other bring anything to them from him, nor receive anything from the King; lastly, the Members of both Houses who were of the Committee of Both Kingdoms are established in all that power in themselves, for England and Ireland, which they 'formerly' had to act with England and Scotland; and Sir John Evelyn of Wilts is added in the room of Mr. Recorder; and Nathaniel Fiennes in the room of Sir Philip Stapleton, and my Lord of Kent in the room of the Earl of Essex.* I think it good you take notice of this, the sooner the better. Let us know how it is with you in point of strength, and what you need from us. Some of us think the King well with you, and that it concerns us to keep that Island in great security, because of the French, &c. and if so, where can the King be better? If you have more force 'sent,' you will be sure of full provision for them. The Lord bless thee. Pray for Thy dear friend and servant, In these same days noisy Lilburn has accused Cromwell of meaning or having meant to make his own bargain with the King, and be Earl of Essex and a great man. Noisy John thinks all great men, especially all Lords, ought to be brought low. Commons have him at their bar in this month.§ The LETTER XXXIII. HERE, by will of the Destinies preserving certain bits of paper and destroying others, there introduces itself a little piece of Domesticity; a small family-transaction, curiously enough peering through by its own peculiar rent, amid these great world-transactions: Marriage-treaty for Richard Cromwell the LieutenantGeneral's eldest son. What Richard has been doing hitherto no Biographer knows. 6 * Essex is dead; Stapleton, one of the Eleven who went to France, is dead; Recorder Glyn, another of them, is in the Tower. For the Votes, see Commons Journals, v., 415 (3 January, 1647-8). † if we do secure and fortify it. Birch's Hammond Letters, p. 23. Given also in Harris, p. 497. § 19 January, Commons Journals, v., 437. In spite of Noble, I incline to think he too had been in the Army; in October last there are two sons mentioned expressly as being officers there: 'One of his Sons, Captain of the General's Lifeguard; his other Son, Captain of a troop in Colonel Harrison's Regiment,'-so greedy is he of the Public Money to his own family! Richard is now heir-apparent; our poor Boy Oliver therefore, Cornet Oliver,' we know not in the least where, must have died. "It went to my heart like a dagger; indeed it did!” The phrase of the Pamphlet itself, we observe, is his other Son,' not 'one of his other Sons,' as if there were now but two left. If Richard was ever in the Army, which these probabilities may dimly intimate, the Lifeguard, a place for persons of consequence, was the likeliest for him. The Captain in Harrison's Regiment will in that case be Henry.-The Cromwell family, as we laboriously guess and gather, has about this time removed to London. Richard, if ever in the Lifeguard, has now quitted it an idle fellow, who could never relish soldiering in such an Army; he now wishes to retire to Arcadian felicity and wedded life in the country. The Mr. M.' of this Letter is Richard Mayor, Esquire, of Hursley, Hants,† the young lady's father. Hursley, not far from Winchester, is still a manorhouse, but no representative of Richard Mayor's has now place there or elsewhere. The treaty, after difficulties, did take effect. Mayor, written also Major and Maijor, a pious prudent man, becomes better known to Oliver, to the world and to us in the sequel. Richard Norton, Member for Hants since 1645, is his neighbor; an old fellow-soldier under Manchester, Fellow-Colonel in the Eastern Association, seemingly very familiar with Oliver, he is applied to on this delicate occasion. For my noble Friend, Colonel Richard Norton: These. DEAR NORTON, 'London,' 25th February, 1647. I have sent my Son over to thee, being willing to answer Providence; and although I had an offer of a very * 5 October, 1647 (Royalist Newspaper, citing a Pamphlet of Lilburn's), Cromwelliana, p. 36. great proposition, from a father, of his daughter, yet I rather incline to this in my thoughts; because, though the other be very far greater, yet I see different ties, and not that assurance of godliness, though indeed of fairness. I confess that which is told me concerning the estate of Mr. M. is more than I can look for, as things now stand. If God please to bring it about, the consideration of piety in the Parents, and such hopes of the Gentlewoman in that respect, make the business to me a great mercy; concerning which I desire to wait upon God. I am confident of thy love; and desire things may be carried with privacy. The Lord do His will; that's best;-to which submitting, I rest, Your humble Servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* What other Father it was that made the offer of a very great proposition to Oliver,' in the shape of his Daughter as Wife to Oliver's Son, must remain totally uncertain. There were 'other ties' which Oliver did not entirely like; there was not an assurance of 'godliness' in the house, though there was of 'fairness and natural integrity; in short, Oliver will prefer Mayor, at least will try him,—and wishes it carried with privacy. The Commons, now dealing with Delinquents, do