     L. c. 421     January the 10th 1676                                        
+On the 8th arrived o[u]r Dutch lettrs of that day seavennight which give       
us an account                                                                   
   ffirst as to the affaires in Holland, yt the Prince of Orange &              
Councell of State had ordered the traine of artillarie, as it was to            
be the next Campagne, & that ye next worke would likewise bee to                
modell the Army, for notwithstanding all the discourse of a peace, &            
the reall inclinations the States have to it, they continue to make             
preparations necessary for the next Campagne  The Prince of Orange was          
to goe about the midle of this month to Cleves or Wesel, to meet ye             
Electr of Brandenburg & to conferre with him as well concerning mattrs          
relateing to ye peace as Warr.                                                  
     As to the affairs in Schonen the Sweds being Mrs of the feild,             
overrune the whole province at their pleasure, they have burnt down to          
ye ground a great many villages, & are very cruel to the Bores, sparing         
neither man, woman, or child, while in the mean time the King of                
Denmarke is doeing all he can to recruit his Army & to procure assistance       
from his allies, & it is affirmed that the Duke of Zell will lend him           
6000 men, besides which the Danes are in expectation yt the Sieur               
Guldenlieu will give the Enemy a diversion on the side of Norway, he            
being already fallen into the Swedish Territorys with 6000 men.                 
     We received the 9th instant the Dutch lettrs of friday last, all           
the news they tell us is, that they had advice from the northerne parts         
that the Sweds had tak: the Castle of Helsingburg after haveing burnt           
the towne.                                                                      
     L. c. 422     [Handwriting changes here.]     January 13 1676              
+Wee have Now the Sweeds Relation of the late Battle Betweene them              
and the danes In Sconen on the 4th of december last Vizt That the King          
of Sweden himselfe In person Broke up with his armie about 3 or 4 a             
Clocke In the Morning & marched over the pass Betweene him & the                
danes, Advanceing himselfe with the Lord helmfield & generall Ashenberg         
at the head of the Armie & Attacking the Enemie with greate Courage &           
Resolution In which action the King of Sweden ordered & Commanded his           
Armie with greate Vallour & Conduct Chargeing 14 or 15 times at the heads       
of his owne Regement of horse against the Enemie & secureing likewise           
his Right wing with very greate Advantage & his Majesty Continuing In           
the action from the Begining to the End thereof  Immediately after              
the Victory was Obtained the towne of Usted with severall other places          
surrendred petitioning the King for pardon & Mercy which a greate Many          
of the principle families have likewise done But those who Judging              
there Endeavours More Enormous are Retired Into danemarke                       
     The Sweeds haveing playd with there Cannon for 4 dayes Togather            
without any Intermission Upon helsingberg In the meane time the mines           
were prepared & layd In 3 severall places Under the Castle & Ready to           
spring upon any warning  The governour was desired & sent to to send some       
out to behold the same That soe he might forbeare to be oppinionated &          
prevent his owne destruction  This Being accordingly done & the governour       
finding himselfe Unable to hold out longer desired to Come to a                 
Capitulation But that Being denied him he surrendred Upon descretion            
     In the Castle was found a greate many peeces of Cannon with a              
greate quantity of Amunition & provisions also many of the King of              
danemarks owne Best horses  48 daneish Vessells small & greate were Burnt       
     In pomeren the Swedish affaires goe Now a greate deale Better and          
there is Noe Apprehension or feare left Touching the Island of Rugen            
+Count Coninsmarke hath got 1000 dragoones & Can goe abroad with 4000           
horse                                                                           
     his Majesty hath Bene pleased to graunt to leonard Bosvile Esqr            
the sole Use & Benefitt for 14 yeares of a new Invention of mills or            
Engines for the speedy & More Effectuall makeing of Cider & perry In            
greate quantities                                                               
     Also his Majesty hath Bene pleased likewise To graunt for the like         
tearme of yeares To Kendricke Edisbury Esqr the sole Benefitt of his            
New Invention of makeing a sort of plaister of an Extraordinary                 
hardness Called Glasses which may be Used Insteed of ffreeston for              
paveing of floores Being as it is Alledged handsomer Cheaper & full             
as dureable  And for makeing of watermills for Corne which will goe             
with halfe full as Undershott mills & with a 5th part of the water              
whereby Inconveniency for want of water may be Avoided                          
   The prices of wine for the yeare Ensuing are Appointed In Councill Vizt      
Canaries 36 s p pynt In gross & 12 d p pint Retaile                             
Tent [?] & malaga 30 s p Butt & 10 d p pint                                     
Allicants sherries & Muscadells 27 s p But & 9 d p pint                         
french wines 36 s p tunn & 12 d p quart                                         
Rhenish wines 9 s p Aulme [?] & 19 d p quart                                    
     The letters from the downes on the 17th give us No other account           
then the arrivall of about 20 sayle from Malaga Canaries &c Also of             
his Majesties 2 New gallies Being there Bound for Tangier                       
     The hague letters dated 15 say the Ld Embassador hide had Audience         
of the prince of Orange & went to Roterdam the 15 where he Received a           
pacquett sent to him by Express from Nimigen which may determine his            
Motions                                                                         
        [At end of letter appears this note in another hand:]                   
+I Recd your Worpps yesterday, concerning Tompson but have not since            
seene him, he has bene at Rugby this day, & I have sent downe 2 or 3            
tymes to Night to speake wth him, his Wife promised to send him to mee          
but I heare noe thing of him soe that I presume he persists in ye same          
obstinacy  I last left him in wch was to run ye Hazard of wt ever might         
happen rather then be at any Charge soe that I am sorry I gave yo[u]r           
Worp any farther trouble about him                                              
     L. c. 423     January 15 1676                                              
+Yesterday Arrived heare 2 flanders Mailes & Bring [?] o[u]r letters            
from Brussels only Brought any thing that Ma[tters?] & I give you the           
Extracts of them                                                                
     Brussells 12/2 January 1676                                                
+This Court is very much perplexed with the account they have of the ill        
posture of things In these provinces Cambray Valenchiens & all the other        
garisons In haynault Being blocked up where the people Begin to be very         
disorderly Through the scarscity of provisions & wee conclude one or both       
of those places will be lost If a Royall armie Be Not Ready to succour          
them Upon the ffirst opening of the Campaigne  the Enimie In the meane          
time Bring dayly more forces Into those provinces & wee have Reason to          
Believe that they will Attempt Something upon us dureing the winter             
+The ffrench have Upon paine of death & Confiscation of there waggons           
& horses prohibited the boores of the Neibouring parts to Carry any             
provisions to Cambray or Valenchiennes, The Millions Remitted hither            
from Spayne is to be paid by the Merchants of Antwerp at 4 payments             
But his Exelency Meanes to goe himselfe to Antwerp to try all wayes             
to get the Moneys Advanced: o[u]r Allies In the Meane time Vizt the             
danes duke of Lunenburg & of Newburg &c Clamour Extreamly for want of           
the Arrears of the Subsidies due to them ffrom Spayne  the hollanders           
Especially are dissatisfied with us and it is Believed They will at             
last Compell us to a peace which some of the Ministers heare Thinke             
would be Best for us; for without a speedy peace These Countryes will           
be lost as Things are Mannaged                                                  
   Wee have Indeed some hopes That when don Juan hath taken the Minestry        
In his hands Affaires will goe Better & its high time they should               
     The danes will have greate dificulty to bring Into the field against       
spring An Armie Capable to deale with that of the Sweds  however they           
are going to Raise 12 Regements of foot & hath sent to his Allies for           
succors But they are Not forward to send him any                                
     The greatest parts of the walls & fortifications of Limberg are            
Blowne up & 3 Battalions of foot with the Cannon Ammunition & provisions        
are gone to Maistricht & its Believed by this time the place is totally         
demolished & the Rest of the garison Retireing                                  
     wee heare ffrom germany That the ffrench are demolishing MonVilliard       
They write also of doing the like at dieux ponts But this is Uncertaine         
     Brussells 15/5 January 1676/7                                              
+The ffrench King hath published a seveare placeat Requireing all               
persons who have any Estate within his Conquest to Repaire to it Upon           
paine of Confiscation which putts the gentry to greate Extremity for that       
they Must Either quitt the service or starve here for want of subsistance       
There Employments Not being able to Maintaine them                              
     his Exelency holds his Resolution of going the Next weeke to               
Antwerp for hitherto the Merchants are Very slow In paying the Moneys           
Remitted ffrom Spayne                                                           
     his Exelency was yesterday Advertized ffrom severall parts the             
ffrench Troops were marching from divers places to the Randevous at             
Aras: That Marquiss Lonvoy was come privately to perronne for Carrying          
on some great designe which wee Apprehend was Intended upon St omers The        
ffrench haveing lately seized Upon the places & Castles Round But the           
sudden Thaw wee had last Night put us at Ease                                   
     o[u]r Letters ffrom Strasburg tell us that the ffrench were drawne         
togather In a body In Alsase & Marched with severall Carriages Towards          
hagenaw which place they are demolishing & wee doe the like to Saverne          
Its written that there Intentions are to Burne wessenburg & severall            
other places Towards phillipsburg & some Even thinke They have a                
designe Upon the fort at phillipsburg                                           
         [Written on outside of letter in another hand:]                        
          From January 13 1686/7 [1676/7?] to                                   
             March 25 1680                                                      
                      They are all in order.                                    
                                J.SS.                                           
     L. c. 424     January 18 1676                                              
+Yesterday Arrived two ffrench posts and the following is an Extract            
of a letter ffrom paris                                                         
                       Paris 20 January 1677                                    
+On Satureday last about 3 a Clock In the afternoon the River did on a          
suddaine Grow to a greate height Through the abundance of water which           
Came ffrom above with soe Much Violence togather with greate flakes             
of Ice that It was Imposible to prevent the disorder and Mischiefe that         
hapned by that meanes for almost all the boates that were In the River          
were Carried away by the Violence of the streame & Broke Into peeces            
against the Bridges  all our Mills (None Excepted) were quite destroyed         
& that which was Most sad a greate many Boates full of poore women who          
were washing Cloaths In the River the said Boates Being Carried away            
among the Rest  Most of them were drowned In the sight of a greate              
Multitude of people who Could Not give them any assistance  greatest            
part of the Red Bridg is Broken down aswell as 2 other Bridges Between          
This and St Germaines                                                           
     It has Been the Newes heare for these 2 or 3 dayes that the queen of       
Spayne is In a Monastrie & that her favorite the Marquiss de Villa sierra       
is fled and don Juan Come to Court                                              
     Our preparations Continue for an Early Campagne and you may expect         
to heare of Greate Enterprizes assoon as the weather will permitt               
     The King is going to send ffresh troops to Scicily & among the             
Rest 1500 Swisses Though perhapps this will be the ffirst time that             
any Swissers In the service of this Crowne have Been sent Beyond sea            
     wee want o[u]r dutch & fflanders letters                                   
     L. c. 425     January 20 1676                                              
+The greate Exspectation is at prsent to heare from Spaine what has             
hapned at that Court Upon the Arrivall of don Juan of Austria for it is         
Certaine that the queene as well as her greate favorite the Marquiss de         
Villa sierra was prepareing to Leave it  This Change of Ministers will          
doubtless have a greate influence In the Alliances [?] in the war if it         
Continue for the greate Experience & Capasity of don Juan seemes to             
promise that the Affaires of the Crowne will be Better ordered then             
hitherto they have Been:  But many are Rather of an oppinion that don           
Juan considering the ill posture the affaires of Spaine at present are          
In will turne his thoughts to obtaine a peace                                   
     Yesterday wee had a dutch post  all the Newes it Brought is that           
the Castle of helsingburg holds out still that the preparations for             
the Campaigne are Carried on with all dilligence  That the prince of            
Orange seing In the Meane time the greate danger flanders is In had             
given orders for the Marching of 6 Regements of foot to Reinforce the           
garisons In flanders  That the Brandenburg Minister at the hague had            
proposed the formeing a Campe of 8000 men Neere Ruremond to Curbe the           
Garison of Maistricht and for that End the Electors of Brandenburg &            
Collogne the duke of Newburg & the states shall Each of them furnish 2000       
men That the States of holland were to Assemble on wenisday last But that       
they would Not sit above 2 or 3 dayes There Chiefe Buisniss Being about         
Raising of Moneys & the Matter of the Reprizalls against Spaine                 
   This Morning Comes In a french post  they say that it was Certainly          
Resolved to demolish hagenaw Saverne Montbelliard & Limburg out of which        
places the King would at least draw 10000 men to Reinforce the Armies           
the Next Campagne & that it was Confidently Reported at Court That the          
duke of Luxenburg would againe Command the Armie In germany while the           
King goes In person Into flanders where he Intends as it said to open           
the Campaigne with 2 sieges at a time Vizt That of St omers & Cambray           
     They write from Rochester dat 13 that Notwithstanding the stormes          
on the 11th at Night were soe violent there that they Blew downe                
severall trees yet his Majesties Navie Recd But little dammage Vizt the         
Revenge her Anchors did Come But stopt her againe that shee did Not             
Blow on shoare  The Victorys Maine top & foretop Both Blown over the            
heads of the Masts Into the marshes: The Munmouths Mizen top Blown of the       
head of the Mizen Mast, This perticular account is given to prevent             
Reports                                                                         
     On the 12th Arrived at Spithead from havre de grace 2 french               
frigotts of 28 and 30 guns that Brought In a ostend sloop of 6 guns             
There Buisness is to Convoy off 9 Bankers from thence                           
     Its advised from Muscovy that the Czar haveing heard the Report            
of the Comissioners that had treated with the Sweds sent to the                 
Brandenburg Envoy to take his Audience of Conge & it was thought the            
daneish minister Could Not Stay long but that the Czar Intended a war           
with the poles  some said his forces had Already made Attempt In Ukraine        
     The ffrench privateer that was Condemned to the gallies for 20             
yeares his sentence is Changed to 5 yeares which is More seveare then           
the other being there is Noe other meanes left then to Undergoe that            
Corporall punishment whereas those that are Condemned in 20 yeares are          
In a Capasity of Redemption  mr Brisband hath Been soe sucsessfull In           
his Negotiation that he had cleared the ships that had Not Before his           
going abided triall & is Now upon a Review of those who had formerly by         
Neglegence otherwise Received Condemnation  the Captaine of the privateer       
that Killed one of the English & was Condemned to dye is Executed               
     L. c. 426     January 22 1676                                              
+The following is an Extract of the letters wee Received yesterday from         
holland & fflanders                                                             
          Copenhagen 9 January 1677 [sic]                                       
+The Castle of helsingburg holds out still & the Enemie Continues               
obstinate In the seige of it  wee heare that the Beseiged Begin to be In        
want of fresh water & some other Necesaries wherefore our King is               
prepareing to Attempt the Releife of it & for that End has ordered a            
greate Many Boates to be provided on which the Souldiers are to be              
Embarked That are to be Employed In the Enterprize which will be taken          
In hand In a day or two                                                         
     Count Magnas de la gordee is wee heare fallen with a Considerable          
Body of Sweds Into Norway where they Committ great spoyles  all posible         
preparations are makeing heare to Recruite our armie against spring             
          Strasburg 15 January                                                  
+The ffrench are actually at worke to demolish hagenaw & its feared they        
are Not Content to myne the fortifications aswell Antient as moderne But        
they are Resolved to demolish the Castle the Arsenall & other the               
principle houses In the towne which may serve for Magazines  Its said           
they will doe the like to duex ponts & Saverne the fortifications of            
which latter place Cost many Millions  Its farther said that the ffrench        
Intend to Burne Weissenburg Lauder & other places Between hagenaw &             
Spire & that severall Imperiall troops are on there March to hinder them        
To which Ends They will pass the Rhine at phillipsburg                          
         Cologne 15 Jan                                                         
ffresh orders are Come from the Emperour to Require the Osnaburg troops         
forthwith to quitt this diocess But whether they will obey them time            
Must Shew  This is Certaine that the Matter about Winter quarters has Not       
only occasioned Much trouble to the Emperour But greate diferences amonge       
the Allies themselves & the Cryes of the people all the Empire over             
     Its Not doubted But the duke of Newburg will at last Effect his            
designe of Makeing his second sonne Coadjuter of Cologne & Marrying his         
Eldest to the Emperours sister  the said duke is at present Imployed by         
the Emperour to Endeavour to Bring the Elector of Bavaria (whose Kinsman        
he is) over to his Interest                                                     
          Brussells 23d January                                                 
On Satureday Next the prince of Orange parts hence for Soesdike [?] &           
dieren where he will Continue as long as the publicke affaires will             
permitt: In the Meane time his higniss & the Counsell of State have             
demanded another million for the Extraordinary Charges of the Campagne  6       
or 8 Regements will be ordered to march towards flanders where the              
posture of things are such as that the ffrench may well promise                 
themselves greate Advantages there                                              
     The States have Received a letter from the King of Spaine In which         
he acquaints them with his haveing put the Administration of affaires           
Into the hands of don Juan of Austria whome he had accordingly sent for         
to Court                                                                        
          Brussells 23 January                                                  
wee are heare Extreamly pleased with the Newes wee Receive ffrom Spaine.        
our govenour has a letter from the Kings own hand In which he tells him         
that he had sent for don Juan & had Caused the Marquiss de Villa Sierra         
to Leave the Court which it seemes was But Necesary to prevent the              
disorders which would otherwise have hapned for Most of the principle           
Nobility & the grandees had Combined togather Either by persuasion              
force to Bring don Juan to Court who is accordingly on his way thither          
with 5000 Armed men Commanded by the Count de Monteri                           
+This Change however has this ill Effect on our Affaires that the               
Bankers will Not pay the Bills lately Come ffrom Spaine Till they see           
things setled & this want of money does us greate prejudice heare & is          
the Reason that our Recruites are not yet Begun soe that I know what            
wee shall doe the Next Campaigne  our governour has made hard shift to          
Raise 140000 Crownes to stop the Clamours of the Admiralty of Amsterdam         
In part of payment                                                              
   The ffrench had Certainly a designe upon St Gislain But the thaw             
disappointed it                                                                 
          Copenhagen 12 January                                                 
yesterday the Castle of helsingburg surrendred to the Sweds  There were         
700 men In it But what Conditions they made wee Cannot Learne  Its said         
they are prisoners of warr  had they held out But one day longer the            
King would have Attempted there Reliefe  They wanted ffresh water               
[Figures in another hand cover about a third of the outside of letter.]         
