[26] Lilburn was, as has been observed, in the Tower for his practices against the present order of things, he being an advocate of extreme democratic principles; and he was there instructed in knotty points of law by Judge Jenkins, to enable him to torment and baffle the party in power. It was Jenkins who said of Lilburne that “If the world were emptied of all but John Lilburne, Lilburne would quarrel with John, and John with Lilburne.”—T. W.
[27] Mr Thomas Violet, of London, goldsmith, committed to the Tower January 6th, 1643(–4), for carrying a letter from the King to the mayor and common council of London.
[28] Dr Hudson had been concerned in the King’s transactions with the Scots, previous to his delivering himself up to them, and he and Ashburnham had been his sole attendants in his flight from Oxford for that purpose.—T. W.
[29] Poyntz and Massey were staunch Presbyterians, and their party counted on their assistance in opposing the army: but they withdrew, when the quarrel seemed to be near coming to extremities.
[30] Glynn was one of the eleven members impeached by the army.
[31] It was believed at this time that Fairfax was favourable to the restoration of the King.
[32] The “Jack Ketch” of the day.
[33] The copy in the “Rump Songs” has “Smee and his tub.”
[34] The old proverbial expression of “the devil and his dam” was founded on an article of popular superstition which is now obsolete. In 1598, a Welshman, or borderer, writes to Lord Burghley for leave “to drive the devill and his dam” from the castle of Skenfrith, where they were said to watch over hidden treasure: “The voyce of the countrey goeth there is a dyvell and his dame, one sitts upon a hogshed of gold, the other upon a hogshed of silver.” (Queen Elizabeth and her Times, ii. 397.) The expression is common in our earlier dramatic poets: thus Shakespeare,—
—“I’ll have a bout with thee;
Devil, or devil’s dam, I’ll conjure thee:
Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch.”(Hen. V. Part I. Act I. sc. 5.)
T. W.