decided and prominent part in favour of Charles the Second, who had fled,
and was then remaining in France, waiting an opportunity for his
restoration, and instigating those who were known to be his partisans in
this country, to resist and overthrow the _government and constitution of
the country as then by law established_. Charles was in constant
correspondence with my forefather colonel Hunt, who together with Mr.
Grove and Mr. Penruddock, were all country gentlemen of large property and
considerable influence, residing in the county of Wilts, and avowed
royalists firmly attached to the family of Stuart. And as it was well
known by Cromwell that Charles had a number of powerful partisans in
various parts of the kingdom, he took good care to have all their motions
well watched, and as he kept a host of spies in his employ, they found it
next to impossible to form or arrange any general plan of co-operation,
without its coming to the knowledge of his agents. Many well-digested
schemes had been detected and frustrated, by these watchful well-paid
minions of the Protector, but the royalists were not to be deterred from
their purpose, although many of them received intimation from Oliver that
he was aware of all their plans and intentions: he resting satisfied with
this knowledge, and the conviction that he not only kept their restless
spirits in check, but that he was at all times prepared to put them down
with a high hand, in case they should ever dare to break out into open
violence, or attempt to put their intentions into execution. However, as
Hunt, Grove, and Penruddock, with many other friends in the West, became
very impatient; it was agreed to attempt a general communication by means
of a meeting of the disaffected at[2] a great stag hunt, which was
announced to be about to take place somewhere in the forest, in the
neighbourhood of Wokingham, between Reading and Windsor. To this stag hunt
all the known partisans of the house of Stuart were invited; and when
assembled there in great numbers from all parts of the kingdom, it was
agreed among them, that each man should raise a force agreeable to his