L. c. 519 Hague 27 August l677 +I have at length got sight of ye Ltr written by ye P of Orange to ye Deputies for secret affaires giving ye reasons of his raising ye seige of Charleroy; hee says yt ye enemie having (wch was ye fault of ye D de villa Hermosa who was [to?] cover the Seige) posted himselfe very advantageously neare their Camp soe yt they might hinder theire horse from forraging & very much incomode theire Convoyes wch came from Brussells, it was unanimously resolved yt ye Seige could not bee continued after wch it was debated whether they should attacke ye Enemy in theire Camp some were for doing it by all meanes though wthout hearing ye difficulties yt hindred it, for ye Enemies Camp by reason of woods & Rivuletts yt environed it was unaccessible but in one place & there ye passage was soe narrow yt 2 squadrons could hardly march in ffront wherefore ye hazzard being soe great & ye hopes of successe soe impbable his High: thought it better to suffer something in point of reputacon then to endanger ye Army of ye States, wch in case of defeate must have all p[er]ished there being noe roome for a retreat. The States are very well satisfied wth these reasons & have ordered his High: theire thanks Hague 31 Aug: +Wee expect his High: very suddenly, he is very much displeased as to ye Spaniards who are still waiting on theire pt & then lay ye envie of it upon ye P, whome it is certaine they have little kindnes for & endeavour to engage him in occassions wch may ruine him & his Army, The King of Danemarke has quitted his prtensions on Bremen in leiu of 100000 men wch ye Princes of Lunenburg are to asist him with The King of Danemarke has sent his Cavalry to ioyne Guldenleiu who will beseige Gottenberg. Stetin makes a good defense. Paris 1 September. +The D of Luxenburg wee heare has put most of his Infantry into Garrison having sent 4000 men to raise contribution in ye Country of Waes; The P of Orange is come to Mauberge where he found good store of fforrage & provisions wch is sent to Mons & has sent a great detachmt towards Guise in Picardie to raise contribucon & ye D of Luxenburg has sent a detachmt after them I have letrs from Metz of ye 29th past wch say yt ye Impiall Army had passed ye Moselle about 6 leagues below Thionville & marched towards Alsace, ye D of Lorraine being gone post to Vienna M de Crequi followed them & to facilitate his March divided his Army into 3 bodies. The King has already raised ye moneys to bee given out for ye making of recruits wch are to bee compleat by ye first of January. Brussells 31 August Yesterday ye P of Orange & his Excie continued encamped at Estherue [?] neare Binch wth out any appause of action, his High sent out 2500 horse wth whom went ye D of Albemarle & ye Earles of Ossory & Plymouth to attack 2000 ffrench yt were at Bovay but they came too late. The 25 instant ye M de Humieress came wth 10000 men to Ninove from whome M Chamilly marched into ye Country of Waes to raise contributions wch they exacted from ye Suburbs of Ghauent. upon this Allarme 9000 Spanish horse arrived hither yesterday but came too late. The D of Luxenberg having passed di [?] Conde came againe wth his Army into fflanders & encamped last night at Gaure neare Audenarde wth intention to pass ye Schelde as this day & to qrter his Army between yt River & ye Lis. He has sent a great detachmt towards ye M de Ossora who is wth a small Army neare Dyxmuyde. Our last Ltrs from ye Impiall Army of ye 27 wch was then going to pass ye Moselle. Bruges 1. Sept The M de Ossora who has been wth a flying body neare Dyxmuyde & has raised in ye ffrench territories 100000 Crown in money decamped ye 30th past & marched towards Ghaunt. L. c. 520 [Handwriting changes here.] [See date below.] Mr. Johnson I lately sent a Gazett by one of your servants, wch was Omitted to be sent in its Course, wch Robins assures me was ye same you mean, & that noe other is wanting last nights post brought me onlye an account that two Duch, two flanders, & one french packet were wanting soe that there is noe forreigne news & as little English. Sr Isaack Gibbon will Certainly be at my Greene to morrow when I shall not faile to acquaint wth what you write in ye meane tyme let your Mr know I begg his Excuse that I can send him noe news by this, who am his Worpps humble / servt, & yo[u]r Aug 27 / 1677 Ra Hope. L. c. 521 Whitehall. 3 Sept. Hamburgh 31 August 1677 + Wee have advice from Danemarke yt ye King having sent his Cavalry by land to ioyne ye Sieur Guildenlieu wth orders to ruine all ye Country in theire march yt ye Swedes might not bee able to follow them had embarked his Infantry on vessels prepared for yt purpose at Landscroon & was sailed wth them in pson towards Gottenburg where he would meet ye Sieur Guildenlieu in order to ye beseiging yt city, Wee have nothing new from Stetin. Brussells 3 September l677 The P of Orange is encamped with his army at Maebeuge & ye other confederates under ye command of ye D de ville Hermosa between Binch & Mons. Its thought ye P will endeavour to doe something sepately, pt of ye Pioniers & waggons wch were sumoned in [?] are appointed to bee ye 5 instant at Lovain with wt designe wee know not unless it bee to fortifie yt & other places where they intend to fix winter qrters. The ffrench have laid ye city of Tongres in ashes having neither spared Churches nor Religious houses, And from Luxemburg they write yt ye Inhabitants of yt pvince are reduced to soe great misery yt multitudes must needs starve this winter The D of Luxemburg lies between ye Shelde & ye Lis having sent out servall detachmts to observe ye mocons of our Armyes. ffrom Cadiz we have Lres of ye 1st past wch say yt ye P of Portugall had sent 7 men of warre wch wth 3 Spanish sailed from Cadiz towards Oran to releive yt places beseiged by ye Moores. Hague 7 Sept. Stetin continues to make a stout defense ye Burghers doing Service on all occasions as well as ye soldiers The Beseigers hope that when theire great Battery is finished on wch will be planted above 40 peices of Cannon they shall force ye Inhabitants to a surrender or else batter ye towne about theire eares. In Alsace there has passed some skirmishes between ye ffrench & ye Germans & theire Cannon were exercised very briskly on both sides. The ffrench attacked a fort wch ye Imperialist had raised before theire Camp & tooke it but soone after were forced to leave it againe not being able to endure ye Impialists Cannon wch played upon them. When these Lres came away ye 2 bodyes continued very neare each other, the Germans being forced to change theire grounde for yt ye ffrench through ye advantage of a hill did very much annoy theire Camp with their Cannon. Its sd ye ffrench were resolved to attacke them in good earnest & to force them to repass ye Rhyne ffrom Nuremburg they write yt ye 24 past the Elector of Bavaria mustered 12000 men at Nieumarke. L. c. 522 Brussells 7 September 1677 +The P of Orange having sent to ye D de Villa Hermosa to invite him to enter upon some action considering ye fairnes of the weather; yesterday his Exie wth ye Confederate troops repassed ye Sambre at La Bussiere between Maubeuge & Charleroy & ioyned ye P of Orange againe who is marched this day towards ye Country of Leige theire designs being to beseige Dinent upon ye Meuse wch is above Maestricht to wch purpose Cannon & ye Pioniers will bee drawn from Namur, The D of Luxemburg continues between ye Schelde & ye Lis, wee shall see wt hee will doo upon this motion of our Armyes. The P of Oranges Cannons continue in ye vessells at Antwerp expecting further orders. Two days since arrived ye Spanish Ordry & brought Bills of Exchange for 600000 Crowns to bee employed for carrying on ye seige of Charleroy. Copenhagen. 31 August +As I told you in my last ye Danish Cavalry consisting in about 600 men is returned to Landscroon having lost as is said 7 or 800 men, The Swedes Army will as wee are informed approach towards Landscroon soe yt ye Danes will bee forced to fight or to quit Schonen, yt is to say their horse for theire foot is already in Garrison. The Danes ffoot lyes still before Colmar but cannot affect theire designe wch is to burne 8 or 9 Swedes men of war yt lye there. Paris 11 Sept. +According to our last advice from fflanders ye P of Orange was at Maubeuge & had caused 2 bridges to be laid over ye Sambre. The 3 instant ye Imperiall Army was at Vaudre faige between ye Saar & ye Moselle wt theire designe is wee cannot penetrate into. The M de Crequi keeps neare them. Whitehall 4 Sept. +The E of Essex arrived here last night from Ireland having delivered ye Govermt of yt Kingdome into ye hands of ye D of Ormond. L. c. 523 Brussells 10 Sept: 1677 +In my last I told you yt ye D de Villa Hermosa had repassed ye Sambre & was ioyned wth ye P of Orange in order to ye undertaking some action, wee cannot yet certainly tell wt it may be though ye Armies still continue neare Maubeuge while ye prpation is makeing for Pioniers & other things necessary, but in ye meane time we are held in ye greatest consternation possible at ye approach of ye Enemy for ye D of Luxemburg takeing ye advantage of ye distance of our Armyes came last night to Alost wth a body of 12 or 14000 men & this day advanced to our Canal after having made himselfe master of ye fort called ye 7 holes wee know not wt hee will doo next some say hee will pass towards Malines & ruine all ye Country others say hee will fortifie Alost & put a strong garrison into it this winter wch would in a manner block up this city & cut off our Comunication wth Ghaunt & those places, At ye same time ye Marshall de Humieres is wth another body in fflanders & as it is beleived will attempt something on yt side. +ffrom Luxemburg they write yt ye Imperiall Army marches towards Sarbrucke having suffered extreamly in its march & lost a great many horses Marshall de Crequi advances wth all diligence towards Alsace. Hague 10 Sept. +The Confederate ministers here continue to make great Complts agst his High: & this State who they say have been unfaithfull to theire cause but ye ministers here retort ye blaim upon ye Spaniards & conclude yt nothing but a peace is able to deliver them out of ye ill condition theire affairs are in, for ye longer ye warre lasts things still growe worse. +ffrom Hamburg wee have an acct yt if ye ill weather continues ye beseigers at Stetin will pass theire time very ill they having been already forced to quit theire attacks on ye side of ye Lastody wch is a marshie ground. The States having advice if ye King of Poland had an intention to send 5 or 6000 men to ye assistance of ye Swedes agst ye Elector of Brandenburg have writt a Lre to diswade him from it for yt may engage a quarrel with his Matie in favour of ye Elector theire Allie Paris 11 Sept. +There is news in towne yt ye Sieur de Monclar in Alsace has made himselfe master of ye D of Saxe Eysenachs bridge & yt hee had very much straitned ye Germans in theire Camp. It is thought yt ye D of Lorraine aswell as ye M de Crequi will bee suddenly in those pts. Wee have nothing of [sic] L. c. 524 Whitehall 11 Sept 1677 +The Lrs wee had on Sunday from ffrance spoke of considerable prpations yt had been made by ye Marshall de Humieres had been sent for & all other things for attacking of a place pvided but yt after all ye reall intention of them was only to divert ye Confederates from ye designes they might have formed, ye Ltrs adde yt a fond was already pvided for ye raising of between 20 & 30000 men agst spring to recruit & reinforce ye Kings Army. +ffrom fflanders we have an acct of a manifest come abroad there in ye name of ye D de Villa Hermosa (though its disowned by him) wch is a most venomous & malitious invective or Libell agst ye P of Orange whome it may accuse of having betrayed ye common cause & in very insolent & undecent exprssions charges ye whole ill success of this Campaigne upon his High: Wee must expect to see how his High: will resent it for although ye Spanish Governour disownes it yet it is noe more then wt ye Spanish ministers have sd in most of ye Courts of Christiandome soe yt this manifest may well be lookt upon to come from them. Wee have iust now a fflanders post. Brussell 17 Sept. +The D of Luxemburg having quitted our Neighbour hood marched toward Ghaunt neare wch place he passed to ye Schelde & entred into ye Country of Waes where having lived 2 dayes at discretion hee repassed ye River againe carrying away wth him a great number of horses & cattle & marched towards Courtray. +Our Army continues at Soignees & Branville [?] Comte & will remaine there some dayes longer, a great Convoy being gone from hence to them wth bread for 6 dayes & wth 50000 wtt of powder & ye like quantity of Match wch is to bee sent from ye Camp to Mons. The last news wee have from ye Imperiall Army is yt on ye 9 instant it passed ye Saar at Sarbruck & it was beleived they would goe directly into theire winter qrters wch they would take on this side ye Rhyne theire head qrters being intended at Wormes. That in ye meane time ye D of Lorraine intended to possess himselfe of all ye Castles & strong holds wch ye french have yt upon ye Saar & for yt purpose has sent for sevrall peices of Canon for battery to Phillipsburgh. +The M de Crequi according to our last advice was neare Marsall in Lorraine. L. c. 525 Whitehall 13 Sept l677 +I have seen a Ltr from a principall officer in ye ffrench Army under ye Command of Crequi wch speaks as followeth: +The Impiall Army marches towards ye lower Alsace & has been forced to take a way wch they will finde very difficult & ruinous to theire Army wch wee beleive will pass ye Rhyne at Strasburg or Phillipsburg, Our army marches towards ye upp [?] Alsace by ye way of Saverne & I am almost of opinion wee shall likewise pass ye Rhyne to disquiet ye Impialists ye more in ye matter of winter qrters, wch is otherwise like to give them trouble sufficient; things are very much changed since ye Impialists were in ffrance at Mouzon for wee now are following them & besides ye D of Saxe Eysenach has been forced to repass ye Rhyne. Our army is in a very good condition. +There is a great discourse every where yt a peace will bee concluded this winter though in ye meane time wee cannot heare yt any pgress is made towards it at ye assembly at Nimeghen, & ye Impialists & Spaniards are soe to have declared klin theire discourse yt they cannot thinke of a peace whilest ffrance is in soe much success but ye Dutch doe all they can to dispose them thereunto as having a prspect that very good conditions may bee obtained of ffrance. 2 or 3 Months more will give us a great light into these matters. +Yesterday his Matie went to Windsor wth intention to stay there till Saturday. +Wee have this after noone ye Dutch Lrs of ffryday last they tell us yt ye P of Orange was expected at ye Hague about ye beginning of ye next Month theire stile. +That they had advice from Hamburg yt ye King of Danemarke embarked ye 1/11 instant to goe on his intended expedicon. That ye Danish fleet was returned into ye Soundt not having been able to attempt anything upon ye Swedish ships yt lay at Colmar, but they landed some men & ravaged ye Country. Admirall Juell is to cruise wth a squadron in ye Baltick, & Admirall Tromp wth ye rest of ye fleet attends ye King. +That ye 8 instant ye beseigers at Stetin began to fire upon ye towne wth 110 peices of Canon & 25 Mortars wch had done great Execution, but ye pticulars they know not. +The Lrs from ye Camp are dated ye 10th when ye Inhabitants psisted in theire resolucon. L. c. 526 Brussells 14 September 1677 +What I told you in my last of ye ffrench having cut ye Canall & taken ye fort called ye 3 holes proves a mistake. On Sunday morning ye D of Luxemburg after having made 2 Attacks upon ye ffort in both wch hee was repulsed, & wth out any other success besides blowing up ye stone bridge wch was ye passage over ye Canall by ye ffort wch was commanded by one Carpenter an Englishman who behaved himselfe very well they retired carrying off theire dead but ye number or of wt quality wee know not only 5 they left at ye Palisades of ye ffort; yesterday they passed ye Dender & are now between Alost & Audonard, upon this news our Armies decamped on Sunday morning & marched neare Roells & last night his High: encamped at Soignees & his Excie at Brain le Comte where they will stay some dayes having sent a great Convoy hither for prvisions. Wee are told from Lesle yt many Cannon & Granadoes have been embarked there ye 12 instant yt many Pioniers & Waggons are gone to Courtray upon wt design wee know not but ye discourse is they march towards Dyarmuyde or Ipres neare wch former place ye Baron de Quincy still continues wth out having done any thing more then ruine ye Country. Hamburg 10 Sept. +The Lrs wee receive from Copenhagen give us an acct yt ye King of Danemarke is drawing his forces out of Schonen having strong Garrisons in Christianstadt & Landscroone wch former towne is beseiged by ye Swedes. +Stetin makes stout defence, ye Burghers who are 100 [a digit or two may be missing here] being as daring as ye soldiers who are but 1700. +The beseigers have finished theire Batteries on wch they have planted 250 peices of Canon & Mortars wch they hope will oblige them to a surrender. Paris 14 Sept. +Our Lrs from Germany tell us yt ye Impiall Army was marched by Sarbrucke yt Crequi followed them & hoped to bee in Alsace before them when ye ffrench had forced them to repass ye Rhyn & to abandon theire bridge wch they had brought to Brisac. In fflanders ye Marshall de Humieres has summoned in a great many Pioniers & made other prparations as if they intended some action L. c. 527 Spire 18 Sept. 1677 +The 15 instant the D of Lorraine & ye D of Saxe Lawenburg passed wth ye Impiall Cavalry by Deux Ponts taking theire way towards Landau ye Margraef of Baden marching at ye same time wth ye Infantry & ye Artillery towards Keyses lautern where they arrived ye 16 & continued yesterday This day its beleived they will march towards Landaue to ioyne ye Cavalry The Impialists prtend to have theire winter qrters on this side ye Rhyne. Strasburg 17 Sept. +The ffrench Army is come since ye 14 instant by ye way of Saverne & Lutzelstein into Alsace being divided into 3 bodies who reioyned ye 15 at Ingweiler from whence ye whole army marched yesterday & came to Wegessheim wch is 3 leagues from hence wch has put us in great alarme here, to morrow ye Sieur de Monclar will ioyne ye M de Crequi & then wee shall see wt they will doe The Impiall army is come into ye Palatinate theire Infantry is at Keyserslauterne & theire Cavalry at Landaue Copenhagen 18 Sept +This day we have accont of a battle fought ye 28 past neare Odenwaldt in Norway between ye Danes & ye Swedes ye former commanded by Guildelieu & ye latter who were about 10000 strong by ye Chancellour of Sweden yt ye Danes obtaind ye victory most of ye Swedes infantry having been cut in peices. As far as wee can learne 1400 men were slaine upon ye place, besides many officers & 600 taken prisoners wth 10 Collrs 8 Standards 11 Brass & 2 Iron Canons & all ye Enemies baggage amongst wch was ye Chancellours owne Coach who narrowly escaped himselfe Hamburg 21 Sept. +The Danish fleet has been seen off ye Isle of Rugen & some say have already made a descent Count Conningsmarke is there in pson wth wt troops hee can draw together soe yt there may bee brisk doings. +Since my last ye beseigers at Stetin have made sevrall brisk sallyes & though ye towne lyes in ashes they continue as obstinate as ever & its sd they have arrested theire Govnor because they suspected him inclined to a treaty On ye other side ye Elector of Brandenburg has (as is sd) pmised his soldiers 3 dayes to plunder when ye towne is taken. L. c. 528 Whitehall 20 Sept 1677 +Yesterday morning earely his Matye went downe to Chatham to see a new Yatch launched and returned againe this Evening. +It seemes ye Prince of Orange is comeing over hither & wee are told that the Yatchs & men of war yt are to bring him over are already ordered to attend his High: at ye Briell whoe its thought may bee here in 10 or 11 dayes & because his Matie will bee about yt time at Newmarket whither hee goes on Monday next its beleived his Highness will land at Warwick & pass from thence in his Matys Coaches to Newmarkett. +The onely news ye ffrench Lrs brought yesterday was yt ye Mareshall de Crequy had passed the Rhyne above Strasburg & some say that hee will attacke Offenburg & other places on that side & make them winter qtrs in wch hee will meet with little disturbance the Imperiall Army being in ye Lower Palatinate And as is said in a very ill condition though wee are told that some fresh Regiments are on theire march to reinforce it. +Capt Booth & 5 others are condemned for Killing ye Man at Yarmouth & ye 27th is appointed ye day for ye Capts Execucon +Tis confidently reported that Dr Lucy Bp of St Davids is lately dead wch if soe that See will bee supplyed by Dr Thomas Deane of Worcester. L. c. 529 Brussells 21 September 1677 +Our Armies continue at Soignees & Brain le Comte wthout any appearance of moving as long as ye forrage lasts wch they say will bee about 7 or 8 days; some of ye P of Oranges forragers plundred ye other day Cambron Abbey not withstanding there was a safeguard