Letters of State, Letters 2 · Letter 13 – Letter 22
To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Lewis King of France,
Moſt Serene and Potent King,
BY your Majeſty's Letters which you Wrote in anſwer to ours of the 25th of May, we readily underſtand, that we fail'd not in our Judgement, that the inhuman Slaughter and barbarous Maſſacres of thoſe men, who profeſs the Reformed Religion in Savoy, perpetrated by ſome of your Regiments, were the Effects neither of your Orders nor Commands. And it afforded us a ſingular occaſion of Joy, to hear that your Majeſty had ſo timely ſignifi'd to your Collonels and Officers, whoſe violent precipitancy engag'd 'em in thoſe inhuman Butcheries without the encouragement of Lawful Allowance, how diſpleaſing they were to your Majeſty; that you had admoniſh'd the Duke himſelf to forbear ſuch Acts of Cruelty; and that you had interpos'd with ſo much Fidelity and Humanity, all the high Veneration paid you in that Court, your near Alliance and Authority, for reſtoring to their ancient Abodes thoſe unfortunate Exiles. And it was our hopes, That that Prince would in ſome meaſure have condeſcended to the good Pleaſure and Interceſſions of your Majeſty. But finding not any thing obtain'd either by your own, nor the Intreaties and Importunities of other Princes in the Cauſe of the Diſtreſſed, we deem'd it not foreign from our duty, to ſend this noble Perſon, under the Character of our extraordinary Envoy, to the Duke of Savoy, more amply and, fully to lay before him, how deeply ſenſible we are of ſuch exaſperated Cruelties inflicted upon the Profeſſors of the ſame Religion with our ſelves, and all this too out of a hatred of the ſame Worſhip. And we have reaſon to hope a ſucceſs of this Negotiation ſo much the more proſperous, if your Majeſty would vouchſafe to employ your Authority and Aſſiſtance once again with ſo much the more urgent importunity; and as you have undertaken for thoſe Indigent People that they will be Faithful and Obedient to their Prince, ſo you would be gratiouſly pleas'd to take care of their Welfare and Safety, that no farther Oppreſſions of this nature, no more ſuch diſmal Calamities may be the portion of the Innocent and Peaceful. This being truly Royal and Juſt in it ſelf, and highly agreeable to your Benignity and Clemency, which every where protects in ſoft ſecurity ſo many of your Subjects profeſſing the ſame Religion, we cannot but expect, as it behoves us, from your Majeſty. Which Act of yours, as it will more cloſely bind to your Subjection all the Proteſtants throughout your ſpacious Dominions, whoſe Affection and Fidelity to your Predeceſſors and your ſelf in moſt important Diſtreſſes have bin often conſpicuouſly made known; ſo will it fully convince all Foreign Princes, that the Advice or Intention of your Majeſty were no way contributory to this prodigious Violence, whatever inflam'd your Miniſters and Officers to promote it. More eſpecially, if your Majeſty ſhall inflict deſerved puniſhment upon thoſe Captains and Miniſters, who of their own Authority, and to gratifie their own Wills, adventur'd the perpetrating ſuch dreadful Acts of Inhumanity. In the mean while, ſince your Majeſty has aſſur'd us of your juſtly merited averſion to theſe moſt inhuman and cruel Proceedings, we doubt not but you will aſſord a ſecure Sanctuary and Shelter within your Kingdom to all thoſe miſerable Exiles that ſhall flye to your Majeſty for Protection; and that you will not give permiſſion to any of your Subjects to aſſiſt the Duke of Savoy to their prejudice. It remains that we make known to your Majeſty, how highly we eſteem and value your Friendſhip: In teſtimony of which, we farther affirm there ſhall never be wanting upon all occaſions the real aſſurances and effects of our Proteſtation.
White-Hall, July 29. 1655. Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.
To the moſt Eminent Lord, Cardinal Mazarine.
Moſt Eminent Lord Cardinal,
HAving deem'd it neceſſary to ſend this Noble Perſon to the King with Letters, a Copy of which is here enclos'd, we gave him alſo farther in Charge to Salute your Excellency in our Name, as having entruſted to his Fidelity certain other matters to be communicated to your Eminency. In reference to which Affairs, I intreat your Eminency, to give him entire Credit, as being a Perſon in whom I have repos'd a more then ordinary confidence.
White-Hall, July 29. 1655. Your Eminencies moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of. England.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, to the moſt Serene Prince, Frederick III. King of Danemark, Norway, &c.
