foot Col. Hungerfords Regiment and part of Col. Pophams lieth upon me besides many great incident charges which in this case must needs be borne by him that commands in chiefe I beseech your Lordship to consider me and let us have money at least if we cannot have both money and men both which we want I shall shortly send your Lordship and my Lord Generall to whom I humblie beseech your Lordship to excuse me that I do not write at this time for I am not willing to make an imperfect Relation and I have hardly time to eate drinke or sleepe or scarce to turne my selfe and I will also send the examinations of the prisoners in the Castle which are wellneere 60 with all the passages of this great deliverance from a most bloody massacre for which the Major and Aldermen and Councell of this City are very desirous to joyn with me in a day of publike thanksgiving in this City March 11. 1642. Your Lordships most obedient sonne Nath. Fiennes SIR I Cannot omit to give you a hint of our condition and what hath passed among us this wéeke on Sunday night last we had an Alarum Prince Rupert with a force was come against the City with some two thousand Horse as is reported accompained with his Brother Prince Maurice and Lord George Digby and other Noblemen they came with considence of an easy entrance and therefore brought no great Guns they expected supply from our Malignants which it séemes was promised on Monday they faced our workes where Colonell Fines sounded a Trumpet having with him onely a Troope of Horse at night they retreated and next day being Tuesday they appeared againe waiting the issue of a Treasonable Plot which some of our wretched Citizens had assured to performe This and Sir William Wallers not comming together with the aduantage of a good part of our Forces gon to Sherborne and our works not finished of all which they had a dayly account made them build upon an easy conquest On Tuesday night whilst the City was in a continued Alarum it pleased God so to blesse the painfull watchfull diligence of Colonell Fines that the Treason was discovered and the chiefe Actors taken with al their preparation which is one Robert Yeomons one of the Sheriffe● the last yeere and George Butcher both Merchants who are now imprisoned in the Castle with many more others are fled and since séene in the Kings Army and some are hid and every day new ones discovered and secuted I cannot write you now at large they being this day in examination but in briefe it was thus they had concealed many Armed-men in Houses and fitted them with all things necessary to the worke there is found with one of them a Coppy of the Actors Names which was sent the Army and such others as must bee protected All others were to be left unto the spoile the first two sorts were to have a white Inde in their Bosomes and upon their Armes The Plot it selfe was to set upon the Sentinells and the Court of Guard at Frome-Cats and the Pitty-Gate and to doe it quietly they had the convelance of the backside of a House to bring on their men who must come together at the to wling of a Bell in three Churches St Nicholas Bell for the Butchers Saint Johns Bell for the Saylors and Saint Michaels Bell to bring downe the Cavaliers My House must be the first to beforced for the Reyes which at that time I was without upon speciall occasion which when it came to the hearing of the Kings Army they were not a little angry and are now withdrawne from us how farre we yet know not but the snare is braken and we are escaped blessed be the Lord. This doth require a day set apart for Thanksgiving and we have now resolved upon it I am sorry my Son remaines so weake yet I hope wee shall enjoy him longer amongst us I must conclude and take my leave resting Bristoll this of March 1642. Yours assured R.A. From the Fort at BRANDANH ILL March 11. 1642. SIR YOurs by the Post I have received with my Bill of exchange for which I give you many thanks for your paines therein as for your businesse with the Alderman I must intreat your patience till the next conveiance it is so that my Captaine my selfe and all our Company have bin here to keepe this Fort this three dayes and two nights without reliefe it is somwhat hard duty for fresh water Souldiers but wee are all willing to doe it because the time doth necessarily require it Upon

Tuesday the seventh of this moneth Prince Robert Prince Maurice and my Lord George Digbie with 4000. Horse and 2000. Foot came and presented themselves with their Forces upon Durdam downe within Cannot shot of this Fort and now I shall give you a Relation of a Treason as horrible as detestable and setting aside but the greatnesse of Persons as bloody as the Gunpowder Treason and ought especially by us of this place to be taken notice of and yearely to be celebrated with praise and thanksgiving to the Great Protector unto eternity the Plot was thus Our grand Malignants to God and their Country had combined with the Forces aforesaid to draw neere the City and had promised them to assist them with 16. peeces of Ordnance or more as occasion should serve these Guns were to be brought unto them by 500. Seamen from our Pill where the Ships ly and these men were to joyne with them for our confusion Now within the City Master Robert Yeomans that night had gotten into his house privately betweene 50. or 60. men some Merchants like himselfe others Seamen and all Rogues their number I beleeve was to be greater but God did discover the Plot ere it came to the height these men in the night were upon the towle of a Bell at Saint Nicholas to come out of his house and joyne with a Regiment of butchers and mecanicks that would come up to the high Crosse and they to kill the Centinell and goe possesse themselves of the main guard and so to hinder al that side of the City over the Bridge from comming to their succor then at Froome gate Master George Boucher he had another crew of like Vermine that upon the towle of Saint Johns Bell which was to be at the same instant of time they were to joyne with a Company of Seamen and set upon the guard at Froome gate and all to be put to the Sword that came within their reach they having possession of these two Guards a Bell was to towle at Milehill to give notice that the Cavaliers should draw downe to Froome gate and ere they should come some from the Guard should goe and breake open the Maiors doore and kill him and his take away the Citie keyes and let in these destroyers so that now by this Post you might have heard of the Tragicall end of all your acquaintaince for we found in some of the actors possession white inckle strings about of an ell long and every