      L. c. 101   [Handwriting changes here.]   October 31 1674                 
 +Letters from france & flanders say that noe action has yet past               
 between the french & Confederates in Germany ye former of wch Continued        
 posted at Deisweiler abt a League from Saverne where Monsr Turene intends      
 to Expect Monsr Genlis wth ye recruites wch would arive wth him ye             
 30th.  The Confederates (they say) after haveing for 3 days batterd ye         
 Castle of Wassenheim it was surrendred to them ye 25, they incampt neare       
 ye sd Castle  there was that day a report at Stratsburg that ye                
 Confederates intended to beseige Hagenaw & that they would sit downe           
 before ye next day. The Prince of Lobcowitz, fir[s]t minister of ye Empr       
 has bene put out of his Employment & banisht to a house of his in              
 Bohemia, severall matters haveing bene discoverd agst him since ye arest       
 of his secretary, tis sd there is nothing farther of ye Prince of              
 ffurstenburg,                                                                  
 +Tis said Count Mounterey Certainly leaves his Governmt in flanders, &         
 is prepareing for his departure wch much satsifyes ye french, who are          
 glad of his removall, his onely Daughter is lately dead.  The                  
 Imperilists are betwixt Deist & Ruremond, & are Expected to march              
 suddenly to Collogne to take their Winter quarters, ye Spanish Troops          
 are allready gone into theirs, ye french are fortifying Marcheim.              
    Our Letters from Stratzburg of ye 29 insst say that ye Confederates         
 finding that Turene had soe advantageously posted himselfe that they           
 could not attaque him wthout very great disadvantage, had given over           
 all thoughts of it, & were lookeing out for Winter quarters. wch               
 they will take in alsatia.  Thus this great army thro ye Irresolution          
 & discord amongst ye Genells will part wthout doeing any thing.  in            
 ye meane tyme Turene keeps his quarters abt Saverne & dayly grows              
 stronger by ye succours hee Receives from flanders.                            
    from Brussells of Novem ye 6 they write that after ye takeing of            
 Grave, the Prince of Orange went to Conferr wth Genell Sporke who              
 Comands ye Imperiall army (Count Souches being gone to Vienna) wch             
 done hee returnd to ye Hague, wee are told there is a designe to               
 attaque Maestreicht or Treaves.                                                
    ffrench Letters say that notthstanding ye probabillity & great              
 Endeavours used for a genll peace yet that King is still intent                
 upon preparations for Warr haveing besides ye Comissions hee has               
 granted for new Leavies in his owne Country, sent to his Residt in             
 Swisserland to use his uttmost Endeavrs wth ye Cantons for raiseing            
 25000 men there, they say ye forces sent from ye Prince of Conde               
 would bee wth Turene ye 27, but some say twould be 4 dayes longer,             
 in ye meane tyme they looke upon their army so advantageously posted,          
 that instead of being in any apprehension from them, they expect an            
 advantage of falling upon them Especially their Reere if they shall            
 attaque Hagenau or Saverne                                                     
 +They write from Algiers that ye Governmt there is very inclinable to          
 preserve the peace & are very Earnest for ye Redemption of ye Captives         
 there                                                                          
      L. c. 102  [Handwriting changes here.]  Novemb 2 [?] 1674                 
 +This Morning the 3 Troups of Guards drew out to exercise in Hide              
 Parke in the prsence of the Duke of Munmouth & others from the Isle            
 of Madera, of the 12 instant we heare that some dayes before                   
 Sir Jonathan Atkins Govenor of Barbadoes arrived there & after                 
 haveing bin most nobly treated by the Governor The 14th went out on            
 Board the St David & proceeded on his voyage leaveing all that love            
 him extreamely satisfyed with his person & behaviour, so that there is         
 noe doubt, but he will find all ymmaginable Civility & reception there.        
    From the Bouy of the Nore, we heare that yesterday Morning my Lord          
 Arlington with the Earle of Ossory & Monsr Odike in severall ships             
 were Wind bound there wch continued ever since in that same Corner.            
 its thought they are not yet got farther                                       
    Monsr Carehew comes not yet from Brandenburgh as was expected               
 Haveing received other o[r]ders, Wee dayly expect to heare of Monsr            
 Renguilles arrived at the Hague comeing thither from Spaine                    
 +ffrom the Hague of the 20th instant that [sic] tell us that the States        
 had written a Letter to his Maty giveing him account the Emperor & the         
 Crowne of Spaine haveing accepted of his Matyes Mediation, they were           
 willing to doe the like & also were desirous to lett him know how              
 forward they were to embrace any Overtures for peace  The prince since         
 he [sic] comeing to the Hague has reformed 100 [?] Companyes of foot,          
 but given out Comissions to raise a great many to be ready agst spring         
    ffrom Vienna we heare that the Sweedish Ambr there pressed very             
 hard for the liberty of the Prince of ffurstemburg as also that his            
 Imperiall Maty will accept of his Masters Mediation but he has little          
 hopes to succeed in either                                                     
    ffrom Stratburg of the 12 instant we are told that the Confederates         
 keep the fort still & been resolved to doe soe, till the ffrench are           
 retyred into theire Winter quarters & have therefore quartered theire          
 horses round about them  Monsr Turene does the like & neither seeme            
 Willing to give ground, first the Lorrainers have defeated a party of          
 the Arryon [?] Arrier Ban of Noblety & 1000 servants killed most of            
 of them & tooke the rest prisoners with inestimable rich prize in              
 theire baggage  Monsr Crequi baggage is alsoe said to be fallen into           
 theire hands with the other 2 [?] body of the Arreer Ban comeing from          
 Turen & all taken  a party of Brandenburgers have also defeated a              
 party of french in Alsatia  Monsr ffarrio with the Duch Troops for             
 Treves was the 16 instant 56 Leagues off Collogne.                             
      L. c. 103   [Handwriting changes here.]   November 4 1674                 
 Wednesday 7/ Yesterday at Councell his Maty was pleased to appointe the        
 Sherriffs for the Inssueing yeare, after wch a Peti[ti]on was read of          
 the Marchants trading to Guinye, upon wch his Maty was pleased to order        
 a proclama[tion] be drawn up forbidding any to trade thither but those         
 of ye Corporation wch will suddainly [be passed?]  Purcell that was            
 comitted to the tower for threating the Duke of Ordmond & into Bethlem         
 Hospitall for refuseing to provide security for his good Behaviour was         
 ordered this day to be comitted to Newgate till he shall be delivered          
 by due Course of law, My Lord Chamberlaine hath resolved with his wife         
 sister and family to accompany Monsr Odyke to Holland for a Month              
 Divertismt.  The Earle and Countess of Ossory have also resolved to goe        
 wth ym, & accordingly next Saturday they all Intend to goe thither, a          
 yatch or 2 being ordered to attend theire Comand for that purpose  Capt        
 Davis wth whome my Lord Vaughan goes to Jamaica is ordered to goe round        
 to Portsmouthe to take in his Ldp there whether hee Intends to goe ye          
 latter end of next weeke wth Coll Morgan Lord Genll to Increase that           
 Colony, wch is now looked upon to be the Thriveingest in those parts,          
 Thursday./ The Dutch Ltrs Just now arrived bring not a word of Newes           
 the season being past for all Action and accordingly the Armyes all            
 retired into theire winter Quaters  The Prince of Orange Continues             
 at the Hague and has been highly treated by the States who unanimously         
 Express great satisfaction in his Managemt of the late Campagne  they          
 have resolved to Equipp a Great fleet Next springe, and Make theire            
 land army More uniforme and better officerd                                    
 +from the Hague of the 2 we heare yt yt Morning ye Pre of orange came          
 thither, & in the afternoone Sr Wm Temple had an audience of him yt            
 C. Nassau with 1000 horse & Mr Farrio with 3000 foot are gone towards          
 Bonny to joyne another body under the Marquess d Grana wch are                 
 designed to make a diversion of the french forces on this side                 
 whilste the D: of Lorraine does the same in french Comte  ye                   
 Confedts aboute Strasbourgh are Marching into theire winter Quarters           
 in Alsatia, but yt Mr Tureen having reced all his recruits was                 
 resolved to fight them or at least make theire subsistance theire very         
 anguisht,                                                                      
      L. c. 104  [Handwriting changes here.]   November 5th 1674                
 +Sir John Narborough is still Wind Bound at Spithead and these late            
 Briske Winds has been very fatall to many English & other vessells             
 in divers parts                                                                
 +There is yet noe Governor named for Tangier but now dayly expected.           
 There is come into ffalmouth divers ffrench men of Warr driven in by           
 stresse of Weather                                                             
 +The Earle of Pembroke is to be married to my Lady Dutchess of                 
 Portsmouths Sister at wch theire Matys & Court will be present                 
 +His Maty has given Command about to renew the late Order of Councell          
 about prohibiting of Roman Catholiques access to his presence Court &          
 precincts thereof and accordingly tabbletts of it are affixed in all           
 avenues to it with injunction to be faithfully performd                        
 +From Paris we heare that it was Confidently reported that the                 
 Brandenburghers upon some Jealousy and disgust weare about to leave the        
 Confederates Army, but its scarce Creditted here  Count Sparr is got           
 thither                                                                        
 +And had a private Audience from his Most Christan Maty, the ffrench           
 at Messina have lately made with the Assistance of the Townes men a            
 Briske assault upon the Castle of St Salvador but had bin beaten of by         
 the Spaniards with great loss  The ffrench are ffitting out 20 men of          
 Warr and 12 gallyes more for theire assistances and Trump with his             
 squadron is alsoe there about & is joyned with all the fforces the             
 Spaniards power can procure there, so that its like to be a place of a         
 Considerable action                                                            
    The Dutchess of Modena is on her way hither to be present at Her            
 Royall Highnesses Lying in wch is now God be thanked shortly expected          
 +The Paris Letters say little but the great stirr ye Conspiracy of the         
 Chevalier de Rohan has made; the Bastille being full of delinquents            
 and divers Gallowes are erecting for theire Execution                          
    The Chevalyer is not yet putt to death but has bin putt to the              
 question; and being desperate they have placed him in a Chaire and with        
 a funnell putt sustenance downe his throate with which they intend to          
 preserve him for publique Example                                              
      L. c. 105       Novemb 7 1674                                             
 ffryday 6./ From Portsmouth we heare sd that the Wind comeing faire            
 yesterday Sir John Narborrough was setting sayle for Algire whether he         
 was goeing with all possible dilligence  There are also at Cowes 200           
 sayle of Merchants ships outward bound that will take the benefitt of          
 the same Wind.                                                                 
    A Swedish Ship from Virginia was this weeke cast away of Portland           
 laden with tobacco  2 or 3 Virginia ships are arrived at ffalmouth &           
 divers Vessells goeing for the Western parts has bin by these                  
 Contrary Winds forct backe into Pendennis & other places, but will             
 sayle when the Wind permitts                                                   
      This Evening the Earle of Middlesex proceeding from his Lordships         
 house in Drury Lane to Westminster Abbey accompanied by the Coaches            
 of Divers of the Nobility & persons of quality was interred in the             
 Vaulte belonging to his ffamily                                                
      On Tuesday next the Parliment meett in order to the prorogation           
 according to his Matys proclamation.                                           
      ffrom Germany we heare that Monsr Turene being reinforct with 20          
 squadrons of Horse under Monsr De Genlis & another of 44 squadrons & 13        
 Batallions under the Count de Saults was still posted at Ditwyler upon         
 the seage  That the Confederates intending theire quarters within a            
 League of Stratburgh 500 ffrench horse mett 80 Croats slew and disperst        
 the rest pursueing them to theire Army, theire was found among Prince          
 Lebcovikes papers confiscated Coffers & 2 Millions of money the better         
 part of it in Louis D'or of ffrance & all his Estate vallued at 7              
 millions had bin also seized and forfeited                                     
      The Swedish Ambassador at Vienna has had Audience of the Emperor          
 & offered the Mediation of his Master for a peace proposeing there for         
 a truce to doe it in and among other things solicited very hard the            
 Liberty of the Prince of ffurstenburgh  Count Souches being gone to            
 Vienna Generall Sporke Comands in his Roome  he was the 7th between            
 Dyest & Huslett & the 6th he drew out 2000 horse who marched that day          
 within 9 Leagues of Leige & forces the Castle of Dinante to receive            
 againe an Imperiall Garrison  They say the Swede offers Marshall               
 [illegible name of about eight letters] the Governmt of Bremen and             
 Verdon if he will come into theire service                                     
 +The Dutch Letters say the Prince Lebrovikes plot was to invite the            
 Emperor to a Comedy & blow it up with Gunpowder  Many preists & amongst        
 them the Empress confessor appeared as gulty, the Count Montery being          
 now settled for some longer tyme in his Goverment  He has peremtory            
 orders to Ostend for those people to restore the ships they have               
 unjustly take[n] from divers Nutrall Princes under the panice of open          
 Rebellion perceiveing they delayed meerely of an expectation that he           
 was suddenly to be gon herein also pursuant to the States placarts             
 withdrawen & recalled his placart about prohibiting the importance of          
 ffrench Commodyes wch will be great advantage to theire Nutrall shipping       
                     [Handwriting changes here.]                                
 +Mr Hinton is gon off from being High Sherriff & Mr Roy [?] of                 
 Latchbrooke put in.                                                            
      L. c. 106     Novemb ye 10th 1674                                         
 +The Swedish minister at Vienna presses very hard for a peace & in             
 Order to it the liberty of ye Prince of furstemburg, as alsoe for a            
 Cessation of armes.                                                            
    Spanish letters say that his Maty haveing written to ye Queen of            
 Spaine that hee had accepted of ye mediation of the King of Engld for a        
 genell peace, her Maty Orderd Our Ambr there to bee acquainted therewth        
 as alsoe that shee was contented to doe ye like, soe that wee dayly            
 expect ye Other partys will follow their Example & a tyme & place be           
 nominated for it  They are very apprehensive least ye Swedes should            
 declare for france.  & ye Electr of Brande is very Jealous of him              
 & that hee may in ye absence of his person & army fall into his Country        
 as some letters say hee is abt to doe, some affirmeing that Genll              
 Wrangle wth ye Swedish forces is marching directly to Berlin wth               
 Resolution to attaque it wch occation much talke & if soe will make a          
 great alteration in ye posture of affaires.                                    
    Count Koningsmarke who has servd some tyme in ye french service             
 is gone to be Leuit Genll to Genll Wrangle.  tis alsoe said that Genll         
 Wurtz who has bene in ye states service is now goeing into that of ye          
 Swedes & to bee made Governour of ye Duchys of Bremen & Verdon for ye          
 Crowne of Sweden                                                               
    Paris Letters Confirme ye loss of ye Arrier Bann of Anjou under ye          
 Marqss de Sables who being 200 in a Village wthin 6 miles of Nancy were        
 surprised by a party of Lorrainers  Some of them got into a Church &           
 made a brave defence till the loss of abt 30 of their number & ye              
 fireing ye place by ye Lorrainers forcet them to surrender them selves         
 prisonr.  Their servants were all stript & sent away but all of any            
 quallity kept & a ransome of 100 Pistolls sett upon each head.  They           
 Kept alsoe 400 Horses.  The Marqss de Crussells sonne was taken wthout         
 any hurt but ye 2 Captains who tooke him disputeing whose prisoner hee         
 should bee One of them kild him to prevent the other from ye benefit of        
 his Ransome, his body was sent to Turene, & tis said the Capt that kild        
 him was Imediately hang'd                                                      
    Tis said the Arrier Ban of Auvergne had ye same ill fortune wth             
 those of anjou, by a party of ye Duke of Lorraines men who kild 80 of          
 them, tooke many prisoners, & great Booty, Marshall Crequi himselfe            
 Escapeing narrowly, being forcet to leave all his Baggage except one           
 Coach & 6 Horses soe that his perticular loss is vallued at 30000 Crownes.     
    ffrom Brussells they write that to preserve good Order the souldrs          
 were Comanded to bee in their quarters by 6 at night on paine of Death,        
 & that an Order was publisht that Whoever should apprehend a souldr            
 after that tyme should have 500 Crownes for a reward                           
      L. c. 107     Novemb ye 14 1674                                           
 [Written upside down in upper left margin of first recto and in another        
 contemporary hand:] Judge of fforest                                           
 +ffrom Portsmouth wee heare that Sr John Norburrow saild thence Thursday       
 last wth sevell other ships at Cowes, wth a very good wind wch has Ever        
 since Continued in ye same Corner                                              
    This morning The Ld Chamberlain his Lady & Sister, the Ld ossory            
 wth his attendants together wth the Ld Lattimer, went aboard the               
 Greyhound to accompany the Heer O Dyke into Holland, there to stay some        
 weekes for their divertisemts  O Dyke goes on board a man of Warr sent         
 him from ye states.                                                            
    This morning The Parliamt according to ye former proroguation where         
 the Lds after haveing placed my Ld Powis as Earle of Powis, my Ld              
 Treasurer as Earle of Danby my Ld D of Lauderdale as Earle of Guilford         
 sent for ye Comissions to their Barr, wch being read they were                 
 accordingly prorogued till ye 13 of aprill next according to his Maties        
 proclamation  there was a very good appearance as well of Lds as Comons        
 +To morrow being her Maties birth day the Court are prepareing to              
 appeare in their greatest Splendr a Ball being intended which shall            
 Comprehend all ye principall persons of ye Court, & the day to bee             
 Concluded wth most Excellt [sic]                                               
 +ffrom Marseilles wee heare that his Maties gally being at sea, was by         
 Contrary Winds forcet back to shoare wth some Damage, but is now ready         
 to saile againe wth ye first Wind for Tangeir                                  
 +The Dukes ministers haveing represented to ye Grand Visier that it            
 was ye aime of ye french King to make himselfe sole Monarch of                 
 Xtendome & then wth united force to fall upon the grand seignr                 
 desired that hee would not divert ye Emprs armes by giveing assistance         
 to ye Rebells in Hungary of wch those Rebbells already boasted [small          
 tear] to wch ye Visier answered that the peace wth ye Empr should be           
 preserved Inviolable, that hee Wisht a good success to his armes & that        
 the Vantings of those Rebbells, of his Masters assistance were but meer        
 forgerys                                                                       
 +The Imperiall ministers at ye Hague have bene given to understand             
 that his Imperiall Maty could not wth any reason wave ye mediation             
 of England & since it was Evidt that ye states had bene at ye expence          
 of severall millions for aides in this Warr, they should suddenly bee          
 necessitated to hearken to proposalls of peace                                 
       [On outside of letter appears this note in a very similar                
       hand to that of "Judge of fforest" at  start of letter:]                 
 My Master saies that being in Bedworth Lane yesterday to encourage &           
 advise those Men, severall loads of Coales came by, & one man who              
 seemd old enough to have more Witt told him wth a great deal of Passion        
 That the Child who is Unborn would bee bound to curse him, & added for         
 streightening ye Highway.  My Master hears yt you are ye Man, & because        
 hee had not time yesterday orderd mee to day yt I should as I went to          
 Wiken, discourse ye businesse wth you, who if you have any reason in           
 you & will consider it seriously, will find you did him wrong in those         
 Expressions.  But because hee beleeves your Ignorance occationd your           
 Passion, hee therefores condescends to inform you of ye Design of his          
 Present Undertaking in Griff Lane.                                             
 +Whereas ye Lane was as every body knows very nought, so yt noe Coach          
 nor horse man or woman could passe wthout much Danger and Difficulty,          
 yt the Kings Subjects lives & Limbs are of much more value then the            
 carts & waggons wch carry Coales the only ruin of that way, and of             
 whose going there is no necesisitty for in the Winter Coales may bee           
 carried on Horsback well enough & then there Danger was cheifly                
 occationd by the deep Ruts, wch by reason of the much water in the             
 Lane were not to bee known from the Pad, nor to bee avoided when two           
 Horses met but [?] now by the Ditch in the Middle the water is drawn           
 away yt the Rutts on both sides may bee better seen & avoided & one side       
 is much better then ever twas so that Saddle Horses Pack Horses or             
 Coaches may freely passe, & Coal carts too if they who spoil the way           
 will help to mend it, yt is if when any team comes empty, they will go         
 into a close next the Lane where a tumbrill is always ready & a man who        
 for three [?] halfpence will help to fill it, and carry that one load          
 where they shall bee directed to some hole in the Lane, they shall for         
 carrying that one load of stone have free liberty to carry one load of         
 Coal or else any of them will (as most chuse to do) send in a team some        
 one whole day, for as many load of stone as they then carry so many            
 Ticketts they shall receive that they may go through wth as many horses        
 & loads of Coal as they did Carry of Stone.  This is to help mend the          
 ways at the present, but hereafter or at any dry time my Master                
 designes to leave the Chains quite open (if too much railing prevent           
 not) & to mend both sides that one may bee usd always while tother is          
 mending.  Now hee would have y[ou] consider how much this work is or is        
 at least intended for ye Countrys benefit, & how little tis to his own         
 advantage.  & if you or anyone can tell him a better way then this wch         
 hee takes to mend highwayes hee'l give you thanks for telling him.  He         
 would not take all this paines to satisfy each Country fellow but that         
 hee feares you should hurt your selves by those Curses wch cant hurt him       
 nor dos hee value them more then the barking of a Dog.  but hee wishes         
 well to all his Country in generall & every man in particular or else          
 could take another course to silence you.]                                     
      L. c. 108   [Handwriting changes here.]    Novemb 18 1674                 
 +From Dover we heare that on Saturday last the Catherine Yatch putt            
 a shore the Marquess de Cenappe who is come thence for London                  
    From ffalmouth we heare of the 11 [in]stant yt that day came in             
 there the Blessing of London from Cadiz from Wence they came the               
 1st instant in Trumps Squadron being Men of Warr and in all 18                 
 sayle & left him that Morning 6 Leagues of that Harbour with three             
 Men of Warr & Dismallers [?] in his Company, seperated by the weather          
 & waites for the Conjunction of his ships in the Channells & so goe all        
 home together  there came that day 200 sayle of Merchant men outward           
 bound, who presently went againe for theire Voyage                             
    Yesterday went hence his Royall Highness with his Grace the Duke            
 of Munnmouth & divers persons of quality accompanying them before              
 hunting to Chichester                                                          
    This day the Court solempnized the day of Her Matyes Birth & did it         
 with the greatest Glory ymmaginable yesterday not being fitt for it            
    Her Royall Highness continues very Well thanks be to God & lookes           
 not till the Middle of January next                                            
 +Madrid Letters of 12th [?] instant say that the Obstinacy of Messinae         
 Heightned with hopes of the ffrench protection has obliged the                 
 Spanish Armado of about 20 Sayle to goe thither in order to theire             
 reducement  the arrivall of the flotilla from New Spaine is also               
 subjects of much rejoyceing among those people & will infinitely               
 revive the Comoes [?]  they are about 20 Ships & richly laden                  
 +ffrom portugall we heare that King Alphonsus was ymmedeately upon             
 his arrivall landed at Casrad by the Duke of Cadavall & Secretary of           
 State to Cintra where he is to be kept with a constant Guard of 200            
 foot & a Troup of Horse  The Windowes of the pallace where he lives            
 that have a veiw upon the Towne are all seiled up, he is in good               
 health and eates & sleepes well & is very submissive to those that are         
 sett over him  since his being there severall persons that attended him        
 are brought prisoners but theire Crimes not yet knowne                         
      The Wind comeing faire Sunday and yesterday for the Lord                  
 Chamberlaynes voyage for Holland we hope they are safely landed there          
 They are sayling out of the Bouy of the Nore as soon as ever the Wind          
 turnes about                                                                   
    Noe fforraigne Letters since Sunday nor as yet any Governr for              
 Tangyer named                                                                  
      L. c. 109   [Handwriting changes here.]   Novemb ye 21 1674               
    His Royall Hss wth severall of the Nobillity haveing bene all this          
 Weeke a fox hunting abt Chichester, is expected home this night or to          
 morrow, her Rll Hss continues very Well.                                       
    The Earle of Arlington, Earle of Ossory &c haveing bene some tyme           
 Wind bound at ye Buoy in the Nore on Saterday last they past by ye             
 North foreland, but ye winds have bene soe high & contrary since that          
 wee have had noe farther account of them                                       
    The states have sent a Letter to his Maty to acquaint him that              
 theire allyes as well as themselves had agreed to his mediation,               
 The states have given their answer to ye Swedes Ambrs memoriall,               
 letting him know that they have alwayes bene Well inclined to a peace,         
 & had done their utmost to prevent a warr, but that france forcet              
 them to it notwthstanding ye Just satisfaction they offerd, & that they        
 had made noe allyance till france offerd such hard termes as could by          
 noe meanes bee accepted & that they should still pursue ye Warr how            
 Ruinous soever rather then submitt themselves to a Conquest, that haveing      
 Entred into an allyance they Could now doe nothing wthout their allyes.        
 As to ye buisness of the Prince of ffurstenb they could not by any             
 meanes intercede for him, hee haveing had the confidence to tell one of        
 their Ambrs that for 15 yeares hee had made it his buisness to destroy         
 them, & boasted himselfe ye author of all ye miseries that had befallen        
 them, as for the place for a Treaty they told him they were content wth        
 either franckfort or Hamburg.  But the whole discourse in Holland is of        
 a peace wth wch they much please themselves and talke as if they were          
 already assured of it.  & that ye Prince of Orange would suddenly come         
 over for England to further it.  The Empr Spaine, & Brandenb, the grand        
 allyes haveing already agreed as well as ye states for the carrying it         
 on.  Genll Rabenhaupt has left Grave, & was disposeing severall of his         
 Regemts in ffreizland & Groningen, but those of ffreizland would not           
 obey his orders, upon wch hee has given an account of ye same to the           
 Prince, & ye states desireing to know how hee should demeane himselfe          
 therein.                                                                       
    ffrom ffrance wee heare that tho peace bee the genll discourse              
 there, yet that King is makeing all possible Leavies for warr, dayly           
 Issueing out new Comissions & is Continueing all possible wayes &              
 projects for rayseing money to Carry on ye same for wch many proposealls       
 are now depending.  The Prince of Conde is very much indisposed of ye          
 Gout at Chantilly  Turene keeps his old post haveing sent his Horse to         
 quarter at a distance round him for more conveniency of provision              
 +The Chevalier de Rohan is not yet put to death tho dayly Expected,            
 there are in the Bastile 52 prisoners on ye same accot                         
    The Citty of Palermo have sent deputies to france to desire that            
 Kings protection as those of Messina did before, The Chevallier                
 Valbell, is much Comended for his service there Especially for haveing         
 forct ye Castle of St Salvador, who haveing made a floateing Castle            
 upon 3 ships soe Batterd ye other yt they were not in a condition to           
 hold out longer                                                                
    The assistance ye Genoeses gave to ye discont[ent]ed people of              
 Messina has soe far displeasd the Court of Spaine that they talke of           
 requireing a speedy account of them for it, & as is said orders are            
 given out for that purpose.                                                    
    The Duke of Lorraine is said to have 8000 men in & on ye fronteirs          
 of that Country, wth a designe as is said to surprize Nancy, hee               
 haveing held a correspondency wth some in yt towne, but upon discovery         
 of it severall of note are arested by ye french Kings order                    
    They still affirme from france that ye Swede will Certainly cut in          
 favour of that King & that they are already soe farr on their march,           
 that they Will bee before Berlin ere ye Elector of Bradenb can give            
 Reliefe  tis certaine ye Swedes are makeing new Leavies when [?] they          
 march toward ye provence of Schonen, & talke of Equipping a Considerable       
 fleet to bee ready agst next Spring, but there is a talke of a new             
 treaty betwt ye Empr King of Denmarke Elector of Saxony Duke of Lunenb         
 &c: by wch they stand obligd to make new Leavies to assist each other          
 agst any attempt of ye Swede                                                   
     L. c. 110     Novemb ye 21 1674                                            
 +My Ld Cheife Justice Hales has bene very ill of late, but is now              
 hopet in a Way of recovery.                                                    
    from Dover wee heare that Van Trumps Squadron past by there on              
 Tewsday morning wth 18 saile of Mercht men & as ye Duch merchts say,           
 to make up ye loss of their tyme they are freighted wth Bullion to a           
 very Considerable vallue.                                                      
    Our Merchts have againe recd advice from their factors in Italy             
 of ye Injuries done lately by ye privateers of Majorca (an Island              
 belonging to ye Spaniard in the Mediterranean) to severall of their            
 small ships tradeing to & from Barbary who upon pretense of searching          
 for Jews goods have seizd & carried into Port the Affrican Pink, as            
 not long since another English Vessell, selling part of ye ladeing,            
 & deteyneing them soe that they are petitioning his Maty for redress           
 in yt point that ye Barbary trade may not be Interupted &c:                    
    Count Monterey has alsoe Writt an answere to his Maty, giveing him          
 an account of his proceedings abt ye Insolencys of ye Ostend privateers,       
 telling him hee had sent for all ye Causes & Complaints of ye English          
 Merchts in that perticuler, to be brought before him, & would by an            
 extraordnary process, & speedy Course of Justice have them dispatcht wth       
 all Imaginable dilligence, & Endeavour to prevent ye same for ye future.       
    Noe foreigne packetts are yet Come in                                       
      L. c. 111    [Handwriting changes here.]     Novembr 26 1674              
 +Wee yesterday Eagerly suspected [sic] Letters from abroad but the Winds       
 did not favour, but last night Comeing Northerly we are in hopes to have       
 some this Night                                                                
 +Next weeke My Lord Pembrooke is to be married to my Lady Ariett Quarell       
 sister to her Grace the Dutchess of Portsmouth all things being now            
 prepared for it                                                                
    My Lord Vaughan has deferred his journey till next Weeke, the Weather       
 being soe Bad but that day senitt he hopes to sayle from Dover with all        
 his Company for Jemaica                                                        
    ffrom Barbadoes we have the Confirmacon of the last hurricane wch           
 hapened there some Moneths since, it did great mischeife to that place         
 but most of all at Meevis [sic], wch is very much injured by itt  The          
 Governour was expected every day when this ship that brought the Newes         
 came from thence                                                               
    The Treaty we heare goes on still on all sides soe that there is            
 some hopes this Winter may produce a Generall peace & his Maty the             
 sole Mediatr                                                                   
 +Its yet uncertaine whether the Sweedes are marcht to Berlin or no             
 But noe doubt theire intentions to enter action, severall signes of it         
 preparing every where by theire makeing Leagues in divers Countreys            
 The Dane has alsoe a very good Army on foot to oppose them so that             
 if Warr breake out betweene those Northerne Crownes we must not expect         
 reconsiliation soe suddenly                                                    
      From Dover we heare yt they begin there to feare the Harbour may          
 be spoyled with stormes, doeing dayly mischeife to it so that his Maty         
 does hasten his Surveyours to go & repaire it with all Speed and least         
 Imaginable Complaynt in Councell of the prejudice done to English              
 shipping by Makeing forreigne Botto[m]es free by giveing them Sea              
 breifes partculerly at Dover  his Maty to discountenance the same was          
 yesterday pleased to Committ the Mayor and his officers to Custody for         
 doeing the same (it being Contrary to his Royall pleasure &c:[)]               
      L. c. 112     November the 26 1674                                        
 +As yett wee have noe Dutch Letters and know nothing further of my             
 Lord Chamberlayne but what a Dutch Skipper is said to relate thus,             
 That on Munday Morning last he saw them upon the Coast of Zealand so           
 that thankes be to God they are escaped the last weeke Dreadfull storme        
 the like of wch has not been seene of late                                     
    The Latter end of this Weeke my Lord Vaughan goes hence to Dover            
 whither his ships are already Gon to take him in there; for his voyage         
 to Jamaica  On Saturday last the Duke of Yorke mett the King at Hampton        
 (where they dined wth ye D: of Lauderdale &c.[)]  So both returnd to           
 Towne that Evening,                                                            
    Some Letters from Paris say that ye Marquess de Vitrys son a person         
 of great Witt & accomplishment, being in Drinke & unruly in attempting         
 to breake the Lanthorne of the Palace Royall One of the Swisses Guards         
 minded not his quality & distemper shott him in the head of wch he             
 presently dyed to the great regreate of the King & court                       
    The sad effects of the late storme appeare in divers places But             
 perticulerly in the River above [?] Bridge where 7 persons were cast           
 a way and as many more narrowly escapeing & severall Leighters & small         
 ships sunk below Bridge also                                                   
    From Deale of 22 we heare that the day before happened a very sad           
 storme at N W wch forced severall ships from there Anchors & Cables            
 & drove them upon the Coast of ffrance where tis feared they will be           
 lost, theire sayles being blowne to peices, That they had there                
 also ye ill news from the Isle of Chanet of a Virginia man homeward            
 Bound yt was cast a way on the Backe of the Sandes yt one of his Matys         
 Yatchs was seen to be over sett & a sand wch they foundred at sea [?]          
 & another Boate ashore both laden and a dover ship of 120 Tuns from            
 Bourdeaux laden wch came a shore in Sandwch Bay, onely 40 hogsheads            
 of wine saved                                                                  
    ffrom Lyme of the 21 we are tould that there was come in there              
 a ship of that place from Bourdeaux in Company of 30 sayle wch she             
 lost sight of in the storme  She sayes there are severall ffrench men          
 of Warr in the Channell some of 60 Guns & the least 30 in all about            
 20 sayle  He mett 6 sayle of them together who were waiting for                
 dutch fleet in Torbay about 38 sayle 3 of wch men of Warr for Convoy           
 the vintage in ffrance has not hitt & wine & Brandy much dearer then           
 formerly                                                                       
    From Dover we heare the weather is so bad that noe mailes can goe of        
 till it cleare & none arrive hence wch is the reason of our want of newes      
      L. c. 113     [Handwriting changes here.]     Novemb ye 28 1674           
    ffrom all places wee still continue to heare of ye sad effects of ye        
 late storme, they tell us that 14 ships have bene lost betweene ye             
 Downes & Margate, in wch they suppose 300 men to have perrished,               
 besides sevell other ships in other places.                                    
      ffrom Southampton they tell us that a vessell arived there from ye        
 Canarys Informes that Capt Eaton who Comanded a Pink of Dover wth 6            
 guns, met in his passage a salley man of warr who Came thrice on board         
 him & was as often beaten off at last leaveing 2 Turkes behind him who         
 were soe much wounded that the Capt seeing noe hopes of recovery Causd         
 them to be throwne over board, & soe Came safe into ye Canarys                 
    Madam Boynton being lately marryed to the Earle of Roscommon, Mrs           
 Treavor Daughter to ye late secretary of state is made a maid of Honr          
 to ye Duchess in her Roome.                                                    
    On Saterday last a french man of warr of abt 40 guns Came to                
 Spitthead & soone after a Duch man of warr of 30 or 40 guns Came to an         
 anchor but a small distance from him, but ye Duch man sayleing downe           
 toward Cowes the french man went out againe to sea to Cruise, there            
 being severall french men of Warr Cruiseing abt the Isle of Wight              
    ffrom Vienna Wee heare that Count Oxensterne had soe Continued his         
 Instances wth ye Emprs ministers in ye affaire of ye Prince of                 
 ffurstemburg that at last hee had gaind this answere, that in favour           
 of ye peace they would put a stop to his process, & allow him a greater        
 liberty then was formerly given him in prison wch hee might make use of        
 till a peace should bee concluded & then ye Empr would grant a Genll           
 act of pardon upon wch hee may Come out wth Honr to ye Empr.                   
    ffrench Letters speake somewt Incertainly of Turenes army.  Some say        
 they are still at their old post, others that they are decampt, for wch        
 the greatest reason they give is that severall Emint officers of ye army       
 are Come to paris, But tis Certaine ye Gentlemen of ye Ban & ye arier          
 Ban are seperated from ye rest of ye army to make a body under de Crequi       
 for the defence of Lorraine if ye Enimy should attempt it.  The french         
 King is giveing out Comissions for 12000 Horse & 20000 foot, all his           
 Guards are to be augmented & some Companys doubled.  The Swedes are            
 accounted 15000 men in Pomerania, & 8000 in ye Bpprick of Bremen both          
 wch bodys are to joyne the Duke of Hannover  The Chevallier de Rohans          
 process is not like to bee Concluded soe soone as was Expected   tis           
 said hee swooned ye last tyme hee was brought before ye Judges.  The           
 Chapter of Leige has its said declared absolutely in favour of ffrance         
 The Chevallyer Valbelle is returned from Messina haveing left the              
 Castle of St Salvador in ye hands of ye french.  His most Xtian Maty           
 has Granted to ye Duke de Vermandoiz that hee shall take place as              
 a sonne of france of all ye princes of ye Blood.                               
    ffrench Letters newly Come in say that ye 27 the Chevalier de Rohan,        
 Madam de Villars, & a nephew to Truamont & Vander Eiden a Duch being           
 Convicted by their Owne Confession of haveing promised to deliver              
 Normandy into ye hands of ye Spaniard by Causing that provence to              
 revolt, were all Condemnd to dye, wch was yt day accordingly Executed,         
 ye 3 first beheaded, ye other hangd, Turene is Encampt at Ingweiler            
 2 Leagues from his former post  in his removall thither 7 squadrons of         
 ye Enimy attaqut his Reare, but finding ym in a condition to Recieve           
 them soone Retyred.  The Elector of Brandenburg resolves to give Turene        
 a disturbance if hee can from this soe convenient post, Turene is              
 fortifying Saverne & Hagenau, The Confederates have closely beleaguered        
 Treves, ye Elector of Treves forces have beseigd Blicastle a french            
 garison, ye Imperialists have reposest themselves of Dinant, from whence       
 ye french are marcht upon articles [?], & designe next upon Rochfort.          
