The Hartlib Papers

                  To Mistris D.     16/6 Octob. 1642._/.

You doe not <yet> know what the charge of a family is and how difficult it is to maintaine ones selfe in any reasonable ranke when wee are in public imploiments. If it bee so hard for you that are alone and haue no body to care for but yourself to liue although you can vse some industry to helpe to maintain yourself how hard must it bee for those that haue a charge of wife Children and Servants to maintaine, and haue no such libertys to vse industrie but are bound by serving the Publick to depend vpon public fauours which are now restrained because Charity is waxen cold. You cannot bee made to vnderstand what occasions Mr H. and I haue to spend mony if wee had it nor where our shoe doth pinch vs in vsing meanes to get what is due vnto us which wee canot obtaine. I haue said once for all that when God doth prouide a certainty for mee you shal not want necessaries so far as j amble am able to helpe you. In the meane time doe your best to helpe yourself as if j were out of this world and trust to God for a blessing./