70 LIFE -OE RICHARD BAXTER. saying, that, ifhe consented, they should not hinderme. It fell out that Colonel Barker, the governor, was just then to be turned out, as a member of parliament, by the self-denying vote; and one ofhis captains (Colonel Willoughby) was to be colonel and governor in his place. Hereupon Colonel Barker was content, in his dis- content, that I should go out with him, that he might be missed the more; and so gave me his consent. "Hereupon I sent word to Col. Whalley, that, to-morrow, God willing, I would come to him. As soon as this was done, the elected governorwas much displeased ; and the soldiers were so much offended at the committee for consenting tomy going, that the committee all met again in the night, and sent for me, and told me I must not go. I told them that, by their consent, I had promised, and therefore must go. They told me that the soldiers were ready to mutiny against them, and they could not satisfy them, and therefore I must stay. I told them that I would not have promised, if they had notconsented, though, being no soldier or chaplain to the garrison, but only preaching to them, I took myself to be a free man, and I could notbreak my word, when I had promised by their consent. They seemed to deny their con- sent, and said they only referred meto the governor. In a word, they were so angry with me, that I was fain to tell them all the truth of my motives and design, what a case Iperceived the army to be in, and that I was resolved to do my best against it. I knew not, till afterwards, that Colonel William Purefoy, a parliament- man, one of tl'ie chief of them, was a confident of Cromwell's ; and as soon as I had spoken what I -did of the army, magisterially he answereth me, ' Let me hear no more of that: if Nol Cromwell should hear any soldier but speak such word, he would cleave his crown : you, do themwrong. It is not so.' I told himwhat he would not-hear, he should not hear from me; but I would perform my word though he seemed to denyhis. And so I parted with those that had been my verygreat friends, in some displeasure. The soldiers, however, threatened to stop the gates andkeep me in; but, being honest, understanding men, I quickly satisfied the leaders of themby a private intimation of my reasons and resolu- tions, and someof them accompaniedme onmy way. " As soon as I came to thé army, Oliver Cromwell coldly bade me welcome, and never spake one word to me more while I was there ; nor once, all that time, vouchsafed me an opportunity to come to the head-quarters, where the councils and meetings of the officers were ; so that most of mydesign was thereby frustrated. His secretary gave out that there was a reformer come to the army to undeceive them and to save church andstate, with some such other jeers ; by which I perceived that all I had said the night
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