Book 2

Book Two prefatory materials: biblical quotation (Job 10:20) and poem from Francis Quarles, Emblemes (1639).

Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral. Durham Cathedral Library, GB-0033-CCOM 7.

Job. 10: 20.

Are not my daies few; Ceace then, and lett me alone that I my bewaile my selfe a little.

Oh, spaire me a little, that I may recover my selfe, (a little,) before I goe hence and be noe more seene.

My glase is halfe unspent; forbear to arrest. My thriftless day too soon: my poor request. Is that my glass may run but out the rest. My time devouring minuts will be don. Without thy helpe: See, see how fast they run! Cut not my thread before my thread be spun, The gaine's not great I purchas by this stay; What loss sustaine'st thou by soe smale delay, To whom ten thousand years, are but a day. My following Eye can hardly make a shift To count my winged houers: they fly soe fastswift: They scarce deserve the bounteous name of guift, And what's a life; a weary Pilgrimage, Whose glory in one day doth fill the Stage With Childe hood, Man-hood, & decrepit Age. And what's a life; the flourishing Array of the proud Summer Meadow, which to day Wears her green-Plush, and is, to morrow, hay. And what's a life; A blast sustaind with clothing, maintein'd with food, reteined with vile selfe loathg, Then weary of it selfe, again'd to nothing. Read on this diall, how the shades devour. my short-lived- winters-day; houer eats up hour, Alas, the totall's; but from ten to four. Behold these lillies (which thy hands have made Fair Coppies of my Life. & open laid. To veiew): how soone they droop, how soone they fade! Shade not that diall, night will blind to soon: My non-Age day already poynts to noon. How simple is my suite. how smale my boon. Nor do I beg this slender inch, to while. The time away, or falsly to beguile. My thoughts with Joy, her's, nothing worth a smile. No, no; ti's not to please no wanton Eares with fained mirth. I begg but hours, not years, And what thou gvie'st me, I will give to Tears. Draw not that Soule which would be rather led; That seed has yet not broke my serpents head: O, shall I die before my Sins are dead? Behold these raggs; am I a fitting guest. To taste the dainties of thy Royall feast, with hands and face unwash'd, ungirt, unblest; First, let the Jordan streames (that find supplyes From the deep fountaine of my heart) arise: And clence my spots, & cleare my watery eyes: I have a world of sins to be lamented; I have a Sea of tears that must be vented. O, spaire till then; and then I die contented.

St Matt.Matthew 6:33

But seeke yee First the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnesse. and all these Things shall be added unto you.

St Augustin.

O Lord; who art the Light of the world, the way, the Truth, the life; in whom there is no darkness, Errour, vanity nor death: The light, with out which there is darkness; The way, with out which there is wandering; The truth, without which there is Errour; The Life, without which there is Death: Say, Lord, let there be light, and I shall see thy Light, and eschew death (spirituall & Temporall. and eschew darkness: I shall see the right way. & avoyd all wandring: I shall see the truth & shun Errours; I shall see Life, and escape Death: Illuminate, O dearest Jesus, Illuminate my poore blinde & weake Soule, which sitteth in darknesse, & shaddow of Death: and direct my way & feete arright. now I am incompassed with sorrowes and in the shaddows of death & way of dispaire. Oh, guide my feet in the way of Peace. Amen:

O gracious Lord God, I beseech thee, teach me to seek thee, & show thy selfe to thy widdow & faithfull seeker & servant; because I can neither seeke thee, unlesse thou teach me, nor find thee, unlesse thou do shew thy selfe unto me: lett me seeke thee, in in the desiring,) with all my soule & spiritt in thy word and ordenances, & desiring thee in seeking thee: O, lett me find the in loveing thee, & Love thee in finding thee.

Meditations in my Widdowed Condition

Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee. (Psalme 38: v. 9). For in thee, O lord. have I put my trust: thou shallt answer for me. O Lord my God. (Psalm 38:v.15).

All you whose better thoughts are newly borne. And (rebaptiz'd with holy fire) can Scorn. The worlds base, trash. whose necks disdain to beare Th'imperious yoke of Satan; Whose chast ear No wanton Songs of Syrens can Surprise. With false delights; whose more then Eagle-eyes. Can veiw the glorious flames of Gold, & gaze; On glitt'ring beames of honour, & not daze; Whose Souls can spurn at Pleasure and deny The Loose Suggestions of the flesh, draw nigh: And you, whose holy, whose select desires Would feele the warmth of those transcendent firs Which (like the Riseing Sun) put out the light Of Venus Starr, and turne her day to night; You that would Love, & have your Passions Crownd With greater happness then can be found. In your owne wishes; you, that would affect Where neither Scorn, nor guile, nor disrespect Shall wound your tortur'd Soules; that would enjoy Where neither want can Pinch, nor fullnes Cloy, Nor double doubt afflict. nor baser feare Unflames your Courage in Pursuit, draw near; Shake hands with Earth, & let your Soule respect Her Joyes noe further. then her Joyes reflect Uppon her Makers Glory: if thou Swim In wealth. see him in all: See all in him: Sink'st thou in want. & is thy widdows cruse spent? See him in want: Injoy him in Content; Conceiv'st him lodg'd in Cross, or Lost in Paine? In Prayer & Patience find him out againe; Make Heaven thy Husband, let noe Change remove Thy loyall heart; be fond; be sicke of love: What if he stop his eare; or knitt his brow'. At length he'lbe as fond, as sicke as thou: Dart up thy Soule in groanes. Thy secret groan Shall pierce his eare. shall piearce his eare, Alone: 7 Dart up thy Soule in vowes: thy Sacred vow Shall find him out; where heaven alone shall know: Dart up thy Soule in Sighs: Thy whispring Sigh. Shall rouse his Eare, & feare no listner nigh: Send up thy groanes that sighs that closett-vow; Ther's non shall know butt heaven & thou: Groanes freshe'd with Woues, & vowes made salt with tears. Unscale his Eyes. & scale his conqur'ed Ears: Shoot up the bosome-shafts of thy desire; Feathre'd with faith, And doubleforked with fire. Feare not, they will hitt where heaven bids come: Heaven's neaver deafe. but when man's ♥ is Dumb.

A Prayer for my Selfe: for suport & comfort

O Lord, most great. & infinitt. in thy glorious Power. & of great mercy & compassion to the Sons. & daughters of men: whom have I in Heaven, but thee. & there is non on Earth that I love in comparison to thee. whom I adore, & love beyond all beeings in heaven & Earth. Thou, O Lord, hast called me into this sad condittion of a Widdow. voyd of Joy, help. or succor in this World.

What shall I say. or how can express my wants. weakness. & woes. that cannot utter them. yett, will I not cast a way my faith & hopes. either for this or a better Life. Since I beleive in. And serve. a great. & a good God, Who knowes all things. & can doe all things in heaven, & Earth. To thee, O holy, Lord God. therefore, todo I cast my selfe downe; Acknow ledging my selfe the worke of thy hand. & from whom, I hope for mercy, in this time of my need and distress. For thou hast not despised thy hand-maide nor cast away my prayers. but delivred me from death & Ruin prepared for me times with out number. Therefore, doe I still depend on thy favour & imeadiate Providence, now that I am soly left unto thee. whoes protection, is implored: Thy wisdome, to direct me. & thy spirritt to inable me. to overcome the world. the flesh & the Deivill. Lett not my faith faithfail in thy Pro- -misses. & comforts, which the world may nevr take from me. Though my soule And body be Battred with Enimies, & temptations, Sperituall, and Temporall.

Butt lett me, I humbly beseech thy Majesty, more offten find, and feele the sweete Joyes & influences of thy grace in heavenly & good thoughts now — in my sadnes. & dispaire. — That I may often feel the mercys of a gracious Redeemer, in heavenly Joys. now the world is be- come my Enimy. & my freinds. has forsaken me, I flee, to thy mercy only. for comfort & depend-ance. I have many Sad. & dismall thoughts, & Sorows from my selfe. in this my sickeness & weakeness of body. O, give unto thy handmaide, & Servant. true comfort. & delight in my Saviour;

Lett my trouble be in the day when thou wilt heare, & not in the day when thou wilt Judge me: There is noe trust but may deceave me. save only my my Trust in thee; there is nothing in which I may not misscarry, but only in thy mercy: O Lord, lett my trust. & confidence. be soe in thee, that — tho I may misscarry in all the Comforts of this world: — yet I may not misscarry in thy mercy, & salvation. But when I have served thee unfainedly a few dayes in this life, which thou hast appoynted me to live. & don that worke, which thou hast commanded me to doe.

Therein, I may not faile to receave from thee the end of my hope in the Salvation of my poore Soule. in the Life to come. but may have — for all my sorrowes. & sufferings heere, the Joyes & delights of thy Kingdome in Heaven, with thee. to Praises, laude, & glorifie thy name to all Etternity. which I humbly begge for the sake of my Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ, through the merrits of his holy sufferings for me And, in whoes Name, I give thee glory & praise Saing, as he hath taught me in his holy Gospell,

'Our Father: which art in Heaven:

Amen: & Amen.

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Decorated title page, 'An Introduction to this Book of the Remarkable  Providences and  Passages of My Life'.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral. Durham Cathedral Library, GB-0033-CCOM 7.

An introduction to this Booke of the Remarkeable Providences. & passages of my life. since my Widdowed Condition, since September the 17th, 1668

For as much as it hath pleased Allmighy God. my Creator. & gracious Father in Heaven. So to order. & dispose the course of this Life. (with all its sircumstances. As best pleaseth his holy Majesty. whoe only knoweth, the right way to bring us to Etternall Life.

And, in his Wisdom, soe disposeth of all his true servants. that call uppon, him for Aide & assistance, in this willderness of trouble & afflictions.

That the snaires. Temptations & plotts that is layd to catch & deceave there Soules. by the malice of Satan. the Pride of the World. nor the lusts of the flesh shall not, nay, cannot prevaile against them.

And that it hath pleased his Devine Majesty to call me into the number of such. whoe, I hope, he has Designed for Etternall Happiness. unto the glory of his Kingdom. Consigning me thereto by the sufferings of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In immitation, therefore, of such an Example, & patterne of glorious Patience. Every true Issralite will make it there Joy to tread his steps. & follow affter. If that they might attaine that for which they are apprehen -ded of Christ. I, therefore, his weake &. desolate handmaid, doe most humbly cast my selfe downe low at the foot stoole. of the Throne of his Grace. humbly beseeching his grace. to direct & guide me in all my wayes, & comfort me in all my sufferings That I may allwayes submit to what ever Condittion his wisdome shall see fitt to bring me into. (since he best knows what way, & meathod, of Providences, is fitte'st to lead my soule through the dangers of this life).

And, as he hath made me pertaker with my Savor in suffering. Soe I hope to obbteaine the injoy- -ment of his Glory. when this mortall shall putt on Immortallity.

In this schoole of affliction. have I bin exerzised by the good providence of God. Ever since I was borne. that soe I might bybe kept from the wayes of the wicked & the practice of those that knows not God. But such has bin his caire & providences over me That I have cause to blesse, & praise the name of the Lord for every twigg of his Rod, That soe he might make me conformable to his Son & keepe from me the vanitys of this world to serve him in newnes of life & conversation.

Yett, so has bin his Goodness to me: that I have bin noe sooner freed from one trouble. but annother hath arrised out of it's Ashes. his wise dispensation, has bin mixed — his favours with frownes. his mercys, with Trialls, & Afflictions, — to me, his unworthy servant, That there has bin noe time allotted for Sin to rule in this heart with his deadly poyson As in such vessells which are settled on there Lees.

This I speake, not to boast. nor glory of any thing in this world. save in the Crosse of my Christ, which has loved me & given himselfe for me. That I might be kept from the Evill of this world. to magnifie his holy name.

(For noe sooner was the Trajedy of my hon.or Acted — The Relation of which, is in my 'first booke; related, with severall happy sircumstances in order to my vindication, uppon my first knowledge by what meanes I came into that sad misfortune.) But devine Providence soe ordered, allso, That, all the Parties, (which was accused by Mrs Danby, & her accursed instrument, Barbara Todd. which was in my house, was brought before my brother Denton, & Examined. of what they were charged with all; And all, with a full consent, did utterly deny any thing of that nature. And, uppon there oathes, did vindicate there wronged mistress from those abuces. with great indignation against the first authours of that wickedness.

And then, Barbra did fly to accuse one maide which was gon away to be the raiser of those slandrs, which woman was written to by Dafeny to know the truth of such reports.

But the said woman did utterly deny. That she did ever know or see any evill by me in all her life & did admire att there impudence which should Raise any such scandall against her Mrsmistress & her- -Selfe.

I had likewise the great comfort of severall deare freinds. which came to see me, & staid somme time till the extreamity of my Passion of greife was mittigated (by which I was allmost killd.) These, (I thanke God) was soe fortunate as to returne much sattisfied of the goodness of God. who would not suffer me to lye too Long under the scourge of the Toungs of malicious Persons. but, even in the midest of this missery, gave me some releife. (least that by the multitude of sorowes my Life should be swallowed up).

By the assistance of these freinds did I receave the benifitt of the Resurection of my good name. (which seemed to be Eclipsed by the false calumnys at a distance) where I had bin traduced. even my very Enimyes themselves had there mouths stoped. God being pleased that there consiences did accuse them & many of them did, with tears, acknowledge theire sin in beleiving or hearing of lies against me. (Contrary to there owne knowledg) and begged uppon there knees for Christs sake to Pardon there wickedness. for they knew I was innocent. These, to whom God had givein the grace to repent. I prayed the Lord to forgive them. Though Tho they had don a very great wickedness & sin'd against God, & my innocent, Soule. But I knew that the same God which can Raise my body from the grave will, for his owne Glory, Allso give a ressurection to my good name. which yett was not touched, nor blemished by any of my owne deserts. Tho Satan had raised up these stormes to cast me into dispaire. Which, I hope, he never should prevaile against me in, nor make me cast a way integrity, nor my hope. in my deare Savior who was traduced himselfe by the Jewes.

From this sad dispensation of these slanders — & that my gracious God had don mercifully to vindicate my cause, and grant me some Comfot beginning to restore my health & strenglthstrength. It pleased the devine wisdome to deprive me of The comfort of my deare husbands Life. bringing me into annother sad dispensation Which I had much rather, (to have had my Choyce) have bin deprived of my owne. who was weary of the world & my selfe.

Even then did the Lord take from me the Joy of my heart. & the delight of my Eyes. Adding one affliction uppon the other. by which meanes my poore, dejected hart was drenched into a deep 19 Abyse of Sorrow & misserys. And by which I was reduced in to a more dangerous condition. I had reason to call the Aydes of Heaven & Earth to my Assistance, least I should be overwhelmed with dispaire.

Offten had I pettioned Heaven to spaire him & to call me to himselfe. when I have seen him in his Pallsie fitts.

But my deare would reprove me, & say that I offended God, in too much loveing him, & not to be willing to part with him. wishing that we might all be freed out of this miserable world & injoy God forever. /

Yett, since it is the will of God thus to part us for a while. Oh, that my desires, &, Joyes may be intirely seperate from the injoyments heere. which are vaine: & unsattisfactory. & disquieting. And that I may only take delight in heaven. & whatt may tend that way in my selfe. ~~& in~~ & in the safe conduct of my poore Children, & this Family. As I have bin Eminently under the Afflecting hand of God by trialls, Crosses & troubles, both spirituall & Temporalls.

So I May bring forth the fruits of the Spirit more abundantly. to the Glory of God for Ever:

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An account of Delivrances from Death, & mercys Receaved since my deare husbands death begott my selfe, and three deare Children. Septembr. 17th, 1668

For as much it hath pleased our gratious Father of Heaven to take my deare husband to him selfe by the greivous sickness of the Pallsie, which had bin uppon his person for 3 yeares. in many fitts & great relapsses. haveing had all the meanes used for his preservation, (which did allwaies cure him) till now) he was determined by this sickness to free his body (from sickness) & his Precious Soul from troubles, & sorrowes of this life & to give him a glorious immortality in a better World.

As to his owne Exchange, t'was most happy. to him selfe, who by these trialls was made a fitt vessell for Etternity. liveing, & dieing, a true & faithfull servant of his God, & deare & loveing husband to me (his faithfull; & affectionate Wife) and a deare & tender Parent to his Chilldren.

Being a great Patron of Pieity, sobriety, & kindnes To all his Relations & Freinds, and the whole Neighbour-hood & Country:

This soe great, & inexpressable a losse to all, ; But most Especially to my selfe, — above the whole world, to have the loss of him in whom was my sole delight on Earth, & soe sudainly to be deprived of him; when I expected my owne death each moment, (even then, when he tooke his leave of me, when he went to Malton)./

How could this soe sudaine, & soe un- expected, a Change, & terrible affliction but surpris my weakned spiritts, — allready depressed by, sickness, & greifes, & sorrowes, (caused by the late Slanders uppon my innocentcy.) & vertue: —

But bring my departing Soule to the gates of Death, & speedyly cut the weake thread of my miserable Life in sunder:

Such was my fainting, dieing spiritts. that I felle in to a sound at that dreadfull newes of my Joys departure & That I desired to be desolved & be with Christ. happy, had I bin too, if the Lord had Pleased to freed me then from this body of death, To have entred those Joyes with him in glory:

But alass, I am not yet prepared for my Change. but humbly casts my selfe downe with Job, & saith; All the daies of my appoynted time will I waite. Lord, grant me, with patience) to waite till my Change comme;

My faintings and weakenesses was soe great & returned soe strongly uppon me — all that night & for too daies affter — That deare freinds and Children did not expect, but when I should have departed, (haveing lost soe much blood in the flood; that broake uppon me, by excess of greife, att the first knowing of my slanderous accusation by Mrs Anne Danby, & her maide, Barbara Tod).

Which now renewed on me a gaine, soe that I was reduced to great Extreamity & non hoped for my Life a long time. & — but for the great & charitable kindness of my freinds which comforted me &; Praied with me, and for me, in that most sad & desperate Condittion: I had utterly fainted; and my soule had departed in that Languishing condittion: (haveing now the heavy wrath of my God, Joyned, to the mallice of my Enimies.) who had taken from me my greatest Earthly Comfort away; leaving a desolate, & helples, Widdow, & my 3 deare Children orphans. And the Estate, over burthened with Debts; and Many sad incombrances, which was Increaced by the sicknesses and Death of my deare Husband). / yett could I not be sattisfied, (neither, as my duty, as, my tender, and deare affection to him, His memory, & Family, but expressed it in desiring his body to be decently interred, & with as much sircumstances of mournings to freinds, & other Expences conserning that sad occassion, as the Estate could allow. nay, indeed, more; then the Law would alow, where, an Estate was soe much chargd with Debts, besides the maintenance of all my Three Children, (then but young).

But, if t'were an Error in me, it was of the right hand; out of my love, to him, & the honour I bore to his memmory, &, therefore, was very willing to beare that burthen uppon my selfe & Estate, rather then see that Last act of kindness to my deare Husband don to the Lessening of the reputation of that Family I so much loved. & Esteemed, & according to its Worth. & Antiquity:

I confesse to have suffered some reproach from some who taxed me with too great expe ences. on that occassion. But I acted not a lone in it, with out the advice of my best freinds, who ordered things with prudence, and discresion , and as necessity did require.

No sooner was this Sad Sceane over, — of the death, and, Buriall, of my deare, &, hon.redhonoured Husband performed: — but the dismal effects, followed, of his losse, & every day & houer, increased uppon my weake and depressed heart, beeing an increase of my sorrowes, and greife, in every fresh object beeing drenched in floods of tears; nor could I apprehend comfort in any Earthly injoyment, left behind him: (yet I must say)

, Ah,) alas this was my weakness, & a very great failing; because I did not wholy putt my trust in that God, who had gratiously given me that comfort, & now had taken him from the evill to comme. Lord, Pardon thy handmaide in my too much Loveing thy Creature, & not honnouring thee, my Creator, as I oug-ht. And make me to waite, with patience, & sub- mition, all the daies of my appoynted time till my Change comme. Amen.

Uppon the severall accidents happened affter Mr Thorntons Death & of the Administration. (& before.

Affter the Death, & buriall of my deare husband, as before related; It fell out to be debated whoe should take the Administration of Mr Thorntons goods and Personall Estate (and soe be inablid to to act Legally, & to receave, & pay Debts, in regard That Mr Thornton had not made any Will how he would have things don in his Estate.

Which thing I had very often put him in mind to do, in regard of his sad fitts of the Pallsy which might seize sudainly on him & deprive him of the sattisfaction of leaving things don according to his mind.

To which, he said, that he had maide a Deed of Settlement for his Childrens maintenants and for Portions for his two Daughters. As allso for the payment of his Debts, and for his Son, Robert; he knew I would take caire of him, & that he doubted not of that but, he would want for nothing, which I could do:

In regard that his Estate was much charged allready with debts which would, & must be Paid,

I tould him that I knew Debts ought to be paid but knew not what was oweing by him. But to that end, to inable, him to pay, and for his sattisfaction, I was willing to forgoe my Thousand Pounds out of Ireland. & to Shew my faithfull affection to him and his Family to doe good to them all, I waived my owne Intrest in that part of my Portion which was settled on me and my heirs. And allso, by reason that the Debts tooke up soe great a part of the Estate out of Laistrop that 29 There could not be sufficient to discharge what was uppon it and to maintaine, & Educate my Son, Robert: I was freely willing — of my owne Choyce — to shew my intire love to himselfe & my Son, & two daughters to take that uppon my my selfe; And to give him what allowance I was able out of what my owne Estate would allow (considering my present sircumstances which was but low, if all the debts could not be otherwais Paid, & sattisfied; & god forbid they should not be paid which was justly proved.

And I hoped he would thinke itt fitt (& butt just) That I should have a competent maintenance, who had brought soe consider able a fortune to the Estate & to him.

Allso, he knew that my Thousand Pounds out of Ireland was stated, & Settled by Articles & Bond before marriage, to be laid out in land for the longer Liver of us two & the heiers of our Bodies. And that Laistrop was Intailed uppon my heirs male by the said Arrticles of marriage (as may Apeare, which would have falen uppon his Son, Robert, after his decease. as was intend by us. with out Charg. There was allso provission, by a deed of setlment and for maintenance, education & Portions for the younger Children out of Burn Parke before marriage. Which

By his unfortunate ingagement in that affaire of the Assignment of Major Norton (Date: August 2t, 1658) of the Resignation of the Irish Estate, of my Father to pay Debts, & Portions & Leguacies .

Which, alas, My husband was perswaded to under take by the advice of his uncle Rich.Richard Darley (& that soe he might. (haveing that Estate in his owne hand) might sattisfy him -selfe first of what was due, to my selfe & my mothers Arrears due to her from thence).

But this was don by my husband, indeed, without my deare mothers Consent or knowledg of my owne, & we both did before that desire and intreat him, never to doe it. for all our Intrests was sufficiently secured, by my deare & hon.redhonoured Fathers Will; & Deeds, & we might have, bin paid, our dues in the first if we had demanded it Leagaly. (Where as, the taking upon him the Assignment of the whole Trust, did involve him in the Charg & made him liable to be sued, by the Creaditors).

My deare heart tould me this was all tr trew . and he confesed it, with a great greeife to him, That he did not take our advice, but on the contrary tooke his 2 uncles. and wished to God

he had not don it. but now it was too late, & he had repented it 100d times. for it was that which reduced him into these straits, & that he was forced to give Mr Nettleton Bond & Judgement for his Debt. & entred into a statute,

Whereuppon Nettleton sued him to an out Lawrey & prosecuted my deare husband with soe greatt mallice, till he compelld him to take that cource which he was very sorrey to do; That was, to sell The Estate att Burne Parke (which was settled for his younger Childrens Pro- vission; and to pay, with 1000l of that Monney, Mr Nettleton, which otherwise would have cast him into Prison. (That Estate beeing Sould for 2000l.) As for the other part of the monney, beeing 1000l, I desired Mr Thornton he would be pleased to pay, with it, his two brothers, (Thomas, & John) & his two Sisters, (Elizabeth, & Francis) there Portions, with it: for, I could not indure to see there Portions unpaid which was due to be don — by his owne ingagement — when they cutt of the Intaile, to inable him to make settlemt of marriage for him selfe. (with out which he could not expect a fortune with a wife).

But Mr Thornton said he would not doe that, for he could Purchase a Rent Charge with it (of 80l- per Annum) Of his nephew, Ralph Crathorne, which was a great advantage to him, & pay his brothrs & Sisters Intrest out of that.

I was neither convinced, nor sattisfied with that way, but rather desired the othr, because that debt had bin sooner sattisfied and his Estate more cleare. & there Portions Paid.

But Mr Thornton tooke his way with it & it Proved to be worse, & that Rent Charge was affterwards sould to Mr Danby to pay Debts.

Now, since I am soe farre in discorce of this buissines, it will conserne me to say somthing conserning the cutting of that Estate from my Children, which not only did unsettle that part of Burne Parke. but did break the whole settlement, of the rest, and did reduce the Estate in to a very ill Condition.

For, where as Laistrop was intailed on my Son (if I should have any, which then I had non) &, for default of Issue male by me, then to the females of our bodies, as may appeare in the Articles of marriage made by my deare husband (on the consideration of soe great a fortun) and my. 33 deare mother, the Lady Wandesford, att Hipswell, dated July 2nd, 1651. uppon which was the Deed of Settlement for Joynture (for me and all other Provission for our Issue) & the Intail of Easte newton, and Laistrop to be don in that manner, as was agred by my deare mother & my husband, (with out which she would not consent to the marriage) which covenants is at Large expressed, & more att Large, & may appeare by the said Articles. which are in my Custody).

The sad consequence of this ingagement to Mr Norton, about that Assignment, made Mr Thornton liable to pay my Fathers Debts) which was appoynted by his will, to be don out of that Estate in Ireland, (according to Justice in him. to take caire for them; as well as for his 3 yongr Childrens mintenance , & Portions;

(Which Mr Norton, had noe, mind to act in, that Trust reposed, in him by my hon.redhonoured Fathers Last will, and Testament, (beeing an Excequetor.) but, to be quit of that trouble, Very Politickly did perswade my unkles (Richard & Francis Darley ; who came over to Hipswell, at that time) to advis my husband to undertake that Trust & to free my uncle Norton, of that trouble. & give Mr Thornton, (As they thought), a better advantage to gett his dues. (being in my behalfe, & for my deare Mothers, the greatest Creaditor).

but, alass, it proved otherwise, to him (& that we feared) for, he (beeing a meke, peacable man & did not love this trouble of mannaging of his owne, could not be able to graple with such spiritts, as he had to contend with all in that Trust.

And tho he was, not, obleiged to secure Mr nettletons debt, (nor any Ellse, of my fathers out of his owne Estate, neither by Law nor, Equity.

Yet, not diserning some persons drift, to be secured theire owne debt, by Mr Th.Thornton out of his own Estate, perswaded him to do it, — first, to nettleton, & next to give security to themselves. which proved a great Snaire. & gave them opportunity to seeke sattisfaction from him, — & did not looke att the Estate out of which the debts ought to be Payd And which Mr Thornton could not, get money out of, soe fast as was demanded by Creaditors. What, for the charge of solicitors & Journeys in to Ireland, & high returnes, tooke up much of that monney was receaved there, & soe his owne went, to make it up. together with great trouble this created him by my brother, Sir Christopher wandesfords, suing him for that Estate; (which was putt on him, by his Father in Law, Sir John Lowther; who would have had, him to injoyed That Estate of Edough; with out sattisfaction of Debts, or Portions, And to that End perswaded my poore brother, to deny my fathers will, & to com in to that Estate uppon the Intaile).

Butt this was soe hainous a thing that the great God of heaven, would not suffer it to proced on to destroy soe Just, & honnest Settlements in a Family, as my deare & hon.redhonoured father had ma Maide.

But when we were all ingaged in suits, with Sir Christopher to preserve our just rights; & that he was in hope, we could not find the orriginall will In Ireland; beeing not then on the file, but taken off. Behold, the goodness of our gracious God — in The very nicke of time, caused the said will of my father to be found out, which had bin of the file many years & thought, to be burned by the Rebells, or the Protectors Soldiers, (who had don soe, to all the wills which was found then on the File; and, it being of soe great consequence to many people & Familyes, it will be come me to keepe in memory the Providences, which preventd both our Ruine; and that of many more; which might never had there Debts paid by Sir John Lowthers good will: but the accident was as followes.

A discourse Uppon the Preservation, and discovery, of my deare & hon.redHonoured Fathers Last will, & Testament, in the Rebellion of Ireland from the yeare 1640 till the yeare 1658

That my dearely hon.redhonoured Father, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, did make and ordeine his last Will and Testament in full power and strength, of body, & mind, with wisdome & Piety, is sufficiently proved & attested,

both by his servants, & wittneses, at that tim when it was made, allso, by many wittness which was then liveing in Ireland, when Sir Christopher did call it in question; (beeing many yeares affter the Publication, & proving the said will by the Executor, — my Coz.cousin, will.mWilliam Wandesford — in Ireland, att which time the said will was put uppon the file and Laid in the Court for Probat of wills as was order of Law in such cases).

But, more perticulerly, my deare mother & my selfe was sommoned in, to give uppon oath (by Mr nettleton, one of the Creaditors) To the Court in England, what we knew conserning the said Will (whethr there was one made, or not, & to declare our knowledge conserning the same).

Which we did, before a master of Chancery at hipswell, november 3rd, 1658, our testomony being affixed by him To The Copie of the said Will, which was writt out by my brother, George wandesford, in part; out of the Authentique Copy, he had taken out of the Court in Irelnd and, attested, under the hand of Sir william Reives, (the then, master of the said Court, for Probat of wills; & had bin soe, ever since the said will had bin Proved (Aprill 1st, 1647).

The orriginall Will, dated October 2nd, 1640, in Irelad, & was ratified & confirmed by my father 2 daies before he died — in presence of many Noble Persons, — when he called to my Coz.cousin wandesford to fetch it to him & read it before him. Then & there, before them all, declared it to them to be his last will & Testament, & did ratifie & confirme the same & revoked all other wills but this which should stand & be in full power & vertue. & praid them to beare wittness of the same & sett to his hand before my Lord Dillon, Sir George Ratclif, my Lord of Ormond, my Lord Bishop of Derry, Coz.Cousin wand:Wandesford, my deare mother & many more of his Servants & others. with strict charge to my Lord Bishop of Derry & my Cozen Wand.Wandesford that they would see it faithfully Performed, and to pay all his Debts (what ever justly proved, be it by Bill or Bond or any other way due, & to be cairefull of his deare Wiffe & 4 Children, & this same charge allso he gave to his Son, George, as he & they would answer it to him in annother World.

Affter this soe solomne, & Sacred a Charg, they all answred that by the grace of God they wold performe his command to the best of there Powr, uppon which he gave it into my Coz.cousin Wand.Wandesford's hand to lay by where it was.

These things I have often heard rehersed and, after my D.dear fathers deceace, my Coz.cousin W.Wandesford gave it into my dere mothers hand to keepe till he called for to prove the same. in which time, which was about a quarter of a yeare, I had much occasion to reade it & be acquainted, with the contents there of, being advised to do so by my deare mother, saing it conserned me to know it, for in it was all the provision for me that I was like to injoy which I had by my deare Fathers noble disposition to me who he loved soe dearly.

Affter which time, my Coz.cousin wandesford came, & called for My fathers Will & said he would goe & prove the same, but my mother must neds lay downe monney for he had non till he gott cut of the Estate. & faithfully promised to pay her againe but he never did that (nor 100l more he got her to borow 39 For him, to mannage the Irish Estate with) but had her bound with him to Mr Edmonds. which, tho he did get many hundreds from the Estate of Castle-Comber, yett never sattisfied those monneys, but lett my deare Mother be sued by Edmonds many yerrs affter. & gott him selfe fred, & left her in the lurch to the mercy of that Jew. who sued her to an out Lawyery, & put her to great greife, (who was forced to pay 200l & all Charges, beside the trouble my d.dear mother had about that bussiness/.

Alltho, when he had proved the will and had taken Admininstration, he came to my mothr & (I, beeing in the Chamber) did Solomnly pro- -test, with his hand on his breast. That, by the Grace of God, he would Performe that Sacred &, just will of that holy, good man. (my Lord Deputy Wandesford) to his uttmost ability.

But affter this, he went with his Family to Castle-Comber & there lived like a Lord on the Land, & receaved Rents & did what he would amongst the Tennants, but paied noe body, nor Debts, but cast them uppon my d.dear mother, which had all the hard trouble of Children, servants, Debts, &cet cetera. while she lived in Ireland, to her great damage & loss,

And was ready to do all acts of kindness to the family. & for the hon.or of my fathers memory; she staied in Dublin; till affter the Rebellion brok out in Octb.October 23rd following. Paid of Servants & bills & creaditors, due befor his Death; haveing sent my brother, George, her Eldest son, in to England, with the Countess of Straford In order, to be with my Uncle Osborne for his better opportunity of Education.

Who was one of his Gaurdians, with my mothr, , & tooke as much caire of him as his owne Son and sent him into france for improvement of travell with Mr Anderson (a most wise, sobr &, Pieous, man, an Excelent Scoller & a devin).

There he was with him in France till no mony could be gotten out of the English Estate when the warrs, broke out heere, and was in confusion.

Affter the Rebellion was, in Ireland, as before, all the English that could possibly fly into England did to save there selves; my mother, desiring to save all the goods allso with her in Dublin, prepared for England, & tooke a Ship goeing for westChestr, but writt word to Coz.cousin wand.Wandesford (into the Countrey) first to make haste, & come a way to save themselves and all the Tennants & there goods what ever, for The Rebellion was all over Ireland.

But he would not harken to her advice, nor come away, saing it was only her Effeminate feares. for there was noe stirring there att Castle-Comber, nor did they, for 6 weekes begin, therefore, he might 41 have saved himselfe, — and all the goods, Rents & what ever was either my d.dear fathers or the Tenants — had he not bin willfully, possesed with blindness & madness, which not only, lost there goods but many of there lives; & him selfe singly preserved by a singuler Providence. as I shall relate heere aftr.

After my deare mother, & us 3 children, (my brother, Christopher, & brother, John & myself) with my two nephews, (Tom & Kitt Danbys, came to England, staied at Chester, no longer then we could gett safely into yorkshire, we passed many dangers, & Enimyes: but our God delivred us out of them. all: blessed be his holy name for Evr.

At Chester, (At that time) my deare mother was desired, by my uncle (will.mWilliam wandesforde, to give him my fathers Booke of advice to his son, George, writt, with his owne hand which he would keep for my brother, George: she made many excuses, & would not willingly have givn it him, but don it, her selfe. (as most proper for her). But At last, she found him discontented, & was willing to obleige his kindness to her selfe, and Children, she commited it into his caire & custody, with Charge to preserve it, (as the Richest Jewell she had, to be contineued in the Family, & givn to her Son, George; on the first opportunity: which he did pro- test faithfully he would; but, alas, it was after- -wards in the warrs Lost (as he said) with all his writings.

But the sudainess & sirprize my uncle Will.mWilliam tooke her in, did prevent her intentions of takeing a Copie of my Deare Fathers Booke befor he gott it from her, & she was but newly come into England (& but a stranger) wanted time to take a Copy; therefore, desired to lett her have a Copy of it from him which he did promise her.

Tho the warres, growing hott betwixt the King & Parliament, caused my Uncle, to fly for safety & leave the said Booke in to the Costody of somme freinds — with his owne Evidences of all his Estate Which the Parliament party seized on; yet, blessed be God, I have great cause to acknowledge his great goodness in the pre- serving one Copy of the said booke, (which now I am soe happy to Injoy one writt out by it).

And Altho the mannuscript it selfe was soe unhappily gon, from the whole Family, and that non of his Chilldren was soe happy to see our deare, & blessed Father, his advice, under his owne hand, (writing to his deare Son, George) but my selfe, who read it sevrall times over when in my mothers keeping.

