uld have been to our English,
who can blame my pen for being liberal, thereby to have encouraged our
famous and noble seamen, or for writing so honourably of the Swedish
nation, who had most courteously treated my best of friends, Sir
Bolstrode Whitlock, and by whose means, had the design taken effect, the
English nation had been made happy with the most beneficial concern of
all Christendom. I shall conclude about Oliver the then Protector, with
whom obliquely I had transactions by his son-in-law, Mr. Cleypool; and
to speak truly of him, he sent one that waited upon him in his chamber,
once in two or three days, to hear how it fared with me in my sessions
business; but I never had of him, directly or indirectly, either
pension, or any the least sum of money, or any gratuity during his whole
Protectorship; this I protest to be true, by the name and in the name of
the most holy God.

In 1653, before the dissolution of the Parliament, and that ere they had
chosen any for their Ambassador into Sweden, Mr. Cleypool came unto me,
demanding of me whom I thought fittest to send upon that embassy into
Sweden: I nominated Sir B. Whitlock, who was chosen, and two or three
days after Mr. Cleypool came again: 'I hope, Mr. Lilly, my father hath
now pleased you: Your friend Sir B. Whitlock is to go for Sweden.' But
since I have mentioned Oliver Cromwell, I will relate something of him,
which perhaps no other pen can, or will mention. He was born of generous
parents in Huntingdonshire, educated some time at the university of
Cambridge: in his youth was wholly given to debauchery, quarrelling,
drinking, &c. _quid non_; having by those means wasted his patrimony, he
was enforced to bethink himself of leaving England, and go to
New-England: he had hired a passage in a ship, but ere she launched out
for her voyage, a kinsman dieth, leaving him a considerable fortune;
upon which he returns, pays his debts, became affected to religion; is
elected in 1640 a member of Parliament, in 1642 made a Captain of horse
under Sir Philip Stapleton, fought at Edge-Hill; after he was made a
Colonel, then Lieutenant-General to the Earl of Manchester, who was one
of the three Generals to fight the Earl of Newcastle and Prince Rupert
at York: Ferdinando Lord Fairfax, and Earl Leven the Scot, were the
other two for the Parliament: the last two thinking all had been lost at
Marston-Moor fight, Fairfax went into Cawood Castle, giving all for
lost: at twelve at