"weighty affaires is to be comitted; and having is good affurance of yo' love to & courage for "God, & y intereft of his caufe, & of ye good people of this Comonwealth;

"I, OLIVER CROMWELL, Cap' Generall and "Comander in Chiefe of all the armies and "forces raised and to be raised within this

66

66

Comonwealth, doe hereby fomon & require you, William Weft, Efquire (being one of the " persons nominated), pfonally to be & appeare "at ye Councill Chamber comonly knowne or "called by the name of the Councill Chamber "in Whitehall, whin the City of Westminst', "upon the fourth day of July next enfueing the "date hereof, then & there to take upon you y "faid truft, unto'wch you are hereby called and

appointed to serve as a Member for y° countie ❝of Lancaster, and hereof you are not to faile. “Given under my Hande and Seale the fixth "day of June 1653.

"O. CROMWELL."

The Originals of the following characteristic Letters of Oliver Cromwell are in the Bodleian Library at Oxford:

"Sir, Wee doe with greife of hart recent the "fadd condition of our armie in the Weft, and "of affaires there. That bufineffe hath our hartes

"with itt, and truly had wee winges, wee would

flye theither. Soe foone as ever my Lord and "the foote fett mee loofe, there fhall bee noe ❝ want in mee to haften what I cann to that "feruice; for indeed, all other confiderations ❝are to bee layed afide, and to give place to itt,

as beinge of farr more importance. I hope the kingdom fhall fee, that in the middeft of our "neceflities wee fhall ferue them wthout difpute, "Wee hope to forgett our wants, which are ex❝ceedinge great, and ill cared for, and defier to "referr the many flaunders heaped upon us by "falfe tongues to God, whoe will in due tyme "make it apeare to the world, that we studye "the glory of God, the honor and libertye of "the Parliament, for wh wee vnannimously fight, "without feekinge our owne interefts. Indeed, "wee finde our men never foe cheerfull as when "there is worke to doe. I truft you will alwaies "heere foe of them. The Lord is our strength, "and in him all our hope. Pray for us. "fent my loue to my freinds. I begg their

Pre

prayers. The Lord ftill bleffe you. Wee "have some amongst us much flow in action. "If wee could all intend our owne ends leffe, "and our ease too, our bufineffes in this armie "would goe onn wheeles for expedition. Be"caufe fome of vs are enimies to rapine, and "other wickedneffes, wee are fayd to be factious,

"to feeke to maintaine our opinions in religion

by force, wch wee deteft and abhorr. I pro"feffe I could never satisfie my felfe of the iuste"neffe of this warr, but from the authoritye of "the Parliament to maintaine itt in itts rights, " and in this caufe I hope to approue my felfe "an honest man, and fingle harted. Pardon mee "that I am thus troublefom. I write but fel"dom; itt giues me a little eafe to poure my "minde, in the middeft of callumnies, into the "bofom of a freind: S', noe man more truly "loues you than

"Your Brother and Seruant,

"Sept. 6 or 5th.

66

Sleeford."

"OLIVER CROMWELL."

"For Colonel WALTON,

"theife in London."

"Deere S', It is our duty to fympathise in all "mercyes, that wee may praise the Lord toge"there in chaftifements or tryalls, that foe wee

may forrowe together. Truly England, and "the Church of God, hath had a great fauor "from the Lord in this great victorie given unto

c

us, fuch as the like neuer was fince this warr begunn itt had all the euidences of an abfo"lute victorie, obtained by the Lord's bleffinge "upon the godly partye principally. Wee "neuer charged but wee routed the enimie:

"the

"the left winge wch I comanded beinge our owne horfe, fauinge a few Scotts in our reere, beat "all the Prince's horfe. God made them as "ftubble to our fwords; wee charged their re

giments of foote wth our horfe, and routed all "wee charged. The perticulars I cannott relate now, but I beleive, of 20,000, the Prince hath "not 4000 left. Give glory, all the glory, to "God. S', God hath taken away your eldest "fonn by a cannon fhott: itt brake his legg; "wee were neceffitated to have it cutt off, wherof " he died. S', you know my tryalls this way, "but the Lord fupported me wth this, that the "Lord tooke him into the happinesse wee all

pant after and liue for. There is your pre"cious child, full of glory, to know neither finn "nor forrow; and more, hee was a gallant

younge man, exceedinge gracious. God give 66 you his comfort. Before his death, he was "foe full of comfort, that to Franke Ruffel and my felfe hee could not expreffe itt, itt was foe

great aboue his paine; this hee fayd to us; indeed, it was admirable. Little after, hee fayd one thinge layd upon his fpirit. I asked "him what that was: he told me, that it was, "that God had not fuffered him to bee noe

more the executioner of his enimies. Att his fall, his horse beinge killed wh the bullett, and, "as I am enformed, 3 horfes more, I am told,

"hee

"hee bid them open to the right and left, that "hee might fee the rogues runn. Truly hee "was exceedingly beloued in the armie of all "that knew him; but few knew him, for he "was a precious younge man fitt for God. You "have caufe to bleffe the Lord; hee is a glorious «fain&t in heauen, wherein you ought exceed

ingly to reioyce. Lett this drinke up your "forrowe, feinge theife are not fayned words to "comfort you, but the thinge is foe real and "undoubted a truth. You may doe all thinges "by the ftrength of Chrift. Seeke that, and you shall easily beare your tryall. Lett this publike mercy to the Church of God make you to forgett your priuate forrowe. The "Lord bee your ftrength, foe prayes

66

"Your truly faythfull and louinge Brother, "OLIVER CROMWELL."

"July 5th, 1644.”

My loue to your daughter, and to my cozen "Perceual, fifter Defbrowe, and all freinds wh 66 you."

"Oliver Cromwell, the Protector," fays Anthony Wood, "loved a good voice and inftru"mental mufic well. Mr. James Quin, a ftu"dent of C. C. Oxon, a good finger, was in"troduced to him: he heard him fing with very

great delight, liquored him with fack, and in

"conclufion