L. c. 211 August 10 1675 +Wee are told from Windsor that on Saturday last Mr de Ruvigine received an expresse from the Governr of Cabre, giving an acct of the defeate of Monsr de Crequis army near Treves, & the Marschalls being taken prisonr, the manner is said to be, that the Marschal receiving advice that the Duke of Lorraine & the other confederates had begun the seige of Treves, & were busied about makeing their lines about the towne, he thought he might with safety enough beate upon of [sic[ their quarters, but the Duke of Lorraine haveing advice of his March, was better prepared to receive him, than the Marshalls had expected, for he drewe his & the Lunenburgh troops from the seige & advanced to meet the ffrench, sending at the same time a strong army round about, to come upon the ffrench in their Rear, by which means the ffrench, were beset on all sides, almost all their foot Reckoned at 4000 men of the best Regimts of ffrance were cut of, their horse was 3000 who were many of them killed, 8 the rest fled, It is certainely said that as well at Brussells as at the Hague is arived some person on the part of the Mutiners of Britany to designe protection & assistance but we doe not heare what the States have answered for the matter is managed very privately +Wee doe not hear any thing of the Duch fleet under De Ruyter to the Streights, the last Lettrs is from Holland, telling that it had been proposed in the states to imploy the said De Ruyter in the Baltique against the Swedes but nothing was resolved upon it +The Letters from ffrance just now arrived confirme the defeate of Crequi, but disagree with the aforesaid in severall perticulers. they say that the Lorraine & the Lunenburg had not beseiged Treves, but onely pertended to do so, to draw Crequi that way; that Crequi had with him 8000 men, & advanced to Succor the place keeping still the River Saor between him & the Enemy which he was informed was no where fordable, but he was mistaken for the Confederates found 3 or 4 fords fell upon Crequi on a suddain, & his men after some resistance, finding themselves overpowered fled, about 3000 of the ffrench was killed upon that place, the rest escaped through the greedines of the Germans who presently fell aplundering the Bagage, which they tooke as well as all Crequis artillery, he himselfe fleed with 5 or 6 men, & got safe to Treves, the Duke d ffrouillade is gathering the scattered troops of Crequis army, in whose stead he is to Command, & has already with some fresh troopes, gott 7000 men together, The Prince of Conde was arrived in the army near the Rhine with 3000 horse, the foot followed. The Duke de Duras was likewise arrived there from the Strathe Comte with what troopes he could draw from thence haveing onely left there 2500 men Montecuculys according to the advice they had at Paris was encamped between Colmar ffleckstadt [?[ & the ffrench army not fair from thence +The former was reckoned 30000 men, & the latter not above 18000 before the Prince of Conde & De Duras arrived. +De Vivonne has certainly quitted Messina haveing brought of with him severall of the Principal Rebells. L. c. 212 August 11 1675 +Since Sunday last there hath been some disorder about the suburbs of the Citty as about Spittle feild Southwarke & occasioned by severall loose disorderly persons, who call themselves silke weavers; they pretended to be aggrieved that many of their owne profession did worke with a certaine Engine (which its said was first invented in Queen Elizabeths time) by means of which two men & a boy could doe as much worke as 20 men could doe otherwise & consequently all that had been brought up to that mistery, could not find imployment by reason of the encrease of those Loomes or Engines, this I say being the pretende grievance, monday, fryday, & yesterday they assembled in severall Companies first about Spitlefeild, & afterwards in Southwarke, broken open the Houses where such loomes were, broke them in pieces & afterwards burnt them; Yesterday in Southwarke they setting upon a house and the Master thereof defending it, one of the rabbles was killed. & two others wounded. +Yesterday a Counsell was held at Whitehall and the Duke of Monmouth came to towne, for though the thing in it selfe seems but a foolish businesse & without any designe then to destroy the said loomes, yet it hath been though fitt that a vigorous course should be taken for the suppressing these Riotors, & bringing the Ring leaders to exemplary punishment. The fflanders letters which came in last night late, brought us not any thing of news, but confirmed the defeate of the Marshall de Crequi, that is of his Infantery, for his horse made a shift to escape. The Prince of Orang did not yet stirr from Hall expecting that the ffrench Army, or at least part of it commanded by the Duke of Lunenburgh would be at last forced to quitt fflanders, to goe to the assistance of the ffrench in Alsatia. The duke de Duras was arrived there & had taken the Command of the Army which was not above a league & halfe from Strasburg. The Imperiallists with whome were likewise the troop of the Circles under the Command of the Duke of Saxon Lawenburg, pretended to goe & attacque Haguenaw, where the ffrench have a Magazine +Those late successes of the Germans against Turene & Crequi have very much encouraged people in fflanders & Holland, insomuch that the actions of the East India Company are allready raised 10 p cent It is said on all hands that Crequi escaped himselfe, but no body well knows where he is, though the ffrench will say he got to Treves, which is still beseiged, & will its thought not hold out long +No farther action passes between the Swedes & Brandenburgs, though there may suddenly for the Imperialists under Caps have joyned the latter [?[. The Imperialists being reinforced by sevrall troops of the Circle they say past the Rhine on the 8 & were on their march to give the ffrench battle. The Count d'Lorge is said to be retyred & the Army to be Commanded till the arrivall of the prince of Conde by the Marshall d'Duras who has joyned them with a Recruit of 6000 men drawne out of the Neighbouring Garrisons, Marshall Schombergh has taken Colcastle a place of much Consequence to him as being the Cheife Sanctuary of the Micklers who gave him much disturbance +The Seditious at Nevers are appeased Monsr Matignon is sent towards those at Avranche and an Amnesty sent to Dyon, There was lately an skirmish betwt some of the nobility of Bretagne & the Seditious in which the Nobility killed 40 of them. L. c. 213 August 14 1675 +There has been for many yeares, a difference in the body of the Ribbon weavers, about a certaine sort of loome or frame, called an engine loome, with which one man is able to weave as much worke as ten men can doe with the ordinary loome, on monday last some of the common weavers that worked with the ordinary loome, gott together in Spittle feilds to destroy all those Engine loomes and by the negligence of the Civil Magistrates proceeded to execute their designe, in severall houses in Southwarke, and other places about the towne, but without any other violence, then barely to fetch out their loomes, where the[y] heard they were and burnt them at their doores, and in any place the Owners freely delivered them for feare of worse usage, though all were not of that mind for on tuesday [?] was killed one man, & two wounded in Southwarke by a man that defended himselfe and his house, but on Wednesday in the afternoon the Lords of the Privy Councell meetting at Whitehall commanded a proclamation to be issued streightly charging the said weavers, and others forthwith to repaire to their severall houses, & forbare any farther Assembly on paine of beeing proceeded against as Traitors, & gave such other vigourous orders, that Yesterday all was everywhere quitt, except that in Westminster, about a 100 of the rabble gott together and burnt an Engine, but 7 or 8 happened to be met with by the guard & was taken by them, brought before the Councell and after examination sent to prison, severall others are likewise in prison, & will doubtless be made examples +a Comission of Oyer and Terminer is issueing out for the trying them as guilty of treason and rebellion Mr Greenvill Brother to the Earle of Bath, is parted on his journey to Savoy whither he is sent by his Maty to make his Complimt of Condolence to the Duchesse and young Duke +The 11 instant arrived a vessell at Lime, in 6 Weekes from Barbadoes, who bring advice that Just before her comeing away, there had been discovered a Conspiracy among the blacks to destroy the Whites, that some had been already executed, and tho farther surch was makeing after the principall continuers of this wicked designe, which had been formed with greater cunning & sorcery then any other of that kind, & was carryed on till the time it was to be executed, for the blacks belonging to one Capt seventy did arise & killed their patron. +Wee have an account from Newengland of the riteing [sic] of the Indians, in those Colonis that they had already killed severall English & burnt & plundered their houses, upon which they of Boston had set out 4 or 500 men horse, & foot they of Plymouth had likewise sett out some men and those together prosecuted the Indians, who at the comeing away of those ships, continued greatly to infeast the English. L. c. 214 August 17 1675 +The letters we had on Saturday and Sunday last from Holland and fflanders brought nothing but what is made publique, save that those from Holland said that the Elector of Brandenburgh is resolved not to attempt any further upon the Suedes, till the King of Denmarke has declared against that Crowne, which he still delays though no body knows for what reason; many people will indeed not beleive that he really intends it, but that he means rather to employ his arms for the advanceing his private interests, & perhaps for the makeing good his pretensions upon the Citty of Spamburgh, to which Citty some of the Danish troopes were come & lodged soe near, that the Magistrates threatened to fire upon them +In fflanders people are more & more dissatisfied that so much of the summer is spent & that the Prince of Orange has not yet done anything with his Army to their advantage though on the other side it is said, that the Prince acts most prudently not to hazard any thing at this time, when the ffrench are declineing in that manner, that it may probally be expected his highnesse will before the end of the Campaigne be able to attacke some of their townes, & they out of a condition to opposse him, but time will show more. +The businesse of the weavers is fully at an end severall of the Justices of the peace of those quarters, where the discord begun, have been severely checked, & some of the officers of the Militia of the Hamlets of the tower who refused to Assist the Sheriff of London & Middlesex for the suppresseing the tumult, haveing been committed to Custody, but upon their submission discharged. +Wee heare of 6 Dutch men of Warr that have passed the Channell with two East India men & severall merchant men bound to the Streights The vessells that arrived in the West from the Coast of ffrance, say that 5 or 6000 men are marching towards Britainy to suppress the Mutineers, who though they are numerous yet are not in any body & without a head. +Wee want our letters from fflanders & Holland of friday last & two mailes from ffrance. L. c. 215 [Handwriting changes here.] August ye 19 1675 His Maties late proclamation agst ye insurection of ye silke weavers had soe good effect yt Imediately upon its publication they all disperst & ye buisiness now wholly over tho severall of ye Ring leaders are in hold, a Comission of Oyer & terminer being issued for trying them as guilty of treason & rebellion severall of ye Justices of peace of those quarters where ye rebellion began have bene severely Chequet & some of ye officers of ye Millita of ye hamblets of ye Tower who refused to assist ye Sheriff of London & Midlesex for ye surpressing ye Tumult haveing bene Comitted to Custody but since upon their submission discharged. Since this Bustle a Councell is held out at Whitehall Wednesdays & frydayes. Its not yet Certaine when his Maty returned from Windsor. some say on the 28th instant then not till ye 12 of next moneth presently after wch hee intends for newmarket. some Conventiclers of Bristoll yt removed themselves thence by Habeas Corpus to london Were remanded Back by ye Judges to their former prisons, & upon tryall such of them as were produced being fairely heard both by themselves & their Councell for 3 houres were found guilty by ye Court & orderd to abide in prison till payment. They write from Cowes of 2 flushing Capers arived there who had bene Cruiseing in ye West Indies & sailed home some very Rich, from my myn head [?] they telle us of a french privateer under ye Island of Lundy of about 16 guns Watching for ye Duch Vessels expected into ye Channell, from Portsmth they say 9 or 10 vessells Came to anchor in sight of yt place, who by ye report of a vessell that Came by them were part of Leiut Admell de Ruyters fleet who was on ye Back side of ye Isle of Wight wth abt 50 saile of men of War & Merchtmen. The Holland Letters say ye Elector of Brandenburg is resolved not to attempt any further upon ye Swedes till ye King of Denmarke has declared agst that Crowne, wch he still delays tho noe bodyes knows for what reason many will not beleeve hee really intends it but yt he meanes rather to Employ his armes for ye advancing his private interests, & perhaps for makeing good his private interests upon ye Towne of Hamburg to wch some Danish troops were come soe neare that ye Magistrates threatned to fire upon then yet ye Danish Ministers assures ye states that his Master will act in ye Warr & yt they should speedily have an account of their fleet at sea The Prince of Orange lyeing so long still affords matter of Wonder to all people & dissatisfaction to those places where hee lyes, yet some excuse him rather Comending his prudent Conduct as designeing to keep his army intire in Expectation of some greater advantage where he may doe ye better execution some say tis ye designe of ye states, by Confineing him from action to diminish ye repute of his Conduct in ye Opinion of ye people least hee should grow popular, yet there is much talke of his decamping to goe Either to Leige or Maestricht, they tell us that every day they peake [?] discoverys of accomplices for ye surrender of Magdenburg to ye Swede many of Whom are sent to Prison, Coll Smyth is sent to ye army to be sentencet & executed there but his sonn set at liberty, who Confesst that if ye Elector had stayd two dayes longer yt Citty had bene put into ye Swedes hands. ffrench letters newly arived say 2 Couriers were arived at ye french Court wth advice that ye Prince of Conde Reacht their army in Alsatia ye 19 instant to ye great Encouragement of ye Souldrs, who before were somewt Cast downe, where hee was Recd wth all testimonies of Joy tho its said hee shewd some displeasure at ye ill Choyce of ye Ground where they were Encampt The Germans since their passing ye Rhyne had not attempted any thing but were marcht toward Spire The Prince of Conde on ye 20th marcht as was said to follow them & Bid them Battle wch according to the generall Opinion would very sudenly happen, The Germans had ye fortune but 2 dayes before to intercept 100 some say 200 Waggons wth a Convoy of 300 Horse goeing toward ye french army. Its to ye disadvantage yt Marshall Crequi resolvd hee himselfe is not much blamed in ye action being disected [?] by ye greater part of his Horse, upon wch was said ye King would Cashier all ye Horse officers except those of ye Duke of MunMouths Regimt, who distinquisht themselves by their bravery & Execution & made a good retreat tho wth great loss, ffeuillade & Rochfort were getting together a body of ye remainder of Crequis scatterd troops & some from fflanders to attempt to raise ye seige of Treves where Marshall Crequi Endeavrs to repaire his honr & is said to have behavd himselfe wth such Gallantry that in salleys hee had kild 1500 of ye besigers Tho one letter sayes ye place on ye 21 surrendered on Capitulation A letter from an English Coll who Comanded the Duke of MunMouths Regimt of Horse under Crequi sayes that most of ye foot & Dragoons were kild & taken prisonrs that of their Regimt of Horse 80 were kild & halfe their Horse lost, tho ye french in their publique relation of that action say the germans Knew soe litle how to pursue their advantage that 3 Batalions of french foot marcht off in order with Drums beateing &c: but this agrees not wth other advices though its genelly said the germans might have pursued their victory more Close & have destroyed more of their enimies, tho ye forementioned letter say they were pursued 2 leagues. Turenes body will be enterred at St Dennys wth great sollemnity at ye Kings Cost Tis said ye Duke de Vivonne has burnt ye Spanish men of Warr yt lay at Naples of wch wee expect to hear further. The seditious in Brittany are entered into an association ye severall parishes mutually obligeing themselves in severall articles & are at last Come to ye Choyce of a Cheife, one St Pauls man of good experience in Warr tho of noe family. 5 or 6000 are marching toward ym At Bordeux they have again affixed Placaerts on occation of chooseing Jurats &c: As at ye Marshall D' Albretts dore as those of ye Intendt & premier presidt full of menaces & signed [?] as formerly Infans Perdus, But that wch was Worse, a ship coming in thither with markt paper, & ye Inhabitants Judging it to be vented there though they say it was designed for another place, grew to yt fury that they burnt both ye ship & paper & drownd all ye Marriners, & kild some of ye Custome officers, looseing all their respect to their Governr who thought it best to retyre to the Cittadell & ye archBpp who got home wth much adoe after many fruitless exhortations, in Brittany 14 of ye discontented parish had designed to Beseige 4000 of their men investing it but finding ye rest not Keep tyme wth them & ye Governour ready to recieve them returned wthout doeing any thing but Wasting the Neighbourhood, some have accepted ye Kings Indemnity others refused it pretending they have done nothing agst their duty to ye King onely sought to have their priviledges Continued to them. L. c. 216 Aug: 21 1675 +There are at present at ye Isle of Wight abt 20 saile of mercht men & 6 men of Warr. who were put in by storme & are part of de Ruyters fleet from wch they were separated +Into Weymth is likewise come the Sr Van Haven in a ship of 76 guns being de Ruyters Viceadmell all alone who intended for Plymth to expect de Ruyter there. +ffrench letters speake of some disorders likely to happen at Bourdeaux & that ye appearance of ye Duch fleet on their Coasts twas thought might Contribute thereto, the french King has appoynted strong guards all along ye Coasts soe long as ye Duch fleet shall Continue thereon. Letters from flanders say ye 21 inst Prince of Orange decampt from Hall & next to lodge at a Towne Cald Braine le Count in ye way toward Charleroy where ye army lay still ye 2 following dayes, the french army under ye Command of Marshall Montmorency wch is still reckond at 12000 Horse & as many foot was not yet moved, but hee had sent out 1000 Horse to observe ye motion of ye Duch in their march to whom they Came soe neare yt 7 or 8 were taken & as many kild +What his Highness designed was not knowne Coll ffennick had orders to bring his Regimt from Boilduc where it had its quarters & consisted of 800 men, The Marquess of Huntly was arived in flanders & had offered to accompany His Highness this Campaigne, who had kindly accepted it. Treves holds out still though ye Confederates expected in a few dayes to be masters of it. +Letters from Stratzburg say ye french had bene forcet still to retreat before ye Germains who had lately taken a Convoy of 200 Waggons laden wth Corne & 2 wth men, goeing from Nancy to ye french army. That ye Imperialists had taken 3 small townes in wch ye french had garrisons who surrendered upon discretion, That Montecuculy was resolved to attaque Hagenaw & Saverne both at one tyme unless ye french prevented him by offering him Batle that ye french soulders were extreamely Wearyed through their Continuall retreat wch they had made in ye night & Well together, & in ye day tyme they were soe near ye Enimie as to be in Continuall allarms. L. c. 217 [Handwriting changes here.] August 24 1675 +On Sunday morning came in all our forreigne letters from all ports, & by what was made publicke the next day, you will see the posture of the severall armyes to which may be added that though no body knowes with certainty the designe of the prince Orange, yet the generall opinion of all is that he may have his eye upon Charleroy or else that he will goe & beseige the cittidelle of Leige, where the[y] promise themselves the assistance of the Inhabitants wearied as they say with the ill treatment they receive from the ffrench, & among all sorts of people the expectation is great that his highnesse will now doe some great action, to make amends for the time that has ben already lost the Campagne +The Dutch Ships that came into Portsmouth are still there, and its beleived that d' Ruyter is gone with the other parte of the fleet over to the Coasts of ffrance +The shipps arrived from the East Indies bring advice, that the Chinneses who some yeares since were overran by the Tartars, had revolted & taken up armes against them under the conduct of a famous Chinese, who had been made Viceroy of China, by the Tartars, & now revolted, likewise revolted beeing provoked by the ill usage his Country men received from the Tartars. +The Letters from Sr John Narbrough of the 11th past, say that he lay then before Tripole, that he had forced a shore a large Tripoline wch had been formerly made their admiral ship; but now was employed to fetch timber & masts, that there had been a change in that govermt the dey deposed and another elected; & that the new Dey had sent severall Messages to Sr John to desire him to renew the peace promiseing to consent to what ever he demanded for what regards the future, but said he could not make any satisfaction for what is past, without which Sr John would not hearken to any proposalls. +Its verily beleived that the next letters from ffrance will give an account of an other engagement between the Armies in Alsatia, the Prince of Conde being advanced with the Army directly towards Strasburg with a resolution to fight, or if the Germans decline it, to attempt to burn the bridge of Strasburg, to prevent which, the Germans had quitted the seige of Haguenaw, & put themselves under the guns of Strasburg. +Though the King of Denmarke has not as yet made any Solemne declaration of Warr, yet by the Comissions given to the Captaines of his ships, he commands them to attacke & seize the ships of the Swedes where ever they meet them, for that Crowne had attacked & committed hostility up[on?] the allies of his Maty. +Three men of Warr of Amsterdam are joyned with those, fitted out in the Maas [?] for the elector of Brandenburgh, they have many land men on board & are sailed by this time. +The ffrench letters of 21/31 instant just now arrived, onely say that Treves holds out still, that Crequi had made severall retrenchments within the towne, & had raised a fort in the midst of it, resolveing to defend that to the last, the armies in Alsatia were so neare that their out guards were within pistol shot, the Germans had certainly raised the siege of Haguenaw after haveing opened the Trenches, the great expectation of a battle. L. c. 218 August 26 1675 +The letters which came in yesterday from fflanders dated the 30 instant brought very little newes, the Prince of Orange nor Marshall d'Montmerency, haveing not made any remove since our last. The Prince of Orange it was said intended to send a good body of his troops, who should joyne with some Spanish Regimts drawne out of Mons and other Garrisons, and goe to beseige some place, while the prince of Orange would remaine with the grosse of his Army, to observe the ffrench motions, the beseiged in Treves make a vigorous defence, & the beseigers already have lost many men before it, in soemuch yt they want to be reinforced +The last letters from ffrance, spoke of a prospect that had been made for a peace, between the ffrench & the Dutch on these termes that matter of Commerce should for the present be reduced to the treaty of 1662 that within 6 moneths a nearer treaty should be made, that all places taken dureing this Warr should be restored on both sides, as Masstricht St Thomas in the Indies &c and that the Dutch should joyntly labour with the English mediators for the procureing a Generall peace, Wee heare that the Count de Horne is comeing hither in quallity of Envoy Exterordnary for the Crowne of Sweden, which is thought would willingly be disengaged of ye Warr, or else be assisted in it. The Danes now wih out doubt will show themselves, Their fleet is certainly saild ere this, it was to repasse over for the Coasts of Domeren, to attend the orders of the Elector of Brandenburg & it is beleived will block up Wismare by sea: while the Elector beseiges it by Land, however the Duke of Hanover seems to remaine firme in his engagement with the Swedes, for as much as concerns the guarantie of the Duke of Bremen. +Here has been a report in towne of the death of the old Duke of Lorraine, but with out any truth, however its certaine he is not at the seige of Treves, though his troopes are there, but in a Castle hard by he was of an opinion that upon the defeate of Crequi they ought to have marched directly into Lorraine and give the ffrench a divertion, & perhaps the Inhabitants of that Country, would have taken that occasion to have risen in favour of their D. whereas this seige weakens the Army, & probably makes them unfitt for any further action this Campaigne. +This morneing his Maty & Royll Highnesse came to towne from Windsor, & hath been at Wolwich to see a fourth rate ffrigate Launched who is to carry whole Cannon in her lower tyre, & returned againe to Windsor +The Emperor is gathering a fresh body of 10000 men at Egre +The Duch troops formerly spoken of are now marching to their rendezvouz at Grave, to be commanded by P Meurice +The Ruyter was the 27 instant at Schonevelt, so it seems those ships came to portsmouth were sent before. L. c. 219 [No date; seems only the latter folio of a bifolium] [Handwriting changes here.] ...Where ye french have a great Magazine, they retreat of ye french tis belevd will quite lose their reputation & that ye souldiers will scarce be brought to looke there enimies in ye face againe, besides their horse are Extreamely out of Case. It seemes ye discontented in Brittaigne have refused ye succors of 4 Duch ships that came upon there Coast with offers of assistance, fireing at them & wth all signifying they had noe designe of prejudice agst ye King or his Govermt but onely agst ye Corruption of his officers nor would they Endeavour to take off any thing that belongd to ye King but onely to recover there owne Rights & priviledges, The troubles in Bourdeux are said to be appeasd severall of ye Inhabitants being kild & some hangd, many of there & Brettagne are goeing to Crave ye Kings pardon & offer their service in his wars. +fflanders letters just come in say the Prince of Orange had taken Binik & intended to beseige Charleroy, that ye Confederates had taken ye out workes of treves & hopet to be masters of it in 2 dayes L. c. 220 [Handwriting changes here.] August 31 1675 +To morrow will be opened at the old Baylye the Commission of Oyer & Terminer for the tryall of the weavers, that were guilty of the late Ryot, & Tumult, +In the news booke it is so large & fayre an account of the retreat of the ffrench Army & agreed so perfectly with severall letters, that have been seene from English Officers that are in the Prince of Cond's Army, that there remaines little to adde, onely that its said, that the ffrench souldiers are extreamely discouraged, to see themselves thus forced to fly before their Enimyes and its beleived by all understanding people that this blow will be followed quickly by a much greater to the ffrench, for the Germans will pursue their advantages, and perhaps ridde themselves of the greatnes of those feares of the ffrench, that the Duke of Hanover has quitted the ffrench partie, it comes confirmed from all hands, he haveing declared, that seeing neither the ffrench nor the Swedes, could not any longer protect him, it was reasonable he should provide for his owne safety, this is a heavy blow to the Swedes who have not now one declared freind left in Germany, & it is not to be doubted but they will endeavour all they can to gett out of this Warr, +The Danish fleet is certainly at the sea & the Brandenburgh minister here in Towne, sayes he has letters from his Ministers Court, which say that Wismar is beseiged +On saturday last happened an unhappy Accident at the play house, for a Quarrel ariseing there between Sr Thomas Armstrong, & one Mr Scroope, it went soe farre, that they both drew, & the latter was killed upon the place, Though all people excuse Sr Thomas, Mr Scroope as they say, given the provocation, & drawne first, +The letters come in this morneing from fflanders bring noe great newes, besides the account they give that the Marshall Crequi, begun to capitulate the 3d of September, He demands to march out, but the beseigers would have the Garrison prisoners of Warr, which is beleived the ffrench were forced to submitt to, They give much the same relation of the retreat of the ffrench Army as our former letters; Onely the[y] adde of the takeing of 30 mules laden with baggage, & some provisions; which they took out of the ffrench rear, & some prisoners, The 2 Armyes in fflanders continued in the same posture as our last, Each of them was reckoned 30000 strong, but the Prince expected a reinforcemt of severall Regiments from Holland, The Prince of Orange will now begin his intended designe L. c. 221 Sept 4 1675 +His Maty named the new fregat the Wollage which promiseth to be an exterordnary ship of her Rate, & returned to Windsor the same night +Some of Dover since admirall de Ruyter lay so near them went aboard him, who speake much of his Civility & that he commanded a ship called the Endrast & told them he was bound to the Streights. the Emperors Resident at Hamburgh has in a full [?] Senate demanded, in the name of his Mr that they [?] should noe longer suffer the Ministers of ffrance to abide with them, & if they would not in a freindly manner depart, that they should put them out by the Citty guard, & that they should produce the Originall treaty made between the Sweden & yt Citty, & renounce it by an act under their hands which if they should doe his Master would protect them against theire enemyes, or in case of refusall force them to it by his owne Armes, & those of his Allies, this gives the Senate no small disturbance, & the rather for yt the ffrench Ministers refuseth to goe unlesse thrust out, though they say the Sweden Minister will be content to reside in the precincts of the Cathedrall the Revenew of which lying in the Bprick of Bremen gives it a great dependence on the Swedes. +They write from Bruxells dat 21 of a plot discovered by a Negro woman of a Combination of the slaves at Barbadoes to kill the English for which on the 21 [?] of June last 17 of them were executed some hangd some burnt &c since which severall have been condemned of whome a more particular account may be expected. +Upon a former complaint of a ffrench Minister to the Senate of Venice, that they had suffered some German forces, to passe the Gulfe for the releife of Sicily, they ordered the Captaine of the Gulfe to seize all ships with souldiers that offer to passe that way, in persuance of which say the Venice letters date 23d the Capt about a fortnight before meeting 2 ships with German forces set them ashoare at the same place, where they Embargued & among the rest about 20 in Chaines, whom the Coll pretended Criminally [?] sent by order of the Emperor to serve as slaves in the Spanish Galleyes & upon that gained liberty to putt them under guard to prevent their escape these poore wretches proved to be protestants Hungarian Ministers who were thus dismally doomed, because the Arch Bp of Possonia [?] had Commanded them to forbear preaching, they persisted the Command, being agt the Constitution of their Country, & priviledges granted to them 4 of them found freinds at Trieste who purchessed their liberty, the others sent one of their number to the protestant Merchants at Venice, for Ransome, the Coll putting an 100 Crownes on each head, the Merchants have sent 800 Crownes, for which if the Coll dos not free them they must goe to the Galleyes at Naples, whither 33 of them were formerly sent, the people of Hungary not knoweing what was become of them, +Tis generally affirmed from Hamburgh and those parts that the Duke of Hanover has declared for the Allies but desired a fortnights time to give notice to his former party, Noe news of the Danish fleet appearing before Wismar though land partyes every day take away their Cattle from under the walls, some talk of beseiging Stetin. +A Body of 19 Regimts of Dutch foot & 9 Spanish Regimts are met at grave to be commanded by the Prince of Nassaw & Count Stirum & these with those in the Prince of Oranges Army are accounted 50000 Men. +The Bruxells letters dat the 6 tell us they expected that night by the post to hear of the surrender of Treves for that on the 3d about 6 in the Evening the beseiged sent hostages in order to Capitulation, but had for an answere that unlesse they yeilded themselves prisoners of War with in an houres time they must expect to be upon discretion. +The Bruxells Gazet of the 7th tell us that the beseiged in Treves sent out hostages not haveing Hostages from the beseigers, & that the beseigers [?] would hearken to no other proposalls than to take the Germans into service to sent the subjects of his Majesty of great Brittaine into England with their Armes & baggage & to have the ffrench Prisoners of War which being not agreed to the beseigers, began on the 4 in ye morneing to play their Cannon againe upon the towne +The Prince of Oranges Army is at St Wast [?] about 30000 more marcheing to him, the ffrench not much Inferior in stength haveing yt advantage in Horse which they want in number of Men, +The Discontented in Leige who was proscribed by the Placaart of the Governour of the Cittadell of Leige haveing sent to the Spanyard for Protection. +The ffrench advises on the 7 tell us that most of the seditious in Brettagne upon the news of the march of the Kings troopes dispersed themselves & have by the Managery of the Duke de Chanlos [?] submitted & accepted the Kings pardon, they have delivered their Ring laders to Justice severall of whom are hanged up in the highwayes they are to make good the damage done to the Country to reestablish the Custome houses & to pull downe their bells upon the Ringing of which they were to meet together, so that they question not upon the assembling of their States which is to be on the 20 at Dinan that province may againe be well established. +The Prince of Conde is Encamped near Scholisdardt & Montecuculy marching to be set up & 5 Redoubts. The Comrs for the tryall of the weavers met & adjourned. L. c. 222 September 4th 1675 +We have not any forreigne letters since our last, save from Holland, which arrived yesterday, but brought hardly any news, unlesse we may beleive what they said of the Swedish fleet being consisting in about 30 or 40 men of Warr, & of their haveing a good body of Infantry on board to recruit Generall Wrangells Army, & to make it 24000 men, according to the advises they had at the Hague from Hamburge Wismar was not as yet beseiged, but the Danish troopes wer marching to the Randezvouz at Mullem, about 6 leagues from Wismare, & the King intended to be here in person, the 6 instant New stile from ffrance the last letters said that upon the approach of the troops, which the King sent towards Brittany, those mutineers were all dispersed, & by an Early separating, & retireing to their severall homes, had endeavoured to show their submission. +The 30 past Leiutenant Admirall de Ruyter past by Rye West ward, with his fleet of men Warr, Those that were at Plymouth are likewise sailed away from thence to joyne him, The ffrench & Dutch haveing permitted each others a free fishery not onely on their one Coasts respectivly but likewise on the Engish Coasts which many looke upon as an introduction to a better understanding between them, severall hostilityes have already passed between the Danes & the Swedes, on the River Elbe, the latter find themselves hard beset, especially if it be confirmed what is said of the Duke of Hanovers haveing quitted their party, which is very probable, the last letters from Holland said that he had designed 15 dayes to declare himselfe. +Since the takeing of Binck the Prince of O had possessed himselfe of the Coasts of Carlemont, Lovigny, & one or two other small places. +The letters from fflanders come in this day say that the 5 instant the Articles for the surrender of Treves were signed, the Officers of the garrison have compelled the Marshall Crequi to consent to them, for otherwise they would have given up the towne without him, the cheife articles are That the ffrench shall march out to Vitry they shall promisse not to beare Armes for 3 months, The Officers were to go out a horse back & to have a Spare horse to carry their baggage but the horse men as well as the foot, were onely to goe with their swords, the Scotch were to march with the ffrench & to make the same promisse, the Marshall himselfe the Treasurer, pay Master, & Commrs of Warr, & the Imperiall in Alsatia were come the 2 instant within a league of the Prince of Conde & had taken a Castle called Dambecke in which were 50 ffrench within halfe a league of their