Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/11

 ii s. vii. JAN. 4, 1913. j NOTES AND QUERIES.

he was a minister of the Church of England, and did his best to restrain his vagaries at the ex -playhouse within the bounds of legality. Any coercion of Peters was, of course, impossible, and " persecution " utterly out of the question. Probably all that Bos well could have done was to apply to the States to eject Peters. The following passage in ' Winthrop's Journal ' (ed. J. K. Hosmer, i. 160), under date 6 Oct., 1635, gives the date of Peters's flight from Holland : " Here arrived two great ships, the ' Defence ' a nd the ' Abigail,' with . . . .Mr. Peter, pastor of the English church at Rotterdam, who, being perse- cuted [sic] by the English ambassador, who would have brought his and other churches to the English discipline, and not having had his health t lese many years, intended to advise with the ministers about his removal."

The real truth is that Peters fled under a most shocking charge an accusation of incestuous adultery, for which I refer my readers to the pamphlet (said to have been written by James Howell I do not know upon what authority) published on 14 March, 1647/8, and entitled

' : A Letter to the Earle of Pembrooke concern- ing the times and the sad condition both of Prince and People." P. 9. British Museum press-mark,

E. 522 (5).

Sarcastic allusions to this episode are frequent e.g.. at the end of the satirical pamphlet published on 12 June, 1649, entitled

' Hosanna ; or, A Song of Thanksgiving,' Sung by the children of Zion and set forth in three notable speeches at Grocers Hall, on the late solemn day of Thanksgiving, Thursday, June 7, H> U>. The first was spoken by Alderman Atkins. The second by Alderman Isaac Pennington. The third by Hugh Peters (no alderman, but Clericus m cuerpo). Risum leneatis amid." British Museum press-mark, E. 559 (11)

and in ' Eighteen New Court Queries,' p. 4, published on 26 May, 1659 B.M. press- mark, E. 984 (1). The pamphlet entitled ' A Key to the Cabinet of the Parliament,' published on 20. June, 1648, p. 2 (B.M. press-mark, E. 449 (2) should also be referred to, because it explicitly states that Peters fled from Holland for this cause. Corroboration is to be found in the fact that Peters abandoned his wife in Holland. She never saw him again.

Read wrote to Winthrop on 5 March, 1636 :

" Wo wonder we have not certain information whether my father Peters intendeth to stay with you or to return. It is necessary it should be speedily determined of that his church may know how I'- dispose of themselves." t'.JYLH.S., V., vol. i. p. 217.

A year later Mrs. Peters was still alone in Holland. Lucy Downing wrote to Win- throp on 6 March, 1637, " Mrs. Peters is yet in Holland and James Downing with her," adding at the end of her letter that Mrs. Peters had just arrived in London (C.M.H.S., Series V., vol. i. p. 21).

Peters seems to have married again in 1638. The following are extracts from letters about his second wife, Deliverance Sheffield. In an undated letter from Peters to Winthrop we find :

" I have sent Mrs. D. Sh. letter which puts mee to new troubles, for though she takes liberty upon my cossen Downing's speeches, yet (Good sir) let mee not be a foole in Israel. I had many good answers to yesterday's worke and among the rest her letter ; which (if her owne) doth argue more wisdome than I thought shee had. You have often said I could not leave her ; what to do is very considerable. Could I with comfort and credit desist, this seems best ; could I goe on, and content myself, that were good ; my request is that this' bearer my harts-halfe may well observe what is best. For though I now seeme free agayne, yet the depth I know not. Had shee come over with mee I thinke I had bin quieter. This shee may know, that I have sought God earnestly, that the next weeke, I shall be riper.

" I doubt shee gay lies most by such writings ; and shee deserves most where shee is further on." C.M.H.S., Series IV., vol. vi. p. 100.

In a letter to Winthrop, to which the editor assigns the date of 13 April, 1638, John Endecott said :

" I cannot but acquaint yow with my thoughts concerning Mr. Peter, since he received a letter from Mrs. Sheffield, which was yesterday in the evening after the fast ; shee seeming in her letter to abate of her affeccions towards him and dis- likinge to come to Salem uppon such termes as he had written. I finde that (s)hee begins now to play her parte and, if I mistake not, you will see him as greatly in love with her (if shee will but hold of a little) as eyer shee was with him, but hee conceals it what he can as yett."

Another undated letter from Peters to Winthrop states :

" I know not well whether Mrs. Sh. have set mee at liberty or not ; my conclusion is, that if you find I cannot make an honorable retreat, then I shall desire to advance avv Oey. Of you I now expect your last advice, viz., whether I must go on or of, ' salvo evangelii honore ' ; if shee bee in good earnest to leave all agitations this way then I stand still and wayt God's myiid concerning mee ; if you find that cannot (>ee, then let our shure (?) f rends come here and I shall take what present speedy course I can to come over and labor to make up all breaches. If I had much money, I would part with it to her free, till wee heare what England doth, supposing I may bee called to some imployment that will not suit a moneyed estate. . . .Once more for Mrs. Sh. ; I had from Mr. Hibbins and others, her fellow passengers, sad discouragements where they yaw