      L. c. 114  [Handwriting changes here.]   Decemb 1 1674                    
 +On Saturday last my Lord Treasures Daughter Anne was Married to               
 Mr Cookes sonne of Norfolke (a person of vast Estate) at Wellingford           
 in the presence of divers persons of Honr                                      
     From the Hague of the 30 instant we heare that the Prince of Orange        
 is dayly present in the Councell of State makeing of a ffund for the           
 expenses of Next Spring & hopes to gett 15 Millions for it  There is           
 publisht an order of his Hiss that all officers of the Army repaire            
 presently to theire Quarters and upon report of Arming of the Swedes           
 the States have resolved to send a body of 12000 or 15000 men & the            
 Bpp of Munster now perfecly reconsiled to the States has offered ffree         
 passage for those Troups through his Country to watch the Motion of the        
 Swedes in Pomerania  They also speake of a squadron of men of Warr             
 to joyne with those of the Dane in the Sound to give them a diversion          
 also by sea  Upon all those resolutions Monsr Ernstein the Sweedish Ambr       
 has putt in a Memoriall in wch he indeavours to convince the States of         
 the untruth of the report of his Masters march; who he sayes desires           
 to live in perfect ffreindship with all his neighbours & therefore             
 hopes they will not Make those preparations till they are certaine of          
 his Masters intention  My Lord Arlington & Ossory landed safe in               
 Zealand the 20th instant ffrom whence they went towards the Hague but          
 the ill weather forced them to take in at William Stadt & weare                
 that day expected at Roterdam where they would make noe stay but               
 hasten to the Prince, who as well as all the people expected the               
 opening of theire business                                                     
 +ffrom Brussells of the 20th say that a party from St Omar & Agre in           
 goeing to raise Contributions mett 400 ffrench & brought to St Omar 200        
 prisoners  The Germans have taken severall posts about Phillipsburg.           
 The Governor would raise money but the poverty of the Countrey is              
 soe great that its scarce possible to gett much                                
    The Swedes have now declared in favour of ffrance & have appoynted          
 Pomerania                                                                      
    ffrom Phillipsburg the ffrench have some dayes past made a great            
 incursion into the Pallatinate burnt & pillaged many villages that             
 refused Contribution & taken 2000 head of Cattle                               
 +The Deputyes of Lunenburg have acquainted Generall Sporke that they           
 have granted him his way through theire Countrey and will furnish              
 him with all necessarys                                                        
    From Paris they say that the Duke de Enguien is ordered to come             
 into the new Conquest of fflanders upon wch he is marcht wth some              
 Troups towards Brussells & the ffrench are gathering together also             
 about Ipre upon wch Count Montery has ordered all his officers to              
 repaire to theire Comands & is himselfe goeing into fflanders to see           
 how the Troups are there & has also hastned the Subsides                       
    Treves is blockt up & the Dutch Troups are posted neere Navis [?]           
 The Elector of Brandenburg fforces have taken a very good passage in           
 Lorraine                                                                       
    The Lunenburg Troups the 15 sat downe before Overbergen.                    
    This Evening Generall Mariures [?] Treaty for all the World was             
 agreed before his Maty between his Commissioners & those of Holland            
 & the Terme of 3 Moneths prescribed by the late Treaty wch expires             
 that night prolonged for the ffinall adjusting the treaty of Commerce          
 East Indyes                                                                    
 [Note in different hand at end of letter:] Mr Hope/Pray peruse this, &         
 make sence of it if you can wthout the amendments above, & hereafter           
 pray seal all the letters wch you send to/Your freind RN./De: 4                
      L. c. 115   [Handwriting changes here.]   Decemb ye 3d 1674               
 +ffrom ye Hague of ye 7th inst wee heare yt Monsr Ernstein ye Swedes           
 Ambr had given ye States another memoriall wherein hee thankes them            
 for their speedy answere to his last, & hopes they will not misinterpret       
 his masters intentions, since they were declared to bee onely to oblige        
 all parties to a Cessation in order to a treaty for a genell peace, that       
 hee hopes since ye most Xtian King is resolved to restore ye D of              
 Lorraine that they will not stand upon niceties in ye manner of it &c:         
 Duch Letters also say that Count Oxenstern at Vienna had proposed to           
 that Court a Cessation & Hamburg for ye Congress, & yt if ye Empr will         
 release ye Prince of ffurstemburg the french King will admitt ye               
 Lorraine deputies soe wt ye effect will bee wee shall soone know, the          
 seige of Treves is given over, & ye Confederates goeing by degrees to          
 winter in alsatia                                                              
 +The french have sent their Baggage into Lorraine & will themselves            
 sudenly follow, Berlin is reinforct wth 1500 men & 8000 swedes to              
 be left in Pomerania & 17000 to enter Brandenburg  Ct Braher is sent           
 to Denmark from Sweden to desire that King not to medle in ye Contest          
 now in hand, ye Confederates Endeavr to make ymselves masters of               
 Liege                                                                          
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 7th wee heare that Ct Monterey wth ye M:                
 Bourgouene, & My Ld Castlehaven went Wendsday last for flanders to             
 adjust ye Subsidies for ye yeare Ensueing, that day severall Troupes           
 went thence for flanders, & those of Lorraine were alsoe marched toward        
 Leige to Joyne wth Monsr Lovigny they being resolved to make                   
 themselves masters of Leige in order whereunto the Imperiall army              
 have posest themselves of all ye Eminient posts abt ye Towne                   
    His Maty being informed that some ships of Tripoly had lately               
 seizd some English ships & taken out strangers merchants & their goods,        
 has sent to demand satisfaction  The french are giveing out Comissions         
 for 80000 men & ye Imperiallists for 60000  Monsr De la Hay has                
 signifyed from the Indies that hee maintaines a good defence agst              
 ye King of Golconda who is agst him wth 40000 men, Monsr Tonamont &            
 ye Duch man that sufferd were that morning put to ye question wch soe          
 weakened them that they were Carryed in Carts to Execution.  The Duch          
 man was soe tortured that hee was not able to stand & being directed to        
 ask pardon of god & the King answered of god hee did, but not of ye King       
    The Messineses are Endeavouring to make up a small body of an               
 army to take ye feild inviteing all ye rest to Joyne wth them upon             
 promise of freedome of their Citty, those of Cattania seeme resolvd            
 to follow their example haveing already raised tumults in ye Citty,            
 that which obligeth them ye more is that ye french hither to have              
 refused to take possession of any of their forts telling ym that ye            
 King their Mr intends ym assytance agst ye opresion of ye Spaniard             
 & not to make a prey of ym, soe now they talk of makeing themselves            
 a Comon wealth & ye french K their protector                                   
 [Note in same hand as rest of letter:] I am much sorry, & humbly begg          
 yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps pardon for ye faults of my last wch was thro my              
 servts neglect, but ye like for ye future shall bee endeav[our]ed to           
 be prevented by yo[u]r Worsps most humble servt/R Hope                         
      L. c. 116     Decembr ye 5 1674                                           
    His Maty being informed in Councell that severall persons have              
 notwthstanding ye care that has bene taken for necessary change, taken a       
 a liberty to disperse & utter farthings & halfepence other then those          
 provided by his Maty, has Orderd a proclamation to bee Issued forth            
 stricktly forbidding any such kind of change for ye future under ye            
 severest penalty ye Law can inflict                                            
    The Popes Nuncio in ffrance strongly sollicites yt that Kings               
 Ambr at Rome may be directed to wthdraw himselfe from ye interest              
 of ye Other Ambrs Concerned in ye present dispute wth ye Cardinall             
 Patron for priveledges, offering on that Condition to pass ye affaire          
 relateing to ye Land of St Lazer now in dispute, an Indulgence for             
 all ye Kings naturall children to hold Ecclesiasticall prefermts wch           
 has bene hitherto denyde, & a Liberty for ye King to pres[en]t to all          
 abbys & dignitys that are de la nominacon Royale, the Princes & states         
 of Italaly [sic] are Entring into a new League & Confederation for ye          
 preservation of ye peace of that Country & a mutuall defence in case of        
 any attaque, in wch respect is to bee had to ye affaires of Messina            
 +The Elector of Brandenb continues still in alsatia where hee pretends         
 to take up winter quarters, great sums of money have bene lately sent          
 to Count Wrangell, soe yt some action is sudenly expected, some say ye         
 Czarr of Muscouvy has offrd ye Empr to give the Swede a Powerfull              
 diversion in Livonia in case hee shall invade ye Empire or any part of         
 it, tis Certaine ye Prince of Orange intends wth a Considerable body           
 to Joyne the Elector of Brandenb to Oppose ye Swede, wth whom ye States,       
 notwthstanding ye specious pretences of their Ambr, seeme very ill             
 satisfyed wth for their not observeing the treaty of Elben, & their            
 desireing them to treat on very unequall termes, the Swedish Ambr              
 pretends his Master designes nothing agst Brandenb upon any other              
 accot but onely ye adjusting private differences betwixt ym, however,          
 ye States have given him this positive that they would assist ye               
 Elector of Brandenb agst any attempt made upon any of his territorys           
 on what account soever, upon wch ye Ambr has sent 2 Expresses to               
 Sweden to give notice of this their Resolution                                 
 +Tis said the Imperiallists have possest themselves of Brisack a very          
 Considerable place lately in ye french hands, & of much Import to them,        
 by ye Corruption of ye french Governr,                                         
 +The States to give the Swedes a more Considerable diversion talke of          
 prepareing a fleet to joyne wth ye Dane for that purpose, The Duke of          
 Lorraine wth a body of 8 or 9000 men is Endeavouring to reduce                 
 Burgundy, Genll Sporke since ye takeing of ye Castle of Hay, has made          
 himselfe master of severall other townes & places thereabt, & was              
 goeing toward Chimay to attaque that place, & seize ye Cittadell of            
 Leige                                                                          
      L. c. 117   [Handwriting changes here.]   Decemb 8th 1674                 
    Fryday last the Earle of Stratford was by his Matyes perticuler             
 Grace & favour Sworn and admitted into his honorable privy Councell            
      Sr John Chichley is made Master of the Ordinance of all England           
 with the usuall allowance to succeed in that great Employment after his        
 ffathers decease                                                               
      The Lady Harrietta Querrowell Sister to the Dutchess of Portsmouth        
 is made a denison of England & is on Thursday Next to be married to the        
 Earle of Pembroke                                                              
    ffrom ffalmouth we heare that 4 french men of Warr are gon out              
 thence to seeke purchase, and had sent in 2 or 3 Vessells and are              
 expecting the Holland Streights fleet wch are very richly laden &              
 dayly expected                                                                 
    Sunday Embargued Mr Lawrence Hide Sir Charles Scarborrough &c for           
 Rohan where the Earle of Clarenden lyes dangerously sicke if not               
 allready dead                                                                  
 +ffrom the Hague of the 14th instant we heare that my Lord Arlington           
 and Ossory were then at Amsterdam, but intended to be theire as [sic]          
 yesterday in order to theire Embarcations for England.  So that they           
 are expected here the latter end of this weeke                                 
    On Wednesday last the Sweedish Ambr gave in a Memoriall to the              
 State in wch he acquaintted them that the King of ffrance could not            
 consent to any place with in the Empire for the Treaty of Peace but            
 that he propounded Breda for that purpose & is ready to send his               
 plenepotentiary thither assoon as Satisfaction shall be given in the           
 prince of ffurstenburg concerns & for the money seized by the Emperors         
 order at Collogne an[d] this is observable that noe mention is made of         
 the Duke of Lorraine and if that place pickt was disliked by Spaine &          
 the Emperor That Ambr still gives them hopes that his master will not          
 engage in any action but continue his offices of peace, as long as they        
 may have hopes of prevailing, on the other side theire Ambr in Denmarke        
 informes that great endeavrs are acted by Sweden to take of that Crowne        
 from theire allyance with the States to wch purpose that King desires          
 the King of Denmarkes sister in Marriage and the King of ffrance offers        
 a portion of 2 Millions, upon wch they know not how those offers may           
 prevaile                                                                       
      L. c. 118    December 12 1674                                             
 +Mr Felton Groom of the Bed chamber to his Maty now owns his Marriage          
 with my Lady Elizabeth Howard Younger Daughter & Coheirre [?] to the           
 Earle of Suffolke and all perfect endeavours are used to make it               
 pleaseing to the Earle without Whose privaty it was done                       
    This Morning Early my Lord Cheife Justice Vaughan died at his               
 lodging in Towne after an indisposition of few houres  he will be              
 interred according to his quality, who will succeed him we know not yet        
 some say Mr Montague, Others, my Lord Cheife Justice Turner; and if the        
 latter carryes it the first will be made Cheife Barron in his roome but        
 a few dayes will Cleare this doubt                                             
 +ffrom Spaine they say they will pay the Prince of Orange part of what         
 they owe him for wch it was thought they would give him the Dukedome of        
 Lunenburgh, and quiet theire pretentions to Maestricht  Noe resolution         
 is yet taken there about a new Governour of fflanders, but it was              
 thought Don Juan after his haveing the Duke de Villa Hermosa Comands in        
 his place                                                                      
 +From paris of the 16th instant we heare that the Duke of Lorraine in          
 his retreate ffrom Espinall mett 5000 of horse sent to him by the              
 Elector of Brandenburg  That upon the removall of the ffrench Troups to        
 that place it was reported that they were goeing into Winter Quarters          
    But that Generall has ordered all his officers that they may not            
 expect any rest whilst the Enemy rest on this of that Rhyn [sic] & has         
 assured his Most Xtian Maty that he is able to Subsist 6 weekes                
 longer, wch the Germans he does beleive will not be able to doe  The           
 Imperiall and brandenburgh Troups Continues theire Quarters in Alsatia         
 and Mount Belliard  That Letters from Basle in Sweitzerland say that the       
 Cantons have had a Meeting wherein he has bin resolved that by reason of       
 the neare approach of the severall Armyes That it is necessary for them        
 to have a force on foot least any thing may be attempted to theire             
 prejudice and that accordingly they have in readiness 18000 men                
 +Monsr Chamilly late Governor of Grave is made Marshall de Campe with          
 The Command of 4 Regiments and a pension of 2000 Crownes setled on him         
 during life, and tis told he shall be Governor of Brisack  There is            
 publisht all foreigne Coynes [?] throughout the ffrench Dominions              
      The Spaniards are reputed to have received some late defeate  The         
 Messinasses & Severall Companyes of Swisses are ordered to march               
 towards Lorraine                                                               
    They say Sir Francis North Attorney Generall to his Maty is to be           
 made Lord Cheife Justice of the Common pleas in my Lord Vauhans roome.         
      L. c. 119    [Handwriting changes here.]    Decembr ye 13 '74             
 +Mr Balthazar St Michell is by his Maties order sent to ye tower of            
 London                                                                         
    Capt Eaton who in a ship of 6 guns & 11 men fought a sallee man             
 of Warr & kild abt 60 of his men haveing bene thrice boarded by him,           
 as an Encouragemt of such Bravery is presented by his Maty wth a               
 gold Chayne & Medall, two Rich Scanderoone ships are safely Come in.           
    The french King has Issued forth a declaration prohibiting all his          
 privateers to put into any Port of his Matys of great Brittaine, unless        
 forcet in for their Owne preservation & in that case not to stay above         
 24 houres under penalty of Confiscation ye forfeiture to go to ye use          
 of ye Hospitall that King is now building neare paris  hee has Wrott a         
 letter of Condoleance to ye Chevalier de Rohans mother, Causeing the           
 Queen & Dauphin to doe ye like protesting his great respect for ye             
 family, notwthstanding ye Mis Carriage of ye Chevalier                         
                   [Handwriting changes here.]                                  
 +The King has bin pleased to make Sir Francis North his Attorney               
 Generall Lord Cheife Justice of the Comon pleas in my Lord Cheife              
 Justice Vaughans roome upon whose removall Sir William Jones the               
 present Solicitor Generall is made Attorney Generall  Sir Francis              
 Winington Attorney Generall to the Duke is made Solicitor Generall             
 to his Maty  Sir John Chirchill Attorney Generall and Mr King of the           
 Temple made Solicitor to his Royall Highness                                   
 +My Lord Vaughan & Traine was Tuesday last Windbound at Deliles,               
 but we beleive he is since sayled, the Wind comeing yesterday faire            
 with a fresh Gale.                                                             
 +Last Night his Maty & divers persons of quality supped at Sir Robert          
 Parrs Chancellor of the Dutchy where they were Nobly entertained.              
 +ffrom Falmouth we heare that theire was come in there a ship from             
 Barbadoes wch said that before they came a way there happened a very           
 great Hurricane which did them much hurt both by loss of ships and             
 houses but that they had a very good hope this yeare                           
 +This day Letters from Holland of the 18/8 instant say that the next           
 day wch was on Wednesday last The Earles of Ossory and Arlington               
 intended to Imbarque for England.  That the States have caused an              
 Answer to bee returnd.  The Sweedes Ambr who by his Memoriall                  
 acquaintted them that they [sic] Most Xtian King thought Breda a proper        
 place for the Treaty, that Hamburgh was more Convenient, The Swedes            
 doe not yet begin to march; and the Dutch seeme to thinke that the             
 Brisk Answer wch the States made to the Swedes Ambr on that subject,           
 vizt That they would be forced to declare against them when they               
 attacked.  The Elector of Brandenburg has bin the Occation of theire           
 not haveing heard of the March of the Sweedes                                  
 +The Admiralty in Holland begin to be Imployed in the next yeares              
 Equipage by sea                                                                
 +It proves a Mistake what was said of Mr ffelton Marriage with my              
 Lad[y] Eliz. Howard is being quite disowned.                                   
     L. c. 120   [Handwriting changes here.]   Decembr 15 1674                  
 +Saterday Dr Burnett the Popish Priest being convicted of high treason         
 by ye Statutes for perverting his Matys subjects, was condemned to be          
 drawn hangd & quartered at ye usuall place of Execution                        
     Wee heare from Deale that on friday the Ld Vaughan & his Company           
 sailed from ye Downes wth an Indifferent good gale  as yet wee heare           
 nothing of ye arivall of ye Lds Arlington & ossory                             
    On Twelfe day the Principallest abt ye Court divert their Matys             
 wth a Play & Opera wherein ye Splendor & Grandeur of the English               
 Monarchy will bee seene                                                        
 +Letters from Brussells of ye 18th say that they had there a warme             
 report that ye Imperialists are Entred Burgundy wth 12000 Horse under ye       
 Conduct of ye Prince of Baden Durlack, whilst the Duke of Lorraine on ye       
 other hand is Entred his owne Teritorys wth a Considerable body, where         
 his subjects take up armes wth him  They say alsoe that Brisack is soe         
 streightned & soe many people in it that they will quickly be forcet to        
 great necessity, part of ye Imperialists are at Hay, & ye rest under           
 Genll Spork gone to quarter in Juliers Berg, Collogne, & wthin The             
 Teritorys of Aix la Chappelle wch gives great disatisfaction to those          
 Countrys, Maiestreicht is very much streightned.                               
 +Mr Gibson of Comb [Cumb?] is now Sr Isaak                                     
      L. c. 121     Decemb ye 17 1674                                           
    yesterday 4 of ye 9 men Condemned to dye last sessions for divers           
 offences were executed at Tyburn  ye old woman for Clipping of money is        
 to be burnt on fryday in Smythfeild  The Preist is repreived by his            
 Maty from present Execution till hee shall recieve a full Information          
 of the state of his Case, some thing haveing bene alleaged in his              
 favour wch seemes to mittigate his offence                                     
    One Monsr St Peirre haveing acquainted his Maty that hee hopes hee          
 hath found out ye Longitude, a Comittee of ye Royall Society are               
 appoynted to make a tryall, it being of very great Concerne to this            
 nation if it could bee done Effectually                                        
    This day Came ye news of ye Death of ye Earle of Clarendon at Rohan,        
 his body is to be brought over into England for interrmt wth ye rest of        
 his family                                                                     
    ffrom Vienna wee heare ye Empr has acquainted ye Swedish Ambr that          
 hee is very willing to admitte of a Cessation provided ye french               
 Imediately quitts ye Empire & Lorraine & franch Compte as members of it,       
 & proposes Lubeck as ye place of Treaty, but the Prince of furstembergs        
 concernes continue in ye same uncertainty                                      
    Turene wee heare is resolvd to make the Imperalists repass ye Rhyne         
 or fight him & is therefore marcht toward them,                                
    The Duch have beseigd St Thome in ye East Indies, & very much               
 distresst it, The french Governr of ye place haveing bene unfortunately        
 killd in a salley by a shott from ye towne.                                    
    from Madrid wee heare that ye Queen Regent was begining to forme the        
 young Kings household in order to his takeing ye Governmt into his Owne        
 hands.  That ye first the Ct de Molina late Amb in England dyed there.         
 The Spaniards are said to be raiseing 15000 foot & 25000 horse for the         
 reduction of Messina                                                           
 +ffrom The Hague wee heare that ye Prince is dayly present in Councell         
 abt ye preparation for next spring, The forces for East freizland are          
 as yet retarded by reason the Swedes are not yet Entred into action, 3         
 Regimts of Duch are gone into Wesell & Leipstat to give leave for the          
 Brandenburgers to march toward Minden  The Elector of Collogne is saide        
 to have streightly forbidden all his relation & domesticks from                
 Corresponding wth the Bp of Stratzburg. They say the D of Lorraine has         
 Certainly possest himselfe of some places in his Country, The                  
 Imperialists designe if they can to take up their winter quarters in           
 Burgundy that soe they may begin their Campaigne in the Enimies                
 Country.                                                                       
 +Our Lds are not yet arived from Holland                                       
    Tis feard Sr Tho. Norton will bee dead.                                     
      L. c. 122     Decemb ye 19 1674                                           
    His Maty haveing bene pleasd to honr ye Citty of London by being            
 made free of ye same this day the Ld Mayor & Court of alderm came in           
 their formallitys to returne him their humble thankes, & presented             
 him wth a Coppy of his freedome in a Very Large Box of gold, the               
 seales of wch were alsoe inclosed in a gold Box set wth precious               
 stones wch his Maty most graciously recd, & sent them away Extreamely          
 satisfyed with their Reception                                                 
    The poore old woman that should have bene burnt in Smythfeild, is by        
 his Matyes repreived & ordred to be transported.                               
    My Ld Vaughn Continues Wind bound in ye Downes nor are ye Earles of         
 Ossory & arlington yet arived                                                  
    ffrom Brussells of ye 25 wee heare that ye Confederates have                
 streightly blokt up Brisack & phillipsburg soe that noe succours can           
 come to them  neither are ye french like to Endeavr it Monsr Turenes           
 Army being soe broken that his horse is gone into france fresh troups          
 being to come in their roome   Genll Waldeck who was to march to ye            
 Elector of Brandenbs assistance is now goeing on another Errant from ye        
 Prince of Orange to Vienna.                                                    
    They say ye Messinois being driven to great streights are like to           
 make an accomodation wth Spaine wch ye french endeavour to hinder, the         
 Spaniards have lately taken 3 ships laden wth provisions goeing to them.       
    ffrom the Hague wee heare the Swedish Amb has put in another                
 memoriall, wherein hee desires them to alter their minds abt Breda but         
 has litle hopes to succeed, the states haveing publisht their answere          
 to it in print, the Prince of Orange has in a Councell of Warr resolvd         
 to have a genll Rendezvouz before hee disbands ye 333 Companys in              
 whose roome hee proposes to raise 120 Companies in 10 Regimts                  
 +The Empr has put Prince Lobcowitz Secretary to ye question who has            
 confest soe much that fresh guards are put upon that Prince                    
    The states Genll have Resolved to Equipp 30 men of Warr to bee an           
 ExtraOrdnary squadron to attend ye motion of ye swede, they have               
 resolvd to make ye same sea preparations as in 1672, & are sending             
 out 2 squadrons of 12 fregatts each to secure their merchants ships.           
    Don Juan is made absolute Governr of flanders.  The King of                 
 Spaine has taken upon him ye Governmt of his Kingdome,                         
    The Duch forces are still in ye Electorate of Collogne & will not           
 stirr thence till that Elector has paid 60000 Crownes for Over Issell          
 & 29000 for arears of Contribution                                             
    It seemes the Earle of Pembroke was not marryed till this day. when         
 ye Bp of Durham marryed them                                                   
 +sunday last one of ye sheep Killers was taken in Strettenfeilds [?] &         
 was by Sr Hillwarr Skipwith sent to Warrwick Goale                             
      L. c. 123    [Handwriting changes here.]    Decemb 22 1674                
 +By a Ship come from Cadiz we heare that Sir John Norborough & mr              
 Brisbane haveing taken in theire the money for the redemption of the           
 Captives was sayled for Algire from whence we expect sudainely a good          
 account of that business to the content of his Maty and those people.          
    This day the Wind comeing a little Northerly we hope my Lord                
 Vaughan wth his Company is sayled from the Downes                              
    We still impatiently expect my Lord Chamberlayn & Earle of Ossory,          
 The tyme of 2 Moneths being agreed for Continueing the Marine Treaty           
 between us & Holland  The States have sent back a Ratifycation of it           
    Mr Cranfield & Captaine George thinke of departing sudainly for             
 Surriam to adjust the Affaires                                                 
    The Baron de Bergyke arrived here from fflanders on thursday last           
 he continues yet incognito & is to take on him the Charrector of the           
 Envoy from the Court of Spaine and is to reside here till Ranguillo            
 arrives                                                                        
    This day my Lord Cheife Justice Vaughans body is to be buryed wth           
 All ye publique Solemnity befitting his degree to wch it will be               
 attended by the persons & Coaches of divers of great quality as well           
 as the Long Robes, he being a person very much beloved.                        
 +My Lord Duras is dayly expected here from Paris where he has bin              
 serving the most Xtian King all the last summer                                
    His Maty talkes already of goeing next spring to Winsor where The           
 Castle is begun to be altered & made more fitt for his Residence every         
 Summer                                                                         
    ffrom Paris we heare that King is about to make 3 Marshalls of              
 ffrance, and the Duke de Luxemburg the Duke de Duras & the Marquis de          
 Rochforts are said to be the persons intended  The Marshall Turene is          
 expected at paris very shortly haveing they say resolved to give his           
 men some rest this winter & sent them into quarters, tho some advices          
 say he is gon into Burgundy to impede the Imperalists entring into it          
      The Danish Letters say that King is makeing great preparations for        
 warr as much as he could were the Swedes really in action  They give           
 out that he is to assist the Elector of Brandenburg in case he should          
 be disturbed by them, all theire Army is ready to march upon the first         
 Notice                                                                         
    The ffrench Ambr continues there in expectation of a Marriage               
 between the King of Sweden and that Kings Sister wch the ffrench would         
 helpe forward.                                                                 
      L. c. 124     Decemb 24 1674                                              
 +With our Letters from Jamaica by the last Ships came Copyes of                
 Commissions & instrucons sent to the ViceRoy of New Spaine the                 
 Marquess de Maistern from ye Queen Regt by wch she gives direction,            
 takeing notice of the Warr between ffrance and them and the dayly              
 pyra[cies] Comitted by severall Nations on theire Coasts, upon                 
 pretense of Cutting Loogwood and other fruites & Commodityes peculiarly        
 belonging to Spaine to issue out private Commissions to all that would         
 take them against whomsoever they would find doeing acts of Hostility          
 agt that Crown, but with a Caution not to doe any thing repugnant to any       
 League with princes in amity with them.                                        
    ffrom Messina we heare the Spanish Viceroy has ordered all the              
 inhabitants of Sycilly to send in theire Money or men for the Reduceing        
 of Messina & has Entertained a ffamous Captaine of the Bandits with all        
 his Men whom he has pardoned on this occation                                  
    ffrom Germany we heare that the Dutch troops under Mr ffarrio have          
 past by Collogne much weakned by sickness and deserters                        
      Mr Turene at the head of his Army is marching by little Journeys          
 towards Besart with intentions to winter in ye upper Alsatia                   
      A party of 250 of his men meeting with a party of the Enemy               
 skermized so long till they kild 200 of them & so retyred, but lost            
 theire Comander The Count de Bourlemont & others prisoners                     
    The Imperiallists & confederate Troops Oblige all places even free          
 Cittys to admitt of Garrisons to theire great Trouble  The Swedish Ambr        
 att Vienna waites still for an answer to his Memoriall about a Suspension      
 of Armes and the Prince of ffustenburgs liberty wch he will have when          
 the Currier sent about it returns from Spaine, the approach of this            
 festivall has made all business bee adjourned till after the 12th dayes        
    The Last advices from Suratt april 1st give us an account of the Care       
 & endeavours used there for the liberty of our Countrey men who were           
 taken in ye English East India ships by the Dutch, who tho they shown          
 some Kindnesses to the officers & sett severall of them on shoare yet          
 they have been as severe to the private men keeping many of them in            
 yrons to force them by that meanes to accept theire pay & enter upon           
 theire service, as some of them have already done, St Thome continued          
 beseiged tho little action past The Dutch lying onely entrenched in            
 expectation of theire Generall who was bringing a fleet from Ceylon with       
 all the force Could well be made to joyne them  Victualls grow very            
 scarce in St Thome there being not then far about 2 Moneths left               
 insomuch that they had turnd out the Blackes & Musteeses & many of             
 theire Owne people ran dayly to the Moores soe that at the Arrival of          
 the Dutch Generall it was expected that place would surrender                  
      L. c. 125     [Handwriting changes here.]     Decemb ye 26 1674           
 +Letters from Monsr Turene of ye 22d say that hee was Encampt wth              
 all his army at Remiremont, but intended to march thence ye next day           
 wth a resolution to fight ye Enimy or make them quitt ye feild, tho they       
 are much ye stronger, hee haveing but 20000 men Effective besides Cavalry      
    The Cantons of Swisserland have bene acquainted by the Elector of           
 Brandemb that the approach of ye Confederate army toward french Compte         
 Shant prejudice them, but they however resolve to stand upon their guard       
    Wednesday last Came to towne my Ld Duras, Coll Churchill & some             
 french Noblemen from ye army, whom they say left in a very good                
 Condition                                                                      
    from Harwich of ye 24th Wee heare that ye yacht full of souldrs             
 mentioned in ye Gazett was Come on shoare, ye Day before the souldrs in        
 it mutinyd agst their officers, & abt 30 or 40 of them got to land & are       
 gone to their homes                                                            
    ffrom Brussels of ye 28th wee heare that the states of Leige have           
 Recd his Impell Maties finall answere by the Baron de Isola, that his          
 Impell Maty will not admitt of their Neutrallity in this Warr, but that        
 they must declare themselves for the Confederates or Else his Impll Maty       
 will bee forcet to take other measures then hither to hee has, wch             
 answere has put them into great Confusions  neither have they yet              
 resolvd uppon any thing abt it.                                                
    ffrom Stratsburg of the 21th wee heare that Monsr Turene is                 
 unexpecedly advancet wth fresh troups to hinder the Imperiallists from         
 Entring into Burgundy as alsoe for Releife of Befort Lanscroone &              
 Brisack, but ye greatness of ye snow has put a stop bothe to ye march of       
 the Confederates & him, & that ye passages of those places were soe            
 guarded that its thought Impossible for Monsr Turene to force them.            
   Here is come an Express from argier sent presently from thence after         
 Sr John Narbrow's arivall wth advice that hee finds those people very          
 much inclined to Continue their amity & peace wth his Maty, & accordingly      
 promise to adjust the matter of the Captives out of hand wch hee is            
 therefore goeing uppon.                                                        
 [Handwriting changes here.  Next paragraph is practically the same as          
 the last paragraph of L. c. 124, except that in that letter the Dutch          
 general expected to bring a fleet from Ceylon is not named; his name in        
 this letter is "Rooklast (?)."]                                                
 +The Count de Chamilly is declared Governor of Oudenard  The Commander         
 Valbelle & the Marquess de Valvoir are embarqued at Toulon and gon out         
 of the Haven with 6 great men of Warr & severall vessells of provisions        
 & Ammunition for Messina & shall be followed with 6 other men of Warr          
 on January 15th at farthest                                                    
 +The Marselles Letters Dat 18th tell us the Spaniards had taken a Tartan       
 bound for Messina with the Kings pacquett and that Prince Monteserchio         
 laid about the Island 20 sayle of ships to hinder provisions goeing to         
 them of wch they were in great want                                            
    The Hague Letters dat 15th say the English Lords were on theire             
 return thence on the Morrow for England                                        
     L. c. 126     [Handwriting changes here.]     Decemb ye 29 1674            
    ffrom Holland wee heare that the 28th instant ye Prince of Orange           
 treated the Earles of Ossory & Arlington at Sheveling where they lay           
 Expecting a wind to Embarque for England                                       
    ffrom Brussells Janry ye 2d wee heare that by an Express from the           
 Duke of Lorraine to ye Prince Vaudemont they had an account of a late          
 Engagemt neare Maries Mines upon the borders of ffranche Compte betwixt        
 some Lorraine Troops & 1200 of Monsr Turenes army wherein ye latter were       
 defeated 200 being kild, & ye rest disperst                                    
    ffrom Hamburg of ye 28 wee heare yt ye Swedes are Countermanded &           
 those that were departed from Wismar are returnd thither  all ye rest          
 are still in their quarters in Mecklenburg & Pomeren, because Count            
 Oxensterne is said to have written in his last letters that there was          
 now more hopes of peace then Ever                                              
 +an English vesell laden wth Pilchards for the Streights was lately            
 taken by a sallee man of Warr  This is all, by the last, [Letter ends;         
 first verso and second recto are blank.]                                       
     L. c. 127     Decemb ye 31 1674                                            
 +ffrom Paris Jan ye 5th wee heare yt Monsr Sourdis & 2000 Horse                
 haveing bene drawn out by Turene mett at ye passage of a small River           
 in the fforrette 2 squadrons of the Enimy wch hee Easily Chased, but           
 was surprised by 22 squadrons more wch by the advantage of a wood lay          
 undiscoverd, soe that hee was obliged to a disorderly retreat till             
 assistance came up from ye body of the army by wch he gave ye Enimy            
 a fresh defeat & remayned masters of ye passage   Monsr Turene being           
 advised of wt had past came up & Encampt in ye same place where this           
 Encounter had bene the perticulars of wch are expected, this report            
 being brought onely by Monsr Brouly['s?] valet de Chambre who came for         
 a surgeon for his master who was wounded in ye Encounter                       
 +The Ld Clarendons body is come into ye River  his Maty has given leave        
 that it shall be privately interrd                                             
 +ffrom ffrance wee heare that ye Marshall de Crequi Continues Indisposed       
 at Metz, The guardes du Corps are put into Winter quarters abt Paris,          
 Orders are sent into Languedock to make Considerable Leavies there, &          
 Deputies Come up from the said provence to Complaine of their being            
 obligd to quarter Souldiers notwthstanding 2 millions granted by ym to         
 his Maty in Consideration of being exempted, Marshall D' Albrett alsoe         
 is sent into Guiene to make Leavies wch wth those of Languedoc are to          
 bee sent into Bousillon                                                        
    The King has Comanded Madame de Blois his naturall Daughter to take         
 upon her the title of Madame de Vanjour her mother haveing sent her            
 Resignation of it to his Maty                                                  
 +The King has given 2000 frankes to Every Capt of Horse to provide             
 them a fresh [sic], & 900 to each Capt of foot to cloath his men.              
 +ffrench Letters speake ye demands of ye Confederates soe unreasonable         
 yt they cannot Expect much from a treaty at present & are therefore            
 wth ye greatest Eagerness Carrying on their Leavies & warlike                  
 preparations, for ye Encouragemt of those that goe to sea the King             
 will allow a 10th part of ye prizes more yn formerly Could bee                 
 pretended to & for furnishing ye army at land Comissions are dayly             
 given out & they talke of a project of granting Letters of Nobillity           
 to 10000 men who shall upon that account serve 3 yeares at their owne          
 charge  wee dayly expect to heare of another Engagemt the armys lyeing         
 wthin sight of each other & onely parted by a litle river soe yt they          
 cannot avoid fighting                                                          
      L. c. 128     [Handwriting changes here.]     January 2d 1674             
 +Last Night dyed my Lady Vyner [?] wife to my Lord Mayor at his house          
 in Lumberdstreet to the great greife of his Lordship  she will be              
 interred publiquely and with very much solemnity                               
    His Maty has been pleased to order Mr Burnett the Convicted Romish          
 preist to be transported without any pardon Leaveing the sentence in           
 force to be putt in execution against him if ever he returns into any of       
 his Matyes dominions and accordingly he is departing forth with                
    Two dayes agoe came hither the Baron de Bande and is this Night to          
 see his Maty  he tooke this Court in his way from Sweden whence he comes       
 in the quality of Envoy extraordnary to reside at Paris who is ordered         
 to returne home.                                                               
 +On Wednesday last the King and Court put on mourneing upon advice from        
 the Elector of Brandenburg of the death of his Eldest Sonne                    
    The Brussells Letters of the 5th instant say that the Letters from          
 the Hague of the 1st instant advise them that the Prince of Orange             
 returnd thither & that day dyned with the Earles of Ossory and Arlington       
 and went that Evening to his house at Honn [?] Cordake, The Count de           
 Horne was sent to Gorcam to adjust some differences and ten Companyes of       
 the Marine Regiments ordered to the Brill where some English Companyes         
 upon report of theire being to be disbanded caused some disorder and           
 seizeing a vessell of 6 guns Embarqued for Dunquerke                           
    ffrom Germany of the 28 past they say that Major Generall Schutz is         
 sett downe before Brisacke and hopes to be master of in 8 dayes, if            
 Marshall Turens succours hourely expected prevent him not                      
    ffrom Brussells of the 8th instant we have Letters wch speake not of        
 the Engagement between Monsr Turen and the Confederates who are drawing        
 together to fight ye ffrench in case they attempt to releife Brisach wch       
 is much streighted                                                             
    In Holland theire preparations goe on very effectually for the Next         
 Campagne a considerable progress being made therein and so also in             
 Germany Count Montery has not yet orders to returne but his Lady parts         
 the latter end of this Moneth  The Emperors young Daughter the Dutchess        
 of 2 Moneths old is lately dead to the great greife of that Royall             
 ffamily, being yet without an heir                                             
 +Madam Hopkins of Stoake was this day brought to bed of a Sonne &              
 heire,                                                                         
      L. c. 129     January 5 1674                                              
 +From ye Barbadoes we heare that his Excellency Sir Jonathan Atkins            
 the Governor landed there ye last of October past and was very kindly          
 received by the Councell and people who have great hopes of his happy          
 Govermt                                                                        
    ffrom Leghorne we heare that theire is very lately come in a very           
 rich ship from Allexandria who upon her comeing to that place in order         
 to open a Trade wch has for these many yeares been kept from us ye             
 Basha of Egypt sent for them and kindly used them with proffers of a           
 free trade for the future  there was then noe Ship in that port of             
 Leghorne But the English soe great is our Trade at prsent.  They say we        
 shall suddenly have a Governor named for Tangyer and it will be my Lord        
 Inchequin  We expect my Lord Ossory and Arlington the Winds comeing            
 yesterday faire                                                                
    ffrom Paris of the 9th instant we heare that they had advice by the         
 Courier ye 7th that Monsr Turene haveing a designe to succour Brisach          
 wch was very much preposted by the Enemy and in great want of men              
 marched with the Maine Body of his Army to the River Sennay with               
 resolution to force the passage where 4000 of the Enemey had posted            
 themselves wch effected with such success yt with a Considerable Number        
 of prisoners he has made himself master of theire Baggage & Cannon &           
 haveing advice that they were retreated towards Newbourg in great              
 confusion was marched all night after them in hopes to expect some of          
 them  from Colmar and Stratburg of 3d instant we heare that the 19/29          
 past there hapened an Ingagemt between ye two Armyes was [near?]               
