your prosperitye & contentment very synceerlye with the remem brance of my love. I rest Bristoll, July 19th 1649. Your affectionate brother & servant O. CROMWELL. (On the back of the foregoing letter, besides short hand, there is an account in Mr. Major's hand, of his sheep and other cattle.) For my beloved Brother Richard Major, Esq; at Hursley DEERE BROTHER, I am not often at leisure, nor nowe to salute my freindes, yet unwillinglye to lose this opportunitye, I take itt only to lett you knowe that you and your familye are often in my prayers. I wish the younge ones well, though they vouchsafe not to write to mee. As for Dick I doe not much expect itt from him, knowinge his idlenesse, but I am angrie with my daughter as a promise breaker, pray you tell her soe, but I hope shee will redeeme herselfe. It has pleased the Lord to give us (since the taking of Wexford & Rosse) a good interest in Munster by the access of Corke and Youghall, which are both submitted, their commissioners are nowe with mee. Diverse other lesser guarrisons are come in alsoe. The Lord is wonderfull in theise thinges, it's his hand aloane does them; O that all the praise might be ascribed to him. I have beene crazie in my health, but the Lord is pleased to sustaine mee. I begg your prayers. I desier you to call upon my sonn to minde the thinges of God more & more, alas what profitt is their in the thinges of this world, except they bee enjoyed in Christ they are snares. I wish he may enjoy his wife soe and shee him, I wish I may enjoy them both soe. My service to my deere sister cozen Ann, my blessinge to my children, and love to my cozen Barton and the rest. Sr. . I am Rosse, No. 13th 1649. 49. Your affectionate brother & servant For my very lovinge Brother Richard Major, Esq. att Hurstlye in Hampsheir. Theise. (This direction is in a woman's hand: underneath are wrote in Mr. Major's hand these words; 15° May I wrote in behalfe of Mr. Bonny, &c. of Dorsett.) DEERE BROTHER, For mee to write unto you the state of our affaires heere were more then indeed I have leisure well to doe, and therefore I hope you doe not expect itt from me seeinge when I write to the parin I usually am (as becomes mee) very particular with them, and usually from thence the knowledge thereof is spread. Only this lett mee say (which is the best intelligence to friendes that are rulye christian) the Lord is pleased still to vouchsafe us his presence, & to prosper his owne worke in our handes which to us is the more eminent because trulye wee are a companie of poore weake and worthlesse creatures. Trulye our worke is neither from our braines, nor from our courage and strength, but wee followe the Lord whoe goeth before and gather what hee skattereth, that soe all may appeare to bee from him. The takinge of the cittye of Kilkenny hath beene one of our last workes, which indeed I beleive hath beene a grate discomposeinge the enemie, its soe much in their bowells, wee have taken many considerable places latelye without much losse. What cán wee say to theise thinges, If God bee for us, whoe can be against us, whoe can fight against the Lord & prosper? Whoe can resist his will? The Lord keepe us in his love. I desier your prayers, your familye is often in mine, I rejoiced to heere how it hath pleased the Lord to deale with my daughter, the Lord blesse her and sanctifie all his dispensations to them and us, I have committed my soni to you, I pray councell him. Some letters I have lately had from him, have a good savor, the Lord treasure up grace there, that out of that treasurie hee may bringe forth good thinges. Sr. I desier my very entyer affection may be presented to my deere sister, my cozen Ann, and the rest of my cozens, and to idle Dick Norton when you see him. Sr. I rest Ap. ye 2a 1650. Your most loving brother O. CROMWELL. For my very lovinge Brother Richard Major, Esq; att his House at Hursiye. Theise. DEERE BROTHER, The exceedinge croude of businesse I had att London is the best excuse I can make for my silence this way. Indeed Sr. my heart beareth me witnesse, I want noe affection to you or yours, you are all often in my poore prayers. I should be glad to heere how the little bratt doth. I could chide both father and the mother for theire neglects of mee, I knowe my sonn is idle, butt I had better thoughts of Doll, I doubt now her husband hath spoyled her, I pray tell her soe from mee. If I had as good leisure as they, I should' write sometimes. If my daughter bee breedinge