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"the King's forces; for I believe, your intelli, is better from Oxford and those parts

gence

" than ours can be.

"Yo' humble

❝fervant,

"I. HAMPDEN.

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"Northampt.
November 1°

"1642."

Queen Elizabeth was entertained by Grif "fith Hampden, Efq. of Hampden, the ancestor "of John Hampden, Efq. in her progrefs. For "the more convenient access to his house, he "cutt a paffage through his woods (which is

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now called the Queen's Gap). There is "an ancient tradition, that King Edward the "Third and the Black Prince were entertained "at Hampden, where the Prince and Mr.

Hampden exercifing themselves in feats of "chivalry, they difagreed, whereupon Mr. "Hampden ftruck the Prince on the face. "They went away in a great wrath, upon "which came this rhyme :

"Tring, Wing, and Ivinghoe;

"For ftriking of a blow,

"Hampden did foregoe,

"And glad he could escape fo."

From MS. Collections for the County of

Bucks, in the Bodleian Library,

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During the time in which Mr. Hampden was engaged in the Civil Wars, he wore round his neck an ornament, confifting of a small filver chain, inclofing a plain cornelian ftone. Round the filver rim of the stone was infcribed,

that

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Against my King I never fight,

"But for my King and Country's right."

This interesting record of the fentiments of great man has been bequeathed to the Univerfity of Oxford by the late Thomas Knight, Efq. of Godmersham Park, Kent.

A representation of it is here fubjoined ;

The following Petition from the County of Bucks to Charles the First, in favour of their imprifoned Member, is printed from a MS. in the Bodleian Library at Oxford:

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"TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,

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THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE INHABIT66 ANTS OF THE COUNTY OF BUCKS:

"SHEWETH, That your Petitioners having, by "virtue of your Highnes writ, chofen John Hampden, Efq. Knight "for your Shire, in whofe loyaltie " and wisdome we his countrymen "and neighbours have ever had

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good cause to confide, however of "late, to our no less amazement "then grief, we find him, with other "Members of Parliament, accused "of treafon. And having taken to "our ferious confideration the man"ner of his impeachment, we can"not but under your Majeftie's fa66 vour conceive, that it doth fo op66 pugn the rights of Parliaments, to "the maintenance whereof our pro"teftation binds us, that we believe "it is the malice which their zeal to

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your Majefty's fervice, and the "State have contracted in the ene"mies to your Majefty, the Church, ❝ and Commonweal, which have occafioned thofe foul accufations, ra"ther than any defert of theirs, who "do likewife through their fides "wound

"wound the judgment and cares of us your petitioners and others, by whofe choice they were prefented to the Houfe.

"Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that Mr. Hamp"den, and the rest that lye under "the burden of that accusation,

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AT THE COURT AT WINDSOR, 13th OF JAN. 1641.

"His Majefty being gracioufly pleased to let "all his fubjects understand his care not (know

ingly) to violate in the least degree any of the "privileges of Parliament, has therefore lately,

' by a meffage fent by the Lord Keeper, figni"fied that he is pleased (because of the doubt "that hath been raised of the manner) to wave "his former proceedings against the said Mr.

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Hampden and the reft mentioned in this Peti❝tion, concerning whom his Majefty faith it "will appear that he had fo fufficient grounds "to question them, as he might not in justice to "the kingdom, and honour to himself, have forborn; and yet his Majefty had much

" rather

" rather that the faid perfons fhould prove in"nocent than be found guilty; howfoever he ❝ cannot conceive that their crimes can in any "fort reflect upon thofe his good fubjects, who "elected them to ferve in Parliament."

As every fragment relating to this diftin, guished Englishman must be interesting to his grateful countrymen, the following Inscription, written by him, and infcribed on his Wife's Monument in Hampden Church, Bucks, is fub, joined:

"To the eternal Memory
of the truely

Vertuous and pious

ELIZABETH HAMPDEN, wife of John
Hampden, of Great Hampden, Esquier,
Sole Daughter and Heir of Edward
Symeon, of Pyrton, in the County
of Oxon, Efq'. the tender Mother
of an happy offspring in 9
Hopefull Children,

In her Pilgrimage

The state and comfort of her neighbours, The joy and glory of a well-ordered family; The delight and happiness of tender Parents, But a crowne of bleffings to a Husband. In a wife, to all an eternal paterne of godeness and cause of joye, whilst she was.

In her Diffolution

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