Letters of State, Letters 3
LETTERS Written in the Name of RICHARD Protector.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Lewis King of France.
Moſt Serene and Potent King, our Friend and Confederate.
SO ſoon as our moſt Serene Father, Oliver Protector of the Commonwealth of England, by the Will of God ſo ordaining, departed this Life, upon the Third of September, we being Lawfully declar'd his Succeſſor in the Supream Magiſtracy, tho in the Extremity of Tears and ſadneſs, could do no leſs, then with the firſt Opportunity by theſe our Letters make known a Matter of this Concernment to your Majeſty; by whom, as you have bin a moſt Cordial Friend to our Father and this Republick, we are Confident, the Mournful and unexpected Tydings will be as ſorrowfully received. Our buſineſs now, is to requeſt your Majeſty, that you would have ſuch an Opinion of us, as of one who has determin'd nothing more Religiouſly and conſtantly then to obſerve the Friendſhip and Confedracy, contracted between your Majeſty and our Renowned Father; and with the ſame Zeal and Good-will to confirm and Eſtabliſh the Leagues by him Concluded, and to carry on the ſame Counſels and Intereſts with your Majeſty. To which intent, it is our pleaſure that our Embaſſadour Reſiding at your Court, be empower'd by the ſame Commiſſion as formerly; and that you will give the ſame Credit to what he tranſacts in our Name, as if it had bin done by our ſelves. In the mean time we wiſh your Majeſty all Proſperity. From our Court at White-Hall, Septemb. 5. 1658.
To the moſt Eminent Lord, Cardinal Mazarine.
THO nothing could fall out more bitter and grievous to us, then to write the Mournful News of our moſt Serene and moſt Renowned Father's Death; nevertheleſs, in regard we cannot be ignorant of the high Eſteem which he had for your Eminency, and the great Value which you had for him; nor have any reaſon to doubt, but that your Eminency, upon whoſe care the Proſperity of France depends will no leſs bewail the loſs of your conſtant Friend, and moſt United Confederate, we thought it of great moment, by theſe our Letters to make known this Accident ſo deeply to be lamented, as well to your Eminency as to the King; and to aſſure your Eminency, which is but reaſon, that we ſhall moſt Religiouſly obſerve all thoſe things which our Father of moſt Serene Memory was bound by the League to fee confirm'd and ratify'd: and ſhall make it our buſineſs, that in the midſt of your mourning for a Friend ſo Faithful and Flouriſhing in all Vertuous Applauſe, there may be nothing wanting to preſerve the Faith of our Confederacy. For the Conſervation of which on your part alſo, to the good of both Nations, may God Almighty long preſerve your Eminency. Weſtminſter, Sept. 1658.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandalls, &c.
Moſt Serene and Potent King, our Friend and Confederate.
WHen we conſider with our ſelves that it will be a difficult matter for us, to be Imitators of our Fathers Vertues, unleſs we ſhould obſerve and endeavour to hold the ſame Confederacies which he by his proweſs acquir'd, and out of his ſingular judgment thought moſt worthy to be embrac'd and obſerv'd; your Majeſty has no reaſon to doubt, but that it behoves us to pay the ſame tribute of Affection and Good-will, which our Father of moſt Serene Memory always paid to your Majeſty. Therefore altho in this beginning of our Government and Dignity, I may not find our Affairs in that Condition, as at preſent to anſwer to ſome particulars, which your Embaſſadours have propos'd, yet it is our Reſolution to continue the League concluded by our Father with your Majeſty, and to enter our ſelves into a ſtricter Engagement; and ſo ſoon as we ſhall rightly underſtand the State of Affairs on both ſides, we ſhall always be ready on our part, to treat of thoſe things, which ſhall be moſt chiefly for the United Benefit of both Republicks. In the mean time God long preſerve your Majeſty to his Glory, and the Defence and Safeguard of his Orthodox Church. From our Court at Weſtminſter, Octob. 1658.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandalls, &c.
Moſt Serene and Potent King, our Friend and Confederate.
