To which there are now, from this side of the Water, the following small Excerpts to be added: Grant of Privy Seal: "6th June, 1655, to Major Robert Sedgwick, £1,793 7s. 8d., in full of his Account for service done against the French." And Ditto, "28th July, 1656, to Captain John Leverett, £4,482 3s. 11td., in full satisfaction of all sums of money due to him upon Account of his receipts and disbursements about the Forts taken from the French in America, and of his Salary for 760 days, at 15s. per diem.” 1 Oliver kept his Forts and his Acadie, through all French Treaties, for behoof of his New-Englanders: not till after the Restoration did the country become French again, and continue such for a century or so. 10. Is a small domestic matter: "SIR, "For Colonel Alban Cox, in Hertfordshire. "WHITEHALL, 24th April, 1655. Having occasion to speak with you upon some Affairs relating to the Public, I would have you, as soon as this comes to your hands, to repair up hither; and upon your coming, you shall be acquainted with the particular reasons of my sending for you. I rest, "Your loving friend, "OLIVER P." 2 At Blackdown House in Sussex, now and for long past the residence of a family named Yaldwin, are preserved two Letters Patent signed "Oliver P.," of date 3d December, 1656, appointing "William Yaldwin Esq." High Sheriff of Sussex. Printed in Dallaway's Rape of Arundel (p. 363); need not be reprinted here. pp. 323-364, is an elaborate Notice of certain fragmentary MS. Records of the Long Parliament still extant at New York, which Notice ought to be cancelled in subsequent editions! The amazingly curious "Records" at New York turn out to be nothing but some odd volumes of the Commons Journals of that period; the entire Set of which, often enough copied in manuscript, was printed here about fifty years ago, and is very common indeed, in the Buttershops and elsewhere! 1 Fourth Report of Deputy Keeper of the Public Records (London, 1843), Appendix ii. p. 192; Fifth Report (London, 1844), Appendix ii. p. 260. 3 Gentleman's Magazine (London, 1788), Iviii. 379. No. 29. SUFFOLK YEOMANRY. THE Suffolk Commission for a select mounted County-Militia, still remains; one remaining out of many that have perished. Addressed to the Humphrey Brewster whom we have occasionally met with before.1 "Instructions unto Colonel Humphrey Brewster, commissionated by his Highness the Lord Protector to be Captain of a Troop of Horse to be raised within the County of Suffolk, for the service of his Highness and the Commonwealth. "1. You shall forthwith raise, enlist, and have in readiness under your command as Captain, and such Lieutenant, Cornet and Quarter-Master as his Highness shall commissionate for that purpose, one hundred able Soldiers, the three Corporals included, well mounted for service, and armed with one good sword and case of pistols, holsters, saddle, bridle, and other furniture fit for war, to serve as a Troop of Horse in the service of the Commonwealth, as is hereafter required. "2. You shall use your utmost endeavor that the said Troops shall be men of good life and conversation; and before their being listed shall promise that they will be true and faithful to his Highness the Lord Protector and the Commonwealth, against all who shall design or attempt anything against his Highness's Person, or endeavor to disturb the Public Peace. And the like engagement shall be taken by the Lieutenant, Cornet and Quarter-Master of the said Troop. "3. You shall be ready to draw forth and muster the said Troop, armed and fitted as aforesaid, upon the 25th day of December next ensuing, from which time the said Troop, Officers and Soldiers, shall be deemed to be in the actual service of his Highness and the Commonwealth, and be paid accordingly. And you shall also draw forth the said Troops four times in every year within the county of Suffolk, completely furnished as before mentioned, to be raised and mustered by such persons as shall from time to time be appointed by the Protector. "4. You shall also at all other times have the said Troops in all readiness as aforesaid at forty-eight hours' warning, or sooner if it may 1 Antea, p. 375. be, whensoever his Highness, or such as he shall appoint for that purpose, shall require the same for the suppressing of any invasion, rebellion, insurrection, or tumult, or performing of any other service within England and Wales. And in case that any of the said service shall continue above the space of twenty-eight days in one year, the said Officers and Soldiers shall, after the expiration of the said twenty-eight days, be paid according to the establishment of the Army then in force, over and besides what is agreed to be paid unto them by these presents, for so long as they shall continue in the said service. "5. That in case any shall make default in appearance, without just and sufficient cause, or shall not be mounted, armed and provided as aforesaid, or shall offend against good manners or the laws of war; that every person so offending shall be liable to such punishment as the Captain or chief Officer present with the Troops, with advice of the persons appointed to take the said musters, shall think fit: provided the said punishment extends no farther than loss of place or one year's pay. "6. That in consideration of the service to be performed as aforesaid, you shall receive for the use of the said Troop the sum of one thousand pounds per annum, to be paid out