POLITICAL HISTORY neither money nor means to raise money by reason of the low prices of corn and cattle, and he was driven to order wholesale distraint.^*" When he ordered the constables to appear before him divers of them contemptuously refused either to appear or to assess according to his precepts ; many also decHned to distrain and sell goods, while others returned the menacings and threatenings of the persons assessed.^^^ The expectation of the meeting of Parliament was another hindrance to collection/'^ After the dissolution of the Short Parlia- ment, however, on 5 May, 1 640, the council resolved on more drastic action. Alderne was ordered to appear before them on 29 April, and on 8 May was committed to the gatehouse.^*' He was not only in disgrace for not levying ship money, but also for ' abusing the Council Board ' by a letter saying un- truly that his under-sheriff, ElHs Price, had been slain in January in executing the council's orders in regard to ship money/** On examination by the Attorney-General he asserted that he had taken stringent measures against the recalcitrant constables, and subsequently defended his statements in regard to the death of his under-sheriff by saying that he was slain in executing the king's writ, though not in connexion with ship money, and that this had frightened his present under-sheriff/*^ He was only released on 29 May on giving a bond in ^(^3,000 to appear to answer the Attorney-General's charges before the Court of Star Chamber/** On his return to Herefordshire he made great exertions to raise money, appointing six substantial men in each hundred to assist the chief constables as collectors. Even this measure had no effect. The better sort of people said that they had no money, but that the collectors might distrain if they pleased, while others declared that they would not pay before the gentry. The greater part of the constables refused to distrain, and Alderne was obliged to commit some of them to prison. Moreover, in some cases distrained goods had been rescued from the bailiffs. All that Alderne could collect was jTaoo.^" In September he informed Sir Edward Nicholas that his under-sheriff would not help him, that he was weary of imprisoning constables, that most of the gentry refused payment, that his collectors would not distrain, and that he had been obliged to travel through parts of the county distraining many of the principal gentry. Some of the collectors began openly to defy him. John Addis of Pipe told Alderne publicly that he would not stir a foot in the business, and John Hearing of Holmer said that he thought ship money unlawful, and that he could not pay it till he had advised with his counsel.**** By unprecedented efforts he had collected £4.^0^ when the prospect of the Long Parliament put a stop to further levies. '**'* In addition to these contributions the county had also been called upon to provide troops for service against the Scots. In February, 1638-9, the king announced his intention of repairing in person to Scotland to repress disorders, and requested the Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire to select ico men from the train-bands, provide them with knapsacks, and bring them to York, or any other place of rendezvous named, at the charge of the countv.^'" The number finally taken was raised to 200.^^^ The Herefordshire levies were "Alderne to Council, Feb. 1639-40, S.P. Dom. Chas. I, ccccxlvi, 72.
- ^' Same to same, 2 March, 1639-40, ibid, ccccxlvii, 8. '^^ j[jjj_ ^ccclii 86-7
'*' Ibid, cccclii, 76. 28< Order in Council, 17 May, 1640, ibid, ccccliii 106 Ibid, ccccliv, 10 ; cccclv, 32. 3.6 j^^y ^^^^[^^ ^^^ _■ ='"' Richard Hering to Juxon, 25 Aug. 1640, ibid, cccclxiv, 98. 388 ji^|jj_ cccclxvi 77. 3«' Ibid, cccclxvii, 130 ; cf. cccclxix, 102. ™» Ibid.' ccccxiii, iii. s'l Ibid, ccccxix I 385 49
