The Works of Thomas Carlyle/Volume 6/Letter 41
Colonel Ireton, now Commissary-General Ireton, was wedded, as we saw, to Bridget Cromwell on the 15th of June last. A man ‘able with his pen and his sword’; a distinguished man. Once B.A. of Trinity College, Oxford, and Student of the Middle Temple; then a gentleman trooper in my Lord General Essex’s Life-guard; now Colonel of Horse, soon Member of Parliament; rapidly rising. A Nottinghamshire man; has known the Lieutenant-General ever since the Eastern-Association times. Cornbury House, not now conspicuous on the maps, is discoverable in Oxfordshire, disguised as Blandford Lodge,—not too far from the Devizes, at which latter Town Fairfax and Ireton have just been, disbanding Massey’s Brigade. The following Letter will require no commentary.
FOR MY BELOVED DAUGHTER BRIDGET IRETON, AT CORNBURY, GENERAL’S QUARTERS: THESE
Dear Daughter,—I write not to thy Husband; partly to avoid trouble, for one line of mine begets many of his, which I doubt makes him sit up too late; partly because I am myself indisposed[1] at this time, having some other considerations.
Your Friends at Ely are well: your Sister Claypole is, I trust in mercy, exercised with some perplexed thoughts. She sees her own vanity and carnal mind; bewailing it: she seeks after (as I hope also) what will satisfy. And thus to be a seeker is to be of the best sect next to a finder; and such an one shall every faithful humble seeker be at the end. Happy seeker, happy finder! Who ever tasted that the Lord is gracious, without some sense of self, vanity and badness? Who ever tasted that graciousness of His, and could go less[2] in desire,—less than pressing after full enjoyment? Dear Heart, press on; let not Husband, let not anything cool thy affections after Christ. I hope he[3] will be an occasion to inflame them. That which is best worthy of love in thy Husband is that of the image of Christ he bears. Look on that, and love it best, and all the rest for that. I pray for thee and him; do so for me.
My service and dear affections to the General and Generaless. I hear she is very kind to thee; it adds to all other obligations. I am thy dear Father,
Bridget Ireton is now Twenty-two. Her Sister Claypole (Elizabeth Cromwell) is five years younger. They were both wedded last Spring. ‘Your Friends at Ely’ will indicate that the Cromwell Family was still resident in that City;[5] though, I think, they not long afterwards removed to London. Their first residence here was King-street, Westminster;[6] Oliver for the present lodges in Drury Lane: fashionable quarters both, in those times.
General Fairfax had been in Town only three days before, attending poor Essex’s Funeral: a mournful pageant, consisting of ‘both the Houses, Fairfax and all the Civil and Military Officers then in Town, the Forces of the City, a very great number of coaches and multitudes of people’; with Mr. Vines to preach;—regardless of expense, 5,000l. being allowed for it.[7]
- ↑ not in the mood at this time, having other matters in view.
- ↑ less is an adjective; to go, in such case, signifies to become, as ‘go mad,’ etc.
- ↑ thy Husband.
- ↑ ‘A Copy of Oliver Cromwell’s Letter to his Daughter Ireton, exactly taken from the Original.’ Harleian Mss. no. 6988, fol. 224 (not mentioned in Harleian Catalogue).—In another Copy sent me, which exactly corresponds, is this Note: ‘Memo: The above Lettr of Oliver Cromwell Jn° Caswell Mercht of London had from his Mother Linington, who had it from old Mrs Warner, who liv’d with Oliver Cromwell’s Daughter.——— And was Copied from the Original Letter, which is in the hands of John Warner Esqr of Swanzey, by Chas Norris, 25th Mar: 1749.’
- ↑ See also Appendix, No. 8, last Letter there (Note to Third Edition).
- ↑ Cromwelliana, p. 60.
- ↑ Rushworth, vi. 239; Whitlocke, p. 230.