The benifitt whereof I would not have, wanted for great Riches. when I had his advise to us by his owne pen, & esteemed it a great mercy to me in Perticuler whose councell was most Percing to my ♥.

And when I could beare wittness my selfe. that his advice to his Children was Zealously Practi-sed by him selfe in his life, & holy Conversation.

AnAnd it has bin my great greife That noe good freinds pen, could have leasure, in those, sad times, to write us an account, to the world of his Eminent, holy, wise, Prudent, & Pieous life, and Conversation, whose vertues was soe Eminent that he lives fresh in the memoryes of all that knew him. if it had bin writ out, t'would Continue his memory for Ever.

We must, therefore, rest ourselves contented in the injoyment of what he left, behind him, & — since we are deprivd of the orriginall of that Excelent, Manuscript it selfe, — be thankfull for what we have of him, in the Copy which I obteined by a providence, to my great Joy.

Praising the Lord, my God, who brought to my memory fresh againe soe much of that good booke; which, all tho, I had not seene, nor heard of, for many yeares. (vidzvidelicet. from the yeare 1641 Till the yeare 1657, (or 1664),

yett did those Carracters remaine soe deeply ingraven on my poore hart, that I could have testified the trueth to have bin my hon.redhonoured fathrs meathod, stile, &, Councell, & have gott it Copied over since, I had it for my brother, Sir Ch.Christopher wandWandesford, his, Son, and for the Earle of Straford, who de- -sired them very Ernestly of me.

Of the Providence to me, in finding the Copy of my hon.redHonoured fathers booke of Advise to his Son, George wandesforde.

Uppon the agrement & Compromise of all the suits in the family (when the will was a- wanting,) and affter it was found againe to our Joy & Comfort, & all belonging (who had an Intrest in it); made by Barron Thorpe, and all things setled betwixt Mr Thornton and Sir ChChristopher wandsford — & he ordred to delivr up the Irish Estate, on Trust to performe the will. —

They were to meete with Mr John Dodsworth of watlous who was, as a Common freind, in- trusted to keepe somne writings, for all partys.

Mr Thornton and my brother Denton was, to goe thither in order to Signe and Seale -writings, with Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford, who had yelded to Pay my Thousand Pounds, out of Ireland. and to sattisfy Mr Thornton for Mr Nettletons Debt (for which he suffred soe much, & was soe much perplexed by him.)

I say, when my husband was then at watlous, (my Cozen Dodsworth, carring him into his study to looke uppon his Bookes, haveing a vry fine Librarey there.

My Cozen Dodsworth tould, him, 'Cosen, I have one little booke, in my Study which is but a little mannuscript (a Paper booke.) (A Copie.)

But I valew it above all the bookes in my Library; and that is My Lord Deputy Wandesfords, Booke of advice to his Son, George'.

Uppon which, my deare husband said that he had heard much of it, & a very high Carectr of it but nerenever had seene it, and that his wife had many times (with teares) Lamented the Losse of it extreamly. & would be over Joyed to have but a Copy of it; asking my Cozen how he had it, & came by it, because the orriginall was lost many yeares agon. (as I tould him).

My Cozen tould, him, the truth, of it. That it was, indeed, writt out in Ireland by his Sonn, Timmothy Dodsworth, who was my Lord Deputys Servant, & one whom my Lord had a peculiar kindness for, (intending to make him his Secretry). And, when my Lord had comme home from the Councell Table, did ev'ry night, for an houer or 2 write, in that Booke before he went to bed. And, affter that he was in bed, made him read in some good booke & instructed him in it, & soe continud till my Lord was over come with sleepe; (he not goeing to bed, till 12 or one a Clocke att night. & riss again by 5 or 6 in the mornings).

My Lord leaving the booke on the Table at his goeing to bed. his Son, Timmothy, knew somthing of the Subject, (that it was of an Excelent nature, as this, that came from him) thought it would be of great advantage to himselfe in poynt of instruction (beeing a young man & but comming into the world).

And soe, with out my Lords knowledge, did Copy it over him selfe, as well as he could by nights, when my Lord was asleepe & soe he satt many nights up the most of it to doe it, for he durst not have don it if my Lord had discovred him.

'I confess', said my Coz:, 'it was a very bold part in him to doe it, & what he ought not. but since it soe fell out that the orriginall of my Lords Booke was lost: I thinke it was very well, that we had somthing of him. tho it be not soe perfectly writt as by day one might correct the, mistakes that ner a scoller where it is not true spelled'.

Mr Thornton begged the booke of him for me, and said he would correct any thing of that kind. & did assure him I would take it for the hiest favour he could do me, & it would be The greatest kindness in the world; soe he lent it him for me, to have a month to read & take a Copy of, which by great kindness I gott my good Brother Denton to do for me. (he, writing it in Carracters, could not for his other imploy gett don till severall years affter.)

I, beging the kindness, of him, he gott it writ out for me, & I got annother Copy writt by Mr Smith for my selfe and soe gave my Son, Robert Thornton, that copie which my brothr Denton writt for me first out: (To Cambridge.)

Thus, have I made a long discource of this booke. but not in vaine: for I humbly blesse & praise the name of my God for it; & that I have receavd a Copy, which was don for a good end tho not in such a manner: but I am sure we ought to express our signall gratitude in living up as neare as we can, both, I and mine, to the Pieous Rules, & dictates, of our holy, good Father, and if the Rechabites retaind soe great a Reverence & obedence for there fathers commands, (as they did) And soe obteined a blessing of there God in there obedience. Oh, would to God he would pleas to indow the hearts of my selfe, my children & Chillderen Cchildren, & my Fathers allso, of his Family.

That he would give us all that are of his seed) his Grace, to walke in his Commandements, & in the wholsome, Precepts which he has Commanded us by our blessed Father, — which he was teached by the spiritt of his God, & has Confirmed it by his Practice; & instructed us by his holy booke. That soe we may all, injoy the said blessing on us & our Posterity which befell upon the Rekabites for there obedience and that for Jesus Christ, his sake. Amen.

Haveing in the best manner I could writ downe, for the use of my Children, the mercys of God, to preserve the Copy of this Excelent Father of our Family in memory amongst us, the blessing we injoyed, in his life & wherein he immitated the great father of the faithful Abraham to instruct & teach his house & Children in the waies of God, & to command us by his holy writeings — a pledge of his lasting love & caire of our Precious Soules to all Posteri ties, not only of us but even of many more good People; — O, Lett us, my deare Children, walke worthy of all these favours of God & learne to love God: feare him &, serve him with all our hearts

And to keepe his holy Commandements, which not only teached us by his owne word & spiritt, but confirmd it to us, by the Examples Anand precepts of this my deare, & Naturall Father.

I charge you, therfore, all my deare Children and grandchildren, to keepe fast those good Instructions, advice, & councells which are writt in my said hon.redhonoured Fathers booke, & to make it your indeavours to walke answerable, to those precepts in the framing your lives; & Conversations, uprightly; & just, in your Thoughts, words, & actions, & observe his wise, & prudent Councells, which will be a meanes to draw downe Gods blessings uppon your heads & to make your Families to prosper in this Life and, by your Pieous Examples, to Intaile an Etternall Blessng uppon your Seeds. Seed after you.

That Sinfull habitts may not poyson your younger yeares with those follies your Age is too prone to, (& too much incoraged by the vanities of this Wicked age) & least those mercys you injoy by this holy Saint of God; be turned into Judgement — you haveing the true faith, & light, made known more unto you then the World, yet, walking contrary to it, may prove a greater Condenmation in the day of Judgement, — who haveing receaved more knowledge Of the truth, (in so Plaine, & Easey; kinde, & obleiging, tenderness, of a deare Father to his Children. That it will be the greatest act of in- -gratitude to Heaven, & your hon.redhonoured Fathers memory, not to make this your Rule to walke by who left this Carracter, for the wisest, vertuous, & justest man in his time.

Oh, then, lett not, I beseech you, his hon.or be staind in you that are his branches. soe shall you, I hope, all receave the same reward of your vetue in heaven which I hope you & he may possess togeather, which is the incessant Prayer of her who is your most affectionate and afflicted mother. Alice Thornton.

It is now more then time to returne to men -tion the Preservation of the last will & Testament of my deare Father, who first tooke caire of our spiritulls in his booke. And then for our Temporall Estate by his will, disposing his Estate in a Just manner to all his Children, & it had certainly bin soe performed, — if not prevented, by the suceeding Rebellions, in Ireland, & England that destroyed the Estate, — we should have had our Education out of & we was, all of us, obleiged to my deare & Pios mother who, out of her Joynture, gave us all the bread we eate, & Cloths, & all things we injoyed.

For which great act of Charity, & affectionate kindnes, her Children, can never enough acknowledge her goodness, nor speake too much in hon.or of her holy memory. Nor ought we to forgett our most humble Thankes to Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who contineued this, our deare Parent, soe long & to give her that hart to imbouell her selfe, & Estate for us, when the Estate was seized on by the Parlintparliament & so we all at a losse: (when Kirklington was sequstered for my brother, George, who they prosecuted, beeing for the blessed King Charles, the martyr. a sufferer.)

But since I must take notice where I left of the Will, — being, left on the fyle in Ireland by my Coz.cousin wandesford — I must goe backe, to speake of my brother, George: Eldest Son of my Father; & who went into France with Mr Anderson for education, & staied soe long till there could not be any monney got out of the Estate to suport him there. &, therefore, called home to my uncle, Sir Edward Osbornes, my deare mothers Brothr, beeing his Gaurdian, Joynd with my mother;

After his returne to Hipswell, which was her, Joyntr, , he tould her; That he persaved my uncle, W.William wandWandesford, was much incombred, with my fathers Debts, & troubls, and the Creaditors, was very pressing, soe that he had a desire to goe over into Ireland on purpos to gett a true Copy of my fathers will, That he might see to doe evry one right, & to pay them ther dues. To which my deare mot.mother answred; 'Son, it will be very well don of you to do soe. and god would bless you the better to do Justice to all & pay Debts, as your Deare Fathr ordered, by his will:'. there- uppon, my brother, George, did goe into Ireland about the yeare 1647.

And at his returne home, shewed my mothr the Copie of the said will out of the Court, in Ireland, & attested, by Sir william Reives, his hand, to be a true, & Authentique Copy of the orriginall will of my Father (Sir will.mWilliam beeing the master of that Court for Probat of wills, but my B.brother, G.George, tould us he owed some mony to the Court for the Coping the said will out.

My Brother then saing to my mother. 'Madm, I went into Ireland on purpose to gett a Copy of my fathers will, & heere is one, & by gods grace, I will performe it, to a tittle, as much as in me lyes, and do right to you, my Sister, & brothers, my uncle will.mWilliam and to all the Creaditors according to my fathers Charge at his Death'.

My mother said, 'Son, it is a very good Act of you, & you will be the happier in the good performance of it & receave a blessing from God.

But, in regard you must keepe that Copie for your owne use, & I & your sister wants one to repaire to: I would have a Copy of it, to keepe by me'. my brother said, she should have one, and that he would write it out for her, & if he could not gett time his brotherbrothers, Kitt & John, and his sister might gett it don amongst them.

After which he began the Copieing the will out and with his owne hand writt on the out side of the Leafe in great letters: 'The Will: Aprill 1st, 1647' — and then proceeded to write the first 3 leaves, all with his owne hand. Which Copy I have yet.

But the treaty of marriage being then begun, betwixt Sir John Lowthers Eldest daughter and him selfe, he was soe full of Bussiness that he never gott time to write out any more of it, but the rest of the Copy was writt out by my 2 brothers, Christopher and John, and by my selfe part of itt.

All our hands beeing at it. but the last was my Brobrother Christophers hand, as may apeare by his Name at it & writt (Copiea VeraCopia vera.) to testify the same. The wittnesses to my fathers will, weare as follows: John Burniston. Ralph Wallis. George Stra- -herne, James Foxcrafft, Ezra. Wollstone.

And this very Copie has bin ever since in my ddear mothrs hand, & my owne; beeing forced, to give our testimony uppon oath conserning the said will when Sir Ch.Christopher wWandesford came Heire, (uppon the sad losse of my deare Bro.brother, George; & that the Authentique Copy was delivrd to my brother, Christopher, by my Uncle, will.mWilliam wand.Wandesford, Who — uppon the delivry of it to him — promised me, & my mother to lett us have it to take a Copy by at any time, & never denied to give us one. a long time. but, affter his mariage with that Lady (which his brother, George, should have had:

Sir John Lowthers Daugher, Mrs Eleaonor. beeing many times asked by my selfe & my D.dear mother — when he came to Hipswell — That he would please to give us that Copy of the will which was my brother Georges, & that he had gon into Ireland on purpose to gett one out of the Court. to do right to evry one of us by it, & allso, he, himselfe, promised faithfully to us he would do soe too. when my uncle gave it him in our sight And would lett us have it to Copy one by it. Affter my Brothr George, (his death) he would somme times have said we shud have it. & he wold brng it with him, & other times say, he had forgotten it: but indeed we should have it next time.

And afterwards, about halfe a yeare, I begged it, & praied him for GodGod's sake to lett me have it. for I could not gett my dues of the Tennants, which was to pay me by my uncles Assignment out of Kirklington (which he knew to be true, & had gon with, me to helpe me to get it of them before he was marid). Then, he tould me that he had laid it wher he knew not, how to find it. nor knew not where it was. Except Sir John Lowthr had it.

At which answer, I was surprized, & much conserned. fearing some ill consequence to follow to us, because he had got it into his hand,

Tho I was hopefull that my poore brother wold not be prevailed with to doe any thing contrary to his knowledge of the will of my Father (if he did but understand the thing rightly).

Soe, I still intreated him to looke for it, & gett it from Sir John: but durst not speake my feares, to shew any distrust of Sir John.

But, affer this time, my brother ChristopChristopher would never be knowne that he had found the Copy, nor had we any other, but that which was writt out by us, all, in parts, which we repard to on all occassions.

It was about this time that the will was begun to be questioned, Tho I beleive Sir John had a designe, to have destroyed both the will & Deeds of my D.dear Father. in my, brother Georg his his Life time, as I have herd & attested by my D.dear brother, G.George, & my uncle att the last time of there meeting with Sir John L.Lowther, about the Termes of the match: — which was the very last time of the Treaty, for my Brother, George, would not grant to that Sir John proposed, & soe they parted in displeasure.

It beeing very late they had there dis -course that time, I thinke, at Sobers in Rich mond, & my uncle will.mWilliam fell asleepe on the Couch, when Sir John L.Lowther & my brother G.George discorced on there bussiness.

At last, Sir John, tould my brother, G.George, That he would never, have his Estate his owne, nor free to settle as he would, till the Will, & Deeds, of his Father were all Distroy -ed. & then he might settle, or dispose, as he would his Estate:

At which motion of Sir John Lowther (was my, deare Brother, being extreamly offend -ed,) said, 'Sir John. I will never do soe un -worthy & unjust an action, nor have my hand in the destruction of my hon.redhonoured Fathers will, &, deeds, while, I live, & you shall nevr perswade me to it; & if I cannot have your daughter with out it, I will never consent'.

'Then', said Sir John, 'the bussiness is don'. and parted, for that time, & ever: For, God knowes, he was drowned in goeing over the River swale on March 31, 1651, beeing most sad & misrable for all our Family to los soe good

And honnest a man, who would not do an un worthy; or unjust Act, tho it were in secrett -& for his Advantage. That night, affter Sir John had made this motion, to my D.dear brother, (as before, & my uncle was sleeping (as I tould you).

My brother G.George awaked my uncle will.mWilliam & Chid him, saing: 'you are sleeping heere, & never mind your bussiness, when all Lies at stake. you little know; what Sir John and I have don: I might have destroyed you all, & you nerenever heed: 'why', said my uncle, 'whats the matter.

My D.dear brother, George. tould him what Sir John Said, thus; 'did not Sir John make a motion to me, &, would have had me Consent to it, for to destroy all my Fathers Deeds, & his Will. & said I shud never be master of my owne Estate, till I had destroyed my fathers will & Deeds.' then said my Uncle. 'God forbid. did you yeald to do it.?'

'No,' said my D.dear Brother, 'doe you thinke that I will ever be such a Rogue, God forbid. And I will see the old dog hanged before he shall ever make me do soe wicked a thing. & soe, on On some other words, we parted, & the bussiness is att an End. if he require such termes of me'. at which my uncle rejoyced to heare, such Resolute, honest Principalls from soe young a man And that he would not gaine a wife to do an unjust Action against, his Fathers just will & Testant.

This one act doth speake much for the hon.or of my deceased brothers memory. & I hope he now injoyeth, that blessed happiness of keeping his Fathers Commad when, he was tempted to have broken them, & that uppon the advantage of a mathmatch and to have advanced his Temporall Estate, — if he had don. — by many Thousands, but, then he might not had that blessdnes he, I hope, now injoyes with the God of Justice for ever. I wish this good action in him may be a President for my Sone & Fami ly to walke by. which makes me be more Punctuall, to sett doune the sircunstances of this story.

And, secondly, it too much confirmes the Bussiness to proceed from Sir John L.Lowther's advice and councell, to my second brother, Sir Ch.Christopher W.Wandesford, of, Conseallment of the Copy aforesaid. & then they proceeded to search the Roles Office, where the will was proved, and Putt on the file, as I have related before.

But since that time (in the yeare; 1647) & this yeare (1652 or 1653) there had bin a great Revolution & change, — or Changes — in the Govrnment. since my brother, G.George W.Wandesford, had taken the Copy of the will as before Relatd. And when search was made for it there, There, was found noe Will on the file, nor any footsteps of such a will, all things beeing Changed, by the Protector Cromwell, & his Instruments, & all those wills, &, Testaments Then on the file they. found, was all destroyed by the mallice, of the Soldiers & others. Soe that all the Kingdom was att a most sad losse & damage, & many familyes was destroyed, for want of those ssettlements. that was then awanting.

I supose this newes did not a little Please them at Lowther, whose end it served. And forth with Putt these designes in agitation, declaring publickly that a dilligent search was made by Sir JohnJohn's meanes in the Roles office in Ireland for The will of the Lord Deputy, Wandesford but there was non, (nor, the officers that was then in the office said, there, never had bin any since they came to it).

This sad newes was very surprising & afflicting, to all the Family, (except to the Heire.), who came in very unfortunatly so, to be. by the the sudaine, & lamentable Death of the bravest Person then in the North.

(And had often bin heard to say that before his death, that if he thought, he shold dy without Issue; he would cast the Inta- -ile of, & give the Estat to his Brothr John, & my selfe, Leaving him only what Portion, & Anuity my Father left him.)

But the will of our Heavenly Father be don in all things. for I never wished nor de- -sired any thing, save what I had nobly given, & 61 And bequeathed by my hon.redhonoured Fathers last Will, & Testament, And that, even now by the want, (or as we feared, to be in danger to be lost) & so deprived of all the maintena-nce & portion, which I was to injoy in the world.

All the Creaditors. & Relations was like to Suffer in this generall, calamity. who had not gott a Copy out of the orriginall will. but was forsed to repare to That Copy I mentiond Taken by my 3 brothers & my selfe (out of that Authenticke my brother, Christophr, had given, him by my uncle, william wWandesford, which he pretended to be Lost. long before).

Soe that Mr Nettleton compelld my mothr &, my selfe to give in our Testimony on oath before a master of Chancery. which we did accordingly, to the best of our knowledge & memory at hipswell (novembr the 3rd, 1658), which was fixed to the said Copy. writ by my brothrs (Aprill the 1st, 1647); wherein we declared fully many truths con- serning the time & sircumstances of the mak ing the said

will which was don (OctbrOctober 2nd, 1640) & declared in Publick to the persons of quality that he had, that day finished, & signed & sealed his last will & Testament. expressing great Joy That God had given him health & leave to doe it.

And againe |Dec.December 1st, 1640| he caused it to be brought out 3 dais befor his death, and Ratified & confirmed the same before manny within.

We allso declared my brother, George WWandesford, his actions, & procuring it out of Ireland A true Copy of it, which he tooke out of the Court, & then saw himselfe the orriginall (out of which his Copy was writt out of, & that was attested by the masters owne hand.

These, & many more things of Consequence, proveing that my father, made a will, (the time when, the date, of, The Ratifieng, & confirmation of it, & the time when; & when, & by whom it was Proved, & by whom the continuance, how long uppon file. at the Taking out the said copy by B.brother, George, The delivry of the said copy to my brother, Christophr, his promise to let us have a copy writt out of that same Copy Authentique (With many other Essentiall sircumstances conserning the knowledge of my said brothr, Christopher, That there was a will of his Hon.redhonoured Father, was attestied, & proved, as appeares by the Testimonys afforesaid. which did make it fully apeare to the world, — & to the Consience of my said brother; — that it was noe forgery, nor false pretentions of a will, made by his Father, but such by which he himselfe did acknowledge in his owne behalfe, before he was, come heere, & very, strictly demanded his owne Education money, as well as my Portion out of Kirklinton.

Soe that this consideration, as touching his hon.or, & of that, of the Family in him, did much move, my deare mother, & my selfe, not to lett it apeare in publick as a wittness aganst him, but did put nettleton of as much as we could, & only kept it private, that, but in case of absolute necessity, never to apeare, out of our tendernes of affection, to my poore brother, whose case, as well as our owne, we did Lament. he, beeing of too good a nature, & soe much imposed uppon by cunning pollocy.

(And not diserning the Sin at the Botom of entring upon the Estate on the Intalles account, soe well as his brother George) did goe too farre in this affaire.

Entred into suits with my Uncle william & my husband. or indeed caused them to prove the will, it being denyed by him.

And soe, we Reduced into very ill sircumstances about it. being in dangr to have all our Estate Seized on by the Creaditors, Especially by Mr Nettleton , to whom my, deare husband became bound, & Entred into a Statute for his Debt of 1000l uppon the takeing of the Assignment.

He, perseaving, the will was lost & that he had good security from Mr Thornton, immeadiatly, claped a writt on him & soe hasty, & malicious against him that he caused him to ssell his Land, at Burn- Parke to pay him of, but still, tho Mr Th.Thornton had paid him much money, yet had he not prevailed to get the Decree out of Court, cleared, before his death. But that sad bussiness was on the Estate till affter wards that I did gett it cleered.. Of which sircumstances of great moment, I shall have cause to speake of in due time.

But to returne, to the sad troubles we were all in uppon the Losse of the will, which caused many long & teadious Suits (Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford suing Mr Thornton, my uncle will.mWilliam and the Trustees, for the Meane Profits of the whole Estate in Ireland, And laid to there Charge above Twenty Thousand Pounds, which, by my Deare husbnds bond to Mr Norton, on the taking the Assignment, did, all fall uppon him because he entred uppon the Trust & the Estate together).

The consequence of these troubles did fall very heavy uppon me, — in the behalfe of my Poore husband soe involved in it — & like to have made me miscarry (beeing then with Childe. with greife of all these things.

But still I Looked upp to the God of mercys, which knew, all secrets. & designes of Satan to make, us miserable, & to be destroyd by our owne neare relations.

he knew the truth of my fathers will & that he had givn him wisdome & Power to do it, & to take caire in that for the widdow & fathrless. Therefore, to him a lone, I powred out my Complaints, & shewed him, of my Tro bles, for he a lone could bring my selfe & deare husband out of all our afflictions & to find, out a way to Escape, &, therefor, humbly, cast my selfe downe, for delivranc which way seemd best to his gracious bounty, & mercy, humbly begging, his grace, to indure with Patience his trialls & suport to my deare husband, & my selfe, that our faith might, not faile under all the fallse dealings of men. & to pard- -on all those that offend not in malicious wickedness. &, in, his due time, to grant us delivrance, which way was most fitt in his devne wisdom. And that for the sake of our Lord; & saviours (Sake (Amen: Jesus Christ, our Redemer, & our Judgesjudge.

While we were all in the sadest trouble and Confusion immaginable, about the want of the will, and just like to be devoured up by Sir Ch.Christopher w.Wandesford's suits (beeing Egged on to that (which he would have died before he had don it. before)

Mr Thornton, haveing sent over in to Ireland A soliciter, to mannage, those affaires & to Seeke affter, the inquiry, to find the will if Possibly, to be had, — The name of this man was, william Mettcalfe, a Servant to my Uncle, will.mWilliam Wandesfordes —

The account he gave of the will was that all those wills which were on, the file when the Lord Protectors, Son, Richard fleetwood, came over, not one of them was left, but all was gon, or cutt in Peices for Tailors measures, or any idle use, & had no regard to them: & for any thing he could learne, he feared, that my Lord Deputys, will had the same fortune, as those on the file had.

Which sad newes did much afflict us all but especially my D.dear mother, & my selfe, who was true mourners for soe sad a Calamity That, soe holy, good mans will & dispose, of his Estate, soe Solomnly, & soe Just ly don, should come to an infortunate an End & his Family, like to be, over throne by it:

But still, we hoped for some delivrance in the mercys of God some way or other.

Of the maner how my hon.redHonoured Fathers Last will and Testament was found Affter the Losse of it for many yers

It is much to be observed by us, the Children of my deare Father, how he (the God of mercys) tooke caire of us & all our consernes in giveing leave that all things was don, for the right Establis -ment of peace in this Family, & for Provission & the establishment thereof by his will and deeds, & that the will was don soe Leagally that we could not totally be destroyed. (tho our adversarys indevrd it to the uttmost & to take that advantg when the will seemd to be lost).

But yett, I cannot but acknowledge the immence goodnes of our Gracious God in this very perticuler — of its beeing of the File, was the only way to have it be Preserved to Posterity.

I tooke notice before, when my Dere Brother, George, had bin in Ireland to Get a Copey of the will, he said that he had not monney to discharge the Court for the Copieng of soe Large a Great will, & that he would send the somme over to pay for it (which, as I remember, was 5l or 6l, with fees & all the Charges belonging to it).

But he could not gett monneys to pay with, we gott very little, out of my mothers & For her selfe, to live on, & soe the warrs came still on & my poore brother, G.George, was forced to fly for safety from one place to annother. (till his sequstration was gott of by the meanes of my uncle, Richard, Daley, who traversed it for him).

And noe sooner that was of, (but he, goeing to write the acknowledgement of his gratitude, to him, but in goeing over to Richmond by the wath at the end of the grownd of my mothers Pasture.

But a flood did arrise while he was in the River, & overcame him, & he was lost. (the Perticulers is more at large related by me in my first booke of my owne Life.)

And that money was never Paid into the Court but remained a Debt all that time.

The Clarke, to whom the fees was due; for the securing of his monneys, did keep the will of my Father, with the Probatt of the same, by my Cozen wandesforde. of the file and laid them very cairfuly up in a larg, Iron bound Chest,

Together with many more writings of the said nature, (Deeds; of Evidences, which belonged, to Persons of quality. suposing thos that wanted them would inquire for them.

This same Clerke, lodged at one Mr Kernys house in Dublin, and fell sicke there, & (before he died, owing this Mr Kerny somme, monney for his Table) called to him, & tould him, he owed him moneys, but Cud not pay him for he had a great deale owing to him. for those Writtings & Deeds:

And that he gave him into his Charge an Iron bound Chest, with the key, which he charged him to have a great caire of, & to delivr them into 71 hands of such as should inquire for them, And assured, they were of soe great valew that the parties would pay well for them, & that he could not lose by them.

The poore Clarke died, and Mr Kerny still kept the Chest under safe Custody, and non came to inquire for there writings, & there was such a disturbance in Ireland, & that City of Dublin. That, till there was somme Peace & respit from troubles, he did not see fitt to looke into the Chest:

But now, as it was soe ordered by our good God in his Providence for our reliefe. was the time, that Mr Kerney did first open this Chest, finding many Deeds, and wills, & Evidences, put up very safely.

He, takeing them all out of the Chest, till he came at the very botom, of it, And finds A large Stately writings in 5 sheets of Parchment and, looking at the Bottome, The name of my Lord Deputy Wandesford (with his hand & Seale) and which was at - his Last will & Testament.

Finding allso, Mr Ralph Wallis, his hand, as a wittness to the will, with 4 other mens hands to it. Allso, the Probat of the said will, as it had bin out of the Court & put there for Custody.

Mr Kerney, knowing Mr wallis his hand, went forth with to him and asked him if he knew my Lord Deputy Wandesford. Mr wallis answred, 'yes', he had reason to know & spake greatly in his incomium, 'but why doe you aske that question?' Mr K.Kerney said, 'doe you know your hand when you se it.?' 'I thinke I doe', said Mr wallis..

At which, Mr Kerney Produced my Dere Fathers Will, & shewed it to him. uppon this, Mr wallis, cryed out, 'Oh, my, deare Lord! how joyfull am I to see this blesed hand againe' &, with affectionate teares, he kissed his deare lords hand, & name, saing, 'I will be deposed of the truth of it. That this is my Lords last will and Testimt', and that he, himselfe, ingrossed evry word of it, beeing written by his owne hand & that it was The last Act his Lord did, to confirme & Ratify the said last will, & Testament, saing, with a sad heart, for the want of this will, to sett all right amongst the Family, we were all most destroyed, asked him how he came by it; who tould him all the said sircumst -ances as before related.

To which he answred, it was the greatet Providence of God, that it was of the file in those sad times, for they would have bin destroyed.

And was allso the mercy of God to have it now found & restored againe, which he hopd would be a meanes to preserve that noble Family from Ruine for want of it.

He did allso assure him, he should be gratefully Paied for those moneys due for the Copy Mr George wandsford had. tho- God knowes what a Loss there was of that brave Gentleman. in that Family.

After this, Mr wallis did with speed & great Joy acquaint Mr Burniston with it, which did much rejoyce of its beeing found and attested his hand as wittness to it also.

After, Mr Wallis, & Mr Burniston had con- -sulted of that bussiness of the will being found, They judged it, absolutly necessary to seeke out for will.mWilliam Metcalfe (Mr Thorntons Agent) for that imployment. Acquainting him with that happy newes of it's Restoration, & of the occassion of the wills being taken of the File, as before mentioned. All of them, did agree with speed to acquaint my Husband with the good newes of this Discovery.

Soe, Mr Burniston did write to my uncl william; & william mettcalfe writ with speed to Mr Thornton, and the sircumstances of the strange Preservation, of this Excelent will of my Dead, Deare Father: Which most happy newes was soe great a Joy to my deare mother and my selfe as was not immaginable, haveing laid soe long consealled, & yett safely Preserved from there de- -struction as many others, light on, that was on the file in that time. blessed & praised be the name of God.

It was matter of great Joy to us, who was in great danger to be utterly Ruined in our Estestate for the want of it. And Especially to my Dere husband by the Assignment of Mr Norton, where by he was soe deeply obleiged and that Estate to pay debts, was like to be Pulled unjustly from the Children, & Creaditors, of my dere Fathr.

According to Mr wallis Promise to Mr Kerny, All his monneys, due to that Dead Clarke & himself was by my husbands order, to w.William mettcalfe fully Paid, and, by advice of Mr Wallis, &, Burniston, the said orriginall will was againe Putt on the File, with all the essentiall Serimonyes belonging to it, And there, I hope, it will remaine, preserved to the use of the Family for Ever.

Butt it was a long time, before Sir John Lowther, & my brothers Agents was sattisfied, of the truth of the said will beeing found, and they putt us to a great deale of trouble; & cost to Produce wittnesses, and such Evidences on oath that compelld, them to be sattisfied of the truth of the thing, which we were forced to prove, upon the oaths of Mr Kerny, Mr wallis & Mr Burniton.

The adversarys to it, beeing, unwilling to a- -low soe great a blow, to there designe, as to Enter uppon my fathers Estate, without Sattisfaction of all dues, out of it. therefore, was, raised in Court obiections against us, of Forgeryes, & fallshoods, with designes to Cheat the Heire of his Estate, and Right: which suites, & Charges, & objections, lasted for severall yeares against my u.uncle, william Wandesfd, and my deare, husband, to the great loss, and Damage of us all.

At the last, when much monney and time was spent in Sutes, Treaties, meetings, & motions of freinds, conserning a peacable agreement & composure of differences, & taking up of suits, (which yett was not obteined till affter my deare mothers Deceace.)

She only livd till she saw the happines of the Restoration of my hon.rdhonoured fathers will by which things, was in a posture, better to be secured; then before:

She, dieing in December (9th, 1658) when the suits was in pursuit amongst us, for, Tho All her indeavours, was to make Peace in the Family; yett — such was the inveterate hatred had bin, created; by somme Persons, — that All motions, & mediations, was in vaine, but they Pursued on there designes to destroy us.

yett, since by the mercys, of our Good God, we had, a good Cause in hand, we, & she hoped (with that, the will, beeing produced in its full, vigor) That the Law would at last judge our Cause, a right, & in Equity relevie us. If we did not prevaile, for a Peacable Composure:

But affter her Decease & our removall to St Nickolas, (to my Aunt nortons house, where I laid in of my Son, william. And affter our Removeall from thence to oswoldkirke, (where I lived a yere) till we came to my husbands house at Easte-Newton. which we had Builded it, a new from the Ground, & where many accidents & sicknesses. had hapned to my selfe, & Children, & to my deare husband allso.

yett, it pleased God to give us the blessing of A Son to be borne. the first, Child that ever was borne in it, my Son, Robert. who I brought out there in the yeare of. 1662, Sept.September 19th. with great Perrill of my Life, I bore him, and that night was, (by a flood in his bearing, came uppon me, to the great sorow of my freinds, & Deare husband, I fell in to sounds all that night, & contineued till next day, when all expected my death. the sevrall accidents that happned to me affter his birth, & my aparent danger, & extreamitys there upon. I have more fully mentioned in my first booke of my Life, till my widow condittion, with humble thankes & gratitude, to my gracious God for my delivrances & my sweete Son, Robert Thornton.

The mercys of my gracious Father in heaven did still contineue to me, & us. in beeing Pleased to blesse the in devours of freinds & moveing the hearte of my brother, Sir Christophr Wandesforde, To be inclinable to an, end, & to have the state of the, Case to be made known to Barron Thorpe, who tooke cognoisance of the matter, and, An agreement was stated amongst us.

All suites Ended, and Mr Thornton was to delver up the Estate of Edough in Ireland to Trustees uppon the Performance of the said Trust of my hon.redhonoured fathers last will & Testament, which was, Entred into Bond to be don, by Sir Ch.Christopher wand.Wandesford for the Performance of the same, accordng to that will (which he had soe much denied before. (The Lord Pardon his great Sin:)

yett, by the great Providence of the Almig hty God, he had brought the truth to pass: that he could not Enter into Possession of that Land of his father, with out the sattisfaction of Debt, Portions, & Creaditors, due to be paid out of the same, (Blessed be the Lord, our God, for Evr.)

which by this agrement, with my u.uncle william and my deare husband, according to Barron Thorpes Arbitration, all things (blesed be God) was stated & Comprimised, and Deeds & Articles of Conditions was drawne amongst us. by Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford, my brother, and my Husband. & my uncle, william wandesford.

By vertue of the said Agreement, there was, made 3 Deeds, or Rent, Charges, to secure a Rent, Charge to Mr Thornton, for all his Moneys due to him out of the said Lands of Edough in Ireland; To secure the somme of Two Thousand Pounds to Mr Thornton.

vidzVidelicet. to Pay my owne Thousand Pounds, part of my Portion, which by my fathers will he gave me, out of his Land in Ireland, as an in crease, of what he had allready givn me, out of Kirklington, vidzvidelicet. 1500l Portion.

I, haveing due to me in all, by my fathers will and Testament, the somme of 2500l as Portion. Besides, I ought to have by his will A sufficient allowance for maintenance & Education, till I came to the Age of 21 yeares or marriage, (which first happned, with consent of my deare, mother: To be maintained accord ing to My degree, & qulity: which maintenance I never yett gott one Penny of it, tho due for many years, soe, I was not burthensome for that, yet it doth still remaine due to me.

