132 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



with many thousands of horse and foot, and rode with 

 rosemary and bayes in their hands and hats ; which is 

 generally esteemed the greatest affront that ever was 

 given to the courts of justice in England." The 

 "affront" lay in the general rejoicing that attended 

 this overthrowing of the sentence passed by the Star 

 Chamber, and the causes which led to this enthusiasm 

 were these: "Some years before," Prynne, Burton, 

 and Bastwick had written against the Government and 

 the Bishops, and for this offence had been sentenced to 

 pay a fine of ^^5000 each, to have their ears cut off, to 

 stand in the pillory and to be imprisoned for life. " All 

 of which," says Clarendon, " was executed with rigour 

 and severity enough." " After being first imprisoned 

 in England," Mr Pyrnne was sent to a castle in the 

 island of Jersey, Dr Bastwick to Scilly, and Mr Burton 

 to Guernsey." Bastwick's wife seized the first moment 

 that the Commons were assembled (in Nov. 1640) to 

 present a petition, with the result that on the fourth 

 day after Parliament met, orders for their release were 

 sent to the Governors of the respective castles. Claren- 

 don, who, of course, had no sympathy, but much dis- 

 like for them, admits : " When they came near London, 

 multitudes of people of several conditions, some on 

 horseback, others on foot, met them some miles from 

 the town ; very many having been a day's journey ; and 

 they were brought about two of the clocke in the after- 

 noon in at Charing Cross, and carried into the city by 

 above ten thousand persons with boughs and flowers in 

 their hands, the common people strewing flowers and 

 herbs in the ways as they passed, making great noise 

 and expressions of joy for their deliverance and return ; 

 and in those acclamations, mingling loud and virulent 

 exclamations against the bishops, " who had so cruelly 

 persecuted such godly men." An appendix,^ devoted 



» " History of the Rebellion," 



