Strode, and my self, wth Mr. Richard Spencer,¹ to hys lodging, where I spake of what had past, and not longafter, in came Mr. Blount,² ye lives about Greenwitch. By us many things were propounded as worthy a place in it; amongst others, I remember I spake of ye great licence ye howse of Commons then tooke in ejecting members and declaring unknowne priviledges; but these, as what might give offence, were layd aside, and it was held nothing was fit to bee inserted might justly distast eyther howse.
   25. The next day th' Assizes beegan, and ye Judge, at an oportune tyme, eyther on hys owne inclination, considering ye present distempers, or moeved by some other, told them, in other parts gentlemen of good accoumpt served in the Grand Jury; he would neyther command nor persuade any to the service, onely thought fit to acquaynt them wth it. Upon wch, after some small demur, divers embracing ye mottion were returned, the first of whom was Sr Edward Bering. Now I shall desire any one to consider, whither this Petitioning was likely to have beene on designe of saying ought might mislike the Paiiyament, when Sir Ed. Bering was ye foreman; and whether wee, in likelyhood, were so absolute fooles as no t to have dissuaded his medling wth the charge, could we have mistrusted hys beeing of it, wth an intent of doing what they approeved not, beeing a person against whom (as beeing lately secluded by ye Commons) some exceptions might lye; but our integrity was such, we never apprehended any thing of that nature ; and, for my owne particular, I knewe so little whither there would bee any petitioning or not,
   ¹  The Hon. Richard Spencer, of Orpington, third son of Robert first Lord Spencer, of Wormleighton.—ED.
    ²   Since called Colonell Blunt, a great stickler for ye two houses of Parlnt".—T. He was the principal informer of the proceedings at Maidstone, an account of which he gave in evidence at the Bar of the House.—ED.