be used in the right constituting and carrying on the same,-tend to, and by the blessing of God produce, such happy and glorious fruits as are scarce thought on or foreseen! Sir, not doubting of your readiness and zeal to promote so good and public a work, I crave pardon for this boldness; and rest, Your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.* Whereupon the Committee for Removing Obstructions does bestir itself; manages, in three months hence (for we do nothing rashly), to report† by Sir Arthur Haselrig, touching Duresme College Buildings to be converted to a College or School for all the Sciences of Literature: That'—that—And, in brief, History itself has to report that the pious Project, thanks mainly to furtherance by the Lord General, whose power to further it increas ed by and by, did actually, some seven years hence, take effect ;‡— actually began giving Lessons of human Grammar, human Geography, Geometry, and other divine Knowledge, to the vacant hu man mind,—in those once sleepy Edifices, dark heretofore, or illuminated mainly by Dr. Cosins's Papistical waxlights, or the like: and so continued, in spite of opposition, till the Blessed Restoration put a stop to it, and to some other things. In late years there is again some kind of Durham College giving Lessons,—I hope with good success. No. XL. [Vol. i., p. 537: 'Observes strict silence as to this Visit.'] Here is the Lord General's Answer; indicating with much thankfulness that he will not now need to return. * Baker mss., xxviii., 495: printed also in Hutchinson's History of Durham; and elsewhere. + Commons Journals (vi., 589), 18 June, 1651. Protector's Letters Patent of 15 May, 1657, following up his Ordinance in Council of the previous Year: Hutchinson's History of the County Palatine of Durham (Newcastle, 1785), i., 514-30. See Cooper's Annals of Cambridge, iii., 473 (Cambridge Petition against it: 18 April, 1659). Throve apace,' says Hutchinson, 'till,' &c.. LETTER XLIV. 'To the Lord President of the Council of State: These.' MY 1.ORD, Edinburgh, 3d June, 1651. I have received yours of the 27th of May; with an Order from the Parliament for my Liberty to return into England for change of air, that thereby I might the better recover my health. All which came unto me while Dr. Wright and Dr. Bates, whom your Lordship sent down, were with me. I shall not need to recite the extremity of my last sickness: it was so violent that indeed my nature was not able to bear the weight thereof But the Lord was pleased to deliver me, beyond expectation; and to give me cause to say once more, "He hath plucked me out of the grave !"*— My Lord, the indulgence of the Parliament expressed by their Order is a very high and undeserved favor: of which although it be fit I keep a thankful remembrance, yet I judge it would be too much presumption in me tof return a particular acknowledgment. I beseech you give me the boldness to return my humble thankfulness to the Council for sending two such worthy Persons, so great a journey, to visit me. From whom I have received much encouragement, and good directions for recovery of health and strength,-which I find 'now,' by the goodness of God, growing to such a state as may yet, if it be His good will, render me useful according to my poor ability, in the station wherein He hath set me. I wish more steadiness in your Affairs here than to depend, in the least degree, upon so frail a thing as I am. Indeed they do not,-nor own any instrument. This Cause is of God, and it must prosper. Oh, that all that have any hand therein, being so persuaded, would gird up the loins of their mind, and endeavor in all things to walk worthy of the Lord! So prays, My Lord, Your most humble servant, OLIVER CROMWELL.‡ * Psalm xxx., 3: 'hast brought up my soul from the grave;' or, lxxxvi., 3: 'delivered my soul from;' but 'plucked' is not in any of the texts. 'not to' in orig. ;—dele ' not.' Kimber's (anonymous) Life of Oliver Cromwell (London, 1724), p. 201; -does not say whence derived. No. XLI. ¡Vol. i., p. 540: · Incursions into the Borders of England, * * * Olıver Cromwell.' Substitute what follows for Letter CXIX. there.] LETTER XLV. Or this Letter Sir Harry Vane and the Council of State judge it improper to publish anything in the Newspapers, except a rough abstract, in words of their own, of the first two paragraphs and the concluding one. In which state it presents itself in the Old Pamphlets.* The Letter copied in full lies among the Tanner Manuscripts;—gives us a glimpse into the private wants, and old furnitures, of the Cromwell Army. 