this Examinant further saith That Mr. Rumbald told this Examinant not long since that Major Wildman had shewed him a Paper in the nature of a Declaration or Remonstrance which he intended to have Printed and Dispersed among the People at the time of the intended Insurrection and that he the said Wildman had formerly encouraged the said Rumbald in the attempt upon the King and Duke in their way to or from Newmarket but afterward seemed to discourage him And this Examinant further saith That after the Fire happened at Newmarket and this Examinant Colonel Romzey Walcot Ferguson Rumbald and Richard Goodenough had met twice and resolved to let making any Attempt upon the King and Duke alone The said Ferguson on Saturday or Sunday before the Kings return borrowed Forty Gunies of Colonel Romzey as the said Colonel Romzey and Ferguson have since told this Examinant in order to set the same on work but did nothing in it and hath since repaid Thirty Gunies if not the whole Forty Gunies to the said Colonel Romzey And this Examinant further saith That after the Kings return from Newmarket the said Colonel Romzey this Examinant Ferguson Rumbald Goodenough and Walcot as this Examinant believes met at the George and Vulture Tavern on Ludgate-hill where the Arms in this Examinants former Examinations mentioned and the Sorts and Sizes thereof were agreed upon And the said Ferguson told the Company that one was employed to see for some Convenience between Hampton-Court and Windsor to make the Attempt upon the King and Duke but he never made any Report of the Message though he was pressed to it by this Examinant and others being then wholly intent as this Examinant perceived upon Managing the Scotch Insurrection And this Examinant further saith That soon afterward there were several Meetings between all or most of the Parties abovementioned at the Castle Tavern in Fleetstreet and Green Dragon Tavern on Snow-hill but this Examinant doth not remember any particular Discourse at any of the said Meetings other than concerning the Progress of the Scotch preparation towards an Insurrection And this Examinant further saith That there was since proposed making an Attempt upon the King and Duke in their return from the Dukes Play-House in the narrow part of the Street but the same was wholly rejected and this Examinant never heard of any Attempt designed to be made upon the King and Duke at a Bull-Feast nor never heard that a Bull-Feast was to be had till about Ten or Eleven days since And this Examinant further saith That the said Ferguson told this Examinant that the Insurrection in England intended to second that in Scotland would be in this manner viz. That one Party should be up in the West at Bristol Taunton and thereabout another in Yorkshire at York another in Cheshire at Chester and if it could be done another in Devonshire at Exeter in every of which places some Persons of Quality would appear but named them not and that the main Push was designed at London and was ordered thus viz. That several parties should at once Attack the Tower the Guards and the Exchange the Mews the Savoy and White-Hall and one at Westminster should fall upon the back of White-Hall that a Party of Horse should be laid at Staines Bridge to way-lay the King and Duke if they went towards Windsor and another Party of Horse to way-lay them in their Road to Portsmouth if they went thither that the Mayor and Sheriffs should be seized but the Design was not to be Communicated till it was ripe for Action and added that he hoped the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Russel might be prevailed with to appear in London And this Examinant further saith That after the Scots were disappointed of the Money promised to them the said Ferguson would have had this Examinant to have met and discoursed with Sir Thomas Armstrong but this Examinant refused to do so and he once asked this Examinant to wait upon the Duke of Monmouth but this Examinant refused that also And this Examinant further saith That though the said Ferguson was shie of Naming Persons of Quality to this Examinant yet he always believed he meant the Duke of Monmouth Lord Russel Lord Grey Colonel Sidney Mr. Charleton Major Wildman and others but this Examinant never Discoursed with any of them himself And Colonel Romzey about two or three Months since to the best of this Examinants remembrance told this Examinant that the Lord Howard of Escrick Colonel Sidney Mr. Hampden Junior Major Wildman and others whom this Examinant hath forgotten were Managers of the Design And this Examinant further saith That Richard Rumbald was commonly called Hanibal by reason of his having but one eye and that it was usual at the Meetings above-mentioned to Drink a Health to Hanibal and his Boys and this Examinant believes the Ninety three Guineys in this Examinants former Examination mentioned to be paid to him by the said Ferguson for the Arms were given to him by Mr. Charleton for that the said Ferguson had before told this Examinant that he should have the said Money when Mr. Charleton came to Town and when the said Ferguson paid the said Guinies to this Examinant he told him he had not them in his Custody above half an hour and this Examinant met the said Charleton going from him when this Examinant came to him And this Examinant further saith That about five Weeks since after the said Treaty with the Scots seemed to be broken off this Examinant Colonel Romzey Mr. Walcot Mr. Wade Mr. Norton Richard Goodenough and Iames Holloway met at the Young Devil Tavern between the two Temple