WITH what a ſevere and unmerciful Edict Immanuel Duke of Savoy has expell'd from their Native Seats his Subjects inhabiting the Valleys of Piemont, men otherwiſe harmleſs, onelyonly for many years remarkably famous for embracing the Purity of Religion; and after a dreadful Slaughter of ſome numbers, how he has expos'd the reſt to the hardſhips of thoſe deſert Mountains, Stript to their Skins, and barr'd from all relief, we believe your Majeſty has long ſince heard, and doubt not but that your Majeſty is touch'd with a real commiſeration of their Sufferings, as becomes ſo puiſſant a Defender and Prince of the Reformed Faith. For indeed the Inſtitutions of Chriſtian Religion require, that whatever Miſchiefs and Miſeries any part of us undergo, it ſhould behove us all to be deeply ſenſible of the ſame: Nor does any man better then your Majeſty foreſee, if we may be thought able to give a right conjecture of your Piety and Prudence, what dangers the ſucceſs and example of this fact portend to our ſelves in particular, and to the whole Proteſtant name in general. We have written the more willingly to your ſelf, to the end we might aſſure your Majeſty, that the ſame ſorrow which we hope you have conceiv'd for the Calamity of our moſt Innocent Brethren, the ſame opinion, the ſame judgment you have of the whole matter, is plainly and ſincerely our own. We have therefore ſent our Letters to the Duke of Savoy, wherein we have moſt importunately beſought him to ſpare thoſe miſerable People that implore his mercy, and that he would no longer ſuffer that dreadful Edict to be in force. Which if your Majeſty and the reſt of the Reformed Princes would vouchſafe to do, as we are apt to belive they have already done, there is ſome hope that the Anger of the moſt Serene Duke may be aſſwag'd, and that his Indignation will relent upon the Interceſſion and Importunities of his Neighbour Princes. Or if he perſiſt in his Determinations, we proteſt our ſelves ready, together with your Majeſty, and the reſt of our Confederates of the Reformed Religion, to take ſuch ſpeedy methods as may enable us, as far in us lies, to relieve the diſtreſſes of ſo many miſerable Creatures, and provide for their Liberty and Safety. In the mean time we beſeech Almighty God to bleſs your Majeſty with all Proſperity.
White Hall, May—1655.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. to the moſt Noble the Conſuls and Senators of the City of Geneva.
WE had before made known to your Lordſhips our exceſſive Sorrow for the heavy and unheard of Calamities of the Proteſtants Inhabiting the Valleys of Piemont, whom the Duke of Savoy Perſecutes with ſo much Cruelty, but that we made it our buſineſs that you ſhould at the ſame time underſtand, that we are not onelyonly affected with the multitude of their ſufferings, but are uſing the utmoſt of our endeavours to Relieve and Comfort 'em in their diſtreſſes. To that purpoſe we have taken care for a gathering of Alms to be made throughout this whole Republick; which upon good grounds we expect will be ſuch, as will demonſtrate the affection of this Nation toward their Brethren labouring under the burthen of ſuch horrid Inhumanities; and that as the Communion of Religion is the ſame between both People, ſo the ſence of their Calamities is no leſs the ſame. In the mean time while the Collections of the Money go forward, which in regard they will require ſome time to accompliſh, and for that the Wants and Neceſſities of thoſe deplorable People will admit of no delay, we thought it requifite to remit beforehand Two thouſand Pounds of the Value of England, with all poſſible ſpeed to be diſtributed among ſuch as ſhall be judg'd to be moſt in preſent need of Comfort and Succour. Now in regard we are not ignorant how deeply the miſeries and wrongs of thoſe moſt innocent people have affected your ſelves, and that you will not think amiſs of any Labour or Pains where you can be aſſiſting to their Relief, we made no ſcruple to commit the Paying and Diſtributing this Sum of Money to your Care; and to give ye this farther trouble, that according to your wonted Piety and Prudence, you would take care that the ſaid Money made be diſtributed equally to the moſt Neceſſitous, to the end that though the Sum be ſmall, yet there may be ſomething to Refreſh and Revive the moſt Poor and Needy, till we can afford 'em a more plentiful Supply. And thus, not making any doubt but you will take in good part the trouble impos'd upon ye, we beſeech Almighty God to ſtir up the hearts of all his People Profeſſing the Orthodox Religion, to reſolve upon the common Defence of themſelves, and the mutual Aſſiſtance of each other againſt their imbitter'd and moſt implacable Enemies: In the proſecution of which we ſhould rejoyce that our helping hand might be any way ſerviceable to the Church. Farewel.
Fifteen hundred Pounds of the foreſaid Two thouſand will be remitted by Gerard Hench from Paris, and the other Five hundred Pounds will be taken care of by Letters from the Lord Stoup.
