111 person, well acquainted with all the country, who had orders to find out their designe; which he did so well, that he assur'd Mr. Hutchinson if he and some others had gone in, they would have bene made prisoners; for the sheriffe came into Newark with a troope of 80 men, with whom he was gone to Sonthwel l, and was to goe the next day to Nottingham, to secure those places for the king. Mr. Hutchinson immediately went with his brother and acquainted them at Nottingham with his intelligence, which they had likewise receiv'd from other hands. Although the towne was generally more malignants then well affected, yet they cared not much to have cavalier soldiers quarter with them, and therefore agreed to defend themselves against any force which should come against them, and being call'd hastily together, as the ex igence requir'd, about seven hundred listed themselves, and chose Mr. George Hutchinson for their captaine, who having liv'd among them, was very much lov'd ~nd esteem'd by them. The sheriffe hearing this, came not to Nottingham, but those who were now there thus became engaged to prosecute the defence of themselves, the towne, and country, as farre as they coul.d. They were but few, and those not very cons iderable, and some of them not very hearty; but it pleas'd God here, as in other places, to carry on his worke by weake and unworthy instruments. There were seven aldermen in the towne, and of these only alderman James, then mayor, own'd the parliament. l-Ie was a very honest, bold man, but had no more but a · burgher's discretion; he was yett very well assisted by his wife, a woman of greate zeal and courage, and more understand ing then weomen of her ranke usually have. All the devout people of the towne were very vigorous and ready to offer their lives and famelies, but there was not halfe the halfe of the to,~ne that consisted of these; the ordinary civill sort of people coldly adher'd to the better, but all the debosht, and such as had liv'd upon the bishops persecuting courts, and bene the lacqueys of proiectors and monopolizers, and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=