     L. c. 427     January 25 1676                                              
+All the Newes I Can at prsent write you will find In the following             
which wee Received yesterday                                                    
          Paris 24 Jan                                                          
I Can assure you that the King will be Very Early In the feild & its said       
wee have Already 50000 men In flanders  Some are of oppinion that the           
King will Attacke Valen[ciennes?] If he have Not Changed his Resolution         
Upon the Advice wee had that a Considerable supply is got Into that             
place In which Case Cambray Mons or St omers will be beseiged  The              
troops of the Kings household were Never stronger Nor Better Cloathed           
then at prsent  The King had Added to them a troop of grenadiers who are        
to be on horsebacke  They are 200 In all desperate men Extreamly well           
Cloathed & armed: 16 Companies of Munmoths Regement were Reformed the           
other day soe that there Remaines only 16 Companies they haveing Been           
32 at first                                                                     
          Brussells 26 Jan                                                      
Upon the Motion of the french troops from all parts Towards haynault            
his Exelencie has sent to mons Mounsr de monde with his Regement Both           
officers & souldiers Carrying fire armes Leaveing ther pikes heare &            
devided into 3 severall parties got safe to mons                                
+6000 ffrench are Come from picardy to orchis [?] to Relieve the troops         
that have there station about Valenchiennes  4 or 5000 more are Come to         
Binch  the garisons of Banoy [?] & Mauberg are likewise strongly                
Reinforced & Besides greatest part of Mounsr Crequis & Mounsr Schombergs        
Armies is Come to our frontiers  The last Night wee had also Newes that         
6000 ffrench are Come to Enghien to fix a quarter there & by that meanes        
to Cut off all Communication Between this place & mons  In Summe the            
Enemies Environ us on all sides while wee are Not In a Condition to             
oppose them Except our allies helpe  wee Expect 10000 men from holland at       
prsent; Limburg is Now quite demolished  the ffrench seem Resolved              
Entirely to Ruin what they Cannot Keepe & turne Citties Into Villages           
Witness what they are doing to hagenaw & what they Intend to do to              
Saverne &c which they doe Because they intend to have Noe Armie In              
Alsace the Next Campaigne  The Matter about winter quarters Continues           
to Create greate disturbances In the Empire  The Osnaburgs will Not             
quitt the diocess of Cologne though they have Received 3 positive               
orders from the Emperour to that purpose  They are hardly In all 1500           
men & yet they Charge the Inhabitants as if they were 5000  But the             
brandenburgs that had taken there quarters In the Bishop of Bambergs            
territories have by force Been driven out of them  In the scuffle many          
were Killed & amonge others the Baron de Joers [?] Counsellor &                 
Chamberlain to the Elector of Brandenburg                                       
          Copenhagen 2 Jan                                                      
after 17 dayes seige the Castle of helsingburg surrendred on Satureday          
last  The tearmes wee Know Not though the King sent thither the Next            
day a Major & a drummer to Enquire who Brought only this Answer backe           
that hee who made the Capitulation was with the King  It is Most                
Certaine they were much straitened In the Castle & wanted ffresh water          
& Ammunition yet had they held out but on day longer the King would have        
Attempted there Reliefe the Night following                                     
+The souldiers were already Embarked & the King at Elsenore to see it           
Effected   wee have heare a pretty hard frost which if it Continue the          
Sound will be frozen In few dayes & In the Apprehension of it a greate          
many people are Remooveing from Elsenore                                        
+here is a Report that Guildenlieu is defeated In Norway  wee hope it           
is Not true  if it should our Condition would be very ill                       
     L. c. 428     January 27 1676                                              
+It now appeares that the loss that the King of Denmarke sustayned in the       
late Battle In Schonen was Indeed very great by the greate leavies that         
King is Endeavoring to make & the Assistance he presses for from his            
Allies to whome he does not sticke to owne that most of his [word of            
about six letters smeared] destroyed In that fight.  Upon which comes the       
loss of helsingburg A post of greate importance to the one or the other         
party though In it selfe not very stronge & if guildenlieu has recd any         
defeat in Norway as the Sweds still Report the affaires of the danes will       
be In a very ill condition  The Emperors forces are very quiett In there        
winter quarters where they however devour the poore inhabitants &               
occasion greate complaints on that account                                      
     They tell us Indeed that the Emperour will have the next Campagne          
50000 men in the feild devided into 2 Armies the one Commanded by               
generall Montecuculi & the other by the duke of Lorraine but these are          
but words while the french are begining the Campaigne in flanders & to          
that purpose have already brought above 20000 men Into these Coutries           
     The marshall de humieres was come with 7 or 8000 men to hall which         
is within 2 leagues of Brussells  another body was come to Nizelle &            
a third to Brisach where they had found greate quantities of forrage &          
provisions for these places haveing hitherto enjoyed a Neutrality the           
Countries people had brought there stores thither thinkeing they were           
there In safety  In the meane time the french give out that they Intend         
to Beseige mons  however it is This is certain that the french will Enter       
upon some action sooner then the Spanyards will be able to oppose them          
as to the worke of the peane it Advances very slowly & there is little          
Appearance that anything Materiall will be Concluded at Nimeghen till the       
parties see what the sucsess of this campaigne will be & its probable           
that In this the ffrench & the confederates are both of a mind                  
     wee heare Nothing farther from Spaine soe that the queen continues         
to make a party to oppose don Juan of aus[t]ria                                 
     They write from minhead [?] that severall vessells have Been lost by       
storme on that Coast & 2 forced up the Channell by Extremity of weather         
one of them the Elizabeth of Midlebrough a privateer haveing been a             
prize taken from the ffrench in august last                                     
    On the 19th severall dutch seamen arrived at portsmouth who had lost        
a ship of 18 guns Neer padstow  they Came from guinea & stopt at Curassau       
where they tooke on board 100000 peeces of 8 from that governour which          
were all sawed [?] to 5000                                                      
     Sr Richard Rooth Commander of the Adventure & the Swallow were on          
the 22nd safe in the downes where were 50 sayle of Merchantmen outward          
Bound whereoff 3 for East Indies                                                
+Mounsr Meyriron has presented a Memoriall to the states pressing them to       
thinke of an Equipage for the Baltique proposeing it Necessary to make up       
40 men of war  They answer they cannot determine tll the Returne of the         
Embassador de Lyra                                                              
     L. c. 429     Jan: 29 1676                                                 
+The last weeke arrived a vessell from the Isle of providence which in          
her voyage outward bound touched at virginia  the master sayes that Bacon       
had not with him above: 5: or 600 men Amonge which was not any person           
of noate that all the principall Inhabitants were to gether with the            
governour Retired on board, some ships In the Roade In Exspectation of          
the succours that are gone from hence, but that in the mean time Bacon          
and his accomplices did Extreamly ruein the Countrey behaveing                  
themselves more like Robbers then anything Else.                                
     Wee are told that a yacht is appoynted to stand over for holland to        
bring over mr hide who is att Nimeghen with the carector of Embassador In       
which its said his Majesties Intention only was that mr hide at his             
return might be able to give him an ample accounte of the present posture       
of affaires there and the dsiposition the severall parties shew to A            
peace.                                                                          
     By a vessell Come in by Spaine we have advice that it was the              
apprehension there that don Juans Comeing to Madrid would occation some         
troubles for that the queen & her party is Resolved to oppose him Even          
with force                                                                      
     Yesterday his Majesty was at hide parke to see the band of pensioners      
Muster for the first time who are Now mounted together with there servants      
& make 2 troops of 50 Each That of the gentlemen Being as they are New          
Cloathed in whiteish Camblet coates with gold lace In the seames & white        
feathers In there hatts very fine & Noble & are to attend the King when         
he goes abroad Upon any solleme occasion as well as doe there duty above        
stayres                                                                         
    Wee have Now a dutch post  the letters speak of a plott that had Been       
discovered of Betraying Jueliers to the ffrench                                 
     And that from denmarke they had account That the garison That was in       
helsingburg was made prisoners of war That the Sweds seeme to Intend            
to Attacke landscroon & that the sound was frozen over yet Not soe as           
any troops could pass it                                                        
     Another Express was arrived ffrom Brussells at the hague to give           
the prince of orange an account of the greate danger these countreys are        
In the ffrench appeareing In greate Bodies In many places & have                
Certainly some design In hand                                                   
     L. c. 430     [Handwriting changes here.]     Feb ye 3rd 1676              
   On ye 30th past 4 Dutch men of Warr of ye seiur Almonds squadron wch         
came from sicily (& lately sailed from ye Isle of Wight) returnd back to        
ye said Isle, haveing bene 10 days upon their owne coast & were all             
like to have bene lost by ye great mountaines of Ice, haveing lost most         
of their Anchors & Cables, & one of their number they feare is lost.            
   Ye letters wee Receive from Spaine by ye way of france say that Don          
Juan was Come to Madrid, & yt he had causd ye Queen to Retire from thence       
in Order to her goeing into a Monestery, & tis added that shee had chosen       
to retire to Granada  Most people seeme to be of opinion that Don Juan          
is swayed to much by his owne Ambition & that he will have more regard          
to gratify that, than to provide for ye publique good, & if soe Spaine          
will be in an ill Condition                                                     
     The Lords of the Councell Continue to meet frequently for ye forming       
& agreeing to a project of a Treaty of Commerce betweene us & Portugall,        
wch ye Merchants think very necessary for ye good of their trade in those       
parts                                                                           
     Noe forreigne Letters                                                      
    [Some figures in another hand appear on the outside of letter.]             
     L. c. 431    [Handwriting changes here.]    february 3 1676                
+Wee have This morning the flanders Mayle  The following will tell you          
all that is newes ffrom these parts aswell as from germany                      
     Brussells 5 february                                                       
Marquess Constons is returned ffrom the prince of Orange with a                 
satisfactory answer, his highness Assureing him of his Readiness to             
Assist those provinces and that whatsoever ill offices had been done            
to Create jealosies of his highness Intentions yet his Exelencie might          
be Confident They were alwayes Reall and that he was Ready to get on            
horsebacke & to march with his whole Army whensoever his Exelencie should       
desire it and that he would Immediately give orders for 8 Regements of          
foot to be Embarked which should be at Antwerpe as to morrow to be              
disposed off as his Exelencie should thinke fitt soe as we are in hourely       
expectation of there Arrivall before the Cannall be frozen which wee            
feare may be in few dayes                                                       
     This supply comes very seasonable and will Enable his Exelencie            
to Reinforce his garrisons that they may be out of danger & that he may         
draw all the Spaniards to serve In the feild                                    
     Wee are Much troubled to see St omers blocked up aswell as soe many        
other of our principle Townes  our feares seeme Most for Mons and St.           
Omers  if the ffirst be taken all haynault will be lost and therefore           
his Exelencie had sent from hence 2 nights past the Regement of Obtes [?]       
Consisting In 8 Companies of dragoones with orders to Enter Mons or to          
perish & they were soe well Conducted Through the words that they got In        
with the loss of only 15 men haveing taken 2 french parties of 25 men.          
     last Night his Exelencie sent severall officers hence for                  
Valenchiennes to Command the Regement that is Newly Raised by the               
Burghers  his Exelencie is Resolved Instead of makeing Leavies &                
Recruites for the Cavalry, to have 3000 horses Bought for the Remounting        
and makeing up the troops and hath agreed with a person to furnish them         
at 40 crowns p horse                                                            
     his Exelencie has Received a perticular Advertisement from the             
Emperour That his owne armie that will be Considerable this Campaigne           
shall march directly to the Moselle to enter Lorraine and france that           
way while the Army of the Circles shall be upon the defensive In alsace         
and that the Confederate troops of Lunenburg Osnaburg &c shall Come             
hither to Joyne his Exelencie while the prince of Orange will act               
seperate towards the Meuse which is said to be the designed disposition         
of our Armies this Campaigne                                                    
     Our letters ffrom hagenaw say that the outworks of hagenaw are             
demolished and that they are Now about the Inward fortifications That           
that they are demolishing Saverne But keepe the Citadell there Makeing          
it stronger and larger then it was Before                                       
     One Muggleton had according to sentence past on him for most horrid        
Blasphemy stood 3 times on the pillory at the old Exchang Temple bar            
and smithfield and is Returned to the goale till he pay 500 L and               
give in security of good men for his Behaivour but though the Lawes             
Could proceed Noe farther against him the people deeming the punishment         
unequall to his Crime Could Not be kept from throwing durt & stones             
with much More violence then hath Been seen on other occasions                  
     On the 26th the 2 fleets of English & dutch with the 3 dutch men of        
war were still at plimouth and the day Before his Majesties 2 gallies           
went Into that sound haveing for a day & night Rid it well In a very            
hard gale of wind  The Canary shipps Arrived there and at falmouth Met          
very ill weather by the way & whilst they had such very foule & various         
weather that many times the shipps in the Roade were forced to ship &           
put to sea                                                                      
     On the 29th of the last a fire Broke out in the temple but was             
happily quenched In 2 hours without doing any Considderable dammage             
     his Majesty has graunted to ffredericke Blewston Esqr the sole use         
& Benefitt for 14 yeares of his New Invention for Melting downe forgeing        
Extracting and Reduceing of Iron and all Mettells & Mineralls with pit          
coale seacoale Tarse and as well and Effectually as Ever yet hath Been          
done by Charcoale                                                               
     his Majesty has put of his Journey for windsor till Munday Next            
     On the 31 of the last one Thompson was Committed to Newgate for            
printing unlicensed Books &c                                                    
[Figures in another hand cover about a third of the outside of letter.]         
     L. c. 432     Feb 8 1676                                                   
+The greate Newes we have at present Comes ffrom Spaine ffrom whence            
we have letters of the 17/27 past which gives us This account                   
     That the Newes of don Juans approach to madrid with a Body of 2000         
horse and 6000 foot haveing Increased the Apprehensions people had of           
there designe  Those about the King were obliged seriously to Consult           
what was fit to be done whereupon his Majesty Called to him the                 
Constable of Castile the Cardinall de Arragon &c to Consult with him            
They unanimously Concluded that the King ought to be removed ffrom the          
queen his Mother and that to Induce don Juan and the rest of the Nobility       
to disarme and Not to bring there forces to madrid it was proposed that         
he should be Made Colonell of the Regement of guards  These Resolutions         
haveing Been made publicke the grandees and Nobility at Madrid were             
Incouraged to present a memoriall to his Majesty wherein they honrbly           
thanke his Majesty for haveing sent for don Juan praying his majesty            
would please to give order for Arresting the person of the Marquess de          
Villa sierra who was guilty of great Enormities and Excesses and that           
he would please on pretense of hunting to goe out of towne to meet don          
Juan Adding that the Consequences might be very dangerous if he                 
Consented Not to there Request upon which Consultation was had amonge           
the above mentioned Lords of which the duke de Medina Celi was one  They        
Resolved to remoove the King ffrom the pallace to the Retiro [?] which was      
done the Night following without the privity of the queen to deceive            
whome the King went to bed at his usuall houre of 9 and Rose againe             
at 11 and passing out of the pallace by a Backe way was Conducted to            
the Retiro privately which the queen noe sooner knew but shee was               
Infinitely Afflicted and would have put her selfe Into a Monastry But           
that the King sent to Vissitt her & desire her to stay In the pallace           
     The Next step that was to be done to gratifie don Juan was the             
Arresting the Marquisse de Villa sierra to which End the duke de medina         
went out of madrid with 400 gentlemen and surrounded the Escuriall  The         
prior of the Convent Refused them Admittance till they had 2 dayes In a         
manner Beseiged it and kept the provisions ffrom the Monkes who Being           
forced to open there doores 2 dayes were spent In search for the                
Marquess who at last by the treachery of a servant was found the 21             
in a Monkes Cell and seized though he offered 2000 pistoles to the              
persons that discovered him to hold his peace  his goods were likewise          
seized and Carried In 16 waggons to madrid Being Valued In money plaite         
Jewells &c at 1400000 L sterling  he was by the Kings order Conducted to        
a Castle 18 leagues ffrom madrid and will be severely prosecuted by the         
Nobility  he is said to have Borne his Misfortunes with greate Equality         
of mind                                                                         
     The next thing demanded by don Juan was that the Kings Regement            
of guards should be sent away which accordingly marched on the 22nd             
In the Morning towards Catalonia of all which don Juan haveing Advice           
left his forces the 22d In the Evening under the Comand of the Count            
Montery who has been very active In this Confederation of Nobility with         
orders Not to Come Nearer Madrid then 8 leagues and haveing travelled           
all Night with a small attendance he Reached Madrid by 6 In the morning         
the 23d Entring the Retiro a Backe way and went directly to the Kings           
Bed side was with him about a houre and then Betakeing himselfe to his          
apartment.  That day was spent In Receiving vissitts and Complements and        
the Next he began to dispatch severall affaires of state as Chiefe Minester     
     L. c. 433     Feb 10th 1676                                                
+The last letters ffrom Nimeghen told us that Noe sooner one dificulty          
In the preliminary points is Remooved by the paines and Industry of his         
Majesties Embassadors mediators but another is started by some of the           
allies who very plainly Manifest the little Inclination they have to a          
peace  The greate diference is at prsent Between the danes and the ffrench      
about there language for the ffrench King according to his Constant             
stile Gives the power to his Embassadors in ffrench the Emperor                 
Sweden and all the poweres of the Empire theires In lattin as this              
likewise has Been the practice of denmarke  But at the prsent the danes         
Embassadors say that if the ffrench have there power In ffrench his             
Master will give him his In daneish and therefore demands that the              
ffrench Embassadors power be in Lattin and Then his shall be soe to             
The ffrench Appeale to the practice of all former times and makes               
use as an Argument that the Emperor Makes Noe dificulty to give his             
Embassadors In lattin while theires the ffrench are In ffrench  But             
hitherto the danes will Not be Moved But ffirmely Insist upon it as a           
thing Necesary to marke the parity Between his King and the King of             
ffrance  But the dutch are like to Leave the danes In this Matter and say       
they will Not loose time in such trifles But will proceed to the treaty         
     Wee are Informed that the Emperor had written to the States that he        
and his allies will have this Next Campaigne 80000 men in the Empire            
which he doubted Not But would Give the ffrench worke enough to which           
the States answered that they on there part would have an armie of              
Between 37 and 38000                                                            
     The last Advices wee had ffrom flanders Give us a Better account of        
the posture of things then our former and Even ffrom ffrance they write         
that the King will Not Begin the Campaigne soe soon as was said                 
     The Elector of Bavaria hath Given In his Answer In writeing to the         
Emperour that he will Not give any Contribution of Men or Money to the          
Empire But recommends the sending to the treaty for peace at Munster and        
that he hath 20000 men Ready against the Adverse party                          
     The Majestrates In these parts finding an effect Answerable to             
there Continued Care In suppressing the Meeting of papists and                  
Nonconformists Resolve still to persevere                                       
     On the 5th his Majesty went to windsor and Returned on the 6th             
     On the 6th at night some by a ladder Entred Into the Closet of the         
Lord high chanceler of England at his house In queenstreet and stole            
away the Mace and 2 Empty purses which I the rather mention for that            
there was a Jolley Report about towne as if the greate seale had Been           
Carried away with them                                                          
     They speake of Advice ffrom denmarke that the King had Given order         
for the raising 16 Regements of foot to Consist of 800 with allowance           
of 8000 Crownes for Every Regement                                              
     They write ffrom ffrance that amonge other Newes ffrom Spaine they         
heare of an Intended Equipage of 45 ships  they doe Not Now speake of the       
Kings march till the Begining of the Next moneth                                
     mr Brisband is Intent upon the Review of the ships formerly                
Condemned and our treaty of Commerce Neere a Conclusion                         
     L. c. 434 (1)    [Handwriting changes here.]                               
                           A particular Relacon of ye Action at                 
                           Tobago as it comes from ffrance Feb 11 76/7          
+The 11 of ffebruary 1676/7 The Count d'Estrees vice Admirall of ffrance        
pted from Martenico wth 10 men of war 2 barks & one fire ship wth               
designe to goe & attake ye Dutch men of warre under ye command of               
ye Sieur Binches yt were at Tobago.  Wee arrived there ye 29 of ffeb.           
& coming to an anchor ye Sieur Rowley [?] wth some men were sent                
ashore to take some prisoners, who returned ye next day wth a Negro             
who informed us yt there were 14 Dutch ships in ye Road Vidt 9 great            
men of war, 2 smaller ffriggots, 2 ffluyts, one fire ship & a                   
Portuguesse Ship.  Our vice Admirall designed first to have made a              
descent, & to have attacked ye enemy by Land & water but one of our men         
of war touching upon a Rock from wch shee was prsently got off, ye              
design was changed for wee thought it unsafer to enter into ye Road             
for feare there were more hidden Rocks.  Our Admirall then contented            
himself to land 700 men under ye command of ye Sieur Grand ffontaine            
who meeting wth noe opposition advanced about a league & posted                 
himself upon a hill from whence hee could discover ye Enemies ships in          
ye Road, & what they did in ye ffort on shore & resolved yt ye night            
following they should attack ye fort, & at ye same time they should             
give ye Enemy a diversion, with there Chaullopes wch was accordingly            
pformed but ye Sieur Grand ffontaine being come very neare ye ffort             
found a great Ditch or Rivulet wch hee could not passe.  The next day ye        
C d'Estrees went againe on shore wth ye rest of ye land men yt were in ye       
ships & tooke 2 peices of Canon & a Mortar peice to batter ye fort in wch       
was 300 men, but finding they could doe noe good neither way they               
embarked againe wth there men; A Counsell of war was then held & ye             
Sieur Gabbaret who had been sent out to sound ye entrance into ye               
Road reporteing ye ships might very well enter, it was resolved to make         
an Attacke by water & land & ye troops were put on shore again under            
ye command of ye Sieur Herobard who was ordered to make 2 false & one           
reall attacke upon ye ffort. & yt 2 houres after ye Action at sea was           
begun our ships could not enter into ye Road but one after another,             
& ye Sieur Gabbaret was ordered to bee ye first  accordingly on ye 3            
of March early in ye morning wee went in & found ye Dutch ships at              
Anchor in a lyne prparing to have come out upon us, The ship ye                 
Marquis was ye first yt boarded one of ye Enemies of ye same force              
wch latter taking fire by wt means wee know not they were both burnt:           
The C d' Estrees who was in ye Glorieux boarded ye Dutch Rere Admirall          
of 66 Guns whome hee set on fire; The Dutch Capt though wounded saved           
himselfe in his Chaulope & ye Lieut came on board ye Glorieux & told            
us yt in ye sd ship was there greatest riches as being ye biggest &             
18000 weight of Powder; wee did there upon all wee could to get ye              
Glorieux at a good distance, but while wee were yet pretty neare ye             
Dutch ship blew up & covered the Glorieux wth sparks & brands wch tooke         
fire & prsently was in a flame wth out any possibility of quenching it.         
