Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The whole companies of these rebels amounted little lesse than to the number of ten thousand stout and valiant personages,The number of the rebels in Deu [...]n|shire. able indéed (if their cause had beene good and fauoured of the Lord and giuer of vic|tories) to haue wrought great feats. But being (as they were) ranke and malicious traitors, the almigh|tie God confounded their deuises, and brought them to their deserued confusion. A strange case, that those mischéefous and wicked traitors could not be war|ned by the euill successe of their diuelish attempted outrage, in the yeare last past: at what time certeine seditious persons in Cornewall fell vpon one of the kings commissioners named master Bodie, sent thither with others for the reformation of matters in religion, in like manner as other were sent at the same time into other shires of the realme, for the which murther a priest being apprehended, arreig|ned, and condemned, was drawne into Smithfield, and there hanged and quartered the seauenth daie of Iulie, in the said last yeare before mentioned, to wit, 1548. Other of his complices and associats were ex|ecuted and put to death in diuerse other parts of the realme.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But now touching these other that rose in this present summer. At the first they were in great hope that the other disordered persons, which stirred in o|ther parts of the realme,Their hope in others failed them. would haue ioined with them, by force to haue disappointed and vndoone that which the prince by law and act of parlement, in re|formation of religion, had ordeined and established. But afterwards perceiuing how in most places such mischeefous mutinies and diuelish attempts, as the commons had begun, partlie by force and partlie by policie were appeased, or that their cause being but onelie about plucking downe of inclosures, and inlarging of commons, was diuided from theirs; so that either they would not, or could not ioine with them in aid of their religious quarrell: they began somewhat to doubt of their wicked begun enterprise. Notwithstanding now, sith they had gone so farre in the matter, they thought there was no shrinking backe: and therefore determining to proceed, they fell to new deuises, as first before all things to bring into their hands all such places of force, wealth, and defense, as might in anie respect serue for their aid and furtherance. Herevpon the second of Iulie, they came before the citie of Excester,Excester be|sieged. incamping about the same in great numbers, and vsed all waies and meanes they could deuise how to win it by force, sometimes assaulting it right sharplie, sometimes firing the gates, otherwhiles vndermining the wals, and at other times (as occasions serued) procuring skirmishes.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Finallie, nothing was left vndoone which the eni|mie could imagine to serue his purpose for the win|ning of that citie. And albeit there wanted not lustie stomachs among the citizens to withstand this out|ward force of the enimie: yet in processe of time, such scarsitie of bread and vittels increased, that the peo|ple waxed weari [...] & loth to abide such extremitie of famine.The great loialtie of the citizens of Excester. Howbeit the magistrats (though it gréeued them to sée the multitude of the citizens in such di|stresse) yet hauing a speciall regard of their dutie to|ward the prince, and loue to the common-wealth, left no waies vnsought to quiet the people, & staie them in their dutifull obedience to resist the enimies: so that comforting the people with faire promises, and reléeuing their necessities verie liberallie, so farre as their power might extend, did in such sort vse the matter, that euerie of them within resolued with one generall consent to abide the end, in hope of some spéedie reléefe. And in the meane while, when their corne and meale was consumed, the gouernors EEBO page image 1003 of the citie caused bran and meale to be moulded vp in cloth, for otherwise it would not sticke togither.