Allso, Sir Ch.Christopher wand.Wandesford did by that Rent Charge Pay, and Sattisy Mr Thornton for that Debt of Mr Nettleton, which was Paid by Mr Thornton to Mr Nettleton According to the agreement betwixt Sir Ch.Christopher w.Wandesford & Mr Th.Thornton.

There beeing 3 deeds then made, vt.videlicet: 1t, on

1st. by Sir Ch.Christopher w:Wandesford to Mr Th.Thornton (Bearing date, Aprill 15th, 1664). 2nd. The second Deed by william mittchell &, John Hall, (dated, Aprill 16th, 1664). 3rd. The other Deed by will.mWilliam mitchell & and John Hall (Aprill 16th, 1664;

Affter which it was judged Safe for, Mr ThThornton, & but necessary, by Mr Thorntons Councell, to have A Relace from Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford to Mr Thornton. (Dated. 1664).

By which Mr Thornton was secured from all further suits, or demands, from, and conserning matters of the Turst, or Debts & incumbrances what ever. from, or by my said brother, Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford, or any other what ever for acting in the said Trust of my Fatther.

Which by reason of the distraction of the times — The warres, The Death of my deare Brother, George, The want of the will (as before said) beeing of the file, & Sir John Lowthers takng advantage by that opportunity to put my

Poore brother, uppon the deniall of his Fathers will to our great sorrow, & affliction, (because he knew there was one, & had acted according to it in his owne behalfe, & mine when he was a yongr brother).

By reason of all these Sircumstances, the Acting in that bussiness proved of an unhapy consequence to my deare husband & his Estat, & created him more trouble then ever he would have know./

For, on the Contrary, if he had not bin ingaged in that Trust to pay of Debts faster then it could by there suing him for them. — after he had given Nettleton security for his. Then did my uncle william wand.Wandesford demand his Debt from Mr Th.Thornton & soe tooke up the Rents with Charges more then was gotten out of the land. — by reason of which, Mr Thornton was forced to Enter into Debt & to sell his Land att Burn Parke to pay them:

(which, with Intrest & Public Charges, out run a great part. which should have paid his 2 Dau ghters Portions & maintenance).

Whereas, on the contrary. if Mr Thornton had only stucke to my mothers Intrest of 300l per Annum out of that Estate. Anuity for her life.

Which was due for 19 years affter my Fathers death, and was first Charged on the Trust, beeing in lieue of that Estate due by law for Thirds & soe settled by my D.dear Father by Deed of Anuity, & confirmed by his will.

The somme which was due to her beeing to the valew of Six Thousand Pounds. I heard Sir John Lowther Promise my mother for it Fiffteene hundred Pounds for to quit her Intrest there:/

I do belive she would have accepted of it, if left to her selfe, but the same Parties which adv vised Mr Th.Thornton to the Taking on him the Trust did advise my mother to the Contrary, & so she did not accept of Sir Johns motion, when he was to pay her that monney all downe at A Paymt. however, she would have made over her dues there to Mr Thornton, by which he might have entred on the Estate in her right.

And soe have had an intire Intrest before Debts however might have bin sharers with them.

Allso, there was a right due to my poore brother, John Wandesford, of 6000 out of Ireland, which fell on him by my Fathers will, when Christophr became Heire by my B.brother G.George wandesfords Death, with out Heires, as now itt was; & he made me, his only Sister, his, Excequtor./ & gave it to me: (besides there was my owne Portion of A Thousand Pounds which was to have bin paid from that Estate with out dispute)./

Now, if all these intrests, should have failed, it would have bin strainge, & an unaccountable thing when there was, such an Estate, worth Two Thousand Pound a yeare, to pay it out on, besides a great Colliery;

But there was noe feare, by Gods grace of that, being all secured by the will, by which right was, obteined, what I did in joy; haveing also my uncle w.William wandesfords security, & Deed, of Anuity. of two Rent Charges. 1t, of one hundrd Pound per Annum for 6 years. the 2d, for two hundred Pound per Annum. for 5 yeares: to be Recavd out of Kirklington for my 1500l — besides other & better security by Articles made betwixt my said uncle will.mWilliam, my brother, Christopher WandesfWandesford, and my uncle, Richard Darley, in my behalfe before my Marriage.

Uppon which The Articles of Marriage was made betwixt Mr Thornton and and my mother, with the Settlements of his Estate at Easte-Newton, &cet cetera. And Laistrop was made according to the severall Articles & agreements at that time (July 2nd, 1651) as may more at large appear.

But since things fell out contrary to our hopes, & desires, for Mr Thorntons Peace & quiett, with more imparing of our Estate then could have bin wished; we have great rea- -son to blesse, & praise the Lord, our God, that it was noe worse, which it would have bin with out doubt. had not, devine Providence so ordered; that the will of my deare Father was, first, out of harms, way, &, of the file when those lawless times indured.

And yett to be found in due, time, when we were like to be over throwne by our Adversarys, & even in the nicke of time to be produced To preserve, us (& all, who had an intrest, in it) (from destruction).

Therefore, we may say in regard, of this Provid ence; of the Will; as a good man said of himself: Had it not bin lost; we had bin lost. And had, it not bin, found againe, we had bin lost, Thus, mercys express themselves by meanes; with, meanes; with out; meanes, and above meanes: All to the glory of God, our great Creator.

Prayers, and meditations, and thankes- -giveings. uppon, the Miraculous Preservation of my deare; & hon.redHonoured Fathers Booke of advice to his Son, George; as allso, uppon the delivrance of his last will & Testament from destrucion And of its, beeing produced, againe in mercy. by which meanes the Family was preserved. From Ruine: in the yeare 1656

Oh, most great; most, gratious, most Powerfull, & Glorious, Lord, who canest do all things, in heaven; & Earth, by whom we had our Beeing, by whom we now live, & move & have our beeing; Oh, thou that sittest in the heavens & rulest over all from Etternity, to Etternity, God, Blessed for Ever.

Oh my God, what am I, poore & sinfull dust and Ashes, how dare I to presume to come into thy presence, to speake, or make my Praiers before soe holly a God as thou art, when I considr thy Glory, thy majesty & thy omnipotence. thy justice againnst, Sinners, thy Purity that cannot behold sin & inniquity?

How dare I, then, presume to come into thy Presence with soe uncleane & poluted a Soule, or To speake with soe uncleane lips, to soe holy a God as thou art? But, O Lord, I abhorr my selfe in dust and ashes &, since I cannot pray as I ought, humbly beggs of thy devine Majesty thou wilt vouchsafe to take a way sinne and give me soe holy a heart as I ought to pray unto thee & to confess my unworthy -nes to come before thee (oh, dreadfull Lord God).

O thou, that openest, &, noe man shutest, and shuttest and noe man openeth: give me the spiritt of Praier & suplication that I may pray unto thee as I ought. & confe -sse my sin & forsake those things which has offended thy most pure Eyes & caused thy holy majesty to bring such afflictions uppon thy handmaide.

And since thou, by thy Almighty power, & great mercy to me, hath bin pleased, to spaire, & deliver my Soul, and bodie from Death; (both spirituall, & temporall) that I may yet be saved, & delivred out of the snare of Satan, & his servants, that seekes daily to devoure my Soule, redeemed with thy precious Blood. O, my God & Father of mercys, lett me never be overcome by any temptations or any of his Evill practices to Sin against thee, O Lord: God.

Accept the free will offerings of my soule, & Body & give me the spiritt of Praier:, & supplications & direct my heart aright to thee, the Almighty God of Salvation; O, let the words of my mouth, And the thoughts of my heart, & meditations be acceptable to thy devine Majesty: now & at all times, O God, my strength & my Salvation.

O, Eternall. omnipotent & most mighty, And most, mercifull Father, &, Creator; & Preserver of all the world, by whom I now lve & have my beeing, & hath permitted me to live to the forty second yeare of my Life; & brought me out of many tribulations, & afflictions, ever since I was borne to this time of my daies & into a sorrowfull widdowed condittion.

Behold me now, O Lord, the daughter of thy servant, & handmaide, with the Eyes of thy mercy, & not of thy justice, with the Eye of thy sweetest Clemency. & not severity, against Sinners, for if thou be too Extreame to marke what is don amisse, O Lord, who is able to abide it.

Oh, But, there is mercy with thee;. & therefor shalt thou be feared, O, despise not the workes of thy owne, hand, who thou hast made of Dust, & willt bring me into dust againe.

(O, looke,) Lord, — I humbly beechbeseech thy gracious majesty, — not uppon me, as, I was placed at first by thy divine power, in the Estate of Perfection, adorned with those Heavenly quali ties of knowledge, & freedom of will.

whereby I had some resemblance of thee, our great Creator;

Nor as I lye in the Loynes of our first Parents, whoe by eating that forbiden fruit hath sett an Edge upon our Teeth.

much lesse as I am defiled with my owne Pollutions, & uncleannes by nature, & costom of Sinns.

But, behold, I humbly beseech thee, oh Gracious father; me, thy handmaide, in that State, which thy divine Providence. through the Redemption, of thy holy Son and our deare Saviour, Christ Jesus, hath prepard for our Restauration, unto that happiness from whence we are fallen.

so, I, that am alltogether dead in trespaces in sin of our selves; may by him be recovred unto that everlasting Resurection. which thou (that wisheth the per -fection And continuance of what thou hast made, hast prepared for us before the begining of the world if we feare thee, and keepe thy Commandements. now, since such danger, & misery, that accrewed to me, by the act of the first Adam: O Lord, I humbly desire that I may take hold of the covenant of grace which the second Adam hath prepared for us.

And that I may ever more magnify thy great & unspeakable mercies, in sending thy only Sonn to become man, for us, whoe, being with out sin, suffered for sinn, That, we — whoe were nothing but Only sin — might be made ritch by the imputation of his Allsuficient righteousness.

But, deare father of mercyes, such is my infirmities, & weakness, that I have been so farre from acknowledging thy infinit goodness towards us, in sending, thy only son to redeeme us, when we were utterly lost, so farre from beeing thankfull to him for his unspeakable love to me, that was contented to suffer, even the scornfull, death of the Crosse for my sake. so farre from the participation of his vertues or the immitation of his vertues, & holiness; & examples

That those Lawes, (which either by the instinct of nature, or by divine precept thou hast carractred in our hearts. I have, in as much as in me laid, rased out by ading actuall to orriginall Sinne:

O Lord, I humbly cast my selfe downe before thy majesty, not only for my owne sins &, transgressions. But for the sinns of our forefathers wherein they have offended against thee, there god, & begs Pardon, as nehemiah did, for what they offended against thee, O Lord, Pardon, & pase by what ever was amisse in them, And lett not thy wrath aris against me, who hath not walked according to thy holy Lawes, & precepts.

And yett, O Lord, I confesse my selfe more vild & sinfull in thy pure sight, in soe often, & more frequently broken thy Commandements in thought, word &. deed, by the breach of my duty to thee, my heavnly father.

By Sins against my God in the breach of my duty towards God. have not beleved in him, or feare him or, loved him, with all my heart, with all my soule & with all my strength; nor have I trusted in him as I ought. nor called uppon him in my distresse, nor servd him: with a constant, Reguler devotion, but failed, in mattr, or manner. in the right service of my Gracious, & loveing father. for which my soul is grevd, Lord, be mercifull unto me a miserable Sinnr.

O Lord, I have broken those righteous Lawes which thou hast Commanded me to walke by in reference to my duty towards my neighbor,

In not loveing him as my selfe & doeing to others as I would, they should, do to me: in not beeing soe 91 stricte in my obedience to my Parents (either natu--rall, Politicall or Ecleseasticall) as I ought to be.

Allas, I have not bin soe cairfull to walke soe sircumspectly, in my duty, as I ought, in loveing my enimies, or praing for my Persecutors or slanderers, with that Zeale as my deare Saviour commanded me: but my Passion & greife has bin moved to hy in degree, when I have bin wrongd by them, & injured, — eithr in my body, goods, & good name — & has bin too apt take my owne cause in my hand to vindicate my wronged Innocency. my selfe.

Whereas, Alas, I ought Wholy to have left my cause to thy holy majesty, to both defend, & de- liver, & revenge my cause. for thou only are the judge of the world & can'st delivr, me from all the wrongs I have sustained & justify thy hand- maide; who has made it my endevor to walke uprightly before thee, & men: in Chastity, & honesty.

Therefore, I abhor my selfe in dust, &, Ashes for my too much greiving, & impatiency when men was sett against, me & not to suffer with that humily, patience, & submetion of spiritt, as I ought, in the Excample, & command of thee, my blessed Jesus, who, when thou was reviled, reveled not againe but put thy Cause to thy heavenly father: O Lord, Pardon my biterness of spirit & impaticency , against my

Enimies, or my freinds who has wronged me, because I did not consider, that I had mirrted more then there mallice could do by my uneaven walking before thy holy majesty,

And that my Saviour had don more in his suffrings for me, then I was ever able to deserve, when he suffred, all those cruell mockings, & scoffings & buffetings for my Sinns & to delivr me from the Power of the Devell by his bittr Death.

O Lord, Pardon, therefore, my failings, my weaknes, & impatiency, & rebellion against thee, and be mercyfull unto me, a most Miserable Sinner.

And, alas, deare Father, I have bin over come with Sinns of weakness, & infirmitys, for -gettfullness, of my duty, either by to much & fondnes &, indulgence, to my Children, husbd or frinds, or too much vanity, & Rigour; & not orderng my waies in wisdome, & gravity, but have sett my affections too much uppon the comforts of this life & doting uppon my husband & Children, — loveing them beyond the bounds which thou hast sett me, & not placing my love & Joy soe much uppon thee, my heavnly Fath, as I ought —

which has provoked thy wrath against me To take my husband, & Children from me, or lay great Afflictions, on thy handmaide; in that I loved thy Creatures more, or too much with thee, my heavnly father, & not setting my affections wholy uppon thee who hast loved me & gavest thy selfe for me.

O Lord Jesus, my Saviour, be mercifull unto me a greivous, sinfull Creature.

My Idle, vaine or unprofitable thoughts in which I have, in my youth, spent, much of that time thou gavest me to prepare for heavn; my sining against, much love, light, mercys; delvrances. In sinning against thy holy Gospell; Sacraments, thy dictates; the motions of thy holy spirritt, thy Lawes, & Commandements. In sinning against All thy Threatnings, delivrances, Judgements. Against thy gracious returnes of Praiers, & my vowes & teares: & repentance; in relapses, in to sin, not withstanding all my vowes, & Resolutions. in neglet of Prayers, meditations. Sermons, Convictions, & thy offten frequent Preservations of me, & mine, in sinning against thy offten & many fold delivrncs from Dangers, sickneses; Destructions prepared for my Soule & body. by spirituall & temporall. foes.

Oh Lord, my God, what have I don to be soe vild an unworthy, ungratefull, & forgettfull wretch, affter all these miraculous mercys & wonders? Yett yett have I provoked thy great and Powrfull majesty, to destroy me utterly & cutt me & my Posterity from of the face of the Earth.

O Jesus, God be mercyfull unto me, thy poore handmaide and miserable Sinner.

O, Enter not into Judgement with me; for if thou shouldest be extreame, o Lord, who may abide it. for I have sinned & don a misse both against thy Corrections, Chastisments; thy spirritt, delivrances of Soule & body; aganst Thy Patience, long suffering, goodness. mercys, Bounty. Power, Loveing kindness, Majesty.

I have, alas, comited sins against Thee, O holy God, the father, who Created and made me, And against God, the Son, who Reedmd my Soule from hell.

And against God, the holy Ghost, who hast sanctifed & Preservest me.

I have don what, I ought not don. & left undon what I ought to have don, & there is no health in me. O God, be mercyfull unto me, a Miserable Sinner.

O God, the father of Heavn, have mercy uppon me, misserable Sinner.

O God, the Redemer of the world, have mercy uppon me, Miserable Sinner.

O God, the holy Ghost, have mercy uppon me, miserable Sinner:

O holy, blesed & glorious Trinity, three Parsons & one God. have mercy uppon me, miserable Sinr.

Remember not, o Lord, our offences, nor the offencs of our forefathers, neether take thou vengence of our Sinns: Spare us, good Lord, spaire me, thy handmaide, and my Children, who are thy People whom thou hast redeemed with thy most Precious blood, and be not angrey with me or mine for Ever: Spaire us, good Lord.

That it may Please thee, o Lord, to give me and all mine true & unfeined Repentance. to forgive me, (& us, all our Sinns, negligances, and Ignorances, & to endue us with the grace of thy holy spiritt to amend our livs according to thy holy word: I beseech thee to heare me, good Lord.

And lett my Praiers & teares, & true Repentance be accepted in thy sight, this time & for ever more because thou hast promised graciously in thy word That, at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his Sinns, Thou will Pardon, & forgv, and take away his transgressions, & put a way his Eniquities. And blott out his transgresions.

Oh Lord, I humbly beseech thee, o gratiou father of mercy. cast not my soule away, my penitent Soule, who now with my great sor sorow, & greife, from the bottome of my heart, doth turne, & repent me of what I have don amisse against thy divine majesty Ever since I was borne. in thought, in word & deed by breaking all thy holy & Sacred Commandscommandments. lawes & Precepts.

By Sins of omition. Sins of Commition, with all the agravations, of time, & sircumstances; sins, of weaknes, sins, too often, in some kind of willfullnes. woe be to my blindness of heart to be diluded by the tempations of Satan in any kinde to offend my soe gracios God & heavenly Father.

but now, seeing by the looking glass of thy divine Law, I see my selfe soe strangly de- formed, — nay, soe much defaced with biles, ulcers & wounds. how can I conteingcontain my selfe from the deepest Sorrow and Repentance till I have washed away these sinns & oblequities of mine in the fountaine And comfortable streame of of his blood who died for me, wherein being once dipped. though wee were before as Deepe as scalett, I shall become as white as Snow: Even in the Precious blood of the holy Jesus.

But, alass. I am not able to cast my selfe into this Poole. such is my lameness and imbicility, with out the helpe of thy holy Spirritt to worke me — thy poore, weake. handmaide — such a sorrow and contrition that may Change & alter this flintie heart of mine & make it a heart of flesh, or rather from flesh convert it into Spirritt.

I, therefore, O Lord, confesse my sinns, am greived & sorrey for these my misdoeings, nay, I am sorrey, O Lord, that I can be noe more sorrey:

Accept, I humbly intreet thee, good Lord, & O gracious Father, the will for the deed and con- form my will unto the deede: furnish me, O Lord, with the Sorow of attrition and Contrition which may worke in me a Repentance never to be repented of, namelie, (as St Paull teacheth us) A cairefullness, which may worke uppon my under -standing, uppon my indignation for my sins past, uppon my feare, in regard of sinns to come; uppon my desire to do good things, uppon my love and immitation of my vertuous Parents in theire Piety & wisdome; & uppon my Zeale &, emulation to good Persons, in workes of Piety.

To worke uppon my revenge & punishement of my selfe for my Sinns, in weeping, fasting & prayer, in sedulity & watchfullnes against opportunity & temptations, to avoyd even the appearences of Evill & for my Sinns.

For, if I would judge my selfe, I should not be indeed of thee, O Lord.

O, therefore, send me strength, I humbly beseech, O my God, to punish my spiritul sinns of Pride, contempt of God. disobedence, wrath, anger, foolishness, desire of Revenge, looking affter vanitys, neglect of duties.

With a calling to mind (with sorrow and bitterness) my live past, with thinking upon the judgements of hell & death, by sdudingstudying to be patient to putt up wrongs: to be ready to forgive by setting my desires on good, and Heavenly things.

And give me grace, I humbly beseech thee, O Father, to punish my sinns as to the world of uncleannes by infirmitys of nature: of in- temparance, Ease, sleepe, & the like. with Chastning my bodie with abstinence, fasting, watching, Meaditations, Reading, thy holy word, praier in recavng thy holy Sacrament, and constant devotion. & regularity in all my waies & actions.

Helpe me, I allso beseech thee, deare Father, to punish my worldly sinns, of Covetousness, ambition or desiring affter the outward ad- vantages of this world. — if, at any time, I have wished, or gotten any thing contrary to thy law, — by making restitution, by beeing compassionate & bountifull to my fellow members;

Then shall I, by thy goodness, not only bee freed from the imputation or sinns of my fore- past live, but bestow my future course of life (And this sad widdow Condition of Estate into which thou hast brought me into.

In a Constant walking the waies of life, and Godliness, goeing from grace, to grace, from good worke to good worke, till I attaine to that measure of Perfection which thou hast apoynted to me during the time of my Earthly Pilgrimage heere, that soe, I may order my life and con- -versation heere as becomes A sober, wise & holy widdow, since thou hast pleased to in -title me to a duble shaire of thy caire & Protection.

Both as to a fatherless. & helples creatur, I humbly depend alone on thy gracious mercy & favour.

Beseeching thee, o father of mercys, to accept of my soule & body in thy servic, and to Preserve & guide me, & deliver me from all Evills (both spirituall and Temporall, and to assist me with thy grace to bring up my three Children, whom thou hast made orphants, in thy feare and nurture of the Lord.

Give both me, thy handmaide, & them a duble shaire of thy holy spiritt that we may do our dutyes to thee, our heavenly Fathr, and to each other; serving thee, our God, with all the powers & facculties of our mind & hearts, we may, att length (affter thou hast finish our daies heere) serve & glorify thee, o God, to All Etternity. And that non of our souls may be lost. but be made great instruments of thy Praise. liveing in thy feare and dieing in thy favour, we may rest in thy Glory.

But since I have presumed to speake unto the Lord. — O Lord, the holy and Righteouss — I do humbly beseech thy gracious majesty to fitt & prepare my heart to meditate uppon that great goodness, and to set forth thy glory & Praise for what thou hast beene Pleased to doe For me & my poore family. but, most of all, to my selfe ever since I was borne, & before I came into this life, till this time of my widow -hood condition.

Humbly desiring thy grace & assistance to make mention of thy infinitt & mannyfold delivrances vouchasafed to thy hand maide since I was borne. (Feb.February 13, 1626) till this day of my Change from a virgine & married Estate till am entred in to, the widdow Estate: (September 17th, 1668). And that I may Praise & magnify thy holy name for what thou hast don for me forever. Accept, therefore, of the meditations, of my heart, my praises, & thanks -giveings from all the botome of my heart & Soule for thy inexpressable goodness to me and mine, O Lord, my, God, my strength, and my Salvation.

Prayers, meditations and Thankesgivings to God for his infinit Mercys, and delivran -ces, shewed to me, Since I was borne, till I came into my widdow Estate, Sept.September 17th in the yeare: 1668, with an account of his blesngs

O Lord, God of Hostes. fearefull in praises & doeing wonders, when I begin to recount thy mercys & thy inconceable goodness to me & my forefathers, I am amaized with wonder & cannot innumeate them: For thy mercys are innumerable, & in exhaustable.

Thy Judgements insuportable:

Thy Power in comprehensable.

Thy Glory in accessable to the Sons of Men.

Great is the Lord, & greatly to be Praised by the Sons & Daughters of men from Eternity to Etternity.

O thou, Most Glorious Lord God, infinitt in mercy, full of Compassion, long-suffering and of great goodness. I humbly adore & praise and glorifie thy holy name, worshiping thee with the lowliest devotions of my Soule & Body, and give thee humble thankes & praise from 101 The botom of my unfeined heart & soule, for all the benifitts thou hast don unto me. & my deare Parents before me:

For, what soever I am, or have, or know, or desire (as I ought, it is all from thee; the founta -ine of beeing, and blessing of Sanctity and Pardon, of life and Power.

Praise the Lord, O my Soule, and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.

Thou, O God, of thy infinitt goodnesse hast Created me of nothing, & has given me a degree of Essence next to Angells, imprinting thine Immage on me, endueing me with reasonable Faculties of will & understanding, to know & choose good, & to refuse evill, & put me into a capacity of a blessed immortality.

O praise the Lord with me, o my Soule, antand let us magnifie his holy name together.

Thou, O God, of thy great mercy. hast given thy servant a comly body: & good understan- ding, strait limbs, a ready & unloosed tongue, whereas with justice thou mightest have made me crooked &, deformed, sottish and slow of apprehension, imperfect and impedite in all my faculties.

O, give thankes unto the God of Heaven, for his mercys indureth for Ever.

Thou, O my God, of thy glorious and bountifull mercys, hast given me that happines which many have not had, & caused me to be borne of Pieous, holy, & Christian Parents, and didest not suffer me to be strangled in the wombe, but gavest me opportunitys of holy Baptisme, & hast ever since blessed me with education in the true faith & in Christian Religion.

Thy way, o God, is holy: who is so great a God as our God. o, praise the Lord for Ever.

O, what shall I render unto the Lord, my God, for all his blessings, & delivrances of my deare father (who saved him from drowning at Cambridge when, by a mira- -cle of Mercy he was Puld out of the Rivr halfe dead: & of my deare mother (being delivred from Choaking with a needle she swallowed when a Child. for theire holy lives, & Pious, Conversations, Exemples, of Chastity & Charity, & for all there blessed instructions. for all the goodness which thou shewed to them in theire lives And for their holy Confessions at theire death of thy truth.

And, lastly, for theire sweete delivry of theire blessed, Soules in to thy holy hands. & for theire comfortable departure out of this Life, in true faith, Patience, meekness, and Charity.

O, Praise the Lord, O my Soule, and all that is within me, Praise, his holy, name, & forget not these singuler benifitts, &, in perticuler, for the holy lives, blessed, Examples, & happy Deaths of these his Saints, and servants.

Blesse his holy name for Ever. & Ever:

And glorifie his holy name to all my generations; even for all those that are now borne of me his hand maide: & of those that Proceeded from my Brother, with his Childrn Children; lett them all sing the Praises with understanding for what the Lord, hath don for us. yea, for giveing his Family soe great and unspeakable Mercys, in letting them to Proced from such Parents, who has soe cairefully kept the Lawes &, commandemts of our God &, left those Precepts to there Childrn & all that Proceded from there Loynes.

O yea Sons, & daughters, with the Children and granchildren of these my blessed Parents, Bless the the Lord, Praise him & magnifie him for Ever.

Oh you, my brothers, and sisters, with my selfe; & all the ofspring of our Parents, Blesse yea, the Lord; Praise him and magnifie him for Ever.

Oh thou, my Soule, & all the faculties & spiritt with in, me, what shall I render unto the Lord, for the Eminent graces, and gifts, bestowed uppon my Father. where by he was inabled Leave to his Posterity Those Prudent, wise, & holy instructions In his booke, & precepts where, by we may learne the Law of our God & to walke in his holy waies, & Commandements all the daies of our lves.

O, what shall I render unto the Lord for all his guifts, but perticulerly for this thy goodness bestowed uppon us (the Children of our Father) wherein we are instructed in thy waies by Precept, by his booke &, holy Example, o, lett us have the same grace be- -stowed uppon us that we, & our Children affter us, may learne, & keepe these Precepts for Ever.

O, blesse, &, praise, the Lord with me, All yea my Fathers family: & lett our Posterity be holy affter his, Example, that we may sett forth the Glory of our god, to all Generations affter us for Ever:

Oh, what shall we render unto the Lord for the continuance of his mercys, unto me, his handmaide, in the delivrance of the Copie of this same, Booke of my Fathers, & in the Preservation, of it from destruction in the late times, of warres, & Ruine, in Church, and that gracious, King Charles the first, his murder.

yet did our gracious Father of mercyes then Preserve this Excelent booke of my fathers which was an unspeakable mercy, to me, & my Children, and my fathers whole Family, and for which goodness of the Lord, we are for ever bound to Blesse, Praise, & magnify our great and Glorious God for Ever. & Ever.

O, Praise the Lord with me, all yea his servants, of the Lord, & forgett not all his beni- fitts for ever, what he hath don for our Soules, in leaving soe holy a Platforme for us to walk by. & Lett us pray daily unto the Lord, our God, to give us the graces of his spiritt, to direct & guide our waies in that same Rule of our Deare father, that the mercies he shewed (in causing our Father, to leave us such Precepts. & his loving kindeskindness to us in Preserving the same out of all evill, accidents, & destructions) may not rise up in judgement, against any of our Posteritye, least we receave a Cursse, in stead of a blessing, by walking con- -trary to our Forefathers commands in the Right manner of serving our God. Oh, then, lett us be as cairefull & be obe -dient to the commands of our holy Father in serving our God consienciously in its Practice, as the Recabites was to obey thrtheir Father, Jonadab, in, for bearing wine.

Then may we be, by Gods grace, hopfull to injoy that blessing which god gave to his Children: that they should not want a man to goe in and out in his Family before the Lord for Ever, O, my soule; Praise the Lord of Heaven; O, give thankes unto the Lord for Ever. o, sing you praises with understanding.

Next to the blessing of my Fathers Book & preserving it, to our Posterity. we did all so receave a great mercy by the right ordering of my Fathers Temporall conserns by the making & ordeining of his last will & Testament. in a perfect & Just & upright manner; Settleing & disposing of his Estate so as all conserned in it was rightly provided for (Either, his widdow, Children, freinds and Creaditors by which, justice, Equitey &, charity was rightly disposed for. & noe Person injured).

This soe wise & bountifull disposall of that Estat — which God had graciously given him uppon his honnest industry, & indeavours, who had paid all his Grandfathers Debts. God had increased his store to six fould of what my Grandfathr had left to him.

soe, as he had gotten & increased his Estate soe much by his honnest waies & Payment of his fathers Debts, now he (as wisely) leaves it to his Children & Family with a blessing, & settled it by Deeds & will to Preserve evry branch there of by noble & Paternall devissions. (Makeing and dis posing the same by the said last will & Testament).

Oh, how can I suficiently sett forth the great goodness of the Lord in giveing such Riches, & increase of my Fathers Estate. and, allso, in giveing to my Father such tender affections to- -wards me & us all, where by we were nobly Provded for to live in the world & to doe good with this allso as by his Example. and, likewise, in giveing my deare Father such godly wisdome & discression to perfect that good worke of his will by which all strife, or dissention, wrongs and Inju -rys to any Person was Prevented, & each of us, his Children, he left soe plentifully Provi -ded for, with out injury to his Son & Heire of his family (& to him he gave Benjamins mease to uphold in his name & Blood).

Oh thou, my Soule, & body, lett us bless & praise the name of the Lord, and set out the loveing kindnes of the Lord in this his Excelent favour & mercifull Provission of the Lord, thy God, to thee.

Who not only provided (for thy Soule) in such spirituall food for thy Soule, by thy Fatfather's books, Butt, allsoe gave thee such a noble shair of Temporall blessings for thy foode and nori -shment of thy body, & a plentifull Portion to Provide for thee in this world. whereby thou was put into a capacity to serve thy God & to doe acts of Piety, necessity & Charity. mor than othrs.

Oh, what canst thou returne the Lord: for all his benifitts, & these & millions more thou hast receaved; O, lett us give thankes & praise This holy name of my Lord God, for his mercy indurs, for Ever, &, Evr. AmAmen.

Oh my Soule, how am I bound by all the tyes of obedence and gratitude to thy bountiful God & Father of mercys, not only to acknowledg the loveing kindness of the Lord in Providing & giveing thy father leave to take caire for thee by his will.

But in a most extraordinary manner & miraculous Providence To preserve, keepe, and deliver this — thy deare Fathers will and Testamt — in the times of Rebellions & murthers (both in EngldEngland & Ireland) from Destruction under the severall Providences before mentioned.

To keepe it in safe custody with Mr Kerney. when many others on the file was destroyed. & this for many yers in the heate of the warre. Then, o Lord, my God, didest thou preserve it safe from the hands of wicked & unjust men.

And, in due time affterwards, discover the said will of my Fathers & caused it to be pro- -duced for all our good. the seting right all sides & providing releife for our miserys by Suits, and more Especilly for the Preservation & delivrance of me, thy poore handmaide, And the comfort of my deare mother & husband. who was designd by our covetous adversarys, to be destroyed.

Thou, o God, art only the God of heaven & Earth, thou only art to be Praised, for with thee, actions are weiged. and thou art the God of the widdow, and Fatherless: to thee shall all Praises come.

Thou, Lord, art holy & just & good, & to thee shall all flesh come: for thou hast taken the matter in hand & judgest right betwixt us.

When the Evill men were soe sett against us, then didest thou, o most gracious God, send helpe, and delivred, us from suits; by thy glorious Providence. put an End to our misey by the Producing that Pieous will of my Fath.

But, O Lord, most mighty, most Glorious & gracious to all them that fly unto thy mercy for helpe, the God that heareth Praiers, when we are oppressed, now I have begun to innumerate thy mercys, I cannot recall the least of them to mind, nor expresse the least part of them with that sence of gratitude as thy infinitt compassion has showred downe uppon me.

For as is thy majesty, soe is thy mercy and inconceable goodness. O, Praise the Lord with in, all yea his Saints, for his mercy indureth for Ever.

Who is soe great a God as our God? o, sing Praises & give thankes unto the God of Heaven. who had compassion uppon the Widow & fatherless, the helpeless, & freindless, for his mercy endreth to us from generation to generation for Ever.

Thou, O God, out of thyne abundant, loveing kindeness hast made admirable variety of thy Creatures to minister to my perticuler use, to serve my necessity, to preserve and restore my health (in all Places of my aboad ever since I was borne) to be ornamentall to my body, to be representations of thy Power and mercy to me.

Unto thee, o God, will I pay my vowes: unto thee, o Lord, most high, will I give thankes.

Thou, O God, of thy admirable & Glorious mercy hast made thy Angells ministring Spiritts for my Protection, & defence against all the Hostillities of men & Devils; thou hast sett ana hedge about and such a gaurd as all the power of hell and Earth cannot overcome. thou hast preserved me by thy holy Providence, & the ministry of thy Angells in my mothers wombe. & Ever since I was Borne.

From strangling in birth, from all ill accidents By nurses. from falls & Precipissis. (more especially from a fall, when a Child at KirKirklington, when my Bone of my forehead was cut to my Braine & well nigh death). thou didest delivr me. from a desperate fall of a swing in Irland, from. falls of horsses. & the Coach. from dislocations. from drowning. (Especially from that death when the Cable of the ship had nigh puld me into the Sea, & non had Perished but my selfe).

From violences of Stormes & Tempest in 391639. From Burning by accidents of fire. from all manner of Precipes. and falls (Especially that at Hipswell, when my first son was turned wrong in my wombe & died soone on his birth;

From deformities, from fracture of my bones, and from all the snaires of the Devill (from all temptations to presume of thy mercys, or to dis -paire of thy goodnes).

And more especially, thou, ofO God, didest de- liver me in, & brought me out of that sad, dispaire ing thoughts in my sicke-bed at oswoldskirke (when Satan, in my distresse, tempted me to dispaire of gods mercys because of my great Afflictions which was a signe that he had forsaken me).

But, by thyne almighty power, o Jesus, did bring into my heart (in that, my deepe distress. That most Precious word of thine (St Matt.Matthew 11:28): come unto me, all yea that are weary & heavy Ladn, & I will give you Ease| &c.et cetera, for my yoake is easy & my burden is light.

By this, o sweetest Jesus, did thou put to flight the snaires of Satan, & gave Ease to my Soule & caused me to beleive. & trust, & rely uppon thee, O Lord, for my Salvation.

O, my gratious God & father of Heaven, what shall I render unto thy glorious mercy for thy infinitt deliverances of my soule & spiritt from the Jawes of hell att this time, for which I give thee all glory, hon.or, power & might for ever more.

Thou, o my God, hast allso taken me into thy immeadiate caire, & Protection, & delvreddelivered me out of all those great and wonderfull violations of health, which I have had, & dreadfull Sickness I have indured for my sinns & Provokations.

Thou hast delivred me from Sicknes & death in all Places; from a great sickness att Richmnd by a sufitt of Beefe was not well boyled, & from the mesells & feaver: Praise the Lord, o my soule, for his mercy indureth to thee for Ever.

Thou, o God, didest of thy great mercy de -liver me from Sicknes & Death in Kent when I was in the smale Pox the first time.

