116 Christopher Wren, of East Knoyle, D.D. 
not shewn that they were “ superstitious.” Without further 
comment, we proceed to the facts alleged. 
Soon after the commencement of hostilities, Dr. Wren retired to 
Windsor. Sir Edward Hungerford, the Parliamentary general, 
sweeping through the south of Wilts, compelled Christopher 
Williams and Henry Marshman to surrender £25, due to the Doctor 
as rent of part of the parsonage of East Knoyle. In a few months 
after, Ludlow was shut up in Wardour Castle, and Colonel Barnes, 
who lay before it, had the command of the country adjacent. Down 
comes the Dean from Windsor, armed with a warrant from Sir 
Ralph Hopton, empowering Colonel Barnes to send a troop of 
horse to his aid, by which means he speedily collects all rents due 
to him, and compels Williams and Marshman-to pay their £25 
over again. This was in the autumn of 1644, and from this time 
he seems to have considered Knoyle a safer place than Windsor. 
The spring of the next year was signalised by Cromwell’s capture 
of Sir James Long’s troop near Devizes; and about Lady-day, 
Cromwell and Waller were lying near Shaftesbury, laying their 
plans for the relief of Taunton. Keeping these two facts in mind, 
we seem to trace in the following fragment of the evidence in Dr. 
Wren’s case, the movements of the scattered remnants of Long’s 
troop, who, being chased, (as is known), through Steeple Ashton, 
and seeking safety by flying southward, and distributing themselves 
among their associates in South Wilts, must have heard with 
great consternation that the enemy was so close upon their traces. 
“On the morrow after Lady Day, 1645,” deposed George Styles 
of Knoyle, “at about 10 o’clock at night, there came to his’ house 
a large company of Royalist soldiers, accompanied by Dr. Wren, 
who saluted this informant with the name of ‘Landlord.’ Mistress 
Styles provided for the Doctor and one of the Commanders a bed, 
in which they lodged together: and in the morning as they lay in 
bed, the Doctor spake these words to his friend, ‘Sir, all is well, 
there is no danger, for I left word with my wife that if there were, 
she should send word over the grounds.’” [Across the fields. ] 
The next thing we hear of Dr. Wren is his advocacy of the 
Club-rising in the autumn of the same year, 1645. (This was a 
