God, the Fight lasted above an hour. We killed (as most think) Three-thousand; took near Ten-thousand prisoners, all their train, about thirty guns great and small, besides bullet, match and powder, very considerable Officers, about two-hundred colours, above ten-thousand arms;-lost not thirty men. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Good Sir, give God all the glory; stir up all yours, and all about you, to do so. Pray for Your affectionate brother, OLIVER CROMWELL. I desire my love may be presented to my dear Sister, and to all your Family. I pray tell Doll I do not forget her nor her little Brat. She writes very cunningly and complimentally to me; I expect a Letter of plain dealing from her. She is too modest to tell me whether she breeds or not. I wish a blessing upon her and her Husband. The Lord make them fruitful in all that's good. They are at leisure to write often ;-but indeed they are both idle, and worthy of blame.* LETTER CXXXII. A PIOUS Word, shot off to Ireland, for Son Ireton and the 'dear Friends' fighting for the same Cause there. That they may rejoice with us, as we have done with them: none knows but they may have 'need' again 'of mutual experiences for refreshment.' "To Lieutenant-General Ireton, Deputy-Lieutenant of Ireland: These,' SIR, Dunbar, 4th September, 1650. Though I hear not often from you, yet I know you forget me not. Think so of me too;' for I * Harris, p. 513; one of the Pusey stock, the last now but three. often remember you at the Throne of Grace.—I heard of the Lord's good hand with you in reducing Waterford, Duncannon, and Catherlogh:1 His Name be praised. We have been engaged upon a Service the fullest of trial ever poor creatures were upon. We made great professions of love; knowing we were to deal with many who were Godly, and 'who' pretended to be stumbled at our Invasion:-indeed, our bowels were pierced again and again; the Lord helped us to sweet words, and in sincerity to mean them. We were rejected again and again; yet still we begged to be believed that we loved them as our own souls: they often returned evil for good. We prayed for security:2 they would not hear or answer a word to that. We made often appeals to God; they appealed also. We were near engagements three or four times, but they lay upon advantages. A heavy flux fell upon our Army; brought it very low,-from Fourteen to Eleven thousand: Three-thousand five-hundred horse, and Seven-thousand five-hundred foot. The Enemy Sixteen-thousand foot, and Six-thousand horse. The Enemy prosecuted the advantage. We were necessitated; and upon September3 the 3d, by six in the morning, we attempted their Army:-after a hot dispute for about an hour, we routed their whole Army; killed near Three-thousand; and took, as the Marshal informs me, Ten-thousand prisoners; their whole Train, being about thirty pieces, great and small; good store of powder, match and bullet; near two hundred Colours. I am persuaded near Fifteen-thousand Arms left upon the ground. And I believe, though many of ours be wounded, we lost not above Thirty men. Before the Fight, our condition was 1 'Catherlogh' is Carlow: Narrative of these captures (10 August, 1650) in a Letter from Ireton to the Speaker (Parliamentary History, xix. 334-7). 2 Begged of them some security against Charles Stuart's designs upon England. 37ber' he writes. made very sad, the Enemy greatly insulted and menaced 'us;' but the Lord upheld us with comfort in Himself, beyond ordinary experience. I knowing the acquainting you with this great handiwork of the Lord would stir up your minds to praise and rejoicing; and not knowing but your condition may require mutual experiences for refreshment; and knowing also that the news we had of your successes was matter of help to our faith in our distress, and matter of praise also, I thought fit (though in the midst of much business) to give you this account of the unspeakable goodness of the Lord, who hath thus appeared, to the glory of His great Name, and the refreshment of His Saints. The Lord bless you, and us, to return praises; to live them all our days. Salute all our dear Friends with you, as if I named them. I have no more;-but rest, Your loving father and true friend, We observe there are no regards to Bridget Ireton, no news or notice of her, in this Letter. Bridget Ireton is at London, safe from these wild scenes; far from her Husband, far from her Father;—will never see her brave Husband more. LETTER CXXXIII. DUBITATING Wharton must not let 'success' too much sway him; yet it were fit he took notice of these things: he, and idle Norton whom we know, and Montague of Hinchinbrook, and others. The Lord General, for his own share, has a better * Russell's Life of Cromwell (Edinburgh, 1829; forming vols. 46, 47, of Constable's Miscellany), ii. 317-19. Does not say Whence ;-Letter undoubtedly genuine. ground than 'success;' has the direct insight of his own soul, such as suffices him, - such as all souls to which the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding,' are or may be capable of, one would think! For the Right Honourable the Lord Wharton: These. MY DEAR LORD, Dunbar, 4th September, 1650. Ay, poor I love you! Love you the Lord: take heed of disputing!-I was untoward when I spake last with you in St. James's Park. I spake cross in stating 'my' grounds: I spake to my judgings of you,which were: That you,―shall I name others?— Henry Lawrence, Robert Hammond, &c., had ensnared yourselves with disputes. I believe you desired to be satisfied; and had tried and doubted your 'own' sincerities. It was well. But uprightness, if it be not purely of God, may be, nay commonly is, deceived. The Lord persuade you, and all my dear Friends! The results of your thoughts concerning late Transactions I know to be mistakes of yours, by a better argument than success. Let not your engaging too far upon your own judgments be your temptation or snare: much less 'let' success,-lest you should be thought to return upon less noble arguments.1 It is in my heart to write the same things to Norton, Montague and others: I pray you read or communicate these foolish lines to them. I have known my folly do good, when affection has overcome2 my reason. I pray you judge me sincere,-lest a prejudice should be put upon after advantages. 1 Decide as the essence of the matter is; neither persist nor return' upon fallacious, superficial, or external considerations. 2 outrun. |