Letters of State, Letters 2 · Letter 2 – Letter 7
To the Count of Oldenburgh.
Moſt Illuſtrious Lord,
WE receiv'd your Letters, dated May 2 from Oldenburgh, moſt welcome upon more then one account; as well for that they were full of ſingular Civility and Good-will toward us, as becauſe they were deliver'd by the hand of the moſt Illuſtrious Count Antony, your beloved Son. Which we look upon as ſo much the greater Honour, as not having truſted to Report, but with our own Eyes, and by our own Obſervation diſcern'd his Vertues becoming ſuch an Illuſtrious Extraction, his noble Manners and Inclinations, and laſtly his extraordinary Affection toward our ſelves. Nor is it to be queſtion'd but he displays to his own People the ſame fair hopes at home, that he will approve himſelf the Son of a moſt Worthy and moſt excellent Father, whoſe ſignal Vertue and Prudence has all along ſo manag'd Affairs, that rhe whole Territory of Oldenburgh for many years, has enjoy'd a profound Peace and all the bleſſings of Tranquility in the midſt of the raging confuſions of War thundring on every ſide. What reaſon therefore why we ſhould not value ſuch a Friendſhip that can ſo wiſely and providently ſhun the Enmity of all men? Laſtly, Moſt Illuſtrious Lord, 'tis for your Magnificent*The Horſes which threw him out of the Coach-box. Preſent that we return you Thanks; but 'tis of Right, and your Merits claim, That we are cordially
Weſtminſter, June 29. 1654. Your Illuſtrious Lordſhip's moſt Affectionate, Oliver, &c. Superſcrib'd, To the Moſt Illuſtrious Lord, Anthony Gunther, Count in Oldenburgh, and Delmenhorſt, Lord in Jehvern and Kniphauſen.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, &c. To the moſt Serene Prince, Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Great Prince of Finland, Duke of Eſthonia, Carelia, Breme, Verden, Stettin in Pomerania, Caſſubia and Vandalia. Prince of Rugia, Lord of Ingria, Wiſmaria, as alſo Count Palatine of the Rhine, and Duke of Bavaria, Cleves and Monts, &c. Greeting.
Moſt Serene King,
THough it be already divulg'd over all the world that the Kingdom of the Swedes is tranſlated to your Majeſty with the extraordinary Applauſe and Deſires of the People, and the free Suffrages of all the Orders of the Realm, yet that your Majeſty ſhould rather chuſe that we ſhould underſtand the welcome News by your moſt friendly Letters, then by the common voice of Fame, we thought no ſmall Argument both of your good-will toward us, and of the honour done us among the firſt. Voluntary therefore, and of Right we Congratulate this Acceſſion of Dignity to your egregious Merits, and the moſt worthy guerdon of ſo much Vertue. And that it may be Lucky and Proſperous to your Majeſty, to the Nation of the Swedes, and the true Chriſtian Intereſt, which is alſo what you chiefly wiſh, with joynt ſupplications we implore of God. And whereas your Majeſty aſſures us, That the preſerving entire the League and Alliance lately concluded between this Republick and the Kingdom of Sweden ſhall be ſo far your care, that the preſent Amity may not only continue firm and inviolable, but if poſſible, every day encreaſe and grow to a higher perfection, to call it into queſtion would be a piece of impiety, after the Word of ſo great a Prince once interpos'd, whoſe ſurpaſſing Fortitude has not only purchas'd your Majeſty a Hereditary Kingdom in a Foreign Land, but alſo could ſo far prevail, that the moſt Auguſt Queen, the Daughter of Guſtavus, and a Heroeſs ſo matchleſs in all degrees of Praiſe and Maſculine Renown, that many Ages backward have not produc'd her equal, ſurrender'd the moſt juſt poſſeſſion of her Empire to your Majeſty, neither expecting nor willing to accept it. Now therefore 'tis our main deſire, your Majeſty ſhould be every way aſſur'd, that your ſo ſingular Affection toward us, and ſo eminent a ſignification of your Mind can be no other then moſt dear and welcome to us, and that no Combat can offer it ſelf to us more glorious, then ſuch a one wherein we may, if poſſible, prove Victorious in out-doing your Majeſty's Civility by our kind Offices that never ſhall be wanting.