Praise the Lord, o my soule, for his mercy indureth to thee for Ever.

Thou, O Lord,delivred me from Perishing by fire in London, from drowning in my goeing into Ireland. from fire in Dublin & from all other evill accidents in Ireland for the 7 yers I lived there.

Praise the Lord, o my soule. for his mercy indureth for ever.

Thou, o lord, of that especiall mercy and favour, didest give me the first glimses of thy holy Spirritt in to my heart when I was but 4 years old in London, uppon Reading Psalm 147: verce 4: he counteth the starres & calleth them all by there names. wherby thou madest me consider thy Power, & glory, thy infinit wisdo, who knouest what is in man & nothing is hide from thee, & if thou countest the starres & thou art as able to keepe the numbr of or Sinns & to Punish me for them, which caused a dreadfull feare of thy majesty not to commit sins in secret, as well as in Publicke, because thou seest all things, & no thing is hid from thee, & wilt punish Evry one according to theire deserts.

O, blessed be the Lord, my God, (& God of my Father & mother) which has don such great things to us in teaching & instructing them, & causing them to teach me to read thy holy word by which thou, o my God, was pleased to come into my Soule in my young yeares, & to shew me thy mercy in thy word to know there is a God & to learne me to keepe thy Commandements from my Childe hood:

for Childe hood & youth are vanity if not instruted & trained up in the feare of the Lord.

I will praise & bless thy name, o Lord, yea, while I have my beeing that thou hast consigned me soe early to the steps of thy Kingdom.

Thou, o Lord, contineuede thy mercy towards me in a 2d dawning of thy Spiritt (when I was that day 12 yers old) when I was Reading the gospll where our Saviour was in the Temple (in teaching the Elders & Preists thy fathers will) with authority at that Age. but I was soe weake of understanding that Could not know or understand my duty, but humbly begged of thy majesty to teach and instruct me, o Lord, in the waies of wisdome & Piety & religion, that I might belive in thee & to feare thee and to keepe thy Commandments all the daies of my Life;

O Lord, my Creator & Redeemer, & Presevr, what shall I render to thy infinitt goodnes in makeing thy selfe thus much knowne to me to be a God of wisdome, holiness & mercy? O, lett me never be forsaken or cast away for ever.

But, as of thy Rich bounty had Pittiy on me then & Ever since to keepe me from great & Crying Sins & inormitys by thy assistance of thy holy spiritt. soe thou will vouchsafe, o O Lord, to delivr me all my daies and to accept my uttmost thankes &, Praise, and to glorifie thy great name for these spirituall merceys uppon thy poore handmaide.

O Lord, I will give thankes too thee, o God, with my whole heart: even before the Gods will I sing praises unto thee. for thy mercys has bin shewed to me for Ever.

Thou, o Lord, of thy great and incomprehen sable mercy & goodness, didest Preserve, & delivr my Soule & Body. (with my deare mother, and all my Brothers & 2 nephewes Danbys) from Perishig by the Rebellion of Ireland in the yeare 1641, when millions was Cutt of and distroyed there by murders, by fire, by drowning and by all the wicked & unheard of Cruelltys. against the bloody Irrish Papists against our Innocent Soules of the Protestant Religion. It beeing the designe of hell and Satan to have Exterpated us of the tru faith for Ever out of the world.

And by that meanes to have extingushed that holy Gospell of our Lord & sett up theire abomination of Idoletry. by this bloody masacr of all the English Protestants.

But for ever Praised be the name of our Great and Glorious Lord of Hostes, who seest the wickednes of the wicked, and did prevent the utter Ruine of our Poore, Soules, & his humble Servants.

makeing a way for us to Escape in Dublin & delivring our Soules from those horrid murthers designed & prepared for us. (To be exiecuted in the compass of 6 howers time, uppon us: in which time we should all have drunke of that Cup of our Brethren).

Wee only (in the City of Dublin) did Escape the massacre & sudaine destruction: by the great & singuler Providince of our Good God was preserved by the discovery of one of there owne nation, Mackmahoone (a kinsman of the Lord Mackmahoon, which was to have bin the chiefe govrnor in Ireland affter our Ruine).

This Cozen of that Lords had lived a year in Sir John Clotworthys house & converted to be a Protestant & married to an English woman, but his turning a Protestant unknowne to that Lord, who had a desire to save him, bid him to come to his house in the country.

Not finding him there in, Post hast fell on to Dublin — feareing some mischeife intended but knew not what — found the said Lord Mackmahoone & othr two Rebells (the heads. of them, Lord macquire & Sir Filoman Oneale) all, in a blind Ale house, drink ing. they showed glad of his comming, soe made him sit downe & drinke with them, till he (having gott out the Plott what they intended to doe, as it is related att full in my 'first Booke of my Life' att full; did discovre the same to my Lord Parsons & Lord Biurlacy. who, at length, sent This man with a gaurd & found the 3 Trators hid in A cock loft under a Trap Doore. & soe, by the Alarum of the Towne, evry one in it that could fled into the Castle at midnight when we should all have bin murthrd.

Then did the Lord, our grecious Father of Heavn, Preserve us all from that sudaine death & massacr by our implacable Enimyes, and in that same night cause us to be delivred from them.

O, this is a night worthy to be observed in all our generations affter us. (Octber 23, 1641) when the Lord did bring us. (as he had don to the Children of Israell) out of the Land of Egipt.

It is worthy to be remembred by me & mine, & all my Fathers generations for Ever, when we were saved, with a mighty hand & dreadfull de- -liverance, from soe strainge & sudaine death & destructions. by the watchfull Eye. & mighty Power and Parentall Caire of our Gracious Father. to spaire us then, and at all times, for his glorious mercy & name Sake.

O, most gracious & holy Lord God of hostes, how am I bound to thy goodness & favour & loveing kindness to me, thy worthless Creature, in discovring this Treason against my poore Soule & all our family, who might have cutt us of at one blow & lett us be bloun up with Gunpowd when theire was non to helpe us. O, then did thy all seeing Eye find it out and discovr their Plotts to thy Glory. our Preservation & to theire owne distruction.

O, what shall I render to thy devine Majesty for all the miracles of thy great Mercy, which am dumbe with admiration & cannot understand the depth of thy immence goodness to me and all mine?

O, Blessed & praised be the holy name of my God from hence forth, for ever; He is our God, even the God of our Salvati. : God is the Lord, by whom we escape Death att all times & Especiall at this, our day of delivrance.

O, sing Praises, sing Praises unto God. O, sing Praises unto our God. for he is the God which doeth wonders both in heaven & Earth. who is soe great a God as our God? the help that is don uppon Earth he doth it. him selfe.

It is he, alone, which hath taken the wicked in theire immaginations and didest most graciou sly delivred us, who was like sheep apoynted to be slaine. even soe, o Lord, most high & holy name, be ever glorified & Praised & adored for Ever more, 121 for these, thy miraculous mercys in delivring me & my mother & brothers & Relations, (with all that was in dublin) out of the Paw of the Lion & the Beare at this time and all other. Therefore, will I offer up the Powers of my whole Soule & body to thy service, and praise & glorify thee. with all my Children Children to all generations — for this wonderfull Preservation & delivrances.

O, that I may never forgett to render the Praises due to his holy Name, nor to serve the Lord with all the Poures & facultys of my Soule, & to bring forth the fruits of Righteousness for Ever. Amen.

All Glory be to God, on high, & Peace & good will towards us men, the servants of the Lord.

I blesse thee, I Praise, thee, I glorify thy name. o Lord, most, high. to thee, the Angell cry a Loud the heavens, & all the powers therein, o Lord God of Hostes, who hath over throwne thy Enimys & brought us out of the Red sea of Blood:

Blese the Lord, o yea hosts, praise yea and magni fy him for Ever.

Thou, o most mercifull God, hast fed me & clothd me, & raised me up freinds, where ever I went and Blessed them; has preserved me in all dangers & resqued me from the Power of the Sword In Ireland and England; has delivrd me from Death, when I left By Sea out of Ireland from the Rebellion, & preserved me from Perills by sea (both then & in the stormes in 391639) and from beeing destroyed in the ship in that great Sickness in the lax gott by terrors & frights of the Rebells.

Thou, o God, didst bring us safe home into my native Country to weschester and gave me a releife, with my mother & her Children.

Thou, o God, did redeeme my Life from Deat when I was at Chester. delivring out of that dreadfull sicknes of the smale Pox; when I did not hope for to Escape, then did thy gracious mercy save me from the Rage & fury of that dis sease when all hopes was gone of life,

And at that time saved me by my deare Motmother's caire & paines with me. when, at that time, thou did take a poore orphant a way by that dissease (which was in the house kept by my mo.mother's Charity) and spaired me, thy. unworthy handmaide.

I will give thankes unto thee, O Lord: with my whole heart will I praise thee for ever.

Thou, o Lord, hast Preserved me in that City from the Rage & fury of the warres, & Rebells a gainst the King Charles, and from Perishing by a Granado shott against it, when I was in a Tirrit att my Praiers. Then didst thou cause the Bulett to fly over my head & did not destroy me; neither did other 3 Granadoes shott against that City hurt any one in it but delivred us all.

Thou, o Lord, my God, delivred from the fury of the sword in this Place, and in all Places where evr I came didst thou, o Lord defefend me. & from the Rage in Pestilence at Richmond anand KirklingtKirklington from the Scotts Brutisness & murthers, (there impla- -cable a malice against us) & from all the Enemis of thy Church thou didst preserve me, thy hand- maide, & gavest us delivrance from Perishng in Publicke disseases and distempratures.

Thou, o my God, hast delivred me from Terrors by Land & Sea, Affrightments of the night, from illutions & tenpationstemptations of the Devll, & all ill men (from the wicked designe of J.Jeremy SSmithson, who designed a Raipe on me. but by thy good Providence, o my God, discovred to my Preser -vation). Blessd be thy holy name for Ever.

Thou hast delivred me from All sad Apparitions: from all the snaires of hell & Satan; from great Anxietys & distresses of body & mind, sicknesces & paines & sorowes.

Thou, o Lord. hast delivred me from all Dangr & Perrills, in sicknsses & health. & thy suporting hand & good Providences was in an especiall mannr, att all times, to Preserve me in my Infancy, Childe hood, Youth, till thou brought me safe through my Virgin State of Life, & caused me to walke soe concionably & cairefully, in doeing my duty in thy sight, & feare to give no occasion of offenc, as much as in me laid. Escaped all snares & Temptations.

Soe that thou, o Lord, gave me that blessing of my Parents in acknowledging thy mercys in making me, be obedient to there Commands,

Conducting me by thy grace, & spiritt, till Thou hadst brought me into A maried Estate of Life by my mothers Consent, And shosing for, & directing me to, a vertuous, kinde and Deare husband.

I will alwaies give thankes unto the God of my Life, my Praise shall ever be in my mouth, who hast not suffred me to fall into folly (which many youth had don, but had still a watchfull Eye over me his servant, & hand maide.

O, Praise the Lord, o my Soule; while I have my beeing, will I call uppon him & to Glorify his name for Ever.

Thy spirituall mercys was not the least of all but the greatest which thou, o Lord, hast shewed to thy faithfull hand maide. when at the Age of 16 yeares beeing at Weschester, Thou, o Lord, didest make knowne to me thy selfe, o my Holy Lord & Saviours Jesus Christ, to be a God re- consiled to me, & gave me the happy opportunity to Receave the Pledge of thy love to us, poore Creatrs, In the first time of approaching to thy holy Table in the Receaving the Communion from that good man Mr willson, at our Parish Church, St mickells in West- Chester.

I indevred to come prepared with as much Zeall, humility, Repentance, & devotion as I was capable of, yett with great feare, & trembling, to approach to soe misterious & sacred an ordenance (wherein the misteries of our Salvation is made known to me, how unworthy. I am to aproach to soe devn a feast with such uncleane & unholy a heart).

yett, since I am comanded, by our deares Jesus, to comme unto him all those that are weary & heavy laden with sin, & he would give us ease.

he has made me partaker of his outward ordenance in this Sacrament. Lord, blesse this, thy holy ordenance to the Pardon of my Sins, the healg of my soule and to the strengthning of my faith & fullfilling me with all graces.

Being made pertaker, thereof, it may be Effectuall to fill me with thy Spiritt, renuing thy grace & the Sanctification of my heart to walke in newness of Life; in all godlines & honesty to walke before thee, In Righteousness and treue holiness all the daies of my Life, & that for thy merits sake & blood shed uppon the Crosse, o holy Jesus, heare my Praies & teares, & grant me thy. blessings on the head of thy handmaide. & keepe me upright all my daies That I may serve thee faithfull. for Ever.

For thou, O God, whose mercys are as high as the heavens, as great & many as the mom -ents of Etternity. thou hast opened thy hand wide to fill me with all blessings & the swete effects of thy loveing kindness. thou art Pitif -ull as a mother to me & provided a tender father, & mother, to take caire of me in my infancy, & youth & Riper yeares.

Thou art exceeding cairefull as a Gaurdi an (& suported me since I was an orphant) and extreame mercifull to all them that feare thee; to me, in perticuler, in giving me not only food & Rament and nessesarys for this life, butt allso has drawne into Communion with thee by thy word, & spiritt & holy Sacramts.

I humbly beseech the, gratious Father, to fill my Soule with great apprehensions and impresses of thy unspeakable, mercys and goodnes That my thankfullness & gratitude may be as great as my needs of mercys, (of mercys are).

o, lett thy mercifull loveing kindnes endure for ever and Ever uppon me. Praise the Lord, O my soule: and all that is within thee, Praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, o my Soule: and forgett not all his benifitts.

O, speake good of the Lord, all these his workes of the Lord, in all Places of his domminion. Praise thou the Lord, O my Soule, for his mercy indreth for Ever.

Thou, o Lord, most gracious didst deliver myself & my deare mother from the seige att weschester & from Rape & Ruine by the cruell Parliament mens Soldiers (when we were taken downe by them at a plas called downam in Lankshire. & from the towne of warrington where we were designed to have bin stopt).

Thou, o Lord, didest bring us safe a long that Jorney, & made our Enemies to turne our freinds & suffred not them to Plunder & strip us (as was theire intentions) but brought us safe through them all till we came to snape (to be with my sister Danbys her house) where we mett & contineued in Peace, notwithstanding all the warrs Round about us in the yeare 1643.

O, Praise the Lord, our God. o, speake good of his name for his loveing kindeskindness to our Soules for Ever.

Thou, o Lord, didst deliver me (& my mother & brothrs) from the dreadfull murthers of the English & Scots at Kirklington, when they serched the house aftr that sad Battle at Hessom moore, & prevented her from goeing to yorke that day yorke was taken & great bloodshed, then did thy Providence delrdeliver us, when we were with in 10 miles of it, & cause us to turne back to Kirklington by Mr Danbys kind msiage to us (tho that day he was shot aftr).

O Lord, our God, how has thy maraculous Powpower bin shewed att all times in delivring me! Glory be to thy dreadfull name for evermore.

O, Thy perticuler mercy to me was great at Richmond (SeptSeptember 15, 431643) when I was like to have bin killd in a surfett of a little Lobster eating; afftr taking Phisicke, which brought me into the bordr of death in violency of vomitting & Purging.

Allso, the Lords mercy to us was infinitt in our Delvrdeliverance from Perishing at Hipswell in the yeare 1644, by the Arrow of God in the Plague at Richmond & from the Pestilence & famin, when the country was allso destroyed & by the scots quartrng. yet, tho all these things did come on our neighbours, The mercys of a great God did delvrdeliver us. O, Praise the Lord, our god, for Evermo;

Amen & Amen.

Praiers, & meditations & thanksgiveings uppon The Change of my Condition from a Virgin Estate, since I came in to a Marriad Estate of Life, which was full of trouble, sorrow, & Changes in both, my body, And fortune. Since December 15th, 1651

Haveing lived a sweete, quiet, & comfortable time of my Life from my birth till I had com- pleated the 26th yeare of my Life. under the con- duct of my deare mothers Caire & govrnment. Then was that affaire of a Treaty of marriage begun. & through many difficulties of objections & hindrances made by Mr Geffery Gates. (my husbands father in Law) in not Joyning in the fine, which should & ought to have bin Paied by him to secure a settlmt for my Children and for a Joynture in lieu of my fortune. yett, at length, the bussiness was Compremised betwixt my deare mother & Mr Thornton (uppon his faithfull Promises to my My Mother that The fine should be passed by him selfe & all conserned in the Estate, with all speed, as soone as Mr gaites was either consengconsenting or his Death).

Uppon which, The Articles of Marriage was drawn by Mr Thorntons owne hand, signed & sealed, & A deed of settlement made accordingly of All his Estate, Easte newton. and Laistrop accordingly (July 2nd, 1651: dated). And, allso, annother Deed of Settlement of Burne Parke for Provission of younger Childrens Portions & maintenance; (of the same date aforsaforesaid).

After which, a fine passed, & all don that could be don (as long as old Mr gaites lived) to secur the said Estate according to Articles of mar.marriage.

Then, uppon the 15th of Decembr 511651, my marriage was solomnly Performed by Mr Siddall, very grave and Religeously, who ~~did~~ was wittnesed by by many of my Relations & Mr Thorntons; beeing don according to the Church of England by that Common Praier & then followed an Excelent Sermon By Mr Sidall.

But least I should not be sencable enough of the Change of Life which would befall me in that Estate — from that most free & happy opportunitys of serving my God, as St Paull speaks of the virgin —

I did that night about super time or at 6 2 a clocke, fall into a most violent fitt of a sudain sickness with paines of my head & backe & stomack 131 In a feaver & Ague. which seazed on me in soe great a violence that it caused me to vomitt and Purge extreamly, till my strength was allmost gon, & brought into great faintings for 8 hours long.

Which condition was extreamly bewailed by my husband & mother, & my freinds, & looked uppon as a sad omen to my future Comfort. And I doe confesse, I was very desirous to have then delivred up my miserable Life into the hand of my mercifull Redeemer. who I feared I had offended by altering my resolves of a Single Life.

This sickness (as to naturall Causes, proceded from a desperate Cold taken the night before uppon washing my feete: which I never used to do in such Cold time of the yeare, in deepe of winter. & soe that strucke up into my head & stomacke & caused that great & violent extreamity of vomit & Purging.

But, affter the great clencing of my stomacke. & uppon all the meanes could be used: It pleased my graicous God to looke uppon me in much mercy, & to abate my sickness, & torments, and did give me somme Ease that night & caused me to sleepe tolerably well. Thus, was the first entrance of my married life, which began in sicknesse, and continued, in much afflictions, and Ended in great Sorrowes & mournings.

Soe that — which was to others accounted the happest Estate, was imbittred to me, at the first entrance, & was a, caution of what trouble I might Expect in it, as was hinted by St Paulls Epistle, such shall have trouble in the flesh.

I only had the hopes of comfort in my deare husband, whoes sweete and good conversation aleviated much of my othre Sorows) Thou, o Lord, my God, did not forsake me in the midest of my Paines, & sickesse when I was brought very low; But gave me helpe, strength, & comfort, to indure thy hand gently, laiing it on me, as a triall. & graciou -sly taking it of me againe in a short time.

Soe that I saw thy power, thy, justice, & thy clemency, to spaire my life, in this world to serve thee in a married Estate, as well as as in a single life (in which I was well Pleased) if my mother & freinds had seene it fitt).

But since, by thy devine Providence, I am entred into this Estate of marriage, I beseech thee, o Lord, to give me those graces & guifts which I want & what is requisitt to make me a suitab le wife (as thy servants Sara & Rebecca was, & to immitate them in there vertues.

And to be kinde, & obedient, wise & chast, & walking in the fear of thee, o Lord, in the performance of my duty to my husband. That we may live in a godly course of life & serve thee in our generation To the glory of thy holy name, & that for Jesus Christ, his sake. Amen.

But thou, o Lord, art to be praised to all ge- nerations for thy infintt & incomprehensable mercy to me in this gracious delivrance of me from Death in this sharpe fitt of sickness; That thou wast soe bountifull in goodness to spaire me while, that I may recover my selfe before I goe hence & be no more seene. Oh, lett me, I beseech, be a vessell of thy hon.or & to hon.or thee in this Estate to which I am called, & to build up the Family of my husband in thy faith & feare if it be thy good Pleasure.

Then will I blesse & Praise thy holy name, o Lord, if thou vouchsafe thy servant to bring forth Children that may be Heires of thy Kingdom. for the Lord Jesus Christ, his sake. to whom, with the Father & holy Spirrit, be all Glory. Hon.or, Power, Praise, might, majesty & dominion for Evermore.

Uppon my great delivrances & mercyes Recead of my first Child & the sicknesses which followed (9 months, Begining August 6, 1652, lasted till May 12th, 1653)

After my recovry of this ill-nesse, It pleased God to cause me to conceave with Childe, & I was much afflicted in breeding & fell sicke all waies affter meate — never dejesting or came to nourish or strength me, —

which condittion was a great allteration from the healthhealthy constitution I alwaies had injoyed. but beeing from that cause of hopes of the blessing of the maried Estate, & in order to my husbnds sattisfaction of building up & continuing his Family. I sett my selfe to indure it with Patience & the comfort of a Christain: it was in order to fullfill the Kingdom of Heaven.

Affter it pleased God I was quicke, I beg an to be extreame feavourish & hott & out of order, with the heate of blood beeing helped more forward in the distemper by the Extreame heat of the wether at that time (when the extreame great Eclips of the Sun was in its height and a greatt & totall Eclips fell out this yeare, 1652).

At which time, I was big with Child & the sight of it much affrighted me. it beeing soe darke in the morning at breakfast time (& came soe sudainly on us that in a bright sun shine morning) That he could not see to Eate his breakfast with out a Candle. Butt this did amaze me much, & I could not Refraine goeing out into the Garden & loolelook on the Eclips in water; discovring the Power of god soe great to a miracle, who did with draw his Light from our Sun so totally that the sky was darke, & starres appeared, & a cold storme for a time did Posses the Earth.

which dreadfull Change did putt me into most serious and deep consideration of the day of Judgmt, which would come as sudaine & as certainly uppon all the Earth as this Eclips fell out, which caused me to desire & beg of his majesty that he would prepare me for thes great day in Repentance, faith and a holy Life: for the Judgements of God was just & Certaine uppon all sinns & Sinners. O, prepare me, o God, for all thy dispensations and trialls in this world, & make me ready & prepaired with oyle in my Lampe, as the wise virgins against the comming of the sweete Bridegroome of my Soule.

The time was soe hott & I, unusally, had my Blood staied beeing with Childe, soe that I had an accident fell on me not usuall, my nose fell out of bleeding as I was sitting at my worke. & bled uppon my Appron, att which sudaine motion, I was a little amaized (beeing unusuall to me. & I would have bin lett blood to coole me att that time, which I know would have don me good. But (not beeing a thing ther usuall to women with Childe to bleed. It was not consentd to, nor I could obteine leave of Mr Th.Thornton nor my ddear mothr Because they durst not for feare of a Prejudice to my Childe. soe that I did submit to there Judgments having more experience then my selfe.

About a month affter, Mr Thornton desird (& his Relations) that I should goe to see them both at Crathorne, ButterCrambe, yorke, and att Hull & Beverly, att Burne Parke where his mothr livd then. & my d.dear mother was not soe free to give me leave because I was in that condition (big with Child, of my first) which might worke some ill effect in my health.

But my deare husbinds kinde importunity Prevailed, & soe we tooke our Journey & by Gods mercy did I goe to all those Places wher his freinds lved & most kindly recavd and En- -tertained. (I blese God who gave me favor in there Eyes of my husbands freinds.)

When I came to Hull, Dr witty would have had me advesed to be lett blood because of my heate & sweating, inclining to a feavr by my Jorney. I would gladly have don it, but Mr Th.Thornton could not stay 2 Daies longr. In my returne home by newton, when I saw the old house (the remanes of it. as I was in the great Chambr, the dore into a little Roome was so low as I gott a great knocke on my forehead, which strucke me downe & I fell with the force of the blow, att which my husband was troubled. But I, recovring my astonishment (because he shud not be tto much consernd, smiled and said I hope I was not much worse. but said I had taken Possession. which made him smile & said it was to my hurt. & inded, soe it was many waies.

For, in my goeing homward, he carid me to That Place of the great Rockes & Cliffs which is cald Whitson Clife which I knew not, but was a mile to the Bottom. where I could not tread one step evin dowen but on my Toes. (beeing held up by my maid, Susan Gosling. which soe streind my body, beeing ner my time, that I went doune in paine and did sweate exceedingly.

But this my husband would not have had me gon downe this way (but by Ampleford a bout & plaene way) but for Mr Bradley, who tould him it would not doe me no hurt becaus his wife went downe that way & was noe worss.

However, this Effect to me was Contrary; for I, beeing to goe to my Cozen Ascoughs, she did admir that I came that way & wished I might gett safe home.

It was, in deed, the good pleasure of my God to bring me safe home to my deare mothrs house HipswHipswell, Butt my dangerous Journey — the Effects of it — did soone appeare on me & Dr wittys words cam true. For as soone as I gott home, I fell into the most Dreadfull sickness that ever any creature could Possibly be savd out of, and by a strong & puted feaver (which was on me 11 daies before Dr wtty came from hull) had soe putrified my whole blood that both my selfe & poore infant was like to goe.

But when the drdoctor came Post, I heard that Post sound. &, tho I was almost past speaking, did yet rejoyce in hopes he would lett me blood which by noe meanes Els I thought I could not live.

I was soe recruted a little moment, when he saw me, that he thought to lett me blood forthwith but, afftr a little space, I fell doune soe ill that he durst not doe it till he had givn me something to cause an hours sleepe (which I had not don in all my sicknss be fore). uppon which, he did lett blood & then, in a quarter of an hours time, I blsse my God, I grew better.

(The more perticuler description of this great & long lasting sicknss, I have Related in my 'first Booke of my Life' & with the miraculous delivrances was towards me in all that time.)

for affter my miscarriage of that sweete Infant, which I bore with great difficulty & it was soden in my wombe by the feavr, it could not live a quarter of an houer till we could gett it Baptd, tho we sent for a Ministr to doe it)

And after that I fell into A long lasting Ague. some times by a Tertian. & then evry day hathad it till I sweat & changed 3 times in one day & night.

Then I fell into the Jandies affter the Ague, which soe continued with me soe teribly that my strength, my might, my hopes was gon of Life.

The haire on my head came off, my nailes of my fingers & Toes came of, my teeth did shake & Ready to come out & grew blacke.

And thus did this dreadfull, Cronicle disease Remaine on me soe long that — in all these things — I continued out of one distempr into annothr for the space of 9 months. with the Relapsses & the weaknesses that followed. soe that it was from the 6th of august 1652 till May 12th, 1653, affter before I was able to goe out of my Chambr or had Recruted my strength any degree.

Thus, have I Passed the first two yeares of my married Estate in a most sad and uncomfortall Condittion; beeing voyd of health, ease. & comfort to the great affliction of my selfe, husband & deare mothr.

Which has begun to weane my heart from all Earthly Joyes and, I hope, fixed my soule stedfastly uppon my God & saviour. for, tho he had afflicted me very sore, yett had he not taken away his holy spirtt away from me but, in great mercy, had still upheld & kept me up from sinking totally under these Calamitys. TustTossed from the hand of my offended God, but in much mercy did not forsake me not left me to that violentcy of the feavr whereby 100ds had lost theire witt and sences. and understanding.

But thou, O Lord, most great, most holy, most gracious, though thou hast lett me ly under the scourge of these Torments of the pain and extreamitys of soule and my Poore Body,

Thou hast not left me to the Rage and malis of our great Enimy (the Devill) to destroy me as he did thy servant, Job. tho I am not soe pur in thy sight yett had compassion on me for thy mercys sake and, att Last, delivr me.

when thou has tryed my Patience to the uttmost then, with all thy stormes didest thou compass about, yett did thou delvrdeliver my Eyes from teares, my soul from falling into dispaire or the grave, and did in due time restore me & preserve me to thy Glory, and kept me from distraction and all othr Evil and gave me all the assistance of heavn & Earth.

O Lord, my God, what shall I doe to prais and glorify thee for this great delvrie, who can not innumerate the least part of thy mercye & favors to me in this dreadfull sicknsses. 141 And torments of my poore body & soule. O Lord, my God, If I have offended in alltrng my Estate of a single life — whereby I cannot serve thee, my God, in that freedom of will & true resigning my life to thee — I besech thee, o Great God, to Pardon this my sin & forgive any thing whre in I have don amiss, and Please (for Christ, his sake) not to take a way thy holy spirritt from me. but to be reconsiled to me a Gaine and make me live the rest of my Life in a holy, strict & Religious conversation with my husband, & with comforts thou seest fitt to lend me That I may yett be a vesell prepaired for thy selfe.

Soe that, when the stomesstorms of this world are Pased, I may arriv safe, att last, in thy harbour: Heavn. There to Praise & blsse & glorify thy majesty for evr more, to All Etternity and that for the Lord Jesus Christ, his sake. Amen.

Uppon the birth of my second Childe & Daughter, Alice Thornton, Borne at Hipswell on the 3rd day of January in the yeare 1654

Affter the Lord vouchsafest me a degre of strength & recovery — out of that desperate, long lasting sickness by 5 or 6 sevrall relaps downe into An ague, from which God did at last bring me through much weaknes & faintings —

About a quarter of a yeare, I found my selfe as if I was in a breeding condittion & very offten sicke, as in those cases with me, affter meate.

Which was some hopes to my husband I might possibly be better in health, affter I was with quicke Childe & soe, I blesse god, I was for some time. but about the same of the yeare, in (August, when my first Sickness began & that I was about 11 or 12 weeks gon. I perceaved the Child to move & that I was with which was a great Joy to us both (hopeing I might have missed the feaver).

But about that time in August, I found the Child for 3 weekes very lively & well. but, afftr a while,

I found my selfe very hott & feaverish, & the Child did not move att all which caused me to be afraid of a Relapse into the same distemper as on the firt. And, therefore, begged of my husband & mother they would please to give me leave to be lett blood,

Which they consented to, & I gott Mr Mahum to do it. & tooke 4 or 5 ounces from my Arme. uppon which I found a most quicke Change & the poore Infant did spring in my wombe, very lvely & strong, by the refreshment it got by cooleing the feaver.

The Child continuing very briske & well evr affter, & I remained healthfull till with in a month of my time — growing big & uneasy. & full of paines — my travell came uppon me.

The first of Jan.January, I began my travell & soe contineued all that night (& for the next day & night) very ill & strong labour till Tuesday 3rd, betwixt 5 and 6 a clocke in the affternoone. Att which time, in great & exquisitt Torments & Perrill of my Life, I was — by the miraculous goodnes of my gracious God — delivred of my 2d Childe.

A sweete & beautifull Childe, a daughter. who was like to be Choaked by flegme, & the navell string was twisted twice about her Necke & Arme, so that she was in a manner dead when she was born (being one full hour in birth stuck at head. & sholdes). By reason of my weakness, she was baptised the 5th day, Jan.January 1654. wittnesses: my deare Motmother, my uncle Norton & his daughter, my Co.cousin, mary yorke, at hipswell: by Mr Siddall, minister of Cattericke.

O, most gracious & glorious Lord God, our heavenly father, what shall I render unto thy Majesty for thy infinitt mercys and compassion, for all thy miraclous delivrances of me in giveing me this sweete & lovely Infant to be borne at due time?

Notwithstanding great danger of fall- -ing into a miscarriage (as with my first that died) but for thy gracious delevry of me and it, by the meanes of beeing lett blood, which cured the feavr and prevented her death.

I humbly blsse & praise & glorify thy holly name, o Lord, God of hostes, which did give Power, strength & ability to bring her forth & her Preservation, both in my wombe & to be brought forth a live.

Praised be the Lord, my God, which delivred me from death by Torments exquisit in my Child birth & presevd her from Choaking. & strang ling & brought her to Life a gaine by Providence. I will call the mercys & loveing kindnes of the Lord, both towards me & this my deare Child, who did save both the mother & the Childe from such dreadfull dangers & gave me the happy opportunity to see this, my Childe, to be Regenerated & borne a new by Baptisme; thy holy ordenance, deare Jesus, to us (men kinde) by which thou takest us under thy Protection & Covenant to be our God, & we to be thy faithfull servants & soldiers to fight against Sin, the flesh, the world and the Devill. And at this time doth write our names in thy Booke of Life.

O my God, I will Praise thy immence goodnes towards me, thy weake & sinfull servant, That thou hast not cast out my Soule from thy favour. I humbly beg mercy of thee, o holy Jesus, for my selfe & this, my Child, That she may lve before thee & be indowed with the grace of thy holy spirritt and long life, if it be thy good Pleasure to serve thee in this generation, to lve to be a Comfort to her Parents. / O, give me allso, thy heavnly grace and wisdome to doe my duty to thee, o God, & this, my Child, in bringing her up in the feare of thee, my heavenly father, & shew my humble gratitude for This, thy infinitt mercy to me & my husband.

O, what shall I render to the, O Lord, for all thes mercys & delivrances? all glory, Power & dominion be givn to thy name, by me & all mine, for Evr & Evr.

Meditations uppon the birth of my 3d Childe, Elizabeth Thornton, borne the 14 of Feb.February 1655

It was the Pleasure of God to give me but a weak time after my daughter, Alice, her birth, & she had many Preservations from death in the first yeare. beeing one night delivred from beeing ovr laid by her nurse. who laid in my dere mothers Chamber a good while; one night, my mother was writing pretty late, & she heard my deare Child make a groning troublsomly,

And steping immeadiatly to nurrse's bed side, she saw the nurse fallen asleepe, with her breast in the Childs mouth & liyeing over the Childe. at which, she, beeing affrighted, pulled the nurse sudeinly of from her & soe Preserved my deare Child from beeing smothred:/

O my God, what hast thou don for this my poore Infant which delivred it now, from sudaine death, & all Evill att this time and all others to her, & allso that the nurses milke (beeing with young Child) did not destroy my sweete infant Tho it cased her to fall into the Convoltions & Ricketts. (we not knowing this of the nurrse till afftr wards.) Thou, O Lord, art to be praised by me & Mine for Evr.

Affter it pleased my good God to restore me to my health, I was kept much imployed in that affaire of curing my deare, Child of the Ricketts & giveing her meadicens for the Convoltions: which I blesse God did both take effect for her health.

But least I should have too much Ease from that great worke I was begun, & scarcely recovred my strength betwixt one Childe and annother. I fell with Childe of my 3d Childe &, beeing in a Pretty good Condition, was hopefull I might have given my Childe sucke (which I designed by Gods helpe to have don, (if I had strength:)

About a weeke before my travell, I contineud in much Paines by the Childes heavines, beeing in contin all expectancy each houer. att which time, my deare mother laid sicke in the house of a most sad Cough & by advice (& (Troutbecke came to give her advice by friends) importunity. by Gods blessing she was better but could not come to me in my Labour. All Tuesday & that night, & wednesday, I was in great extreamity till the morning, feb.February 14, halfe an hour affter 11 a clocke. I was by Gods mercy delivred of a sweete, goodly daughter, & most delicate Childe; for which most infinitt mercy & goodness, I humbly bless & Praise the Lord God of heaven, for his mercy indureth for Ever.

Blessed be the infinitt mercy of God, who had Pitty on my distress & delivred out of this Extreamity allso: for which I render most hearty & humble thankes for his compassion to me in my Extreamity.

Affter I was delivred, & in my weary Bed & very weake. It fell out that my little Daugt.daughter, Alice (being then newly weaned & about a yeare old. Beeing assleepe in one Cradle, and the young infant in annother.

She fell into a most desperate fitt of the Convoltions, as suposed to be, her breath stoped, grew blacke in her face, which sore frighted her maide, Jane flouer. she tooke her up immeadie atly &, with the helpe of the midwife, Jane Rimer, to open her teeth & to bring her to life againe.