WE have receiv'd two Letters from your Majeſty, the one by your Envoy, the other tranſmitted to us from our Reſident, Philip Meadowes, whereby we not only underſtood your Majeſties unfaigned Grief for the Death of our moſt Serene Father, in expreſſions ſetting forth the real thoughts of your mind, and how highly your Majeſty eſteem'd his Proweſs and Friendſhip, but alſo what great hopes your Majeſty conceiv'd of our ſelves advanc'd in his Room. And certainly, as an Accumulation of Paternal Honour in deeming us worthy to Succeed him, nothing more Noble, more Illuſtrious could befal us then the judgment of ſuch a Prince; nothing more Fortunately Auſpicious could happen to Us, at our firſt entrance upon the Government, then ſuch a Congratulator; nothing laſtly that could more vehemently incite us to take poſſeſsion of our Father's Vertues, as our Lawful Inheritance, then the encouragement of ſo Great a King. As to what concerns your Majeſties Intereſts, already under Conſideration between us, in reference to the Common Cauſe of the Proteſtants, we would have your Majeſty have thoſe thoughts of us, that ſince we came to the Helm of this Republick, tho the Condition of our Affairs be ſuch at preſent, that they chiefly require our utmoſt Diligence, Care, and Vigilancy at home, yet that we hold nothing more Sacred, and that there is not any thing more determin'd by Us, then as much as in us lyes, never to be wanting to the League concluded by our Father with your Majeſty. To that end, We have taken care to ſend a Fleet into the Baltic Sea, with thoſe Inſtructions which our Agent, to that purpoſe empower'd by us, will Communicate to your Majeſty; whom God preſerve in long fafety, and proſper with ſucceſs in the Defence of his Orthodox Religion. From our Court at Weſtminſter, Octob. 13. 1658.
Richard Protector, To the moſt Serene, and Potent Prince, Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandalls, &c.
Moſt Serene and moſt Potent King, our Friend and Confederate.
WE ſend to your Majeſty, nor could we ſend a Preſent more worthy or more Excellent, the truly Brave and truly Noble, Sir George Aſcue, Knight, not only fam'd in War, and more eſpecially for his Experience in Sea Affairs, approv'd and try'd in many deſperate Engagements, but alſo endu'd with ſingular Probity, Modeſty, Ingenuity, Learning, and for the ſweetneſs of his Diſpoſition careſs'd by all Men; and which is the ſum of all, now deſirous to ſerve under the Banners of your Majeſty, ſo renown'd o're all the World for your Military Proweſs. And we would have your Majeſty be fully aſſur'd, that whatſoever high Employment you confer upon him, wherein Fidelty, Fortitude, Experience, may ſhine forth in their true Luſture, you cannot entruſt a Perſon more Faithful, more Couragious, nor eaſily more Skilful. Moreover, as to thoſe things we have given him in Charge to Communicate to your Majeſty, we requeſt that he may have quick Acceſs, and favourable Audience, and that you will vouchſafe the ſame Credit to him, as to our ſelves if perſonally preſent: laſtly that you will give him that Honour, as you ſhall judge becoming a Perſon dignifi'd with his own Merits and our Recommendation. Now God Almighty proſper all your Affairs with happy Succeſs, to his own Glory and the Safeguard of his Orthodox Church. From our Court at White-Hall, Octob. 1658.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandalls, &c.
Moſt Serene and Potent King, our deareſt Friend and Confederate.
SAmuel Piggot, of London, Merchant, in a Petition deliver'd to Us, ſets forth, that he lately ſent from London into France, upon the account of Trade, two Veſſels, the one call'd the Poſt, Tiddie Jacob Maſter, the other the Water-Dog, Garbrand Peters, Maſter. That from France, being laden with Salt, they Sail'd for Amſterdam; at Amſterdam, they one took in Ballaſt only; the other laden with Herrings, in Copartnerſhip, with one Peter Heinbergh, Sail'd away for Stettin in Pomerania, which is under your Juriſdiction, there to unlade her Freight; but now he hears that both thoſe Veſſels are detain'd ſomewhere in the Baltick Sea by your Forces; notwithſtanding that he took care to ſend a Writing with both thoſe Ships, Seal'd with the Seal of the Admiralty-Court, by which it appear'd that he alone was the Lawful Owner of both the Veſſels and Goods, that part excepted which belong'd to Heinbergh. Of all which, in regard he has made full proof before us, we make it our Requeſt to your Majeſty (to prevent the Ruin and utter Shipwrack of the Poor man's Eſtate by the loſs of two Ships at one time) that you would Command your Officers to take care for the ſpeedy diſcharge of the ſaid Veſſels. God long preſerve your Majeſty to his own Glory, and the ſafeguard of his Orthodox Church.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the High and Mighty Lords, the State of Weſtfriezland.
Moſt High and Mighty Lords, our Deareſt Friends and Confederates.