Gates where it was agreed to divide the City into several Parts and to give the several Parts to several Persons to examine what Force might be Raised in every one of them and if 3000 Men could be Raised for the first Onset it was thought sufficient encouragement to venture upon an Insurrection and it was not doubted but 20000 Men would fall in if the first Onset had any success and in order to this a large Map of the City and Suburbs was bought and hung up in this Examinants Chamber where Mr. Wade Holloway and Mr. Francis Goodenough divided the City and Suburbs into Twenty Divisions which were to be Managed thus One principal Man in each Division should employ Fourteen or Fifteen under him and give them their particular Walks so that they might not interfere one with another and be deceived in their Numbers These were to provide Ten men apiece at least so that 150 Men in each Division would make 3000 out of the Twenty Divisions and what was over might be kept for a Reserve but there was no particular Method as this Examinant remembers agreed upon to use these Men but was deferred till the Number was certain after which Division so made the said Richard Goodenough by reason of his general Acquaintance undertook to find out Men to act accordingly
nothing like the other Design for that would put an end to all in a little time when I told him that I thought none in our parts would be for it which I think was all the Discourse we then had only he promised that if any thing was agreed before Mr. Wade came up I should hear of it so I took leave and went for Bristol the next morning About ten days after hearing nothing from them Ferguson having told me that he thought all would be agreed in four or five days and promiâ—ed to advise I wrote to Mr. West desiring to know how they went on who wrote me that they still met with delays and were come to no Conclusion after that I heard no more till May. About the beginning of May I came up to London again in Company with Mr. Wade and some other Bristol men but when we came up my Business being in the City and theirs about the Temple we parted after two or three days I met with Mr. Wade and asked how he found things who told me he doubted all would prove a Sham for he thought there was nothing intended finding nothing materially done in order to what had been so long discoursed Then we went to Mr. West and discoursed him fully about the Contents of his Letters who told us they were resolved to kill the King and Duke as they came from Newmarket in order to which he had provided Arms for fifty Men Pistols Carbines and Blunderbusses and that they were promised the House of one Rumbald a Malster which lay in the Road and the King must come by his Door there the men should have been Lodged Then we asked who was to have acted it to which he could give but a slender Answer and could or wâ—â—ld name but two Men who were Rombald and his Brother saying if they could have raised six or eight hundred pounds to have bought Horses and something to encourage men they should have 〈◊〉 men enough so that we found they had few men if more than two and no Horses only a parcel of Arms which afterwards he shewed us at a Gun-smiths House in a little Lane near Temple-Bar Then we asked him what they designed if it had taken effect to which he answered that the men should have come up with all speed to London and dispersed themselves immediatly declaring for the Duke of Monmouth and that the King and Duke being dead no opposition could be made then we asked who were for this Design he named Colonel Romzey and Richard Goodenough and as far as I can remember no more so we found it was carried on by them contrary to the knowledge or approbation of those who managed the General Design then we declared our great dislike of it telling him it was a base Dishonourable and Cowardly Action and would seem odious to all the World that any pretending themselves Protestants should be concerned in such a Bloody Action and that we thought it was his Cowardize put him upon it to which he said that he could not Fight but would be as forward with his Money as any of his Capacity Then we went to Colonel Romzey who we found to be wholly of Wests Opinion saying that except something be done that way I know nothing will be done at all for he knew the other Managers would do nothing so we had little Discourse at that time After this we went to Ferguson who told us how things stood we then found that he knew of both Designs but was only for the Insurrection and told us that the Managers had been Treating with some Scotch Gentlemen that they were almost agreed and the Money they were to be supplyed with would be ready in three or four days being ten thousand pounds which was to be returned to Holland to buy Arms c. for Scotland He also told us that the Scotch Gentlemen had made another proposal to the Managers thus If they would supply them with thirty thousand pounds they would begin it in Scotland first which they could soon have and then would Invade England desiring the Managers only to get a Party in the North of England ready to oppose any Force from coming out of England against them before they had setled Scotland but this was not approved of the Managers chusing rather to supply them with 10000 l. and to begin it in England the same time Then we daily expected to hear when the Mony would be paid but still found nothing but delays the Managers not agreeing how to raise the Mony and that if the Mony had been ready they were come to no Conclusion as to any method more than they were nine months