1645.] OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 87 



These letters seem at variance with the statement 

 made by Dr. Birch and others, that &quot; the Earl left 

 Oxford, in March, 1644-5, in company with Sir Brian 

 O Neile and some Komish Priests, and went to Wales ;&quot;* 22 

 unless we suppose he went to Ireland in December or 

 January, and returned to England sometime in Feb 

 ruary or March, which, although not impossible, yet was 

 a matter not so easily accomplished in those times and 

 under existing circumstances. 



It is possible, however, that his own private, and the 

 urgency of public affairs, might induce his setting out 

 early to arrange the one, and to settle preliminaries in 

 the other ; for this latter purpose he would certainly 

 require his commissions of the 6th and 12th of January, 

 1644-5. 



Then in March, 1644-5, being returned from Ireland, 

 he waits on his Majesty at Oxford, and receives from 

 him his Warrant of the 12th of March, and on the 1st 

 of April his extraordinary and ever-memorable patent ; 

 than which nothing could possibly show more convinc 

 ingly his Majesty s surpassing confidence in the newly- 

 created Earl, and his determination to &quot; answer for his 

 judgment.&quot; 



But this last favour had to be sent to him, as we find 

 from his instructions to Edward Bosdon, accompanied 

 by a letter to his Majesty, dated the 21st of March, 

 1644. 



We are here enabled to clear up a mystery which 

 has hitherto hung over this portion of his personal 

 history, through a very humble source, fortunately 

 preserved in the Letter Book of Sir William Brereton, 

 now in the British Museum, wherein is the copy of a 

 letter from John Bythell, apparently the commander of 



* Birch s Inquiry, p. 56. 22 Carte. 