thereto secured ye place on wch occasion 40 or 50 were killed or wounded. This morning a great Convoy is gone from hence to ye army wth bread for 6 dayes when wch is spent they will its beleived thinke of going into theire winter qrters & yt ye P of Orange will begin his iourney for Holland leaving ye remaines of his Army to Count Waldeck. The D of Luxemburg continues about Audenarde where ye troops of ye M de Humieres has ioyned him having countermanded ye Pioniers & waggons hee had sent for & wee suppose ye enemy will onely keep the field till they see our troops sepate. +The Lrs wee receive from Alsace give us an acct yt ye D of Saxe Eysenach has been forced to repass ye Rhyne having suffered some loss. Wee have nothing fresh from ye Impiall army. Hamburg 17 Sept +Stetin holds out still most resolutely notwthstanding ye great Execucon by ye Canon of ye beseigers. The Burghers have removed themselves & ye goods out of their houses into Caverns & lodge under ye walls. +ffoure of ye greatest Mortar peices belonging to the Elector of Brandenburgh burst ye other daye & did much harm: Copenhagen 4 Sept. +On Saturday last ye King & his brother P. George went on ship board & yesterday they sett saile for ye East sea attended wth 9 men of war & above 60 other vessells, theire designs being upon ye Isle of Rugen. Naples 31 August +Some dayes since wee had notice yt ye french fleet sailed from Messina consisting in 23 men of war & 21 Gallies & since wee have a report yt they have beseiged Melazzo by sea & by land wth pt of theire forces & Catanea wth ye rest. By my next I may bee able to give you ye certainty. L. c. 530 Whitehall 22 Sept 1677 +Wee had yesterday a fflanders post wch ought to have come in on teusday last & by it an acct yt ye Confederate armies continued in ye same Posts as formly. That ye P. of Orange intended to leave ye Army on Saturday last & to be at ye Hague as on Teusday & yt ye D de Villa Hermosa was likewise expected in few dayes at Brussells however yt ye troops would not Sepate soe long as ye french continue in ye field. That ye D of Luxemburg lay wth his army at Guare between Ghaunt & Audenarde. ffrom Germany they write yt ye french Army had got much ye start of ye Impialists & yt ye Marshall de Crequi had soe besett all ye passages yt lead into Alsace yt ye D of Lorraine would not bee able to advance yt way whose army besides is sd to bee in a very ill posture & yt a great number of theire Cavalry have left theire horses soe yt after all ye Impialists contrary to theire resolucon will be forced to pass ye Rhyne & to seeke winter qrtrs on ye other side. +Our Italian Lrs come in this after noone say yt ye french had feigned an attempt upon Melazzo but soone retreated and made for Catanea wch they have beseiged by sea & land & tis beleived will take it having little less then 100 saile of men of war Barkes & Gallyes & 1300 foot & 1500 horse Before it. +from Paris they write yt ye M de Crequi having passed ye Rhyne marched towards Offenburg wch place hee would attacke in order to ye putting his Army into winter qrtrs in Brisgow. +Just at ye coming away of these Lrs there was news at Paris yt ye M de Crequi had beaten ye Duke of Saxe. The pticulars not sd. +The ffrancis a small ffrigot of about 10 Guns cruising upon ye Coasts of ffrance met an Ostend man of about 20 guns wth a prize to whome when ye Capt called to strike to his Maties flag hee bid ye Capt strike to ye King of Spaine for wch contempt ye Capt gave him a gun & was answered wth one & then gave him a broad side & was answered ye Same againe but though ye Capt did wt he[e] could being of unequall strength hee could not hinder but yt ye Ostender got off wth his prize ye Capt had none killed but his Boatswaine & some other wounded. L. c. 531 Whitehall 25 Sept.1677 +Wee have our fflanders Lrs of this Day Sevennight wch being old bring little News. The armies in fflanders continued in ye same Posts as formly, As well ye ffrench as ye Confederates & ye P of Orange was gone for Holland from whence hee would make a step for England as was said for 2 or 3 weekes onely. Wee have fresher news from Germany already then these Lrs bring. The acct ye ffrench Ambr gives of the Rencounter wth ye D of Eyesenach is yt ye Sieur Monclar coming upon his Army on one side & ye M de Crequi on ye other they could not soe disengage themselves but yt 7 or 800 of theire horse were cut off The D was himselfe at Strasburg when this happened & sent to Crequy to desire a pass to goe to his Army wch was granted him though the french rally ye D for it. The french say yt ye Impiall Army will bee hard put to it to finde winter qrters & yt ye M Crequis passing ye Rhyne astonishes all those pts. wee cannot yet penetrate upon what designe ye Count d'Estrees who is ready to sayle from Brest wth 14 men of warr is going though in all pbability it is for ye Indies. +ffrom dover they write yt ye Master of the fflanders Packett Boat wch arrived there yesterday reported yt M d'Humieres was come wth 15000 men between Ghent & Bruges & had burnt & destroyed 15 villages not sparing the Churches & yt hee was marching towards Dixmuyde wch place its thought he would attacke. L. c. 532 Whitehall 27 Sept 1677 +Our ffrench & fflanders Lres coming in yesterday you will finde all ye publique news in ye Gazette and among ye rest ye pticulars of ye action between ye ffrench & ye D of Saxe Eysenach who it seems was surprised by ye M de Crequis so sudden passing ye Rhyne wth pt of his Vanguard onely & had hee not been happily advertised by some Country people of ye Enemies motions hee would inevitably have been cut in peices between Crequi & Monclar but hee escaped by getting under ye ptection of ye city of Strasburg who to save his troops gave him passage over theire bridge but at ye same time being unwilling to offend a victorious Army they sent out deputies to ye M de Crequi to offer him yt if he would pmitt ye sd troops to march quietly to a place called Rathstadt in ye Marquisate of Baden they would not suffer them to pass into Alsace to ioyne ye D of Lorraine who was advanced to Haguenaw as ye intention of ye D of Saxe was, depriving him by yt meanes of soe considerable a reinforcemt for the Duke of Saxe had about 5000 men, wch Crequi consented to & because of ye Extraordinarines of it I give you a Copy of ye Pass. +ffrancois Sire de Crequi Marshall of ffrance & Genll of his Maties Armyes in fflanders, upon ye instances made to us on ye pt of ye Magistrates of Strasburg in favour of ye German troops wch have put themselves into one of ye Isles of ye sd city yt wee would suffer them to retire by securely to Rathstadt wee enclining to theire request & being willing to treat them favourably have sent some of our Guards to conduct ye sd troops securely to Rathstadt comanding all ye troops wch are under our command to suffer them to pass freely to Rathstadt aforesd wth out any molestatacon, the said Magistrates being security for ye safe returne of our sd Guards. Given in our Camp at Wirtemwicke 24 Sept 1677 Signed / The Marshall de Crequi The Sieur de Monclar is come againe wth his troops on this side ye Rhyne to observe the D of Lorraine, ye P of Orange has been recd wth a great Demonstration of affection from ye people in his return from the Army, and especially at the Hague as if he came from gaining a great Victory. His Highness leaves 30 Regimts in Flanders where they will winter; and 10 Battalions are to be put into Mons, wch by that meanes and the other Provisions they have made there, will bee in a condition to defend it self if attackt this next Spring. L. c. 533 White hall 29 Sept 1677 +On ye 26 ye Officers of his Maties household appointed to attend ye P of Orange went aboard ye ships & ye yatchs appointed for his Exportacon. [Upper left margin near paragraph above has this note in another hand:] for Mar: 25.74. v. Ich. Dranc- [?] titled my stock at Ich. according to ye acct my Sheaphd. gave. +A new Commission is granted to his High. P. Rupert ye Ld high Chancellour, Ld Treasurer, Ld Privy Seale, D of Monmouth, D of Lauderdale, D of Ormond, Earle of Ossory, Ld Chamberlaine of ye household, ye 2 Principall Secretaries of State, ye Chancellour of ye Exchequer, ye Master of ye Ordinance & Edward Seymour Esqr or any 3 or more of them to exercise ye office of Ld high Admirall wth all powers Authoritys &c +In ye after noone ye Maria yatch wch was launched at his Maties late being at Chatham to his very great satisfaccon set saile thence being one appointed to attend on ye P of Orange, they are all very intent upon ye new ships wch they forward wth theire utmost endeavour. 29 Sept +Yesterday morning Sr Gabriell Sylvius sailed wth ye men of war & Yatchts yt are to bring over ye P of Orange for Holland. +Yesterday morning about 2 of ye Clock hapned a sad fire in ye Temple occasioned through the Carlesnes of a gentleman that went to bed & left ye Candle burning wch in less then 2 houres consumed all that part called the Kings bench hole with 500 houses more in White ffryers severall persons are said to have been burnt killed & maimed. +Our forraigine Lrs due this day are all wanting L. c. 534 Hague 3 October 1677 +On ffryday next ye states of Holland will bee Extradry assembled yt ye desire of ye P of Orange to receive comunicacon from him of momt wch is Supposed to bee his designed voyage into England. +I heare yt in ye report wch his High: made to ye states he made complt in genll yt both impialists & Spaniards have failed in ye pformance of wt they pmised & sd of ye Spaniards in pticular yt hee had reced affronts from them in ye prsence of ye D de villa Hermosa wch hee would warrant on ye other side I am informed yt ye Impiall Minister here hath order to complaine yt ye warre hath been made this Campaigne more on these then reality & at ye same time he intimate[s] yt better success is not to be dispaired of for ye future & to declare for ye obtaining it his Impiall Matie will send 2 [?] considerable armies into ye field next yeare. +The last accts wee have of matters in Rugen is yt both ye Danes & Count Conningsmarke are posted upon ye Isle wth out having as yet attempted any thing agst each other. The Danes have reced some hopes from ye Elector of Brandenburg but ye King not thinking yt sufficient was gone to Copenhagen to fetch a greater supply. +The Seige of Stetin grows hott in ye meane time by ye Springing of mines on both sides. Its sd ye beseiged have lodged themselves upon ye Counterscarpe. +The D of Lorraine having passed ye Rhine at Phillipsburg advances towards Strasburg. The ffrench make a terrible desolacon in Brisgow having burnt above 20 Bergs & villages already Brussells 8 Octob: l677 +Our Armies continue at Enghien wch place as well as Dibelle [?] will bee demolished. ffrom Alsace wee have Lrs of ye 1st instant wch say yt ye D of Lorraine was encamped wth his Cavalry at BistleRhein [?] far from Strasburg on ye other side of ye Rhine where ye troops of ye D of Saxe Eysenach being reinforced wth 2 Regimts raised by ye P. of Dominstad had ioyned him ye next day he expected ye coming up of his Infantry & then he would pass ye Rhyne having already given orders for ye laying of a bridge over it above [?] Strasburg. Monclar was encamped at Benfeldt Vlenheim on this side ye Rhine & Crequi on ye other side at Graffen heuten ye bridge at Rheinnaw being continued by ye communicacon of ye 2 Armyes The french continued theire Ravage & had burnt ye towne of Thou Hague 8 Octob +On fryday ye states of Holland met, ye Prance [sic] not thither but ye Pentionary acquainted them in his name wth ye occasion of theire meeting, after yt ye Deputyes had all taken an oath of service [?]. On Monday ye P is expected here from Loest Dyke & then wee shall know when hee will begin his iourney for England. The service grows hotter & hotter at Stetin ye Luxemburgs have taken a certaine outwerke & mines are springing daily on both sides. ffrom Hamburg they write yt ye Brandenburgs have made a Genll assault upon Stetin but were repulsed wth ye loss of 4000 but I will not answer for the truth of it. L. c. 535 October 6. 1677 +The Paris Lrs of ye 9th speake of a new Conspiracy disscovered agst ye ffrench in messina to let in ye Spanish forces of ye Garrison of Melazzo & to destroy all ye ffrench during ye absence of ye D of Vivonne & ye ffrench troops in Campaigne & yt it went on soe far yt ye Spanish troops were for yt purpose drawne very neare ye towne. +They write from ye ffrench Camp at Goure date 9 October yt ye Army was to decamp next day & goe into winter qrters neare ye frontiers, marshall de Humieres is returned to his Govermt of Lisle, & ye D de Villeroy went for St Germans, & 6 battalions of foot & 10 squadrons of horse pted from ye Army for Valenciennes & St Quintin. +ffrom ye french camp at Grussin housons in Brisgaw Oct 28 they advise yt Monsr Monclar had quitted his post at Quinzall having burnt ye Country in those pts as villages being all on fire at once, from ye same Camp they write 3d October yt on ye 1st ye Marquis de Rennes was sent wth 6 batallions of foot & 14 Squadrons of horse & 2 of Dragoons commanded by Count Swerenberg & yt ye Army past ye Rhine into Alsace late at night marched on ye 2d by breake of day & on ye 3d arrived at a place formerly a very fine walled towne whether Marshall Turrenne made his retreate after ye battle of Englishein & there having ioyned Monclar they were a potent Army. +They add further yt ye D of Lorraine had resolved to releive Sarrburg & they were in expectation whether hee would force theire Army or repass ye mountains ye same way hee went home. Whitehall 6 October 1677 +The Lrs come in this after noone from newmarkett say yt ye P of Orange was expected there as this night, & yt there upon his Royall High: (whoe was expected here this afternoone) had changed his intention, by wch it seemes ye King had some advice of his High: being landed, or at least his being upon ye Coast, of wch wee have as yet noe acct: from Harwich, but yt may very well bee & wee imagine it was not thought worth theire time in ye absence of ye Court to send an Express hither from thence to give notice of his High: landing. +Most of our forraigne Lrs due this day are still wanting. L. c. 536 Whitehall 9 October 1677 +Notwithstanding I told you in my last yt ye P of Orange was expected at Newmarket yt night his High: is not yet arrived. +The Lrs wee reced on Sunday from Holland sd ye states of Holland were to bee reassembled on Wedensday last to take a finall resolution upon wt had been prposed to them by ye Pentionary by order of ye P. ye sd Lrs adding yt it was beleived his High: would leave ye Hague to begin his iourney hither as on Saterday last, hee will bring wth him a very great traine there is a list of above 40 Gents most men of quality yt come wth him besides servts & ordinary attendts. +The Lrs wee had yesterday from Newmarkett told us yt ordres were sent to Sr Charles Cutterell & Sr Stephen ffox at Harwich yt if his High: arrived on thirsday or before yt then hee should conduct him to Newmarkett, but if after then to goe & lye at ye D of Albemarles house at Newhall & ye next day to meet ye King at London. +ffrom ffrance wee have an acct of an action passed between them & ye Germans in Alsace vidt yt ye D of Lorraine having sent a pty to attacke ye Castle of Kotsberg being a pass ye french upon advice thereof sent fresh troops to second theire men ye Impialists did ye same on theire side & ye dispute was very sharp ye Germans having thrice forced some squadrons of french horse to retire in great disorder but in conclusion ye french had ye advantage maintained theire Posts killed 500 of ye Germans upon ye place tooke ye Count de Nassaw Sarbrucke wth sevrall officers Prisoners & forced ye rest to retire in great disorder to theire Army wch was encamped neare Strasbourg. wt loss ye french sustayned is not sd. +Wee have now ye Dutch Lrs of fryday last wch say yt ye States of Holland were assembled on wedensday & thirsday last that on thirsday ye P of Orange came into ye assembly stayed there above an houre acquainted them wth his iourney to England &c wch they not only apprved of but seemed pleased wth & prayed his High: would use his endeavours wth ye King his uncle to & pmote a peace & soe wished him a good Journey. +His High: was afterwards wth ye States Genll to take his leave of them & ye same day ye sd States genll ye States of Holland & all ye Colledges by formall deputacons sent to wish his High a good iourney, ye same Complemt was afterwards pformed by ye Deputies of ye sevrall townes in pticular His High: intended to embarque as yesterday soe yt being hee this night or to morrow at Newmarkett all psons of any note in Holland are to accompany him. +Wee have nothing new from Stetin or Rugen. +Take ye following from Alsace +Strasbourg 8 Oct Maior Gnll Schultz having ioyned ye D of Lorraine wth ye troops yt were at Offenburg his High: advanced towards ye Enemy & understanding yt Crequi had posted some troops upon ye hills at Kaltsburg hee sent ye Regimt of Bournonville wth 2 others to attacke them wch they did yesterday about 4 in ye after noone wth soe much fury yt ye french were forced to quit ye first hill & to retire in disorder to theire maine body but ye Germans pursuing them soe far fresh troops of ye Enemie fell upon them & made a great slaughter Lieut Genll ffourlaine ye Counts of Kilborg & nassau being killed & Genll Harrant prisoner. All this morning wee heard great shooting & wee concluded yt 2 Armyes were engaged, but iust now wee have advice yt Crequi avoids a battle & retires towards Saverne. L. c. 537 Newmarkett 10 October 1677 +Yesterday about 7 at night ye P of Orange arrived here; there is come along wth him ye Counts Horne Brederode & Benthem & this day is expected 5 or 6 coaches full of his attendts ye rest wch were ye greatest number were sent from Harwich to London ye P supped wth ye King & is this morning gone wth him a hawking, to morrow ye King. P. & Court goe to Euston after ye plate is run for where ye King rides himselfe & will bee back on fryday. Paris 16 Octobr +Wee have Lrs from ye M. de Crequis Camp dat 10 instant wch was then at Kaltsberg ye acct they give is yt ye 6 instant ye Impiall army encamped very neare ours yt on ye 7 in ye morning sevrall skirmishes passed on both sides about 3 in ye afternoone ye M de Crequi was informed yt ye D of Lorraine caused sevrall troops to advance & yt yey attacked some of our advanced Posts wch were guarded by ye Regimts of Vallette Villars & Cayenn comanded by ye Chevalier d'Estrade who defended themselves very well but being over powered were forced to give ground but at ye same time ye M de Crequi pceiving yt ye enemies right wing was advanced at a good distance from ye maine body resolved to make use of his opportunity and imediately ordered ye Guards du Corps ye Gens de armes & light horse to advance & to engage ye enemie wee had 25 squadrons & ye Enemie had 30 ye dispute lasted not long for our troops immediately defeated 2 of their best squadrons wch put ye rest into disorder & wee pursued ye 30 Imperiall Squadrons of wch most were Curassiers to theire Camps leaving sevrall prisoners behind them & about 600 killed upon ye place wth 4 standards upon wch ye D of Lorraine began to move wth his whole army wth designe to have possessed himselfe of a certaine village wch was neare his first line but observing ye good posture our army was in hee did not execute it but remained all yt day drawne up in Battalia +The Prisoners wee tooke are Maior Genll Harrant ye Count of Nassau Maior Genll (who dyed ye next day in our Camp of his wounds) Coll Fourlaine 2 Capts wth sevrall inferiour officers Wee understand likewise yt servall eminent officers were killed & wounded. Wee heare nothing new from fflanders. L. c. 538 Whitehall October 13. 