I will excuse her, but not for her nurserie, the Lord blesse them. I hope you give my sonn good councell, I beleive he needes itt. Hee is in the dangerous time of his age, and its a very vaine world, O how good itt is to close with Christ betimes, there is nothinge else worth the lookinge after. I beseech you call upon him, I hope you will discharge my dutye and your owne love: you see how I am imployed, Incede pittye, I knowe what I feele, great place and businesse in the world is not worth the lookinge after, I should have no comfort in mine, but that my hope is in the Lord's presence, I have not sought theise thinges, truly I have beene called to them by the Lord, and therefore am not without some good assureance that hee will inable his poore worme, and weake servant to doe his will, & to fullfill my generation. In this I begg your prayers, desiringe to be lovinglye remembred to my deere sister, to our sonn & daughter, my cozen Ann and the good family. I rest Your very affectionate brother O. CROMWELL. Alnwick, July 17, 1650. For my lovinge Brother Richard Mayor, Esq; at Hursley. Theise. In Hantsheire neere Winchester. DEERE BROTHER, Havinge soe good an occasion as the impartinge sqe great a mercie as the Lord hath voutchsafed unto us in Scotland I would not omitt the impartinge thereof to you, though I bee full of businesse. Upon Wedensd. wee fought the Scottish armie: They were in number accordinge to all computation above twentye thousand, wee hardly eleven thousand, havinge greate sicknesses upon our armie, after much apealinge to God, the fight lasted above an hower, wee killed (as most thinke) three thousand, tooke neere ten thousand prisoners, all their traine, about thirtye gunns great and smale besides bullet, match and powder, very considerable officers, about two hundred colors, above ten thousand armes, lost not thirtie men. This is the Lords doeing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Good Sr. give God all the glorie, stirr up all yours & all about you to doe soe, pray for your affectionate brother O. CROMWELL. I desier my love may bee presented to my deere sister and to all your familie. I pray tell Doll I do not forgett her nor her little bratt, shee writes very cuninglye & complementally to mee, I expect a letter of plaine dealinge from her; shee is too modest to tell mee whether shee breedes or not. I wish a blessinge upon her & her husband, the Lord make them fruitfull in all that's good, they are att leisure to write often but indeed they are both idle & worthie of blame. I was glad to receave a letter from you, for indeed any thinge that comes from you is very welcome to mee. I believe your expectation of my sonn's cominge is deferred. I wish hee may see a happie deliverye of his wife first, for whom I frequently pray. I heere my sonn hath exceeded his allowance, and is in debt; truly I cannot comend him therein, wisdom requireinge his livinge within compasse and callinge for it his handes: And in my judgment the reputation arisinge from thence would have beene more real honour then what is attained the other way. I beleive vain men will speake well of him that does ill. I desier to bee understood that I grudge him not laudible recreations, nor an honorable carriage of himselfe in them, nor is any matter of charge like to fall to my share, a stick with mee. Truly I can finde in my VOL. III. heart to allow him not only a sufficiency but more for his good, but if pleasure and selfe sattisfaction bee made the businesse of a man's life, soe much cost layd out uppon it, soe much tyme spent in itt as rather answers appetite then the will of God, or is comely before his Saints, I scruple to feede this humor and God forbid that his being my sonn should bee his allowance to live not pleasinglye to our Heavenly Father, whoe hath raised mee out of the dust to what I am. I desier your faythfullnesse (hee beinge alsoe your concernment as well as mine) to advise him to approve himself to the Lord in his course of life, and to search his statutes for a rule to conscience, & to seeke grace from Christ to enable to walke therein. This hath life in itt, and will come to somwhat; what is a poore creature without this? This will not abridge of lawfull pleasures but teach such an use of them as will have the peace of a good conscience goinge alonge with itt. Sr. I write what is in my heart; I pray you comunicate my minde herein to my sonn and be his remembrancer in theise thinges. Truly I love him, hee is deere to soe is his wife, and for their sakes doe I thus write. They shall not want comfort nor incoragment from mee so far as I may afford itt; but indeed I cannot thinke I doe well to feede a voluptuous humor in my sonn, if he should make pleasures the businesse of his life in a time when some precious Saincts are bleeding and breathinge out their last for the good and safetye of the rest. Memorable is the speech of Urijah to David, 2a Chron. 