954 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
Berkeley and Sir Bevill Grenville, assembled a party in that 
county. To put them down by force of law, a bill was presented 
against them at the Michaelmas Quarter Sessions held at Laun- 
ceston, in 1642, as ‘‘certain persons unknown, who were lately 
come armed into the county against the peace ;”’ and Sir Alexander 
Carew and Sir Richard Buller gathered the Parliamentary forces at 
Launceston to cut off their retreat. But the tables were turned. 
A counter bill was preferred against the Roundheads as being a 
rout and an unlawful assembly. It was found by the Royalist 
grand jury, the posse comitatus was called out, and Carew and 
Buller, with their followers, driven out of the county. Saltash 
was the last place the Parliament held. It had a garrison of 200 
Scots, but Hopton soon cleared them out, and thus the Parliament, 
who had thought both Cornwall and Devon in their hands, were 
very plainly undeceived. Nor was this all. There was a con- 
stitutional principle—Clarendon, true to his instincts, calls it-an 
‘cold superstition’’—that trained bands, or militia, could not operate 
out of the county in which they were raised, and at the orders of 
whose high sheriff they were. When, therefore, the Cornish posse 
comitatus, which consisted of 3,000 foot, had done its work, it was 
disbanded ; but the Royalist leaders raised voluntary regiments, 
wherewith they made continual incursions into Devon, even to the 
very walls of Plymouth and Exeter, both garrisoned against the King. 
Plymouth was first attempted in November and December, 1642, 
by Hopton, with about 2,500 horse and foot. The town was then 
under the command of Col. William Ruthven, afterwards Lord 
Grey de Ruthven, a brave and able soldier, but singularly deficient 
in that grand Scotch characteristic, caution. Like a wise captain, 
however, so far, he had garrisoned certain outposts, Plympton 
among them. Hereupon Hopton came down in such force that 
the Roundheads had to retire. But they did not go far. A retreat 
across the Plym enabled them to cover their front by that river; 
and the Cavaliers were too wary to attempt what was beyond 
their power. We read that on the Ist of December the garrison 
‘‘stood upon the Laira for the space of three hours facing the 
enemy, who attempted one charge to have drawn us to their 
ambuscades; but durst not with all their force, which we judge 
was at least 2,500 horse and foot, give in a charge upon fair 
‘ground.”* So Hopton in his turn retreated upon Modbury, 
* Siege tract. 