of the public revenue by quarterly payments, to be distributed according to the proportions following: To yourself, as Captain, one hundred pounds per annum; to the Lieutenant fifty pounds per annum; to the Cornet twenty-five pounds per annum ; to the Quarter-Master thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence per annum; to each of the three Corporals, two pounds [additional] per annum; one Trumpet, five pounds six shillings and fourpence per annum; and to each Soldier eight pounds per annum. "WHITEHALL, 26th October, 1655." "OLIVER P.1 No. 30. SPEECH SHOULD BE XV." [Antea, p. 217.] FINAL Speech on that matter of the Kingship (concerning which it is gracefully altogether silent); that is to say, Speech on accepting the Humble Petition and Advice, with the Title of King withdrawn, and 1 In the possession of Charles Meadows, Esq., Great Bealings, Woodbridge; a descendant of Brewster's. that of Protector substituted as he had required: Painted Chamber, Monday, 25th May, 1657.1 "MR. SPEAKER, I desire to offer a word or two unto you; which shall be but a word. I did well bethink myself, before I came hither this day, that I came not as to a triumph, but with the most serious thoughts that ever I had in all my life, to undertake one of the greatest tasks that ever was laid upon the back of a human creature. And I make no question but you will, and so will all men, readily agree with me that without the support of the Almighty I shall necessarily sink under the burden of it; not only with shame and reproach to myself, but with that that is more a thousand times, and in comparison of which I and my family are not worthy to be mentioned, with the loss and prejudice of these Three Nations. And, that being so, I must ask your help, and the help of all those that fear God, that by their prayers I may receive assistance from the hand of God. His presence, going along, will enable to the discharge of so great a duty and trust as this is: and nothing else [will]. "Howbeit, I have some other things to desire you, I mean of the Parliament: That seeing this is but, as it were, an introduction to the carrying on of the government of these Nations, and forasmuch as there are many things which cannot be supplied, for the enabling to the carrying on of this work, without your help and assistance, I think it is my auty to ask your help in them. Not that I doubted; for I believe the sume spirit that hath led you to this will easily suggest the rest to you. The truth is, and I can say [it] in the presence of God, that nothing would have induced me to have undertaken this insupportable burden to flesh and blood, had it not been that I have seen in this Parliament all along a care of doing all those things that might truly and really answer the ends that have been engaged: for you have satisfied 2 your forwardness and readiness therein very fully already. "I thought it my duty, when your Committee which you were pleased to send to me to give the grounds and reasons of your proceedings to help my conscience and judgment, I was then bold to offer to them several considerations: which were received by them, and have been presented to you. In answer to which, the Committee did bring several resolves of yours, which I have by me. I think those are not yet made so authentic and authoritative as was desired; and therefore, though I cannot doubt it, yet I thought it my duty to ask it of you, that there 1 Commons Journals, vii. 539, 537 (last entry there). may be a perfecting of those things. Indeed, as I said before, I have my witness in the sight of God, that nothing would have been an argument to me, howsoever desirable great places may seem to be to other men; I say, nothing would have been an argument to me to have undertaken this; but, as I said before, I saw such things determined by you as makes clearly for the liberty of the Nations, and for the liberty and interest and preservation of all such as fear God, — of all that fear God under various forms. And if God make not these Nations thankful to you for your care therein, it will fall as a sin on their heads. And therefore I say, that hath been one main encouragement. "I confess there are other things that tend to reformation, to the discountenancing of vice, to the encouragement of good men and virtue, and the completing of those things also, concerning some of which you have not yet resolved anything; save to let me know by your Committee that you would not be wanting in anything for the good of these Nations. Nor do I speak it as in the least doubting it; but I do earnestly and heartily desire, to the end God may crown your work and bless you and this Government, that in your own time, and with what speed you judge fit, these things may be provided for." 1 No. 31. From 1657. LAST ROYALIST PLOT. [Antea, p. 273.] 1. "To Our trusty and well-beloved the Vice-chancellor and Convocation of our University of Oxford. "OLIVER P. "TRUSTY AND WELL-BELOVED, We greet you well. Amongst the many parts of that Government which is intrusted to us, we do look upon the Universities as meriting very much of our care and thoughts: And finding that the place of Chancellor of our University of Oxford is at present in Ourself; and withal judging that the continuance thereof in our hands may not be so consistent with the present constitution of affairs, "We have therefore thought fit to resign the said Office, as we hereby 1 Commons Journals, vii. 439, 440. |