Letters of State, Letters 2 · Letter 73 – Letter 78
To the moſt Serene Prince, Ferdinand Grand Duke of Tuſcany.
Moſt Serene Great Duke,
IN regard your Highneſs in all your Letters, has ever ſignifi'd your Extraordinary Affection toward us, we are not a little griev'd, that either it ſhould be ſo obſcurely imparted to your Governors and Miniſters, or by them ſo ill interpreted, that we can reap no benefit or ſign of it, in your Port of Leghorn, where your Friendſhip toward us ought to be moſt clearly and truly underſtood: Rather, That we ſhould find the Minds of your Subjects daily more averſe and hoſtile in their demeanor toward us. For how unkindly our Fleet was lately treated at Leghorn, how little accommodated with neceſſary Supplies, in what a Hoſtile manner twice conſtrain'd to depart the Harbour, we are ſufficiently given to underſtand as well from undoubted Witneſſes upon the Place, as from our Admiral himſelf, to whoſe Relation we cannot but give Credit, when we have thought him worthy to Command our Fleet. Upon his firſt arrival in January, after he had caus'd our Letters to be deliver'd to your Highneſs, and all Offices of Civility had paſs'd between our People and yours; when he deſir'd the Accommodation of Porto Ferraro; anſwer was made, it could not be granted, leaſt the King of Spain, that is to ſay, our Enemy ſhould be Offended. And yet what is there which a Prince in Friendſhip more frequently allows to his Confederate, then free entrance into his Ports and Harbours? Or what is there that we can expect from a Friendſhip of this nature, more ready to do us unkindneſs then befriend us, or aid us with the ſmalleſt Aſſiſtance, for fear of provoking the diſpleaſure of our Enemies. At firſt indeed, Prattick was allow'd, tho onelyonly to Two or Three of our Seamen out of every Ship, who had the Favour to go aſhoar. But ſoon after, it being nois'd in the Town, That our Ships had taken a Dutch Veſſel Laden with Corn for Spain, that little Prattick we had was Prohibited; Longland, the Engliſh Conſul, was not permitted to go aboard the Fleet; The liberty of taking in Freſh water, which is ever free to all that are not open Enemies, was not ſuffer'd, but under Armed Guards, at a ſevere rate; and our Merchants which reſide in the Town, to the vaſt emolument of your People, were forbid to Viſit their Countreymen, or Aſſiſt 'em in the leaſt. Upon his laſt arrival, toward the latter end of March, no body was ſuffer'd to come Aſhoar. The fifth day after, when our Admiral had taken a ſmall Neapolitan Veſſel which fell into our hands by chance, above Two hunder'd great ſhot were made at our Fleet from the Town, though without any damage to us. Which was an argument, that what provok'd your Governors without a cauſe, as if the Rights of your Harbour had bin violated, was done out at Sea, at a great diſtance from your Town or the Juriſdiction of the Caſtle. Preſently our Long-boats ſent to take in Freſh water, were aſſail'd in the Port, and one taken and detain'd; which being redemanded, anſwer was made, That neither the Skiff nor the Seamen ſhould be reſtor'd, unleſs the Neapolitan Veſſel were diſmis'd; tho certain it is, that ſhe was taken in the open Sea, where it was lawful to Seize her. So that ours, after many Inconveniences ſuffer'd, were forc'd at length to ſet Sail, and leave behind 'em the Proviſion, for which they had paid ready Money. Theſe things, if they were not done by your Highneſs's Conſent and Command, as we hope they were not, we deſire you would make it appear by the Puniſhment of the Governor, who ſo eaſily preſum'd to violate his Maſter's Alliances; but if they were done with your Highneſs Approbation and Order, we would have your Highneſs underſtand, that as we always had a ſingular value for your Friendſhip, ſo we have learnt to diſtinguiſh between Injuries and Acts of Kindneſs. From our Court at White-Hall, May—1658.
Your good Friend, ſo far as we may, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Lewis King of France.
