in the shell, for the Advance of his Reputation.
As for the Other 3 Comrades of Denne, whole names were Thompson
(brother to Thompson the stout Leader) Church and Perkins, They were
shot, carrying the businesse most gallantly, and looking death in the face
with a world of Magnanimity; which Saint-like dispatch being Over, King
Oliver went into the Church, and sang a Psalm of mercy to their fellows,
extolling the service of Ireland to no purpose, whilst his Excellency sent out
warrants to catch Rebels at home, and directed them to all the Bumkin-Justices
and Club-men that at are crept into Commission.
In like manner, the supreme things here at Westminster are fallen a voting
of severall particulars, to give the free-born humor a thorough-purge
out of the Army, City and Kingdom. The first is an Order for a Commission
of Oyer and Terminer, to be issued out under the great Butter-print of
England, to bring all the Saints that are in prison in Northampton and Oxon,
to Pass the fiery tryall, and lay those new Pillars of Reformation in dust
and ashes.
Secondly, That the Counsell of State is enjoyned to take care; that is,
the Councel of State hath enjoyned the supreme Voters to fall a voting and
ordering, that the Lord Mayor Andrews, squeaking Skippon, Robert Tichburn
the rare Rattoon, and all the Ministers of Injustice in London, shall become
the State's Catch-poles, to hunt out all the Rebels that were in the
late Rebellion against Nol. That was well put in, or else if all old Rebels
must have been ferreted, then this truth would have been verified to some
purpose, that the City hath often been swept more clean by an Order of
the House, then ever it was by the plague. Then judge you whether they
are not a supreme pestilent Generation.
The Third Order is, That Man Prideaux, Atturny, or Dul-man Generall
for the State; do prepare a Proclamation to be sent into all Counties,
for the apprehending all new Rebels: And if he cannot do this of him-selfe,
I Prag, that am a notable Rag of the Supreme Authority, do Order
and Ordain, or inact, that Bolstrode Whitlock; the prime Squire, be an assistant,
the world having taken as much notice of his rare faculty in drawing
up, & declaring, as they have of the wild Baron for hanging and quartering.
Now the Question is, whether this Proclamation would have put any
metall into the men of Northampton, had it come down when gallant
Thompson (with his 13 men) kept the Town in possession, with all the Arms
and Ammunition, and plundred the holy treasure of the Excise, and distributed
it among the poor, out of whose purses it was wrack't by the device
of an Ordinance. After this, having notice of his Brothers being shot
at Burford, and that himself was pursued, he publickly declared, that yet
it was not impossible but he might meet with Cromwell or fairfax, and
then he would charge his Birding-Peece too in a Councel of war, and