The C d' Estrees got off in a small boat wth his Capt Leiut & another           
Gentl (his Exec [?] being wounded in ye head wth a splinter) wch ye             
enemy pceiveing fired very vehemently at ye sd boat, & one shot hit it &        
sunk it, but soe neare ye land yt ye Count & ye rest got all to shore but       
there found themselves in a new danger of being made prisoners by               
sevrall Dutch soldiers, who though armed were soe affrighted yt they            
demanded qter of us & became our prisoners.  The C d' Estrees continued         
in this condicon an houre & a halfe on shore, when hee was fetcht of            
by a Chaullope of one of our ships, haveing before had ye satisfaction          
to behold ye Enemies fleet quite destroyed for 11 of them were burnt & 3        
driven on shore, & there remained only the ffort wch fired upon our ships       
of wch were lost 4. 2 as you have heard being accidentally burnt & 2            
others sunk.  The C d'Estrees being come on board retired wth his remaining     
ships to ye Mouth of ye Harbour to repaire ye damages they had susteyned        
wch in some was very great ye Combate having lasted from 7 in ye morning        
till 5 at night during wch time ye Enemy did greatly annoy us wth 30            
peices of Canon they had planted on ye shore, & our victory would have been     
compleat had ye attempt on land succeeded wch is attributed to ye Conduct       
of ye Sieur Herovard for wch hee & ye rest of ye officers paid, all of          
them having been killed or wounded & ye next day ye soldiers came all on        
board againe, ye C d'Estrees not thinking fit to renew his attacke by           
land because ye Enemy was reinforced wth a great many seamen and soldiers       
yt came on shore from ye ships yt were lost                                     
+On our side ye Sieur Gabbaret wth 3 Capts of his were killed & 4 more          
wounded, 4 Leiutenants killed & as many wounded  Wee cannot as yet tell         
ye certaine number of Seamen & Soldiers yt were lost but they cannot bee        
a few considering ye losse of 4 ships besides those killed in ye other          
ships as well as those on ye stand, who were sevrall times repulsed in ye       
Attacke they made upon ye ffort, wch they attacked in ye strongest place,       
& contrary to order made but one attack.  The Enemy must needs have lost        
a great many men  all the Capts of there ships save one are killed &            
wounded                                                                         
[Text of letter continues after the lists of ships in L. c. 434 (2):]           
     L. c. 434 (2)    [No separate date]                                        
     A List of ye ffrench Ships commanded by yer Count d'Estree.                
                               Brass Guns     Men                               
Count de Estree  In ye Glorious    72.       445 burnt.                         
                   The Defendant   62.       380 his maine mast shot over board 
                   The Pearle      58.       350 taken by ye Dutch              
                   The Enterpride  50.       320 taken.                         
                   The Gallant     50        320                                
                   The Mattons     48.       300 burnt                          
                   The Margola.    46.       260.                               
                                   38.       240.                               
                                   38.       240                                
                                   36.       240.                               
                   Smaller ships. ----                                          
                   1 ffire ship 25 men burnt                                    
                   2 small ffriggotts 50 men each                               
                   1 of them burnt.                                             
                   1 Katch.                                                     
                   1 Galliott.                                                  
                   on board ye men of war were 450 soldiers besides 400         
                   Planters & 250 Gentl Voluntiers.                             
                    List of ye Dutch ships commanded by Binches.                
                                    Guns          Men                           
The Seiur Binches.  The Defender.   50.          153 run ashore                 
                    The Zealand     44.          118. run ashore                
                    The Groningen   56.          128 burnt                      
                                    36            83         [Bracket           
                                    34.           73 burnt   includes           
                                    24.           72         these              
                                    28.           74         four ships.]       
                   A ffrench Prize  24.           75 run ashore                 
                   Ammunition ships & victuallers                               
                                    Guns         Men                            
                    Duke of Yorke    26.          34         [Bracket           
                    Golden Monck     31.          25 burnt   includes           
                    Providence       12.          20         all three.]        
                          2 ffire ships burnt.                                  
+The Count de Estrees means to stay there till ye 11 of March & then            
would saile to Granada.                                                         
     Whitehall. 10. May                                                         
+By this relation of ye ffrench you see they have paid deare, for theire        
prtended victory over ye Dutch besides were worsted on shore, their             
busines was to take ye stand but failed in it & were not in a condition         
to make any further attempt in those pts wch has eased us of ye feares          
wee were in for ye Spanish West Indies, Wee may well compute ye ffrench         
have had 2000 men killed and wounded.                                           
+Besides ye Dutch had on shore in ye ffort & at a Battery they had raised       
450 men.                                                                        
+1490 of ye ffrench were killed, & taken prisoners on shore besides those       
killed in ye ships having been repulsed in 3 sevrall Attacks they had           
made on ye fort.                                                                
+The 11 of March ye Count d'Estree sailed wth his remaining ships from          
Tobago.                                                                         
     Whitehall. 17. May.                                                        
+The above is a pticular Acct: of wt ye strength of ye ffrench & Dutch          
at Tobago as well as theire loss was; It comes from a Dutch merchant on         
ye Island by ye wy of the Barbados.                                             
+By the Publick news of this day you will see wt is come from abroad            
since my last.  The ffrench King intended to bee on Teusday last at Paris,      
having appoynted 4 Armies to bee commanded by soe many Mareschalls, one         
on ye Moselle by Crequi, another between ye Sambre & ye Meuse by                
Schomberg, & ye other 2 in fflanders by Luxemburg & Humiers.                    
+Great is ye expectation of wt ye Duke of Lorraine will doe wth soe             
powerfull an Army.                                                              
The Prince of Orange will not bee idle on his side & has sent for great         
Cannon for a seige from Holland.                                                
+The great Navall prpacons of ye Turks does put all Italy into a ffeare.        
+A Patent is passing for making his Grace ye Ld Duke of Ormond Ld Leiut         
of Ireland, & tis said yt Sr Cyrill Wych will continue ye office of             
cheife Secretary.                                                               
+Tis advised from Tangier yt ye Moores had desired a cessation of Armes         
& yt ye Governour impowered by the King Muly Ishmael had sent in 2              
considerable Moores & a Jew to treat whose pposalls being refused they          
returne, & afterward ye Governour sent a Jew wth easier Proposals &             
assurances yt Sr Palmer ffarbonne would send a Gent to treat at Alcazar,        
there was noe doubt but they would come to an Agreemt, upon wch Capt            
Lesly was sent out who had writt to Tangier ye civill reception hee had         
found, & ye faire prospect of a good issue.                                     
+May 16  his Maties Regimts of Guards wth ye Earle of Oxfords Regimt,           
were exercised in Hyde Parke where ye Duke de Bovisson the Count de             
Soissons &c which went not away wth the Arch Bishop of Rheims & Mons            
Barillon were to see them & this day they goe to the Cleusand [?]               
Yatch wch attends to carry for ffrance.                                         
+On ye 14. ye Meremaid sailed from ye spit head toward ye Downes, on            
ye 16. it was expected ye Nonsuch, & Sweepstakes would saile after,             
& yt ye Plimouth would goe to ye Spithead.                                      
[Figures in another hand cover about a third of the outside of letter.]         
     L. c. 435     [Handwriting changes here.]     feb 12 1676                  
+his Majesty was yesterday pleased in Counsell is [sic] order the               
immediate passing of a Grant under the greate seale to the Bankers for          
the punctuall and Constant payment of the Interest of the Money oweing to       
them and to that purpose a fond will be Established upon the Excise which       
order of Counsell for the better satisfaction of those Interessed will be       
printed  yesterday by his Majesties order In Counsell one dr Cary was           
sent to the tower for haveing published a scandalous Libell Concerning          
the perogation [sic] of the parliament                                          
     Sr John howell Recorder of London haveing Resigned that place his          
Majesty has Recommended to the Citty mr dolben Brother to the Bishop            
of Rochester who was yesterday morning sworne Into that place and In            
the afternoon Knighted by his Majesty                                           
     wee want our fforraigne letters                                            
[Rest of sheet is cut off, but letter almost certainly ends here.]              
     L. c. 436     feb 15d 1676                                                 
+On the 12th wee received the dutch letters of friday last by which wee         
have advice that at Nimeghen the preliminary points were all adjusted           
and Especially that maine one Concerning a forme of powers to be made           
use of by all the parties to Avoide those Exceptions which the Imperiall        
ffrench & dutch Embassadors &c had Mutually taken at severall clauses of        
the powers which there Adverse party had brought with them to Nimeghen          
+The only dificulty that Remained was Between the ffrench and the danes         
Concerning the language they were to make use off In there publicke             
Instruments the daneish Embassador declareing as you have heard that if         
the ffrench make use of there language the King his Master would likewise       
use the danissh  But it is thought the dane will Not be able to Insist          
upon this point seing his allies doe Not stand by him In it and Even the        
Imperiall and dutch Embassadors have declared that he is In                     
the wronge and that if he doe Not accomodate this Matter In a                   
few dayes they will proceed to the treaty without staying for him and           
In Effect wee Exspect to heare by a post or two that the severall               
parties have put Into the hands of the Mediators the tearmes or                 
Conditions on which they are willing to make a peace which however              
according to the generall opinion will hardly be Concluded till towards         
Next winter at soonest for the allies are altogather Bent to see the            
sucsess of this Campaigne Before they lay downe there Armes which they          
promise themselves will be more sucsesfull then hitherto have Been ffrom        
the greate Change at Madrid and ffrom the Resolution the Emperour is said       
to have taken that his Armies which will be more powerfull this summer          
then hitherto have Been shall act according as the states and the prince        
of Orange doe desire that is Not to spend time in Beseigeing Brisac or          
any other place But to Endeavour by all meanes to Enter Into the                
Bowells of ffrance aswell to Revenge the desolations which the ffrench          
have Made by fire and sword In soe Cruell a manner as to oblige them            
to make a peace upon Reasonable tearmes                                         
     The Imperiall armie is said to have already all its Recruites              
Compleate and Besides will be Reinforced with severall thousand                 
hungarians who have put themselves Into the service while the Rest are          
Retired to there severall homes upon the publication of the Emperors            
generall pardon with Restitution of goods and Estates and liberty to            
have In Every province a Church to serve god In                                 
     The king of poland haveing sent the Marquess de Bethune sonne to           
the ffrench Embassador at his Court who is Brother to the queen to              
Complement the Emperor upon his Marriage the Emperor was soe much               
offended with the Choyce of the person that he would Not give him               
Audience and soe he Returned without seeing the Emperor                         
     The states have Resolved to fit out 15 men of war to joyne the             
daneish fleet In the Balticke this summer                                       
     The severity of the ffrench in flanders is very greate But of that         
you have account In the Newes booke and of the posture of things there          
     L. c. 437     [Handwriting changes here.]      Feb ye 17th 1676            
+The Commons were busyed Fryday & saterday about Ordring writts for             
Election of new members into vacancys                                           
   Fryday the House of Lds Orderd the Duke of Bucks Earle of Salesbury          
Earle of Shaftsbury & Ld Wharton to be sent to ye Tower for proposeing &        
asserting in that House that this Parliamt is dissolved, The Duke of            
Bucks absconded upon it, till ye House past an Order to have him                
declared a traytour if he appeard not by 10 a clock ye next day, he             
according rendred himselfe                                                      
[This sheet is likewise cut below this line, but letter almost surely           
ends here.]                                                                     
     L. c. 438     [Handwriting changes here.]     Feb. 17. 76/7                
   My Lords and Gente                                                           
+I have called you togather againe after a long prorogation that                
you may have the opportunity to Repaire the Misfortunes of the last             
sessions and soe Revive and soe Restore the Right Ends and use of               
parliamts                                                                       
     The time I have given you to Recollect yourselves & to Considder           
those diferences that have been soe unhapily mannaged & Emproved [?]            
Between you is Enough to Leave you without all Excuse if Ever you fall          
Into the like againe                                                            
     I am now Resolved to let the world see that it shall Not be my             
fault if they be Not Made happie by your Consultations In parliamt for          
I declare myselfe very plainly to you that I Come prepared to give you          
all the satisfaction and security In the greate Concernes of the                
protestant Religion as it is Established In the Church of England that          
shall Reasonably be Asked or can Consist with Christian prudence                
     And I declare myself as ffreely that I am Ready to gratifie you            
in secureing your liberty and property if you Can thinke you want it;           
by as many good lawes as you Can propose as Can Consist with the safety         
of the goverment without which there will be Neither liberty nor                
property left to any man                                                        
     haveing thus plainly told you that I am Ready to doe for you               
I shall deale as plainly with you againe & ffirst I doe Exspect and             
Require ffrom you that all occasions of diferences Between the 2                
Houses be Carefully avoyded or Else they who have Now hopes to prevent          
your good Resolutions will hope by this Reserve to hinder them from             
taking any Effect and let all men judge who is Most for arbitrary               
goverment those that foment such diferences as tend to dissolve all             
parliamts or I that would preserve this and all parliamts ffrom Being           
made useless by such dissentions                                                
+In the Next I desire you to Concidder the Building more ships and how          
much all our safeties are Concerned In it and since the additionall             
Revenue of Excize will shortly Expire you that know mee to be under             
a greate Burthen of debts and how hard a shift I am makeing to pay them         
off as fast as I Can I hope you will never denie mee the continuancie of        
the Revenue and some Reasonable supply to make my Condition more Easey          
     And that you may be satisfied how Imposible it is whatever some men        
thinke to support the goverment with less then the present Revenue              
you may at any time see the yearly Established Charge by which it will          
appeare that the Constant and Unavoydable Charge Being paid there will          
Remaine Noe one place towards the dischargeing those Contingencies which        
may happen In all Kingdomes and which have been a Considderable Charge          
to mee this last yeare                                                          
     To Conclude I doe Recomend to you                                          
+The Kingdome In the Carefull prevention of all diferences                      
+The safety of the Kingdome In provideing some greater strengh at sea           
+The prosperity of the Kingdome In assisting the Necesary Charge and the        
support of the goverment                                                        
+and if any of these good Ends should happen to be disappointed I Call          
god & Men to witness that day that the Misfortune of that disappointment        
shall Not lye at my doore                                                       
                        feb 17 1676                                             
+The Master of the John & Thomas of London arrived at Liverpoole ffrom          
the Barbados Reports that he lost all his men on the Coast of Anglesea          
who forsooke his vessell and left him alone In her to the mercy of the          
seas  But the Next day proving a Calme and assistance Comeing to him he         
saved Both ship and goods                                                       
     The Lord Abbot Mountague is lately dead                                    
     wee are told that those that stole the mace lodging In a honest            
widdows house were dicovered by her whilst Breakeing it In order to             
Melting and 5 of them are upon that Notice seized and In Custody                
     The Court is full of a letter sent ffrom Maryland which speakes            
Bacon dead by a debauchery of Brandy  But whether the party fell or             
another is set up is Not said                                                   
     Its Advised ffrom Algiers that the people Endeavored to pacifie the        
English to prevent any farther Injuries In future haveing lately                
delivered severall persells of goods taken ffrom English ships without          
passes                                                                          
     But a more Eminent Instance of there Inclination is that one of            
there ships haveing taken an English ship and Carried it Into Tunis             
prize, another of there men of war seized the ship and prize and they had       
Executed 6 turks for it as they would the Rest when they should fall Into       
the hands of the goverment, the poore English ship In the way was lost &        
In her 14 English 2 ffrench & 36 Turks perished                                 
     his Majesty has Been pleased to grant to Charles Milson of London          
Merchant at the petition and Nomination of Edward Noethorp Merchant the         
Inventor the sole Benefit of a New Invented Engine for hulling of Blacke        
pepper Barley &c for 14 yeares.                                                 
+The King sent a message by the usher of the Blacke Rod that his Majesty        
Commanded the house to attend him at the house of peeres where he made a        
speech                                                                          
     The house of Commons Read a Bill for Regulating the Election of            
members to sit In parliament & ordered a 2d Reading                             
     Ordered that the Kings speech be taken Into Concidderation Tuesday         
Next                                                                            
     and then the house Adjourned till morning [sic] 10 a clocke                
     The lords haveing sate late & the Kings speech Being soe large wee         
have Not time to add anything more till the Next                                
     L. c. 439     feb 22d 1676                                                 
    Monday 19 feb                                                               
Commons  A Bill for Regulating the Election of Members to sit In                
parliment was Read a 2d time and Committed to a Committy of the whole           
house on wenesday Next                                                          
     A petition of mr Edward and Mr Bernard howard and others about the         
duke of Norfolk a lunaticke Confined to padua In Italy Read & Committed         
     A Committy Appointed to Inspect the Bills depending last sessions          
and to Concidder and Report which are ffirst to be proceeded in and             
dispatched                                                                      
     The Record of the Conviction of Sr Thomas Strickland for popish            
Recusancy Read and mr Speaker ordered to give him Notice to shew Cawse          
by a day why a new writ should Not Issue forth for a New Member to serve        
In his Roome.                                                                   
         Tuesday 20 feb                                                         
Commons  A Bill for the preservation of the liberty of the subject Read         
and ordered a 2d Reading                                                        
     The house then proceeded In the Concidderation of his Majesties            
speech and a Motion Being made for a supply for his Majesty it was              
Resolved that the house would to morrow morning goe Into a grand                
Committy to Concidder thereof.                                                  
     L. c. 440     feb 24 1676                                                  
     Wenesday 21 feb 1676                                                       
Commons   severall persons sworne In order to there Naturalization              
     A Bill for drayning linsey levell ordered to be Read on Monday next        
     A Bill to Enable trustees to sell lands for payment of the debts of        
Thomas Berkley Esqr Read and ordered A 2d Reading                               
     A Bill for laying a Charge on houses in Northampton for better             
maintenance of the Minester there Read and ordered a 2d Reading                 
     The house then Resolved Into a Committy of the whole house to              
Concidder of a supply for his Majesty & Resolved that a supply be given         
to his Majesty for Building ships Not Exceeding 600000 L                        
     Ordered that 2 Bills against popery be Read on Monday morning Next         
     Ordered that the house Resolve into a Committy of the whole house          
on ffriday Next to proceed In the Concidderation of the said supply             
             Thursday 22 feb 1676                                               
Commons   The Committy Appointed to Examine what Bills Brought In last          
sessions were fit to be proceeded upon Reported 11 Bills vizt                   
   for Augmentation of small vicarrages and to prevent unnecesary suites        
and delays &c                                                                   
A Bill for Recalling the forces out of the ffrench service Read a 2d time       
and Committed                                                                   
Ordered that noe member goe out of towne without leave.                         
