Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Rachell Huntley1 to John Winthrop2

Huntley, Rachell Winthrop, John

1619-12-11

To hir Most louing Brother Mr John Winthrop at his house in Groton in Suffolke giue this

Bromfield this 11th of December 1619

Most deare and louing brother for so I ame bound and make bould to caule you hauing receiued such manifest tokenes of your vnfained loue unto me which I neuer haue deserued the least part shewed from youe to me makes me bound and Indebted in loue and thanckfullnes that I neuer can cum forth of your debt nether can I expres the thanckfullnes which in my hart I doe desire to doe, But good brother lett me Intreat you to acsept these pore lynes as a token to relat that thankefullnes which I would Express if I could for your sweet Cristian lettars Hath wrought such cumfort to my pore weake mind that thay are to me as wyne giuen to a werye fainting man that doth so cheare and refresh his sperites that he is as one ouer cume with Joy So good brother hauing bine so long sicklye makes me or anye other more heauie in the pirforming of anye good dutyes 240as also it makes ous more forgetfull of those sweet promises and cumforts which the lord hath writen for ous in his holy word and thar fore we had ned to be stured vp by our good Cristian frinds who it hath plesed the lord to minister the like cumfort to them for in ded those are most of god beloued that sufer Aflictions and it is good for the children of god to haue Aflictions for in the time of thar destreses thay will seeke the lord diligentley as the lord spake of the children of Isrell for then when thay war afflicted thay would seke the lord diligently so we in Aflictions will runn unto the lord and will seke to find our owne wantes and striue to gett faith to laye howld one the merittes of our blesed lord and sauor Jesus Christ by whome we haue the full remision of all our sinnes because he tooke awaye the gillt and punishment by his death and pasion taking a waye the holle curse of the lawe which was the first and second death from ous both by his death and pasion and by his parfitt obediance being Imputed unto ous and now hath mad ous Ayeres with him to be with him in his Emortall Kingdom he being the price whar with we war bought and now in him are all the tresures of knowlege and wisdome ar hidd: Colo. 23: blesed be god which hath blesed ous with all sperituall blesings In Jesus Crist: Ephesians: I: 3 verse and now of his fullnes we receiu grace for grace so that all the blesings of god whether spirituall or temporall are giuen ous of god our father for the sake of his blesed sonn Jesus Christ and throwe him whether it be prosperytie or Afflictions all is sanctyfied unto ous throw him for in him all our aflictions proseed from god as from a most louing god and so as fatherly chastisments and tharfore Paule: Phi: 3: 10: seing the exsolint priueliges that came to the children of god by the suffrings of Christ made him to acount all thing lose and to Judg them to be dung that he maight knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection with the feliship of his Afflictions that he maight be conformable unto his death that he maight wine Crist and maight be found in him if then all our comfort comes by our blesed lord and sauores sufrings why should we thinke our pore aflictions to great for ous to bare: No lett ous rather saie with hart hath the lord bine so good to suffer for me pore wrettch and shall I not Indure what soeuer he shal please to laye apone me Yess with all pacience and contentednes that hauing fought our good fight when we shall finish our corse by death we may then receiue the glorious crowne of writiousnes which the ritious god hath laid vp in store for those that feare him which the almighty god giue unto ous for his blesed sonne Jesus Cristes his sake: thus deare brother hauing bine ouer tedious yet desiring you to excuse both my 241 illegible lines as also the pore weake mater which I am bould to send unto you as presuming of your louing Axseptance desiring you good brother to remember my vnfained loue to my deare sister with my many thanckes unto you both for your good token you sent me being sorye that at presant I haue noe good remembrance to remember you with desiring you good to remember me and mine in your good praiers as I shall euer doe for you in myne I most kindlye take my leaue desiring our mercifull god and father to bless you both and all my little cosens with all his rich blesings in Jesus Christ who I pray to send ous a Joyfull metting farwell most deare brother and sister farwell.

Your euer vnfained louing sister till death Rachell Huntley

good brother my mother remembreth hir best loue unto my good Sister and to your sellfe giuing you many thanckes for all your great loue to me she shall be with my selfe most exseding glad to se you both heare as your ocasions bring you any thing neare ous but if I war able I would rid many miles to se my good sister your wife.

