nient to send the complaints themselves, together with these our letters, to your majesty. Nor do we question but that your majesty, as well out of your love of justice, as for the sake of that commerce no less gainful to your subjects than our people, will command your governors to desist fron. those unjust oppressions of our merchants, and so order it, that they may obtain speedy justice, and due satisfaction for those injuries done them by don Pedro de Carillo de Guzman, and others; and that your majesty will take care that the merchants aforesaid may reap the fruit of those articles; and be so far under your protection, that both their persons and their estates may be secure and free from all manner of injury and vexation. And this they believe they shall for the greatest part obtain if your majesty will be pleased to restore them that expedient, taken from them, of a judgeconservator, who may be able to defend them from a new consulship more uneasy to them; lest, if no shelter from injustice be allowed them, there should follow a necessity of breaking off that commerce which has hitherto brought great advantages to both nations, while the articles of the league are violated in such a manner.

Westminster, Aug. —, 1651.

To the most Serene Prince, the Duke of VENICE, and the most Illustrious Senate.

Most Serene Prince, most Illustrious Senate,

CERTAIN of our merchants, by name John Dickins and Job Throckmorton, with others, have made their complaints to us, that upon the twenty-eighth of November, sixteen hundred and fifty-one, having seized upon a hundred butts of caviare in the vessel called the Swallow, riding in the Downs, Isaac Taylor, master, which were their own proper goods, and laden aboard the same ship in the Muscovite Bay of Archangel, and this by the authority of our Court of Admiralty; in which court, the suit being there depending, they obtained a decree for the delivery of the said butts of caviare into their possession, they having first given security to abide by the sentence of that court: and that the said court, to the end the said suit might be brought to a conclu

sion, having written letters, according to custom, to the magistrates and judges of Venice; wherein they requested liberty to cite John Piatti, to appear by his proctor in the English court of admiralty, where the suit depended, and prove his right; nevertheless, that the said Piatti and one David Rutts, a Hollander, while this cause depends here in our court, put the said John Dickins, and those other merchants, to a vast deal of trouble about the said caviare, and solicit the seizure of their goods and estates as forfeited for debt. All which things, and whatever else has hitherto been done in our foresaid court, is more at large set forth in those letters of request aforementioned; which after we had viewed, we thought proper to be transmitted to the most serene republic of Venice, to the end they might be assistant to our merchants in this cause. Upon the whole therefore, it is our earnest request to your highness, and the most illustrious senate, that not only those letters may obtain their due force and weight; but also, that the goods and estates of the merchants, which the foresaid Piatti and David Rutts have endeavoured to make liable to forfeiture, may be discharged; and that the said defendants may be referred hither to our court, to try what right they have in their claim to this caviare. Wherein your highness and the most serene republic will do as well what is most just in itself, as what is truly becoming the spotless amity between both republics. and lastly, what will gratefully be recompensed by the goodwill and kind offices of this republic, whenever occasions offer.

Sealed with the seal of the council, and subscribed, President of the council.

Whitehall, Feb.

1652.

To the Spanish Ambassador.

Most Excellent Lord,

THE Council of state, according to a command from the parliament dated the second of March, having taken into serious deliberation your excellency's paper of the fifteenth of February, delivered to the commissioners of this council, wherein it seemed good to your excellency to propose that

a reply might be given to two certain heads therein specified as previous, returns the following answer to your excellency.

The parliament, when they gave an answer to those things which were proposed by your excellency at your first audience, as also in those letters which they wrote to the most serene king of Spain, gave real and ample demonstrations how grateful and how acceptable that friendship and that mutual alliance, which was offered by his royal majesty, and by yourself in his name, would be to them; and how fully they were resolved, as far as in them lay, to make the same returns of friendship and good offices.