MAry Grinder Widow, in a Petition preſented to us, has made a moſt grievous Complaint, that whereas Thomas Killegrew, a Commander in your Service, has ow'd her for theſe Eighteen Years a conſiderable ſum of Money, ſhe can by her Agents neither bring him to pay the ſaid Money, nor to try his Title at Law to the ſame, if he has any. Which that he may not be compell'd to do by the Widow's Attorney, he has Petition'd your Highneſſes, that no body may be ſuffer'd to ſue him for any Money that he owes in England. But ſhould we ſignify no more then only this to your Highneſs, That ſhe is a Widow, that ſhe is in great want, the Mother of many ſmall Children, which her Creditor endeavours to deprive of almoſt all that little ſupport they have in this World, we cannot believe, we need to make uſe of any greater Arguments to your Lordſhips, ſo well acquainted with thoſe Divine Precepts forbidding the Oppreſſion of the Widow and the Fatherleſs, to perſuade ye not to grant any ſuch privilege upon a bare Petition, to the Fraudulent Subverter of the Widow's Right: and which for the ſame reaſon we aſſure our ſelves you will never admit. From our Court at Weſtminſter, Jan. 27. 1658.
Richard 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,
WE have bin given to underſtand, and that, to our no ſmall grief, That ſeveral Proteſtant Churches in Provence, were ſo maliciouſly Affronted and Diſturb'd by a certain turbulent Humouriſt, that the Magiſtrates at Grenoble, who are the proper Judges of ſuch Cauſes, thought him worthy of exemplary Puniſhment: But that the Convention of the Clergy which was held not far from thoſe places, obtain'd of your Majeſty, that the whole matter ſhould be remov'd up to Paris, there to be heard before your Royal Council. But they not having as yet made any determination in the Buſineſs, thoſe Churches, and more eſpecially that of Yvoire, are forbid to meet for the Worſhip of God. Moſt earneſtly therefore we requeſt your Majeſty, That in the firſt place you would not prohibit thoſe from Preaching in Publick, whoſe Prayers to God for your Safety and the Proſperity of your Kingdom, you are ſo free to ſuffer; then that the Sentence given againſt that impertinent Diſturber of Divine Service, by the proper Judges of thoſe Cauſes at Grenoble, may be duly put in excution. God long preſerve your Majeſty in Safety and Proſperity; to the end that if you have any good Opinion of our Prayers, or think 'em prevalent with God, you may be ſpeedily induc'd to ſuffer the ſame to be publickly put up to Heaven by thoſe Churches, now forbid their wonted Meetings. Weſtminſter, Feb. 18. 1658.
To the moſt Eminent Lord Cardinal Mazarine.
Moſt Eminent Lord Cardinal,
THE moſt Illuſtrious Lady, late Wife of the deceaſed Duke of Richmond, is now going into France, together with the young Duke her Son, with an intention to reſide there for ſome time. We therefore moſt earneſtly requeſt your Eminency, That if any thing fall out, wherein your Authority, Favour and Patronage, may be aſſiſting to 'em, as Strangers, you would vouchſafe to Protect their Dignity, and to indulge the Recommendation of it not the meaneſt, in ſuch a manner, that if any addition can be made to your Civility toward all people, eſpecially of Illuſtrious Deſcent, we may be ſenſible our Letters have obtain'd it. Withal, your Excellency may aſſure your ſelf, your Recommendation, whenever you require the like from us, ſhall be of equal force and value in our Eſteem and Care. Weſtminſter, Feb. 29. 1658.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, John King of Portugal.
Moſt Serene and Potent Prince, our Friend and Confederate,
ALthough there are many things which we are bound to impart by Writing to a King our Friend, and in ſtrict Confederacy with our Republick, yet there is nothing which we ever did more willingly, then what we do at this preſent, by theſe our Letters to Congratulate this laſt Victory, ſo glorious to the Kingdom of Portugal, obtain'd againſt our common Enemy the Spaniard. By which, how great an advantage will accrue not onelyonly to your own, but to the Peace and Repoſe of all Europe, and that perhaps for many years, there is no body but underſtands. But there is one thing more, wherein we muſt acknowledge your Majeſty's Juſtice, the moſt certain pledge of Victory, That ſatisfaction has bin given by the Commiſſioners appointed at London, according to the 24th. Article of the League, to our Merchants, whoſe Veſſels were hir'd by the Braſile Company. OnelyOnly there is one among 'em ſtill remaining, Alexander Bence, of London Merchant, whoſe Ship call'd the Three Brothers, John Wilks Maſter, being hir'd and laden, and having perform'd two Voyages for the ſaid Company, yet ſtill they refuſe to pay him his Wages according to their Covenauts; when the reſt that onelyonly perform'd ſingle Voyages are already paid. Which why it ſhould be done, we cannot underſtand; unleſs thoſe People think, in their Judgment, that Perſon more worthy of his Hire, who did 'em onelyonly ſingle Service, then he who earn'd his Wages twice. We therefore earneſtly requeſt your Majeſty, That Satisfaction may given for his Service truly perform'd, to this ſame ſingle Alexander, to whom a double Stipend is due; and that by Vertue of your Royal Authority you would prefix the Braſile Company as ſhort a day as may be, for the payment of his juſt due, and repairing his Loſſes; ſeeing that their delays have bin the occaſion, that the Loſs ſuſtain'd by the Merchant, has very near exceeded the Money it ſelf which is owing for his Wages. So God continue your Majeſty's proſperous Succeſſes againſt the common Enemy. From our Court at Weſtm. Feb. 23. 1658.
