. LETTER FROM SIR PHILIP STAPLETON TO OLIVER CROMWELL, AND Four Letters from Oliver Cromwell himself. COMMUNICATED BY DAWSON TURNER, ESQ., V. P. THE letters, which I have here the pleasure of submitting to the Norfolk Archæological Society, passed into my hands upon the purchase of the manuscripts of Dr. Cox Macro, which included those of our great Norfolk antiquary, Sir Henry Spelman, and of his sons. But whether these letters formed part of the latter collection, or had been obtained by Dr. Macro, who was himself indefatigable, from any other quarter, is a point that it would be, most probably, now impossible to ascertain; nor could the determining of it be of any importance, further than as it might be supposed to tend to establish their originality, of which they bear too strong internal evidence to leave room for doubt. None of them, to the best of my knowledge, have ever been published. The first, from Sir Philip Stapleton, was written two days after that from Cromwell to Mr. Barnard, upon altogether a different subject, printed by Mr. Carlyle, I. p. 158. Its address puts an end to a doubt, expressed by that gentleman, how far the subsequent Lord Protector held the rank of captain or colonel on the 23rd of January 1642-3. The very able editor states that he finds him on the 14th of the preceding September, in a "List of the Army, under the command of the Earl of Essex, Lord General for King and : : Parliament," enumerated as "Captain in troop sixty-seven," while on the second of the following March his name appears with the higher grade. But it seems certain that he was not raised to the latter till hard upon the date last mentioned. He was at the same time Member for Cambridge. Materials for Cromwell's biography are very scanty in 1642; and nothing appears to be left us which may throw light, either upon the person said by Sir Philip Stapleton to have been sent into Norfolk, or upon the contents of the letter of which he was the bearer. The Gaudye, more particularly pointed out in it as an object of suspicion, was, most probably, Framlingham Gawdy, Esq., of West Herling, Member for Thetford in the Parliament of 1640, and one of those secluded by the Army immediately before the trial of the King. He died in 1654; and his son, Sir William Gawdy, was created a baronet nine years afterwards. By Benefeild, I apprehend is to be understood Sir Henry Bedingfield, of Oxburgh, Knight, who, upon the breaking out of the civil war, flew to the Royal Standard, with his two sons, Thomas and Henry, and rendered himself conspicuous for his conduct and courage, till he was made prisoner and committed to the Tower; shortly after his release from which he died, Nov. 22, 1656, at the age of 70. Of Sir Philip Stapleton himself, we read in Collins' Baronetage, III. p. 53, that he was a younger branch of the Wighill family, and purchased Warter in the Wolds, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The same author goes on to say—“He was one of the five Members of Parliament whom the King went to the House of Commons to demand, and was very eminent for his personal valour. His extraordinary mettle and boldness of spirit may be conjectured by his attempt to cope singly with Prince Rupert; but afterwards, discerning Cromwell's influence upon the army, he so resolutely opposed their designs, that he was one of eleven members against whom charges were exhibited; and my Lord Clarendon mentions them as men of parts, interest, and signal courage, who heartily abhorred the intentions which they discerned the army to have. He afterwards went beyond sea, and, dying at Calais, in August, 1647, was denied burial, upon imagination that he was infected with the plague." We are further told respecting him, by Clarendon, (II. p. 462, Oxford, 1807,) “He was a proper man, of a fair extraction; but, being a branch of a younger family, inherited but a moderate estate, about five hundred pounds a-year, in Yorkshire; and, according to the custom of that country, had spent much time in those delights which horses and dogs administer. Being returned to serve in Parliament, he concurred with his neighbours, Hotham and Cholmondley, being much younger than they and governed by them in the prosecution of the Earl of Strafford and so was easily received into the company and familiarity of that whole party which took that work to heart; and, in a short time, appeared a man of vigour in body and mind, and to be rather without good breeding, than not capable of it; and so he quickly outgrew his friends and countrymen in the confidence of those who governed; they looking upon him as worth the getting entirely to them and not averse from being gotten, and so joined him with Mr. Hambden in this their first employment (and the first that ever a Parliament had of that kind) to be initiated under so great a master, whose instruction he was very capable of." ; for my noble freind Captayne Oliver Cromwell at Cambridge or else where, Worthy Sr, these. There is one gonne into Norfolke, described to you in this inclosed paper. He carries a letter thither from Oxford, to encourage the Papists, generally, to take up armes. It would be of greate advantage to us, if wee could take this man and his letter. He is to goe through Cambridge, where we hope you may have him; but, if he be gonne into Norfolke, you are desired to use what meanes you can that the good partye in that Countye doe seaze upon Gaudye and Benefeild, upon this just ground, that they intend to take armes they may be likewise searched for this letter, which we would gladly have. Sr, I have a particular suite to you for myselfe. I have lost one of my horses lately. If, amongst the horses you take up for this service, you light upon any large, strong, stond horse, that is nimble and full of mettall, I entreate you will send him to me. I shall be ready to pay what you please for him, and shall putt this courtesy upon the account with those many other I have received from you. I pray God for a prosperous successe upon all your employments, restinge, Windsor, Jan. 25th 1642. Your most faithfull freiend and servant, PH: STAPILTON. Indorsed," A lett ffrom Sr Philip Stapleton to Capt Cromwell." So carefully has the name been erased from the address to the subjoined letter, that it is impossible to offer even a conjecture on the subject. Considered conjointly with the following, and with a third, published by Mr. Carlyle, I., p. 182, and also dated from Huntingdon, July 31, the reader is put into full details of the memorable exploit, whereby Gainsborough was relieved, though ineffectually, and "Colonel Cromwell, in giving assistance to the Lord Willoughby, and performing gallant service against the Earl of Newcastle's forces, made a beginning of his great fortune, and now began to appear in the world." The interest of the three letters is increased by their being all addressed to different persons. Mr. Carlyle's is written to the Committee of the Association sitting at Cambridge. The perticular respects I have receaved att your hands doe much oblige me, but the great affection you beare to the publike much more: for that cause, I am bould to acquaint you with some late passages wherein it hath pleased God to favor us, wch, I am assured, wilbee welcome to you. After Burlye house was taken, wee went towards Gaynsbrowe, to a generall rendevouze, where mett us Lincolnesheire troopes, soe that we were nineteene or twentye troopes, when wee were together, of horse, and about three or foure troupes of dragooners: wee marched with this force to Gainsbrowe: upon fryday morninge, being the 28th day of July, wee mett with a forlorne hope of yo enimie, and wth our men brak it in: wee marched onn to the townes end, the enimie beinge upon the top of a very steepe hill over our heads, some of our men attemted to march up that hill: the enimie oposed: our men drove them up, and forced their passage: by that tyme wee came up, wee saw the enimie well sett in two bodyes; the former a large fayre body, the other a reserve, consisting of six or seaven brave troopes: before wee could gett our force into order, the great body of the enimie advanced: they were wth in muskett shott of us when wee came to the pitch of ye hill: wee advanced likewise towards them; and both charged, each upon other: thus advancinge, wee came to pistoll and sword's point both in that closse order, that it was disputed very strongly whoe should breake the other; but, our men pressinge a little heavilye upon them, they begun to give backe, wch our men perceavinge, instantly |