1677 +On ye 9 ye P of Orange arrived at Newmarkett between 7 & 8 in ye Evening his lodgings was at ye D of Ormonds house yt night he supped wth ye King & ye next day they went a hawking On ye 11 ye King & ye P dined at ye Ld Chamberlaynes at Euston there came along wth ye P into England Sieurs de Overeke Bentin de Alberanswart Baron ffaukinstein Baron Travis Count Horne Monsr de Vandendoss Monsr Lavergne Marquis Monponttin Monsr Zuylestine Mons Lecke Count Bederode Baron Sparr Monsr Wassena Count Warfulo Mons Guickell ye Rhinegrave fflodross Count Noyelle Monsr ffilates besides Domesticks Monsr de Odicke Count de Solins Count Nassau Sr Colliers Adj Genll Ernest Capt Leiut of his life guards Ryswich Cornet &c The States of Holland have given consent to ye Princes iourney & offered him more powers then hee desired. This day about noone his Matie Royall High & ye P of Orange returned hither from Newmarkett The P has his lodgings in his Royall High: apartmt at Whitehall. L. c. 539 Whitehall 16 Octobr 1677 +This morning the Heer Odyke who came over wth the Prince of Orange has audience of the King having the Character of Ambassador Extradry from ye States Genll Wee are told his High: stay will not bee longer then 3 weekes or a moneth, hee has a very noble retinue wth him; ye psons of ye cheifest quality are ye Count Thorne Genll of ye Artillery ye Young Rhynegrave the Count of Nassau ye Heer Brederode the Marquis de Moinpeillein principall horse Officer Monsr Benthem &c. In all they are about 40 for whose dyett 4 tables are served twice a day in ye Princes lodgings at Whitehall by ye Kings Officers Wee have not any Lrs from abroad since this day sevenight. L. c. 540 Whitehall October 18th 1677 +Yesterday ye Ld mayor of London accompanied wth ye Recorder Aldermen & Sheriffs were to waite upon ye P of Orange in his lodgings here at Whitehall & to complemt his High: upon his arriveall here in England. By ye ffrench Lrs wee reced yesterday wee understand yt we are not like to have any more action in fflanders or Germany this Campaign ye weather necessitating ye armies to goe into winter qrters. It seemes each strives to remaine ye longest in ye field. The ffrench speake big of ye Rencounter between them & ye Germans on ye 7th instant new stile & will have it yt theire loss amounts to 8 or 900 men killed or wounded, but I have seen a Lre from a private hand in ye ffrench army wch says yt hee beleives there was as many killed on ye ffrench side as on the Impialists & yt it was ye fault of some troops yt engaged too farr yt Genll: Harrant &c was taken prisoner. ffrom Tangier wee have acct of ye death of brave Capt Harman ye same yt soe signally behaved himselfe at Buggia when Sr Edward Spragg burnt ye Algerines there & yt fought and sanke ye Dutch man of war of Cadiz in 1673/4 Hee was cruising wth ye Saphire ffrigatt off of Tangier & met wth a Turks man of war of 36 guns coming up wth him hee gave him a broad side ye Turk answered it wth a volly of small shot and mortally wounded ye Capt killed his Master & wounded 10 or 12 men at ye same time it blowing a very stiffe Gale ye Saphires maine mast was brought by ye Board wch gave ye Turk ye opportunity to escape ye Saphire came into Tangier where ye Capt dyed. Wee have this evening our Dutch Lrs of ffryday last a former Post being still wanting ye only news it brings is yt ye King of Danemarke was returned wth a supply of men to Rugen wth C. Coningsmarke had there upon quitted & was come over to Straelsond Leaving only ye Heer Schom well guarded, there be reports ye City of Straelsond had shut theire gates agst C. Coningsmarke but noe great credit is to bee given to them. +The Ltrs from Stetin are of ye 5/15 ye beseigers advanced but slowly & began to bee very much hindred by ye ill weather, they spring mines dayly on both sides. In fflanders they say ye Armies were going to sepate & in Alsace they would doe ye like before ye end of this month & ye D of Lorraine was prparing to goe to Vienna to consumate his marriage. Noe action had passed in Alsace since ye 7th wch these Lrs make not any mention. L. c. 541 Whitehall 20 October 1677 +Yesterday ye City of London invited theire Maties theire Royalle Highnesses ye 2 Princesses & ye P of Orange to honour theire feast on Monday come Sennight wth theire prsence. Yesterday ye P of Orange went a fox hunting wth his Royall High: The Swedish Envoy here has let mee see Lrs from Straelsond dat Sept. old stile wch sayes yt ye day before Count Coningsmarke had reced a Lre from Stetin wherein they tell him yt there continued a pfect good union between ye Burghers & ye Garrison yt they had obtained considerable advantages in theire sallies but yt they had lost a great many brave officers both horse & foot yt they had of late forborne to make any sallys to spare ye garrison wch was extreamly diminished yt they desired Count Coningsmarke would let them know ye certainty as to ye Succours they are to expect from Livonia not but yt they hope (although it should not come) to defend ye place this winter but yt they would mannage theire men accordingly for if they were certaine of being releived they would make such sallyes as should very much ruine ye Elector of Brandenburgs Army. otherwise they would spare theire men being resolved to defend ye place to ye last extremity Wee have this Evening a Dutch post & by it Lrs from Alsace of ye 8/l8 instant when ye Armies continued in theire former qrters each striving to remaine ye longest in ye field. Lrs from Stetin of ye same date say yt ye Lunenburgs had taken post on ye towne walls ye Brandenbergs on theire side were descended into ye Ditch but ye Burghers continued in theire former obstinacy & ye ill weather very much incommoded ye Beseigers who hoped in few dayes to bee masters of ye Place. L. c. 542 Strasburg 22th October 1677 +The 19 instant very early in ye morning yer ffrench army decamped from Kocherberg & march towards Dochstein between wch place & Molshein they are now encamped. Maior Genll Dunewaldt was sent after them wth 1200 horse to fall upon theire Reare, but hee found noe opportunity to doe it & soe returned. The M. de Crequi has sent a detachment of 4000 men to hinder ye fortificacons ye Inpialists are makeing at Sarbrucke but it is thought Genll Rabata who is wth a body of men neare Pistch will bee able to prvent theire designes. Yesterday was made an exchange of sevrall prisoners but Genll Harrant & Coll ffeurlein remaine at Slechstadt. The Sieur de Monclar has passed ye Rhyne wth 10000 men at Brisac. It is said yt Capt Gregoor had defeated a pty of 400 horse this afternoone orders were given for ye army to march to morrow, but wee know not whether. Hamburg 26 October 1677 +We have Lrs from ye Camp before Stetin of ye 22 instant wch tell us yt by reason of ye ill weather ye Beseigers had for sevrall dayes past advanced but little. That on ye 19 ye beseiged made a sally in wch besides ye Soldiers of ye Garrison were 400 Burghers & seamen They fell wth soe much fury upon ye beseigers yt they beat them out of theire workes, killed Coll Jegen who commanded in ye trenches wth between 30 & 40 officers & above 150 common Soldiers & tooke 2 peices of Cannon wch they carried into ye towne wth them, they [sic] losse of theire side likewise was not inconsiderable. +There at night they made another sally but were forced to retire againe wth ye loss of sevrall men, some are of opinion yt this obstinate defense of ye beseiged may oblige ye Elector to raise ye Seige ffrom Rugen wee are told yt ye Danes beseige ye ffeerschans wch is ye onely fort yt hinders them from being absolute masters of yt Isle. The Lrs from Copen hagen assure us yt ye Swedes had againe formally beseiged Christianstadt. L .c. 543 Whitehall 23 October 1677 +This pap[er?] will phaps surprize you wth ye great & happy news of ye marriage between ye Lady Mary his Royall High: eldest daughter & ye Prince of Orange being declared yesterday morning ye King having caused the Privy Councell to bee extraordinarily assembled declared to them yt hee had made a match between his Neice ye Lady Mary & ye Prince of Orange & yt hee intended it Should bee consummated forthwth; The Lds of ye Councell thereupon wth theire humble thanks congratulated his Matie upon what done being a thing in wch ye whole Nation would rejoyce. At 3 in ye afternoone ye privy Councell assembled againe & went in a body to St Jameses to complemt ye Lady Mary & afterwards did ye like wth ye P of Orange in his apartmt at Whitehall. In ye evening ye Queen went to give ye young Lady a visitt to wish her joy &c You will beleive yt ye rejoycing in London by ringing of bells Bonefires &c was great & soe I will not prtend to pticularize thereupon This day ye Ld Mayor & Aldermen have been to make theire complemt to his Matie: to his Royall High: to ye Lady Mary & to ye P of Orange. +The last night ye P sent an Express to Holland to give ye States an acct, upon whose returne ye marriage will be consummated. The Ambrs here from yt State having already in theire Masters names given his Matie & his Royall High theire thanks for ye honour of this alliance &c After soe great a peice of news I will not entertain you wth any of soe small importance as is yt wee receive from abroad at this time. L. c. 544 Brussells 29 October 1677 +His Excie has deferred breaking up ye Campaigne untill Sunday or Monday next, ye principall reason is yt ye Convoy wch came last to Namur cannot returne before Monday, In ye meane time sevrall detachmts of ye army are gone towards their winter qrtrs, Maior Genll Webben is gone wth a very considerable one towards Bassett, & will command ye troops, wch were posted this summer about Maestricht & wch are now dispsed into theire winter qrters Maior Genll Spaen being very sickly. It seems after all ye paines taken by his Excie for setling ye winter qrters ye Munster troops prtend to bee soe far dissatisfied wth theire allotmt they are resolved to repasse ye Meuse & ye Rhine & to goe & winter in Germany, wch his Excie is very much dissatisfied at his aime being to have all ye confederate troops to winter in those pts yt they might bee at hand to oppose ye french who will begin ye Campaigne very early. I have seen a Lre dated at Passham in Hungary wch sayes yt they had advise yt 6000 Poles (who its sd have been raised by ye ffrench Ambrs in Poland to assist ye Rebels) were marching towards ye ffrontiers & yt Genll Cobs was drawing together in a body of 8000 Poles to make head agst them in case they pass theire owne limmitts. Hague 2 November +ffrom Hamburg they write of ye 29 past yt they had Lrs of ye 25th from ye Camp before Stetin wch sd that yt day ye beseiged had made another Sally wth 3000 men; That ye Lunenburgs had on theire side taken a certaine Ravellin & yt few dayes would put an end to ye seige one way or another, yt is ye place would bee taken or else ye beseigers would bee forced to rise. There is nothing new from Rugen save yt ye Danes beseige ye ffeersthaus. The King of Danemarke was returned to Copenhagen. In Alsace ye Impiall Army is in good Earnest looking towards theire winter qrters. A very good summe of money hath been comitted from Spaine to Amsterdam to bee employed for ye fitting out ye ships long since designed for Scicily, soe yt Equipage will now bee taken in hand wth all vigour. +His Matie has resolved in Councell yt ye Parliamt bee adiourned from ye 3d of December to ye 4th of Aprill next. [Figures in another hand cover much of outside of letter.] L. c. 545 Whitehall 30 October 1677 +Wee have not anything from abroad since my last, soe that I have onely to tell you that theire Maiesties, his Royall Highnes, the Lady Mary, the Lady Anne & the Prince of Orange honoured the Lord Mayors shew yesterday with theire presence. The Express which the Prince of Orange sent on Monday was sevennight is not yet returned, but expected every houre. It is the discourse at Court that the marriage will bee privately consummated on Sunday next at St. Jameses. [A few figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 546 Whitehall 1 November 1677 +By ye french Lrs wch came in yesterday wee recd [?] a considerable peice of News vidt yt foure french squadrons were ordered to march from fflanders to Peidmont to follow the orders of the Dutchesse Regent of Savoy who our former Lrs said was prvailed upon to enter into ye interests of ffrance & to make war upon ye Spaniards in Milan; If this bee soe Italy is going to bee involved in the war. The ffrench like wise confirme ye news wee had before yt 6000 Poles were fallen into Hungary to ioyne ye Rebells wch they think will give the Empour worke enough on yt side; These are men raised privately by the french Ambr in Poland. +My Lord Carlisle will now in good earnest pt very suddenly for Jamaica. +The Serieants of Law having taken theire oaths ye first day of ye terme at ye Chancery hall did on ye 26 goe in theire formalities to Westmr & pform ye rites [?] of ye office being 13 in number. Vidt Sr Wm Dolben Mr Holt Mr Rawlins Mr Gregory Mr Weston Sr Robert Baldock Mr Holloway Mr Strode Sr Jno Shaw Mr Raymond Sr Tho: Stringer Mr Street & Mr Sympson. His Matie hath by Pclamacon given liberty for a farther adjournmt of his 2 houses of Parliamt from ye 3d of December to ye 4 of Aprill next. They write from Hamburgh of ye 19 yt between ffryday & Saturday at night ye Brandenburghers took a Ravelin wthout ye loss of a man & had advanced theire approaches to ye walls & Pallisadoes of stetin soe yt by some deserters they were assured yt ye beseiged were now inclined to harken to termes in case ye Isle of Rugen were lost wch as then they would not beleive but flattered themselves yt ye Danes were beaten off againe & yt ye Lunenburghers were going to leave ye seige. The D of Lorraine still attends at Hochfeld ye mocon of M Crequi who is sd to bee indisposed by ye Gout till hee heares wt success Count Rabota will have in his attaque upon Petite Piere & then marches to take winter qrters bread being baking to goe under theire Convoy. Tis advised from Vienna Octob: 11/21 yt 7000 Poles were fallen into ye Country of Rugotzi & had burnt 7 villages theire designe being known to ioyne ye Rebells yt 600 of them & 200 Tartars had already ioyned Wesselim who wth 2000 Rebells stood wthin 3 leagues of Zutmar. Genll Smith mett 100 Poles, cut off 60 & ye rest fled. They were in great ptyes about Zendee & Ouod, The warr was like to bee most barbarous yt has been heard of They on ye 9 tooke 11 German Horse & 2 Jesuites some of whome they empal[e]d: & sawed others in ye middle upon wch Genll Cobb had given orders to use them in ye same manner. On ye 29 ye Queen R Highnes Princesse Mary & P of Orange were pleased to honour ye Day wth theire prsence at dinner in Guildhall & to gratify ye comon people did expose themselves to theire great satisfaccon in a Balcony at Cheapside whilest ye Ld Mayor &c past by in in theire splendor The last acct of ye Bp of Canterburys condition is yt after ye strangury had left him he was againe taken wth a feaver though but little & wch quickly past off. Yesterday ye 2 Regimts of Guards of foot ye 3 troops of his Matyes guards of horse & ye Earle of Oxfords Troope were drawne into Hyde Parke while ye P of Orange had ye view of theire Exercise. Tis advised from Cadiz Octob: 8 yt Capt Story in ye Portsmouth pursued wth a Levant wind ye Streight of Gibralter ye Golden Rose of Algier of 36 guns 265 men Capt Hans Raize a Dutch Renagado commander ye Algier man to escape ye Portsmouth made out of ye streights before ye wind but ye Portsmouth following wth her guns gave such [seal tear removes about seven letters] ye ffrigotts under Sr Jno Narborrough in Tangier yt they slipt theire Cables & gave her severall broad sides as shee was making her escape, & ye James a Gally shooting downe some of her masts she was taken though Capt Canning was lost in ye encounter The french Lrs date Nov 6 speakes of theire Ppatons for war agst ye next Campaigne & ye Ponds they are laying for money to defray it. They say from fflanders yt both Armies are disposed into winter qrters & those townes of wch ye Spaniards had any iealousie might bee attacked are well garrisoned wth Dutch foot. ffrom Marshall Crequi they mention nothing of farther removeall nor anything yet undertaken in ye Attaque of Sarbrucke though they dayly expect to heare of it. Tis writt from Vienna yt ye Marquis de Grana in ye acct he gave to ye Empr of ye condition of ye Army & had told him yt since ye beginning of ye Campaigne they were lessened 15000 men wch it was sd might encline them to an Accommodacon. +The P of Orange was treated most magnificently by ye Spanish Ambr yt being ye King of Spains birth day and yesterday by ye Duke of Monmouth. To morrow a great Ball will be at Court. +Monsr de Barillon ye ffrench Ambar who has been here for some time is now making preparation for his publick entry wch will bee made in few dayes. [A (very) few figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 547 Whitehall 3 November 1677 +On wednesday was held a Genll muster in Hide Parke of all ye Guards both horse & foot in ye prsence of ye King his R. Highnes & ye P of Orange after wch they were treated at a very noble dinner by ye D of Monmouth. +ffrom Algiers wee have an acct yt those people had heard of Sr Jno Narborroughs being come into ye Streights & of his having taken 2 of theire men of warr wch had put them into great consternation, yt they had sent to Sr Jno Narborrough to desire him to come to Algiers & yt they would give him all ye satisfaccon hee could expect from them. +The Genll discourse at Court is yt ye marriage between ye Lady & ye P of Orange will bee consummated to morrow being his High: birthday, but yt it will bee privately at St Jameses. +here has been a fire at Plymouth but noe great harme done. +Coll: Whitley having resigned his place of Deputy Postmaster under Ld Arlington ye same is given to one Mr ffroad. +Wee have this afternoon 2 posts from Holland the freshest is of Tuesday last. They tell us yt that Country was filled wth a Genll ioy at ye news brought on Sunday last to ye Hague (by an Express) of ye P of Oranges marriage wth ye Lady Mary, That the States Genll had there upon assembled in ye afternoone & ordered a Lre of Congratulacon & approbation to bee written to ye P of Orange & yt theire Ambars in England bee directed to make theire humble thanks & Complemts to his Matie: for ye honour of this Alliance The States of Holland were to bee assembled as on Thirsday & would wth out doubt give great testimonies of ye satisfaccon they have in this Marriage. +The States Genll had in ye meane time given orders for examining ye Records to see wt was done in ye case of ye Princess Royall, yt soe they may not now fall short but rather exceed wt was then done. +stetin seems to bee on its last leggs, ye last Lrs from them are of ye 13/23 past. The beseiged had made other Sallys, but ye beseigers had made themselves Masters of pt of ye Bastion, & are lodged in sevrall places on ye towne walls, & besides ye Garrison is very much weakened & begin to bee out of heart. +The Danes had not yet taken ye ffeersshans in Rugen The Lrs from Strasburg are of ye 7 Nov & then ye D of Lorraine was prparing to repasse ye Rhine. The Squadron fitted at Amsterdam for Scicily will bee ready to saile before ye end of this Month comanded by Evertson. L. c. 548 [Handwriting changes here.] Nov 8 1677 +The happy worke of the lady Maries Marriage is Now Compleated for on sonday about 9 [?] at night shee was married to the prince of orange privately In her Bedchamber by the Bishop of London in the Prsence of the King their Royall highs and some Lds and ladys of the Chiefest quality. The Next morning his High: presented her with a Necklace and a very Rich Jewell vallued at Between 20 and 30000 L sterling The Expresse which the prince sent to holland Returned on sonday Evening and the account he Brought (besides the letters he Prsented to his high from the states) was Confirmed by the ordinary letters which arrived yesterday vizt That on thursday the states of holland assembled on the occasion of the Marriage and with greate demonstrations of satisfaction and Contentment passed a Resolution In approbation of it, which was made knowne to the States generall about noon and had their concurrance who likewise ordered a present of 50 L sterling should be made to the Capt of the yatcht that Brought over the Expresse, That his high: and the princesse should be Received with the same honours and Respects (or rather greater) as was the princesse Royall, That a generall day of Rejoycing should be appointed throughout all the provinces, that their Ambr In London should prforme the Complemt and Congratulation of the state to his Maty and his Royall high: with their humble thanks for the honour and advantage the state Received by the alliance. The letters from stetin and of the 6 Nov New stile They say that on the 4 the Brandenburgers sprunge a Myne In order to the makeing themselves masters of the whole Bastion Before the holy ghost gate on the face of which they are already Lodged, But the mine did Not the Execution Expected and Besides the Beseiged stood Ready to Receive them Soe that the Beseigeers made not the attempt designed They say the Burghers have A new Bonnd themselves to defend the place to the utmost In Rugen the danes were Not able to make themselves masters of the feerfrans by Reason of the Ill weather ffrom strasburg of the 4 they tell us that the Imperiall army was marching towards wormes to goe Into winter quarters ffrom france wee have the Confirmation that 9000 foot and 2000 horse are Marching towards Savoy who with the assistance of that dutchesse are to Carry the warr Into milan wee have an account of a greate Miscarriage Committed by the spaniards In scicily, vizt That the viceroy haveing Mannaged a Correspondance with some of the Principle persons at messina he so farr succeeded that it was agreed the place should be delivered up to the spaniards while the french forces were lately abroad with a design upon Catania That Just as the spanish gallies were Ready to saile from palermo, the Marquesse de Bayonne generall of the gallies arrives there from naples, demands of the viceroy whither the gallies were going, the viceroy acquaints him with what is In hand, Bayonne sayes he will command them In person, The viceroy thinks it Not Convenient, But Rather that the person who had all along mannaged the Correspondance and was Knowne to and Confided In by those Messineses should be left to finish the worke, Bayonne Commands the gallies Not to stirr without him, In the Contest 4 or 5 dayes are lost and the french Returne to messina sooner then was Exspected, get light into the Plott and apprehend