The Note - Book of Sir John Northcote. Translated and Edited, with
Memoir, by A. H. A. Hamilton. (Murray.)—Sir John Northcote played no inconsiderable part in the civil war between Charles and his Parliament. He was a moderate Parliamentarian, favouring the course -of deposing Charles, and putting the Prince of Wales on the throne with a regency representing the dominant party. When war broke out, he took part against the King, commanding a considerable body of horse in his native county of Devonshire. He was included in the capitulation of Exeter, afterwards taken prisoner, and then exchanged. He had no love for the rising power of Cromwell. In the Parliament of 1654 he was in opposition, and then in that of 1656 he was not allowed to take his seat. He sat again in Richard Cromwell's Parlia- ment, and again in the Convention Parliament. But he was not Royalist enough for the days of the Restoration, and thereafter he confined him- self to his duties as a country gentleman and justice of the peace. His Note-Book relates to a very brief period in the session of 1640-1, be- ginning on Nov. 24, and ending on the 28th of the following month. These occupy more than one hundred pages, and make us regret that his remarkable power as a reporter was not further exercised. Besides, we have a few entries about public and private matters, written on the fly-leaves of the book, and some memoranda of the Parliament of 1661, which Sir John Northcote seems to have regularly attended as an auditor.
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