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C R O M 
triarch fa I d, if they would fet him at liberty, and with¬ 
al promife not to punifh him, if what he interpreted 
out of the patriarch’s words reflefted on them ; which, 
at laft, they were forced to do, though much againft 
their will. At laft the day was fet for hearing, where 
were prefent, Cromwell, Bradlhaw, and molt of the late 
king’s judges, if not all. When the patriarch came, he 
wrote in the common Greek, the aforefaid fentence, and 
figned it with his own hand ; after which, my father 
turned it into our Greek, which, when it was written', 
lie did (though with much adoe) underftand, and fet his 
hand to it. Then my father turned it into Latin and 
Englifh, and delivered it under his hand to Cromwell, 
y* that was the bufmefs of the patriarch’s embalfy ; 
who then returned him this anfwer, that they would 
confider of it, and in a fhort time fent him their anfwer : 
but after a long ftay, and many delays, the patriarch 
was forced to return as wife as he came. Upon the pa¬ 
triarch’s departure, they would have fent my father to 
prifon again, but Lentale would not let them, faying that 
it was their promife that he fhould be at liberty ; where¬ 
upon they fent for him, and commanded him to keep 
the patriarch’s embalfy private, and not to divulge it 
upon pain of imprifonm', if not of death. Then Len¬ 
tale made him preacher of the rolls, and my father 
bought a chamber in Gray’s Inn, which chamber he 
afterwards parted with to Mr. Barker, who now has the 
polfcftion of them. This is the relation which I have 
beard my father oftentimes tell; and, to the belt of 
my knowlege, I have neither added nor diminilhed any 
thing.” 
Cromwell, after having aiffolved the parliament by 
his own authority, nominated and called up perfons to 
f~vve in a'council of ftate that was to fupply the abfence 
of that alfembly, as appears by the following fummons : 
■“ Forafmuch as upon tire dilfolution of the late parli¬ 
ament, it became neceffary, that the peace, fafety, and 
good government of this common wealth fhould be 
provided for ; and in order tliereunto, perfons fearing 
God, and of approved fidelity and honefty, are by my- 
felf, with tire advice of my council of officers, nominat¬ 
ed, to wlrome the greate charge and truft of foe weighty 
affaires is to be comited; and having good affurance of 
yo 1 ' love to & courage for God, & y e intereft of his 
caufe, & of the good people of this conronwealth ; I, 
Oliver Cromwell, cap 1 generall and comander in chiefe 
of all the armies and forces raifed and to be railed 
within this comonwealth ; do hereby fomon & require 
you, William Weft, Efquire (being one of the perfons 
nominated), plonally to be & appeare at y e councill 
chamber, comonly knowne or called by the name of the 
councill chamber in Whitehall, w th in the city of Weft- 
minft r . upon the fourth day of July next enfueing the 
date hereof, then and there to take upon you y c faid 
truft, unto w ch you are hereby called and appointed to 
ierve as a member for y c county of Lancafter; and 
hereof you are not to fade. Given under my hande and 
ieale the ftxth day of June, 1653. 
O. Cromwell.” 
The originals of the following chara£!eriftic letters 
of Oliver Cromwell are in the Bodleian library at Ox¬ 
ford : “ Sir, wee doe with griefe of hart recent "the fadd 
condition of our arrnie in the weft, and of affaires there. 
That bu fine lie hath our hartes with itt, and truly had 
wee wingee, wee would fiye theither. Soe foone as ever 
my lord and the foote fe'tt mee loofe, there ftiall bee noe 
want in m'ee to haften what I cann to that feruice ; for 
indeed, all other confiderations are to bee laydafide, and 
to give place to itt, as beinge of farr more importance. I 
hope the kingdom /hall fee that in the middeft of our 
itecdlities v.ee ftiall ferue them w £h out difpute. Wee 
hope to forgett our wants, which are exceedinge great, 
and ill cared for, and defier to referr the many (launders 
Reaped upon us by falfe tongues to God ; whoe will in 
WELL. 