 Malhausen where a body of 4000 ffrench horse most of the Kings household       
 under the Command of Lt Generall Montauben fell upon 4 Regiments of the        
 Confederates posted at the River Ile to secure the passage to that place       
 and defeated them with Considerable advantage but being pressed by a farr      
 greater body under the Command of the Marquss de Raden & Caprara they          
 were forced to returne to the River with very great loss on both sides         
 but most on the ffrench men of whose [sic] Command were taken prisoner         
      L. c. 130     Janary 8 1674                                               
 +To Morrow severall pirates lately taken at Sherness under the Command         
 of Capt Cusacke with divers others, some for refuseing to strike to            
 his Matyes fflage, others for takeing our ships, and 10 are to by [sic]        
 tryed in all  25 of the Old Bayly, by a speciall Comission directed to         
 the Judge of the Admiralty and divers Judges and Justices of the               
 Gaole delivery where will be a very great thronge of all sortes of             
 people, the like have not happened this many yeares  The principall            
 of them Captaine Cusacke yesterday Morning broke prisson and as yet            
 is not heard of But dillegently pursued to be brought to Justice for           
 the many offences of that Kind said to be done by him                          
    This Morning my Lord Ossory and Arlington arrived here & were               
 graciously received by theire Matyes and Royall Highness and the Whole         
 Court  His Maty they say is about to issue out his proclamation                
 to prohibbitt all his Seamen for serving in forreigne Bottomes, wch            
 thing has bene tooke notice of by the Algerins & others & desired by           
 them for preventing his Matyes Subjects being made slaves in actuall           
 service agst them                                                              
 +Who my Lord Chamberlaine [?] the ffamous Dutch Commander Van Trumpe,          
 who has begged leave of his Matyes & Royall Highness to lett him have          
 the Honour to Kiss theire hands                                                
 +His Maty receiveing intimation of the Bpp of Stratburg intention to           
 come to see this Court he has ordered a Yatch for his Transportation           
   From Leghorne of the 29 past we heare that the Marquess de Villavoyess       
 the ffrench Governor of Messina was arrived there with 7 men of Warr &         
 other ships with provision to the great joy of those people who began          
 to be discontented upon 2 or 3 little defeates they had received   The         
 march of the Swedes into Brandenburg causes much trouble in Germany, we        
 heare they have certainely seized upon Leichnetts a passage 4 Leagues          
 from Stetin and intended to Winter theire whole Army in Brunslow but as        
 yet make noe violent attempt, but pay for all they take, yet this March        
 is looked upon as a breach of peace, entring in to another princes             
 terrotoryes without any reason  Brelin [sic] has 8000 men in it 300            
 peices of Cannon, where they have seized on a ffrench Gentleman as a           
 Spie whom they pretend came to gett that Citty putt into the hand of the       
 Swede                                                                          
     L. c. 131   January 9 1974                                                 
 From Stratburg of the 7 they say that the Electorice of Brandenburg is         
 arrived there with all the Baggage from Colmar wch confirmes the people        
 in the beleife of the Common report that the Germans have been beaten,         
 as also do the advises from Brandenburg yt ye Swedes are Entred into           
 that electorate with a great Army and Traine of Artillary wch they thinke      
 come not to be Idle and hereupon the Electr of Brandenburg write to the        
 Prince of Orange to hasten those forces ye States promise upon this            
 occation to send to his Assistance himselfe resolveing to returne home         
 with all his Army very suddainely                                              
 +The Imperiallists Wintering in Julyers fortifie themselves to prevent         
 the courses dayly made from Maiestricht   Yesterday at the Old Bayly           
 was also tryed Capt Cuisacke for pyracy being retaken that Morning             
 with severall of his accomplices and found Guilty upon wch the Court           
 adjourned till to Morrow                                                       
 +ffrom Brussells of the 25th they write that it was there acknowledged         
 that the 5th instant the ffrench [and?] Confederates fought that               
 the latter were worsted Colmar taken & Brisach releived upon wch they          
 said 12000 Dutch were Imbarqued at Bergen upon Zoon to come towards            
 those partes & ye officers commanded to theire Garrisons                       
 +From Copenhagen they write that at the pressing instances of the              
 Elector of Brandenburg yt King was prepareing to send him succours as          
 well by sea as Land & was prepareing the ffleet to blocke up the Sound         
 +ffrom Brussells of the 26 they say that the Stratburg Letters of 10           
 then arrived said that the Confederates had there passed the Rhyn that         
 the Troops of Munster are disbanded & those of the Elector of                  
 Brandenburg hast home and the Confederates retreating towards                  
 Wirtingburg.  [Handwriting changes here for just this sentence:]               
 +Madame Ann Norton, 2d Daughter to Sr Thomas is deliverd of a Daughter         
 in London, haveing (as is said) bene marryed above a yeare to one              
 Capt Russell, now in Holland, a private mariage tho to advantage               
      L. c. 132      January 11 1674                                            
 +On Saturday last the Commission of Oyer and Terminer at the Old Bayly         
 ended where Capt Cuisacke one Harber & 6 other pyratts were commanded          
 [above this word "condemned" is written in another hand] to dye for            
 severall offences in that kind  The 2 first are onely to dye & the other       
 6 have received his Matyes gratious reprive in order to theire                 
 transportation & Bartholott the ostender fined 400 L and his Left &            
 master 50 [?] L each and is to remaine in prisson till this fine is paid       
      Last Night Her Royall Highness fell into Labor & about 8 was              
 delivered of a dau to the great satisfaction of his Maty and Royall            
 Highness & the whole Court who have been this Morning to give her joy and      
 are very Glad to find her in so good health as thanks be to God she is         
 +His Maty has they say been lately pleased to dissolve his Councell            
 of Trade & plantacon and orders are issued out for it accordingly              
 +My Lord Incheqin the new Governor of Tangyer intends within a                 
 Moneth to goe to Ireland from whence he will Imbarque for his Goverment        
 +ffrom paris of the 16 they say that one of Monsr Turens Genells was           
 arrived there with standarts taken from the Enemey in the last fight           
 with the whole relations of that action wch is to be published very            
 sudainely  the sd Genll has excused himselfe from waiteing upon his            
 Maty, designeing this winter to take up his quarters for the remaineing        
 part of it, in the Enemeys Countrey, They theyre say that Stratburg has        
 shut theire Gates against the Confederates since theire defeates and doe       
 demand of them the forts that command that Bridge, but they say the D of       
 Lorraine was there himselfe, all ye Governors and other officers are           
 Orderd to theire severall Commands by the 15th of the Next Moneth his          
 Maty haveing declared he will in person begin the Campagne very early          
 this Spring  great recruites are sent To Monsr Turen to assist him in          
 pursueing his advantage he has obtained against the Enemey and the King        
 has sent to the Chapter of Leige to pay Contributions proportionable to        
 what they have already payd  the Confederates resolved to treat them noe       
 longer as Neuter                                                               
 +Dr Neill Deane of Rippon being dead his Maty has gave it Dr Tully             
      L. c. 133     [Handwriting changes here.]     Jan: ye 14 1674             
 +Wee have from Sweden a transcript of ye heads of ye late treaty wth           
 france by vertue of wch they now Enter into the Electorate of Brandenb         
 wch are that in Consideration of a subsidy of 800000 Crownes to be paid        
 by france to them for 10 yeares whither in peace or Warr, they are to          
 furnish an army of 20000 men to be brought into ye Electorate of               
 Brandenb by ye last of Novemb to act Joyntly wth france agst that              
 Elector & his allyes for haveing forsooke his former treaty wth france         
 in the begining of the warr & all they shall suffer on this account            
 france is obligd to make good to them.                                         
    ffrom Paris of the 19 wee heare yt notwthstanding the Resolution of         
 Turene to pass ye Rhyne & quarter his troups in the Enimies Country, it        
 has pleasd his Maty to direct him to Returne to Court to take a litle          
 Ease after such a labourious summer & winter, & alsoe to Consult wth           
 him abt next Campaigne, & accordingly hee is Expected there in 6 dayes.        
 tis said the Confederates have alsoe past ye Rhyne & the Magistrates of        
 Stratzburg in possesion of the bridg & ye 2 forts neare it, wch Monsr          
 Turene has demanded may be put into his hands till ye End of ye warr           
 wch they of ye Towne desired since ye returne of the Confederates. They        
 speake there very much of a peace in Order to wch tis said his Most            
 Xtian Maty is Willing to grant a genll passport to all ye Plenepotentiaryes    
 of the interested Princes under wch those of ye Duke of Loraine are to         
 be Comprehended, the Prince of ffurstenb to be put into the Popes hands        
 till matters be decided, & as to ye place, hee referrs it to ye mediators      
 provided they choose noe towne depending on ye house of austria, tis           
 said the severall Genlls of the Confederates have dispatcht Couriers to        
 Vienna wth Complaints one agst ye other of ye miscarriages of the last         
 action,  Monsr Turenes Troops are Ordered to be quarterd neare Mell &          
 Meaux, its beleived there yt ye Crownes of Sweden & Denmarke have a            
 present understanding between ym by ye interposition of france                 
 +Some letters attribute the Cheife success of the last action to the           
 Duke of Munmths Regimt who Received the Enimies shot till they came up         
 to their very faces & then haveing powred their owne shott upon them,          
 fell in upon them wth Butt End of Muskett & forcet them from their Post.       
 +Mr James Churchill lately Come [from] france is made Lieut Coll to the        
 Duke of yorkes Regimt, & Mr Grayham, Capt of ye foot Company that was          
 Mr Churchills                                                                  
    Van Trump Continues here still haveing bene nobly treated by most           
 of ye principal persons of ye Court                                            
 +The Duchess of yorke Continues very well                                      
      L. c. 134     Jan: ye 17 1674                                             
 +Letters from Holland will not yet owne that ye Confederates in the late       
 action betwixt ye french & them on ye 5th instant were at all worsted,         
 but on ye Contrary say that ye french were repulsed, However that Monsr        
 Turene moveing wth his army as if hee intended to get betweene them &          
 Stratzburg from whence they were supplyed wth provisions, to prevent           
 that they Retreated, but afterward found their mistake, that ye 11 The         
 Confederates repassed ye Rhyne at Stratzburg wch ye Duch Confess               
 themselves extreamely surprised at & know not what to Impute it to             
 except to ye great desire of ye Elector of Brandenburg to goe homeward         
 to looke after his owne Countrey, or to some great disagreement among ye       
 Genlls                                                                         
 +The Swedes in Pomerania have divided their army into three bodyes             
 wth wch they are marcht into ye Territorys of the Elector of Brandenb.         
 Tis said they forbeare any Hostillity till they receive ye Electors            
 answere to a proposeall made by ye Swedes that if hee will leave ye            
 interest of The Confederates they will returne home wth their troups           
 The States Genll upon ye news of the march of the Swedes have declared         
 yt ye Empr, ye King of Spaine & themselves will assist ye Elector of           
 Brand. wth their whole force, & that Denmarke shall be Cald upon               
 to put the treaty not long since Concluded betweene him & ye allyes            
 in Execution  The said allyes faithfully promiseing that they will             
 punctually pay the subsidies according to ye obligation of that treaty,        
 The genll opinion is that ye Duch will forthwth cause some of their            
 troops to march into ye Duchy of Bremen to give the Swedes a diversion         
 on that side, & then wee shall see wt ye Duke of Hanover will doe who          
 tis said has taken upon him ye Guarranty of ye said Duchy                      
 +Our letters from france doe not say much more than that on ye 19th            
 Te Deum was sung at Paris for ye late victory in alsatia, but they             
 give us noe account how Monsr Turene has disposed of his army since            
 the Confederates passed ye Rhyne: at Stratzburg, Its said his most             
 Xtian Maty has declared to ye Swedish Amb that notwthstanding ye               
 great success it pleases god to bless the Justice of his armes wth             
 yet hee Continues ye same great disposition to a peace & to Witness            
 it seeing Breda has not bene accepted of by ye allies [?] wch his              
 Maty had proposed for [the] place of Congress, hee is content                  
 they shall Choose any other place wthin ye united proviences except            
 Nimegen & Groningen wch are to farr off, that his Maty will grant              
 passports to all ye ministers of ye interested parties, & to ye                
 ministers of their allyes &c:  but his Maty still insists to have ye           
 money restored seized at Collogne, & that hee will agree to a genll            
 Cessation of armes                                                             
 +Two East India ships are come into Plymth richly laden bound for              
 London  His Maty has for ye present reprieved Cuisack & ye other pyrate,       
 till his farther pleasure shall be Knowne.                                     
       L. c. 135     Jan: ye 19 1674                                            
 +On Saterday night the old Countess Dowager of Devonshire mother to            
 ye present Earle dyed here leaveing a vast Estate amongst her relations,       
 & will bee interrd wth publique Ceremony.                                      
 +Last Weeke Coll Lovelace ye late Governr of New yorke was sent to ye          
 Tower upon account of his rendition of that place.                             
 +This day is to be interrd The Lady Mayoress wth much publick Ceremony         
 +Mr Charles Bertie secretary to my Ld treasurer is to succeed Mr               
 Wharton in ye office of Treasurer, Paymaster & Receiver of ye Ordnance         
 +Yesterday ye 2 Pyrates were hangd at Execution Dock ye usuall place           
 on such Occations  [Letter ends; first verso and second recto are              
 blank.]                                                                        
      L. c. 136     Jan ye 21 1674                                              
 +The states Genll haveing by their Amb here acquainted his Maty wth            
 their acceptance of his mediation for themselves & their allyes, as            
 alsoe yt they thought Meurs wthin their Territorys might bee a safe            
 place for the interrested Princes or States to send their Ambrs to             
 meet at in Order to a genell peace, his Maty has given his Most Xtian          
 Maty an account of it & acquainted ye states therewth as alsoe of his          
 great desire to see ye treaty begin.  its not doubted but his Maty of          
 france will consent to all yt ye States propose as to ye place & treaty        
 & of his Maties mediation soe that tis hopet things may be suddenly            
 brought to a good Issue.                                                       
 +Wednsday morning his Maty accompanyd by many persons of quallity walkd        
 on foot to Hampton Court where hee was treated by a Housekeeper &              
 returnd at night                                                               
 +ffrom Paris of ye 26 wee heare that there was advice there that ye            
 towne of Stratzburg had put their Bridge & forts into ye hands of ye           
 Swisses who had accordingly taken possession of the same wth Resolution        
 to let neither french nor Germains pass till ye End of the warr, but           
 since its said Monsr Turene has made himselfe master of ye Bridge &            
 forts & had desired of ye towne that they would themselves breake ye           
 Bridge & his most Xtian Maty would give them 500000 Crownes to                 
 rebuild it when ye warr should be Ended, they say that Genll is                
 arived as farr as Nancy on his way to Paris haveing ye Marqs de                
 Vanbrun to Comand in Cheife in his absence, they speake much there             
 of a Cessation of armes & seeme very well disposed to peace, there             
 is lately laid a great Imposition on Corne, at the sollemnizeing the           
 late Advantage agst their Emimies in alsatia there happned a great             
 scuffle between the Popes Nuncio & ye Parliamt in their procession             
 to Nostre Dame, in wch ye former got the better treading over the others       
 backes &c:  a party from Maestricht have lately surprised severall             
 Regimts of ye Enimy, they seeme Confident that ye Dane will not molest         
 ye Swedes in their inroad upon Brande                                          
 +The Countess Dowager of Devonshire before her Death Orderd that her           
 son Coll Charles Cavendish who was slaine at Newarke in ye Kings               
 Service & there buryed should be brought from thence & interrd wth             
 her & ye family at Darby                                                       
 +Upon ye Surrender of Sr Edward Brett Mr Slingsby has ye Comand of his         
 troup in ye Earle of Oxfords Regimt & Mr Price is made his Leiut               
 +Tis Orderd in Councell that letters bee sent to ye magistrates, mayors        
 Bayliffs &c of severall Citties & townes to warne them to take Care            
 that noe Certificates bee allowed in prejudice of his Maties Revenues          
 ariseing by Hearth mony & dilligently to examine ye same, & where they         
 find persons offending in that Kind to bind them to their good                 
 behaviour                                                                      
      L. c. 137     Jan ye 23 1674                                              
 +From Ratisbon they say ye act for ye Elector of Brandenburgs Guarranty        
 is past in that dyet agst all persons whatever & though there bee none         
 named in it, yet ye Swedes are principally meant by it, & tis thought          
 hee will bee at last declared an Enimy to ye Empire & the Empr has             
 writt to ye Elector of Bavaria to have a Cattegoricall answere from him        
 what he meanes to doe by raiseing soe many men.                                
    ffrom Germany wee heare that ye Duke of Burnonville wth ye rest of ye       
 Confederates are marcht up into ye Empire into their Winter quarters &         
 some of them as high as ye Danube                                              
      ffrom Brussells of ye 19 wee heare ye french intend to bee in ye          
 field this next Campaigne very Early & in all likelihood press upon            
 those provinces, they have caused all ye foot & squadrons of Horse to          
 march at Ease, On Saterday night the Governour haveing intimated his           
 desire to take his leave of all the principall persons of quallity             
 Ere hee parts, all ye Lds & Ladyes Came to Court, & accordingly the            
 Countess de Monterey begins her Journey on Thursday next, & the                
 Munday following his Excellency follows post, The Duke de Villa                
 Hermosa haveing received a Comission from Spaine to Comand in his              
 roome till the arivall of Don Juan, the states are resolved to fitt            
 out 2 fleets one for ye Baltick, the other for ye Ocean, they have             
 there advice that the Duke of Bavaria (if not already) will Certainely         
 declare for ye french.  Leige is in a sad Condition the Whole Country          
 being ruind in that manner that ye poore in yt Citty are soe numerous          
 that they dayly feare a Tumult amongst them.  they have resolved ye            
 Rhinegrave shall march wth 7000 men towards Bremen agst ye swedes & that       
 4000 Munster troopes are there to Joyne wth him besides 12000                  
 Imperialists                                                                   
 +This day Sr ffrancis North was sworn Ld Cheife Justice of the Common          
 Pleas by My Ld Keeper wth ye usuall Ceremonys                                  
      L. c. 138   [Handwriting changes here.]   Jan ye 26 1674                  
 +The Letters arrived this day from Germany bring little of News, onely         
 say that the Confederates were all marching towards theire Winter              
 quarters The Brandenburgers towards ffranconia, The Lunenburgs into            
 Suabia The Imperiallists to theire quarters about Friburg and the              
 Lorrainers in the Marquisat of Baden Though it is thought the Princes of       
 the Empire will not bee contented with it  And the Bpp of Writsburg hath       
 sollemly refused the Brandenburgers either quarters in or passage              
 through his Countrey                                                           
    Tureen haveing putt Garrisons into all the places in Alsatia, is            
 himselfe gone for Paris and the rest of his Troops marched towards             
 Lorraine except those wch are drest to beseige Duchstein not farr from         
 Stratburg  The Emperor has already ordered severall Regiments to march         
 towards Silesia to be ready to assist The Elector of Brandenburg               
 Generall Cops is to Command the Emperors forces in that Country                
 +It is said that upon the Continued Complants of the Spaniards and the         
 Prince of Orange against Souches, he hath bin arested a prisoner at            
 Vienna by the Emperors order                                                   
    The Swedes have allready stopt some Holland ships in the Sound              
    ffrom Copenhagen they write that there is not any discourse at that         
 Court of breakeing with Sweden                                                 
      L. c. 139   [Handwriting changes here.]   Jan ye 28 1674                  
    Dr Lang Bp of Ely being dead Dr Gunning Bp of Chichester is made Bpp        
 of Ely, Dr Bridock Deane of Salesbury, made Bp of Chichester & Dr Peirce       
 Deane of Salesbury.  Dr Bridock is to hold all his other preferrmts in         
 Commendum.                                                                     
    Van Trump haveing bene nobly treated here went hence on Saterday            
 to Windsor where hee was treated by ye Princes direction & from thence         
 went on Munday to see Oxford where haveing made some short stay hee            
 returnes back to towne & soe Home for Holland                                  
    from Vienna Wee heare that the Swedish Amb haveing examind one of ye        
 assassinates taken in ye late attempt upon him could discover litle of         
 ye Cause of it, However ye Empr seems much Concernd at it, & has               
 wrott to ye King of Sweden upon it & deliverd the persons that did             
 it to be disposed as hee should think fitt                                     
 +fflanders letters say that ye new Governr of fllanders waited onely           
 for ye departure of ye old, to take upon him ye Governmt intending             
 sudenly upon it to send an Envoy hither to Complemt his Maty & to              
 assure him of his ready Complyance in all things that might by [sic]           
 desired                                                                        
 +ffrom Tournay of ye 23 wee heare that Mareshall de Humiers was arived         
 there ye day before upon advice that the Spaniards were bringing a             
 body of men together neare Valencienes for what designe they could not         
 Imagine unless to attempt somewt upon oudenard                                 
 +The Swedish Envoy lately heare is arived at paris & was suddenly              
 expected to make his publique Entry upon wch Baron Sparr was to leave          
 ye Court being designed to goe to ye place for ye Genll treaty.  The           
 Prince of Newburg is arived at paris & from thence Comes to this Court.        
 +ffrom Paris of ye 2d of feb they write that ye Duke of Hannover had           
 sent 15000 men to Joyne ye Swede who had begun to take all ye places           
 They Could Come at in ye Electorate of Brandenb that ye Elector of             
 Bavaria has quitted his Neutrallity that hee may declare in favour of          
 france.  The Swisses have ye Bridge of Stratzburg in their possession          
 suffering neither freind nor foe to pass.                                      
 +ffrom ye Barbadoes Wee heare that ye Pearle was come in there from            
 Guiney & wth her two Duch prizes, ye One a privateer ye Other a Zealand        
 merchtman in wch were many Negroes & other rich goods which being taken        
 before the peace tooke date in those parts are lawfull prize                   
      L. c. 140     Jan ye 30 1674                                              
 +ffrom Plymouth Wee heare there was put in there ye great fleet of             
 Duch Merchts under Convoy of 6 men of Warr Comanded by young De Ruyter,        
 bound for ye Streights & other parts, in all abt 100 saile, in their           
 Way thither they met 3 or 4 french Capers, wth whom they Enterchangd           
 some guns but noe mischeife Wee heare done on Either side  Two men             
 of Warr & one Merchtman of ye same fleet put into falmth by ill                
 Weather, The deputy Governr of Plymth treated ye Duch Admirall very            
 Nobly in ye Castle                                                             
 +ffrom Paris feb ye 5th Wee heare that a Certaine number of men had            
 Entred ye Lodgings of Turene's Intendant in Expectation to find ye             
 100000 Crownes lately given that Genll, but found not above 1000 wch           
 haveing taken they murdred ye said Intendant in his Closet                     
    Wee heare from Copenhagen that ye K: of Denmarke at ye instance of          
 ye Duch Amb had stopt severall Duch Vessells in ye Sound bound for             
 Sweden to prevent their falling into ye Swedes hands                           
    Wee heare from ye Hague that ye 30th past the provence of Zealand           
 had offerd the Prince of Orange the Soveraignty of their Country by a          
 deputation of 4 of their body at his house, wch his Highness seemd to          
 Receive wth some Coldness, & has Wrote to ye rest of ye provences abt it       
      L. c. 141     ffeb ye 2d 1674                                             
    Capt Buckly is by his Maties order Comitted to ye Tower upon his            
 Challenging ye Earle of Ossory.                                                
    Capt Read being dismist his Company in his Maties Guards, it is             
 given to Mr Berkley Brother to ye late Earle of fallmouth                      
    The Countess of Devonshires body is exposed in state at her house           
 & is to be shortly interred in Derbyshire                                      
 +The Prince de Salmes being nominated by Spaine for the Governmt of            
 the Netherlands is suddenly expected upon whose arivall the Duke de            
 Villa Hermosa is to Resigne                                                    
    The States of Holland haveing Ratifyed & sent over the treaty of            
 Comerce Concluded here december last it will bee suddenly Interchangd          
 according to Custome.                                                          
 +My Ld Buckhurst is made Earle of Midlesex & Baron Cranfeild for wch           
 a pattent is passing                                                           
    Van Trump is returnd to Towne from Oxford where hee has bene very           
 handsomely treated & is now prepareing for his returne home, & they            
 say his Maty will Conferr on him the Honr Either of a Knight or                
 Barrt as a perticuler marke of his Esteeme of him                              
    His Maty on fryday last was pleasd to Order his atturney Genell to          
 draw up a Proclamation to bee sudenly Issued for the Banishmt of all           
 Seminarys priests & Jesuites, & all other that haveing taken orders            
 from ye See of Roome are his Maties naturall Borne subjects, who are           
 to depart ye Realme by ye 10 of March next under severe penalties              
    The Winds haveing bene Contrary all this Weeke noe forreigne letters        
 are Come in                                                                    
      L. c. 142     ffeb ye 4th 1674                                            
 +ffrom Paris of the 7th wee heare that my Ld Amb Lockhart had delivered        
 his memoriall abt ye accepting meours for the place to treat at but had        
 recd for answere that his Maty Could not by any meanes admitt of that          
 place because it had a dependency on ye Empire desireing rather that ye        
 States would name some place in their owne Territorys where themselves         
 might be Guarranty for ye persons of ye Ambs that should come thither,         
 & yt hee Could not but thinke their pitching upon that towne was onely         
 to delay tyme &c:  great preparations for Warr are makeing there for the       
 next Campaigne wch its thought Will begin in flanders where at present         
 is litle defense, & not much prepared for Warr by reason of ye change of       
 Governrs                                                                       
    Tewsday night after Councell their Maties & Court were present at           
 the Rehearsall of the great maske wch is to be publiquely acted on             
 Shrove Tewsday, by wch tyme her Royall Highness will be able to be             
 present at it, being already very well after her Lying in, as is also          
 ye young Princess                                                              
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 8th instant wee heare that Count Monterey               
 after a sollemne takeing his leave of all ye Principall persons of             
 Quallity of that place went away that morning accompanyd a litle way           
 by the D: de Villa Hermosa ye new Governr who presently tooke upon             
 him ye Governmt                                                                
 +ffrom Copenhagen of ye 4th wee heare yt upon ye news of the Swedes            
 takeing quarters in ye Electorate of Brandenb preparations continue            
 both by sea & land, though ye french seeme Confident they yet remaine          
 neuter                                                                         
    ffrom france wee heare that King has publisht a new arest by wch            
 hee dispenses wth ye attendants of ye Nobillity of ye arrier ban               
 provided they pay one fifth of ye Vallue of theyr Tennures, they are           
 sending 10000 men to the assitance of ye Swedes to Joyne wth ye Duke of        
 Hannovers troops, the provence of Langedoc has profferd the King to            
 raise him 10000 men.  The towne of Stratzburg haveing refused passage to       
 ye succours ye Marquis d Bade was bringing to Dachstein ye King has            
 declared himselfe pleasd wth it & is sending a publique minister to            
 remaine amongst them                                                           
    The 3 Ostenders lately tryed at ye old Bayly for not strykeing to his       
 Maties flagg &c & fined, ye one 400 L ye other 2,50 L each & since kept        
 prisoners in Newgate for ye payment of the money, upon their humble            
 petition & submision to his Maty representing their miserable Condition,       
 his Maty has bene graciously pleasd to Order their fines to be remitted,       
 & that ye atturney Genll shall cause their discharge accordingly               
    Wednesday The Proclamation Comanding all Popish Preists & Jesuites          
 to depart the Kingdome by ye 10th of March was read & approved, alsoe          
 a declaration for the more effectuall Conviction of Papists suppressing        
 masse recalling his Maties subjects from forraigne seminarys &c                
 removeing all native Romish Ecclesiasticks hindring the resort of              
 Papists to Court, preventing the growth of Popery & for ye Effectuall          
 proceeding to ye suppressing Conventicles, & for ye recalling & makeing        
 void all lycences granted to NonConformists, Mr Hudleston is excepted          
 in ye Proclamation Comanding ye departure of all Romish preists hee            
 haveing bene soe Eminent an instrument in ye Kings soe happy Escape from       
 Worcester                                                                      
 +Munday last ye Guards being drawne up in Scotland yard, The Oaths of          
 alleagiance & supremacy were administered to ye officers & souldrs             
      L. c. 143     ffeb ye 6th 1674                                            
 +ffrom Mayence of ye 2d instant wee heare that ye Elector of Brandenb          
 has presented his Complaints of ye invasion of ye Swedes in a memoriall        
 to ye Dyet at Ratisbone demanding ye assistance of the Empire wch its          
 supposed will bee Easily granted & may perhaps alter ye Resolutions of         
 that Crowne.  all ye Confederates are wholly retyred into their Winter         
 quarters                                                                       
    ffrom Vienna of ye 31 past Wee are told that Count Montecuculy has          
 beene prevaild wth by the Empr to Comand his army this Spring & is             
 accordingly prepareing for it & great quantities of amunition &                
 artillery are sending to Genll Cops in Silesia whither hee is gone to          
 joyne ye Brandenburgers to Oppose ye Swede                                     
    ffrom Hamburg of ye 22 past Wee heare that ye Swedes had seizd ye           
 pass of ffrederiksb & are since marching farther toward Ruppia &               
 Havelberg  the rest lyes still in ye Ukkar & Newmarke their former             
 quarters, but not in soe good Order as formerly, The shift [?] of              
 Bremen is put into a good posture of defence & all the provisions              
 brought into the strong places, in the meane tyme the Swedish army             
 marches nearer toward Silesia, reinforct by some Hungarians that are           
 persecuted for their Religion whom ye Grand Seignr has permitted the           
 Prince of Transilvania to succour                                              
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 9th they write that ye french make great                
 preparations in ye Conquerd Countries agst ye Spring giveing strickt           
 orders to all persons to bee ready to march by ye 1st of aprill, That          
 ye discourse Continues still hot there of Don Juans coming thither, upon       
 ye Receipt of letters from Saragoza (where hee keeps his Court) wch said       
 that his goods were all packt up to be sent away upon ye first orders &        
 yt ye Conditions of his acceptance of that Govrnmt were perfectly              
 adjusted                                                                       
 +ffrom Collogne of the 1st inst Wee heare yt ye Elector of Brandenb            
 was advancet wth his army toward ye Neckar betweene Mosback & Boxberg          
 neare franconia where hee will leave ye maine body of his army & wth           
 ye rest goe to Berlin                                                          
    The Ratification of ye treaty of Commerce is to be enterchangd this         
 day betweene our Comissers & those of Holland                                  
      L. c. 144     feb ye 9 1674                                               
 +His Maty has bene pleasd to grant the dignity of a Barrt of England           
 to the Heer Cornelius Martinus Trump Lt Admll of Holland & West                
 freizland after his decease to descend to his heires males lawfully            
 begotten & for default of such to his Bro: Harpier Martinus Trump,             
 presdt & Burgomaster of Delft in Holland & his heires males & after            
 that to John Trump 2d Bro: & after that to adrian Martin his 3d Brother        
 Capt of a troope of Horse in ye Prince of Oranges Regimt & to his              
 Heires males & as a farther adition of Honnr his Maty will alsoe grauntt       
 him a Coat of armes a pattant for all wch is now passing                       
    All ye Marcht shipps are sailed out of the Downes, & some Letters to        
 Merchants speake of an Engagemt between some french & Duch men of Warr         
 in ye Channell but soe Darkley that litle of it is beleived                    
    On Thursday the Lady Devonshires body is to bee Carryed out of Towne        
 in great State wth the attendance of most of the persons of quallitys          
 Coaches abt ye Court                                                           
 +ffrom ye hague of ye 15 Wee heare yt ye states Genll after haveing            
 Considered the Prince of Oranges letters wherein hee desired their             
 advice as to the proposition made him by the states of Guelderland to          
 take on him the Dukedome & Soveraignty of that Country returnd him             
 answer that they left it wholly to his Highness himselfe  They have            
 alsoe finally resolvd upon a Warr wth Sweden at ye pressing instances of       
 Brandenb                                                                       
 +ffrom Collogne wee heare that ye Monsieur Coutery that killd himself          
 presently after ye Surrender of Dachstein, for wch it seemes hee had           
 made a very ill Composition, & yeilded that place wthout any necesity          
 had beene interred in the Common Burying place of malefactors, that ye         
 rest of ye officers Concernd in that surrender had bene seizd & sent to        
 fryburg to be tryed by a Councell of Warr for it, the Duke of Zell being       
 upon his march to succour it Just as it was given up, the Swedish Amb is       
 parted from Vienna from whence hee is gone to the Elector of Bavaria           
      L. c. 145      ffeb ye 11th 1674                                          
 +ffrom Tunis of ye 5th Wee heare that Mr Baker his Maties Consull wth          
 that King was arived there some dayes before & had bene ExtraOrdinarily        
 Recd by the King & people who gave him all Imaginable assurances of            
 Continueing ye freindship yt has bene betweene his Maty & that Governmt        
 these many yeares, they dayly Expect there Sr John Narburrow wth 6 men         
 of Warr from Algier where hee has finisht that affaire, haveing on board       
 him his Maties present to yt Governr, from thence hee proceeds to              
 Tripoly to Call those people to account for some affronts they have            
 lately offerd to our merchants, by Carrying them into yt port & makeing        
 prize of all Jews & Strangers goods on board, The Bassa of that place          
 has chastised some of the offenders feareing a warr wth this Crowne  Sr        
 John Narburrow has Redeemed all the Captives at Argier 120 of them are         
 Come to Mallaga in the Bristoll & one ship more  ye rest Sr John               
 divided upon other ships                                                       
 +ffrom paris of ye 16 wee heare yt ye troups of the Kings family have          
 Recd order to March by the 28th instant & that ye King himselfe will           
 goe in person into ye feild, that King has transmitted great summs of          
 money to Monsr D Estree his Amb at Roome, upon the hopes hee gives             
 him of 3 or 4 other townes in Sicily revolting by the Example of               
 Messina, wch is now able to defend it selfe till Monsr Vivonne arives          
 wth his other succours,                                                        
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 16 Wee heare yt the new Governr is now                  
 dispatching Envoyes to severall Princes to Complemt them upon his              
 advancemt, that Don francisco de Velasco was parted thence on ye same          
 Errand for England wth severall persons of quallity wth him.  The same         
 day went One to Holland to doe ye like to ye Prince of Orange.  The            
 Governr has Ordered all ye Peasants to thresh out all their Corne              
 & graine wth all speed & bring it into ye fortifyed places upon paine          
 of haveing it done for them.  they tell us of an arest laid upon ye            
 vessells that were laden wth the goods of Count Monterey. for 40000            
 florins for wch hee Engaged his word, the Count threatened them very           
 highly, but they told him they knew their priviledges, & had done noe          
 more to him than they had done to ye Arch Duke Albertus, Don Juan &c:          
 The Comunalty expected the Issue, & had broke out into Tumult if some          
 of ye Grandees had not bene sent to appease them.  The souldrs                 
 frequently disert the service in soe much that 5000 are found                  
 wanting since 9ber as appeares by a [seal spoils about four letters] ye        
 new Governr has made                                                           
    ffrom Tangier they write that some moores were arived there wth a           
 flagg of truce from Te Huan, proferring their desire of peace wth that         
 Garrison.  The people of those parts of affrica begin to bee weary of          
 their King whose army dayly diserts him, in so much that his Owne              
 Brother has left him wth 800 Horse to Joyne Muly Hamet their Nephew            
 who heads a strong party upon ye adjacent Borders of Tassaletta.               