June 8. 1655.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. to the moſt Serene Prince, the Duke of Venice.
Moſt Serene Prince,
AS it has bin always a great occaſion of rejoycing to us when ever any proſperous Succeſs attended your Arms, but more eſpecially againſt the Common Enemy of the Chriſtian Name; ſo neither are we ſorry for the late Advantage gain'd by your Fleet, though as we underſtand, it happen'd not a little to the Detriment of our People. For certain of our Merchants, William and Daniel Williams and Edward Beale, have ſet forth in a Petition preſented to us, that a Ship of theirs, call'd the Great Prince, was lately ſent by them with Goods and Merchandize to Conſtantinople, where the ſaid Ship was detain'd by the Miniſters of the Port, to carry Soldiers and Proviſions to Creet; and that the ſaid Ship being conſtrain'd to Sail along with the ſame Fleet of the Turks, which was ſet upon and vanquiſh'd by the Gallies of the Venetians, was taken, carri'd away to Venice, and there adjudg'd Lawful Prize by the Judges of the Admiralty. Now therefore in regard the ſaid Ship was preſs'd by the Turks, and forc'd into their Service without the Knowledge or Conſent of the Owners directly or indirectly obtain'd, and that it was impoſſible for her, being Ship'd with Soldiers, to withdraw from the Engagement, we moſt earneſtly requeſt your Serenity, That you will remit that ſentence of your Admiralty, as a Preſent to our Friendſhip, and take ſuch care that the Ship may be reſtor'd to the Owners, no way deſerving the diſpleaſure of your Republick by any Act of theirs. In the obtaining of which requeſt, more eſpecially upon our Interceſſion, while we find the Merchants themſelves ſo well aſſur'd of your Clemency, It behoves us not to queſtion it. And ſo we beſeech the Almighty God to continue his proſperous Bleſſings upon your Noble, Deſigns and the Venetian Republick.
Weſtminſter, December—1655. Your Serenity's, and the Venetian Republick's, moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. to the moſt Serene Prince, Lewis King of France.
Moſt Serene King,
CErtain of our Merchants, by name, Samuel Mico, William Cockain, George Poyner, and ſeveral others, in a Petition to us have ſet forth, That in the year 1650. they Laded a Ship of theirs, call'd the Vnicorn, with Goods of a very conſiderable value; and that the ſaid Ship being thus Laden with Silk, Oyl and other Merchandize, amounting to above Thirty four thouſand of our Pounds, was taken by the Admiral and Vice-Admiral of your Majeſty's Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. Now it appears to us, that our People who were then in the Ship, by reaſon there was at that time a Peace between the French and us, that never had bin violated in the leaſt, were not willing to make any Defence againſt your Majeſty's Royal Ships, and therefore over-rul'd beſides by the fair Promiſes of the Captains Paul, and Terrery, who faithfully engag'd to diſmiſs our People, they paid their Obedience to the Maritime Laws, and produc'd their Bills of Lading. Moreover, we find that the Merchants aforeſaid, ſent their Agent into France to demand Reſtitution of the ſaid Ship and Goods: And then it was, that after above Three years ſlipt away, when the Suit was brought ſo far that Sentence of Reſtitution or Condemnation was to have bin given; that his Eminency Cardinal Mazarine acknowledg'd to their Factor Hugh Morel, the wrong that had bin done the Merchants, and undertook that Satisfaction ſhould be given, ſo ſoon as the League between the two Nations, which was then under Negotiation, ſhould be Ratifi'd and Confirm'd. Nay, ſince that, his Excellency M. de Bourdeaux, your Majeſty's Embaſſador, aſſur'd us in expreſs Words, by the Command of your Majeſty and your Council, That care ſhould be taken of that Ship and Goods in a particular Exception, a part from thoſe controverſies, for the deciſion of which a general proviſion was made by the League; of which promiſe, the Embaſſador, now opportunely arriv'd here to ſolicit ſome buſineſs of his own, is a Teſtimony no way to be queſtion'd. Which being true, and the Right of the Merchants in redemanding their Ship and Goods ſo undeniably apparent, we moſt earneſtly requeſt your Majeſty, that they may meet with no delay in obtaining what is juſtly their due, but that your Majeſty will admit the grant of this Favour, as the firſt fruits of our reviv'd Amity and the lately renew'd League between us. The refuſal of which, as we have no reaſon to doubt, ſo we beſeech Almighty God to Bleſs with all Proſperity both your Majeſty and your Kingdom.
Weſtminſter, Decemb.—1655. Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, &c.
To the Evangelic Cities of Switzerland.