Butt still, affter wards, noe sooner that she was out of one fitt but fell into annother fitt and the remidies could be (by my d.dear mother & my Aunt norton) could scarce keepe her alive. she, having at least 20 fitts, all freinds expecting when she should have died.

But I, lieng the next Chambr to her and did heare her, when she came out of them to give great Schrikes & sudainly, that it frighted me extreamely, and all the time of this poore Childs illness. I, my selfe. was att deaths dore by The extreame Excesse of those, (uppon the fright & Terror came, uppon me, soe great floods that I was spent & my breath lost, my strength departed from me & I could not speake for faintings & dis- piritted, soe that my d.dear mothr & Aunt & freinds did not expect my Life but over come with sorrow for me.

Nor durst they tell me in what a condition my deare naly was in her fitts, least greife for her (added to my oweown extreamity with losse of Blood) might have have extinguished my miserable Life.

But removing her, in her Cradle into the blew Parlor, a great way off me. least I, hearing her sad scriks, should resume my Sorrowes.

These extreamitys did soe lessen my milke that, Tho I began to recrute strength, yet I must be subject to the changes of my condittion.

Affter my d.dear naly was in most miraculous merymercy Restored to me the next day. and recruted my strength, with in a fortnight I recovred my milke & was over Joyed to give my sweete betty Suck, which I did & began to recover to a miracle. blesed be my great & gracious Lord God. who remembred mercy towards me.

yett was it mixed to me with the Allay, a bitter cup mixing corrections with mercys. & mercys with frownes, to keepe me in a constand feare and dependancey uppon his majesty.

For, att a fortnights end, sitting up in my Chaire & giveing my deare Betty sucke. when, immeid :atly, one of the maides run to my Parlor &, with a grevious cry, said my deare naly was either dead, or very neare it, in the Cradle in the nursery.

Which did soe sudainly affright me, beeing weake as before, & this flood came downe uppon me as before, and they had much to doe to gett me carried safe into my bed againe. And there was I kept, betwixt hopes & feares for my selfe and my deare Childe, for two daies or more evry like expe cted when the one (or both) to have gon.

But behold the great & wonderfull goodnes of my glorious Lord God, who killeth and maketh alive againe; he woundeth. & healeth. bringeth downe to the grave & Raiseth up againe. O, who is soe great a God as our God, which hath done these things for me and my deare Child & hath lett us live to see the wonders of the Lord our God. I will blsse & praise the Lord most high for ever which hath added one more to my house. & my life & my Childs life, soe greatly 151 delivring us. by the unheard of miracles to us. o Lord, our God, lett us, I beseech thy majesty, live to give thee all glory & power & praise for thy infinitt mercy & pardon & favour to us, & that this, my deare Childe, may be an instrument of thy hon.or for ever to whom thou hast shewed such mercys & delivrances & that we may never forget thy great & transendant goodness to us for Ever. AmAmen. The ill fitts she had proceeded from the Cutting of the Eye tooth which broke flesh the next day.

Elizabeth Thornton, my 3d Childe, was borne att Hipswell, Feb.February 14th, 1655, halfe an hour affter 11 a clocke. she was Baptised the 16th by Mr Anthony. wittneses, my mother. my Aunt norton & my Brother, Christophr wandesford.

Meditations on the birth of my 4th Childe, Katherine Thornton, borne att Hipswell. June 12th, 1656. Baptised the 14th of June by Mr Sidall. wittness: my deare mother, my neece Best & Mr Thornton.

Haveing bin soe graciously delivred. & my Child, Naly, Preserved, I was not soe well recruted in my strength that my mothr thought fitt I should wene Betty (tho I had desires there to) but judged it more Convenient that Dafeny, who gave sucke then, should do it, & soe I dried my breasts which went ill with me, but I did comply with theire judgments. she did performe that office very well & the childe grew a most fine, lovely Child & at 3 quarters could stand by herselfe & step on a lone.

But George Lightfoote would not lett his wife stay longer, & soe she caried the Child home with her. & a while affter, she provd with Childe & did very honestly tell me of it that she feared it (which did much trouble me that I had dried my owne breasts but was advesed to putt it to an nother nurse at Colborn, a new milke).

But tho I went evry day to see her & sent when I could not much meate for her, yet she did not like before a yeare old with that milke, & I was compelld to take her home.

In this time, I fell with Childe againe & bred very ill: never beeing out of the fire but either breeding, or bringing out Children. or Parting with them. Thou, o my God, scest my Condittion. o, give me sutable graces & strength to contineu with Patience to do that worke to which thou apoyneded me.

But affter I was with quicke Childe, I was sonne with better health then before till within a month of my time. & then I grew extreame heavy & bigger then of my former 3 Children & weary & full of paines, & labour was uppon me continually for one whole weeke. I founde the Childe heavy & weighty & not soe nimble as naly & betty was.

But was in constant violent torments of my Labor & travell, with Exquisit extreamitys. & my feares of my life was much beyond what I indured of my other 3 Children (haveing little hopes of my beeing able to be delivred & great expectancy of my dissolution) & my deare mother feared me much from those ill simptoms she saw in my Labour which caused her to power out her humble Pettitions to heaven for me in a most Excelent Praier of hir owne Composure for that purpose. (which is at large entred by me in my 'first Booke' more at large, as also her humble Thanksgiving for me affter my safe Delivrance).

Affter our humble Pettitions & requests to heavn. it plleased our great and gracious Father to grant our humble requests in my behalfe; For my paines of Travll increased, & Labour was kindly & came to exceeding sharpe throwes all that day & hard Labour that night. But by the exceeding mercyes of a gracious God (& assistance of freinds & good midwife, having 2 great fore barrs) causing me infinitt dolers and Torments; yett, by great mercys from heaven, I was delivred the next day to all our Joyes.

Katherine Thornton, my forth Childe, was Borne at Hipswell, neare Richmond in yorkshire (my mothers Joynture, The 12th of June. 1656. being on Thursday, about halfe an houer affter 4 a clocke in the affter noone, Baptized the 14 of June by Mr Siddall. wittnesses. my mother, my nece Best. (Katherine Danby) & Mr Thornton.

O my God, how shall I sett forth the Glory of thy holy nam, who hast againe shewed thy mighty Power & great mercy towards me, thy poore Creatur, And added a new life to thy servant in a new Creation & givn me soe strong & goodly & sweet a Childe. when I was att deaths dore, & all had given me for gon, how has thy glory magnified thy selfe in giveing me a living child and to be made in the numbr of thy Church militant. O my God, I humbly besech thee to make both it & my selfe vsslls of thy honor & to sett forth thy Praise herhere & to fill thy Kingkingdom of glory hereaffter for Jesus Christ, his Sake. Amn. to whom be all glory, honrhonour & praise, now & evr more. AnAmen.

The death of my 3d Childe, my deare Betty. who died the 5th of September 1656

I may not expect soe great a mercy without a severe monitor. for I could not hope for my dere Bettys long life, haveing begun in an Ague & a Cough, & that strucke her into the Ricketts & Consumtion, beeing got at first by ill milke of 2 nurrses, And not withstanding all Possible meanes I used to her & had her att the wells at St mongos (with my little daughtrs, Naly) for it, she did grow worse for it & very weake and in a Terrible Cough which destroyed her Lungs. That deare, sweete Angell grew worse & indured it with infininfinite Patience. & when Mr Thornton & I came to pray for her, she held up those sweete Eyes & hands to her deare father in heaven, looked up & cryed, in her language, 'dad. dad. dad!', with such vemency as if insprd by her holy father in heaven to delvrdeliver her sweet soule into her heavenly Fathers hands. & at which time, we allso did with great Zeale delivr up my deare Infants soule into the hand of my heavnly Father. & then she swetly fell a Sleepe & went out of this miserable world like a Lamb.

My hope is thee, o Lord, my great Creator & of the fruit of my wombe that thou, o Lord, who gave this Soule into me at the first. hast now receavd her into thy heavnly Kingdom. and freed her from all sinns, for she knew noe actuall, and orriginall was taken a way in Baptisme, and that as thou, my Savior, tould us: such Children injoyd the sight of thy Heavnly Father. O, my deare Lord, I am content to part with her to thee, my God, that gave her & most happy am I that thou didst take her sweet soule a way before she was Poluted with actuall Polution.

O, blssed & praised & glorified be thy holy name, O Lord God of hostshosts, for thy mercy & goodness to me & to her soule in freeing it from those miserys of this life soe soone & consigning her to thy Glory.

O Lord, Pardon what was don amisse against this sweete infant in any kinde, eithr by nurses or servants neglect, or Parsuts, & make us to follow her patienes & innocency & sanctify this Crosse to us & bless us, o Lord, to brng up our Children in thy faith, feare & love for Jesus Christ, our Lord, his sake.

My Deare sweete, Beautifull Childe, Elizabeth Thornton, my 3rd Childe, died the 5th of Septembr 1656. betwixt the houers of 5 & 6 in the morning: her Age was one yeare, 6 months & 21 daies. Buried the same day att Cattricke Church by Mr Siddall.

Uppon my desperate fall I had at Hipswell, beeing with Childe of my 5th Childe, Sept.September 14th, 1657

After my deare Betties death — a bout a quarter of a yeare — it pleased God I had hopes of Breeding a nother Childe which might be a comfort to us and an Increace of Gods Kingdome. altho I could not be blamed to feare my owne life might goe in some of those extreamitys but even in that, too, I am teached to say the will of the lord be don.

I allwaies breed my Children very sickly & ill health but, blessed be the Lord, had my health in diffrently affter quicke Childe. & thus, continued in a good state of health of this, my 5th Childe, till I, most infortunatly, goeing over the hall at Hips well, my gowne skirt wraped about my feete & soe twisted that I could not loose it before it cast me a desperate fall, which I fell uppon my hands & knees to save my Childe. but the very weight of my Bodie (with the fall over the Threshold in the hall at Hipswell) did soe shake me that the Childe was turned wrong in my wombe. I, beeing then big with Child, wanted but 10 weekes of my time (on Sept.September 14th, 1657).

uppon which fall, it cast me into a great feavor & the Jaundies followed. & about 3 weeks was very weake, in great danger of death & miscarring with the continuall paines & excercize of the Child be turned wrong in my wombe, whose motions would have had it selfe right againe by continualy bending its head, & backe for it, nor could my deare babe bend its head aright which we could diserne on the outside. my case was soe ill That Dr witty was sent for, who used all his Art to Preserve my selfe & the Child, saing that I was with Child of a Son he was confident but should have dificult Labour.

He, haveing used all his skill to preserve the stocke, by the blessing of God, I was preserved from death and mervelously restored to health & strength (beeing lett blood & other remidies which mad me Go to my full time). O, what shall I render to the Lord, my God, who had soe great pitty and com -passion on me his weake hand maide. Lord, I am not worthy to have lived, much lesse to have receavd such wonderfull things as these. behold, o Lord, it is thy goodness which givs me time to prepare for thee And, therefor, I blsse & glorify thy holy name for ever & Ever more. Amen.

Meditations on my deliverance of my first Son & affter my Restoration from my great fall of him. he being my fifth Childe, borne at Hipswell. the 10th day of December: 1657

Notwithstanding all my sickness, dangers & extreamitys my Bodie indured by the late dreadfull fall, yett such was the boundless goodness & mercys of my gracious Father of heaven — uppon a blessing of the good meanes I had — to restore my strength to goe to my full time (tho still in paines, on the great motions my deare Infant forced to turne himself right for the comming into the world & could not do it).

My Labour came on me on the munday, continued till wednesday, in travell, the 9th of decembr, I fell into exceeding sore & sharpe Labour in great extremity, & strong birth & bearing throwes in exquisitt Torments, so that the midwife beleved I should be soone delivred.

But, alas, it proved not soe but fell out to the contrary for the poore Child stucke in the birth, nor could come right, being crosse with his poore legs & feet (the one beeing turned backe & the other Crose my body) & the head & necke turnd backward way by my fall.

In this condition, I continued till Thursday moring. The midwife would make me goe to bed — I, beeing neare spent — tho I only desired to ly downe and take a little respitt to make me to goe through what I was to doe. but she made me goe to bed, & then my paines sharpned soe fast they could not get me up nor could she delivr me in the bed.

But, at length, gott me on the stoole (with my cloths halfe on & shoes of) &, about 2 or 3 a Clocke in the morning, my Torments began more sharpe & the Labour more hard, soe that I was uppon the Racke for 6 houres togethr in torment, & crying soe long & bitter that my poore body was as if parted Limb from Limbe, soe that I grewe spech lsse & breathlesse a long time, for this deare Child was Pulled away in my Extreamitys. & first, one foote came; then, the othr was drawn downe. then, The Arrmes beeing over his head & shoulders. soe that she wrought uppon my poore Body and my deare Infant with her hands on his hips & thyes, which stucke fast. which — having removed & brought him downe to his Armes — all this while was I in exquist Torture.

Then did she worke downe & fettch his Arms: att one time afftr did brng downe the other, when his head was stuck, & his shoulders fast. 161 And, least my bodie should close againe, she did pull a way his head & neck with such a force — not giving me time or space to breath. That both our breths was lastlost for a time, Tho (by the infinitt boundlsse mercys of my gracious God & great creator) my breath was againe restored to me, a poore Creature, but my sweete infants was taken from him. & tho he stered a little, yett, being almost strangled in birth, he could not recover; only liveing halfe an houer & soe departed (I, giveing him up into the hand of my heavnly father who spaired me, his hand maide, & tooke his soule into his holy Place). Tho we could not have the happines of Baptisme for him, tho a minister was sent for, yett he departed befor he came. & — where it was not neglected by us & the meanes could not be had — I trust in the mercys of the Lord for his salvation: he requiring noe more then he gives. And his infinitt grace was to me in sparng my soule from death; tho my body was torne in Pices, my soule was miraculously delvrddelivered from death.

I was delivred in the mannr rehearsed by the fall I gott of him, of this, my fifth Childe and first borne Son, on the 10th day of Decembr 1657. he was buried in Catterick Church by Mr Sidall that saime day.

The weakness of my Body & spirrits was soe Exceeding great, of long continuance, that it putt me into a Consunption: non expecting many diesdays together that I should live or recover.

And when, by the goodness of my gracious God, I did recrute a little (uppon all the comforts & refreshments of my deare mother & husbands kindnes & affection to me in suffring soe much in bearng Children to him),

yett I was seized on with a new trouble by that losse of blood in the bleeding of the Hemoroydes for evry day, halfe a yeare together. which came on me by the beeing torne by my Childe.

And a lameness on my left knee I gott when I was in Labour for want of helpe skilfull to hold me fast in Labour; soe that I was forced to be carrid in Armes for a quarter of a yeare & could not put my foote downe.

Alas, all these meserys fell on me was nothing to what I deserved at the Just hand of God for all my sins & ingratitude. Lord, Pardon & forgive me what ever I have don amis & rectify my passions, & heale my Soule & my husbands, for we have sinnd against thee, our gracious God, in desiring a Son when thou seest not fitt to give us one. but thou, o Lord, hast shewed me yet great wonders in the land of the Livng, that I might be saved to sett forth thy praises in the life thou hast givn & spared so offten from destruction.

O Lord, sanctify all thy dealings with me & make me to mourne for all those bitter Torments my deare Saviour has biden for me, and make me to renew evry day my Thanksgiving evry moment that thou spareit me in this life, & be a vesell of thy salvation. grant this for Jesus Christ, his sake, my Lord & savior. Amen.

The meditations & Praiers on this occasion is furthr in larged in my 'first booke of my Life', to which I refer, having this renuall of my gratitud to my God, that I may not forgett but remembr what the Lord hath don for me in my sevrall Child births & wonders of the Lord.

Uppon the Cure of Bleeding of the Hemo- -rides I reccaved at Scarbrough, Aug.August 1659

It was the good Pleasure of my gracious God to contineue me in life, tho in much weaknesses, affter the excesse Losse of blood & spirrits both in my Child bed and the losse of Blood & strength by the Hemoroides, which followed every day by seige caused by my last sore Travell & sad Child Birth.

This brought me soe low & weake That fainted every day uppon such occassions (when I daily lost about 4 or 5 ounces of blood).

It was Dr witties oppinion that I was deeply gon in a Consumption &, if that continued, I should be barren, having my blood & spirrits gon.

which things was considerd by my husband & mother. they were resolved from Dr wittis advis & oppinnion to looke the best help that could be. blesed be the Lord God of mercy which caused my freinds to have Pitty on me & to seeke for helpe.

This was pittched uppon: that I should goe to Scarbrough Spawes for the cure of that sad distemper. and, accordingly, I went with my husband & staied about a month there till I recovred some strength.

In which time, by the infinitt & wonderfull mercys of the Lord & his blessing upon drinking of the waters, I recovred my strength by degrees. Affter the curing of me of that infirmity of Bleed ing, it, to a wonder, left me with in 2 daies & I was Totally cured of it. & in that months time was allso Cured of all my faintings & weakness (which ded soe afflict me soe long ever since my bringing forth my Childe, as formerly related). which soe speedy and great and Excelent a Cure, I am forever boud to renterrender all Possible thankes & glory, and Power & Praiseses for Ever more to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, who had soe great pitty & compassion on me and & healed my wounds & extremitys of Death & Miserys. Praise the Lord, o my Soule, & all that is within me, Praise his holy name for Ever.

Affter my beeing cured, we returned to my Sister Dentons (to Oswoldkirke home ward to Hipswll) where I found my deare mother some what recovred of the dreadfull fitt of the Stone (beeing in great dangr 2 daies before and sent for me home). her servant met with me at my husbands Sister Crathornes;

I was very joyfull to find her any thing recruted from her extreamitys. Blesed be my Lord God, most high, which had compassion uppon my deare & hon.redhonoured mother in raising her from death, torments & extreamitys, & spairing my life allso. o, blese the Lord our God, Jehova, for ever, Amentamen. I referre to the solomn Praiers & thankes in my booke, as allso the relations of the distractions on Church & state in the restoration of 166 Of King Charles the Second in the yeare 1659. Together with A full relation of my deare & hon.dhonoured mothers last Sickness and Death, Dec.December 9th, 1659 (Page 168 till Page 179 in my 'first Booke').

Meditations uppon my delivry of my 6th Childe, william Thornton, & of his death. Aprill 12th, 1660, at St Nicholas, my Aunt Nort tons house. (beeing my first Childe affter my Deare mothers Decease. Dec.December 9th, 1659)

After my deare Mothers death, I remained still att Hipswell awhile, till I could remove safely by reason of my owne weakness & greife. and watching with her I had gott a very great Cough. yett, I could never doe enough for soe tender & deare a Parent, nor shew my duty to soe Excelent vertue, whose loss all the Country extreamly lamented.

Allso, it was a great frost & snow soe that I could not be removed safely with my life till march followeing. besides, there happned to have bin suits depending amongst the Family by want of Dere fathers will. which was not Comprimised till After my mothers Death. And she — haveing givn me by her Last will and Testament & her Deeds, All her Estate. (Reall & Personall. Except what she had excepted in her will. Appoynted that her goods should be removed with what convenient speed might be (in regard that my brother, C. W., was not willing I should injoy her Estate accordg to her disposall:

Nor was he willing I should stay in her Hous at Hipswell till I was delivred (haveing some ill Persons that putt him uppon very unjust waies with his freinds. but, by the good Providence of God to me, he raised me up my deare Aunt Norton & uncle, who tooke me into there house & many of my dere mo.mother's Goods & my owen beeing all Preserdpreserved. & The will Proved & don according to Law by the order of her Executors. (my uncle Fretchvill, her only Brother, by the mothers side., and my uncle Fran cis Darley, my husbands uncle. which two freinds did take caire of me, & my deare Children after my D.dear mothers deceace, & order all her Goods. To severall Places for security till I was in a Condition to goe to Mr Thorntons Country. which could not be don till it Pleased God I was delivred.

But, affter my deare mothers will was Proved & put on the file, it behoved us to be cairefull to Prevent any trickes about — because of the matrs which fell out conserning my hon.redhonoured Fathers. Soe that the master of the Court had orders from the Executors not to be put on the file till some affaires was don (which conserned the said will. but to preserve it in safe Custody till further ordr.

My brother, C.Christopher Wandesford (who had given notice to his stuard, Robert Loftus, that his mothers goods shud not be removed out of the house till heard from him, was very strict in search of the will at London to see how she had disposed of her Estate. Tho what she had of her widdowed Estate att hipswell was very faire, but nothing to his which he injoyed of my Fathers in Ireland & in England: yett he was in expectancy to have gott all her Personall Estate she left, & not satis fied with the 4 Thousands pounds a yeare left him by my Father but aimed to have gott that of his good mothers which, she out of her great kindness And affection, she had bestowed uppon me (as she is pleased to mention in her deeds & will, with a singulr Carracter of my duty & obedience to her. as well as on her Death Bed. which is great matter of Comfort to me: to have the Testimony of soe Pieous, & holy a Parent beeing the motive to induce her to dispose of her Estate towards my Releife, & my Childrens).

Affter he had caused the Court to be searched for Probat of wills at London — I, beeing then removed to St Nickolas — he tould me that he had made a search att London where the wills are proved & there was no will on the file, And the Men of the Court said they never saw any. &, if soe, he beleved my mother did make noe will or disposall of her Estate, it did all fall uppon him as her Heire:

This did much surprise me to heare my only Brother, formerly pretended soe great an affection to me. now to seeke to defraud me of my d.dear mothers blesing, &et cetera.

I tould him that tho he was now the Heire, as beeing a Son, yett I was 2 yeares Elder by my birth &, tho he had gott the birth right, yett I ought to have a shaire of her Blesing if she had not made a will. but God be praisd, she had made one in perfect forme & manner & Deed, By which she disposed all as she thought fitt, & the will was att London long since & proved fully, & he might repaire to it, if he pleased, & be sattisfied.

he did not belive me then, But since that did find the will on the file & soe receaved satisfaction how she had ordered all her Estate.

Which, since I am speaking of it, may not be a misse to acknowledge Gods great Goodnesse & mercys to my selfe, & my deare husband & Child, in those Provissions she made for us in her will & Deeds, Besides her Excelent kindness she exprssed to us in giveing my husband, my selfe & all my family: one man. & 3 maides & nurrses; & all the occassions of my sickneses, Cristnings, & deaths of my Children;

All our Table gratis, with all necesaryes of hous (Beding. Linning. furniture, Coles, hay. Corne, &et cetera).

And this continued for above Eight years affter I was married, as long as she lived, with a great deale of hearty Love & freedom, did this deare Saint of God Entertaine us.

Which constant house keeping for our Perticulrs, besides her owne, she did account it stood her in above the somme of Twoo hundred Pounds a yeare. 171 Which she has tould me, if she had not don, she myght have given me Sixteene hundred Pounds more in money. which would have Purchased Land. Added to that, her Land at midlham which cost her five hundred, and fifty or Sixty Pounds.

As to her Personall Estate, in monneys, Plate, Linning, Beding, &cet cetera. I have heard Mr Thornton say he had as good of what my Der mother Left me to the valew of one Thousand Pounds more. Which amounts to the valew in monney from my mother Recavd by Mr Th.Thornton & my selfe & Children. 2550 or 2600l.

Besides which she made a Deed of guift to Feffeos in trust of all her Arrears in Ireland due to her out of my fathers Estate of Edough of 300l per Annum. in lieu of her Joynter. she, out living my d.dear father 19 yeares, There became due to her, which she maide our by Deed, the somme of 6000l.

which somme, or any part of it, was not paid but Remaines in my brothers Estate still./ Togethr with 200l (as a Debt my ddear mothr Paid for my fathers Estate) & ought to be paid me by her will. But I know, in all these things, my poore Brot has bin imposed uppon & maide beleve not due to be Paid to my Dere mother. or my selfe.

I have all the reason in the world not to con cealle the great goodness of my gracious God in due acknowledgement, humble gratitude to his devine majesty, who raised & preserved this deare Parent to me for my Relieefe & suport ever afftr he tooke my deare father from me, who gave me all my maintenance as well as to my three Brothers during our minoritys which should have bin don out of Kirklington.

But she has givn it in, on acount, that she had expended uppon our three Persons (my self & two younger brothers, ChristopChristopher & John wan.Wandesford & my selfe) to the somme of 1500ld in maintenmaintenance & Education. all which monneys, if she had gotten for our maintenance in her widdow hood,

she would certainly have pleased to have givn it to me & my Children, & husband.

Butt since that was not paid to her, yett did she exprsse her bounty in what she was able to mee.

For, besides what is mentioned before in her will & Deeds. she did send me (by Dafeny, her servt) in monny & gold (which she charged her not to tell me of till after her decease) Above one hundred and 60 Pounds, putt into my Trunke one night when my husband & I was in bed, at our bed feete, The said Trunke stood which I, affterwards, Tooke & disposed of much of it for to furnish Mr ThThornton's hous & to Pay Nettletons Bailis, & other necesarys to his use, as I can shew an acount:

Besides, there was a great some of monney (that was of her Arreares of Rents Receaved at Hipswell Tennants) which was disbursed by me for his use in Accounts for house keeping as may apeare, which did amount to above 300l as may apeare.

And, if the Rents which I have Recevid out of her Land att midlam for soe many yeares since she died, be computed, affter 28l per Annum, Allowing the 2l a yeare for abatements & Public Charges. out of that perticuler Land: & lett at 28l yeryear,

It will amout to (in 30 yeares time, she diing in December 9, 1659, till Lady day, 1680) at 28l per

I must not forgett to glorify my gracious Lord god, who did deliver my deare naly from faling into the fire in my Chambr at hipswell. when I was sitting in the Chaire, then did the Child stumble on the harth & fell into the fire on the Rainge with one of her hand.

Page of Book Two, showing the text continuing into the bottom lefthand margin.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral. Durham Cathedral Library, GB-0033-CCOM 7.

And burned her right hand, 3 fingers of it &, by Gods helpe, I did pull her out of the fire by her cloths. I catched her out of it before she was exceedingly buinedburned, only 3 of her fingers sore burnd to the bone which I, being but 3 weekes laed in of betty, could not drese but was cured by my dere mothers helpe. for which eminent delivrance, I humbly blsse & praise the holy one of Israll. AmAmen.

I had allso a great Delivrance at Hipswell when Bese Poore was makeing of Balsom. she would needs do it her selfe &, when we went to dinr, she sett the Chimny on fire which did indanger the whole house, but blesed be All wayes the Lord, our god, which did delivr us out of all dangers & att this time more especially. Praise his name for Evr.

Upon my removall to St Nickolas, & Mr Th.Thornton was gon to London, about the suits of my brothr, Sir Ch. w.Christopher Wandesford, I, beeing great with Childe, dreamd, one night that I was laid in Childe bed. had the white sheete spread. And all over it was sprinkled with smale drops of pure blood, as if it had bin dashed with one hand. which so frighted me, that I tould my Aunt of it in the morning. but she putt it of as well as she could, & said dreams was not to be regarded. but I kept it in my mind. till my Child died.

Aprill 17, 1660. The birth of willmWilliam Thornton

As the Temporall mercyes I receavd of Heavn by the life & happy comforts of my deare mothers life was great. no lesse was the spiritull assistances I have Ever had from those holy, Pieous & Religious Examples & instructions receaved ~~I had~~ by the happyness in her Life to me; soe that the fresh Remembrances of her Piety shall last as long as my life, & I hope she has receavd a Crowne of Glory for all those graces shining bright in her, And beg that I may live in the faithfull obedience & walke in her Righteis waies to Gods glory & the salvation of my Soule. Amen.

I, now Removing from Hipswell, in march, to my deare Aunts house, where the Providence of my God Provided for me, till I laid in, & brought to bed of my 6th Childe, & second, Son.

I fell into violent Labour about munday moring, continued Extreame, Ill, in great Torments that day and night (haveing Mrs Hickeringill with me.) but my paines was exceeding sharpe & Pearcing, & follerd on me most severe till it pleased my gracious God to have Pitty on me and did shorten the Labour more then of my other Children. and, in exqust Torments, I was delivrd of a goodly, brave Son about the hours of 3 or 4 a Clocke on Tuesday mornig, Aprill the 12th, 1660. But I was in much & great Extreamitys affter his birth, uppon the midwifes fetching the Affterbirth, and for halfe an hour I was in such extreamity while she did fetch it That my deare Aunt cryed out, 'Oh, what are you doeing with her for the Child is come. (which she tooke ill at my Aunt because she thought she used me soe hard, hardly affter the birth of the Childe).

Thus, was it the good pleasure of the great & Powerfull Lord God of mercy to shew his favr to me, his handmaide, in brnging me out of all those Tortures, of Childe-beaing (& what did belong unto it) and give me annother sweete & gooly Son. to be borne alive, & hopefull enough to have lived with us to have built up his deare fathrs Family. And I will humbly give All glory & thankes & praise for this great & inexpresable mercye to me, in giving strength to indure these trialls & to bingbring forth Children to his Kingdom. O, what shall I say, o my God, who called on thee in my distresse, & thou didst delvrdeliver me ofat this time allso, & gave me the comfort and assistance of my Aunt & othr freinds. Lord, give me a thankfull heart & tongue to serve thee all my dais & not forgett thy mercy forer.

The 12th day of Aprill 1660, my deare Son, william, was Baptised by Mr Kirton of Richmond, called affter his fathers name, William. his sureties were my Cozen John Yorke, Cozen william Norton and my Cozen James Darcys Lady of Richmond;

Thus, was I blessed with the life & comfort of my deare Childes baptisme, with its injoyment of the holy Seale of Regeneration: & my sweete babe was in good health to whom I gave sucke, my good God haveing givn me the blessings of the breast as of the wombe allso, which was noe smale comfort to me. & the Joy of it makd me recrute faster, for his sake, that I might doe my duty to him as a mother & that a great sattisfaction to my weake heart while I injoyed his life.

But it soe pleased God to shorten this Joy. least I should be too much, or my husband, transported with that comfort we hoped to have had in his continuecontinuance. And I was vissited with annother triall: for, on the friday sennitt affter his Birth, he began to be very Angry & froward & fretting, soe that I gave him a little gascoyn Pouder & cordiall, least it should be the Redgum in Children usuall at that time. to strike it out of his heart att, mornig affter his dresing.

uppon which, he slept 3 houers very finely & quiet. when he wakened, his face was all over full of Red, round Spotts (like the smale Pox) being of the compasse of a Silvr hapeny & all over- whealed white. These continued very full & well out, till night beeing very well & chearefull & not freting as before they came out.

But then, at night, affter he was dresed & laid in his night bed, the nurse using to hold him up in her Armes in his little shirt & stand a little on his legs before she putt him in to his bedshirte (which she did, soe, that time, not fearng cold, tho I did forbid her to doe it). but assone as he was dresed in his night cloths; whethr he had gott any Cold or what was the Reason, God knowes.

But all the red spotts strucke into his face, and he grew Paile & was very sicke & groned al that night much. and when I tryed him oft to sucke, he could not, but lett my breast fall out of his mouth, &, beeing on a slumbr in my Arms on my knee. he would sweetly lift up his Eyes to heavn & smile, as if the old say was true in this sweet Infant: that he saw Angells in heavn.

But his sweet breath grew weaker of a sudan, & I did feare the Lord would take him to himself which putt me uppon the thoughts to freely submit my will to the will & pleasure of the great God of heaven, who had givn him to me, & was now Taking his sweet soule away from me. And with all the Powers of my Soule, I indevrod to beare it with Patience, & to delivr him up into the hand of my holy father, which is in heavn, saing the Lord gives and the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord.

We gave this deare Saint of God what Cordialls we could but all in vaine, for it was the Lords will to take his soule from him; my sweete Joy, about 9 a Clocke on Saterday morning, to the great discomfit of me, his weake mother, & great heart greife to his poore father who loved, & doted, uppon him.

The deepe meditations uppon this sad crosse & losse to me, is more at Large expresed in my 'first Booke of my life', Page. 181.

My deare Son, william Thornton, my 2d Son and sixth Childe, was buried at Easby Church in the same grave with his Eldest Sister & my first Child (which I lost uppon my first Jorny to Newton in that sad feavr & sicknes I indred for 3 quarters of a yeare affter) which child died unbaptised with in halfe an hoer of her birth before we could gett a minister. willy Thornton was buried by Mr Kirton, he, beeing scarce fourteene Daies old. his fathr was exceding troubled at his lose, beeing very like him in Person & soe was his Eldest Sister. Lord, sanctify this Cross to me

180

uppon this sad affliction of the losse of soe brave a delicate Son, who we tooke delight in. my Lady francis Darcy, comming to see me, desired me to beare it, as patiently as I could: for she was perswaded that God would at length give me a Son to live, (& my husband) but he was to be borne att his house where God would make him the Heire of, & the Lord would looke in merymercy uppon me, & that I should not dy, without an Heir.

I was then resolved in my mind, if it should please the Lord to grant me that Blessing — of a Son, to be an upholdr of my husbands Family in its name, that I would freely give him unto the Lord, as Hannah did to Samull in the servce of the Lord at his holy Alter:

But I only desired my will should be submisive, to his heavnly pleasue, not my will but his be don; in me and myne, & he should be dedicated unto the Lord, my God, from the wombe. Amen.

I have made a Thanksgiving to God uppon the Restoration of King Charles the 2d, uppon his Coronation day, may 29th, 1660, in my Booke, Page the 182 & 183.

181

Uppon my Husbands & Families Removall from St Nickolas to oswold-Church neare Newton, June: 1660, & my first coming from my owne Freinds, &, country:

O, that I could record the wonderfull mercys of the God of heaven in delivrng me from Death in all Places where ere I come, & to sett forth the glory of his name, who casts me downe, with one hand & Lifts me up with annothr, blssed be the Lord God of my hope & Joy. o, that I might depend on him all my daies of my Life who has brought me out of my owne Country & my fathers house into the Place of my husbands. where he has provided for me. O, lett thy good Providnc be ever with me to bless & guide me in all my waies That I may lve in thy feare, and dy in thy favor. and, at last, when I have fulled my time thou hast sett and apoynted me in this life, and to Rest in thy Glory for Jesus Christ, his sake. Amen:

But, before I relate the accidents befell me at Oswoldkirke, It is fitt I forgett not what the Lord did for my 2 Children at St nickolas.

Affter the death of my deare willy. Thornton, I tooke the Crosse very Sadly that he died soe soone & had

many sad thoughts of Gods afflicting hand on me, & one day was weeping much about it. My deare naly came to me then, beeing about 4 years old, & looked very seriously on me, said:

'My deare mother, why doe you morne & weepe soe much for my brother, willy. doe you not thinke he is gon to heaven. I said 'yess, deare heart, I beleve he is gon to heaven, but your father is soe afflicted for his losse, & beeing a Son, he takes it more heavily because I have not a Son to live'.

She said againe, 'mother, would you or my father have my Brother to live with you, when as God has takin him to him selfe to heavn wher he has noe Sicknss but livs in happines? would you have him out of heaven againe, wher he is in joy & happinss. deare mothr, be Patient & God can give you annothr son to lve with you and my fathr, for my brothr is in happiness with God in heaven'. att which, the Childs speech, I did much condemne my selfe (beeing instructed by the mouth of one of my owne Children) & beged that the Lord would give me Patience & satisfaction in his gracious goodnes, which had putt such words in to the mouth of soe young a Child to reprove my immoderate sorrow for him & beged his life might be spared to me in mrcy.

183

uppon my deare Naly delivrance from Death by Convoltions, May 29, 1660, at St nickolas.

That day on which there was a great deale of Joy & mirth uppon the King Charles 2d. his birth and Returne from his banishment into England & his Coronation, beeing mattr of great & Excelent Gratitude to heaven to the Church of England.

They had a shew att Richmond of all kinds of sports & country exprssions of Joy, & amongst the rest they shott of musketts & had Soldiers & the Towns men of Richmond appeared in Armour.

The maides at St nickolas did beg leave to goe and see the shew, & would not be pleased till I lett my deare naly goe with them. but I refused & thought it would fright her & doe her hurt.