before having done nothing â—â—t talked to ensnare people reporting about in all parts how the Liberties of the people were daily more and more infringed and that Arbitrary Government and Popery was coming in apace which incensed people very much and made such a grumbling in all parts that we fear'd lenger delays would make the common people in many parts mutiny it being as we thought so gen'rally known except something was suddainly done it was impossible it should remain undiscovered so the next time we met with Romzey and Ferguson tho never together we declared our dissatisfaction by Reason of such long delaies and spoke it so as that it might come to the managers Ears as we suppose it did being to this effect That we thought they had only a design to betray people drawing many thousands into a snare for their actions shewed little otherwise being so long discoursing a thing of that nature and done so little towards it few days after meeting with Romzey again he told us they were of different opinions concerning a method some for beginning the Insurrection only in London and Scotland some for it in all places at once as at first proposed others for several places in England and Scotland and not in London saying that if it was not begun in London but in other places there would be forces raised in London to send out against them which would take out most of their strength and that then London might be easily secured somtimes they were for beginning it only in London and Scotland and to have people come up to London from all parts of England to which we answered that we though no way better than what was first proposed viz. the beginning of it in many places at once as before mentioned for although we had engaged none in or about Bristol nor should not endeavour it till all things were concluded yet with the assistance we were promised from Taunton did not doubt but to get men enough to secure it and that we knew not where to get ten men that would come for London and supposed it might be so in other places men might be willing to secure their own Country who would not be willing to leave all and come for London Romzey then said if he knew where to get at the
Mead at one Mr. Cooks a Merchant living near the Exchange in Austin-Fryers in London but I do not mind what he spoke of the aforesaid Design to me but thinks not for I was a stranger to him and not acquainted before that time and this I subscribe before these Witnesses Sir William Hamilton of Prestoun Master Iohn Vans Keeper of the Tolbooth of Edinburgh A Copy of the Interrogators proposed to Alexander Gordon sometime of Earlstoun in the Committee 25th of September 1683. TO Interrogate the said Alexander Gordon what Correspondence he did hold with the pretended General Convention from whom he had his Commission And if he did not write a Letter to and hold correspondence with them before he came last to Scotland and upon what account he did write that Letter to the said Convention which is mentioned in one Letter to him from one Michael Sheills bearing that the Convention had received his Letter c. And if to his knowledge the said pretended Convention General did not hold any exact Correspondence and Intelligence with the disaffected Party and other their Adherents both in England and in the United Provinces of the Netherlands and what the said Correspondence was and if it was not to the weakning and diminishing if not to the ruining and overturning of His Majesties Government both in Church and State as it is now Established within His Majesties Dominions 2. Upon what account was he moved to accept of the said Commission and what other Instructions he had from the said pretended Convention General in order to the Methods he was to take for inviting the assistance and supply of the Forreign States and Churches unto which he was Commissionate and if he had not Instructions for imploring their Aid by Supply of Money and other Necessaries for sitting and capacitating the distressed Party in Scotland to subvert and overturn at least to resist His Majesties Government in this Kingdom 3. Who were the Persons who did sit and assist in the said Convention General when his Commission was ordered and who did preside thereat And that he would declare such of the Members of the said Convention as he either knew or heard of by their proper Names and Sir-Names and place of their Residence and from whom he received the foresaid Commission and who were present at the delivery of the same to him and what a person Mr. Iames Renvicle is who subscribes as Clerk to the said Commission and if that was his own true or only a borrowed Name And if the same was borrowed that he would declare what his true Name is and where his place of Residence was and if he knows what is become of him since or where he now is and to interrogate him after the same manner in relation to Michael Sheills 4. If the said General Convention was not composâ—d of Persons sent from particular Districts within this Kingdom and how many such Districts there were and who were the leading Persons within these particular Districts and what sort of Persons they were who were Commissionate from these reserved Districts to the pretended General Convention And what farther he knows in Relation to the Government and management of Affairs within these particular Districts 5. To interrogate the said Alexander Gordon what Persons he knew either in Scotland England Ireland or in the United Provinces of the Neatherlands that did hold Correspondence with the said pretended Convention General