1 Richard Whalley 22 July 1628 (2644, f. 275)
My honourable and most worthy lady sister The flyinge report of the death of your truly noble, perfectly religious and most well merittinge common wealth's husband, Sir Frances Barrington, rightly remembreth unto mee that godly and true sayinge of the prophet Isaiah, cap. 57,1: the righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart, and mercifull men are taken away, and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come.Give mee leave even thoroughly to grieve with yow, both for myselfe, the whole common wealth and my children's trust reposed in him; yet to rejoyce and to comfort my selfe with you for him by these words in the next vearse: peace shall come, they shall rest in their bedds, evryone that walketh before him,as most assuredly hee dooth; and therefore in great thanksgivinge say yow, with all that knew him, beatus est ille, qui mortuus est in domino, quia opera ejus sequuntur ilium.Hee lived in honour, dyed in peace, forewent God's heavy judgement - most like to befall us - and shall rise in glory eternall. Oh sister, rejoyce; good maddam rejoyce, rejoyce, even contrary to flesh and blood, rejoyce for his departure, show your humble thanckfullnes to almighty God that hath these many yeares yoke fellowed in your bosome one more then an angell: and for your selfe rejoyce that you have beene as a fruitfull vine unto your husband's house, and have received most plentifully children, the especiall blessinge about your table. And why? Because you both have lived in the feare of the lord; and therein dooe I holde myselfe happy that you please to vouchsafe the educacion of my poore daughter, your niece whom, good maddam, let continue with you, and God graunt her grace either to please you or never to accounte mee her father; and whom I likewise beseech you to bestow in marriage, and her porcion, I hope shall surely in convenient tyme bee provided with advantage. I have sent her by this bearer the third and last volume of Mr Parkins' workes which were her mother's, and further will remember her if I may understand her dutifull care to please you. But, good maddam, keepe her from overmuch liberty and fantasticke new fashions.
