The Prussian Government, after having made stupendous Efforts in the successful cause of the great Alliance formed to suppress the Effects of the Revolutionary Spirit in France, is now diligently occupied in repressing a similar Spirit amongst its own Subjects, and in obviating the Dangers, it is calculated to produce; and this Conduct, acting in different Manners upon the Courts, and the Nations of Germany, is more calculated than any Measure I can imagine to be adopted within its Boundaries, to found and to maintain its internal Tranquillity and to render its Union real, and effective. I have the honor to transmit a Translation of an Edict of His Prussian Majesty, in date of the sixth, but published on the eleventh Ins., which republishes the Law of October 1798 against secret Societies, and forbids any further Controversy in print respecting their Existence and Objects.

Sunday 7 January This threatens to become a weekly log-book, instead of a daily diary. […] Last Sunday Gordon of the Sunday Express was to have published an article by Kindersley, which he returned to us with the plea that if Kindersley said people were not to spend money on luxuries, the advertisers would be angry. He suggested K should amend the article accordingly. After some trouble we managed a compromise, and the amended version was published to-day. Gordon's letter contained this heart wail: ‘I don't want to do anything that is going to hamper my advertising. After all, that is our life line and thank God it has been better than we anticipated.’ In other words, let the nation lose the war, let inflation with all its miseries come upon us, but for the love of God don't let us offend some fat Jew who wants to sell quite unnecessary goods through our advertising columns. We deserve defeat. […] I gave a sherry to D[avid]W[oodford] on Wednesday evening. He had lunched with Eric Olyer, who had been acting as a kind of extra ADC to the King in France. The King is still imbued with a kind of family Liberalism, but is palpably turning towards the Right. When Chamberlain was in France he and Gort and the High-Ups had some frank talks. He told bluntly some home truths about Hore-Belisha.… with the result that yesterday there was announced the ‘resignation’ of the Minister of War. The popular Press, of course, has made a song and dance about the democratic Minister being sacrificed to the Brass Hats, but there is no doubt, from what one knows that the Jew is better out than in, and so I think most people think. […] Reviews of R's book continue appreciative. P.F. still feels that with R and Q both of our type of political thought we ought to strive towards a new Daily, which the Argus Press, through the good offices of Burton-Baldry and Ned Foster, would produce for us at a cut rate. I am not so certain that this is either desirable or practicable as long as we are at war, but it certainly seems the right line of development when peace comes. Although – before peace comes there will be many changes, that may affect us all dramatically.

Arreragia Ultimi Compoti. Idem reddit compotum de £24 15s. 3¼ de ultimis arreragiis compoti anni precedentis.

Summa patet. Et totum debet.

Redditus assisus. Idem r. c. de 33s. de toto redditu assiso manerii et burgi cum suis pertinenciis ad festum sancti Martini in yeme. Et de £58 5s. ad festum Pasce floridi et non plus quia totum residuum subtrahitur per preceptum factum super ultimum compotum. Et de 33s. ad festum Pentecost’. Et de £58 4s. 11¾d. ad [festum] sancti Michaelis. Et de 4s. de Roberto de Plumpton' pro putura forestariorum. Et de 19½d. de 3 ac. et I roda vasti hoc anno affirmatis. Et de 8s. de incremento 16 ac. terre de novo assarto in mora ad Pasca floridum et festum sancti Michaelis.

The Subdeanes and Gentlemen succeedinge since the third yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth, Mr. Angell then Subdeane:—

1561. Mr. Paternoster was sworne gen˜ the 24th of Marche, and Jones, Gospeller, and Thos. Kawlins, Yeoman, A° 3°.

1563. Thomas Wiles sworne gen˜ the 8th of Marche, from Poules, A° 5to.

1563. Merton died the 22d of September, and Eoberte Parsons sworne in his place the 17th of October, A° 5to.

1563. Mr. Walker was slaine the 27th of November, and Win. Munday was sworne in his place the 21st of February, from Poules, A˜ 6to.

1564. Tho. Sampson was sworne gen˜ in Ric. Farrants roome the 24th of Aprill, from Lincolne, A˜ 6to.

1561. Tho. Bird died in Februarie, Clarke of the Checke, and Morcocke made Clarke [of the] Checke, A˜ 3˜.

1563. Rich. Bower died, Mr of the children, A˜ 5to.

1566. Rich. Edwards died, Mr the children, the last [day of] October and Wm. Hunnis was made Mr of the children the 15th of November, A° 8°.

For three years "the valiant and victorious General Captain Jackson" drew all eyes upon him by conducting a daring andtriumphant war on the power of Spain in America. By so doing he largely contributed to the decision of Cromwell to continue the Elizabethan tradition of reprisals against Spain; and to embark upon an enterprise, the object of which was the substitution for a Catholic and Spanish empire, of one that was English and Protestant.

The Decimation Lists

The royalist uprising of March 1655 led the Protector to adopt a number of measures aimed at improving internal security, in particular the appointment of major generals, each with responsibility for a particular region; the establishment of a new county militia; and the introduction of an extraordinary or decimation tax which was intended to provide the necessary funding for the militia troops. Unlike the monthly assessment for the support of the regular army the decimation tax was a discriminatory tax in the sense that it was specifically designed as a levy on royalists or suspected royalists. In the event, however, it proved to be one of the most short-lived of taxes. On Christmas day 1656 Major General John Desborough introduced a parliamentary bill for its continuation and in a first reading debate on 7 January declared that

I believe no man has come under a decimation but such as have either acted or spoken bitterly against the Government, and for their young king, and drank his health. Many have escaped that have done such things. I hope they shall come under decimation I think it is too light a tax, a decimation; I would have it higher.