After that, it seemed good to your excellency, at your first audience in council upon the nineteenth of December, old style, to propound to this council, as a certain ground or method for an auspicious commencement of a stricter amity, that some of their body might be nominated, who might hear what your excellency had to propose; and who having well weighed the benefit that might redound from thence, should speedily report the same to the council. To which request of yours that satisfaction might be given, the council appointed certain of their number to attend your excellency, which was done accordingly. But instead of those things which were expected to have been propounded, the conference produced no more than the above-mentioned paper; to which the answer of the council is this.

When the parliament shall have declared their minds, and your excellency shall have made the progress as above expected, we shall be ready to confer with your excellency, and to treat of such matters as you shall propose in the name of the king your master, as well in reference to the friendship already concluded, as the entering into another more strict and binding; or as to anything else which shall be offered by ourselves in the name of this republic: and when we descend to particulars, we shall return such answers as are most proper, and the nature of the thing proposed shall require.

Whitehall, March 21, 1652.

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, to the most Serene Prince, FREDERICK the Third, King of DENMARK, &c., Greeting.

Most Serene and Potent King,

We have received your majesty's letters, dated from Copenhagen, the twenty-first of December last, and delivered to the parliament of the commonwealth of England by the noble Henry Willemsem Rosenwyng de Lynsacker, and most gladly perused them, with that affection of mind which the matters therein propounded justly merit, and request your majesty to be fully persuaded of this, that the same inclinations, the same desires of continuing and preserving the ancient friendship, commerce, and alliance for so many years maintained between England and Denmark, which are in your majesty, are also in us. Not being ignorant that, though it has pleased Divine Providence, beholding this nation with such a benign and favourable aspect, to change for the better the received form of the former government among us; nevertheless, that the same interests on both sides, the same common advantages, the same mutual alliance and free traffic which_produced the former leagues and confederacies between both nations, still endure and obtain their former force and virtue, and oblige both to make it their common study, by rendering those leagues the most beneficial that may be to each other, to establish also a nearer and sounder friendship for the time to come. And if your majesty shall be pleased to pursue those counsels which are manifested in your royal letters, the parliament will be ready to embrace the same with all alacrity and fidelity, and to contribute all those things to the utmost of their power which they shall think may conduce to that end. And they persuade themselves that your majesty for this reason will take those counsels in reference to this republic which may facilitate the good success of those things propounded by your majesty to ourselves so desirous of your amity. In the mean time, the parliament wishes all happiness and prosperity to your majesty and people.

Under the seal of the parliament, and subscribed in its name, and by the authority of it, Speaker, &c.

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, to the most Illustrious and Magnificent, the Proconsuls and Senators of the HANSE TOWNS, Greeting.

Most Noble, Magnificent, and Illustrious,

our dearest Friends,

THE parliament of the commonwealth of England has both received and perused your letters of the sixteenth of January last, delivered by your public minister Leo ab Aysema, and by their authority have given him an audience; at what time he declared the cordial and friendly inclinations of your cities toward this republic, and desired that the ancient friendship might still remain on both sides. The parliament, therefore, for their parts, declare and assure your lordships, that they deem nothing more grateful to themselves than that the same friendship and alliance which has hitherto been maintained between this nation and those cities, should be renewed, and firmly ratified; and that they will be ready, upon all occasions fitly offered, what they promise in words solemnly to perform in real deeds; and expect that their ancient friends and confederates should deal by them with the same truth and integrity. But as to those things which your resident has more particularly in charge, in regard they were by us referred entire to the council of state, and his proposals were to be there considered, they transacted with him there, and gave him such answers, as seemed most consentaneous to equity and reason, of which your resident is able to give you an account; whose prudence and conspicuous probity proclaim him worthy the public character by you conferred upon him. Under the seal of the parliament, in the name, and by the authority of it, subscribed, Speaker, &c. Westminster, April —, 1652.

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, to the Illustrious and Magnificent Senate of the City of HAMBOROUGH, Greeting.

Most Noble, Magnificent, and Illustrious,

our dearest Friends,

THE parliament of the commonwealth of England has received and perused your letters, dated from Hamborough the fifteenth of January last, and delivered by the noble Leo ab