campe, & the Imperialists were resolved to remove them from thence or attaque them there. L. c. 223 [Handwriting changes here.] [n.d.; first leaf of bifolium is almost all torn away, only fragments of words remaining from last twelve lines on recto and some phrases and word fragments from about eighteen lines of verso; second leaf is intact:] +The 5th instant Lt Admirall de Ruyter came to Plymth & haveing Joyned ye ships that expected him there Continued his voyage toward ye streights, Wee have letters from Sr John Norbrough from before Tripoly of ye 20th [?] of July wch say he had forcet a shoare 3 vessells belonging to that place one of which he had got off & causd ye Other 2 to be burnt L. c. 224 [Handwriting changes here.] September 9th 1675 +They write from Rye that August 31 de Ruyter who had bene deteined some time by Contrary winds neer the Downes [?] past by that port with a ffleet of 40 sayle, men of Warr & marchants. The difference betwt the Governor and Magistrates of Liege, the Dutch Letters tell us, is still open for that [?] when the Governor sent to the Magistrates to acquaint them, that he had some what to Comunicate to them from the King, & therefore desired that they might have 2 of the Officers Hostages, which being done the Governor porposed that all the Burghers sould bring their armes into the Cittadell & put 2 of their gates into his hands, This they say the Burghers denyed & the Governor told them, he must as soone [?] as he can [?] fullfill the Kings pleasure upon which they sent for [?] the Duke de Villa Hermosa Governor of the Spanish Netherlands. The Dutch ships & effects are still deteined by the Swedes except 3 which had passe ports from the King the Colledge of Commerce & Count Brahe the Swedish Ambr, The Swedes are fitting out a fleet of 48 sayle to goe under admirall Steinbeck, They are large [?] of money by way of voluntary Benevolence, the Ring Drots [?] have given 1500 L & the nobility give proportionally On the 4 the Proposalls were recd for the ffarmes of the excise Custome &c of Ireland his Majesty present +The King of Denmarke has now at last declared against Sweden +The St Thomas arrived lately at Bristoll from Monserat in 6 weeks, tell us the people there are dayly in feare of the Indians who came from the adjacent Islands 40 or 50 in a Cannon [canoe?] in the darke nights rob many of the Inhabitants of their goods & carry off severall prisoners, +The Elizabeth & ffrances of the same place in returne from Virgina met 3 ffrench men of Warr 15 Leagues off Canada Commanded by a Knight of Maltha their businesse was to cruise up & downe to intercept the Spanish ffleet, who many times hale to the Northward neer which place they then were. +The[y] write from Naples dat Augt 20 that a Messinese Galletta with about 80 men & 32 Oares being under a ffrench Commander to seeke purchest, he used them so harshly beating the Rowers as slaves & that the Conspired together steered into that place killed their Commander & brought in his head with them, they report the ffrench at Mesina have made ready 12 or 14 ffire ships, as if the[y] intended to fight the Dutch & Spanish men of Warr when they appeared before Messina. +The Mallaga letters of the same dat tell us that the Turkes who left the seige at Oran continue still about 3 qts of a league off, with resolution to renew their seige, assone as the Spanish Armada shall be gone. The Portugall Navy consisting of 12 men of Warr & 3 fire ships going to Gibralter, put a great jealousy in the Spanyards, who was so cautious as onely to admitt some officers & sea men a shoare, but noe souldiers some conjectured they might assist the ffrench at Messina, others that they had designed upon Santa, a Spanish Garrison on the Coasts of Barbery betwt Tetuan & Tangier, & accordingly that place was put in a posture of defense but the most probable was that they were going to doe themselves reason with those of Argier +There are Bruxells letters that troubles at Leige were likely to be composed, the ffrench Residt Monsr Carriers, haveing offered that if the Spanyards will forebeare takeing Contributions from the Countryes of Leige the ffrench will do the same that commerce shall be free as formerly, & farther will yeild up the Cittadell into the hands of the Prince of Leige provided the Imperialists & Spanyards give caution not to seise it. +The Holland letters dat 13 tell us a Bridge is laid at Ruremond for the fforces that met at Grave to passe the Meuse & many waggons commanders from the Countrys of Leige, ffalconbergh & Juliers for their use, They speake of advises from Stratsburg as if Montecuculy finding the Prince of Conde too strong to be forced in his post, was returned with his Army seemingly designing to beseige Haguenaw or Saverne the Governr of which had lately burnt 13 villages with the forage in them. The ffrench letters dat 13 tell us the Prince of Conde by their last advises continued neer Schestadt & that Montecuculy was at Staltzbein a league from him, the Germanies had stopt the passage from Saverne & Hagenaw in order to beseiging them there & were endeavouring to shutt up the passage of St Marieaux Mines which was the onely great place left for carrying provisions to the ffrench Army, & that they had not expected a Convoy goeing even [?] that way but that there were 12000 men at & neer Verdun, who were on their march as is generally said to joyne the Prince, & who might make his Army able enough to answer all their designes in those parts notwithstanding the dayly reinforcmts which are sent to the Imperiall Army. +The Confederate Army which lay before Treves they say are marching toward Leige Monsr Crequis was treated with all civility being the same night that the towne was taken sept [?] & lodged with the Prince of Vaudemont & by his meanes put under no other restraint, than[n] that of his Parolle +The seditious in Bretagne being the most part, if not wholy returned to obedience, those troops that were sent to reduce them are dispersed into the places where they suppose the Dutch ffleet in their passage may endeavour an attacque in Rousillon. +The ffrench are Masters undr Count Schombergh & have lately beaten a party of Micklers some will have it that the Count shall be sent to Command the Army in Germany to give the Prince some ease after so many fatigues. +The Bruxells letters dat 13 tell us the Prince of Orange sent on the 12 a party from his Campe at Waure to reremond who marched all night upon advise that the ffrench had made an inroad into the Countrey of Waes lest otherwise they might surprize that place. Those of Leige whom the Governour of the Cittadell would have put out of the towne are for the most removed to avoyd the ill consequence they apprehend from a farther delay +On the 5 ffleet of Dutch Merchant men lying in Rye Bay sent some long boats for provisions one of which a ffrench Shallop with Comission picked up in his passage & waited more till 3 of them joyning together boarded ye Shallop fired killed one man & carryed the rest prisoners +On the 4 de Ruyter past with his fleet in sight of Plymouth to the Westward & upon firing some guns his vice admirall with 3 others who were in Plymouth sone went after him. Count Horne Envoye Extrardy from Sweden is arrived. +Orders are signed for removall of the Court from Windsor the Queen to be here on the 10 & his Maty on ye 11 L. c. 225 September 14th 1675 +Our last from ffrance said, that of my Lord Douglas Regiment, which was at Treves, & consisted in 1200 men, were onely some off to mets, [above the line at this point appears a cross, and in the left margin, in Newdigate's hand: "some mistake in my coppy"] with the other ffrench that were in that Garrison which before the seige were 4500 men compleate [?] and all old troops, onely 1500 men were come off, & therefore they now blame Monsr Crequi for looseing so many men, when he saw that he would gett no releife, & that he did not rather by an early capitulation made better conditions if not for himselfe, at least for ye garison +Its said his Majesty will not goe to Newmarkett this season, the time of the sessions of the Parlament drawing nigh +Yesterday Monsr Spanhouin Envoy from the Elector of Palatine had audience from his Majesty, Its said he comes to recommend to his Majesty the interrest of the Elector in case of a treaty in order to a generall peace. +Its generally beleived that those late Successes of the Confederates will lengthen the Warr, for Spain & the Emperor whatsoever are the intentions of the rest seem resolved to prosecute the Warr, till they have brought ffrance to their own Termes, in which the Spanish are soe eager, that they begin to talke already of haveing an Army of 30000 men in fflanders the next spring for they grow extreamely weary of the assistance of the Dutch, whom it's said the Spanyards will desire the next yeare, if the warr continue so long, to furnish the necessary summs of money towards the subsidies, to the King of Denmarke, Dukes of Lunenburgh &c but to keep their army at home, but this is but discourse. +It is said as if the King of france intended towards the latter end of this month to passe with what fresh forces he can gett togeather into Lorraine, to countenance things on that side, for its to be beleived the Germans will make a Winter warr of it, but this without any certainty +Just now came in our fflanders Letters they say that the Prince of Orange came with his Army to Lorraine, the 20th instant, & that the artillery marched from Brussells the day before to meet him there +the 12th instant the Imperiallists began ye seige of Saverne L. c. 226 September 17 1675. +The ffrench & fflanders letters which came in Yesterday brought very little newes, the former told us that the Imperialists after haveing been two dayes before Saverne, marched the 14th instant towards Haguenaw, we shall not know till the next letters come from fflandrs what hath been the occasion here of. +Its now not doubted but that the Prince of Oranges designe is upon Leige, in which he will be assisted by the Lunenburg troopes, who are comeing downe from Leige, +The disorders in Brittany in ffrance are wholly appeased, & some of the Ring laders Exemplaryly punished, though the ffrench King has taken off the late impositions which was the first occasion of them, & in consideration thereof the Parlament of Brittany is to make him a yearly present of a certaine summ of money, There has been a report in towne for these two dayes past, of the death of the old Duke of Lorraine, but without any certainty in such case, his Countryes of Lorraine &c devolve upon the Prince of Lorraine, his Brothers sonn, Generall of the Horse in the Emperors Army The Barron Horne who is come from Sweden has not yet had audience of his Maty & its said he has not any of the Character, soe that we doe not know the bussiness he is come about. +The ffrench King though its said, he would have been as well pleased, that the Marshall de Crequi had himselfe Endeavoured to procure better conditions for the Garrison of Treves, yet not to countenance such disobedience in Officers against their superior, those that signed the Capitulation of Treves, will be severely proceeded against. +Wee are told that my Lord Barkley appointed his Matys Ambr to the ffrench King, may nowe in a short time begin his journey thither, for that it is thought it will be very proper, at the Close of the Campagne to make Overtures for a generall peace, in which his Majesty as mediator will greatly labour, though the truth is the severall partys are as yet at a great distance. +There are letters from ffrance which say that the generall Montecuculy is gone to beseige Philipsburg, which is not very improbable The Gazett tells you of his haveing left Saverne Tis advised from Otranto that 2 Galleys of Barbary comeing from the gulfe were chased by some galleys of Venice & finding themselves not able to hold out longer went to the coast of the Morea, belonging to the grand seigniour thinking by that means to escape, but the Venitian Capts gave order to burne the galleyes though in respect to the Grand Signiors Coasts they set the men ashoare +The last letters from Jamaica say the Lord Vaughan sent to the Governor of Havana to acquaint of his arrivall & his good intentions to preserve the last peace inviolable on his part, according to the orders he had received from his Mr desireing him to doe the like & in order to it, to deliver up the ships, which had been wrongfully taken by Privateers acting by Spanish Comissions in those parts of which we question not a good issue +On the 11 his Majesty finally declared himselfe as to the ffarme of Ireland, which was let to George Pits Esqr Comptroller to his Royall highnesse & partners, On the 13th proposalls were offered for the lar-farme [?] +On the 14 his Majesty did the Honour to the Secretary Coventrey to Dine with him at his lodgings [?] in Endfeild Chace. +The Bruxells letters dat 21 tell us that on the 19 in the morneing the Prince of Orange his Army decamped early from the Waure & was that night at Conroyl 2 Leagues from Waure toward Poroys, the traine of Artillery with many Amunition waggons being sent on the 20th from Bruxells with Count Horne under a convoye of three Regiments of foot & many horse to joyne them +This day the weavers were Comitted at the old Bayly 2 for Riots 9 for Trespasse & all found guilty [Handwriting changes here.] Tis the whole discourse of ye towne yt ye old Duke of Lorraine is dead [On about two-thirds of outside of letter appear notes in another hand about a building or buildings on Newdigate's land, with several computations; these notes are hard to read because of the folds in the letter.] L. c. 227 [Handwriting changes here.] Sept ye 18 1675 The body of Sr Wm Lockhart his Maties late Amb in france being brought Over in ye Merlin yacht, is Carryed Over into Scotland to be there interrd wth his ancestors The Revenue of Ireland is farmd to Mr Pitts & his partners for 240000L, wch is 50000L more then my Ld Ranelagh gave, besides wch they are to advance 40000 A petition haveing been presented to his Maty in Councell setting forth ye horrid murthers & Pyracy Comitted by One Phillip ffitzgerald in the West Indies, a Proclamation is Orderd for ye Calling him in, & if he does not Come in wth in ye tyme prefixt to set a fine of 10000 peices of eight on his head whether dead or alive yesterday the Baron de Horne Envoy from Sweden had his first audience of his Maty The greatest punishmt that will be inflicted uppon the Ring leaders of ye Weavers will be Whipping & burning in ye hand, 11 of whom were Convicted of Riott & Trespass Some passengers lately Come from france tell us of ye great Endeavours yt are used to raise men all that Kingdome over, & that severall agents are Employd in Swisserland to make levies & to buy horses there & ye french seeing all feares of disturbance now among themselves are removed. think themselves in a Condition still to Continue ye Warr The Empr & Spaine Its Certaine doe not yet desire a peace unless upoon their Owne termes, nor doe any of ye allyes seeme to have any disposition to it Except ye Duch, who however are not soe fond of it but that they will Easily be perswaded to furnish ye Expences of One Campaigne more Especially if this present turne to account as according to appearance of things it seemes to promise ffrom Harwich wee heare that 40 or, 50 Scots of My Ld Douglas Regimt who deserted were Come over in ye Paquet boat from Holland, nor are ye English in ye service of ye Duch very well used Especially as to their pay for 40 in a Company diserted as they were goeing from Mallines to Brussells There are letters from Hamburg wch say that Wismar was beseiged by sea & land, The Danish fleet haveing taken a small Isle wch lyes neare it & that ye King of Poland had defeated 5000 Tartars neare Leopold ffrench letters tell us ye Imperialists quitting ye seige of Saverne is Imputed to ye scarcity of provisions wch may yet farther Oblige ye Imperialists Even sudenly to repass ye Rhyne, The troups wth ye Prince of Conde left in Conde have Joynd him being betwixt 4 & 5000 men of whom almost halfe horse, besides wch hee is dayly reinforcet from ye garrisons of Lorraine & franch Compte soe that they question not but hee will be quickly in a capacity to follow ye Imperialists L. c. 228 [Handwriting changes here.] September 22 1675. +Yesterday came in the fflanders letters, & by them we receive the confirmation of the death of the old Duke of Lorraine, & an account of the Prince of Oranges, being encamped neer Pirroyes between Tillemont & Namur, his cannon that was conducted by Count Horne from Brussells being arrived at Louraine, where its thought it will continue for some dayes, The Prince of Orange as those letters said had quitted his designe of marching towards the Countreys of Leige, &c seemingly that means he should leave Brussells, & those parts naked & exposed to the Enemy, who was within 2 leagues & a halfe of the Prince & besides deputies were arrived in his Highnesse camp from Leige and assured his Highnesse that the ffrench King was willing to drawe his forces out of the Cittadell of Leige, Huy & Dinant, & to grant them neutrality, if his Highnesse would doe the like, which offer its beleived the Allyes will accept of, but desirous to defer it for some time, that the ffrench may not have the advantage of so many men, as they would draw out of those places +The Prince of Orange designe is now said to continue in those parts where he now is to keep the ffrench from attempting any thing while the Lunenburg troops who the 10/20 instant arrived within 3 leagues of Cologne, & were comeing downe to the Maese in Conjunction with the dutch troops that are at present at Ruremond to beseige Limburg, +The Letters from Strasburg by the way of fflanders are of the 6 instant, they say that Montecuculy had quitted Saverne, & that the generall opinion was, he was goeing to beseige Philipsburg haveing sent the greatest part of his Cannon & a great quantity of provisions which he brough[t] at Stratburg downe by water that way. The Dukes of Lunenburgh are returned to their owne Countreys leaving the Command of their forces to the Prince of Holstein. wee have letters from Hamburg of 10/20 instant which say not any thing of the seige at wismar farther then that it was dayly expected the Swedes still say that the Duke of Hanover will remaine neuter, & that he will not quitt the Guarantie [?] of Bremen +By the ffrench post on Sunday came a letter from Leghorne which speake of some great action which had been done by Sr John Narborough, but referred it to Sr Johns owne letters, which be not come in, soe yt wee remaine in the Darke, but people believe he hath burnt the ships at Tripoli we heare that Mr Scrimbale [?] & Mr Jones who murthered Sr Sandford, are apprehended & are prisonrs in Reading Goall +The letters from Holland just now come say that the Munster troops had passed the water neer Bremen, though with some opposicon of the guns on the other side, a Leiutenant Coll & severall men, had been killed of the Swedes, & a Major & some men likewise of the Munsters L. c. 229 September 26th 1675 +Yesterday was comitted to the Tower, by his Majestyes order in Councill, one Coll wemer lately Governor of Antego in the West Indies upon complaint made against him by Sr Johnathan Atkins Governor of Barbadoes +Our last letters from Holland & fflanders putt us in Expectation of a battle in fflanders & another in Pomerania, but it may be believed that the greatest enemyes they will have to deale with all, will be the diseases of the season, which are already very sharp in the Armyes in fflanders. +The Duells that have happened in the Prince of Oranges Army, will its feared greatly highten the discontents that are already between the Dutch & Spanish. +The Dutch letters say possatively that the Duke of Hanover hath yeilded to a neutrality &c that there upon quartters are assigned him for his forces, which will be there contained without any charge to the Duke, & that besides a private treaty is on foot, for the Engageing him into the party of the confederates, at the conferance that was between the King of Denmarke & the Elector of Brandenburg, the former was for the seige of Wismar, but the Elector Alledged that, by that means they should weaken the Army, & give the Swedes time to recruite & therefore that it was best to march directly towards the Swedes & fight them whilst they are in this wake condition. +The ffrench letters come in this afternoone bring letters of the 21 instant from Stratsburgh which says the Imperiall Army was come to Landaw which is about 2 leagues from Philipsburg, that it was said he would beseige that place, or else raise severall forts about it, to block it up, to give contentment to the Elector of Palatine, who declares that he shall be otherwise forced to make peace with the ffrench. +The Prince of Condes Army begins to recover out of the ill condition it was in, the greatest part of his cavalry that lost their horses are mounted againe, & the ffrench say, the prince will now be quickly in a condition to leave his camp near Steckstadt, & to march towards the Germans It is certaine that the Elector of Palatine has made a Truce for 3 weekes with the garrison of Philipburg with which Montecuculy is not at all pleased. [Handwriting changes here.] They write from Mallaga Sept ye 3d that ye mores had totally diserted ye seige of Oran & are returned to their old places againe, The Spanish armada haveing left ye garrison well provided are proceeded for Barcellona where haveing discharged ye souldrs they were to goe to Naples under ye Prince of Montesarchio, +The Prince of Morocco who returned to his owne Country from England is made Leuit Genell of ye King of ffez his army & has sent 2 or 3000 head of Cattle to discharge some debts at Tangier uppon some complaint made at ye Court at Madrid of some arbitrary proceedings of Don Balthasar de Pantesa Capt Genell of Cantabria agst ye subjects of England, & cheifely in ye port of St Sebastian where hee resided hee is removed from ye Governmt to appeare & answer it at Madrid They write from Sarum that ye long designed Worke, & for wch an act of Parliamt was past of make ye River Navigable betwixt Christ Church & Sarum was on ye 21 instant happily begun & as was hopet may in some moneths be finisht, Dr Ward their Bpp whose care & cost had revived & Encouragd it was ye first yt put hand to spade in the Worke & next him ye mayor who wth ye Citty have subscribed freely for Carrying it on ffrom Dover Wee heare that on ye 18th past by 40 Duch merchts with 3 [?] men of Warr Convoy, & that Warr was proclaimed at Callais agst Hamburgh on ye 15 They Write from france on ye 25 that ye Court was on ye morrow to goe into mourning for ye death of ye old Duke of Lorraine they talke of 2000 Portuguez souldiers yt were landed or suddenly to be landed at Toulon to serve ye french, & yt ye ships should assist them by sea for takeing in Roses the french King has given out his Comissions for ye Leavying of 52 troups of Horse & as many Companyes of foot, which Comissions are sent downe to ye Governrs of ye severall provences, who shall stand obliged to answere for ye severall officers to whom they deliver them & for provideing money as well for ye leavies as for Carryeing on ye warr, they speake of severall Edicts for ye Establishing soe many new [?] officers & ye readmitting of others who have bene laid aside as Will bring into ye Kings Coffers 40 millions wthout laying any further Charge on ye people The french seeme very doubtfull of ye march of Montecuculy some thinking hee designes to march directly into Lorraine There is great talke in france as if ye Portuguez fleet that Went lately out would uppon occation Joyn that of france Duch letters of ye 27 Confirme ye takeing of ye Island Pohl neare Wismar & ye Endeavours of ye Swedes to repossess themselves of it Who to yt purpose sent out a party of 200 men whom wth ye affection of those of ye Island they thought sufficient to surprise it but whether those wthin had some notice of it or noe but they gave them such Entertainment that of ye 200 yt went upon that designe onely 2 returnd The Danes & ye forces of Brandenb being Joyned marcht directly toward ye Swedes to give them Batle but ye Swedes are soe posted on ye side of a river that they will find it great difficulty to come at them. The King of Denmarke passing by Wismar wth 1000 Horse went soe neare the towne that 6 of them were shot by ye Cannon from thence L. c. 230 Sept ye 28th [?] 1675 On ffryday & saterday arived in ye downes the shaftsbury Pink & ye ship cald ye Prince Rupert from Hudsons Bay in ye northwest passage It seemes they were forcet to Winter there, & by that meanes spent ye provisions that should have bene left there wth ye new Governor & men that were to have stayed there who for that reson are come backe haveing left 4 English to keep possesion yesterday alsoe arived in ye Downes a vessell from ye streights ye master where of reports that Sr John Norbrough has burnt all ye Tripoline men of War yt were in port, wch wee are ye more ready to beleive for that Sr John said in his last letters hee was resolvd to make an attempt uppon them. My Ld Berkley prepares for his Embassy to ffrance for now ye season advances a pace wch Will put an End to all military actions in Will [?] bee soe much ye more propper to make Overtures in Order to a generall peace, for besides ye Weather there is another thing wch in all likelyhood will put an End to ye Campaigne in flanders wch is ye disagreemt of ye Prince of Orange & ye Spaniards as to ye proceedings of ye army, & besides all this ye Prince of Orange is greately disapointed for instead of ye Whole Lunenburg army of wch hee made account, onely 2000 horse are coming to Joyne him, this distracts his resolutions & breakes all his designes People likewise Cannot sufficiently wonder at ye retreat of Montecuculy who according to all advices is goeing to pass ye Rhyne, but its hardly beleived hee has any designe uppon Phillipsburg at this tyme of ye yeare but rather to have an eye uppon ye Elector Pallatine, who they say is about to make his Peace wth ye french The fflanders letters arived this afternoone say that ye Prince of Orange Continued wth his army at Hennatt where he fortifyd his Camp, wch argues he has noe intention to remove thence very suddenly The 2000 Lunenburg horse had Joyned ye Duch Regimts at Ruremond & they together had passt ye Meuse & were marching toward ye Prince of Oranges army, The people in flanders are much Concernd to see things fall out soe ill, & that their great expectation of ye takeing of Leige & Lymburg are frustrated Wee cannot yet possibly understand ye designe of Montecuculy, ye 28th instant hee was wthin halfe a Leage of lauterburg on ye Rhyne, ye Bridge there was finisht & was not knowne when or Wheather ye Imperialists would pass it Montecuculy had taken a Certaine Castle neare Phillipsburg, Tis said hee is to returne to Vienna & to leave ye Command of ye army to ye Duke of Burnonville, but this is not given wth any Certainty. [On outside of letter, in Newdigate's hand, appears this note:] R. H Newes being a transcript of Sr Joseph Williamson from ye 13 of Jan: 73/4 at wch time I began to have them untill the 1st of Oct 75. but many are wanting viz all June 74 & Mar: 75 and many others. L. c. 231 [Handwriting changes here.] September 27 1675 +Yesterday came letters from Sr John Narborrough dated the 15 of the last moneth before Tripoli They tell us that on the 31 of July he had forced a Show, & burnt a Barke & three gallyes, belonging to Tripoli, which was a great losse to those people, for that those gallyes of which sort they have noe more, were usefull for keeping of fire ships from their ships, which lay holed up close under the Castles The Dey &c had sent severall times to Sr John to desire a peace, & had even offered to give the demanded satisfaction in money, or the heads of those that have been the authors of breaking the peace, & we heare that a Chaux is on his way from the Grand Signior to command them to give the English satisfaction +Our last letters from fflanders which likewise arrived yesterday make not any mention of the Duells, which were reported to have been in the Princes Army, so that we may well doubt the truth thereof, the prince had made another remove towards Harmett, but the weather was soe rainy & the Winter season comeing on so fast, that there is now hardly any expectation of any action in fflanders +The young Duke of Lorraine has taken possesion of the troops belonging to the late Duke his unkle, & its thought he will Joyne them with the Imperiall Army +This day came in fresh letters from Holland & by them we have advice from Stratsburg of the 24 instant Montecuculy was there still with his Armys about Wesenburg, & a bridge was amakeing over the Rhine at Laterburg, in order as is said to the seige of Philipsburg, which few understanding men can beleive he intends, in the meane time the Prince of Conde sent out from his camp severall partyes into Alsatia to learne an account of the Germans +The Lunenburg Armyes continue about Cologne & is goeing into Winter quarters in the Dioxesse & in the Country of Juliers except 2 thousand horse who are marched toward the Meuse, to joyne the Regiments of foot & 2 of Horse Commanded by Count Stirum, who in order there unto was to march the 28 instant from Ruremond, on what designe we know not, the Danish & Brandenburg forces are marched directly towards the Swedes in Pomerania, soe that we may quickly heare of action on that side, the Munster cannot yet passe the water being hindered by the Swedes who stand on the other side, the Swedes in Wismar made an attempt with 200 men to retake the little Island Pohl, but was repulsed with the losse of most of their men +The Munsters have passed the Weser at Hoye by permission from the Dey of Hanover. L. c. 232 October 2 1675 +The letters which arrived yesterday from Holland told us, there was a discourse as if the Prince of Orange would very suddenly returne thither, & leave his Army under the command of Count Waldock. the truth is the Prince & Spanyards are by no means agree, they laying the fault each upon other that this Campagne has not been more successefull The Dutch complaine that the Spanyards who promised to bring into the feild 8000 foot & 5 or 6000 horse, & to provide good Maggazins in severall places for the subsistance of the Army, have failed in both, haveing as to the first, not had men enough to man their owne Garrisons & as to the latter taken no care at all +We cannot yet unriddle the mystery of Monser de Montecuculys march toward Phillipsburg, for noe body noe longer beleives that he designes to beseige that place, & for the rest they know not what to thinke, especially if it be true, what some letters say, that Montecuculy is returneing to Vienna, which would certainly putt an end to the Campagne likewise in those parts. Though many people think that the Germans intend to play an after game, in which they promise themselves an advantage over the rest. +People begin more & more to discourse of peace & it is very probable that this winter will at least bring the Ambrs together againe at Nimegen or some other place. +It is said that the Pope who is accepted for Mediator by france, Spain & the other Roman Catholick Princes concerned in the warr, endeavours to change the place of congresse for that he cannot send his Nuncio or Legat to Nimegen or any other place, where the Roman Catholick Religion is not professed; but the P[r]otestant partyes will take little notice thereof, but apply themselves to his Majesty of great Brittany as sole Mediator +The Earle of Essex we are told intends to returne very suddenly to his Government of Ireland. +It is now beleived in good earnest that the Portiguez armada will assist the ffrench in the Mediaterranean which the Dutch are so apprehensive of that they have written some time since a long letter to the Prince Regent of Portugall to disuade him from it, by which he must unavoidably become engaged in the warr, which has already spread it selfe so far +The late Duke of Lorraine Aged 75 yeares they say has left behind him in money 15 millions besides vast riches in diamonds the greatest share of which they tell us will go to Prince Vandemont his Natural Son, who upon the death of his ffather, was putting himselfe in the head of his troopes, till Prince Charles of Lorraine the Nephew & heire came who himselfe tooke the charge upon him, & they swore fidelity to him as their Soveraigne being then neer the Saar towards Vandrefange an appertinent of the Dutchy of Lorraine. L. c. 233 [Handwriting changes here.] Oct. ye 2d 1675 The severall armys (except those wch are agst ye Swedes) seeme now to have noe other thoughts then to provide themselves Winter quarters, that wch is ye most wondred at is, that Montecuculy should make noe better use of that great advantage wch hee once had over ye french the Summer, & now that side sayes that hee Cannot subsist wth his armies in alsatia, all that Country being quite destroyed & therefore is forcet to put his army into Winter quarters, in ye meane tyme ye Swedes are threatend from all sides & according to ye present appearance of things they will not be able to Oppose ye force yt comes agst them, but Will be turnd out of their faire posessions in Germany, & yt wch adde to their trouble is that even their freinds ye french seeme not much Concernd for them but privately say they suffer deservedly for not Entring into ye Warr more briskly then they did By vessells Come from ye Coast of ffrance wee are assured that in Brittany all is quiet & ye late mutineers wholly supprest Letters arived this afternoon from flanders say that ye Prince of Orange Continued at Hannut that Count Stirum was Come wth ye troups under his Command wthin a League of ye Princes army, & would Joyne it in a day or 2 but ye french army was Come to Gembleurs wch is a League nearer to ye Duch then they Were before, & some thinke from thence that Luxemburg has a mind to attempt something upon ye Prince In flanders are heard nothing but Complaints agst ye Prince for haveing done nothing all this Summer, wch ye Duch on ye other hand attribute to ye Want of resolution in ye Spaniards who will not now let ye Prince make an attempt upon Leige, wch at first they themselves proposed Montecuculy continues neare Lauterburg hee has put garrisons into severall places, & his maine designe seemes to be to block up Phillipsburg this Winter but in ye Interim ye Prince of Conde gathers strength & is makeing a Bridge Over ye Rhyne neare Brisach wth intention as is said to vissit ye Germans once more on ye Other side On ye 29 [?] Sr Joseph Sheldon was chosen Ld Mayor of London L. c. 234 [Handwriting changes here.] October 6th 1675 +Wee are told of an Envoy that is on his way hither from the young Duke of Lorraine, to give his Majesty an account of the late Duke his Unkles death, & to recommend himselfe & his Intrests to his Majestyes favor & protection. +The ffrench King its said upon the news of that Dukes death, went into close morneing, & some add that he hath sent to Compliment this young Duke, & that his Majesty will make lesse difficulty to restore Lorraine, his displeasure haveing been onely against the late Duke. Mr Pitts being removed from his place of comptroller to the Duke, the same is given by his Royall Highnesse to Coll Worden +yesterday sailed out of the downes a ffleet of 200 saile of Merchants men, bound for severall parts, & indeed the English navigation was never more considerable then at this time yesterday his Majesty was hunting at Bamsteed Downes & afterwards did my Lord Berkley the honor to dine with him at his house. On Thursday last were tryed severall pyrates who have plundered certaine Bremers & Hamburgers as well as English ships they were all English & Irish men & 6 were condemned. +The Dutch letters of ffryday last, which came in this morning, tell us, that the Prince of Orange was expected at the Hague, in 15 dayes at farthest; though some were still of opinion that his highnesse would attempt some thing upon Leige before he left the feild, & the rather for that some more of the Lunenburg troopes were marching from the Diosesse of Cologne towards the Meuse to joyne the Prince The Armyes on the Rhine continue in the same posture, the Imperialists about Landaw & Germersheim near Phillipsburg, & the Prince of Conde near Steckstadt, they have both a bridge over the Rhine, the former at Lauterburg, which they have fortyfyed, & the latter at Brisach some have said that the Prince of Conde would passe it, & enter into the Country of Brisgow, which we can hardly beleive. +Carelstat in Bremen holds out still, which hinders the farther progresse of the confederates, who have taken Otterburg & Rodenburg the latter by storme, so that all the garrison which was 100 men were put to the sword +Wee have nothing fresh from Hamburg, farther then that the Danes have possessed themselves of Rostock, where they are makeing a Magazine, & that severall Regiments continue to block up Wismar. L. c. 235 October ye 7th 1675 +This morning arrived our fflanders letters, they say, that the Prince of Orange continued at Hannut, with out any intention of removeing from thence, till he leave the feild. That on Sunday was seenenight the Count de Stirum arrived in the camp with the troopes under his Command; that the next day the prince had sent orders to the Count de Horne who was at Tillemont to carry the Artillary back to Mallines, & embarke it there for Holland. That the wednesday following being the 9 instant the prince sent out 3 Regiments of Spanish foot, & 8 of Dutch & a good body of horse under the Command of the Spanish Maistre de Camp generall, and the Rhynegrave on what designe not knowne, That the next morneing very early 30 Squadrons of ffrench horse appeared near the Princes camp, who thereupon advanced with 6000 horse & foot, toward the party he sent out the day before, upon which the ffrench retired, who it seems