with it to the best of securities, God's dear love, remaining your friend, as much at command as any of longer date, Eton, April 10, 1638. H. WOTTON. P. S. Sir, I have expressly sent this by my footboy, to prevent your departure without some acknowledgment from me of the receipt of your obliging letter, having myself through some business, I know not how, neglected the ordinary conveyance. In any part where I shall understand you fixed, I shall be glad and diligent to entertain you with some novelties, even for some fomentation of our friendship, too soon interrupted in the cradle. JOHN LILBURNE TO OLIVER CROMWELL. SIR, It has been my unhappiness to be undone, and of late in a manner destroyed, by men of gilded outsides, and, among the rest, I must plainly and truly tell you, I judge you the chief; and shall, if you please to give me so much liberty as to come and speak with you, easily evince it to your face, with that moderation as becomes a man that loves honesty and godliness, wheresoever he finds it, but that hates knavery and dissimulation in whatsoever he meets it. So I have used all the means in the world I could think of to unbowel my mind as a friend to you face to face, but cannot prevail with you any otherwise than to slight me and my desires. I have lately sent you a fair message by Captain John White; and by him I received a contemning answer, only he pressed me to know which way I could do you and your flattering darlings a displeasure. I have now at present sent him by Mr. Billers, a copy of this inclosed paper to send speedily to you with this message, that I do verily believe that that paper, printed with such a paraphrase upon it as I could easily make, for all your present conceived greatness, would easily pull you as low, before you are three months older, as I am. I have honoured you, and my good thoughts of you are not wholly gone, though I confess they are much weakened. Sir, I must earnestly beg it at your hands, that you will within a week order it so that I may either come and speak with you, or else that you would come and speak with me, that so I may, betwixt you and me, declare that, which truly my provocations and sufferings will hardly let me keep from public view. I have sent you this letter unsealed by this bearer, Mr. Hunt (who very much honours you), of purpose to make some additions to it, and to leave you (as my last to you) without all excuse, in case you slight this, as you have done my often former addresses to you, and I shall rest, sir, Your true universal friend, as I have formerly been, when you will manifest yourself to be less for your own tottering greatness, and more for distributive justice, and the common, not factious good, of your native country, JOHN LILBURNE, From the place of my standing sentry, in my watch tower at the Tower of London, this 13th of August, 1647. That neither loves baseness nor fears greatness. The paper which was enclosed in the above letter was as follows: LIEUTENANT GENERAL CROMWELL'S FAMILY IN THE ARMY. Imprimis, Himself lieutenant-general and colonel of horse. 2dly, one of his own sons captain of the general's life guard. 3dly, the other son captain of a troop of horse in Colonel Harrison's regiment, both young, raw, and unexercised soldiers. 4thly, his brother-in-law, Desborough, colonel of the general's regiment of horse. 5thly, his son-in-law, Ireton, commissary-general of the horse, and colonel of horse. 6thly, his brother Ireton, major-general of horse, and captain of a troop of horse. 7thly, his cousin Whalley, colonel of horse. 8thly, and his brother, lately made judge advocate. And all these are the lieutenant's creatures at his beck and command; besides his cabinet junto, which are principally Colonel Robert Hammond, Colonel Nathaniel Rich, Colonel Harrison, and Scoutmaster-general Watson: and Commissary Staines and Mrs. Cromwell are said to be the cabinet junto for placing and displacing of officers in the Tower of London, who, it is said, have nominated Robert Spavin, the lieutenant-general's man, their chief favourite, to be the master of the armoury, in the place of Mr. Anthony Nicholls, one of the eleven impeached members; so that it is evident and plain, that Lieutenant-general Cromwell's chief design is not the good of the kingdom, and the promoting of universal and unbiased justice, but the advancement of himself and his own kindred and VOL. V. L friends; which will undoubtedly destroy him, if he speedily looks not very well about him. For the principal power of the kingdom being in his hands (not in the general's nor the agitator's), all the grand oppressions, injustice, and delays in justice, will and must be laid upon his shoulders, seeing he has now power enough to help it, if he has a mind. JOHN LILBURNE TO OLIVER CROMWELL. SIR, WHAT my comrade hath written by our trusty bearer might be sufficient for us both; but to demonstrate unto you that I am no staggerer from my first principles that I engaged my life upon, nor from you, if you are what you ought to be, and what you are strongly reported to be; although if I prosecuted or desired revenge for a hard and almost starving imprisonment, I could have had of late the choice of twenty opportunities to have paid you to the purpose; but I scorn it, especially when you are low*; and this assure yourself, that if ever my hand be upon you, it shall be when you are in your full glory, if then you shall decline from the righteous ways of truth and justice: which if you will fixedly and impartially prosecute, I am yours to the last drop of my heart's blood, for all your late severe hand towards me, JOHN LILBURNE. From Westminster, the 3d of August, 1648, being the second day of my freedom. * Cromwell was then contending with the Presbyterians, and labouring under an accusation against him in Parliament. OLIVER CROMWELL TO HIS WIFE. MY DEAREST, I HAVE not leisure to write much, but I could chide thee, that, if many of thy letters, thou writest to me that I should not be unmindful of thee and of thy little ones. Truly if I love thee not too well, I think I err not on the other hand much. Thou art dearer to me than any creature; let that suffice. The Lord hath shown us an exceeding great mercy: who can tell how great it is! My weak faith has been upheld; I have been in my inward man marvellously supported, though, I assure thee, I grow an old man, and feel infirmities of age marvellously stealing upon me. Would my corruptions did as fast decrease! Pray on my behalf in the latter respect. The particulars of our late success, Harry Vane or Gil Pickering will impart to thee. My love to all dear friends. Thine, Dunbar, Sept. 4, 1650. O. CROMWELL. OLIVER CROMWELL TO GENERAL FLEETWOOD. DEAR CHARLES, ALTHOUGH I do not, so often as is desired (by me) acquaint you how it is with me, yet I doubt not of your prayers on my behalf, that in all things I may walk as becometh the gospel. Truly I never more needed all helps from my Christian friends than now: fain would I have my service accepted of the saints (if the Lord |