'Pots' are cavalry helmets; 'backs-and-breasts' are still seen on cuirassier regiments; 'snaphances' (German schnapphahn, snapcock) are a new wonderful invention, giving fire by flint-and-steel;-promising, were they not so terribly expensive, to supersede the old slow matchlock in field-service! But, I believe, they wind up like a watch before the trigger acts;† and come very high! To the Right Honorable the Lord President of the Council of State: These Linlithgow, 26th July, 1651. MY LORD, I am able to give you no more account than what you have by my last; only we have now in Fife about Thirteen or Fourteen thou sand horse and foot. The Enemy is at his old lock, and lieth in and near Stirling; where we cannot come to fight him, except he please, or we go upon too-too manifest hazards: he having very strongly laid himself, and having a very great advantage there. Whither we hear he hatb lately gotten great provisions of meal, and reinforcement of his strength out of the North under Marquis Huntley. It is our business still to wait upon God, to shew us our way how to deal with this subtle Enemy; which I hope He will. Our forces on this side the River‡ are not very many: wherefore I have sent for Colonel Rich's; and shall appoint them, with the forces * In Parliamentary History, xix., 498. + Grose's Military Antiquities f Means Frith' always. 6 under Colonel Saunders, to embody close upon the Borders, and to be in readiness to join with those left on this side the Frith, or to be for the security of England, as occasion shall offer; there being little use of them where they lie, as we know. Your Soldiers begin to fall sick, through the wet weatner which as lately been. It is desired, therefore, that the recruits of foot determined 'on,' may rather come sooner in time than usually; and may be sure to be full in numbers, according to your appointment, whereof great failing has lately been. For the way of raising them, it is wholly submitted to your pleasure; and we hearing you rather choose to send us Volunteers than Pressed men, shall be very glad you go that way. Our Spades are spent to a very small number: we desire, therefore, that of the Five thousand tools we lately sent for, at the least Three thousand of them may be spades,—they wearing most away in our works, and being most useful. Our Horse arms, especially our pots, are come to a very small number: it is desired we may have a Thousand backsand-breasts, and Fifteen hundred pots. We have left us in store but Four hundred pair of pistols; Two hundred saddles; Six hundred pikes ; Two thousand and thirty muskets, whereof thirty snaphances. These are our present stores: and not knowing what you have sent us by this Fleet that is coming, we desire we may be considered therein.--Ou cheese and butter is our lowest store of Victual. We were necessitated to pay the Soldiery moneys now at their going over into Fife; whereby the Treasury is much exhausted, although we desire to husband it what we can. This being the principal time of action, we desire your Lordship to take a principal care that money may be supplied us with all possible speed, and these other things herewith mentioned; your affairs so necessarily requiring the same. The Castle of Inchgarvie, which lieth in the River, almost in the midway between the North and South Ferry, commonly called Queen's Fer ry, was delivered to us on Thursday last. They marched away with their swords and baggage only; leaving us sixteen cannon, and all their other arms and ammunition. I remain, My Lord, Your lordship's most humble servant, *Tanner Mss., in Cary, i, 288-90. No. XLII. [Vol. i., p. 548: Glance at it here for the last time, and never repeat it more.'] LETTER XLVI. CHARLES'S Standard, it would seem then, was erected at Worcester on Friday, the 22d, the day of poor Christopher's death. On which same Friday, about sunrise, 'our Messenger' (the Parliament's) 'left the Lord General at Mr. Pierpoint's House,'William Pierpoint, of the Kingston Family, much his friend,the House called Thoresby 'near Mansfield;' just starting for Nottingham, to arrive there that night. From Nottingham, by Coventry, by Stratford and Evesham, to the southeast side of Worcester,' rallying Country forces as we go, will take till Thurs day next. Here at Stratford on the Wednesday, eve of that, is a Letter accidentally preserved. Dubitating Wharton, he also might help to rally forces; his name, from Upper Winchington in Bucks,' or wherever he may be, might do something. Give him, at any rate, a last chance.Tom Westrow,' here accidentally named; once a well-known man, familiar to the Lord General and to men of worth and quality; now, as near as may be, swallowed forever in the Night Empires;-is still visible, strangely enough, through one small chink, and recoverable into daylight as far as needful. A Kentish man, a Parliament Soldier once, named in military Kent Committees; indisputably sat in Parliament too,* though the Official Lists say nothing of him. Above all, he was the Friend of poor George Wither, step-son of the Muses; to whom in his undeserved distresses he lent beneficent princely sums; and who, in poor splayfooted doggrel,-very poor, but very grateful, pious, true, and on the whole noble,-preserves some adequate memory of Husbands; Commons Journals, v., 356; iv., 691, &c. |