were the vanguard of the ffrench Army, who marched that day & about noon encamped at Bonesse Abby; soe that the two Armies lye within 2 leagues of each other in an Open Champagne Countrey, though they have each a River before them. In the meane time the Spanyards continue theire complaints or rather Clamors against the Prince of Orange whom they charge with the ruine & desolation of their Country, for that he hath not prevented it, though in truth their owne ill management of things is the cheifest occasion there of. +The incursion of the french into the Countrey of Waes, where they burnt above 1500 houses & killed many of the paysants, encreases the cry of the people, who complaine that they are equally destroyed by their freinds & their enemies. +There is nothing fresh from Alsatia, nor from the Northern parts. +The Barron Horne who lately arrived here in quality of Envoy from the King of Sweden is prepareing for his returne home. +The members of Parliament begin to come thick to towne, soe that its hoped there will be a full house, which the King very much desires. +On Tuesday dyed the Bishop of London. Its said the Bpp of Salisbury Dr Ward will succeed him. L. c. 236 [Handwriting changes here.] Octob ye 9th 1675 The Bp of London it seemes dyed not till Thursday night last nor it is yet knowne who shall succeed him On Thursday the Duke of Munmouth [and] persons of quallity went to new market to see ye Races run Last night happend a sad fire at Aston in Midlesex abt 7 miles of London where many houses were burnt downe & much harme done. Its very certaine that some Overtures have bene made for accomodateing matters betwixt ye Elector Pallatine & ye french. & that on this subject letters have past betwixt him & ye Duke of Orleance his sonne in law yet soe, as ye Elect all along declares hee would not come to any conclusion wthout ye approbation of ye Empr, to whom hee communicated his proceedings, in answere to wch ye Empr that it was a matter of great consequence, & that hee would send one on purpose to him to tell him his mind on this subject, soe that tis expected ye next advices from those parts will give an account of ye arrivall of this Envoy at Heydleburg & wt ye Emprs mind is in this matter The Swedes in Bremen have bene pretty successfull in One or 2 late Rencounters they have had wth their Enimies, haveing taken neare 600 prisoners & among them 18 officers whom they Carryed to Stade, ye perticulers whereof are that 7 men of Warr fitted out in Holland on account of ye Elector of Brandenb being Come before Carlestadt they landed about 900 men to attaque it by land, that after they had bene there about 2 dayes a strong party of Horse & Dragoons Came from Stade & fell uppon them, uppon wch ye Brandenburgers Retyred to their ships but were intecepeted leaveing 300 prisoners behind them & two peices of Cannon which they had taken from ye Swedes who had sallyed out from Carlestadt ye day before repulsed, after which ye Swedes heareing of 600 Danes that were come into ye Country of Sweden [?] marcht agst them & totally routed them, 400 being taken & ye rest kild The Coll & one Capt onely Escapeing, The munsterians have had better success haveing taken Burg Ottersberg, & Rothenbuf places of great Importance, & are now before Bremenvene This afternoon was launched a new yacht neare Cuckolds point where shee was built for his Maty by ye direction of Sr Streths: [?] Dean Shee is cald ye Charles, his Matie & Rll Hss were present at her launching They write from Hamburg Sept ye 24 yt ye Treaty of Neutrallity of ye Duke of Hannover is Compleated & he offerd by ye allyes to be a Mediator Tis said ye Empr to fix ye Duke of Bavaria to his interest has offered his Daughter to ye Electors son, wth all ye Hereditary Countries of ye Empire in case hee shall have noe Heires male, & in ye mean tyme to make ye Elector Viccar of ye Empire, They talke yt ye marriage betwixt ye King of Sweden & ye Daughter of Denmarke is broke & another proposed betwixt that King & mounsrs Daughter +Tis said the Spaniards are highly insencet agst ye Venetians for hindring ye Germans to pass ye Gulfe to revenge wch twas said ye Spaniards had Entred into ye Venetian Teritories in ye Dukedome of Millan & comitted severall Hostillities setting 2 Villages on fire, but this is not given wth an Certainty L. c. 237 [Handwriting changes here.] October 13th 1675 +Since my last we have not any forreigne news; & at present people are taken up with the expectation of the Parliament which meets on Wednesday, a great many members are allready came to towne, & its beleeved there will be a very full house. +We are told that his Majesty has lately written to the King of Sweden & Denmarke to offer them his mediation for the putting an end to the present war, in which they are now become Partyes. +Most people beleeve that this winter will doe much towards the makeing a peace, for the severall Princes concerned in the War begin dayly more & more to show a disposition toward it, & particular the Dutch, who seem so forward to promote the peace that the Imperialists & Spanyards are some what jealous of them, and think them even too forward. +We doe not heare that the Bishoprick of London is disposed of as yet, to which there are severall pretenders +We are told that Mr Pitts is restored to his place of Comptroller to the Duke. We cannot yet penetrate into the designe of the Portuguese Armada, which is now in the Mediterrean; The Portuguese still say, that they will attempt some thing upon Argiers, by meanes of the Intelligence they have with the Bassa there, who is a Portuguese Renegado, but the more understanding people still say, that this Armada is to assist the ffrench. +Just now arrived our ffrench letters, but they bring nothing new; the Prince of Conde was still near Stockstadt, & Montecuculy near Landaw, prepareing to passe the Rhine to goe into Winter Quarters in ffranconia & Suabia, & haveing sent the troops of the Circles towards ffriburg to secure the Country of Brisgonia against the attempt of the ffrench. The Marshall de Rochefort assembles a body about Metz to oppose the Duke of Lorraine, who is towards the Saar, & threatens that he will beseige Saar Bruchen. L. c. 238 October 17th 1675 +A Message from the King by the Usher of the blacke Rod to command this house to attend his Majesty in the house of Peeres where his Majesty was pleased to make a speech. +The house being returned, the consideration of his Majestyes speech adjourned till munday next. The bill to prvent papists to sitt in either house of Parliament, read & ordered a 2nd reading The grand Committees appointed for Trade, Religion, Grievances, Courts of justice & Priviledges writts ordered to be sent to the places vacant since the last sessions +The house being informed of a difference like to arise between my Lord Cavendish Sr Thomas Mores & Coll Thomas Howard upon a paper or letter found in the Pall Mall, Coll Howard ordered to be sent for to Mr Speaker, and such persons as shall owne the paper to be committed to the Sargent at Armes, and adjourned till munday morneing 8 a Clocke. +The Lords after haveing read one bill about the Tryall of the Peeres adjourned till to morrow. 14 October +The Lords met & haveing read a bill adjourned till Tuesday next, where they will take into consideration his Majesties speech My Lords & Gentlemen +I meet you now with a more than usuall concerne for the Event of this session; & I know it is, but what may be reasonably expected from that care I owe to the preservation of the Government. The causes of the last prorogation, (as I for my part doe not desire to remember) soe I hope noe man also will, unlesse it be to learne from thence, how to avoid the like occasion for the future, & I pray consider how fatall the consequences may be, & how little benefitt is like to redound to the people by it. However if any thing of that kind shall arise, I desire you would deferre those debates, till you have brought such publique bills to perfection, as may conduce to the good & Safety of the Kingdome, & particularly I recommend to you whatever may lend to the security of the Protestant Religion, as it is now established in the Church of England. I must likewise desire your assistance in some supplyes as well to take of the Anticipations, which are upon my Revenue, as for the building of ships, & though the warr has been the great cause of those Anticipations, yet I find by a late account I have taken of my expenses, that I have not been altogether so good a husband, as I might have been, & as I resolve to be for the future, Although at the same time, I have had the satisfaction to find, that I have been far from such an extravagancy in my expence, & some would have the world beleive. I am not ignorant, that there are many that would prevent the kindnesse of my Parliament at this time, but I as well know that their affection have never failed me, & you may remember that it is about 3 yeares since I have asked any thing to my owne use. The rest I reserve to my Lord Keeper. L. c. 239 [Handwriting and size of paper change here.] Whitehall 19 Oct. 1675 Commons. 18/ mr Speaker reports ye Ld Cavendish and Sr Thomas Mores had attended him touching ye Paper read in the House and yt he had sent to mr. Thomas Howard who was sicke, but had Engaged not to doe any thing in that matter till he had attended mr. Speaker, and thereupon severall membrs were appointed to attend him, to know whether he will owne the Paper. The House then proceeded to the consideracon of his Matyes speech, and resolved the House will resolve into a Committee of the whole House to take into consideration ye part of the speech which relates to the Supply to morrow morneing. +That the House will on Wednesday next resolve into a Grande Committee of ye whole House, to take into consideration the part of the speech that relates to the setlement of Religion. +The Bill for the appropriating of Customes to ye use of the Navy, read and ordered a 2d reading. On Thursday next a Committee appointed to consider of the Trade betwixt England & France to sitt this afternoon. a Bill to prevent Illegall Exaction of monys from the subject read. +Resolved that on monday next the House will goe into a grande Committee to consider of ye State and ye Condition of the Kingdome. Tuesday 19 Octob. +The Pet[iti]on of the Tho: Shireley legr. being offerd, & desireing a heareing after a debate whether it should be first considered. His Matyes speech the Bussinesse of the day was read, and then the House entred into a debate concerneing the Priviledge of appeales & the Peton aforesd and after a long debate be adjourned till to morrow morneing 2 of the clocke. The 19. Octob. +Sr Tho. Litleton reports that in obedience to the order of the House they had been with Coll. Tho: Howard, who told them that he not being versed, in such affairs might give Occation to their farther displeasure if he should give any answer to their Message said he had sent a Message to Mr. Speaker, that he would not prosecute this bussiness farther & still gave the said Engagemt Resolved, that the Paper read. in the House signed thomas Howard of Richmond and Carlile is a scandelous paper and a breach of the priviledge of this House Then the House went into a Grand Committee, and came to this resolution that it is the opinion of the Committee not to grant any supply to his Matie for the takeing of the anticipations upon his Revenue. To which the House agreed, and resolved to be in a grand Comittee on friday next to take into consideration of that part of his Maties speech which relates to a Supply for the buildeing of shipps. L. c. 240 Whitehall 21 Octob 1675 +The Lords satt upon the debate of Sr [?] Shireleys peticon, praying a heareing upon the cause depending since last session agt Sr John Fagg, and after much time spent therein, the farther debate was adjourned till Monday next till when the House likewise adjourned. Commons +A Bill for the augmentacon of small Rectoryes & vicaredges read. +The Bill to prvent Illegall Imprisonmt of the subject read. +The House then resolved into a grand Committee about Religion, & came to these conclutions. +That a Committee be appointed to inspect what books have ben printed that are Scandalous & Dangerous in matters Touching Religion or Governmt. Eccleciasticall or Civell as now Established. +That a Bill be brought in for the better observation of the Lds day & to prevent Sweareing and Curseing. +And that the Bill to prevent the Growth of Popery be read to morrow. +a Committee to be appointed to report how the out Parishes in the Bill of Mortality may be provided with Charters Capable to receive the people. +to prepare a Bill that the Children of the Royll family may be Educated in the Protestant Religion, and that no Popish Priest may have accesse to them. +to bring in a Bill declareing that the Religion now Establisht may not be altered, nor the Lawes touching the same suspended, but by act of Parliament. to which the House agreed & Resolved that the Ld Cavendish is guilty of a breach of Priviledge in prosecuteing his Bussinesse about Coll Howard, while the Same was depending before this House, and yt he be forth with sent to the Tower. NS [?]/ The Ld Cavendish has posted Mr Howard yesterday. +And then adjourned till to morrow. Commons Thursday 21 Octob. +A Bill for the prservation of fishing in severell Rivers read & ordd a 2d reading. +A Bill for paymt of the Debts of Ellexandr Davis desist [sic] read & ordd a 2d reading. +A Bill for continue a late act for giveing leave to buy & Export Leather read & ordd a 2d reading +A Bill for appropriateing the Customes to the use of the Navy rd a 2d time & Committed. +ordered that the Bills agt Popery be read on Satt morneing. +Leave given to bring in a Court of conscience in Westr. another in Middlesex & Southwerke. and then adjourned till to morrow 8 a Clocke. L. c. 241(1) [Handwriting and size of paper change here.] friday, Octob ye 22d 1675 +A Bill to prevent ye exportation of Wooll read, & orderd a 2d reading A petition of ye Ld Cavendish prisoner in ye tower read, & hee Orderd to be discharged. his Comittment A petition of Mr John Mayne a Mercht touching ye Election of Exeter read & repeated The House then went into a Comittee of ye Whole house to take into Consideration yt part of his Maties speech wch relates to ye building of ships, & resolvd that 20 ships of ye 1st 2d & 3d rate be built wth all convenient speed, ye Comittee to sit againe abt it on Tewsday Saterday ye 23d/ A Bill for augmentation of small vicaridges read a 2d tyme & Comitted A Bill for uniteing some parishes read & orderd a 2d reading Leave given to bring in a Bill for repaire of high wayes & churches & recovery of small tythes. The Bills for ye Courts of Conscience to be read on Munday next Leave given to bring in a Bill for ye Ease of ye Coale Trade & for Encourageing Navigation to New Castle A Comittee appoynted to Consider of Matters touching ye Coale Trade & ye Duty Imposed uppon it a debate ariseing abt such of ye Kings subjects as are in ye french Kings service Contrary to ye Proclam: Resolved, That such subjects as are now in ye french Kings service or shall be Contrary to any Proclamation shall be held Contemners of his Maties Royall authority & opposers of ye interest of their Countries & a Bill Orderd to be brought in pursuant to this Vote wth penalties A Bill to hinder papists sitting in Either house read a 2d tyme. +The Swedes have sustaind great losses both in Pomaren from ye Confederates, & in Bremen from ye Brandenburgers L. C. 241 (2) [Handwriting changes here.] [See date below.] Coll Howards letter Sr/ The late severity against Roman Catholicks having forbidden me the ambition to any place pr pretension at Court, & the severe usage of the goute makeing me unfitt to appeare in any company, but where I am well acquainted, besides a most sensible losse of my poore Brother John killed at the battle of Stratsburg, I resolve not onely in person but thought from all temptations this world will give me & to spend the rest of my dayes in such domestick & private content as a man of those principles & of some seeing hopes in an honest retreate. But It happened by a certain, though unjust & malicious accident That I am awakened from the quiett & repose I hoped for, And findeing my selfe engaged by the nearest tyes of freindship & honour (And obligations I have alwayes esteemed dearer than my life) to let some unworthy & base people see that I am yet alive. Not long since in St James Park the Ld Cavendish & St Thomas Moores (two bold & busie members) upon the news of the ffrenches retreat over the Rhine where many English were reported to be killed (whose lives amongst all honest men was much regretted) Those incendiaryes with a most plausible temper of such worthy patriotts openly declared, That it was but a just end to such as went against any Vote of Parliament, (with all respect of that honourable house this Cankered & malicious saying will neither deserve the thanks of that house. +(it being false as to my brother who went by his Majestyes command at the head of his Company before the Vote was in force) or the approbation of any honest men. But of it I will not trouble my selfe or others to let you see by (an exact character) how those two worthy & unbiassed Sanators ought to be credited next october will produce such efforts of their care & capacity of securing property & Religion in a Christian humane way. That I beleive I shall be called to the Barre to answare those Slanders (as they will call them) yet I doubt they will not, for though an ill orator I shall most surely prove what I write, As for any other way of revenge I doe not apprehend it, for men that are given to spit bloud seldom draw it Sr I have troubled you too long with my just resentments, but knowing the show that you have alwayes taken in my concernes, I must beg of you that you will in St James Park in the Mall dispose those papers. It being all the way that is left to doe right to the dead And assure you I will not doe you the ill office of dispersing a libble, for I will signe the Copyes with all my titles. ffrom Ashteed in Surrey 30 August 75. Thomas Howard of Richmond & Carlisle. L. c. 242 October 27th 1675 +The house went upon the debate of Dr Shirleys Pet[iti]on this day, & afterward adjourned till Thursday sevennight +The Commons read a bill to prvent more burning & ordered a 2d reading +A bill settleing the estate of Hen. Merchant a Lunatique ordered a 2d reading +A bill for payment of the Lord Killmurrys debts read & ordered a second reading +A bill for the better assurance of such as clayme under Ancient fines & recoveries read & ordered 2d reading +Sr George Downing reports the State of the Trade between England & ffrance & the consideration thereof adjourned till Saturday +The house ordered to be called over on Tuesday & letters to be sent to the defaulters +A Test for purgeing the Members touching receiving rewards for giveing their Votes read & referred to a Committe. +That his Majesty be desired that the members of his house may be summoned to give their attendance by Proclamation onely and then adjourned till Tuesday next +The bad weather we have had for these 4 or 5 dayes keeps our letters from us soe that we have not any forreigne news +Last night the Lord Berkley after he had taken leave of the King in order to the beginning his Embassy to ffrance was suddenly taken ill in the privy gallery of a strong fitt of an Apoplexy which continued upon him 10 houres but this day his Ldpp is much better & this evening is removed to his owne house from the Lord Chamberlines Lodgin where he was immediatly carryed upon his falling ill. +The Hamburgh letters of the 11 speake of letters from Sweden by way of Riga (for the usuall way of letters is stopt by the Danes who forbid all sort of Communication with them) which makes the Swedes fleet formidable 46 men of War almost all betwixt 60 & 100 guns & the Pearle admirall of 128 Brasse guns ready in Dalhem & expected onely a faire wind & that in other ships halfe the Regiments of the Malitia are embarqued, to which they adde that the Rixtag or Parliament have resolved not to forsake the ffrench interest & that the peasants have offered to send every second man into the feild. L. c. 243 [Handwriting changes here.] October ye 29 1675 from Tangier wee heare that ye Governr haveing uppon ye information that was given him by one Hamatt a moore who was lately here in England & turnd Xtian, of a great number of Catle yt were feeding near ye towne sent out abt 500 foot & 30 horse, but its thought Hamat betrayed them, for ye moores were laid in ambush, & abt 150 of our men were cut off ye rest makeing a brave retreat +The 25 a message was sent by Sr Wm Coventry to ye Lds desireing their Concurrence to ye Vote of ye Commons concerning such of his Maties subjects as are in ye french service &c: to wch ye Lds answered they would returne ym an answere by a messenger of their Owne. The house being informed of a Challenge & quarrell like to arise between the Ld Cavendish, Mr ffra: Newport, & Mr Atkins, Orderd that Mr Newport be summond forthwth to attend ye house And Resolved, that they haveing punisht ye Ld Cavendish for posting up provokeing papers some persons have presumed notwithstanding to send challenges to ye said Ld, They declare that whoever shall prosecute any quarrell uppon this account shall be Esteemd as disturbers of ye Publique peace, & Contemners of ye Justice & priviledges of this house & shall be proceeded agst accordingly. A Comittee appoynted to bring in a Bill to prevent duells & provocations there to The House then went into a Comittee to Consider of ye State & Condition of ye Kingdome and Resolved, that on Wednesday next they will resolve into a Comittee of ye whole house to Consider of ye Condition of ye Kingdome. +The 26 the Lds were againe uppon debate of Dr Shirleys petition, but adjournd it till another day Coll Howard attending ye house of Commons according to Order was Comitted to ye tower for his breach of priviledge Then ye house proceeded to ye Consideration of that part of his Maties speech wch relates to ye building more shipps, & resolvd, that ye mony wch shall be given shall be appropriated & applyed to ye building of more shippps onely & then Resolvd that ye house will resolve into a Comittee of ye Whole house to proceed in ye Consideration of ye same. L. c. 244 [Handwriting changes here.] [n.d.] +I doe protest before Allmighty God and this house of Parliament that directly or indirectly, neither I or any other for my use to my knowledge have since the first day of January 1672 had or received any Summe or Summes of money by Wages of imprest gift Loane, or otherwise from the Kings Majesty or any of his officers or sworne servants, or any other person by his Majestys order, direction, Leave or knowledge, or by authority derived from his said Majesty, or any pardon discharge or respite of money due to his Majesty upon account. Or any grant, pension, gratuity or reward, or any promise of such or any office of employment, or any promise of reversion of any office place or comand of or from his Majesty, or out of any money treasury or estate of or belonging to his Majesty, or of or from or by any foreigne Ambassador, Agent, or Minister or of or from any other person in the name or by the appointment, or with the knowledge of his Majesty or any of them, otherwise then what I have now in writeing faithfully discovered & delivered to this house, which I have subscribed with my name, Neither doe I know of any such gift, grant or promise soe given or made since the said time to any other Member of the house, but what I have alsoe inserted in the said writeing. Nor have I ever given my vote in Parliament for any reward or promise whatsoever. L. c. 245 [Handwriting changes here.] [n.d.] +Before the houses rose great debates were among ye Lds Concerning priviledges Especialy in ye buisness of Shirly & ffagg They resolveing to be a house of Judicature or noe house, wch point tis feared may be of ill Consequence & many thinke may tend to a dissolution The Ld Hollis has wrote a Booke Concerning their priviledge &c: +It was debated in ye Commons whether to put ye mony that should be given for ships in ye Exchequer or Chamber of London, & ye question being put whether in ye chamber of London or noe, it was Carryed in ye negative by 11 Voyces Uppon ye debate about mony Sr John Hotham stood up & said hee beleived ye King could want noe mony haveing given soe Liberally amongst yt ye members of yt house. upon wch hee was Cald to ye Barr, & made a good defence, uppon wch ye Test for a purge was Orderd to be brought in Sr Harbotle Grinston made a smart speech about a dissolution Intimateing that standing Parliaments as well as armys were Equally dangerous to the Governmt, or to that purpose L. c. 246 Die Martis, 2de Novemb 1675 A protection granted to a Wittness summoned to attend ye Comittees of Eclections [sic] & privledges Leave given to bring in a Bill for makeing ye River Darwent Navigable The report abt ye french trade to be debated on Saterday, & then ye State & Condition of ye Nation as to ye Woollen Manufacture, ye Trade of Ireland, & ye makeing of Malt to be alsoe taken into Consideration a Bill to prevent ye illegall Imprisonmt of ye subject to be read to morrow morning The House to be Cald over Thursday morning Then ye house resolvd into a Comittee of ye Whole house to Consider of that part of his Maties speech wch relates to ye building of ships & after a long debate thereof Resolvd to be in a Comittee of ye Whole house to morrow morning, & then adjournd till to morrow 8 a clock Amsterdam, November ye 5th The last night & this Whole day till this tyme being 5 in ye Evening, the Water wth a storme of Wind at N:N:W broke in wth great Violence (wch now has Continued abt 48 houres) the Water stands 4 Inches higher then it did in all Sts day 1572, Things are on all sides in a miserable posture, many sea dikes & Damms are broke through, the Water passes Over ye Nearlomer Dyke vizt the great dyke, The meadow & Every thing else there lyes like an Open sea, & nothing is to be seene but ye houses, The last night & this day ye Bells have rang in Waterland to give Notice of ye great Callamity they are in The Dyke betwixt Horne & Edam is broke through, by wch meanes ye fine Burmer is ruined, Beyond Myuden ye sea is likewise broken through, The Water flows over ye Ring Dyke from the Beyrilomier [?], & as is said that meer is likewise broken in, Dremer meer holds still, The Water runs very violently Over ye flaper wch defends Haerlem & Leyden. The sky lookes black & ye storme at N.N.W. continues, the Water still grows higher, ye flood runs violent & ye great ships mend [?] more ye flood, yn ye storme, at ye new Enlargemt by ye Jews Church above 200 people are at Worke to make 6ood a peice of a Dyke wch is but Weake, the magistrates have Comanded by sound of Trumpet that ye Inhabitants should remove their goods out of ye Coblers before divers of ye Sea Dykes were broken through, & While ye Water onely flowd over the [rest of letter is missing] L. c. 247 Novemb ye 4th 1675 Wednsd ye 3d/ A Bill to Enable ye Countess of Warwick to performe ye Will of ye late Earle read a 2d tyme & Comitted A Bill for Confirming ye sales made by ye Coheires of Leonard Robinson read a 2d tyme & Comitted A Bill for suppressing Hawkers, Pedlers & petty Chapmen read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill for releife of poore prisoners for debt read & Orderd a 2d reading The House then Resolved into a Comittee of ye Whole house to proceed in ye Consideration of that part of his Maties speech wch relates to ye building more ships & came to these Resolutions That one 1st Rate ship be built of 1400 tunn, allowing for its building 14 L p tun 5, 2d Rates of 1100 tunn at 12 L 10s p Tun 14, 3d Rates of 900 Tunn at 9 L, 10s p Tun That they will againe resolve into a Comittee to morrow morning to proceed in ye farther consideration of ye same buisness, & soe adjournd till to morrow 8 a clock Thursday ye 4th/ A Bill for drayning of Lindsey Levell orderd to be read on Munday next Leave given to bring in a Bill for Erecting a Court of Judicature to setle differences yt may happen by ye fire at Northampton A Bill to Enable Trustees to sell an Estate of Tho Berkley Esqr read & orderd a 2d reading A Petition of ye Inhabitants of ye Isle of Wight agst ye officers of ye Customes read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill for recalling his Maties subjects from ye french Kings service read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill to hinder Papists from sitting in Either house of Parliamt reported & orderd to be Engrost Then ye house resolvd into a grand Comittee of ye Whole house to proceed in ye Consideration of building ships & agreed that a supply not exceeding 300000 L shall be raised for ye building & toward ye Rigging of 20 ships The house will be in a Comittee of ye whole house on Tewsday to Consider of ye State & Condition of ye Kingdome His Maty has bene pleased lately to pass A graunt of armes to ye Duke of Richmond, & to ye Earle of Plymouth to ye former ye Royall Armes of England wthin a Bordure Go Ponce [?] Arg: & gules in ye first Roses Gules to ye Other ye same Royall Armes wth a Batton vaire. [A few figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 248 Novemb ye 6 1675 The Lds after a long debate on Thursday wch Kept them till 8 at Night, at last resolvd that ye 20th inst should be appoynted for ye heareing ye Cause betwixt Dr Shirley & Sr John ffagg a memb of ye house of Commons at ye Barr of ye house of Lds +The Comons on ffryday being ye 5th of November went to heare Dr Sandcroft preach +On Saterday they voted Dr Sandcroft ye thankes of ye House for his sermon wth desire he would print it Read a Bill ye 2d tyme for assurance of such as claime under ancient fines & Recoverys & Comitted A Bill for makeing ye River Darwent Navigable read & Orderd a 2d reading A Bill for Rebuilding ye Inne of Northampton & Erecting a Court of Judicature there read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill to preserve ye libertys of ye subject read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill to Enable Justices to sell ye White Lyon prisons read & orderd a 2d reading A Bill for assertaining ye duty of Hearth mony read a 2d tyme & Comitted Sr John treavor reports from ye Comittee of ye Whole house ye severall votes by them agreed, concerning that part of his Maties speech wch relates to ye building of shipps, & uppon a division whether ye house should agree wth ye Comittee in ye last vote that a supply be raised not exceeding 300000 L for building ships, it was resolved in ye affirmative, & likewise to all ye rest of ye votes as for ye number, Rate, burden, & price of Each Tunn ye house alsoe agreed & to be in a Comittee abt ye State of ye Kingdome on Monday. +Letters from Paris of ye 10th instant say that they had advice from alsatia that Generall Montecuculy had past ye Rhyne at Lauterburg haveing drawne 100 men of each company of foot (their Companies being generally 200, & 250, in a Company) & 150 out of Each Regiment of Horse to mayntaine ye Pass they have taken abv [?] Phillipsburg, Genll Vertmuybeer Comands these troups in cheife, wch its said are to be releived Every moneth by fresh troops who are to come from ye maine quarters The Duke of Lorraine likewise marches wth his forces, their Winter quarters being assigned wth ye Imperiall troops in Suabia The Prince of Conde is very sudenly expected at Paris, some say ye Duke of Luxemburg will goe & Comand & alsatia [sic] The Citty of Rennes in france where ye disorders first begun this summer is goeing to be intirely ruined the souldrs liveing there according to their owne discretion Wee have noe farther perticulers of ye damage sustained by ye late Inundation in Holland but its not to be doubted but its very Considerable. L. c. 249 [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 9th 1675 +A Bill for makeing the river Darwent naviagable read a 2d time & Comitted. +Leave given to bring in a bill to assertaine weights & measures. A Petition of Coll Howard tendered & he ordered to be discharged & to attend Mr Speaker with Ld Cavendish & Sr Thomas Moores who is desired to reconcile them. +The house being informed of St German & another popish priest that entered the Camber of one Luzancy & forced him to examine what priests have been convicted & reprieved & by what Warrtt A bill to enable the Countesse of Warwick to performe the late Earles will read & ordered to be ingrossed. The house then resolved into a Comtee of the whole house to proceed in the Consideration of the supply for building of ships & resolved That the supply shall be raised by a land tax & monethly assessmt of 18 moneths at 17204 L 17s 3d p moneth to be paid by quarterly payments that noe other charge shall be layd upon the subject this session & soe adjourned till to morrow 8 a clock. Tuesday 9th +Severall persons sworne in order to their Naturalization ffive booksellers ordered to be taken into Custody for seizing Almanackes +The bill to enable the Countesse of Warwick to performe the late Earls will read a 3d time & passed. +A bill to encourage the rebilding of Northampton read a 2d time & comitted +A bill to prevent the exportation of wooll read a second time & Comitted A Petition of Cloathyers Merchants & others against the East indya Company referred to the same Comtee to sitt to morrow. The house to resolve into a Comtee to morrow to Consider the condition of the Nation & on Thursday to proceed on the Supply, & on Saturday to consider how to improve the woollen Manufacture & soe adjourned till to morrow 8 a clock +The house of Lords being informed of a booke lately printed entitled a letter from a prson of quality to his freind about a Test as it is said, & the same haveing been there read, it was ordered that it should be burnt by the Common Hangman at the exchange & Westminster & that enquiry should be made after the Author, Printer & publisher. +The Lords took into Consideration a debate a former message from the house of commons concerning his Majestys subjects in the ffrench service contrary to the late Proclamation, & resolved that an addresse be made to his Majesty in that matter +wee have not these 8 days had any letters from a broad. L. c. 250 [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 13th 1675 fryday 12/ A Bill for drayning Lindsey Levell read & orderd a 2d reading a Comittee appoynted to bring in a Bill for regulateing Election of members to sitt in Parliamt A forme of a Vote to prevent Expences drinking & bribery at Elections read & referd to ye Comittee of Elections The Bill to prevent illegall exactions of mony from ye subject reported & orderd to bee engrost The house to be in a grand Comittee on Tewsday to Consider of ye State of ye Kingdome a Comittee appoynted to Consider of ye laws abt ye poore & abt Vagrants & to propose remedies to lessen ye Charge uppon ye subjects for ye poore A Writt Issued to Elect a member for Pembroke Saterday 13/ A bill for setling ye Estate of ye Ld Killmurry reported & ordered to be engrost A Petition of ye Weavers of London read & referd to a Committee A Bill to Enable Tho Berkley Esq to sell bonds for paymt of debts read & Comitted A Bill for paymt of debts of Allexander davis read & orderd to be Engrost An address to be presented to his Maty to represent ye default in not apprehending St German, & a Comittee to draw it up The house being informed of some dangerous words spoken by some papysts it was referrd to a Comittee to examine An Order being servd upon Sr John ffagg for hearing ye Cause depending betwixt him & Dr Shirly at their Barr ye 20th inst it was read & ye debate adjournd till to morrow The house to be in a grand Comittee on Tuesday to Consider of ye Woollen manufacture & on fryday to Consider of ye Irish act The Comons have resolved that ye mony for building ships shall bee paid into ye Exchequer & yt penalties shall be inflicted uppon ye officers of ye Exchequer & Navy in Case ye same shall bee Imbezelld & misEmployed & yt ye accounts thereof shall be transmitted to ye Comons in Parliamt and that ye Bill for ye appropriated [sic] ye Customes to ye use of ye Navy shall bee anexed to ye Bill for ye supply L. c. 251 (1) [Handwriting changes here.] November ye 13th 1675 +Wednesday 10th The high Sheriffe of Suffolke to attend to show cause why he hath not returned the Writt for Election of Eye +The Pedlars bill to be read to morrow +The bill for recalling his Majestys subjects out of the ffrench Kings service read a second time & Comitted +The bill against the illegall exaction of money to be reported on Tuesday & the piscary bill to morrow A Conferance being desired by the Lds, agreed, the effects was that they had changed the vote about the subjects in the ffrench Kings service into another forme the consideration of which adjourned till Tuesday The house then resolved into a grand Comtee to consider the State of [most of lower half of this sheet is torn away; top half of verso resumes:] +A bill for preservation of the piscary reported & ordered to be ingrossed A bill for continueing an act about piscary read & ordered a second reading +A bill to prevent Theft & Rapine in the Northerne borders read & ordered a 2d reading +The house then resolved into a Comtee of the whole house to proceed upon the matter touching the supply & Resolved That the supply shall be paid into the Exchequer & kept a part & appropriated to the building & towards the rigging the 20 ships & that penaltyes shall be inflicted upon the Officers of the Exchequer in case the same shall be misapplyed & that the account thereof shall be transmitted to the Comons in Parliament [The large tear starts here, but at least the right half of the next three lines can be read if necessary.] L. c. 251 (2) [n.d.] A Scheme of the trade as it is at present carryed on between England & ffrance in the Comodityes of the Native product & manufacture of each Country calculated as exactly