“... I am glad your Lordship doth approve my wife’s good affection to her husband, which was a point I never doubted, but for her abilities in agency of affairs, as I was never taken with opinion of them, so I was never desirous to employ them if she had them, for I conceive women to be no fit solicitors of state affairs for though it sometimes happen that they have good wits, it then commonly falls out that they have over-busy natures withal. For my part I should take much more comfort to hear that she were quietly retired to her mother’s in the country, than that she had obtained a great suit in the court.”[14] Footnote 14: _Ibid._, pp. 132-3. The sentiments expressed by Lord Falkland were not characteristic of his time, when husbands were generally thankful to avail themselves of their wives’ services in such matters. While Sir Ralph Verney was exiled in France, he proposed that his wife should return to England to attend to some urgent business. His friend, Dr. Denton replied to the suggestion: “... not to touch upon inconveniences of yʳ comminge, women were never soe usefull as now, and though yᵘ should be my agent and sollicitour of all the men I knowe (and therefore much more to be preferred in yʳ own cause) yett I am confident if yᵘ were here, yᵘ would doe as our sages doe, instruct yʳ wife, and leave her to act it wᵗʰ committees, their sexe entitles them to many priviledges and we find the comfort of them more now than ever.”[15] Footnote 15: _Verney Family_, Vol. II., p. 240, 646. There are innumerable accounts in contemporary letters and papers of the brave and often successful efforts of women to stem the flood of misfortune which threatened ruin to their families. Katharine Lady Bland treated with Captain Hotham in 1642 on behalf of Lord Savile “and agreed with him for the preservation of my lords estate and protection of his person for £1,000,” £320 of which had already been taken “from Lord Savile’s trunk at Kirkstall Abbey ... and the Captain ... promised to procure a protection from the parliament ... for his lordships person and estate.”[16] Footnote 16: _Calendar State Papers_, Domestic, April 8, 1646. Lady Mary Heveningham, through her efforts restored the estate to the family after her husband had been convicted of high treason at the Restoration.[17] Footnote 17: _Hunter (Joseph), History and Topography of Ketteringham_, p. 46.