THE REPORT OF The Diſcorery of a PLOT in SCOTLAND.

WHy doe you ſeeke to worke ſuch miſchiefe! O yee miſchievous Sons of Rome, doe ye not know, that God will finde you out, what though you have thouſands in readineſſe to ſurprize thoſe Noble Worthies: yet is your policy but as chaffe before the wind.

Though the wretched Papiſts in Scotland were agreed, in a moment, on a ſudden, to call their Forces at unawares to fall upon thoſe Starres, which ſhine ſo cleare in our Horizon.

With powder, wild-fire, men, and armes, and had by great ſutlely got together, and with great Coſt, and toyle provided in readineſſe, and thought alſo to have cut off. thoſe honourable & worthy Peeres, who were entred into Covenant with the Lord, Such is their bloudy deſigns, no more, but a word & a blow. Nay, more no more but a word and blood, life, liberty, and utter ruine: but conſider, ye fond Jeſuits, and treacherous Papiſts; for it is moſt cer­taine, that God who ſitteth in the higheſt Heavens, doth ſee you, and doth certainly laugh you to ſcorne, and your ſelves ſhall fall into the ſame Pit, which you have digged for the Righteous.

The day was appointed, wherein the blood-thir­ſty hoped to ſee the Lambes ſlaine before them, the Honourable Covenanters of Scotland cut off, and the beſt of them blaſted in the Ayre, & daſht to peeces; O moſt cruell Satyrs. But ſuch is the goodneſſe of Al­mighty God, that the Righteous are preſerved, and the Wicked are taken in their owne nets.

Two of their Agents, whom they thought were as true to them, and faithfull to their unfaithfull Plots, even as their owne hearts; yet were they ſmitten in Conſci­ence. What (ſaith the one) ſhall I embrue my hands in the blood of thoſe who never thought on ill, ſhall Ibe confederate with traytors, and Rebels, to ſlay the Innocent. And ſaith the other, what ſhall I plot and bloodily ſeeke to take away the life of ſuch Peeres as theſe, whoſe Noble gifts deſerve ſo much honor, who are admired for their worth; and are become e­ven the very wonder, and Admiration to all Europe. Who can but love them; it were great cruelty to wiſh them any harme: what would it then bee, to conſpire in cruelty to work their utter Deſtruction? How lamentable a ſpectacle would it be, to ſee thoſe Stars which ſhine ſo cleare in our Parliamentary Aſſembly, ſo torn and rent to peeces with powder, and trodden under the feet of Rebels! Surely it were a moſt unchriſtian thing to be ſo treacherous againſt thoſe who have adventured both life, liberty, honour, goods, Eſtates, & all that they have, for the perpetuall good of our Nation, and ſtill make it the uttermoſt of their indeavour to pitch upon our happy being, and to make us an happy Nation. Did we plot a­gainſt Rogues, and Vagabonds, againſt Tyrants, and cruell Pagans, it were more tolerable. Nay more, were it againſt furious Zoilis ſpirits, or mercileſſe, uncharitable, envious Raſcals, it might ſeduce us: ſhall we ſo treacherouſly plot, to deſtroy ſuch Nobles, as theſe: whoſe ſweet, courteous, affable, loving diſpoſitions, would prick the heart, and wound the Conſcience of the fierceſt Turke, or Pagan, if any ſparke of humanity hath biding in him. Having thus conſidered with themſelvs theſe two imparting, each their minds to one another, and thereupon adviſing what to doe.

It beſeemed at firſt too impoſſible a work to diſ­cover without great prejudice, many thoughts they had, how to wind themſelves out, and little hope of finding any courſe pleaſant, or any reſolution to give them any ſatisfaction. Such were the iſſues of their former deſignes, with the Plotters in their Evill wayes, that now they were brought into a thouſand ſtraites what to doe. If they proceed, a thouſand to one, but in the end they will be found out, and dye like Traytors; or if they leave of, now they have begun, they are yet in a great ſtrait.

Jf wee leave off, and reveale nothing; then wee are in danger, that the ſame Conſpirators with whom wee wrought, will conſpire againſt us.

Jf we reveale part, and not entirely, we may bee trapt; and ſo without further delay dye Traytors.

If we reveale all, we are to anſwer a great matter, and our lives, Eſtates, and all wee have may be taken from us, and we liue all our dayes in ignominy and diſgrace.

Now the Lord-by his all-ruling hand directed there courſe to take the ſafeſt way, both for themſelves, and the Kingdome.

They addreſſe themſelves to the King and Par­liament, there they diſcover what they know, and lay open what is plotted againſt them, caſting them­ſelves upon their mercies, expoſing themſelvs rather to fall into their hands, then to goe on, and lye at Sa­tans mercy, or diſſemblingly to lye ſtill, between hot and cold, continually under the burden of a troubled Conſcience.

ow may we ſee, how gratiouſly ſtill the Lord is pleaſed to worke for his People, and to overthrow the evill Plottings, and Conſpiracies, of the Papiſts, and all ungodly Blood-thirſty Rebels.