in order to their acting and consulting of their Affairs or concerting of measures and Methods to be taken in the Prosecution of their purposes and designs c. Interrogators to be put to the said Alexander Gordon in Relation to the late Horrid Conspiracy IMprimis That the said Alexander Gordon would ingenuously declare the true and Genuine meaning and sense of that Letter written to him by Io. N. from London and would give a full and satisfactory Account thereof to the Lords of the Committee such as may satisfie rational and knowing Men conform to the meaning of the Writer who was his Correspondent and who would never have writ to him in Riddles and Mysteries seeing by the Letter it appears that he was informing Alexander Gordon with the State of their Affairs and with the measures and resolutions they had already taken And therefore to interrogate him who this Correspondent was who subscribes Io. N. and where he resided and what was his Trade and Occupation and with whom else he the said Alexander did know him to keep Correspondence and how he became to be acquainted with him and of that way and manner of writing under the Metaphor of Trade and Commerce c. Had not been conceived and agreed to betwixt the said Alexander and the said Io. N. and their party before thereby to vail and disguise their Rebellious contrivances and who were present at the contriving of such a Metaphorical way of Writing besides the said Alexander and Io. N. and if these and the like Methods were not a common Rule and Practise of these Barbarous and execrable Conspirators for disguising of their Horrid and Bloody Designs against the Person of His Sacred Majesty and Royal Brother and for rising in Arms against his Majesty and his Government 2. What he knows in relation to the said Horrid Conspiracy against His Majesties Person and the Person of his Royal Brother or of rising in Arms against His Majesty and Government and who were accessory to the said Horrid Designs either in Scotland England Ireland or any where abroad whither in the United Provinces of the Netherlands or else where and that he would give an account of them in so far as he knows by their Names Sir-Names and Places of residence and such other designs as he knew them by and likeways that he would give an account of the particular designs methods and contrivances treated upon and concerted for the rising in Arms against the King and Government either in Scotland England or Ireland and by what Persons the said Treaties and Designs were carried on as to all which he would give a particular and distinct account to the Lords of the Committee 3. To interrogate him anent the other Letter Written to him under the Name of Mr. Pringle and what was the true meaning thereof and by whom the same was written and if the Trade therein specified do not relate to the condition of the Fanatick and disaffected Party and what other import the said Letter does bear and from what place of the world the same came A Copy of the Examination of Alexander Gordon late of Earlstoun Edinburgh 25th of September 1683. The Earl of Linlithgow Lord Livingston Lord President of Session Lord Collintoun Lord Castlehil JUSTICES The Lord Pitmedden The Lord Harcarss The Earl of Linlithgow Elected President TO the first Interrogator answers That the first time he met with that pretended Convention was near the Inneâ—-Kirk of Kyle in the Fields about two years ago and there were about Fourscore persons
or thereby and that he was brought there from his own House by one Io. Nisbet whom the Declarant knows not further than that he is a West-Country-man about Glasgow and that Io. Nisbet is another Io. Nisbet that wrote a Letter to him to Holland under the notion of Trade relating to the Rising and Rebellion in England And farther That about a year and half ago he met with another Convention consisting of fourscore persons or thereby in the Fields within five miles of the former place near Inner-Kirk and that very few of them had Swords to which Meeting he was advertised to come by a Letter sent to his House subscribed by Mr. Iames Kennick who is Clerk to the Convention and heard of no Ministers being amongst them at either of these times and says there were people there from all the Districts in the several Shires of the Kingdom which Districts he was informed were fourscore and that he knew none of the persons in either of these Meetings except Mr. Iames Kennick the Clerk the said Io. Nisbet who came from a District besides Glasgow and William and Iames Stewarts who came out of Galloway and Robert Speir who came from the Lothians and one Forrest who came from the Upperward of Cluyd and that at these general meetings they produced their Commissions from the several Districts to the Clerk that it might appear that they were commissionate to get relief for the distrest in their bounds that the business of the Convention was to provide for those amongst them were in want and for their own security against the dangers they were in being denounced Fugitives from the Laws and in hazard to be catcht by the Governours and that he heard nothing treated or spoke amongst them as to rising in Arms nor knows of any Correspondence these of the Convention had with any in Ireland and as to England he supposes there was a Correspondence there but knows not these that managed it except the said Io. Nisbet he having shewn the Declarant a Letter he had from Michael Sheills one of the Clerks of the Convention which he saw in the end of March or beginning of April last To the second Interrogator the reason why he