saying more than giving a general caution, that young women could not be too modest and discreet in their ways in this unhappy and lawless time.

We went on as before for some weeks after this. Indeed, until the summer, there occurred not much for me to note. The Prince fighteth continually; and Hampden, who was one of the best men the Parliament had, was killed. This battle was esteemed a great victory for our side, and cost the King no great loss.

There is a prophecy in an old book of my dear husband's, which book he used to lay great store by, having been writ in Cheshire, by a Cheshire man of the name of Nixon; and it saith,

'Three years of great wars,

And in all the countries great uproars:

The first is terrible, the second worse, but the third un

bearable.

Three great battles:

One at Northumberland Bridge,

One at Cumberland Bridge,

And the other the south side of Trent.

Crows shall drink the blood of many nobles;

East shall rise against west, and north against south.'

Ah, me! if two years more of this is verily to come upon us!

George Nixon, of my dear lord's troop, claimeth to be of the same stock as this Nixon, who is always spoken of as 'The Cheshire Prophet,' and he cometh from the same part, nigh unto Delamere Forest.

Charles my sọn, continueth most diligent at his studies, aiming to be the Prince's page, so soon as may be: hearing that no clerk readeth or writeth better than the Prince himself, hath given him a wondrous spur to his books; for at one time he hated all learning, and only loved (when in-doors) to be playing with an old sword, hitting at an ancient chair, and would delight much if the blade (far from sharp) by times. went right in-calling out, 'Ha, rebel! stand! I bid thee in the King's name!' and so forth. Likewise Ellinor saith he rideth fearlessly, which will much please my dear lord.

CHAPTER IV.

T was the 18th of July that a party of about one hundred and fifty of the

rebels, finding out our sweet home, rode up to the doors, and loudly and rudely demanded admittance. We were but few, and resistance useless; so without delay we gave them entrance, and such food and drink as there was I had brought unto them.

They committed as much mischief and damage as was possible; but we thought not much of that when news came from the village next day that all the stained glass in the church was much spoiled and broken; the font, and monuments which had the cross on them, hacked about, as likewise the beautiful And this they vilely and falsely assert is done for religion's sake! 'Whilst they do

screen.

say in their hearts, Let us make havoc of them altogether.' The stained glass in the church was most glorious to see: see in especial the great east widow, which is of prodigious size, and pourtrayed many of the saints mentioned in holy writ. One window to the north-east displayed the history of the Blessed Virgin; that of S. John the Baptist was in another : our Lord blessing the little children was one in which I had much delight. And the bells were most sweet and tunable, as is the case in many churches in these parts; so that even foreigners commonly say, 'England is the ringing island.' Until these troublesome and evil times, our land was much affected with the love of them: their music being for the glory of God, as much as the pleasure of man. when the Bishop of Bangor, in the reign of Henry VIII., taking example from the evil doings around him, sold the five fair bells of his cathedral, to be transported beyond seas, and went down himself to see them shipped, they suddenly sank down with the vessel in the haven, and the bishop fell instantly blind,

And

and so continued to the day of his death. I marvel the dread of the like deters not many from their sacrilege now-a-days; but we may truly say with the sweet Psalmist of Israel :

'O God, why hast Thou cast us off for ever? why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture? Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. But now they break

down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. They have defiled by casting down the dwelling-place of Thy name to the ground. They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth Thee daily. Forget not the voice of Thine enemies : the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increaseth continually.'

I have not mentioned that in the hall was a bay window, the roofing of which had a