By W. W. Ravenhitt, Esq. 



3 



to fold the note in the good old-fashioned three-cornered shape of a 

 true billet doux, and it appears to have been marked by tears. Are 

 they those of John and Arundel Penruddock ? 



In proceeding with our narrative, we unfortunately come upon a 

 difficulty, for copies of two answers of his to it are extant, the 

 originals of which, I have been unable to discover. The first is in 

 the pamphlet of July 2nd, 1655: — 

 " My dearest heart, 



I even now received thy farewell letter ; each word whereof represents 

 unto me a most lively emblem of your affection drawn with thy own hand in 

 water colour, to the figure of a death's head. My dear, I embrace it as coming 

 first from God, and then from man : for what is there done in the City that the Lord 

 hath not permitted? I look upon every line of thine as so many threads 

 twisted together into that of my life, which being now woven, my meditations 

 tell me will make a fit remnant for my winding sheet. Upon the reading th'of 

 I say with the Prophet, I should have utterly fainted, but that I verily believe 

 to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living. 



As this is mine my dear, so let it be thy consolation. When I think what a 

 wife and what children I go from and look no further, I begin to cry, 0 ! 

 wretched man that I am ! But when my thoughts soar higher, and fix them - 

 selves upon those things which are above, where I shall find God my Creatour, 

 to my Father, and his Son my Redeemer to my Brother (for so they have vouch- 

 safed to term themselves) then I lay aside those relations and do of all love, my 

 dear, desire thee not to look towards my Grave, where my Body lies, but toward 

 the heaven, where I hope my soul shall gain a mansion in my Father's 

 house. I do steadfastly believe that God hath heard the prayer of my friends 

 and thine and mine, and how knowest thou, woman, whether thou hast not 

 saved thy husband ? Let those considerations raise thy spirits, I beseech thee, 

 and that for God's sake and mine though I ly among the children of men, that 

 are set on fire against me ; yet under the shadow of the Almightie's wing I will 

 hide myself till this tyranny be overpast. The greatest conflicte I have had in 

 this extremetie was my parting with thee ; the next encounter is to be with Death, 

 and my Saviour hath so pulled out the sting thereof, that I hope to assault it 

 without fear. Though the armies of men have been too hard for me, yet am I 

 now lifting myself under the conduct of my Sovereign, and an army of martyrs, 

 that the gates of hell cannot prevail against. 



My dear, I have now another subject to think on, therefore you must excuse the 

 imperfections you find here I have formerly given you directions concerning my 

 children, to which I shall referre you. May the blessing of Almighty God be 

 upon thee and them, and may there not want a man of my name to be ready to be 

 a sacrifice in this cause of God and his Church so long as the sun and moon shall 

 endure. I now shall close up all with desiring you to give a testimony for me to 

 the world that I die with so much charity as to forgive my enemies. I will joy ne 

 them in my last prayers for my friends ; amongst which you and my children are 

 for my sake obliged to pay a perpetual acknowledgment. To Mr . Rolles* and 

 •Mr. Rolles— Lord Chief Justice Rolles, no doubt. 



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