Then I desired the Captain to let the constables see his warrant or
order, by which he was to carry us; which he did. His warrant was to
conduct us safe to Captain Fox, governor of Pendennis Castle; and if
the governor should not be at home, he was to convey us to Launceston
jail. I told him he had broken his order concerning us; for we, who
were his prisoners, were to be safely conducted; but he had brought
a man to beat and abuse us; so he having broken his order, I wished
the constable to keep the warrant. Accordingly he did, and told the
soldiers they might go their ways, for he would take charge of the
prisoners; and if it cost twenty shillings in charges to carry us up,
they should not have the warrant again. I showed the soldiers the
baseness of their carriage towards us; and they walked up and down
the house, pitifully blank and down.
The constables went to the castle, and told the officers what they
had done. The officers showed great dislike of Captain Keat's base
carriage towards us; and told the constables that Major-General
Desborough was coming to Bodmin, and that we should meet him; and it
was likely he would free us. Meanwhile our old guard of soldiers came
by way of entreaty to us, and promised that they would be civil to us
if we would go with them.
Thus the morning was spent till about the eleventh hour; and then,
upon the soldiers' entreaty, and their promise to be more civil, the
constables gave them the order again; and we went with them.
Great was the civility and courtesy of the constables and people
of that town towards us. They kindly entertained us, and the Lord
rewarded them with His truth; for many of them have since been
convinced thereof, and are gathered into the name of Jesus, and sit
under Christ, their Teacher and Saviour.
Captain Keat, who commanded our guard, understanding that Captain
Fox, who was governor of Pendennis Castle, was gone to meet
Major-General Desborough,[85] did not carry us thither; but took us
directly to Bodmin, in the way to Launceston. We met Major-General
Desborough on the way. The captain of his troop, who rode before him,
knew me, and said, "Oh, Mr. Fox, what do you here?" I replied, "I am
a prisoner." "Alack," he said, "for what?" I told him I was taken up
as I was travelling. "Then," said he, "I will speak to my lord, and
he will set you at liberty."
[85] Major-General Desborough was one of Cromwell's favorite
generals, who received many places of honour from the Protector.
In 1655 he received his commission as major-general, in charge
of Wiltshire, Somersetshire, Devonshire and Cornwall, and in the
main he proved an able administrator in this office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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