Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. 03 May 1621. At my next return therefore thither, he wrote a strange letter to the young gentlewoman, and gave it me in charge to bring him an answer from her. It was penned in a good phrase, but mixed with some unseasonable imperious passages, so as pressing what eflFects it would produce, I kept it two or three. days ere I delivered it after I was come to Mr. Waldegrave's; but fearing my father's displeasure if I still kept it, and so an abortive issue of this overture, I at last rather chose to put it to the hazard. Truly, both the father and the young gentlewoman, whose affection I had gained very far, were content for my sake to have passed it over, but the Lady Bingham (age 61) her mother told me plainly, my father took so early authority upon him as her daughter should never come imder his power; and 80 after all that cost bestowed by my father, being near upon £80, and all the travel and pains which had been bestowed by myself and others to effect this business, (although it hung in suspense till the 19th day of September next ensuing,) yet all was finally dashed.

Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. 03 May 1621. The [her daughter] gentlewoman (age 19), after the decease of her father, was at last married to [her future son-in-law] John Crew (age 23), Esq., son and heir of Sir Thomas Crew (age 57), Knt., for whom, to say truly she was a much fitter match than for myself, who, being younger than herself, (although I knew it not at first,) it would doubtless in process of time have bred much nauseating and inconvenience. Yet I cannot deny that in respect of her fair extraction, comeliness, and good education; of my own wants, loss of time, and discontent; of my fear of my father's match with a young widow with whom he was now in treaty, and to get an estate settled upon me, I did omit no care, pains, or endeavour to have accomplished this match, which God of his infinite goodness did frustrate, not only for my temporal, but for my spiritual good. For he afterwards provided for me not only a much younger gentlewoman (age 9), but more nobly extracted, and the heir of her family. My cousin Crew herself, (for my wife was her near kinswoman,) whom I went to visit awhile after I had been married, told me I had gotten a far greater fortune than she would have been; and the old Lady Bingham (age 61) her mother, being then a widow, upon my coming to Lawford Hall, to her in her sickness to comfort her, told me, I dealt with her as Joseph had done with his brethren; for she only had been the cause of the breaking off my intended match with her daughter (age 19), and yet I would vouchsafe to visit her. "Why, Madam," answered I, "should enmity between Christians be perpetual - especially seeing what you intended against me is turned by God's Providence, to greater good?"

Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. 12 Feb 1622. The latter part of this January I spent reasonably well in the study of the common law, which had like to have been interrupted again the ensuing February with the renovation of my old cares, which had hindered it in my former wooing-time; for [her husband] Mr. Waldegrave (age 56), of Lawford in Essex, between whose younger [her daughter] daughter (age 20) and coheir and myself there had been a treaty of marriage, as is before set down, deceasing on Tuesday, tbe 12th day of this February, and leaving the Lady Bingham (age 62), his second wife, a widow, on Monday the 18th day of the same month next ensuing my father (age 55) sent for me early in the morning, to give me notice of it, and told me that he should not only be willing that the treaty for myself might again be renewed with the daughter (age 20), but that he should be willing himself also to match with the mother (age 56). This new overture took up my thoughts and time for some few days, but it proving abortive soon afterj I had free liberty again to settle to my studies.