THE PERFECT WYFE. sammons for the surrender of the Castle ; but his messenger, by his ill-timed and impertinent sneers, only confirmed the brothers in their steady resolution to hold out; and the rejoinder to the summons was, that " if his Lordship would have that poor Castle, he must wade to it in blood !" Preparations were made for a determined resistance ; and the little Puritan band within the fortress religiously bound themselves to hold out the place to the death, even though reduced " to the utmost extremity that thought could reach." There was slight hope of relief ; it must have been a trying situation for Lucy Hutchinson, but her courage seems never to have deserted her. At length, after an interval of anxiety, the threatened danger passed by, the Earl being obliged to direct his forces elsewhere. As the lady of the Governor, Lucy Hutchinson had to maintain all this time a responsible position. John Hutchinson entertained at his own table, and chiefly at his own expense, the Committee of Not- tingham, the ministers of the Parliamentary party, and his officers ; besides relieving the soldiers, who could not otherwise obtain anything of what was due to them, and defraying the cost of their refresh- ment on marches, never permitting them to take even a cup of ale without payment. The charities of the kindly, sympathetic couple were as extensive as their hospitalities ; but the natural consequence of their position was that they were precipitated into debt, and it was not until George Hutchinson 35
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