[Note in another hand in lower left margin of first recto:                      
"...hand & seales the present 9 of March in the yeare of our soveraine          
Lord &c. 1676/7"]                                                               
     A Bill to prevent the illegall Exaction of Money Read a 2d time            
and Committed                                                                   
     I cannot sent you the Journall of the Lords.  But when anything            
Extraordinary passes there you shall likewise know it                           
+The 21st day were Introduced Into the house of peers the duke of               
Newcastle Earle of darby Earle of denbigh Lord shandois Lord Cornwallis         
Bishop of Oxford and Bishop of Exeter                                           
+his grace the duke of Newcastle was on the 16th Admitted of the order          
of the garter                                                                   
+The deane of yorke Being dead dr Tobias wickham one of the prebends            
of yorke is made deane                                                          
+on the 19th Sr ffrancis winninton was Chose Burgesse for windsor               
     on the 14th about 160 ships sayled out of the downes for all parts         
     L. c. 441     feb 26 1676                                                  
           ffriday 23 feb 76                                                    
Commons   A Bill to prevent symonicall Contracts Read a 2d time and             
Committed                                                                       
     A Bill for augmentation of small vicarages Read and ordered a 2d           
Reading                                                                         
     A Bill to Impower Commissioners to take Affidavits In the                  
Countrey Read and ordered a 2d Reading                                          
     A Bill for planting of hempe and flax all over England Read and            
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
     A Bill ordered to be brought In to Regulate the abuses In                  
Collecting the duty of hearth Money                                             
     The house then Resolved Into a Committy of the whole house to              
Concidder of greivances and Resolved that the Extraordinary power and           
Jurisdiction of the high Court of Chancery and other Courts of Equity           
In Matters determinate at Common law is grevious to the subject                 
     A Committy Appointed to Bring in a Bill for the Redressing of the          
same                                                                            
     The house to Resolve againe Into a Committy to Concidder of                
grevances and then Adjourned till monday 8 a Clocke                             
     On wenesday and thursday the Lords house ordered severall heads to         
be put Into Bills for the security of the protestant Religion as                
Established In the Church of England                                            
     on the 23d dr Cary was Examined Before a Committy of the Lords             
     our letters ffrom flanders gives us an account that a Body of 4000         
ffrench horse and foot under the Command of the Count de Nourie [?] Came        
ffrom Enghien to the Cannall that was Between Brussells and Antwerp with        
designes to have Cut the sluces which are at a place Called the 3 holes         
But that the duke de Villa hermosa haveing had timely Notice of there           
March sent two or 3 Regements thither who Behaived themselves soe well          
that the ffrench after a dispute which lasted about 2 hours were forced         
to Retire Carrying off 2 waggons with there dead and wounded and Besides        
left Behind 2 waggons with spades pickaxes &c                                   
+The loss on the Spaniards side was very little But there Advantage             
greate haveing prevented a designe which would have Been of Infinite            
prejudice to Brussells                                                          
     The ffrench troops march on all sides but as yet wee Cannot                
learne there designe                                                            
     L. c. 442     March 1 1676                                                 
Commons Monday 26 feb 1676                                                      
     The petition of mr Savile and mr paull Neale about there Being             
Elected Burgesses for Newarke ordered to be Read at the Barr of the             
house on friday Come fortnight                                                  
     An order Made on friday last for Releaseing a prisoner In the              
Compter Recalled upon Information of his Being a prisoner Before he             
Became servant to Sr Lewis palmer                                               
     The Bill for drayning Lindsey Levell ordered to be Read on friday          
Next                                                                            
     A Bill to prevent the growth of popery Read and ordered a 2d Reading       
     the house of Lords haveing ordered an Address to be made to his            
Majesty Concerning frequent Meeting of the Convocation my Lord treasurer        
Reported this day that he and the other Lords had waited on his Majesty         
with the said Address and that his Majesties answer is that the                 
Convocation should be fild up to goe upon the worke that is proper for          
them to doe                                                                     
Commons  Tuesday 27 feb                                                         
     the sheriffe of Lincoln upon complaint made against him ordered to         
Expedite the Elections for Stamford                                             
     A Bill for Naturalization Read a 3d time and ordered to be Engrossed       
     A Bill to Renue and Continue the exportation of Leather Read and           
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
     A Bill for Augmentation of small vicarages Read a 2d time &                
Committed                                                                       
     A Bill against patrons takeing Bonds from there Clerks upon                
presentation was Read and Rejected                                              
     The house then Resolved Into a Committy of the whole house to              
proceed In the Concidderation of his Majesties supply And a doubt               
Arriseing whether the Committy should proceed In the ffirst place to            
Concidder of the manner of Raising a supply for the Building of ships           
The house Resolved In the Affirmation and ordered that the house Resolve        
againe into a Committy of the whol house on friday Morning Next to              
Concidder of the Manner of Raising thereoff                                     
     All Committies Adjourned till thursday Next and Commons Adjourned          
till thursday 8 a Clock                                                         
     The Lords house did on Monday Adjourne till thursday 8 a clock             
     wee are told that the treaty of Commerce is finally Concluded by mr        
Mountague the Kings Embassador at paris which will be of greate                 
advantage to our trade                                                          
     The Greate and Indeed only Newes wee have from abroad was Brought          
us by the last ffrench post vizt that on thursday the 22 feb: the ffrench       
in flanders set down Before Valenciennes in order to the seige thereoff         
and that the King was Exspected In the Campe In a day or two and at the         
same time st omers will be likewise Beseiged which has somewhat surprized       
the Spaniards who Conciddering the Illness of the weather thought it            
would a Been Imposible to Begin any seige till About the latter End of          
march                                                                           
     [Figures in another hand appear in margin of recto and verso.]             
    L. c. 443     March 3 1676                                                  
+on the 18 of March Came a flanders post and by it the following account        
                Brussells 5 march                                               
     on Monday last the ffrench troops after they had Amased us with            
there diferent Marches set downe before Valenciennes and tooke there            
severall posts In order to the seige  the Marquess de Lonvoy and duke of        
Luxenburg have there quarters at the Abbey of Laurece And the Marshall de       
humieres his at Crepina; yesterday the King arrived In the Campe and this       
day they were to Breake ground  wee are Assured that there is 45000 foot        
Before Valenciennes that the Cavalry is quartered In the villages Round         
about that Citty  they have 6000 pioneers Armed and 80 peeces of greate         
Cannon for battery and 50 Mortarpeeces and that they have vast quantities       
of provisions In there Campe which are sold at Easy Rates                       
     At the same time the letters wee have ffrom Lisle give an account          
that great preparations are Makeing there and at other places for the           
seige of st omers                                                               
     ffrom holland wee heare that Count waldeck is hastning with all            
posible dilligence that on wensday last was to be held a generall Review        
of the princes Armie and that this day they were to Begin there March           
towards Rosendale                                                               
     wee are told ffrom germany that the Emperour has sent orders to the        
Count de Chavignac to pass the Rhine with severall Regements and to             
march towards the ffrontiers of ffrance to take severall posts till             
such time as the whole Imperiall armie be able to Come Into the feild           
which will Not be till towards the latter End of Aprill                         
     The Emperors Armie will consist of 60000 Combatants besides the            
Newburg Lunenburg osnaburg troops                                               
     Baron quincy has got a paper to be spread among the Inhabitants            
of Valenciennes Exhorting them to Make an Early surrender, as to the            
sucsess of that seige much will depend upon the Burgers who are a sturdy        
warlike people and will doe greate service if they are Not Corrupted by         
the ffrench promises                                                            
     A Regement of horse and 4 Companies of dragoones got into Valenciennes     
ffrom Cambray where there is now 6 Regements of foot and 14 horse  wee          
doe Not heare there is any Intention to Relieve the place but wee hope          
it will Ruine the ffrench armie                                                 
     Thursday 4 march                                                           
Commons   severall Bills were Read and ordered that the house goe Into          
a grand Committy on wenesday Next to Concidder of grevances                     
Lords:  dr Cary was Examined at the Barr of the house Concerning the            
Booke Called the grand question & upon his Refusall to Name whose               
servant went with him to the press the house fined him 1000 L for his           
Contempt and to Remaine Close prisoner in the tower till the same were          
paid                                                                            
     The Lord Chiefe Justice presented 3 Bills drawne up upon the heads         
given him vizt                                                                  
     An act for the farther secureing the protestant Religion                   
     An act for the More Effectuall Conviction of prosecution                   
of popeish Recusants                                                            
     An act for the Better observation of the Lords day  The Baptizeing         
of infants and Catichizeing Read and ordered to be Read againe                  
     L. c. 444     March 5th 1676/7                                             
     ffriday March 2d 1676                                                      
Commons  A Bill for drayning Lindsey Levell Read and ordered a 2d Reading       
     A Bill sent from the Lords Entituled an act for perpetuating an act        
to prevent unnecesary suites and delayes                                        
     2 petitions Concerning the Elections of Newarke and Newtowne in            
Isle of wight Referred to the Committy for Elections                            
     The house then Resolved into a Committy of the whole house to              
Concidder of the Manner of Raising the supply for his Majesty Not               
Exceeding 600000 L for the Building of ships & Resolved                         
     That the whole supply Not Exceeding 600000 L be given to his Majesty       
for the Building Rigging furnishing Guns &c for 30 ships of the 1st 2d          
and 3d Rates shall be Raised by a land tax and Monthly assesment                
     That the said supply shall be Raised In 17 moneths according to the        
proportion of the Royall aide                                                   
     Adjourned till tomorrow 8 a Clocke                                         
     Satureday 3d March 1676                                                    
Commons  A Bill to Enable sr trevor williams and his sons to Make               
jointures Reported & ordered to be Engrossed                                    
     A Bill for Naturalization Read a 2d time and Committed                     
     A Bill touching the Lord Cullen tendred & Received                         
     A Bill for Repareing Churches and Chapells Read a 2d time and              
Committed                                                                       
     A Bill for Makeing the River derwent Navigable Read and Received           
     A Bill for presentation of the liberty of the subject Read a 2d time       
and Committed                                                                   
     The house then Resolved Into a Committy of the whole house on              
Monday morning to Concidder of the heads for the Bill for Raising               
600000 L for a supply for Building ships                                        
     A Bill ordered to be Brought In to Indempnifie the Countries               
Citties and Boroughs of England for paying any wages to any Member that         
serve In this parliament  severall petitions Relating to the Election of        
Newtowne In the Isle of Wight Read and Rejected                                 
     The house to Resolve Into a Committy of the whole house on wenesday        
Next to Concidder of greivances                                                 
     And then Adjourned till Monday 8 a Clocke                                  
     wee have this Morning a dutch post and are told by it that the             
prince of Orange Returned to the hague on Monday last that he had layd          
Aside his journey to wesell But was hastning to take feild not that he          
had any hopes to be able to Relieve Valenciennes but to shew the                
Spaniards that he was not wanting to doe his part                               
     L. c. 445     feb [i.e., March] 8 1676                                     
     Monday 5th March 1676                                                      
Commons  A Bill sent from the Lords Concerning the Lord Manchester              
Read and ordered a 2d Reading                                                   
     A Bill for Rectifying a Mistake In a settlement of the Lord                
Maynards Read a 2d time and Committed                                           
     A Bill for Naturalization of Alice Remicards [?] Read a 2d time            
and past                                                                        
     A Bill for sayle of Lands for Sackford Cage Read and ordered a 2d          
Reading                                                                         
     A Bill to Impower Commissioners to take Affidavitts In the Countrey        
Read a 2d time and Committed                                                    
     A Bill for Regulating abuses In Collecting the duty of hearth Money        
Read and ordered a 2d Reading                                                   
     The Members of the house of the long Robe Not to goe the Circuite          
But to Attend the service of the house                                          
     The house Resolved into a Committy of the whole house to Concidder         
of the heads of a Bill to Raise the supply                                      
     And Resolved that the ships to be Built shall be                           
     1 of the 1st Rate Not under 1400 tuns                                      
     9 of the 2d Rate Not under 1100 tuns                                       
     20 of the 3d Rate Not under 900 tuns                                       
     That the Commencement of the 600000 L shall be at lady day the ffirst      
payment at midsomer Next and then quarterly till the 17 moneths be Expired      
     The ships to be built In 2 years ffrom midsomer Next                       
     That the money shall be paid Into the Exchequer and kept apart for         
the Building and furnishing the 30 ships and penalties to be Inflicted on       
those that shall divert the moneys to any other use and the account             
thereoff to be kept apart and transmitted to the house of Comons                
+Lords  The house ordered a grand Committy to Concidder of the farther          
security of the protestant Religion and made some progress therein              
     Tuesday 6 March 1676                                                       
Comons  A Bill for payment of the debts of Thomas Smith Baronet Read            
and ordered a 2d Reading                                                        
     A Bill for the payment of the debts of the Lord Kilmurry and for           
Raising portions for his sons Read and ordered a 2d Reading                     
     Upon debate of an Answer sent by sr Thomas Strickland a Member of          
this house Being a Convict Recusant ordered that a New writ be Issued           
out to Elect another In his Roome                                               
     Lindsey levell Bill ordered to be Read on thursday Next                    
     And the house then Resolved into a Committy of the whole house to          
Concidder of grevances and Resolved That a Committy be Appointed to             
prepare an Address, to present to his Majesty the danger of the power           
of ffrance and desire his Majesty by such alliances as he shall thinke          
fitt to secure his Kingdoms and quiet the feares of the people and for          
preservation of the Spanish Netherlands                                         
     Adjourned till Wenesday 8 a Clocke                                         
     last Sunday one browne Clerke of the Coopers Company was by order          
of Counsill seized and Committed Close prisoner to the tower for that           
he had Caused to be printed a seditious pamphlet                                
     on Monday Came a ffrench post with this following                          
         Paris 10 March                                                         
   The seige of Valenciennes does Not advance soe quicke as wee had             
Immagined for wee are told that trenches were Not to be opened till             
last Night; The King has his quarters at the abbey of st amand about a          
league ffrom Valenciennes, on the 7th Instant Arrived at St amand by water      
50 peeces of Cannon and 33 morter peeces which are to be Employed In the        
seige; wee heare our troops had a designe to have seized the sluces             
Between Vilvord and Brussells But that it suceeded Not and that wee lost        
400 men In the action                                                           
+The troops that Blockt up st omers are drawne off againe Not being able        
to Endure the ill weather                                                       
     ffrom Spaine wee heare that severall of the grandees had declared          
for the queen and Raised men which had obliged don Juan to Recall the           
troops he had sent towards Catalonia under the Command of the prince            
Montesarchio and that don Juan had seized a very great summe of money In        
the Jesuits Colledg Belongeing to the queen and don Valenzeula                  
     wee had also on wenesday 2 flanders posts  The most Concidderable          
Newes they bring is that this day seaven=night the trenches were                
opened and on thursday last the ffrench Began to make use of there              
batteries That on thursday and ffriday the Beseiged made 2 sallyes with         
good sucsess of which as yet wee know Not the perticulars; at Brussells         
they were prepareing for the Reliefe of it or else to divert the Enemie         
by Beseigeing some place soe soon as the prince of Orange is Arrived            
with his army                                                                   
     [Some figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.]                
     L. c. 446     March 10 1676                                                
         Wenesday March 7 1676                                                  
Comons  A Bill to Enable trustees to sell lands for payment of the debts        
of the Ld Cullen Read and ordered a 2d Reading                                  
     A petition of John dalton and others about a vexatious prosecution         
against them for putting the act for prohibitting Irish Cattle In               
Execution Read and Referred to a Committee to Concidder of an Explanatory       
act to prevent ffraud in Exporting Irish Cattle                                 
     A petition of severall Coachmen against the Commissioners of               
lycensing hackney Coaches Read and Referred to a Committee                      
     A petition of severall Merchants tradeing to the Bermudas against          
the Company Read and ordered to be Read to morrow                               
     The house then Resolved Into a Commitee of the whole house to              
proceed In the Considderation of grevances and Resolved that a Committee        
shall Examine the Imposeing fees Rates and bonds upon the subjects for          
passes for ships and to Consider the Mischiefs Arriseing thereby and how        
to prevent the same                                                             
     The house to be in a Committee on Monday againe to Considder of            
grevancess and on friday Next to Considder the Kings speech                     
     2 Bills sent ffrom the Lords one to prevent frauds and perjuries           
another to Explaine the act to prevent dammages which may happen ffrom          
popish Recusants                                                                
     Serjent Maynard ordered to be sent for ffrom the Circuit by a              
Messenger                                                                       
     And then Adjourned till tomorrow 8 a Clocke                                
Lords  The Lords house ordered the booke which dr Cary is In prison             
about and 2 others written upon the same subject to be burnt by the             
hangman as seditious and scandalous libells and Contayning many                 
treasonable Expressions                                                         
         Thursday 8 March 1676                                                  
Comons  A Bill for Erecting a Court of judicature In Southwarke to              
determine touching houses Burnt there                                           
     Lindsey Levell ordered and Committed                                       
     A Bill tendred for the preservation of Timber                              
     A Bill to hinder papists to sit In parliament Read & ordered a 2d          
Reading                                                                         
     A Bill to be brought In to Abolish the writ de heristico Cumburendo        
     A Bill to prevent the growth of popery Read and Committed                  
     The house to be In a Committee of the whole house to Considder of          
the motion for a farther supply for his Majesty                                 
     Adjourned till tomorrow 8 a Clocke                                         
     This morning sadler Johnson and Reniger were Convicted at the old          
bayly for that they had feloniously and Burglary [sic] tooke away the           
Lord Chancellors mare                                                           
     L. c. 447     March 12d 1676                                               
           ffriday 9 march 1676                                                 
Comons  A Bill for the Ease of the Coate trade Read and ordered a 2d            
Reading                                                                         
     A Bill for the sale of lands of herbert Elery Read and ordered a 2d        
Reading                                                                         
     The Matter Concerning the sending Burgesses for durham to sit In           
parliament Referred to the Committee of Elertions                               
     Sr Trevor williams Bill Read a 3d time & passed                            
     The house to be in a Committy of the whole house on Monday Next to         
Considder of a motion for a farther supply and on tuesday Next for grevances    
     A Report ffrom the Committee Concerning the duke of Norfolke and the       
Matter thereof ordered to be heard at the Bar of the house on wenesday          
Next                                                                            
          Satureday 10 march                                                    
Comons  A Bill for sale of lands of the Lord Manchesters and setling            
others In lieu thereof Read a 2d time and Committed                             
     A Bill for sale of the Lord Cullens lands Read a 2d time and Committed     
     A Bill for payment of the Lord Kilmurries debts Read a 2d time and         
Committed                                                                       
     A Bill for Erecting a Court of Conscience In westminster Read and          
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
     A Bill for Reliefe of poore prisoners Read and ordered a 2d Reading        
     A Bill for dischargeing the Counties Cittys and Boroughs ffrom there       
wages doe to ther parliament men Received                                       
     The Address to his Majesty about the power of ffrance Reported and         
Carried to the Lords for there Concurrance                                      
     The Report touching the Election for Beverley Between mr herbert           
and mr folio made and Resolved that mr herbert is duely Elected and the         
Returne to be ammended Accordingly                                              
     Adjourned till Monday                                                      
+Just now Arrived the ffrench and flanders letters But it is soe late           
that I Can only Briefly tell you, that the Beseiged In Valenciennes             
make a very smart Resistance  But the ffrench push on the seige as              
vigorously; They have four Batteries with which they play very furiously        
upon the towne and have twice got severall houses on fire which were            
soon quenched that on monday last the ffrench Attacked an outworke              
Before the Counterscarp upon Mount Aryne But were Repulsed with greate          
loss The Marquese de genlis Being killed amonge other persons of                
quality  But at last the ffrench gained a point of the Counterscarp             
     ffrom germany they tell us that the duke of Lorraine was marched           
with a good Body and Intended to pass the Rhine and give the ffrench a          
diversion which is greate Newes                                                 
     L. c. 448     March 15 1676                                                
          Monday march 12 1676                                                  
Comons  A Bill for Confirmeing and perpetuating Augmentations made by           
Ecclesiasticall persons to small vicarages Read & ordered a 2d Reading          
     A Bill to Enable mr Aubery to sell lands for payment of debts              
Read a 2d time and Committed                                                    
     A Bill for Erecting a Court of Conscience in Southwarke and the            
parrishes of surrey & Middlesex within the Bills of Mortality Read and          
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
     A petition of divers Brewers of London & Middlesex was Read &              
Referred to a Committee of the whole house                                      