as possible in obedience to the Comand of the right honble the Lds Comers of the treaty of Comerce with England & humb[l]y tendered to their Ldpps +The particular of the Comodityes exported from England to ffrance & the Comodityes imported from ffrance into England are for brevityes sake omitted, & by the account given to the Lds Comrs it is perceived that the Linnen & Silke Manufactures onely imported from ffrance amounts to upwards of 800000 L & that the Manufactures of Wooll & Silke exported into ffrance doe not amount to 85000 L as alsoe that all other Comodityes of the product & manufacture of England exported into ffrance doe not amount to 90000 L whereas the wine, Brandy & other Comodityes of the product & Manufacture of ffrance imported into England amount unto upwards of 320000 L besides an incredible value of toyes [?] rich apparell poynt lace &c And soe it is apparent that the exports of our Native Comodityes & Manufactures to ffrance are lesse in value by at least 1000000 L str then the Native Comodityes & Manufactures of ffrance which we receive from thence. And if their Ldpps please to reflect thereupon they will discerne the perjudice the English Nation has susteyned & the great advantage the ffrence have & doe daily make by holding yt treaty in suspense This notice upon the matter excluded trade thither while in the meane time the ffrench enjoy all and as great advantages as they can reasonable expect by any treaty. L. c. 252 [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 16 1675 Munday 15/ A Bill for Enlarging a passage betweene chancery lane & Lincolne feilds read a 2d tyme & Comitted A Bill to prevent ye growth of popery read a 2d tyme & comitted The bills for releife of poore prisoners, & preservation of fishing read A Bill for preservation of ye libertys of ye subjects read a 2d tyme & Comitted +Ordered, That ye Lds bee put in mind of ye Bill to hinder papists sitting in either Parliamt, in ye next message to then [sic] The house to bee Cald over on Thursday next Resolved that ye prosecuteing ther appeale in ye Lds House by Dr Shirly agst Sr John ffagg is a Breach of the Priviledge of ye House That Sr John ffagg doe not make nay defence at ye Lds Barr in ye said appeale The farther debate thence adjournd till to morrow The House to Resolve into a Comittee on Wednesday 10 a clock to proceede in ye Consideration of ye State of ye Kingdome & then adjournd till to morrow at 8 a clock +The Lds haveing bene this day in debate abt entring of Protests adjournd ye farther debate thereof till next weeke Teusday 16/ Severall private Bills this day read, and Resolved, that it is a breach of priviledg of ye house for any member thereof to bee made shiriff dureing ye Continuance of ye Parliamt A Comittee appoynted to Consider of a Way to Supersede ye Comission of makeing Sr Ed Jennings Sherriff of yorkeshire +Sr John ffaggs buisness adjournd till to morrow & ye further Consideration of ye state of ye Kingdome till Thursday An act for encouragemt of Preists &c to Come Over from ye Church of Rome to ye Church of England read. An act agst Atheisme & profaneness read Leave given by ye Lds to ye Duke of Bucks to bring in a Bill for ye ease of protestant dissenters The Lds have read ye Bill to prevent Papists sitting in Either House, & orderd it a 2d reading +The onely forreigne news at present is that ye confederates have quitted Staden, obligd to ye Munsterans who would goe into Winter quarters tho in Pomeren. The Confederates continue in ye feild, ye King of Denmarke before Wismar, the Elector of Brandenb has made himselfe master of Wolgast [?] tis said ye States have resolved to have ye same forces by Land & sea ye next summer they had ye last, & tis now feard there may not be ye same prospect of a generall peace as was hopet Letters from Spaine give us an acct of ye arivall of Don Juan of Austria very unexpected at Madrid & that hee had bene declared first minister, wch is looket on as great news, wt ye Consequences may bee wee expect to heare Paris letters say that King intends in ffebruary next to take a Journy of very great Importance, but whether, or to what end not Knowne +Saterday last the Ld Berkley Embarkt in one of his Maties yachts at Dover on his Embassy to ffrance L. c. 253 [Handwriting changes here.] November ye 19th 1675 Wednesday ye 17th/ A bill to unite the Parishes of Chitterne St Mary & All Sts in Com Wilts [?] read & Commited +A bill for erecting a Court of Conscience for Westminster read & ordered a 2d reading The Bill for rebuilding of Northampton reported & ordered to be ingrossed Leave given to bring in a bill to regulate the fees of Courts of Justice & the number [?] of Atturneyes & Bailiffs A Message from the Lds that they had sent downe a bill for rectifying a mistake in a deed of the Ld Maynard & had agreed to the Lady Warwicks bill without amendmts: A Bill for recalling the subjects out of the service of the french King reported & ordered to be ingrossed The house then proceeded in the debate of the businesse of Sr John ffagge & adjourned till to morrow 8 a clock Thursday the 18th +The house called over & the defaulters to be called on Wednesday next & the house to be called over againe on Munday come Sevenight Noe member to goe out of towne without leave. The five booksellers which were Committed for breach of priviledge upon Petition discharged +Then Sr John ffagges businesse debated & Resolved +That a Conference be desired with the Lords for avoyding the occasions of reviving the differences between the two houses +Severall sworne in order to their Naturalization & soe adjourned till to morrow 8 a clocke. +The Lords have assigned a Councell for Dr Shirley, read a bill sent from the Commons for the preservation of the piscary, ordered The bill against forreigne Manufactures to be Engrost, & read a petition of Sr Nick: Stoughtons agt: Mr Onslow, a Member of the house of Commons, upon an appeale depending which they deffered till this day three weeks for a hearing His Mr [?] Majest has been pleased to make the Ld Aungier Lord Viscount Longford in Ireland A Commission of Oyer & Terminer is ordered by his Majesty in Councill for the tryall of Coll Warner in the Barbados for killing of severall people of which he stands accused. A Prevandary of Westminster being become voyd by the death of Dr Boreman his Majesty was pleased to bestow it on Dr Brevall a converted Capuchin. +The venice Letters dat 1st tell us that the day before the ffrench Minister there did by order from the King his Mr present a Writeing to the Senate wherein he declares that he had no other inducemt to send his forces into sicily than his Compassion on so miserable a people who besought him to free them from in supportable yoake of Spaine and to take them into his protection & although he might Justly pretend to unite that Kingdome to his Crowne, the house of ffrance haveing many [?] times given Lawes to Sicily & Naples, yet haveing noe other aime but to give them succour, he proposed to give them a King of his owne bloud to whom he would make over his Right to that Kingdome, & that he might be the more agreable to them, would have him instructed in the lawes & Customes of that Country & would oblige himselfe to give him assistance with all his power But the Naples letters tell us that the Messineses begin to be weary of the ffrench & that they require that the Castles should be restored to their poss[ess]ions according to an agreemt made, by which the ffrench promised to returne the possion assoone as they should be Masters of any other place in the Islands which was now done in the takeing Agusta, to which some adde that the Spanish ships being Cruising about the Ware, they had Conveighed a letter to the Admirall to assure him of their readinesse to returne to their obedience. L. c. 254 [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 20 1675 Novemb ye 19 Commons/ A Bill to Confirme a decree betweene ye Deane & Chapter of Ely, & ye tennants of Sutton read A Bill for augmentation of small vicariges read & Orderd to be engrost Northampton Bill read & past, & sent up to ye Lds as alsoe ye Ld Kilmurreys Bill A Bill from ye Lds to rectify a mistake in ye Ld Maynards setlement, read. Reasons to be offerd at ye Conferrence wth ye Lds reported, The Conferrence had, & ye reasons deliverd at it An Engrost Bill from ye Lds abt forreigne Manufactures read & orderd a 2d reading A comittee appoynted to draw up an address to his Matie to discountenance ye Weareing forreigne Manufactures. Whereas ye House has bene informed of severall appeals depending in ye house of Lds from Courts of Equity to ye great violation of ye Rts & liberties of ye Commons of England, they have Resolvd & declared That Whosoever shall sollicite, plead, or presente any appeale agst any Commoner of England from any Court of Equity before ye house of Lds shall be deemed & taken to be a betrayer of ye Rights & priviledges of ye Commons of England & proceeded agst accordingly and this Resolution to be posted up at ye Hall dores & all ye Inns of Court & other publique places, to ye end that all persons Concernd may take notice of it Lds House,/ Priviledge of Parliamt granted to Sr Robt Viner as ye Kings Goldsmyth The Lds went to ye Conference & being returnd & report made, it was Resolvd that ye Cause should stand as it did The Lds then went into a grand Comittee to Consider of Religion, & orderd that his Maty be humbly moved from ye house that he would be pleasd to direct the Ld Arch Bpp of Canterbury & ye Ld Arch Bpp of yorke that ye Convocation of ye Clergy may meet frequently & that Writts may bee Issued forth for ye supplying ye places of such members as are dead, & that when they are met, they make unto ye Kings Maty such Representation as may be for ye safety of ye Religion now Establisht No: 20th Comons/ A Bill to prevent theft & Rapine on the Northerne borders read a 2d tyme & Comitted +A Bill to Enable ye Ld Culleyne to sell lands read +A Bill to make Commisrs to take affidavits in ye Country for ye Court of Westmr read A bill for appropriateing ye Customes, & ye raiseing ye supply read & orderd a 2d reading A message from ye Lds wth a Bill for augmentation of small vicaridges & that they had agreed Mr Davis Bill Dr Shirley Orderd to be taken into Custody for breach of priviledges Mr de Cardinall Orderd to be taken into Custody for Breach of priviledges, but on petition discharged Sr Nicholas Stoughton Orderd to be taken into Custody for serveing an Order on Mr Onslow +The Lds sate till 10 at Night on Saterday abt Sr John ffaggs buisness but what they Resolvd not knowne +Tis said Dr Shirleys Councell would not plead on Saterday morning Tis said ye Lds on Saterday had a long debate abt ye dissolution of Parliamt Concludeing the proceeding of ye Commons prejudiciall to ye Governmt &c: & moved to have an address to his Maty for dissolution & uppon debate whether ye question should be put for an address to his Maty, ye question was put whether there should be such a question put or noe, wch was Carryed in ye affirmative by severall voyces & then ye maine question being put whether an address or noe, it was Caryed in ye Negative by 2 Voyces. L. c. 255 [Handwriting changes here.] November 23 1675. +A Proclamation is ordered to be forth with issued to prohibitte the transportation of all European Commodityes to his Majestyes Plantations in the West Indies but such as are shipt here in England, & Mr Atturney Generall is commanded to draw up another proclamation to prohibitt the importation of all ffrench & other fforreigne wrought silkes into this Kingdome. On Wednesday last his Majesty was pleased to appoint a Committee of the Lords of his Councell to consider of a retrenchmt of his expence. +His Majesty haveing been some dayes since informed that two young Ladyes daughters to Sr Warner of Suffolke were intended to be carryed beyond sea, to be brought up in a Nunery, was pleased to comand that notice should be sent to the severall Ports, that care might be taken to stay them, till such time as other course should be taken to prvent their transportations according to law. Yesterday arrived two vessells in the downs from the Coast of ffrance, who all agree in the account we already had of the miserable condition of all the Inhabitants of Bourdeaux through the great number of soldiers that are quartered upon them, which those poor people are besides obliged to maintaine. The letters from Paris yesterday said that the Duke d'Enghien was arrived at Paris, & the Prince of Conde expected in a day or two that great perparations were a makeing agt Spring, & that in the meantime that King had made a great step towards a peace by yeilding that point of honour which was so much insisted upon the last winter about the Liberty of the Prince of ffurstemburg without which the ffrench King then declared he would not enter upon any treaty but at prsent his Maty has been disposed out of his desire to promote the peace that the said Prince, shall be putt into the hands of a neutrall Prince to remaine there till the conclution of the peace provided the Emperour promisse that the first businesse at the congresse shall be to treat concer[n]ing the affaire of that Prince +Yesterday the Earle of Denbigh dyed at Dunstable in his way home from London L. c. 256 [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 23 1675 +Yesterday his Maty Coming in his Royall Robes into ye house of Lds, & sending for ye Commons thither was pleasd to give his Royall assent to 3 Bills, 1 A Bill for Enabling ye Countess of Warwick to performe ye Will of ye late Earle her husband, 2 A Bill to Enable Mr Alexander Davis to sell lands for paymts of debts & raiseing portions 3 A Bill for Rebuilding ye towne of Northampton. Which done, his Maty Commanded ye Ld Keeper to prorogue ye Parliamt till ye 15 of ffebruary 1676 ffrom ffrance they tell us that King Certainly intends to begin a Journey of great Importance towards ye latter End of february, some say that hee will goe toward Germany in Order to ye marrying the Dauphin wth ye Daughter of ye Elector of Bavaria others report his Maty designes to make a League wth severall of ye Princes of ye Empire but ye truth is yet uncertaine Duch letters say Wismar still defends it selfe that ye Governr to Ease ye towne have sent out many people that were unnecessary in it but ye Danes forcet them to Returne thither againe There are great dissatisfactions between ye Bpp of Munster & ye Dukes of Lunenburg for yt ye latter have quartered their troups in ye territory of ye former wch its feard may have very ill Consequences. After all ye promises of ye Imperialists to keep Phillipsburg blocket up this Winter, they have quitted ye posts they had taken about it, & soe that garrison is now at liberty to use all manner of Hostilities in ye Pallatinate & ye Bpprick of Spire Tis said Montecuculy on account of his great age has defered leave of ye Empr to resigne his Command wch its said will be given to ye young Duke of Lorraine ffrom Stockholme they write of ye great trouble that Court was in uppon ye Returne of their fleet from wch they had promisd themselves soe great matters they speake of grat [sic] divisions among ye principall ministers there wch were like to breake forth into publique accusations & disorders. The Commons Reasons deliverd at a Conferrence wth the Lds +His Maty haveing recomended to us at ye Opening of this session of Parliamt the avoyding of this difference if possible & if it Could not be prevented, that wee should deferr ye debates till Wee had brought such publique Bills to perfection as may Conduce to ye good & safety of the Kingdome; The Commons Esteeme it a great misfortune that Contrary to that most excellent advice, the proceedings in ye appeale brought ye last session agst Sr John ffagg by Dr Shirley have bene revived, & a day set for heareing ye cause & therefore ye Commons have Judgd it ye best way before they Enter into ye Argument for defence of their Rights in this matter to propose to your Ldpps ye putting off ye proceeding in that matter for some short tyme, that soe they may according to his Maties advice give a dispatch to some Bills now before them of great Importance to ye King & Kingdome, wch being finisht the Comons will bee ready to give your Ldpps such Reasons agst those proceedings, & in defence of their Rights, as wee hope may satisfy your Ldpps that noe such proceedings ought to have beene. L. c. 257 [Handwriting changes here.] November ye 26th 1675. +Sr Leoline Jenkins one of his Majestyes plenipotentiaryers for the treaty to be held at Nimeguen hath orders to prepare with all dilligence for his Journey; & in the meantime the Ld Berkley from ffrance & Sr William Temple from the Hague will repaire to the said place of treaty +It is the generall opinion, that wee shall heare of some action this winter in Alsatia, for which the ffrench seem to propose with great application, & it seems in fear of it, the Imperialists quitted the post by which they blocked up Philipsburg, except Lauderburg which is strongly fortifyed & which the Imperialists will endeavour to maintaine, haveing by means of their bridge there as free passage over the Rhine +The severall partyes seem to prepare with great eagarnesse for the next Campaigne with noe great appearance of any disposition of a peace, and especially the Northerne Princes seem so intent upon the Warr, that they seem not to have any thought of it as yet, It is certaine the confederates on that side have already in imagination dispossed the Swedes of all they had in Germany, & its probable they will not give over till they have done it in reality unlesse their successes should happen very much contrary to their expectations. according to o[u]r last advices from the streights Sr John Narbrough was come to Leghorne to cleane his ships & to victuall, while he lay before Tripoli, four of those Corsairs gott aboard, takeing the opportunity of the night, & though our ships discovered them & chase that to them yet they still escaped, and in plaine English out sailed our ships, who were foule. Sr John proposed to send some ships towards the Lavant to looke after those Corsairs that are gott aboard & to serve our Merchant men in those parts +The Inhabitants of Burdeaux are likely to suffer, as they at Rhennes have already, above 10000 men being quartered in that Citty, soe that there is heardly a family, which is not charged with 10 or 12 souldiers. The King its said has given orders for the building two fforts for the owing [?] that Citty. +His Majesty has been graciously pleased to graunt his Royall Proclamation to be issued forth prohibiting the Importation into his plantations in the west Indies, of any goods or Comodityes unlesse Shipd from England, & has given order for drawing up a proclamation prohibiting all forreigne wrought silkes to be Imported into any part of England. L. c. 258 (1) [Handwriting changes here.] Novemb ye 30 75 Yesterday arived our Spanish Letters & by them wee had ye confirmation of Don Juans arivall at Madrid but was gone thence upon ye Express Comand of ye King obtaind at ye most Earnest prayers of ye Queen, who feared & not without reason, that if hee had stayed any longer in ye Towne there would have bene great disorders as well amongst ye nobillity as Comonalty, who it seemes had an Extraordinary affection for Don Juan wch they exprest in their acclamations, & their assembling in great multitudes in ye streets as hee past along; but hee did not think fitt to make use those favourable dispositions in ye people, leaveing Madrid privatly according to ye Kings Command, but instead of takeing his Way in order to his Imbarcation for Sicily he returned to ye place from whence hee came & where he has all along resided in arragon resolveing to Continue there, & not to undertake ye Journey to Sicily, notwthstanding hee has received fresh & strict orders to that purpose since he left ye Court, in answere to wch he has writt to ye King. that seing hee is unWorthy of any place neare his person, he thinks himselfe unfitt for soe grat [sic] a trust as to Command all his Maties forces in Italy wch besides hee should not be able to discharge to his Maties services seeing ye mallice of his Enimies whose Contrivance it is to Remove him at distance would still be Endeavouring by keeping from him the necessary supplyes, by makeing ill representations at home, & by ye other meanes, to ruine him & at ye same tyme Publique good wherefore he desires he may have leave Wholy to retire from all publique Concernes to lead a private life Miserable is ye Condition of Bourdeux, part of ye Towne is demolisht to make roome for ye building a new Cittadell, the Walls are alsoe demollisht, & ye Burgers disarmd who besides ye trouble of haveing ye Souldrs in their houses, are forcet to give them mony to [Continued after L. c. 258 (2).] L. c. 258 (2) [See date two lines below.] +A list of the Lds who voted in the vote for an addresse to the King for dissolving the Parliament November 22d 1675. [A tear on upper and lower left margin of sheet removes parts of these names:] ffor the addresse Against the addresse Highnesse Lord Keeper am Arundell of Wardr Ld. Treasurer Lovelace Ld. Privy seale Tenham. Ld. great Chamberlaine Mohun E. Northampton tt Bellasis E. Bristoll [E. Sa]lisbury Carington E. Bath [E.] Bridgewater E. Craven [E.] Westmoreland Delamer E. Aylesbury [E.] Bullingbrook Townesend E. Guildford D. Lauderdale E. Chesterfeild Gray of Roll Ld. Windsor E. Stamford 41 Ld. Powlett E. Peterbrough By Proxy 7 Ld. Howard de Estreeck E. Manchester. Lds that were absent Ld. Byron E. Berks & sick & gave proxyes Ld. Lucas E. Mulgrave E. Denbigh Ld. Vaughan E. Carbury E. Scarsdale Ld. Hollis. Ld. Gerrard E. Sunderland Other Lds absent who Ld. ffretschevill [?] E. Clarendon were for the addresse. Ld. Butler E. Ossory E. Essex E. Bedford 21 Ld. Arundell E. Cardigan. E. Burlington 13 Bishops who were all E. Shaftsbury Ld. Fitzwater that were in the house E. Powys. Ld. Ewer [?] & others 16 Proxyes V. ffalconbridge ____________________ _______________________ V. Halifax In all 48 50 in all. V. Yarmouth [V.] Newport [V.] Sandys [tear] Morley [tear] arton [tear] rton [tear] ers. [L. c. 258 (1) resumes:] keep them, wch in 5 moneths, that it is intended ye souldrs are to Continue there will according to ye present Taxation amount to above 400000 L sterl: together wth ye other Charges ye people are to be at at their Cost ye new Cittadell is to be built, & old one further fortifyed, the Parliamt removed to Comden, & ye Chamber of Edicts & Court of aides to libourne 7000 foot are quarterd in ye towne & 5000 Horse in ye Neighbourhood L. c. 259 Decemb ye 2d 1675 +Dr Compton Bpp of Oxon is now declared Bpp of London, & tis said Dr Fell Deane of Christ Church in Oxon shall succeed in that see, The Ld Widdrington being dead, tis said ye Earle of Ogle is to be Governr of Barwick & Ld Leiut of Cumberland His Maty has bene pleasd to give severall directions of late in Councell as well for ye sending for such Children over as he is informed are put into monasteries beyond seas to be Educated in ye Romish Religion, as ye takeing care of such whose parents are deceased here in England, to whom his Maty has appoynted Guardians to take care of their Education The Comittee of ye Lds appoynted to consider of a Retrenchmt of ye Kings expences have met two or three tymes but wee doe not heare they have yet made any progress therein The Duke of Albemarle & ye Earle of Oxford are made Ld Leuits of Essex besides wch ye Duke of Albemarle is made Ld Leiut of ye County of Devon except Plymth of wch ye Earle of Bath Sr Leoline Jenkins has Orders to be goeing on Munday or tewsday next at farthest, hee will pass directly for ye Hague & thence take his Journy together wth Sr Wm Temple to Nimegen Tis now ten dayes & more since wee had any letters from Holland or fflanders soe that there is litle forreigne news. The french letters wch arived on Tewsday Continue to tell us of ye great inclination the french King has to a peace, at least in appearance, wch perhaps may make ye other partys ye more back war, but tis said if ye rest will not comply, ye Duch will Enter into a separate treaty themselfes L. c. 260 [Handwriting changes here.] Decemb 6th 1675 Wee have not as yt any Letters from fflanders or Holland which is extreamely wonerd [?] att the wather haveing beene of late very calme & moderate +His Maty wee heare has absolutly declared that Dr: ffell Dean of Christ Church in Oxon: shall succeed in that Vacant See & that hee shall hold his Deanry in Commendum, which wee understand att the same time that hee wholy declines against, but the King thinks fitt for severall reasons to have it soe His Maty has appointed Mr Shelton one of the Groomes of his Bedchambr to goe in quality of Envoye to the Emperor to Endeavour to remove all Difficulties which may yet remane in the affaire of the Prince of ffurstemburg & to press that Count to hasten its Plenipotentiaryes to Nemeguen It is beleived his Maties Ambrs those of france & those of the States Generall will bee their about the middle of this month, +Wee have Letters from Jamaica give an account of the arrivall there of the Commissrs which his Maty sent to Surrinam with three Shipps to fetch off the English from thence accourding to the late Treaty with the Dutch with the said commisers arrived above 1200 English & their servants Negroes as well as whites to whom the Governor of Jamaica hath distributed Lands to plant, so that that Island will receive great advantage from this increase of its inhabitants, for many of those come from Surrinam being provided with all things necessary for planting, will in a short time have very Considerable Plantations, wee are told that the English which are att St Christophers being very much impoverished by the frequent hurricanes, which happen in those parts desire likewise to remove to Jamaica. +A vessell arrived yesterday in the Downes from the Barbadose gives an account of a Violent hurricane that happened there the last of August in which 14 Shipps that were in the rode of Barbadose were cast away & most of the men drowned & much other damage done +Just now are come in the Dutch Letters of yesterday was seavennight, they bring very little newes & say, that the States of Holland had resolved that the State of Warr for the next year should be the same it was this least That Monser Grevins [?] was cited before the Court of Justice Some discovery haveing been made agst him in the papers of Monsr Vicquefort, Wismar continued to be besieged & to defend it selfe bravely The Elector of Brandenburg was returned to Berlin, [Handwriting changes here.] +This last Weeke dyed the Earle of Lincolne, the Bpp of Norwick, the Ld Baltimore & Mr Brunker, tis said the Comissrs appoynted for his Maties expences, have taken away ye Duke of Lauderdales pensions of 4000 L p. ann. Mr Samuell Hopkins Sr Richards sonne is dead at Jamaica L. c. 261 [Handwriting changes here.] December ye 7th 1675 +Yesterday & on Sunday arrived all the forreigne letters wee wanted, the newes they brought is made publique soe that all that I can add is to tell you, that though the ffrench seem very much disposed to peace, & without doubt will be glad to [?] conclud it upon good termes, yet at the same time they make great preparation for Warr, The confederates doe the like, & the Dutch have resolved to be in the same posture the next Campagne they were the laste, & the Governor of fflanders endeavors all he can to have a good body in the feild the next Spring; but it is to be feared the want of moneys will breake all his Measures; for as to the Spanish Netherlands they are so empoverished by the Warr, that they cannot contribute anything considerable, soe that all is to be expected from Madrid where matters seem in so much disorder between the Queens party & that of Don Juans, that such care its apprehended will not be had of carrying on the Warr with vigor as is necessary The Emperor makes leavies in all his hereditary Countries & seems intent upon the Warr, but the States of the Empire grow very weary of it, suffering dayly more by the Imperiall soldiers then by the ffrench, which hath occasioned great clamores against them, & severall Countries have been soe far provoked by their insolent way of liveing that they have putt themselves into a posture to deny them with force winter quarters & by this means it happened that the troopes of the Circles, whom generall Montecuculy had with soe much care & conduct placed for the blocking up of Phillipsburg this winter, on the suddaine quitted those severall Posts without the knowledge of the said generall, by order from their Superiors, who designed to employ them even against the Imperialists, who exacted Winter quarters from them contrary to the Emperors agreement +Don Juan of Austria is certainly retired to Saragossa, from whence he hath written from the King to beseech him to be at ease, & not to apprehend any thing from him. It is true most of the nobility have a great esteem & the common people a veneration for him, & with nothing more then to see their young King assisted with his great experience in affairs both Civill & military, but such is the force of the Loyalty of those people that they continue in a profound obedience to the present government of the Queen though they are most dissatisfied at it L. c. 262 December ye 10th 1675 +The States of Holland have it seems consented to the raiseing of 9 Millions, every Million being about 100000 L Ster: for the defrayeing the Extraordinary expences of the next year, with a declaration that they will hereafter raise such other summes as shall be found necessary for the carrying on the Warr, with vigor, if a peace be not made this winter of which there seems but small likelihood This morneing are come in fresh letters which tell us, that Wismar holds out still bravely, that the Swedish Governor thereof, whose name is Wrangell is obstinately resolved to defend it to the last, that in order there unto has caused severall mines & Countermines to be made, after the same manner as was practised in the famous seige of Candia, where this Wrangell served severall yeares, soe that it is not doubted but the Danes will at Last, be obliged to make the generall assault, which they soe much talke off but have hitherto avoyded as well to spare their owne men as the towne, and hitherto the seige has been managed with so much regard to the safety of the soldiers, that the beseigers have not had above 20 killed, and about that number wounded His Majesty has been pleased yesterday in Councell to order, that the young Lord Conroy, hitherto brought up in the Romish Religion, should be demanded of Sr Edward Scot, and conveyed to Oxon, to be delivered into the hands of the Dean of Christ Church, to whome he is committed to take care of his Education. It was likewise ordered that Mr Atturney generall should prosecute the authors of that false and Seditious news about selling of Tangier and the plantations with all vigor. And one Green was committed to the gate house for publishing & dispersing seditious & treasonable papers. +Though Sr Leoline Jenkins is suddenly dispatching away & the ffrench are as early expected at the place of treaty as he is, yet Dom Pedro de Ronquille, the Envoy here from the Court of Spaine, who is to be one of the Plenipotentiaryes on their behalfe, is not so forward & tis said does yet expect his orders from thence before he can have power to goe thither. +Tis said the Leiut: of Ireland will be goeing to his charge about the latter end of the next week His Majestyes revenue of his Kingdome of Ireland held by the Lord Renolah &c being to determine at Christmas & the new ffarme not yet fully settled, his Majesty has been pleased to appoint Sr Charles Meredill, Sr James Casse, John Stone, Dr Robertwood, Thomas Taylor Sr Robert Gorges, Thomas Sheredon, Edward Wigg, Thomas Waller & Morlagh Dowling Esqre to manage it as Comrs dureing his pleasure The ffrench letters dat 13 say an envoy is arrived at the Court from the Prince Elector Pallatine whose Errand is given out to be to Compliment Monsr & Madam upon the Recovery of the Duke de Valoye Their Bourdeaux letters speake of putting the Kings ordrs in effectuall operation in raising the walls & building the Cittadells & that they have seized upon 2 persons one Carre who was an advocate & one Durall who was runing away whom they intended to make example as being the cheife Ring leaders of the sedition, the forces that were there before the Parliament went away & those that still continue are pd, a Captaine of Horse 23 livres a day, a Capt of foot 11 Livres 10 sols all the other officers proportionably & the souldiers at free quarters The Dutch East India Ships that came some time since to the downes continue there still & some report 5 Dutch men of War for their Convoy. L. c. 263 [Handwriting changes here.] Decemb 11 1675 +The ill Weather Wee have had of late makes ye passage of ye packet boates very tedious & uncertaine soe that wee are still Wanting ye Duch & flandrs that should have come on Tewsday last Wee have lately had an account from flandrs of ye ill posture things are in at yt Court, wch has occationd great clamours agst ye Regents, who dureing ye Kings minority Engagd ye Crowne in this unfortunate war, & Especially agst ye Chancellr who is meerely upheld by ye neare Relation hee has to ye King, haveing marryed his fathers sister And as for Genll Wrangell a man soe famous in ye former Warrs, he is falln into yt generall disEsteem by reason of ye ill success in Pomerania, & Even ye young King seemes to have an ill Opinion of him, soe that ye affaires of that Court are in great disOrder Sr Leoline Jenkins is not yet gone hence but Will set forward abt Thursday Mr Skelton sets forward toward Vienna sometyme this next Weeke. +Sr Gabriell Sylvius is appoynted by his Maty to pass to ye Hague to Returne ye Complement of ye Prince of Orange uppon ye Death of his Grandmother, & will be goeing in few dayes +when your Worp has read ye Enclosd be pleasd to let it be returnd L. c. 264 [Handwriting changes here.] December ye 15th 1675 +Yesterday arrived a vessell in the Downes from the Barbadoes, by which we have the confirmation of the great losses sustained in the late Hurricane at the Barbadoes, vidt: that 14 Ships had been lost, that in those Ships were loaded above 500 hhs of sugar which reckoned at 10 L [?] p hhs amounts to 50000 L that not one house in Ten was left standing, & not one of hundred that had not received considerable damage, that very near 50000 lb of sugar, had been lost in the moring houses, that about 120 men, women & Children had been killed, that they had already an account of & expect to hear of more, that all their Canes were destroyed & that they have noe hopes of makeing Sugar the next year, that there is not a stalke of Corne standing, soe that without considerable supplys from other parts, a famine is greatly feared. Yesterday Sr Leoline Jenkins, one of the Plenipotentiarys for the treaty at Nimegen tooke his leave of his Maty in order to his departure The Hall the ffrench Ambrs seemed to make to sett forwards on their journey to Nimeguen, does not please the confederates, who are not willing to see that the ffrench Ambrs should be any upon the place with those of the States Generall without the other Ambrs that are to meet there, whither the ffrench have hereupon delayd a littell their journey wee know not but its said now that it will be towards the latter end of the month before they will part from Paris. +The Evening the Duke of Albermarle entertains their Majestyes & Royall Hig[h]nesses at a Supper at Clarendon house now called Albermarles house & afterwards with a ball. L. c. 265 December ye 16th 1675 +The Jamaica letters dat Augt: 16 tell us they were all there healthfull & quiet & most peoples thoughts fixed on planting of which great inprovemt: is expected since the arrivall of the Ld Vaughan their Governor the Royall Company had sent 4 ships of Negroes & the Gambay Company one of whom they had so good markets & the planters so well satisfyed that it was beleived the Company would be encouraged to send them a more plentifull supply: the Governor had been then 10 dayes returned from the Northside of the Island a place not visited by any governour before, where he found a great many hopefull plantations going on & great store of Corne very prosperous noe [?] signe of blast appearing & the stalkes already bearing +Sr John Tetty Alderman of Dublin is comitted to the Custody of a Messengr for prsenting a petition to the King & councell containing severall false & contemptuous expressions of the Ld Leiut: privy Councill & Ld Chancellr of Ireland & for flying from the Justice of that Kingdome where he had committed severall Crimes & offences & to be kept in Custody untill he shall give security of 1000 L with sufficient suretyes to appeare the first day of Hillary Terme next at the Court of the Kings bench in the Kingdome of Ireland. This day the Baggage of Sr Leoline Jenkins was sent a board & to morrow he resolves to goe aboard himselfe the new Yacht the Charles which is appointed for his Transportation Sr Gabriell Sylvius & Captaine Shelton may stay till the next weeke They write from ffalmouth that very much Corne has of late been shipd off from those parts from the Canaryes and Holland & that there is order for buying up so much more for transportation as has raised the price very Considerably there. +The Privateers of all sides are very busy about the Coasts who though they rarely Carry away ships belonging to the English yet one heare that they too often visit many of them & tooke such goods away that give just Cause of Complaint +The Adventure of Penryn arrived at ffalmouth from St Malos in his passage met off the Start a Boardeaux fleet of about 60 saile which by this may be supposed to have reached their intended ports. There were at ffalmouth some Irish Officers who had been in the ffrench Kings service & waited the first opportunity of returning into their Countrey. The Ld Stanhope of Harrington is