Weſtminſter, July 4. 1654. Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, &c.
To the moſt Illuſtrious Lord, Lewis Mendez de Haro.
WHAT we have underſtood by your Letters, moſt Illuſtrious Lord, that there is an Embaſſador already nominated and appointed by the moſt Serene King of Spain, on purpoſe to come and Congratulate our having undertaken the Government of the Republick, is not onelyonly deſervedly acceptable of it ſelf, but render'd much more wellcome and pleaſing to us by your ſingular Affection and the ſpeed of your Civility, as being deſirous we ſhould underſtand it firſt of all from your ſelf. For, to be ſo belov'd and approv'd by your Lordſhip, who by your Vertue and Prudence have obtain'd ſo great Authority with your Prince, as to preſide, his equal in Mind, over all the moſt Important Affairs of that Kingdom, ought to be ſo much the more pleaſing to us, as well underſtanding that the judgement of a ſurpaſſing Perſon, cannot but be much to our Honour and Ornament. Now as to our cordial Inclinations toward the King of Spain, and ready propenſity to hold Friendſhip with that Kingdom, and encreaſe it to a ſtricter perfection, we hope we have already ſatisfi'd the Preſent Embaſſador, and ſhall more amply ſatisfie the other, ſo ſoon as he arrives. As to what remains, Moſt Illuſtrious Lord, we heartily wiſh the Dignity and Favour wherein you now flouriſh with your Prince, perpetual to your Lordſhip; and that whatever Affairs you carry on for the Publick Good, may proſperouſly and happily ſucceed.
White-Hall, September. 1654. Your Illuſtrious Lordſhip's moſt Affectionate, Oliver, &c.
To the Moſt Serene Prince Charles Guſtavus Adolphus, King of the Swedes, Goths, and Vandals, &c.
BEing ſo well aſſur'd of your Majeſty's good-will towards me by your laſt Letters, in anſwer to which I wrote back with the ſame Affection, methinks I ſhould do no more then what our mutual Amity requires, if as I communicate my grateful Tydings to reciprocal Joy, ſo when contrary Accidents fall out, that I ſhould lay open the ſence and grief of my Mind to your Majeſty, as my deareſt Friend. For my part this is my Opinion of my ſelf, That I am now advanc'd to this degree in the Commonwealth, to the end I ſhould conſult in the firſt place, and as much as in me lies, for the common Peace of the Proteſtants. Which is the reaſon, that of neceſſity it behooves me more grievouſly to lay to heart what we are ſorry to hear concerning the bloody Conflicts and mutual Slaughters of the Bremeners and Swedes. But this I chiefly bewail, that being both our Friends, they ſhould ſo deſpitefully Combat one againſt another, and with ſo much danger to the Intereſts of the Proteſtants; and that the Peace of Munſter, which it was thought would have prov'd an Aſylum and Safeguard to all the Proteſtants, ſhould be the occaſion of ſuch an unfortunate War, that now the Arms of the Swedes are turn'd upon thoſe whom but a little before, among the reſt, they moſt ſtoutly defended for Religions ſake; and that this ſhould be done more eſpecially at this time when the Papiſts are ſaid to Perſecute the Reformed all over Germany, and to return to their intermitted for ſome time Oppreſſions, and their priſtin Violencies. Hearing therefore that a Truce for ſome days was made at Breme, I could not forbear ſignifying to your Majeſty, upon this opportunity offer'd, how cordially I deſire, and how earneſtly I implore the God of Peace, that this Truce may prove ſucceſsfully happy for the Good of both Parties, and that it may conclude in a moſt firm Peace, by a commodious Accommodation on both ſides. To which purpoſe, if your Majeſty judges that my Aſſiſtance may any ways conduce, I moſt willingly offer and promiſe it, as in a thing, without queſtion, moſt acceptable to the moſt Holy God. In the mean time, from the bottom of my heart, I beſeech the Almighty to Direct and Govern all your Counſels for the common Welfare of the Chriſtian Intereſt, which I make no doubt, but that your Majeſty chiefly deſires.