IN what condition your Affairs are, which is not the beſt, we are abundantly inform'd, as well by your publick Acts tranſmitted to us by our Agent at Geneva, as alſo by your Letters from Zurick, bearing date the 27th. of December. Whereby, although we are ſorry to find your Peace, and ſuch a laſting League of Confederacy broken; nevertheleſs ſince it appears to have happen'd through no fault of yours, we are in hopes that the Iniquity and perverſeneſs of your Adverſaries are contriving new occaſions for ye to make known your long-ago experienc'd Fortitude and Reſolution in Defence of the Evangelick Faith. For as for thoſe of the Canton of Schwits, who account it a Capital Crime for any perſon to embrace our Religion, what they are might and main deſigning, and whoſe inſtigations have incens'd 'em to reſolutions of Hoſtility againſt the Orthodox Religion, no body can be ignorant, who has not yet forgot that moſt deteſtable Slaughter of our Brethren in Piemont. Wherefore, moſt beloved Friends, what you were always wont to be, with God's aſſiſtance ſtill continue, Magnanimous and Reſolute; ſuffer not your Privileges, your Confederacies, the Liberty of your Conſciences, your Religion it ſelf to be trampled under foot by the Worſhippers of Idols; and ſo prepare your ſelves, that you may not ſeem to be the Defenders onelyonly of your own Freedom and Safety, but be ready likewiſe to Aid and Succour, as far as in you lies, your Neighbouring Brethren, more eſpecially thoſe moſt deplorable Piedmontois; as being certainly convinc'd of this, that a Paſſage was lately intended to have bin open'd over their Slaughter'd bodies to your ſides. As for our part, be aſſur'd, that we are no leſs anxious and ſolicitous for your Welfare and Proſperity, then if this conflagration had broken forth in our Republick; or as if the Axes of the Schwits Canton had bin ſharpen'd for our Necks, or that their Swords had bin drawn againſt our Breaſts, as indeed they were againſt the boſoms of all the Reformed. Therefore ſo ſoon as we were inform'd of the condition of your Affairs, and the obſtinate Animoſities of your Enemies, adviſing with ſome ſincere and honeſt Perſons, together with ſome Mininiſters of the Church moſt eminent for their Piety, about ſending to your Aſſiſtance ſuch Succour as the preſent poſture of our Affairs would permit, we came to thoſe Reſults, which our Envoy Pell will impart to your conſideration. In the mean time we ceaſe not to implore the Bleſſing of the Almighty upon all your Counſels, and the Protection of your moſt juſt Cauſe as well in War as in Peace.
Weſtminſter, Jan.—1655. Your Lordſhips and Worſhips moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England &c. to the moſt Serene Prince Charles Guſtavus, by the Grace of God King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Great Prince of Finland, &c.
Moſt Serene King,
SEeing it is a thing well known to all men, that there ought to be a Communication of concerns among Friends, whether in Proſperity or Adverſity; it cannot be, but moſt grateful to us, that your Majeſty ſhould vouchſafe to impart unto us by your Letters the moſt pleaſing and delightful part of your Friendſhip, which is your joy. In regard it is a mark of ſingular Civility, and truly Royal, as not to live onelyonly to a man's ſelf, ſo neither to rejoyce alone, unleſs he be ſenſible that his Friends and Confederates partake of his gladneſs. Certainly then, we have reaſon to rejoyce for the Birth of a young Prince Born to ſuch an excellent King, and ſent into the world to be the Heir of his Father's Glory and Vertue; and this at ſuch a lucky ſeaſon, that we have no leſs cauſe to Congratulate the Royal Parent with the memorable Omen that befel the Famous Philip of Macedon, who at the ſame time receiv'd the Tydings of Alexander's Birth, and the Conqueſt of the Illyrians. For we make no queſtion, but the wreſting of the Kingdom of Poland from Papal Subjection, as it were a Horn diſmembred from the Head of the Beaſt, and the Peace ſo much deſir'd by all Good men, concluded with the Duke of Brandenburgh will be moſt highly conducing to the Tranquility and Advantage of the Church. Heaven grant a concluſion correſpondent to ſuch ſignal beginnings; and may the Son be like the Father in Vertue, Piety, and Renown, obtain'd by great Atchievments. Which is that we wiſh may luckily come to paſs, and which we beg of the Almighty, ſo propitious hitherto to your Affairs.
Weſtminſter, Feb.—1655. Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver Protector of the Comonwealth of England, &c.
To the King of Danemark.
