311 escape, how it came about, he ' never was the man that so much as once came to give· him thankes; nor was his fellow prisoner Coring, for whom the collonell had alsoe effectually sollicited, more grateful.' Some of. the army, being very desireous to get among them a person of whose fidellity and integrity to the cause they had so good experience, had moov'd it to the generall, my lord Fairfax, who had commanded to have it enquir'd what way he would chuse to be employ'd, and when he had told them that, in regard of his famcly, which he would not willingly be much absent from, he should rather accept the government of some towne then a field employment, four governments were brought to him, to elect which he would have; whereof Plimmouth and Portsmouth, and one more in the west, being at a vast distance from his owne country, Hull in th~ north, though a !esse beneficiall charge then the other, he made choice of, thinking they had not offdd him aniething but what was fairely fallen into their dispose. Soone after this the lieftenant-generall, Cromwell, desir'd him to meete him one afternoone att a committee, where, when he came, a mallicious accusation against the governor ·of Hull was violently prosecuted by a fierce faction in that towne. To this the governor had sent np· a very faire and honest defence, yet most of the committee more favouring the adverse faction, were labouring to cast out the governor. Coli. Hutchinson, though he knew him not, was very earnest in his Y This is differently represented by Whitelock, Rap in', and Ludlow. Whitelock says sim ply that he ·was repr ieved; Rapin, that his sentence was suspended, because he should have been tried by an inferior court; and Ludlow, that Ireton moved the house in his favour, omitting Go!. Hntchinson either by negl igence or design: there is some reason to think it to have been by the latter. Notwithstanding Col. Hutchinson experienced ingratitude from mauy individuals, the general and collective sense of his justice and benevolence will be seen to have its full operation in his favour in the sequel. " 2 u
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