190 owne officers and souldiers, who were more obedient to him; and·, although this was the exercise of his patience, yet was it alsoe a spurre to his di ligence, and made his fidellity more illustrious, and kept him. more· in waiting upon God, and more strict in the watch over all his actions, because he knew how all his enemies watcht for his fall. Upon the eleventh of February, Cornett Palmer, who had bene prisoner at Newark, came home and told the governor that he had discover'cl in his prison a designe intended about this time to surprize the bridge by Hacker's souldiers,' who were to come in the habitt of market t people the next Saturday. This intelligence was seconded, whereupon the go~• ernor sent his officers to command all the bridge souldiers to keepe in their quarters that clay: he corn mancled alsoe all the horse in the towne to be ready to goe out upon the first sound of the tnunpett, and gave orders for all the drums in the garrison to bcate betimes in the morning; the lieftenant coll onell sett out a guard beyond the bridge, with charge strictly to examine all passengers. About eleven of the clock on Saturday, the 17th of February, they tooke twelve of them" upon the bridges, disguiz'd like marl~ett men and woemen, with pistolls, long knives, hatchetts, daggers, and greate pieces of iron about them, wherenpon they sent and acquainted the governor, who being himselfe on horseback at the workes, went immediately downe to the bridge, and commanded all the horse to come away and pursue them, but the horse commanders, being allwayes slow in obeying his commands, came not till the enemie's foote beyond the bridge, perceiving their fellowes were taken upon the bridge, retir'd and gott safe of, only nine who were to have assassinated these at the bridge, and advane! forwarder then the rest, for that purpose, were overtaken, and with their eaptaine leapt into the Trent, to have sav'd themselves,_ " 1 llacker's souldiers.
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