Moſt Serene and Potent Prince, our moſt Auguſt Confederate and Friend,
BY ſo ſpeedily repaying our profound Reſpect to your Majeſty, with an Accumulation of Honour, by ſuch an Illuſtrious Embaſſy to our Court; you have not onelyonly made known to us, but to all the People of England, your ſingular Benignity and Generoſity of Mind, but alſo how much you favour our Reputation and Dignity. For which we return our moſt cordial Thanks to your Majeſty, as juſtly you have merited from us. As for the Victory which God has given, moſt fortunate, to our United Forces againſt our Enemies, we rejoyce with your Majeſty for it; and that our People in that Battel were not wanting to your Aſſiſtance, nor the Military Glory of their Anceſtors, nor their own Priſtin Fortitude, is moſt grateful to us. As for Dunkirk, which as your Majeſty Wrote, you were in hopes was near Surrender: 'tis a great addition to our joy to hear from your Majeſty ſuch ſpeedy Tidings, that it is abſolutely now in your Victorious hands; and we hope moreover, that the loſs of one City will not ſuffice to repay the twofold Treachery of the Spaniard, but that your Majeſty will in a ſhort time Write us the welcome News of the Surrender alſo of the other Town. As to your Promiſe, That you will take care of our Intereſts, we miſtruſt it not in the leaſt, upon the Word of a moſt Excellent King and our moſt assured Friend, confirm'd withal by your Embaſſador, the moſt accompliſh'd Duke of Crequi. Laſtly, we beſeech Almighty God to proſper your Majeſty and the Affairs of France, both in Peace and War. Weſtminſter, June—1658.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Eminent Lord, Cardinal Mazarin.
Moſt Eminent Lord,
WHile we are returning Thanks to the moſt Serene King, who to Honour and Congratulate us, as alſo to intermix his Joy with ours for the late glorious Victory, has ſent a ſplendid Embaſſy to our Court; we ſhould be ungrateful, ſhould we not alſo by our Letters pay our due acknowledgments to your Eminency; who to teſtifie your Good-will toward us, and how much you make it your ſtudy to do us all the Honour which lyes within your power, have ſent your Nephew to us, a moſt Excellent and moſt Accompliſh'd young Gentleman; and if you had any nearer Relation, or any Perſon whom you valu'd more, would have ſent him more eſpecially to us, as you declare in your Letters; adding wlthal the Reaſon, which coming from ſo great a Perſonage, we deem no ſmall advantage to our Praiſe and Ornament; that is to ſay, to the end that they who are moſt nearly Related to your Eminency in Blood, might learn to imitate your Eminency in ſhewing Reſpect and Honour to our Perſon. And we would have it not to be their meaneſt ſtrife to follow your Example of Civility, Candour, and Friendſhip to us; ſince there are not more conſpicuous Examples of extraordinary Prudence and Vertue to be imitated then in your Eminency; from whence they may learn with equal Renown to Govern Kingdoms, and manage the moſt important Affairs of the World. Which that your Eminency may long and happily Adminiſter, to the Proſperity of the whole Realm of France, to the common Good of the whole Chriſtian Republick, and your own Glory, we ſhall never be wanting in our Prayers to implore.
From our Court at White-Hall, June—1658. Your Excellency's moſt Affectionate.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, &c.
Moſt Serene and Potent Prince, our deareſt Confiderate and Friend,
AS often as we behold the buſy Counſels, and various Artifices of the common Enemies of Religion, ſo often do we revolve in our Minds, how neceſſary it would be, and how much for the ſafely of the Chriſtian world, that the Proteſtant Princes, and moſt eſpecially your Majeſty, ſhould be united with our Republick in a moſt firſt and ſolemn Confederacy. Which how ardently and zealouſly it has bin ſought by our ſelves, how acceptable it would have bin to us, if ours, and the Affairs of Swedeland, had bin in that poſture and condition, if the ſaid League could have bin ſacredly concluded to the good liking of both, and that the one could have bin a ſeaſonable Succour to the other, we declar'd to your Embaſſadors, when firſt they enter'd into Treaty with us upon this Subject. Nor were they wanting in their duty; but the ſame Prudence which they were wont to ſhew in other things, the ſame Wiſdom and Sedulity they made known in this Affair. But ſuch was the Perfidiouſneſs of our wicked and reſtleſs Countrey-men at home, who being often receiv'd into our Protection, ceas'd not however to machinate new diſturbances, and to reſume their formerly often fruſtrated and diſſipated Conſpiracies with our Enemies the Spaniards, that being altogether taken up with the preſervation of our ſelves from ſurrounding dangets, we could not bend our whole care and our entire Forces, as we wiſh'd we could have done, to defend the common Cauſe of Religion. Nevertheleſs what lay in our power, we have already zealouſly perform'd; and whatever for the future may conduce to your Majeſty's Intereſts, we ſhall not onelyonly ſhew our ſelves willing, but induſtrious to carry on, in union with your Majeſty, upon all occaſions. In the mean time, we moſt gladly Congratulate your Majeſty's Victories moſt Prudently and Couragiouſly atchiev'd, and in our daily Prayers implore Almighty God long to continue to your Majeſty a ſteady courſe of Conqueſt and Felicity, to the Glory of his Name. From our Court at White-Hall, June—1658.
Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene Prince the King of Portugal.
Moſt Serene King, our Friend and Confederate,
JOhn Buffield, of London Merchant, has ſet forth in a Petition to us, That in the year 1649. he deliver'd certain Goods to Anthony, John, and Manuel Ferdinando Caſtaneo, Merchants in Tamira, to the end that after they had ſold 'em, they might give him a juſt account, according to the Cuſtome of Merchants; after which, in his Voyage for England, he fell into the hands of Pyrates, and being Plunder'd by 'em, receiv'd no ſmall Damage. Upon this News, Antony and Manuel, believing he had bin Kill'd, preſently look'd upon the Goods as their own, and ſtill detain 'em in their hands refuſing to come to any Account; covering this Fraud of theirs with a Sequeſtration of Engliſb Goods that ſoon after enſu'd. So that he was forc'd the laſt year, in the middle of Winter, to return to Portugal and demand his Goods, but all in vain. For that the ſaid John and Anthony could by no fair means be perſwaded, either to deliver the ſaid Goods, or to come to any Account; and which is more to be admir'd, juſtifi'd their private detention of the Goods, by the Publick Attainder. Finding therefore that being a ſtranger, he ſhould get nothing by contending with the Inhabitants of Tamira in their own Countrey, he betook himſelf for Juſtice to your Majeſty; humbly demanded the judgment of the Conſervator, appointed to determine the Cauſes of the Engliſh; but was ſent back to the Cognizance of that Court, from which he had appeal'd. Which though in it ſelf not unjuſt, yet ſeeing it is evident that the Merchants of Tamira make an ill uſe of your Publick Edict to juſtify their own private Couzenage, we make it our earneſt requeſt to your Majeſty, that according to your wonted Clemency you would rather refer to the Conſervator, being the proper Judge in theſe Caſes, the Cauſe of this poor Man, Afflicted by many Caſualties, and reduc'd to utmoſt Poverty; to the end he may recover the Remainder of his Fortunes from the Faithleſs Partnerſhip of thoſe People. Which, when you rightly underſtand the buſineſs, we make no queſtion but will be no leſs pleaſing to your Majeſty, to ſee done, then to our ſelves. From our Court at Weſtminſter, Auguſt, 1658.
To the moſt Serene Prince Leopold, Arch-Duke, of Auſtria, Governour of the Low-Countries under Philip K. of Spain.
Moſt Serene Lord,
CHarles Harbord, Knight, has ſet forth in his Petition to Us, that having ſent certain Goods and Houſhold-Stuff out of Holland to Bruges under your Juriſdiction, he is in great danger of having them arreſted out of his hands by Force and Violence. For that thoſe Goods, were ſent him out of England in the Year 1643. by the Earl of Suffolk, for whom he ſtood bound in a Great Sum of Money, to the end he might have wherewithal to ſatisfy himſelf, ſhould he be compell'd to pay the Debt. Which Goods are now in the Poſſeſſion of Richard Greenville, Knight, who broke open the doors of the place where they were in Cuſtody, and made a Violent ſeizure of the ſame, under pretence of we know not what due to him from Theophilus Earl of Suffolk, by Vertue of a certain Decree of our Court of Chancery, to which thoſe Goods, as being the Earls, were juſtly liable; whereas by our Laws, neither the Earl now living, whoſe Goods they are, is bound by that Decree, neither ought the Goods to be ſeiz'd or detain'd; which the Sentence of that Court, now ſent to your Serenity, together with theſe Letters, poſitively declares and proves. Which Letters the ſaid Charles Harbord has deſir'd of us, to the end we would make it our Requeſt to your Highneſs, that the ſaid Goods may be forthwith diſcharg'd from the violent ſeizure, and no leſs unjuſt action of the ſaid Richard Greenville, in regard it is apparently againſt the Cuſtom and Law of Nations, that any Perſon ſhould be allow'd the liberties to ſue in a Foreign Juriſdiction upon a plaint wherein he can have no relief in the Country where the Cauſe of Action firſt aroſe. Therefore the Reaſon of Juſtice it ſelf, and your far Celebrated Enquanimity encourag'd us to recommend this Cauſe to your Highneſs. Aſſuring your Highneſs, that whenever any diſpute ſhall happen in our Courts concerning the Rights and Properties of your People, you ſhall ever find us ready and quick in our Returns of Favour. Weſtminſter—
Your Highneſſe's moſt Affectionate Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c.