Lucy Hutchinson (1620–1681). Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson. 1906.
Appendix XI: Colonel Hutchinson’s Quarrel with Sir Roger Cooper
Some days before Sir Roger Cooper had written a letter to Mr Wightman, Master of the Ordnance, who was his nephew, wherein upon no occasion he had railed most bitterly against the whole committee, and given them most unworthy terms and speeches, which the governor, taking himself to have interest in, after they had done speaking with Major Cartwright about my Lord Newcastle, took exception to take notice of, and desired Major Cartwright to ask from him that cuckoldy ass Sir Roger Cooper, what he had to do to abuse honester men than himself, as he had done the committee of Nottingham in his letter to his nephew, and said that he believed the letter was indited by that cowardly conceited fellow his brother, himself not having sense enough to write it, which words Cartwright told Sir Roger Cooper, who some time after sent the governor a challenge to meet him in single duel, but the governor sent him another letter to tell him, that if he had not known him too much taken up with the service of the state, to mend such an inconsiderable thing as he was, he durst not have written him a challenge; that when the state was quiet, and he had no better quarrel to venture his life in, it would be time to satisfy him—that if he, or any of his cavalier party, would come to Nottingham castle, he should there receive the chastisement of his folly.—Mrs Hutchinson’s Note-Book, British Museum, Additional MSS., 25,901.