1'21 interest of God and his country, could have engag'd Mr. Hutchinson, who di.d not, through youthful! inconsideration and improvidence, want a . foresight of those dangers and travailes he then undertook ; he knewe well enough that the towne was more then halfe disaffected to the parliament, that had they bene all otherwise, they were not halfe enough to defm~d jt against any unequal! force, that they were farre from the parliament and their armies, and could not expect any timely reliefe or assistance fi·om them, that he himselfe was the forlorne hope of those who were engag'd with him, and had then the best stake among them; that the gentlemen who were on horseback, when they could no longer defend their country, might at least save their lives, by a handsome retreate to the armie; but he must stand victorious, or fall, tying himselfe to an indefensible towne. Although his collonell might seemc to be in the same hazard, yet he was wise enough to content himselfe with the name, and leave Mr. Hutchinson to act all things, the glory of which, if they succeeded, he hoped to assume; if they fail'd, he thought he had a retreate; but Mr. Hutchinson, though he knew all this, yet was he so well pcrswaded in his conscience, of the cause, and of God's calling him to undertake the defence of it, that he cast by all other considerations, and ·checrefully resign'd up his life, and all other particular interests, to God's dispose, though in all humane probability, he was more like to loose then to save them. He and his brother were so suddenly call'd in to this worke, .that they had not time beforehand to consult their father; but they sent to him to buy their armour and useful! swords, which he did, giving them no discouragement, but promoting all their desires, to the parliament very effectually.' • The reader is desired to bear this in mind, as lt tends much to inva1idate the credibility of an assertion made by the stepmother of these gentlemen, which will be
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