re originally tan-pits; his garden
was a slate-quarry; the phillireas now clipped into well-proportioned
dragons, grew just as nature shaped them; and the hall he had neatly
plaistered and white-washed was then disfigured with painted saints, and
carved tracery. He hinted with a smile, that he had turned the times to
a pretty good account, and was grown warm. Royalists were soon alarmed,
and bled freely. Besides the per centage, when compounding for their
estates, there was generally a little private oiling the hands of
committee men. He talked of his stock of wines, liberal table, rich
hangings, and the universal plenty of good things which he enjoyed; and
strongly urged Lord Sedley, now he was able, to remove from the
penurious dwelling which could just serve his turn, while his wounds
were healing, and reestablish his health, by residing with his humble
servant, Zedekiah Morgan, at Saint's-Rest, till he thought fit to return
to his own princely mansion, Castle-Bellingham.

Sedley made a civil reply, intimating that his duty required him to
remain where he was, and that as a soldier, he must despise luxuries.
"True," answered Morgan; "trained in the school of our noble general,
you choose to see with your own eyes, what plots the malignants are
hatching. There is not a more suspected family than Beaumont's in this
neighbourhood." Sedley encouraged this communicativeness, and Morgan
proceeded to say, "that since the last defeat, the chief crime the
disaffected could commit, was concealing those who had distinguished
themselves in the insurrections."

Six bloody-minded cavaliers had been lately turned loose upon the
peaceable inhabitants. Major General Lambert refused them quarters, when
he granted terms to Pontefract garrison[1]; but the horrid creatures had
fought their way out and escaped, though he gloried in saying, the
county was so well disposed, that three of the knaves, (and among them
their scoundrel leader, Morrice) had been retaken--"And terrible dogs, I
promise you," said Morgan, "they were, as ever you looked upon; hacked
and gashed, and so reduced by famine, from hiding in holes and caves,
that they could hardly stand. So we hanged them, without judge or jury,
and made them safe. But three are still at large, and I can hardly sleep
in my bed for fear of them. I will read you a description of their
persons, and the names they pretend to go by. Humphrey Higgins, aged
seventy, lean, and would be a tall man,