Memoirs 193 



remembrance I do not know that ever they did fall 

 out, or had any angry or unkind disputes. Likewise, 

 I did observe, that my sisters were so far from ming- 

 ling themselves with any other company, that they 

 had no familiar conversation or intimate acquaint- 

 ance with the families to which each other were 

 linkt to by marriage, the family of the one being as 

 great strangers to the rest of my brothers and sisters, 

 as the family of the other. 



But sometime after this war began, I knew not 

 how they lived; for though most of them were in 

 Oxford, wherein the King was, yet after the Queen 

 went from Oxford, and so out of Enlgand, I was 

 parted from them ; for when the Queen was in Oxford, 

 I had a great desire to be one of her maids of honour, 

 hearing the Queen had not the same number she was 

 used to have, whereupon I wooed and won my mother 

 to let me go; for my mother, being fond of all her 

 children, was desirous to please them, which majde 

 her consent to my request. But my brothers and 

 sisters seemed not very well pleased, by reason I had 

 never been from home, nor seldome out of their sight; 

 for though they knew I would not behave my self to 

 their, or my own dishonour, yet they thought I might 

 to my disadvantage, being unexperienced in the 

 world, which indeed I did, for I was so bashfull when 

 I was out of my mother's, brothers' and sisters' sight, 

 whose presence used to give me confidence, thinking 

 I could not do amiss whilst any one of them were 

 by, for I knew they would gently reforai me if I did; 

 besides, I was ambitious they should approve of my 

 actions and behaviour, that when I was gone from 

 them, I was like one that had no foundation to stand, 

 or guide to direct me, which made me afraid, lest I 

 should wander with ignorance out 6i the waies of 



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