      L. c. 146     feb ye 16 1674                                              
    His Maty last weeke Recd a very obligeing & respectfull letter from         
 argier wherein that Governmt gives him a full account of Sr John               
 Narburroughs & Mr Brisbanes haveing Completed that affaire, redeemd            
 all ye Captives paid ye money for them & carryed them away, to their           
 great satisfaction, wth all possible assurances of Continueing on their        
 part the peace & amity wth him Inviolably                                      
    This day the great maske at Court is publiquly acted wch is intended        
 to exceed all other of that nature, the 2 young Princesses, The Duke of        
 Munmouth & all ye principall persons of quallity abt ye Court haveing          
 parts in it                                                                    
 +Don ffrancisco Mario de Vellasio is arived here from the new Governr          
 of flanders, but continues incognito                                           
    Capt Bulkley is this Weeke dischargd from his Confinemt in ye Tower         
 where hee has Continued some tyme upon the account of his Challenging          
 the Earle of Ossory.                                                           
    Letters from Jamaica say Major Genll Banister had bene lately kild          
 in an unfortunate quarrell wth an English Gent newly arived there.             
    ffrom ye Hague wee heare that our Amb there has by his memoriall to         
 ye states in the name of his Maty offerd Nimegen for the place of treaty       
 wch tis beleeved his Most Xtian Maty will not refuse being wthin ye            
 districts of his first proposition                                             
    The Prince of Orange finding the states not very unanimously to             
 approve of his takeing upon him of the Dukedome of Guelderland had             
 Civilly refused it, the states of Zealand it seemes advised him agst it        
 as being a violation of ye union therefore of noe good Consequence to          
 ye publique or himselfe                                                        
    The states have sent a letter to ye Empr tell[ing] him they hopet           
 the King of Sweden haveing pretend[ed] to the good office of a mediator        
 would not have given disturbance to any of their allyes, but that his          
 forces haveing taken quarters in ye Electorate of Brand: they thinke           
 themselves obliged by their treaty wth that Elector to assist him wth          
 all their power that they were prepareing for that purpose & hopet             
 ye other allyes would doe ye like, in ye meane tyme they desire                
 his Imperiall Maty to get a declaration from the diett at Rattisbone           
 that this invasion of the Swedes is not onely a breach wth that                
 Elector but wth ye whole Empire, & yt Consequently ye neighbouring             
 Circles ought to oppose them as ye Common Enemie, that all Subjects            
 of ye Empire bee calld out of their service & all persons prohibited           
 to give them any succour upon paine of the utmost rigour of ye                 
 Imperiall Constitutions in yt behalfe                                          
    from Vienna wee heare that the Swedish Amb before his goeing thence         
 had obtaind yt ye Prince of furstenburg should be put into a 3d hand           
 till ye Conclusion of a peace.                                                 
      L. c. 147     ffeb ye 18th 1674                                           
 +yesterday landed at Deale my Ld Douglass from ffrance; Coming hither          
 to recruit ye Regiment hee Comands in that Kings service, wth him              
 came 2 french Noblemen to see this Court                                       
    Paris Letters of ye 20th tell us that Count Monterey before his             
 departure from Paris made his Complemt to little Madammoisella, telling        
 her hee should Esteeme himselfe Extreamely happy if hee might be               
 instrumentall in makeing up a match betweene her & his Master ye King of       
 Spaine, as Dom Louis de Charo had bene in makeing that betweene ye             
 infanta of Spaine (ye present queene of france) & Louis of Bourbon ye          
 greatest of Kings                                                              
    The Nobillity of Normandy being assembled upon Occation of ye late          
 Order for excuseing their personall appearances upon their paying of a         
 Certaine summ. doe insist upon their personall service, & tis said some        
 other provences seeme of ye same opinion                                       
 +tis beleived the Elector of Bavaria may send some part of his forces          
 hee has on foot to ye Duke of Savoy to serve him in his present                
 designes.                                                                      
    There are letters from Hannover wch say the Swedes have made                
 themselves Masters of Marken an Important post for Silesia, haveing            
 prevented a body of Imperalists who went out on ye same designe onely by       
 ye space of 3 houres, they adde that 15 Battalions of Swedes were arived       
 at Wolgast on their march to Joyne Genll Wrangell & that his Imperiall         
 Maty was drawing wth [those?] forces hee Could on ye Coast of Schonen.         
    The Circulatory Letters to all the Countries mentiond in ye late            
 Order for hastening ye Conviction of papists has bene read in Councell,        
 approved & signed & will be suddenly sent downe.                               
 +The 9th of ye next moneth his Maty has pitcht on for his goeing to            
 new markett for some few dayes.                                                
    Our advices from Poland tell us that K still Continues prosperous           
 in his armes, & yet ye Constantinople letters say the Turkish                  
 preparations are soe great agst Poland that unless that Kingdome doth          
 Comply very Effectually & ye Muscovite Joyne their forces this next            
 Compaigne there is noe other prospect then that they may bee as great          
 loosers as they have bene lately gainers                                       
    The deputies whom ye King of Poland sent to dorosensko have                 
 acquainted his Maty that ye Genll of ye Cossacks whome they thought            
 to have found very melinable [?] for treaty had changd his mind upon           
 information that Muscovite & Polish Comissioners had parted wthout any         
 agreemt, & that Sultan Muradin was on his march wth 40000 Tartars to           
 his succour                                                                    
 +Tis said ye french King will begin ye Campaigne wth some Considerable         
 seige & then returne to fountaine Bleau there to spend ye Summer               
      L. c. 148     ffeb ye 20 1674                                             
    ffrom Paris of ye 23 wee heare yt ye assembly of the Clergy ordred by       
 yt King to meet at St Germains ye 17 of May, are to take an exact account      
 of the Vallue of all Ecclesiasticall liveings that their lands may be          
 rated accordingly, that his Maty has declared that his armyes shall            
 Consist of none but old souldrs & has accordingly given Order that all         
 those yt were lately raised shall bee put into garrison, & those now           
 there drawne out for present service, they further tell us that it was         
 there hopet yt ye King of Poland may after ye peace wth ye Turkes,             
 Turne his armes on yt side, in Order to wch they speake of a Treaty            
 betweene ye King of Sweden & that King, by wch they oblige themselves          
 Joyntly to make warr in Prussia Ducale, & that his Polish Maty has by          
 way of advance demanded of the Elector of Brandenb some places in that         
 Dukedome, & offerd to lay downe ye moneys for wch they were Engaged but        
 that ye Queen Dowager to Crosse those designes has formd a party of very       
 Considerable persons who would have his Maty desire ye King of Sweden          
 to forbeare to undertake anything against the Elector of Brandenb in           
 that Country or bordering upon Poland, & yt in case hee refuse that ye         
 approaching diett may Consider of Wayes to oppose such Conquests.              
 [Note on outside of letter in a different hand:] Qu. Did King pay you          
 the 50 L. Ben: Kelsy                                                           
      L. c. 149     ffeb ye 23 1674                                             
 +Last night arived from Holland Alderman Backwell where hee has bene           
 to receive the money the states are to pay his Maty the articles of            
 peace, part of which hee has recd & setled ye rest to his satisfaction,        
 hee left the Prince of Orange then in Gelderland where hee resolvd to          
 stay 14 dayes to setle things as hee had done in other provences  They         
 are there at present at a stand waiteing to know wt ye Empr & Sweeden          
 [will do?] as to ye Iruption into Brandenb                                     
   His Maty in Councell reflecting upon ye great quantitys of Cordage &         
 Cables made here & of ye great benefit it would be to ye poore artificers      
 if all forraigne Cordage were prohibited, was pleased to Order a               
 proclamation to Issue to prohibit the Importation of all forreigne             
 Cables & Cable yarne from ye 1st of May next wch will suddenly Issue           
 +Last night ye mask at Court was publiquely acted in ye presence of            
 their Maties Rll Hsses & ye whole Court & will be once more acted              
 before his Maties [sic] goes to New Market                                     
    Upon the digging downe an Old wall & staire Case in ye Tower 2              
 bodyes haveing bene lately found wch in all probabillity appeare to            
 bee those of King Edward ye 5th & his Brother ye Duke of Yorke who             
 were murdred in ye Tower 192 yeares since by their Unkle King Richard          
 ye 3d; his Maty has bene pleasd to veiw them & as the Reall Corps of           
 those Princes has Orderd a white marble tomb to be prepared to put them        
 in & Comanded that they shall bee decently interrd in Hen: ye 7ths             
 Chappell among ye Kings & Princes of this Isle. wch will be suddenly           
 done.                                                                          
    from Deale wee heare there was driven on shoare much of a wreck of          
 a great Swedish Ship broaken on ye Coasts of flandrs  they tell us of          
 2 East India ships Come in there from ye Thames more being to follow           
 +severall of ye English Preists are in Obedience to his Maties                 
 Commands goeing beyond seas & more following wth all speed.                    
    The Circulatory letters for hastning the Conviction of Recusants            
 are sent downe into ye severall Countreys, & Comissrs Ordering to look         
 after ye penaltys accrewing by them                                            
      L. c. 150     ffeb ye 25th 1674                                           
    ffrom Paris of ye 27th of feb wee heare yt ye King had Comanded all         
 ye peasants in Campaigne & Piccardy to bee in a readyness wth their            
 Carriages to Conduct ye amunition & provision to ye frontiers, that it         
 was said there his Maty would part thence for ye army ye 23d of the next       
 moneth haveing nominated four Lt Genlls who are ye Duke de Vittry, The         
 Marquess de Resnell Monsr Choisevill, & Monsr de Montuban  hee has alsoe       
 ordered a genell reveiw of his household, on ye 5th of ye next month,          
 intending to remove to Versailles ye 15th that they speake there as if         
 ye Duke of Lorraine would submitt to his Maty & quitt all his pretensions      
 for a Continuall pension of 500000 franks to descend to his heires, The        
 report of ye Duke of Savoys arming is now Confirmd & its thought hee           
 may make a divertion in ye Duchy of Millan. hee being furnisht wth very        
 Considerable summs by ye grand Duke of Tuscany                                 
 +His Maty has sent Orders to ye Leuit Civill in Normandy to Oblige ye          
 Nobillity to pay ye taxation according to ye Orders of Councell & to           
 Omitt noe personall service except they be content to Enter themselves         
 into regular troups, that ye [sic]                                             
    They tell us alsoe that Monsr Vivonne is presently his arivall [sic]        
 from Messina to Conduct a new succour to ye said place wch is prepareing       
 at Thoulon, that severall of ye guards du Corps had bene lately                
 Imprisond there for robberys Comitted by them, Monsr Verjus is to be           
 dispatcht in great hast to ye Elector of Brandenb who seemes to incline        
 to an accomodation wth yt Court, that they have advice there that ye           
 Messinois haveing sallyed out of ye towne wth 6000 men under Comand            
 of Monsr de Villavoir in wch they chaced ye Spaniard from many very            
 Considerable posts thereby opening ye way to Catania, that ye day              
 before arived there a Courier wth advice that Monsr de Vivonne was             
 safely arived at Messina ye 10th of feb, & yt some of ye Spanish               
 galleys were Cast away in a late storme, wch has quite disabled ye rest        
 of ye fleet, that its beleevd ye portugueses will this Summer act in           
 favour of france agst Spaine, that they begin there to apprehend his           
 Danish Matie will not accept ye offers made him by yt King                     
    Procurator Sagredo is made & Crownd Duke of Venice haveing more             
 voices than all his Compettitors.                                              
    On ye 20th Van Trump went hence for Holland being present[ed] by his        
 Maty at his departure, wth his Maties picture set wth Diamonds, of             
 a Considerable Vallue                                                          
    Don fransciso de Vellasco haveing had his audience & paid his Maty          
 his Complemts from ye Duke de Villa Hermosa upon his Entring upon his          
 Governmt of the Spanish Netherlands, his Maty returns ye Complemt by           
 Mr Thomas Porter                                                               
      On ye 17th a french ship of abt 48 guns was by accident burnt at          
 Rye                                                                            
      L. c. 151   [Handwriting changes here.]   Mar: 1st 1674                   
 +His Maty desireing to improve the Trade of Newfound Land & the fishing        
 there & make it more beneficiall to the whole Nation, has been plesed to       
 referr the Consideracon & managemt of it to a select Comitee of Severall       
 of his privy Councell who accordingly mett on Wed: last & ordered that         
 Letters should be writ to divers of the Maritime towards & Corporacons         
 directing the head Magistrate to Call to gether the Inhabitants &              
 Consider of it, & transmit such their Conceptions as to the Number of          
 Inhabitants there, what forts Castles, Harbours Comodytyes &c: to              
 their Lds: by persons here who are to attend their Lds: with them              
 upon all occasions                                                             
    His Maty being desirous to have an account how New Yorke came into          
 the hands of the Dutch in the late Warr has been pleased to Ordr a             
 Comision to Issue to his grace the Duke of Monmouth & divers other             
 Lords & officers of his armyes to examine Coll Lovelace the late               
 Governr there of, now in the Tower & accordingly to morow they are             
 to doe it att the Cockepitt upon which the Kings pleasure will be              
 further knowne,                                                                
    Van Trump haveing seen Sherness & the fortifications there went this        
 weeke aboard severall of the men of Warr & was received with the               
 usuall Martiall ceremonyes, & return suddanely to Holland,                     
    This Morning Early his Maty goes to Windsor to see his Buildings            
 there & returnes att Night                                                     
    Noe Judgmt, can as yet be made of the Intention of the Swedes who           
 have still their Quarters in Brandenbourg where they eat up the Countrey       
 though with out Committing any hostility, in the mean that Elector             
 Continues in franconia & seemes not to goe about to put himselfe into a        
 posture to remove them leiveing it perhappes to the Empiorur who its           
 said has Certainly promised the Electour to secure his Countryes & has         
 therefore sent a good army into Silesia to act aganst the Swedes in case       
 they come to an open rupture                                                   
    [On outside of letter and in a different hand this list appears:]           
188 Head of seile                     2 2 2                                     
 30 Joam 4f 2                         0 0 7                                     
 62 Joam 3f 10                        0 5 7                                     
 30 Jam 3f 3X                                                                   
 88 transom                           0 8 4                                     
 70 Jamms 3f X                                                                  
140 Caymes [?]                        1 4 0                                     
146 Jamms for doores                  0 6 1                                     
      2 foot long                                                               
      L. c. 152   [Handwriting changes here.]   March ye 2d 1674                
    On Saturday last Coll Lovelace was examind by ye comissers appoynted        
 for yt purpose where hee gave ym ye reason of his absence when ye              
 place was taken, but they being not well satisfyed therewth have               
 adjournd themselves till Thursday, & in ye meane tyme will peruse his          
 instructions & Comission for further light into yt buisness                    
    ffrom paris of ye 6th instant wee heare yt Monsr Verjus was gone            
 in all hast to ye Elector of Brandenb who by Letter desired his Maty           
 to send him to him, hee being willing to renew a good Correspondence           
 wth france.  They pretend alsoe to have separated other Princes from ye        
 Confederacy & hope therefore propositions of peace may bee acceptable          
 in a litle tyme at Vienna.                                                     
 +Duch Letters of ye 8th instant say yt ye States have notifyed by their        
 deputies to our Amb at ye Hague their acceptance of Nimegen that day, &        
 yt ye next day ye Sollemne Resolution of ye States was to be brought him       
 uppon that matter wch news was Imediately Comunicated to Monsr Ruvigny         
 ye french minister here, by his Maties order                                   
    ffrom Brussells of ye 8th wee heare yt ye Marqs d'averr came wth            
 2000 Horse as farr as Halle wch gave a great alarm to yt place as              
 alsoe round ye Country, many peasants coming wth their horses & goods          
 but However ye french carryed away 500 Horses, wch they pretend they           
 will returne after this expedition, but when yt is wee cannot tell.            
 That Monsr Crequi is expected at Maestricht wth a great army &                 
 intended to Dismantle Maeseyke as alsoe other townes in ye Spanish             
 Netherlands wch are ill manned & worse fortifyed                               
    The 10th instant ye King Certainly goes to New Market where he              
 will spend 12 or 14 dayes in ye sports of that place & yn returne              
 to meet ye Parliamt ye 13 of aprill                                            
    His Maty has Ordered ye Ld Inchequin ye new Governr of Tangier to           
 part Imediately wthout allowing him tyme to setle his affaires in              
 Ireland & to yt end Orderd a vessell to Transport him streight to his          
 Governmt.                                                                      
    [A few figures appear in a different hand on outside of letter.]            
      L. c. 153     March ye 4th 1674                                           
    Severall Returns are made into ye Exchequer of Roman Catholiques, &         
 ye Conventi[c]les are looket after, one being taken at Dr Mantons house        
 in Covent garden Sunday last & prosecution made according to law, at           
 great yarmth where there has bene a very great Conventicle ye Bayliffs         
 of ye place sent for some of ye cheife of them & forewarned them from          
 meeting any more who promised them to forbeare & accordingly they did,         
 there being none on Sunday last neither afore noone nor after noone.           
    Mr Alexander Burnett ye preist who had his tryall at ye old Bayly           
 for endeavring to pervert his Maties subjects, is sent in Custody to           
 Dover to be shipt beyond seas. from whence the Ld Marshall embarket on         
 ye 26 past in the pacquet boat for flanders                                    
    Tis thought his Matys will suddenly name his mediators for ye treaty        
 wch advances considerably Every day                                            
 +ffrom Paris wee heare that his Maty has Ordered all his officers to           
 repaire to their severall Garrisons & given directions for Considerable        
 Convoyes to bee sent to all ye Distant places & is sending an Intendant        
 to Messina & wth 6 great ships a Considerable number of lesser vessells        
 for ye further succours of yt place.  others of ye same name nature [sic]      
 toward french Country & Cattalonia, that hee has agreed that his               
 plenepotentiaries shall meet at Nemegen as his Maty of England                 
 proposes, that ye Queen of france is wth child to ye great rejoiceing          
 of that Court                                                                  
    from Hanover they write that its now feared that Duke may bee drawne        
 by the Dukes of Zell & Lunenburg to Espouse their interests & quitt ye         
 french,  They alsoe speake as if there were some Jealousy that ye Elector      
 of Bavaria would after all Joyne wth ye Confederates.                          
 +ffrom messina of ye 13 past wee heare from an English hand there, that        
 they were in soe great an Extreamity before ye arivall of Monsr Vivonne        
 yt all provisions for sustenance were at an End, and ye towne quite            
 dreyned of all liquors for Support of Nature & alsoe cleared of all            
 Horses Mules Dogs Catts &c: & that ye Hides that had laine 6 moneths           
 in ye Tanfatts had bene taken & accomodated for ye table & dispersed at        
 an Ounce and halfe a daye, a head, wch made ye french not know what to         
 doe to satisfy ye Messineses, & had not ye arivall of ye D de Vivonne          
 brought plenty of Every Thing for 3 moneths they had bene in great             
 Confusion long ere this, at ye first appearance all ye passages of             
 ye towne were in a Confused manner diserted, the people beleiveing ym          
 to bee ye Spanish fleet, who lay along the Coast of Calabria, & upon           
 it Weighed gently & fell downe to meet ym & coming to them began a             
 very feirce fight wch held 8 houres & had Continued longer had not             
 Monsr Valbelle wth 6 frygatts & five fire ships from thence Come               
 upon ye backs of ye Spaniards & forcet them to retreat toward Naples           
 miserably shatterd,  This succour Consisted of 18 stout ships besides          
 fireships & had a board 8000 land men & dayly fresh succours expected,         
 they speake as if there were some feare of Naples it selfe, & severall         
 places.                                                                        
      L. c. 154     March ye 6 1674                                             
    from fallmouth wee heare that there was come in there a great fleet of      
 Mercht men among wch came some ships from Barbadoes in 8 Weekes who left       
 that place in a very quiet & florishing Condition, & from Maryland is also     
 Imported a ship which sayes yt some Indians had falln upon ye English          
 there & destroyd severall familyes wch that Governr was Endeavouring           
 to returne & therefore raiseing a Considerable force                           
    Coll Lovelace was this day examined againe at the Cockpit, & haveing        
 deliverd in all hee had to say a report of ye whole is drawing up to be        
 presented to his Maty that hee may declare his farther pleasure                
 thereupon.                                                                     
    Capt Roosh is Ordred wth 3 ships to Convey my Lord Inchequin to             
 Tangier  Wee dayly expect Sr John Narbrow & ye streights fleet wth ye          
 Redeemd Captives from Argiers                                                  
    His Maty in Consequence of ye states & their allyes haveing accepted        
 Nimegen for the place of Congress has sent to ye severall parties Concernd     
 to press them forth wth to name their Ambrs & plenepotientiarys, to ye         
 End ye necessary passports may be provided for them.  & that the               
 assembly may be begun wthout any further loss of Tyme.  his Maty               
 Resolveing in the meane tyme to make Choise of his owne Ambrs & to send        
 them away with all speed.  Who they may bee is not yet knowne But tis          
 said his Maty will declare them before hee goes to New Market.                 
    The great buisness of the Treaty of Commerce depending betwixt ye           
 two India Companys of both nations is not yet agreed, nor is yet like          
 to bee the partys being soe different & Each Company soe obstinate in          
 their demands & Conditions, all that is likely to bee done is that             
 leaveing all matters in difference in ye same state they were in before        
 this negotiation, The Comissioners will make a rule or article for the         
 amicable decision of all Complaints that shall from tyme to tyme arise         
 wthout sending such Complaints to ye Ordnary Course of Justice, all ye         
 matters hitherto in debate being to bee left wholly as they were, &            
 an act to bee passed betweene ye King & ye states that ye 9th article          
 in ye late Treaty at London wch relates to ye matter of ye East Indies         
 & ye Treaty marine bee Executed & that noe further proceeding shall bee        
 had upon it, so as its expected when this is done the Duch Comissrs            
 will take their leaves of his Maty before hee parts to New Market in           
 order to their Returne home by ye Convoy that waites them in ye River          
    yesterday morning dyed here the Marquess of Winchester leaveing             
 my Ld St John his sonne Heire to his Estate & Honnr                            
      L. c. 155     March ye 9th 1674                                           
    Sunday last Don ffrancisco Mario de Vellasco tooke his leave of his         
 Maty & yesterday of his Royall Hss, & ye rest of the Court & is prepareing     
 for his departure in a day or 2  Mr Tho Porter is prepareing to follow         
 him to returne ye Complemt from his Maty                                       
 +yesterday the Duch Comissrs mett ours & finally setled ye affaires            
 of ye East Indies in ye manner as has bene here to fore said & are to          
 take their leaves of his Maty & Duke this day & on Thursday are to             
 be treated by Our East India Company, & after haveing returnd ye               
 Civillity will depart hence in ye ships that are here for that purpose.        
    The Baron de Sweren is arived as Envoy ExtraOrdnary from the Elector        
 of Branden but on what Errand not Knowne                                       
    To morrow ye King, Duke, Prince &c goe to new market & Continue             
 theire till ye 27th inst                                                       
    The Councell is to meet but Every freyday in Each Weeke dureing ye          
 Kings absence                                                                  
    His Maty has recd a letter from ye Empr dated in feb last abt ye            
 buisness of ye Prince of ffurstenb in wch his Imperiall Maty says that         
 all he can condescend to is that hee will suspend ye process agst ye           
 Prince till ye Conclusion of a peace.                                          
      His Maty has bene pleasd to name his Ambrs for the Treaty at              
 Nimegen, who tis said are my Lord John Berckley of stretton here to            
 fore Ld Leut of Ireland, Sr Leoline Jenkins, & Sr Wm Temple, his Maties        
 Ambr now at ye Hague, who will depart on that Errant wth all possible          
 speed.                                                                         
 +Sr Wm Temple has orders from his Maty to press ye states to adjust ye         
 preliminarys in order to ye speedy begining of ye treaty & has sent to         
 take up convenciencys for our Ambs accordingly                                 
      Our last letters from Holland say yt ye states genell have resolvd        
 to send 10 Regimts to ye assystance of ye Spaniards who seeme to be very       
 much unprovided to resist soe great a force as seemes ready to attaque         
 them.  The Prince of Orange & ye Elector of Brandenb are in a few dayes        
 to have a conferrence at Cleaves                                               
      L. c. 156     March ye 11 1674                                            
    Wednsday morning his Maty Royall Highness, Prince &c went to new            
 market & this day are to be present at a great Horse match, & severall         
 others are made for his Maties further diversion                               
    His Maty unwilling that any gentlemen of good hopes should beare ye         
 reproach of his fathers miscarriage has bene pleasd to restore The son         
 of [space for about six letters left blank] Dacres, to ye Honnr of his         
 family, & Confirme him Vict Purbeck                                            
    His Maty has bene pleasd to make francis Ld Newport Treasurer of his        
 Maties Houshold Vict Newport of Bradford in ye County of Salop                 
    ffrom Paris wee heare that his Maty has directed Monsr Gaumont              
 to goe to ye Princes of Italy to assure them of his good intention             
 to maintaine ye peace, & to desire them not to bee apprehensive of any         
 thing upon his sending succours to Messina, that ye 13 instant ye Danish       
 Envoy had an audience of his Maty to signify ye great desire his master        
 had of Continueing ye auncient allyance betweene ye Two Crownes, &             
 his readyness to use all Endeavours for restoreing peace to Xtendome,          
 to wch his Maty answered hee was glad to find his Danish Maty in such          
 resolutions, & that his ministers were soe prudent as to advise him to         
 Continue in peace rather than Embroyle himselfe in a disadvantageous           
 Warr.                                                                          
    They talke of in france that ye state of Venice intended to declare         
 themselves in favour of Spaine, & that they have given leave to raise          
 7000 men wthin their Territoryes for that purpose, & that ye Catholique        
 Cantons have agreed to furnish yt K wth 9000 men yt ye great quantities        
 of Corne wch has bene sent to messina has cause[d] it to be soe deare          
 that ye K has Comanded all ye Granaryes to be opend upon a severe              
 penalty to supply his people                                                   
    They talke ye accomodation wth the Elector of Brandenb is as good as        
 done & that that Elector will put Magdeburg into ye hands of ye Swedes         
 +from Tangier wee heare that Major fitzGerald is dead there & much             
 lamented, that by reason of Coll alsops great age & infirmity that             
 place is in great want of a Supreame Governr wch has caused his Maty           
 to hasten The Earle of Inchequins voyage thither                               
      L. c. 157     March ye 15 1674                                            
 +ffrom Paris wee heare yt King intends to pass ye Rhyne in person              
 & yt hee does designe a seige where it was thought & is therefore              
 selling ye great stores hee had provided in some fronteir places, that         
 ye Venetian Amb had, Contrary to what was before said of that republique       
 haveing declared for ye Confederates assured his Maty that on ye Contrary      
 his master had denyed ships for ye Transportation of 15000 men sent by         
 his Imperiall Maty to assist the Spanish in Sicilly who are therefore          
 forcet to attend ye Spanish ships to transport them & yt a body of 3000        
 Spanish horse lately appeared in Rousillon, upon wch Monsr Schomberg had       
 sent to sevll Intended [?] to draw together what troops they can & had         
 dispatcht a Courier to acquaint his Maty therewth, the greatest part of        
 ye Regimt of Burgogne is designd to bee sent to Oudenard  Mounser              
 Chamilly Governr of wch place is to be maistre du Camp, that his Maty          
 had declared to his new maistre du Camp that he will expect an account         
 of them & not of Every perticuler Captaine, The young Duke de Guise            
 aged 5 years dyed ye 16 inst                                                   
    ffrom Brisach wee heare that Monsr Vanbrun wth a body of 3500 foot &        
 500 horse & 2 peices of Cannon had taken by storme Newburg, a Citty            
 belonging to ye Empr in wch were 100 foot & 500 horse, wch were put            
 all to ye Sword ye towne pillaged & burnt  They adde that ye said              
 Marquess had since taken derfelt a neibouring Castle haveing laid              
 all ye Country under Contribution,                                             
    Letters from Holland tell us that ye 6 Regimts wch ye states had            
 promised to send to ye assistance of ye Spanish Netherlands were on            
 their march toward Brabant & yt his Highness presently after his               
 returne from Cleves would follow wth ye rest of his forces who have            
 all orders to march ye 1st of aprill,  The Danish ambr at ye Hague             
 Continues to assure the allyes that his master will breake wth Sweden          
 whenever they designe, provided they punctually pay ye promised                
 Subsidies.  The deputies of ye admiralty have resolvd to fitt out 4 men        
 of Warr ye greatest whereof will be Employd in ye Baltick under ye             
 Comand of de Rutyer, The rest in ye mediterranean under Trump wch              
 will be ready by ye latter End of ye next moneth,  Its reported yt             
 ye Duke of Lorraine is Certainly makeing his accomodation wth france by        
 ye Consent of ye allyes & perticulerly of ye Crowne of Spaine, Things          
 seeme to looke more & more like a rupture wth Sweden, & tis said ye            
 Swedes have directed all their ships not to put into any port of               
 Denmark or Holland                                                             
      L. c. 158     March ye 18 1674                                            
 +Letters from New Markett say his Maty &c were in good health there, that      
 severall races had bene run, that on Thursday was a race betwixt a Horse       
 of Mr Mays & one of Mr Bensons for a great deale of mony, Mr ffelton           
 rode Mr Mays Horse & had Certainly Won but that a gentleman on Horseback       
 Ignorantly Crossing ye way before Mr ffelton they both Tumbled over Each       
 other & ye other wonne ye Race                                                 
 +Count Oxensterne Envoy from Sweden is arived here & waites for his            
 Maties returne from New Market                                                 
 +The agent of ye Duke of Curland has lately given his Maty a memoriall         
 accompanyd wth a letter from that Duke desireing his Maty to recomend          
 his pretensions to ye Island of Tobago to ye states Genell for                 
 restitution, & reserves his pretensions to Gamboa now in the hands of ye       
 East India Company.                                                            
 +Since ye seizure made in Covent garden of ye Conventicle there for            
 wch ye teacher paid his mony &c: they have forborne farther meeting &          
 from yarmth they tell us that hitherto ye Conventicles there have kept         
 their word haveing not met since, & now the Constables make distresses         
 upon their Warrants formally recd for Convicted persons, perticulerly one      
 Mr Sheldrack their teacher of whom after distress made they recd 20 L          
 +Receivers are appoynted for receiveing ye penalties upon Romish               
 Recusants in ye severall Counties                                              
 +upon proclaiming his maties declaration agst non Conformists at Canterbury,   
 ye Mayor & Justices did Imediately Issue out Warrants to ye Constables         
 of ye respective wards to surpress ye meetings, wch proved soe effectuall      
 that none but ye Quakers presumed to disobey                                   
 +ffrom Paris wee heare that Mr Gramont is returnd thither from England         
 that ye Popes Nuncio refuses to be at Nimegen dislikeing ye place,             
 that a fire has happend in Montecute Colledge wch consumed ye best part        
 of it wth ye magazine of the stationers  the loss is Judgd at above 800000     
 livres  his most Xtian Maty being advisd that ye Messineses have not           
 provisions to last longer then Easter has sent post to Tholon to fitt          
 out 6 ships of Warr forthwth & as many other vessells as may carry             
 3000 men & 40000 measures of Corne for their releife.  Monsr Vallevoir         
 is said to be dead there  some say that Callabria & Catania have sent in       
 provisions to Messina  at Naples severall papers have bene found               
 scattered adviseing ye Spaniards to retyre out of ye Kingdome,  The french     
 have put 200 Spaniards whom they tooke in ye late Engagemt, to ye Oares,       
 haveing formerly recd the same usage from them  The Garrison from              
 Phillipsburg dayly obtaine fresh advantages haveing lately taken severall      
 places & Castles, some belonging to ye marquess of Baden   tis said ye         
 french King has declared hee will not proceed to a treaty wthout ye            
 liberty of ye Prince of furstemburg                                            
 +Duch letters tell us that Monsr Rabenhaup have sent a Challenge to ye         
 Prince of Nassaw by an Ensigne  ye Councell of Warr soe highly resented        
 it that they resolvd to set ye Ensignes name yt brought it on ye Gallows       
 but Rabenhaup sent them word yt if they did hee would set all theirs in        
 the same place                                                                 
      L. c. 159     [Handwriting changes here.]     March ye 18th 1674          
 ffryday 27/ Capt Wetwags Duch East India priz is come at last into ye          
 River and When shee comes to Woollage his Maty intends to goe see her          
 Shee was of 1200 Tunn and 36 Gunns butt Outwards bound and was taken the       
 4th Instant                                                                    
      This day at Councell the Mayor of Windsor and Mr Stockdale appeared       
 about indeacent words spoken by them Concerneng state affairs and were         
 after there Calling in discharged                                              
    His Maty haveing the 17th Instant granted Liberty to ye Inhabitants         
 of Cornwall to Traid to all parts wthout Controule of any Company, upon        
 their pretending a Charter given them by ye Late King, upon the Petition       
 of the affrican Company, this day hee was pleasd to recall it, and Order       
 that the dispute between them should be h[e]ard the first thing after          
 Easter                                                                         
      On Thursday Next his Maty goes to New Market for 7 or 8 dayes             
      This Night went the Revocation of our Ambassadors from Collogne           
 his Maty haveing all this While Continued them there in hopes there            
 might be some Overtures of a Generall Peace but finding Nothing                
 tending that way but the Newtrallity of ye Place Violated he feerd to          
 Comply wth ye Present Conjuncture, yet will not Cease his good ofices          
 and Interposision to restore Euerope to its former Quiett                      
 +saterday 28/ ffrom Ostend wee heare that the Duke De Villa Hermosa was        
 Come on his way to Newport wth 600 Horse where he is to be posted it           
 being fered the french may have a designe upon that place which Makes the      
 Country people fly into the Townes of strenght wth theire provitions and       
 to Bruges is Com the Marquis De Assertara wth 7000 men for the security        
 of thoes places                                                                
 +Count Montery himselfe removes to Dermond and from thence to Meet the         
 Prince of Orange at Sas Van Gent                                               
    ffrom Paris wee heare that King has Comanded all the Troops of his          
 houshold to be in a readiness to March by Aprill ye 15 and has deClared        
 hee will himselfe sett forth ye 25th,  Some say the Generall Rendevous         
 will be at Compeign others at Tourney  the[y] expect to be 180000 foot         
 and 50000 Hors in 3 Armyes but according to some Calculations Less, the        
 Princes Army will serve as a defence to ye King and its thought Monsr de       
 Turene will not pass the Rhyne                                                 
    The Army under Monsr Schomberg in Catalonia will be only upon there         
 defence, they say the Spaniards have 6000 Horse in thoes parts and its         
 said that 6000 German Horse had passed to this side the Rhyne and that         
 by the Intreaty of the Swisse ye most Xtian King would wthdrawe his            
 forces from the french Comptee which is to stand Newter                        
      L. c. 160   [Handwriting changes here.]   March ye 20 1674                
    From Weymth of ye 27th wee heare that there was Come in there a small       
 vessell from Newhaven in france that sayes that on Munday last 2 men of        
 warr were there to Convoy their newfoundland fleet who were to call in         
 at St Maloes for their fishing ships, & are to have 8 men of warr more         
 from Brest to attend ye fishermen who will bee very numerous this summer       
     ffrom Pendennis of ye 15th wee heare that ye day before Came in there      
 a Duch Mercht from france laden wth french goods who 4 Leagues to ye           
 Eastward of yt place mett 3 french men of Warr one of 60 & 2 of 40 guns        
 who Came on board him, but understanding shee was laden wth french goods       
 & bound for amsterdam chargd yt noe man should take a farthing from her        
    The Ostend Capers Continue to Comitt many violences on English Ships        
 that they meet at Sea                                                          
 +The Ct de Coningsmarke hee that has soe long servd in ye army's of            
 france is arived here in his way from france to Sweden in order to             
 serveing in his Masters armyes under Genll Wrangell in some Considerable       
 charge.  his Maty is pleasd for his greater Conveniency to favour him          
 wth a yacht to Carry him to Hamburg                                            
    Its observable that in ye declaration his Most Xtian Maty has lately        
 given of his accepting Nimegens hee addes that hee has given Comunication      
 of it to ye Crowne of Sweden, as a Prince wthout whose Knowledge & Consent     
 hee is not to make any one step in all these Workes, & where hee declares      
 his ambrs are ready to part for the Congress  Hee Expressly sayes it is        
 wth powers & orders to treat of a peace Joyntly wth ye ambrs of ye Crowne      
 of Sweden  But that onely when the Empr shall have first given him             
 satisfaction in the point of ye Prince of ffurstemb, & of ye money seized      
 at Collogne.                                                                   
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 22d wee heare yt they had advice there of               
 Montecuculis' departure toward ye Rhyne to draw together the army hee is       
 to Command that the Empr will have 3 great armys on foot, one toward           
 the Countrys under that Genll, a 2d in alsatia under ye Duke of Lorraine       
 & ye Genell of ye Empr, a 3d in Silesia agst ye Swedes  besides they talke     
 of a Considerable army the Empr will have in Hungaria.                         
