it, fhould it please God to take his Highneffe at this tyme and God havinge prepared the Heart to pray, I truft he will enclyne his Eare to heare. And that which is fome Ground of Hope is, that the Lord, as in fome former Occafions, hath given to himfelfe a perticuler Affurance, that he fhall yet live to ferve hym, and to carry on the Worke he hath put into his Hands.

I doe not yet find there are any great Stirringes yet upon this Occafion; though the Cavaliers doe begin to liften after it, and hope their Day is comeinge, or indeed come, if his Highneffe dye. And truly, my Lord, wee have Cause to feare, that it may goe very ill with us, if the Lord fhould take away his Highneffe in this Conjuncture; not that I thinke Charles Stewart's Intereft is foe great, or his Partie foe powerfull in themfelves; but I fear our owne Divifions, which may be great enough, if his Highneffe fhould not fettle and fix his Succeffor before he dies, which truely I beleeve he hath not yet done. He did by himselfe declare one in a Paper before he was inftalled by the Parliament, and fealed it up in the Forme of a Letter, directing it to me, but kept both the Name of the Perfon and the Paper to hinfelfe. After he fell ficke at Hampton Court, he fent Mr. John Barrington to London for it, tellinge hym it lay upon his Study Table at Whitehall; but it was not to be found there, nor elsewhere, though it hathbeene very narrowly looked for. And in this Condition Matters ftand, his Highneffe haveinge beene too ill to be troubled with a Buiffines of this Importance. This Day he hath

had

had fome Difcourfe about it, but his Illnes difenabled hym to conclude it fully; and if it fhould please the Lord not to give hym tyme to fettle his Succeffion before his Death, the Judgment would be the foarer, and our Con-. dition the more dangerous; but I trust he will have Compaffion on us, and not leave us as a Prey to our Enemies, or to one another. All Perfons here are very referved as to what they will doe, in cafe his Highneffe should not declare his Succeffor before he dyes, not beinge willinge to enterteyne any Difcourfe of it, either because it is a Matter too grievous to be thought of, or because they would not difcover any Opinion, which might croffe his Highneffe Thoughts in his Life tyme. And this, my Lord, is the whole Account I am able to give your Lordship of this fadd Buiffines, which

Sorrow to you; but I could not omit my Duty, judgeing it abfolutely neceffary, that your Excellency fhould understand all that paffes or falls out upon this Subject, that you may the better knowe, how to direct your Prayers and Counfells, and ftirre up others alfoe to pray for his Highneffe and 3 Nations in this Day of Diftreffe. And as any thinge further occurrs (which I beseech the Lord may be for Good) I fhall fuddeinly dispatch it away to you, and be ready to answere fuch Commands, as your Excellency fhall lay upon me, beinge,

Your Excellencye's

moft humble, faithfull,
and obedient Servant,

Whitehall, 30 Aug. 1658. 9 o'clock at Night.

Jo. THURLOE.
LET-

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LETTER LXXII.

Secretary Thurloe to Henry Cromwell.

May it please your Excellencye,

Did by an Expreffe upon Munday give your Excellencye an Account of his Highneffe Sicknes, and the Daunger he was in. Since that it hath pleafed God to put an end to his Days. He died Yesterday about four of the Clock in the Afternoone. I am not able to fpeake or write; this Stroake is foe foare. foe unexpected, the Providence of God in it foe ftupendious, confideringe the Perfon that is fallen, the Tyme and Seafon wherein God tooke hym away, with other Circumstances, I can doe nothinge but put my Mouthe in the Duft, and fay, It is the Lord; and though his Wayes be not alwayes knowne, yet they are alwayes righteous, and wee muft fubmitt to his Will, and refigne up ourselves to him with all our Concernements.

His Highneffe was pleafed before his Death to declare my Lord Richard Succeffor. He did it upon Munday; and the Lord hath foe ordered it, that the Councell and Army. hath receiv'd him with all manner of Affection. He is this Day proclaymed; and hitherto there feemes a great Face of Peace: the Lord continue it!

It is not to be fayd, what Affection the Army and all People fhew to his late Highneffe;

his Name is already precious. Never was there any Man foe pray'd for, as he was dureinge his Sicknes, folemne Affemblie meetinge every Day, to befeech the Lord for the Continuance of his Life; foe that he is gone to Heaven, embalmed with the Teares of his People, and upon the Winges of the Prayers of the Saints. He lived defired, and dyed lamented, every body bemoaning themfelves, and fayeinge, A great Man is fallen in Ifrael! The Lord double his Spirit upon his Succeffor and upon your Excellencye, that you both may be famous in your Generation, and be helped by God with one Heart and Shoulder to carry on that Worke, the Foundation whereof your moft renowned Father layed, for which Pofterity will bleffe hym! The Councell hath given your Excellencye an Account of what is done as to the proclayminge his Highneffe your Brother. I only herewith fend the Voet of the Councell; and though I know not what will be my Portion or Condition here, yet I fhall alwayes be

1

Your Excellencye's most humble

and obedient Servant,

4th September, 1658.

Jo. THURLO E.

His Highneffe intends to fend a Gentleman to your Excellencye in the Beginninge of the

next Weeke, to let you understand fully the State of all things here, and of your Family; and commanded me to defire you to excufe his not writeinge by this Meffenger. The Truth is, his Highneffe Death is foe foare a Stroake unto him, and he is foe fenfible of it, that he is in noe Condition to write or doe yet. Here is a fadd Family on all Hands: the Lord support them! There is a Proclamation actually paft for keepeinge on Foot all Commiffions, which will be fent by the next; there need be noe Scruple in the mean tyme.

LETTER LXXIII.

Lord Fauconberg to Henry Cromwell.

Deare my Lord,

THIS Bearer Mr. Underwood, brings your Lordfhipp the fad News of our generall Loffe in your incomparable Father's Death, by which theese poore Nations are deprived of the greatest Perfonage and Inftrument of Happineffe, not only our owne, but indeed any Age elfe ever produced. The preceding Night, and not before, in Prefence of 4 or 5 of the Councell, he declared my Lord Richard his Succeffor; the next Morning grew fpeechleffe, and departed betwixt 3 and 4 in the Even