81 discourse with the parson, persuaded him to blott out all the superstitious payntings, and breake the images in the glasse; which he consented to, but being ill-affected, was one of those who began to brand Mr. Hntchinson with the name of Puritane. At that time most of the gentry of the country were disaffec'ted to the parliament, most of the middle sort, the able substantiall frecholders, and the other commons, who had not their dependance upon the malignant nobillity and genLJ:y, adher'd to the parliament. These, when the king was at Yorke, made a pet ition to him, to returne to the parliament, which, upon their earnest entreaty, Mr. Hutchinson went, with some others, and presented at • Yorke, where, meeting his cousi,ns the BirQns, they were extremely troubled to see him there, on that account. After his returne, Sr. John x Persons of the description which now bears the name of Yeomanry, seem to have been passed over by ' Charles and his advisers as of little consequence, and perhaps this was the real ground of the grand error they were in of supposing they had all or most of the strength of the nation with them, because they had most of the nobility and richer gentry; wherea~ it was found, when a general movement took place.. that the great bulk of the people was against them, and.. like an overwhelming tide, bore down all before it. Yet he and they had abundant warnings by this and such like petitions, and by associations which began yery early to be entered into; or still earlier in the expedition against the Scots, wherein the averseness of the common soldiers to the war was so ev ident," that it compelled the patching up a peace. u And, "astonishing as it might be, (says May, p. 64), it was seen that the c~:nnmon people (( were sensible of public interest and religion, when lords and gentlemen seemed not " to be." It is true that the mass of the people, having little time fOr contemplation, arc content to let those to whom affluence gh·es l e i ~urc think for them; but when they do think for themselves, and strongly ndopt a sentiment, he is a bold man, and ought to have astonishing resou rces, who contravenes it. That will be generally, if not al· ways, fOund the wi se r government which informs itself well as to the real bent of the public mind: and, if it i.; misled by a faction, takes the way of candour and frankness to dispel the mist of error or prejudice, but avoids to do violence to the general opinion. The Editor of this ,\·ork is proud of being the first person who, two years before its adoption, suggested an appeal to the sense and spirit of the nation by the association of armed volunteers .
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