    Letters from Ratisbonne of ye 12 say that ye diet is abt to declare         
 the swede an Enimy to the Empire                                               
    The Duch officers find great difficulty in filling up their Regimts         
 in Westphalia & some are Come home Empty by reason of their ill usage in       
 ye last Campaigne,  The Prince of Orange hopes to be moveing wth his           
 troups suddenly after Easter  sevll of ye Officers have quitted their          
 Regimts wch are reformd, & severall are to be reducet to recruit the           
 rest                                                                           
    ffrom Mons wee heare yt 33 of ye Irish Regimt goeing upon a party           
 mett 47 mesters (as they call ym) under ye Comand of Monsr Montall             
 betweene Beaumont & avesnes wch they routed killing many & putting ye          
 rest to flight.  The Chevalier Montall wounded wth 3 Bullets was made          
 prisoner but afterward Exchangd for 2 officers & carryed to Beamont            
 where hee is since dead.  Genll Sparke is dead in Bohemia & ye Empr            
 has sent to Leavy 10000 men in that Kingdome                                   
      L. c. 161     March ye 23d 1674                                           
      From New Market wee heare that ye King & Court on Sat next remove         
 thence                                                                         
      The Bp of Landoff is lately dead & Dr Lloyd is they say to                
 succeed in that See                                                            
    ffrom fflanders they write that Governour begins now in Earnest to          
 put those Countrys in a posture of defence, recruiting ye old Regimts,         
 but will raise noe new The weather proveing so good that ye Enimy will         
 its feard bee sooner in ye feild & they apprehend will in ye first place       
 attaque Namur wch haveing mastred they will Cleare Leige land of the           
 Imperialists & then Endeavour to reduce Luxemburg by wch they will have        
 a Comunication from thence to Conquest in Burgundy, Easily Compast by          
 reason ye Confederates its thought will not appeare in ye feild till           
 June or July. and then to play an aftergame when ye french are Wearyed         
 & their provisions Consumed.                                                   
 +The Prince of Orange is onely forward in his preparations & its beleived      
 will bee in ye feild as soone as ye french.  hee is at present at Cleves       
 wth The Elector of Brandenb  The Imperialists in Collogne will draw neare      
 to ye Meuse to assist their Companions in Leige                                
 +ffrom Stratsburg wee heare that ye Marquiss de Baden Dourlack had lost        
 3000 men in ye towne, that ye treaty betweene ye Swedes & Duke of Hannover     
 is looket upon as Concluded, they tell from paris that ye Peace is Concluded   
 betwixt ye Swedes and ye poles that Monsr Verjus was goeing to meet ye         
 Elector of Branden  That ye Swedes have extended their quarters wthin          
 6 Leagues of Danzig  That ye Inhabitants of Pomerania have written to          
 his Electorall Highness yt unless they bee speedily succoured they             
 shall be necessitated to deliver up themselves to ye Swedes, That there        
 is to bee suddenly an assembly at Zell of ye severall ministers to             
 Endeavour to [get?] The Duke of Hannover to Embrace [?] ye Confederates        
 interest, that they speake much of a proposition pretended to have bene        
 made in ye Councell of Spaine for ye Exchangeing his Catholique Maties         
 Estates in flanders wth ye most Xtian King for Rousillon, ye french            
 County, & alsatia, that at Bourdeux there had bene some disturbance            
 occationd by ye last Imposition upon tobacco                                   
      L. c. 162     March ye 25 1675                                            
    His Maty continues his good Endeavours to revive ye Trade of                
 newfound Land, & in order to it the Councell for Trade & plantations           
 meet frequently & Consult wth ye meritts of this Citty & have sent to          
 know ye opinions of those in severall parts where yt Trade was most            
 used, the question being whether to manage it formerly by sending              
 yearely Ships who after that to returne to ye Charge of the undertakers,       
 or Whether it bee best to make a Collony & appoint a Governr there             
 by wch its hopet wee may be able to carry that Trade from ye french who        
 now possess most of it & in a few yeares would carry it all.  What             
 it will come too wee shall suddenly see ye King & Lords being very             
 Instant upon it                                                                
    The Collogne Gazetteer haveing bene not long since too free in his          
 discourses of ye Transactions of this Court his Maty has writt sharply         
 to yt towne & last Weeke had their answere upon it, in wch they tell           
 him they have suspended him from Writeing & fined him 300 florins              
 proffering his Maty to doe anything farther in it that hee shall               
 thinke fitt, hee aledgeth ye Gazette of Germany for his author from            
 whence hee transcribed ye parragraph yt gave ye offence                        
 +Our plenepotentiarys as yet make but litle hast in their preparations         
 for Nimegen expecting to heare what his most Xtian Maty will doe if his        
 Imperiall Maty Consent not to his proposalls abt ye Prince of ffurstemb        
 & ye mony taken at Collogne.                                                   
    His Maty they say resolves to deferr his Journey to Windsor till ye         
 beginning of June & orderd preparations to then accordingly made.              
    On Saterday his Maty comes from New Market from whence wee heare that       
 on Munday the Spoones were run for & wonne by Sr Robert Howards Horse  that    
 on Tuesday the great plate was run for by his Maty Mr Griffin & Mr             
 Mildmay wch his Maty wonne being a Guilt Cup & Salver wch the King gave        
 to Mr Pope who sold him ye Horse yt wonne it,  That night the Duke of          
 Munmouth Matcht the Kings horse Blew Cap agst Mr Mayes Thumper for 900 L       
 to run 12 stone Each on Tuesday in Easter Weeke, his Maty & the Duke           
 intending to Come downe againe to see it.                                      
    The Duch Comissrs & those of their East India Company saild yesterday       
 out of ye River                                                                
 +Don ffranscisco Mario de Velasco who has bene long wind bound in ye           
 River upon the wind changing saild on Tuesday to flanders & by ye              
 same opertunity went Mr Porter as Envoy from his Maty                          
    ffrom Tunis wee heare that Sr John Norbrow had dispatcht all his            
 buisness there, & ye Kings present of cloth to that Dey Recd wth very          
 great expressions of Kindness, soe that hee is shortly expected here,          
 his buisness at Tripoly being not like to hold him many dayes.                 
    ffrom Chattam wee heare that money is Come downe thither for                
 payment of all arrears due from his Maty to ye yard & Navy wch was             
 told out & to bee paid the morrow.                                             
    Millford Letters say ye 13th ye sea flowed & Ebbd 5 or 6 tymes              
 in 2 houres that ye boats within ye Harbour of Milford were on floate          
 & on ground severall tymes, a thing not remembred before                       
    On ye 22d the Earle of Ossory left New Market in Order to ye                
 meeting ye Duke of Ormond at his landing from Ireland who is suddenly          
 expected                                                                       
      L. c. 163     March ye 27 1675                                            
 +The treaty continues at the old point, of frances refuseing to send           
 their ambrs, till ye preliminarys & Especially the two points of ye            
 Prince of ffurstemburg & ye money be restored, which his Maty as               
 mediator has orderd his amb at ye hague to represent to ye states,             
 & to press them to use their Endeavours wth his Imperiall Matey that           
 the peace soe much desired by all this part of the world may not bee           
 retarded upon that account & in ye meane tyme has ordered his ambs             
 to bee ready to part Imediately upon ye first notice of these points           
 being adjusted                                                                 
 +The Comissioners for Surrinam are now to part in a day or two, advice         
 being Come from Holland that ye Orders abt permitting the English to           
 Come off are sent thither, & will bee there before ym                          
    Mr Brisbane is arived from algiers haveing finisht his buisness there,      
 who says our Trade is like to grow very great in those parts, Especially       
 at Tangier & that we have a very Considerable Concern thro out ye              
 mediteraneanen                                                                 
 +ffrom Paris they write that made great hast in their preparation for          
 ye Campaigne wch they intend should begin in 11 dayes after, & yt ye           
 abbott de Strades sonne to ye Governr of Maiestrecht was goeing in             
 all hast to Venice as Amb.                                                     
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 29 wee heare that morning his Excellency had            
 advice by express that ye french had made themselves masters of the            
 Cittadell of Leige & Entred 17 companys into it by ye townes Consent,          
 that ye Marshall Crequi had ye like designe upon Chiviett but was              
 prevented by ye Governr of Charlemont,                                         
 +Sr Thomas Beverly one of the masters of ye Requests, being dead               
 Mr Povey has kist the Kings hand to succeed him.                               
    his Maty & Court are safely arived from New market, the great match         
 betwixt the Duke of Munmouth & ye Earle of Suffolk is broke of, his            
 Matys horse Boucher Beat ye Earle of Oxfords horse, on wch was Considerable    
 wagers, & Mr fframptons horse beat Mr Mayes.                                   
      L. c. 164     March ye 30 1675                                            
 +ffrom Barnstable we heare that Tewsday last was cast away neare               
 Ilford Comb ye armes of Bristoll bound from yt place for ye Barbadoes          
 wth 16 persons all drownd, That ye 25th put into fallmouth ye recovery of      
 ffoy who abt a moneth since being bound from Plimouth to Topsham was           
 driven by storme upon ye Coast of france & neare ye Green Island mett          
 wth an Ostend Caper of 4 or 5 guns who tooke from them 2 hogsheads of          
 sugar, 5 halfe hogsheads of spiritts, broke open ye seamens chests             
 wherein were severall rundletts of Canary & cloath wth they carried            
 away, & besides beate the master & men soe soarely that one of ym              
 3 dayes after dyed                                                             
    ffrom Lyme wee heare that ye Samuell of that place was arived there         
 from the Texell who was mett in his way by 3 Ostend Capers of 10 guns a        
 peice who tooke severall goods out of ye hold & very much plundred             
 ye master & seamen although they had a Sea Briefe                              
 +ffrom Paris wee heare that ye Most Xtian King has recd advice from            
 Bourdeaux of great disturbances arisen there by reason of the new              
 Imposition on Pewter in wch the people have killd some of ye officers,         
 pillaged & Burnt some of ye principall Magistrates houses & chased             
 ye ordnary guards soe that ye Governr of ye Cittadell was forcet               
 to draw out ye garrison upon them, who killd 20 and tooke severall             
 prisoners.                                                                     
    Orders are given for the takeing off one halfe of ye artillery, wch         
 gives them great hopes of peace notwithstanding wch his Maty parts ye 5        
 of next moneth for ye Campaigne  all ye Bridges on ye Soame are ordered        
 to bee broke downe for ye security of picardy  Tis said ye Elector of          
 Pallatine has declared warr agst ye Elector of Mayence                         
    ffrom ye Hague wee heare that ye Prince of Orange has bene of late          
 Indisposed, & on wednsday the Small pox appeard which came out soe             
 kindly that there is great hopes hee may doe well  This has causd the          
 states to continue their sessions till they see what God will be pleasd        
 to doe with him,  They have resolved to fitt out but 24 men this yeare         
 leaveing ye Swedish warr to ye Dane.                                           
 +Wee have a flying report that the Earle of Meath, his two sonnes, &           
 severll persons of quallity in their passage from Ireland to England           
 are Cast away but we hope the Contrary & expect a further account of           
 it, The Duke of Ormond its said was not in the vessell as was feard.           
 [At end of letter this note apparently to Newdigate from the scribe:]          
 I humbly beg your worsps pardon for my failure of ye last                      
      L. c. 165     Aprill ye 1st 1675                                          
    ffrom Chester of ye 29 wee heare that on Wednsday before the mary           
 yacht Capt Burslow Commander came from Dublin wth a faire Wind, haveing        
 on board the Earles of Arglass, Meath, & many other persons of good note       
 bound for England, but by what unhappy accident not yet knowne shee            
 sunk, Shee was about 2 a clock on Thursday morning last on ye north side       
 of ye Skerries that lye East Ward of Hollyhead, a Welsh vessell saw ye         
 vessell under Water, but abt 40 persons on ye Skerryes, wch is an Island       
 abt a League from shoare, some part of wch is never Overflowd.  by ye          
 next wee expect more perticulers of this unhappy accident.                     
    His Maty being much troubled at the illness of ye Prince of Orange,         
 has ordered Mr Skelton one of ye Groomes of ye Bedchamber to part              
 forthwth in a yacht for Holland to take an account of his sickness &           
 bring it to him wth all Speed.                                                 
 +ffrom Brussells of ye 5th wee heare that on Wednsday last arivd there         
 the Barron de ffue from Leigeland, & reported to his Excellency that           
 after hee had putt the marquess montains Regimt into Namur hee went to         
 Conferr wth Count Chargniack whom hee found Emcampt on ye other side of        
 ye Meuse, very neare the Citty of Leige wth abt 3000 horse & 2000 foot         
 the Spanish troops from Luxemburg being Joynd wth them upon hopes of           
 being admitted into Leige, that whilest hee was wth ym they had a              
 Conferrence wth a Confident of the Cardinall de Baden. & some of the           
 principall of ye chapter & states of Leige who came out to Conferre wth        
 them.  but they found noe good was to be done upon ye Citty who would by       
 noe arguments bee induced to admitt any forces into it, upon wch they          
 retyred & disperset their troups into severall quarters,  They say ye          
 french upon ye first Opening of ye Campaigne will fall upon Huy &              
 Dinant, & then Limbourg & Lunenburg is intirely cut off & Namur soe            
 Blockt up that it must neccessarily follow & than noe place will be            
 left upon ye Meuse but Charlemont.                                             
    L. c. 166 [Handwriting and size of paper change here.] Aprill 3d 1675       
 friday 2d/From Paris of the 6th we heare that ye disorders at Bourdeax         
 have growne to a great height, but are at present Composed those people        
 haveing extorted from that Parliament an arrest for the Revocation of          
 the Severall Imposicons on paper Tobacco Corns Flesh plaster [?] &c as         
 alsoe ye Restitution of the prisoners made dureing the Mutiny by the           
 Governr of ye Cittadel together with a Genll amnesty both wch are Confirmed    
 by his Maty and all things quieted againe.  That the thursday before the       
 Chr de Gonge and Monsr Chavaux two guardes de Corps were broke on ye           
 wheel for robbing on the highway  Madame is in a fair way [of]                 
 recovery  That the day before the Prince de Tremonville marryed Madame         
 de Crequy.  His Matie has given the office of Councellor of the                
 Parliament of Boredeax killed by the Mutineers there to the said               
 Councellor Sonne & a good pension to the widdow                                
 +The lres from Madrid say that the Count Monterey has had but an ill           
 reception there  That the Venetians are admitted in ye Mediation  They         
 here assure themselves that ye Princes of ye house of Saxony have              
 deserted the Confederates and imbraced a Neutrallity  The Empr refuses         
 to heare of a treaty without a suspension of Armes.                            
 Satturday 3/ Yesterdays Ltres from Chester say yt on Lady day past             
 the Mary Yacht struck upon ye Skerries, and preseently after splitt,           
 the master and some passengers and sailors in all 35 amongst whom ye           
 Earle of Meath were drowned  the rest 39 gott on Shoare, and continued         
 there till Saturday when a Welsh Vessell tooke them up and brought             
 them to Beaumaris  they were susteined whilst on ye Rock by some               
 flesh and usquebagh cast a shoare amongst whom is ye Earle of Arglass          
 and ye now Earle of Meath &c.                                                  
 +This nights lres from Holland of the 9th say that the Prince Continued        
 as well as Could bee expected and that being the 8th day of his distemper      
 they hoped very well  however the States Continue their assembly               
      L. c. 167  [Handwriting changes here.]   Aprill ye 6th 1675               
    yesterday Capt Rooth tooke his leave of his Maty & Recd from him            
 the Honnr of Knighthood upon his voyage to the Streights, & this Weeke         
 parts alsoe ye Earle of Inchequin to his Governmt of Tangier, & wth him        
 goes the Prince of Tetuan who has bene Travelling in many Countreys &          
 at last is come hither to take this Opertunity to returne home for             
 Barbery where hee has hopes to find a party yt will assist him to recover      
 a part of his Owne Right from his unkle ye now Empr who has it seemes          
 kild all his Brothers & now usurps.                                            
    Last Councell day was heard before his Maty a Petition of ye Citty,         
 & society of ye Temple agst one Dr Barebones who has Erected new               
 buildings in Essex house to ye prejudice of ye Trade of ye Citty &             
 great Incomodation of that society upon wch his Maty after a full heareing     
 ordered his atturney Genll to draw up an Information agst him, & yt ye         
 Surveyer Genll order ye workemen to desist                                     
 +It seemes those of Brandenb beleiving there would Certainly bee a             
 warr wth Sweden gave out letters of Marke to severall Duch & Zealanders        
 agst them who by vertue of that have lately brought severall Swedish           
 ships into ye states dominions & 2 into Dover, upon wch ye Envoy of Sweden     
 has addresst himselfe to his Maty in Councell, telling him yt ye states        
 have freed those in their dominions & hope ye King will follow their           
 example.                                                                       
    It seemes ye yacht that Carryed Mr Porter to fflanders mett on ye           
 Banks of fflanders a Spanish man of warre who (as is usuall) hee fired         
 at to make him strike to his Maties flagg, wch ye man of warr refuseing        
 hee fired againe & soe 5 or 6 tymes through & through his Rigging upon         
 wch shee returnd one shott wth a Bullet & went away, wch his Maty is soe       
 dissatifyed at that hee has caused it to be examind that hee may demand        
 satisfaction                                                                   
    The Spanish Envoy has audience of his Maty to acquaint him with the         
 Queen of Spaines acceptance of his Mediation, but added that it was            
 Joyntly wth Denmarke, Venice & ye Pope & that ye forme of it should bee        
 as that at Munster                                                             
    ffrom Milan they write that besides Religious of St Bernard they            
 have imprisond ye Marquess de Arragon & ye Count D' arrabee for having         
 designed to fire the magazine of ye Castle & raise a sedition &c:              
    The advices from Poland speake of ye Death of Dorosensko & ye               
 retreat of ye Tartars                                                          
      L. c. 168     Aprill ye 8th 1675                                          
    The States Genll have this Weke sent his Maty a draught of the              
 Conditions on wch they said they were Contented at his Maties                  
 instance to make a peace, The summ of wch was that as to ye Empr               
 the Electors, Princes, & States of ye Empire that ye treaty of                 
 Munster bee republisht, all spoiles & depredations made by france in           
 it to bee made good & securety given for its being kept inviolable             
 for the future that ye Duke of Lorraine have his Country Restored              
 to him againe &c:  That as to Spaine, that the treaty of ye Pyreneans          
 bee put in force againe & things setled according to it, that as to            
 Holland, that Maestricht & ye outre Meuse shall bee restored to them           
 againe wth intent that they be put into ye hands of Spaine &c:  This is        
 what they propose to his Maty as to ye principall mediator, all wch they       
 Conclude wth a Wish that if these Conditions doe not please his Maty or        
 bee by him thought reasonable they should be glad to Know his Opinion          
 wt would, wch paper his Maty Ordred Imediately to bee put into ye hands        
 of ye french Envoy,  & sent ye like to Our Amb at Paris to know his most       
 Xtian Maties mind abt it, & in ye meane tyme Continues to press ye States      
 to Come more forward to ye great & wisht for worke of ye peace.  & ye          
 other for that the season of ye yeare is soe farr advancet that they           
 might some expect dayly alterations in their affaires, the most Xtian          
 King Resolveing to bee in ye feild in person the 2d of May next [?] &          
 seemes to intend to fall upon Ipre & ye places on ye Scheld                    
    Letters from Holland of ye 12th instant say that ye Prince of Orange        
 was soe well that it was thought hee would in few dayes bee abroad, The        
 states of Holland are thereupon separated,  The preparations for               
 sea are at a stand till a Conferrence can bee held wth his Highness            
 concerning them.  Tis said that ye Confederates will act this Campaigne        
 wth 5 armys (not reckoning ye forces of Denmarke) who tis not doubted          
 but will now suddenly declare agst ye Swede.  The Subsidies to bee paid        
 him lyeing ready for him at Hamburg) [sic]  One army to bee Comanded by        
 Count Montecuculy in alsatia, another by ye Duke of Lorraine betwixt ye        
 Moselle & ye Meuse the third by ye Prince of Orange in flanders The            
 fourth by the Elector of Brandenb agst ye Swedes, his forces & those           
 of they Emperours now in Silesia to Joyne to that purpose, agst a 5th          
 under the Duke of Lunenburg:                                                   
 +The Elector of Brandenb has written a long letter to ye states upon           
 their haveing releast certaine swedes ships taken by his Comission &           
 brought into there ports.                                                      
 +Mr Bedford the teacher at ye Conventicle in Covent garden was this last       
 Weeke summond to appeare before the King & Councell for words hee had          
 utterd to this Effect, that his Maty notwithstanding his Declaration           
 did not intend the [seal spoils about four letters] cut should be put in       
 prosecution & wch was [?] being proved by good Evidence hee was Comitted       
 to ye gate house.                                                              
 +from Paris of ye 13 they write that ye Wednsday & Thursday before, the        
 King retyred wholly from all other buisness than that of Religion, &           
 other Company than that of his Confessor & severall Eminent persons of         
 ye Church wth whom hee held a Conferrence of Conscience 8 houres, on           
 Thursday evening was sent a Retyremt to Madam Montespan by Monsr de            
 Pompone Comanding her to her fathers house whence tis thought she will         
 goe to some Religious house, tis sd now that ye Queene is not wth child,       
 that ye King will take ye feild sooner then expected, there is a report        
 that many of ye Impositions will bee taken of all over ye Kingdome.            
      L. c. 169     Aprill ye 10 1675                                           
    The last letters from the Hague on Thursday last say yt there was           
 great Joy to see his Highness soe well yt yt day hee had changd his linnen     
 & ye next intended to Come out of his Bed chamber hopeing to goe abroad        
 ye fryday following wch was yesterday.  That Mr Skelton & Mr Aston were        
 arived there ye one from his Maty the other from his Rll Highness, but         
 at ye Comeing away of those letters they had not seene ye Prince hee           
 desireing to bee Excused for a day or 2 longer before hee saw any body.        
    The states Will have onely 18 men of warr at sea this Summer to serve       
 for ye Guard of their Coasts agst french Capers wch much disturbed them        
 That last Weeke was a Genll reveiw of ye Princes army wch would this           
 Campaigne Consist of 36000 men, The states it seemes have releast ye           
 12 swedish ships taken by the Elector of Brandenburgs Comision & brought       
 into their ports.  since wch 12 more are brought in, wch ye Elector            
 by his letters desires may have ye Benefitt of their Ports & free              
 liberty to goe where they please, what they will doe in it is not yet          
 Knowne.                                                                        
    One Mr Godfrey is arived here wth letters from Elector of Pallatine         
 to his Maty Complementing him upon ye matter of the mediation &c: &            
 to recomend to his Maties favour & protection ye interest of ye                
 Elector in ye future negotiation of ye peace.                                  
    as to the business of the prizes taken from ye swedes by Brandenburg        
 Comisions & brought into Our Ports, ye swedish Envoy has not yet               
 proceeded any further in ye matter on his part, but in ye interim              
 comes a letter from ye Elector of Brandenb wch was one Wednesday               
 delivered to his Maty by ye swedish Envoy ye Baron de swerin wherein ye        
 Elector Ownes to have licencet Certaine Ships with Comision to take ye         
 goods & ships of swedes & french in returne as hee sayes of ye                 
 Hostillities Comitted by those 2 Princes upon his Country, & subjects,         
 praying that what prizes by Vertue of those Comisions, are, or may             
 hereafter be brought into any of his Maties Ports  his Maty will be            
 pleasd that they be left to their free liberty to proceed & dispose off as     
 his Envoy now in his Court shall think fitt, & that from tyme to tyme          
 the ships soe Comissioned may wth their prizes have ye free Ordnary &          
 Genell liberty of his ports as is practised toward Other princes &             
 states his Maties good freinds & allyes  This memoriall was presented          
 but on Wednesday soe yt noe resolution has hither to bene taken upon it        
    The buisness of ye Ostenders refuseing to strike to his Maties yacht        
 off of Ostend is still under Examination in ye admiralty according to          
 ye Legall forme & will bee proceeded upon in ye Ordnary Course of law          
 as a Crime of high misdemeanor & at all times punishable accordingly           
 by ye laws of this Kingdome                                                    
 [This paragraph appears at the bottom of second verso of letter and is         
 apparently a personal note to Newdigate from the scribe:]                      
      Sr Wm Noells man is now with mee, who gives mee ye unpleasing             
 account of the desperate Condition of his Master by a most violent             
 feavor of whose life they seeme to have too litle hope hee haveing             
 laine for some dayes wthout ye right use of his senses, & at present           
 knows not any.  Dr Higgs is wth him & much feares him                          
      L. c. 170 (1)     Aprill ye 13th 1675                                     
      This morning the Parliament was Ordered where both houses being           
 sate.  The King (attended as usually wth his Rll: Hss: Pr: Rupert &            
 most of the great Officers of state) came in his robes to the Lds house        
 where after the accustomed Ceremonys the Black [Rod] went for the House        
 of Commons to attend his Maty who all in a body presently repaired to          
 the Lds house where his Maty spoke to this Effect, That hee had done his       
 part as to ye Establishing of the Protestant Religion in wch hee is            
 Resolved to Continue firme, That the property of ye subject should be          
 preserved & to that purpose hee had Calld the Parliamt together at this        
 tyme That hee did it not intending any dissolution of this Parliamt            
 notwthstanding the reports to ye Contrary but did intend they should meet      
 againe in Winter not doubting but they would Improve their tyme of             
 sitting, that they would take Care abt shipping that wee might be Equall       
 to Our Neighbours &c:  all wch was fully Enlarged by the Ld Keeper in a        
 Very Eloquent Speech, uppon wch ye Commons returnd to their house, &           
 tooke ye same into Consideration, & at last resolved that the Humble           
 & Hearty thanks of that house bee returnd to his Maty for his gracious         
 promisses & assurances exprest in this Speech to preserve & maintaine          
 as in ye Establisht Religion & our properties according to law & for           
 Calling us together at this tyme for that purpose & the house to goe           
 in a body to Returne their thankes to him accordingly                          
 +Then read they a Bill for augmentation of small Vicaridges & Orderd           
 it a 2d reading, Issued Orders for new writts to Supply the Vacancys           
 & appointed the Grand Committee for Religion to sitt on Munday for             
 greivancies Wedns: for Election & privlidges Tuesdays Thursdays &              
 Satterdays  The Comittee of Privilidge to sitt this afternoone & then          
 adjourned till to morrow                                                       
    The Lds alsoe tooke into debate his Maties speech & ordered some of         
 their members alsoe to returne his Maty their humble thankes & soe             
 adjournd alsoe till to morrow  There was a Very Full Appearance both of        
 Lds & Commons                                                                  
      L. c. 170 (2)   [Handwriting changes here.]   Aprill ye 13 1675           
 My Lds & Gentlemen                                                             
 I told you last meeting that ye Winter was ye fittest time of a                
 business, & in truth I thought it soe till my Ld Tresr assured me              
 that ye spring is ye fittest tyme for salletts & subsidies, I hope             
 therefore this Aprill will not prove soe unnaturall as not to afford           
 plenty of both, some of you may perhaps think it dangerous to make             
 mee to rich, but doe not feare it, I promise you faithfully (what ever         
 you give) I will take care to want, for ye truth of wch you may relye          
 on ye word of a King.                                                          
 My Lds & Gentlemen                                                             
 +I can leave my owne streights wth patience, but my Ld treasurer doth          
 protest yt ye revenue as it now stands is to little for us both, one           
 of us must pinch for it, if you doe not helpe us out, I must speake            
 freely to you I am under incumbrances for besides my wheres [?] in             
 service, my reformado ones lye heard upon me, I have a pretty good estate,     
 I must confess, but ods ffish here is my Ld Treasurer can tell you that        
 all ye moneys designed for ye summers Guards must of necessity be              
 applyed for ye next yeares Cradles & Swadling Cloaths, what then shall we      
 doe for ships, I only hint that to you, thats your business & not mine         
 I know by experience I can live without them, I lived 10 yeares                
 abroad without ships and was never in better health in my Life, but            
 how well you can live with out them you had best trye, I leave it to           
 your selves to Judge, & therefore only mention it, I do not intend to          
 insist upon that.                                                              
 +There is another thing which I must press more earnestly wch is this,         
 it seemes a good parte of my Revenue will faile in 2 or 3 yeares except        
 you will please to continue it, now I have this to say for it, why did         
 you give me soe much except you resolve to give [three illegible letters]?     
 The nation hates you allready for giveing soe much, I will hate you now        
 if you do not give me more, soe that your Intrest obleiges you to              
 stick to me, or you will not have a freind left in England, on ye other        
 side if you continue ye revenue as I desired, I shall be able to performe      
 those great things for you religion and liberty, wch I have long had in        
 my thoughts but can not effect it wth out this establishment, wherefore        
 looke to it, if you doe not make me rich enough to undoe you it shall be at    
 your doore, for my parte I can wth a cleare conscience say, I have done        
 my best, & shall leave ye rest to my successours, but yt I may gaine your      
 good opinion ye best way is to acquiant you, what I have done to deserve       
 it, out of my Royall care for your religion & property, for ye first my        
 late proclaimation is ye true picture of my minde, hee yt cannot (as in        
 a Glass) see my Zeale for ye Church of England doth not deserve any other      
 satisfaction, for I declare him willfull abominable, & not good, you           
 may perhaps crye how comes this suddain change, to that I reply in a           
 word, I am a Changeling, that I think a full answer, but to convince           
 men yet further that I meane as I say there are these arguments, yt            
 I tell you soe & you know I never broake my word, 2ly my Ld Treasurer          
 says soe, and hee never told lye in his life, 3dly my Ld Lauderdale            
 will undertake for me, & I should be loath to any act of mine to               
 forfeit ye Credit hee has wth you, if you desire more Instances of             
 my Zeale, I have them for you, for example I have converted all my             
 naturall sonns from Popery (and I may say wthout vanity) it was more           
 my worke, & much more peculier to me then ye getting of them, It               
 would do our hearts good to heare how prettily little George can               
 reade allready ye Psaltery, they are all fine Childeren, god bless them,       
 & soe like me in their understanding but (as I was saying) I have to           
 please you given a pension to the favorite my Ld Lauderdale, not so much       
 yt I thought hee wanted it, as I knew you would take it kindely, I have        
 made Carwell a Dutchess, & married her sister to my Ld Pembrooke, I have       
 made Crew Bp of Durham, I have at my Brothers request sent my Ld Inchequin     
 to settle ye Protestant religion at Tangeir, & at ye first word of my Lady     
 Portsmouth I have preferred Bradcock to be Bp Chichister, I doe not            
 knowe what factions men would have, but this I am sure of yt none of           
 my predecessors did ever any thing like this to gaine ye good will of          
 their subjects, so much for religion.                                          
    Now as to property my beheaviour to ye Bankers & letting of ye              
 Customes to my Ld St John & partners take for publique Instances, & ye         
 proceeding about Mrs Hyde & Emerson for a private one, & such convincing       
 Evidences yt it will be needless to mention any thing more of it, I must       
 now acquaint you that by my Ld Treasurers advice I have made a                 
 Considerable retrenchment on my Expences in Candles & Charecoale, &            
 doe not intend to stick there but wth your helpe to looke into ye like         
 embezelments of my Kitching staff, of wch (by ye way) on my conscience         
 neither my Ld Treasurer nor Lord Lauderdale are guilty, but if you             
 should finde them dableing in that business I tell you plainly I leave         
 them to you for I would not have ye would thinke I am a man to be cheated.     
 +My Lds & Gentlemen                                                            
 +I will have you beleive of me as you allway founde me, and I do solemnly      
 protest that what ever you give me it shall be managed ye same thrift,         
 trust, conduct, prudence & sincerity that I have ever practisd since my        
 happy restauracon                                                              
     [Another note to Newdigate in the same hand as L. c. 170 (1):]             
 I presume yo[u]r Worpp may have heard ye unwelcome news of ye death of         
 Sr Wm Noell who dyed on Tewsday.                                               
      L. c.171     Aprill ye 15 1675                                            
 +Wednsday morning both houses meeting againe the Lds read an act regulating    
 ye Tryall of ye Peeres, The Commons resolved that a Committee Should           
 bee appoynted to Veiw the Bills wch were depending last sessions & see         
 wch of them are usefull, & represent such as are most necesary wth their       
 Opinions to ye house & ordered another to reinforce ye laws for repaireing     
 high wayes & to prepare & bring in a Bill for ye Effectuall repaireing         
 & maintaineing thereof &c   Then read they ye Bill for augmentation of         
 Small vicarages a 2d tyme & Comitted it after wch some Copies of               
 records of Parliamts in ye raignes of severall preciedt Kings being            
 tendred Concerning their priviliedges they adjourned ye further debate         
 thereof till next day. & ordered ye Keeper of ye records to attend             
 them therewth, upon wch they fell on ye debate of their former vote            
 agst ye Duke of Lauderdale, & after a long dispute at last resolved            
 that an address bee presented to remove the Duke of Lauderdale from            
 all his Employmts & from his Matys presence & and Councell for Ever            
 being Obnoxious & dangerous to the Governmt & appointed a Comittee to          
 meet this a afternoone to draw up their reasons & grounds for the              
 address,  then next they in a body to Whitehall to returne their               
 thankes to his Maty for his gracious Speech, who was pleasd to                 
 receive them in the Banquetting house at 3 a clock, The Lds alsoe              
 gave him their Thankes by ye members departed for that purpose                 
    This morning both houses mett againe  the Lds read ye act for the           
 better tryall of the Peeres & Comitted it, & then read another for a           
 Test or Oath to bee taken by all in Publique offices, ye first tyme, The       
 Commons were acquainted by ye Speaker that he had attended his Maty            
 yesterday with their vote of thankes to wch hee was pleasd to returne          
 this answer that had a great Confidence of that house of Commons &             
 that they might be assured that hee would alwayes preserve them in             
 their libertys & properties &c:  Then gave they leave to bring in a bill       
 for Erecting Courts of Conscience in Westmr & Southwark after wch they         
 went upon the debate of yesterday abt the Records of former Parliamts,         
 & ye Originalls being tendred & perused & a debate ariseing thereupon          
 it was at last resolved that ye further Considerations of them should          
 bee adjourned till this day sennight, & in ye meane tyme appoynted a           
 Committee to translate them into English & search whether ye same bee          
 upon the statute Rolls or not, then gave they leave to bring in a              
 Bill for takeing affidavits in the Country to bee returnd to ye                
 Exchequer & all other Countyes where there is noe provision already            
 for the same purpose & Ordered the Comittee abt The Duke of Lauderdale         
 should bee Impowered to send for persons, papers & records & meet againe       
 abt it in the afternoone.                                                      
    The Earle of Holland dyed this last Weeke leaveing his Sonne & heire        
 not above 2 yeares old                                                         
    On ye 12 his Grace the Duke of Ormond came to Whitehall where hee was       
 very kindly recd by his Maty                                                   
     ffryday last the Prince of Orange went to Church to give god               
 publique Thankes for his Recovery, & after his returne gave audience to        
 Mr Skelton & Mr Aston sent from The King & Duke of Yorke                       
      L. c. 172      Apll 17 1675                                               
 +ffryday morning the Commons appoynted a Comittee to bring in a Bill to        
 regulate the abuses of hundreds & County Courts to lessen their Number &       
 prevent the abuses of atturneys & sollicitors their vexatious and              
 extravagant proceedings                                                        
    Then read a Bill to prevent the Exportation of Wooll into forreigne         
 parts & then Went into a grand Comittee of ye Whole house to Consider of       
 some Effectuall way for suppressing the growth of popery, & at last            
 resolvd that the house bee moved to direct some members to bring in a          
 Bill to hinder Papists sitting in Either house of Parliamt, & another          
 for ye more Easy & speedy Conviction of Papists, & that in such Bills          
 bee inserted a Clause that ye penalities laid upon ye papists Convicts,        
 shall bee applyed to ye buying in of Impropriations or some other good &       
 pious use & a Clause alsoe to bee inserted to distinguish Papists in           
 their Conviction from other nonConformists, & ye Comittee to sitt abt it       
 this afternoone                                                                
 +last night Mr Skelton & Mr Aston returned from Holland, leaveing his          
 Highness the Prince of Orange very well received & abroad                      
    This day the Commons went into a Comittee of ye whole house to              
 Consider of some Effectuall way to suppress the growth of Popery, &            
 resolved that in such Bills bee inserted a clause for ye paymt of a very       
 Considerable Reward to any person that shall discover a Popish Preist          
 who uppon tryall shall bee proved to have said Mass Either in this             
 Realme or in any forreigne Country if such Preists bee not Reconciled          
 to ye Church of England, That those votes shall not prejudice ye Laws          
 now in being agst Popish preists, & that these penalties shall bee             
 inflicted on them where any Popish preist was saying mass accordingly to       
 ye Rites of ye Church of Rome.                                                 
      L. c. 173     Aprill ye 22 1675                                           
    yesterday the Commons Comitted the Bill agst Exportation of Leather         
 & that for the opening the passage betweene Chancery lane & Lincolns           
 Inne feilds, & then went into a Comittee of the Whole house to proceed         
 upon the further Consideration of ye wayes to suppress Popery. &               
 resolved that a clause bee inserted in ye Bill, to Regulate & Restraine        
 The atturney Genll in Entring Non Proseguis, That another bee inserted         
 for ye more Effectuall Leavying the Penalties upon Popish Recusants, &         
 that ye house be moved to appoynte a Comittee to draw up a Bill upon the       
 heads allready reported, & then went all in a body to attend his Maty wth      
theire address abt Calling the Kings subjects from ffrench service  his         
Maty was pleasd to Receive them in the Banquetting house at 4 in ye             
Afternoone where he was pleasd to returne them an answer to this Effect         
That hee would Consider of it, it being a Weighty buisness, & Returne           
them a speedy answer.                                                           
    This day the Commons read a Bill for the Preservation of a Piscary in       
 Thames Severne Avon &c: read a Petition of ye Woollen drapers agst ye          
 officers of ye Aulnage & referred it to ye Comittee allready appoynted         
 in that buisness & ordered ym to Consider of a way to take off ye Duty,        
 & give a Compensation to ye persons Concernd.                                  
