Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/102

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1659
ELECTION AT KINSALE
79

deale with. 5ly, his abillity and honesty, joyned with the good will and honesty of the other two Parliament men chosen for this county and the citty of Corke, will contribute much to the good of these places and make us love him who, I conceive, deserves it.

'When I came to Corke, I found my Lord Broghill had engaged some of the wisest of Corke Corporation, without the consent of the brethren and the freemen of the Citty, to chuse Lieut.-Col. ffoulkes; and that Bandon and Kinsale had in their owne courts chosen mee. Those of Corke and Youghall, on my desire to keepe themselves free, till they had consulted with the other townes about their members, bemoaned the losse of their liberty, but however those that were bound gave those that were not, encouragment to keepe their liberty, till they heard more from mee. From Corke I went to my Lord Broghill, desired his assistance, that Corke might be persuaded to chuse Doctor Petty, and Kinsale to chuse Pen. The last hee consented; to the first hee refused; alleadging it could not be done without dishonouring him, though I made noe question but to get Lieut.-Col. ffoulkes his consent to it, which if Lieut.-Col. ffoulkes should grant, his Lordship sayd hee would take very ill from him. Thereupon I gave up thinking to doe any thing in Corke, and returned to Kinsale and Bandon, propounded Doctor Petty to them, shewing them that their election of mee oblidged them to mee, and their chusing Doctor Petty, at my request oblidged him too; to which upon the arguments used by mee and their confidence in mee, they consented; provided if Corke and Youghall would chuse mee I would serve them, to which purpose they wrote a letter to those of Corke and Youghall, which I delivered them, and in open court told them that in performance of my engagment, I would serve them if they thought fit to chuse mee; but withall advized them to consider of their engagement, and that I desired it not from them, unless they thought fit; and untill that time I never told them or any of them, or any other, that I had any purpose to propound my selfe to heir election.

'This was Tuesday last in the morning. It was the