lately dead. Dr fell Dean of Christ Church is now declared Bp of Oxon & is to hold his deanry in Commendam, the kings will being that it should be soe +The Mary rose frigat arrived in the downes from the Streights brings from Cadiz 7 Spanish horses being a prsent from the King of Spain to his Majesty +The Duke of Albermarle is appointed Ld Leiut of the County of Devon upon the voluntary surrendr of the Earle of Bath of his Comission +There hardly ever was such a scarcity of forreigne newes as at prsent there wanting at this time 8 forreigne mailes ffrance, Holland & fflandrs L. c. 266 December ye 18th 1675 +Last night arrived two mailes from Holland with Letters of the 13/3 and 17/7 instant, by which we have advice that the states generall have entirely approved the state of Warr, proposed by the Prince of Orange, & the Councell of State, & that the States of Holland intended to raise their part of the Charges of the same by Leavying twice 200 penny, & the Prince of Orange had charged all his officers to have their recruits ready before the end of ffebruary, & had sent orders to the Dutch troops quartered in Brab[ant?] to hold themselves ready to march upon ye first Command occasioned, as is thought by the news that Comes from Leige that the Mareschall d'Estrados governour of Maestricht was marched out with 800 men & expected the conjunction of some other troops in order to some act which was kept secret. That a proposall had been made to the States on the part of the Bpp of Osnabrug, that seeing the troops of the Duke of Lunenburg & those of Munster were designed to be imployed the next Campagen in the Dutchy of Bremen, he the said Bpp of Osnabrug would raise 3 Regiments, besides the troops he has already on foot, to which the Dutch & the Spaniards should joyne 7 Regiments more to be commanded by him & to act as should be found good, that to enable him the Bpp is to raise & maintaine the said 3 Regimts. the states should pay him before the new years day the arreares of the subsidy due to him & besides should advance to him one month. +Wismar makes still a brave defense & all the Grounds the Danes have to hope to take it at last, is that the Swedes cannot releive it, for on the side of the water lye 4 stout Danish men of Warr to shutt up the passage, the beseigers finding all other means of noe effect, for they Count 7 or 8 houses burnt by them in the Towne, however the King spares it all he can on the 6 instant new stile the Danish Canon had wholly battered downe, one of the gates of the towne which looks towards the Lubecke, but the beseiged with great diligence imediatly filled it up with earth, the letters adde that the beseiged had suffered the Danes to possesse themselves of two outwarkes, makeing but a weake resistance in the defence thereof, but that being filled with Danish Soldiers, the beseiged sprung up two mines, which they had porposely prepared by which means most of the Danes that were there were killed, that on the 7 or 8th the Beseiged made a very vigourous sally & did great execution on their enemy, those successes are by some made yet greater & by others lessened, for the Relation doe not all agree but this is most certaine that the beseiged are obstinately resolved to defend themselves & the king of Denmarke, as obstinate to carry on the seige with vigor notwithstanding the great disadvantage of the season, & it is not to be doubted but the place will be forced to yeild at last, the Danes haveing received a reinforcemt: of some Brandenburg troops. +The Differences betwt the Bp of Munster & the Duke of Zell, about the latter quartering his troops in Westphalia, is come to that hight, that its feared they will breake out into acts of hostility agt each other +Carelstate in the Dutchy of Bremen, is still beseiged or blocked up by the confederates +This day was performed the solemnity of the Translation of the late Bishop of Oxon to the see of London. [On outside of letter in another hand appears this note:] Mem. Wee have recd all the mony due to any of us for bricklaying or hewing stones from the begginning of the work to this day. (having now recd seventeen shillings for ye brick Pillars north east of the Garden, & having recd our allowance for going home on Friday next, (George Knowles & John Stanly being likewise fully paid to that time also only excepting (what brickwork Tho: [Side?]bottom did at Itchington [?] is not yet reckned, by the Road, though hee & the workmen are paid by our Master by the day also excepting that part of the Stone Pillar wch stands between the bowling green & East End oth new stable, and excepting all other stones wrought by us two & J. Stanly & lying loose about the yards. for all the rest wee are fully paid. witnesse our hands this present 22 of Dec: 1675 L. c. 267 December ye [blank] 1675. +If the Swedes have lost their credit in the feild this summer, they in Wismar by the stoute resistance they make seem in some measure to repaire it. The Danes have made use of all means to frighten the Inhabitants to surrender, haveing made great preparations & talked of more for a generall assault, but it is certaine the King is loth to expose his men to soe much danger & his owne honour to the hazard, yet after all if he will have the place, he must venture, it at last, his army will be much weakened by this seige & will not be able to come soe early into the feild next spring as may be wished. +Great are the complaints that are made in all parts of Germany, for what through winter quarters & contribution, the poor inhabitants are every where miserably expossed & on this occasion quarrells are like to arise amongst the confederates themselves amongst the rest the King of Denmarke pretends to quarter some of his Regimts in a certaine territory belonging to the Citty of Hamburg in which the Imperiall troops that have been in Pomeren this summer under the command of Generall Cops, designe to have their quarters, & on this occasion sharp words have passed between the Ministers of the two partys +ffrom Spaine they write that great divisions continue still in that Court, though the party that favored Don Juan seems quite broaken, yet they continue to give the other side much disquiet, especially the people who alwayes love novelty & change, on their side, Don Juan lives at his house at Saragosa & his excuses concerning his journey to Italy are now accepted at Court +ffrom fflandrs they tell us they have received a great summe of money from Spaine, & that will enable them to make the intended preparations agt spring, most certaine it is that the confederates desire nothing more then to see the successe of the next Campagne before they think of peace, as appeares by the little hast they make to send their Ambrs to Nimeguen, it being probable they seek to delay the same, that the Campagne may be begun before the conferences at Nimeguen +The Dutch however manifest an appearance of a great inclination to a peace, & a great deference to whatever his Majesty proposes concerning severall preliminary points, but in the mean time they are not wanting in their preparations, & that which is like to be very beneficiall is their over[strong?] Magazines in severall places in the Spanish netherlands which they say they intended. +Monsr Spanheim Envoye extraordinary from his Electorall Highnesse Palatine haveing been here about 4 Moneths, & upon his returne home presented from his Majesty with a Diamond Ring of Considerable value. Complaint having been made to his Majesty in Councell that Mr Robert Edwards an Merchant was Barbarously murthered at Calagnna in Teneriffe, his Majesty has sent to his Ambr in Spaine to move that Court, to a severe inquisition after the Murtherer & to his Consul at the Canaryes to use his utmost endeavour in search of him that so horrid an action may be justly punished +The highwaymen doe still frequent the Roads about us, & are of late growne soe busy that his Majesty has thought fit to renew his proclamation for allowing 10 L p head to any that shall apprhend any of them, he has alsoe been pleased to give to Leiut. Coll Kennedy a reward of a 1000 L to be paid by the Sheriffe of Essex for takeing that Notorious private George Cusack, who was some time since executed for his villainyes. +Notice being given that notwithstanding his Majestyes care in causing a publick valuable farthing to be made for the benefitt & necessary charge of the subjects some have notwithstanding presumed to vend & utter private farthings of their owne, order is given to his Majestyes Atturnay Genll to prosecute all such offenders according to law. +A person under severall Names Bell Agliarbe &c haveing about 3 months since cheated Mr Gumbleton Jeweller to his Majesty of a Jewell to the value of a 1000 L upon notice given thereof by his Correspondents to Monsr Colbert secretary of State to the ffrench King, he was so far from giveing him the protection of the Country, that he caused him to be apprehended at Thoulous in Languedoc to be carryed to Paris to answer what shall be alledged against him +They write from Madrid that a Dominican ffryar the Kings confessor and his Tutor, being instrumental in bringing Don Juan to Court, the confessor is put out of his place & the Tutor banished The Constable of Castile being upon the death of the Marquesse of Castel Rodrigo preferred to the place of president of the Councell of fflanders the Count Montery looking upon himselfe as neglected desired leave to withdraw from Court, which being discovered to be of stomach he was forbide the Court. Another fleet is prepareing at Lisbort against next summer & leavies makeing for the Regiments to be employed in the service +The Streights letters tell us the Algier men of War are already 25 saile some of 40 guns the Kings son admirall. The Tripolins putting up ffrench Colores, the bristoll merchant fell into their hands whose men will those of another small English ship they Landed at Cape Buona to be sent to Tripoly with hope by them to make their peace. L. c. 268 December 25 1675 +The ffrench letters tell us that their preparations for War are greater than the last years and proportionable to their greatnesse of their preparations are the peoples presents to the King, The province of Languedoc for their benevolence sent 2 Millions 100m Livres which the King having with great satisfaction accepted, returned to them the 100m Livres. +The Chevalier de Treson continues still Ambr at Denmarke and the King has sent to desire him to accompany the Queen to the seige of Wismar +The Dutch letters to the 27 tell us the ffrench King has given notice to his Resident at Leige that he is willing to goe on with the treaty of Neutrality for their territoryes and the evacuation of the places, but thinks the towne of Tongres at too great distance and therefore desires it may be changed to the Marchionna au Pont, upon the Sambra with wch the Resident has orders to acquaint the states and the Prince of Orange. The Baron de Hankes the Osnabrugh Envoye is said at present to be negotiating that since the Dukes of Zell and wolfen buttle are willing to act the next Campagne in the County of Bremen & neer home he will raise 3 Regimts more besides his proportion, according to the last Treaty on Condition that Spaine & the states adde 7 more to them to be Commanded by him and to be employed in any parts where they shall thinke fit that the arreres of the subsydyes due to him to be laid downe betwixt that and the new yeare, and a due monthly payment to be made of those he is to receive hereafter, and the Treaty but to last one Campagne, to which the states seem inclind. They talke of a new agreement with the Bp of Munster to command a body of 12m men about the Marestrand the next spring They are forming an army about Coblents and Treves which is to consist of 13 Regimts of the Emperors 13 of the other Allyes & 13 of the States who are already on their march +The Paris letters dat ye 28 say that Navarre is almost all up in Armes and that the people have beseiged Pampoline & that some seemed to feare that the Governour of the Castle might have some intelligence, with Don Juan. +This morning we receive the Dutch & fflandrs letters of ffryday last, by which we understand that the Danes by reason of the illnesse of the weather had not been able to putt in execution the assault they intended to have made on the 15 instant, & that the Swedes under the Command of the Count of Coninsmarke understanding that a body of Danes under the Command of Generall Arensdorf, was on their maarch towrds them had retired againe to Demmin for the Swedes have againe taken possession of Demmin, Domgarton & those other postes which the Danes had quitted, at the coming away of these letters, there was a great report at Amsterdam that the King leaving the seige of Wismar to his Generalls was returned to Copenhagen of which we must expect to hear further +Some of the Ribbon weavers haveing represented an apprehention that dureing the Christmas holydayes the ordinary sort of that profession would againe make tumults, and endeavour to destroy all the Engine loomes, his Majesty directed the Lord Major to see things in the Citty were in a posture to prevent any disorder, upon which the Leiutenancy of the Citty mett, and ordered Commissaries to goe from house to house to see that every family was provided with Armes they ought to have &c The Copy of a bill brought into Parliamt by a Member of ye house of Commons last session +Whereas by an act made in the first yeare of King James of happy memory, It was enacted that if any person or persons within his Maties dominions of England & wales having marryed or which hereafter shall marry any person or persons the former husband or wife being alive That then every such offense should be felony & the person or prsons soe offending should suffer death as in Case of felony. +And whereas by late experience manifold inconveniences & exile have arisen to the present governmt by the promiscuous use of loose expensive & strong women, Women contrary to the law of God & the good interest & profitt of this Nation. Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most excellent Maty by & with the advise & consent of the Lds Sperituall & temporall & the Comons in this present Parliamt assembled & by the authority of the same. That the said act made in the first yeare of King James & all & every branch [?] Article & matter in the said act mentioned & declared shall from hence forth be repealed utterly voyd & of none effect & that from & after the time of repealing the said act it shall & may be lawfull for every or any man from time to time & at all times to marry wives at their discretion +And be it further enacted by ye authority aforesd that from the time of passing this prsent not all & every the Children hereafter to be begotten by any husband on a 2d wife the former being liveing & haveing not issue shall be inheritable according to the Course at Comon law to such husband as the said Children shall happen in priority of birth or seniorty of age & soe in like case if the 2d wife shall not have issue It shall & may be lawfull for the issue of the 3d wife to inherit the said husband & for the issue of any succeeding wife or wives the first [?] failing of issue relatively to inherite any law custome or use to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding Provided alwayes that noe Woman who is not Native of these dominions shall have receive or take benefitt by Virtue of this prsent Act, but that they & their issue by Virtue of this present act shall be utterly excluded from any advantage hereby except by authority of succeeding Parliamts they shall be especially enabled thereto. L. c. 269 [Handwriting changes here.] December ye 30 1675 The Danes are now goeing to ease themselves a little in their winter quarters, & the king is returning to Copenhagen full of honour, & reputation for his personall Conduct, and the dangers, and fatigues he exposed himself to dureing the seige. The Suedes are as much disheartened on ye other side, and they have reason being upon the point of loosing those faire Conquests in Germany, which gained the Crown soe much advantage, & reputation. The ffrench & the Suedes seeme hearty to turn themselves to the thoughts of peace which in this present conjuncture of things must needs be very advantageous to them, & for the same reason ye Confederates are as backward; and in Holland is lately come out a little treatise shewing the impossibility in this Conjuncture of affairs to make a sure, & lasting peace with the ffrench till yt Crown be brought lower, which if it cannot be done when all the greate powers of Europe are Confederated when can it? [Large tear here removes about six lines at bottom of first recto and verso and all the rest of the bifolium; letter resumes on second verso:] . . .renew the treaty which was broken up at Cologne till the Emperour had set the Prince of ffurstenburg at Libertie. Though the ships in the Downes have rid out the late stormes, yet we heare of a great many Ships lost on the Westerne Coasts of this kingdome, and we may well feare we shall heare of more. In fflanders the preparations are very backward against the next Campagne, & that through want of money soe that it is very probable that the ffrench will be in the feild againe, & take some Consideration or other before the Duch & Spaniards will be in a Co[njunction?] to oppose them, and in truth it must be the prince of Orange that must still preserve those promises, or else [?] they must be lost. The greate Complaints that were dayly made to his Majestie of that Licence yt was taken in Coffee houses to utter most undecent, scandalous, & seditious [Remainder of letter is torn away; a few words at the ends of remaining six lines can be read.] L. c. 270 Jan 1 1675 ffrom Plymouth we have an account of neare 20 shipps lost on those Coasts within these few dayes of which many are ships comeing from Burdeux with wines. His Majestie has ordered Mr Atturney Generall to prepare a Proclamation to suppress libells & seditious pampletts, & in order thereunto a reward of 20 L will be promised to any person that shall discover any libell, while in the press, or writeing, & to him that shall discover ye Author, & for the greater Encouragement of ye company of stationers to be diligent in seizing all unlycenst books his Majestie has given them all fines & forfeitures, yt shall belong to his Majestie on yt account. His Majestie has alsoe ordered, that the Lycense of every Booke shall be printed on the Backside of ye Title page We have not any fresh forreigne letters, nor can we expect any considerable newes at this time, the armyes being at this time in their winter quarters Some Merchants pretend to have advice of the riseing of the commonalty of the Kingdome of Navarre belonging to the Spaniards in favour of Don Juan of Austria, & some 900 yet further [?], & tell us that there have been some little disturbances neare Madrid on the same account, but the latter part we doe not Credit, though its Certaine, the whole Commonalty, & most of the Gentry of Spain desire nothing more, than to see Don Juan at Court performing the part of the first Minister of State. Twenty stout ffrench men of warr being gon from Thoulon wth fresh succours for Messina, its expected some action must necessarily pass between them, & de Ruyter, who is now in those Coasts, but inferiour to the ffrench in Number of shipps, unless the Spanish men of warr, joyn with them time Enough, which ye feared, they haveing been Extremely Shattered in the late stormes. If the Duch, and Spaniards can hinder this supply from getting to Messina, they will quietly reduce yt citty, for ye Inhabitants are not now soe patient under their wants as at first & before they will see themselves reduced to any very greate straits, they will submit to the Spaniards. [Some scribbles in another hand appear on outside of letter, including an alphabet with no "v."] L. c. 271 January ye 5th 1675 +We have letters from Stockholme of ye 6/16 past which speake of the conclusion of a treaty for a free trade dureing the prsent War between that kingdome and the Hollandrs, from wch the Swedish ministers promise themselves great advantage in that it may be step towards a generall peace, but particularly that it [?] will give great encouragemt to their people who are greatly dejected, nay the principall ministers doe not sticke to owne the ill condition their affaires are in at prsent, & to declare that the misfortunes come soe thick and heavy upon them, that it must needs be a judgemt from God, they complain that the ffrench doe not give them the assistance they are obliged to by the treaty of alliance between them, on the other side the King of Denmarke growes formidable, especially since the takeing of Wismar, and the Swedes Courage & Conduct is every where denyed +In fflandrs they complain extreamly of the want of the promised supplyes from Spain by which means they are not able to make any preparations against spring, but they promise themselves things will be better managed for the future, now the Queen Regent is goeing to quitt the Governmt, it seems the discontent & murmurings grow soe high amongst all sorts of people that the Councell of state found themselves obligd, to passe a resolution & to gett the Kings concurrance to it, in which they desire the Queen to retire to a Monastrey either at Granada or Toledo, the same letters add that Don Juan was even expected at Court before Christmas and from him great matters are expected +The 15 of the next month the ffrench King setts out from Paris towards Germany whether his Majesty seems to bend his greatest force this Campagne, and therefore the Imperialists are soe much the more diligent to make suitable preparations on their side, Montecuculi is certainly on his way to Vienna, & the command of the Emprs forces in his absence is given to the Duke of Lorraine, we receive still the ill news of the losse of severall ships on the Western Coasts in the late bad weather, some reckon near 40 that have been lost, though we hope upon better enquiry the number will be much lesse +Yesterday Morning his Majesty accompayned with his Royall Highnesse went to Windsor with intention to lodge last night at Mr Caryes Master of the Bucke hounds, this day they were to hunt the hind, & to morrow his Majesty will be here againe. L. c. 272 January ye 6th 1675 +The nearer the time is of the ffrench Kings intended Journey, the greater are the apprehensions abroad of the efforts thereof, & yet the greater because nothing can be yet penetrated into concerning that Kings designe, but those that remember how 2 yeares since about the same time of the yeare he made an expedition in the ffrench County [?], and on the sudden possessed that whole Country, feare some like may happen againe +Besides this, in fflandrs they are very much concerned for Namur, which its most certaine the ffrench have a desire to gett into their hands as soon as they can find a fitt occasion, which they seem they will take at opening of the next Campagne, and to that end they have quartered their troops thereabouts, as at Charleroy, Mastricht, Charleville &c from whence they may draw them on the sudden, and forme a seige before the Prince of Orange can be ready to oppose them, and all the Spanyards can doe is of supply it in the mean time with a good garrison +The Ambrs begin now from all parts to put themselves on their way to Nimeguen, where Sr Leoline Jenkins is already arrived, the first +Leiutennant admirall de Ruyter is certainly arrived in Sicily, his Squadron consists not in above 12 men of War, which were to have joyned with 16 Spanish men of War commanded by the prince of Montesarchio, and by that means have made a good fleet, but the Spanish have been shattered & torne in the late bad weather that noe great Service can be expected from them, and then it is feared the Dutch will not think themselves strong enough to engage the ffrench ffleet which continues its course towards Messina, with orders to fight through the Dutch & Spanyards if oposed, should there happen an engagement between them, the successe would be as great consequence to the one or the other side, for if the ffrench should be beaten, the next news would certainly be that Messina had Submitted to the Spanyards, who hitherto have been every where so baffled, that nothing but Don Juans coming in Court seems able to recover their courage as well as reputation. +The Dutch are useing great endeavours to conclude a peace with Algiers, and in ordr to it, they liberally bestow their bribes amongst those people, though hitherto without effect, at which they are the more troubled to see that Govrment remaine soe firme in the peace with us, to which the reputation of the kings Navall force in the Streights does not a little contribute. L. c. 273 [Handwriting changes here.] Jan: ye 8 75 +The Coffee housekeepers haveing presented a Petition to his Maty in Councell praying his Maty would bee pleasd to recall his proclamation & permit them to fall under Certaine quallifications, they were heard by their Councell & at last his Maty was pleasd to allow ym 6 moneths more, provided they enter into bonds for their good behaviour in ye meane tyme, Other Wise they are to be proceeded agst according to ye proclamation yesterday his Maty was pleasd to Order that Notice should be given to ye Ld Holles & L Hallifax to forbeare Coming to Councell for ye future. The proclamation against libells & seditions Pampletts has bene read at Councell & approved The King of Poland desireing a nearer Correspondence wth this Crowne then has bene formerly, & haveing sent Over to desire his Maty to be godfather to his Daughter, his Maty was prepareing to send an Envoy ExtraOrdnary thither to stand for him, when the last post brought news ye young Princess was dead. all eyes are at present turnd toward france, for Impatiently every one expects to see what way ye great expedition yt King has in hand will bee turnd. The Indians in new England Continue to doe ye English much mischeife, Even to that degree that all trade is in a maner interupted, and by a vessell arived yesterday from Virginia Wee have advice that ye Indians had risen there likewise to ye Number of 5 or 600 & that they had killd severall of ye English. About ye latter end of ye next month wee expect here Monsr Courtin the new Amb from france hee has bene formerly under ye same Charracter in England & was one of ye french Plenepotentiarys at ye late treaty at Collogne. an Amb is likewise comeing from Spaine & indeed all Europe seemes to make their applications to his Maty as ye Mediator & moderator in all things relateing to ye peace L. c. 274 [Handwriting changes here.] January ye 17th 1675 +Some passengers that came over in the last packett boat from Holland reported, that when they came from Rotterdam, there was a report there had been an engagement between the Dutch & ffrench on the coast of Sicily, to which we cannot give any credit, seeing our last letters from those parts by the way of ffrance make not any mention thereof, though Sr Leoline Jenkins began for Nimeguen, yet Sr William Temple remaines still at the Hague, to adjust finally the matter of the passports, & of the circuit of the Country to be made newtrall about Nimeguen for the conveniency & security of the Ambassadrs that are to meet there, as to the first it seems the States have found some defects in the passeports granted by the ffrench, & desire they may be amended till which is done the passe ports will not be given out on their side to the ffrench Ambassadrs who continue at Charleville expecting. The last letters from Hamburg tell us the great discouragement the Swedes every day more & more fall undr by reason of the ill successe that has attended all their actions ever since this Warr. It seems the King of Denmarke finding his Army much weakened by the diseases occasioned by the ill weather had resolved to quite the Seige of Wismar, when be so [?] the very day. The same was to have been put into operation, a letter was intercepted from the governour of the towne to the Constable Wrangell in which he tells him that they were one way or other supplyed with some powder, which they already soe much wanted that they were forced to take it out of the Mines they had prepared, & some money to pay the soldiers who wanted wherewithall to buy them victualls, for the Burgers would trust them noe longer, he should be forced to surrender the place. Hereupon the King of Denmarke not onely resolved to continue the seige but to make the generall assault, which succeeded soe well on the 23 Decem: the very same day the Danes tooke Ribiuts & in it 400 Swedes, & the Swedes attempting to surprize Wolgast were beaten of with the losse of 5 or 600 men, besides some Canon which they were forced to quitt, & now all the discourse is, not without some appearance of truth, that the Danes will passe Sound, especially if it should prove a hard winter & endeavour to retake from the Swedes that fine Country of Schonen +Don Pedro & De Ronquillo the Spanish Envoy here has orders to part forthwith for Nimeguen, being one of the Plenipotentiarys of that Crown, though after all it is most plaine, that the confederates doe not yet in reality turne their thoughts to peace [Some figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 275 January ye 13th 1675 +The report that comes of the defeat of the Danes in Norway meetts with some creditt, & the rather for that they themselves have here to fore confessed that they were afraid of receiveing some designe on that side through the want of good officers to supply, which they desired some from Holland, which the States granted them to the Number of about 20 Majors & Captains +The letters which arrived yesterday from Holland besides what is made publicke, said, that severall defects had been likewise found in the passeports of the Emperor & the Spanyards to the ffrench done purposely as is beleived to gaine them time, that soe the Campagne may come on, before the assembly at Nimegen can be formed, for every day letts us see more & more the small disposition the partyes have at prsent to a peace. Notwithstanding which Sr Leoline Jenkins has made all hast to Nimegen, and by this time the Dutch Ambrs are likewise on their way thither, to give good example to all the rest of all the Ambrs that are to meet there, those of Denmarke & brandenburg are the most backward, for those Princes seem not to be able to endure the thoughts of peace, till they have quite turned the Swedes out of Germany. The Corsaires of Tripoli continue to demand a peace, but will not be thought to make any satisfaction for past injuries, Sr John Narborrough omitts nothing on his part to compell them to it, though the truth is, the nature of that Government is such, that it is next degree to impossible to gett any money from it, for soe sone as any purchasse is taken it is devided amongst the great officers & soldiers, who as well as the publicke, are alwayes soe poor that if they would they are not able to repay any money, & therefore its said that Sr John has orders to have satisfaction in [space left for about eight letters] though of other nations, by which the King will doe an act of great charity to soe many poor wretches, and of honor & reputation to himselfe, and at the same time, though it is of noe advantage to us, yet it will be damage to those Corsairs Yesterday the Lords appointed for the retireing the Kings expenses mett as they had done severall times before, & that matter will now be brought to a speedy issue Severall persons have of late been taken into Custody for seditious discourses, & spreding fa[l]se & seditious news, & will be proceeded against according to law, & some discovery hath been already made upon the Proclamation against Libells. L. c. 276 January ye 15th 1675. +The King of Spaine has appointed the Marquis de los Balbaces, at present his Ambassador at Vienna, to be the head of his Embassy to Nimeguen One of the difficultyes found by the States in the matter of the passe ports, is that the ffrench in those for the deputyes of Lorraine onely stile him, Prince Charles of Lorraine, by which they seem as if they would not owne the Duke, & till this be mended on the part of the ffrench, the passes will not be exchanged, and consequently their Ambassadors will not be able to repaire thither Our last letters from Sr John Narborrough which arrived some dayes since said that he was watching for some of the Tripoline men of war, of whom he had notice where they cruised, and that he hoped to give a good account of them, in the meane time all care is taken to supply him with whatever he shall stand in need of The intended Retrenchment of the Kings expenses, we understand to be finally setled & though the particulars are not yet declared, yet tis said that the Kings servants are to forbear their wages & Board wages for 15 months, most of the great pentions, or part of them are taken of, soe that we are tolde the Retrenchment will come to above 3000000 L We have not any forreigne letters since Tuesday last, all the news that can be expected must come from Hamburg & those parts, as well in relations to what was passed in Norway where its said the Danes have received a very considerable defeat, as what is doeing in Bremen The King of Sweden & the Elector of Brandenburg have accepted the Mediation his Majesty offered them, for the composeing the particular quarrell between them, though this will likewise be treated at Nimeguen As to the affaires of the Prince of ffurstemburg Mr Skelton the Kings envoy to the Emperor in that Errand is still at the Hague, expecting the states dispatches for their journeying with his Majestyes in the offices to be made in that Princesse behalfe, & its not doubted but they will have their effect, for his Majestyes instances are in this Conjuncture most pervalent every where +Sr Gabriell Silvius appointed to compliment the Prince of Orange upon the death of his Grandmother is still here but will certainly part on Monday next. The Dutch letters dat the 11th tell us that the Danish Camp before Wismar beeing broken up the Maine consultation is about expelling the Swedes out of Bremen but that which cheifly retards the businesse is that the confederates cannot agree which of the places shall be demolished when taken which still is kept in possession, or by whom some of the Dutch fleet goeing with Vice admirall to Naples part of the Seamen went a shoare when the saccrament hapening to be carryed by, and they observed not to give the customery respects, the people were soe incensed that the[y] fell upon the Dutch men & runing for Armes had made some slaughter had not they taken themselves to their heels & got to their ships. The Constant endeavour of London arriving at ffalmouth from Virginia in 7 weeks reports that they have had but an indifferent crop there this yeare, & that the Indians were run to the top of the River Pentmak [?] in a body of 5 or 600 have cutt off several English and that at his coming away they were not dispersed, in his coming home he mett with bad weather the sea having washed an Anchor from his bow & a man over board. L. c. 277 January ye 18th 1675. +The letters which arrived yesterday from Holland said that Sr Leoline Jenkins was arrived at Nimeguen with a traine about 20 persons haveing left his baggage to follow by water, that he had purposely avoided all publique honr & respects which were intended by the governr upon his arrivall to be an example to the rest of the Ambr that are to follow, likewise to avoid all publique receptions, wch are subject for the most part to disputes about the prsedence &c Don Emanuell de Lyra the Spanish Minister is arrived from Brussells at the Hague & has brought with him the Spanish passport for the ffrench & Swedish Ambrs which he is willing to putt into ye hands of Sr William Temple his Majestys Ambr provided he promise not to deliver them out till he hath received the ffrench passes for the Ministers in all [?] the allies in the forme demanded. In the meane time ye spring comes on a pace & we are told yt the prince of Orange hath upon occasion lately declared that he saw no likelyhood of a peace before the successe of the Campagne now comeing on, had disposed the severall partyes to a greater desire of peace then they seem at prsent to have. +The ffrench keep all people in a great expectation of the issue of those great designes they are said to have in hand, and that the execution of which the King will assist in prson it appeares the ffrench Armes are as yet terrible by the apprehensions, Cologne, Munster [?] Treves & Strasburg are in of being attacked in the opening of the Campagne by the ffrench forces, some tell us that the Swedes perswade themselves that the ffrench King will send a considerable force to their assistance, to enable them to recover what they have lost this summer, which should he doe it must be beleived to be now out of a point of honr, then affection for it plainely appeares that the ffrench thinke the Swedes suffer deservedly for their owne ill conduct & for not haveing proceeded sincerly for the advantage of their freinds which would have obliged them to have entred into the Warr sooner & more vigorously On Sunday was apprehended & sent to the tower one Coll Danvers a man who besides his haveing all along served against the king & his being of knowne dangerous & disaffected principalls was about 7 yeares since ordered to be sent to the tower for threatening as I take it the death of Genll Monck, but in his way was rescued upon which a proclamation was issued out for the apprehending him, which it seems has hitherto been ineffectuall & now besides all this, a fresh information is brought agt him for Treasonable words spoken and designes agt: the Kings person & soe I say he was discovered & apprehended on Sunday as he was in a conventicle in the suburbs of the citty. L. c. 278 [Handwriting changes here.] Jan: ye 20th 75 +The Seizeing of ye Duchy of Deux Portz by ye french gives great allarms to ye Neighbouring Princes to see ye french