     and then the house Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house to         
Considder of a Motion for a farther supply for his Majesty                      
     Resolved that for a farther supply to his Majesty the Additionall          
duty of Excize be Continued for 3 yeares                                        
Lords:  The Address Concerning the Netherlands being Read after a debate        
ordered that they agree with the Commons that an addresse be made to his        
Majesty and that a Conference be also desired with the Commons thereupon        
for the Explanation of the said address sent by them up to the Lords            
Comons     Tuesday 13 march 1676                                                
     A Bill for Assurence of such as Claime under Ancient fines and             
Recoveries Read a 2d time and Ccommitted                                        
     A Bill to prevent the Exportation of wooll Read & ordered a 2d Reading     
     A Bill from the Lords to prevent frauds and perjuries Read & ordered       
a 2d Reading                                                                    
    A Conference had with the Lords Concerning the Address Concerning the       
power of ffrance                                                                
          A Coppie of the Comons Address last Satureday                         
+May it please your Majesty./ wee your Majesties most Loyall subjects           
the Knights Citizens and Burgesses Assembled In parliament find ourselves       
obliged In duty and faithfulness to your Majesty and discharge of the           
trust Reposed In us by those whome wee represent; Most humbly doe offer         
to your Majesties Most serious Considderation; That the minds of your           
Majesties people are much disquieted by the Man[moth?] danger Arriseing         
to your Majesties kingdoms by the growth and power of the ffrench King;         
Especially the acquisions Already made and the farther progress like to         
be made by him In the Spanish Netherlands; In the preservation of which         
wee humbly Conceive the Interest of your Majesty and the safety of your         
people are Concerned; and therefore wee humbly beseech your Majesty to          
take the same Into your most Royall Care and to strenghten your selfe           
with such alliances as may serve you Majesties kingdoms and preserve and        
secure the said Netherlands and thereby quiet the Minds of your Majesties       
people.                                                                         
     heare has been a report these 2 dayes that Valenciennes surrendred         
on thursday last to the ffrench and this Newes Comes ffrom Calais by the        
last ffrench post which arrived on Satureday But meets with little Credit       
heare Because Eaven the ffrench Embassador had Noe Advice of it                 
     last Night Came In the dutch letters of friday last  They say the          
Prince of Orange is gone towards wesell and ffrom there would pass to the       
army; That they had letters ffrom Antwerpe dated Thursday last which find       
that Valenciennes made Brave defence That on tuesday the Beseiged made a        
sally and had killed above 1000 ffrench and Nayled [?] 18 peeces of             
Cannon and that the King was Retired to Conde                                   
     That on tuesday night the duke of Luxenburg was to make a generall         
Assault upon the Counterscarp of the hornworke on Mount Azyne of which          
they know Not the success                                                       
     But the Relations that Come ffrom Antwerpe are generally Not Much          
Relyed upon                                                                     
     wee have letters of the 3/13 ffrom Coppenhagen which say that by a         
snow [?] Come over ffrom Sconen they had Received Advice that the Sweds         
had taken Christianstadt                                                        
     Just Now Comes in the ffrench post & gives us the certainty that st        
omers was taken on wenesday last between 9 and 10 In the morning by             
storme  The greatest part of the garison (which were surprized at soe           
unexspected an assault In the day time) were killed and many of the             
townes people and the desolation would have been Entire had Not the             
King In person stopt the fury of the souldiers  The governour was               
desperately wounded and the Major killed  The place was taken In halfe          
a houre The Attacke haveing been made by 10000 men among which were all         
the grenadiers In the army                                                      
     L. c. 449     March 17 1676                                                
       Tuesday 13 March 1676                                                    
Lords  A Report ffrom the Committee of the Lords with these following           
Reasons for amendment of the said Address vizt                                  
   That there Lordships doe fully Concurr with the Comons In the Matter         
of the Address sent up to there Lordships on Satureday last and doe only        
Apprehend that it may Not altogather answer the Ends designed; There            
Lordships very much doubting this Address may Not sufficiently Incourage        
his Majesty to pursue the Necesary Methods for Compassing soe greate            
a worke unless the humble Advice of his 2 houses be backt with such             
Assurances as may let the world see that if our security Cannot be              
Attained by such alliances as his majesty shall thinke fit to make              
Nothing be left unattempted to procure it                                       
     The Lords doe farther offer to there Considderation that the words         
(and In Scicily) may be Added after the word Netherlands In the 14th            
line, And after the same word In the 22d line (and Scicily) it Being of         
greate Importance to our trade That Scicily be Not In the hands of the          
ffrench King                                                                    
     wenesday 14 march 1676                                                     
Comons  A Bill for Reliefe of poore prisoners Read a 2d time and Committed      
     A Bill for his Majesties supply of 600000 L Read and ordered a 2d          
Reading to morrow morning                                                       
     The house then tooke up the debate Conserning the amendments sent          
by the Lords to the Address about the power of the ffrench King and a           
Committy ordered to draw up Reasons to be used at the Conference about          
the same                                                                        
     A Bill sent from the Lords for Naturalization of severall persons          
     A Bill ordered to be brought In to Lay Impositions for Repaire of          
yarmouth peere                                                                  
          Thursday 15 march 1676                                                
     The Bill to suppress pedlers Read a 2d time and Committed                  
     A Report of the Election for yorke that Sr henery Thompson was duely       
Elected was made and agreed to by the house                                     
     Reasons to be used at the Conference with the Lords Reported and           
agreed to by the house and a Conference was had accordingly                     
     The Lords Agreed to the adress as it was ffirst sent up and                
ordered some Lords to Attend his Majesty to know when it may be presented       
         A Bill sent ffrom the Lords for secureing the protestant               
Religion by Educating the Children of the Royall family therein and             
Continuing the protestant Clergie                                               
     The Lords sent to let the house Know that his Majesty had Appointed        
them to Attend him to morrow with the Addresses                                 
     The Case of the Duke of Norfolke Being heard at the Barr it was            
Resolved that an Address he presented to his Majesty That the duke of           
Norfolke might be brought Into England ffrom his Confinement In Italy           
     you see how Basely Valenciennes is lost a place which had it Been          
well defended might have Ruined the ffrench army Considdering the season;       
It was the ffirst Attacke the Beseigers had made and there designe was          
only to have lodged themselves upon the Counterscarpe of the Crowned worke      
but they gained that with soe much Ease that they were Incouraged to goe        
on while the garison it seemes thought of nothing But to get Into the           
towne and soe abandoned all there outworks one after another and that In        
soe much feare That they suffered the ffrench to get Into the towne through     
the wicket or sally port which one man Can but pass at a time,  our             
Next Newes is that st omer is Beseiged for the very day Valenciennes was        
taken the King sent A part of his army towards St omers and if that             
make Noe Better defence it will be Noe wonder if the ffrench make greater       
progresses for doubtless the poore Inhabitants are In greate Consternation      
to see the Cowardice of those that ought to defend them                         
     L. c. 450     March 19 1676                                                
           ffriday 16 march 1676                                                
Comons  A Bill for sale of lands of henery Marchant a lunaticke Read &          
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
   A Bill for sale of lands of ffrancis Brand Read & ordered a 2d Reading       
   A petition about the Election for Berwicke Referred to the Committee         
of Elections                                                                    
   A petition of John hariston Read and the debate Adjourned till to            
morrow                                                                          
   Resolved that those that have Compelled Advised or Assisted the Raising      
or sending any of the Kings subjects Into the ffrench Kings service since       
the Kings declaration 19 May 1675 Issued upon the Address of this house         
shall be Esteemed Enemies to the safety of the King and Kingdoms                
          Satureday 17 march 1676                                               
   A Bill for Erecting a judicature In southwarke for determining diferences    
about the houses Burnt In the late fire there Read a 2d time & Committed        
   A Bill for Confirming an agreement about Executing of writts In the          
severall hundreds of gloucestershire Read and ordered a 2d Reading              
   mr speaker Reported the Kings Answer to the Address yesterday to             
be; that he was of the oppinion of his 2 houses of parliament; that the         
preservation of fflanders was of greate Consequence and that he will use        
all Meanes In his power for the safety of the Kingdom                           
   The house to Resolve Into a Committee of the whole house on Satureday        
Next to Considder of grevances                                                  
          Adjourned till monday                                                 
     L. c. 451     March 22 1676                                                
       Monday 19 march 1676                                                     
   A Bill from the Lords for Avoiding Suites & delays Read & ordered a 2d       
Reading                                                                         
   A Bill for Confirmeing Augmentations made by Ecclesiasticell persons         
Read a 2d time and Committed                                                    
   A Bill Concerning the Election for plimpton Referred to the Committee        
of Elections                                                                    
   Leave given to Bring In a Bill to lessen the Number of atturneys &           
Regulate the abuses by them                                                     
   An Explanatory act to prevent dammages ffrom popish Recusants Read &         
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
   A Bill to take away the writt de herestico Cumburendo Read and ordered       
a 2d Reading                                                                    
   A Bill for his Majesties supply for 600000 L Read a 2d time and              
Committed to a Committee of the whole house who are to Considder whether        
London should be cased [?] and how                                              
   The house to Resolve Into a Committee of the whole house on friday           
Next to proceed In the supply Bill                                              
          all Committees Revived                                                
     Tuesday 20 march 1676                                                      
   A Bill to allow Sr Samuel moreland the Benefit of his pumps Read &           
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
   A Bill to prevent frauds In Importing Irish Cattle Read & ordered a 2d       
Reading                                                                         
   A Bill for laying a Charge on Northampton for the maintenance of the         
Minester there Reported & ordered to be Engrossed                               
   The Bill for Exportation of leather Reported & ordered to be Engrossed       
   A farther Address to his Majesty for a farther speedy alliance with          
the Confederates mooved for and Adjourned till Monday                           
   A Bill from the Lords for secureing the protestant Religion by Educating     
the Children of the Royall family therein Read & ordered a 2d Reading           
   The letters which arrived on Sunday last ffrom flanders left those           
people In greate Consternation for the shamefull loss of Valenciennes           
which is a thing soe Extraordinary that they Know Not how to Comprehend         
it and some are apt to suspect there was treachery first; But for that          
there seemes to be but little ground; But Rather the Commanders In the          
towne were to be blaimed for there ill Conduct and want of Care; and            
differing amonge themselves; for after the governour was wounded (which         
was by Exposeing himselfe too far In the very ffirst day of the seige)          
the Colonells In garison would Not agree about the Chiefe Command and           
that occasioned Much disorder In the Conduct of there affaires                  
     The letters Add that the 19 the ffrench Invested Cambray that the          
King was gone thither In person and that the Beseiged had quitted the           
lower towne and were Retired Into the Citadell and the upper towne which        
is very stronge where (if they have any thing of Courage [)] they will          
make a stout defence                                                            
   wee have the Certainty that St omer is Beseiged aswell as Cambray at         
which latter the duke of orleans Commands who arrived In the Campe the          
23d Instant                                                                     
     L. c. 452     March 24 1676/7                                              
     Wednesday 21 march 1676/7                                                  
Comons  A Bill for preservation of the liberty of the subject Read &            
ordered to be Engrossed                                                         
     A Bill for Naturalization sent from the Lords Read & ordered a 2d          
Reading                                                                         
    An Engrossed Bill for Naturalization of severall persons Read a 3d          
time & Committed                                                                
    A Committee appointed to draw up an Address to his majesty that the         
duke of Norfolke may be brought over ffrom his Confinement beyond the Sea       
    one ordered to be taken In Custody for delivering a declaration             
against a member                                                                
    The house proceeded to heare the Case about Newarke and Resolved that       
by the Charter graunted to Newarke they have Right to serve In parliament       
    That mr Savile and mr paull Neale are Not duely Returned to serve In        
parliament for Newarke                                                          
    A writt ordered to Choose Burgesses for Newarke                             
     Thursday 22d march 1676                                                    
+A Bill for setling the Custome Rates on Rough diamonds &c Read & ordered       
a 2d Reading                                                                    
    A Bill for Repaire of Churches Reported and ordered to be Engrost           
    A Bill for Repaire of yarmouth peere Read & ordered a 2d Reading            
    A Bill to Enable mr Standish to sell lands for payment of debts Read        
& ordered a 2d Reading                                                          
   A Bill for a more Easy way for Recovery of small tithes Read & ordered       
a 2d Reading                                                                    
   A Bill for Redressing the abuses In Collecting the duty of hearth money      
Read a 2d time & Committed                                                      
   A Bill sent ffrom the Lords to Enable mr Beadle to sell lands for            
payment of debts                                                                
   A Bill ordered to be brought In for Exportation of Coales Beere ale          
and mummy                                                                       
+An act for setling the Estate of Robert Cooke Esqre to Enable him to           
make leases provideing portions for daughters and paying debts                  
   An Act for Enabling the Lord Morley to make sale of the mannor of            
farleton In lancashire for payment of debts                                     
   And then they went Into a grand Committee to proceed upon the Bill           
about the Conviction of Romish Recusants & filled up more Blanks In the         
same and ordered a Clause to be added That Conformity to the Church of          
England & Receiveing the sacramt of the Lords supper shall discharge            
persons soe Conformeing ffrom the penalties to be Inflicted by this or          
any other law against popists Recusants                                         
     Then was presented a petition of mr Edward and mr Bernard howard           
and Alexander Mac daniell and his wife praying liberty for the Clerke           
of the Exchequer to Enter the process of sequestration against the              
marquess of dorchester Earle marshall and peterbrough trustees for the          
duke of Norfolks Estate for there Not Complying with the order of the           
said Court for Rendring an account of there said trust and it was               
ordered to be Read to morrow morning.                                           
   Upon Report of the Lord steward ffrom the Committee of priveledges           
In Relation to noble women That In obedience to there order to that             
purpose of the 9 Instant they had Examined severall presidents by which         
it appeared to them that the widdows of peers have Been allowed ffrom           
time to time the priveledg of parliament and Noe president provided to          
weaken or take away the same upon debate of which the house agreed              
thereto                                                                         
   Upon Motion made In the house by the Lord de la Meere for the                
discharge of the 4 lords Now prisoners In the tower after some debate had       
thereuppon it was layd aside                                                    
   There was this petition of mr Edward & mr Bernard howard Read praying        
the marquess of dorchester Earle marshall and the Earle of peterbrough          
may be ordered to wave there priveledges and to answer to the Bill To           
the Exchequer against them upon the debate of which it was upon the             
question dismist  And it was Recommended to the duke of ormond Lord             
arrundell of wardour Earle of aylesbury Earle of Carlisle & Lord howard         
of Estricke Marquess of worcester Earle of Berkshire & Lord Berkley to          
mediate Between Earle ma[r]shall and his Brothers for Composeing the            
diferences In that Noble family                                                 
     The house to be In a Committee to morrow morning upon the Bill for         
Conviction of Romish Recusants                                                  
   don Bernardo de Salines the Spanish minester and his Secretary having        
Misbehaived themselves are ordered by his majesty to depart England by a        
day set                                                                         
   on the 20th the Earle of Bristoll died at Chelsey                            
   a ship ffrom maryland who Came thence 25 Jan: Reports that Ingram who        
succeeded Bacon is Come In with all his men & submitted to the governour        
& that there were only a Company of 150 men who stood out and went to           
the Indians as Judging themselves Uncapable of pardon  But that meanes          
were Used to Reduce them also and as it was hoped Not without Effect  But       
as then they heard nothing of the arrivall of Sr John Berrey                    
     [A few figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.]               
     L. c. 453     March 26 1677                                                
       ffriday 23d march 1676                                                   
Comons  Leave given to Bring In a Bill to prevent Theft and Repine upon         
the Northerne Border                                                            
   A Bill for sale of mr Squibbs lands Read & ordered a 2d Reading              
   A Bill to Enable Commissioners to take affidavitts In the countrey           
Reported and ordered to be Engrossed                                            
   A Bill for Sale of my Lord manchesters lands and the Lord Maynards           
Bill passed                                                                     
   The house then Resolved Into a grand Committee to proceed Upon the           
supply Bill and on thursday Next are to proceed on the same Bill                
          Satureday march 24 1676                                               
     A Bill to prevent vexatious suites; Regulate abuses and limmitt            
the Number of Attourneys Read & ordered a 2d Reading                            
   A petition of the hamburg Company Read & Referred to a Committee             
   Upon the Report about passes for ships its Recommended to the Lords          
of the Admiralty that the graunting them may be Easy to the merchants           
and to Remoove the obstructions to trade                                        
   A Bill for preservation of the liberty of the subject Read a 3d time         
& passed                                                                        
          wednesday 21 march 1676                                               
Lords  An act for augmentation of the vicarage of Sudbury In herefordshire      
Read                                                                            
     Leave given to the Earle of Salesbury Now prisoner In the tower to         
goe with the Constable of the towers deputy In a Coach with him to see          
the Lord Rindall his Brother In Law Being like to dye                           
          Thursday 22d march 1676                                               
+An act for the Incouragement and Breeding up of Seamen and the Better          
ordering of the watermen on the River of Thames Read                            
   An act against Incestious marriage Read and then they went Into a            
grand Committee In the Bill against popery and ordered a Clause to be           
added to supply the defects therein as to the disposall of the Children         
of popish Recusants and filled up more Blanks In the Bill & appointed to        
set upon it againe to morrow                                                    
     ffriday 23d march 1676                                                     
     An act for Incouragement and Bring up of seamen & the Better               
ordering the watermen Rowing Upon the River Thames Read & Committed             
+A Bill for preservation of the ffishery ordered to be Engrost                  
   mr Browne & mr walker That arrested the Countess of huntingdon               
allowed Councell & there Cause to be heard at the Barr to morrow morning        
   wee have just now the ffrench letters of wednesday last which say that       
the trenches were opened Before Cambray last Satureday night and were           
very far Advanced without the loss of a man that the Next day some few          
were killed by the Canon of the towne That the Beseigers hoped to be            
masters of the towne In 4 or 5 days and of the Citadell In 10 or 12             
days That the duke of Orleans was Indeed with his army Neere St omer &          
kept it Blocked up But Would Not Begin the seige till farther order             
     L. c. 454     March 29 1677                                                
      Monday 26 march 1677                                                      
+A Bill to prevent symony Reported and ordered to be Engrost                    
   mr Auberies Bill Reported & ordered to be Engrost                            
   A Bill to Enable mr standish to sell lands and pay debts Read a 2d           
time & Committed                                                                
   A Bill to prevent Importation of fforraigne Cattle Read a 2d time            
and Committed                                                                   
   A Bill to take away the writt de heristico Cumburendo Read a 2d time         
and Committed                                                                   
   The House then proceeded upon the debate of a motion for a farther           
Address to his Majesty to Enter Into a strict and speedy alliance with          
the Confederates                                                                
     Resolved that a farther Address be made to his majesty giveing him         
assurance that If In pursuance of the address presented to his majesty          
from Both houses his Majesty shall find himselfe Necesitated to Enter           
Into a warr; This house will fully aide his majesty ffrom time to time          
and Assist him In that warr                                                     
        Tuesday 27 march 1677                                                   
     mr sqibbs Bill Read a 2d time and Committed                                
     A petition of mr Hatcher high sheriffe of Lincolneshire about his          
Being Elected Burgesse for stamford Rejected                                    
     A Bill sent ffrom the Lords for secureing the protestant Religion          
Read a 2d time and Committed                                                    
     A Bill to hinder popish Recusants to sit In Either houses of               
parliament Read a 2d time and Committed                                         
     The Considderation whether the lawes Concerning Irish Cattle should        
be made perpetuall or Repealed is Referred to a Committee of the whole          
house                                                                           
     This day the Court of Assistance of the honourable society of the          
attilery [of] London In pursuance of his Royall highness pleasure is lay        
Aside  sr Thomas player Chamberlaine of London Elected by the said              
Company as leader for the yeare, Met [sic] In the Irish Chamber In the          
guildhall In order to another Choyce                                            
   note Sr Tho: is suspected to be one of Jenkes party                          
   according to our last letters which arrived on Sunday the ffrench            
by Reason of the ill weather had Not Been able to open the trenches             
Before Cambray till the 18/28 Instant and the Next day they Began to            
Batter with 120 peeces of Cannon and 30 mortar peeces which must needs          
make a terrible Execution                                                       
     St omer is Not Beseiged But Closely Blocked up and the 21/31               
Instant 12000 foot and 6000 horse of the prince of oranges army which           
had Randevouzed Between ghent and Bruges under the command of Count             
waldecke passed the Canall Neere Bruges and tooke there march towards           
St omer In order to the Raising the Blockade of that place and the              
Relieveing it with provisions and ammunition which was Brought In               
Billanders ffrom sluyce                                                         
     The prince of Orange meant to make a step ffrom Breda to wesell it         