accepted of the Commission produced declares He accepted it upon the account to see if there could be a way found for the distrest Brethren to go abroad or to have something from abroad to maintain them there To the third Interrogator declares He remembers no more persons were present but these condescended upon in the first Interrogator which he says was occasioned by his being so long abroad and although upon seeing their faces he might know several of them yet knows not their Names nor the places of their Residence To the fourth declares The said general Conventions were composed of persons sent from the several Districts of which there were as he heard about fourscore in number in which fourscore Districts he was told there would have been six or seven thousand men but knows not of any Gentlemen or leading Men amongst them As to the Commission it was sent him to Newcastle by a common Receiver whom he knows not directed to him at his Lodging at the Sign of the Vine in the Gateside in Newcastle his Landlords Name being George Marshal a publick Inn-keeper and addrest to him under the Name of La Graveil being the Name he went by and that the same was under a Cover of Iames Kennick their Clerk who subscribed it To the last Interrogator repeats his answer made to the first Interrogator and knows no further Being further interrogate upon the Interrogators given in anent the Conspiracy in England declares The the first time he heard of any design of rising in Arms was at the time when the Competition was anent the Sheriffs at Midsummer was a year and then he heard the Duke of Monmouth was to Head the Rebels and this he had from Io. Nisbet and one Mr. Murray a Scotch-man then at London and declares That in Ianuary last the Declarant being in Holland he heard by general report that the late Earl of Argile was to raise some thousand Highlanders to assist the Rebels in England by making a diversion and was to get a Sum of Money for that effect and that in March last he having received a Letter from Io. Nisbet in Holland he came over to London where he met with the said Nisbet and Murray who told the Declarant they designed to rise presently in England and to Rendezvous in Six or Seven places at one time paâ—ticularly at Coventry and London and that they computed several Thousands in York-shire who were to joyn with them That Murray desired the Declarant to go along with him to meet with the late Lord Russel and Gray and the Lord Wharton but of Wharton they sayed they were not very sure of him being a feared Man and with Mr. Ferguson and spoke of several old Officers of Cromwels that were to be there but the Declarant not being for the present Rising shunn'd to meet with these persons or any of them and both Nisbet and Murray told the Declarant that Sir Iohn Cokram was with them and heard from these Two Persons that both the Cessnocks were concerned in that business As to the Letter written by Io. N. of the 20th of March and directed for the Declarant at Rotterdam Declares that Io. Nisbet sent the said Letter and that under the Metaphor of Trade throughout the whole Letter is meant the design of Rising in Arms and a Rebellion and that by the Words dispatching the old rotten Stuff is meant either the excluding the Sectaries from joyning with them or destroying the Government both Civil and Ecclesiastick which last the Declarant supposes rather to be the Words and that by the Factors are meant their Emissaries for carrying 〈◊〉 the Rebellion and for that strange thing that was to fall out that â—eek as the next the Declarant thinks is meant the suddain Muster of the Rebels In the close of the Letter which says things are full as high as I tell you is meant that the Rebellion was instantly to break out and having met with Io. Nisbet after his coming from Holland the said Nisbet explained to him that the sense of the said Letter was as is abovesaid As to a Letter direct to the Declarant under the name of Pringle of the 2 May 1683 declares That the Name of the Subscriber which is blotted out was so blotted before it came to his Hand but by the Contents of it he knows its from one Rob. Iohnston a Tenant or Vassal to the Lord Gray on the Border and that the Traders and Trading there spoke of is the designed Rebellion and that the said Robert Iohnston offered to come to Scotland with the Declarant to have seen some of our disaffected people here and to have met with them And that A. T. mentioned in the said Letter which the Letter
says laboured to undervalue the disaffected party in Scotland which he calls your Goods is the Name of Andrew Young who stays about Newcastle whom he supposes to be a suspect Person because he was feared that Colonel Struthers would apprehend him And that he supposes the way that that Letter came to his Hand was from some Persons that were at a Meeting at Midsummer about that time where was present several of those People that had Commission from the several Districts but that he himself was not at that Meeting Examination of Mr. Steil and Andrew Oliver anent Mr. Aaron Smith's coming to Scotland his going to Sir J. Cockram's House at Ochiltree Edenburgh 11th of December 1683. MR. Thomas Steil in Iedwart-Forest declares that in February last an English Gentleman coming to Iedwart being recommended to the Declarant by one David Sheriff Stabler in Newcastle only that he might direct him to Ochiltree spoke only to him of â—arolina Business anent which he was to transact with Sir Iohn Cockram and that the Declarant got him one Andrew Oliver in Iedwart-Forest for hire to be his