bats are beasts when

"the neuter gender are without life "they are upon the earth and birds when in the ayre, but these men are altogether unresolved how to name themselves: in a "time of peace they can be content like the planet Mercury even "to follow the motion of that starre to which they are conjoined, "but in dayes of triall this Proteus cannot hide himselfe under "the variety of shapes," &c., &c. "The well affected of this "country to the proceedings of Parliament being jealous of the safety of their religion lawes and liberties and withall weary of "their taskmasters resolved to get up and be doing and to couch "no longer like Issachar betwixt their burdens. In number and "strength they presently exceed their adversaries which makes "their opposers first flie for refuge to Chester and being there for "policy to the Bishop's Palace at the desire no doubt of the Popish party who conceived that what came from thence was e cathedra and not capable of errour or miscarriage." "No sooner had the new Governour taken possession of his place "but some of the people wondering to see another sun in their "meridian were afraid it might portend some fatality to the "famous Citie which their Recorder once told me was more "ancient than the moone." Then follow eight articles, as they are called, advocating the "absolute cessation of armes, all prisoners "on both sides to be released and the fortifications at Chester, "Namptwich, Northwich, Stopford, Knutsford, and any other "towne in Cheshire lately made by either party to be speedily "demolished." It is further desired that a Joint Petition to His Majesty and both Houses of Parliament be presented with the renewed object of "putting an end to the great distractions and "miseries fallen upon the Kingdom." Signed by Robert Kilmorre, William Marbury, Orlando Bridgeman, Henry Mainwaring. I find by Rushworth that Parliament alleged this "Agreement for "neutrality was made without due authority and prejudicial to "the public and declared against the same and set it aside as they had done another before of the same nature in "Yorkshire."

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The two names which are coupled together in the next Tract are those of the two Cheshire gentlemen who come most prominently forward in these troubled times; and I had better here give you the leading dates of their careers. Sir William Brereton, son of William Brereton, of Handforth, Cheshire, by Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of Richard Holland, of Denton, in this county (Lancashire), was born in 1604, and was created

Baronet on the 10th of March, 1626/7. The Diary of his travels on the Continent (Holland principally) was published by the Chetham Society in 1844, and is interesting reading. It shows a strong puritanical bias. The original diary, which it appears attracted the favourable attention of Sir Walter Scott, who was much interested in it, and urged its publication, was in the possession of the late Sir Philip Egerton, Bart., who lent it to the Chetham Society for publication. Sir William Brereton married Susanna, fourth daughter of Sir George Booth, of Dunham Massey, and was elected to represent Cheshire in 1627/8, and again in 1639-40. On the first symptoms of civil war he took the lead in Cheshire against the King: and the Pamphlet No. 2, already mentioned, is addressed to him as a Deputy-Lieutenant. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the forces in Cheshire and neighbouring counties to the south, and on the 28th January, 1642/3, defeated Sir Thomas Aston near Nantwich, which place he occupied, whilst Chester was fortified by the Royalists. Brereton's personal popularity seems to have served him in good stead in obtaining information from the country people; and six weeks later, viz., on the 13th March, he again defeated Aston at Middlewich, as will appear by Tract No. 7. But after the arrival of the Irish troops, Brereton was himself worsted at the same place. In the summer of 1643 he went southward, and during his absence Nantwich, while held by Sir George Booth, was besieged by Lord Byron; but with the assistance of Sir Thomas Fairfax, Brereton, on 14th February, 1643/4, routed the besieging forces; and in August he defeated Prince Rupert at Tarvin. Brereton's next important engagement was at Denbigh, in November, 1645, when he defeated the King's forces under Sir William Vaughan. In the

following March he captured Lichfield, and in May Dudley Castle. After the conclusion of the war he received various appointments and emoluments. Amongst other properties which came into his possession, was the the Archiepiscopal Palace of Croydon. In one old pamphlet he is described as "a notable man at a thanksgiving dinner, having "terrible long teeth and a prodigious stomach, to "turn the Archbishop's garden at Croydon into a "kitchen, also to swallow up that palace and lands "at a morsel." He died at Croydon after the Restoration, namely, on the 7th April, 1661, and his body was removed for burial in the Handforth chapel in Cheadle church: but there is a tradition that, in crossing a river, the coffin was swept away in a flood; and as a matter of fact there is no entry of the burial in the Cheadle registers.

The second of these Cheshire worthies, Sir George Booth, whose daughter married Brereton, was one of the first Baronets ereated by James I. He was born in 1566, and achieved the patriarchal age of 86 years, dying at Dunham Massey, 24th October, 1652. His pedigree is in Ormerod. He was a strong Presbyterian, and "a person of the "best fortune and interest in Cheshire." His more famous grandson I will refer to later on.

No. 6 embodies the "Instructions agreed upon by the Lords "and Commons" for Sir William Brereton, Baronet, one of the Members and for Sir George Booth, Knight and Baronet, and the rest of the Deputy Lieutenants of the City and County of Chester. It is printed in London on the 11th January, 1642, by order.

