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 see confirmed and ratified: and shall make it our business, that in the midst of your mourning for a friend so faithful and flourishing in all virtuous 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 Prince, CHARLES GUSTAVUS, King of the SWEDES, GOTHS, and VANDALS, &c. Most Serene and Potent King, our Friend and Confederate; WHEN we consider with ourselves that it will be a difficult matter for us to be imitators of our father's virtues, unless we should observe and endeavour to hold the same confederacies which he by his prowess acquired, and out of his singular judgment thought most worthy to be embraced and observed; your majesty has no reason to doubt but that it behoves us to pay the same tribute of affection and goodwill, which our father, of most serene memory, always paid to your majesty. Therefore, although 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 ambassadors have proposed, yet it is our resolution to continue the league concluded by our father with your majesty, and to enter ourselves 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 republics. 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, October, 1658. RICHARD, 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 King, our Friend and Confederate; WE have received two letters from your majesty, the one by your envoy, the other transmitted to us from our resident, Philip Meadows, whereby we not only understood your majesty's unfeigned grief for the death of our most serene father, in expressions setting forth the real thoughts of your mind, and how highly your majesty esteemed his prowess and friendship, but also what great hopes your majesty conceived of ourselves advanced in his room. And certainly, as an accumulation of paternal honour in deeming us worthy to succeed him, nothing more noble, more illustrious, could befall us than the judgment of such a prince; nothing more fortunately auspicious could happen to us, at our first entrance upon the government, than such a congratulator; nothing, lastly, that could more vehemently incite us to take possession of our father's virtues, as our lawful inheritance, than the encouragement of so great a king. As to what concerns your majesty's 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 republic, though 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 anything more determined by us, than, as much as in us lies, 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 empowered by us, will communicate to your majesty; whom God preserve in long safety, and prosper with success in the defence of his orthodox religion. From our Court at Westminster, October 13, 1658. RICHARD, Protector, to the most Serene and Potent Prince, CHARLES GUSTAVUS, King of the SWEDES, GOTHS, and VANDALS, &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 famed in war, and more especially, for his experience in sea-affairs, approved and tried in many desperate engagements; but also endued with singular probity, modesty, ingenuity, learning, and for the sweetness of his disposition caressed by all men; and, which is the sum of all, now desirous to serve under the banners of your majesty, so renowned over all the world for your military prowess. And we would have your majesty be fully assured, that whatsoever high employment you confer upon him, wherein fidelity, fortitude, experience, may shine forth in their true lustre, you cannot entrust a person more faithful, more courageous, 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 ourselves if personally present: lastly, that you will give him that honour as you shall judge becoming a person dignified 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 Whitehall, October, 1658. RICHARD, 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 King, our dearest Friend and Confederate; SAMUEL PIGGOT, of London, merchant, in a petition delivered to us, sets forth that he lately sent from London into France, upon the account of trade, two vessels, the one called the Post, Tiddie Jacob master, the other the Water-Dog, Garbrand Peters master. That from France, being laden with salt, they sailed for Amsterdam; at Amsterdam the one took in ballast only; the other, laden with herrings, in copartnership with one Peter Heinbergh, sailed away for Stettin in Pomerania, which is under your jurisdiction, there to unlade her freight; but now he hears that both those vessels are detained somewhere in the Baltic sea by your forces; notwithstanding that he took care to send a writing with both those ships, sealed with the seal of the admiralty-court, by which it appeared that he alone was the lawful owner of both the vessels and goods, that part excepted which belonged 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 shipwreck 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 States 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 owed 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 compelled to do by that widow's attorney, he has petitioned your highnesses that nobody may be suffered to sue him for any money that he owes in England. But should we signify no more than only this to your highnesses, 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 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 peti tion, to the fraudulent subverter of the widow's right; and which for the same reason we assure ourselves you will never admit. From our Court at Westminster, January 27, 1659. RICHARD, Protector of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, &c., to the most Serene Prince, LEWIS, King of FRANCE. Most Serene and Potent Prince, our most august Confederate and Friend; WE have been given to understand, and that to our no small grief, that several protestant churches in Provence were so maliciously affronted and disturbed 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, obtained of your majesty, that the whole matter should be removed 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 public, 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 execution. God long preserve your majesty in safety and prosperity; to the end that, if you have any good opinion of our prayers, or think them prevalent with God, you may be speedily induced to suffer the same to be publicly put up to heaven by those churches, now forbid their wonted meetings. Westminster, Feb. 18, 1659. To the most Eminent Lord, Cardinal MAZARINE. 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, |