 +Then read they a Bill for ye better assurance of such as Claime under         
 ancient fines & Recoveries & another to prevent any member of the house        
 of Commons from takeing upon them any Publique office  The translations        
 of the records of Parliamts were then read but ye debate of them put off       
 till the Comittee have made their Report abt ye Statute Rolles, Mr Pepis       
 was then ordered to bring in a State of ye fleet & stores thereunto            
 belonging on Saturday, a Comittee was appoynted to inspect ye lawes            
 touching the Malitia & to see wherein ye same are defective & how they         
 may bee Remedyed, & of ye abuses that have bene Comitted in ye severall        
 Countyss in ye Execution thereof, then Comitted they ye Bill to prevent        
 ye Illegall exa[c]tion of mony from ye subject, & yt abt Imprisonmt of         
 subjects, & ordred a bill to bee brought in to prevent abuses in the           
 disposition of monys belonging to Hospitalls &c:                               
    On ye 16 was launcht at Chattam the Mountague being rebuilt & made as       
 good as ever.  they are repaireing the St Michaell wch will bee quickly        
 finisht & are Rebuilding the defence wch was Casually burnt some yeares        
 since                                                                          
    Duch letters of ye 23rd tell us that the giveing out Comissions against     
 ye Swede will bee forbidden to prevent as long as possible a rupture wth       
 yt Crowne, & to yt purpose the ships that were to have gone out agst ye        
 Swede are Countermanded  But in Case there should bee Occasion to deale        
 [with?] ye Swede they looke upon him sufficiently provided agst by the         
 Dane, besides the others haveing perticularly on yt account 20000 men &        
 25 men of Warr in a readyness, The Prince of Orange is now of health           
 fitt for buisness  hee was lately at the English Ambrs house at Dinner,        
 where hee publiquely acknowlegd the great Care of the Ambrs Lady to him        
 in his sickness, wch [seal causes large tear that spoils eight to twelve       
 letters at ends of manuscript lines for rest of paragraph]tinued               
 attendance on him was bey[tear] hee was pleasd among other discou[tear]        
 them an account of his sickness & [tear] that for ye first 9 Nights of         
 his s[ickness it] had bene much worse wth him they [tear] for that in          
 that tyme hee had noe [tear] such was his Patience that hee Cou[tear] of       
 his Condition Even from those that [tear] wth him who Concluded hee had        
 tak[tear]                                                                      
    The[y] write from Paris of another Riseing at Reims abt ye Collecting       
 Customes, where the Women rose & by violence possest themselves of ye          
 tobacco office & severall other offices, & the tumult growing higher the       
 Citty gates Were shut up, the King has Comanded all Governrs or                
 Deputies to repaire Imediately to their Comands by whose presence &            
 ye Kings clemency a speedy stop may be put to all further mischeifs            
 of that kind, they tell us the troops of ye Kings houshold march made          
 ye 3 & ye King himselfe ye 10th & yt ye armys will Rendezvouz ye 24th          
 a Courrier is arived at Paris from Vienna wth ye Emprs Resolution              
 Concerning the Prince that hee would allow Vienna or Newstadt for his          
 prison till it bee decided at Nimegen whether hee ought to Enjoy any           
 farther liberty, wth wch that Court seemes not Well satisfyed                  
      L. c. 174     Aprill ye 24 1675                                           
    yesterday the Lds were againe on the debate of ye Bill for the              
 Test  The Commons Comitted ye Bill for the better assurance of such            
 as Claime under ancient fines & Recoverys, & that for ye preservation          
 of ye Piscary, read another for regulating the Election of Members to          
 serve in Parliamt & then went againe upon the debate abt the Duke of           
 Lauderdale & concluded on ye same & ordered ye members of ye privy             
 Councell to know when his Maty would bee attended therewth, &                  
 adjournd ye debate of part of the reasons till Thursday next                   
    This day ye Lds past ye Bill abt the Tryall of peeres & sent it             
 to ye Commons read a Bill to revive & perpetuate an act for avoiding           
 unnecessary lawsuites & delayes, & another abt Charitable uses  Then           
 Mr Pepis brought in an account of ye state of ye fleet and ye stores           
 thereof and adjournd ye debate thereof till Tewsday next after wch they        
 ordered an address to be presented to his Maty to prevent any further          
 anticipation or Charge on ye Customes of England & Ireland, it being a         
 disservice to ye King and Kingdome.                                            
 +On Munday next they are to goe wth their address to his Maty agst the         
 Duke of Lauderdale, his Maty signifying to ym hee would then receive it        
    Thursday night dyed in towne Dr ffuller Bpp of Lincoln, & tis said          
 Dr Barlow, head of Queens Colledge Oxford is to suceed him                     
    Dr Merle Dean of Rippon is at last dead in Earnest, & will be               
 suceeded by Dr Tully as was formerly said.                                     
      L. c. 175     [Handwriting changes here.]     Aprill ye 28 1675           
    This morning both houses mett, the Commons gave leave to bring in           
 a Bill for encreaseing & encourageing ye Coale trade & read another for        
 regulateing the measures, & soe prevent ye abuses in the saile of Coale        
 & wood, they read also the Bill for settling the duty of the hearth            
 money, & Comitted the Bill to prevent ye Illegall exaction of mony from        
 the subject, after wch 7 articles of impeachment against my Ld High            
 Treasurer bein presented, read & debated in the house, they resolved yt        
 they would tomorrow morning proceede head by head & hear such proofs,          
 Instances, & circumstances regulateing to Each article as are requisite        
 for an Impeachmt & ye matter of ye Navy was therefore putt off till            
 Wednesday, & ye Chancellour of the Exchequer (if in health) ordered to         
 be presented or send his secretary to give his attendance on ye house          
 upon yt account                                                                
    On saturday night his Maty was pleasd to send for ye Key from ye            
 Earle of Clarendon as Chamberlain to her Maty, & as yet has not namd           
 anybody to succeed him in yt office                                            
    On saturday night my Ld Howard of Esrick dyed here leaveing his             
 Honr & Estate to his Eldest sonn Capt Thomas Howard                            
    On Tuesday night the Lds satt till 9, at last ordered the Bill for the      
 Test should be Comitted to a Comittee of ye house to Consider on it on         
 Thursday morning next & soe adjourned till that time.                          
    The Commons this day satt & Committed a bill for the setling the            
 hearth mony as also that to revive & perpetuate an act for avoiding            
 unnecessary suits & delays at law, they read also the Bill from the            
 Lords for regulateing the tryall of Peeres & a generall Bill of                
 Naturallizacon, after Mr Speaker reported that hee had yesterday with          
 the whole house attended his Maty wth ye address Concerning the Duke           
 of Lauderdale, to wch hee was pleasd to return this answer that it was         
 long & of great Importance soe that hee would not return them                  
 prsent answer but would consider of it & in a short tyme give them             
 one  then appoynted they a Comittee to peruse such temporary acts as           
 were made absolute by ye 17th of Caroli primi & report wch are fitt to         
 be continued & revived & wch not  then gave they duty upon rough               
 Juells West India Comodities of the growth of our own Plantations,             
 & another to bring in a Bill for the remedying defects & asserting             
 measures & then proceeded upon the debate of the articles abt my Ld            
 Treasurer & haveing perusd some pattents & heard some wittnesses               
 referred the further debate till tomorrow morning.                             
      L. c. 176   [Handwriting changes here.]   Aprill ye 29 1675               
 +yesterday the Commons read a Bill for the better recovery of debts            
 due upon Bills & bonds  then ye house reasumed ye debate of ye matter          
 of ye pattent of Excise wch held them till almost 5 & at last they             
 Resolved that the Pattent was not illegall or Contrary to ye                   
 Constitutions of the Excheqr, & that in ye 1st article there                   
 appeared noe fitt matter to Impeach ye Ld High Treasurer, Mr Secry             
 Coventry then reported to ye house that his Maty had appointed the             
 House to attend him at 3 a Clock this day in ye Banquetting house              
 wth their address to prevent ye anticipation of the Customes &c                
    This day ye Comons gave leave to bring in a bill for dreyneing              
 Lindsey Levell read a Bill agst moore Burning in severall Countys,             
 after wch they resolvd they would to morrow morning proceed on ye              
 farther Consideration of ye articles of Impeachmt agst the Ld High             
 Treasurer, & that My Ld Major & divers others be ordred to attend,             
 & that ye further debate of ye matter Concerning ye Duke of Lauderdale         
 bee adjournd till this day sennight,                                           
 +Then read they a Bill for releife of prisoners deteyned for Criminall         
 Matters & Comitted it, & read yt to prevent ye members of ye house of          
 Commons from takeing upon ym any publique office, & putting it to ye           
 question it was Carryed in ye Negative & soe was rejected                      
      The Lds read an act for ye better paymt of small tythes Church            
 dutys &c:  alsoe an act to prevent ye spoyling highways by Carts &             
 Carriages that goe upon 4 Wheeles &c   Then Calld they ye house over &         
 read ye rolls of standing Orders, & are to morrow to goe into a grand          
 Comittee upon ye Consideration of ye Bill for a Test.                          
 +This afternoone ye Comons Waited on his Maty wth their address agst           
 ye anticipation of ye Customes.                                                
    from Paris wee heare yt ye march & Rendezvouz of ye Army are Changed,       
 The first being now resolvd on toward Luxemburg, & ye other sedan neare        
 wch place ye Enimies have lately appeared & burnt 2 or 3 villages  ye          
 Commonalty of Mons have tumultuosly assassinated severall Comissarys &         
 burnt & pillaged severall houses, in Brittaine & severall places the           
 disorders increase                                                             
      L. c. 177     May ye 1st 1675                                             
 +yesterday the Commons read a Bill for Erecting a Court of Conscience in       
 Westmr, & orderd another to bee brought in on Munday to ye same Effect         
 for Southwark, then ye house proceeded in ye further debate of ye Articles     
 agst my Ld Treas & the 2d Article being read my Ld Mayor was Cald in &         
 ye Question being put whether any fitt matter doe appeare in ye                
 examination of the said Article to Impeach ye said Treasr it was Resolvd       
 in ye Negative, & ye Rest Referrd till Munday next & soe they adjournd         
 till that day.                                                                 
 +The Lds read ye Petition of Robert Villiers who claimes ye title of           
 Visct Purbeck & Baron of Stoke as sonne of Robert sonne & heire of             
 John Villers Viscount Purbeck &c.   and then in a Grand Comittee               
 proceeded upon the Bill for the Test & agreed upon a vote wch was              
 afterward reported to ye house to this Effect that noe oath shall bee          
 Imposed by any Bill or otherwise upon ye peeres wth a penalty in case          
 of Refuseall to loose their places & votes in Parliamt or liberty of           
 debate therein, & then ordered it to bee added to ye standing Orders           
 of ye house                                                                    
    ffrom Brussells of ye 4th wee heare that there had bene a renCounter        
 between a party of french & Spanish horse not farr from Cambray but ye         
 latter got ye better, tho overpowerd, last Tewsday the Horse & foot            
 marcht from thence, Mr. Porter has taken his leave of that Court &             
 was very Richly presented by ye Duke & Duchess de Villa Hermosa                
   ffrom ffrancfort of ye 28 they say that ye Imperiall army abt Bon            
 are marching that way & they are to have their head quarters not above a       
 league from thence,  Genell Sparke is at Obernsell & has bene lately           
 Consulting wth Genll Captiers                                                  
    On WednsDay the Earle of Inchequin & Prince Tussalett went to               
 Portsmth where they take shipping for Tangier                                  
    Dr Haughton Chaplaine to secretary Williamson succeeds Dr Barlow in         
 ye Provostship of Queens Colledge in Oxford.                                   
    The Key of Chamberlaine to ye Queene is not yet disposed of                 
      L. c. 178   [Handwriting changes here.]   May ye 4 1675                   
      This day the houses satt, ye Comons read a Bill for Erecting a            
 Court of Conscience in Southwark, & also another for preventing &              
 suppressing Hawkers Pedlars & Petty Chapmen & another for ye better            
 Encourageing of ye English Manufactors of Glass plates & then went upon        
 ye debates of the articles of Impeachmt against my Ld Treasurer, & ye          
 remaineing articles being read & Considerd & severall putt to ye question      
 whether there did appear upon ye whole examination of them any fitt            
 matter for an Impeachmt, it past in ye negative & soe laid asside, Mr          
 Speaker then reported his Maties answere to theire address abt ye              
 anticipation of ye Customes & then adjournd till tomorrow resolveing           
 then to goe upon ye buisness of ye Navy                                        
 +The Lds after some private buisness resolved into a Grand Comittee            
 to proceede upon ye Bill for ye Test & aggreed upon another head & are         
 tomorrow to goe on it againe.                                                  
    The Duke of Sommersett is said to be dead in ye Country &c.                 
    This day both houses satt, ye Comons went upon ye debate of ye Navy,        
 & resolved yt a Bill be brought into appropriate That part of ye revenue       
 riseing by ye act of tunage & pondage putt in ye 12th yeare of this King       
 to ye use of ye Navy for 3 yeares if ye duties granted by yt act shall be      
 Continued soe long & a Comittee appoynted to bring in a Bill for that          
 purpose.                                                                       
    The Lds this morning resolved into a Grand Comittee upon ye Bill for        
 ye Test & debated whether ye members of both houses shall be intended          
 in ye Clause agreed on yesterday & at last resolved upon it & yt those         
 words have or shall have right to sitt & vote in either house of               
 parliamt should be added to ye former clause & upon it ye house agreed         
 wth the Comittee & soe adjournd ye buisness till Thursday morning.             
 +ffrom Paris wee heare of ye 8th Instant yt his most Excelent Maty is          
 marched & yt hee intends to redeeme all the Xtian Slaves Except                
 Spaniards for succour of Messina.                                              
      L. c. 179   [Handwriting changes here.]   May 6 1675                      
    Wednsday ye Commons read a Bill for preservation of ye Wood & timber        
 in ye forest of Deane, & another to prevent thefts & rapine in ye Northerne    
 Borders & then went upon ye debate of their priviledges in ye case of          
 Sr John ffagg a memb of their house who is summond to answer a suite           
 depending betwixt him & one Shirly, before ye Lds on fryday & sent a           
 message to ye Lds to desire them to have a regard to their priviledges         
 &c  The Lds sent downe a Bill for explanation of an act to prevent dangers     
 that may happen from Popish recusants  The Bill to prevent illegall            
 imprisonmt of ye subject was ordered to be Engrost  Then went they on ye       
 Consideration of their former debate abt ye french forces & resolvd            
 yt an address bee made to his Maty that hee would be pleasd to Issue out       
 a proclamation for ye speedy recalling his Matys subjects yt are now in        
 ye french service & ye members yt are of ye privy Councell to know of his      
 Maty when hee will be attended therewth  a further address was alsoe ordered   
 to be drawne up to bee presented to his Maty Concerning ye Duke of             
 Lauderdale                                                                     
 +The Lds in a Grand Comittee fell upon a Bill for secureing ye protestant      
 Religion & agreed yt that one head thereof ye disarming of popish              
 Recusants, & were proceeding to remove all ye Queenes servants but             
 adjournd to another day.                                                       
    Thursday ye Lds in grand Comittee debated ye buisness of their              
 priviledges as to ye case of Sr John ffagg, & at last resolved & Reported      
 to ye house to this Effect that it is ye undoubted right of ye Lds in          
 Judicature to receive & determine in tyme of Parliamt appeales from            
 Inferiour Courts & yt a member of either house bee Concernd that there         
 may bee noe failure of Justice in ye land, & this answer is said to bee        
 intended to ye Comons, that they need not doubt but that ye Lds will           
 have as great a regard to ye house of Comons as to their owne.                 
 +The Comons read ye Bill abt poore prisoners past yt abt illegall              
 Imprisonmts, as alsoe yt for ye better assurance of such as claime under       
 ancient fines & recovery                                                       
    The house then Resumd ye debate abt ye Duke of Lauderdale upon ye           
 Testimony of Dr Burnet but adjournd it to fryday sevennight, onely             
 ordereing their members of ye privy Councell to know his Maties                
 pleasure abt ye farther address Concerning ye Duke of Lauderdale               
      L. c. 180     May ye 8th 1675                                             
 +ffryday the Commons comitted ye Bill to prevent Hawkers Pedlars &             
 petty Chapmen as alsoe that for recovery of Debts upon bills &                 
 bonds  Then Came ye Lds answer in Sr John ffaggs case, wch was, that           
 they need not Doubt but ye Lds would bee regardfull of ye priviledges          
 of ye house of Commons as of their owne, then went they to attend              
 his Maty wth their address for recalling his subjects out of ye french         
 Kings service & preventing ye goeing over of anymore for ye future             
      Saterday ye Lds in a grand Comittee for secureing ye Protestant           
 Religion Resolved that noe Romish preists doe attend her Maty but              
 forreigners except Mr Hudlestone & after her decease noe lay servts            
 bee admitted to attend any future Queen but Protestants or forreignrs          
 +The Comons read his Maties answere to their address abt recalling his         
 subjects from ye french service, wch was to this Effect that such Troops       
 as were in his most Xtian Maties service were Inconsiderable in number,        
 & alsoe Could not bee recalld wthout derogation to his honnr, &                
 prejudice to ye peace hee has publiquely professed, but as for ye              
 goeing over of anymore, his Maty will remove his proclamation to hinder        
 & forbid it                                                                    
      L. c. 181     May ye 11th 1675                                            
 +yesterday the Comons read ye Bill for preservation of timber in ye            
 forest of Deane & Comitted it & then Went into a grand Comittee to             
 consider of his Maties answere to their address abt recalling the              
 English from ye french service, wch they long debated, and at last             
 rose wthout any Resolution                                                     
    The Lds read ye Bill to prevent frauds & perjuries & ordered it to be       
 Engrost & then in a grand Comittee abt ye Test read ye 2d part of ye           
 declaration & at last agreed it should be worded after this manner,            
   Or agst those that are Commissionated by him according to law in tyme        
 of Rebellion or Warr acting in pursuance of such Commissions after wch ye      
 oath was proposed to run thus,                                                 
 +J.A.B. does swear that I will not Endeavour to subvert ye Protestant          
 Religion now establisht in ye Church of England, or to subvert the             
 Government Either in Church or state, but put off ye further Consideration     
 till Wednesday.                                                                
    This day the Comons Comitted ye Bill for ye Encouragement of the            
 glass manufacture, as alsoe a Bill for Encourageing & reveiwing a former       
 act for ye exportation of leather, & yn resumed their dabate of yesterday      
 abt the forces in the french service, & at last after a division of the        
 house came to this Resolution  That a farther address bee presented to         
 his Maty to recall his subjects from ffrance                                   
    The Lds in a grand Comittee for heads for the Bill for secureing            
 the protestant Religion agreed that ye next head should bee how to             
 suppress Atheisme, Prophaness, & Blasphemy, for wch they appoynted a           
 Comittee to prepare a Bill to bee presented to ye house, & that ye             
 children of those of the Romish Religion shall be Educated in ye               
 Protestant dureing their fathers lives & for ye takeing care of ye             
 Education of such Children in ye Protestant Religion the further               
 debate whereof was adjournd till fryday: when one Taylor now a                 
 prisoner in Guilford is orderd to be brought to ye Barr of that house          
 abt horrid Blasplemies utterd by him for wch hee was Comitted to               
 prison, & is to answer ye same.                                                
 +The Earle of Pembroke is made Ld Leuit of Wilts upon ye Death of ye           
 $Duke% of Somerset, whose Dukedome is now descended to my Ld Seymor of         
 Trowbridge                                                                     
    On Thursday Divers of his Maties troops of Horse & Regiments of foot        
 are to bee drawne up for a generall reveiw in Hide parke in great              
 gallantry and Equipage before his Maties, Royall Highness & all ye great       
 persons of ye Court                                                            
    They write from Legorne Ap: ye 15th that Capt Wettwang in ye new            
 Castle, knowing not of any Breach went directly to Tripoly and sent his        
 Boat wth his Leuit & a flagg of Truce, whom they wth faire words               
 persuaded a shoare & Carryed him Imediately before ye King, who told him       
 his Genll had beene there taken off ye Consull & declared warr, but            
 that hee was Willing to make peace againe on his Owne termes & put             
 to Death such as had been the Cause of ye warr but that they were              
 not able to make restitution all being divided among the souldiers, hee        
 told ye Leuit that as hee came soe hee might goe in peace, & if he would       
 might stay 5 or 6 dayes to provide necessarys for ye ship & soe dismist        
 him wth a present to his Capt, & bad him have a care of meeting wth his        
 men of Warr, when the Leuit was comeing away their Admirall told him           
 there were 5 men of Warr ready (aboard which [?] hee saw provision             
 Carryeing) who would goe out to give his Capt a vissit to whom hee             
 answered his Capt wanted not guns & powder to bid them welcome, They           
 cald a Councell of Warr & consulted their marabott or cheife preist            
 abt their fortune, but ye Capt haveing Cruised to & againe 2 dayes &           
 seeing none Come out to him Came away                                          
      L. c. 182     May ye 13 1675                                              
      On ye 12 the Comons Comitted ye Bill for releife of poore                 
 prisoners, & orderd ye Bill for appropriateing ye Customes to ye use           
 of ye Navy to be read on ye 14, a Bill was sent downe from the Lds to          
 prevent frauds & perjuries, & yn ye house taking ye buisness of Sr             
 John ffagg into debate Orderd Dr Thomas Shirley being ye party for             
 whom ye appeale was brought to ye Lds to be taken into Custody by ye           
 sergt at armes, & that Sr John ffagg proceed not any further wthout            
 leave of ye house.                                                             
    His Maties answere to ye Commons address concerning ye Duke of              
 Lauderdale wch they recd from his Maty in Writeing, was to this effect,        
 that as to ye acts of Parliamt mentiond to have bene past in Scotland his      
 Matie observes that ye 1st of those acts was in ye yeare 1663 wch was long     
 before the Duke of Lauderdale was his Maties Comissr of that Kingdome,         
 the latter was in persuance to ye former, As to ye words said to have          
 bene spoke, by ye tyme of Mr Pennington Whaleys Case, his Maty perceives       
 that if they had bene spoken they must have bene spoken before ye last act     
 of Genll pardon, & his Maty being sencible how great a satisfaction &          
 security the Inviolable preservation of the former act of Indemmpnity          
 & oblivion has bene to all his subjects cannot but apprehend ye                
 dangerous Consequence of Enquireing into any thing that has bene               
 pardond, by a Genll act of pardon, least ye example of that might give         
 men Cause to feare their security under ye first act of Oblivion  The          
 Comons have againe read a Bill for abollishing ye Writt de Herettico           
 Comburendo,                                                                    
    On WednDay the Prince of Newburgh who has lately bene in france Came        
 hither.                                                                        
    The perticulers of ye late designe for rendring Messina in ye hands of      
 ye Spaniards wee have thus, a Gentleman of Reputation in ye Citty had          
 assured himselfe of 400 men wth whom hee was to seize the fort Royall          
 & to deliver it into ye hands of ye ViceRoy of Sicily who was to march         
 in ye night & bring wth him 6000 & send ye Galleys at ye same tyme to ye       
 ffare the appearance of ye Galleys being ye Signal when ye Gentleman           
 should attaque ye fort   The ViceRoy disposed all things accordingly &         
 advised ye Gentleman by letter that hee would in 4 dayes hee would march       
 from Mallaga [?] at ye head of his troups, The letter was delrd to a           
 Woman who for secresy tyed it about her thigh, but Comeing to ye first         
 gate & being examind shee was in such Confusion & soe varied in her Story      
 that shee was sent to prison wth threats to bee Whipt & searcht, upon wch      
 shee gave ye letter, & those of ye designe were seizd some beheaded & some     
 hangd, & all ye Jesuits of ye towne (ye Correspondence being Carryed on        
 Cheifely by that Society there & ye ViceRoys Confessor who is of ye            
 same Order) turned out of ye place                                             
    Naples Letters speake of a Warme report that ye Spaniards were by           
 appoyntmt to give a Genll assult on ye 21 to ye Citty not wthout hope          
 of good effect, that being ye day where on those Cittisens choose new          
 Jurats for ye Government of ye Citty when usually there happens great          
 heats among ye people & wch at this tyme may rather bee Encreast by ye         
 different factions of ye french & Spanish parties                              
 +Paris letters say ye King parted ye 11th in ye afternoone haveing             
 dureing dinner discourst ye Bp of Stratzburg, whom hee tooke by ye hand        
 at parting & told him hee was goeing to Endeavour his brothers liberty,        
 ye King designd to stay two or 3 dayes at ham [?] but how hee would move       
 thence was not knowne his troupes marching divers Wayes, the affairs of        
 Brittaigne are not yet well settled, there is some apprehension as if ye       
 Plague were broke out at Port L'Evesque, & some parts of france,  The          
 french King has sent mony for Redemption of Captives of all Nations            
 (except Spaniards) to bee Employd in ye Service of Messina   his Most          
 Xtian Maty presented ye Swedish Amb at his audience of Conge wth a             
 Considerable Vallue  ye Ambr assured his Maty ye Swedes were 24000             
 in ye Electorate of Brandenb, & 10000 in ye Duchy of Bremen                    
    L. c. 183     May ye 15th 1675                                              
 +yesterday the Commons read a Bill for repaireing of high Wayes, &             
 another for encouragemt of acts & manufactures  then was report made of        
 ye Entryes of ye Lds house in Sr John ffaggs Case upon wch ye house            
 resolved that ye appeale brought in by Dr Shirley agst Sr John ffagg was       
 a breach of ye undoubted priviledges of their house.  & being informed         
 that ye warrant for attacking ye said Dr was forcibly taken & detained         
 from ye Deputy Sergeant at armes, they sent a Complaint of it to ye Lds,       
 and then appoynted a Comittee to prepare a further address abt ye English      
 forces in france & adjournd my Ld Lauderdales buisness till munday             
 +The Lds ye same day falling uppon the debate of Dr Shirleys arest at          
 their doore &c: sent this message to ye house of Commons, that, they           
 haveing a Warrant brought before them for apprehending ye said Dr              
 signed by ye speaker of their house, doe send ye same back to know if          
 it were Orderd by them & the Comons complaineing my ldpps for forcibly         
 takeing away & detaineing from ye Deputy Sergt ye warrant of their house       
 for apprehending Dr Shirley, & demanding Justice of their Ldpps agst           
 ye Ld Mohun The Lds replyed that they had considered of ye Complaint           
 & found ye said Ld had noe thing but his duty in it, & soe ordered ye          
 Dr to attend them.                                                             
    The Lds this day in a Grand Comittee read ye head to be taken abt           
 perverters & perverted from ye Protestant Religion, & resolved as to ye        
 first yt ye lawes shall stand as it does, onely ye rigour taken of if          
 they will adjure ye Realme, That an addition of pecuniary penalty be           
 laid on ye perverted wthout referrence to former lawes, & yt provisions        
 bee made for poore papists as become Protestants, & that a stock bee           
 Erected & maintained for buying impropriations [?] for ye better               
 maintaining Worthy Ministers in great townes                                   
 +The Commons this day resolved Dr Shirleys proceedings in ye Lds house         
 a breach of their priviledges & desired a Conferrence wth ye Lds abt it        
 & then upon a message from ye Lds to know if they would owne ye Warrant,       
 ye house Considered of it & resolved it an unparliamentary message &           
 that Whoever appears at ye Lds Barr agst any of that house shall bee           
 deemd an Infringer of ye priviledges Thereof                                   
       L. c. 184     May ye 20 1675                                             
 +On ye 17th the Comons comitted ye Bill for laying an Imposition on            
 meale & other comodities Imported, a report was made that ye Lds had           
 agreed a Conferrence on the Case of Sr John ffagg & severall reasons           
 were agreed to bee used at a Conferrence wth ye Lds about ye Warrant           
 to take Dr Shirley into Custody  Two Bills were Orderd to bee read             
 Concerning Religion  The house then Resolved that noe Bill bee brought         
 in or Read but such as are already or shall be sent from ye Lds till           
 after they Recess mentiond in his Maties speech, that noe member of ye         
 house goe out of towne wthout Leave, & yt ye house be cald over Wednesday      
 in Whitsun Weeke.                                                              
    On ye 18 ye Bill for explanation of ye act to prevent dangers yt            
 may happen from Popish Recussants & to abollish ye Writt de Herettico          
 Comburendo was Comitted  ye Bill to hinder Papists from sitting in             
 Either house was orderd a 2d reading, then recd they a message from            
 ye Lds that it is ye undoubted Rt of ye Lds in Judicature to receive           
 & determine in time of Parliamt appeales from inferiour Courts tho             
 members of either house bee Concernd &c: & from yt Rt & exercise their         
 Ldpps will not depart, wch being debated ye Comons resolved that it is         
 ye undoubted Rt that none of their members be summond to attend ye             
 house of Lds dureing ye session & priviledge of Parliamt & a Conferrence       
 desired upon it                                                                
    On ye 19 ye house of Commons reasons Concerning ye matter of Dr Shirley     
 were deliverd at a Conferrence wth ye Lds, ye Bill for ye timely preventing    
 ye growth of popery was orderd a 2d reading & ye Bill for appropriateing       
 ye Customes to ye use of ye Navy Comitted                                      
    On ye 20th ye Bill to prevent moore burning was Comitted, ye Bill           
 to preserve ye Piscary past & reasons reported to be offerd at ye              
 Conferrence wth ye Lds concerning ye priviledge of Mr Anslow a member          
 of ye house of Comons                                                          
    The Lds have appoynted a Comittee to draw up reasons in answere to          
 ye Comons abt Dr Shirley &c:                                                   
    his Maty has Orderd his proclamation to Issue for recalling his             
 subjects from the french service, Vizt. such as have gone over since           
 ye last peace wth ye Duch.                                                     
    his Maty being informed yt Mr Taylor is not mad as was pretended,           
 but Continues in his Blasphemys has orderd the Judges to Consider how          
 to proceed agst him.                                                           
 +Sr Tho Clutterbroock is goeing to ye Streights as his Maties agent            
 for ye Navy in ye Mediterranean & will have his Residence at Legorne.          
 +his Maty being informed that there is now soe Considerable a summ of          
 mony in Bank, raised out of that part of ye Impositions upon Coales wch        
 was assignd for ye rebuilding of St Paules, as wth ye materialls &             
 other assistances yt may bee expected will give a good beginning to            
 that great Worke, has bene pleasd to signify his approbation of a designe      
 wch has bene offerd to him for a moddell drawne by Sr Christopher Wrenne       
 his Maties Surveyor Genll & has orderd Comissrs for rebuilding that            
 Cathedrall, to fall presently to worke on ye most necessary part of it,        
 beginning at ye East end or quire therof                                       
      L. c. 185     May ye 22d 1675                                             
 +yesterday the Lds agreed ye Oath should run thus  J A B doe sweare that       
 I will not Endeavour to alter ye protestant Religion now Establisht by         
 law in ye Church of England nor ye Governmt either in Church or state          
 & adjournd till Thursday, next as did ye Comons after they had Comitted ye     
 Bill to hinder Papists to sit in either house of Parliamt & resolvd to         
 desire a free Conferrence wth ye Lds abt priviledges &c:                       
 [Next paragraph is a briefer version of the last paragraph in L. c. 184.]      
    Teusday her Royall Hss after a sudden ill fitt, miscaryed, but is           
 since pretty Well upon it.                                                     
    Sr John Baptist Duveile his Maties Comander of his galley at Tangeir        
 is lately dead, who shall suceed him is not knowne.                            
 Baron Sparre is arived here in quallity of Ambr from the Crowne of             
 Sweden & has had audience of his Matie.                                        
 +They write from Paris that on ye 19 happend a quarrell at Charrenton          
 between some of ye Religious & ye Souldiers quarterd in ye towne in wch        
 severall were killd on either side, ye souldrs disarmed & throwne into         
 ye River  nor are affaires yet fully setled at Rennes & Nantz, The designs     
 of the french king they onely Guesse at, some fancying Mons, some Namur,       
 & other Brussells ye place hee will first attaque, Namur has recd a            
 reinforcemt of 3000 men & 200 Carriages wth store of amunition &               
 provision, They say ye divisions run very high at Messina about Choice         
 of Juratts, ye Towne being for Electing new & ye french for Continueing        
 ye old, as men expouseing their interest, The ViceRoy of Sicily was            
 gone thither upon this occation wth his Whole strength soe yt they were        
 not wthout apprehension it might goe hard enough wth them if the french        
 men of Warr & galleys that were Waiteing at Villa ffranca for a Convenient     
 Wind appeared not ye sooner to fortify ye Courage of ye french party           
 +Their last advices told them Matecuculy was wthin a League of                 
 Stratzburg, & Turene at Nancy, They say a treaty is Certeinly                  
 concluded betwixt ye Swede, the Elector of Bavaria & Duke of Hannover,         
 & that ye Bpp of Munster is againe turned to ye french party                   
 +Duch Letters of ye 22d say as much of Munster that he has uppon that          
 account handled french mony of wch ffreezland is soe apprehensive that         
 they will not part wth their troups                                            
 +The tyme agreed by ye Confederates to declare Warr agst Sweden if they        
 recall not their forces out of ye Elector of Brandenbs Country was ye          
 28th instant, but its thought ye tyme may be yet prolongd, ye Duch being       
 unwilling to engage in a further Warr if by any meanes they can prevent it.    
    They Write from Brussells of ye 21 [?] that Marshall Crequi had             
 attaquet Givet & burnt most part of it, ye soulders retyreing to ye            
 Castle of Charlemont & that hee was then Battering Dinant on one side          
 Whilest Monsr Rochfort Watcheth on ye other to prevent succours, that          
 place being rendred they will attaque Huys & soe Endeavr to cleare ye          
 Country of Leige  The Prince of Orange his army Consists of 32000 foot &       
 10000 Horse who intended to bee that night or ye next day at Dussell           
 neare Mallines                                                                 
        L. c. 186    May ye 25th 1675                                           
 +yesterday his Maty went to Windsor to see his buildings there & this          
 day treates ye Prince of Newburg at Hampton Court, who goes this Weeke         
 to Oxford to see that University where hee will be recd wth ye same Ceremonys  
 as ye Duke of Tuscany & other fforreigne Princes have bene.  from thence       
 hee goes to Cambridge, Andley End, & those parts, his Maty Ordring that        
 hee may have all respect Imaginable payd him Every where,                      
    ffrom Paris of ye 29 wee heare that ye Cardinall de Retz, a Prelate,        
 that has benefices of ye yearely Vallue of 3000 L sterling has Writt           
 to ye Pope to desire leave to resigne to him his Cap, & that his successr      
 may be nominated by his Most Xtian Maty, himselfe resolveing to returne        
 to an abby that he has in Lorraine & wth him onely 5 or 6 servts               
     They give these farther perticulers of ye Conspiracy of ye Messineses      
 vizt, that March ye 30th they seized on Don Carlos de Caselli wth his          
 sonnes & Brothers as alsoe ye Barons Civelli & Toppeblanck, who had            
 divided their Partizans into severall Companys, each of 150 men, to            
 whom were assigned their perticuler Taskes of serveing on ye D: de             
 Vivonne, ye Marquess de Villavous & ye Imperiall gate by wch ye Spaniards      
 were to be let in who were on their way 5000 strong under the Comand           
 of ye Duke de fferrandino & appelbane, wch was ye 4th past exposed wthout      
 his head ye rest not yet executed                                              
 +The Comonalty of Stratzburg talke of nothing but giving up their Bridge       
 to Montecuculy who waited for their answere as does alsoe Monsr Turene         
    The Spaniards have raised their arrier ban to oppose Monsr Schomberg        
 who is much prejudicet by the Country people who kill his men dayly in         
 ye Woods                                                                       
      L. c. 187    May ye 27 1675                                               
      Mr George Kirke Housekeper of White Hall & father to ye Countess of       
 Oxford being dead & My Ld Gerrard of Brandon haveing ye Reversion has          
 taken possession of ye same & has bene Complimented uppon it                   
    yesterday both houses sate, The Commons read a Bill sent from ye            
 Lds to prevent frauds & perjuries, engrossed the Bill for ye better            
 assurance of such as claime under ancient fines & Recoverys & passt            
 it  then ye house being Calld over & after that ye defaulters, they Orderd     
 ye house should be Cald over againe on Wednsday come senight, Mr speaker       
 is Orderd in ye meane tyme to send his letters to ye sheriffs of such          
 Countys where any Knight of ye Shire is a defaulter in attendance, yt          
 notice may bee given of ye faileur of their dutyes to such places for          
 wch they serve.                                                                
    The Lds read an act to revive & perputuate an act to prevent                
 unnessary [sic] suites & delays in law, another to preserve & regulate ye      
 fishing in severall Rivers of this Kingdome & another enjoyneing ye            
 teaching of Cambdens & Lilleys grammer in all free schooles &c:                
 +This day the Lds recd a message from ye Commons to desire a Conferrence       
 touching their priviledges in Mr Onslows Case to wch they answered ye          
 Lds did agree to a Conferrence on ye message of ye 21 inst because it          
 was desired upon ye answere sent by ye Lds in Mr Onslows Case on ye 17th       
 inst wherein ye whole matter Concernes ye Lds Judicature upon wch they         
 can admitt noe debate or Conferrence but this desired at present being         
 the Priv[il]edges of ye Comon  they resolved it should bee to morrow morning   
 provided nothing bee there offerd Concerning their Ldps priviledges            
 +The Commons Committed ye Bill for dreyning Linsey Lovell & voted Coll         
 Werden for a member for Chester, betwixt whom & Mr Williams has bene           
 soe great a Contest abt it, Then sent they a message to ye Lds to              
 remind them of a Conferrence abt their priviledges, Comitted a Bill            
 & an additionall proviso to prevent ye Growth of Popery, & orderd ye           
 matter of ye Lds Jurisdiction in Cases of appeales to be Considered            
 to morrow morning.                                                             
    Sr Christopher Turner one of ye Barrons of ye Exchequer being dead,         
 Mr Vere Bertue Brother to ye Earle of Lindsey tis said shall succeed him.      
 +Some french men of Warr lately meeting the Cambridge, not onely refused       
 their duty to his Maties flagg but returnd their guns uppon the frigatt        
    The Baron de Bergeyke has had his audience of Conge, & will suddenly part.  
 +flanders letters tell us that Dinant after 10 dayes defense surrendred        
 to ye french, ye Garrisons being made prisoners of Warr but had afterward      
 leave to march into Germany wth armes & Baggage.  Conditionally ye Spanish     
 Governr will release ye like number of ye like quallity                        
      L. c. 188     May ye 29 1675                                              
 +yesterday the Lds Comitted ye act for the Better Governmt of the              
 Watermen rowing on ye Thames, & for Encrease of their number, & agreed         
 Concerning ye Test that ye Ld Chancellour or Ld Keeper for ye tyme             
 being should Issue out Comissions under ye great Seale of England to           
 such persons as hee shall think fitt to tender it who shall make               
 returne thereof to ye quarter sessions in Each County, & that in this          
 & future Parliamts the Commons shall have it tendred them by ye Ld Steward     
 or his deputies, & that all persons that shall hereafter Come into             
 Employmt Eccleasticall millitary or Civill or bee a privy Councellr or         
 Justice of peace shall have the said Oathes tendred to them by ye same         
 persons who tender ye other Oathes &c:                                         
    The same day the Commons resolvd that there lyes noe appeale to ye          
 Judicature of ye Lds in Parliamt from Courts of Equity.                        
