grant we may never forget His goodness to us. These things seem to strengthen our faith and love, against more difficult times. Sir, pray for me, That I may walk worthy of the Lord in all that He hath called me unto!—

I have committed my Son to you; pray give him advice. I envy him not his contents; but I fear he should be swallowed up in them. I would have him mind and understand Business, read a little History, study the Mathematics and Cosmography :-these are good, with subordination to the things of God. Better than Idleness, or mere outward worldly contents. These fit for Public

services,1 for which a man is born.

Pardon this trouble. I am thus bold because I know you love me; as indeed I do you, and yours. My love to my dear Sister, and my Cousin Ann your Daughter, and all Friends.

I rest,

Sir,

Your loving brother,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

'P.S.' Sir, I desire you not to discommodate yourself because of the money due to me. Your welfare is as

mine: and therefore let me know from time to time what will convenience you in any forbearance; I shall answer you in it, and be ready to accommodate you. And therefore do your other business; let not this hinder.*

Of Jones and his Victory, and services in Ireland, there was on the morrow much congratulating in Parliament: revival of an old Vote, which had rather fallen asleep, For settling Lands of a Thousand Pounds a-year on him; and straightway, more special

1 Services useful to all men.

• Forster's Statesmen of the Commonwealth, iv. 267; from certain мss. of Lord Nugent's.

speedy Vote of Lands to the value of Five-hundred Pounds ayear for this last service ;'-which latter Vote, we hope, will not fall asleep as the former had done.'

LETTER XCV.

Same date, same conveyance.

To my beloved Daughter, Dorothy Cromwell, at Hursley:

These.

From Aboard the John, 13th August, 1649.

MY DEAR DAUGHTER,

Your Letter was very

welcome

to me. I like to see anything from your hand; because indeed I stick not to say I do entirely love you. And therefore I hope a word of advice will not be unwelcome nor unacceptable to thee.

I desire you both to make it above all things your business to seek the Lord: to be frequently calling upon Him, that He would manifest Himself to you in His Son; and be listening what returns He makes to you,- for He will be speaking in your ear and in your heart, if you attend thereunto. I desire you to provoke your Husband likewise thereunto. As for the pleasures of this Life, and outward Business, let that be upon the bye. Be above all these things, by Faith in Christ; and then you shall have the true use and comfort of them,-and not otherwise.2 I have much satisfaction in hope your spirit is this way set; and I desire you may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and that I may

1 Commons Journals, vi. 278, 81 (14, 18 August, 1649).

2 How true is this; equal, in its obsolete dialect, to the highest that man has yet attained to, in any dialect old or new!

hear thereof. The Lord is very near: which we see by His wonderful works: and therefore He looks that we of this generation draw near to Him. This late great Mercy of Ireland is a great manifestation thereof. Your Husband will acquaint you with it. We should be much stirred up in our spirits to thankfulness. We much need the spirit of Christ, to enable us to praise God for so admirable a mercy.

The Lord bless thee, my dear Daughter.

I rest,

Thy loving Father,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

'P.S.' I hear thou didst lately miscarry. Prithee take heed of a coach by all means; borrow thy Father's nag when thou intendest to go abroad.*

Is the last phrase ironical; or had the coach,' in those ancient roads, overset, and produced the disaster? Perhaps 'thy Father's nag' is really safer? Oliver is not given to irony; nor in a tone for it at this moment. These gentle domesticities and pieties are strangely contrasted with the fiery savagery and iron grimness, stern as Doom, which meets us in the next set of Letters we have from him!

On the second day following, on the 15th of August,' Cromwell with a prosperous wind arrived in Dublin; where,' say the old Newspapers,2 he was received with all possible demonstra'tions of joy; the great guns echoing forth their welcome, and "the acclamations of the people resounding in every street. The Lord Lieutenant being come into the City,-where the concourse of the people was very great, they all flocking to see him ' of whom before they had heard so much,—at a convenient

* Forster, iv. 268: From certain мss. of Lord Nugent's.

Carte, ii. 83.

2 In Kimber: Life of Cromwell (London, 1724), p. 126.

' place he made a stand,' rising in his carriage, we suppose, and ' with his hat in his hand made a speech to them.' Speech unfortunately lost it is to this effect; "That as God had brought "him thither in safety, so he doubted not but by Divine Provi"dence to restore them all to their just liberties and properties," much trodden down by those unblessed Papist-Royalist combinations, and the injuries of war; "and that all persons whose "hearts' affections were real for the carrying on of this great "work against the barbarous and bloodthirsty Irish and their "confederates and adherents, and for propagating of Christ's "Gospel and establishing of Truth and Peace, and restoring of "this bleeding Nation of Ireland to its former happiness and "tranquillity,—should find favour and protection from the Par"liament of England and him, and withal receive such rewards "and gratuities as might be answerable to their merits." 'This

6

Speech,' say the old Newspapers, was entertained with great applause by the people; who all cried out, "We will live and • die with you!" ›

,

LETTER XCVI.

SIR GEORGE AYSCOUGH, now vigilantly cruising on those coasts, Vice-Admiral of the Irish Seas,' who has done good service more than once, he ought not to suffer in his private economics by absence on the Public Service.

For the Honourable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament: These.'

SIR,

Dublin, 22d August, 1649. Before my coming for Ireland, I was bold to move the House on behalf of Sir George Ayscough; who then I thought had merited the favour of the Parliament, but since, much more, by his very faithful and industrious carriage in this place.

It seems, whilst he is attending your service, a Lease he holds of the Deanery of Windsor had like to be purchased over his head, he not coming to buy it himself by the time limited. He holds a very considerable part of his estate in Church-leases; one or more being in Impropriate Tithes, which he and his ancestors have held for a good time all which is like to determine, and go from him and his, by your Orders.

I found the Parliament well to resent the motion I made on his behalf at that time. I desire you please to revive the business; and to obtain the House's favour for him, which they intended and expressed. He will, I presume, herewith send his humble desires: for which I beg your furtherance; and rest,

Sir,

Your most humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.*

Ayscough is a Lincolnshire man.

Last year, in the time of the

Revolted Ships, he stood true to the Parliament; and brought his own ship off to them, in spite of perils. Serves now under Blake; is fast rising as a Sea-officer. The Lord Lieutenant's request in behalf of him has already been complied with.1

* Tanner Mss. (in Cary, ii. 163).

' Commons Journals, 8 August, 1649 (vi. 276);— ;-see ib. 9 July, 1649 (on which day most probably, the day of Thomond's Letter too, Cromwell had been moving the House' for him). Whitlocke (2d edition), p. 317.