Blackletter broadside.

    Throughout the summer and autumn, government efforts to secure the realm by disbanding the army while searching for leading radicals had proceeded cautiously. "In December, however, it increased tension by publicizing the so-called "White's Plot," said to be a plan by former soldiers to seize the capital" (Hutton 1985: 136).

    This ballad offers a version of those events and presumably appeared during the final days of December. Early that month, Major Thomas White, who had served in the army since 1648, attempted to bribe a porter at the gate to Whitehall; the porter told Monck and White was arrested. Investigation showed that White had earlier conspired to assasinate Monck and "pull the king from his throne" by Christmas (Greaves 1986: 35). Lists of possible confederates were discovered in his chambers and, on 15 December, further arrests of former army radicals were ordered in and around London. Of more than forty men arrested, only sixteen were detained, including Major-General Robert Overton, former commander in Scotland. When Pepys arrived at Whitehall on the 16th, he was "surprized with the news of a plott against the King's person and my Lord Monkes." He visited the Tower "where I heard [Overton] deny that he is guilty of any such things, but that whereas it is said that he is found to have brought many armes to towne, he says it was only to sell them, as he will prove by oath" (1:318-9). Although caches of weapons were indeed discovered, proof of an organized uprising was hard to establish and many of those arrested were quickly released for lack of evidence. Meanwhile, fear had spread to provincial areas leading to investigations of linked conspiratorial activities in Lincoln, York, Hull, Wiltshire, Essex, Leicester and elsewhere (Greaves 1986: 37). In Edinburgh, city authorities required residents to report the names of all guests. Back in London, a proclamation issued on the 17th required all former soldiers to stay at least twenty miles away from London and Westminster, while Clarendon made much of rumours linking the plot with Lambert and Ludlow. "In a speech to the Convention on 29 December, [Clarendon] blamed the plot on discontent arising from the regicide's execution. . . . Ludlow, he averred, was expected to lead the fanatics" (Greaves 1986: 39). But Ludlow had already fled to Europe. "What the authorities unearthed was no organized plot, no insurrection planned for a specific time with designated leaders, but a growing number of disenchanted men who had begun to gather weapons and explore possibilities for an uprising" (Greaves 1986: 39).

    See: Rugg 132 for his view of the affair, which is also reported in Parliamentary Intelligencer (10-17 December), (17-24 Dec), (24-31 Dec), Mercurius Publicus 51 (13 -- 20 December), 53 (20-27 Dec), 54 (27 Dec-3 Jan), and Kingdomes Intelligencer (31 Dec-7 Jan)

    And see Duncombe's Counter-blast to the Phanaticks

    Robert Overton formerly called Major Generall Overton, Francis Elstone, John Disborow formerly Collonel, John Hargrass, El. Hunt, Gabriel Hopkins, Wil. Kirk, Fran. Booth, C. Bagster, C. Babinton, W. Wright, Anthony Barnshaw, Thomas Millard, Tobias Hill, Rich. Dilling, Peter Thompson, Tho. Simcock, Frederick Barnwel, Ric. Danie, Ric. Shoopel, John Lucan, W. Howard, Tho. Nicols, Henry Limrick, Francis Gavill, Henry Simboll, James Eglefield, Jeffery Hookins, Sam. Jepp, Isaac Benton, Rich. Young, John Steward, John Ward, Tho. Butler, Rich. Glover, George Thomas, James Sanford, Ro. Parker, Rich. Burt,John Decks, Owen Davis.