due tyme make it apeare to the world, that we ftudye 
the glory of God, the honor and libertye of the parlia¬ 
ment, for w ch wee vnannimoufly fight, without feekinge 
our owne interefts. Indeed, wee finde our men never foe 
cheerfull as when there is worke to doe. I truft you 
will ahvaies heere foe of them. The Lord is our 
ftrength, and in him all our hope. Pray for us. Pre¬ 
fent my lone to my freinds. I begg their prayers. The 
Lord ftill bleffe you. Wee have fome amongft 11s much- 
flow in adtion. If wee could all intend our owne ends 
leffe, and our eafe too, our bulineffes in this arrnie 
would goe on v/heeles for expedition. Becaufe fome of 
vs are enimies to rapine and other wickedneffes, we are 
fayd to be factious, to feeke to maintaine our opinions 
in religion by force, w ch wee deteft and abhorr. I pro- 
feffe I could never fatisfie my felfe of the iuftnelfee of 
this warr, but from the authoritye of the Parliament to 
maintaine itt in itts rights, and in this caufe I hope to 
approue my felfe an honeft man, and Angle harted. Par¬ 
don mee that I am thus troublefom. I write but fel- 
dom ; itt giues mee a little eafe to poure my rninde, in 
the middeft of callumnies, into the bofom of a friend : 
S r , noe man more truly loues you than 
Your Brother and Seruant, 
Oliver Cromwell. 
Sept. 6 or 3 th . Slecjord. 
For Colonel Walton , theife in London.” 
“ Deere S r , It is our duty to fympathife in all mer- 
cyes, that wee may praife the Lord togetiiere in chaf- 
tifements or tryalis, that foe wee may forrowe together. 
Truly England and the church of God, hath had a great 
fauor from the Lord in this great vidtorie given unto us, 
fuch as the like neuer was lince tliis warr begunn : itt 
had all the euidences of an abfolute victorie, obtained 
by the Lord’s bleiiinge upon the godly partye principal¬ 
ly. Wee neuer charged but wee routed the enimie : 
the left winge wch I commanded beinge our owne horfie, 
fauinge a few Scotts in pur reere, beat all the prince’s 
horfe. God made them as ftubble to our fwords ; wee 
charged their regiments of foot our horfe, and rout¬ 
ed all we charged. The perticulars i cannott relate 
now, but I beleive, of 20,000, the prince hath not 4000- 
left. Give glory, all the glory, to God. S r , God hath 
taken away your eldeft fonn by a cannon fiictt; itt brake 
his legg; wee were neceflitated to have itt cut off, 
wherott bee died. S r , you know my tryalis tliis way, 
but the Lord fupported me vvvi this, that the Lord 
tooke him into the happineffe wee all pant after and line 
for. There is your precious child, full of glory, to 
know neither linn nor forrovv ; and more, hee was a 
gallant younge man, exceedinge gracious. God give 
you his comfort. Before his death, hee was foe full of 
comfort, that to Franke Ruflel and my felfe hee could 
not exprefs itt, itt was foe great aboue his paine ; tliis he 
faid to us ; indeed, it was admirable. Little after, hee 
fayd one tliinge lay d upon his fpirit. I alked him what 
that was : he told me, that it was, that God had not 
fullered him to bee noe more the executioner of his eni¬ 
mies. Att his fall, his horfe beinge killed w th the bul- 
lett, and, as I am enformed, 3 horfes more, I am told, 
hee bid them open to the right and left, that hee might 
fee the rogues runn. Truly hee was exceedingly be- 
loued in the arrnie of all that knew him; hut few 
knew him, for he was a precious younge man fitt for 
God. You have caufe to hlelfe the Lord ; hee is a glo¬ 
rious fainift in heauen, wherein you ought exceedingly 
to reioyce. Lett this drink up your lorrowe, feinge 
theife are not fayned words to comfort you, but the 
tliinge is foe real and undoubted a truth. You may 
doe all thinges by the ftrength of Chrift. Seeke that, 
and you lhall eafily beare yourtryall. Let this publike 
mercy to the church of God make you to forgett your 
priuate forrowe. The Lord bee your ftrength, loe prayes 
Your truly faythfull and louinge brother, 
Oliver Cromwell. 
July 5 t/l ) 1644.” 
“ Oliver 