and Execute the authors of it If this be true the Spaniards have lost an occasion they will Not have Easely offered them againe L. c. 549 Nov l0 1677 whitehall 8 nov 1677 +The ffrench have Notwithstanding the season taken the advantage of the greate distance of the Imperall army (which is marched downe towards Spire and wormes to goe Into its winter quarters) to Beseige friburg In brisgow which is the patrimony of the Emperor and of that Importance as that it is the only fortified place In that Countrey and if the french take it, it will let them Into that side of germany and for the prsent furnish them winter quarters on that side the Rhine, The ffrench perswade themselves this seige will be only a worke of 10 or 12 dayes In which time it will be hardly posible for the duke of Lorraine to Come to its Releife In flanders the danes are actually In winter quarters What the dispute betwen the Munsterians & the hollanders upon the formers pretending to winter In the diocesse of Leige will Come to wee as yet Know not, only this much that the hollanders are Resolved to Resist them by force In Case they will not by faire meanes be perswaded to give over their pretensions, There passes no greate matter of moment at the treaty at nimeghen but the Expectation is that when the prince of orange Returnes from England the Negotiation of a peace will be begun In good Earnest, In the meane time there is some little Contest Upon the Imperall Ambrs Refuseing to admitt the Minister of the Bp of straasburg to the treaty for which Reason the ffrench will Not take notice of the minister of the duke of Lorraine to treate with till they have satisfaction In the Case of their allye the sd Bishop The prince of orange will be Returneing for holland prsently after the queens birth day which is the 15th Instant his Maty is extreamly pleased with the Complimt and Congratulation of the states generall (on the occasion of the Marriage) performed by their Ambrs here on tuesday night last which was Exprest In tearmes so full of joy and Respect that nothing more could be desired of them last night between 9 and 10 of the Clocke her Royall highness was happily brought to bed of a yonge prince the greate joy of all people This evening the yonge prince was Christened by the Bp of durham by the name of Charles; The King and prince of orang being godfathers and Lady ann godmother on the 2d at night the Ld Ambr Mountague arrived from france for some time on his owne private occasions. sr John Elmes is made one of the governors of his Matys Revenue of Excise and Sr ffran Lawley Comr of the Customs In place of mr Upton on the 17th Sr Robt howards buisnesse was heard In Councill and was to be heard farther on the 9th L. c. 550 Nov 12 1677 whitehall 10 Nov 1677 +last night died the archbishop of Canterbury dr sheldon at his house at Croydon, I doe Not heare his successor is yet declared wee are told that the prince of orange purposes to part hence on friday next and that accordingly all things are preparing, The dutch Ambr (when he made his Complement to the King on the Marriage on tuesday last) prsented a letter to his Maty from the states generall In the most obleidging and Respectfull tearmes Immaginable yesterday his Royall highnesse Received the Complements of all the forreign Ministers Upon the birth of the prince Charles duke of Cambridg. all our forreigne letters are wanting [A few figures in another hand appear at end of letter.] L.c. 551 Nov 15 1677 +wee doe Not yet Know who will succeed In the archbishoprick of Canterbury which has Been Vacant since friday last The lady Ann his Royall High: second daughter has been ill since wednesday it Being turned Into the small pox which Begun to appeare on satureday what Newes the dutch & ffrench letters which Came In on sunday Brought you will see In the print of which the most Remarkeable is that stetin holds out still & may yet some time though the Beseigers talke of makeing a generall assault This is certain that they must Either take the towne or Raise the seige In a short time yesterday arrived the flanders letters of this day seavenight which give an account That a Conference had been had at Antwerp Between the duke de villa hermosa the Marquese de los bulbares the Marquesse de fuentes designed Ambr for England and de Emannuell de lyra the spanish minister at the hague of which wee Know Not the Effect That on tuesday (the same day these letters Came away) The duke de Montalto generall of the spanish horse & Count Egmont Arrived at Antwerp from Brussells and Count waldecke from malines That they and the other generall officers had held a Councill of warr upon the Newes they Recd that the ffrench assembled a Body of 15000 men Neere Aoth with designe as was Belived to attacke hall which is about 2 leagues from Brussells or at least by this their assembling to keep the spanish and dutch troops In Continuall motion & to weary them, In short orders were given that all the troops as well dutch and spanish that were quartered In the parts thereabouts should hold themselves Ready to march upon the 1st Command and accordingly Count waldecke was Returned to Malines to give the necesary orders there to that purpose, They had not as yet any account of the seige of friburg so that wee cannot tell what Resolutions the duke of Lorraine will take when he shall heare thereof though In all appearance he will Not be able to Relieve it and wee are Indeed apt to Believe he will Not attempt it for that will spoile the designe he has to take his winter quarters on this side the Rhine & Besides the place is Not of so greate Importance for it is but small and the fortifications the Imperiallists are makeing there are Not quite finished and whoever has it, Notwithstanding the Country of Brisgow lyes open to Brisac wee have this afternoon our flanders letters of friday last they tell us the french make greate preparations for the attacking st ghislin so soon as the weather permitts and at the same time Continue their designe Upon hall, That they were Much surprized at the Newes of friburgs Being Beseiged which was so soon that the government had Not time to Call In the Countrey people That the garrison Consisted In 2500 foot & 400 horse The duke of Lorraine was Resolved to march to its Reliefe (which he might doe through a Ruined and desolate Country) if he Could have Reason to hope he Could Come time Enough and In the meane time he had sent 5 Regements Under the Command of Major generall schultz Before [Letter ends here.] L. c. 552 Nov 17 1677 whitehall 15 Nov: 1677 +This day Being the queens Birth day the Court appeares In its splendor and in the Evening will be entertained with a Ball and to morrow the prince and princesse of orange part for holland who will Embarke at greenwich where 6 yatchts attend them with severall men of warr lower downe In the River This day the archbishop of Canterbury is buried at Croydon its thought that on sonday his successor will be declared The letters wee Received from holland Confirme most people In the oppinion that the Elector of Brandenburgh will after all be forced to Raise the seige of stetin the weather Beginning to grow Intolerable and his forces Being Extreamly weakened as well as wearied with the greate dificulties they meet with The danes have Not Better successe In the Isle of Rugen against the fehr schans wee have this Evening the french letters dated on satureday morning which say that the newes at paris was that a Courier arrived some hours Before with the newes that friburg was taken by a letter dat octobr 10 from algeir from george bowes master of the arke of biddiford its advised that on the 20 sept last In his Returne from Cadiz he with other English vessells were taken by the turks and Carried to algeir and that the men were Kept prisoners In a Tranyard [?] +They write from malaga date october 26 that sr John Narborrow was dayly Exspected with his whole fleet In his passage to algeir the wind Being then faivourable for that purpose his Maty has taken perticular Care for the supply of the princesse of orange her Chappell haveing appointed the learned and pious Dr loyd deane of Bangor and another to attend her highness for 3 months In which time he is to settle that affaire and another to be sent assistant on Monday Next the french Ambr makes his publicke Entry L. c. 553 Nov 19 1677 +Though In my last I told you that the ffrench letters said they had advice that friburg was taken yet Being wee have Not the Certainty & if it be true it may be only the towne & the Castle holds out still I will tell you the progresse of the seige till the date of the ordinary letters thence of the 4/14 Instant That the 9 the sieur Monclar Invested the place & on the 10th M: Crequi arrived there & haveing given orders for the disposeing the severall quarters he Caused the trenches to be opened that night 2 batteries were Raised which the Next day made a Breach 18 yds wide the same day the Beseigers attacked & posessed themselves of 2 Redoubts, the 12 the M: Crequi Caused the sieur schultz governor of the place to be summoned who answered that haveing learnt his trade among the french troops he would defend to the last, The 13 they passed the ditch & the 14 posessed themselves of another outworke after a sharp dispute, of the french abt 200 have Been Killed & wounded among which are the marquesse de la ferte Brigadier the Marquesse de freshliere, one lieut of the guards and 8 or 10 other officers of foot wounded, The Count de bushly Lieut generall of the artilery the Lieut generall of the Regemt of picardy the Lieut Coll of the Regement of normandy & Lieut Coll of picardy with about 12 or 13 other officers killed on thursday Being the queens birth Night there was a Ball at Court and the Next morning Early the prince & princesse of orange Intended to Embark at greenwich but were hindered by Contrary winds & ill weather but so soon as its faivourable they will be gone by a dutch post just now arrived wee have letters from straasburg of the l5 which say friburg defended it selfe well that the french had posessed themselves of a hill which very much Incommoded the Beseiged, that on the 13 the duke of Lorraine (who is Resolved to put all at stake to Relieve friburg) arrived at offenburg with a body of 15 or 16000 men & from thence Next morning marched with all dilligence towards friburg, They had newes there that the Marquess de Baden who had the van with 4 Regemts was arrived Neere friburg and that Count Manssolt had with 1500 men fought theire way Into the towne though with the losse of neere 200 men The duke of lorraine purposed to face the Enemie on the 16 That In the meane time they understood the ffrench pressed the place with all posible vigor, that their Cannon had done greate Execution & that they had lost one Coll 3 Lieut Coll & 16 Capt The letters from stetin are of the 15 they say the beseigers had made themselves masters of a whole Bastion & thereupon the Beseiged had desired a Cessation of armes which the Elector would Not grant The Munster troops have by force attempted to make themselves masters of the towne of liege but it Succeeded Not I have only time to tell you that just now arrived the ffrench letters & give us the Certainty of the takeing of friburg L. c. 554 [Handwriting changes here.] Att the Court att Whitehall / the 21th of November [1677] By the Kings most Excellent Majtye and the Lords of his Majtyes most Honoble Privy Councelle +The humble Peticon of George Dashwood Esqr and Partners Managers of his Majties Revenue of Excise being this day read at ye Board, Complaining that Mathew Blackford Jno Woolmer and Thomas Taylor Justices of the Peace of the Burrough of Stratford in the County of Warwicke 6 nov. hearing of severall informacons exhibitted agt severall Alehouse keepers of the same Burrough for Non Entry of their respective duties of Excise, did not onely Demeane themselves partially, revileing the Wittneses produced on his Majties behalfe, and interrupting them in giveing their Evidence, but have in favour of the said Defaulters, passed illegal Judgments, contrary to the possitive Evidence of the Witnesses in behalfe of his Majtye and the Expresse Directions of the order of this Board of the 23d of Aprill 1669: wich if permitted will be of most distructive & pernicious consequence to this Branch of his Majties Revenue, the Judgmt of the Justices of the Peace being finall: And therefore praying some remedy may be applyed for the prevention of soe growing a mischeife, It was thereupon ordered by his Majtye in Councell That the said Mathew Blackford Jno Woolmer and Thomas Taylor, and every of them Bd & they are hereby required personally to attend this Board on Friday the 7th of Decembr next to answerre the aforesaid Complaint, And that they come prepared to give an Account of the grounds and reasons upon which they proceeded to give Judgmt. And it was further ordered that some of the Petico[n]rs doe then likewise attend with the Evidence in the Case aforesaid in bahalfe of his Majtye. Jno Nicholas L. c. 555 [Handwriting changes here.] Nov 22 1677 whitehall 20 Nov 1677 +yesterday morning about 9 a Clocke the prince and princesse of orange parted from hence In order to their Embarkeing on the yatchs which attended them about gravesend whither his Maty and his Royall Hi: accompanied them but the wind is so Contrary that they are Not able to get out of the River The dutch letters of friday last are arrived they speake of the greate surprize they were In at the surrender of friburg, the garrison marched out the 16 Instant with their baggage armes Colors flying &c They tell us very few perticulers of the seige only say that the french haveing with the losse of about 100 men posessed themselves of a Certain hill which Commands the Castle the beseiged prsently after Capitulated and that the garrison which Consisted In about 1500 foot and 400 horse marched to Rhinifelden, the ffrench have put 4000 foot into the Towne & Castle The duke of Lorraine (who was advanced as far as Ettenhein) upon this was Returned Backe to straasburg In the neibourhood whereof he would make some stay with his troops to Cover offenburg and other places on that side which lye now very much opposed to the french & for the same Reason he would be forced to Change the winter quarters which has been Resolved on for his troops The advices from stetin are of the 19 by which wee understand that the Beseigers had not made any progresse since our former letters & that the Beseiged abated nothing of their Courrage & Resolution, and there is a letter from hamburg which sayes that on the 19 the Beseigers sprunge a myne and followed it with an attacke In which they were Repulsed with the losse of 80 men In the Isle of Rugen the sweds seem Resolved to follow the Example of the stetiners In the defense of the fehr schans Nothing is more Certain than that the warr will be Carried (and that very suddenly) Into Milan by the french and Savoyards and on the other hand it is advised that the Rebells of hungary begin to grow very heady so that the Imperiallists are Not able to meet them In the feild The Archbishop of Canterbury is Not yet declared L. c. 556 Nov 24 1677 whitehall 22 Nov 1677 +from the streights wee have an account that the algerins have taken some of our Newfoundland men, 4 men of warr will saile In 8 or 10 dayes Comanded by Capt herbett to Reinforce sr John Narborrough that he may Carry on the warr the more vigourously against the turks The french perswade themselves affaires goe very ill for the Imperiallists In hungary and have an account from the french officers that Comanded the polish In the late action that the Imperiallists lost 3000 men with all their Canon & baggage & have printed a perticuler Relation of it at paris The Imperiallists are Not able to dissemble the Concerne they are In for the losse of friburg Not only for the Importance it is In of it selfe but also for the Consequence it may have it haveing forced the duke of Lorraine to alter the scheame of winter quarters that had Been agreed on for his troops for now he must keep a body towards offenburg to secure those parts, But besides it seems to facilitate the Communication betweeen them and the Elector of Bavaria Though stetin makes a stout defense beyond all Exspectation yet its thought it will be taken though the weather helps them Every day more and more Those poore people might have some hopes if wee saw the sweds to make any step towards their Reliefe, But the army In Livonia of which they have so much talked does not yet stirr. This morning arrived one for fresh provisions for the prince of orange whome he left at anchor neer shernesse his Maty findeing the Benefitt of gallies for his service In the streights hath given order for the Building 2 more from Rochester & portesmouth wee have an account of the Cheerfull Carrying on the Building of the new ships the yards haveing Incouragemt by good payments. [Handwriting changes for just this paragraph:] +The Bishop preaches here to morrow, I think in ye forenoon he is already in ye towne L.c. 557 Nov 26 1677 whitehall 24 Nov 1677 +last night wee had our dutch lettere of tuesday last they tell us that the french pursued their advantages In Brisgow, Not only by takeing Markirke where they found a greate quantyty of forrage & provisions, But have likewise Beseiged the Castle of hoogberg the usuall Residence of the Marquess de Baden Dourlach after the takeing of which they will be masters of brisgow and will be able to Extend their Contributions very farr Into germany while In the meane time wee cannot Certainly heare where the duke of Lorraine is only this appeares plainly that he is Not In a Condition to make head against them Most of his troops Being seperated and gone Into their winter quarters before they had the newes of the seige of friburg This successe of the french In those parts putts basill and Rhinifelden In greate feare our letters from stetin are of the 12/22 Nothing of moment has passed since our former, the Beseiged had made a sally but without any greate Effect and on the other Side the Beseiged had not made any progresse This last weeke a goldsmith (who at the Commotions that hapned at the hague In 1672 was a principle actor and one who had his hand the deepest In the blood of the de witts against whome he was so Implacable that he Kept their hearts a long time & showed them as a Curiosity to them that Came to him[)] haveing been apprehended at leyden for some misdemeanors Committed by him, and sentenced to be publickly whipt and then to be put Into their bridewell or workeing house dureing his life, had the same sentence accordingly Executed upon him with much severity and In the Concourse of thousands of people who were pleased Extreamly to see this Infamy & Chastisemennt fall on a man who had Been guilty of so much villany In the murther of the de witts and it seems his Judges Considdered more his former Crimes then those he stood Before them for for those would hardly deserve so much severity his Maty haveing on thursday In the Evening sent downe a gentleman to Invite the prince of orange to Returne hither with the princesse till the weather is more favourable, he Returned hither In the Evening haveing left their highs about 12 a Clocke that day 2 miles from Canterbury whither they were going, and where they purposed to Continue till the weather would permitt them to pursue their voyage L. c. 558 Nov 28 1677 ffrom the Campe Before stetin 16/26 Nov +This Morning his Electorall High: Intended to spring the greate mine over the Ravelin between the holy ghost gate & the New gate but perceiveing the Enemy had abandoned the Ravelin wee tooke posession thereof Withoute springeing the mine, New batteries are makeing upon the sd Ravelin & the green bulwerke to Ruine the Enemies Retrenchmts The Dantish Regemt of Major generall densdoff is arrived In the Campe from Rugen & wee hourely Exspect the Rest from Coppenhagen +postscript; Just Now wee have taken one of the Enemies outguards by a deserter wee are told that the principall of the towne were willing to surrender upon good Conditions But that the Comon people Continued most obstinate & declared they would defend the place to the last & Rather drowne themselves in the River oder then surrender the towne Straasburg 16 Nov 1677 +what was said, In our last of the french haveing Beseiged hoogberg proves a mistake they have Razed the walls of walkirken & have sent 8 battalions Into friberg, The duke of Lorraine is Encamped Between Elsach & walkerken & has Comanded the Regemts that were appointed to winter about the saar to Repaire to him +The french appeare Intended to beseige Saarbruke But the Imperiallists are quitting it. The M: Crequi is laying a bridg over the Rhine Neere basill Whitehall 27 Nov +The prince of orange Being gone with the princesse to Canterbury on satureday the Earle of ossory & yesterday the duke of monmoth & E of sunderland went downe to Canterbury to visitt the prince of orange who its Believed is there still This afternoon Mounsr Barillon the ffrench Ambr made his publicke Entry with the usuall Ceremony L. c. 559 Dec 1 1677 whitehall 29 Nov 1677 +on tuesday night the Earle of ossory Returned hither & gave the King an account that the Day Before the prince of orange being In greate