Being absolutely Necesary for him to see the Elector of Brandenburg and         
to Concert there designes togather                                              
     ffrom ffrankfort of the 18/28 they write that the Imperiall troops         
which were on there march towards wormes to pass the Rhine there had            
Received a Command to halt till farther order for which Noe other Reason        
is given But that its said they will Not be able to subsist as yet abroade      
     The Sweds have Certainly take Carel haven and are gone with designe        
to Attack holmstadt which with landscroon are the only places that              
Remaine In the posession of the danes on that side the soundt                   
     L. c. 455     March 31 1677                                                
   Wednesday 28 march 1677                                                      
   A Bill to Abolish the writt de heristico Cumburendo Reported & ordered       
to be Engrost                                                                   
   The Lord Killmurries Bill Read a 3d time & passed                            
   A petition of the weaviors Read and a Committee Apointed to bring In         
a Bill to prohibitt forraine manufactures                                       
   The house then Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house to               
Considder of the Lawes against Importing Irish Cattle & Resolved the            
severall acts made against Irish Cattle & [?] taken by forrigners shall         
be made perpetuall                                                              
     Thursday 29 march 1677                                                     
   A farther Address to be presented to his majesty was Reported                
   A motion Being made that the Address might be Committed it passed In         
the Negative & then the house agreed with the Committee                         
   The house to Resolve Into a Committee of the whole house to morrow to        
proceed Upon the supply Bill                                                    
     A Coppie of the address                                                    
+may it please your majesty: wee your Majesties Loyall Subjects the             
Knights Citizens and Burgesses In parliament assembled doe with Unspeakable     
Joy and Comfort present our humble thanks to your majesty for your              
majesties most gracious acceptance of our late Address and that your            
Majesty was pleased for your princely wisdome to Express your Concurrance       
In opinion with your 2 houses In Reference to the preservation of the           
Spanish Netherlands and wee doe with most Earnest and Repeated desires          
Implore your majesty that you would be pleased to take timely Care to           
prevent those dangers that may arrise In these Kingdom by the greate            
power of the ffrench King and the progress he dayly makes In the                
netherlands and other places and therefore that your majesty would Not          
deferr the Entring Into such alliances as may Attaine those Ends; and           
In Case it should happen that In pursuance of such alliances your majesty       
should be Engaged In a warr with the ffrench King; we doe hold our selves       
obliged & doe with all humility and Chearfulness assure your majesty            
that wee your majesties most Loyall subjects shall Alwayes be Ready             
and Upon your Signification thereof In parliament fully and from time           
to time assist your Majesty In such aides and supplyes as by divine             
Assistance may Enable your majesty to prosecute the same with success;          
all which were most humbly offer to your majesty as the Unanimous sence &       
desire of the whole nation                                                      
     yesterday wee had our ffrench and flanders letters and as to Cambray       
give us an account that the Beseigers had on the 21/31 Advanced (with           
little loss) there trenches very neere the Counterscarpe of the towne           
which they Intended to Attacke the ffriday following and if they make           
themselves masters of it they will proceed to attacke the Citadell; That        
the Beseiged had only made one sally with 300 horse But were quickly            
Beaten In againe and that the Beseigers had Raised 5 Batteries with             
which they made greate Breaches                                                 
     The dutch troops Under the Command of Count waldecke were on satureday     
last still In the Neibourhood of Bruges Not haveing passed the Canall as        
yet They Exspecting ffirst the Arrivall of some attilery which might be         
with them the monday following and that they would pass the Canall and          
march towards St omer to put succours aswell of men as provisions Into          
that place of which designe the ffrench King haveing Notice had sent 8          
Battalions of foot ffrom the Campe at Cambray to Reenforce the duke of          
Orleans at St omer                                                              
     The prince of Orange is gone to wesell and many are of opinion             
that his army will Not attempt anything Considderable till he be with           
it In person                                                                    
     The ffrench have at last formally Beseiged St omer  all the                
perticulers wee have are that they Broke ground on ffriday last                 
     Wee have Nothing ffrom germany                                             
     L. c. 456     Aprill 1st 1677                                              
     Whitehall March 30th 1678 [sic]                                            
+Since my last one Capt fitz Gerald is Come from Bruges to Give the King        
An account of A disorder which hapned there some dayes since In which           
the English soldiers became Unfortunately Concerned, The occasion was           
thus  The Bishop & Religious of the place Being In A Sollemne procession        
A dutch officer (who it seems was In drinke) Being In the street as they        
past by & Not putting off his Hat one of the priests spoke to him to doe        
it which the dutchman Not prsently doing the Priest out of An Indiscreet        
zeale strucke him over the face with A torch or fflambeau he had In his         
Hand upon which the Dutchman drew his Sword & put the Religious Into A          
greate fright who quitted the procession & Ran to shelter themselves  The       
Burghers Imagining this to be done by the English Immediately fell upon         
those they met In the streets, The English on the other side finding            
themselves Attacked & Not Knowing wherefore made Hast to get togather as        
A good Body of them did & doubtlesse the Mischiefe would have gone very         
far had it Not been for the Prudent Interposition of My Lord Middleton          
the other officers & the Spanish govenour who at lengh Composed things          
yet Not till 3 or 4 of the English were Killed & 14 or 15 wounded, After        
the heat was over the truth of the accedent Appeared & the Priest who           
was the Beginner of it justified the English & the Majestrates of the           
Towne Endeavoured to Excuse the thing to the English officers                   
+for other fforreigne Newes all I Know worth telling you is that the            
ffrench K is Come to St Germain with A Resolution to be In the feild            
by the 18th may                                                                 
     Our flanders letters Come In this afternoon bring us A Considderable       
peece of Newes vizt                                                             
  That the Spaniards were Againe Masters of Messina  the perticulers they       
doe Not give us but In generall that It was the Act of the Inhabitants          
who were growne so weary of the ffrench that they were Resolved to              
Returne to their obedience to their lawfull prince  This Newes they             
Received by An Expresse                                                         
   The letters Add that the ffrench had sent A detachment of 2000 men           
from fflanders towards Germany                                                  
     L. c. 457     Aprill 2 1677                                                
   ffriday March 30 1677                                                        
   A Bill to prevent theft and Rapine on the Northerne Borders Read and         
ordered a 2d Reading                                                            
   A Bill to lay Imposition on Rough diamonds Read a 2d time and Committed      
   A Bill for setling a maintenance for the Vicar of Alhallows In               
Northampton Read a 3d time & past                                               
   A Bill to prevent the growth of popery Ordered to be Engrost                 
     The house Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house to proceed          
upon the supply Bill and are to be In a Committee to morrow on the same         
   Then the house Attended his Majesty with the Address                         
     Satureday March 31 1677                                                    
   A Bill sent ffrom the Lords for Naturalization of his majesties              
subjects Borne Beyond sea In the late troubles past                             
     A Bill for Erecting a Court of Judicature In Southwarke ordered to         
be Engrost                                                                      
     A Bill for the Effectuall Conviction of popish Recusants sent ffrom        
the Lords                                                                       
     The house then proceeded Upon the supply Bill and are to proceed           
on the same on tuesday Next                                                     
          Adjourned till 8 on Monday                                            
+The dutch letters tell us the Command of Lieutenant Admirall of the            
United provinces vacant by the death of de Rutier is given to the heer          
trompe who will however Comand the danish fleet this summer                     
     wee have Just Now a ffrench post  The letters say that the towne of        
Cambray Capitulated on Sunday last and was surrendred the day following         
and that In few days they hoped to be Masters of the Citadell                   
   That the duke of orleans presses very Closely the fort St Michaell           
att St omer which once taken the towne will quickly follow; Its said            
the Inhabitants have Mutinied and will surrender the place                      
   The Marshall Crequi was to hold a generall Randevouz Neere Metz the          
10 Aprill; the Imperiallists are Comeing downe                                  
     L. c. 458     Aprill 5 1677                                                
Monday Aprill 2 1677                                                            
   A Bill to prevent Unnecesary suites & delays & to Regulate abuses &          
Number of Attourneys Read a 2d time & Committed                                 
   A Bill to prevent ffrauds and perjuries Read a 2d time and Committed         
   A Bill sent ffrom the Lords to prevent Incestious Marriages                  
   A Bill for Continuance of the Additionall duty of Excise for 3 yeares        
Read and ordered a 2d Reading                                                   
   A vote against drinkeing and Bribery at Elections Reported & agreed to       
   Sr Robert holts Case Reported & he ordered to be discharged                  
   A Bill from the Lords to Enable one beadle of northfolke to sell lands       
Read a 1st time                                                                 
   A Bill for Incouragement of Sr Sam Moorelans pumps Read a 2d time and        
Committed                                                                       
   A Bill ffrom the Lords to settle the Returne of writts In the seaven         
hundreds of gloucestershire Read & Committed                                    
   A Bill to Enable Sr Edw: hungerford to make leases of hungerford house       
In the strand Read a 2d time and Committed                                      
   A Bill to Sr ffran: Compton to sell lands Read a 1st time                    
+A Bill to settle mr Crooks Estate Read a 1st time                              
   A Bill for setling a Court of Conscience Read & Committed                    
     Tuesday 3 Aprill 1677                                                      
   A Bill for Augmentation of small Vicarages passed & Returned to the          
Lords                                                                           
     mr Squibbs Bill Reported                                                   
+A Bill Concerning symonicall Contracts Read a 3d time and passed               
   A Bill for takeing Affidavits In the Countrey Read a 3d time and passed      
   Then the house Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house to proceed       
farther upon the supply Bill                                                    
   yesterday wee had the fflanders letters                                      
     Bruges  7 Aprill 77                                                        
+The Body of the holland army Being Come Into our Neibourhood on the 3d         
Instant on the Next day passed the Canall over 3 Bridges there Attilery         
Consisting In 11 feild peeces and 21 mortar peeces But greatest part of         
there baggage they left heare that they might Not be Encumbred In there         
March which they tooke with all possible dilligence towards Ipres; on the       
5th Instant about 5 In the Eavening the prince of Orange (who had Been          
Met by the duke de Villa hermosa at Antwerpe) passed by this towne But          
would Not Come In that he might Not loose time  Neither would he permitt        
the discharge of any of our Cannon to salute him But Continu'd his              
March & lodged that Night 4 leagues ffrom hence; yesterday he had his           
quarters within a mile of Ipres and this might well be about 12 English         
miles on this side St omer                                                      
   This day Arrived 3000 men more by water ffrom holland and as many            
more are Exspected to morrow who all march with all great dilligence            
towards the princes Campe whither the governour of Ostend is likewise           
gone to accompany his highness who is the only Spaniard the prince has          
with him                                                                        
     The princes designe is Certainly to Releive St omer ffrom whence           
wee heare that the Beseigers had taken the fort Vassoi [?] which lyes           
very Neere the towne  But wee hope the prince will Come time Enough to          
prevent there makeing any farther progress                                      
     The towne of Cambray is Rather Abandoned by the garison then               
taken by the Enimie  wee hope the Citadell will make a good defence             
   ffrom scicily wee heare that the ffrench have given the Spanish horse        
under the Command of Lieutenant generall Bragamonts a Considderable Route       
haveing Killed 5 or 600  some say only 300 as the Spaniards were                
Approaching towards Messina Upon some designe  the perticulers wee              
know Not                                                                        
     L. c. 459     [Handwriting changes here.]     Thursday 5 Aprill 1677       
Commons  A motion being made that leave be given to bring in a Bill to          
repeale the laws prohibiting the importation of forreign Cattle, the            
house thereupon resolved into a grand Comittee & after a long debate            
Resolved                                                                        
+That a Bill bee brought in to repeale the two laws prohibiting the             
importacon of forreign Cattle.                                                  
Resolved                                                                        
     That it bee a limitted importation.                                        
     ffryday. 6. Aprill.                                                        
+The house being in a Grand Comittee upon the supply Bill went through          
it & ordered that it should bee reported to morrow.                             
     The. 7. Aprill.                                                            
+Wee have this after[noon] our ffrench & fflanders letters  what wee may        
collect out of them for truth is that ye Prince of Orange advancing with        
an Army of about 30000 men to releive St Omer passed this day sevenight         
the River Peuer after having forced the ffrench from a certaine pass            
which they had endeavoured to maintain but could not, upon news whereof         
the Duke of Orleanse drew off from the seige leaving onely some                 
troops to maintain the fort Des Vaches and some other troops to guard           
his trenches & then advanced to meet the Dutch, That on a Sunday                
morning the Duke of Lunenburg arriving with the detachment from Cambray         
ioyned the Duke of Orleanse & that morning about 9 the fight began wch          
continued till 6 at night, that the french left wing did twice give way         
before the Dutch but rallying the forelorn turned & the Dutch were              
soe pressed upon & wanting Cavalry they were forced to retyre in some           
disorder without succouring the place; That the night proved favourable         
to the Princes retreat but the wayes being very badd and in many places         
very narrow the Princes baggage Ammunition & Cannon consisting of 10            
peices fell into the hands of the ffrench.  The particulars of the loss         
wee know not.  The ffrench say that of the Dutch were between 4 & 5000          
slain upon the place besides a great many prisoners they tooke, & indeed        
it is not to bee doubted but that the Dutch have susteyned a very great         
loss & that the ffrench have had a great victory but ye comfort is ye           
Prince is himselfe well & with an army at Ipres, whither 30 Billanders          
have been sent from Bruges to fetch of the wounded men & ye baggage             
which the Prince left at Bruges was fetcht from thence to Ipres by 3            
Regiments, what persons of note are killed on either side wee yet want.         
+During the fight the beseiged in St Omers made a sally & filled up             
the beseigers trenches, however wee must expect now quickly to heare            
yt the place is taken Since the ill success of the Prince of Oranges            
enterprize has deprived them of all hopes of succour                            
+The Princes arme was to have fought the Duke of Orleanse before                
Luxemburg ioyned him & you see hee was very neare it & then without             
doubt hee would have met them.                                                  
+Cambray makes a good defence but how long it will doe soe I know not.          
+The prince escaped narrowly having received two musketts shott on his          
Armour.                                                                         
+ffrom Brussells they say that about 3000 mn were killed in the fight           
on both sides & that the Prince made a very good retreat.                       
+The Marquis de Resnell Leiutent Generall is killed before Cambray              
where the ffrench Bombs have done great execution.                              
+The write from Bruges that the Citydale was capitulating.                      
     L. c. 460     [Handwriting changes here.]      Aprill 7 1677               
   Whitehall 5 Aprill 1677                                                      
   yesterday morning the ffrench letters Brought us an account of a Battle      
fought Between the ffrench and prince of Orange                                 
     In my last I told you the prince of Orange was Advanced to Relieve         
St omer and Being Come as far as Casell which is within 5 or 6 English          
Miles of St omer The duke of orleans found it Necesary to Advance to            
meet him and accordingly on Sunday morning the de Varches he had taken          
2 days Before he left 6000 men to guard the trenches and Advanced towards       
the prince of orange and by the way Met the duke of Luxenburg with 9000         
men sent by the King ffrom Cambray and on Sunday about 8 In the morning         
the fight Began Neere a place Called penez [?] Between Casell and               
St omer and soe Continued till Noon when the prince did Retreate a              
little to give time to 6000 ffresh men to Come up to him and then the           
Battle was Renued and Continued with more Eagerness then Before till            
after 7 at Night and there the dunkerke letters leave us as Being writt         
that Night                                                                      
     But a letter dated on monday at Calais sayes that they had Newes           
That the dutch were worsted haveing lost 5 or 6000 men with all there           
greate guns; That the ffrench were In pursuite of them and that the             
dutch had taken Refuge In an abbey a place of greate strengh But this           
Wee looke Upon as partiall                                                      
   Its Reckned that the ffrench when they Began the fight were Not less         
then 36000 and the prince about 24000 who with the 6000 had 30000; The          
ffrench had about 12000 horse the prince but 6 or 7000  But the horse           
Could Not be soe usefull as foot it Being an Inclosed Countrey                  
   The prince had Raised the Reputation of his forces In maintaining a          
fight soe firmely for a whole day against a numerous and Conquering army        
   The Spaniards promise themselves that Cambray will hold out yet a            
month or 6 weeks which if it doe will give a greate turne to things             
     This Morning Comes In a letter ffrom Bruges which sayes that the           
prince of Orange was Retired to Ipres That his Cavalry had Not done             
there duty In the fight which was the greate Cause of this ill success          
But gives Not the perticulers of his loss                                       
     The prince Received 2 shotts In his arme                                   
Comons   wednesday 4 Aprill 1677                                                
   A Bill for Better Assurance of such as Claime Under Ancient fines and        
Recoveries Reported & ordered to be Engrost                                     
   A Bill from the Lords for the more Effectuall Conviction and                 
prosecution of Romish Recusants; vizt by Registring themselves Read &           
Rejected                                                                        
   A Bill to suppress the growth of popery Read a 3d time and passed            
     Thursday 5 Aprill                                                          
   The house sate till 10 at night that noe account Could be procured           
of there proceedings till the Next                                              
   The portesmouth letters dat 27 tell us of stoores lately Brought Into        
his Majesties yard there and that the Rupert was lately gone out of the         
docke and the Mary put In to fit and trimme                                     
     L. c. 461     [Handwriting changes here.]     Luna 9 Aprill 1677           
+Sr ffrancis Comptons bill reported                                             
+Sr Edward Hungerfords bill read a 3 time & passed                              
+The Bill for repaire of Yarmouth Peere reported.                               
+The bill for ye better recovery of small tithes reported & ordered to          
bee ingrost.                                                                    
+The Bill sent from ye Lds for lycensing Protestant Strangers to exercise       
theire trades in England.                                                       
+The Supply bill for building of Ships read a 3 time & past                     
          And then adiourned till 8 to morrow.                                  
     Die Martis 10 Aprill 1677                                                  
+A Bill for Naturalizacon sent from ye Lds read a 3 time & passed.              
+The Ld Manchesters Bill wth a pvisoe thereunto read a 3 time & passed          
+A Bill for repaire of Churches read a 3 time & passed                          
+A Bill from ye Lds to enable Mr Gery & his Trustees to sell lands for          
paymt of debts.                                                                 
+An Address to bee prsented to his Matie touching ye Duke of Norfolk            
reported.                                                                       
+A Bill for continuing ye Additionall Excise read, committed, reported          
& ordered to be Ingrost                                                         
          And then adiourned till to Morrow.                                    
     Whitehall 10 Aprill 1677                                                   
+Though wee [have] not as yet a pticular Narrative of ye late fight             
between ye ffrench & ye Dutch yet it apprs sufficiently yt ye latter have       
received a great defeate, It was indeed a brave attempt of ye Prince            
of Orange to advance soe far through wayes yt were almost unpassable,           
& to pass a River after having beaten the Enemyes, & ye ffrench                 
themselves were almost surprized at it, & when they understood hee had          
an Army of 30000 men (ye Dutch themselves say 20000 foot & 8000 horse           
of wch latter 4000 came not up with Count Nassau till severall houres           
after ye fight was begun) The ffrench Generalls were of opinion yt              
they ought not to advance but to post themselves as advantageously as           
they could & to avoyd fighting if possible, but Monsieur overruled them         
& said hee would fight, & bid them manage it.  The Duke of Luxemburg            
(whoo arrived wth ye detachment on Saturday night, commanded ye left            
wing, & Mareschall de Humieres ye right, & the former was twice very            
neare being routed but was saved by Monsieurs coming in himselfe wth the        
Kings Musketteers & Gens d'armes, greatest part of whome were killed in         
soe much yt of ye Gens d'armes onely one or 2 officers escaped.  In             
fine ye Dutch foot behaved themselves very well, but ye Cavalry did             
very ill, & scarce made one good charge                                         
+The ffrench will not allow themselves to have been soe strong as ye            
Dutch for 6000 men were left at St Omers, & 4000 they had sent 2 dayes          
before to Graveling & Dunkirk, & other places not knowing what ye Princes       
designe might bee.  yesterday wee had ye Dutch letters of ffryday last,         
they owne ye defeate, yt Count Waldeck is still missing, yt severall            
other Officers were killed, that ye Prince was come with his remaining          
Army to Ipress, yt hee had 2 shotts on his Armour, & had a horse killed         
under him & yt they may have lost 4 or 5000 men wch his Highnes they            
hope would soone recruit having sent for fresh Regimts ffrom Holland.           
There was brought to Ipres 2000 wounded men ffrom Calais  wee heare yt          
ye ffrench were returned ye day after ye fight to ye seige of St Omer,          
& that a great many wounded men had been brought to Dunkirk & Callais           
among whom were severall psons of quality.                                      
+Saturday & yesterday ye house of Commons spent upon ye Supply bill wch         
was reported on Saturday, & past yesterday.  The Lds sent downe a bill          
yesterday to ye Commons for lycencing of Protestant strangers to exercise       
theire trades in England.  The Act for naturalizing such English as were        
borne beyond Sea in ye late troubles is past both houses.                       
+I had forgot to tell you yt from ye Hague they write, yt the Prince in a       
letter hee wrote to ye Governor of fflanders complaining hee was abused by      
those yt undertooke to shew him ye Country, who gave him a false account        
of it by which means it happened yt his Army was very disadvantageously         
posted, & had noe roome for Intervalls, wch was ye cause yt 2 Battalions        
of Dutch who made ye first charge being over throwne, they likewise             
overthrew those other Battalions that were in ye second line, & thereby         
was occasioned much disorder,  And besides ye ffrench having ye advantage       
of the ground attacked ye Dutch in theire fflank & Areares after wch they       
would stand noe longer, And had it not been for ye night and an enclosed        
Country many more would have fallen.                                            
     L. c. 462     Die Mercury 11 Aprill 1677                                   
+The amendmts of ye Ld Killmurryes bill sent from ye Lds & agreed to.           
