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 A HISTORY OF NORFOLK Nor were the king's proclamations sent down in August taken any notice of. The enormous balance of feeling in both county and city was with the Parliament, and the most methodical arrangements were made in order to keep the war out of the district. That much of this was due to the foresight and military genius of Cromwell himself there can be little doubt. It was certainly he who watched all the bridges and ferries to the west of the county, so as to stop all royalist supplies going out or disaffected persons coming into it from the north. A few only of the Norwich citizens opposed the unconstitutional though necessary methods of the Parliament, and they were summarily dealt with, for the mayor of Norwich declining to confirm the seizure of horses for the Parliamentary forces was arrested by Lord Grey, its major-general, and sent a prisoner to Cambridge.^ There was only one attempt to rise for the king at Norwich, promoted by Augustine HoU, who called a meeting at his house, but Lieutenant Hamond Crask, lieutenant of the volunteers, dragged the heavy city guns to the front of his house, and swore he would open fire on it if they did not surrender, which they very wisely did." The king's standard was set up at Nottingham on 22 August, 1642, and the battle of Edgehill was fought on 2 October following. At this battle it will be remembered, was uttered the pithy exordium of our chief royalist, Sir Jacob Astley, so often quoted, ' O Lord ! Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee do not Thou forget me. On boys ! ' ' In August an order from the Lords and Commons in Parliament had been directed to the bailiffs of Great Yarmouth, ordering that the town should be put in a state of defence and divers other things done to keep it faithful to the Parliament. It was also ordered that the bailiffs and justices of the peace should commit to custody all persons putting in execution any commission of array or sending ' money, plate, or armes to his Majisty for the mayntayning of a wicked and unnatural warre against his Majesty's good subjects.' * In great coat, which he promised to keep safe and not to part with them before Mr. Mayor was made acquainted therewith, and also that he will keep his two horses in safe custody. The said Samuel Vonte was again before Mr. Mayor and divers of the justices and aldermen the 9th day of August and did acknowledge that he had the Captain's money.' At this time the captain was evidently in custody, for on 20 August it was agreed ' that Ale.x Anguish and Mr. Matthew Peckover, aldermen, shall go to-morrow morning to carry a letter from Mr. Mayor and aldermen to the King in answer to his Majesty's letter about the imprisonment of Captayne TreswelL' There is again no indication of the purport of the letter. The next entry is as follows : ' Captayne Treswell's sword and dagger and his man Gilbert's sword were this 5th day of September, 1642, delivered to Samuel V^onte and Ellis Browne to be carried to the Parliament, who have entered bond to the city in ;^ioo for the delivery of the said Gilbert and Captayne's two horses and his money up to Par- liament.' It appears, therefore, that the captain's property had been confiscated. Finally, there is the follow- ing entry : ' 20 September, 1642. This day Sam. Vonte brought into Court j^ I 5, which was allowed by the Parliament for the citizens sending up of Captayne Treswell and he showed the order whereby it did appear that he had delivered in the residue of Captayne Treswell's money and his two horses, and that he had delivered Gilbert the Captayne's man, and therefore he hath a bond delivered out unto him this day for delivering of the said Gilbert, money, and horses up to Parliament. There is twenty shillings this day paid unto Mr. Sheriff Lindseys and the £1^ brought in by Sam. ^'ontc for the hire of the horses for Richard Gilbert that was sent to London.' It is a pity that the connecting links for making up the story are missing, but a fairly clear presentment of the Royalist's difficulties and of the feeling at Norwich is afforded by these extracts. ' Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 383. * Ibid. 384. ' He had seen some foreign service, on the strength of which he was made sergeant-major-general of the royal forces, governor of Oxford and Reading, and was a soldier of some abilit>' and few words. He died in 165 1, having distinguished himself at Brentford and Newbury more than at Edgehill. ' Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. ix, App. i, 312. 508