Impatience to see himselfe thus detained by the weather parted from Canterbury to margatt the wind Being more faivourable then Before and there he Embarked with the princesse on the Mountague Comanded by Sr Jo: holmes and on monday about 4 In the afternoon went to sea, But the wind Changeing againe the Mountague was forced to Returne to margatt from whence they put to sea againe yesterday, the yatchts Being Come up with him The french letters yesterday brought an account that the ffrench have Beseiged st ghislain and they were prepareing to doe the like to Ipre letters from a good hand at hamburg assure us that the brandenburg army was In a very ill Condition & that it was the generall oppinion they would be forced to Raise the seige wee have this afternoon our french and flanders letters, They say that yesterday was seveanight st ghislain was Beseiged Being Invested the day Before, The M. Humieres Commanded, there & that they pretended to be masters of the place by sunday, after which it was thought they would Beseige mons In order where unto the ffrench troops are Marching from their severall quarters & would forme an army of 40000 men on the other side there is Not any signe of attempting the Reliefe of the place for that their troops Cannot March In this season unlesse there were the same provisions made for them as is for the french troops and if they moved they were Not strong Enough There are Between 12 and 15000 men In st ghislain but want provisions, Ipres is blockt up & the governor of Maastricht has Beseiged the Castle of Bremont In Brisgaw the M: Crequi was going to seperate his troops to put them Into winter quarters The Rebells In hungary Begin to grow so Considderable that its thought they will be able to give the french a greate diversion on that side this next Campaigne & some apprehend that the turks seing them so Considerable may be tempted to joyne with them The affaires of the french In scicily have not advanced of late The soldiers dye there In greate Numbers Insomuch that they have Not 6000 men In all that Island of which if the spaniards Knew how to take the advantage they might perhaps quickly turne the french out of that Kingdome on the 24 the Comrs and paymasters made an end of paying the 6 months pay to his Matys yard at portesmouth The lady ffran Villars governesse of his Royall High: Children being dead on sunday, the lady henrietta hyde wife to the Ld Ambr hath that office Confirmed on her +upon the death of Sr Jo: temple Master of the Rolles In Ireland that office is graunted to Sr wm temple his Matys Ambr for holland [Handwriting changes for next two paragraphs; the second occurs at the bottom of the second recto as a note:] +The Earle of Pembroke has in a Duell run a gentleman thro (one Vaughan) but he not being dead (tho presumd mortally wounded) his Lopp has yet his liberty upon Bayle +Capt Lloyd advises me that Mr Palmer is dash't out of ye Rolle of Justices by ye Kings Imediate hand. ye reason I presume I need not tell your Worp L. c. 560 [Handwriting changes here.] Whitehall Decembr 3 1677 +The Lettrs wee receaved til day from Holland bring not any thing Considerable more then that the beseigers at Stetin are very much incomoded by this ill weather, that the beseiged had made so many workes & retrenchments within the Towne, & filled up a great many houses with earth for their better defence, that that seige was like to prove yet a worke of time & difficultie. The ffrench Lettrs tell us, that at St Guislain the beseigers had taken a certaine redoubt, wch lyes att a Small distance from towne; by that they hoped to bee masters of it in few dayes L. c. 56l [Handwriting changes here.] dec 6 1677 whitehall 4 dec 1677 +yesterday morning the parliament pursuant to their last adjournment Met, when mr secretary Coventry brought a Message from the King In writeing to the house of Commons wherein his Maty told them that for severall weighty & Important Reasons he had thought fit to shorten the adjournment appointed by his late proclamation and to Require them to adjourne to the 15 January Next which they did accordingly, as did likewise the Lords who had the same Message Brought to them You will partly see In the Newes booke what the flanders letters which arrived on sunday brought what is not made publicke you will find under the following dates Naples 16 Nov 1677 +wee are at present very quiet the french Not giveing of late the least disturbance to this Kingdome Nor seem they much Inclined for action In scicily being very suspitious of the messineses who are often conspiring against them there being Certainly a great antipathy between them hamburg 23 Nov [and] 3 Dec 1677 +The danes have left the fehr schans In Rugen and have posted themselves all along the River for feare of being surprized by the sweds, wee are told that the Beseiged In stetin Not only defended themselves but were also Resolved to Exspect a generall assault wherewith they had been so long threatened & which they Now Exspected would be made since the brandenburgers had Received a Reinforcement of 2000 danes brussells 7 dec +his Excy accompanied with all the Nobility posts heare to morrow to the army of which he has the sole Command & which Consists In 33 dutch Regements of foot 60 squadrons of horse & 7 of dragoons; and the osnaburgs In 14 squadrons of horse 3 of dragoons and 4 Battalions, and Count waldecke has positive orders to obey his Excy In all things & Even to hazzard a Battle for the Reliefe of St Ghislain which is much straitened But if they shall Either Come to late or be unable to Relieve it They will at least be able to Reinforce the garrison of mons & provide it with Necesaries, In the meane time wee stand In greate Need of generall officers; of foot there is None but Count waldecke & lieut generall alba & Not above 6 Colls; and of horse none but Count Nassau our spanish letters bring Nothing Considderable but a Remission of 100000 Crownes & a Resolution taken by that Crowne to goe on with the warr wee are told from Vienna that the Emperor is Concerned for the losse of friburg and the more for that it was taken on his birth day which is lookt upon as ominous & that the Emperor had there upon ordered a generall fast to be Kept throughout all his dominions L. c. 562 dec 8 1677 whitehall 6 dec 1677 +mr Mountague his Matys Ambr In france haveing Been here some time Returned forthwith & wee are told he will part to morrow by the ffrench posts which Came In yesterday wee had letters from Calais which said that st ghislain was taken, The Capitulation was made on satureday The farther perticulars as likewise how farr the allies were advanced In order to the Reliefe of it wee must Exspect by our flanders letters of tuesday Next, which will Not Come In till to morrow or Next day our flanders letters of friday last are still wanting st ghislain wanted both men and provisions otherwise might have held out longer The french are said to have Invested mons on the 2d arrived In the downes about 100 sayle from burdeaux of which the greater part went Eastward The paris letters tell us the King has set forth another Severe placaert forbidding the Exportation of wheate Rye or any other sort of Corne designing to maintain his plenty at home & to supply his army & its Believed he will goe himselfe In person Into the field In January or the Beginning of february L. c. 563 dec 10 1677 Brussells 10 dec 1677 +his Excy parted hence on wednesday morning to the generall Rendevouz Neare hall and Encamped that night with the army Between limbeck & tubies [?], yesterday he Encamped Between Brain le Conte & Soignes Intending to divert his march towards mons In order to the Raising the siege of st ghislain and the Reinforcing of mons Being assured that the Enemies Next attempt will be upon that place Yesterday morning Count Nassau passed through this Citty with some Regements of horse which were quartered on the other side of Brabant he Intending to joyne the Reare of the army as last night, his Excy In the meane time has sent positive orders to the governor of st ghislain Not to surrender the place promiseing to Relieve him Either as to morrow or on sonday and In order thereunto his Excy Intended to decampe this Morning wee have No just account of the Enemies strength but are apt to Believe they are Not above 20000 But according to the severall advices of the troops which have Been drawne out of the french garisons they must be much stronger, The 4 Instant Mounsr de Lonvoy passed through douay & tooke with him the whole garison of that place to the seige of st ghislain wee are told by letters from mons that the Cannon have Not playd since yesterday morning & that their greate Redoubt is Battered downe levell with the ground, But wee suppose the Breaking of the frost has spoyled their bateries which is the occasion the Canon have Not been heard from Metz They write That Mounsr de Raines with a Considderable part of Mounsr Crequis army is Comeing Into those parts That greate Magazines are prepareing In all places on the Moselle which makes them thinke the french will open the Campaigne with the seige of treves or Luxemburg whitehall 8 dec +wee have this afternoon the dutch letters of tuesday last They tell us they had just Before the Closeing them Recd their flanders letters and In them this following account of st ghislain That the french had taken it on Friday night by storme all the garison which Consisted In dutch troops and Commanded men Being put to the sword That the Beseigers at stetin had taken some new post on the Bulwark Before the holy ghost gate But with Considderable losse of men without greately advantageing the seige thereby L. c. 564 dec 13 1677 whitehall 11 dec 1677 +It seems the dutch letters which said st ghislain was taken by storm were In the wrong, for by those letters we Recd on sonday from france wee have a more perticuler Account vizt That the place Capitulated on friday was seavenight after the french had taken some of the outworks by assault, That 80 men marched out with their armes Baggage & 2 peeces of Canon to Brussells, That the Confederate Army Contented themselves with Reinforceing the garison of mons with 3000 men was seperated again and the duke de Villa hermosa was Returned to Brusells The french troops are likewise seperated & gone Into those quarters they were drawne out before the seige to Refresh themselves wee have this afternoon our flanders letters which confirme what is above Vizt That after an assault of severall houres wherein the Beseiged made a good defense, But the Enemy haveing turned the River by which meanes the water In the ditch was Not above a foot deep, and gained the Rampart, Broken downe one of the gates and Ready to Enter the towne) [sic] The governor was oblieged to Capitulate, The garison Consisted In 1200 men of which 400 were Killed & 200 wounded & the Rest soe fatigued with Continuall duty that it was almost Imposible for them to make any longer Resistance, which they would have done But wanted firearmes which were most Broken with Continuall fireing The garison obtained honble Conditions & were arrived with one Canon at Brussells As well the Confederates as the french army was again dispersed again Into winter quarters & In germany the armies were doing the like L.c. 565 dec 15 1677 whitehall 13 dec 1677 +since my last wee have Nothing from abroade save the letters from france which bring nothing worth Communicating the troops Being Every where gone into their winter quarters though it is a greate question how long they will stay there for it is Certain wee shall Ere long here of some more Exploits of the french, They tell us that in the seige of st ghislain They had Not above 120 men killed & 200 wounded which seems Incredable & very much Contradicts what they write from flanders that of the Beseiged 400 were killed & 200 wounded, The french say they will fortify st guislain & make it one of the strongest In Europe which will be No little shame to the Spaniards to have taken No better Care of a place which may be made so Important The duke of Lorraine haveing extreamly harassed his troops by their long and various marches & that to little purpose has put them Into winter quarters & is himselfe going to Vienna to Compleate his Marriage with the Emperors sister were it Not for his greate quality which puts him above Being found fault with the ill successe of this Campaigne would make him very ill lookt Upon at Vienna, Matters at that Court seem very much perplexed The Rebells In hungary who are said to be 2000 strong giveing them greate allarmes on that side whilst the progresse of the french In Brisgow doe as much on the other +The Cruelties hitherto Exercized Between the parties In hungary are like to Cease, The Imperiallists haveing promised to treate all they meet as prisoners of warr & the Rebells promise to doe the like from the hague they write that the prince of orange has since his Returne had severall private conferences with the deputies of the states as was Believed Concerning a peace which its Believed will be made very suddenly or not at all for this winter The Court is In greate Griefe for the death of the yonge Duke of Cambridge His Maty In Considderation of the greate meritts of & services of sr Robert sherly & his father who for his Eminent loyalty died prisoner in the tower hath ordered the Ld Chancellor to Ishue out a writt of summons for his Comeing to the prsent parliament under the name & title of Ld severs The Ld dumblaine son to the Ld treasurer went on the 7 for france with the Ld Ambr some ships of warr are lately gone to the streights some Now Ready & more prepareing upon the death of mr Clifford master of the Charterhouse William Erskin Esqr Cupbearer to his Maty is to succeed him [Handwriting changes for only rest of letter.] Tis said ye Duke of Norfolke: is dead The buisness of stratford Concerning ye excise was heard at ye Councell board on Wednesday where it was ordred that a Comision of association be Imediately sent downe to Empower 6 Gentlemen of ye Country to act as Justices of ye peace, there, as [is?] also a quo Warranto agst their Charter The 6 gentlemen in ye Comission were all nominated by Mr Maine & approved of by his Maty Whereof sr William Jetson [?] is one L. c. 566 dec 17 1677 whitehall 15d dec 1677 +This morning wee have our dutch letters of tuesday last They bring us Nothing worth Communicating save what they write from stetin of the 3/13 Instant vizt That the Burghers had entred Into a New Engagemt to hold to the last, That on the 11 the Beseiged sprung 3 mines that the two first did No greate Execution But the last Being on the side of the lunenberg quarter blew up about 60 men who were most killed That on the 13 the brandenburgers sprung up 2 mines and on their side And Endeavoured to post themselves there, In the first attempt they were Repulsed but In the second they succeeded & Maintained the said post That the Beseigers were Maintaining severall batteries which when finished they pretend will doe greate Execution, That the Elector of Brandenburg had sent for 5 Regemts which were quarted In his Country of Cleve to Reinforce his army, That the frost was broken and the thaw did more Incomode the Beseigers then the frost Those that Came out of the towne Reported that the works they had made within were Not to be described & that the Burghers were Resolved to defend Every foot of ground Even when the Beseigers should be within the towne, Its said that the sweds Army In lyvonia is on its March The Imperiall troops In germany are all actually In their winter quarters L. c. 567 dec 20 1677 whitehall 18 dec 1677 +The letters wee Receive from flanders tell us that at Brussells Nothing But loud applauses were Continually heard of his Maty for Calling the parliament so soon, and that the former proceedings of that Court were Not so much decryed by that people as they are Now approved for solid, just and ground upon Right Interest That as to the publicke Newes they had little save that the french had assembled a Considderable body Between the Sambre and the Meuse towards Charlemont without haveing yet atempted anything That the Count de Caprara who Commands a body of imperiallists haveing left only 400 horse & dragoons at treves was marched towards deux ponts which he is fortifying with greate dilligence In the meane time the Marquesse de Ramis with the french troops is cleareing the Saar and has taken the garison at Saarbrucke & stripped the garison to their shirts That the duke of Lorraine haveing by a fall at phillipsburg Recd so hurt which may obliege him to keep his Bed for some time, Its Believed Count Montecuculi will Command the army the Next Campaigne wee have our dutch letters of tuesday last they tell us that the Councill of state with the Concurrance of the prince of orange had setled the state of the warr for the yeare Ensuing which is the Same as was the last That In hungary the Rebells who were headed by french Commanders and assisted by poles and others are growne to be very formidable, however the Emperor will by no meanes Restore to the protestants their Churches and Estates though it would gaine the good will of the people That the Beseigers In stetin made little advance the Elector shewing no Inclination to a storme & that it would be very dificult to gaine the place by such slow paces That the danes in Rugen were Retired from the fehr schans and were gone Into their winter quarters on that Isle [Handwriting changes for just this sentence:] Tuesday night last sr ffullman Skipwith dyed in London & will be brought downe to Kirby to be interrd L. c. 568 dec 22 1677 whitehall 20 dec 1677 +yesterday Came In the french letters they only speake of the preparations that are makeing for the Campaigne & that it was Believed that King would be In the feild by the 10 January On the 13th the body of the duke of Cambridg was privately enterred at westminster A patent is granted to one Laurence george georgering to Enjoy for 14 yeares the Benefitt of an Invention for pickling Mackrell so that they may last 2 yeares The Earle of Carlisle is suddenly to goe to his govermt of his Matys Island of Jamaica There are Now Ready to goe speedily to sea 6 of his Matys fregotts for the streights, Besides those lately gone with Capt herbert A ship lately arrived from the East Indies Adviseth that severall of the moore and Banyan merchants desert suratt from the ill usage of the governor & were Resolved to make their addresses to the King, and that the towne people of suratt lye Continually In dread of savagees army who had made himselfe master of all the Countrey adjacent & might be there In a dayes march from bantam it was advised that mr arnold white The agent mr albanns willoughby and mr dudley North were on the 21 Aprill most barbarously murthered Comeing downe from the washing place, The dutch are Embroyled In almost all places they posesse In the south seas, Malacca is Beseiged by the Mallaians and the Battavians have had very bad successe to the Eastward on the Coast of Java on the 16 the turkey ships set saile from the downes westward under the Convoy of sr Richard Munden In the st david and about 100 saile of other merchants ships tooke that oppertunity L. c. 569 dec 27 1677 whitehall 25 dec 1677 +I must pray your Excuse if the devotions of this day keeps from you the usuall Extracts of our Newes which Could otherwise Containe nothing of Moment wee have on [?] this Evening our dutch letters which say that the Elector of Brandenburg is finally master of stetin by Capitulation which was signed the 14/24 Instant and which is very advantagious to the stetiners, The Elector Not only Confirmeing to them all the priveledges granted them by the King of sweden But likewise according them New L. c. 570 dec 29 1677 +Mounsr Campriolit the emperors Resident at the hague hath presented a Memoriall to the states desireing them not to mix In the diference Betwixt the states of friezland and their princesse for that they were summoned to decision by his Imperiall Maty who is their governor as Chiefe of the Empire of which they are members and desired them to Recall their troops that they had sent to Embden &c that they might give no jelousy to the allies & perticularly to the Bishop of munster, The states have Referred the examination of the Memoriall to Comrs but have sent no answer In the meane time The sieur alting agent for the states of friezland solicitts the french generall to maintain their Rights and Not to Recall their forces. Tis said the Elector of Bavaria hath given late orders for Raiseing 8000 men which gives the allies a jelousy they may be Employed In the french service The Lord Douglas Earle of dunbarton is lately Come over from the french army The price set upon wines this yeare is the same as was the last yeare The Cantons of swisserland haveing Called an Assembly to Consult their security Upon the progresse of the french, Mounsr gronville the french Minester appeared unexspectedly amonge them and declared (though without Expresse orders from his master) that his Intention was Not to allarme the Cantons, that what had past their frontiers was occasioned and Begun by the Imnperialists and if the forrest and other townes they designed to protect gave the King No offence he would let them Continue unmolested, which