Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/363

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1648]
LETTER LXI. PEMBROKE
329

I rejoice much to hear of the blessing of God upon your Excellency’s endeavours. I pray God that this Nation, and those that are over us, and your Excellency and all we that are under you, “may discern” what the mind of God may be in all this, and what our duty is. Surely it is not that the poor Godly People of this Kingdom should still be made the object of wrath and anger; nor that our God would have our necks under a yoke of bondage. For these things that have lately come to pass have been the wonderful works of God; breaking the rod of the oppressor, as in the day of Midian,—not with garments much rolled in blood, but by the terror of the Lord; who will yet save His people and confound His enemies, as on that day. The Lord multiply His grace upon you, and bless you, and keep your heart upright; and then, though you be not conformable to the men of this world nor to their wisdom, yet you shall be precious in the eyes of God, and He will be to you a horn and a shield.

My Lord, I do not know that I have had a Letter from any of your Army, of the glorious successes God has vouchsafed you. I pray pardon the complaint made. I long to “be” with you. I take leave; and rest, my Lord, your most humble and faithful servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

“P.S.” Sir, I desire you that Colonel Lehunt may have a Commission to command a Troop of Horse, the greatest part whereof came from the Enemy to us; and that you would be pleased to send blank Commissions for his inferior officers,—with what speed may be.[1]

In Rushworth, under date March 24th, is announced that ‘Sir W. Constable has taken care to send ordnance and ammunition from Gloucester, for the service before Pembroke.’[2] ‘The unhappy accident at Berkley,’ I believe, is the stranding of the ‘Frigate,’ or Shallop, that carried them. Guns are not to be had of due quality for battering Pembroke. In

  1. Sloane Mss. 1519, f. 90.
  2. vii, 1036.