White-Hall, Octob. 26. 1654. Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver, &c.
To the Magnificent and moſt Noble, the Conſuls and Senators of the City of Breme.
BY your Letters deliver'd to us by your Reſident Henry Oldenburgh, that there is a difference kindled between your City and a moſt Potent Neighbour, and to what ſtreights you are thereby reduc'd, with ſo much the more Trouble and Grief we underſtand, by how much the more we love and embrace the City of Breme, ſo eminent, above others, for their Profeſſion of the Orthodox Faith. Neither is there any thing which we account more ſacred in our wiſhes, then that the whole Proteſtant Name would knit and grow together in Brotherly Unity and Concord. In the mean time, moſt certain it is, that the common Enemy of the Reformed rejoyces at theſe our Diſſentions, and more haughtily every where exerts his Fury. But in regard the Controverſie which at preſent exerciſes your contending Arms, is not within the power of our deciſion, we Implore the Almighty God, that the Truce begun may obtain a happy iſſue. Aſſuredly, as to what you deſir'd, we have written to the King of the Swedes, exhorting him to Peace and Agreement, as being moſt chiefly grateful to Heaven, and have offer'd our Aſſiſtance in ſo Pious a Work. On the other ſide we likewiſe exhort your ſelves to bear an equal Mind, and by no means to refuſe any honeſt conditions of Reconciliation. And ſo we recommend your City to Divine Protection and Providence.
White-Hall, Octob. 26. 1654. Your Lordſhips moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.
Oliver Protector of the Republick of England, To the moſt Illuſtrious Prince of Tarentum.
YOUR Love of Religion, apparently made known in your Letters to us deliver'd, and your excelling Piety and ſingular Affection to the Reformed Churches, more eſpecially conſidering the Nobility and Splendor of your Character, and in a Kingdom too, wherein there are ſo many and ſuch abounding hopes propos'd to all of Eminent Quality that revolt from the Orthodox Faith, ſo many Miſeries to be undergone by the Reſolute and conſtant, gave us an occaſion of great joy and conſolation of Mind. Nor was it leſs grateful to us that we had gain'd your good Opinion, upon the ſame account of Religion, which ought to render your Highneſs moſt chiefly belov'd and dear to our ſelves. We call God to Witneſs, That whatever hopes or expectations the Churches, according to your Relation, had of us, we may be able one day to give them ſatisfaction, if need require, or at leaſt to demonſtrate to all men how much it is our deſire never to fail 'em Nor ſhould we think any fruit of our Labours, or of this Dignity or Supream Employment which we hold in our Republick, greater, then that we might be in a condition to be ſerviceable to the enlargement, or the welfare, or which is more ſacred, to the Peace of the Reformed Church. In the mean time, we exhort and beſeech your Lordſhip to remain ſtedfaſt to the laſt minute in the Orthodox Religion, with the ſame reſolution and conſtancy, as you profeſs it receiv'd from your Anceſtors with Piety and Zeal. Nor indeed, can there be any thing more worthy your ſelf, or your Religious Parents, nor in conſideration of what you have deſerv'd of us, though we wiſh all things for your own ſake, that we can wiſh more Noble or Advantagious to your Lordſhip, then that you would take ſuch Methods and apply your ſelf to ſuch Studies, that the Churches, eſpecially of your Native Countrey, under the Diſcipline of which your Birth and Genius have render'd you Illuſtriouſly Happy, may be ſenſible of ſo much the more aſſur'd ſecurity in your Protection, by how much you excel others in Luſtre and Ability.
White-Hall, April—1654.