declaration prevailed so farr on the Cantons, as to seperate their assembly without takeing any Resolution for the security of their Countrey The last hamburg letters talked of a greate division likely to arise Betwixt the princes and the Electors of the Empire which they lookt upon of the more dangerous Consequences for that it was said the house of Brunswicke was the head of it which had greate adherents, There was also some doubt whether the greate alliance made In the Empire might Not speedily be shaken The french letters of the 28 tell us the whole buisnesse there was Not preparations for warr The Nuncio had Been with the King with a letter from the pope full of perswasions to a generall peace to which he answered that it was his hearty desire and to that purpose he had disposed his armies so as to force those that were obstinate to Encline to it, the Nuncio Intimated something of a warr designed against Italy In answer to which it was told him that the King would have Regard to the territories of the Eccliasticall state +The letters from leghorne dat 10 said some french men of warr were Come In thither without any account of late action, Their Comeing was for provisions of which there is greate scarcity at messina Its advised from germany that the elector of Bavaria had signified to the Emperor that unlesse a peace were made he must thinke of takeing his measures accordingly, as also that the french were gathering a Considderable body to fall Into the Emperors hereditary Counties, It was said that a fond was made at vienna for Carying on the next yeares warr and that they should be In the feild by the 1st of march wee heare from Treves that greate preparations are makeing upon the moselle and that they much apprehend a seige, The marquesse de fuentes designed Ambr to England will begin his Journey thither In few dayes where his presence will be Necesary Vienna 19 dec 77 +The affaires of hungary doe very much perplex this Court and the more for that the Rebells are Not only assisted by french But likewise by the turks and the Elector of Bavaria under hand & are become so Considderable as to be In a Condition to attacke stronge places +straasburg 24 dec 77 whether there is any Reall grounds of our apprehensions of the french I know not, But this is Certaine that all sorts of people here seem perswaded the french have a designe upon this Citty which time must shew +The Catholic Cantons have made a league with the spaniards by which they are oblieged to assist them with 1600 men In Case milan be attacked by the french +Paris 1 January It is said the King will be In the feild by the End of this month or sooner and that mons and Namur will be beseiged both at a time The Duke de vivonne desireing leave to Return from scicily Confirmes us In the Beliefe that things are there In an ill posture L. c. 571 Jan 3 1677 whitehall 1 Jan 1677 +The Conge de lere [?] for the Electing dr sandcroft archbishop of Canterbury is passing & dr stillingfleet has kist the Kings hand for the deanery of St paulls The newes wee told you of In our last of the french Kings Intending to part from st germaines as yesterday makes us somewhat Impatient after our Next french letters which may be able to tell us farther of that Kings designes & the more for that its said at court that the french Ambr seems to Contradict it on sonday wee had our flanders letters they speake Chiefly of the apprehensions they have of some sudden action In those parts & they tell us perticularly of greate preparations makeing at dunkerke which they thinke are designed for some place on that side at Newport or Ipres which latter place they are In most feare of as Being In the worst Condition for as for mons and Namur they are at present well provided for, there being In the former a garison of 9000 men wee have this Evening our paris letters of satureday last They say that the Kings heavy baggage parted the day before for st quentin But that the King has put off his Journey for some dayes upon the Representations that had been made to him that his said baggage would be able to march but slowly & that it would be Necesary to give them severall dayes advance L.c. 572 [Handwriting changes here.] Janr ye 5th 1677 +Upon ye surrender of Stetin the Elector of Brand: is said to have sent 2500 Horse & Dragoons to ye Isle of Rugen & that some footmen to follow to assist ye Danes there, tis said that not above 500 sound men were remaineing in Stetin at its surrender, the garrison Consisting in above 3000 at ye beginning of ye seige, & that ye beseiged had been forcet soe to manage their powder to have Enough in Case of a genll storme. the Artillery found there Consisted in 135 peice of Cannon whereof 90 Brass. the King of Denmarke is said to be Equiping a fleet of 50 men of Warr, & that he Will make up an army of 40000 men Wee heare that ye Elector of Bavaria is Endeavouring to make him selfe King of ye Romans & that he has a great party in Germany From Hamburg they write this perticuller account concerning ye surrender of Stetin, That on ye 23 past ye Governr in his Owne & ye Burghers name sent out to desire a Capitulation that ye next day Hostages Were Exchanged & Articles agreed on, & amongst others ye Garrison insisted to be Convoyd to stralfondt & to have Coll [space for about five letters left blank] who has bene a long tyme prisoner wth ye Brandenbs set at liberty wch the Elector Would by no meanes agree to & there Upon the beseigd recalled their Hostages, but hypon better thoughts they sent out againe ye 26 & accepted ye Articles offerd by his Electorall Highness wch you have already at large & the same day a Brandenburg Garrison tooke posession of one of their gates. besides those Articles there is other of favour accorded them by the Elector, vizt, that ye Burghers shall for 10 years to come enjoy a free fishery Without paying any thing for ye same, provided that at their owne charges they repaire & rebuild ye ruind churches, except ye Great Church wch ye Elector rebuilt at his Owne proper Cost As for the privledges his Electorall Highs confirmed them, they are ye same wch they enjoyd in the tymes of ye Dukes of Pomeren, not those granted them by ye King of sweden Upon severall Complaints made to his Maty agst ye Earle of Pembroke his Maty has orderd him to be sent to ye Tower Where he is now a prisoner The Earle of Ossory parts hence wth ye first faire Wind for Holland to viset ye Prince of Orange Tis Said ye Duke of Norfolke is Certainly dead at padua. L. c. 573 [Handwriting changes here.] Jan 7th 1677 +The deputies from groningen & some from the ommelands being arrived at the hague their diferences will probably be Composed In a little time, The latter makes greate Complaint against the gruffier of the states for a transposition [?] Comitted In the drawing up the last Resolution Concerning that affaire, for whereas it was thereby ordered the Rengers should be first released and then a generall amnesty should be passed on both sides, The Resolution is now found to Run that the amnesty should first passe and afterwards Rengers should be Released They had advice from straasburg that Coll Kunnitz marching with a party of horse and dragoons towards the Castle of Brenbacke within 3 houres of Basle after some small Resistance made himselfe master of it which is a strong fortresse & In that prevented the french who had a designe Upon it to Cache those of the forrest townes The advices from nimeghen of the 20 are that Mounsr Beverning Came thither but on sonday night & the Next morning Mounsr Van hacen tooke his turne to goe out of towne, Mounsr ulhen was arrived from the duke of holstein to procure the Bringing that dukes Interest Into the treaty of peace +on the 27 don Carlos de Borgia sent from the duke de Villa hermosa Returned In the Charles yatcht which brings over the Marquess de fuentes the Spanish Ambr his Maty hath Nominated dr Sandcroft deane of St Paulls to be archbishop of Canterbury and dr stillingflash [sic] who was Residentary is made deane & the place of Residentary is given to dr Tillotson deane of Canterbury dr parry is made Ld bishop of ossory in Ireland They write from Vienna that the Emperor was sending a minester to the Country of Swisserland who are to hold an assembly on the 25, The Estates of Bohemia are to meet & the Count petting marshall of the Court was deputed from the Emperor thither from whence it was judged that some propositions of Extraordinary Consequence were to be made because the Emperors usuall Custom was to send only a gentleman & not a person of that quality, The Conspirators to deliver up Caschaw In upper hungary Into the hands of the Rebells are timely discovered & Executed although they made so sure of Carying on their plott That its said the marquess de bethaume the french Ambr In poland did Confidently declare that it was In their posession, The Rebells In hungary have sent to that marquesse to head them Exspecting by that meanes a Considderable force from poland by the Interest he hath by his long Residence among them & the Rather for that he is brother In law to the queen The Catholicke swisse Cantons have taken such allarmes at the designes of the french upon Italy that they are said to have agreed upon a leavy of 10000 men to be prsently made for the defence of milan Though its said the french will not this yeare proceed In their designe In those parts & will Content themselves to have given the Spaniards the trouble & Charge of putting those places In a posture of security which hath In some measure prevented him from so well supplying other places they Intend to attacque at vienna they are giveing orders for the Raiseing severall new Regemts and Recruiteing the old & that nothing may be wanting of moneys its said the Emperor has made off all his private tresury some talke that he would Not upon occasion spare his jewells The paris letters of the 8 say there is a greate want of provisions at messina & many dye of a new distemper which some whisper poyson the King has given permission to the dutchesse of savoy to transport Into her Country 10000 sacks of Corne The master of a ship belonging to linne [?] hath sent advice that severall ships have been lost [?] upon the Coast of france In his Company & that he Escaped with much dificulty & had Recd much dammage & that he saw many men lye drowned on the shoare L. c. 574 January 10 1677 whitehall 8 Jan 1677 yesterday arrived two Expresses with letters from my Ld Ambr Mountague wee have this Evening our dutch and french letters the former tell us that when the garrison of stetin marched out it Consisted only In 120 foot & about 90 horse of which only 9 were Mounted when at the Beginning of the seige they made up above 3000 That they had advice from flanders that the french had Reposest themselves of the posts about mons and that the french officers gave out that it would be beseiged In few dayes, That their dutch Companies who Endeavoured to put themselves Into mons had been mett with and quite Cutt off by a french party, That In the meane time they talke much of peace In holland Especially upon the Newes they had from france that that King had deferred his journey to his army which they Believe was done In Considderation of his Maty of England The french letters only say That things were prepareing for the Kings march L. c. 575 Jan 12 1677 whitehall 10 Jan 1677 +yesterday Came In all the forreigne letters which were due Except one french post what they brought is made publicke, all that is Certain is that the french preparations are very greate on the other side people Entertaine themselves with greate hopes of peace from the King of france stopping his Journey, so soon as he marches things will presently appeare In flanders mons and Namurr are In a very good Condition, Ipres is In the worst Condition and therefore the most feared for [In left margin near paragraph above and in another hand appear these words:] From the 13 of Jan: 76/7 to the 13th of Jan: 1677/8 on the 7 at night came 2 Expresses from france and 3 Cabinet Councells have Been since held upon which severall discourses are Raised But Being only Conjecturall I forbeare to mention them, mr Thin sent from his Maty to holland is safely Returned Some Barnstaple ships arrived home from Cadiz say all the vessells Belonging to that port that went from newfoundland were safe & that they heard not of any late mischiefe from the turks They write from amsterdam that they are hastning away the fleet designed for scicily and Exspected Van troup home Every day who is declared lieut admirall of the fleets of the states In de Ruytiers place & Mounsr Bastientz succeeds him In admirall of north holland & mounsr walenburg is made lieut admirall of north holland Its advised from st Christophers dat Nov 2d of the arrived [sic] of the soldiers lately sent to them & that the Count de blanaque was arrived at Martinico who is made generall of all the french Islands & had sent orders to one mr Laurence to transport himselfe & all the soldiers with some Islanders to martinico to attend the motion of the Count de Estrees who was dayly Exspected with 8 or 10 greate ships with fireships &c This day the Earle of dunbarton went for france, [Handwriting changes here just for rest of letter.] upon the arrivall of 2 Expresses from My Ld Mountague in france 3 Cabinet Councells have bene held wch occations much discourse but ye buisnes is as yet altogether private L. c. 576 Jan. 14th 1677/8 whitehall 12th January 1677/8 +Yesterday morning mr Godolphin parted hence for flanders &c wee have our dutch letters of tuesday last They tell us that That day the princes foot guards marched from the Hague towards the generall Randevouz of the dutch forces Neere Malines whither the prince of Orange would suddenly follow for he had Newes that the Marshall de Humieres was Come with 25000 men to Aoth wee are In hourely Exspectation to heare of some action from those parts L. c. 577 Whitehall the 15 of Jan: 1677 +The last night wee had an old ffrench post, the Lettrs being dated on Satturday was seavennight, they tell us that the day before an ordr was published requireing all officers to bee the 15/25 instant at their respective commands upon pain of being cashiered for that the King intends a very early Campagne These twoe dayes the drums have beat in Towne for the raiseing recruits for the Regimts of Guards wch are to bee made up 100 men in each Company Wee are told that the English fforces in ffrance are calld home The Parliamt being this day mett, his Maty sent them a Message, that for weighty Considerations, & because hee could not yet give them ye account hee desired of severall matters, his Maty had thought fit they should adjourne till Monday com seavennight, & accordingly they adjourned till that time The Kings Message 15 Jan: His Maty hath mattrs of very great importance to communicate to bothe houses in ordr to ye satisfaction of their late Addresses for ye preservation of fflanders, but it happening that matters are not at prsent so ripe as within a few days they will bee. There fore his Matyes pleasure is, that this house bee immediately adjourned till Monday the 28 Instant Jan: [On outside of letter appears this list in another hand:] D.H. 16. G.N. 10. I.M. 22. Bab. 40. NP. 12. Th. Hall. 12. Th. Cl. 05. Ro. Gr. 05 Cookes 08. Ap. fur. 12. Bul. w. 20 Wardfd &c.16 ------ 178. --- L. c. 578 [Handwriting changes here.] Jan 19. 1677 whitehall 17 Jan 1677 +severall Commissions have Been given out for the makeing the Earle of Cravens the hollands and the admiralls Regements 20 Companies Each and 100 men In Each Company The 24 Companies In the Kings Regemts of guards are likewise to be made up that Number besids which severall New Companies are to be Raised for guernsey Jersey Jamaica & other places The dutch letters of the 11th say they had advice from flanders that there were 10000 french wth 3 or 4 field peeces at grammont which is 6 leagues from Brussells, But that it was Believed their maine designe was to destroy & Ravage the Countrey The only Newes wee Can Exspect is from france whether the french King is parted from st germains or Not for so long as he is there wee must Not Exspect any Considderable action The duke of Bournonville In scicily has taken a place Called la mola from the french & was Battering firmina on the 11th the Earle of ossory went for holland Greate preparations are Makeing at Chat[h]am portesmouth &c for setting out a Considderable fleet The french letters of the 19th tell us there are frequent Conferences Betwixt the french King & his Ministers & the Ld Ambr Mountague on the 13th In the Evening mr Brisband who was Commissioned by his Maty to Negotiate In Behalfe of the English merchants In france Arrived at dover & Rideing post all night was at whitehall on the 14th L. c. 579 Jan 21st 1677 Whitehall 19 Jan 1677 +Wee have our ffrench letters of satureday last & by them This following account Paris 11 Jan +It has Been said here at Court that the M: Humieres had a designe to Attacke the fort Called the 3 holes on the Canall of Brussells as likewise Vilvord But as yet wee doe Not heare of the Execution of it The last letters wee had from these parts Give us an account that the said Mareshall had Burnt Enghien & Nivelle & that he Continued to destroy & Ravage that Countrey and to allarme the Spaniards In which his Intention is to obliege them to draw out their troops to make head against him & to weaken the garison of some place or other which the french would Immediately Attacke to which End a good body of men is kept In the Neibourhood of Mons Ipres & Charlemont Wee have letters from germany from very good hands which say that the sweds affaires are In so very ill posture that nothing can hinder them from being driven out of germany very suddenly part of the troops of the Kings household marched 3 dayes agoe The swissers Began their March yesterday as the french guards will doe this day or to morrow & it is Most Certain that the King will follow the Beginning of the Next Month The day of his departure is Not yet fixt though the discourse at court is that it will be the 10th of the Next month But I am apt to Believe it will be sooner The Cardinall de Estrees is arrived at Munchen the Elector of Bavarias Court his Buisness is to presse that Elector to assist the dutchesse of savoy with 8 or 10000 men without which it seems that dutchesse will Not Enter Into a warr against milan The generality of people here are Much Concerned at the appearances there seem to be of a Rupture with England The M. de Crequi parted here yesterday for Lorraine L. c. 580 Jan 24th 1677 whitehall 22 Jan 1677 +Wee had severall Expresses passe Forward & Backward between this place & Holland Spaine ffrance And here at Court wee talke more & More of the Appearances there is of a warr This Morning wee Recd our dutch letters of last tuesday They tell us from Pomeren that Count Conningsmarke was passed over with 5000 men to the Isle of Rugen haveing with him 600 burghers of Stetin armed with long Guns, That he had already forced the Danes who were 7000 to quitt severall posts to draw togather In a body & when the letters Came away away from Straelsond they had an account that the 2 armies were going to Engage The Earle of Ossory is arrived In Holland Its said his Lordship will Command all the English In the service of the states with the quality of Lieut Generall At the Hague the Ministers of the allies have severall Greate Conferences Concerning the present Conjuncture On sonday Next the Archbishop of Canterbury is Consecrated L. c. 581 Jan: 26th 1677 Whitehall 24: Jan 1677 +Wee had yesterday 2 posts from ffrance the last letters Being dated the 19/29 Instant, They tell us that my Ld Ambr Mountague had audience of that King In which he had demanded the Return of the English scotch & Irish forces at present In his service which its said the King Complied with & has granted them liberty to passe ffreely home, all things are prepareing for that Kings journey, he goes directly for Nancy In Lorraine & by the preparations that are made on that side Its Believed Luxenburg & Tryer will be Beseiged at the same time or as others think straasburg His Brother the Duke of Orleans stayes Behind to Command the armies In fflanders so that there is like to be briske doings this summer all thoughts of peace seeming now to be wholly layd aside On the 23 mr Sydney Godolphin Returned from Brussells & gave his Maty an account of the affaire In which he had Employed him & then a Cabinet Councell was Immediately Called & Indeed the Councell sitts frequently & Couriers are dispatched & all dilligence used to bring matters to a full Ripeness to be Communicated to the High Court of parliament The voluntiers Come In so freely Upon beates of drum that the Captaines picke & Choose their men & Its Not doubted but the seamen will as willingly Enter Into the service as fast as the ships are fitted for which all dilligence posible is used The Lynn letters dated 14th say there had so much Rain falne that the fenns were much overflowne The newes our ports afford us is mostly of wrecks & misfortunes at sea by the late stormes Those ships that Come from france tell us of greate wrecks seen on that Coast, The Concord of Bristoll Ran upon a Rocke putting Into scilly & Imediately