Richard Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Eminent Lord Cardinal Mazarin.
Moſt Eminent Lord,
BY Letters to your Eminency, about Eight Months ſince, dated June 13. we recommended to your Eminency the Cauſe of Peter Pet, a Perſon of ſingular Probity, and in all Naval Sciences moſt uſeful both to us and our Republick. His Ship, call'd the Edward, in the year 1646. as we formerly Wrote, was taken in the Mouth of the Thames, by one Baſcon, and Sold in the Port of Boulogne; and tho the King in his Royal Council, the 4th. of November 1647. decreed, That what Money the Council ſhould think fitting to be given in Recompence of the Loſs, ſhould be forthwith paid in ſatisfaction to the Owner: Nevertheleſs, as he ſets forth, he could never reap the benefit of that Order. Now in regard we make no queſtion, but that your Eminency, at our deſire, gave ſtrict Command for the ſpeedy Execution of that Decree; we make it therefore our renew'd requeſt, That you would vouchfafe to examine where the impediment lies, or through whoſe neglect or contumacy it came to paſs, that in Ten years time the King's decree was not obey'd; and employ your Authority ſo effectually, that the Money then Decreed, which we thought long ſince ſatisfi'd, may be ſpeedily demanded and paid to our Petitioner. Thus your Eminency will perform an Act moſt grateful to Juſtice, and lay moreover a ſingular Obligation upon our ſelves. From our Court at Weſtm. Feb. 25. 1658.
The two following Letters, after the Depoſal of Richard, were Written in the Name of the Parliament Reſtor'd.
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene and Potent Prince, Charles Guſtavus, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandalls, &c.
Moſt Serene and Potent King, our Deareſt Friend,
SInce it has pleas'd the moſt merciful and Omnipotent God, at whoſe Diſpoſal only the Revolutions of all Kingdoms and Republicks are, to reſtore us to our Priſtin Authority, and the Supream Adminiſtration of the Engliſh Affairs, we thought it convenient in the firſt place to make it known to your Majeſty, and to ſignify moreover as well our Extraordinary Affection to your Majeſty, ſo Potent a Proteſtant Prince, as alſo our moſt fervent Zeal to promote the Peace between your Majeſty and the King of Denmark, another moſt powerful Proteſtant King, not to be reconcil'd without our Aſſiſtance and the good Offices of our Affection. Our Pleaſure therefore is, that our Extraordinary Envoy, Philip Meadowes, be continued in the ſame Employment with your Majeſty, with which he has bin hitherto entruſted from this Republick. To which end, we impower him by theſe our Letters to make Propoſals, act and negotiate with your Majeſty, in the ſame manner as was granted him by his laſt Recommendations: and whatſoever he ſhall tranſact and conclude in our Name, we faithfully promiſe and and engage, by Gods Aſſiſtance, to Confirm and Ratify. The ſame God long ſupport your Majeſty the Pillar and Support of the Proteſtant Intereſts. Weſtminſter, May, 15. 1659.
William Lenthal, Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the moſt Serene Prince, Frederick King of Denmark.
Moſt Serene King and moſt Dear Friend,
SEeing it now is come to paſs, that by the Will and Pleaſure of the moſt merciful and powerful God, the Supream Moderator of all things, we are reſtor'd to our Priſtin Place and Dignity, in the Adminiſtration of the Publick Affairs, we thought it convenient in the firſt place that a Revolution of this Government ſhould not be conceal'd from your Majeſties notice, a Prince both our Neighbour and Confederate; and withal, to ſignify, how much we lay to Heart your ill Succeſs: which you will eaſily perceive by our Zeal and Diligence, that never ſhall be wanting in us to promote and accompliſh a Reconciliation between your Majeſty and the King of Sweden. And therefore we have Commanded our Extraordinary Envoy with the moſt Serene King of Sweden, Philip Medows, to attend your Majeſty, in our Name, in order to theſe matters, and to impart, propound, act and negotiate ſuch things as we have given him in charge to Communicate to your Majeſty: and what credit you ſhall give to him in this his Employment, we requeſt your Majeſty to believe it given to our ſelves. God Almighty grant your Majeſty a happy and joyful deliverance out of all your difficulties, and afflicting Troubles under which you ſtand ſo undauntedly ſupported by your Fortitude and Magnanimity. Weſtminſter, May, 15. 1659.
William Lenthal, Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.
The End.
End of the text · John Milton, Letters of State (1694)