The Diſcovery of a new plot againſt the Town of Southampton by the CAVALIERS.
YOur Letter is come to my hands, which I take kindly from you: I ſhould deſire to exchange lines oftner with you; I thank you for your newes. I had Letters this day from my Lord Admirall for the Maria Pinace to ride before this Town. We are yet in ſafety (bleſſed be God) but daily braved by the enemy, yet hitherto they have not dared to faſten upon this Town: And I have obſerved, that they have never come before this place, or neere it, but we have ſtill worſted them, wee have alwayes taken priſoners, Horſes, Armes, wounded or ſlain ſome of them. On Thurſday laſt we took ſix men and horſe, whereof one was a Cornet. On Saturday we took two men, Horſes and Armes, ſhot a Captain, who lies languiſhing at Ramſey, and wounded three men more. The Lord be ſtill our defence and refuge, and give us thankfull hearts for his preſervation over us. This poor County2 of Hampſhire having had its ſhare of blood and miſery in this ſad tragedie of our Nation, that there is hardly left any thing for man or beaſt therein.
I perceive you have received knowledge of a treacherous practize for the delivery of this Town, but leaſt you ſhould be miſ-informed therein, I will give you a briefe account thereof. Some few daies before Chriſtide laſt, the Lord Hopton marched with his Army from Wincheſter, towards Southampton, with a purpoſe to face it, (as wee were informed,) but he came not within two Miles thereof, to out face it, but marched to Redbridge, (the way into the new forreſt) breake it down to hinder us of proviſion from thence after ſo horible an Act, he faced about and marched to his old quarters againe, without attempting any further atchievement.
The next day here arived a letter from one Mr. Iaſper Cornelius ſom times an A•turney of this Towne, but run away before my coming hither for Malignancy) directed to Mr R. Maſon, a merchant of this town, intimating that this Cornelius was the day before with the Lord Hopton before this Town, and was the means of divertin•the Lord Hoptons intent of attempting this place, and•ells Mr. Maſon hee had made choyce of him to deliver an incloſed letter to me with all ſecreſie, which I received (yet the ſaid Cornelius was an unknown man to me,) by his Letter he inſinuates that then was a fit time for mee to doe his Majeſty good ſervice, and that I was not the man I was formerly, meaning (as I conceived) that the government of this Towne was impoſed upon my honoured friend Colo ell Norton (which I long ſued to be eaſed thereof) and by it he thought I was a diſcontented perſon, and3 ſo fit to be wrought upon; but he was deceived, I being never better pleaſed then to bee eaſed of ſo great a burthen, which I had born long enough, (though it pleaſed his Excellencie to requite my ſervice with a more ſutable command to my diſpoſition, made me Serjeant Major to Colonell Norton, which pleaſes me farre better) after the receit of this letter, I inſtantly acquainted my Colonell and Maſter Major therewith, we all agreed I ſhould ſhew a ſeeming complying the better to bottome their deſigne, and to find out what malignant party they had made in this town. I forthwith gave him a copie of a character to explain his minde more fully. To which he replied, That by the command of his ſuperiours, hee did in the name of his Majeſty and his countrey, and two Lords (which hee named) offer mee a thouſand pounds in money, a preſent imployment of more value and honour then at preſent I had, his Majeſties pardon under the great Seal, and his favour, if I would be a means to reduce the town of Hampton to his Majeſty; I returned a ſeeming complying anſwer, and demanded the 1000 l. in hand, or the moity thereof, and aſſurance given me for the reſidue, the imployment named, and the pardon ſent me; this performed, hee ſhould ſoon ſee what I would ſay to it. In the interim my Colonell acquainted my L. Generall and Sir Will. Waller, with the offer made by Cornelius; wherein I continued the treaty to gain time, until Sir W. Waller had finiſhed his buſineſſe at Arundel, and drawn his Army this way, and then to have drawne the enemy hither in hope of gaining this place, whilſt Sir William might have falen behind them in this place of advantage, and ſo to have deceived ſuch treacherous corrupters.
4I continued the Treaty untill I had his Majeſties Signe Manuall for a pardon ſent me, and afterwards the pardon it ſelfe; but I could get no money, but ſtrong engagements of honour to performe with mee when the work deſired was effected. I whiled out a moneths time with them to the exchange of eight letters, Mr. Robert Maſon being ſtill the man they imployed to bring their and receive my letters, whom they had bound to ſecreſie by an oath, before I knew thereof, who brought me the copie thereof, hoping to have gained me to the like, ſaying he had no engagement all this time on me, neither by proteſtation nor promiſe, to perform with them; and which I ſtill delayed (which put the projectors to a jealouſie that I was not reall to them) yet to draw them ſtill on, I framed ſome offers, in the nature of Articles, for my ſelfe and this Towne (to which the Lord Hopton ſubſcribed, that upon his honour hee would performe them:) but I ſtill preſſed for the money, but could not obtain it, they fearing I would Craford them as Poole did; yet Mr. Maſon offered me to become bound for it, which I accepted of: but before hee would perform, on Friday laſt was ſennight he earneſtly preſſed me to declare my reality in the deſigne. I ſaw the man in a diſtracted extaſie, by his over zealouſneſſe and raſhneſſe for them, having no aſſurance of mee, my bowels pittied him, his wife and many children, told him plainly I never intended to be a villaine and traytor, to betray a truſt committed to mee, and the lives and goods of ſo many innocent people to bee made a prey to cruelty, and told him I have revealed it from the beginning to my Colonell.
5Then he begged I would conceale his name; I tould him I could not, but in campaſſion of his condition gave him leave to goe to his houſe (being but three houſes from mine,) in which time I went forthwith to acquaint my Colonell with what had happened between Mr. Maſon and my ſelfe, wee concluded inſtantly to ſieze his perſon, and cauſcd all the gates to be ſecured; but yet he eſcaped from us and could not be found, although wee ſearched carefully for him, ſince wee heer he is at Wincheſter, and ſhall be preferred, and imployed in matter of truſt. In all the time of our treatie, I could not diſcover that he had any confederates of any Townſmen with him, but had undertaken it, to carry it alone. But I was greived that I was conceived by the adverſe part, to be a fit Inſtrument for them. But now they have tryed me, I am confident, they will neuer doe the like, but to revenge themſelves on me: But I will to all the world declare and maintaine my faithfullneſſe to my Country and cauſe I have undertaken, and clear my unfained reputation.
Thus much I thought good to ſay unto you, that you may give a ſatiſfactory teſtimony of that deſigne in my behalfe, if you heer it falſly reported. And I ſhall be readie to requite you in vindicating of truth, and acknowledge my ſelfe.