'288 tions, they were nicknamed Levellers. Indeed as all vertues are mediums, and have their extreames, there rose up after in that name a people, who endeavour'd the levelling of all estates and quallities, which these sober levellers were never guilty of desiring, but were men of iust and sober principles, of honest and religious ends, and therefore hated by all the designing self-interested men of both factions. Coli. Hutchinson had a great intimacy with many of these; and so far as t hey acted according to the iust, pious, and publick spiritt, which they profess'd, own'd them and protected them, as farre as he had power. These were they who first began to discover the ambition of Lieftenant-general Cromwell and his idolaters, and to suspect and dislike it. About this time, he was sent downc, after his victory in "\Vales, to encounter Hamilton in the north . When he went downe, the chiefe of these levellers following him out of the towne, to take their leaves of hii11, receiv'd ~uch profess ions from him, of a spiritt bent to persue the same iust and honest things t ha t they desir'd, as they went away with greate satisfaction, 'till they heard that a coachfull of presbiteri an priests comming after them, went away no !esse pleas'd; by which it was apparent he dissembled with one or the other, and by so doing lost his creditt with both. When he came to No ttingham , Coil. Hutchinson went to see him, whom he embrac' d with all the expressions of kindnesse that one friend could make to another, and then retiring with him, prest him to tell him what thoughts his fi·iends, the levellers,' had of him. ; The information ~frs. Hutchinson gives us on this subj ec t is cmious and valuable, but differs from the traditi on generall y received res pecting the Levellers; it is however well supported by VVa!ker in hi s Hist. of Independ. He begins with describing two Juntas of Grnndees, and cal ls the rest the common people of the hou se; the former only feigned opposition, bn t played into one another's hands, the latter were sincere and earnest in it: he speaks of the honest middkmen, the same as Mrs. H. calls by that
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