136 townsmen, especially those that were ill-affected to the parliament, made a greate mutiny, threat'ning they would pull the castle downe, but they would have their ordinance againe, upon their workes, and wishing it on fire and not one stope upon another. Hereupon the governor sent Alderman Drury, with 14 more, tha t were heads of this mutiny, prisoners to ,Derby, whither Maior Ireton convoy'd them with his troope. The reasons which made the governor carry the ordinance from the towneworkes up into the castle were, 1st. that, the towne, being so ill affected, the ordinance remaining in -it, would but be an invitation to the enemie, to come to take them away, and a booty for them if they should. 2dly. He had often visited the guards, and found them expos'cl much by their car~lessenesse, wherefore he thought it his duty to preserve them, by souldiers more under his command. 3dly, Intelligence was brought to the comniittee, by a friend, then wit!~ the Earle of Newcas tle, that Mr. Francis Pierrepont kept intelligence with his mother the Countesse of Kingston, carrying on a designe for betraying of the towne to the earle, and that letters were carried betweene them by a woman, who often came to towne to the collonell, and that two aldermen and a chiefe officer, employ'd about the ordinance, were confederates in the plott, whei'eupon a suspected cannoneer was secur'd, who, assoone as he obtain'd his liberty, ranue away to _Newark. 4thly, "\Vhen the towne was full of troopes, there had bene severall attempts to poyson and betrey them, which if it should againe be attempted, after the most of the forces were gone, might prove effectuall. 5thly, The maine reason was, that if the towne should be surpriz'd or betrey'd, (which was then most to be fear'd), the ordinance would be useless; if any considerable force came against the towne, it was impossible then to keepe the workes against them, with so few men, and it would be difficult, at such a time, to drawe of the artillery; if any force they were able to deale with
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