Sir,

Once againe I thancke you for your Booke for it deserves it againe & againe, And as concerning the Noates which upon the sudden I sent you concerning your former Booke (for which likewise I againe retourne thanckes) I have not yet inlarged them, nor indeed have I had any time. Nor doe I intende to medle any more in that kinde exept it be at your comaund, Nor did I then but at your desire,Nor were any passages formerly, further then by way of freindly conference, betwixt Doctor Pocklington and my selfe, Nor doe I know of any thing that he hath done, more then this inclosed paper is the copie of; Nor doeth he know one syllable that I did, Nor that ever I did any thing, or that you desired anything of me in that kinde; I beseech you suspect not my secrecy nor question my discretion in a case of this nature which I know is not to be communicated to any man without hazard of interpretacion, which I would be loth to undergoe; As for the Constable I suppose that before this time he hath made his owne relacion, and to that, and to good freinds I leave him, and referr his successe; Mr. Tho: Birde and his busines, we likewise submit to your love and wisdome, only let me desire, that some search may be secretly made, whether any thing hath passed at the broade seale, for there I understood in the case of Abington it may passe likewise and the claime holde firme by usurpacion, and what corroboracions have bene granted to some Tytles, I thincke Carleton, Wilbey etc. may make it evident, verbum sapienti, and soe with thanckefullnes we submit it to you.