Moſt Serene and Potent Prince,
JOhn Freeman and Philip Traveſs, Citizens of this Republick, by a Petition preſented to us, in their own and the Name of ſeveral other Merchants of London, have made a complaint, That whereas about the Month of March in the year 1653. they Freighted a certain Ship of Sunderburgh, call'd the Saviour, Nicolas Weinskinks Maſter, with Woollen Cloth, and other Commodities to the Value of above Three thouſand Pound, with Orders to the Maſter, That he ſhould Sail directly up the Baltick for Dantzick, paying the uſual Tribute at Elſenore, to which purpoſe in particulor they gave him Money; nevertheleſs that the ſaid Maſter, Perfidiouſly and contrary to the Orders of the ſaid Merchants, ſlipping by Elſenore without paying the uſual Duty, thought to have proceeded in his Voyage, but that the Ship for this reaſon was immediately Seiz'd and detain'd with all her Lading. After due conſideration of which Complaints, we Wrote in favour of the Merchants to your Majeſty's Embaſſador reſiding at London, who promis'd, as they ſay, that as ſoon as he return'd to your Majeſty, he would take care that the Merchants ſhould be taken into conſideration. But he being ſent to Negotiate your Majeſty's Affairs in other Countries, the Merchants attended upon him in vain, both before and after his departure, ſo that they were forc'd to ſend their Agent to proſecute their Right and Claim at Copenhagen, and demand Reſtitution of the Ship and Goods; but all the Benefit they reap'd by it, was onelyonly to add more expences to their former damages, and a great deal of labour and pains thrown away; the Goods being condemn'd, to Confiſcation, and ſtill detain'd: Whereas by the Law of Danemark, as they ſet forth in their Petition, the Maſter is to be Puniſh'd for his Offence, and the Ship is to be Condemn'd but not the Goods. And they look upon this misfortune to lye the more heavy upon 'em, in regard the Duty which is to be paid at Elſenore, as they tell us, is but very ſmall. Wherefore ſeeing our Merchants ſeem to have given no cauſe of Proſcription, and for that the Maſter confeſs'd before his death, that this damage befel them onelyonly through his neglect; and the Father of the Maſter deceas'd, by his Petition to your Majeſty, as we are given to underſtand, by laying all the blame upon his Son, has acquitted the Merchants, we could not but believe the detaining of the ſaid Ship and Goods to be moſt unjuſt; and therefore we are confident, that ſo ſoon as your Majeſty ſhall be rightly inform'd of the whole matter, you will not only diſapprove of theſe Oppreſſions of your Miniſters, but give command that they be call'd to an account, that the Goods be reſtor'd to the Owners or their Factors, and Reparation made 'em for the Loſſes they have ſuſtain'd. All which we moſt earneſtly requeſt of your Majeſty, as being no more then what is ſo juſt and conſentaneous to reaſon, that a more equitable demand or more legal ſatisfaction cannot well be made, conſidering the Juſtice of our Merchants Cauſe, and which your own Subjects would think but fair and honeſt upon the like occaſions.
To the moſt Serene Prince, John the Fourth, King of Portugal, &c.
Moſt Serene King,
THE Peace and Friendſhip which your Majeſty deſir'd, by your Noble and Splendid Embaſſy, ſent to us ſome time ſince, after certain Negotiations begun by the Parlament, in whom the Supreme Power was veſted at that time, as it was always moſt affectionately wiſh'd for by us, with the aſſiſtance of God, and that we might not be wanting in the Adminiſtration of the Government which we have now taken upon us, at length we brought to a happy concluſion, and as we hope, as a ſacred Act, have ratifi'd it to perpetuity. And therefore we ſend back to your Majeſty, your extraordinary Embaſſador, the Lord John Roderigo de Sita Meneſes, Count of Pennaguiada, a perſon both approv'd by your Majeſty's judgment, and by us experienc'd to excel in Civility, Ingenuity, Prudence and Fidelity, beſides the merited applauſe which he has juſtly gain'd by accompliſhing the ends of his Embaſſy, which is the Peace which he carries along with him to his Country. But as to what we perceive by your Letters dated from Lisbon the ſecond of April, that is to ſay, how highly your Majeſty eſteems our Amity, how cordially you favour our Advancement, and rejoyce at our having taken the Government of the Republick upon us, which you are pleas'd to manifeſt by ſingular Teſtimonies of Kindneſs and Affection, we ſhall make it our buſineſs, that all the world may underſtand, by our readineſs at all times to ſerve your Majeſty, that there could be nothing more acceptable or grateful to us. Nor are we leſs earneſt in our Prayers to God for your Majeſty's ſafety, the welfare of your Kingdom, and the proſperous ſucceſs of your Affairs.
Your Majeſty's moſt Affectionate, Oliver, &c.