The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
The mutineers chose him
for the General of their army, and for inferior officers as Captains,
Majors, and Colonels,――John Rosogan, James Rosogan, Will. Winslade of
Tregarrick or St. Agnes at Mithian, John Payne of St. Ives, Robert
Bochym of Bochym, and his brother, Thomas Underhill, John Salmon,
William Segar; together with several priests, rectors, vicars, and
curates of churches, as John Thompson, Roger Barret, John Woolcock,
William Asa, James Mourton, John Barrow, Richard Bennet, and others,
who mustered their soldiers according to the rules of military
discipline at Bodmin, where the general rendezvous was appointed. But
no sooner was the General Arundell departed from St. Michael’s Mount
to exert his power in the camp and field aforesaid, but diverse
gentlemen, with their wives and families, in his absence possessed
themselves thereof; whereupon he dispatched a party of horse and foot
to reduce his old garrison; which quickly they effected, by reason the
besieged wanted provision and ammunition, and were distracted with the
women and children’s fears and cries, and so they yielded the
possession to their enemies on condition of free liberty of departing
forthwith from thence with life, though not without being plundered.
The retaking of St. Michael’s Mount by the general Arundell proved
much to the content and satisfaction of his army at Bodmin, consisting
of about six thousand men, which they looked upon as a good omen of
their future success, and the first-fruits of the valour and conduct
of their general. Whereupon the confederates daily increased his army
with great numbers of men from all parts, who listed themselves under
his banner, which was not only pourtrayed, but by a cart brought into
the field for their encouragement, viz. the pyx under its canopy, that
is to say, the vessel containing the Roman host, or sacramental
sacrifice, or body of Christ, together with crosses, banners,
candlesticks, holy bread and water, to defend them from devils and the
adverse power; (see Fox’s Martyrology, p. 669,) which was carried
wheresoever the camp removed; which camp grew so tremendously
formidable at Bodmin, that Job Militon, Esq. then Sheriff of Cornwall,
with all the power of his bailiwick, durst not encounter with it
during the time of the general’s stay in that place, which gave him
and his rebels opportunity to consult together for the good of their
public interest, and to make out a declaration, or manifesto, of the
justice of their cause, and grounds of taking up arms; but the army,
in general, consisting of a mixed multitude of men of diverse
professions, trades, and employments, could not easily agree upon the
subject matter and form thereof. Some would have no justice of the
peace, for that generally they were ignorant of the laws, and could
not construe or English a Latin bill of indictment without the clerk
of the peace’s assistance, who imposed upon them, with other
attornies, for gain, wrong sense, and judgment; besides, in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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