Wife. How can I forbeare tears att the feare and thought 1653. of parting with you, and daunger never to fee you againe?

Wh. I fee no fuch daunger in it.

Wife. You fee others refuse it; and then they pitch uppon you to undertake it: and if it were fo full of honor and advantage, why should others then decline it?

Wh. I have the Generall's word, that it is fo intended

to me.

Wife. So you had his letter that they would impose nothing on you; and yett you fee how earnestly they preffe this uppon you: he means no good to you, butt would be rid of you.

Wh. Why fhould he defire to be rid of me, when I may be ferviceable to him heer?

Wife. Though you are ferviceable in fome things, yet you are not through paced for them in all things which they would have you to doe; you refufed to act in the great buifnes; you opposed the breaking of the parlement, and other unjust things.

Wh. Had I not done fo, you and I had not mett to gither.

Wife. It was the first thing I inquired of you; my first husband nor you were ingaged; if you had, I should not have bin ingaged to you. I believe you loft by it much of the generall's favour; and he would take this occafion to

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1653. lay you aside, that you might be no hinderance to his further defignes.

Sept. 6.

Wh. What further defignes can he have? He exercifes more power than any king of England ever had, or claymed.

Wife. His ambition is higher than we can imagine: and you have often declared yourselfe for the law and rights of the people; which, if they stand in his way, he will lay them, or you, or any thing afide.

Wh. I believe he would doe fo.

Wife. He takes you to be fuch a person, and therefore would now send you out of the way.

Wh. If I be fo ill thought of, it will be better for me to be out of the way, than to be heere, to croffe and provoke them yett more.

Wife. Butt to be out of the way to hazard your life, will be fad for me: better to retire and live privately in the country.

Wh. Nothing would be more pleafing to me in this world.

Wife. Confider that two who were fent abroad have bin murdered; and is there not. caufe to feare the like may be attempted on you: it makes my heart to tremble; if you love me and your children, doe not expofe yourselfe to these apparent daungers.

Wh. It

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Sept. 6.

Wh. It is true that two of your publique minifters have 1653. bin killed; but they had too little care of themselves and 'tis poffible, the like affacination may be attempted on me, butt I fhall be better provided for my defence, and be the more watchfull by their warning; and the fame God that is with us heer, and hath kept me in many daungers, will, I hope, be with me every where, and give me his protection.

Wife. I have four times croft the fea, and 'tis a dreadful thing.

Wh. To women it is, more than to men.

Wife. I went only between England and Holland: butt your voyage will be long and daungerous, and in winter; and I have heard that thofe feas are very rough, and the weather like to be bad.

Wh. I have bin often att fea, and with a good wind; this voyage may be in five or fix days: I can brooke the feas as well as most men, and have bin used to stormes, both att sea and land.

Wife. You have the more reafon now to defire rest.

Wife. There will be more att home than in this journey; you will not be able to indure the cold and extremities of it.

Wh. I have indured many hardfhips; and if God fhall call me to this, he will inable me to beare it.

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Sept. 6.

Wife. But why should you adventure yourselfe for those that doe not wifh you well? butt rather, that you may never returne, as I thinke the generall and his party doe.

Wh. I fee you are no great friend of theirs..

Wife. Nor are they your friends.

Wh. I believe the generall is not fo fond of me as of Sir Gilbert Pickering.

Wife. Nor would he shed many tears if you miscarry in the journey.

Wh. Not fo many as you have fhed for feare I should goe; yett he can fled tears fometimes.

Wife. O lett my teares and defires prevayle with you not to putt yourselfe and me uppon thofe perills, to serve them that love you not.

Wh. The greater the perills are, the greater will be the goodnes of God in my protection, and the greater will be the merit of the fervice; the work of God and one's country knoweth no daungers, at least feareth none: and though the feas, and feafon, and climate are very great difcouragements; yett a willing mind to doe fervice to God, and one's country, and profeffion, and family, and friends, will helpe to furpaffe them all.

Wife. I fee then you are inclined to undertake it if I faw any likelyhood of your doing fervice to God and his people in this journey, I fhould be the leffe troubled; butt I fee nothing of that in it.

Wh.

Wh. Unleffe that be made appear in it, I fhall not incline 1653. to it; and what I fay, is only for argument and difcourfer fake, and to debate it with thee, who art fo much concerned in it.

Wife. I thinke it necessary to confider and weigh all ob-jections, and whether the acceptance or refufall of it be beft; wherein, next yourfelfe, none is fo much concerned as I am, and I cannot bring my heart to incline to it..

4

Wh. If the generall or any of my ennemies have defigned this for my prejudice, poffibly 'I' fhall gratify their ill will, and incurre what they defigne, by my refufall; butt if I fhould undertake it, and God fhould bleffe me in it, that would weaken and difappoint the envy of my adverfaries: a refufall at this time, added to their former diftafts of me, would increase the interest of my enemies, and diminish my own; but by accepting it, I fhall oblige thofe in power, and greatly advantage myfelfe and relations..

Wife. Our greatest advantage will be to injoy you, whofe life is our chiefeft worldly comfort, and your death (which more probably is to be expected in this journey) will be an irreparable loffe to me, and our twelve children, and a thirteenth comming; moft of them unable to help themfelves; and your friends and relations will have no finalle loffe in you..

Wh. Whatever becomes of me, I have confidence in youur love to my children, and care of them for my fake: I know religion and affection will guide you to it, and to deny yourfelfe for the good of yours, and for the highest interest; and if I fhould goe, I hope our feperation (through the goodnes of God) would be butt temporary, and not long, and our meeting againe, with the more joy and comfort..

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