199 And now, upon the twenty-fifth day of March, a letter was brought to the governor from all the commiss ioners at Newark, telling him that the parliament's forces had quitt Gainsborough, Lincolue, and Sleeforth, and that the prince intended to advance against Nottingham, and to fire the towne, if he did not immediately throw downe the workes, which if he should not doe, the wotld would then take notice of him as the only ruine of his native country. To which the governor return'd them answer, that as he never engag'd himselfe in this service, with respect to the successe or actions of other places, so though the whole kingdome were quitt besides this towne, yet he would maintaine it so long as he was able, and he trusted that God would preserve it in his bands; but if it perish'd, he was resolv'd to bury himselfe in the ruines of it, being confident that God \vould aft~r vindicate him to have been a defender, and not a destroyer of his country. The copie of tho letter which the Newark commissioners sent to the governor, was sen t to one Francis Cooke, a mallignant inhabitant of the towne, subscribed with all the commissioners hands, and desiring him to communicate tt to the whole towne. 'l'he governor having taken . what care he could at home, sent immed iately to the parliament and to the Earle of Essex, acquainting them with the desperate condition of the place, and desiring they would send him seasonable reliefe, if the prince should besiege him, promising to employ his utmost ·endeavor to hold it for them, or to loose himselfe wi th it. My lord general! return'd a very civil! encouraging letter, and now the prince; two dayes after the letter, was advanc'd within three miles of Nottingham, when it pleased God to divert him from coming agains t the towne by letters which were brought him from Oxford, which occasion' cl his hasty returne into the south, without any attempt upon the place, which by God's . mercy was thus delivdd from this threatning danger. However their enemies 'at Newark, by the late successe, were vere much exal ted, and by the quitting of so 2 F
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