had grown children. He was sixty-nine and she fifty-six. No record of any
other Puritan courtship so unique as this has been given to the world. He
began his formal courtship of Mrs. Winthrop, October 1, 1720. His _Diary_
contains records of each visit, of what they said to each other, of the
Sermons, cake, and gingerbread that he gave her, of the healths that he
drank to her, the lump of sugar that she gave him, of how they "went into
the best room, and clos'd the shutters."

"Nov. 2. Gave her about 1/2 pound of sugar almonds, cost 3 shillings per
[pound]. Carried them on Monday. She seem'd pleas'd with them, ask'd what
they cost. Spake of giving her a hundred pounds per annum if I died
before her. Ask'd her what sum she would give me, if she should die
first?"

"Monday, Nov. 7. I went to Mad. Winthrop; found her rocking her little
Katy in the cradle. I excused my coming so late (near eight). She set me
an arm'd chair and cushion; and so the cradle was between her arm'd chair
and mine. Gave her the remnant of my almonds. She did not eat of them as
before.... The fire was come to one short brand besides the block, which
brand was set up in end; at last it fell to pieces and no recruit was
made.... Took leave of her.... Her dress was not so clean as sometime it
had been. Jehovah jireh!"

Acute men have written essays to account for the aristocratic Mrs.
Winthrop's refusal of Chief-Justice Sewall. Some have said that it was due
to his aversion to slavery and to his refusal to allow her to keep her
slaves. This episode is only a small part of a rich storehouse. The greater
part of the _Diary_ contains only the raw materials of literature, yet some
of it is real literature, and it ranks among the great diaries of the
world.