What other Father it was that made ‘the offer of a very great proposition’ to Oliver, in the shape of his Daughter as Wife to Oliver’s Son, must remain totally uncertain for the present ; perhaps some glimpse of it may turn up by and by. There were ‘difficulties’ which Oliver did not entirely see through; there was not that assurance of ‘godliness’ in the house, though there was of ‘fairness’ and natural integrity; in short, Oliver will prefer Mayor, at least will try him,—and wishes it carried with privacy.
The Commons, now dealing with Delinquents, do not forget to reward good Servants, to ‘conciliate the Grandees,’ as splenetic Walker calls it. For above two years past, ever since the War ended, there has been talk and debate about settling 2,500l. a-year on Lieutenant-General Cromwell; but difficulties have arisen. First they tried Basing-House Lands, the Marquis of Winchester’s, whom Cromwell had demolished; but the Marquis’s affairs were in disorder; it was gradually found the Marquis had for most part only a Life-rent there: —only ‘Abbotston and Itchin’ in that quarter could be realised. Order thereupon to settle ‘Lands of Papists and Delinquents’ to the requisite amount, wheresoever convenient. To settle especially what Lands the Marquis of Worcester had in that ‘County of Southampton’; which was done,—though still with insufficient result.[1] Then came the Army Quarrels, and an end of such business. But now in the Commons Journals, 7th March, the very day of Oliver’s next Letter, this is what we read:[2] ‘An Ordinance for passing unto
- ↑ Commons Journals (iv. 416), 23d January 1645-6: the Marquis of Worcester’s Hampshire Lands. Ib. 426, a week afterwards: ‘Abberston and Itchell,’ meaning Abbotston and Itchin, Marquis of Winchester’s there. See also Letter of Oliver St. John to Cromwell, in Thurloe, i. 75.—Commons Journals (v. 36) about a year afterwards, 7th January 1646-7: ‘remainder of the 2,500l.’ from Marquis of Winchester’s Lands in general; which in a fortnight more is found to be impossible: whereupon ‘Lands of Delinquents and Papists,’ as in the Text. None of these Hampshire Lands, except Abbotston and Itchin, are named. Noble says, ‘Fawley Park’ in the same County; which is possible enough.
- ↑ v. 482.