But they gott Mr Thornton persuaded & my Aunt to lett her goe, & they would take great cair of her, but was still very unwilling, nor could be convinced of the fittness. tho they went & carried her with them (against my mind. having Mr Th.Thornton's consent.

Butt before 2 hours, they returned with my Childe, home in a very sad & Changed Condittion; for, alas, she nevr having had seene any such things as Soldirs or guns, or drums, or noyses & shoutings, she was soe extreamly scaired att these things, and when The musketts went of soe fast did soe affright her and terrify my poore Child that she was ready to fly out of Jane flours armes (her maide).

And, beeing allmost out of her poore witt, did scrike & cry soe extreamly she could not be Pacified for all they could doe. But, in extremy, fell into most dreadfull fitts of Convoltions there, while she was att Richmond, in Mr smithsons shop;

Haveing had 3 or 4 of them, soe sadly and soe dreadfully, that they had much to do to save her a live, or bring her to her selfe againe, but started extreamly much & then falling downe againe.

Att last, they — doing all could do to her — did bring my deare Childe halfe dead to me, which was a sad & dismall affliction to my weake heart, and she continued very ill all that night.

But I gave her all meadicins for it, & oyle of ambr & Pieony & other things which, by the Lords great & infinitt mercy to me, did at length preserve & restore her from them.

O Lord God of mercy, what glory shall I give to thee the god of heavn & Earth which hast delvrddelivered my swete infant & spared her life againe. o, blsse the Lord, o my Soule & all with in me Praise his holy nam for this & all thy mercy to her. O, lett her be saved, I pry thee, and liv with thy holy Praes for Evr. AmAmen.

185

Uppon my deare Kates delivrance from beeing Choaked with a pin at St nickolas, may 17, 1660

Affter dinner, we were in my Chambr at my Aunt Nortons house (St nickolas) and my deare Katy was plaiing under the Table with her sister, beeing a bout 3 yers old but a very brave, strong Childe & full of mettle, beeing much stronger then her poore Sister, naly. she never haveing had either Ricketts nor Convoltion fitts to keepe her downe, but allwaies continued very healthfull & strong, & full of trickes &, indeed, apt to fall into dangers. as she was plaing with Pinns & putting them into her mouth. her sister see her, & cried out for feare she should doe her selfe hurt.

But she would not be councelled with her and, at last, she gott a pin crosse her throate, at which her sister Cryed out that she had gott a pin in her throte, & by Gods pleasure, I was just neare her and catcht her up in my armes & putt my finger immeadiatly into her throate. & the pin was Crose, & I had much to do to gett it out but, with all the force I had, it pleased God to strengthen me to do it. I gott beyond the pin & soe gott it out of her Throate, but in a great deale of dangr: her life was well nigh gon & she was as blacke as could. She was as blacke, & the blood sett in her face with it, soe nightnigh to death by this accident was this my poore Childe. for it had stoped her breath.

O Lord, my gracious God & father of mercy, what can I render to thee, o Lord, my God for this great and wonderfull delivrance of my deare sweete Childe, and all thy inexprssable goodnes & favour to her & me in sparing her life & delvrgdelivering her out of this eminent danger of Choaking by her oune Childishness? I will humbly praise thy glorious mercy for Ever & begges that she may nevr come into noe such misfortunes & hurts, but guide her by thy grace & lett her live (if be thy blssed pleasure) to be an instrument of thy Glory and my Comfort, for Jesus Christ, his sake, the son of they love & our Redemr. Amen.

187 189

Upon my Husbands & Famelys Removall from St nickolas to oswoldkirke nere newton. These accidents happned to me & mine. followig June. 10th, 1660

Haveing, by the great goodness, of our Great & gracious Lord God, recruted my strength lost by my last Childe, will.mWilliam, at St nickolas, It was his devine Pleasure to give me ability of Body to be able to travell. I removed with my dere husband & those Children the Lord left me & blssed me with all. Alice, my second & now my Eldest. & Katherine, my 4 Childe: we came to oswoldkirke safely, blessed be the Lord. & liveing a fortnight at my Sister Dentons house, till our owne in that Town was made ready for us.

Then did we remove to it, with all my deare mothers houshold stuffe, who furnished the house for us (we, haveing non, of our owne). in which place, we lived there 2 yeares till our owne house at Easte newton could be buillded. which we had bin in the Building sevrall yeares before my deare mothers Death which, if it could have bin finished A fore, she would gladly have lived with us. but it was not begun soone enough for that purpose.

I, in this time, while we were at oswoldkik, my Brother Denton Preached with much Zeale and gravity, beeing in deed a very wise & good man from whom our Family receavd much assistance, & good advice to Mr Thornton in poynt of contrivance of his house at Newton; for Mr Thornton did not caire to trouble him selfe with those consernes. beeing naturally adited to malancholy humor which had Seized on him by fitts for sevrall yeares before he was 20 years old.

Notwithstanding, affter the use of great meanes by Gods blssing. & Leaches & other things by Dr witties order, ever since we were marrid those fitts did much abate, & he was offten in a more chearfull temper since, as his freinds did acknowledge to my great sattisfaction.

and when he was in health, he tooke great plea sure in his house which he did putt uppon my Brothr Dentons & my caire to Contrive as was most con- venient to his purpose.

In this time, while I was at oswoldkirdke on Shrive Sunday, 1661, I was in the Church 191 when it was a great frost & extreame Cold & snow. And, sitting low downe in my Brothrs Pew. I felt my selfe exceeding Cold and very Chill & shakeing by fitts, and soe contineued very ill till Tuesday affter.

Uppon my great and dangerous Sickness att oswoldkirke, febFebruary 13, 1661, Being on my Birthday.

I becan a most dangerous Sickness which brought me to Deaths dore att Oswoldkirke; afftr my dere mothers death & my comming from my owne Country, this was my first Entertainmt, which I gott uppon a Cold I gott & Aguish temper on the Sunday in the Church. when I fellt the sting of that distempr & paines creeping into my backe as I satt.

But this distemper came most violently uppon me on Tuesday the 13th of feb. 61February 1661, att which time I began with extreame vomiting, and paines in my head & backe & knees (&, indeed, all over my Bodie) in great Extremitys. soe that it continued in this manner, with Burnigs & firey drought (& vomiting all that evr I tooke for any manner of sustenance for 5 or 6 daies befor the Drdoctor was sent for) till my mass of Blood was All infected with that dreadfull feavr which came uppon me. & non did hope for this poore Life to have continued. soe that my deare husband did send for Dr wittie to me (I, beeing in soe desperate a Condition).

When the Drdoctor came, I was allmost spent and weakned beyond measure by the violence of the feavr & extreame Paines & greivous Vom mitings; all I tooke, with out sleepe, ease or any metigation of the hand of God upon me.

The Drdoctor was extreame angrey that he was not sent for sooner till I was at the last cast. All he could do would not stay the vomitng tho the feaver was some what abated, I bless God, uppon letting blood which I much desired.

But, beeing soe farre gon, & the feavr was a Putrid, corupted feavr. haveing not had the Beniftt of nature by seige of 8 days. and Those naturall way allso for 2 months or there abouts — my blood was in a great dis- temper & out of order.

The Drdoctor did confidently assure me that I was Conceived with Childe but could not be able to goe on. he doubted, but should miscarry becus of my vomiting all foods & meadicins. which did Streine all the Liguments of my Body & made it inpossible I should retaine the conseption. Nor did any manner of foode stay with me, till I Tould the docter that I did extreamly thirst affter some Cold water, which he gave me & did more refresh my Thirsty soule then all which Art could give.

That night, beeing the 17th of February, I did veryly beleive should be my last in this world, beeing redud into such feeblenes & weakness of bodie & sperrits.

But, most of all, cast into a Spirituall dissertion from God (which was not to be indured with out sinking under it by the divine Pressures of his displeasure) which I apprehended, in this my weakness. my Eternall state to be in a lost Condittion by reason of my Sins and the suggestion of Satan. (Accusing me falsly from my sorrowes & Temporall Afflictions, & casting multitude of doubtings into my heart).

As that, surely I did not belong to God; And that I was not his servant because he followed me with such great Crosses & affictions , Sickness. & lose of Children, freinds & Estate, Suites & vexsations from freinds — & which seemd to be Currses, rather then such trialls which he exerciseth his Children with all.

And that I had neglected those offers & tenders of mercys in his word & Sacrament which he, from time to time, had given givin me from my youth up. in the Examples, instructions, admonitions of my deare Parents & his ministers, & his delivrances. Checks & cals of his spiritt with all those speritull & temporall advantages I have had & now want, & had noe opportunity of Recaving the Sacrament (beeing taken from me). All these I did reeave befor wonderfully, with delivrances of all all kindes, yett did they not worke a through convertion & change of heart in me to walke acording to the motions of Gods Spirit with that strictnesse of I ought to have don.

And tho I had bin kept from falling into any innormos Sinns, yett — for the least omition of duties & neglect of his commands, or smale offences against God or man — Etternall Dam -nation was due from soe Just a God for the breach of the least of his Commandements.

And that now it was too late to Repent or hope because I had neglected, or drivn it of soe long that my Life was at an End; for ought I knew, this was my last Summons. And that tho God was able to have mercy on me. yett I had so offten broke my Promises & forgettfullness of God That he would not have mercy on me at the last houer. As satans strong Suggestions would would have perswaded me, & presed uppon me in my weakness (with many arguments) that it was too late & that God would not have mercy on me.

In this most dolerous Condittion, I continud all that night & not hope or expect relife from my great unworthiness & ingratitude, exprssing this — my lamentable condition — in Patheck Grones which is more fully inlarged in my 'first booke' (in Page 189, 190, 191, 192, 193).

Till, when I was allmost breathless in my soule & got noe mercy, nor durst not pray for it, yett I cast my selfe downe att the footstoole of grace before the Lord, & said: if I perish, I will fly unto him alone, lett him doe what senethseemeth him good. when, imeadiatly, when I was with out hopes, Behold the goonessgoodness of the Lord to make it apeare that Satan is a lyer & that he will shew mercy at all times, when he please, & to all that call on him.

It pleased him in a most wonderfull & gracious manner, when I was out of all hopes by reason of the strong temptations & my weakness. to bring me a speedy helpe & make me obteine mercy & comfort from that most sweete And Blessed Portion of holy scripture, which my deare Lord & Saviour spake to us by his word. out of St Matt.Matthew 11: v. 28, 29, 30. Come unto me, All yea that Labour & are heavy Laden, And I will give you Ease, &cet cetera.

which words was soe pearcing, like lightning in to the darke Cornes of my woefull heart, and dispelld all the mists of hell & Satan — that he had Raised in me to make me dispaire — & was soe great Joy to my Soule which even brought me into an Ex cityecstasy beyond my selfe. not desirng nor wishing to live any longer in this wretched Life, but Since I hoped my God was Reconsiled to my soule, I de -sired to be disolved and to be with Christ Jesus, my Lord and Saviour,

who had now putt Satan to flight that would have devoud my Soule. & I still depended on him, & my soule rested on him & was againe Comf forted against all my Spiritull Enymes. The deep Consideration of this miraculous delivrances, Lord, lett me nevr forgett which called uppon me in my distrsse when I could not come unto thee.

I have written A whole Paper Booke uppon this great delivrance of my soule & in expsins of my humble gratitude, as allso in the 'first Book' meditations heere uppon in Page 192, 193.

.And, affter these miracules mercys, I recovrd my health & strength daily & was very strong & healthy within two months or 9 weeks. Praised be the Lord.

Affter this inestimable & wonderfull mercys and deliverances of my Soule from Perishing by dispaire & the instigations of our old Enimy, Satan, & by the gracious influences of Gods sperrit in my sattisfaction of all my feares & doubts, & putting to flight the old Serpent (to flight) from doeing more mischeife to my poore Soule then the scaring me into the firmer & deeper Assurances, That God (whom I feared, & served in the best mesure I could & with an unfeined & sincere hart) was of soe infinitt goodnesse. I was bound to beleive his holy spirritt in his word, That, att what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his Sinns from the botom of his heart. he will putt away all his wickedness out of his remembrance, saith the Lord.

Which, at this time of vissitation, has given me a great experience of beeing graciously pleased to to suffer my Soule to receave comfort — & lifted up the light of his Countenance uppon me, & makig me to receave a great & aboundant shaire of the Pease of Consience & Joy in his Salvation, with refresh ing of my Spirritt by the testimony of his love in this blessed Call of my Saviour, in the time of my distres (Lord, I beleive, helpe thou my unbeleife) soe that I was more exceedingly desirous to dye then to live. in this vaile of missery, Sin & death. If the Lord should see it fitt for me;

But behold, with admiration at the infinitt & Transcendant goodnes, mercy & power of my graci ous God, & in Jesus Christ, the father of mercys to us wretched. creatures. dust and Ashes.

For when I only begged Spirituall & the Lord gave to me great and abundant Addition of temporall mercys, filling my Soule & heart & mouth with abundant Praise and Gladness.

when I looked for nothing but death & hell and disstruction; then did our gracious father of mercys make himselfe knowne to be a recon siled God, & not a god that taketh vengance willingly on fraile sinnrs but — in & through Jesus, his Son — is pleased to accept of our weake indea vours & repentance when we turne to him with our whole hearts; yea, in & by the sattisfaction & merrits of the blood sheding of his Son, who did suffer for sin & sinned not, & mad on his Crosse a full sattisfaction to his holy father for the sins of the world to reconsile us unto God.

And thus, in a most gracious measure, shew ing us that the mercys of the Etternall God are not to be measured or, comprehended by the weake, frail apprehentions of mortall creatures. But to be admired, & adored, & beleved, & feared in all his workes, his goodness, his free grace, his mercy and And bounty, Longsufering, Patience and wisdom shewed towards us, poore & sinfull mortalls.

Therefore, will I for Ever blsse & praise, and honnor & magnify, his riches of his grace & favour to me, his weake Creature, for ever: who has not cast me away in this distrsse but healed, helped & delivred me from Sin of dispaire & casting away my hope in his mercys.

For as is his Majesty, soe is his Mercy;

Appoynting meanes, blesed the same to me. soe that by degrees I was strengthned to admiration: for non that ever sawe me but judged it impossible that I could live. yett, I was much recruted in my body, & com -forted in my Spirritt. Glory be to the name of my God, who had Compassion & Pitty on me, a Fathrles Orphn.

Tho I was not Perfectly recovred strength in a quarter of a yeare, beeing brought soe weake in my Sickness & Extreamitys in Soule & body.

But about a quarter of a yeare affter, I found my selfe with quicke Childe, which was soe great a Miracle to beleive that I could not be convinced of a long time, till, by undeniable signes & tokens, it was confirmed: which was soe great and admira -ble a miracle & a blessing beyond all hopes to the Drdoctor as well as our selves, which could not be apprehended affter soe great & dangerous & desperate Sickness, wherin Dr witty did beleve it was impossible that That I could retaine the Conseption: Affter those violencys & extreamitys of vomitings & torments I indured, which loosned the wombe soe extreamly that he expected daily and looked for a miscaridge. therefore, did not give me noe thing as Plaisters & to Prevent it be cause he thought it better not to proced too farre & less danger of my Life, which he scarced hoped for very offten.

But, O thou, most Powerfull, most mighty, most gracious & most mercyfull, Lord God of heavn, who am I, sinfull dust and Ashes? & what am I worthy to live or come into thy Glorious Presence, who hath bin soe vild & unprofitable a servant, & provoked thy Judg ments to come downe uppon my head & to destroy me? I abhorr my selfe in dust and Ashes, beeing soe inpure in thy Eyes, & confesse my self inworthy to live, move or breath, or to receave such things & miracles of mercys to my poore Soule and body.

But since, by thy grace & mercy, thou hast spaired me thus long & have not gvn me over to death & destruction, spiritull and Temporall, what shall I say to thee, o Lovr of Soules, who has not suffrd hell & death & Satan to prevaile ovr me, 201 But hast had such pitty and Compassion on me, a poore Creature, and has delivred me at this Present from the Jawes of the Devill, death and Dam- nation; o, great & glorious Lord God, creator of hean and Earth, lett not this thy sharpe, & ssevere vissitatn be in judgement to my Soule, but in mercy to delvrdeliver & save me, the handmaide of the Lord, from all his destructions he has laid for me. O, say unto my soule, thou art my Salvation & that by these Chastisments, heere in this life, I may be consigned to thy heavnly Kingdom. That my sins may all be Pardoned & blott out of thy Booke of Remembrns nevr to rise up against me, either in this world or in the world to come. but give me a new heart and a new name, and grace to follow thee, my holy Jesus, in newness of life & a holy Conversation amongst men. That it may apeare thou, o Lord, hast givn me grace to cast of the yoake of Satan and, acording to thy blesed Call in this my afflictions, May> have strength derivd from thee to Take up thy sweete yoake, holy Jesus, & follow thee. o, that I may learne of thee to be meeke & humble, & lowly, & Patient, o, lett me be lowly in my heart & truly thankfull for this, thy holy word & sperritt, which thou shewed to me in my distrsse. For I did labor under the burden of sin & the temptati -ons of Satan And thou, o my sweete Savior, did call on me To Come unto thee, all yee that are havy Laden and Labur under sin, and thou would give me rest,

O, Lett me find rest unto my Soule: for thy yoke is Easy & thy burden is light. O Lord, this holy word has come into my soule & suported me from sinking, & cured my Soule, & delvreddelivered me from the Rage of hell & Satan. lett me, I besech thee, ever be under thy wing of Providence & guide me a right in thy waies That I may nevr fall into Temptation of sin, the world or the Devill, who, lik a Roring Lion, would have devoured my Soule & my sweete infant in my wombe.

But, o my God & father of mercys in Jesus Christ, doe not leave us to his fury nor lett him have Powr to devoure me, thy handmaide & servant, who thou hast soe wonderfully delvrddelivered us. but I pray thee, o Lord, to Preserve this poore Infant still by thy Powr and Providence that Sin, nor Satan, may nevr destroy it nor have noe part in me or my Child, who soe mightily thou hast presevd from abortion & destruction by this great & dreadfull sicknes in my wombe.

But, for thy great mercys sake, delvrdeliver still the poore mothr & her Child that she may bring forth, in thy due time, to Perfection that which thy hand has made & Created in me & my wombe; That it may be, o Lord, an heire of Salvation of what sex soevr Thou seest fitt to give thy handmaide (thy will be don). But, if it shall be thy good Pleasure, good Lord, To blsse me, thy handmaide, to brng forth a son at due time, O Lord, I humbly beg of thy good grace that It may be an instrument of thy glory in this life & to accept of my humble desire to make him to be a servant of the Lord att thy holy Alter. to whom, I, humbly with hanna, present this, the fruit of my wombe, to whom thou hast Vouschafed life in me after soe wonderfull a preservation. to whom should I give it but unto my Lord, from whom I have receavd this hopes. o, contineue this, thy mercy, That I may Gloryfy thy holy name for ever. blesed be the most high & holy, & Powerfull & gracious goodness of my God. which hath rebuked my dreadfull feaver, sickness & extreamitys, & sent me helpe for my Soule, body and spirritt, & weaknes of nature & restored my Life & strength againe abundantly. The Lord God inlarge my heart to praise thy name. in all humble, thankfullnes & holines to walke uprightly all my dais, for Jesus Christ, To whom & the holy Spirtt be all Glory for >Evr. Amen.

In the midest of my disstress of mind in my Latlate great Sickness, & I saw noe hopes of my recovery,

One great ingreadient of my Sorow was for The Incertainty I should leave my poore Daughters in, beeing but young Children then. In regard of any settled fortune or Provission was then Left to Provide either for their maintenance or Portion.

Because the Estate of Burne-Parke, which had bin settled for theire Provission by Articles maide before marriage, was forced by Mr nettletons debt, for which, uppon the Assignment of Mr Norton to Mr Thornton, he had secured to nettleton out of his owne Land. & as I have related before, I was compeld — to preserve my Husband from Prison, to cutt of that Intaile & Mr Thornton did ingage before Baron Thorp to settle Provissions for my yonger Children (instead of Burn Parke was sould for this Debt)

To settle Provissions for Portions & mainte nance for them out of Laistrop. I not having more alive but these two Children, Alice & Katherine, which was yett unprovided for at this time of my Sickness.

The consideration of this — that I might dye in this Sicknss before any thing don for them By way of Provission instead of what was soe settled for them before marriage, & that it was very Probable Mr Thornton might marry againe & Then The Estate would wholy devolve from my Heirs & these my Children of my Body — was very Afflictn to my thoughts. & did much presse uppon me to Take some advice what to doe in this case to have some Provission made for these my deare, poore, young infants, not able to take caire for them- selves, or the Childe yet unborne, nor had I any relation or freind nere me to take the matter into theire Cognoisance.

Att length, it did, by Gods mercy, come into my mind to acquaint my Cozen Ledgard (then at Sir hennry Chomlies, the grainge) being a Layrwr, he, I desired to read my writings, & settlemts of The whole Estate (both as to Articles and then Deeds, which ought to have bin maide punctually by them) & to give me his oppinnion of them;

Whether or not Mr Thornton had Power to Cutt of the Intaile from my Children or not. in Regard that, when I was at St nickolas my Aunt norton desired if I had a Son, beeing then with Childe, it might be called Charles, it bringing his name with him & comming at soe happy a time as at the restoration of the King & the Church.

Butt Mr Thornton would not consent to that. To have him Called Charles, for Reasons best known to him selfe, But tould me if I would have him called Charles, if it were a Son. he should not Heire any of his Land, (not a foote of his Land.

Which did a little trouble me. but said that I praid God to send me well over that Condition & give him a Son, & he might call him what he would, & soe, God blesing me with a Son. he had him calld affter his owne name (Tho I tould him, if he pleased,) not to Crosse the names of his Pedegree, which had for soe many hundred yeares gon In William, & Robert).

Yett, this sircumstance of his saing, 'if it was called Charles, it should not Inhert his land; put me in mind — in my Sickness. That he had Powr to doe it. & made me to serch more into the bussiness. for, if I should now have had a Son, yett it was not secure for that, but he might Possibly have bin cutt of for a second venture (haveing Power so to do).

To prevent which, if pleased God & for me to doe my duty to these daughtrs & my Son — & in hopes of A Son. beeing with Childe, I did advise with Mr Ledg.

And, uppon reading of the writings, he found That Mr Thornton had Power by those Deeds (which was drawne at Chester) to cutt of The Intaile of his Land from my Isue, contrary to the Articles of my Marriage made betwixt my deare mothr, & himselfe. which thing did much Trouble me, that the writings was drawne soe contrary to the very intentions, & settlements, uppon which a marriage proceded, or Ellse not to have bin, (eithrer by my mother or my selfe) consented to.

But by this accident was discovred, soe that I begged my Cozen Ledgard to Prevaile with Mr Thornton in my Childrens behalfe, who was Then his Lawfull heires, That he would make some assurance of Provission for them for a Portion. And then, affter wards, if it pleased God. I should live & have Son to settle the Land According to Articles of marriage.

To which my deare husband Consented, and did then Enter into a bond of 6000l to secure unto the two daughters the Somme of each of them 1500l a peace (insteed of there Right othr waies. till the Estate could be bettr settled in that Excigent of my danger of Death.

Which Bond was in Mr Ledgards hand & delivred up to Mr Thornton, as I beleve, uppon the Provission of settlement of Laistrop by Mr Covill & that Intail. There was a Paper Draught drawne by Mr Ledgard of Settlement of Laistrop affterward (when we were att newton) & sent by Mr Th.Thornton from London which he did give me to Reade. But it was not drawne according to the Articles of marriage.

vidzVidelicet. settled uppon my Heires Males &, for want of such Issue, uppon my Heires female.

But first, uppon my Heires Males &, for want of Such Issue, To Mr Thorntons Heires males uppon any other wife. as may more aper.

Which Paper Booke I read, & I did not Consent unto it (beeing destructive to the Heires of my owne Body. & desired my Husband to be more Kinde to my Lawfull Issue, who had brought him a pelentifull fortune, nor could any blame the bowells of a mother to grant her owne Issue to be cut out, of what they were borne to.

I know my poore husband was advised to this way to preserve his name but, if God had denied Sons by me, it was not conveni ent to make Heires where God would have non. as my Godfathr, Parson Lassells, tould my father, when he was goeing to Intaile his Land of some affare of my kin & disinheritt 209 his daughters. for where God will have a Family to contineue in the Name, he can give them Sons & not for us to appoynt who we will.

So, this affaire of makeing a Deed of setlmt of Laistrop was defferrd till affter I came to my house at East-newton, which I must speake furthr of, in its due Place.

Uppon my deare daughters preservation from a wound in her belly: 1661

My two Children was Plaing at oswoldkrke in the parlor window, and Kate, beeing very full of sport and Play, did climbe into the wndow &, leaping downe, fell uppon her sister, Alice, and thrust her uppon the Corner of the same (with a great force & strength she had) & her sister cryed out with paine & soreness, which had greivously hurt the inner Rind of her belly soe sore till I was affraid she had broaken it.

But it continued a long time, tho I putt a searcloth on it; yett doth it now, very offten, hurt & paine her, soe that I have cause to blesse & Praise the name of my God for ever, that she was not wounded soe as to breake her bowells. (it beeing in soe dangerous place & hazard in her beeaing of Children.) o, praise the Lord for this, his great mercy to my poore Child, & mak her thy servant.

Uppon A Ly maide &, slander Raised on my selfe and my Servant, Jane Flouer, by nan Robinson, att oswoldkirke this year, 1661

This Nan Robinson was a servant which I had brought from Richmond & St nick. with me & to whom, as beeing a sevantservant for worke, I was very kinde, as inded I find my selfe desirous to be gratfull when they desrv it (with out a bost) for I am glad to meete with any who would incorage me by there duty.

She, living with me in my Aunts house at St nickolas, fell in love with one of her Men, Normavill fisher. who was a foolish, yong boy of 18, but this nan had soe great folly that she was bewitched with his Person.

Tho he was one that was a Basterd. & had gotten one (as we heard) himselfe &, therefore, noe way was he a fitt husband for her.

Jane flouer, &, I, out of our love to this woman, did offten advise her against him — because he was not sutable for her & had noe meanes to keepe her on — but nan was soe ill displeasd and angry (secrettly, as she confesed to me aftr) 211 at Jane flouer & my selfe That she was resolved to be revenged of us both for speaking to adves her against this fisher:

But this was not discovred till she had don us a very wicked displeasure to my husbands Brother, Mr Thomas Thornton. who was a very humorous man & had not soe good a nature as the rest of my brothrs & Sisters (tho he was a very honnest, plane man).

It hapned that, as my costome was, I did invite my brothers & sisters to dine with us on a Sunday, but he turned a way & would not speake to me; at which I wondred, he not doeing soe to me before butt was allwaies kinde & civill to me who, he said, was the bst sistr he had.

Att evning, afftr prayers, Mr Thornton & my selfe went downe to see my brothrs & sisters, where we found them altogether sitting at dore.

I gave them the usuall Civility, & they all did returne it againe but my brothr, Thomas, I askd him, 'brothr, I would have bin glad to have had your company to diner to day, why would you not come. To which he answrd, very dogedly & surleyly, & said I did not meane as I spake & was but a hipocrite. At which, I tould him he did me much wrong. for I had allwaies the desire to speake as I meant, & wondred he should say such a thing of me that I did not deserve. uppon which, he flung a way in a great anger against me.

I could not but be extreamly greived & moved att his ill carriage towards me and fell into a great Passion of weeping to find my selfe soe highly affronted by my husbnds brother. & went into the Garden to Mr Thornton,

making my complaint to him selfe & my brother Denton, & related the same thing of my B.brother, Thom.Thomas, with great conserne for what I had evr don or said any thing to offend him at any time.

They both did pray me not to be soe Troubd at him; for he was a very humoros man att all his freinds, & never was freinds with them alltogethr, & I must not be soe sore Troul.

I said I was sure some had bin telling of lies to him and praied my brothr Denton to gett it out of him &, if I had really don him any injury — which I kneue of non, I would sattisfy him &, if not, he must not continue soe displeased without a cause.

Affter which, my brothr Denton examind him and found he had bin tould That I said, 'I had rather have a scott in Scottland have the Estate then him', which words I did utterly deny; for I never thought such a thing in my heart, nor could I speake it with my mouth. but on the contrary (if any thing weare said) & that Mr Thornton knows.

For when, att any time, my B.brother T.Thomas had bin drinking & Tippling, as he was used (god knows) too often to doe, It did soe much greive my husband That one time said to me.

'Here is this Brother, Tom.Thomas, dotth soe greve me & trouble me, with his Idle course of Life & drinking, That he shall never Heire any Land of mine. & I will cutt him of and give it to Jackey Denton, my Sisters Son'.

Att which, I answred, 'Mr Thornton, o, deare heart, do not soe; for he is your owne Brothr &, tho he be not soe good as you would have him, he is your next Heire affter your Childr.

And God may give him Children that may be good. for I have seldom seene an Estate to Prosper when the right Heirers are cut off'.

And this, my husband did affirme I said and desired my B.brother D.Denton to gett it out of him who did tell him that Lye of me. where uppon, he examined him againe, &, with much a doe, gott it out of my brothr, Thomas, who did afirme That nan Robinson tould him, before she went away. A Long story of my maide, Jane Flouer, & my selfe. vidzVidelicet.

That, one day, I was att oswoldkirke, & (as she said, was not well and she was comng my head) that Jane should say to me. 'now, if you should die, god helpe these 2 Childer of yours, for Mr Thomas would wrong them of the Estate', which, nan said, Jane, did repeate twice or thrice before I spoke to answer her.

And, at length, when she had spoke soe oft to me, nan said, I answred her That I had rather a scott in scottland should have it then my brothr Thomas. which he beleved I did say because nan tould him she heard it,

but she charged him not to tell who tould him.

Affter my brothr Denton rehearsed this to me, before Mr Thornton, he said he beleved she was a great lier for I would not say such a word. and I did possitively deny the whole thing: that Jane nerenever said soe to me, nor I to her, & I would have it searched out the truth of it.

Affter a little while, Jane was to goe to Alerton to see her father & mother, and I bid her to goe see nan Robinson at Scruton (with in a little of Allerton) And to charge her to tell the truth & I would forgive her (if she did tell my brothr That story) uppon her Repentance for such a great lye she tould of us both. but, if she did not con fesse it, she might never expect any kindness from me. or her.

Jane did as I had ordered her & tooke her a side, & betwixt them too, tould her to that Effect, but first asked if she remembred she had ever heard such words passed at any time betwixt her Mrsmistress & her selfe. To which Nan did protest & sweare that she never had in all her life heard any such thng.

Then, she againe charged her with telling my brothr, Thomas, that story. To which, with currsed Exce- crations, she denied utterly. & said, would she be such a beast as to make such a ly of me who had saved her life offten & had bin a mother to her? she would be hanged before she woud doe such a wicked thing. soe that Jane did beleve her.

And came & tould me all this discores betwixt them, & I related it to my brothr Denton, & he did tell my B.brother, Th.Thomas, that nan denied all & said she did never tell him such things of us.

Uppon which, my Brothr, Thomas, did protest & vow that she did tell him evry word, as he was a Christian, soe that I was assured nan had made that lye of us.

The occasion of her goeing a way, as she pretended, was to recrute her strength affter a dreadfull fitt of the Running Gout, which it Pleased God to lay uppon her affter she had thus wronged me & my maide.

She had the most greivous Torments & Paines in extremity, all over her Joynts & limbs, and swelling all over them; the pain first comming from one hand & fingrs & from the other, & from one foote & leg to the othr in a days time or att nights.

which followed soe thicke uppon her that she tooke noe rest or sleepe, or scarce any meat, which we were all in a great confusion for her. & I knew not any thing to good for her, & did watch my selfe & servnts & had others to help night and day with her, & used all the means & Drdoctor for her I could gett. (& her shoutings soe great & loud that we was forced to lye at my brothr Dentons & could not sleepe for her in our owne house.)

Affter a months time, & all the meanes I could possibly use to recover her, she was restored & free from those paines & was in a very good way of mends. but, she had sent for her Mothmother, who came & would needs have her home (It beeing agreed betwixt them) And procured a Horse Litter to Carry her easily, & paid all costs & Charges of her sickness & all things besides her wages all that time & those to doe her worke, abou 5l.

Now, while she was with me, Robert webster (Mr Thorntons man) was very fond of her & would have had her to his wife. & we all did Councell her to forsake Normavill fisher, that nerenever looked at her, and to have Robin web.Webster.

And I was soe kind to her that I tould her, before Jane and my 2 Children, That if she minded what I should say, I would offer her a kindness if she accepted of it that she should nevr have againe if she refused.

That because Robin webster loved her & did dote soe much on her, he would make her a bettr husband then the other. And, if she could love him, I would desire Mr Th.Thornton to build up the warant house at newton & they should live in it and Pay Rent, & he might doe service to Mr ThornThornton as he had which would doe him & her good.

Upon which she thanked me for my kinde offer But she would never Love that man as long as she lived, & that she hated him as ill as a Tode or the Devill & wished she might nevr prosper iff she had him, & would be drawn in Peices with wild horrses before she would have him & such lik Curses.

Uppon which, I bid her hold her Tongue for a wicked woman that Curssed her selfe soe. for it would light on her for her wickednesse And as a Curse to her, God would make her to be as mad on him as ever any was, & her evll would light on because God sees all her waies & words.

And bid her take notice that what I, in kindness, had wished her to &, about build ing the warrantt house, I would not doe it for her (she, having denied my kindness).

Soe that, I beleive, she had a designe to goe home to see if she could gett the other man, and when she came home found he was married to annothr woman.

And affter this intreague was over, & her desires crossed of this fellow, she cast about in her mind how to lay hold on Robrt Webster, beeing advised by her freinds perhaps. (he having a great deale of mony gotten in Mr ThThornton's service while he was a Justice of Peace.)

Soe, it was concluded she could not get him because he had nevr gon to see her, beeing advised against it by his best freinds (she beeing a woman given to drinke & that not fitt to make a wife off, nor indeed did I know of that quality till too late to retrve my selfe).

It was advised she should gett into my service againe, which would compass the bussiness for her. soe, She gott there minister (which I knew) to write a most Excelent submissive, humble letter with all the faire words of gratitude for what I had don & that she beged she might be intertained as my servnt.

when I gott this letter, I writt word that, befor she could expect I would entertaine her againe, I would be sattisfied of things where she had don me wrong. uppon which, she comes to oswoldkirke and, in a most fearfull tremblg, she came into my Chambr. I asked her, with a troubled heart & charged her home, what that lye she tould my B.brother,T.Thomas, & whethr she had evr Heard Jane & I to speake any thing to that purp. she fell downe, amazed, att my Chaire & said, no, she did not, as she hoped to be saved.

I, then, with much greife, tould her what made her to make such abominable lyes to make my husbands brothr to hate me: how durst she do it. To which, she said, with many Tears & seemg sorrow, That it was The Deivell that bid her doe it because she did it to be revenged of Jane & my selfe for perswading her for her good against normavill fisher. Thus, was the free & true confesn of this wretched, vild creature to Cleare me of that lye which she had invented to be revenged of us for our good will to her. And soe, when I had reproved her severly & caused her to Con fess it to my brothr Denton & B.brother Thomas ThThornton, I was soe much a foole that — uppon her Repentance — I entertained her againe, which act of Pitty I did hoping she would have had more grace never to doe the like and afftr my saviours command, if thy brothr sin aganst Thee & Repent, thou shall forgive him, But the good Lord, my God, knoweth what an ill Instrument of hell this has bin to me in a more Bloody & cruell manner to doe wickedly against me, & sining against God and her owne Consience & betraing my Innocent soule by her Pernicious Slanders.

But the Lord, my gracious father of Hean, has brought it uppon her owne head, & made her to confess her owne guilt and wickednes before my brothr Denton & my Children, & to do me that right to say, it was the Devill that put it uppon her againe.

