W(illiam Lloyd, Bishop of St) Asaph, to Sir Robert Owen,
- Clenennau letters and papers 842.
- Ffeil
- 1685, 13th June.
Owen could not expect any other success about Harlech when he heard Lord Jeffreys was engaged for another. Jeffreys's interest is too great this time for any ordinary man to contend against. This morning when the King came into the House of Lords he acquainted the House by the Lord Keeper that at about 6 o'clock that morning he had received by an express a letter from the Mayor of Lyme telling him that on the 11th inst. in the evening, a ship of 30 guns had appeared before Lyme together with a 'catch' of 100 tons and a fly-boat of 200. There was no suspicion of them at first: but after awhile five boat loads of men put off from the off-side of the ship, who being covered by the cob - as they call their high land by the haven - came up the back way into the town when they were revealed to be the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Gray with about 150 men. The Mayor knew his danger for the town is full of fanatics. The Mayor immediately fled to Honyton, 11 miles off, from where he wrote to the King. Two officers of the Custom House of Lyme have made oath to the King that they have seen the Duke and Lord Gray. A declaration of loyalty to the King has been presented by the Lords at the banqueting house. The Commons made a similar vote adding the epithet 'the ungratefull traytor James, Duke of Monmouth'. This mad attempt of these infatuated rebels is the less surprising, for they heard since the beginning of the month that the Duke had left the Texel on the last day of May, and ever since the King has been providing for him and taking those into custody who were likely to side with him. The Duke of Albemarle reports from Devonshire that he is within 15 miles of Lyme and has about 4,000 men with him. They hope to engage the rebels before Saturday night. Then the Duke who now styles himself Protector of the Protestant Religion and Laws will have much ado to protect himself out of the kingdom if the King has any frigates - as apparently he has with Sir Roger Strickland on that coast. There have been many Whig libels about the town last night and the night before which show that some were privy to that which now appears. The Earl of Argyle and his party continue in the Isle of Bute where they are besieged by the King's frigate, and they will have much ado to get from there.