The Second Book 57 



have been starved, had not Sir Charles got some credit of 

 several persons, and that not without great difficulty ; for 

 all those that had estates, were afraid to come near him, much 

 less to assist him, until he was sure of his own estate. So 

 much is misery and poverty shunned ! 



But though our condition was hard, yet my dear Lord and 

 husband, whom we left in Antwerp, was then in a far greater 

 distress than ourselves ; for at our departure he had nothing 

 but what his credit was able to procure him ; and having run 

 upon the score so long without paying any the least part 

 thereof, his creditors began to grow impatient, and resolved to 

 trust him no longer. Wherefore he sent me word, that if 

 his brother did not presently relieve him, he was forced to 

 starve. Which doleful news caused great sadness and melan- 

 choly in us both, and withal made his brother try his utmost 

 endeavour to procure what moneys he could for his subsistence, 

 who at last got ^200 sterling upon credit, which he immediately 

 made over to my Lord. 



But in the meantime, before the said money could come to 

 his hands, my Lord had been forced to send for all his creditors, 

 and declare to them his great wants and necessities ; where 

 his speech was so effectual, and made such an impression in 

 them, that they had all a deep sense of my Lord's misfortunes : 

 and instead of urging the payment of his debts, promised him, 

 that he should not want anything in whatsoever they were 

 able to assist him ; which they also very nobly and civilly 

 performed, furnishing him with all manner of provisions and 

 necessaries for his further subsistence ; so that my Lord was 

 then in a much better condition amongst strangers, than we in 

 our native country. 



At last when Sir Charles Cavendish had compounded for 

 his estate, and agreed to pay ^4500 for it, the Parliament 

 caused it again to be surveyed, and made him pay ^500 more, 

 which was more than many others had paid for much greater 

 estates ; so that Sir Charles, to pay this composition, and 

 discharge some debts, was necessitated to sell some land of his 

 at an under-rate. My Lord's two sons (who were also in 

 England at that time) were no less in want and necessity than 

 we, having nothing but bare credit to live on ; 1 and my Lord's 



1 The petitions of Charles Viscount Mansfield and his brother Henry for leave to 

 compound are given in the Proceedings of the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents, 



I 