Soe that he is the fathr of Lyes, & of him this wretched Creature taks Councell to destroy me, the poore handmaid of the Lord, O Lord, I besech thy gracious mercy to delvrdeliver me from this and all lyeing Tongues, that hunts against 221 Against me to over throw my Soule, and to destroy my Comfort of my Life. O, do thou, O Lord, save & defend me from Perishing by them, for I Putt my whole trust in thee, o god, my guide, my judge, & my Redeemer.

And be thou not mercifull to those that offend of malicious wickednsse.

For thou, o Lord, most high, hast seene my great affliction & pittied me in my deepe con- sternation, & distresse uppon this, theire great wickedness, & didest delivr my Soule from theire deepe laid Plotts against my Life, and has now Raised up my deare Brother Denton to be my Comfort, & freind, in these deepe distresses & to be a wittness — with my Childrn & servants — of my wronged innocency, & caused theire owne Tongues to acuse them selves. I will blesse & praise the Lord God of my salvation from henceforth & for Ever more. Amen.

A delivrance from fire at oswoldkike, 1661

We had a great Preservation from the house beeing Burned by fire in the night time. my maide, Nan wellburne, having carlesly stucke the Candle at her Bed head, & fell a sleepe, soe it fell downe on the Pillow & her head, & burned her cloths, & beeing stifled by the smoke, it pleased God she awaked & put it out. o, Praise the Lord, my god, for this and all his delvrncsdeliverances of us. Amn.

Page of Book Two, with underlined heading on an otherwise blank page.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral. Durham Cathedral Library, GB-0033-CCOM 7.

Uppon a great fright I had at oswolkirke. beeing big with Child conserning a Bond. 1662

Uppon our Comming to live att Newton affter the new house was Builded by Mr Thornton & my selfe (it beeing on June the 10th, 1662)

It pleased our Gracious God, affter, many difficutys & dangers, Sickneses, & troubles, & affter 6 yeares worke at the Dwelling house of Mr Thornton. (having Builded it from the grownd) the Lord gave us all leave —

With our Family and my two Daughters, Alice & Katherine — to come to live at it, beeing soe much Ready as to fitt us to dwell in it, This 10th of June 1662.

I, beeing then big with that Childe, of whom I had soe many, & great, delivrances. of sickness & sorrowes, greifes & frights which befell me at oswoldkirke (Relatd).

yett, such was the abundant & exceeding mercys of my heavenly Father to me, his poore servant, That he inabled me with a great deale of strength & vigor (beeing great with Childe) to walke from oswoldkirke, with my deare husband and all our Company, to Newton.

For which excelent mercys to me, his Poore handmaid, I doe offer most humble, & faithfull thankes & Praises to the great God of heaven, for inableing me with strength to doe this great thing & do glorify his holy name for this, his mercys indureth for Ever.

Allso, he did give me a Comfortable settlement in This, our house, that he gave us to Build up, when the old house could not Stand longer for Age and the Antiquity thereof. which blssing was givn to my deare husband, and my selfe to Rebuild soe Antient a Seate, more then to many of his forefathers.

Oh, that we may walke in all faithfullnesse and holiness before his face, acording to his Rich & bountifull grace conferred on my deare husband & my selfe, & not only we, but our Posterity affter us to all generations. Amen, for Jesus Christ, his sake. Amn.

Blessed be the glorious name of our God allso who gave me a comfortable settlement, at our owne house, which I gott furnished with what my deare Mother did give me, (other goods) within, 5 daies time, haveing gott all things ready before I came into it for setting up. And with Part of my d.dear mothers monney

Allso, I gott all the grownds in his hand stocked with his Cattell in that time when we came into it.

Affter which of our Comming to the house, with in a little time, my deare husband was called to London about That infortunate bussiness of Mr Nettleton, as be- -fore Related; he, goeing purposly for that affaire to prevnt the breaking up of an Excecution against him by Mr Nettleton, for a Debt which Mr Th.Thornton had secured out of his Estate, & it ought to have bin Paid out of the Leace for 41 years out of my fathrs Land in Ireland. as before said. (As more att Large may apeare in my 'first Booke' in Page 194, 195, 196, with all sircumstances about this affaire.)

But, before I came from Oswoldkirke, haveing Feares uppon me That Mr Th.Thornton might have some false dealing don to him — & that there was but 100d betwixt them. I did desire him to take it up, & pay him, rather then have suits Run on, & prosecuted to the farre End.

But Mr Th.Thornton would not doe it, but thought to have gott better of him, & made him Refund 100l. I did allso offer to procure as much for him: (haveing as much of my owne, which my deare mothr gave me, but Mr Thornton hoped to save it. & soe went to London on purpose to prevent the Breaking up the Excecution.

But he prosecuted him with all the Rigor could be, & fallse dealing, & Treachery, against Mr Thornton. And, most unjustly & spightfully, wattched an opportunity when Mr Thornton was att London to have prevented Nettleton got an Excecution Broaken up: (against body, Lands & Goods, having entred into a Statute to him)

And one morning, very Early, came with his owne Man, & 4 other Baylis to seize uppon all the goods, Plate, Moneyes, what ever Ellse we had in the world, till they weare all Paid there demand. & sattisfied there Debt. &et cetera.

Att first, the men was very Rude and Violent: I feared they would have seized uppon my Person (then Bigg with Childe. but they frighted me very Sore.

But Behold the great goodnesse of my gracious Father in heaven, who had provided some of my husbands freinds. my good Brother Denton, who with his prudence did mitigate there fury. & alltho they demanded att first the whole some of 800l to be forth with paid to them (for which the Statestatute was Entred).

But he, knowing the Debt was all Paid, only part of it in dispute, prevailed with them to take the somme of 200l, which thethey would have paid or Ellse to to seize on all the Plaite & what I had in the house, & all quicke goods, Horrss & all ellse, &cet cetera.

I confese this accident was very afflicting to me, both in regard it was a Debt of my fathers & ought to have bin paid out of his Estate (& would have bin soe had not Mr Th.Thornton bin ill advised — & wronged in it — to secure it out of his owne, contrary to reason or need for there was 2000l- a yeare to pay it out of my Fathrs L.land in Ireland).

And besides it was a great disparagement that when we were new come into the house — where we were to live in Reputation, as family, & I brought a good fortune to My husband & cleare as any was by fathr, & mother, yett such a misfortune to happen to entertaine my first comming into the world was very unhapy, & uncomfortable to me.

231

Besides, the great and sudainess of the Terror & afright this action brought me into, in my Condittion (haveing but lately Escaped Death, & miscarriage soe nearely. 2 tystimes) & this fright, Joyned with a hearty greife, did bring me very low againe, & I expected nothing but a sudaine Abortion & destruction of my poore Infant in my wombe. It had bin happy, if my deare husband would have hearkned to my kinde & affectionate advice to have agreed with his Adversary: he had gon to London & he should freely have had my owne mony (that my d.dear mother had givn me to furnish my house) & have prevented all this mischeife that befell to me & might have don worse.

But still, in all accidents, what ever befalles me in this or other consernes of my Life, The Lord, my God, who is my only Life & suport, Preserver, & de liverer, doth still shew his most gracious, & mighty hand of Providence over me, and my poore, Innocent Infant in me to delver & preserve us from utter Distruction even in this sad excigent & Calamity,

And appoynted a relefe at hand for me to prevnt the most dreadfull consequences, that might have fallen uppon us; O, blesed be the glorious name of my God, & Saviour for ever, for his goodnes to me & my poore Childe in my wombe (who was designed to have bin de -stroyed by Satan & his persecutions against me. becuse I have Resolvd to serve my God in all thngs).

In the first Place, I am to consider with humble gratitude to his majesty That, Tho it was but in a dreame, he gave me, soe much warning of this Evill to happen upon me, which did prepare me with more Patience for this accident which was to come on me that day. By which meanes I was not soe extrem ly, sudainly surprized as otherwise I should have bin, which might have, with out it, bin fattall to us both, (mother & the Childe).

My Dreame, Nettlton.

For that very morning, before the Balyes came, I dreamed for a cartaine, that Nettleton had sent his Bailys to drive all our goods & to seize on all we had for that Debt which Mr Thornton ingaged.

And I was in deepe conserne as soone as I wakned out of sleepe affter it. Butt Case That he should send to distreine uppon me in Mr Thornton's absence, what could I doe in it, & how could I be preserved. it might not be impossible, I thought, such a thing, should (tho he went up to London to hinder it) but, however, I was glad that he was not at home tho they would be ruide with all.

When I was in thes thoughts in my mind, at that very tonune of time, came my maide Jane flouer to my Chambr dore & unlocked it very softly & came soe to the bedside, & — with a sofft vioyce, for fear of frighting me out of my sleepe if she spoke sudainly —

Spoke softly to me, 'Forsuth, are you a-wake or a sleepe. I immeadiatly answred her, 'Jane, I am awake but, pray answer me truly to what, I aske you. Is Nettltons Bailies heere; At which she was surprised, & said, 'has any body bin heere, with you to day, to tell you soe, I said, 'noe, noe body. did you not locke me in.

But tell me truly, are they not below. To which she said, 'yes, in deed', they were below: 'but how, in Gods name, did you know. I said, 'none but my God gave me warning in a dreame, which I had dreamt this morning'. she praied me, for gods sake, not to be affraid, for they should not come To me, & they would take what caire they could to make them quiitt (for there was Mr Denton & Mr Darley with them).

Soe, I blesed God for giving me this notice before hand, which did me much good, & prevented the extremity of the fright to fall on my poore Spirritts. Tho with much greife that fall on me & fright too; for the Rudness of those men. & considrng the injustice & unhansomness of that conserne that came sudainly on me in that bussiness.

Yett, behold, & see the good providence of god still to take caire of me that I should not be hurt. or too mich disgraced in this Country, beeing a strainger, but had soe ordered it That there was 100l of my Portion newly come into the house (which Mr Thornton had Lent to MrsMr Darly and paid backe againe. which 100l, together with 57l of my owne which my blssed mother had given me by Dafeny before her death.

Which did at present sattisfy them (uppon my uncle Francis Darleys promis to make it up 200l or Ellse theire fury would not have bin stoped with out a futher mischeife, & taken my poore bed, & my Childrens, with what we had given by her for our Releife).

Thus was the exceding mercy & goodness of the Lord extended towards me & my husband & Child att this time, in my deepe distress. I called uppon my God, & he heard me, & did delivr me, & mine. oh, that my mouth, & heart, & all that is within me, may blese & praise & glorify his glorious name, who sent me Relife out of my owne by his goode providence att this time allso, & prevented all ill accidents to the worst that might befall me. blese the Lord, oh my pore soule, and all that is within me, for Ever more.

Oh, lett my selfe, & poore Infant live to thy Glory. The fuller discreptions of this, is in my Booke, pag 196.

Off the first Sacrament, Receaved at Easte Newton Affter the house was Builded, & of the Grand Mercys I receaved at the hand of God. Delivred to Mr Thornton & my selfe. with many meditations, Prayers, & thanksgivings on it, August 20th, 1662. May be fully expresed in my 'first booke of my Life', Page: 196, 197, 198, 199.

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On the first coming to Newton, of the Countrys Kind respects to me. (June: July: 1662)

Uppon my first Comming to live at the new House at newton in the months of June. & July, before Mr Thorntons returne from London, or that Nettletons Baylies made this Disturbance.

It was matter of somme Comfort to me that All the best of the Gentry & neighbourhood shewed soe great a Respect & kindnesse to me in there re- -gard for the Family & my husband.

Who, in his absence, made there several vissits To me; altho but a stranger amongst them, yett did they all comme to drinke with me in my New-house (as they said) beeing glad That Mr Thornton did come and settle amongst them. & had a good wife to uphold the house.

I gave them — in there severall qualitys & degrees — the best welcome I could, bid them all very wellcome. as I could in my husbands absence; who I am sorrey that he was not heere to do it. but tould them I tooke it extreame kindly from them to give me this incoragmt to comme amongst such good neighbors, & did assure them I would indevour to returne there respects with the best service I could, to be a good neighbour to thmthem & do what good. I could to them all: They all answrd very kinde & affectionatly, & I belive that day my Brother Denton & my sisters came, I had at Least, 50 or 60 People with them. which did much comfort me in these Respets for me. And o, bles God for these mercys towards me./

Uppon Mr Thorntons Settlement of his Estate by Mr Colvill before my delivry of my Son, Robert Thornton, August 1662

It pleased God to contineue my health and strength till this time, through many difficultys (sicknes, dangers & ill accidents) & to make me draw neare to the time of my delivery.

Haveing prepared my selfe in the best manner I could — in the Recaving the most Holy SacramtSacrament &. other preperations — for soe solomne a Change for what belong to my spirituall Consernes.

And now tis my duty allso, as a Christian, & one whom the Lord had vouchafed to make a mother of a Family. To take more neare Caire of them (who, for ought I know, I might leave behind me, in this world) & therfore, ought, as much as in me laid, to have them Provided for according to the True intent of all Partis agreed uppon before that Consent of marriage was had: (either from my selfe or deare Mother).

And to that Purpose, The Articles which was drawne by Mr Thornton him selfe & writt by him, & that don allso according to the Example of his own Fathers Settlements to his mother. of marriage.

These was to be the Rule for us to Proceed by (Which, if they had, bin don by us from the first Draught of Settlement. there had bin noe occassion now to have bin Alltered. being don by the forme of those Articles:

But that Deed not beeing soe don: to sattisfaction. But liberty left in my first Joynture Settlmt (by Sir Robt Barwicke; uncle Darley Lawyer) (which, my deare mother not suspecting any thing.) was not awaire of it, nor did intend such liberty to be Left. to Cutt of the Intaile from my Issue. but to have bin don as by the Articles of Marriage: uppon my Issue. with out recall:

Which Power, I knew not of till that Passage at St Nick., related before. which made me to give The said deeds to be veiewed: by Mr Ledgard & to gett — for that present necssity; that Bond of 1000l to assure somthing certaine to the two Sisters (for which was nothing) as it seemd, to be setled for them; nor for the Child that was in me yet unborne).

Affter I recovred of that dreadfull Sicknes, wherein Death Looked me in the face & threatned my dissolution, it was still my great bussiness to indevour to obteine That the Estate should be settled as at the first intended. And it was my desire to Mr Ledgard, he would draw up A deed for my Joynture to be made firme acord- -ingly. According to that Intaile. to be of Easte-Newton settled affter our Death uppon my heires, Male, or Female, & that with out Power to Cutt it of from them.

As for Laistrop, it was allso to be Intailed, accord -ing to the intention of the said Articles, uppon my Heirs, male or female, with out Power to cutt it off. (only in regard that Burn-Parke was Sould & the mony disposed of, as before mentioned. vidzVidelicet. To pay Mr Nettleton 1000l or those of which Mr Thornton had borrowed monney to pay him with at Hull, Mr Skinr).

And the other 1000l to purchas the Rent Charge of R.Ralph Crathorne of 80l per: Annum, out of which his B.brothers & sisters was payd the Intrest of theire Portions (as Mr Thornton tould me.)

And that my 1500l out of England was all disposed of: & nothing left from Debts; to be for All the yonger Children that I should have.

where by they, & my heire too, was left at an incertainty by the Paper Draught sent from London by Mr Ledgard. Tho I had praid him to to gett don with some Provisions for maintenance & Portions for them to be sett out of Laistrop (as it had bin before out, of Burne Parke settled before marriage for them, and because I could not yeld to Passe a fine before Mr Thornton did solomnly Promis to make some Provission for them out of La Laistrop; nor to cutt my Children quit out of All, I thought it a very hard thing to do to them with out it. Tho I did my best indeavours to leave all thngs in the best State I could & securd to them the Estate by this meanes, as I hoped by Mr Ledgard to have don with out any further trouble to Mr Thornton & my selfe:

Yett, when I perused Mr Ledgards Paper Draught — which I had intrusted him to draw up according to these Articles, & Mr Thorntons Promis to me before Barron Thorpe for the Intaile, & Provission of Children — I found his letter, receavd from Mr Ledgard (dated June 18th, 1662) And the Paper draught, drawne farr contrary. Eitther as to the Settlements themselves (for my Joynture out of Newton) or Laistrop: both the uses quit different & contrary to my directions, & Mr Thorntons Articles; & promises to me; soe that I was in a very great Conserne for it. & tould Mr Thornton that I desired to be better sattisfied before The writings were drawne.

Uppon which, I was forced to send to Mr Colvell, Counceler, which had bin made use of many times in case of his oppinnion (conserning all those things in question betwixt Sir Ch.Christopher wandesford & Mr Thornton) who sett things aright for my husband & ordred those affaires.

Mr Covell, in his Letter of Aug. 22 62August 22, 1662, when I writ to him & sent my writeings & the Paper Draught of Mr Ledg to consult with him, delivred his oppinion Candidly of those Consernes & did find the Paper Draught not to an- -swer those Settlements & Intails as ought to be don. and Promised to come ovr to Newton & doe all things to both our sattisfactions. But, in regard I have bin soe much Condemned for this Deed, which was made by Mr Colvill. It will not be amisse to vindicate the Alteration of The first Joynture Deed (made by Sir Rob.tRobert Barrick) Contrary to the true intent of the marriage Articles. And allso to vindicate my Cause, &, reasons, not to have The Settlements of Newton & Laistrop to passe acording to Mr Ledgards Paper Booke (which he, in his letter of June 18, 621662, sent with it, by Mr ThThornton from London, when he should have stoped Nettleton from breaking up the Excecution & against him).

Therefore, I judge it necessary to incert the orriginall letter of my Cozen Covell about it.

My Cosen Coulvills his letter to me uppon the sending for advice uppon my Joynture Ded & Mr Ledgards Paper Booke, which ought to have Rectified those faults: Aug.August 22, 1662.

Deare Cosine./

I have seriously perused all the writings you sent me, and I perceive that the intent of the Articles made up pon marriage, (Albeit, it be not therein soe fully Ex pressed as might have beene). was to Intayle the mannor of East Newton on your selfe, and your Issues Begotten by my Cosine Thornton, The Joynture Deed is not made pursuant to the Intent of the Articles And by that Deed, my Cosine Thornton, affter your Deceas, might have Barred the Intayle and Cutt out all yor Issues, from any Benifitt by that Deed, which he and you now have don by your late ~~Passing~~ fine Passinge. soe that I conceave that Deed is out of Doors/

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As for your Paper draught and new Intended Settlement; I like it better then the first Deed: But yett the Provisos therein mentioned, do trouble it. The first Provisoe, folfolio. 17, doth allter the intent of the Articles, for, by it, your daughters (in case you have not any Sonne) may be deprived of Newton uppon Payment of three Thou- -sand Pounds to them. But by the second Provisoe, follfolio. 19, my Cosine Thornton hath Power (affter your Decease) to make a Joynture of all Newton, or of any part thereof, to any second wife or wives which he shall marrie affter your death, which may prove very Prejudiciall to your Children: There being then, noe present provission at all uppon any of your Issues. But left att liberty to my Cosen to dispose of as he pleaseth, (as you may see, folfolio. 12)./

The Seacond Proviso, for makeing of a Joynture to a Second wife, I like the worst of ~~all~~ any part of the intended Setlement, For by the first Proviso, which you scruple at, a sonne by a Second venture cannot have Newton, but uppon his payment of 3000l to your Daugtrs and, untill then, the Estate will remaine in your Daugtrs', soe that he cannot defeate it but by payment of the monney: one thing your paper Draught wants, which is in your Joynture Deed, And that is provision for your Releife out of the Lands in Laistrop, for what Lands shall be evicted from you in Newton. but I hope there need no feare of this. I intend, God willing, to sett forward towards newton the first of Septembr & shall Reason the case with my Cosen Thornton about the Paper Book and your doubts, & hope to give sattisfaction to you both.

Thus farre Consernes this Buissiness as to the Setlemt, Intended to be don for my better Security or for my Childrns, which I had noe cause to like; it beeing soe farre from mendg as it quite destroyd the Intaile & deprived my Issue of theire birthright, & to doe it to other purposes.

To which intent, It seemes, I was advised to passe a fine of newton which utterly destroyd it & Of Laistrop too.

Pretence by Mr Ledgard to have settled it firmer on my Issues then Newton & Laistrop was don by the first Joynture Deed. Indeed, this was a great fallacy shewed to me by him whom I relied uppon for true & faithfull dealing. &, it seemes, that great straits I was putt uppon (in my distresse, in my Sicknes) to have some what settled for my Childrn at present if I had died (a Bond of 6000l to give them) was made use of as a snaire to cutt them & all my Issues from theire Inheritance which Deed I would not have don for the world. but the fine I pasd made Me feare some worse thing, affter I saw the Paper Booke.

But, by the good Providence of my gracious God uppon me, I had soe much notion of the thing that I could not be sattisfied till I had my Cosen Covills advice and assistance to the Drawing of the Settlements (both of newton & Laistrop) more to my sattisfaction & security of my Childrens Inheritance, & Provissions.

But, in regard Mr Thorntons Debts was very high & that would be more speedily paid then could be Raised out of the Land, I was (uppon Mr Thorntons desire, & uppon Condition that the yonger Children should not be totally left unprovided for)

I was willing that my 1000l Portion — which was to be out of Ireland by my fathers will, & to have bin laid out in Land for me as an addition to my Joynt, & apeares by Articles of marriage & Mr Th.Thornton's Bond to secure the same for my use.

I say to shew my love to the whole family, I was Content to lett it goe to Mr Th.Thornton's use to pay his Debts, whereby the Estate might be Cleared & my yongr Children to have a sertainty settled for them out of Laistrop, acording to his ingagment before the Judge, Barron Thorpe: on which termes I yealded to Passe a fine on Burne Parke which was settled for that Purpose before marriage.

Affter which agreement, The Settlement of Newton and Laistrop was made with Mr Thorntons full consent, who both nominated the Portions & main tenance which they were to have out of the Land (which, considering my owne fortune. was not to be judged soe high when there was but 1500l betwixt the two Daughters, if noe more of them, but if any more yonger Children Then there shaires to be lesse). However, the Land was intailed, by this Setlmt of Cozen Covill, uppon my Issues (both of Newton & Laistrop) without Power of Cutting it of from them or defalcation. which was not soe don by eithr of the other Deeds as was intended by Articles of mariadg.

But now, it was a matter of great trouble to me (That by Reason of these unhappy and infortunate Debts of Mr Thornton & his sad ingagments, All his Estate was soe involved & burdned) that The first Provissions of Burn-Parke being gon from them. and Laistrop forced to be charged with It which, if it should please God to give me a Son, was Intailed on him by the Articles first maide.

Butt things beeing soe sadly Crose on Mr ThThornton and my selfe that all my fortune did ~~noe~~ little good to us or our Children, but fixed for Debts & my Brothers & Sisters Portions. there was noe visible Allowance or Provission for a Son, if I had one, Which did extreamly Conserne me, for it & Mr Thornton allso: but it could be noe way helped & leave any thing certaine (my Ptportion gon).

But I did at that time Promise to Mr ThontThornton That — if in case God should please to leave me & Call for him first, That I would by gods grace (if he gave me a Son to live). That I would be a kinde mother to him and give him the best Education & maintenance I could (considring my Low Estate & the debts, & to leave my selfe any thing to subsist on for the love I beare to himselfe & family).

And, if pleased God to take me first out of this world, I hoped he would be a kinde fathr to my Son, (if I left one behind me. & take caire of him 245 when this bussiness of Settlement was in doeing. I was willing to pay all Charges belonging to fees & Clarkes, & Councell, and did (out of my owne purse that my Dere Mother had givn me) Pay Mr Covills Charges & fees & Gratuity which might Cost me about ~~Ten~~ l- 20l Pounds.

one thing I had forgotten to mention I was willng — out of my great love to Mr Thornton & his Family — To doe, & deprive my selfe of that Priviledge I had (by my first Deed of Joynture) to have it with Power ~~and~~ & without impeachment of any manner of waiste, by which I might have had the Priviledge of Cutting downe the wood, &et cetera. but I did desire only to leave my selfe libety for all mannr of uses of Plowe boote, stile boote. house boit, fire boote & what I neded, beeing soe desirous to preserve the same to Posterity. This was noe act of unkindness to all the family, when I did forgoe soe great a Priviledg, as well as to give up all my Portion by my father and many 100d of my mothers, which she gave me for my own uses & necessitys which I was daily putt to.

while this affaire was in acting, one day was goe- ing downe the staires to the Parlor with bottles of Ale, &cet cetera, to entertaine the Company there, my hands beeing full. There was Celia Danby (heire with her mother, Mrs Danby), my nephew Christophers daughter. — a Childe of 4 yers old — when she was goeing downe before me, Tumbld downe a great part of the staires & fell desperatly on her head. Att which I was much frighted and, in makig hast to save her, I gott a very desperate fall downe 4 staires with my knees, which did shake & bruise me much, & had like to bring me to my Labor before my time.

But, by the mighty Power of my God, I was Preserved from great Extreamity & did not bruise the Poore Childe within me: Oh, what shall I render to the great and Gracious God of heaven for all his mercys and goodness, & delivrances of me, his Poore servant, and to this poore Infant in my wombe from destruction at this and all other times since I have bin con ceaved of him? Blessed be his most holy name for ever more. And grant, I beseech thee, it may be Preservd to live to thy Glory for ever more. Amen.

A relation of the Passages happned before my yelding to cutt of the Settlment of Burne Parke, being made before marriage for the Provission of my younger Children (may: 6th, 1658)

My deare husband, haveing bin drawne into this trouble of Ingagement for my fathers Debts, was noe smale greeife unto me; haveing bin advised by his 2 uncle Daleys (Richard &, Francis) to take on him the Assg nment (from my uncle, major Norton) on purpose to be more inabled to Take Possession of that Estate of Edough in Ireland, which was Charged (by my hon.redhonoured Fathr will) for Payment of Debts & my mothers Anuity of 300l per Annum & with 6000l to fall on my brothr, John WWandesford, in case of George his Death. & of 1000l Portion more, then 1500l out of England. to my selfe, with Legacys. & maintenances. All these things was very faire, & but our dues to be paid thence, & suficiently secured by the will of my Fathr And that Estate gotten out of the Rebells hand in Ireland, & allso Possession from Captaine Preston's son-in Law to Mr will.mWilliamWilliam wandesford, Executor. And might have bin More Easy to have bin Compased by us had he not bin perswaded to take uppon him the Trust, which pulled on him the whole Charge to Pay others out of it before himself (As the effect proved). For I have seene a great Bill under his hand of Charges uppon that Account which is Intituled (A true account of monneys expended in severall Suites, & since I receaved an Assignm.tAssignment of the Lease of Castle Comer in August. 1656.)

Which account amounts to a great somme of Monney, 3548-16-11£3,548 16s. 11d. as apers. by his note. since that time, and 1659, Octb.October 1st, besides what it has don since, uppon that ocassion.

In soe much that he was forced to borrow great somes to discharge those suits & ingagments, as may apeare in the said Note. he, beeing bound to Mr Nettleton & Mr Skinner of Hull. (in 1000l to Nettleton & 600l to Skinr) both in Statutes. staple, & of a dangerous Consequence if not paid Punctully. As for Mr Skinner. I find his statute discharged, by Mr Thornton (entred into may 6th, 1658) And Paid & acknowledged before Mr Charles Foxley, maire of Hull (Aprill 27th, 1668) & Cleared. and delivred up them (to Mr Thornton by Mr Foxley. the Statute & recorded in it, according to Law in those Cases.

But, as to Mr Robt.Robert Nettleton, his Statute was not de- livred up nor all discharged, but he contineud very stuborne & demanded more then Mr Thornton did ingage for; soe that suites Proccided, & He followed Mr thornton very severly, because he had not what he de -manded. which heavily fell on me and my Children;

About the yeare 1656, Mr Thornton Carreing me to yorke to see our fre Freinds in the Size weeke; I, knoweing noe other buissiness I had there; one morning, beeing in bed with him, he began to be very Mallancoly troubed. I, asking him how he did, & what ailed him, was he not well: on which, he said he was much troubled att a bussiness which was like to befall him presently if I did not helpe him out of it.

I tould him, he knew — (deare hart) I had nevir denied any thing with in my power to doe him good. he said, I must goe before Barron Thorpe with him this morning. I asked him, for what. I had nothing to doe with him, on which he tould me:

That, that, unfortunate bussiness of the Assignmt of Major Norton, had compelled him to Enter into a Statute to Secure Nettletons Debt, which he would have don out of his owne Estate, & not out of Ireland, & now he prosecuted him with such Rigor that, if he did not Pay him this sizes, he would have him to the Jale. I tould him, (beeing surprised at this sad news for my breakfast). 'Alas, he could not compell you to have don it, out of your owne, there being soe great an Estate out of Ireland out of which it must be paid). (And my selfe & mother had begged him not to medle with that Assignmit. because of the trouble of it).

He Said, he was sorrey for it, but could not now helpe it, & he must goe to Prison if I would not bring him out of those straits by Passing a fine of Burne Parke, (which he had bond monney on of Mr Foxely of Hull, & had sould him that Estate to Pay nettleton, and, if I would not Consent to Joyne in a fine before Barron Thorpe that day, he saw noe way but to goe to Jale for my Fathers Debt.

This speech did much Terrify me, to be soe sudani- ly Surprised and, of soe sad a nature, beeing great with Childe, I fell into a great Sorrow for it.

Both for the misfortune of my Husband, and The affliction of my selfe. and the dishonnour of my deare fathers Debt to fall uppon us. & that by his owne Act & deed. he not beeing compelld to it in Law or Equity.

But the great Conserne was to me, I must either yeald to destroy my Children, or my husbnd. For if that Land was Sould. There was non to make it out of. for any Provissions for my yonger Childrn but Laistrop, which was for A Provission for my Heirs if I had one;. & if I did not do this Rash act, I might have my husband in Prison for my ddear fathrs Debt: soe, I said, I was in a great strait what to do & why would he not be soe kind to tell me before I came? he said, he durst not, for it would not bin granted to by my mothr. I Said, she would have helped him with soime money to have sattisfied Nettleton: but she knows nothing; I was in a great consternation att this Sad newes, & soe sudainly taken, and beged of God to helpe me out of this trouble: & my Husbnd.

Soe, I tould him, 'deare heart, if I did yeald for yor sake to passe this fine, what will become of all my yonger Children?' (having 3 then for maintenance: and Portions for them: For that he did assure me, if I woulld for his sake yeald to doe this thing for him and delvrdeliver him out of this great dangr, he would take it for the kindest part I could do And faithfully did assure, & ingage to me that he would Provide for his younger Childrens Maintenance and Portions for them, out of his Land of Laistrop, of 100l per Anmannum.

Uppon which Consideration & faithfull prompromise to me he would doe soe, and give the rest of the Lands in Laistrop to his Sons maintenance, if he had any, as Heire that he might be provided for too: Provided he would performe this Promise, I would be content to paie a fine, tho it would goe very hard with me to have his land pay my fathrs debts. securd by my fathrs Deeds & will.

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But he said, he questioned not to have it paid him by my brothr, Christo.Christopher wandesford, out of that Estate afterwards which, I blese God, affterwards hee did (by the Agrmt of Barron Thorpe when Mr ThThornton delivred up the Estat to him).

Soe, thus was I compelld, with a sad heart, to yeald to Mr Th.Thornton's desire & soe he Carried me befor him that day, who tooke me aside and questioned my willingness to passe a fine of this Estate.

I answred my Lord. that, indeed, it was a surpris to me, that Mr Th.Thornton should have oscasion to Sell his Land, haveing had a considrable Portion with me. & That it was all I had settled for Provissions for younger Children; but my Husband, I trusted, was an honnest man, & he would performe his Promise: who did promese to me he would settle as good an Estate out of Laistrp (as 100l per Annum. for there Maintenance & portions) and the rest to be for my Heire, if I had any. & uppn those Conditions, I shall be more willing: beeing in a great strait what to do & would shew my love to my husband.

Uppon which, my Lord Said, 'Mr Thornton. I find your wife is a kinde wife to you. & she saith this Estate is all the Provission for her yonger Children And, if you will settle as good one out of Laistrop as this of 100l a yeare & the Rest for her heire, she is willing. I cannot blame her to take caire for all her Childn , are you willing to Settle an Estate accordingly as you promised her. uppon which, Mr Thornton did very Solomnly proffese & promise & ingage him selfe to do soe, & settle the same Estate out of Laistrop: '& this, I promise before your Lord.shplordship'.

Then said my Lord, 'I find your wife is a Kind wife to you, and a kinde mothr to take caire for her Children, sesee that you do soe as you ingaged'. uppon which, he said, he would by gods helpe, & uppon, which consideration & conditions the fine was Passd by me, & on, no other conditions.

But this Settlement was never maide or don, all this time, & made me consernd for it in my sickness at oswoldkirke, nor any thing in lieue of it remaining, that Estate — as Mr Ledgard said — in Mr Thorntons Power to Evict them & all my Isues, which was soe considred (then in my Extremity) to gett that bond of 6000l to Secure 3000l to the only Issue I had a live (2 daughtrs for the present, till it Pleasd God I should recover of that dreatgreat sickn and brought out my Son att newton afftrwards). but I judged it not Safe to lett the Settlmts goe undon, till I was delivddelivered, & soe Mr Colvll drew that, As I have observed before, & Related & the reasons why these Portions was soe alloted them by thre father (having parted with all the fortune I had from them for Debts: which otherwise would have bin better for them to have bin Paid in monney. of mine).

Nor could this Settlements of the whole Estat be gotten don till a bout amonth before my beeig Delivred of my Son Thornton. which I was very Joyfull that the Lord did give me leave to. live to see it don before I thought I should have died. And my Cosen Covell did assure me that he had drawne the Settlements soe well and firme. that it could not Possibly be cutt of Except I should give my Consent to it, which he did give me a strict Charge that I should not consent. to the Ruine of my Children. To which, I promised I niver would doe by Gods helpe. he said, if I did, I should never get them soe don againe.

But sevrall years affter Harry Best (who had married my Neece, Katherin Danby) came to me in a very Siffting way. about that time when Mr Thornton borrudborrowed the 100l of Horrse Race mony (tho I knew not of it then).

And tould me That his uncle Thornton had need of monney, & that he desired me that I would doe as much as yeald to cutt of some of the Land of Laistrop. if I would not Cutt of the Intaile of Colvill. I tould him, I was very sorrey that Mr Th.Thornton had need of any more monney, — for Det; haveing givin all my English Portion and allso my 1000l out of Ireland, I gave for Debts on purpose to Cleare his Estate, and that Laistrp might remaine intire for his Children by me — and soe desired to Sattisfy Mr Thornton in it.

But he, pressing me to this. and he, beeing a Trustee nominated in that Deed of Co.cousin Colvils, I thought to have his advice about it whether it were not Drawne soe firme that it could not be Cutt of with out my Consent.

And soe very innocently shewed him that Deed: which, when he had read it. he did tell me that Mr Th.Thornton could cutt of the Intaile which out my Consent. and Charged me by noe meanes to lett him see it, nor know of it. for, if he did, he would certainly doe it of of him selfe with out my Consent and then it would be worse for me & my Children.

I tould him, 'if it were soe. I am suer it was not don willfully by Coz.cousin Colvill because he knew the ill consequence of such a thing', & said, 'I would not be soe ill a person as to destroy that deed which I gott don soe hardly for my Children because of the Debts'.

But beged of him, (Mr Best) as he was a freind to my selfe, & Children; haveing non of my owne Relations to stand for me, but him, & he, beeing a Trustee, in that Deed, soe he would not discover that which he said he found out; to Mr Thornton, where by That Intail might be cutt of, & settled for other uses.

Uppon which wordes, he did promise, & faithfully ingage to me uppon his faith. that he would not betray my cause, to Mr Thornton, nor discover the failing in that Settlement; on which Promise, I relied, nor did thinke That he would have don soe treatcherously to me as it did prove affterwards.

