Diary of Edward VI. Aug 1549. To Devonshier the lord Previ-seal (age 64)¹ was sent, who with his band, being but smal, lay at Honington whils the rebels besieged Exciter [Map], who did rise divers preaty feates of warre. For after divers skirmishes, when the gatis were burnt, thei in the cite did continew the fir(e), til thei had mad a ramper within. Also afterward, when they were underminded and pouder was laid in the mind, thei within drouned the pouder and the mind with water they cast in; wich the lord Previ-seal hearing, thought to a gone to renforce them a bie way; of wich the rebels having spial, cut al the trees betwixt St. Mary-Outrie and Exciter. For wich cause the lord Previ-seal burnt that toun, and thought to returne home. The rebels kept a brig behind his bake, and so compelled him with his smal band to set upon them, wich he did and overcam them, killing 600 of them, and returning hom without any loss of men. Then the lord Gray (age 40) and Spinula² with their bandis came to him, and afterward Gray (age 40) (sic) with 200 of Reding, with wich bands he being renforcid came to raise the sieg at Exciter, for bicaus thei had scarcety of vitel; and as he passed from Hunniagton, he cam to a little towne of his owne, whether cam but only tow waies, wich thei had ranforced with tow bulwarkes mad of earth, and had put to the defence of the same about 2000 men, and the rest the(y) had layed, some at a brige called Honnington brige, partly at a certein hedg in a hie way, and the most part at the sieg of Exciter. The rierward of the horsmen, of which Travers was captain, set upon the on(e) bulwark, the vauard and battail on the tother. Spiaula's band kept them occupied at their wale. At lenght Travers drove them into the towne, wich the lord Previ-seal burnt. Then thei rane to a bridg thereby; from whence being driven their were in a plain about 900 of them slain. The next day ther wer mete about other 2000 of them at the entrie of a hie way, who first desired to talk, and in the meane season fortified them selves, wich being perceived they ranne ther wayes, and that same night the cite of Exitter was delivered of the siege.^1a

Note 1. John lord Russell (age 64), shortly after made earl of Bedford. Some of his despatches to the council on this occasion will be found in Strype's Memorials, vol. ii. Records, DD.; also in Wiffen's Memorials of the House of Eussell, i. 369.

Note 2. "Captaine Paule Baptist Spinola, an Italian, borne of a noble house in Genoa, with a band of Italian footmen" Holinshed, p. 1651.

Note 1a. A very full narrative of the Devonshire rebellion, written by John Vowell, alias Hooker, chamberlain of Exeter, accompanied by a "description of the citie," was first published in the edition of 1586 of Holinshed's Chronicle, and it occupies in the edition of 1808 pp. 926-963 of vol. iii. It was also printed distinctly in 4to. 1775. Great pains were taken to refute the religious doctrines advanced in their "supplication" or manifesto: and several drafts of "the King's answer" thereto are preserved in the State Paper office, which Mr. Tytler has partly printed, i. 178 — 182; but a much more elaborate reply was compiled by Cranmer, which will be found at length in his works (Parker Soc, edition), ii. 163—187.