The Hartlib Papers

Worthy Sir

I desire to mourne with you for the continuance of your greiuous paines, by reason of which businesse & imployments must needs be very tedious to you; I shall therefore be as little troublesome as I may; only thus much at present: I thinke it meete to informe you, that I haue made bould to write vnto our worthy freind Mr Boyle, (who is now newly come vp) that he would please to stand my freind, & speake effectually in my behalfe vnto the Lord Fleetwood; that his Lordship would please to doe something for mee at last, after many kind words, & faire promises: I know it were easy with his Lordship to prevaile with his highnesse for me, or to doe it himselfe, what my desire is; I haue inclosed this Petition in Mr Boyles Letter; desiring he will please to procure it presented at an oportunity; (if he thinke it not meete to doe it himselfe). I desire to make tryall once more, & to put it to an yssue & not to feede vpon hopes continually: If his Lordship please to graunt me this, I shall let my other suite fall, for the 100^li: perhaps this may be sooner obtayned: I pray Sir if you speake with Mr Boyle, that you will desire him to moue effectually on my behalfe; & if nothing can be done, I shall cease to trouble him, & others of my freinds, hereafter: I vnderstand there is very great preparation[blot] against the Funerall: that exceeding much Cloth is prepared for Mourning: that only two Drapers haue brought in so much Cloth as amounts to the value of forty thousand pounds or to a very great value: Now Sir seeing you giue me freedome & bouldnesse with you, I pray please to giue mee to vnderstand whether it were not convenient for me to endeauour to get Mourning, as very many others doe [left margin:] that I am sure haue lesse reason to haue it then my selfe: And I am also sure that few will haue it, who stand in neerer relation to that worthy person the late Lord Ireton, then my selfe; were I some great one, this Relation

Sir you are able to iudg how things stand, and what is to be donne; so I humbly leaue these things to your consideration, & acknowledg my my selfe

Oxon October 7:                 your engaged freind

    1658:                          & servant

                                    Ra: Austen

[seal]                For the worshipfull Samuel

                       Hartlib esquire at his

                       house over against

                        Angell Court

                        neere Charing

                           Crosse

                                   London