The anxiety of the Parliament leaders is plainly increasing as the area of the war was widening during the winter, whilst the King, from his base at Oxford, had a firm hold on the Midland Counties, and the arrival of the Queen in Yorkshire with arms from Holland had strengthened the Earl of Newcastle, who was threatening the Eastern Counties. It commences by urging the Deputy Lieutenants of Chester to "arme traine and put in readi“nesse all and every the inhabitants of that County fit for the

"War as well trained Band as other Volunteers, both horse and "foot," and to take "special care that the ordinance concerning "the militia be put in execution," and to lead and conduct the same against all "Forraigne forces that shall in "hostile manner invade the said Countie." . . . They are also given full power to "search and examine all suspicious persons and "carriages and to seize upon all horses armes and ammunition, money plate or other provisions whatsoever: and to suppress and oppose all rebellion and commotion whatsoever within the said County of Chester or in any other Counties in assotiation with "the said County of Chester." And as the instructions proceed they gain in strength of language, and the Deputy Lieutenants are ordered to "kill and slay all such as shall by force oppose you

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or any of you . . . and you shall pursue the said Traytors and "Rebels and their adherents in the said County of Chester" 66 or in any other places into which they shall retire themselves." But to conciliate the weak-kneed there is a special instruction to declare unto all men "That it hath ever been and still shall be "the care and endeavour of the Parliament to provide for his Majesties safety and that they do not nor never did know of any evil intended towards His Majesties person," &c. They are further authorized to "fortifie the City Towne of Chester or 'any other place of the said County in such manner and sort as you shall think fit. Clemencie and favour" may be extended to any person who “shall come in within ten days, excepting only "the Earle of Bristoll, the Earle of Cumberland, the Earle of "Newcastle, the Earle Rivers, Secretary Nicholas, Mr. Endymion "Porter, Mr. Edward Hide, the Duke of Richmond, the Earle "of Carnarvon, the Lord V. Newark, the Lord V. Falkland." Such is the gist of this important Parliamentary Paper.

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No. 7.-Two letters were ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, under date 24th March, 1642: one was from "Alis"bury," in Buckinghamshire, signed by Colonel Godwyn, Colonel Bulstrode, Colonel Hampden, and Thomas Ferrill, Esq., and related the appearance off that town of the King's forces from Oxford, under General Ruthin, Princes Rupert and Maurice, &c., and the apparent great relief of the Parliamentary forces, who were inferior in numbers, when the town was not attacked. The other letter was from Sir William Brereton, giving an account of a Great Victory" on the 13th of March "at a Town called Mid"dlewich in Cheshire," "and took prisoners Col. Ellis, "Sargeant Major Gilner, Sir Edward Mosseley, ten Captans and "five hundred others." Sir Edward relates that he was at Northwich, which place he "had begun to fortifie," and as the enemy "took the bouldnesse" to encamp themselves at Middlewich, he "conceived this attempt of most dangerous consequence," and

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accordingly he sent out a party of horse to give them an alarm on the Saturday night, the 12th of March, but they were ordered not to attack, "they being very strong in foot and well armed,

and we had no foot at all then there.” However, Sir William arranged to be joined by forces from Namptwich on the Monday morning "at six of the clock," and so the joint attack was made, the troops from Namptwich entering one end of the town and Sir William's forces the other end. The prisoners named as captured were all taken in the church and steeple, to which they had betaken themselves; and Sir William triumphantly records that it was "the most compleat victory and the largest number of "prisoners taken since the beginning of this unnaturall war."

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No. 8 is "An addition to the Relation of some passages "about the Englis-Irish Army before they came to the siege "at Namptwich wherein are set down the occurrences at "Harwarden Castle. Done for the satisfaction of some gentle. men and upon their request. Published by Authority in Lon"don and Printed for Robert Bostocke dwelling at the signe of the Kings Head in Paul's Church Yard 1643"; but no more precise date is given. A Preface adddressed to the Commanders, Ministers and Inhabitants of Namptwich is signed "your servant to pray and doe for you to his power P.J." It recites the landing at Mostyn of the English-Irish army, who from thence marched up to Hawarden; Major-General Sir Thomas Middleton in command of the Parliamentary Forces in North Wales being in possession of "Holt and Wrexam with all the Countries of Den"bighshire and Flint neer about those places." And then it gives copies of the summons to surrender Harwarden Castle by Sir Michael Morley and Colonel Wilson, dated 22nd November, 1643-with a further summons by Lord Capell, who came in the following day with additional forces, with the threat that "no quarter would be given if you shal hold out untill by force or "other meanes I gain the same." The replies are unsigned, and the first boldly states "Whatever old wives may tell you, our "provisions will outreach your patience of a siege," &c.; and the second even more emphatically says "All this adoe might be spared; our greatest want will be of inke and paper to answer your demands if you multiply parles; if you continue the siedge we shall drive that fancy of our necessities out of your head. Sir, spare your paper and use your weapons and we will use ours and make good the Castle were your force ten times more than they are." Then followed what Rushworth calls an "absurd letter" from Captain Sandford, without date, and addressed "To the officer commanding in chiefe at Harden Castle "and his Consorts there." It commences-"I presume you very "well know or have heard of my condition and disposition, and

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