not forget to reward good Servants, to 'conciliate the Grandees,' as splenetic Walker calls it. For above two years past, ever since the War onded, there has been talk and debate about settling 2,5007. a-year on Lieutenant-General Cromwell; but difficulties have arisen. First they tried Basing-House Lands, the Marquis of Winchester's, whom Cromwell had demolished; but the Marquis's affairs were in disorder; it was gradually found the Marquis had for most part only a Life-rent there :-only 'Abbotston and Itchin' in that quarter could be realized. Order thereupon to settle Lands of Papists and Delinquents' to the requisite amount, wheresoever convenient. To settle especially what Lands the Marquis of Worcester had in that County of Southampton;' which was done,-though still with insufficient result.† Then * Harris, p. 501. † Commons Journals, iv., 416 (23 January, 1645-6, the Marquis of Worcester's Hampshire Lands). Ib., 426, a week afterwards ('Abberston and came the Army Quarrels, and an end of such business. But now in the Commons Journals, 7th March, the very date of Oliver's next Letter, this is what we read :* 'An Ordinance for passing unto Oliver Cromwell, Esquire, Lieutenant-General, certain Lands and Manors in the Counties of Gloucester, Monmouth, and Glamorgan, late the Earl of Worcester's, was this day read the third time and upon the question, passed; and ordered to be sent unto the Lords for their concurrence.' Oliver himself, as we shall find, has been dangerously sick. This is what Clement Walker, the splenetic Presbyterian, an elderly gentleman of low stature, in a grey suit, with a little stick in his hand,' reports upon the matter of the Grant: The 7th of March, an Ordinance to settle 2,500l. a-year of Land, out of the Marquis of Worcester's Estate,'-old Marquis of Worcester at Ragland, father of my Lord Glamorgan, who in his turn became Marquis of Worcester and wrote the Century of Inventions,-2,500l. a-year out of this old Marquis's Estate upon Lieutenant-General Cromwell! I have heard some gentlemen that know the Manor of Chepstow and the other Lands affirm' that in reality they are worth 5,0007. or even 6,0007. a-year;—which is far from the fact, my little elderly friend! 'You see,' continues he, though they have not made King Charles "a Glorious King," as they sometimes undertook, they have settled a Crown-Revenue upon Oliver, and have made him as glorious a King as ever John of Leyden was !'t A very splenetic old gentleman in grey;-verging towards Pride's Purge, and lodgment in the Tower, I think! He is from the West; known long since in Gloucester Siege; Member now for Wells;-but terminates in the Tower, with ink, and abundant gall in it, to write the History of Independency there. Itchell,' meaning Abbotston and Itchin, Marquis of Winchester's there). Commons Journals, v., 36, about a year afterwards, 7 January, 1646-7 (remainder of the 2,5007. from Marquis of Winchester's Lands in general: which in a fortnight more is found to be impossible: whereupon 'Lands of Delinquents and Papists,' as in the Text). None of these Hampshire Lands, except Abbotston and Itchin, are named. Noble says, 'Fawley Park' in the same County; which is possible enough. * v., 482. † History of Independency (London, 1648), Part i., 83 and 55. LETTER XXXIV. 'To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, General of the Parliament's Army, at Windsor: These.' SIR, 'London, 7th March, 1647.’ It hath pleased God to raise me out of a dangerous sickness; and I do most willingly acknowledge that the Lord hath, in this visitation, exercised the bowels of a father towards me. I received in myself the sentence of death, that I might learn to trust in Him that raiseth from the dead, and have no confidence in the flesh. It's a blessed thing to die daily. For what is there in this world to be accounted of! The best men according to the flesh, and things, are lighter than vanity. I find this only good, To love the Lord and His poor despised people, to do for them, and to be ready to suffer with them :—and he that is found worthy of this hath obtained great favor from the Lord; and he that is established in this shall (being confirmed to Christ and the rest of the Body*) participate in the glory of a Resurrection which will answer all.† Sir, I must thankfully confess your favor in your last Letter. I see I am not forgotten; and truly, to be kept in your remembrance is very great satisfaction to me; for I can say in the simplicity of my heart, I put a high and true value upon your love,—which when I forget I shall cease to be a grateful and an honest man. I most humbly beg my service may be presented to your Lady, to whom I wish all happiness, and establishment in the truth. Sir, my prayers are for you, as becomes Your Excellency's Most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL. 'P.S.' Sir, Mr. Rushworth will write to you about the Quartering, and the Letter lately sent; and therefore I forbear.‡ FREE OFFER. From the Committee of the Lords and Commons sitting at Derby House, Sir John Evelyn reports a certain offer from Lieutenant-General Cromwell; which is read in the words following: *Christ's Body, his Church. †Turns now to the margin of the sheet, lengthwise. |