one that was to live should wear one in his hat before and another in his bosome those that wanted it were to be massacred by Pistols or Swords without mercy The discovery of this was miraculous some poore body or other came to our Company which guarded the Bridge that night and acquainted us that they saw some men goe into Master Yeomans house at ten or neer eleven a clock at night Whereupon halfe our Company with a Troope of Horse went to the house and found the men as I have formerly related with many Pistols and Muskets ready charged these men were presently sent away to the Castle and that night the Company at Buchers house were taken which hindered the towling of our Knell and the next day wee fell to work roundly and have clapt up all the Malignants we know On Wednesday the Enemy had notice of the Plots Discovery which made them retreat and as I am unformed Prince Robert went away weeping for certain he was so incensed against the parties that promised assistance and failed him that he would speedily return with Ordnance and be revenged on altogether he is retreated towards Cicester I pray God convert him but not turne him Vpon Thursday last in the afternoone Prince Roberts Trumpetter came to Towne and wee all thought it was to Summon the City but proved otherwise I was present with Colonell Fynes when he came in and his message was from the Prince to the Colonell to enquire after two Gentlemen which he said a partie of Horsemen had set upon and either taken or killed the ones name was Weston the other Wheton both Gentlemen of qualitie the Colonells answer was he had no such prisoners of that name but told him that on Tuesday night 3. of his Troope set upon seven of their Company and tooke foure of their Horses two Cloakes and some Pistols and that the men swimmed for their lives no man ever seeing them after they entred the river so that its probable they are drowned I have beene tedious in this Relation and all because I would truly possesse you withall the passages and now what remaines but to crave your thankefulnesse to the Almighty for this our great deliverance and the Lord grant wee may never be unmindfull to render unto him praise and thankefulnesse for it All your Friends are in good health heere your Father I heare not of so for the present I take leave and rest Your assured loving Friend E. H. Pray acquaint my Brother with what I write to you A Letter written by a Reverend Minister now residing in Bristoll to a Friend of his in LONDON Loving Friend I Could doe no lesse then impact to you the wonderfull and miraculous goodnesse of our gracious God in preserving this Citie of Bristol from a most bloudy Plot to be put in execution upon the souldiers and well-affected in the City which was on this manner Your Brother the Captaine being appointed to watch with his whole Band of souldiers at a Gate in Bristol called Froome Gate on Munday Tuesday and Wednesday Nights and Dayes and being diligent to see all his men in readinesse walkes up and downe within his Guard as well to prevent the Enemies without approaching neerer and neerer the Citie even to a place called Durdome Downe within two Miles of the Citie as the Malignants within the Citie from effecting their Plots which wee did alwayes feare but now were perswaded were neerer to be put in execution by reason of the Enemies so neere approach towards the Walls of the Citie and bending toward that very Gate it happened through the mightie Providence of Almightie God that when the Captaine commanded all the Inhabitants of that Street to hang out their Lights by reason of the Darknesse of the Night and his souldiers were beating at their Doores to that purpose that one Buchers House a Merchant of great Wealth was without Light at whose Doore when they knocked they would make no answer as if there were no person at all in the House Vpon which it pleased God to put it into the Captaines minde finding by inquirie that there had beene some that entred in the day before to suspect those persons that were in the House to be Malignants because they would not hang out their Lights Whereupon the Captaine commanded his Men to breake up their Doores and when hee and his Men were entred into the House they found about threescore men readie with their Armes of whom they apprehended twentie three and the rest ran out at a Water-Gate on the backside of the House and went away through the Water it being a low Tyde and made an Escape and searching afterwards they found great store of Armes Muskets readie charged with some seven and some ten Bullets apeece their Pannes prim'd with Brimstone and Powder mingled together that they might not misse Fire their Linkes readie by them their Powder papered out and all things readie for the Deligne which should have beene put in execution within an houre after this time of their apprehension and the Method of their Plot was this They having many dayes before kept in Pay great numbers of Armed men in severall parts of the Citie which men consisted for the most part of Saylers Butchers Halliers and such like that upon the Touling of the Bril of Saint Iohns and other certaine Bells appointed by the Conspirators the Malignants of Bristol at a certaine houre appointed that very Morning should issue forth at Froome Gate in speciall and at divers other Gates of the Citie upon all the souldiers at their severall Centuri●s to murther them and then seize upon the Ordnance and make good Froome Gate for the entrance of the Enemie into the Citie at the Ringing of a Bell who lay within a mile and an halfe of the Citie expecting every Minute when they should have been let in and as soone as they had entred the Citie they were to cut the Throats of all persons in the Citie which had not the Marke and Word secretly dispersed through the Citie to save some that the Enemie favoured the Marke was a white Ribon● or wh●te Incle on their Brest and the Word wa● King Charles The Captaine the next Morning tooke Bucher himselfe and tooke Herbert a Merchant a Malignant and divers other chiefe Merchants of the Citie Herberts Boy and Butchers Maid being taken at Buchers House have fully confessed the Plot and about an hundred of the Complotters are taken and in close Prison Now when the Enemie found that the Plot was discovered and prevented though they had drawne their Forces so neere the Citie immediately they withdrew and retyred toward Ciceter And now we hope we shall settle the Citie in a very safe way Thus much I thought good to impart to you that you may know the certaintie of the Businesse and thus in haste desiring your prayers I remaine your loving friend FINIS