For I was tould by a good freind, affter all was don, That Mr Best, immeadiatly affter he had dis -covred this thing, He went to Mr Thornton and Tould him that It was in his Power to Cutt of the Intayle of Mr Colvill without my Consent. And did put him into a way to doe it & shewed him that the fault was in the contingencys which Covill knew not. But, by his leave, Covell did know the contingecy That the Portions should not be paid but in case of my death, as it was soe ordred to be frind Mr Thorntn, (or his second marriage) that thes 2 Children (I, then had) might not be defrauded of both the Inheritance, & birthright, as it was intended by Ledgards Deed. but only to have a Certainty out of Laistrop secured for them, which was redeemable by either there father Paiing 1500l, or by there brothr (if they had one. who had Newton secured to him by Covills Intaile, and Laistrop, too, after the Payment of his Sisters Portions, it was to be freed.

And I doe say, it was Mr Thornton himself — & of his owne motion, & goodwill — which did apoint to them this some of 1500l to them, saiing That it was but Reasonable they should have soe much. because I had put it to him what he would please to allow them, and said he had gott a veyvery Considerable fortune With me, by my fathr & mother, And they should have soe much..

And this, & more to that purpose, I heard him speake in the little Parlor before Mr Colvill & many more present. Therefore, if he knew what Reason he had & did it himselfe: non need to lay it on me that it was my Act to over Charge his Estate, when I was like to be burdened my selfe. by partg with all my fortune. from all my Children for Debts & to free his Estate, & him selfe, of that trouble. And, was willing to doe more then that: to take on me the Education of my Son, if I had any. to live.

The relation I have made of Mr Bests kindns to me, or rather his hard dealing & treatchery, which betraied his freind, & forfited his faith, I had not suspected in the least. but by the sad consequence which followed uppon it as to the Cutting of the Intail.

And not only in that poynt was Crewell, to my Self and poore Children, for whom I intrusted him. but shewed it selfe, in Poynt of Drawing up of The writings, & settlement, which I gott him to make. for my poore Children of the Disposing of my D.dear Mothers goods, & moneyes, & Personall Estate, which she — by her Last will &, Testament — gave me for my life and to dispose of att my death to my Children as I should see cause and best deserving.

She made her deed soe waryly: (perseaving that Mr Thorntons Estate was soe deeply dipt in Debt that if she had not soe disposed them, to be free of that: I nor mine would not have bin bettr for what she gave us, but tooke caire, we should have the use for our Conveniency in Mr Th.Thornton's life & mine., but not to be wronged of them. or Charged by any Debts. what ever: for which I bles God.

But, I, uppon my disposall of them by deed. acording to her will, desirid, Mr Best, to make the deed affter the same mannr as my mothers. dispose.

Yett, contrarily to that, neither; as a true freind to me; or my Children, he drew those writings, which I was to Signe, in such a manner, As to make all her Parsonall Estate (givin to my poor Children, & my selfe) to be liable to pay the Debts and to be seazed uppon for them. at Present.

Which thing, Mr Thornton did declaire to me he did not know; nor had a hand in it. & was not pleased with it; soe that I never would seale the same. Tho they cost me a great deale of Charges to draw & ingrose for fees, & to him & his clarke which was don at newton.

Thus, I have daily cause to see, there is no trust in man; but may faile me, & I have had great Experince of mans Treatchery; but of my giaciousgracious God & mercifull fathers, great Power and compassion towards me in all the great Con- -sernes of my Life. I have infinitly Great Cause to praise, & blese & glorify, his Most holy name which has still discovd; & prevented, the Ruine of my selfe and Children, O, that we may walke answebly to all these, his favors. & put my Trust alwais in him for Ever.

A Praier on the making of Mr Colvills Deed. Aug. 62August 1662.

The Lord, Our God, who is the freind to the helpe- lesse, &, needy, and to all in distress, trouble or Sorrow, be gracious unto me, and mine: who am not worthy of the least of thy mercys, and goodnes bestowed upon us. but, thou art a God hearing praiers, to thee shall all flesh come for Pardon, & forgiveness of what is amisse. O Lord, lett us not Perish nor be destroyed, because I put my trust in thee a lone for Pardon & delivrance. from all our Sinns & miseries, doe — for them — lett the power of thy might preserve me & my Children from Perishing by Sin, or temptation of hell or of the snaires of Sattan, to stirre up our freinds against us. but be mercifull unto me, thy hand- Maide, who desires to serve thee with a true & faith full heart, & to bring up those Children thou hast spaired with life to my selfe, & husband in the true faith & holy relegion, that we may be a holy People, Zelous in good workes & to want nothng whereby we may be servisable to thee & profitable to our selves in this generation, watch over me & them for good. & accept of my humble & harty thankes & praise for all the late mercys to me, & in our defence at all times to Provide for us in what Condition is most aceptable to thy glory, & that we may be saved from all evill, for Jesus Christ, his sake. Amn.

An accompt of Morgagese Charged uppon Laistrop or some part of that Land before Mr Colvilles settlement: which I did not know of, till long affter. (about the yeare, 1668) 1. A Bond to Sir Henry Cholmly from Mr Thornton for the somme of 1000l to be paid at one intire Payment. Dated: Octber. 23, 1661. 2. A Bond of Mr Thorntons & Mr John Darly for Performance of Covenants to Sir Henry Ch -olmley, Dated ~~may~~ August 7, 1662, 1000l. 3. A Deed of morgage of the milne Holme in Laistrop to Sir Henry Cholmley, for 99 yrs for the Payment of 103l, which was Mr Tho.Thomas Gills. Dated: may 20, 1662. To be paid May 20, 1663, or Ellse the Land forfited. 4. A Deed of morgage of the millne Holme for 99 yeares to Sir Henry Cholmley. may 20, 1662, for 53l-. 5. A Deed of morgage of the milne Holme for 99 yers to Sir Henry Cholmley for 53l. dated: may 20, 1662. 6. A Deed of Morgage of the milne Holme for 99 years to Sir Henry Cholmnly. for 53l. Dated: may 20, 1662.

261

Uppon my deliverance, of my Son, Robert Thornton, my third, Son. & Seventh Child, beeing the first, Childe; borne at the new house, at Easte-Newton, whose birth was on Friday the 19th of September, 1662.

The great God of heaven and Earth, The Allmigty Creator, & Father of mercys to all those that beleive; & put there trust in him. The wise disposer of all good things in Heavn & Earth. who seest what, & how much of the Blessings & Comforts of this Life is fitt for us to in joy in this Earth.

Hath att length had Pitty on my afflictions (& uppon the weake hand maide of the Lord. And gave me such a mercy, such a Blesing & deare injoyment which we wanted, which we begged humbly, at the gracious hand of our God, to my selfe & deare husband.

Affter all his troubles & mine in severall, Losses of Sons & daughters, & Estate & freinds: As I, for my owne Part, could not hope for, or Expect.

And, in a most excelent messure of mercy, notwithstanding my dreadfull sicknes at oswoldkirke and all the troubles I have indured, he that maketh the barren wombe to beare, & be a Joyfull mother of Children;

This, hath the mighty God don for me, his poore handmade, & has made me a Joyfull mother of a sweete, lovely & a Comly Son. And that, to admiration of his great miracles of mercy, to be borne at full time, not with -standing, my owne dispare & weakness & extremety of Sickness, and the great feares of the Drdoctor that I could not Possibley be able to re- taine the Conseption for excessive vomiting.

yett, behold the great Power of my God, who I serve, & beleve & trust in him for redemtion, hath don this great thing to me. & I will bless & praise & magnify his glorious mamename for Evr.

notwithstanding, five great dangers & trialls, & hazard of my owne life. & miscaring when I was with Childe of him:

First: that dreadfull one, of my Sicknes at osworldkirke, both of bodie. & dispaire by the instigation of my Enemy Satan to have devoured the mother & Infant in the first beginng of his beeing.

The Second. through greife att a strainge accident that hapned me, when I was pretty big of him of a fright which came on me by a surprise of the sight of a Penknife which was night to have hurt one. the feare & dread apprehension thereof did cause a marke of a deepe, bloody couler uppon the Childs heart. most pure & distinct and of sevrall shapes. contineuing soe as noe thing could washe them of. —1: the first appearance like a stab or cutt with a Penknife, with many pure, disstinct dropes of blood all a bout it, as if one should have sprinkled little drops with there hand on it.

The 2d forme it came into the direct forme of a Tee'T'. with the like dropes about it, of pure blood.

The third forme it came into was exactly like the shape of a heart. with dropes of blood a bout it, which contineued soe long till Mr Thorntn & myselfe was much troubled at it, and humbly begged of the Lord that he would be gracious to us and the Childe, & to pardon what was amise And to remove this great marke uppon the Childe.

Affter which, it pleased God That the Couler did faide by degrees, and grew Paler &, blewish & about a yeare or neare. it, they was quite gon. This was seene by many Persons at sevrall times:

My brother & sister Denton. my husband & my sister, frances Thornton. The nurrse & all the maides, with many more, all which is the token of the goodness of our God to Preserve him from death in my wombe.

The 3d: from the Trouble and fright of netleton Bailys before Rehersed. (he, giveing me warning in a Dream.)

The 4th: of my great greife and Conserne for the bussiness of the Estate, not beeing settled on my Children and Issues of my body, before Coz.cousin Covells Settlement was maide.

The 5th: of the danger I escaped of him, by a fall I gott downe the staires to preserve Celia Danby from hurt when she Tumbled downe the staires before me:

The least of which mercys & delivrances is subject of all possible, & hearty Praise, and glory & thankes to the Lord God of my salvation.

But I may not Passe by takeing a par- -ticuler notice, with great regard to the goodness of our gracious, Lord God, to me, his weake handmaid, who did give a lingring time of Labour in 4 daies time (having begun on Munday & soe continued, by fitts, a wearysome time all that weeke, beeing very big & heavy with my burden). on Thursday, my Lady Cholmely. and my dere Aunt Norton, my Lady Yorke and Mrs wattson, with my sisters Denton & francis Thornton, was with me & staied till evening. then went home to oswold kirke. The next day, came againe. I began to be extreame ill all that night & next day but, because I did not quicken speedily (which I could not do, he beeing soe great a Childe) & my sister Denton had her son, william, then a crabed one, my sisters did goe home about 4 a Clocke. thinkig I should have gon till next day.

But, with in 2 hours, my extremity began & I fell into exessive Torments & Racks and, by my great extremitys, both my Lady yorke and my owne maide & sevrall others fell into a sound to see me what I indured, soe that we dispatched Jane heald to oswoldkirke to fetch the neighbors to assist me, but They did not beleve her, but that I. was delivred before my sisters came a way. but she protested, I was not, yett they would not cone to assist in my great Extremity, soe that I was neare lost for want of helpe. of those women who came not till the next day afftr I was delivred.

Butt it pleased the most high God, of his great grace & mercy, to delivr me out of the dreadfullest Perills, dangers. Travell & Tormt in Childbearing, to cause me to bring forth. this, my 3d Son, beeing halfe dead in bearing him.

My Son, Robert Thornton, was borne on Friday the 19th of Septembr 1662. he was born at Easte-Newton betwixt the houers of 8 and 9 a clocke at night (having bin since the night before in strong Labour with him till that time). And, I blsse God, I had the company & Comfort & assistance of my deare freinds (my Aunt norton, my Lady yorke. my Lady Cholmly) who Satt up with me all that night on ~~Saterday~~ Thursday and nevr left me all friday, nor friday at night.

But least this great mercy should Passe with out its' severe monitor to my unbridled Passion of Joy for soe Excelent a blessing, And to be cautioned not to sett my affection on things below. (be they nevr soe necssary or gratefull. desirable or comfortable. but on him alone, & above all in all.

It pleased God further to excersize me, his poore servant and handmaide, with a very great and desperate weakness. exceding great, Even to depriving me of motion & speech. & strength, beginning a little affter my Childe was borne & I laid in bed. while all the Company was gott together to veiew that goodly Childe & admire him — soe large & big, newly borne, & all soe fond of him beeing a Son — with great Joy,

I fell into a most desperate extremity of flooding, in soemuch as it was not hoped my life should have bin saved, all that night, it was terrible to behold of them was a bout me, bringing me into a most desperate Conditn, without all hopes of life. spirrits. soule. strength seemd all gon from me; & I freely resinignd my soule into the hand of my deare Saviour & Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But in the distraction of my freinds for me, that non knew what to doe to preserve my poore life even then in all apprehension passing from me. My Lady yorke, out of her fright, came to my bed side & wept over me. & said, 'my deare Cozen. you that helpes evry one to save them, cannot you tell me what would do you good in this Extreamity to save your owne. on which, It pleased my good God to inable me, the laing her eare to my mouth, to say only. 'goe into Closet. Right hand shelfe box. pouder. sirup of Cloves, giv me'. And by devne Providence, she gott that Box & Poudr, which I tould her of, & had laid ready for my selfe before my sicknes & tould my midwfe & maide of it. to give me in such a case. but they had forgotten it in there trouble for me. But the gracios Lord, my God, brought it into my memory & thus, was I, att that time, allso preserved by the goodnes of my gracious God, & helpe of my deare Cozen att this time; The flood beeing, by it, stoped immed--iatly.

Oh, what can I suficintly render to the great & mighty God of heavn, who has had such great Pitty & compassion uppon me, his poore handmaide, and delvreddelivered me from death & hell & the grave at this time, & all the daies of my Life. This great flood gates of my womb, beeing broaken up, who can heal but he that made this poore body of mine? The Lord kills & the lord makes alive; he wounds & he, alone, can heale. o, that I may nevr forgett to glorify thy great name all the daies of my Life which thou hast yett sparid me. & to magnify thy holines & Powr, thy might, thy majesty, thy mercy to me, thy Creatur. yea, this perticulr mercy for evr, in all my life and conversation & to live to brng up this Infant, thou hast graciously givn me, in the true feare of the Lord for Evr.

For this, my Son, I begged of thy majesty, with submtnsubmission to thy good pleasure. That I might present him, the first fruits of my Son soule, unto the Lord who had givn me my request & my deare husbands allso. And for as much the Lord had compassion on me & granted my humble desire with my husbands, There shall he be givn unto the Lord, my God, As Hanna did predpresent 271 her son, Samuell, unto the Lord. Even soe, o Lord, I humbly dedicate this, my Son, unto the Lord and to his servce all the daies of his Life. And most humbly beg of thy holy Majesty that he may be mad holy and Sanctified — from the wombe — to thy hon.or and servce to be a vesell, Chosen (as St Paull) to Salvitin and the Conertionconversion of many soules in ~~this~~ his genertn. oh, Lett not my Pettitions & praies be Cactcast out of the sight of thy Eyes but accepted of, in mercy, as a retrn of my humble gratitude to thy holy names. o Lord, my god & my salvation. lett my prayers & teares be soe acceptable in thy sight that my wombe, for whom thou hast don soe great things, may be a nursceynursery for thy Kingdom & that not for my sake but for the sake of ny Deare & holy Jesus, my saveur, my god & my salvatn, in whoes name I humbly conclud these imperfict Prais, saing, as he hath taught us. 'Our father which art in'.

This, my Son, was Baptized on Satterday the 20th of Septembr by Mr Lacocke, 1662, att our House in Easte newton. Being borne on Friday the 19th of sept.September 1662 at Easte Newton, betwixt the houers of 8 & 9 a Clocke att night. his godfathers was Dr witty, Mr Best. & my Lady Cholmley. Lord, make him Pertakr of the admition of his name to be entred into the Booke of Life, as he is of the holy Baptisme, to brng him into the Church Millitant on Earth. Amn.

The fuller discription is Related in my 'booke of meditations' on this subject & allso of the 'first booke of my Life', Page: 203.

Uppon the Birth of my 8th Child, Joyce Thorntn, sept.September 23, 1665. In my 'first Booke: (Page 209) with meditations thereuppon.

A Relation of Mr Thorntons dangerous fitt of the Pallssie at Steersby: No.November 16th, 1665, Beeing entred in full, with meditations upp the sad dispensation & my weake condition I was brought into there by. Related in my 'first Booke of my life', Page: 211.

A Relation of my daughters (Joyce Thornt) death, Jan.January 26, 1665. meditations on it in my said 'first Booke. Page: 214.

Upponn my daughter, Alice, her Preserva tion from a surfett of Cold June: 13, 1665. The same Booke, Page: 215.

A Relation of the Cutting of the Intaile & Deed of Settlement of Mr Covill of Laistrop, with out my Consent or knowledge, Don by a litle Deed, which gave Possession & Seizeor, &et cetera, of the Land of Laistrop to Mr Francis Darley by Mr willmWilliam Thornton, by vertue of which new settlmts was made, & othr uses Contrary to Articles of marrig. This Deed dated Sept.September the 9th, 1665.

(which should have bin Entred before Mr Th.Thornton's his sickness at Steereby of the Pallsy. That beeing on noNovember 16, 1665. And this Deed of Possesin to Mr Darly was Dated Sept.September 9, 1665, about a quarter a yere ~~affter~~: before.)

Affter Mr Best had sifted me about my Consent to grant that Mr Thornton should cutt of the Settlemt Mr Colvill had made for Provissions for my Childrns maintenance & Portions (which was to take Place if either my death, or Mr Thorntons, happned that they might not be left desolate of Provissions. for theire subsistance, &et cetera) That I, not suspecting any treachery from him, a Trustee & my owne neces husband, had (as I related before) lett him see the writing & Deed of Settlement to give his cordiall advice to me of it. And he pretended to find a flaw in it & promisd to conseale & not to discovr it to my owne or my Childrens Prejudice.

Yett, did he immeadiatly goe to Mr Thornton and tould him he had seene the Deed, & that he had Power to cutt it of, alone, with out my Consent. And soe ordered the matter that (by his advice, I supose) perswaded Mr Thornton to doe it, to make a new Deed first, wherein he gave Livery & seizon to Mr Francis Darley (as is mentioned. by which he did make him selfe to make a new Deed. & cutt of the former Intaile, & make A new Settlement of the whole Estate of Laistrop: to the Prejudice & allmost Ruine of all my Children;

Which settlement I did not know, nor see the Deed of it, till the yeare 1666 which, by Providence, I came to see. And the very greife I apprehended was soe great at that time, on the discovry to me, that it did force me to that miscarriage which I had & long contined Sicknes by the ex -cesse of floods (which lasted a long time on me and ment tioned in my 'first Booke. Page 216).

As I remember, This new Deed, which was made in steed of Colvills Settlement was (by its Date) made att Steersby or then about: (no.November 16, 1665) in which Laistrop was devided in 2 parts: & the whole was Charged with A morgage of 99 yeares for a Debt, to Mr Portington & Mr Raines of 1400l. And till all & evry part of that Debt — with full Intrest — were paid. noe other use or uses could be paid out out of Laistrop; as may att large Apeare, by the said morgages; beeing Paid into them by me & my monneys out of Ireland; since Mr Thorntons Deceace: (which Debt was allso secured to them by Rent Charges out of Ireland by Mr Anthony Norton, Mr Th.Thornton, his Executor: They receaving the monneys as we gott it out of Ireland).

But this morgage, beeing first over all that Estat of Laistrop, what could be fixed for my Childn livelihood or secured for them./

More over, the deed was ordered soe as but on moiety was for there Provission. beeing first Chrgd with maintenance & Portions for a 2d wifes Child, And the othr part: for a Joynture for a 2d wife to goe out of it for her Provission./

As Allso Power to Charge this Estate with Sir HennyHenry Cholmleys Debts, as I have mentioned before.

From whence could any of this Estate at Laistrop be able to afford any thing for the Releife of any of my Children: neither, Heire nor younger Children could ever gett one Penny to subsist on. where, then, was the Pretence by Mr Best That I need not take such caire for settlement for my Children when it was better don for them then by Mr Colvlls Deed. It may be judged by any indiferent Person That I could not be able to goe out of this world with a quiett Consience to leave the Children of my Body thus forlorne. & contrary to all agreemts made before & affter Marriage for mine:

There was like wise a Provission in this Deed which never was in any before, nor ever entred it into my freinds intentions or Mr Thorntons.

VidzVidelicet. That in case my husband should Dye with out any Heires maile of his body by me. & that his Daughters (Heires Female) should have the Land of Laistrop. That They should Pay unto the Brothrs and sisters of Mr Thornton. The somme of 1500l amongst them, which somme was soe great that it was above the Purchase of the Land. & they had bin Better with out the Land then buy it at soe high a Pric.

Affter the discovery of this Deed which, by Mr Thorntons great kindness, he pleased to lett my brothr Denton to shew me for my sattisfaction. I was indeed surprized. but, before I relate this, I must mention what

Page of Book Two, showing use of ruled lines and Thornton writing above/below them.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Durham Cathedral. Durham Cathedral Library, GB-0033-CCOM 7.

Befell me, & what a Sad Accident came uppon me (August 16th. 1666. And not cleard of that flux of blood till october the 4th. 1666.

Of my desperate Sickness & dangerous Con- -dittion I was vissited with all, begining on me August 16. 1666. And cleared of the flux. of Blood

Affter the drinking of Scarbrough waters, (not then mistrusting my selfe to have bin Conseavd) Mr Thornton sent for me to yorke about some Bussiness with my Lord Frechevill; my uncle, Francis Darley, was in Company with me & my nephew, Kitt Danby. I was very faint in the morning & eate nothing before I went & the water wrought with Riding. I tould kitt Danby, I was sicke & faint & would have lighted to refrech my selfe a little at Strenchall.

But uncle Darley would not grant it. said we should be soone at yorke & soe I did not take any refreshment for displeasing of him, which indeed my deare husband was sorrey for & would have had me don. This did some what disorder me then, but I gott home pretty well. but that which was most hurt to me was the newes of the cutting of the last Deed of Settlement by Mr Colvell from my Children, which struck me in to a Sudaine greife when I was tould how it was & what the Consequnc was of it. uppon which my greife & conserne was soe great — which I had uppon the notice of this action to be Passed & noe certaine provission out of all my owne fortune or my husbands whole Estate. That I fell into a sad Trembling & shaking of an Ague and, as I walked with my Brothr Denton in the hall & discoursed of this, I found my selfe extreamely ill in my bodie as well as minde. And so proceded to great Extreamity of Those which broke sudainly on me & began to be violent & weakned me soe greatly That I could not expect but my death should proceed. &, Tho Dr witty was called to use his best Art and skill, yett such was my Inward greife & affliction for this unkinde part towards me & the Children of my wombe that I could take noe Ease & rest, joyning with my daily expectatn of Death. & that againe agravated by the knowing there was nothing fixed for non of my Children, neithr Son nor Daughters, And that my cutting my selfe & mine of the Binifitt of my 1000l out of Ireland, (to pay Debts & to purchase for my 2 daughtes I had, Each of them, 800l portion & some fixed maintenance for them) That — beeing now by this cutting of this deed by Mr Thorntons Act. I had no hopes Ever to have have them maintained or to be provided for. And allso, forseeing my owne Aproach of Death, had not one faithfull freind. (since Mr Best betraied me) That I could leave mtrsmatters with all my 3 poore Children which tormented me most of All. Assuing my selfe That this Provission for a 2nd wife was don to no end.

Nor was I soe desirous to live in this sad world of deceipt had it not bin in regard of my poore Children: to have left them as beggers in stead of provision to have kept them like Children of ours & not as Basterds which I saw nothing don for them. The full Relation of my sad Condition, The meditations there uppon. And the Present Cure my gracious God & fathr of mercys shewed to me. Is fully declared in my 'first Booke', & allso a 'Booke of meditations' made on Purposse in the yeare: Aug.August 16, 1666.

But since I have, for my owne vindicatn, bin forced to make Severall discorces of my infortunate falling under the Scourge of the Tongue by slanders. & Lyes. I am, more over, obleiged to make some more observations To make apparent my cleareness and in- nocency, & why I was wronged in this manner. Even for the discharge of my duty which lay uppon me. by the provission for my poor Children. For, affter I was restored to Life againe in this miraculous manner — as The hemmorist was in the Gospell, & that day This history was read in my Chambr of our Saviours cure don uppon that poore woman — He gave me grace to beleive in him & to lay hold on him by faith That he was as well able to Cure me as he did that poore woman (St Matt.Mathew 9: v 21 & 22. If I may but touch his garment I shal be mad whole) &, so, I was, from that same houer. which infinitt mercy I have & must accknowledge to his great glory, all the daies of my Life. Amn. I say That, affter I was recruted in strength, I hoped it was for some good Providence to my Poore Children, And so I was sett on work to do my indevour to Rectify that busnes about them. And by finding out that bussiness, how to know what was don in it.

And when Mr Combr did goe to London, about his taking of the Master of Arts Degre, desired he would examine Mr Best of it, whethr that Covills Deed & intaile was cutt of, who answrd, it was. & that I need not question but the new Deed was drawne better then Mr Colvills was for my Children.

When Mr Combr writt word of this from London. I was surprised att it & more Consr -ed; for I knew it over threw there Intrest & Right & was more troubled. but begged of God he would please to direct me what to do for them. At Mr Combrs returne home, he acquaintd me with matter & would have perswaded me That The Last Deed was don well Enough as Mr Best tould him. but I was much dissatisfid & tell I saw it, which I obteind by my brothr DDenton (who I begged that Mr ThThornton would please to lett him shew it to me, beeing then big with Childe, And 281 desired to goe out of the world with a quiet mind if it were don for my childreens good). At last, I gott the sight to read it over by my selfe, when I was in a greater Consternation then before To see that soe great Alterations was in it. As first, only one halfe of Laistrop settld for my Children. Portions & maintenance, & That A leace of 99 yeares to Take place before to secure Mr Portington & Mr Raines. (for which I had parted with my 1000l in Ireland to pay them).

And next, That A settlement was made for A Second wivs Joynture. And for provision for a Second wifes Children, & all to be before one Penny to be paid for my poore deare Children — non of them — till these was sattisfied. Then, in case that Mr Thornton died with out Issue Male, That my daughtes was heires They should pay out of Laistrop, The soime of 1500l out of the Land. All which was soe great a greife to me That I was not able to beare it.

Butt haveing considered this matter, and that I was neare my delvrydelivery. I had non to aply for redrsse to have this alltered. And did shew this Deed to Mr Combr. who Judged the Case was very hard & gave me his best assistance. T.C.A.T And I was forced to send him to sevrall Counseller to have there oppinnions in the Case, and had sevrall Jorneys, & putt me to great Charges to have it right drawne, as it was don by the last Deed made by Mr Thornton, The yeare before he died.

The constant trouble was much which I was forced to putt uppon my Selfe & him — in perusing writings & othr occasions accrwing in that Consern because The thing in it selfe would have lookd strainge to have acquainted my owne Relation with these things, made me doe it in what secrett manner I could, & only my daughter, Alice, & my Selfe & him was privy to it (besides Mr Thornton, who was the Party, & my brothr Denton). So that this might be occasion of those evill Persons — that hated me & my Children — to judge ill of the honnestest Actions in the world. For, while my sorrow was soe great & expecting of my death shortly & would have had this bussniss finished before I laid Inne of my last Child, There happned allso a Proposall of Marrig by Mr Combr to Mr Thornton that he would Please to accept of him for my daughter, Alice, And if he pleased to grant that Request, he would Would thinke himselfe happy in such a wife, & would stay his Leasure.if it were 7 yeares.

Mr Thornton gave him many Thankes for his respect to my daughter. but she was very young to marry, & he would not have him to hinder his good fortune but dispose of himselfe sooner then he could marry her. uppon which, Mr Combr replyed That he had a greater hon.or for Mrs Alice then any one in the world &, if he pleased to consent, he would wait: his owne time, soe he might but obtein That happiness att last.

Mr Thornton did give him thankes for his good oppinion of her &. said, if he would stay till her Age to be disposed of. he might be as like to obteine. hoping that he would be a good & kinde husband to her. if she maried.

So, uppon this hopes. Mr Combr did solicitt my consent. & I tould him she was soe young that he might have some other & would be more sutable (she beeing inexperienced & would be long before she was fitt to be disposed).

All these things was answred by his earnest desire & solicitation, & testimony of his great Respect. & Affection. as wittness his earnest letters, He writt to her & my selfe in that Conserne. on the other side, I had incoragement to hope he would prove very good & to love her, & by Gods grace might be happy for them both. Therefore, did not refuse this motion, Beeing, I considered, my deare husband & my selfe was but in a weake condition (his Pallsey fitts comeing soe offten on him and my owne incertainty of out living my Childe bearing). & now this late sad Seane acted — in the unsettling this Estate — & and feared the worst affter my decease. if non of my Children were not disposed or married before I died, soe that I begged of my God to direct me in this great Conserne of my life That I might do nothing displeasig to his majesty. but that might have his blessig To goe allong with us.

besides, I found, if I left my Children soe young with out a guide in there religion, which was my greatest fearre, & god should Take us both from them, I knew not what ill consequence that might be to them nor into what hands They might fall into.

My Poore Son, Robert, beeing but 6 yeares old, Would want a guide to instruct him & to Suport him in his youth & Education in the True faith & religion, with his Sisters which did not yett understand the profession of The Church of England. Soe that, haveing all these good motives, it did over ballance That objection of her freinds who did say Mr Combr had noe Estate. & it was an undervaleuing.

But, since my hopes was this gentleman wold make soe good a profe & was an excelent scolr hopefull to rise in the world by his owne paines & industery for all these good ends, I did more in cline to this motion. And hoped he might be a stay & a succor to all my Children when we were gon. Therefore, was Mr Thornton & myselfe very desirous to settle him heere in this living at (To have him settled in this Living att Stongrav) & we did both desire my Lord Frechvill, my good uncle, To procure the perpetuall advousan of the living of the King That we might have it an -exed to his Estate att Easte Newton.

A benifitt soe great and desirable, in the consideration of this family, That Mr Thornton indeverd to get The same confirmed by the King Charles the 2d, Which my deare Lord did joyne with us in, and soliceted that bussiness soe farre Till he writt me word, he had soe good & kinde a master of the King, That he would deny him nothing in his Power to grant. but my Lord had taken advice in that thing. And Councell tould him, it was in The Kings Power to Sell the Advouson for his Time but noe, more, it beeing anexed to the Croun & could not be Alienated. but, if Mr Thornton would have it don, he could gett it. for 300l. When we heard that was noe otherwise to be got but subject to a Change uppon the king. we did not prosecut that designe anymore.

But deemed it the best way to secure the presetpresent Injoyment for Mr Bennetts life and to take a Leace for 3 yeares. wherein Mr Thornton did much rejoyce That it might be soe well suplied as by Mr Combr. Soe, uppon Mr Bennets comig over, he, with my Brother Denton, did treat with Mr Bennett. who, be fore, was Resolvd to marry one of his Daughters to Mr Culliss &, for her Portion, to give her Stongrave Living. (having one at his owne Countng). & that man did so threaten the Parish that he would only send a Curate to Read Prayrs And give him Ten Pound a yeare for it but not find a Preaching minister. which did soe greive my deare husband that he said he would leave his house & live where he migt have the word of God Preached.

Affter Mr Benitt came to, Tearmes was made betwixt them (Mr Combr beeing then at Londn) & knew nothing till affterwardes). and soe, Mr Bennett stucke uppon the whole yers Profitt due at Whitsontide then. And, unles Mr Thornton would pay A hurdredhundred Pound Then. att entrance. he would not grant to Tearmes. which my brothr Denton knew my husband would not grant. nor inded had It to pay. Soe that, on conditions The Leace should be don, & agremet made with Mr Thornton, I was willing to Pay that 100d to Mr Bennit butt my husband did not know of it (only I procured this monney out of my dere Mothers Land, which I lett Butterfeild have a Leace of till it was run out & paid that money downe to Mr Bennett: June 25, 1666). Affter which, The Leace was don & he to have 100d a yeare out of the Living; my husband farmng it of him for 3 yeares. & he to find a Preaching minister:

So, uppon these tearmes, Mr Thornton was very desirous to have Mr Combr to supply, that he might Injoy the Liveing & what was to be maide of it over & besides This 100l per Annum. but, I feare, there was not much gott out of it (besides. for the officiating the cure) till Mr Bennett was Perswaded to Lett Mr Thornton Injoy A Leace of it for his life, which he did uppon Payment of som more Rent which was not had out of eithr Mr Thornton, or the liveing, or Mr Comber. Butt lett that Passe. what was don, was don with a sincer hart towards God and, in an And for, the best ends to be an Establishment To the family in this true Religion and faith of God & to Provide a standing ministry Allso (in regard of the Expactancy of the dispose of my deare Daughter, Alice, in Mar- riage). in this way, I did endevour to give This gentleman incoragement for his great paines he tooke in the family, in teaching and instructing and Catechising all my Chchildren and servants att house & Church.

I did suply the want of his 40l a yeare, which Mr bennit gave him for the Cure, with as much out of my owne Land. & gave him many other necessarys he wanted. And aftr wardes. we prevailed to gett the Livig Conferred by great solicitation. paines & cost by my deare Lord Frechevills good Assistance. I procured the Presentation for him affter Mr Bennets Deceace.

Nevertheless, I did ingage Mr Combr, That when ever he should remove hence To some other Preferrment, That he should part with this Liveing of Stongrav to my Son, Robert Thornton. which would be an excilent advantage for his Spiritul as Temporall Preferment.

For, as I had begged him of God, so did I make it my uttmost endeavours to have him fixed in so good a station as neare his owne Place of birth & his fore- Fathers. . All things then, beeing acted for these holy, Pieous Christian Ends and desigs, I know not with what face the Devill and his Instruments could devise so many horid Lyes of a poore Creature That made it my bussiness to bring up. & maintaine my Chil, & provide soe happyly for them all, as in this Action, I hope, in God — has proved by the great mercys of my Gracious God & for the good of many soules. So that I will rejoyce in Persecutin and blsse God for the good he has pleased to bring out of all my Alictionsafflictions to my poore Children.

Such was Mr Thorntons Regard to Mr Comber, & to his learning & studdy, That he did give him his diett & Lodgn and horse kept (winter & Sommer) & was Ready to do him any good offices, taking much delight in his company. (notwith- standing all those Lies & forgerys. which he belived non of them, knowing That his de -sine was to obteine his daughter to be his wife). he did abhorr all there unjust lys which was invented on purpose to breake the intended match. which they was not ignorant of, tho they hoped to have broke my heart & then have destroyed my Children.

Butt blesed be the holy name of God, who tooke the wicked in thretheir owne snaires, and caused them to be ashamed, & beg Pard -on for there sinns (many of them beeing now dead & ther livs cutt of in these sins). I will Praise the name of the Lord for Evr & magnify him for his truth & goodneses, which did not suffer my deare husband to have the least evill thought of me, his true servant, but the last Jorney he evr took was to be revenged of old Mr Tankird (whos malice was aganit me becase I did gett That morgage Cleared of Laistrop for that 100l for Hamblton. which he had gott that Land 291 Secured to him for it). so, my deare husband did in tend to have questioned That villaine for his wickednes against me, his Innocent faithfull wife, as he called me, But, God knowes, he, deare soule, had got Could in goeing to malton at that time. and he fell into his Pallsye fitts of which the Lord God did take him at maulton. & I left in a distracted, condittion by his death, & more fitt to dy then live, Tho the Lord has don great things for me his desolate widdow: & I will Praise & glorfy his name for ever more. Amen.

As to the Provission he gave for the maintenance & Portions of his youngr Brothers, & Sisters, It may be seene in his owne Account Booke; having disbursed many & Constant somes for there maintenance & Intrest. & Portions amounting to large sommes, (more then ever my Children evr had out of there fathers Estate. or any of my owne Portion or fortune, beeing soe dispoddisposed of to our Ruine). And what was alloted to all his brothers, & sisters Portions was 1500l or more, so that non could think much what mine — which they was to have by Covills deed — which was the same. Tho they nevr gott any out of the Estate, only had it seend to thm by the last Deed which cost me soe much sorrw & trouble to gett done. This last Deed of Laistrop was dated Sept.September 19th, 1667.