 +The french Letters say there is a great scarsity of provision in ye           
 Camp, that ye Parish Clark of Seneff reported to his Matie at his being        
 there that hee had buryed 8000 bodyes in his parish of those slaine in         
 that memorable batle, ye King hath drawne out 6000 horse as a Recruite for     
 Mounsr Turene who was wthin 3/4 of a League of Stratzburg wth his              
 Whole army, & Count Montecuculy at two Leagues distance on ye other side,      
 that ye magistrates of that place had advised ye french of ye Willingness      
 of the Common people to give passage to ye Germaines, uppon wch Turene         
 intends to Keep his post, The french Consell they say has beene thrust out     
 of Argiers at two houres Warning, & those people are armeing out 25            
 vessells agst ye Christains at the Grand Seignrs instance because some         
 of them have taken some great quantitys of provisions in vessells bound        
 for Constantinople                                                             
 +Berlin is blockt up & Luhnetts taken by ye Swede, & they say ye Bpp of        
 Munster will furnish his Most Xtian Maty wth 15000 men, that King has          
 Orderd a Cittadell to bee built under Charleroy & is expected at Paris         
 ye 25 of June.                                                                 
      L. c. 189     June ye 1 1675                                              
 +yesterday the [House of Commons] Comitted  ye Bill for ye better              
 recovery of Small Tythes, & for repaire of Churches, as alsoe that to          
 prevent thefts & rapines on ye northerne borders & then agreed to ye           
 Draught of a letter orderd to bee sent to ye places where there are            
 any defaulters, & then resumed ye debate of his Maties answere to ye           
 address abt the Duke of Lauderdale & resolvd that a further address bee        
 presented to his Maty & ye same Comittee yt prepared ye last to draw           
 up this alsoe, after wch Sr Leoline Jenkins Went up to ye house of Lds         
 to desire a Conferrence upon ye subject matter of ye Lds answere to ye         
 last message in ye Case of Mr Onslow, wch haveing done, reported that          
 they would themselves returne an answere & thereupon came a message            
 from ye Lds to desire a Conferrence upon ye houses not Coming to ye            
 Conferrence on fryday wch they agreed to & after reported & debated            
 ye matter & appoynted a Comittee to drawe up reasons to bee offerd at          
 ye Conferrence to be had wth upon ye Subject matter of ye last                 
 Conferrence.                                                                   
 +at ye Conferrence the Lds desired wth ye Comons they told them they           
 appoynted this Conferrence out of ye Constant desire & resolutions yt          
 they have to Continue a faire Correspondence betweene both houses wch they     
 Conceive the Essence of Parliamentary proceedings & for this end they          
 cannot but take notice of ye Commons faileing to bee on fryday at ye           
 Conferrence desired by themselves, that they Conceive it tends to an           
 interruption of Parliamentary proceedings, & to Evade ye right of ye           
 Lds to appoynt tyme & place for a Conferrence &c & then went into a            
 Comittee uppon ye Bill for ye Test & resolvd that all persons who              
 after ye 1st of September shall bee in any office or Employmt & all            
 members of Either house of Parliamt who shall after that tyme neglect          
 or refuse to take ye same & bee thereof Convicted shall bee disabled           
 from thence forth to hold any such office & shall forfeit 500 L to             
 his Maty, provided that noe member of Parliamt bee obliged to take this        
 Oath above once in a Parliamt.                                                 
    The Commons heard this day ye Report of ye Lds Journalls in ye Case         
 of Mr Delmahoy & orderd yt ye 4 Councellrs that appeard agst him               
 at ye Lds Barr, Vizt Mr Pemberton Mr Peck Sr John Churchill & Mr Porter        
 be taken into Custody, & Sr John ffagg to be sent to ye Tower for              
 appeareing at ye Lds Barr contrary to ye Opinion of ye house  Then             
 they appoynted a Comittee to examine ye Lds Journalls in ye Case               
 of Sr William Bassett & Sr Nicholas Crisp & others orderd to attend ye         
 house abt prosecuteing the buisness agst Mr Delmahoy &c: Then past             
 they ye bill for such as claime under ancient fines & recoverys &              
 orderd all ye defaulters to bee Cald over to morrow                            
      L. c. 190     [Handwriting changes here.]     June the 3 1675             
 +Yesterday in the afternoone the Lords House being informed that the           
 4 Lawyers were Committed by the Commons made a Warrant Commanding the          
 black rodd to sett them att liberty wherever he could find them & bring        
 them to the Barr, & this day were accordingly brought & had the protection     
 of the Lords against all arrests for that cause & desired a Conference         
 wth the Commons to morrow upon matters of high importance concerning the       
 dignity of the King & safety of the Governmt wch was agreed to  then the       
 Commons in a Conference delivered the Lds [?] their reason for not Coming      
 to the Conference on friday last wch was to this Effect that the               
 Proviso & limitation of the Lords thire upon the Commons lookt upon as         
 a denyall of a Conference & thire fore desired another upon the same           
 matter  the Commons ordered an addresse to be prsented to his Maty for         
 a further Proclamation for recalling his subjects from the french Kings        
 service expressing the time of the Conclusion of the Treaty & the              
 limitation of the time to return & that the officers of the ports              
 do hinder any more from goeing over & orderd their Sergt at armes to be        
 sent to the tower & the other to apprehend him for betraying his trust         
 in not executing his office in bringing the persons orders to be               
 Commited yesterday & an addresse to be presented to his Maty to desire         
 a new Sergt, to attend their House & Sr John Churchill & the others            
 orderd to be taken into Custody againe by the other Sergt att armes            
    This day the Lords haveing proposed the reson to be offerd att the          
 Conference wth the Commons went to it & deliverd them [?] according to         
 ordder & then weare ready to heare the cause abt the Title of                  
 viscount Purbeck but noe Councell appearing for the Earle of Denbigh           
 or Duke of Buckes the Peticon of the Earle was dismist & the Duke              
 is to put in his Bill agt it if hee please                                     
    The Commons this day after a Conference wth the Lds resolved that           
 another be desired upon the Subject matter of the case & a committee           
 appointed to draw up reasons to be offerd att it & then read & past the        
 Bill for preservation of the liberty of the Kings Subjects & upon Sr           
 John faggs peticon to the House they discharged him from his                   
 Imprisonmt & appointed a Committee to Inspect the Lords Journalls in the       
 matter of Sr Humphrey winch [?] & Sr John Napper to examm the matter of        
 the legislative power alledged to be assured by the Lds thirein                
    The next weeke his Maty & Court removes to Windsor for this summers         
 residence & some of the goods are gone thither                                 
      L. c. 191     [Handwriting changes here.]     June ye 5 1675              
 +yesterday ye speaker in his passing thro ye Hall to ye house spyeing          
 Mr Pemberton Comanded ye sergeant to seize him & presently after sent          
 for ye other 3 who were brought from ye Chancery Barr into ye Speakers         
 Chamber, & after a long division of ye house sent to ye tower for their        
 breach of priviledges & the speaker thankt for his Care in this buisness       
 & gave ye sergt ye protection of ye house agst all molestation, & then         
 drew up reasons for a Conferrence to be desired wth ye Lds upon ye matter      
 +The Lds being informed that ye 4 lawyers were seizd by ye sergt of ye Comons  
 house at ye Chancery Barr & sent to ye tower, after a debate & examining       
 ye matters of fact Orderd ye Black Rodd to take sergt Topham into Custody      
 for his high misdemeanor & sent ye Black Rodd to ye tower to free ye           
 persons wch ye Leuit Refused wthout Order from ye house of Commons upon        
 wch ye house orderd that an address bee made to his Maty to remove ye          
 Leuit of ye Tower from yt place of Trust & appoynt another in his roome.       
 & then resolvd that they will proceed upon noe other buisness except wt        
 shall be recommended by his Maty till they receive full satisfaction &         
 have vindicated themselves in this breach of Priviledge                        
 +This morning both houses being mett each were acquainted that his             
 Maty desired they would meet him in ye Banquetting house at 4 in ye            
 afternoone & that they would adjourne till that tyme wch they                  
 accordingly did, & yn in ye afternoone attending his Maty hee tooke            
 notice of ye differences betwixt them & desired them as the best               
 expedient to Compose matters to admitt of frequent Conferrences among          
 themselves or enable him to judge ye Cause betweene them wch hee assured       
 them should bee Impartially adding that hee must not let these differences     
 grow to disorder, & whilest they are in doubt of their Owne priviledges        
 let his bee invaded  then both houses returned, ye Comons voted him            
 thankes for his speech & alsoe voted yt it did not appeare that any of         
 their house had bene Contrivers or fomenters of this difference                
    The Lds were told from his Maty that hee had Considered of their            
 address agst ye Leuit of ye Tower & is not satisfyed how hee can wth           
 Justice remove him.                                                            
    My Ld Amb Lockhart is lately dead at Compeigne whither hee was gone         
 to attend his Most Xtian Maty this Campaigne.                                  
      L. c. 192     June ye 8th 1675                                            
 +yesterday the Lds uppon Consideration of his Maties speech declared           
 that they are of Opinion that Noe Member of their house hath done              
 any thing Contrary to his duty, or any Wayes Contributed to ye                 
 Contriveing or Widening the differences betweene ye 2 houses, & that           
 Sr John Rolinson Leuit of ye Tower his deteyneing of ye lawyers                
 Contrary to ye Orders of their house is agst ye duty of his place &            
 ye law of ye land, ye said persons not being Comitted according to             
 law, & uppon it Orderd Writts of Habeas Corpus to Issue, returnable            
 into ye House of Peeres, for bringing ye said persons to ye Barr of            
 their house & renewed their Orders for seizeing Mr Topham sergt to             
 ye house of Commons,                                                           
 +The Commons Resolvd that Mr Topham Comitted ye 4 lawyers according            
 to his Duty & ye Order of their house & resolvd yt if any person be            
 assistant in puting in execution any sentence or Judgment of ye Lds            
 agst Sr John ffagg they shall bee adjudged betrayers of ye priviledges         
 of ye Commons of England, & orderd those votes to be fixed uppon ye            
 severall doores abt their house & Westminster Hall.                            
    The Lds this day being informed by their sergt at armes that hee            
 had Carryed ye Writt of Habeas Corpus to ye Tower, Orderd them to bee          
 Cald in ye Hall but not appeareing they Orderd ye Clerke of ye Crowne          
 to Issue out 4 alias Habeas Corpusses to ye same Effect                        
    The Commons have Resolvd that any person Committed by Order of their        
 house Ought not to bee discharged wthout their Order, & Orderd ye Leuit        
 of ye Tower if hee should receive any Writt or Warrant to bring ye 4           
 lawyers to ye Lds hee should not make returne there of wthout their            
 directions, & hee haveing recd Writts last night to bring ye sd 4              
 before ye King in Parliamt, acquainted them that hee had received them         
 for wch ye house returnd him their thankes, & orderd him not to returne        
 them. & then appoynted a Committee haveing read ye said Writts to search       
 what hath bene done abt such writts in precedent tymes.                        
 [On outside of letter (and in a different hand) appear these lines of          
 poetry; some lines and even stanzas do not seem in order here:]                
   1. My Sins are like the haires upon my head                                  
         And raise their Audit to as high a Skore                               
      In this they differ, these do daily shed                                  
         But oh, my Sins grow daily more and more                               
   2 [?] If by my haires, thou numbreth but my Sins                             
         Heaven make mee bad before the day begins.                             
      Why did you then unto our Eyes appeare?                                   
      Shine Sun of Glory, and my Sins are gone,                                 
      Like twinkling Stars, before the Morning Sun.                             
   3. My Sins are like the Stars wthin the Skyes                                
         But more in Number, even as bright as great.                           
      In this they differ, they do set and rise                                 
         But oh! my Sins do rise, but never set.                                
      L. c. 193     [Handwriting changes here.]     [no date]                   
               [This seems only a fragment of a letter.]                        
 +Jealous yt ye Pope was makeing a promotion of Cardinalls wthout any           
 reguard of ye Crowne, desired an extraordinary audience, in wch haveing        
 pressed yt buisness hee ffell into dispute abt ye Cardinall Action [?]         
 and ye Ambr, to wch ye Pope answered, hee had approved what ye                 
 Cardinall had done, and yt hee had Comunicated Each perticuler, &              
 there upon ariseing up rung his Bell, wch was to oblige ye Ambr                
 to retire, but hee unwilling to be cut short in his discourse tooke            
 ye Pope by ye hand and placed him againe in his Chaire, upon wch the           
 people told him they perceived hee thought an Ambr had lost respect            
 to ye holy Seate by offering violence to him, & yt hee deserved to be          
 Excommunicated.  Tis said ye ffrench King avows this action of ye              
 Duke de Estree, They say ye Marshall Crequi on his march along ye              
 Mosell to observe ye Duke of Lorraine, yt ye Envoy of Messina at Paris         
 published yt ye ffrench King is proclaimed by his Messinois King of            
 Sicily & yt ye Jurats there submitt to ye Duke de Vivonne as ViceRoy.          
      The Brussells letters of ye 10th say yt ye Ld Howard, late Allmoner       
 to ye Queen had recd notice of his promotion to ye dignity of a                
 Cardinall                                                                      
    The Spanish Minister at ye Hague has [pay?]ed downe at prsent to            
 ye Admiralty 200000 [crow?]nes for some ships to be sent to Messina            
    [On ye?] 5th dyed ye Ld Vicount Mordant.                                    
     L. c. 194   [Handwriting changes here.]   June ye 15 1675                  
 +His Maty intends not for Windsor this Weeke but goes first to Portsmth        
 to see a very gallt ship hee has there built Launcht  Shee is said to          
 carry 120 guns & to bee ye biggest ship in England, 6 frigatts wth ye          
 yacht they say are to attend him, & yt hee will not bee at Windsor till        
 ye latter end of next Weeke at soonest                                         
    last night his Maty supt wth ye Prince of Newburg wth many of ye Court      
 & now yt Pr intends to part hence in a few days                                
    The Holland Lers of ye 18th say ye Swedish Amb ownes his Masters forces     
 have taken 2 small places in ye Elector of Brandenbs dominions by one of       
 wch lyeing on ye river Havell they have gained entrance into Havelland         
 wch being a rich & beautifull Country affords plentifull subsistance           
 for ye army, & now wee dayly expect to heare of ye Danes declaring &c,         
 wch was to bee ye 19th, that being ye day agreed on by all ye                  
 Confederates & on wch ye declaration of ye states was accordingly Resolvd,     
 wee cannot yet heare yt ye Prince of Orange has relieved Limburg as hee        
 designd, two flanders Posts being wanting wch are dayly & Impatiently          
 expected                                                                       
 +Duch Letters of ye 21st say yt Limburgh makes still a Vigourous               
 Resistance & had held out two assaults in wch ye beseigers were repulsed       
 wth ye loss of 700 men amongst them many persons of quallity but his           
 Most Xtian Maty they say makes account to be Master of it by ye 25th           
 Inst & will then returne to Paris, & in ye meane tyme hee was marcht to        
 Dalbem, The Prince of Orange was Come to Ruremond ye 18th, but his army        
 remaind as yet on ye other side of ye Maies [?] in hopes sudenly to            
 Joyne wth ye Lorraine & Lunenburgh troops to goe to releive Limburg wch        
 hee assures ye Prince of Nassaw hee Will doe in 5 or 6 dayes. &                
 therefore desires him to hold out soe long, there is noe further news          
 from ye armys in Germany except that they are very neare each other &          
 its expected they will not part wthout a Batle.                                
 +from Stratzburg of ye 14 they say Monsr Turene & Montecuculy Continued        
 at their old post at Wildstat, & Reenham, yt ye former haveing sent Monsr      
 Vabrun wth a good body of horse & foot to beseige offenburg ye Prince of       
 Lorraine had met him & defeited him takeing his Cannon & baggage, kild 700     
 horse & tooke 200 & put ye rest to flight of wch Wee dayly expect to heare     
 further  these letters adde that ye magistrateates [sic] of yt Towne had       
 seized on ye Comander of ye foot Kelke & Committed him to prison for           
 haveing had a Conferrence wth a french Comander sent to him from Turene        
    His Maty had named Mr Bernard Granvill to goe in his name to Complemt       
 ye young Prince & Duchess of Savoy upon ye death of ye Duke, his Royall        
 Highness intending to name one suddenly to goe on his part                     
      L. c. 195    [Handwritng changes here.]    June ye 17th 1675              
    The Spanish Envoy Don de Renguillo [?] haveing made a complainte to his     
 Maty yt many English merchants & others of his Matys subjects have sent        
 provision into Messina and divers other wayes Countenanced those Rebells,      
 Contrary to ye Treaty between his Maty & the Catholique King, His Maty         
 was this day pleased in Councell to Ordr his proclamacon to Issue out          
 streitly forbidding & prohibiting all his subjects of what Quality             
 soever from assisting or ffavouring the said Rebells upon paine of his         
 high displeasure & of being punished by Lawes as infringers of his Leagues     
 & Treatyes wth his neighbour Princes and allyes                                
    His Maty has not yet pitcht upon ye day of his departure to Portsmouth      
 but it will be some day next weeke, & accordingly prparacons are makeing       
 both there & at Windsor for him, The Court is suddainly to put on mourning     
 for ye Death of ye duke of Savoy a Cousin Germaine of his Maty                 
    Dr Halton is made Archdeacon of Oxford voide by ye promotion of Dr          
 Barlow to ye Bppricks of Lincolne                                              
      The ffrench letters say yt ye disturbances in Britagne are of late        
 very much increased in soe much yt all ye Custome houses are shutt up          
 at Rennes & ye people refused to pay ye ancient dues & rights & ye             
 Peasant[s] are noe less troublesome in yt neighbourhood, severall thousands    
 of whome haveing taken up Armes Comitt great disordrs soe yt they speake       
 of calling ye States, by whom they will pray his Maty to dispense wth          
 ye said province, as to ye late imposicons, and ye Procurer Genell is          
 very ill of a bruise hee recd from the people.  That the Letters               
 from Monsr Turene of ye 17th say that he had removed towards                   
 Altrevon to seize on a Post, the Enemy would have possest and that             
 Montecuculy has taken possession of ye Campe, wch hee had quitted,             
 yt it was thought ye 4 Armyes (notwithstanding all theire shew of a            
 desire to fight) would not come to a Battle soe early in the yeare             
 that Limbourg holds out bravely still, that ye Prince of Lorraine              
 on ye one side and ye Prince of Orange on ye other threaten its                
 releife, the latter of wch is said to be 40000 strong, whom his                
 Maty has resolved to attend to give him Battle in Case he advances             
 towards ye Leagure, that the affront offered ye ffrench Ambr at                
 Rome is soe farr from being Composed yet yt He would not receive ye            
 Cardinall Legats Breviate according to Custome but said hee would hold         
 noe Correspondency wth the holy see, till he had received Satisfaction         
 for what was past and had therefore Orderd his Ambr to retire, wch             
 he had accordingly done.                                                       
      L. c. 196   [Handwriting changes here.]   June ye 19 1675                 
      ffrom Copenhagen of ye 21st inst wee heare yt ye day before 800           
 men were shipt for Holsteyn, & ye next weeke 2000 more to follow, as           
 alsoe ye King & Chancellr where they will stay wth ye army most part           
 of ye summer, & will have an army toward ye borders of Sweden of               
 26000 men  2 ships were arived from Holland wth guns for ye Kings              
 fleet wch will be alsoe sudenly Equipt                                         
      ffrom Hamburg of ye 4th wee are told yt ye Swedes yt are under ye         
 Command of ye Mayor Genll Dellwigg had possest themselves of Keimpe &c:        
 carrying away all ye Cannon to Spandall & that all ye ships are stopt in       
 Sweden in Order to transport more men into Pomerania                           
    ffrom Collogne of ye 18th we have advice yt ye Duke of Lorraine             
 with his own & Lunenburg forces (being acquainted by letters from ye           
 Prince of Orange yt he had past ye Meuse at Ruremond) was marcht               
 toward him & past ye River at Mulheim designeing to Joyne him Imediately       
 The Prince of Orange is said to be Certainly 16000 horse & 30000 foot          
    from Stratzburg wee heare that they yn heard shooting wch they Judged       
 to have bene some action happend betweene ye two great armys of Turene         
 and Montecuculy who had layne wthin veiw a good while watching to take         
 ye advantage to Engage.                                                        
    ffrom Brussells of ye 22 wee heare yt ye Prince of Nassaw Continues         
 to defend Lymburg soe bravely yt it has caused a report yt ye french           
 had quitted it, The 18 inst they assaulted a worke before ye Bridge            
 Where was a very hott Engagemt for severall houres, but they were beaten       
 off wth ye loss of 1000 men, amongst whom a sonn of Marshall Crequis, ye       
 21 inst a genll assault was to bee made & accordingly by ye passengers         
 from Lovaine heard great shooting at that tyme but wee yet heare not ye        
 Effect  The Spanish letters arived there brought news of ye raiseing ye        
 seige of Gironne by a sally in wch ye french lost above 1000 men,              
 besides prisoners, & that at ye same tyme ye Governr of Rosa attaquet          
 another place where were 400 french whom they put all to ye sword.  The        
 french King hearing that ye Prince of Orange had past ye Meuse, past           
 it himselfe alsoe with his whole army & Encampt at Trembleur neare             
 Dabeme, The Prince of Conde is alsoe lodgd at Hierne ye better to              
 favour the seige of Lymburg                                                    
 +french letters say ye Kings Comissrs had ye Clergy assembled at St            
 Germains en lay to whom they prest ye Kings extraordnary occations for         
 mony & therefore desired ye supply might be proportionable, they made much     
 use of a terme which was taken much notice of as a thing new there (viz)       
 that they should do well to Consider ye King as their temporall father &       
 head &c                                                                        
 +The King haveing bene advised that ye abby of St Marcell in Paris             
 was become vacant & yt ye Religious were proceeding to a new Election          
 according to ye priviledges granted to ym by ye Pope, has sent a               
 prohibition wth notice that ye nomination of all abbeys shall absolutely       
 depend on him wch was one of ye 3 demands lately made in his name at           
 Rome, The assembly of ye Clergy have sent ye Abbot of Gramont to               
 acquaint ye King that they had resolvd to give him 4 millions & a              
 half to bee paid at 3 paymts.                                                  
    The Earle of Northhampton is made Constable of ye Tower of London           
 an ancient Honrable place  Sr John Robinson Continues Leuit.                   
    The day of his Maties goeing to Windsor is yet uncertaine.                  
 +The assizes are ye 3d of August at Warwick where they end, The judges,        
 Windham & Thurland                                                             
      L. c. 197     June ye 22 1675                                             
 +The last Paris letters speake of a treaty on foot betwixt his Most            
 Ch: Maty & ye Duke of Newburg like yt formerly wth ye Prince of Monaco         
 by wch ye sd Duke shall put Juliers into ye hands of his Most Xtian            
 Maty in Consideration of 400000 frankes pension & provision to be made         
 for his Children, They tell us ye discontented in Brittaigne have laid         
 downe their armes on assureance given them yt ye Edicts & Impositions          
 shall all Cease till ye meeting of ye states wch are to be suddenly            
 Cald for ye setling ye Provence wch has bene soe disorderd that ye Duke        
 of Chaulsy [?] was faire [?] to have a guard of ye Burgers dureing ye          
 Ceremony of ye Church upon the festivalls, The King has directed               
 ye Duke de Estree his Ambr at Rome to deferr his departure a litle             
 tyme but to doe noe publique buisness in that Court  They say yt               
 Prussia=Ducale has agreed to pay Contribution to ye Swede & that ye turke      
 has demanded leave for his army to pass thro Hungary to Poland, & that         
 ye treaty betweene france & Bavaria is neare its Ratification                  
 +from Jamaica of ye 27 of March past wee heare that his Excellency the         
 Ld Vaughn was safely arived there & Recd wth much publique demonstrations      
 of Esteeme respect of ye Whole Island who came all in a very sollemne          
 manner to offer him their service & Imediately his Matys powers being          
 read hee was invested in ye Governmt by the Leuit Governr & Councell           
 & there is all Imaginable hopes that that Island will prove a very             
 prosperous plantation                                                          
 +On fryday his Maty &c: goes to Portsmth by sea attended by severall           
 vessells, & intends to bee back againe on Tewsday or Wednsday following.       
    A Parliamt is appoynted to meet in Ireland by ye first of Septemb next      
 & in ye meane tyme ye Ld Leuit has his Maties leave to make a short returne    
 into Engl: for some Weekes upon his owne Instance & desire                     
 +Sr Wm Temple is prepareing to returne into Holland, his Maty desireing        
 that hee may bee upon ye place in this great Conjuncture to take all           
 Occations to further ye great Worke of ye peace if by any meanes ye            
 parties can bee brought to it                                                  
    The Prince of Newburg parts hence this Next Weeke haveing taken leave       
 of his Maty & Whole Court wth Whose great respects hee is infinitely           
 satisfyed                                                                      
 +Last Weeke dyed My Ld Gray of Warke                                           
      L. c. 198     June ye 24 1675                                             
    His Maty haveing had advice of some great severetys Comitted by ye          
 Governor of Antego uppon his Brother & some Indians after they had             
 assisted him agst ye Windward Indians of antego has sent Orders to             
 Sr Jonathan Atkins stricktly to examine ye matter & to proceed soe             
 yt ye Indians who hold in friendship may be made sencible of his Maties        
 Justice & Kindness to them.                                                    
    His Maty has made Sr Wm Gore a privy Councellr in his Kingdome of           
 Ireland.                                                                       
    The Content of fallmouth laden wth salt from St Martins met a Biscay        
 Caper of 10 guns & 100 men who held him & would have forcet ye Mr to           
 Confess ye ship & goods belonging to ye french by severall Blows & burning     
 ye Ends of his fingers, & alsoe beat severall of ye men & being able to        
 extort nothing from them to their purpose plundred them of their provision     
 & Cloaths                                                                      
    On ye 23d the Prince of Newburgh went hence in One of his Maties Coaches    
 accompanyd by severall of ye Nobillity, haveing at his departure bene          
 presented by his Maty wth a Jewell of 1200 L Vallue.                           
 +They write from Dover that ye 16 arived in a french vessel from Callais       
 Count Oxensterne late Ambr from ye Crowne of Sweden to ye Empr  from           
 Portsmth yt ye new ship building there is now quite ready to be lancht         
 from Boston that a vessell arived there from Norway reports that they          
 were there fortifyeing all their ports & were raiseing Horse & foot wth        
 all dilligence Imaginable.                                                     
      all Letters aggree ye Surrender of Leymburgh 7 dayes after ye             
 Opening the trenches & that ye garrison marcht out ye 22 wth Bagg & Baggage    
 2 feild peices &c: to ye Prince of Orange to Ruremond  the french have         
 lost many men & some of good note before it  when ye place was first           
 summond by ye Prince of Conde ye Prince of Nassaw is said to have returnd      
 in answere that if he were assured of noe succours wch yet hee expect hee      
 would fight it out to ye last man.  but hee finding noe releife indeed come    
 wch hee might well have hopet for, it seemes hee thought it most adviseable    
 to abate that resolution & accept of Honerble Conditions wch ye french         
 were ye more Easily inducet to grant for that tho ye towne Could noe longer    
 hold out yet ye Cittadell might have made a Considerable resistance  The       
 Marshall Crequi since ye takeing Lymburg has taken by assault Visburg a        
 small Citty belonging to ye Luxenburg                                          
 +They write from Copenhagen of ye 8th of June that ye night before ye          
 marriage was concluded & agreed on betwixt ye Kings sister & ye King of        
 Sweden, & that Count Brahe [?] ye Swedes Amb was gone that morning in ye       
 Kings Charriot to Carry ye news to ye Princess & queene Mother who were        
 then abt 50 miles distant, & yet ye Genll treaty wth Sweden was then           
 unsignd  The Kings troupes marcht to their Rendezvous in Holstein & in         
 few days ye King & most of ye Court would follow tho ye King would not         
 be above 14 dayes absent haveing onely designe to see ye Muster                
    french Letters say that King has sent to ye Inhabitants that Excercise      
 any trade in ye suburbs of St German for such a proportion of Mony as          
 amounts to 400000 franckes in Consideration of wch they are to Enjoy all       
 ye freedom & libertys of the Citty                                             
    The french Comander that lately refused ye sallute to his Maties flagg      
 has recd order from ye french King to Come into England & make his             
 submission at his Matis feet  The french talke of great success the Duke       
 of Schomberg has had against ye Spaniards in Cattalonia, but ye                
 Spaniards report it to ye Contrary.                                            
 +Brussells letters say that Lymburg being taken the King upon Consideration    
 whether to keep that & Maestreicht both or Order One to be demolisht has       
 given Order that Lymburg be demolisht  The Loss is Cheifely Imputed to ye      
 slowness of ye Princes of Lorraine & Lunenb in Joyning ye Prince of            
 Orange who at last sent him but 8000 Horse, ye Princes staying at              
 Collogne & Bon wth their foot, from Treves they write that Ld Douglas          
 going out wth ye Governr as Vollunteer to attaque ye place had recd a          
 shott thro his body wch was feard was mortall.  2 Capts 2 Leiuts & 40 of       
 his souldrs were alsoe kild at ye same tyme.                                   
      L. c. 199     June ye 26 1675                                             
 +This morning his Maty Royall Hss & the Prince went by Water to                
 Portsmouth & if the Weather permitt may see Plymth & soe Will bee Out          
 Longer then Was at first intended, his Maty has Orderd that dureing his        
 absence from the towne the Councell shall meet Wednsdays onely                 
    To morrow ye Bp of Lincolne is to be Consecrated at Lambeth wth ye          
 usuall Ceremonys at wch will bee many persons of quallity                      
      His Maty has directed the Ld Keeper to Issue out a Comission for ye       
 vissiting all Hospitalls to prevent ye Great abuses therein                    
 +Mr Grenvill is prepareing to goe on his Complemt of Condoleance to ye         
 young Duke of Saxony to whom his Most Xtian Maty is become Guardian,           
 & will take his person & Estate into his Care & charge.                        
 +Paris letters say that since his Most Xtian Matys being recd as               
 guardian to ye young Duke of Savoy, hee has appoynted the Cardinall            
 D'Estree as Principall minister & Cheife of ye Councell of state.  The         
 states of Brittagne are to be assembled on ye 21st of ye next moneth in        
 Order to ye setlemt of yt Provence, Monsr de Costre is dead of his             
 Wound hee recd at Chasteaulin neare Brest where hee was Endeavouring           
 to have reestablisht ye Custome houses, The King has given ye Governmt         
 of Lymburg to Monsr Loureine his Maties Leuit at Aoth & that                   
 Leiutenancy to Monsr Choisy, who has orders to repaire ye fortifications       
 & to build a Cittadell in one of ye hills neare yt place wch shall Command     
 ye towne & ye other Riseing.  They say that ye Prince of Orange & Duke of      
 Lorraine were Joyned & that the King was resolvd to give them Batle  it        
 was discourst at Paris that Ipre was beseigd but it was Judged to be           
 without grounds                                                                
 +The last letters from Turene say he had throwne 5 Bridges over the            
 River but uppon what designe not knowne.                                       
 +The Citty of Collogne are raiseing forces for their owne defence,             
 but have denyed to receive any that ye Imperiallists offered to them           
 tho' at present they have not above 300 souldiers in ye place                  
 +The Messinois have made 3 Regimts, amongst themselves Consisting of           
 abt 4000 men who Joyneing wth ye french shall make a body of 9 or              
 10000 men in ye head of whom Monsr de Vivonne will put himselfe                
 & make some attempt upon ye Spaniards.                                         
 +The french pretend to give a perticuler of ye success of the Duke of          
 Schomberg agst ye Spaniards in Cattalonia & mention above 30 townes &          
 villages he is possest of & that he is advancet wthin 4 leagues of             
 Barcelona, tho' ye Spaniards report those Affaires as much to ye               
 Contrary                                                                       
      L. c. 200     July ye 1st 1675                                            
    On Wednesday the Duke of yorke & Duke of Munmouth Went into                 
 Portsmouth, but his Maty was then on ye Back of ye Isle of Wight haveing       
 overshot ye Port soe that it was thought hee could hardly get in that          
 night, the great ship to be lancht there is to be Cald ye Royall James         
    from Plymth they write that an express was arived there from ye Earle       
 of Bath acquainting them that his Maty intended to Come thither from           
 Portsmth & that there was great preparations makeing there for his reception,  
 tis said his Maty will goe directly from thence to Windsor, whither her        
 Maty, & her Royall Highness intended to goe to morrow, most of ye              
 household alsoe being removeing thither                                        
    An Excellent new frigat was lancht this Weeke at Harwich Cald the           
 Saphire Carrying betwixt 30 & 40 guns who promises to be an very good          
 sailer                                                                         
    The Ostend Capers Continue their Irregularities  One of them this           
 last Weeke fell upon a vessell from Rye & Plunderd the passengers both         
 of their mony & Cloathes                                                       
    The Writts for knights of ye shire for Dureson being Issued out             
 the Election began there ye 21st past & lasted till ye 23d where was           
 chosen Coll Tempest & Mr Vane son to ye late Sr Henry Vane who lay             
 then ill, & on ye 25 dyed of ye small pox                                      
    Twelve Swedes ships haveing bene at Colwater some tyme not dareing          
 to adventure abroad wthout Convoy & seeing noe hopes of any from their         
 owne Country, dischargd, & sold their goods there.                             
 +Duch letters of ye 2d tell us that tho ye King of Denmarke had by ye          
 Importunity of ye Swedish Amb yeilded a Match betweene ye King of Sweden       
 & his sister, yet hee Neither gave Dowry nor agreed that ye Marriage           
 should bee Consummated till a peace, nor would bee obligd agst                 
 Declareing a Warr & does not onely give fresh assurances of ye performance     
 of all his obligations to ye allyes, but presses wth great earnestness         
 ye subsidies wch hee is to receive for his Leavies being very Considerable     
 both by sea & land,  But for all this the states are not a litle surprised     
 & ye rather for that they recd noe letter from their minister at               
 Copenhagen as usuall wch makes them Jealous they may bee intercepted           
 nor doe they find yt ye King of Denmarke has as yet declared Warr wch          
 they expected to have bene done upon ye day designd                            
 +french letters speake of fresh disturbances broke out againe in               
 Brittaine, the dispute abt precedency betwixt ye Parliamt & ye Clergy          
 is at last given for ye Clergy, tis said the french King gives a               
 million of Livres to ye King of Sweden upon his marriage wth ye King           
 of Denmarkes sister, the report of ye Demolishing Lymburg is Contradicted      
 Monsr D Estrailes being to Comand that place Joyntly wth Maestricht,           
 severall of ye Nobless of france among whom ye Duke of Soisons is one          
 are gone to Charvill & Charleroy to serve ye King as vollunteers.  ye          
 King has sent to Monsr Schomberg & his army in Catalonia 100000 Louis          
 D'or, his Most Xtian Matys march toward Charleroy appeares now to have         
 bene onely to meet a Convoy of 8000 men which haveing Joynd hee past           
 back againe to ye Maies on wt designe not knowne.                              
 +Letters from Morlaix tell us they are in a most dangerous & confused          
 Condition, yt neare yt place above 30 parishes are risen who make              
 upward of 16000 men who are unanimous & well armed  They have taken ye         
 Gabells for their pretext & tho doubtless they were ye first motive of         
 their rebellion yet being now in strength they begin now to revenge            
 themselves of past injuries done by the Gentry of whom they have slaine        
 many & hunted most of ye rest from their habitations, whomever they            
 meet & suspect to be or to have bene an officer of ye kings for ye             
 Gabells they kild wthout further inquiry.  They threaten all townes            
 Corporations &c. to burne & plunder them if they come not & Joyne              
 them, soe that they are in Continuall feare & fortifieing to preserve          
 themselves  The Merchts were ladeing all their Draperies in ye ships           
 to goe Downe under ye Castle in ye River, a messenger being Come to            
 give notice yt ye Mutineers were Coming thither                                
      L. c. 201     July ye 3d 1675                                             
 +thursdays letters from Portsmth dated at noone say his Maty & the             
 other ships were not then Come in there, soe that his Rll Hss & Duke of        
 MunMouth Imaginning his Maty was gone on for Plymth put to sea againe          
 to follow him, but this days letters say his Maty Came in to Portsmth          
 early yesterday morning in very good health  the Queene who intended to        
 have set forward for Windsor on fryday morning retarded her remove till        
 shee should heare of his Maties landing.                                       
    from Jamaica of ye 13 of aprill wee heare yt his excellency my Ld           
 Vaughan since his arivall & noble reception has Issued out orders for          
 recalling all privateers belonging to yt place wth a propose of pardon         
 for what is past if they shall tymely surrender, & is resolved to do           
 all things that may tend to a good understanding wth all his Neighbours        
      Tis said ye armies on ye Rhyne have bene soe incomoded by ye              
 Raines that they were forcet to leave each other wthout action, the            
 Dukes of Luxemburg & Penilade [?] are joynd ye french King who have            
 burnt Dalem for refuseing Contribution                                         
 +ffrom Tangier wee heare that they had news there from Salley that             
 Mulet hamet that Kings nephew had taken Morocco, rout$ed?% part of ye          
 Kings forces Comanded by ye Governr of Salley who was then kild, upon          
 wch the King was getting to gether all ye forces hee Could to Oppose           
 his Nephew but found the people more inclinable to ye latter, wch is           
 like to Cause some alteration in that Governmt, Our Garrison of Tangier        
 was in a very good Condition & ye New Governr ye Earle of Inchequin            
 dayly expected                                                                 
    Holland letters Confirme ye news of ye defeate of ye swedish army           
 but disagree in ye perticulars, some say ye swedes had drawne their            
 forces together neare folinberlin haveing 8000 foot & 3000 Horse, &            
 yt ye Elector of Brandenb who had wth him onely his Horse & Dragoones          
 engaged them there & totally routed them, others say ye swedes were            
 surprizd in their quarters, but all agree yt ye swedish army has bene          
 put into great disorder, yt ye Elector of Brandenb has obtaind a               
 great victory, kild 6000 & tooke all their artillery                           
 +tis said the marriage is agreed upon betwixt the Dauphine & ye                
 Daughter of Bavaria                                                            
      L. c. 202   [Handwriting changes here.]   July 7th 1675                   
 +The Letters arrived this Morning dated the 9th instant bring very             
 little News  They say that the Most Xtian King after haveing layn some         
 dayes encamped between St Tron & Tongres was broken up and marched             
 toward Charleroy.  The Prince of Orange & the Spanish troopes had              
 still theire Quarters neare Areschot & expected a reinforcmt of ffresh         
 Troops  The Armyes in Germany come not to any action but that it was           
 beleived Monsr Turene would ere long [be?] obliged to remove.                  