guide to Douglass and that the said Oliver went with him from that to Sir Iohn Cockrams and declares he knew not his name and had no knowledge of him but that he was called when he was at Iodwart Clerk but afterwards heard he was called Smith Andrew Oliver in Barwick Tenant to the Marquess of Douglass being Examined declares a little before Seed-time last the Declarant met with Mr. Thomas Steil at Linalie the Marquess's House of purpose to bring hom his Wife from Douglas to Iedburgh-Forest and the Declarant being upon his way and coming to Provost Ainslie's House in Iedburgh and there being a Stranger there an English man ready to take Horse to go to the West the said Mr. Thomas Steil having told the Deponent there was a Stranger who knew not the way and would be desirous of his company and the Deponent having called for the Stranger in the House he and he took Horse together and rode to Peebles that night and the next day came to Douglas and the Stranger upon the way told his Name was Samuel Clerk which he thinks was the next day after they came from Iedburgh and the next day the Stranger not being able to get a Guide to convey him to Ochiltree at the desire of Mr. Thomas Steil's Wife did go along with him from Douglas to Ochiltree and the Stranger went into the House of Ochiltree to call for the Laird the Deponent not having gone in with him where he staid about one quarter of an Hour and came back to a House in the Town where the Deponent was to Lodge That de Deponent heard from the Stranger that his business with the Laird of Ochiltree was concerning Carolina business and of their design to send Families there in the Spring to Plant and that he commended the Country And. Oliver Io. Edenburgen Edenburgh Sederunt and Iournals of Council 20 Dec. 1683. MR. Thomas Steil Chamberlain to the Marquis of Douglas being Prisoner as alleadged Entertaining and Corresponding with Aaron Smith when he was in Scotland and providing him a Guide to Sir Iohn Cokram's House of Ochiltree who being Examined with the said Guide and all that appears is That the said Aaron Smith under the Name of Clark was Recommended by one David Sheriff Inn-keeper and Stabler of Newcastle to Steil as being his Acquaintance when he came to Iedburgh to help him to one that should guide him the way being a Stranger without any suspition or knowledge of his being a person guilty of any Crime or evil Design The Lords upon consideration of the Bill appoint a Letter to be written to the Secretaries to cause Examine Aaron Smith upon the time of his coming to Iedburgh and what past betwixt him and Steil and any other Interrogator proper seeing it 's said that the said Aaron Smith denied he was ever in Scotland and that another Letter be written to the Mayor of Newcastle to Examine the Inn-keeper and in the mean time allows Steil to be at liberat on Caution to appear when called under the penalty of 2000 Marks and that he shall not go off the Country without Licence to prevent any practizing with the Inn-keeper Alexander Gordon of Earlston his Deposition before a Committee of His Majesties Privy-Council and two of the Iustices Edenburgh the 25th of September 1683. ALexander Gordon being further interrogate upon the Interrogators given in anent the Conspiracy in England declares That the first time he heard of any Design of rising in Arms was at the time when the competition was anent the Sheriffs at Midsummer was a year and then he heard the Duke of Monmouth was to head the Rebels and this he had from Iohn Nisbet and one Mr. Murray a Scotch-man then at London and declares That in Ianuary last the Declarant being in Holland he heard by general report that the late Earl of Argile was to raise some thousands of Highlanders to assist the Rebels in England by making a diversion and was to get a sum of money for that effect and that in March last he having received a Letter in Holland from Iohn Nisbet then in London he came over to London where he met with the said Nisbet and Murray who told the Declarant they designed to rise presently in England and to Rendezvous in six or seven places at one time particularly at Coventry and London and that they computed several thousands in Yorkshire who where to joyn with them That Murray desired the Declarant to go along with him to meet with the late Lords Russel and Gray and the Lord Wharton but of Wharton they said they were not very sure being a fearful man and with Mr. Ferguson and spoke of several old Officers of Cromwels that were to be there but the Declarant not being for the present rising shunned to meet with these persons or any of them and both Nisbet and Murray told the Declarant that Sir Iohn Cochran was with them and heard from these two persons that both the Cessnocks were concerned in that Business As to the Letter written by Io. N. of the 20th of March and directed for the Declarant at Rotterdam declares that Iohn Nisbet wrote the said Letter and that under the Metaphor of Trade throughout the whole Letter is meaned the design of rising in Arms and a Rebellion and that by the word Dispatching the old rotten stuff is meaned either the excluding the Sectaries from joyning with them or destroying the Government both Civil and Ecclesiastical which last the Declarant supposes rather to be the meaning of the words and that by the Factors are meaned their Emissaries for carrying on the Rebellion And for that strange thing that was to fall out that Week or the next the Declarant thinks is meaned the sudden muster of the Rebels In the close of the Letter which says Things are full as high