ruin, into which some invisible power was pushing me and all my
little ones. Great, therefore, was my delight, and sweet the relief to
my soul, when the great lady left me unconnected with her quarrels. For,
in the crash of such contending powers, there was no chance of escape
for such a weak instrument as I was; and fervent were my hopes, and deep
my prayers, that the perils and evils prognosticated by the religious
fears of my great protectress might be turned aside, and all good
subject and sincere churchmen left each under his own vine and his own
fig-tree, with nobody to make them afraid. But vain are the hopes of
men. We read in no long time in all men's looks the fate we were
condemned to; for it seemed as if a great cloud, filled with God's
wrath, was spread out over this realm of England, and the faces of all
men grew dark. We heard the name of Jeffreys whispered in corners, and
trembled as if it had been a witch's spell to make our blood into water.
The great lady kept herself much in solitude in the ancient Court, and
saw not even her favourite companion, my daughter Waller, for many
months; but did ever write affectionate letters to her, and sent
presents of rich fruits, and other delectations in which the young take
pleasure. There was much riding to and fro of couriers, but whither, or
whence, she did never tell, and it was not my province to enquire; but
at last an order came for me to send up my Waller and her friend to the
mansion. And at evening they were conveyed on horseback as before; but
on this occasion their escort was not Master Wilkinson the under butler,
but no less a person than my lady's kinsman, the senior brother of my
honourable pupil, the honourable Master Fitzoswald of Yorkshire, a
stately young cavalier as could be seen, strong and tall, and his style
and title was the Lord Viscount Lessingholm--being the eldest son and
heir to that ancient earldom. He was an amiable and pleasant gentleman,
full of courtesies and kindness, and particularly pleased with the
newfangled fashion of a handsome cap which formed the headpiece of my
excellent wife. He said also many handsome things about the brightness
of my Waller's eyes, and assured my excellent wife that he saw so
promising an outsprout of talent in my Charles, that he doubted not to
see him one of the judges of the realm, if so be he applied his
intellectuals to the bar. He was also extreme civil to Alice Snowton,
which answered his civilit