310

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

JX.

IG88.

Northern

insurrec-

tion.

undertaking till the liberties and the religion of the nation- should be effectually secured.’

About the same time a messenger arrived at Exeter fromthe Earl of Bath, who commanded at Plymouth. Bath de-clared that he placed himself, his troops, and the fortresswhich he governed at the Prince’s disposal. The invaderstherefore had now not a single enemy in their rear. ”

While the West was thus rising to confront the King, theNorth was all in a flame behind him. On the sixteenth Dela-mere took arms in Cheshire. He convoked his tenants, calledupon them to stand by him, promised that, if they fell in thecause, their leases should be renewed to their children, andexhorted every one who had a good horse either to take thefield or to provide a substitute.* * •** ” He appeared at Manchesterwith fifty men armed and mounted, and his force had trebledbefore he reached Boaden Downs.

The neighbouring counties were violently agitated. It hadbeen arranged that Danby jshould seize York, and that De-vonshire should appear at Nottingham. At Nottingham noresistance was anticipated. But at York there was a smallgarrison under the command of Sir John Reresby. Danbyacted with rare dexterity. A meeting of the gentry and free-holders of Yorkshire had been summoned for the twenty-second of November to address the King on the state of af-fairs. All the Deputy Lieutenants of the three Ridings, se-veral noblemen, and a multitude of opulent esquires and sub-stantial yeomen had been attracted to the provincial capital.Pour troops of militia had been drawn out under arms to pre-serve the public peace. The Common Hall was crowded withfreeholders, and the discussion had begun, when a cry wassuddenly raised that the Papists were up, and were slayingthe Protestants. The Papists of York were much more likelyto be employed in seeking for hiding places than in attackingenemies who outnumbered them in the proportion of a hun-

* Burnet, i. 192.; History of the Desertion; Second Collection ofPapers, lf>88.

'* Letter of Bath to the Prince of Orange, Nov. 18. 1688; Dalrymple.

•** First Collection of Papers, 1688; London Gazette, Nov. 22 .