still advance into Germany. This present King of Swedens Grandfather was of ye family of ye Duke of Deux Ports, & ye other bravely being now extinct the King of Sweden is next heire to ye Duke of Deux Ports that now is, but he being Old & very infirme, the french in behalfe of ye Swedes have taken possession of ye Country, wch Joyning to Lorraine is very Comodious for ye french. The Prints tell you ye great difference that is like to arise betwixt ye two Electors of ye Rhyne, Mayence, & Pallatine & many are of Opinion that ye latter is Encouraged in it by ye french wth whom they say hee has made his accord wch when ye french King comes into ye feild will as they suspect be made publique, & for that reason ye Imperialists have a Watchfull eye uppon ye Elector Pallatine +by ye Letters wch Came yesterday from Brussells wee understand that Don Juans freinds Cannot as yet soe farr prevaile at Madrid as to bring him to Court, The Queens party keeping still ye upper hand, & tho tis Certaine that ye violent humour of most people in favour of Don Juan will at last beget an alteration in that Court yet ye Queen seemes Resolvd to excersise her power as long as shee can, & therefore some tyme may yet run on before shee be obligd to quit ye Governmt tho much to ye prejudice of ye officers of that Monarchy wch would take new life from ye experience & conduct of Don Juan The matter of ye peace advances extream slowly & appeares more & more that things are not yet ripe for it, the Confederates promiseing themselves a great advantage by ye Continuance of ye Warr, & ye french being still in a Condition rather to give then receive Termes. Some Letters from ye Northerne parts tell us that ye Swedes are not less disquieted wth disorders at home, then thro their ill success abroad that ye Crowne Chancellr is publiquely accused, & that Prince Adolph ye Kings unkle, a man of a Mellancholly & Capricious disposition was calld from his retreat to ye Comand of ye army. But this will want confirmation Wee are in great expectation of some considerable news from Italy for ye Duch & french fleets must unavoidably meet, & to what side soever ye success of a Rencounter shall happen it will be of great Importance for it will either setle ye french in Sicily if it bee favourable to them, or else it will quite turne them out of Messina +Theye Write from Bristoll that by their advises from Virginia the English had fought a Considerable number of ye Natives & kild 5 or 600 of them wch in all probabillity would quiet ye disturbances in those parts Letters are by Order of Councell sent to ye Bpps to take Care that ye day annually Observd uppon ye Martyrdom of ye late King may be kept wth all sollemnity The report of ye defeat of ye Danes under Guldenheim in Norway, begins to lose Credit at least it is not yet Confirmd The last letters from Sr John Narbrough said hee was then Careening at Malta but would in 10 dayes returne to Tripoly to bring those people to reason. [Some figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 279 [Handwriting changes here.] January ye 22d 1675. +I formerly gave you an account of the difficultyes that were made by the states in the matter of the passeports for that the ffrench in the passeports dispatched by them had not inserted a clause authorizing the severall Maties [?] to send Couriers to & from as they should have an occasion with their dispatches, & that they had omitted to give the Duke of Lorraine the title of Duke to these points an answer is come from ffrance that that King hath not been able to consent to the said clauses about the Couries [?] which might be a cover & pretext of sending spies into his Countrys & places besides that the place of treaty being soe wholly in the midle of the allyes Countrys, it seems a thing unnecessary and as to the giveing Lorraine the title of Duke he absolutely refused for that by a treaty made 1667 with the late Duke that King looks upon himselfe to have the right of Succession. thus all the hopes of forming the congresse at Nimeguen before the Armys come into the feild begin to vanish for till the ffrench have granted those 2 points especially that about the Duke of Lorraine the allyes will give out their passes, for the ffrench Ambr who for want of them will its beleived be commanded backe to Paris. These difficulties will it feared likewise hinder the successe of Mr Skeltons negotiation at Vienna. ffrom Holland they assure us that the Prince of Orange will be the next Campagne at the head of the Army 40000 men with which he will act but has demanded of the governour of the Spanish netherlands that he will take care to supply the Army with bread dureing his being in the feild which he excuses as not being able to performe it. +The last letters from fflanders said that their Governour had received a supply of 40000 crowns from Spaine but that the wholl summe was to be paid to the Dutch for the continueing Leiut Admirall de Ruyter in the Mediterranean six months longer, soe that not any moneys have been as yet comitted to the said governour for the service of those Countrys, which makes them militous [?] preparations very backward in ffrance the cause of this is the factions of the Court at Madrid between the Queen & Don Juan which disturbs & putts things in disorder, hitherto the Queen continues the most powerfull, but besides this the late arrivall of the Gallions this yeare putt the Spanyards into great streights for moneys +Sr Stephen ffox as it seems Layd by from operateing the place of paymaster of the forces though without any marke of the Kings displeasure to him. [Scribbles in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 280 January ye 26th 1675. +On Sunday at evening prayer was performed in the Kings Chappell the Ceremony of Confirmation of the Lady Mary & ye Lady Anne the Dukes Daughters by the hands of Dr Compton Bp of London & Dean of the Chappell in the prsence of great concurse of the nobility & other persons of quality. yesterday morning his Majesty accompanyed with his Royall highnesse went out of towne to hunt towards Windsor & he will be backe to morrow +ffrom fflandrs they write that the Dutch Ambassadors now arrived at Nimeguen & by the example of Sr Leoline Jenkins they had likewise avoided a publick entry, but its beleived they will not be very suddenly followed by the other Ambassadrs The King of Denmarke has absolutely refused to grant passeports to the Swedish Ambassadrs designed for the treaty at Nimeguen to passe by land through their territoryes but if they please he will give them passeports to passe by sea from Gottenburg. Carlestadt was certainly surrendered the 22d instant to the confederates the Swedes had prepared a good supply of men & provisions to be sent thither by water, & it was already on its way, but was it seems to late, And now the next work will be upon Stade The King of Sweden is on the side of Gottenburgh & has a prety good Army together most Country Militia, his designe is to passe the sound if the weather favour him & visit the Danes at their o[w]n Doores. The Dutch are very well pleased with their treaty for free trade lately concluded with the Swedes, for that was the thing they aimed at, where they first declared war against that crowne who would not then hear of it, and doubtlesse the greatest advantage there by will redound to the Hollandrs, who if they can have their Commerce free at sea, the War at land will not be soe heavey to them, one Article of the treaty is, that if the men of War of both partyes shall happen to meet being convoyes to Merchant men they shall treat each other as freinds The ffrench seem to begine the Campagne already in fflanders we are told that the confederates are content to allow them some advantages in the beginning of the summer, but they hope to be even with them in the end, though hitherto ffrance has found his account in being offensive at ye begining & defensive only towards the latter part of the Campagne L. c. 281 January ye 29th 1675 They write from Edinburgh dat Janr 13 that the Union fregatt of London bound for Amsterdam from Smyrna arrived that day in Leith Road She was blown off from the Coast of Holland Dec: 13th & had spent 2 suites of sayles their water & Beer staved [?] some provisions lost, & noe observation in 14 dayes & on Christmas day was in danger of being lost on the Coast of Norway when plying to the southward she met a Yarmouth Doggr fishing who supplyed them with some provision, halfe the men being downe with hunger & Cold & helped them into that Road where they were prepareing to fitt for Holland as wind & weather offered Upon the death of Dr Tulley Dr Cartwright is made Dean of Rippon. His Majesty for the better support of the Children of his Royall foundation of Christs Hospital who are 30 brought up in the mathematicks to prepare them for Navigation has been graciously pleased to adde to his former bounty a settlement of 370 L 10 sh p annum after the year 1678 to which time his Maty has allotted an ample provision. They write from Holland that the disputes about Quarters in East ffreisland being not yet composed the States had held severall Conferences about it & tis said write to the King of Denmarke the states of that Country & to the Emperor, & upon that occasion to the King of Denmarke to withdraw those forces of his that had taken possession of those quarters, to the states of East ffreisland to agree with the Duke of Lunenburg to whom those quarters were alsoe assigned for a summe of money, & to the Emperor to desire that for the future such care might be taken as to prvent any disputes of the like nature. Severall have been executed at Molazzo [?] for haveing Contrived to deliver up the Vice Roy & Towne into the hands of the ffrench the discoverrs only pardoned who yet tis thought would have informed had they not seen the Dutch fleet goe into Port & feared by that means they should be disabled to carry on their designe They write from ffrance Jan 28 that the King will take a review of all ye Troups of his houshold the 1st of the next Month & that most of the troopes that were at Bourdeaux are marching to returne to Catalonia & tis thought they will take the feild their to try if they can promote the troubles in Arragon. The Citty of Strasburg have refused passage to any ffrench Vessells through their Bridge fearing they might take occasion to fire it. They write from Nimeguen dat Jan: 19 that the Messengers Beverning & Van Haren left their Yachts and landed there. some of the ffrench Ambrs domestiqus [sic] arrived there on the 19th to make the houses for the Ambrs. Mr Skelton passed through Nimeguen on the 19th designing to reach Cleve that night & Cologne on Saturday The Amsterdam letters dat ffebruary 1st tell us ye officers which ye States send to Norway were ready only expecting a fair wind. They say there is a dispute whether Carls[t]adt shall be raised or kept & that it is agreed that 200 Danes, 200 Lunenburghs & 200 of the forces of Munster shall keep possession of it till the dispute be decided & it be agreed which of the Confederates shall keep it. On the 21 Dr Henry Compton Ld Bp of London took the oath & place of Privy Councellor to his Majesty. On the 19 was cast away neer Portland the Thomas Hay of London bound from Kingsale for Roen being the same vessell in which some Irish Passengers murthered the whole Company except the Steersman & Carrying her for Ireland were apprehended & most of them executed the men all saved & most of the goods. L. c. 282 January ye 29th 1675. +We have an account from Yarmouth that a Vessell is arrived there from Marseille from whence she came the 11 Instant the Master sayes that the day before he came from Marseilles they had news there that the ffrench and the Dutch fleets had been engaged in the ffare of Messina, but knew not the success which we are the more apt to give credit to for from an other hand we understand that an English vessell passeing through the fare of Messina had mett the Dutch & Spanish fleet cruising there in all about 30 saile, and that haveing sailed about 30 Leagues farther he mett the ffrench fleet consisting of 40 saile, that the Master of the said ship had been on board the ffrench Admirall & had told him where the Dutch were & that the ffrench had continued there course as before directly for Messina declareing that they would fight the Dutch & Spanish fleet if it came in their way. The Swedish Ambr here has acqainted his Majesty that he has received the passeports from Sweden for the Ministers of the allyes but at the same time complained of the refusall of the King of Denmarke to permit the Swedish Ambrs to passe through his territoryes by land The Dutch letters they [sic] arrived yesterday told us that when Carlestadt was delivered up on the 22 instant there remained not bread for the garrison for on[e] day longer, but a great quatity of Ammunition & about 40 pieces of Cannon 300 Swedes Marched out, & 200 danes 200 Lunenburghs and 200 Munsterians entred in their place who are to command alternatively, till it be agreed to whome the place shall belong, that is to say the Danes to command the first 3 dayes then the Lunenb 3 dayes & soe on. There was a report at the Hague that the treaty between the Empr Spaine & the States & the Duke of Lorraine was goeing to be renewed with some additionall clause conserning their mutuall assisting each other & not makeing of peace but Joyntly. Certaine it is the ffrench have tryed in vaine to seperate Holland from its allyes & that they will never be able to succeed in such endeavours as longe as the Prince of Orange has soe great a part in the Goverment he has at present +Yesterday at Councell his Majesty was pleased to approve of the retrenchmt which had been made by the committee of the Lords Vidt that all board wages & dyett & halfe of all pention & salaryes, except those to the Judges shall be taken of for 15 months to come commenceing from the first of this Instant, the whole retrenchment its said does amount to upward of 300000 L L. c. 283 ffeb: ye 2d 1675. +All the newes at prsent is of the Engagemt between the ffrench & Dutch fleet on the Coasts of Sicily, of which I will give you all the account there is. Yesterday morneing we received letters of the 14 instant from Naples & of ye 24 from Venice new stile, they said by a Cott [?] Vessell arrived there, they understood there had been an Engagement between the said fleets that the Dutch & Spanyards being joyned together were in all about 26 or 27 men of War & some gallyes & that the ffrench were but 20 men of War, but what the successe had been they knew not farther then that the Spanyards reported both at Venice & Naples that they had had the better & that 12 of the ffrench men of War had been sunke & two burnt, this was the account our letters gave us with uncertainty as to the successe, but yesterday after the King came from Chappell the Spanish Envoy waited upon his Majesty & told him that ye said fleets had engaged on the 9 of January new stile in ye faro of Messina, the Dutch and the Spanyards haveing the word that the fight had continued very smartly that day, & had been renewed again the next morning but at length the ffrench had been entirely defeated that severall of their disabled ships had been taken & burnt but the Spanish gallyes who were 7 in all (and the ffrench had noe gallyes) that thereupon the rest fled & that de Ruyter was in persuite of them, if this newes hold true the ffrench must quickly take their leaves of Sicily, for Messina at prsent is said to be in such want of Provisions that it cannot hold out long, if they misse this intended supply from ffrance The Spanish Envoye added that the Viceroy of Sicily had taken a place about 5 miles from Messina where the ffrench had a great Magazine & 700 men in garrison who were all cut in peices +ffrom fflandrs they write that the Governour had by the last ordinary from Spaine received a promise of two Millions of Crownes, which were suddainly to be remitted from Spaine. That Don Juan of Austrias interest was after all goeing to prevaile, that he had been sent for to Court & that the Queen did no more signe the publicque dispatches as she had done even ever since the Kings entring into his Majority ffrom Holland & Germany they onely write of the preparations they are every where makeing against the Campagne that the Emperor will send 8 or 9000 men to the assistance of fflandrs & that the Prince of Orange will act apart with his Army. L. c. 284 ffeb: 5th 1675. We cannot tell you anything farther then we did in our last concerning the engagement between the Dutch & the ffrench on the Coast of Sicily, we all beleive that the ffrench had the worst & after a brisk fight seeing they could not force their way through the Dutch & Spanyards, they stood off to sea, to expect some more favourable opportunity but their losse hath been so great as is reported we very much doubt, our next letters will fully inform us. Some passengers come from fflanders since the last letters say that there was news that the Dutch had lost 2 men of Warr & that the Spanyards on [sic] galley, but these are but all reports. A vessell arrived two dayes since from Boston in new England & brings an account that on the 19 of December there was a sett battle fought between the English & the Indians that the first was 1400 commanded by Major Winslow & that the latter 3000 that the fight had lasted two dayes together & that at last the Indians haveing had 500 of their men killed & haveing spent all their ammunition were forced to retire, that the English (who lost 207 Common soldiers 5 Captains & other officers) there upon took a kind of fort raised by the Indians & burnt aout 300 hutts or houses that were there, that in them the poor women & Children they had left behind, but that they were afterwards forced to quitte the said fort, the Indians being reinforced & comeing downe with intention to venture another battle The Swedish Ambassadr here haveing received the necessary passeports from Sweden for the Ministers of the allyes he hath put them into the hands of his Majesty who has sent them to his Ambassador at the Hague to be enterchanged, but the Difficulties made by ffrance still retards the matter The last letters from ffrance speake of vast preparations there against spring & that there lay ready a fond of 5 millions pretend [?] for the defraying the expences of the Campagne They will not owne to have any newes concerning their fleet bound for Messina, which makes us more apt to beleive that the things have gone very ill on their side, its not yet knowne whether the Prince of Conde will goe to the feild this summer, he being growne very infirme & much troubled with the gout on which account he desires to be excused. There being Merchants in London who pretend to have letters of the 16 past from Naples by the way of shipping, which are two dayes fresher then what came by the ordinary post, with advise that the ffrench had been to [sic] lately routed & that they had lost 10 or 11 men of War & that the rest gott away to the west ward, that the Dutch had likewise sustained some losse but the particulars they know not. The Hague letters dat ffebruary the first advised that they were informed from Bremen dat the 25th that the Swedes about 500 passed through there on the 23 haveing surrendred Charlestadt the day before, all their bread & corne was spent the last days allowance delivered at their gowing off, but they lost great store of bullets & powder & 80 peices of ordinance. On the 20 went in Cowes 2 Capers who met with a fly boat of 300 tuns belonging to the ffrench of 18 guns & 6 paderas they fought most part of the day till bad weather parted them neer St Malos where she made her escape. The Capers boarded her 4 times and had gained the steeridge & yet were beaten off one of the Capers who had 48 men 6 guns & 3 Paderas had 4 men killed & 14 wounded, another of 3 guns had three killed & 9 wounded. On the 25th 4 boates who had formerly been seised at Dover & condemned in the Excheqr for Transportation of Wool was by order of the Lord High Treasurer burned at Dover, which tis hoped may deterre the Transporters & give a great check to their practise soe pernicious to the Manufacture of the kingdome. The ffrench letters dat ffebruary the 4th tell us that the troupes have all orders to march that they may be on the 21 on the frontiers & the King has sent to every Captaine of horse to send him one out of every troupe the best appointed to put in his guard. All the Townes & Castles between Aoth & Charleroy are declared Neuter The Councellor Vas is gone on the behalfe of fflandrs & De Heer Van Deytfeild for the States Generall to Marchienne au Ponts to treat with the Abbot Gravell deputed by the ffrench for settling the Commerce of Neutrallity in the Country of Leige. The Knights of all orders in Spaine are ordered to serve in Catelonia either by themselves or a sufficient horsman which will amount to above 4000 men. The Amsterdam letters dat the 4th tell us that the treaty with the Bp of Osnabrugh was fully concluded on Saturday & that it is affirmed for certaine that there is an agreemt between Denmarke & the States to set out a fleet of 40 ships of which the States were to furnish 15. +ffrom Hamburgh dat January the 24th they advise that they have not heard that the Swedes had regained Wolgast nor that they were like to doe it, they are in much trouble that the Elector of Brandenburg keeps their Merchants in arrest at Magdeburg, whom he denyes to deliver till he receives reparation of 80M Crownes for receiving a ffrench Privateer whom his frigate persued and for an affront offered by some of his people to his Envoy goeing to Gluckstadt At Genova 400 Greeks lately arrived to whom that state allotted severall lands in Corsica. On the 28th an order passt in Councell for the Lord High Treasurer to suspend the payment of part of Salaryes Pensions &c for one yeare & quarter ensueing except the Judges and others therein excepted. Just now arrived the ffrench letters which confirme the Dutch haveing obtained a great vi[c]tory that severall of the fffrench ships were destroyed but for the particulars they know not, though the Dutch & fflandrs letters say they have lost 10 ships. L. c. 285 ffebruary ye 8th 1675. The great news of the victory obtained by the Dutch over the ffrench in the faro of Messina is now come to this that the question is whether the ffrench succours be gott into Messina or not, which is ye main point of all. This evening the Venetian Resident showed the King a letter dated the 21 past at Naples, written as he said by a person of quality there, & without any partiality gives an account, that the 7th in the evening the ffrench & Dutch fleets appeared in sight of each other, the former consisting of 22 men of war & 6 fireships that the next morning the[y] began the fight, which was continued all that day, that the ffrench had lost one man of War, which was sunke & 2 fireships that on the other side one Dutch man of War had been towed of towards Palermo, & that it was reported she sunke in the way thither the men all saved, the next day which was the 9 both sides were busied about their reparing their damages, & 13 men of War, which came from Messina joyned the ffrench & the Prince Montesarchio joyned de Ruyter with 6 men of War, both the fleets continued in sight of each other, what happened afterwards we doe not know but the said letters adde that it was feared at Naples that ffrench Victualers dureing the first dayes fight gott into Messina, soe after all we must have some farther patience to know the truth. His Majesty finding the ffrench to insist soe positively upon the two points he often mentioned concerning the passeports & by that means to take away those same hopes there was not long since of forming suddainly the Congress at Nimeguen had renewed his orders to Mr Skelton who is goeing to the Emperours Court to solicite the liberty of the Prince of ffurstemburg to stop somewhere in Germany & not to proceed till farther orders. The truth is most people condemned the proceedings of the ffrench in the particulars above mentioned and tooke upon them not to favor any disposition of a peace. The Dutch letters arrived this afternoone of this day 7 night, brings nothing new onely that there was a meeting at Bremen of the deputyes of the allyes to agree whether Carlestadt should be demolished or not & into what hands it should be put into the allyes begining it seems to disagree about the partition of their conquests. L. c. 286 ffebruary ye 10th 1675 We are still without any fresh forreigne letters soe that we know nothing farther of the fight between the Dutch & the ffrench Yesterday the King pricked a new Sheriff for Hertfordshire, it seems Sr John Read, who has served as such almost 3 months refuses to doe soe any longer, the case is he standing excommunicated for refuseing to obey a decree of the Spirituall Court, for setling a maintenance upon his wife from whom he is parted, cannot receive the Sacrament as is directed by the act to prevent the danger ariseing from Popish Recusants and on that account he refusses to serve Sheriffe any longer, for that would subject him to the penaltyes imposed in the said act, the Judges have laid a fine upon him, seeing it is in his power to take off the said excommunication by obeying the said decree, he has stood out & will not submitt to the fine; but has answered the information in the Excheqr where the matter still depends. This morneing Captaine Wetwang (Captaine of the Newcastle lately arrived from the streights) is come to towne, & was to pay his duty to his Majesty, to whom he gave an account of the Dutch & ffrench fleets, haveing been on board them both, he sayes the ffrench was in much better condition then the Dutch, & their ships of a greater force, & that the Dutch had a great many sicke in their ships, which in number were likewise inferior to the ffrench. On Munday the Bp of Oxon did homage to his Majesty with the usual Ceremony This afternoone the Dutch letters arrived & bring a letter from De Ruyter Printed in Holland of the late fight Viz: that the fight was begun the 8 past off of the Island of Lipari, & continued all that day very smartly, that the ffrench had lost 2 fireships & one man of War to their knowledge: That on the Dutch side the ship called the Essen was very much disabled & haveing received severall shotts between wind & water, had been towed off to Palermo by two gallyes: that the Dutch had received much damage in their Tackle & Sayles which they had soe repaireing, that they were in a condition to renew the fight with the ffrench, who (at the comeing away of the letters dated the day after the fight) were still in sight, de Ruyter concluded his letter, that the Prince of Montesarchio was there in sight with 9 saile & hoped they should be joyned before night, he sayes nothing of the ffrench ships comeing from Messina to their fleet, but that may be & he not know it, de Ruyter before the fight had with him 9 gallyes & one man of War, but the night before the fight it blew soe hard that the gallyes were forced to choose the shoare, though dureing the fight & the day after, the weather was extream calme & the gallyes before the fight was over joyned the Dutch againe. The ffrench had the wind dureing the fight, soe that after all we doe not know whether any succours be gott into Messina, the Dutch & Spanyards deney it & its probable we shall hear of a 2nd fight for the 1st had not decided. It is said that the E: of Essex goes noe more for Ireland but ye Lord Sunderlain goes in his stead. A Patent is passing makeing Sr Henry Puckering Alias Newton Receiver & paymaster of his Majestys guards with allowance of 400 L p annum in place of Sr Stephen ffox The Lord Duras is suddenly to be marryed to the daughter of Sr George Sands of Kent. On the 3d Sr Richard Belstode kist his Majestyes hand beeing goeing to fflanders to which Court his Majesty has made him his Resident His Majesty has been pleased to passe a grant to the Dane & Chapter of St Paul to raise stone in his Majestys Quarryes in the Isle of Portland or Common there to be employed toward the building of the said Church paying the accustomed Dutyes. L. c. 287 ffebruary ye 14th 1675. +The ffrench letters which arrived the 11th instant brought very fresh letters from Rome & other parts of Italy, which tell us that the ffrench succours be gott into Messina that is the vessail that was laden with provision, which the ffrench Admirall had before the fight sent away about, that soe unperceived by the Dutch they might gett into Messina as they did, while in the meantime the ffrench & Dutch fought, of which de Ruyters letter gives the most sober & impartiall account we have yet had, the day after the fight 10 men of War joyned their fleet, and the Prince of Montesarchio came up with the Dutch, but De Ruyter understanding that the ffrench succours were gott into Messina declared that there was now remaineing noe more for him to doe his order being positive that hee should endeavour to hinder those succours which if he could not doe it was in vaine to hazard anything farther, & besides he complained the Spanyards had not done their part, that the viceroy of Sicily pressed de Ruyter most earnestly to make some farther attempt upon the ffrench fleet in Conjunction with the Spanyards, and offered to engage in the name of the King of Spaine to make good what ever losse they sustaine, & in part of security, offered to putt his Jewells and plate into his hands, but that De Ruyter still declared that he could doe nothing more, and accordingly was returneing homeward with his fleet, if this prove true the affairs of the Spanyards in those parts will be in a very ill condition All the letters say the Dutch ship which was sent into port by De Ruyter sunke in her way thither all the men have been saved by the gallyes: There be letters of ye 10th speake of the arrivall of the new Spain fleet at Cadiz very rich All Rotterdam are setting forth 4 men of War and in Zealand 6 (besides the 15 that are to joyne with the Danes in the Baltick) on the former are to be Embarked 1400 land soldiers & its beleived they are designed for some expedition out of Europe. There be letters from Vienna from very good hands which assure us that the Emprs Army will be this next Campagne stronger by 10000 men then it was the last, that Court being resolved to carry on the War with all the vigor possible. L. c. 288 15th ffebruary 1675 The letters which arrived yesterday from ffrance of the 15th instant confirme that the ffrench succours were gott into Messina & that De Ruyter was returned home with his fleet haveing passed by Leghorne the reason of the latter is said to be that De Ruyter found the Spanyards were not in any degree soe strong by sea as he expected, for that that Crowne had engaged to the States to have a fleet on the coast of Sicily which should alone be able to engage the ffrench, in stead of which onely 8 or 9 men of War appeared the day after the fight, under the command of the Prince of Montesarchio, and even those in soe ill a condition, that noe great service could be expected from them, & therefore de Ruyter did not think fitt any farther to hazard the honor as well as the ships of the States with soe little probability of successe, & besides its said his ordrs were that if his assistance to the Spanyards were not sufficient to prevent this great succour getting in, he should returne home, but the letters add that two dayes after de Ruyters leaveing the coast of Sicily, that viceroy by an expresse received fresh promptory [?] orders from the States to De Ruyter to continue on the coast of Sicily sometime longer which ordrs were sent after de Ruyter with hopes to overtake him time enough to bring him back. The Elector of Cologne & the Bp of Munster and Bp Paderborne have made a league by which they oblige themselves to have an Army of 15000 men for their mutuall defense the Duke of Newburg will likewise have a good body of foot as likewise the Elector of Saxony, and though all is prtended to be for their owne defense only, yet it gives jealousy to ye Empr who does not love to see those Princes become Arbitrators of the peace & to be able to give the law to him & his allyes We are told that letters are latly arrived from Tangier, which give an account that the Moores had had the boldnes to attacke severall of the outworks of that citty within the line with a prsumption to have made themselves master of them, but they had been repulsed with great losse 500 of them being killed upon the place and amongst them some of their great men. There is a discourse that the L: Cheife justice Hayles does in respect of his great age request of his Majesty that he may have leave to retire. At a councell of War held on Saturday by the Admiralty one Capt [space for about five letters left blank] late Comander of the Quaker ketch to be shot to death for stricking his flagg here in the Channell to an Ostendr, the execution was to have been to day but he is reprived. L. c. 289 ffebruary ye 17th 1675. +yesterday the King went out of towne towards Windsor with intention to be backward againe to night or to morrow morninge ffrom Holland we heare that there is a Marriage treating between Elearnora Queen Dowager of Poland the Emperors sister, and the Duke of Lorraine, & that is gone soe far as to have the consent of Spaine. This Princesse has for severall yeares been designed by the Emperor for this Duke of Lorraine, who he hopes to make King of Poland and accordingly at the two last Elections all endeavours are used in order thereunto, if this be soe it may well be supposed that the Emperor will be firme to the Interest of the Duke of Lorraine, and not to admit of any treaty of peace till the ffrench have given him the title of Duke They likewise tell us that the allyance between the Dutch and their confederates for the carrying on of this war are goeing to be renewed, with great ease to the Dutch in the Matters of the subsides payable by severall of the confederates then the former. Thus in all appearance the war does not look as if it would be suddainely ended, soe that on the contrary the minds of severall partyes seem imbittered more then ever This afternoone arrived 2 fflandrs posts by which we have letters from Italy, confirmeing what has been already told you of the french succours being gott into Messina, and of De Ruyters beeing on his returne homewards of which the cause is said to be that his commissions was limitted to a certaine time which was expired, and that on the next place the Spanyards were not in any degree in that posture as it was promised the States they should, that soe with a joint force they might be able to attack the ffrench The 2d of this Month New Stile De Ruyter came before Leghorne, and sent in 5 men of War to fetch out such men of War as should happen to be there, that soe they migh[t] returne home together, but that the framed [?] the orders from the States to De Ruyter to continue till farther order in the Mediteranean, which has in some measure conforted the Spanyards, who were quite put out of heart with two such blowes, as the ffrench succours getting into Messina, and afterwards De Ruyters leaving them, who is said to be extreamly concerned at the former, but lays the fault of all upon the Spanyards. The sluyce between Bruses [sic] and Ostend is finaly opened, and a ship of 30 guns passed up to Bruges, which will be of great advantage to that citty. Tis said that the Duke of Holsteine Gottorpe has sold an Island called Norderstrant two leagues from Toningen to Monsr Pomier [?] but that the Councellor Judgeing it sold to cheape, the Duke requires more money for composing of which diference Monsr Terlon had lately been at Gottorp, but in the mean time the allyes were taken into consideration whether the Island ought to be suffered in ffrench hands since it may give them oppertunity of assisting the Swedes, & disturbing the trade in those parts. The Burghers, the Cittisens and the Clergy of Sweden doe all joyne together in voluntary offereings to the King for raiseing a powerfull Army and setting forth 50 ships of War which unlesse the States of Holland send in a more powerfull assistance then that they have designed they will be too many for the Danes to deal with On the 12 Dyed Coll Grey Leiut Coll of his Majestys Royall Regiments of guards of foot, who shall succeed in that command is not yet declared. Her grace the Dutches of Monmouth is safely delivered of a daughter. L.c. 290 ffebruary the 19 1675. yesterday we had our Dutch letters of the 11th and 21th instant which letters tell us that letters were come from de Ruyter with this account, that after the fight with the ffrench on the 8th of Jan: he had kept two dayes in sight of the Enemy they haveing still the wind, but that the third day by favor of a mist they gott clear of him & taken their course round the Island of Sicily they gott into Messina on the other side of the faro [?] of which we haveing advice had resolved to returne home, seeing there was nothing could be expected to be done there, and that the six months he was by contract to remaine in the Spanish service were already expired for the rest he extreamly complains of the Spanyards & layes upon them all this ill successe of which he is the more sensible, because of the prejudice that is to his owne reputation, for that instead of 24 men of War, which by the said contract they were to joyne with him upon his arrivell there, there only appeared 8 the day after the fight, and those in a very ill condition, that as to the money and provisions, which it was promised should lye ready for him at Naples he found Neither. The 3 instant de Ruyter arrived before Leghorne found orders there to continue in the Spanish service 6 months longer which some what revived the Spanyards Coll Grey being dead that command is given to the Lord Howard of Escricke & Sr Thomas Daniel who is the Major of the said Regiment is to have the government of Jersey. +And Sr Samuel Clarke who is the oldest Captaine has the command of Major of