      The defeate of the Swedes by the Brandenburghs is confirmed by our        
 Letters from Hamburgh and say that it wholly happened through the              
 Negligence of Coll Vangelin who suffered himselfe to be surprized in           
 Datenare [?].  Its said that the Swedes have lost above 6000 men & the         
 Brandenburgs about 2000 with many officers of Note.                            
     The Lunenburg and Osnaburg Troops continue between the Rhyn & the          
 Meuse  They expect the Conjunction of 3000 Munster men & then some             
 thinke they may attempt to retake Lymburg before the ruines that were          
 made during the seige are quite repaired                                       
     The Election of the Elector of Mayence hath been made according to         
 the desire of ye Imperiallists The new Elector being wholly addicted to        
 the Interests of the house of Austria and especially since his Brother         
 the Elector of Treves hath suffered soe much by the ffrench                    
      L. c. 203    [Handwriting changes here.]   July ye 8 1675                 
 +Wee have this account of his Maties voyage, his Maty went on board            
 on ye 26 abt 1 [7?] & fell downe below ye Buoy of ye Nore, where they          
 anchored that night, on ye 27th they weighd & sayld thro ye Downes             
 where ye men of Warr were ready to saile wth them & yt night Went to           
 anchor before ffokston the weather being very foule, on ye 28 they             
 weighd & stood to Windward 2 or 3 houres, but ye weather was soe yt            
 they were forcet to beare backe for ye Downes againe, on ye 29 2 a             
 clock they set saile againe the Wind blowing very hard Northerly but           
 soe yt they could not make ye Isle of Wight till they were to ye               
 Leeward of it when Night Coming in a storme separated the King from his        
 Royall Highness, on ye 30th they got to anchor under the Highland of ye        
 Isle of Wight Cald Dunness  his Maty went a shore on ye Island in his          
 shallop & arived that night at Portsmth abt 1 a clock  on ye 3d his            
 Matie dined wth Mr Noell at Tochfeild [?], On ye 6th in ye Evening his         
 Maty returnd by sea & arived at Whitehall, on ye 7th in ye morning his         
 Maty went for windsor                                                          
    Coll Titus haveing Resignd his place Mr Henry Guy is made one               
 of ye Groomes of his Maties Bedchamber                                         
 +A ship arived at Whitbay from Marryland tells of a scarcity they              
 have had there, that they have bene troubled wth an infinite                   
 number of squirells from ye woods wch devoured soe much of their small         
 stock of Corne that they were forcet to Watch them & had shot wth a            
 birding peice above 30 at a shoot                                              
   Brussells lettrs of ye 9th say ye french King was still wth his              
 army abt St Tron & Tongres but yt hee Could not subsist there for              
 want of forrage & provision, ye Countries haveing bene Eaten up wth            
 in 3 leagues round soe that tis sd a double loafe was sold for 3               
 Guilders in ye Camp, The Prince of Oranges army was to march yt day            
 from Arschot toward Malines to pass ye River deiner at Werchden, a             
 placaert was set out ye day before prohibiting anyone on paine of              
 death to speake of ye Prince of Orange.                                        
    ffrom Brussells of ye 12th they tell us that ye Prince of Orange was        
 encampt wth his army neare Lovaine in ye same place hee was before hee         
 marcht to guelderland, that ye french King moved toward Charleroy haveing      
 sent a Considerable body of Cavalry to surround Charlemont wch gave            
 suspition hee intended a seige to yt place, Montecuculy they say was           
 gone wth his army toward Phillipsburg, possessing all ye place, by             
 wch Turene might have got thither, that ye Rhine was soe over flowed           
 that hee Could not get to his bridge soe yt upon Montecuculys remove           
 hee had decampt alsoe, intending to force a Batle, & ye Stratzburg letters     
 say they heard ye Cannon soe yt they Judgd ye armies were Engaged              
    The paris letters of ye 13 tell us yt ye Inhabitants of Rennes Cannot       
 Conceale their disposition to breake out into new disorders soe yt             
 Guards are set in severall parts of ye towne, The Marshall de Albret           
 had Caused Chevalier de Landangen to be apprehended as an accomplice           
 in ye Sedition of Bourdeaux & who will speedily bee made an example,           
 as to ye Lower Brittaigne they give this account, that ye seditious            
 were now formed into Companys & Regimts under officers wth millitary           
 discipline, & that they are Leagued together in manner of a Republique         
 for defence of their Common liberty, & have Composed an Establishmt            
 wch they Calld ye armorick Confederation  they have agreed to send             
 Ambrs to ye King to informe him of their proceedings, & to demand              
 a Confirmation of ye sd Establishmt, wch provides they shall have ye           
 Comission of Justice wthin themselves  that they shall live free from          
 all Impositions except such as are very ancient & inconsiderable               
 on salt & Wine that they be not obligd to pay tythes to ye Clergy,             
 that all Acts wch have bene made on ye markt paper be transcribd               
 on ye Common paper & ye Other Burnt & abolisht for Ever  They have             
 plunderd & burnt most of ye Gentlemens houses haveing hangd many of            
 them & forcet others to serve in their troups                                  
 +A Rencounter happend this Weeke betwixt the Earle of Mulgrave &               
 Mr Kirke in wch ye later was Wounded                                           
      L. c. 204   [Handwriting changes here.]   July 13 1675                    
 +His Maty has they say bene pleasd to nominate my Lord John Berkely to         
 goe his Ambr Exterordinary to Paris and accordingly he is makeing              
 preparations and hopes to be despatcht in few weekes                           
 +His Maty has bene pleased to conferre on his Naturall Son Charles             
 Fitzcharles the tytles of Earle of Plymouth Viscount Totnes and                
 Darmouth for wch a pattent is passing and his Lordship at prsent in            
 travill but suddenly expected to returne.                                      
    ffrom the Court at Windsor we heare nothing of moments, there Matyes        
 & Royall Highness spending theire tyme onely in the diversions of the          
 season                                                                         
      The Count de St Mearice Envoy Extraordinary from the Duke of Savoy        
 went the 15th instant to the ffrench Armyes to give his Most Xtian Maty        
 advice of the death of the late Duke & is directed afterwards to carry         
 the same Message to his Maty of England  Mr Greenville doth not begin          
 his Journey for that place nor the Court putt on Mourning as is expected       
      ffrom Paris of the 20th instant we heare that his Maty was expected       
 at Versaillyes, on Munday all necessary Orders being given for his             
 reception & Monsr Colbert gone to meet him   his returne is reported to        
 be occationed by the disturbances in Brittany those discontented being         
 growne soe numerous that they require a speedy and Considerable strength to    
 reduce them   The Duke of Orleanes has upon his newes also deferred his        
 Journey to the Campe  They write from the ffrench Army in Ilands that          
 there was 12000 of them to be drawne out to be sent towards the Rhyne          
 And that Monsr de Tureens Men had defeated 12 Regiments of the Enemey with     
 Considerable loss to themselves & that the said Governour escaped narrowly     
 passing the Rhyne to there Islands   Monsr Scomburge is said to have received  
 some checke in Catalonia and on his returne to this place, they have at        
 Bourdeaux posted up Menacessing [sic] placcarts in case theire Amnesty &       
 Comissions be not preserved inviolably   The Duke de Estreee is dead at        
 Rome from whence the seige of the Mellazzo is confirmed  They begin to         
 entertaine severall thoughts of the Swede who they say made a good             
 retreate to Wilscocke where they Killed a great Number of the                  
 Brandenburg fforces & tooke Mayor Golo [?] Prisoner  They say also that        
 Generall Wrangle has offered to resigne his Constable Staffe and the           
 Command of the army upon some discontent                                       
             [Note on outside of letter in another hand:]                       
 From whence? / From the Enchanted Islands / Where Lye they? /Alas to ye        
 Region of the Moon Somes [?]                                                   
      L. c. 205     [Handwriting changes here.]     July ye 15 1675             
    A proclamation is orderd to be Issued to Command officers to be             
 assistant to ye due Collection of ye excise according to law                   
    Upon ye death of Dr Blandford Bp of Worcester Dr ffleetwood Provost         
 of Kings Colledge in Cambridg is to be Bp ye Bp of Durham Deane of ye          
 Chappell & ye Bp of Oxford Clerk of ye Closet.                                 
    A vessel arived at Weymouth from Rochell Complaines that in her voyage      
 thether as alsoe in her way home shee met a Biscay man of Warr who both        
 tymes tooke severall goods & mens cloathes from them                           
    ffrom Portsmth of ye 10th they write that ye fryday before abt 7 in ye      
 morning came to Spithead ye Harwick & yarmouth wth ye Anne & Christopher       
 & Holmes fire ships bound for ye Streights                                     
    ffrom Hull they tell us yt 3 ships were arived there from Virginia          
 who left a great want of Corne & scarcity of Tobacco but hope a plentifull     
 Crop Coming                                                                    
    ffrom ffowey [?] they write ye Elizabeth of that place from Rochell         
 informes that 4 french men of Warr of Considerable strength were ready         
 there designed for Messina, & yt off I'shant 5 Duch men of War of each         
 40 guns waited for them                                                        
    ffrom ye Streights wee heare yt ye Dartmth from Mallaga ye Swallow          
 from Tangier & ye Drumond from Cadiz were all gone to Joyne Sr John Norburrow  
 +Brussells letters of ye 16 tell that ye Van guard of ye Prince of Orange      
 were wthin 2 leagues & a halfe of them betwixt Lovaine & Warre & would         
 Encamp yt night at Ische & soe march forward toward Hall & Sobize where        
 they may find some dayes forrage for their army  His Highness ye Prince        
 has Issued out an Order for Regulating ye prizes of Bread beare & other        
 provisions in ye army wch before were sold at excessive rates, severall        
 of ye peasants & poore people are fled from ye parts thereabouts & come        
 to ye gates of Brussells being much affrighted wth ye discourses of ye         
 disorders Comitted by ye army, perticulerly in ye Village of Haren             
 neare Dighem where ye Hollanders are sd to have entred ye Church by            
 violence plundred it & taken away ye Challice, & haveing Cut of ye             
 head of ye Blessed Virgin hung yt of St Anne upon a tree, & wounded ye         
 Pastor & kild & wounded some of ye Boares that defended ye Church & yt         
 they would have done ye like at Diyhem but it being a large village many       
 Boares gatherd together resolving to defend their Church wth their lives       
 +Paris letters of ye 20th say ye number of ye seditious in Brittaigne          
 encrease still, that they Could find noe better for a Cheife then a            
 Miller  That they Comitt many outrages in ye Country upon all that             
 oppose them & that it was feared it might prove of dangerous Consequence,      
 & not easily to be queld.                                                      
 +They write from Holland that the Denmarke [sic] has not yet made any espress  
 declaration of Warr, yet Monsr Clinquenberg their minister affirmeth yt        
 there is an actuall breach & instanceth ye Kings proceeding agst tha Duke      
 of Holstein of whose cheife places hee has taken possession & forcet           
 him to renounce his allyance wth Sweden, & that hee has sent out his           
 fleet to hinder ye supplyes yt might Come from Sweden to ye armies in          
 Pomerania   They speake of letters intercepted betwixt Hamburg & Genell        
 Wrangell by wch it appeares that Citty was in treaty wth that King &           
 would have admitted a Swedish garrison wch had inclined ye King of             
 Denmarke to be revanged of it, but it was thought ye States would              
 interpose.                                                                     
      L. c. 206  [Handwriting changes here. ]   July 22d 1675                   
 +His Maty out of an especiall regard to the good of his subjects, and to       
 give encouragement to the Industrious of his owne Kingdome, has been           
 gratiously pleased to declare in Councell that after Miclimas next noe         
 subject of any of his Kingdomes shall be permitted to come to Court who        
 shall weare any forreigne lace or point and the Lord Chamberlaine of his       
 Magistes Houshold has charge to see this putt in effectuall Execution.         
 +The Hague Letters of the 23d tell us the States of Holland have set           
 out a placart forbidding upon paine of death & Confiscation of Estates all     
 combinations to beat downe the value of the publick ffarmes, the Elector       
 of Bdburgh was on the 19 with his Army about Kurwitz 4 Leagues from Wismar     
 marching towards that place, as was beleived to beseige it, 6000 Imperalists   
 are come to ffrankfort on the Ouder to Joyne them, the Electrice of Bdburgh    
 goeing to the Elector had occasion to passe the Duke of Hanovers territories   
 who sent for a convoy of 200 horse & tis said that he will remaine Neuter      
 though others write that he observes the Elector of Bdburgh motions & will     
 hinder him entring the Duchy of Bremen, the Emperors Planipotentiaries         
 have sent to Nimeguen to provide Lodgings, the Swedes army is within 3         
 or 4 Leagues of Stralsond.                                                     
    Montecuculi on designe removed & Turenne haveing noe notice wither          
 he intended marcht with his Army Leaving only 2000 horse to guard the          
 Bridge towards Stratsburgh, Montecuculi sent 6000 to attaique the Bridge       
 the ffrench Leiut Generall then in a streight drew up his men only 2 deep on   
 a ground soe advantageious that the Imperialists by theire front Judged all    
 Turennes horse there & so went off, otherwise had beaten them taken the        
 Bridge & Endangered the french Army.                                           
 +They write from Roome that the Duke de Estree the ffrench Amb had been        
 dangerously ill there of a feaver, prayers had been made for him in severall   
 Churches & he had been visited by most of the principall persons in the        
 towne, but had not Received the Popes blessing as is usuall in such occasions  
 the Pope has sent a breife to the Cardinall de Retz to dissuade him from       
 persueing his designe in Laying downe his cap, the ffrench King since his      
 Returne to Paris has refused to admitt the Cardinall Legat to his              
 presence                                                                       
 +The Naples letters say that the ffrench have fortifyed themselves in          
 strongholds betwixt the Scaletta & Melazzo which gives great impediment to     
 the Spaniards in their Communicacon betwt the 2 places, 4 ffrench men of       
 Warr entred into the port at Prindess & tooke from under the Castle a Raguse   
 [?] ship Laden with Corne, the Castle gave them about 50 shot but hit them     
 not, which gives suspition that there is an understanding betwt them upon      
 which the Governor of the Castle & all the Gunners are imprisoned              
 +They write from Bische dat 16 that the Ld Hamilton was that night             
 Commanded out with a pty of 2000 foot and 500 horse to force a passage         
 posest by the Germans on a River betwt the ffrench army & the Imperists        
 so that Bridges might be made to passe the french army & force the Emeny       
 if possible out of their camp  Monsr de Plessis Joyned Turenne with            
 30000 men & Mounsr Crequi advances to doe the same by way of Phillipsburgh,    
 Montecuculies Army consisted of 14000 horse & 14500 foot to whome              
 Mounsr de Lorraine was marching with his forces to those the Elector of        
 Bdburgh left behind him makeing an Army of 10000 men                           
 +The Paris Letters dat July 24 tell us that 5000 prisoners are sent            
 to the Prince of Conde upon some Considerable designe & that those             
 forces who attended the King as his Guard, to Paris be sent to Turenne         
 the Prince of Conde Judgeing himselfe strong enough with the forces left       
 him to deale with the Enemy, the Parlt of Louvies [?] have sent a Deputy to    
 the King to advice him of the disturbances in Brettagne that body representing 
 their inability to bring any Remedy to so numerous discontents especially      
 since they were freshly allarmd by the Inhabitants of that Citty, who on       
 the 18 forced & plundred the Custome house for the pewter in wch action        
 the more considerable Cittizens were mixt with the other & they began to       
 grow apprehensive that those disorders are supported by some psons of power,   
 In Lower Brettagne the Rebellion growes formidable & Requires an Army to Quiet 
 it  they speake of sending Mounsr thither [sic].                               
 +They write from Stockholme dat June 30 that the King of Sweden had            
 declared Warr both by sea & Land against the states in Consequence of which    
 all Holland Merchants there with their goods Bookes of Accompts & ships        
 were seized & ordour sent to all the Ports to doe the same, by which           
 meanes there may arise to the King in effects reall moneyes & depts            
 200m L sterling, the War was noe sooner Resolved on but the King               
 sent a Gentl to the states Residt forbidding him; the Court or to              
 visit any of his Ministers but with all assureing him of his protection        
 & telling him, that after he had heard from his Ambassadours at the            
 Hague he should heare form him againe, the ffrench Amb: upon this sent         
 also to him offering to employ his enterest at Court for his stay there        
 not withstanding the War.                                                      
 +With this the Holland Letters of the 20 so far agree that they say they       
 doubted their residt: was made prisoner in Sweden for yt the States            
 had received noe accomt of him, & that upon their Advice of the arrest of      
 their ships 2 states Men of War were sent to Lay on ye Droge to                
 hinder any more goeing toward Sweden, the states of Holland issued out         
 a proclamacon forbidding the Carrying on of any provisions to Liege            
 or the Countrey of Julyers to cut of what subsistance they may from the        
 ffrench Army                                                                   
 +The Prince of Oranges Army is about Hall, the Prince of Condes Advance        
 to Lentz neer him haveing sent some forces to Aoth on which it was thought     
 the Prince of Orange had any eye.  Mounsr Montall had a designe to             
 Attacque the Duch army but was prevented in it.                                
 +Turennes & Montecuculies Armies by the Paris Letters dat 27 are in the        
 same place though greater wants [sic]  the ffrench posest themselves of a      
 Bridge over the Raucheim wch the Imperists would have broke downe & have       
 seized Orlaffe which renders the Germans Communicacon with Offenburgh          
 of much difficulty.                                                            
 +The Duke of Lorraine past the Moselle at Coblentz & the Lunenburgh troopes    
 were following  the Marshall Crequi, was at Metz with 12000 either to          
 assist Turenne or Treves upon occ[asi]on if Lorraine should attempt it.        
 +The Earle of Euston son to the Duchesse of Clevland who was married to        
 the Earle of Arlingtons Daughter is Created Duke of Crafton  the publique      
 Ministers with the King of Denmarke thinke themselves assured of that          
 Kings ordering his Army to March with in the month in which time the           
 Corne may be Ripe & before conveniently they cannot bee: the Magazines         
 are not pared [?] & yet there is a great confidence of the Marriage betwt      
 the King of Sweden & the Princess of Denmarke the persons designed to          
 buy things necessary for that solemity being not only gone to Paris but        
 the Princesse her selfe has wrote a kind letter to ye King upon wch hee        
 talkes of her wth much passion                                                 
 [On outside of letter evidently in the same hand as the note in L. c.          
 204 appears this epitaph:]                                                     
        Here a Lump of Sorrow lyes / A Heap of Sin and Miserys                  
        Who if hee sometime went astray / Yet aimed to keep the way.            
      L. c. 207     [Handwriting changes here.]     July ye 26 1675             
 +I had noe publique letter last night but out of a private one I have          
 this account.                                                                  
      Just now (vizt 9 a clock Saterday night) is newes come that Turene is     
 kild by a cannon shott in a great fight in wch ye french were defeated &       
 7000 of them kild, The french King bemoaning himself as left a fatherless      
 King  [This is almost surely the shortest letter in the whole series.]         
      L. c. 208   [Handwriting changes here.]   July 29 1675                    
 +On the 21 Cornall Gyles Strangways lately made of his Majest new [?]          
 honourable Privy Councell died.  On the 22 at a Councell held at Hampton       
 Court the Lord Bp: of Winchester Prelate of the Garter was sworn, &            
 tooke the place of Privy Councellour.                                          
      They write from Holland that the Sonne of De Witt Ruwaert Van Putten      
 aged 23 died lately at Vienna in whom that ffamily is lost.                    
      The Paris letters tell us that on the 26 in the Morning an                
 Inhabitant of the Parish of St Marcell in that place on occasion of the        
 new Impossision laid on the Suburbs, fell into soe great desperation,          
 & rage that he kild 5 of his own Children, & afterward went & rendred          
 himselfe at the Chastellet.  The Reveilers of lower Bretagne doe rather        
 encrease then lessen, beeing of that Strength, that the Duke of Chaulnes,      
 with several of the Gentry for their Security had betaken themselves to        
 Port Lewis, & yet notwithstanding their so high carriage, & the ruine          
 they have already caused the King willingly rather to reduce them by Clemency, 
 then use the severity of his Armes, Tis said sends a Master of Requests [?]    
 to them with a Generall Act of Oblivion, upon returne to their duty.           
 +The Paris letters dat ye 31 tell us of daily Action betwixt the Armys         
 in gaining passes neer Stratsburgh, in one of wch Mounsr fforquincourt         
 leut Generel of Dragoons was kild, Mounsr Van Brunn hurt on the foot,          
 & Monsr de Trass Major Genel: taken prisoner, but the greatest loss            
 was that of Mounsr Turen who following on the 29 Arrier Guard of the           
 Imperiall Army which drew off & were [?] in a wood, with 13 field pieces       
 was kild by a shott on the brest from a Cannon, the same shot takeing of       
 the Sieur de St Hillaire Leut of the Artillary.  Upon news of this the         
 ffrench King tis said to have ordered Marll Crequi to Command, put of          
 his Journey to ffontanbleau, & Countermand the troops ordered for Bretagne.    
    The Patent is now passing to make the Earl of Northampton Constable of      
 the Tower of London, as alsoe another patent to make him Leut of the           
 Hamlets.                                                                       
 +The Right Honrable the Lady Dianna Verney eldest Daughter to the Earl         
 of Bedford beeing lately married to William Led Alington Baron of Killard      
 in Ireland.  His Majesty to prevent any Disputes that might be pretended       
 about perceedency, has bene pleased with regard to that great ffamily          
 from wch shee is descended, & her worthy choyce of a person of soe             
 great Merit by a grant to continue unto her the preceedency of her             
 Birth, ordering the same to be regestred in the Office of Armes &c.            
    They write from Venice dat 19 that the ffrench notwithstanding              
 their former Repulse intended once more to attacque the Scaletta, & in         
 order whereunto were gone with an Army of 7000 Men, the most part              
 ffrench, the rest Messineses it beeing very difficult to conceive              
 how the poorer sort of the people of Mesinia shall live, provision &           
 money though vast supplys have been sent, being yet scarce with them,          
 unlesse they cann make themselves Masters of some part of the Country;         
 The ffrench Galleys have lately taken 2 Shipps with in the Gulfe neer to       
 Brandusium in Naples whereat the Republick is not a litle conserned, but       
 would be more if it should prove true which some have related that they had    
 taken a Venecian.  The Popes Nuntio on the 18 was in the Colledge to           
 give advice of the difference betwt the Austrean Amb, & the Cardinal           
 Patron was now perfectly adjusted & some thinke it was done before the         
 late promotion though they have not declared it, till now of late.             
    The Hague Letters dat 30 say the states of Holland were to meet about the   
 Swedish Business particularly relateing to their Ambr upon whose request       
 they affirm to have made the Exception in their late declaration of Warr       
 in favour of the Merchants agt whom Sweden, nevertheless proved with           
 such severity.                                                                 
    The Swedes are still upon the Heath of Leits soe well disposed that         
 they cannot without great difficulty be Attacqued, where they expect           
 recruites from Sweden with which some vessells are arrived at Stralssond       
 & Wolgase [?]  The Elector of Bradenburgh, was in the County of Mecklenburgh   
 though there is no expectation of Actions till the Harvest be in.              
 +The Sampson of London Capt: Windsor Commandour arrived at ffalmouth           
 on the 19 whoo affirmeth in the soundings he was Chased by a Ship of           
 20 Guns who left when he got into Scilley, but ffolowed soe neer that          
 he perceived the Turkey Couloures.  On the 21 arrived the Elizabeth            
 of that Place from the port Lewis, who in sundry passages met 5 fflushing      
 Men of Warr, who put a Board him 100 ffrench Men whoo had been taken in        
 a Man of Warr of 30 Guns, Convoy to a ffly boat Laden with Tymber for          
 that Kings Shipping.  They report the Governour of Bretagne in yt place        
 full of Souldiers that the Mutineers lay not the blame on their Gabells,       
 & breach of priviledges on the King, but the Gentry of the Country             
 Emplyed in them agt. whome they excercise the greatest severity, but           
 such of the Gentrey as had no hand in them they required only to keep          
 themselves & ffamilys in their houses & doe declare a readyness to             
 give the King a Supply provided they may Enjoy their ancient privilidges.      
    The Prince of Vaudemont naturall sone to the Duke of Lorraine haveing       
 in his passage from Spain Landed in England was by the Spanish Envoy           
 Dom Pedro de Ronquilles introduced to his Maty when haveing paid his           
 Complements his Maty ordered him a Yatch for his Transportation into           
 fflanders.                                                                     
      The Count de St Maurice who was lately in ffrance to give that            
 King notice of the death of the Duke of Savoy is come hither upon the          
 same Errand, & upon yt account tis beleived the Court will goe into            
 Mourning on Sunday next.                                                       
      A Warrant is passed to make the eldest Sonne of the Duchess of            
 Clevland Baron of Newbury Earle of Chychester & Duke of Southampton.           
      The ffrench letters August 3d say that since the exprese of               
 Turenns death noe Accont was come from the Army but give some farther          
 particulers.  The King it seems not 3 houres before that express had           
 received one dispached by Marshall Turenn. himselfe which acquinted him        
 with the death of Mounsr Horquincour yt the E[n]emy was decamped & they        
 resolved to give them Battle, & accordingly he devided                         
 the Army into 2 Bodys ye one to stay in the place where they                   
 Encamped till further order, the other was commanded by himselfe in the        
 head who haveing forced the Enemy from their port Monsr de Lorge leading       
 the Van ffollowed, noe Morasse, nor River parting them whilst Marshall         
 Turenne with a small party went up a Mountain directing Monsr de St            
 Hillaire to raise Battery to prevent the Enemy from the Annoying them          
 when the shot came that tooke him off he spoake not one word after the         
 blood gushing out of his Mouth Nose & Eares, And thus dyed the great           
 general of whome the King after some pause sufficiently expressed this         
 sense in saying he had rather have lost 2 Battles then have lost               
 him alone, some Add that the Count de Lorge & Chevalier de Plessis,            
 found the officers & souldiers soe eager to lay downe their lives in           
 revenge of their Generalle, that they resolved to make use of the              
 occasion & Persue the Battle.                                                  
    The Kings voyage to ffountainbleau is put of till the midle of the          
 month & Chevalier de ffouurbin gone with the Kings Musqueteers & other         
 Troops of Guards whoo are to Joyne other Horse from Gascogne to reduce         
 the Rebells, in Bretagne, in case the [sic] lay not hold on the Kings Pardon   
 which is sent to them by Monsr de Boutherat & will be offerd, at the           
 opening of the States at Bretagn, wch will be on the 21 of this Month.         
      Monsr Scombergh wanting shipps at sea, to beseige Roses, has beseiged     
 Bellegard haveing taken an halfe Moone, & lodged his Men in it, & might        
 be Master of the Town 6 dayes.                                                 
      L. c. 209     August 5 1675                                               
 +Her Majesty has been pleased at length to give the Key of Chamberlaine,       
 formerly held by the Earle of Clarendon to Dom ffrancisco de Melo Amb          
 from the Crowne of Portugall,                                                  
    Upon the promotion of Dr ffleetwood to ye Bpprick of Worcester Mr           
 Page fellow of the Kings colledge in Cambridge formerly Secretary to           
 his Grace the Duke of Ormond when Ld Leiut of Ireland is made provost          
 & upon the death of Dr Wells Mr James is made, Mr of Queens Colledge in        
 Cambridge.                                                                     
 +The sonne of the Duchesse of Portsmouth is made Baron of [space for           
 about six letters left blank] Earle of March & Duke of Richmond.               
 +The Duch letters dat 2d tell us that the Resident of Hamburg had              
 presented a Memoriall to the states in Justification of the late treaty        
 Concluded betwt the Crowne of Sweden & then the Danish Amb has demanded        
 of the Assembly of the generality the equipping 30 Men of War more             
 besides those 9 which are with them already, in the Maas next ships            
 ready for the departure with ye [?] Elector of Brandenburgh Comission,         
 who have on board a Marine Regimt raised in Holland                            
 +The[y] write from Brussells dat 3d that the Emperor has commanded the         
 Swedes Resident from Vienna & from his owne Territoryes, of the Empire,        
 Prasty the Prince Transilvania is on the ffrontiers of Hungary with            
 20M men  The Protestants in ffrance are greatly rejoyced to see so much        
 favour showne to Count Schombergh of their Religion as to be made              
 Marshall of ffrance & say that the 1st of Ranke of the last promotion,         
 which however in fformer times might not have been soe much regarded           
 wn the Marshalls in the feild Commanded by Turene is [?] now particularly      
 looked upon since it is ordered that ye elder shall command & the              
 younger shall obey.                                                            
 +His Maty has been pleased to make Mr Sergeant Pemberton one of his            
 Sergeants at Law                                                               
 +They write from Hamburgh dat 23 that the Swedes talke of sending 10M          
 Recruits under the Conduct of the Senator Benthorme & yt their fleet           
 will speedily be set out.  The Danish Army lay quartered in Holstein           
 under good discipline & might march with in a fortnight, by which              
 time they judged their Corne may be ripe, their fleet was ready to             
 sayle whose designe is said to be blockt up, the Swedes ports in               
 Pomerania whilst the Brandenburgh beseiges them by land  Some                  
 passengrs come from Bremen report that the Bp of Munsters forces had           
 plundered a towne called Woldhausen belonging to the Swedes, which             
 being the 1st act of Hostility is the more taken notice of.  The               
 french letters dat 7 say that the Prince of Conde being on his way             
 to the Rhine the Duke de Eugen his sonne had been at Versailles with           
 the King to receive his instructions, Sarbally powder Mill was blown           
 up at Amiens which destroyed 3 streets & uncovered 500 Houses &                
 killed 10 persons  part of the Kings troopes designed for Bretagne are         
 marched  the rest follow in a few dayes  in ye meane time the King has         
 received advise from the Duke of Chamberlines that the Rebells were            
 resisted in 2 small places, in lower Bretagne who upon the attacque            
 killed 20 & tooke 20 prisoners whome the[y] hangd as haveing declared          
 Trators by the Duke their Governour, Of their Army in Germany, since           
 the death of Marshall Turenne they give acct that upon debate of a             
 Councill of War finding that Montecuculy would attacque, Wilstadt              
 they quitted it haveing 1st fired there provisions & Magazines that            
 upon their removall to Altenheim to passe the Rhine the Imperialists           
 engaged them & were repulsed leaveing 1500 men & some Cannon on the            
 place though not without Considerable losse on their side.  The Marquesse      
 of Vanbrun who was wounded on ye 23d the 1st action being killed in this       
 the Count d' l'Orges the Count de Roy Chevalier d' Hondosine Marquesse         
 de La' fforte, Messieurs de La' Motte d' St Loupe & d' Lareaux wounded, of the 
 English in this Action they only say that they would neither give nor          
 receive quarter  The Bruxells Letters dat 6 tell the story to the              
 Germans advantage that the ffrench haveing burnt at Wilstadt 20 sacks          
 of Corne &c & marching to passe the Rhine ye Imperialists engaged ym           
 & after a stout fight worsted them & tooke all their Artillery to 7            
 pieces & yt now ye had the communication & conveniency of Stratsburgh,         
 And to this Dom Pedro de Ronquilles ye Spanish Envoy gave such Credit          
 yt he caused Te Deum to be sung in his Chappell on Sunday last for the         
 Victory.                                                                       
 +Bellegard in Catalonia surrendred it self into the hands of the ffrench       
 after 6 dayes opposition & now tis said Rosas will be besieged.                
 +The party that went from Maastricht leige & Lymburgh returned with the        
 plunder they got at St Vith & other places in Luxenburgh   some forces         
 are gone from Namuir to Leew to put the Leigois under Contribution who         
 have already carryed in Considerable summs.  The Prince of Orange his          
 Army is still about Hall & yet suddenly to remove.  There haveing fallen       
 so much raine that there is noe travelling with Carriages & Artillary.         
      A ship arrived at Southampton from St Mallo reports 2 duch ships          
 Carryed in thither prizes ye one of 22 guns from Lisbon ye other retaken       
 from the Turkes who are to be pretended to be of Salle, there arrived          
 also a vessell from Morlaix who gives account of the Rebells that ye now       
 keep themselves not in any continued Body, but upon ringing their parish       
 Bells great numbers flock together with Armys Carriages &c talke much of       
 maintening their priveleges & Comitt all sorts of Outrage on those yt          
 gather the gabells.                                                            
    The[y] write from Naples dat 16 that they were makeing all hast possible    
 to get ready ye 16 men of war agt the arrivall of young d'Ruyter who was       
 expected there to joyne them, & block up the Ware at Messina wch if they       
 could accomplish they promisse themselves a good successe by the [space        
 for about five letters left blank] misunderstanding yt is already              
 betwt that people & the ffrench which is growne to that height yt              
 some of them had begun a Mine under the Chappell where the ffrench             
 Officers were at Masse with designe to blow then up, upon                      
 discovery of which the cheife of the Conspirators were apprehended             
 & this had such an Influence upon the English that they haveing the            
 Affrican Pinke, there they sent away their Wollen goods doubting their         
 security with a people so devided.                                             
 +Three of the Duke of Tuscanyes Gallyes have lately had a fight with 3         
 Turkes Galleyes in ye Channell of Piombino in which they tooke the             
 Turkes Admirall & put the other 2 to flight                                    
 +A ffrench Barke arrived from Tripoly in 12 dayes at Marsailles reports        
 that Sr John Norborough was there & mist little of 4 of their ships            
 who got in not 2 houres before him, All the Corsaires were laid up theire      
 Masts & all rigging put a shoare, 2 vessells sunck & many Anchors cast         
 out to hinder the English going in.  They were then in treaty with him &       
 offered wtever he demanded except satisfaction, for what had been taken,       
 A ffrench Bargue touching at Tunis had 4 of the Knights of Moltha aboard,      
 was searched there & ye 4 Knights taken out on pretense of some Slaves         
 taken out of their vessells by the ffrench   A vessell arrived ye day          
 before from Messina said that they had no want there of any thing but          
 wine & flesh but would not say that they had advanced on the Spanyard.         
 +On ye 28 the Lancaster arrived from the Coast in the East Indies & is         
 the 4th lately come from those parts  They write from ushent of the [?]        
 dat July 31. that there sayled thence that weeke about 300 sayle & more        
 had gone out that day but that a storme of Wind at West hindered               
 them however that Month they had cleared 800 sayle of Laden Colli[e]rs.        
 +On ye 4 a Councill was held at Hampton Court where they adjourned their       
 farther meeting to the 2 Wednesday  The Duch letters say by the Advise         
 from Stratsburgh dat 2 that the ffrench removed to a wood neer Allemham [?]    
 where the Imperialists had engaged them from ye day before that 13000          
 had been killed on both sides & that they still continued fighting &           
 that of the Imperialists Dumwalt & Capraror were wounded & the                 
 Marquesse Baret killed.                                                        
      L. c. 210     August 7 1675                                               
 +yesterday & this day wee receive the fflanders letters of the 9 & 13          
 instant, & the ffrench letters of the 14 from which wee may gather this        
 Impartiall relation that after the death of Monseir de Turenne the             
 ffrench Army, though in much trouble & consternation for the death of          
 the Generall, whom the soldiers bewayled with great lamentations, called       
 him their ffather, the 29 in the night the ffrench retreated towards           
 Bischeim, Wilstadt, & altenheim; the Imperiall Army followed them, &           
 the 31 July attacqued Wilstadt, which the following night the ffrench          
 forsook, setting fire to part of the towne & the provisions they had           
 there, which done the Germans marched after the ffrench, & the next            
 day the two armies came to an engagement, which begun about 10 a clock in the  
 morneing & continued till night, dureing which time both parties behaved       
 themselves with great bravery, & on the part of the ffrench especially         
 Monmouth & Hamiltons Regimt who bore the first strock of the enimie,           
 though with the losse of 250 of Monmouth & 450 with all the Officers,          
 except ye Coll, & 2 inferiur officers, of Hamiltons Regiment, The              
 Count de Lorge comeing up to the charge was slightly wounded & the             
 Marquesse de vanbrun killed, the Regiment of Turenne, Champagne,               
 Vendosme was most cutt in pieces, & on the part of the Imperialists the        
 Regiments of Montecuculi, Loraine, Souches, Chavigniac & Trotsmondorf,         
 were wholly ruined, & by this means Colors & Standarts were taken on           
 both sides, the night ended the action, when certainely neither party          
 could boast of any advantage in the fight, It is impossible to know the true   
 number of men that were killed, the Germans say that they have about           
 3000 killed & wounded & that the ffrench have lost 5000, & on the other        
 side the ffrench reckon their owne losse at 1200 & the Germans of 6000.  The   
 2 & 3 of august noe great action passed, the Germans were with drawne          
 from the place where the fight had been the day before; about halfe a          
 Muskett shott, intrenched themselves there raised severall bateries, &         
 from them continued playing into the ffrench Camp, who on the other side       
 had the advantage of a wood, & likewise raised two small bateries, but         
 sent the greatest part of their Cannon bagage & the Body of Turenne over       
 their bridge at Altenheim  The whole ffrench Army followed, without any        
 disturbance, not haveing lost any on[e] piece of Cannon.  Upon advice of       
 which Montecaculi marched back to Stratsburgh to refresh his souldiers,        
 & haveing received a reinforcment of 6 or 7000 men of the 6roopes of the       
 Circles passed on the 7 the Bridge at Strasburgh & so following the            
 ffrench into Alsatia, where it is likely farther Action will happen            
 between them.  The Germans pretend to a victory in the they have forced        
 the Enemy to passe the Rhine & still follow them.  The ffrench glory           
 they have made a brave retreat notwithstanding the great disadvantage          
 they lay under & that as to the Engagement on the 1 August they repulsed       
 the Germans with great losse.  The fflanders letters tell us likewise          
 of the defeat of Mareschall Crequi who they say came with 10000 men to         
 raise the seige of Treves beseiged by Lunenburgh & Lorraines troops,           
 who upon the approch of Crequi went out, fought & beat him & took 10           
 pieces of Cannon, we must expect the farther particulars by our next.          
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