Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/224

212 HENRY CROSS-GROVE, JACOBITE, impudence to spit in Sir Thomas Hanmer's face, who headed up the clergy to vote for Sir Ralph Hare and Sir Erasmus Earle. We are at present but in odd circum- stances here, for we have an artillery company raised lately by commission from my Lord Townshend, who being all of the Oliverian Club, strangely insult and dragoon us, and steal gentlemen's horses who are of a contrary kidney to themselves. They have drawn up a petition to the R. and Council for the silencing my press, and it was, I hear, signed by the Mayor, several justices of the city, the High Sheriff of the County and our good Dean (Humphrey Prideaux) who all swim in the same stream ; so that I am in expectation of beeng taken in the custody of a messenger. But I am prepared for the storm and so but little heed it. Mr. Pickwick's advice to ' shout with the largest crowd ' in an election contest would not have found favour with Cross-Grove, and the consequences of siding with the weaker side in this year well-nigh resulted in the close of his career. In a letter to Strype, dated ' Trinity Sunday, 1715,' he writes: I cannot sufficiently rejoice to hear that such men are in being as Sir Harry Hickes, who have both honour and courage enough to be loyal, and it will, I presume, not be unpleasant that we have persons here, and in Norfolk too, and many of no mean station and circum- stances, who are real Englishmen and can never cease to be so. George's birthday was observed here as much as I expected ; but on the Restauration day we had the greatest rejoicings that ever were known. On that anniversary the bells rang from two o'clock on the Sunday morning till two o'clock the next day, and the streets were all strewn with sand and flowers. But,