150 tleman of the country-, allied to Sr. Richard, since Lord Bn·on, then goven1or of Newark, came to the governor of Nottingham, and told him that Sr. Richard Biron, out of that lender natural affection which be ever had for him, and still preserved, desir'd him now to consider his wife and children, and the losse of his whole estate, which was so ·inevitable, if he persisted in the engagement he was in, that some had already bene suing lo the Earlc of Newcastle for it; but if he would returne to his obedience to the king, he might not only preserve his estate, but ha1·e what reward he pleas'd to propound for so doing: to which the governor telling him, this was a thing he ought to scorne, Mr. Ayscough told him that Sr. Richard had, only out of love and tender compassion to him, given him this employment, with many protestations how much Sr. llichard desir'd , to employ all his interest to save him, if it were possible, and therefore beg'd of him that if he would still persist in this party, that he would yet quitt himselfe of this garrison, and goe into my lord of Essex his armie, for there, he said, Sr. Hichard would find pretence to save his rents for him for the present, and his estate for the future; for, say'd he, he can plead, "you were an incon- " siderale young man, rashly engag'd, and dares assure himselfe to " beg your pardon; but to keep a castle agaiust your king is a ,., rebeliion of so high a nature, that there will be no colour lPft to " aske favour for you." The governor told him he should deliver the same propositions, and receive his answer, before some witnesses, whereupon he carried the gentlemen to two of the commitlee, before whom he repeated his message, and the governor bade him returne Sr. Richard answer, " that except he found his " owne heart prone to such treachery, he might consider there was, " . if nothing elce, so much of a Biron's blood in him, thal )lC should thorpe. This being the only in stance wherein the truth of the nmrative i.-> ca1Jed in question, and this certainly invidiously, if not unjustly, we may safely say we have the testi mony of an adversary in our favour to all the rest.
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