own servants and followers as they could trust, using all the best provisions to them to desist that they could devise—that is, trying to persuade them to disperse ; but when nothing could prevail, they charged them throughly, both with their horse and foot. At the first charge they stood, and fought desperately ; but at the second charge they ran away ; in which they were slain some forty or fifty of them, and a very great number hurt."[1]
This rout was followed by others, till the insurrection was put down ; and then the Earls of Huntingdon and Exeter, Lord Zouch, Lord Compton, Lord John Harrington, Lord Robert Spencer, Lord George Carew, and Sir Edward Coke, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, "with divers other learned Judges," assisted by the Mayor of Coventry, and " the most discreet Justices of Peace of Oyer and Terminer in their several counties," did justice on the levellers, "according to the nature of their offences"; and on the 8th of June King James made proclamation signifying his great unwillingness to have proceeded against them either by martial law or civil justice, if "gentle admonition might any ways have prevailed with them to desist from their turbulent, rebellious and traitorous practice."
Until the levellers were examined, "it was generally bruited throughout the land, that the special cause of their assemblies and discontent was concerning religion, and the same passed current with many according to their several opinions in religion. Some said it was the Puritan faction, because they were the strongest, and thereby sought to enforce their pretended Reformation, others said it was the practice of the papists, thereby to obtain restauration or toleration, all which reports proved false." For the examination of the prisoners showed plainly that it was "for the laying open of Enclosures, the prevention of further depopulation, the increase and continuance of tillage to relieve their wives and children, and chiefly because it had been credibly reported to them by many that of very late years there were three hundred and eighty towns decayed and depopulated."[2]
- ↑ Letter of the Earl of Shrewsbury to Sir John Manvers. Printed in Lodge's "Illustrations."
- ↑ Stow's " Annales," continued to 1614 by Howes, pp. 889-890.