As concerning Kettering. The report of the Towne & Country runns thus, vizt. That about the first Sunday in April and two or three Sundayes after Mr. Sawyer, and one or two more with Rapier staves in their hands, and halfe a dosen of his men with swords in Belts about their Neckes, and Pistalls at their Girdles or in their pockets came to Church; and upon the said first Sunday three or fower fellowes were set to watch about the Battlements or upper Lofte in the Steeple, to discover any Soldiers, Soldierlike men or company, who came towards the Towne; And that 10 or 12 Bills or Halbeards were set in the Church, and as many men appointed to watch, and that this was reported to be for feare least the Papists should surprise them in the Church; for they had given out that they expected a Day, and that day was suspected to be fitlyest upon a Sunday, and the time of the Day fittest in the time of Service or Sermon; And as they were at the Church three or fower horsemen came to the Towne which were going towards Yorke, whom the watch in the steeple discovered, and coming downe acquainted the watch belowe (yet without makeing any publique Hubbub in the Church) who brought them afterwards before the Justice, but found them guilty of nothing, but only of being ready to carry some letters for him to Sir William Fleetwood* and to his owne sonne, (who is gone upon one of the Lord Mountagues Horses) and to such his freinds at Yorke, yet he doubles the Day watch and commaunds a night watch ever since. Mr. Sawyers owne story is (for himselfe broke into it upon ffriday at the justices meeting, I beleive to meete with me) That about the begining of April upon Sunday, he and his Clerke went to the Church with Rapier staves in their hands, and his Warrener with his Hanger, but noe other of his men had any weapons, nor was there any Pistoll amongst them. The watch indeede was doubled in the Towne by his commaund, and a watch was set in the steeple; (But that he sayeth was the Constables doeing,) and some Soldiers were discovered coming to Towne, of which the watch in the steeple gave private warneing, but there was noe publique stirre about it, Nor was that done saveing only one Sunday; which was thus occasioned, He was given secret intelligence, that two rude fellowes of Ketteringe, were hyred by a Papist at whose howse one or both of them were workemen (but he will not tell the names of any of them,) to set Kettering on ffier that Sunday, or the first weeke in April, and that thereupon he went armed only as aforesaid, commaunded the doubleing of the watch by Day, and the setting of a watch by night, which night watch he hath ever since continued; although the Statute injoyne it not till Assension, and strengthened the day watch, especially upon Sundays; This is the trueth of that relacion both from others, and from his owne mouth. If it be materiall, Edmund Hackney, Henry Richards, Anthony Ashby and his wife, and divers others can witnes it, as alsoe the Clerke of the Parish; and what Mr. Sawyer himselfe hath acknowledged I thincke he will not deny. But I pray you blame me not though I am not willing to appear too much in these and the like relacions; It is noe pannick feare in me but pannick fayth, which you know I have found in others upon the like occasion; If it be to doe his Majesties Service I will hazard my life and fortunes, especially into his graces hands and yours relying upon his goodnes and your love, But if I should discover only to be discovered, and his Majestie should be never the more *erinced, but I rather disabled from further service, this would disharten any man; besides that I must intreate you to consider that I live in the midst of the faction, whoe are too many, and too mighty for me, and now will be more united , if the marryage betwixt Mr. Nicolls his sonne, and Sir Roland St. Johns daughter take effect, and I perceive sencibly that they are all suspitious of me. Nor have I any place to shifte my selfe to, although I would take the whings of a dove, to flee away even to a wildernes that I might be at rest, ffor I finde not only a correspondency but a kinde of combenacion betwixt these on this side of the Country and the fraternity on the other side, Insomuch that as Mr. Downes hath formerly vexed me on this side through the sides of mi*e, soe Mr. Crewe, (who formerly seemed smooth) is set on fier by the same engine Mr. Bagshaw, (whom he made Recorder of Banbury for his zeale rather then for his law,) begins to set up himselfe there, and that upon this occasion; There is one Mr. ffrancis Marston a Minister but unbeneficed, a notable fiery Puritan; sonne to Mr. John Marston Parson of Whitfeilde, within a mile of Brackley, whom his ffather makes his Curate but placeth him (he being a marryed man) in a howse in my Parish at Brackley, indeede (as I conceive not without probable reason) with an intent to have brought him in to be the sole lecturer at Brackley, and to be salaryed by the Londoners, for to this purpose he hath bespoken me; and Mr. Crewe (I thancke him) is carefull thet my care should be well provided for with a good man. This young zelot cannot endure the coruptions of our Sudarbis of hell; as he calles Brackley and therefore there being two Glovers who are alsoe musitions come to reside in our Towne; and he feareing that they would be a meanes that the people would make use of the liberty of his Majesties declaracion for lawfull sports etc.; whereas I at the intreaty of the best of my Parishioners had bene content that they should inhabit there, and soe had the Mayor of the Towne; and then had continued there very neere two moneths (and our sessions declares one moneth to be a settleing) Mr. Marston I hear when my backe was tourned, goes to Mr. Crewe, makes his complaint and procures a noate from him against them as vagrants, the copie whereof I send you inclosed, yet did they behave themselves honestly and orderly and were not vagrants as you may see by a certificate under the hand of the Mayor & Aldermen, and best of the Parishioners the copie of which I alsoe send you inclosed, And if my messenger had retourneed soone enough, I should have sent you the like certificate from the place where they lived before and as I heare had a howse of their owne free holde, (but one of them absented himselfe for debt) and I know that o neMr. Welch a Gent of good worth who inhabits there, offered a hundred pound security for their honesty, good behaviour and not being chargeable to our Towne, yet none of this would satisfie, but Mr. Marstons humor and Mr. Crewes will must prevaile and they in my absence were hunted out of the Towne, But because they went not presently soe soone as Mr. Crewes noate came, but stayed till Christmas; and they two together with three others, (indeede five compleat musitions) were by the Mayor of our Towne with my approbacion licensed for the waytes or musicke of our Brackley ffaire which is upon St. Andrews Day; Mr. Crewe is soe infintily offended, that he callsthis an affront in me to him, as a Justice of the Peace, and he will complaine of it, (for soe in great indignacion he tolde me upon the ffriday in Easter weeke) Soe that I must arme on both sides, if suites, or complaintes, or anything can doe mischeife either under the pretence of lawe or justice, or whatsoever, And to that purpose let me intreate you to lend an eye and ear towards the Lord Keepers, and to give me intelligence & directions or to answer for me, or to prevent the complaint as you shall see occasion for I assure my selfe, the whole fraternity, if they may have any hopes, will make it their owne case; And how insolent Mr. Marston is growne upon it, not only by, chatichising my Parishioners in his owne howse, when he can get them thither, and in the streete if they will stay speech with him, and by dispersing chatichismes, Containeing matters prohibited in his Majesties Declaracion, before the Artes of Religion, and some things not very sound, vizt Perkins 6. Principles, Josias Whites chatichism etc. to such of my Parishioners as he can insinuate withall, But alsoe by his publique opposeing me in the Church, may partly appeare by the copie of a certificate which is likewise sent inclosed; and if occasion be many more of the like kinde, both at Brackley and at Whitfeilde may be proved, where (vizt. at Whitfielde) he hath threatened to tourne people of 80 years olde from the Communion because they could not answer him according to those Chatichismes, and damned them two or three howers together in the Pulpit, Soe that his ffather is forced to administer the Communion himselfe this Easter to prevent the practises which he threatened to put in execution, And therefore considering what quarells are picked, and what instruments are stirred up and countenanced against me continually one after another, to cause my expence of money, or question of my credit, I must intreate you not to impute it to timidety or want of willingnes to doe service, although I be something wary, or at least implore as great and willing assistance, as I finde many and wilfull oppositions; And soe with my prayers for our best freinde yourselfe and Cosen Barbara, I rest
At your service
Rob. Sybthorpe

FOOTNOTE:
Sir, Since the wrighting hereof I received two noates, the copies
whereof I send you inclosed with the rest, The one concernes
certificates, to Mr. Marstons Chatechists at Whitfeilde, The other
concernes Mr. Crew not paying the Shipmoney which I thincke is
a greater offence, then tolerating an orderly fidler But these (being
knowne may be reserved, and made use of, as his High carryage
shall provoke and not otherwise, for if he will be quiet, I can be
content to be quiet too; yet I thincke I have most cause, and best
grounde to complaine, but that I leave to your discretion and direction.
R. S. Apr. 29

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