+A Bill for erecting a Court of Judicature in Southwarke read a 3 time          
& past.                                                                         
+A Bill concerning Stannary laws in Cornwall & Deavon sent from ye Lds.         
+A message sent from his Matie & a debate arising thereupon it was              
adiourned till to Morrow morn: 8 a Clock                                        
          And then adiourned till that time                                     
                       The Kings Message.                                       
Charles Rex.                                                                    
+His Matie having considered your late Address & finding some late              
alterations in affaires abroad thinks it necessary to put you in mind           
yt ye onely way to prvent wt mischeifs may arise to these Kingdomes             
must bee by putting his Matie timely in condicon to make such                   
prparacons as may enable him to doe wt shall bee most for ye security           
of them & if for this reason you shall desire to sit any longer since           
ye King is content you adiourne now before Easter & meet againe suddenly        
after to ripen this matter & to pfect some of ye most necessary bills now       
depending                                                                       
     Whitehall. 12 Aprill. 1677.                                                
+Notwithstanding ye good defence ye Citydale of Cambray made of wch             
you have ye pticulars in print ye same was surrendred on ffryday last           
on very honble condicons to march out wth bagg & baggage &c  The King           
of ffrance has put ye troops yt were there into qters of refreshmt.  Wee        
expect our next letters will likewise give us an acct yt St Omer is             
taken & when yt is done they will doe noe more in fflanders This                
Summer but stand on ye defensive while ye send Detachmts towards Germany.       
The ffrench lost about 2000 men at Cambray & as many in ye late battle.         
+Wee have this afternoone ye fflanders letters  they give us a very             
melancholly acct vidt yt ye Dutch troops were repassed Bruges on                
Sunday, & Munday last was Sevennight together wth ye Prince of Orange           
& Count Waldeck whoo when ye Lrs came away had theire qters between             
Ghent & Bruges having likewise put theire troops into qters.  They say          
yt ye Prince has lost 8000 men of wch about 4000 are taken prisoners &          
they pticularly name severall Regimts, who from 1500 and 1000 are reduced       
to 150.200 & 4000 men, on ye other side some behaved themselves soe very        
ill yt 2 Colls & 4 Capts had been executed for cowardise.                       
+The Garrison of Maestricht has made incursion & burnt ye Country almost        
to ye Walls of Antwerp.                                                         
+Of ye Garrison of St Omer 1 Collonell 2 Majors 16 Captains & 7 Ensigns         
have wee heare been killed since this seige.  The Spaniards are treating        
wth ye Bishop of Munster for 12000 men.  Noe news yet of Lorrayns march.        
     Jovis Aprill. 12. 1677                                                     
+Mr Crooks bill read a 2d time & committed                                      
+A Bill to prvent frauds & p[er]iuries read a 3 time & passed                   
+A Message from ye Lds yt there Ldpps had agreed to ye Naturalizacon bill.      
Resolved                                                                        
+That a Clause bee added, to ye Bill for continuing ye additionall duty         
of Excise to enable his Matie to borrow 200000 L at 7 p Cent.                   
+That ye thanks of ye house bee presented to his Matie for laying before        
them his Maties sence of ye posture of affaires abroad & to let his Matie       
know yt in order to his Maties prparacons in pursuance of ye Address of         
this house for ye pservacon of the Kingdomes they have pvided a security        
of 200000 L & yt wtsoever of yt summe shall bee expended shall bee by           
them reimbursed & whensoever the posture of his Maties: affaires shall          
require theire attendance in Parliamt: they will bee ready to aide &            
assist him as ye nature of his Maties affaires shall require.                   
          Adiourned till. 2 to Morrow.                                          
[Handwriting changes for just this sentence:]                                   
   Mr Dugdale formerly Norroy is now made Garter principall King at Armes       
     L. c. 463     Veneris. 13 Aprilis 1677.                                    
+The Lady Mordants bill read & ordered a 2 reading.                             
+The amendmts of ye Bill to take away ye Writt De heritico Comburendo           
agreed to.                                                                      
+A Bill for ye more easy recovery of small tithes read a 3d time &              
passed.                                                                         
+Mr Standishes bill read a 3 time & passed.                                     
+Reasons to bee used at a conference wth ye Lds reported & a conference had     
accordingly.                                                                    
+A Bill sent from ye Lds for ye better observacon of ye Lds day read &          
ordered a 2d reading.                                                           
+A Bill to prvent seditious Pamphletts                                          
+A Bill to prvent incestuous marriages.                                         
          Adiourned till to morrow.                                             
+May it please your most excellent Matie                                        
+Wee your Maties most dutifull & loyall subjects ye Commons in the              
prsent Parliamt assembled doe wth great satisfacon of minde observe ye          
Care your Matie is pleased to expresse to our former address by                 
intimating unto us the late [word of about nine letters illegible] of           
affaires abroad & wee doe returne our most humble thanks for his                
Maties most gracious offer made to us thereupon in yo[u]r last                  
message & having taken a serious deliberacon of ye same & ye                    
prparons your Matie hath there in intimated to us were fitting to               
bee made in order to those publick ends Wee have for ye prsent pvided a         
Security in a Bill for ye addiconall duty of Excise upon wch your Matie         
may raise 200000 L & if your Matie shall thinke fit to call us together         
againe for this purpose in some short time after Easter by any publique         
significacons of your pleasure commanding our attendance  wee shall at          
our next meeting not onely be ready to reimburse yo[u]r Matie wt sums of        
money shall bee expended upon such extraordinary prepacons as shall bee         
made in pursuance of our former Address but shall likewise wth most             
cheerfull hearts pceed both then & at all times to furnish your Matie           
wth such large pporcons of assistances & supplyes upon this Occasion as         
may give your Matie & ye whole world an ample testimony of our loyaltyes        
& affeccons to your Maties service & may enable your Matie by the               
help of Almighty God to maintaine such strickter alliances as you               
shall enter into agt all opposicons wtsoever.                                   
     Sabatis 14 Aprill. 1677.                                                   
+The Lady Mordants bill read a 2d time & passed.                                
+Mr Squirs bill read a 3d time & passed.                                        
+An ingrost bill sent from ye Lds for setling ye Lawes of Stannaryes            
read & ordered a 2d reading.                                                    
+The house went into a 2d Conference wth ye Lds about ye amendmts made          
to ye Supply Bill & being returned resolved yt ye doe not agree to ye           
Amendmts.                                                                       
+Ordered yt a free conference be desired wth ye Lds wch is agreed by            
them to bee on Munday morning by 10 of ye Clock                                 
          Adiourned till Munday 8 a Clock.                                      
+Lrs from ffrance & fflanders this day doe both affirme St Omers to             
bee surrendred upon termes, ye pticulars not agreeeing I omit to                
incertainties & yt Ipres & Monts are both invested by ye ffrench fforces        
     L. c. 464     Whitehall 17th Aprill. 1677                                  
+On Saturday last ye 2 Houses had a free Conference, & yesterday a 2d           
concerning ye amendmt made by ye Lds in ye Supply Bill wch ye Lds               
afterwards agreed to leave out, & soe yt Bill as well as yt for                 
continuing ye Excise wth ye new Clause enabling his Matie: to raise             
200000 L were past.                                                             
+Yesterday about noone his Matie sent ye Commons another message to             
acquaint them yt ye 200000 L they had enabled him to borrow would not bee       
sufficient & yt his Matie should want ye Summ of 600000 L in order to ye        
doing such things as may answer ye ends of theire severall Addresses, his       
Matie assuring them yt he will on all occasions engage his whole Revenue        
to ye utmost for ye prservacon of ye Kingdome, of yt hee will never bee         
wanting to use ye best means for ye safety of his people his condicon is        
capable of.                                                                     
                   To wch ye House answered.                                    
+That they had found great cause to returne his Matye theire most               
humble thanks for ye said Message & ye gracious expressions therein             
contained, & to pray his Matie to rest assured yt his Matie shall finde         
as much duty & affeccon in them as can bee expressed by most loyall             
people to theire most gracious Soveraigne                                       
+That many of theire Members being gone out of Towne (in expectation of         
an Adiournmt before Easter) they cannot thinke it Parliamentary in theire       
absence to take upon them the granting of money, & therefore pray his           
Matie may adiourne for such short time (before ye summe of 200000 L can         
bee expended) as his Matie shall thinke fit, & by his Royall Proclamacon        
command the attendance of all theire members at ye day of meeting               
noe way doubting but at theire next assembling his Matie will not onely         
meet with a Compliance in the supply of his Maties desires but with all         
such farther assistance as ye posture of his Maties affaires shall              
require.                                                                        
+Accordingly about 7 in the Evening yesterday the Commons being called          
up to ye Lds house, his Matie gave his Royall assent to ye Supply Bill,         
that for ye Excise & severall other Publick & private Acts of which you         
shall have a list; That done my Ld Chancellor told them yt his Matie            
gave them leave to adiourne till ye 21th of ye next Moneth, as they             
accordingly did.                                                                
+A Peticon of ye Ld Wharton to ye Lords Spirituall & Temporall in               
Parliamt assembled was before presented & read in ye house of Lords             
praying for his Liberty; wch was referred by the house to his Matie to          
doe therein what his Matie shall please.                                        
+This morning early ye King is gone to Newmarkett.                              
+The Duke de Crequi accompanied with some other ffrench noblemen is             
expected here in a day or two to Complemt his Matie upon ye ffrench             
Kings arriveall at Dunkirk & Calais, & his being as it were in ye               
Neighbourhood, a thing yt has been alwayes heretofore practised.                
+The Earle of Sunderland is appointed by his Matie to returne the               
Complemt.                                                                       
+Wee have nothing new from abroad.                                              
     L. c. 465     Aprill 19 1677                                               
+The Brussells Lrs dated 16 tell us ye Count de Montalto had been with          
ye Prince of Orange to consult how to mannage theire affaires                   
          The ffrench in some of theire Lrs of ye 17 give a touch of            
ye loss yt befell to them in Officers of ye Gens de Armes &c  The               
Marquis de Beavian commander killed Villavert 3 Capts of ye Guards La           
Grange brother to ye Countess Souragour Officer of ye Guards Chevalier          
de la Huggette Marshall killed, Vienne le Bassies Bassier & Silly               
attendts upon Mounsieur in his chamber killed  The Chevalier of Lorrain         
Villertean Varrenne Capts of ye Guards Malesi & Montvellet wounded.             
          On ye 13 ye Lds sent a Bill to ye Commons to prevent seditious        
Pamphlets, a Bill to prevent incestuous marriages & ordered a 2d reading.       
ye bill for observation of ye Lords day  They agreed to ye amendmts to ye       
Bill to take away ye Writt de haretico comburendo past ye bill for ye           
more easie recovering of small tithes, & a bill to continue ye                  
additionall duty of Excise wth ye additionall clause to enable his Matie        
to borrow 200000 L at 7 L p Cent.                                               
+The same day ye Comons attended his Matie with theire Address of               
thanks &c                                                                       
      Both houses on ye 14 not agreeing on a conference adiourned till          
ye 16 at 10 of ye clock.                                                        
   The Dutch Lres date 20 tell us they have noe pticulars of their loss         
in ye late fight but yt it is beleived to bee in the whole about 7000           
men.                                                                            
     His Matie went early on ye 17 to newmarket & dined there that day.         
     The ffrench king being come to Dunkirk his Matie has sent ye               
Earle of Sunderland & his Royall Highnes has sent the Ld Duras to               
complemt him.  The Duke of Crequi, & Arch Bpp of Rheines & President of         
ye Parliamt: of Paris, the Prince of Monaco, the Count Soissons Monsieur        
Buerrilloon late Plenipotentiary at Cologne Marquis of Miremirill               
Chevalier de Bizun wth servall other psons of quality in all 22, are            
sent from ye ffrench King hither on ye same errand whoo were on ye 19           
treated at Easton.                                                              
+On the 18 ye Duke of new Castle & Ld high Treasurer were installed             
knights of ye Garter at Windsor.                                                
     On ye 16 his Matie was pleased to give his Royall assent to all            
Publick bills compleated, & to 14 private Bills.                                
     On ye 16 the Commons ordered the Bill for releife of poore Prisoners       
to bee ingrost, & about noone his Matie sent the Commons another Message        
to acquaint them yt ye 200000 L they had enabled him to borrow would not        
bee sufficient & yt his Matie should want the Summe of 600000 L in order        
to the doing such things as may answer ye ends of theire severall               
Addresses his Matie assuring them yt hee will on all occasions engage           
his Revenue to ye utmost for ye preservation of ye kingdomes & yt hee           
will never bee wanting to use ye best means for ye safety of his people;        
his condition is capable of.                                                    
     To wch ye house answerd yt they have found great cause to returne          
his Matie theire most humble thanks for ye 1st message & the gracious           
expressions therein contained & to pray his Matie to rest assured yt            
his Matie shall finde as much duty & affeccon in them as can bee                
expressed by the most loyall people to theire most gracious Soveraigne.         
+That many of theire members being gone out of towne in expectation of          
an Adiounmt before Easter they cannot thinke Parliamentary in theire            
absence to take upon them ye granting of money, & therefore they pray           
his Matie they may adjourne for such short time before ye summe of              
200000 L can bee expended as his Matie shall thinke fit, & by his               
Royall Proclamation to command the attendance of all theire Members             
at the day of meeting Noe way doubting but at theire next Assembling            
his Matie will not onely meet wth a Compliance in the supply of his             
Maties: desires but withall such further assistance as the posture of           
his Maties affaires shall require.                                              
     A Peticon of ye Lord Wharton to ye Lords Spirituall & temporall in         
Parliamt assembled was before prsented & read in ye house of Lds                
praying for his Liberty wch was referred by ye house to his Matie to            
doe therein what his Matie shall please.                                        
          The last Lres from Thoulon speake of a saile of ships lately          
gone thence for Messina commanded by Monsieur de Maury who are to ioyne         
14 there already  There remained in Port 7 Gallies & 2 halfe Gallies who        
were to goe to the coast of Catalonia to wait ye motion of 4 Spanish            
Gallies at Barcelona; The 1600 Swissers under ye command of Coll: Stoupe        
& 300 dragoons went for Scicily wth 9 men of warre theire Convoy who            
tooke 30 Saile of ships & Satias [?] wth provisions & ffrom ye Isle of          
Rees.                                                                           
      The Dutch Lres dat 23 tell us yt besides ships designed for ye            
Baltick 5 light ffriggots are prparing to cruse upon ye Coast of Norway         
& 5 other for ye use of ye East India Ships.                                    
     The Earle of ffeversham is said to bee lately dead.                        
          Whitehall 19 Aprill. 1677                                             
+The ffrench having as it were ended theire Campaign in fflanders, &            
ye Spaniards not having as yet begun theires wee have noe great matter          
too report from those parts.  The fflanders Lres continue to speake of          
ye late battle wth great commendations of the Princes valour & conduct in       
the Retreat hee made, & even from ye Spaniards whoe never before said           
any good of him.                                                                
          The great expectation is from the Germans; The Duke of                
Lorrain is certainly ere this wth 20000 men at Luxemburg from whence            
its beleived hee will make incursion into Lorrain where hee hath hopes          
to finde ye disposicon of ye people very favourable to him, And in ye           
meane time ye whole Imperiall Army will begin to move & to march to             
theire Rendevouz neare ffrankfort.                                              
     In ye meane time little passes at Nimeghen for neither side desire         
a peace till they see farther success of this Campaign wch ye                   
Confederates hope to end as successfully as ye ffrench have begun it.           
     The Lds prsented an Address to his Matie in wch they reprsent yt           
contrary to theire Judgmt they had withdrawne theire Amendmt in ye              
Supply Bill to manifest theire duty & affeccon to his Matie & rather            
then that a Bill of soe much use & benefit to ye Nation should bee              
lost, & yt for this Reason onely they had preserved the Publick benefitt        
before ye consideracon of theire owne rights & priviledges wch they             
prayed his Matie to accept as a lasting testimony of theire zeale &             
affeccons to his Matie & ye kingdomes service,  To wch his Matie                
answered yt hee tooke theire Address very kindly & yt hee should bee            
as carefull of theire priviledges as themselves should desire.                  
+The ffrench king has put his troops into quarters of refreshmt in              
Picardy where they will continue till ye 30th of ye next Moneth; In             
ye meane time ye King is at Dunkirk & Calais, & from thence will goe            
to Paris, & about ye middle of ye next Moneth take ye feild & begin             
ye Campaign anew.                                                               
     L. c. 466     Hague 20/30 Aprill 1677                                      
+That wch I wrote last Post of a treaty concluded between Spain &               
Munster is now confirmed by Monsr Vermuelen who negotiated it at                
Brussells, & is returned from thence, The 9000 men wch ye Bpp is to             
furnish consist in 6000 foot 2000 horse & 1000 Dragoons to bee commanded        
by Generall Wedell, but soe as that hee must bee under ye comand of ye          
Spanish Generall.  The 4000 men wch ye said Bpp sends to Denmarke are           
I heare actually on theire March & have past ye Weser on theire way             
thither.  The last Lres wee had from our Army informe us yt severall            
psons who wee supposed to bee killed or taken prisoners in ye late              
fight come daily to fight.  That of ye Regimt of ffallenburg wch                
behaved it selfe very ill 9 men had been drawne out by lott, yt is one          
out of every Company who had been hanged for an Example to ye rest  That        
ye Prince of Orange lookt wth a very ill eye upon severall psons of note        
for not having done theire duty.  That hee had caused to bee distributed        
to each Capt of foot 5 L & to each Capt of horse 7 L for each man they          
lost in ye fight pvided theire Companies were recruited by the midle            
of May.  severall fresh Regimts are on theire March to ye Army & among          
others the English Regimts who had theire quarters at Breda.  Wee are           
assured yt ye Prince of Orange intends to make ye Seiur Benting his             
favourite generall of the troops of his horse & to give ye command of           
Generall of ye Infantry to ye Count de Sohnes Coll of his foot guards.          
+It is very notorious yt nothing is more wanted in our Army then good           
Generall Officers.                                                              
        Trier 25 Aprill.                                                        
+yesterday arrived here the Duke of Lorraine his Army wch consist of            
10000 horse & 6000 foot encamping in the Neighbourhood, to morrow they          
will passe the Moselle over our bridge & march towards Lorraine, at             
which ye ffrench are greatly allarmed & have put a strong Garrison into         
Diodenhoven.                                                                    
          Mentz 24 Aprill.                                                      
+The Imperiall troops wch had theire quarters in ye Countey of Wirtemberg       
& other places are marching towards the Rhyne wch they will pass at             
Oppenheim, & soe follow ye Duke of Lorraine.  The troops of the Circles         
& those of ye Prince of Saxony march towards Brisac wch place they will         
block up.                                                                       
          Paris 28 Aprill.                                                      
+The Garrison of St Omer marched out with bagg and baggage & 2 peices           
of Cannon being about 2500 foot & 500 horse.  The Mareschall de                 
Schomberg is to command our forces on ye side of Catalonia where ye             
Spaniards will have a very good Army this Campaigne                             
+The King will visit all his places in fflanders & its beleived will            
cause some of the most inconsiderable to bee demolished.                        
+The Duke of Lorrain wee heare marches wth 18 or 20000 men towards Metz.        
          Whitehall 24 Aprill 1677                                              
+The above is what come from abroad since my last.                              
