Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/91

 us. vii. FEB. MOM.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Peters told him that " he was imployed out of New England for the stirring up of this war and the driving it on," and offered him a commission in his regiment. Younge then made a serious accusation, as follows :

" When he (the King) was taken away from Holmeby House (on 4 June, 1647) the Parliament IKK I then a designe to have secured O. Cromwell and myself, being then in London. Saith he, we having intelligence of it, escaped out of London, and rode hard for it ; and, as we rode to Ware [on their way to the Army, at Newmarket], we made a halt, and advised how we should settle this kingdome in peace, and dispose of the King. The result was this. They should bring him to justice, try him for his life and cut off his head," &c.

On 11 Sept., 1647, Peters published his

" A Word for the Armie and two words to the Kingdom. To clearc the one and cure the other. Forced in much plainness and brevity from their f ait bfull servant Hugh Peters."

On p. 8 he wrote :

" We are not without varieties of thoughts about the matters of God, which never appeared when we had no time for talking, having so much to doe and act. We cannot, we confesse, live beyond our frailties in many kinds. To be short, we have prayed more, loved more, believed more then we doe. We are grown effeminate with ease and arc more coived icith a dead dog, then ice have been with a living lyon [italics mine]. We are leese in heaven and more in earth and these truly arc our minds deare friends."

In November. 1647, the Army " agi- tators " : plotted the King's assassination, and on 11 Nov. the King fled to Carisbrooke from Hampton Court." The following letter, dated 9 Nov., had been sent to him. (The reader will find it in Rushworth as well as the periodicals of the day.)

May it please your Majesty,

In discharge of my duty, I cannot omit to acquaint you that my brother \vas at a meeting last night with eight or nine agitators who in debate of the obstacle which did hinder the speedy f'lVcting their designs, did conclude it was your Majesty, and as long as your Majestic doth live you would be so, and, therefore, resolved, for the good of the Kingdom to take your life away, and that to that action they were well assured that Master Dell and Master Peters, two of their preachers., would willingly bear them company, for they had often said to these agitators Your Majesty is but a dead dog. My prayers are for your Majesty's safety, but do too much fear it cannot be whilst, you are in those hands.

" I wish with my soxil your Majesty were at my house in Broad Street, where I am confident I could help you private till this storm were over ; but beg your Majesty's pardon and shall not presume to offer it as an advice, it is only my constant zeal to Your service who am

Your Majestie's dutiful subject,

E. K. November 9, 1647.

Like Peters. Dell also was a lunatic. Mercurius Elencticus for 19-26 Nov., in telling his readers how Dell and Harrison pressed for the King's death at one of these meetings, asserts that Peters, who was present,

"jumbled out this syllogism, viz., Whatsoever man or thing is beloved, adored, or worshipped as an idol, ought by the law of God to be pulled down, trampled upon and utterly destroyed from the face of the people. But King Charles (that dead dog) ever hath been, and still is (and like to be) beloved, adored and worshipped by the malignant party in their drinking of healths to him, and that on their unsanctified knees. Ergo: It behoveth you and us, and all of us, to pull him down, tread and trample upon him, that he be no further cause of the abominations of that idolatrous people."

This was answered by Walker, in his Perfect Occurrences for 26 Nov.-3 Dec.,

1647, as follows :

" A Declaration from Mr. Hugh Peter and Mr. Dell, Chaplains to his excellency, Sir Thomas Fairfax. We do take notice of those horrid falsehoods malignant pens charge upon us con- cerning the King and other matters. Which base, unworthy, scandalous reports, as they cannot reach us in the least measure, so 'tis far beneath us to contend with dunghills by answering of them. It is the reward we expect from the world for all our hazards and labours which have been undergone for the good of the country, and leave judging to him that will judge righteously. Only we give warning of a spirit now stirring, much more full of bitter- ness and cruelty than at the beginning of these troubles. By which all good men may perceive how they are like to fare if the design of dis- banding this army should take effect."

After this there is little, to be heard of Peters until Pride's " purge " at the end of the following year, in which, armed with " a great sword," he took a leading part. Fifty-one members were left, as a mock Parliament, and exactly twenty-six of these passed an " Act " for the purpose of " trying " the King. This they failed to do, and then beheaded him. The following extracts will show ths cause of the hatred in which Peters was ever after held, and why it was that he never after dared to accept parochiai or other work necessitating his absence from Cromwell and his army.

Mercurius Pragma ticus for 1926 Dec.,

1648, states as follows, under date Friday, 22 Dec. :

" Hugh Peters played the buffoon in the pulpit before four lords and twenty commons. The subject of Hugh's sermon was Moses^leadiiiK the Israelites out of Egypt, which he applied to the present leaders of the army, whose designe is, he said, to lead the people out of Egyptian bondage. ' But how must this be done ? That ye shall know by and by,' quoth ^ Hugh. And