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dred to one. But at that time no story of Popish atrocity c ^ p -could be so wild and marvellous as not to find ready belief. 1(j8 ^The meeting separated in dismay. The whole city was in con-fusion. At this moment Danby at the head of about a hun-dred horsemen rode up to the militia, and raised the cry “NoPopery! A free Parliament! The Protestant religion! ” Themilitia echoed the shout. The garrison was instantly sur-prised and disarmed. The governor was placed under arrest.

The gates were closed. Sentinels were posted everywhere.

The populace was suffered to pull down a Roman Catholicchapel; but no other harm appears to have been done. Onthe following morning the Guildhall was crowded with the firstgentlemen of the shire, and with the principal magistrates ofthe city. The Lord Mayor was placed in the chair. Danbyproposed a Declaration setting forth the reasons which hadinduced the friends of the constitution and of the Protestantreligion to rise in arms. This Declaration was eagerly adopt-ed, and received in a few hours the signatures of six peers,of five baronets, of six knights, and of many gentlemen ofhigh consideration.*

Devonshire meantime, at the head of a great body offriends and dependents, quitted the palace which he wasrearing at Chatsworth, and appeared in arms at Derby. Therehe formally delivered to the municipal authorities a papersetting forth the reasons which had moved him to this enter-prise. He then proceeded to Nottingham, which soon be-came the head quarters of the Northern insurrection. Here aproclamation was put forth couched in bold and severe terms.

The name of rebellion, it was said, was a bugbear whichcould frighten no reasonable man. Was it rebellion to defendthose laws and that religion which every King of Englandbound himself by oath to maintain? How that oath had latelybeen observed was a question on which, it was to bo hoped,a free Parliament would soon pronounce. In the meantime,the insurgents declared that they held it to be not rebellion,but legitimate self defence, to resist a tyrant who knew no lawbut his own will. The Northern rising became every day

* Reresby’s Memoirs; Clarke’s Life of James ii. 231 . Orig. Mem.