11th 11th. me; Sr. I beseech you beleive I heere say not this to save my purse for I shall willinglye do what is convenient to satisfie his occasions as I have opportunitye, but as I pray hee may not walke in a course not pleasing to the Lord, soe thinke itt lyeth upon mee to give him (in love) the best councell I may, and know not how better to conveigh it to him then by soe good a hand as yours. Sr. I pray you acquaint him with theise thoughts of mine, and remember my love to my daughter for whose sake I shall be induced to doe any reasonable thinge. I pray for her happy deliverance frequently and earnestly. I am sorrie to heere my baylye in Hantsheire should do to my sonn as is intimated by your letter. I assure you I shall not allowe any such thinge. If there bee any suspition of his abuse of the woode I desier it may be looked after and inquired into, that soe if things appeare true he may bee removed, although indeed I must needs say he had the repute of a godly man by diverse that knew him when I placed him there: Sr. I desier my hartye affection may bee presented to my sister, my cozen Ann and her husband though unknown. I desier your I praise the Lord I have obteyned much mercye in respect of my health, the Lord give mee a truly thankfull hart. prayers, & rest Your very affectionate brother and servant June 28th 1651. O. CROMWELL. For my lovinge Brother Richard Major, Esq; at Hurslye in Hant DEERE BROther, sheire. Theise. I receaved your lovinge letter for which I thanke you, and suerly 6 were itt fitt to proceed in that businesse, you should not in the least have beene putt upon any thinge but the trouble, for indeed the land in Essex, with some monie in my hand & some other remnants should have gone towards itt. But indeed I am soe unwillinge to bee a seeker after the world, havinge had so much favor from the Lord in givinge me soe much without seekinge, & soe unwillinge that men should think mee soe, which they will though you only appeare in itt (for they will by one meanes or other knowe it) that indeed I dare not meddle, nor proceede therein. Thus I have tould you my plain thoughts. My hartye love I present to you & my sister, my blesssinge and love to deere Doll & the little one, with love to all. I rest Your lovinge brother May the 4th 1654. SR. For my lovinge Friend John Dunch, Esq; OLIVER P. I desier to speake with you, & heeringe a report from Hurslye that you was goinge to y' father's in Berkesheire, I send this expresse to you desiring you to come to mee to Hampton Court: with my respects to yr father, I rest Y lovinge friend Aug. 27th 1657. OIVER P. Copies of original Letters and Papers of Oliver Cromwell's in the British Museum: Copied by leave of a Committee, by the Rev. A. GIFFORD, D.D. for the Use of the Author. A Copy of Oliver Cromwell's Letter to his Daughter Ireton, exactly taken from the Original. DEERE Daughter, I write not to thy husband, partly to avoyd trouble, for one line of mine begitts many of his, wch I doubt makes him sitt up too late, partly because I am my selfe indisposed att this tyme, havinge some other considerations. Your friends att Ely are well, your sister Clapole is (I trust in mercye) exercised with some perplexed thoughts, shee sees her owne vanitye, and carnal minde, bewailinge itt, shee seekes after (as I hope alsoe) that wh will satisfie, and thus to bee a seeker, is to bee of the best sect next a finder, and such an one shall every faythfull humble seeker bee att the end. Happie seeker, happie finder. Whoe ever tasted that the Lord is gracious, without some sence of self vanitye, and badnesse? Whoe ever tasted that graciousnesse of his, and could goe lesse in desier, and lesse then pressinge after full enjoyment. Deere hart presse on; lett not husband lett not any thinge coole thy affections after Christ. I hope hee wil be an occasion to enflame them. That wh is best worthy of love in thy husband, is that of the image of Christ hee beares, looke on that, and love it best and all the rest for that, I pray for ch |