+The Dukes of Crequi & Bovillon went to Newmarket on Saturday, & had            
audience of the king that morning, they will bee back here againe on            
Thursday next, but his Matie does not returne till fryday or Saturday           
sevennight.                                                                     
+There is a talke in towne of a blazing starre that has been seen in            
Holland & here in England within few dayes                                      
     L. c. 467     21 Aprill 1677                                               
          Whitehall                                                             
+Yesterday wee had a fflanders Post, & ye following will give you an            
acct of ye News in those parts.                                                 
          Brussells 27 Aprill                                                   
+The Envoy of Munster parted from hence on Sunday having reced Bills            
for 50000 Crownes at Amsterdam, his master is to send 9000 men forthwth         
hither,  And besides yt Bpp is to receive 20000 Crowns L Moneth.  The           
Duke of Zell is alsoe to send ye like number, & ye Bpp of Osnabrug              
6000, for wch they have both reced moneys, And wth these Supplies our           
Governour computes hee shall have an Army of 30000 men wch hee will             
command himselfe; & wee are assured yt by ye end of May ye Prince of            
Orange will have his Army compleated to above 40000 men with wch forces         
they hope they shall bee able to recover theire losses & to reestablish         
theire affaires before ye end of ye Campaigne; One Army being to                
beseige some considerable place, while the other cover them & make              
head agst ye Enemie, But where they will find Subsistence for 2 such            
Armies I cannot yet see.  Besides those Armyes the Duke of Lorrain will         
bee at ye head of 40000 Imperialists, & ye Prince of Saxony will command        
a body of 20000 men in Brisgow.                                                 
   On Sunday morning ye Governour of Cambray came hither; One great             
dissatisfaction is exprest in generall for ye soe sudden surrender of           
it, but ye Officers all assert yt they wanted sevrall things necessary          
for its defence.                                                                
+It is certaine yt none behaved themselves soe well as the Irish who kept       
a halfe Moone till ye Cittadell capitulated, & of 300 there are not 150         
left; The king tooke pticular notice of them, & gave them great                 
commendations.                                                                  
+On Saturday wee had Lres from Ipres of ye 23 wch said that ye 21 ye ffrench    
made a Generall assault upon St Omer & were repulsed, but yt ye beseiged        
considering ye danger began to Parley, but not being able to obtain the         
conditions they desired, brake off againe, and began to shoot againe            
as furiously as ever, But this day his Excie reced Lres wch assures him         
yt ye place is surrendred & yt ye Garrisons is come to Ghent.                   
+The ffrench forces are at prsent in quarters & ye king is at Dunkirk.          
+The Marquis de Risbourg ye late Governour of Valienciennes is come             
hither to give his Excie an acct of the unhappy losse of that place. Our        
Spanish Lres tell us yt that govermt is not soe well setled, but that           
there are great factions & iealousies yt ye King by some speeches hee           
had let fall hath given Don Juan an apprehension least his Matie should         
take an occasion of seeing ye Queen, wch is ye cause yt Don Juan hastens        
his journey to Arragon & Catalonia.                                             
+Wee are further told that ye Court was infinitely surprised to heare           
of ye Losse of Valienciennes, but doubtless will bee much more when             
they understand that Cambray, St Omer & a battle is lost.                       
          Cologne 23 Aprill.                                                    
+The Lres wee receive from Mentz tell us that all the Imperiall forces          
have quitted theire winter quarters & are marching towards ye Rhyne to          
ioyne the body the Duke of Lorrain is advancing wth to ye Mosselle; It          
is said yt that Duke takes his March directly towards metz.                     
+The Osnaburge troops doe not yet budge.                                        
     L. c. 468     Whitehall Aprill 26 1676                                     
+Mr Lawrence Hyde is making prpations to return to Nimeghen in quality          
of Ambr extraordinary & Plenipotentiary from his Matie                          
+The Unity of Poole arrived from Barbadoes at Portsmouth on ye 19.              
the master reports yt having been upon his passage 9 weeks hee saw              
10 dayes before 3 Dutch men of War in Carlisle Road of Heer Binches             
squadron, & that in the ofing hee saw 10 or 12 saile of ffrench men of          
Warr, the Dutch commander sent a small vessell ye day before to Tobago          
to give them an acct that the ffrench were on theire Coast, & the next          
day, the 3 men of War set sale toward Tobago to ioyne those here.               
+The Brussells Lres dat 27 tell us Ministers of Osnaburg & Munster had          
signed an Agreemt wth the Duke de Villa Hermosa  ye former of them              
parted on Sunday wth a Bill of Exchange upon Amsterdam of 50m                   
Pattacoons his Mr being to send 9000 men forthwth for ye Assistance of          
those Countryes for wch hee is to receive 20m crownes monthly, the 1st          
to be pd upon theire arrival.  The Duke of Lunenburgh Zell is to                
furnish 9000 The Bishop of Osnaburg 6000 soe yt ye Duke de Villa                
Hermosa wth his owne will bee at the head of an Army of 30m men                 
about ye end of next moneth, about wch time Monsr Dickfeild has pmised          
the Prince of Orange his Army shall bee made up 40m  The French King            
has made Monsr Cesau formerly Gouvernour of Conde Governor of                   
Cambray sent a body of 15000 toward Marshall Crequi & given the rest            
of the troops quarters of refreshmt for 3 weeks.  The troops under the          
command of the Duke of Lorraine were thought by yt time to bee at               
Luxemburg whose design was genally psumed to bee to enter into ffrance,         
the Rendevous of ye Gross of ye Army of ye Empour is assigned about             
Phillipsburgh May 1st & a body of 15000 men is to bee under ye command          
of the Prince of Baden, & the Prince of Saxe Lawenburgh.                        
+The french are busie about fortifying Metz & Nancy summoning ye Country        
10 miles about to worke on them, Theire troops begin to march toward            
Thornville, where they intend to Encampe                                        
+The Sieur-Beatus Holfhab Ambr from ye Cantons of Swisserland has               
acquainted the Empr, yet they will not suffer him to make any Levyes or         
recruits in theire territories  Conditionally his Imperiall Matie the           
Empire & Allies will maintain wth them an exact Neutrality.                     
+They write from Nimeghen date 12 yt ye Assembly at yt prsent was               
small & ye busines lesse, many of the Munsters having gone to Wesell            
to meet the Elector of Brandenburg, & not returned  Monser Benerning was        
wth them on the Tuesday before the prtence of whose goeing was to see           
his gardens at Lockhurst though most are of opinion yt hee went to get          
further instructions then hee had before yt hee might push on ye busines        
of his Ma[ste]r: with more earnestnes.  One whoe goes under ye title of a       
Count is arrived there on behalfe of ye Duke of Holstein Gottorpe who has       
recommended his Maties business to ye Mediators                                 
+They write from Vienna yt those 4 regimts yt were listed of ye Rebells         
of Hungary for ye service of ye Empr declare themselves unwilling to            
march upon prtence yt there yet remaine some difficulties in ye Treaty,         
& yt they have not recd a full assurance of those advantages wch they           
promise to themselves, but wtever ye disappointmt of these men                  
may doe there is noe great danger to be apprhended from them, otherwise         
for yt ye Grand Seignior has made fresh pmises of his intention to              
keep the Peace, & yt they stand in ill terms wth those yt gave them             
refuge upon a discovery lately made of a Conspiracy agst Abassi Prince          
of Transylvania in wch ye Ring Leaders of those Rebells were principally        
concerned & sevrall of them made Prisoners for it.                              
+Tis said here his Matie will on Saturday next returne to Whitehall.            
+Some shipps lately arrived from Barbadoes left that Island in a very           
good condition, they say yt Count Estre had been about those parts &            
was gone for Tobago wch they supposed hee had taken.                            
+They write from Paris dat May 1st yt ye ffrench King was on ye 28              
at Calais, & yt hee put off the assembling of his troops near Tourney           
to ye 15th & it was thought would give them further repose till ye 20th.        
Hee goes to visit all his Conquests to see yt they bee provided wth             
all things necessary for defence, & to give fresh orders where hee              
findes any defect in ye ffortifications, his curiosity will carry him           
alsoe to veiw the place of Battle near Mount Cassell of wch ye ffrench          
have printed given an acct & a list of ye Officers of ye Sevrall Regimts        
killed, & wounded, & taken Prisoners by the Dutch, from wch wee may collect     
yt ye losse of the ffrench was very considerable in yt Battle, the list         
taking up a whole sheet of Paper printed on all sides  Monsr de Lonvoy          
left the King & went to Metz & Nancy to see those places well pvided            
agst any attempt the Imperialists might make, wch yet Marshall Crequi           
has very well furnished with soldiers & provisions, as alsoe Thould &           
Verdun to go prvent the Imperialists gaining yt Post by wch they must           
open a passage into Lorraine  They talke yt Luxemburgh has recorded a           
German Garison where the Purveyers have been busie in making all necessary      
Provision of Virtualls, the Imperiall Army being to pass yt way.                
How ye King will dispose his troops at the Genall Rendevouz near                
Tournay is not said but however they are furnishing Versailles as               
if hee intended to returne thither, The Cardinall D'Estrees in his              
returne from Rome will have a Commission to visit all the Princes of            
Italy to take off there Jealousies of ffrance to engage them not to Act         
any thing agst them.                                                            
+Tis said now yt his Matie will not returne to Whitehall till munday may        
happly not till Wedensday.                                                      
+The Queen hath for some dayes continued ill yet God be praised not soe         
as some about towne talked as if there were any danger of her Recovery.         
+The Brussells Lres dat 30 advise yt ye Duke de Villa Hermosa is very           
well satisfied wth ye Acct hee had from the Prince of Orange.  The              
Squadron of Dutch men of War are hastning to cruise upon ye coast of            
fflanders to keep in ye ffrench Privateers about Dunkirk & Calais &             
to give an Allarme to ye Coast of ffrance to make a diversion to the            
ffrench forces whilst ye Prince of Orange on one side & ye Duke de              
Villa Hermosa on ye other may attempt something by Land.                        
+Madrid Aprill 8th upon a Reprsentation made by ye Councell of State            
the King has caused a Decree to bee published in wch it is declared yt          
his Highnes Don Juan of Austria shall bee for ye future treated on all          
occasions as Infante of Spain, & accordingly on Sunday last his Highnes         
accompanied the King to ye Chappell where hee had a chaire given him            
at a small distance from ye King.                                               
    [On outside of letter a (frivolous?) note in another hand:]                 
     Mem:  It is now agreed by and between H. Waite of Milton G. and            
R. Brian of Arbury Butler that in case hee the said R B can gain the            
concent of Eliz. the Daughter of the said Hugh by any fair and fitting          
meanes; that hee the said R. B. shall have the full and free consent of         
mee the said Hugh her father.  In witnesse whereof I have hereunto set          
my hand and seal this day of. [sic]                                             
     L. c. 469     [Handwriting changes here.]      Aprill 30 1676              
     Brussells 30 Aprill 1676                                                   
+Monsr de Motte the Chiefe Minester here is returned ffrom the Prince           
of Orange haveing adjusted what he went about to our governors                  
satisfaction, it seemes it is Concerted Between his highness and his            
Exelencie that a squadron of men of war consisting of 18 of which some          
shall be ostenders shall Cruse in the Channell Between ostend and               
Calais to obliege the ffrench King to draw some forces that way                 
     wee are told ffrom the ffrench Conquests that the ffrench King is          
visiting all his garrisons, that great preparations are makeing at              
Aoth for the Kings Reception and that vast quantities of Bread is               
Baking in all the townes Round, That the ffrench have a Campe at Anom           
Neare oudenarde which makes us suspect they may once more attempt our           
Canall                                                                          
     on Sunday the duke of Montalto generall of our horse went to ghent         
to see what body of Cavalry might be drawne togather for the Campaigne          
the garison of st omers which is Come to ghent is 1200 foot and 400             
horse a great many haveing deserted and gone Into the ffrench service           
     wee are now thinkeing to provide subsistance for the greate armyes         
are ill mannagers that they will quickly make havocke of what wee can           
provide                                                                         
     his Exelensie has declared that Neither officers Nor soldiers of           
his army must Exspect to have any more wages this year the Countrey not         
Being able to pay Contributions by which it may be judged In what               
Condition wee are In                                                            
     A Bridge of boates is layd over the Schelde Neere Antwerpe for the         
passage of the troops upon occasion and forts are Makeing on Each side          
for the greater security of it                                                  
     ffrom treves they write that the duke of Lorraine had passed the           
Moselle there and had sent out strong parties towards the Saar to take          
an account of the Enemie; Its said he will not make any Considderable           
Attempt till the Rest of the Army is joyned him which will be about a           
moneth hence for at prsent Crequi is much stronger then he and dayly            
Receives detachements ffrom fflanders, and therefore the duke of Lorraine       
Complaines that his designes are Broken by the soe sudden surrender of          
Cambray and St Omer which wee had Exspected would have given the Enemie         
worke for at last 2 moneths and have kept them for sending there forces         
soe Early towards germany                                                       
     The prince of Orange is makeing all the hast he Can to take the            
feild to have a Revenge                                                         
     paris 1 may 1677                                                           
+wee have advice ffrom Metz that the Marshall Crequi has defeated 3 or          
4000 horse of the duke of Lorraines which were advanced towards the             
saar, the King Continues In flanders and the 21st of this moeth the army        
army takes the feild againe                                                     
     wee are in Exspectation to heare of some Considerable Exployte of          
the Count d Estrees in the west Indies, Its said he had passed by the           
barbados and at the ffrench leeward Islands had taken on board 3 or             
4000 land men                                                                   
     hague 4 may 1677                                                           
+The money that was to be Advanced to the Bishop of Munster for the             
troops he is to put Into the service of Spaine hath Been already paid           
at Amsterdam where the ships designed for Scicily are fitting out with          
all the Expedition posible                                                      
     I am told by one that knowes that In the Princes letter which was          
printed giveing an account of the late fight severall clauses were              
left out for In the letter sent the states his highness uses these              
very words; And At lengh our troops Not being able to withstand the             
Enemie quitted there posts and were entirely routed, wee pssed the small        
brooke aswell as wee could and not being able to Rally our men Retired          
In much disorder, I Cannot as yet give your lordships the perticulars           
of our loss, But you will inogue [?] that In soe generall a Route it            
must Needs be very greate                                                       
     An officer of Note who is prisoner at Amiens since the fight               
writes, that there and at Abbeville are about 80 dutch officers and 1700        
common soldiers prisoners                                                       
     The  provinces have agreed to furnish a good summe of money for            
Recruiteing the army and accordingly New Leavies are Makeing all those          
provences over                                                                  
     The Jealousie that the dukes of Lunenburge are going to quitt              
the alliance still Continues                                                    
     Brussells 4 may 1677                                                       
     The prince of Roeber [?] with the Chiefest officers that were In           
St omer are Come hither by whose Relation they might have kept the              
towne Much longer but that they wanted powder haveing Noe more left             
when they capitulated then would have served them for 4 dayes                   
     The prince of orange Continues still where he was Neere ghent              
Recruiteing his army which will be suddenly In a very good posture and          
Ready to march                                                                  
     ffrom Maestricht wee are told they Continue workeing at there              
fortifications and that they had summoned all the Countrey Round to             
Bring In there carts and waggons which gives there Neibors a Jealousie          
they have some greate designe In hand                                           
     wee heare that the ffrench Intend to have a Campe at poitou where          
the prince of Conde was posted at the Battle of Seuneffe to Cover               
Charleroy                                                                       
     our last Advices ffrom the duke of Lorraine say that he was marched        
to actom in Luxenburg which bends towards the meuse Either to Charlemont        
or Namur But that he would not Attempt anything till the Rest of the            
Imperiall armye had joyned him for its Certain that Crequi is at                
present stronger then he and Besides its said that Crequi has given             
orders for the destroying all the villages upon the Saar that the               
Imperiallists may want subsistance                                              
     The french are likewise formeing a Campe Neere Bentfield in                
Alsace; the ffrench King was on Sunday last at Lisle and this day               
at Courtray                                                                     
     L. c. 470     [Handwriting changes here.]     Paris 4. May 1677            
+The King is expected here about ye middle of the next Moneth, after            
having visitted his severall garrisons in fflanders, but as yet wee know        
not to whome hee will leave the Command of his fforces there, some              
speake of the Duke of Luxemburg, & others of Mareschall Schomberg.              
+ffrom Metz they write that the Duke of Lorraine had hardly with him            
16000 men, & that it was not beleived hee would begin any action till           
his Army was much stronger.                                                     
     yesterday wee had Lres from Spain, which give us an account that           
Don Juan of Austria was declared by the King & Counsell of State                
capable of the Succession to the Crowne, & that in case the King does           
without heires Males lawfully begotten Don Juan shall accordingly bee           
lookt upon and acknowledged as King of Spaine; which is a step of that          
importance that many are of opinion it may give occasion to new troubles        
in Spaine.                                                                      
          Whitehall 1 May                                                       
+None of our fforraigne Lres which were due this day, being yet come in,        
wee are wanting matter to make this longer; All that I can tell you is          
that a Gentleman come over from fflanders assures us, that the                  
designe of the Spaniards is to bee beleived that the Prince of Orange           
is to beseige Charleroy, & the Germans Brisac while the Duke of                 
Lorraine continues about Luxemburg watching an opportunity to fall              
into ffrance and to that purpose the Spaniards will put Luxemburg into          
the hands of the Imperialists.                                                  
+I have seen a list of the Officers killed & wounded on the ffrench             
side in the last fight which ammounts to 320, besides 3 or 4 taken              
Prisoners, And this is remarked that though the Dutch were beaten               
& lost many more men, yet they had but 120 Officers killed wounded              
and taken Prisoners, wch does not much commend them.                            
     L. c. 471     Whitehall. 5. May 1677                                       
This morning ye Duke de Crequi parted from hence on his returne for             
ffrance.  The Duke de Bullion & some others whoe came over together             
will stay here about 8 or 10 dayes longer.                                      
+The King has appointed a Yatcht to passe over for Holland or fflanders         
to transport hither ye Count of Wallenstein who comes hither in quality         
of Envoy Extraordinary from ye Empour to his Matie  he is a man of great        
quality, & Knt of ye Order of ye Golden ffleece                                 
+His grace ye Duke of Ormond whome his Matie has appointed to succeed ye        
Earle of Essex in ye Goverment of Ireland is prparing for his Journey.          
+The fforeign Lres wch ought to have arrived yesterday & today are not          
yet come in.                                                                    
                 To ye Kings most Excellent Matie                               
The humble Petition of George Duke of Buckingham; James Earle of                
Salisbury, & Anthony Earle of Shaftsbury                                        
                 Most humbly sheweth:                                           
[Hole in paper removes the first six or so letters of nearly all lines          
in this paragraph:]                                                             
+[hole] Maties most dutifull & loyall subiects having [hole]all weeks           
under close imprisonmt the [hole]of hath been increased by our                  
apprhension [hole] your Maties displeasure, & assuring our [hole] Maties        
naturall ppensity to all Acts of [hole] beg leave in all humble manner to       
have recourse to it being desirous to owe our enlargmt to God, your             
Maties goodness & favour.                                                       
     Therefore wee most humbly beseech your Matie yt you would bee              
graciously pleased to give order yt your Petitioners may bee but at             
Liberty, wch as it is alwayes valueable, is more pticularly soe to us at        
this time, in regard of our health & affaires, and your Petitioners shall       
ever pray                                                                       
+The Kings answer to ye ffrench Monsrs lately sent over.                        
+His Matie having heard theire Pposals would not admit of any private           
conferences wth them yt hee might thereby avoid ye Jealousies of ye             
Confederate Ministers.                                                          
+The Answer wch hee returned was yt hee should bee glad if some good            
aspect would appeare of a sudden peace, yt ye further spreading of ye War       
might bee prvented thereby, yt such things might bee expected if ye most        
Christian King would not insist soe much upon his high termes, but let          
fall pt of them in wch case his Matie might bee ye better able to indure        
ye Parliamt to rest this yeare wthout pressing him to engage this Nation        
in this War, but yt otherwise hee hath great reason in consideration of         
ye Consequences not soe slis from a good hand yt ye whole relacon wee have had          
here concerning ye P of Orange is scandalous & false & yt he endeavours         
by all meanes to come to an engagemt wth ye Enemy.                              
+The States who were assembled here & who seemed before disposed to have        
given his Excy a good summe of money have upon this news declared they          
will not give one penny  And when his Cannon was brought into ye                
Markett place from ye Army ye people filled them up wth peares & plumbes        
affirming them to bee fitter then bulletts & at length they grew soe            
insolent yt ye Magistrates could hardly prvent them from committing             
great disorder                                                                  
+I am told for certaine yt his High: did yesterday assure his Excy hee          
would undertake any enterprise should bee thought reasonable but before         
hee made yt pmise his High told his Excy publiquely at his owne qrters in       
prsence of our Genlls yt hee understood some of them had taken ye               
liberty to speake of him wthout ye respect yt became them adding yt when        
hee found them out hee would cudgell them at ye head of his Excys Army,         
this I am assured hee spake & yt wth some heat.                                 
+Last night ye D of Albemarle arrived here & this day parted hence for          
ye Princes Army.                                                                
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