49 
impoverished us by spoyling some of our horse, & ex- 
changing others, that we are utterly onable to’comply with 
your Lo: as otherwise we could heartily desire, our late 
losses amounting to 200li. & opwards more than the yearly 
pfitts of our Lo opon extreme racke we all of us being 
poore tennants & most of us deeply engaged by reason of 
our great debts The pmises considered in all humility we 
prsume to become humble peticioners to your good Lo: 
desiring what favor your honr can afford us & wee shall 
never cease to pray to the Almighty for the pspy of your 
Lo: & noble family 
Will Hardinge William X Robinson Constable 
Henry Buckerfield Burnaby H Avery his mke 
John Nicholes Francis X Eborne 
Tho X Nicholes Senr 
Thomas Boresly 
John Arnole.” 
The above, it may be stated, was from a village the 
inhabitants of which were favourable to the cause of the 
Parliament and against the King. 
In the “Gangrena,” a popular work of the day 
written by Thomas Edwards, a Presbyterian minister, 
and published in 1646, the confusion and religious 
anarchy which at this time prevailed is pourtrayed in a 
manner almost incredible. The doctrines and discipline 
of the Church of England were proscribed, the book of 
Common Prayer forbidden to be used, no religious service 
was allowed at the grave on the burial of the dead, but all 
secular pomp was permitted. A single extract from the 
“Gangrena” will now suffice: —“ A letter out of Warwick- 
shire dated the 2nd of November 1645 relates that two 
souldiers did preach at Rugby on the 25th of October, and 
