mmons to the Scots. For this purpose, they
entered into an association, took an oath of secrecy, and kept a close
correspondence with some of the king's servants. The form of a petition
to the king and parliament was concerted; and it was intended to get
this petition subscribed by the army. The petitioners there represent
the great and unexampled concessions made by the king for the security
of public peace and liberty; the endless demands of certain insatiable
and turbulent spirits, whom nothing less will content than a total
subversion of the ancient constitution; the frequent tumults which these
factious malecontents had excited, and which endangered the liberty of
parliament. To prevent these mischiefs, the army offered to come up and
guard that assembly, "So shall the nation," as they express themselves
in the conclusion, "not only be vindicated from preceding innovations,
but be secured from the future, which are threatened, and which are
likely to produce more dangerous effects than the former."[*] The
draught of this petition being conveyed to the king, he was prevailed
on, somewhat imprudently, to countersign it himself, as a mark of his
approbation. But as several difficulties occurred, the project was laid
aside two months before any public discovery was made of it.

It was Goring who betrayed the secret to the popular leaders. The alarm
may easily be imagined which this intelligence conveyed. Petitions from
the military to the civil power are always looked on as disguised or
rather undisguised commands, and are of a nature widely different from
petitions presented by any other rank of men. Pym opened the matter in
the house.[**] On the first intimation of a discovery, Piercy concealed
himself, and Jermyn withdrew beyond sea. This further confirmed the
suspicion of a dangerous conspiracy. Goring delivered his evidence
before the house: Piercy wrote a letter to his brother, Northumberland,
confessing most of the particulars.[***] Both their testimonies agree
with regard to the oath of secrecy; and as this circumstance had been
denied by Pollard, Ashburnham, and Wilmot, in all their examinations, it
was regarded as a new proof of some desperate resolutions which had been
taken.

* Clarendon, vol. i. p. 247. Whitlocke, p. 43.

** Rush, vol v. p. 240.

*** Rush. vol. v. p. 255.

To convey more quickly the terror and indignation at this plot, the
commons voted that a protestation should be sig