I desire you answer my expectation herein so far as you may. You shall very much oblige, Sir, your real friend and servant,
This is not ‘Freeborn John,’ the Sectarian Lieutenant-Colonel once in my Lord of Manchester’s Army; the Lilburn whom Cromwell spoke for, when Sir Philip Warwick took note of him; the John Lilburn ‘who could not live without a quarrel; who if he were left alone in the world would have to divide himself in two, and set the John to fight with Lilburn, and the Lilburn with John’! Freeborn John is already a Lieutenant-Colonel by title; was not in the New Model at all; is already deep in quarrels,—lying in limbo since August last, for abuse of his old master Prynne.[2] He has quarrelled, or is quarrelling, with Cromwell too; calls the Assembly of Divines an Assembly of Dry-vines;—will have little else but quarreling henceforth.—This is the Brother of Freeborn John; one of his two Brothers. Not Robert, who already is or soon becomes a Colonel in the New Model, and does not ‘want employment.’ This is Henry Lilburn; appointed, probably in consequence of this application, Governor of Tynemouth Castle: revolting to the Royalists, his own Soldiers slew him there, in 1648. These Lilburns were from Durham County.
‘Delinquents,’ conquered Royalists, are now getting themselves fined, according to rigorous proportions, by a Parliament Committee which sits, and will sit long, at Goldsmiths’ Hall, making that locality very memorable to Royalist gentlemen.[3]
The Staffordshire Committee have sent a Deputation up to Town. They bring a Petition; very anxious to have 2,000l. out of their Staffordshire Delinquents from Goldsmiths’ Hall,
I desire you answer my expectation herein so far as you may. You shall very much oblige, Sir, your real friend and servant,
This is not ‘Freeborn John,’ the Sectarian Lieutenant-Colonel once in my Lord of Manchester’s Army; the Lilburn whom Cromwell spoke for, when Sir Philip Warwick took note of him; the John Lilburn ‘who could not live without a quarrel; who if he were left alone in the world would have to divide himself in two, and set the John to fight with Lilburn, and the Lilburn with John’! Freeborn John is already a Lieutenant-Colonel by title; was not in the New Model at all; is already deep in quarrels,—lying in limbo since August last, for abuse of his old master Prynne.[5] He has quarrelled, or is quarrelling, with Cromwell too; calls the Assembly of Divines an Assembly of Dry-vines;—will have little else but quarreling henceforth.—This is the Brother of Freeborn John; one of his two Brothers. Not Robert, who already is or soon becomes a Colonel in the New Model, and does not ‘want employment.’ This is Henry Lilburn; appointed, probably in consequence of this application, Governor of Tynemouth Castle: revolting to the Royalists, his own Soldiers slew him there, in 1648. These Lilburns were from Durham County.
‘Delinquents,’ conquered Royalists, are now getting themselves fined, according to rigorous proportions, by a Parliament Committee which sits, and will sit long, at Goldsmiths’ Hall, making that locality very memorable to Royalist gentlemen.[6]
The Staffordshire Committee have sent a Deputation up to Town. They bring a Petition; very anxious to have 2,000l. out of their Staffordshire Delinquents from Goldsmiths’ Hall,
- ↑ Sloane mss. 1519, fol. 71:—Signature alone is Oliver’s.
- ↑ Wood, iii. 353.
- ↑ The proceedings of it, all now in very superior order, still lie in the State-Paper Office.
- ↑ Sloane mss. 1519, fol. 71:—Signature alone is Oliver’s.
- ↑ Wood, iii. 353.
- ↑ The proceedings of it, all now in very superior order, still lie in the State-Paper Office.
