Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/92

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. VIL FEB. i, IMS.

then clasping his hands before his eyes and leaving his noddle on the cushion, he lay in a brown study for half a quarter of an houre. Then, starting up on a s,udden, ' Now,' says he, what has been revealed to me. There is no way for us to get out of Egypt, but by rooting up of monarchy, and this, I say, not only here but in France and in other kingdoms round about us, the Lord having a great work to finish through- out Christendom, and the Army are they that must do it. This Army is that stone spoken of, cut out of the mountains, which must dash the powers of the earth to pieces. But some object that the way we walk in is without precedent. Alas, we must act without and beyond prece- dents. Are not many things in Scripture without Precedent ? What think ye of the Virgin Mary ? ' .... By this you may judge of the rest of the Nonsense, Treason and Blasphemy that went to make up the mock solemnity. Yet Pembroke gave him a thanksgiving for his fast sermon.
 * I '11 tell you, and I '11 tell you no more than

" Sunday, Decem. 23. Which kind salutation gave Hugh Peters an occasion to go this day and salute his lordship at his own house, where, being come about dinner time, he said to him, ' My lord, I am come to visit you and I intend to dine with you, and because you should not want good company I have brought one of the seven deadly sins along with rue, Colonel Pride, and have brought the Devil too, Colonel Dragon, two such pure saints, that when my soule departs this world, I desire it may have the happiness to sit between these two, and, truly, I am so great a, lover of you that I wish your lordship may be there too of the company.' Both his lordship and (he colonels took this knavish abuse very kindly,"

That Cromwellian Puritan, Pembroke, was a man of a vicious life, and notorious for swearing and foul language.

To their honour be it said, there was hardly a minister in' London that did not denounce the proposed proceedings against the King, not only in sermons, but in printed manifestoes.

In his next number Pragmaticus (for 26 Dec.-9 Jan.) notices Peters's attempts to stop this :

" Cromwell, Ireton and Peters made it their business this week again to compass the city and visit the ministers with threats. But Peters played a rare prank, carried a file of musketeers to the house of one minister named Mr. Cawley, where he found him conversing with some divines, and summoned him pretendedly before the general on purpose to fright him. But, whilst Peters entered the lists to wrangle with the Rabbis, downstairs slipped Mr. Cawley and hastened to the general to know his pleasure. Whereupon the general said Peters was a knave and had no command from him, and when Hugh returned he was checked, but defended by Crom- well and Ireton that set him on to work to abuse his Excellency, whom they made a mere stalking horse to their designs and in effect but deputy general upon courtesie to carry on their present proceedings."

Somethingseems to have been done to Cawley, for his name is not affixed to the " Serious

and faithfull representation of ministers of the gospel within the province of London " to Fairfax, presented on 18 Jan., protesting against the proceedings of the Army and the violence offered to the King, though no fewer than forty-seven London church ministers signed this.

At Peters's trial Mr. Bednor testified :

" I heard him say at St. Margaret's, West- minster, ' I have been in the City, which may very well be compared to Hierusalern in this conjuncture of time, and I profess those foolish citizens tor a little trading and profit they will have Christ (pointing to the redcoats on the pulpit stairs) crucified and that great Barabbas at Windsor released.' "

Mr. Chase gave evidence that Peters preached on 21 Jan. before Cromwell and Bradshaw from the text " Bind your kings with chains, and your nobles in fetters of iron," and that he said :

" ' This is the day that I and many saints of God besides, have been praying for for years.' .... I observed that Oliver Cromwell did laugh at the time when Peters was preaching."

This text is corroborated by the news-books of the time.

Thos. Tongue deposed that Peters preached in St. James's Chapel on 28 Jan., and in the middle of the sermon

" took occasion to produce a text 14. Esay, 18, 19, 20. Saies he, ' This I did intend to insist and preach upon before the poor wretch, and the poor w r retch would not hear me.' "

The three verses form part of the judg- ment pronounced by God on the King of Babylon through the mouth of Isaiah.

Corroboration of this comes from America. Roger Williams wrote to Winthrop on " 26. 3. 49 (so call'd)," i.e., March, 1650.

" It is said that Mr. Peters preached (after the fashion of England) the funeral sermon to the King out of the terrible denunciation to the King of Babilon Esa. 14. 18, &c." C.M.H.S., Series III., vol. ix. p. 286.

Again, when Bradshaw failed to induce the King to be " tried," Holland Simpson testified that

"Mr. Peters going down the stairs. .. .bids Stubbard to command the soldiers to cry out ' Justice,' ' Justice against the traitor ' . . . . some of them spit in the King's face, but he took out his handkercher, wiped it off and smiled."

Sir Jeremy Whitchcot testified : " I remember one time he was saying he would have preached before the King, but, said lie, the poor wretch would not hear me."

And Richard Nunnelly deposed that " on that unhappy day, 30 Jan. 1648 [i.e., 16491, this Hugh Peters came an houre before the King, and to Whitehall I came with a warrant to 40 or 50,OOOZ. to Oliver Cromwell, being door- keeper. 'Nunnelly,' says O. Cromwell, ' will you