was particularly an object
of aversion to the court party. He is reported to have declared himself
ready to have acted as executioner of the late king if no one else could
be found for the job,(1470) and to have made himself obnoxious in other
ways. With Cornish little fault could at present be found. Objection was
raised to both these gentlemen acting as sheriffs, on the ground that they
had not taken the oath or received the sacrament as prescribed by law, and
another election demanded. Before this second election took place (14
July) they had qualified themselves according to the Corporation
Act.(1471) The mayor did not claim his prerogative on this occasion.
Bethell and Cornish were put up again for office, and against them two
others, Ralph Box, grocer, and Humphrey Nicholson, merchant taylor, who,
although nominated like Bethell and Cornish by the commonalty, were in
reality candidates put forward by the court party.(1472) Bethell and
Cornish having been again declared elected, a poll was demanded, which
lasted several days. At its close it was found that Cornish was at the
head with 2,483 votes, Bethell next with 2,276, whilst Box and Nicholson
followed with 1,428 and 1,230 votes respectively.(1473)

(M748)

The two first named were declared (29 July) duly elected. Bethell has been
described as a "sullen and wilful man," a republican at heart and one that
"turned from the ordinary way of a sheriff's living into the extreme of
sordidness." Cornish on the other hand was "a plain, warm, honest man and
lived very nobly all his year."(1474) It was doubtless Bethell's proposal
that the customary dinner to the aldermen on the day the new sheriffs were
sworn in should be omitted. If so, Cornish had to give way to the
parsimonious whim of his fellow sheriff. "What an obstinate man he was!"
remarked Cornish of him, when brought to trial five years later.(1475) The
aldermen refused to accompany the sheriffs to the Guildhall unless they
were invited to dinner.(1476)

(M749)

In the following year (1681) two other sheriffs of the same political
character, viz., Pilkington and Shute, were elected over the heads of the
same court candidates that had stood the previous year, the defeat of the
latter being still more pronounced.(1477)

(M750)

The king did not attempt to conceal his displeasure at the City's
proceedings, and when the recorder and the sheriffs came to invite him to
dinner on lord mayor's day,(1478) made the