“Rachell Huntley was the widow of Thomas Huntley, a merchant of London, who died in 1613, leaving a large estate. Her will was proved Oct. 5, 1620; and in it she left ’to Mr. John Wintrope thirty shillings to make him a ringe.’ Her maiden name was Pake, or Peke; and one of her sisters married Nicholas Crispe, whose brother was Sheriff of London in 1625. We can trace no relationship between her and Winthrop.” 5 Collections , I. 74, note. “1607, April 9. Mr. Thomas Huntley, mercht., of St. Bennetts Sherhogg, and Rachel Pake, of Bromfeild, co. Essex.” The Reiester Booke of Saynte De’nis Backchurch (London) (H. S., Reg. , III), 16.

W. 4. 28; 5 Collections , I. 74–76.

Verses Made by Mr. Adam Winthropp to the Ladie Mildmay at the Byrth of Her Sonne Henery1

Winthrop, Adam (1548-1623) Mildmay, Amy

1620

Madam, I singe2 not like the swanne, that readye is to dye; But with the Phœnix I rejoyce, when she in fire doth frye. My soule doth praise the Lord and magnifie his name, For this sweete babe which in your wombe he did most finely frame. And on a blessed day hath made him to be borne, That with his giftes of heavenly grace his soule he might adorne. 242 God graunt him happie3 days in joye and peace to lyve, And more of this4 most blessed fruite hereafter to you give.5

Amen.

Verses to her sonne6

Ah me what doe I meane, to take my penne in hande, More meete it were my aged Muse should reste and silent stande.7 For pleasure take I none in music’s sweetest laies,8 Nor do delight, as I was wonte, in them to spend my daies.9 Yet when the joyfull newes did come unto my eare, That at this time a sonne was borne of you, my Ladie deare:10 My harte was filde with joye, my spirits revived all, And from my olde and barren brayne these verses rude did fall: Welcome sweete babe thou art unto thy parents deare, Whose hartes thou filled hast with joy, as well yt doth appeare. The day even of thy byrth, when light thou first didst see, Foresheweth that a joyfull life shall happen unto thee. For blessed is that daye and to be kept in mynde, On which our Saviour Jesus Christ was borne to save mankinde. Growe up therefore in grace, and feare his holie name, Who in thy mothers secreat wombe thy members all did frame; And gave to thee a soule thy bodie to susteyne, Which when this life shall ended be, in heaven with him shall reigne. Love him with all thy harte, and make thy parents gladd, As Samuell did, whom of the Lord his mother Anna had. God graunt that they may live, to see from thee to springe, Another like unto thyselfe who may more joy them11 bringe. And from all wicked wayes, that godles men do trace, Pray daylie that he will thee keepe by his most mightie grace. That when thy dayes shall ende in his appoynted tyme, Thou mayest yelde up a blessed soule defiled with noe cryme. 243 And to thy mother deere obedient be and kinde, Give eare unto her godlie12 words and print them in thy mynde. Thy father likewise13 love and willingly obey, That thou may’st long possesse those lands which he must leave one daye.

Finis

Eldest son of Sir Henry Mildmay and Amy (Gurdon) Mildmay, born December 25, 1619 (infra, p. 243), and married Mary Mildmay, a great-granddaughter of Sir Thomas Mildmay of Moulsham, co. Essex, and Lady Frances Radcliffe, daughter of Henry Radcliffe, second Earl of Sussex. Muskett, 47; D. N. B. , XLVII. 136; Visitations of Essex, I. 453. The lines are preserved, written in Adam Winthrop’s own hand in a miscellany of poetry of the time, now in the British Museum, MS. Harleian 1598, fos. II b–13, and were first printed in 3 Collections , x. 152–154. They appear also in L. and L. , I. 29–30, with the note: “An original draught has enabled us to make some corrections in these verses, which are written by their author in long lines, as here printed.” This original draft cannot now be found. We have therefore reprinted the text given in the L. and L. , noting the important variations in the Harleian copy, of which we have a photograph. The Harleian copy is written in short lines, arranged in four-line stanzas.

MS. Harleian ‘mourne.’

MS. Harleian ‘many happie.’

MS. Harleian ‘his.’

MS. Harleian ‘He unto you doe giue.’

Heading supplied from MS. Harleian.

MS. Harleian ‘More meete it were for me to rest And silent still to stande.’

MS. Harleian ‘In any worldlie thinge.’

MS. Harleian ‘But euermore methinks I heare My fatall bell to ringe.’

10.

MS. Harleian ‘That god had giuen to hir a sonne Who is my nephew deere.’

11.

MS. Harleian ‘then.’

12.

MS. Harleian ‘loveing.’

13.

MS. Harleian ‘alsoe.’