Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, January 23
THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
I hope you will receive an everlasting reward for all the trouble and pains you take in a good cause, and that it will succeed to your heart's desire. I cannot but lament at the signs I see of your being kept longer from this poor closet, where I wish you very often in a day, and hope I am not mistaken in thinking my mind and yours agree in that particular.
We are every day between hopes and fears, but the last commonly crown the day. The King, God be praised, is better than ever I have seen him since his sickness; he dined here yesterday, and was in the best humour possible. This day the Common Council sits upon the petition; what the event will be I know not, but you'll hear, I suppose, from his honour. We hope well. Several counties of England have rejected and declared against it as a tumultuous thing. Nay, in Somersetshire they have gone so far as to set forth remonstrances against such seditions proceedings, but here is the business that crowns the day, Just now I have an account of what the Common Council has done, namely, that the petition was rejected by 15 voices, though my Lord Mayor played the devil. 'Tis the best news we could hope for. If the City be quiet, I think there is no great danger, and I hope in God, that time will bring people to their wits again.[1] I assure you we are all very pert upon this unexpected good success. I pray God send we may make a good use of all these reprieves. It may seem very impertinent my writing all this, which you will certainly hear from better hands, and more impertinent my commenting upon it, but I love to impart my thoughts to my friend, and you, I hope, will ever be in the first rank.
- ↑ "In short, says Ralph, the whole nation was divided into Petitioner and Abhorrer, and almost every day produced some