the Regiment, +Mr Kingdon is to take care of the payment of the soldiery under Sr Henry Puchering as Substitute The matter of the passeports continues in the same state soe that now there is hardly any hopes of formeing the assembly at Nimeguen till after this Ca[m]pagne. In fflandrs the ffrench begin to prepare to come into the feild & the Spanyards apprehend they will turne their greatest force on that side & that the King will come in person into fflandrs [A few figures and sums in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 291 ffebruary the 24th 1675 +On Sunday the Lord cheife Justice Hayles resigned to his Majesty his pattent constituteing him Lord cheife Justice, being very weak & crazy, it is said that Mr Bar Ransford shall suceed him, & that Mr Serjeant Pemberton shall come in the roome of Baron Ransford Yesterday we had lettrs of the 18/28 instant from Holland which tell us, that at the Instance of the Lt admirall de Ruyter the States had resolved to send out 10 capitall shipps more to reinforce him, which will supply the defects of the Spanyards, and enable de Ruyter to attempt with better successe upon the ffrench for the future, in Holland the[y] prepare very vigorsly for the next Campagne, provoked thereunto by the frowardnesse of the ffrench. The Prince of Orange has appointed the Randevous of his cavalry at Langenstrat, and his Infantry at Rosendael where the Ra[n]devous was likewise last summer. The letters add that the Bp of Munster had quitted his pretentions upon the Dutchy of Bremen to the Bp of Osnaburg & had agreed to restore that Bprick to the Church, as it was before the treaty of Munster, that is that for the future It shall be constantly in the hands of a Roman Catholicke Bp Stadt they say will certainly be beseiged in 10 or 12 dayes by the confederates. On fryday last his Majesty in Councell takeing notice that severall Justices of the peace are become Negligent, as well in supporting Conventicles, as in the hindering the growth of Popery, was pleased to command the Lord Chancellor to instruct the Judges now prepareing to goe the circuits that they give in charg the lawes agst Popish Recusants, as likewise the lawes agst conventicles, & perticularly the Oxford Act concerning preachers, and that they take notice of such Justices of ye peace as are negligent, in their dutyes, & to returne their names to his Majesty, and at the same time it was ordered that my Ld Major, Aldermen & Recorder of London & such of the justices of the peace for London & Middlesex as are in Towne doe attend his Majesty at Councell to morrow, in order to the receiveing his Majestyes pleasure for the better executeing the lawes above mentioned. L.c. 292 ffeb: 24th 1675 +Yesterday the Lord Major, Aldermen of London &c attended his Majesty in Councell pursuant to his Majestyes order, and were acqu[a]inted by the Lord Chancellor with his Majestyes pleasure, for their takeing care to see the lawes against Popish Recusants and Conventicles put in execution, but especially the act that was made at Oxford, against the Preachers, who are cheifely to be lookt after, for that they make it their businesse to seduce Ignorant people, & glory in the Numbers that flock to them The orders which were sent after Mr Skelton to stop him in his way to Vienna have overtaken him at Ratisbonne, soe that he will continue there till farther orders. His Majesty as a marke to the Lord cheife Justice Hayles, though he gave him leave that he might quite the place, yet continues the pension to him for life. The Elector Palatine is treating at prsent its said about a treaty of Neutrality with the ffrench and haveing prayd his Majesty to interpose his offices withe [sic] ffrench king for the obtaining some points which the ffrench hitherto stick at, Its said his Majesty cannot medle or countenance any such particular treaty, unlesse the Elector have the consent of the Emperor and his allyes, which has given great satisfaction to the Confederates who perceive every day more & more his Majestyes great impartiality and justnesse in the worke of his Mediation. The States and their Alleyes have its said resolved to send their Ambrs without further losse of time to Nimeguen, that soe they may let the world see that the blame lyes at the doore of the ffrench, that the congresse is not formed even before the Campagne. And the states have resolved to send a man of War to Gottenburg to fetch the Swedish Ambrs who lye there, in the mean time the States are hard put to it, to raise the moneys necessary for the supporting the war, the taxes that have been already layd upon the people have greatly empoverished them, It was proposed by the States the last week, that all the Inhabitants of the Provinces should be destinquished into 4 rankes, that the first, that is every family should be taxed at 20 Glds which is about 4s that the 2 rank 15 Glds the third ranke at 2 glds & the fourth to pay nothing, this being levyed 14 or 15 times in one yeare would bring upp a great summe of money, and would be much more easy to the ordinary sort of people, then 200th [?] penny wch is the tax which hath been much used in Holland The king of Denmarke has offered Van Tromp Admirall of his fleet dureing his life, but the States have not consented, & will only permit him to take the quality of Admirall of Denmarke this summer, to enable him to command in cheife the fleet in the Baltique. They write from Paris that 8000 Tents were prepareing with all speed for 24m men to be emplyed on some designe before summer The Chavalier de Aigremont is taken into Custody being accused of the confederacy of the Chevalier de Rohan & will be brought to a speedy tryall they say that the king of Spaine has sent to Don Juan to put all things in readinesse at Saragousa to receive him about the end of March where he is to sweare the privileges of the kingdom of Aragon all the Nobles and knights of the order accompany him, he goes thence to Barcalona and as is given out to Catalonia upon which account the ffrench send a greater Army thither then was at first designed. The ffrench Ambrs at Charlevill have desired Sr Leoline Jenkins to procure passes for their servants who are at Nimeguen that they may goe freely upon their occasions & if need be to goe to Charleroy, for those Gentlemen it seems went into the States Country without any passes from them, haveing only one from the Governour of Namur and meeting at Mooch the outmost garison of the States toward Maestricht a young officer of the guards got by their baggage & horses for which the officer is in disgrace, as who in performance of his duty might have made all their goods prize & them prisoners at War. Lt Chevalier Sr Chaulmont sent expresse from Monsr de Quesne to the ffrench King, gives account that the ffrench in the engagement with de Ruyter did not losse any man of War but only 2 fireships & had 2 Captains killed le fferriere and Bonovisin Tis said the Imperialists will take Winter Quarters in Bavaria by force and that that Elector will oppose it The ffrench letters add that the ffrench Army are drawing together and may march to his assistance & that the Duke of Crecqui is prepareing to goe Ambr to that Elector to demand his Daughter for the Dauphine who is the more hastned for that if the Empresse being ill should dye they apprehend the Emperor may demand her in Marriage. The ffrench King made a revew of his Army lying near Paris on the plaine near St Germain and discovers nothing of Alteration in his resolution of goeing into fflanders about the middle of Apr. The Kings is to consist of 140 Squadrons and 25 Battilions, that in Germany of 120 Squadrons & 25 Battilions, the Army between the Sambre and the Meuse of 50 Squadrons and 15 Battilions and that in Rousillon of 40 Squadrons and 12 Battilions besides which orders were to be given for calling the Arrier Ban of such as served not the last yeare that they may be in readinesse in case of necessity, It is said that through the great industry and care of Monsr Colbert in order to the Augmenting the King Revenue the last years Income amounted to more then 80 Millions of Livres little lesse then what it was in 1669 before the War began. L. c. 293 ffebruary ye 26 1675 This morning we had letters from Naples of the 11th instant giveing us an account that that day Leiut Admirall de Ruyter arrived there with 28 sayle of ships, with extraordinary Joy of his presence, that the Viceroy of Naples went with 6 gallyes above a mile and halfe out of the port to meet him & was above an hour on Board de Ruyter, and the[y] parted with great demonstrations of affections and service, That de Ruyter onely intended to stay 2 or 3 dayes at Naples & then to proceed to Sicily to joyne the Spanish men of War, that were there, and watch an oppurtunity to make some attempt upon the ffrench fleet which was still at Messina contrary to the report which was spread a broad of their being on their returne homewards. The letters we had at the same time from fflandrs bring little new, besides what they tell us of that Governours being about raiseing 24 new Troops of Horses, for which theire appeares to be some want, as well in those Countryes as in the Prince of Oranges Army, which they assure us will be composed of 50 Battalions of foot each Battalion consisting between 7 or 800 men besides 8 or 9000 horse according to all appearance the ffrench King for 6 weeks or 2 months will have his Court at Metz in Lorraine, and yet the Army in fflanders will be called his Army and its probable he will for some short time be with it in person, if he sees any likelyhood of successe This weeke was apprehended one Major Cobbet a man of very ill and dangerous principles & for whom a warrent has been out this month or 6 weeks We have letters from Tripoli of the 11th of January which say that those Corsaires had not disposed of the ladeing or men lately taken by them in the Bristoll Merchant with the entire restitution of which they hoped to purchase a peace. And in effect Sr John Narborough is a[t] present before Tripoli treating with them. The Lord Yarmouth we hear is made Lord Leiutenant of Norfolke in the roome of the Lord Townesend It haveing been pretended the whitefryars near the Temple was a priviledge place severall Gentlemen took their quarters there to be out of the power of arrests: but it seems complaint haveing been made to the Lord Major, he sent the Undersherriffs who on Wednesday last with above 50 men besides a great number of Constables and Beadles went & seized severall persons there on account of debt & amongst others we hear Sr Robert Holt His Majesty expressely declared that whatever Justices of the peace are wanting in their dutyes to execute the lawes against Recusants of all kinds according to what we told you in our last he will give orders that they be forthwith turned out of their Commission L. c. 294 ffeb: ye 28th [1675/6] +By some private lettrs arrived the last post from fflanders [&] ffrance, we have account that a strong party haveing marched out of Brisac under the command of Sieur de Monclar who commanded in cheife in Alsatia for the ffrench, and is an officer of note amongst them to execute severall villages in Briscovia, for failing to pay their contributions they executed their designe, but being on their returne home with booty they were surprized by a party of Imperialists commanded by Major Generall Schaltz, and totally routed, the Sieur de Monclar & severall other eminent officers taken prisonr & as many of the Comon Soldiers as escaped being knocked on the head, this is a considerable losse to the ffrench, & yet the losse is not soe great as the disgrace, but we expect to hear what account our fflandrs lettrs, which we expect every minute will give this Action It is said that his Maty has proposed an expedient to the partyes at prsent engaged in the war for the removeing of the difficulties arrisen in the matter of the passeports, & we are expecting to hear what successe it will have It is much wondred at by many that ffrance is soe backward to come to a treaty, & the confederates ymselves argue from thence that that King has the expectation of some great successe this Campagne which they think may be by the Elector of Bavarias declareing for him agt the Empr, but this seems not soe likely but that the Poles, if a peace can be made between them & the Turks, which is greatly endeavoured by the ffrench, may be induced to fall upon the Elector of Brandenburg in Prussia, & soe divert him from assisting the other allyes. the pretense which the Poles may have is that Prussia formerly belonged to the Crowne of Poland and was held in homage by the Elector till Casimire in the year 1659 or thereabouts gave it into soveraignty to ye present Elector, on his account of assisting him agt the Swedes. Now it was said that it was not in the power of the king Casimire to alienate the dominions of the Crowne, & that the Elector can only hold that Country in homage as he did before The fort of Schenkshaus is goeing to be restored by the Elector of Brandenburg to the States, his Electorall high: haveing had it in his hands ever since the ffrench quitted it, in 1673 it is a place of great strength & great importance for the Dutch, for it guards the passages of the Rhine which leads into the province of Utrecht. [A few small columns of letters and an alphabet (with no "I," "N," "S," "U," "V," "W," or "Z,") followed by "Faber." appear in another hand on outside of letter.] L. c. 295 March ye 4th 1675 The lettrs we receive this morning from Holland tell us that orders were sent to young De Ruyter sonn to the Leiut Admirall of that name, who is at prsent with 4 or 5 men of War in the Mediteranean to serve for a convoy to their Marchant men to saile towards Sicily, to Joyne his ffather, & to continue with him till such time as the new succours arrive from Holland The Dutch & Spanyards doe now agree in their Opinions that the successes of the affairs of Sicily, depends wholly upon the conduct of de Ruyter, & they tell us, they are assured, that the ffrench if they cannot force him out of those seas, will quitt Messina, and all their hopes of those parts. The King of Denmarke they tell us has at present an Army of 11000 men together near Elsenore, & that it was beleived he would in few dayes passe with them into the Isle of Schonen formerly belonging to Denmarke, but now in the hands of the Swedes, where the King promised himselfe the affaction [sic] & inclination of the Inhabitants; & to reinforce his army he had sent for some Regiments from Wismar & those parts. It seems the confederates cannot yet agree about the shareing their conquests made upon the Swedes; of those made in Bremen the Dukes of Lunenburg demmand Staden & severall villages depending thereon; the King of Denmarke demmands Charlestadt which the other confederates would have demolished, and the Bp of Munster claims the Dutchy of fferden this disagreement creates jealousies between them, & these jealousies may produce worse consequences. However it is not doubted but they will unite their forces to beseige Stadt & that very suddainly, and we are informed, from very good hands that that place is very ill provided with men and worse with provisions, soe that it will in all appearance be not able to hold out long, when it comes to be attacked. Just now we receive our lettrs from fflandrs & they tell us, that the ffrench are marching from all quarters towards their ffrontiers, that they have cutt downe the woods & made a great way for an Army to march, but their designe as yet no body can tell, however the Spanyards are in fear for severall places & especially for Ipres, which is a ffrontier place of fflandrs They add that the ffrench have built 8 ffrigatts at Tournay each of them to carry 8 small guns and are soe contrived that they may be drawne over land upon wheeles, & soe employed to attacque any towne which lyes on a River on that side, they will carry each 400 men The long stay of the Galeons this yeare makes the Spanyards almost out of their witts through the want of moneys; in fflandrs the Governour as well as the Generall officers being soe poor, that they cannot make the preparations they out [sic] to goe into feild Lt Admirall de Ruyter has been treated at Naples with all honrs and respects Imaginable, he intended to saile from thence the 19th past for Palermo 4000 Dutch are marching towards fflandrs to reinforce the Spanish garrisons there We just now hear that the Lord Cheife Baron Turner is dead in his Circuit. L. c. 296 March the 4th 1675 +His Majesty haveing received a prsent from the Duke of De Arcas a Spanish Grandee of 7 very fine Spanish horses his Majesty has ordered a very rich Coach & a set of English Running horses to be sent back as a prsent to him. +Mr Noel son to the Lord Cambden is made Lord Leiut of the County of Hampshire in the roome of the Marquesse of Winchester as the Lord Viscount Yarmouth of Norfolke in the roome of the Lord Townesend We are told that the expedient proposed by his Majesty for the removeing the difficulties ariseing in the affaires of the passeports by ffrance, refuseing to give the Duke of Lorraine the title of Duke & that Dukes absolute refuseing to receive a passport without that title is that the severall partyes engaged in the War will by some solemne act declare that his Majesty shall in his owne name give passes to the severall Ministers that are to repaire to Nimeguen or such proper forme that his Majesty shall think fitt & that such papers shall be as valued as they were given out by severall partyes respectively & by that means his Majesty may give Lorraine the title of Duke without any prejudice to ffrance, we now expect to hear what successe the expedient will have. The rencounter which hath happened between the ffrench & the Imperialists near Brisack was not so much the advantage of the latter as was at first reported, the greatest losse on the part of the ffrench being that two of their Generall officers were taken prisoners or one killed or mortally wounded. The Imperialists endeavour all the[y] can to keep the Elector Palatine from concluding any accommodation with ffrance by assureing him it shall be one of the principle articles of the Instructions to General Montecuculi to secure his Countrys against the insults and the vexations of the ffrench, either by beseiging or blocking up of Philipsburg. The Endeavours of the ffrench in Poland have at last been made manifest to that Kings proposeing at the opening of the dyett to make a peace with the Turkes though upon termes not very honorable to the Crowne and all the Okrain [sic] to the Turkes for such a peace & to make war upon the Elector of Brandenburg in order to the recovery of Prussia to the Crowne, but the letters add that the nobility stifly opposed it & that the King on the other side adhered thereunto soe that its feared the dyett would have an ill conclusion. The Chevalier d'Humieres whom the ffrench King made Bregadier thinking himselfe preferred went to the King and gave up his Commission, complaining that he had made men that had not deferred better Marechaux de Camp for which the King sent him prsently to the Bastille & gave his Regiment to the Marquesse Villeroy upon a like complaint he ordered a Coll of the Regiment of Sault to be seised The last lettrs from Nimeguen ffebr ye 19th tell us nothing but that the Electorall Prince of Brandenburgh who keeps his Court at Cleves went with ye Governour the Baron of Swerin & Generall Spaen & dyned with o[u]r Ambr, when the Prince who is about 19 years of age exprest great kindnesse to the English and said he hoped in time to have the honor of Knight of the Garter. He has instituted an order called the Order of Generosity of which the knight wears a Crosse just on the pitt of the Stomack The Emperor of Germany at the Instance of the Elector of Saxony and other Princes has given order for releasing the poor Protestant Hungarian Ministers who were condemned & sent to serve in the Gallyes of Naples and Sicily and to that purpose has caused a dispatch to Trieste and Naples with passeports for their returne to their owne homes where they are promised to live quietly soe long as they shall keep within the bounds of their dutyes and Allegiance The fflandrs lettrs of the 6 confirme the takeing of the Marquess de Monclas prisoner and Monsr de la Brosse besides about 4[one or two digits torn away] Officers of Note 400 private soldiers and as many killed on the place. To this their Gazett adds 6 feild peices a great number of Grenads and a very rich booty, giveing the cause of the great losse to a surprise in the night soe unexpected by the ffrench that the Marquesse of Monclas & de le Brosse were at Cards at the time of the attacque. The lessen [sic] the losse of the Imperiaists reduce them to 40 and make their forces much unequall in strength to the ffrench which cannot soe well be allowed to them. The ffrench Gazett on the other side confesseth the Marquesse de Monclas & le Brosse prisners surprised at midnight by the Trechery of the Landlord of the house where they lay but that the Marquesse de fflorensack charged them soe well that he killed 400 Imperialists and tooke 50 prisoners among whom the Governour of Halkirk and Leiutenant Coll of the Regiment of Mercy [?] you have both their relations and may make your owne Judgment. The Imperial Diet at Ratisbon have resolved to prohibitt all ffrench Manufactures to be brought into the Empire The Honorable Bernard Greenville Esqr his Majestys Envoy Exterordinary to severall Princes of Italy took leave of the States of Genova on the 20 [?] set forward on his journey, on the 24 and on the 27 arrived at Turin in Savoy The Duke at his Audience of Conge did from his throwne very much applaud his prudent managery of affaires & owned the obligation the States have to his Majesty in sending them a person of great meritt. L. c. 297 March ye 10th 1675 Pursuant to his Majestys commands for the putting in execution the lawes against disenters the Lord Major of London haveing signifyed his ordrs to the Masters of such Halls as were made use of for holding conventicles in that they should forbear for the future to be those Halls be employed [sic] for that use, on Sunday most of the Halls was kept shutt & noe person permitted to meet there, & one Vincent and one or two preachers haveing notwithstanding the Lord Major had acqu[a]inted them with the Kings pleasure held their meetings in Bishop gate street & in other places the Constables with their watch were sent thither to seize the said p[r]eachers but they thought fitt to retire in time Our last lettrs from Paris told us that the King had accepted the expedient proposed by his Maty Vidt that to remove the difficulties arisen by the Duke of Lorrains title the severall partyes should give a power to his Maty to grant the severall passes in his owne name with circumstances & such titles as his Majesty should think fitt, soe that we expect to heare what the allyes will say to it. Its said the Lord Windsor has sold the place of Master of the horse to his Royall highnesse [to?] Coll Legge Governour of Portsmouth Some ffrench lettrs speach of a great number of severall sorts of birds that have lately been found dead near d'Dole in Burgundy, some their eyes pickt out others their brains & others againe are very much torne, by which it is supposed that there has been a fight of birds & that there those birds were killed, & upon this a prophecy has been found out of a ffrench Poett called Nostre Damus written about 150 years since in which he says that a great number of birds should be seen fighting near Dole, that soone after a great person should dye & end the War. ffrom a broad we hear of little else but great preparations that are makeing on all sides, In Germany according to all appearance the Germains will be assoone in the feild as the ffrench, but in fflandrs the confederates themselves fear the fffrench will have taken some place or other before the Prince of Orange will be able to oppose them, & upon him the preservation of fflandrs is to depend Just now arrived the lettrs from Holland fflandrs & from ffrance but bring nothing of moment in fflandrs the Spanyards expect every day to heare that Ipris or some other place is invasted by the ffrench, who begin to draw their forces together. The Governour of fflandrs had received a supply of 300000 Crownes from Madrid, which did a little enliven him. L. c. 298 March the 11th 1675 His Majesty takeing notice of the great losse that the Nation sustained by the ffrench trade that is the wearing of ffrench Manufactures here in England, and by neglecting o[u]r owne was pleased yesterday in Councell to order that a Comitte of Lords of the Councell should meet this afternoon to consider of a regulation of the said trade, and of some effectuall means to discountenance the w[e]aring of ffrench stuffs and druggets to which his Majesty will contribute by his own example and that of the whole Court His Majesty has been pleased to confere upon the Lord Duras in consideration of his services the honour of an Earle of this Kingdome, by the title of the Earle of Feversham. The Merchants have some lettrs from Italy which speake of Sr John Narborough, haveing concluded an honorable peace with the Corsairs of Tripoly, they restore the ship of Bristol. Merchant, the men & her ladeing entire but there are not yet any letters from Sr John adviseing it. What the forreigne lettrs bring us yesterday is made publique save in what is said in those from Germany of the intended marrage [sic] between the Queen Dowager of Poland and the Duke of Lorraine, and of a nother between the younger sister of the Emperor and the Prince of Newburg. Some are of opinion that as to the last the Imperiall Ministers, by such an overture cheifely aimes to draw the Duke of Newburg into their interest, since he will be now pritty considerable by his Army, he is raising of 8000 men Its certain the ffrench will bend their greatest force against the Spanish Netherlands as well because the enemy on that side is near their homes, as that they have a prospect of better successe there then in Germany; for the Spanyards have not made any preparations & seemed to have placed all their security in the Prince of Orange The Prince of Conde does not goe into the feild, because of his continuall indisposition and Crazinesse & his sonn the Duke d'Enghen stayes likewise at home because the King did not think fitt he should command the Mareschal of France which he pretends After Easter the Sieur Curtin is expected here in quality of Ambassdr Extraordnary from ffrance. This morning her grace the Dutchesse of Cleveland is parted hence for Dover from whence she passes into ffrance to spend some months there for the aire ffrom Spaine we hear that the Queen Regt continues in the Goverment there to the great disappointmt of those who labour to bring Don Juan into the administration of the affaires of that Kingdome. L. c. 299 March ye 15 1675/6 By the Holland lettrs on friday last arrived yesterday we have an account of the death of the Emperor of Muscovy in the 55 year of his age which is lookt upon as good newes to the Swedes who were before in great danger of being attacqued by the Muscovits in Livonia this summer, but upon the death of the Emperor & the succession of his sonne aged about 16 years its beleived they will change their councells or resolve to be in quiet till their Prince has some years over his head The Swedes presse mightily to hasten the assembly at Nimeguen for haveing now noe hopes to recover what they have lost by the Sword they must endeavour to doe it by a treaty to which the Dane & Brandenburg is for the same reason averse The Sieur Troupe who is goeing into the service of Denmark has raised to [sic] Amsterdam 300 seamen to take along with him & besides has brought up at Amsterdam all things[s] necessary for the fitting out the Danish fleet which may not be able to be had at Copenhagen The ffrench on the suddain are goeing to quit the Cittadell of Leige and the Citty of Limburg which however they intended to demolish, as they have already done to Huy and will doe to Diant some speak likewise if they would quit Maestrickt but this is not certain as the other is 22 Regimts of foot & horse are ordered to March forth from Holland towards fflandrs to oppose the ffrench the foot are to be transported by water at Antwerp and in order thereunto great number of boats have been pressed and lye ready at Dort. It is still very much doubted whether Montecuculi will command the Imperiall Army this summer & some say the Empr is thinking of putting the Command of his Army into the hands of some Prince of the Empire & that the Bp of Munster may be he We have lettrs from Marsailles giveing an account that Sr John Narborough had burnt in the port of Tripoly two of the men of War of those Corsaires & 2 prizes which they had with them & that he was gone in pursuit of some others of their men of War, & we every houre expect lettrs from Sr John Narborough of this action which will have greatly increased the disorder & confusion the Tripolins were in before & ye desire they had of a peace The Lds of the Councell have meet twice about the discouraging the Wearing of ffrench manufactures & they are about setting severall patterns of silke to be made in England as well as of stuffs wch shall be made the fashion by ye kings & the Court wearing of them. His Maty has been pleased to creat Sr George Sands kt of the Bath of Kent Earle of Feversham Viscount Sands of Lees Court & Baron of Throwley which honrs after his death are to discend upon the Lord Duras his sonn in law. L. c. 300 March ye 18th 1675/6 By the last ffrench post we had some private lettrs which gave us an account that the marriage between the Dolphin of ffrance and the Daughter of the Elector of Bavaria was said to be finally concluded & that in consideration thereof, that Elector would declare in favour of the ffrench this summer which should it prove true would very much alter the face of things for the Elector has a very good Army ready & lyes soe near the Empr that he might on the suddain fall into his hereditary Countryes. But from Italy comes noe very good newes for the ffrench, for there is advice of a conspiracy that had been discovered in Messina for the driveing the ffrench from thence & that in Generall those people grow extreamly weary of the ffrench yoke, and as impatient of the wants and necessarys they lay under, and its generally beleived that ere this summer is ended the Spanyards will have reduced this Citty, if they manage their businesse but any thing like As for what concernes the peace there is little or noe appearance of formeing the congresse before winter, its true the ffrench have accepted the expedient proposed by his Majesty for the facilitateing it but the confederates though they have not yet declared themselves upon it, yet in the mean time let us plainly see the little disposition they have to it The Elector Palatine has for some Months been endeavouring to make a treaty of neutrality with the ffrench to free his countrys from those calamitys they at prsent lye under but it seems the ffrench King has answered, that he cannot admitt of any such treaty, that if he will make a peace with him and assist him against the Confederates, that may be done, for that he must be either for him or against him. The Lords of the Councell have mett severll times about regulateing the ffrench trade, the point they are now upon is to encourage the wearing of our owne manufactures & putting downe the ffrench trade in order to which the King has been pleased to appoint Satturday next for a full hearing of the mattr when the Marcers and weavers are to attend with severall patternes of stuffs & silke & his Majesty will make choice of such he likes & which his Majesty and the whole Court will constantly wear to the exclusion of all ffrench manufactures and this becomeing by that means the fashion will in short time be the wear of England over. Yesterday his Majesty went hence for Windsor and will be back againe to morrow On Satturday last past by Ruye 12 saile of Dutch men of War who were goeing to joyne De Ruyter in the Mediterranean. L. c. 301 March the 20th 1675/6 +We are still expecting lettrs from Sr John Narborough which may give us an account of his late action at Tripoli, which in the mean time is reported with severall Circumstances of great Gallantry, but wee wholly referr ourselves till the arrivall of Sr Johns own lettrs. In my last I told you of the news that came from ffrance, that there was a marriage concludeing between the Dolphin and the daughter of the Elector of Bavaria, and that on that consideration the Elector was to declare for the ffrench, and by what I have since heard, I find the Confederates themselves beleive their is some such matter in hand, and greatly apprehend it, as a thing that would very much distract all the measures they have taken for this next Campagne Yesterday in the evening his Majesty and his Royall highnesse returned from Windsor where they had been to see the new buildings that are a makeing there in the Castle On Thursday the Corps of my Ld Cheife Barron Turner was conveyed out of towne in order to its Enterment in the Country with much solemnity, most of the nobility and persons of quality haveing sent their Coaches to attend his Herse, which had the honor likewise to be followed by the Coaches of his Maty and Royall Highnesse. The same day was buried in London Sr William Peake an antient Alderman of the Citty. By a vessell arrived in the Downes from the Streights, who touched about a month since at Messina, we have an account that in truth those people are very weary of the ffrench, and that on the other side, the ffrench are very jealous of them, soe that there is noe very good understanding between them that is to say the generality of the people, for some of the Principall, who were the first authors of this rebellion will continue without doubt to labour to keep themselves from falling againe into the hands of the Spanyards We have just now lettrs from Leghorne which confirme the exploite of Sr John Narborough at Tripoli and sayes he had burnt 4 of their men of War which were all then in port, referring us still for the farther particulars to his lettrs which are not yet come. The lettrs from fflandrs and Germany speake onely of the prepartions [sic] that are makeing, and add an account of the Death of the Electoress of Bavaria, which is an accident of great moment, for she was a Lady who had a great part in the Goverment there, and was wholly addicted to the ffrench, It is now beleived the Elector may be brought to quitt his engagement with ffrance and to enter with new ones with the Emperor. [Figures in another hand cover nearly all the outside of letter.] L. c. 302 March ye 22d 1675/6 Yesterday the Mercers attended the King in Councell & showed his Maty severall stuffs and silks made here in England, no way inferior to those in goodnesse yt come from ffrance, ye result of all at this meeting was that his Majesty was pleased to declare that he was not for the future wearing other but English manufactures and that he would take care the Queen and the Ladyes, and the whole Court should doe the like The lettrs wch arrived this morning from Holland and told us yt ye men of War who about 14 dayes since sailed out of the texell to ye number of 9 or 10 and which we by all circumstances suppose to be the same that passed by Rye on Satturday was seavennight was commanded by one Binches that they had 1000 land souldiers aboard, and were not gone to reinforce Leiut Admirall de Ruyter as was supposed, but on some great designe which is kept very secret. The States Generall have as we are told proposed that if Spain will take upon it the subsides [sic] wch since this war the States have payed to their allyes they shall then be able and very willing to continue the War, & its beleived ye Spanyards will gratify the States in this mattr, notwithstanding it will soe considerably encrease their expences in this War, they beleiving that if they can at last bring ffrance to their owne termes it cannot have cost them to Deer. The ffrench being about quitting the Castle of Leige and other places makes the confederates think they intend to draw all their force into the feild and to put it upon a battle, for which reason the Prince of Orange will make his Army stronger then he intended, and to that end will draw out most of the garrison of the state, leaving the guards of those places to a sort of Country Millitia they have there, & in 8 or 10 dayes time his Highnesse will part to the Randezvous of his troops. Monsr Verjus the ffrench Envoy at Strasburg, hath proposed to the Magistrates of that Citty that they will cause their Bridge over the Ryne to be forthwith broken downe, yt soe the Imperialists may not be able to make use of it this summer, which the ffrench otherwise beleive they will, if they have occasion, notwithsanding all the protestations of those magestrates to maintain a neutrality. We have lettrs from Marseilles which say yt the conspiracy, which had been formed at Messina for the burning the ffrench fleet in Port & the cutting their throats in Garrison had gone soe far that 500 Spanish souldiers had already been brought into the towne when it was discovered to the Duke de Vivonne who had punished the authors of this conspiracy with death, the men of War and gallyes designed with a farther succor to Messina lye ready a[t] Thoulon and Marseilles and expect onely orders to saile. de Ruyter according to o[u]r last advice was arrived at Mollazzo in Sicily not haveing with him above 18 men of War & ye ffrench fleet consisted in near 30 soe that de Ruyter will not be able to doe much till he is reinforced. ffrom Denmarke we hear that the great Chancellor of that Kingdome and Principall Minister had been arrested that morning the lettrs came away as he was goeing to Court and committed close prisoner to the Castle by the Kings order but the cause not yet knowne. The lettrs from Germany say that ye Duke of Newburg had made a treaty with the Emperor and the allyes to assist him with his troops, and that the Imperiall Army would be in a body and begin to march immediatly after Easter, Phillipsburg was quit[e] blocked up on that side of the Rhine which is towards Suabia. L. c. 303 March 24th 1675/6 +By the fflanders post which came in Yesterday we have lettrs from Copenhagen, which say that a very considerable summ of money had been brought in English Vessails from ffrance to Gottenburg, for the releife of the Sweds in this their ill condition which will indeed some what amend their affaires, but not quite heal them, for its not money onely that can make them equall to their adversaryes at this time, when they can raise men noe where, but in their owne territoryes which cannot furnish enough to deal with their adversaryes The States of Holland are sending aman [sic] of War to fetch over the Swedish Ambassadrs designed for Nimeguen who will accordingly be very suddainly upon the place, from which the Dutch propose to themselves a double advantage first that it will give a jealousie to the ffrench, who see the Ambassadrs of Sweden at Nimeguen with those of the States while theirs are excluded from thence for the want of Passports occasioned by the difficultyes that remain in that affair, and that that jealousye may dispose the ffrench to a Complyance in the matter or else in the 2d place that this Conjoncture may be made use of to seperate Sweden from ffrance, & that the Ambassadrs of that Crown being alone at Nimeguen will give a fair opportunity for such a private negotiation and in the point of the passeports Sweden has already provided seperatly from ffrance haveing given out the said passeports on their part in the very forme desired by the confederates and with the title of Duke for the Duke of Lorraine. In the mean while the time for the Campagne comes on a pace and according to preparations that are every where makeing, and that eagernesse of the partyes wee may well conclud that it will be a bloody one. We are told of a project that is agreed of by the confederates for the employing their forces this summer, In the first place the Emperors Army under ye command of Montecuculi or the Duke of Lorraine is yt [?] in Alsatia while the troops of the Circles first block up and then beseige Philipsburg, and that succeeding, then Brisac, 2dly a flying army of 10 or 12000 men composed of Munster and other confederate troops is to remaine above Treves, and perhaps fall into Lorrain, 3 the King of Denmarke will remaine in Denmarke with his Army to eye the Swedes and if opportunity passe over to them assisting the Elector of Brandenburg with 7 Regiments of foot 14 of Horse and one of Dragoones in Pomeren, & the confederates in Bremen with 4 of foot 2 of horse 1 of Dragons [sic]. besides in Pomeren the Elector of Brandenburg will be assisted by a boody of Imperialists. In Bremen the Dukes of Lunenburgs forces are the chiefe, assisted by Danes Brandenburg & Munsters. The Prince of Orange will act apart with an Army of 40000 men and the Governor of ye Spanish netherlands joyneing 9000 men furnished by the Duke of Osnaburg to his own will act a part, thus you see how considerable the forces of the Confederates are like to be. On ye 16 dyed the Lady Daventry Wife to the Lord High Chancellor of England. Mr Robert Long is to be made Consull of Marseilles in place of Mr Colston and a Commission is now passing for that purpose Tis the discourse of Paris that the Campagne is already opened by the blocking up Charlemont by Monsr Montall to which place Monsr de Crequi is in few dayes to lay close seige, preparations are makeing for the slighting [?] Huy and Dinant being already mined in order to their blowing up. They write from Ratisbon dat 19 that all the genll officers are appointed for the next Campagne and that the severall troups about Nuremburg were on their march The Marquesse of Baden Darl and Traine [?] arrived there on the 19th and he himselfe was expected on the 20 to give necessary orders to the Army. The Emperor has made answer to the addresse from severll parts of the Empire about sending his plentipotentiaryes to the treaty, that it was not yet necessary a maine point being not fully cleared whether the ffrench King would accept the mediation of the Pope or the Spanish that of Venice, They were at Vienna in expectation of an Ambr from the grand Signior with proposalls of peace for 30 years and of another from Poland to offer a firme league offensive and defensive between that Crowne the Emperor of Russia and his Imperiall Majesty. Genll Montecuculi was in few days to goe toward but not to the Army onely to stay in some place near them to give advise on occasions. +The Paris letters tell us their advises from Languedoc told them that 10M of the Militia of that Country were to be putt into the garrisons of Rousillon the troups that were formerly there being to be other wise employed and particularly 4000 of them to be sent to Messina, They begin now to talke as if the King would take a short turne toward the ffrontiers and then retire to ffontainbleaux to spend part of the summer. The Lord Ambr Berkley on the 26th made his complemt of Condolence on his owne behalfe to Monsr and Madam at St Cloud upon the death of the Duke of Valois which title not haveing proved lucky, tis said the King has declared it shall noe more be given to any of his land [?] The Dutchesse of Cleveland was expected at Paris the next day. The Bill is now passing for letting the farm of Ireland to Sr James Shane and others, soe yt the Earle of Essex his Majestys Lord Leiutenant of that Kingdome is prepareing to returne to his Chardge. L. c. 304 March ye 27 1676 +It is said that this next weeke the Prince of Orange will leave the Hague; and part to the Rendevouz of his troops, which will consist in above 40000 men, The States of Holland before they seperated attended his Highnesse in body to wish him all happinesse and successe this next Campagne praying him above all to take care of his owne person and not [?] to exposse him, the safety of which was soe necessary to the welfare and preservation of the States. The States at the Instance of the Prince of Orange have resolved to build 12 men of war, 6 of wch to be of the first ranke, and are to be forth with taken in hand, and accordingly the moneys necessary have been already assigned, and the worke commended to the Admiralties of Roterdam and Amsterdam. Though there are lettrs from ffrance which say that the Duke continues to receive subsidies from that Crowne, yet o[u]r letters from Zell as well as from the Hague assure us of the contrary, and that that Duke will lend 2000 men of his to his brother the Duke of Zell, and as many more to the Bishop of Munster. ffrom Denmarke we hear that that King all [sic] Hamburg ships that passe the Sound and their goods though in English Vessells, to be arrested soe that that Citty is reduced into great perplexity not dareing to reply upon its owne strength, and yet unwilling to have recourse to any forreigne Assistance: however in the meane time they raise men to putt themselves in the best posture they can. The Citty of Strasburg has absolutely refused the proposition made by the ffrench Envoye about the breaking downe of Phillipsburg. The ffrench of Phillipsburg haveing lately made a sally with 700 men most of them were cut of by the Imperialists. I know nothing more worth the communicateing to you, and besides the time makes me shorter then usually. L. c. 305 March the 29th 1676 +We are told that on Sunday last his Majesty was pleased finally to resolve and to declare that a fond should be assigned out of the revenue ariseing from the constant and punctuall payment of the interest of the moneyes oweing to Bankers, and the arrears thereof forever till the principall shall be payd, and this to be established under the great Seal irrevocable, and its said that his Majesty will be pleased to confirme it by act of parliament the next meeting which will be as good as if the principall debt was actually paid: its said this interest money comes to above 80000 L per ann. We understand that the cause of the disgrace of the Chancellor of Denmarke is for haveing held correspondence with the ffrench and Swedes and discovered by the intercepting some of his owne lettrs which is soe monstrous an ingratitude considereing how he has been raised from nothing to the greatest honr and dignity in yt Kingdome, that he finds no body that pitties him. The seige of Staden has hitherto been delayed by the disagreement of the confederates (who are to undertake it) concerning their respective shares of the conquest, to be made upon Sweden The Dukes of Lunenberg being unwilling to admitt the Danes to any share in Bremen, and they on the other side pretending the States generall are to warrant them a share there, in case their other designes agt Sweden prove unsuccesfull ffrom fflanders they tell us that the Prince of Orange had assured that Governr that he would be at the Rendevous at Rosendale on the 6 of next month, which its beleived may be time enough to prevent the designes of the ffrench, while in the mean time the Governour of fflandrs under the covert of the Princes Army may be able to draw his forces into the feild, which will be 20000 effective, with some troops he expects the Prince of Orange will lend him, 4000 men of the Duke of Newburg, and some horse of the Elector of Brandenburg, who its said are on the march, with these forces the Duke de villa Hermosa will act apart The Danes and Brandenburghs are not at all pleased yt the States exchanged their passeports with the Swedes, and sent a man of War to fetch their Ambrs from Gottenberg fearing they may lay up [?] a peace with that Crowne, which is a thing the Danes and Brandenburgs cannot endure to hear of, at a time when they have a prospect of soe much advantage in their continuance of the Warr. +Sr Richard Rainsford is made lord cheife Justice of the Kings Bench in the room of my Lord Hayles, & Sr William Jones Judge of the Kings Bench in the room of Rainsford and Mr Montague the Queens atturney Lord cheife Baron in the room of Judge Turner. We hear from New England of a great successe obtained by the English against the Indians, they haveing killed above 1000 of them and among them King Phillip L. c. 306 Aprill ye 1st 1676 The Confederates very much vallue themselves that they have been able to draw the Duke of Newburg of from the ffrench interests. ffor he has lately concluded a treaty with Spaine by which he obliges himselfe to assist the Spanish Netherlands with 4000 men. The Confederates perswade themselves that now the Electresse of Bavaria is dead they shall be able to worke the like change in that Court, which if they effect they will give ffrance a very great blow for its beleived by all that it is not soe much the present forces which ffrance relyes on, as the intragues that King has in severall Courts of Germany, of which what had been discovered in Denmarke in the Chancellor is a great instance. This Chancellor is said to have been wholly corrupted by the ffrench, and besides the markes of it are notorious as the intercepting his owne lettrs to the ffrench Ministers, it is wholly imputed to his Ministry of affaires that Denmarke moved itselfe soe slowly towards the engageing itselfe with the Confederates, notwithstanding they were obliged by the treatys to have entred into the War before they did. The lettrs from Holland say that the Prince of Orange takes abundance of paines to get into the feild, and the rather for that he is very sensible of the ill condition the Spanish netherlands are in and that they stand in great need of helpe, for though that Governour pretends to have an Army of 20000 [?] men to act a part with, yet it being to be composed of severall confederates, it will be to late ere they can get into the feild and to late to help themselves. The Prince of Orange is in great power and esteem in Holland for he not only wholly and solely mannages all matters relateing to the Army, but has an influence upon the States that he in a manner solely governs in all other matters. The letters from Holland of the 29th said that the ffrench were likewise resolved to quit Oudenarde, Courtray, and other places of their conquests in 1667 which is a strange peece of newes and hardly to be beleived, and if they doe quit them, there needs no other argument of their finding themselves weake to make head against soe many Enemys and therefore draw out what garrisons they possibly can. The Earle of Essex will in some dayes returne towards Ireland to continue his Goverment of that Kingdome L. c. 307 Aprill the 3th [sic] 1676 ffrom Newmarket we hear that there is a very great Court, but that the weather is soe drye and consequently the ground soe very hard that noe races especially between any good horses can be runne, soe that if it does not raine its thought his Majesty will not stay soe long as he at first intended. There be marchants upon the exchange who have advice of the arrivall of the Spanish Galeons at Cadiz which will greatly revive the affaires of that Crowne. We have formerly told you of an expedient proposed by his Majesty to the severall partyes engaged in the war, to remove the dificulties arisen in the matter of the passeports about the Duke of Lorrains title, Vidt that the said partyes should agree that his Majesty as Mediator should give out the necessary passeports for the severall ministers that are to meet at Nimeguen, & soe might give the Duke of Lorraine, the title of Duke which is a point in Controversie. The expedient has been accepted by ffrance, but the States and their allies say that they cannot accept, and amongst other things alleadge this principall one, that when his Maty shall have given such a passeport, for the Duke of Lorrains Ministers, they still want an assurance, that the Ministers of that Duke at Nimeguen shall be treated by the ffrench Ambassadrs there, as ministers of the Duke of Lorraine, and not of Prince Charles as the ffrench have hitherto stilled him. We have this afternoon o[u]r lettrs from fflandrs of Tuesday last, they tell us, that the ffrench begine to draw together severall considerale bodies, haveing assembled 10000 men near Oudenarde, with designe as they say to make an incursion into the Country of Waes, a nother body of 14 or 15000 men are drawing together near Maestricht, to be commanded by Marshall Crequi; but as yet it is impossible to say what the designes of the ffrench are, besides the Citadell of Leige they have quitted Huy upon the Meuse, and intended to doe the like with severall other places in those parts, but in ffimburg they have put a good garrison as likewise in Dinant. On the other side the Dutch troops ae marching towards fflandrs & by the 16 of the next month the Prince of Orange will be at the head of his Army In the last news book you saw that the Mareschall Rochefort was returned from Saverne to Lorraine, and the lettrs the 1st of April said, he was in great hast to come back againe to Lorraine, with orders to put a supply into Phillipsburg of such things which that garrison is in some want of, cost what it would, which on the other hand the Imperialist endeavour to prevent, and to that end they assemble their forces at Lauterburg, It appeares plainly that the designe of the latter is to be beseige [sic] Phillipsburg forthwith In Denmarke they proceed to the Confiscation of the Chancellors estate, They speake of a very great summe of money that hath been found in his house. [On outside of letter appear some figures in another hand, mostly "3/4" cross-multiplied by "4/9."] L. c. 308 April ye 5 1676 +You may remember I formerly told you that it was said in Holland that 9 or 10 dutch men of War which about a month or 3 weeks since passed through the Channell under the Command of Sieur Binches [?] were gone out on some private designe as was beleived out of Europe, but after all it appears in reality these ships are gone to joyne Leiutenat Admirall de Ruyter in the mediterranean, and yt the report of them being sent out on some other designe was purposely araised [?] to amuse the ffrench however if they be soe we shall now quickly hear of their arrivall in the streights We have an account from severall hands of the arrivall of the Spanish fleet and that it is very rich as well for the account of the King of Spain as for particular merchants The Prince of Orange is now on his way to the Randevouz of his Army at Rosendale he will have a very fine Army and great mattrs are expected from him we are told that he has declared that he will not be very forward to hazard a battle unlesse upon advantage or yt the ffrench lay seige to any considerable place for in such a case he is absolutely resolved to doe his part to raise it. The lettrs of ffriday last from Holland are come in and in forme us that that morning the Prince of Orange parted thence, towards the randevous of his troops, they add that they had advise from Denmarke that the treason charged against the Chancellor was of a very high nature Vidt the deposing the King & setting up his brother Prince George & some go farther and say that the sd Prince George and Queen mother were fled out of Denmarke but these are mattrs we must not give any credit to till we can be certaine of the truth of them The ffrench lettrs tell us that the most Christian King intended to part from Versailles as yesterday or this day but that it was not yet knowne whether he would take his journey towards fflandrs or Germany We may now quickly fear of some considerable altercation in Alsatia for from Strasburg of ye 13 instant they write that the Duke of Luxemburg was himselfe arrived in those parts that he had assembled 6000 men, and was marching with them towards Phili[p]sburg in order to the putting a succour into that place cost what it would, and yt on the other hand the Duke of Lorraine had draw[n] together 6000 men and passed the Rine with them at Lauterburg, & was marching directly to meet the Duke of Luxenburg and to fight him, upon the successe of which depends the losse or the preservation of Philipsburg. L. c. 309 Aprill the 8th 1676 It is said that his Royall Highnesse will returne hither on Satturday next, and his Majest[y] will likewise leave Newmarkett the begining of the next weeke he returnes hither intending to doe the Duke of Albemarle the honr to passe a day or two at Newhall. The death of the Electresse of Bavaria and the ill condition the Empresse is in setts the great ministers in those parts on worke to advantage their affaires by new marriages, which they already propose between the Emperor and the daughter of the Elector of Bavaria who was designed for the dolphin of ffrance, and is aged about 15, or else between the King of Spain and that Princesse which would be more proportionable to her age and at the same time they intend a crosse marriage between the Elector and the Queen Dowager of Poland the Emperor['s] sister, certain it is the Imperiall ministers will not omitt any thing which may serve to draw the Elector from the ffrench Interst in which they have rather hope to succeed, for that its beleived that it was more to gratifie the inclinations of his Dutchesse then his own that he entred into any engagement with ffrance nay its said that already since her death there is a great change in that Court to the disadvantae of the ffrench. The fflandrs lettrs assure us that the Prince of Orange had written to the Duke de Villa Hermosa that he would be the 15 instant in the neighborhood of Malines with an Army consisting of 40 Regiments of foot and 14000 horse, the ffrench are much more backwards in their preparations for the Campagne, then was expected, and instead of the fears the Spanyards have been all this winter in of being swallowed up by the ffrench this Campagne before their freinds could come to their assistance, they now talke of attacking the ffrench. Its confidently said that the forces of ffrance Employed in all parts this Campagne will be one third lesse then they were the last, and on the contrary that the Confederates will be one third stronger, and therefore its not to be wondred that these last are so backward to forme the assembly at Nimeguen, they promiseing themselves that before this summer be ended the ffrench will be put into a condition that will oblige them to condescend to things that they will not now hear of Its beleived the ffrench King will not part from Paris till the begining of the next weeke we are in great expectation to hear of what has passed between the Duke of Luxemburg and Lorraine in Alsatia upon the successe of which very much depends especially upon the side of the ffrench. L. c. 310 Aprill ye 10th 1676 By a vessail arrived in the downes in 10 dayes from Bourdeaux we have advice that the new Cittadell there was quite finished and furnished with Cannon soldiers &c soe that the citty will be extreamly armed [?] for the future But that all the other troops which had been quartered upon those inhabitants this last summer were marched toward Catalonia where the ffrench pretend to be very considerable the next Campagne. An other vessail being arrived from Rochell the master sayes that 4 or 5 dayes before he came from thence there arrived 3 Dutch vessails, who brough[t] thither the Governour and other ffrench that had been upon the Ill [Isle?] of Mad[a]gascar in the East Indies they haveing been driven from thence by the Dutch who sent them these 3 vessells to transport them home. The States Generall have returned formal answer to the memoriall that was lately presented to them by his Majestyes Ambassadr at the Hague, proposeing his Majestyes expedient in the matter of the passeports in which they at large sett downe the reasons why they must refuse it soe that now there is very little appearance of forming the Congress at Nimeguen this summer, unlesse the aime of the States in sending a man of War to Gottenburg to fetch over the said Swedish Ambassadrs have its effect, which is that the jealousie which they beleive ffrance will have to see the Ambadrs of Sweden and of all the confederates at Nimeguen and theirs onely excluded, will oblige that King to condescend to the point in question, and to give Lorraine the title of Duke that soe his Ambassadrs may likewise repaire to Nimeguen to observe the motions of the Swedes there. The 8 instant we have the fflandrs lettrs which left those countryes in great consternation for that the ffrench with 8 or 9000 men had passed the Schelde and fallen into the Country of Waes, which they had quite destroyed with fire and Sword to the losse of a Million Sterling to those poore inhabitants. The Prince of Montalto had a good body of horse endeavoured to oppose their passage, but had been repulsed; the Duke together with the Prince of Vaudemont and others haveing been wounded and severall persons of note killed. The Prince of Orange arrived the 2/12 instant at Rosandele The troops lay all quartered at large about him ready to march as soon as the season will permitt, some of his Regiments have been transported by water to joyne the Spanyards who are to endeavour to cutt of the retreat of the ffrench and Count Walder was come to Dendermond where the Duke de Villa Hermosa was to come to be ready at hand. The ffrench in Alsatia have failed in their designe to succour Phillipsburg They fou[n]d the Germans to be to strong for them and therefore gave its [sic] over, and retreated a party of 100 horse they sent out before haveing been cut of. The Marshall Crequi is marched with 10000 men from the neighborhood of Maestricht towards Alsatia. L. c. 311 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill ye 11th 1676 +Letters from Marselles of the 7th instant tell us that ye day before arrived there a Barke from Malta, ye Master Whereof reported that hee had left two English frigatts there in port who related that Sr John Narbrow being to ye Eastward of Tripoly met wth 4 Tripolines, wth whome hee & onely one other ship soe Warmely Engaged that he Killd them 600 men & pursued them into Tripoly, where being arrived the Governmt sent out to him to treat, & that he had Concluded an Honrble peace wth them, they haveing deliverd all ye English slaves &c: This is given Creditt to for that Sr John had dispatcht Convoys for Smyrna & Scanderoone in february according to our last advices from Malta abt ye last of that Moneth he left himselfe onely two men of Warr The Earle of Essex haveing taken his leave of his Maty at New Market is passing directly to his charge. +Our last letters from france told us yt it [is] much taken notice of at ye Courts That ye Elector of Bavaria had not sent some person of Quallity formally to acquaint that King wth ye Death of ye Electrice his lady shee being soe neare a relation to ye King--wch is lookt on as an argumt that that Elector is Withdrawing himselfe from ye french interests Wee heare ye States have received letters from Leift Admll Ruyter dated ye 9th past neare ye faro of Messina giveing an account that he had wth him 50 saile of ships who Were all in a Very good posture, that the french fleet uppon his approach was retired out of ye faro into ye Bay or Port of Messina, & that ye Jealousies between ye french & messineses Encreased dayly ffrom Amsterdam they Write that 12 of ye 15 men of Warr designed for ye Baltick Were ready to saile, & that ye other three would be ready speedily, In Holland they seeme still of an Opinion that the french will suddenly quitt Limburgh Maestrickt, & some other places, wch a litle tyme will shew. L. c. 312 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill the 14th 1676 The news we received by the last fflandrs post hath a little surprized us, for we did not yet certainly know that the ffrench King was parted from Paris, when they tell us of his arrivall in fflandrs, and his being ready to put himselfe in the head of an Army of 45000 men, according to the report of the more Moderate, others speake of 60000 men, against this great force no body can make an opposition but the Prince of Orange, who its true has a very good Army, but no body is soe partiall as to think it not inferior to the ffrench, as well in respect of the officers as the soldiers, and its hardly beleived the Prince will hazard a battle; unlesse some pressing occasion urge him to it, upon the successe of which soe much depends. The businesse of Waes has quite cast downe the ffleming [?] not only the ordinary people who are the greater loosers by it, but the officers and Principall persons, which latter turne all the blame upon the Prince of Orange, for that he did not send the Regiments he promised to be quartered in the Spanish townes, till such time as the Army was in the feild, when they might have been drawne out againe to reinforce it. And some doe not stick to say publickly at the Court of Brussells that his Highnesse designes only to ruine the Spanish Netherlands, which will certainly beget jealousies and disagreements between his Highnesse and the Spanish governour and what then can be expected. Certaine its that this ill beginning & the brisckness wth which the ffrench manage their buisnesse gives the contrary part a great discouragemt in fflanders. But ye treasons of the late Chancellour Gristonsell are of greater weight then was at first discovered, that its found a great many persons of quality are concerned with him and the letters adde that these matters will retard the Campagne on ye part of the Danes. The Swedes have lately received a halfe yeares subsidie from the ffrench which came very seasonable for they are there in great want of money, & by that meanes their affayres are in a very ill posture as well at home as abroad. +We expect our next letters will tell us that Stade is actually beseiged, the Governour has made all the provision he could, but yet farr from what may be sufficient to maintaine the place, and what is as badd as the rest that the greatest Garrison are Germans, who when they come to be smartly attacqued will in all probability yeild to the Emperours mandates which upon paine of death can call them from the Swedes service. From Germany they write as if there had beene some misunderstanding between the Marshall de Rochfort and the Duke of Saxonburge in theire late march to releive Philipsburg but no great credit is to be given thereunto. His Majesty leaves New Market to Morrow morning and goes to Newhall, from whence its said his Majesty will he here on Saturday. We heare now that the Articles concluded by Sr John Narborrough with Tripoli which are very honorable but the cheife are to sett att liberty all the English captives without ransome and besides to pay his Majesty 80000 Dollars for past in paynes. The ffrench lettrs of the 18th tell us that Madam Brinvilliers the famous prisoner is at Rocroy [?] in her way to Paris undr the guard of 100 men She once runne her head agt the glasse of the Coach broke it & with the peices of it endeavoured to cut her throat, She would starve herselfe but they force Panade and broth into her by little engines to open her teeth. They say she poysoned Monsr de Lyonne at a dinner with 7 more eminent prsons who all dyed on[e] after another in a short time She did the like to Monsr Perefin Arch Bp of Paris and diverse others of great quality She never failed to rid the man of the wife he complained of nor the woman of her husband or indeed any one that stood in way of him that would give her reward, till growing noted she was forced to fly and dareing to trust nobody she was found at Leige doeing the work of an ordinary servant a condition she thought might conceale her, but it pleased God she was there discovered and is goeing to Paris to be made Example to posterity. L. c. 313 Aprill the 17th 1676 +The Articles concluded by Sr John Narborrough with Tripoli on the 5 of March last past, are all of them infinitely to the honor of his Majesty and to the advantage of the Nation in its trade and Commerce. It would be to tedious to give you an account of them as they concerne the lattr. I shall onely tell you one or two of the Principall Articles By which it is agreed that none of the ships of Tripoli shall be permitted to cruise in sight or near Tangier not to give that place any disturbance. That when any English men of War arrive at Tripoli, they shall in respect of his Majesty first salute her with 21 p[iece]s of Canon, And lastly the Dey, the Bassaw and other Governours of Tripoli, doe accknowledge that the late breach was occasioned by the injuries done by their people to the English, and declare their sorrow for the same, adding that the offendrs have been some banished and that the others are fled, and in satisfaction for the said injuries they agree to sett at liberty all the English Captives, and all other persons taken undr English Collars [sic] without ransome and further to pay his Majesty 80000 Dollars, to be forth with paid in money goods or slaves. And finally doe engage themselves that in case these present articles shall be broken on their part soe that a new war follows thereupon, not onely to make reparations for the injuries done by them or their people, but to make good the charges and damages done by such a warre. The lettrs we had yesterday from Holland bring us advice of the death of the Empresse and of the likely hood there was that the Emperor would for consideration of State very quickly marry againe to the daughter of the Elector of Bavaria (who was all along designed for the Dolphin of ffrance) or else to the daughter of the Duke of Newburg, but rather the lattr, the other being some what to young. The Dutch lettrs add that the Prince of Orange was on his march from Rosendell towards Malines, being much concerned for what happened in the Countrey of Waes, though the ill conduct of the Spanyards, who when his High: (about a month since [)] offered them some men to secure that country they answered they had noe need of them, and that they would take sufficient care of it. It is said Mr Hice [?] master of the Robes is to goe to Poland to Christen in the name of his Majesty a little princesse, to whom that King has desired his Majesty to be Godfather. In his way he will call at Bavaria and the Emperors Court to performe his Compliment of Condoleance. We have just now our lettrs from fflandrs they tell us that they had the confirmation of Condes being beseiged that the ffrench had raised batteries and intended to assaulted [sic] it as on Tursday [sic] last, the Prince of Orange arrived on Sunday last at Lemps [?] 3 leagues from Brussells where the Duke de Villa Hermosa went to vissit him. that on thursday night last the Prince and his whole Army being come up would passe the Canal or River between Antwerp and Brussells on the fflandrs side towards Mons, and towards Conde being resolved to fight the ffrench or raise the seige. His Majesty is arrived from Newmarkett. L. c. 314 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill the 18th 1676 +Last night arived our flanders letters wch give us an account that ye french had attacquet Conde very furiously haveing before it 30000 men ye King haveing his quarters at Marimont wch is not far from thence, That on ye other side the Prince of Orange marcht but slowly to its releife, & that it was said hee was even Resolvd not to hazard a Batle wth ye french to raise that seige, Especially considering how strongly ye french had Entrenched themselves, & that ye situation of Conde is such, Environ'd wth woods & narrow passages , that it would be Very Difficult for an army to approach it when an Enimy lay before it However that ye Prince of Orange intended to march toward Mons to secure that place & Vallencienes, that accordingly the Prince had passt ye Canall that goes from Brussells to Antwerp, & had taken his quarters at Grimburg, The army continueing there all Wednsday & Thursday, his Highs makeing in ye meane tyme a turne to Brussells to vissit ye Duke de Villa Hermosa, On fryday ye army decampt from Grimburg & marcht to Galsbeck about 2 Leagues from Brussells on ye other side of it; in three or 4 dayes the Duke de Villa=Hermosa will likewise take ye feild wth his troups, wch for ye present not being considerable enough to make a body a part, would joyne wth ye Prince of Orange. The french have set ye Duke of Newburghs country of Juliers under Contribution, because of his haveing entred into ye interest of ye Empr & his allyes. Wee are told of a great change that has bene of ye ministers in ye Court of Bavaria, that ye Lord Chamberlaine who was a savoyard, & a great favourite of ye Electress deceast, had bene removed, & that ye secretary Pignatelle, a man alwayes inclined to ye french party, had bene in prison The generall Rendezvous of ye Imperiall army is appoynted to be ye 20 of this moneth at Hailbrun, from whence it will march directly toward Phillipsburg, a Bridge in ye meane tyme being prepareing to be laid Over ye Rhyne near Spire, where it was ye last yeare. Some letters say that after all Montecuculy will come downe & Command ye Imperiall army The last Weeke arived two vessells from New England, & as Wee are told, brought advice, that notwithstanding ye severall successes of ye English, the Indians continued to give them great disturbances to ye great interuption of trade, & tis added that in Virginia the Indians began alsoe to be disOrderly a party haveing burnt one or 2 plantations neare James River, & Kild & Carryed away severall English +Wee have just now certaine news that ye french have bene repulset in two assaults they made uppon Conde wth great losse, & that ye Prince of Orange marches wth a positive Resolution to releive it or fight L. c. 315 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill the 22d 1676. We are now in great expectation to hear of some great action in fflandrs for according to our last advices from Brussells, the Prince was marched towards Conde with a firme resolution to releive it, haveing of his owne troops 20000 foot and 7000 horse, besides those of the Spanyards would joyne with him, and by Tuesday last he purposed to be soe near Conde as to obleige the ffrench to draw of from the seige who doe not beleive they are above 30000 fighting men but they have more Cavalry then the Dutch, wch will stand them in great stead in case of a batle, which the Prince of Orange seems soe much inclined to. ffrom the ffrench side they write, that if the place hold out till monday, the Governour would have behaved himselfe very well, soe that its like to come upon a day. It is certaine that what the Prince doe he cannot doe quickly, for his soldiers have onely with them provisions for 5 dayes and when those are spent they are to seeke for more, unlesse they come back to Brussells for the Countrey about Mons is not able to supply them, and besides that which pleaseth the Prince of Orange is to see the Army at his owne Command without haveing any partner with him in it, which has hitherto very much hindered the publick good. The Confederates doe now not doubt but that in a short time they shall bring the Elector of Bavaria into their party which if they doe, ffrance will not have one freind in the Empire. The Duke of Mecklenburg a Prince of the Empire, haveing been some time in ffrance has sent a Gentleman over to desire his Majestys leave to come and render his Majesty his respect his Majesty has returned the Compliment, and given ordrs for A Yatch to fetch him over from Calais. Monsr Courtin is now suddenly expected here in quality of Ambassadr extraordinary from ffrance. It seems the Lord Mayor of London has committed to Newgate severall Preachers for holding Conventicles contrary to the lawes and his Majestys pleasure in this mattr ffrom Sicily those of the Spanish party continue to write that the jealousies between the ffrench and the Messinesses are growne to that hight that either the ffrench must keep them under by a high hand, or else the others will cutt their throats, for though some of the Principall Cittizens, who have been concerned in this Rebellion side with the ffrench, yet the Common people are most averse to them.