sunke His Matys ship the Hampshire sailing from Portesmouth towards Jersey was forced to stop at Cowes where on the 17th at night amidst much thunder & lightening They write that a thunderbolt splitt the maine mast & Maine top mast the fall of which hurt severall & the lightening Burnt others but though severall were Burned None were killed L. c. 582 January 28th 1677 Whitehall 26 January l677 +Yesterday Came In the severall Mailes from Holland & fflanders which were wanting the latter bring nothing of Moment But the letters from Holland bring us an account of the greate victory obtained by the sweds In the Isle of Rugen you have already heard that Count Conningsmarke was passed Into that Isle with what forces he could make which In all made not above 4500 men & the advantage he had of the danes In severall skirmishes, on the 8/18 Instant, They Came to a determining action for after the Cannon had playd for some time on both sides & done Considderable Execution & perticularly the sweds Cannon which was more advantagiously placed, The danes left wing advanced & Engaged the sweds Right wing But was Not only Repulsed But presently put Into greate Confusion of which the sweds takeing advantage pressed upon them & made themselves masters of 6 peeces of Cannon where upon Count Conningsmarke advanceing the same time with the sweds left wing the danish Infantry were so discouraged that they threw downe their armes & fled The Cavalry behaived themselves not much Better for after one discharge they likewise fled, The Imperiall dragoons & some Brandenburg horse behaived themselves pretty well & they were most Cutt off & the Rest taken prisoners The sweds pursued their victory very Closely that & the next day & pickt up all those that had sheltered themselves here & there & 2000 daneish horse who Retired In a body & Endeavoured to make their tearmes to be transported to danemarke had No other allowed them then to yeild themselves up Upon discretion as they did & besides those that were killed the Number of prisoners Exceeded the sweds severall daneish officers & soldiers Endeavoured to Escape In boates & most of them were mett with & taken by boates sent from straelsond Generall Major Rumor who Commanded the danes was killed In the Beginning of the fight by a Cannon Bullet & after that the danes disputed about the Chiefe Command, which very much Contributed to their defeate on the sweds side the losse is but small & not one generall officer killed A list of the daneish prisoners 1 Coll 5 lieut Colls 11 Capts of horse & 15 of ffoot 6 Capt lieutenants 5 quartermasters, 50 lieutenants, 12 Cornets 41 Ensignes 3 adjutans about 4500 Comon soldiers 12 peeces of Cannon 5 Mortar peeces 100000 weight of powder & a greate quantity of provisions just at the Comeing away of those Letters 15 officers more were brought to straelsond & more will be dayly pickt up, Most of the Common soldiers have taken service with the sweds who have likewise got a greate many good horses & by that meanes may be able to make up a body of 10000 men The danes were 7000 when they began the fight L. c. 583 January 31 1677 Whitehall 29 Jan: 1677 +Wee have Advice from Barbados that the Count de Estrees was Arrived there with 10 men of warr &c That he Intended to visit the dutch again at Tobago & it was Believed he would goe thence to the spanish West Indies On the 28th the Ld Howard & Ld Mowbray & Ld fferrors were brought Into the Lds house & placed Commons 28 Jan A message Being sent by the Usher of the Blacke Rodd to Command the house to attend his Maty, The house went up where his Maty made a speech, Upon their Returne his Matys speech was ordered to be taken Into Considderation to morrow morning New Writts are ordered to be Issued out for New Elections for Winchelsea Yarmouth Lichfield stamford Cheshire Norwich Bristoll Newport In Cornwall Leswould Lennington In Hampshire Warwick Commons 29 Jan +This day the Commons after a debate of his Matys speech Resolved that an addresse be prsented to his Maty Containing their humble thanks for their Greate Care of the protestant Religion In the Marriage of his Niece with a protestant & Humbly to Beseech his Maty that he would be pleased to admitt No treaty of peace but such a one that may Leave the ffrench King In No Better state then he was left In by the pirenian treaty for the obtaining of which his Maty shall Never want the assistance of that house +Also his Maty is humbly desired to print his speech That neither our selves Nor any other of the allies shall hold any Commerce In trade with the ffrench King or his subjects during the warr The house to sitt to morrow In the afternoon to Considder of the more decent & solemn Enterment of his late Maty His Maty In his speech declares he hath used all meanes to procure a just and Honourable peace to Christendome But if it Cannot be had by faire meanes it shall Not be his fault if it be Not had by force and that if the dutch doe their part its Necesary wee have out 90 Capitall shipps & 30 or 40000 landmen & shews them the severall occasions he hath for a large supply L. c. 584 [Handwriting changes here.] The Commons Address to his Maty 31st of Jan. 1677/8 +Wee yo[u]r Matys most humble & Loyall Subjects the Commons in this prsent Parliamt assembled doe in all duty and gratitude render o[u]r most Humble thanks to yo[u]r most Sacred Majesty for the great care yo[u]r Matie hath Expressed for the preservacon & Incouragement of the Protestant Religion by concludeing a marriage with the Lady Mary yo[u]r Mats neese & the Prince of Orange being a Prince professing the same Religion with us and engaged In Arms for the defence of ye Common cause of Chrisendome for the promoteing of which we doe with all humillity wth the highest felte [?] to yo[u]r Mats honnr & the safty of yo[u]r people Beseech[ing] yo[u]r Matie not to Admitt of any treaty of peace whereby the ffrench King shall be left in the possession of any Larger Dominions & Teritories or in any greater power then what he obtained by the Pirenian treaty less then which wee [?] [seven letters illegible] cannot secure yo[u]r Mats Kingdome & the rest of Europe from the Growth and power of ye sd King but that he may be able to disturbe the Peace thereof whensoever he is minded to Attempt it, The places reserved by the King of Spaine in the Netherlands Being Advantagious aswell by the vicinity of some Important Towns & Garrisons to the Kingdome of ffrance as by ye Extent of their Territories +And wee doe most humble desire That in all treatys Articles & confederacons In wch to ye obtaining of that end your Matie will be pleased to provide that none of the partys whoe shall Joyne with yo[u]r Matie in makeing warr for that purpose may lay down their Armes or depart from their Alliances untill the sd King be reduced to the said Treaty. +And wee doe farther desire as one of the most effectuall meanes to obtaine the sd ends that it may be Agreed betweene yo[u]r sd Maties and the Confederates that neither our selves nor any of them shall hold any comerce or have with the ffrench King nor any of his Subjects dureing the sd warr and that noe Comodity of the Growth pduct or Manufacture of ffrance or any of his Territorys or dominions either by Land or Sea be sold wthin the same but that they may be seized & destroyed wheresoever they be found and days to be limitted for the same In as short a tyme as the notice of such affaire will permitt. +And that in all treatys Articles & confederations made in order to or for the psecucon of such Warr it may be agreed & declared that noe vessell of any Nation whatsoever shall be permitted to Enter into or come out of the ports of ffrance but that the Shipp & men shall be Seized & the Goods destroyed. +Wee doe therefore most humbly desire of yo[u]r Matie to proceed to makeing such Alliances & Confederations as shall be necessary for the Obtayning these Ends And though wee beleive yo[u]r Matie can never doubt of the Affections of yo[u]r People yett upon this Occasion wee doe with all Allacrity & wills wth one Unanimous consent Reno[un]ce our former promisses & Engagemts beseeching yo[u]r Matie to rest confident of o[u]r persiverance in the psecution of the sd Warr, And when yo[u]r Mat pte [?] yt to Impart such Alliances & Confederations to us in Parliament wee shall upon all Occasions give yo[u]r Matie such ready Assistances & Supports as may by the blessing of God bring the said Warr to a Happy Conclusion His Majestys Answere to the Commons Address. +His Matie hath Recd & perused the late Address of this house & thereunto wetnesseth this Answere that he is not a little Surprized to find soe much Inserted there of what should not be and soe little of what should. +In the first place his Maties Speech was to both houses Joyntly & the Matters being of soe publique a Concerne it is certainly very convenient the retourne of the Speech should be made joyntly for to receive sevrall Addresses & possible very different cannot but Administer matter of distraction to his Councells & consequently to the Affaires of this Nation, Nor is the house of the Peers reasonably to be left out in transacting those things which at last must needs pass by them. In the next place he Observed in the Address of the house of the 20th of May last you invite his Maty to a league offensive & defensive with Holland against the Growth and power of ye ffrench King and for the preservacon of the Spanish Netherlands & upon Declaration of such Alliances you Assure his Maty of such speedy Assistances and Supplys as may fully and plentifully answere the Occasions. +His Maty hath Accordingly made the Alliances offensive & Defensive with Holland & declared it to you in Parliament soe his part is performed but as to that of this house for Supplys though he Asked it in his Speech you give him noe Answere Nor the least hint of Affording him any thing to Support the Alliances he hath made onely the Old promisses are putt to New Condicons & soe he may be used to Eternity should he seeme sattisfied with such proceedings. +you are not to thinke that either his Maty or the States being to Embarque in soe great a designe will deprive themselves of the other Considerable Alliances, some Ministers of the most concerned Princes have knowne and Approved of his treaty with the States Genall & that he hath not formally Concluded one with them the reason is the distance of the places the Princes concerned Reside in would not give tyme to perfect soe many Treaties to be Ratified in places soe remote, And laying well the foundacon in Holland there could not be much doubt of their consent for whose Intrest the treaty is made, But nothing can delay or indeed disapoynt those treatys more then the fayling of this house to support those his Maty hath made, he must acquitt [?] his credit there & soe [?] his word [?] can be mentioned before he can Engage it elsewhere affresh. +In his Maties Answere to the Address of this house of the 20th of May last he told you how highly he was offended at the great Invasion of his Prerogative but you take noe notice of it but on the Contrary Add to yo[u]r former Ill Conduct New Invasions Equally offensive to his and he thinks to most mens Judgments. +The house desireth his Maty to oblige his Confederates never to consent to a Peace but upon Condicon that the most Christian King be reduced to the Pirenian treaty at least; A determination fitting onely for God Allmighty for none can tell what can be fitting Conditions for a peace but he that can certainly foretell the Events of the Warrs. You advise his Maty not onely to Engage his Allies but all the world not to lett a shipp of theirs to goe or enter frome ffrance upon the loss of shipps Goods and men Not Excepting either Allies Princes or Ambassidors if amongst them, hee doth not beleive that ever any Assembly of men ever gave soe great and Publique a provocation to the whole world without either haveing provided or soe much as considered how to provide one Shipp or Regimt or one peny towards Justifying it at least soe farr as you have Acquainted him. +However to show how willing his Maty is to give all reasonable satisfaccon how unreasonable soever the proposicons be made to him he doth againe repeate to you what he sd on the 28th past, That if by yo[u]r Assistance he may be putt into Armes sufficient for such a worke, his Maty will not be weary of them untill Christendome be Restored to such a place as it shall not be in the power of any Prince alone to Disturbe. +This is the consequence of it asmuch as a Prince that values his word can say to you and he is such a one, but to say he will make no other p[eace?] then such a perticuler peace whether Both [?] or not and [?] whether Abandoned by his Allies or not is not to be sd upon sollemne Engagemts because not to be pformed. +In Summe Gent: the right of makeing Warr and peace is in his Maty and if you thinke he will depart from any part of it you are mistaken. The Reines of Goverment are in his hands and he hath the same Resolutions and concerne to prserve them as he hath to prserve his own person and he keeps both for his peoples protection and safty and will Employ them soe farr as he can. +If this house Incourage his Maty to goe farther in Alliances by supporting him in maintaining those he hath made his care and utmost Endeavours will be Employd for you. +If this house doth intend this it must be speedy the tyme and Conjuncture affords not leasure to consult and therefore his Maty desireth that without farther Loss of time you Apply your selves in the Considerations of the Supply for from thence he must take his measures. L. c. 585 [Handwriting changes here.] ffeb 2d 1677 Whitehall 31 Jan 1677 +On the 30th In the afternoon the Commons ordered the thanks of the house to be given to dr spratt & he desired to print his sermon The House Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house to Considder of the more decent Enterment of his late sacred Maty & Resolved that two moneths tax according to the prsent Monethly Rates be given for the Enterment of his late Maty & for Erecting a Monument to Commence from the Expiration of the prsent monthly tax on the 31st the house of Commons agreed the addresse & 2 Billes were sent from the Lds the one to prevent Clandestine marriage & the other Concerning Baptizeing & Catechizeing our letters tell us of the greate appearance of the Elector of Bavarias dclareing for france & this Every Body Believes is the occasion of the Kings journey towards Germany; Certain it is that the Cardinall de Estrees has Besides the Marriage of the Daulphin to that Electors daughter made very greate offers to him & that the last weeke a Courrier arrived at St Germains with letters from the said Cardinall directed to the Kings owne hands & that the King Returned In [sic] the messengers within few houres with an answer to the said Cardinall the King haveing Been up most of the night to write the dispatches himselfe which makes it Evident there is some greate Negotiation In hand and should that Elector be brought to declare ffrance would Receive a very greate support In the prsent warr for that hee has at prsent 18 or 20000 men on foot & is Now going to Raise 10000 men more On the other side its said that to bring him off from ffrance, The Emperor ofers to marry his daughter to the Electors sonn & to make him In case the Emperor hath no male Children King of the Romans But this last wee hardly Believe On Monday passed by deale a very greate fleet of Dutch ships for the streights among which were 16 men of warr being those Designed for scicily Wee heare that the ffrench are fitting out Neere 40 men of warr at St mallo which are Intended for Private men of warr In Case of a warr with England They write from plimouth dat 25th that the ffrederich of that place John Mathews Commander arrived that afternoon who Came from Havre de grace on wednesday the 23 Jan: whence he was Much hastened & After he had got out of Command his Merchant sent him word that if he had stayd 2 houres longer he had Been stopt by an Embargo L. c. 586 feb 4th 1677 Commons 31 Jan 77 severall persons sent Into Custody for breach of priveledg The addresse Reported & agreed to Comons 1 feb 1677 A Bill for the Better assurance of such as Claim under antient fines & Recoveries Read a 3d time & past A Bill for the preservation of fishing In the severall Rivers of this Kingdome Read a 2d time & Comitted The house to attend his Maty this afternoon with the addresse The Comittee to sit this afternoon with the hearth money Bill & the farmers of the hearth money to attend on tuesday with their pattent +Resolved that mr Franklin a Member In granting protection to mr Cottington & mr Jones not being his Meniall servants hath violated the justice & honour of the house & that for so doing he shall be Expelled the house The officers of the Exchequer & Comrs of the Navy ordered to bring In Estimates of the Charge of a Regement of foot an account of the ships & the men to be employed In them & the Charge thereof on Monday morning Next & then adjourned till Monday morning [Figures in another hand almost cover the outside of letter.] L. c. 587 feb 7th 1677 Comons Monday 4th feb 1677 +his Matys answer to the addresse prsented & Read to the house The house then Resolved Into a Committee of the whole to Considder of a supply to his Maty & for the prsent support of his allies Lds 4 feb 77 +The house being Informed that the Earle of salesbury was at the doore & was Ready to make such submission [as?] they should require, His Ldship was Called Into his place & being told the house Exspected his Ldship doe make the same submission now which the [Lds?] formerly Required of him he said +My Lds In obedience to your Comands I doe agone [?] pardon of his Maty & the house for Asserting that the Prorogation of the Parliament was illegall, with which the house was satisfied & he continued in his place Complaint being made of a servant of the Ld Cromwells Being arrested Upon Examination of the Matter it Could Not be prooved he was his Ldships servant upon Considderation whereof it was ordered that the Ld Cromwell doe pay the Costs & dammages that the Creditor of John Milmer Now In Ludgate hath sustained by this protection, and that it be Referred to the Comittee of Priviledges to Report what penalty shall be Imposed on a Lord that shall give any protection to one that is Not his servant & that the Ld Cromwell attend the house before thursday Next 5 feb 77 The Comons sitting, late I have only time to tell you of this dayes proceedings that they have Resolved that a supply be given to his Maty for the support of his Alliances &c The sum to be fixt to morrow The ffrench King parted from Paris towards Germany On Monday was sevenight the 28 January L. c. 588 feb 9th 1677 Lds 5th feb 77 +Upon petition of Phillip Risant of Charing In Kent Esqr against the E of Pembrooke Complaining of an Assault made by The sd Earle Upon him They ordered him to be Called In and Averring the truth of the petition upon oath they ordered the Earle to give 2000 L bond to keep the peace against the petitioner & all the Kings subjects for one whole year which the Earle acknowledged Sr Jo Cartwrights Bill Read & Committed Comons 5 feb 77 +The Committees to whome the sale of Cobham parke &c & the ffishing Bill sent from the Lds were ordered to sitt this afternoon The Ld Morleys & mr samines Bills Read a 2d time & Committed The Clerke of the peace of Middlesex according to order delivered the Conviction of Recusancy against sr soloman swaile a member of the house & his petition being Tendered it was ordered that he be summoned to attend the house that day fortnight Ordered that the farmers of the Hearth money Attend the house with their pattent to morrow morning & then the house Considdered of the supply Lds 6 feb 77 +The Ld Cromwell appearing; The order of his summons & the order Concerning priviledges were Read upon which he declared he Never knew the orders of the house before & is sorry for what he hath done & will Revoke what is past & will doe so No more & then the house Being Mooved that something is to be done Effectuall for preventing the Inconveniencies of Protections They ordered the Committee of priviledges should meet this afternoon to Considder of prepareing somewhat to be published declareing the tenor & Import of the standing orders of the house Relateing to the priviledg of parliamts The Comons Returned mr Cooks Bill with some Amendmts which was twice Read & ordered to be Read againe Comons 6 feb 77 +mr Cooks Bill Reported & Read a 3d time & past The house then Considdered of the supply & Resolved that 90 ships of warr are Necessary for the support of his Matys prsent alliances with the states of Holland for the preservation of the spanish Netherlands & lessening the power of ffrance Comons 7 feb 77 +The house Comitted a Bill to prevent Rapine on the Northerne borders & ordered a 2d Reading to A Bill for Regulating the Court of Chancery & then proceeded Upon the supply & appointed a Comittee to Considder of the Charge of setting forth & Maintaining 90 ships of warr for a Moneth vizt 4 of the first Rate: 5 of the 2d Rate. 16 of the 3d Rate. 47 of the 4th Rate 12 of the 5th Rate; & 6 of the 6th Rate & to Report it to the house On the 6th the Archbishop of Cant was sworne & tooke his place of his Matys Most Honble privy Councell +all written Protections are declared voyd & a publication to be made of it throughout England The Earle of Exeter is lately dead & so is sr Herbert Price Master of his Matys household L. c. 589 ffeb 11th 1677 +The Considderation of the papers prsented by the Master of the Ordinance & mr secretary of the Admiralty Referred to the Comittees that Considder of the Charge of 90 ships All written protections declared to be voyde & publication to be made thereof Throughout England 8 feb Commons +A Bill to prvent the Importation of silke & woollen Manufactures Read & ordered a 2d Reading A Bill for setling a Charitable use for Kelshall Read a 3d time & past A Bill ordered to be brought In prohibbitting the Importation of ffrench wines Brandy Linnen salt silke paper & all other Comodities of the growth product or Manufacture of ffrance for the terme of 3 yeares Then the house went Into a Grand Comittee & Resolved That dureing an actuall warr against ffrance 26 Regemts of ffoot Each of 1000 men 4 Regemts of horse Each of 490 men And 2 Regemts of dragoons Each of 960 men are Necessary for the support of his Matys alliances with the states generall for the preservation of flanders & lessening the power of ffrance [in margin at left of this paragraph and in another hand these amounts are computed] & the Committee to whome the Considderation of the Charge of the 90 ships was Referred is also to Considder of the Charge of the sd Regemts for a Moneth +The Earle of Dunbarton is Marching with the scotch & other Regemts of his Matys subjects out of the french service L. c. 590 feb 14 1677 Monday 11 feb 1677 Comons A Bill for Erecting a Publicke Registery for lands In Every County Read & ordered a 2d Reading The Committee about the Kings supply & all others that were to sitt on satureday Revived & to sitt this afternoon whitehall 12 feb +Wee just Now Receive the ffrench letters of satureday last, They say That the King & the Court was arrived at Thoul in Lorraine, That his designe was Not yet knowne But many Believe he would have an Interview with the Elector of Bavaria, That the Mareshall de Crequi had passed the Rhine with [15?] or 20000 men at Brisach & It ws thought he would Enter Into Suabia & joyne the troops of Bavaria or Else Attacke Offenburg They had advice from the Count de Estrees of his haveing taken the Isle of Tobago & all the dutch ships that were there, The Commander the sieur de Binches was killed In the action Nothing of Moment past In parliament this day, The Commons Read only some private bills The Committee Not haveing yet Been able to Report Concerning the Equipage of 90 ships And Adjourned till Thursday L. c. 591 feb 16th 1677 Whitehall 14 feb 77 +According to all appearance the designe of the french King is upon straasburg to have his Revenge Upon that Citty for haveing so often violated their Neutrality In favour of the Imperialists and among other Reasons to think so this is one That the M: de Crequi is Now past the Rhine and gone as they say to Attacke offenburg which is about 2 leagues from straasburg On the other side wee doe Not heare that the germains make any preparations to put themselves In a posture to oppose so greate a force as the french will have Besides the additional forces of Bavaria if he declare In faivour of the french as its Much feared he will The Kings subjects In the french Kings service Cannot yet get Leave to Come home, The french say there Must be a warr first declared & In the Meane time Use them somewhat hardly & have Cashiered severall of the officers & sent them away without paying them anything They have sent the scotch Regemt of which my Ld Douglas is Coll as farr as Dauphine & the duke of Monmouths Into the franche Comte &c The Dutch have Not only lost the Isle of Tobago but as the french say 11 men of warr & all the men that were there It is Believed the Count de Estrees will from thence passe to the spanish westindies +The King has Appointed Comrs to treate with the spanish Minister here This day the Comons Read the stanary Bill and the Comittee haveing made their Report of the Charge of the ships to be 108840 L:10 s:0 p Moneth & of the army to be 49113 L:31 s:4d p Moneth the house after a long debate agreed to it, besides which the Master of the ordinance has Brought In an account of the Monethly Charge of a trayne of Artillery Armes & Ammunition The Earle of shaftesbury prsented a petition to the Lds for his liberty but was Rejected severall persons of the greatest quality & Interest In their Countrey have lately Kissed his Matys and his Royall Highs Hands profferring to Raise Regents & goe themselves with them whenever his Maty shall please to give them his Commands [Handwriting changes here.] Tis said the Earle of Pembrooke since his Enlargment has kild a man, besides 2 Horses, upon wch his Ldpp is fled beyond sea. The Earle of Ossory is gone againe for Holland, & an Envoy dispatcht to ye Duke de Villa Hermosa at Brussells about matters of great Importance On ye 10th arrived an Envoy from ye Duke of Lorrayne to his Maty A vessell arived from Rochfort at Bristoll reports ye people much troubled at ye apprehensions of a warr wth England, vizt [?] as yt may ruine them in hindring ye vent of their goods A man of men of warr went from Rockfort to Brest, 2 of betwixt 50 & 90 guns, ye other of 30, & more were following +The feare of Mons being actually beseiged seames to vanish Tis said ye french King has some great designe in hand, Resolveing to stay not above 6 [?] Weekes, & haveing by Computation noe less then 70000 men wth him, The french seeme not soe intent as of late in fortifying Troy [?] bourg, & are demollishing Ingweiler, & severall places they have in those parts The Dutch letters say ye allyances intended betweene Poland & Sweden are Come to Nothing, the Elector of Brandenb haveing made such offers to ye Pole, that they had resolvd upon a Neutrallity, wch tis thought will put a stop to ye march of ye swedes from Livonia, in Prussia Ducale as was intended. The Admiralty of Amsterdam are much concernd at ye loss of Tobago, Especially for that Binches was sent by them wth out ye permission of ye states, soe that pretensions are makeing upon them to pay the Whole charge, the Dutch ships intended for sicilly are to Rendezvouz at ye Isle of Wight Where Evertson is to come to them. Brussells letters speake of a long Conference between [?] the Duke Villa Hermosa & ye Duch agents Concerning ye preparations for ye Campaigne, The Prince desireing to know what number of troops &c he could furnish & that all possible dilligence may be used for provideing Magazines &c: all appearances of peace being vanisht assuring him that ye Prince & ye states were makeing all Imaginable preparations for ye Campaigne. to wch ye Duke gave them great apearance of takeing other measures than hitherto for Carrying on ye warr & that he would soe mannage ye publick affairs as should be most for ye advancemt of ye Common Cause L. c. 592 [Handwriting changes here.] feb 18th 1677 Thursday 14 feb 77 Comons A Report (to the Committee to whome the Estimate of the Charge of the Navy & land forces was Referred) to a Comittee of the whole house who agreed to the 2 following votes ships Rates 4 1 5 2 16 3 47 4 12 5 6 6 togather with fireships & tenders manned at 25562 men which amounts to 108840:10:0 p moneth Consisting of 28 dayes Inclusive, The office of the ordinance & all sicke [?] on board That the totall Expense for one Moneth of 26 Regemts of foot 4 of horse & 2 of dragoons amounts to 49130:13:4 friday Comons A Comittee appointed to Inspect the lawes Concerning the poore & to bring In a Bill A Bill sent from the Lds for Explaineing a late act for preventing dangers which may happen from popeish Recusants Read a 2d time & Rejected A Bill ordered to be brought In Enforceing the Buriing in woollen satureday 16 feb Comons A Bill for Impowering & lycenceing Protestant strangers to Exercise their trades In the places Mentioned In the Bill Read & ordered a 2d Reading A Bill for punnishing Atheisme & Blasphemy Read & ordered a 2d Reading A Bill for prohibitting the exportation of wooll Read a 2d time & Committed L. c. 593 feb 21st 1677 Whitehall 19 feb 77 +ffrom Tangier was had an account that the Moores had on Twelfe Night about 9 of the Clocke given them a very Hott Allarme on the sudden, fireing at No Lesse then 5 of the forts at once vizt Charles, Anne, Pond, Henrietta & Kendall bringeing ladders & other Requisitts for an attacke along with them & Contrary to their former practice they Attacked the 2 latter In good Earnest, Henrietta they became Masters of Killing 2 of the men and Carrying away the Rest as they suppose, while In the meane time fort Kendall (whether by accedent from within or without is uncertain) blew up That dureing the action which lasted 2 houres the Canon of the towne & Castle did Greate Execution upon the Enemy who they Conclude to be very Numerous from their Constant & thicke fireing & for that Reason made No sally, But the Next morning the governor Resolveing to Retake fort Henrietta by storme (In Case the enemy Continued In it) Marched out with a Good party of horse & foot but they had deserted it & so gave him a More Easy posession Monday 18 feb 77 Commons A Bill from the Lds about Catechisme & Baptizeing Read & ordered a 2d Reading The house then Resolved Into a Committee of the whole house & Resolved That the summe of 100.000 L be Raised for Enabling his Maty to Enter Into an actuall warr against the french King Tuesday 19 feb +The Commons have this day Resolved that part of the 100000 L Given yesterday shall be Raised on New foundations In and about London that is every New foundation since 1656 to pay halfe a yeares Rent Wee have all o[u]r fforreigne letters they say that the 12/22 Instant the french King arrived at Nancy, That his designe was declared upon Treves that pioneers were sumoned In & other preparations makeing Its Believed Luxemburg will be beseiged at the same time L. c. 594 feb 25th 1677 Commons feb 19th 1677 +A Bill to prevent Theft & Rapine on the Northerne borders of England Read a 3d time & passed A Bill sent from the Lds for preservation of fishing Read a 3d time & passed The house then resolved that towards the Million to be Raised for his Matys supply a Charge shall be Layd on all Buildings on New foundations since 1656 to pay one halfe of a full yeares vallue & appointed a Comittee to take such surveys & Estimates as may Ascertain the vallue Comons 20 feb 77 +The Matter Concerning the Patent for hearth Money to be taken Into Considderation to morrow & then the house made some farther progresse In the supply Lds 20 feb 77 +The petition of the E of shaftesbury was Read praying his Enlargement & submitting to what the house will Enjoyne him & therein Begging pardon of his Maty & their Ldships upon which the Ld Chancellor acquainted them his Maty had Recd a 3d petition from the sd Earle, But understanding that he had Endeavoured to free Himselfe from their Censure by an appeale to the Kings Bench dureing the late Adjournment thought Not fit to declare his pleasure as to his Enlargemt till they had taken the same Into Considderation Upon which after a long debate it was ordered that the Record of the Kings bench Court be brought Into the house to morrow & that this Buisness be proceeded Upon In the first place Commons 21 feb 77 +The Comons have this day Resolved a Pole to be Raised on the same foot as that In the 17th yeare of his Matys Reigne was They recken that the Tax on the New foundations will Come to 5 or 600000 L The Lds have declared that it is a breach of Priveledg for any member of their house to appeale to an Inferior Court dureing the sitting of the parliament, However that this shall Not be any barr to any plea the E of shaftesbury has to make The Dutch letters tell us Admirall Evertson was gone with 20 men of war 6 fireships & 4 with provisions & Ammunition to which were joyned 3 men of war built at amsterdam for the Spanish Kings service & that a Resolution was past for the equipping of 20 ships of war forthwith But its Not said for what service, They Talke as if the 2 Northerne Crownes and the Elector of Brandenburg might Come to an accomodation The Paris letters tell us of a Greate fleet designed this yeare for the Mediterranean of No lesse then 80 saile of all sorts Whitehall 23d feb 77 +Little of moment past In the house yesterday save that the Commons Resolved that a Charge be layd on the East & West Indies without Mentioning the same The Lds ordered yesterday that the Earle of shaftesbury be on Monday brought to the Barr of the house Wee have o[u]r dutch letters of last Tuesday They say that the P of orange upon the advice he had Recd That according to all appearance the french would Beseige Namur & Charlemont was parted from the Hague some houres Before the letters Came away by the way of Breda to his Army which was Already marched towards Hassell In Germany the Imperiall troops Begin likewise to draw togather L. c. 595 feb 28th 1677 Whitehall 26 feb 77 +On sonday Evening by a letter from Dunkerke wee had Advice That In flanders the french had drawne their forces togather under the Command of the Mareshall de Humieres That they had Beseiged Ghent the Capitall Citty of the Province of fflanders And yesterday Morning this Newes was Confirmed by letters from Newport with these following perticulers That all the troops that were posted about Ipres were Marched that way, That In four dayes they had Not had any Letters from Ghent Antwerpe Brussells Nor Germany the french haveing stopt them all, That it was Not Exspected that Ghent Could Make any Resistance Being so large & populous A Citty without any soldiers In it save what are In the Citadell & those to few & the Citadell besides so little Tenable against an army that very little is to be Exspected from it, That the french King was likewise Come Into flanders & It was Believed he would March directly to Brussells, It may Easyly be Immagined Into what A Confrontation this has put those Countries In The Dutch letters Come this Morning assure us That Charlemont on the Meuse was Beseiged on the l6/26 Instant by the french & it was probable Namur would In few dayes, They give no acccount from Ghent save what they heard from Antwerp That a body of french was Come Into the Neibourhood & had Begun to fire upon it from their Batteries Its said here at Court that advice is Come that the french King Arrived In person at Ghent on friday last of which his troops were Masters the day before haveing Marched about 80 miles In two days But I know Not the certainty of this On Monday the Commons Read only some perticuler Bills, one about Encourageing the wearing woollen Manufactures +The Bills for the Raiseing the Million are prepareing The E of shaftesbury was Brought to the Barr of the Lds and upon his Acknowledging the Error of his former opinion & his humble submission to his Maty & the House, It was Resolved that his Maty be addressed to discharge him of his Imprisonment On Tuesday the Comons Read & Committed The Bill for Incourageing the wearing woollen Manufactures, and Read the Poll Bill & that about Burying woollen & ordered a 2d Reading L. c. 596 March 2d 1677 Whitehall 28 feb 77 +In my last I told you that the french had made themselves Masters of Ghent what I have Now to tell you is That yesterday morning 12 Companies Consisting Each In 100 men drawne out of the Kings guards Embarked In the River & Imediately set saile for Ghent Carrying with them all manner of stoores Necesary as Amunition provisions &c Being joyned Into a Regement of which my Ld Howard of Estwicke is Colonell sr Samuel Clarke lieutenant Colonell & Capt downing Major After they were gone there Came Newes from dover that a gentleman a passenger arrived there from Calais who said that the french King arrived on friday last at Ghent That Citty surrendring without any Resistance That on satureday the french Kings army Came downe to Bruges which likewise opened their gates & from thence severall troops were marching as was thought towards ostend upon which advice 3 or 400 men more were prsently drawne out of the guards & shipt last night likewise for ostend & about midnight the Duke of Monmouth followed Being Commanded by the King to put himselfe with all posible dilligence with the said men Into Ostend for the defense of that place In Case it should be Attackt This Evening arrived o[u]r french letters they say that the french King arrived on satureday last about two In the morning Before Ghent which Citty was surrendred that day & it was Exspected Bruges would doe the like The Kings army Consisted In 100 squadrons of horse & 69 Battalions foot In all about 60000 men They say the P of orange had a very good trayne of Artillery at Bruges which is lost This morning the D of Monmouth Returned hither againe being hindered by Contrary winds but about Noon parted againe accompanied with severall persons of note Comons 27 feb +The Poll Bill Read a 2d time & Committed to a Comittee of the whole house & Instructions Given to the said Comittee that No wines Brandy salt silks &c or any other french Commodities be Imported for 3 yeares & that wheresoever they shall be found there shall be penalties Inflicted Equally to the vallue of such goods That it be Referred to the Comittee to Considder of an Appropriateing [sic] Clause The E of shaftesbury is Released of his Imprisonment L. c. 597 March 4th 1677 Whitehall 2d March 1677 +It seems the Newes wee had here these 3 or 4 dayes has Been a Mistake Grounded upon Report only for On Thursday Night arrived here a gentleman who Came from the french Campe on Tuesday morning who said that the King arrived there on satureday, That on Monday the trenches were opened against the Citadell that when he Came away the place still held out And last night mr Brisband whome the King had sent over to Ostend to Informe him of the Condition of things there & at Bruges Returned hither & Informed the King that he was at Bruges on Thursday about 10 In the morning that Ghent was Not yet taken That the Governor of Bruges Informed him that there was Not above 4 or 500 soldiers In Ghent But that the Majestrates had listed 15000 Burghers & setled a very Good pay upon them That they had Beaten the french out of a halfe moone which they had taken on sonday & Monday last that they hoped they would be able to defend themselves for some time That at Bruges there was 2000 men In Garrison & the Governor a very Brave man & was Resolved to defend the place to the last In Case the french Came Before it & that the P of Orange was come within 6 leagues of Ghent +Last night Came In our flanders letters they say that the french army Consists In 35000 foot & 20000 horse & that the french have so fortified their severall quarters that it is Imposible to force any of them It is hoped that by this time our Men are safely arrived at Ostend They Carryed with them very Considderable stoores of Powder Granadoes &c & Tis said they will be shortly followed by 5 or 6000 men More to be put Into such places as most Need them The Commissions for the New Leavies are prepareing with all posible hast & will be given out In a day or Two The parliament have Been since my last Every day Upon the Poll Bill & that for the prohibitting the Importation of french Manufactures which are to be put Into one, They have made a Considderable progresse therein so that its hoped it will be finished In a day or Two L. c. 598 March 9th 1677 Whitehall 7th March 1677 Charges in the Poll Bill [This line is in another hand.] +Yesterday Arrived a Vessell from ostend who brings an account that my Ld Howard arrived there on satureday with the Men that went with him & that on Monday the D of Monmouth Arrived there with the Rest That his grace was Received with the discharge of the Cannon Round the towne, That after haveing Been there some houres he went to Bruges where those men are to be put Into garrison & their place at Ostend to be supplyed by those that are gone over since Just Now arrived Capt sunderland who parted from ostend yesterday In the evening being sent by the D of Monmouth to acquaint the King That their men are all landed Except some few, haveing been hindered by bad weather That the Citty of Ghent was surrendred to the french on Wednesday last In the afternoon but the Cittadell Not till sonday morning, The french King was Marched with his army towards Ipres, haveing In all hast sent 3000 horse & a footman behind Each of them to put themselves Into Dunkerke Upon the Newes he had Recd of o[u]r Motions on this side On the 27th february arrived at Falmouth the East India Merchant of London Capt Cooke Commander In 5 Moneths from Bantam our Men of warr are dayly fitted out, The Charles ship of the first Rate was the 28 february launched at Rochester New Built from the Water Edge & In a Better Condition then when at first New And the first Instant the Resolution a 3d Rate ship docked In her Roome In order to the fitting to sea, and on the 2d the Princesse sailed In order to her Repaire In some Merchants docke In the River thames The letters from Vienna dat feb 20th tell us the generall officers had orders to Repaire to the army Imediately & that the D of Lorraine would presently follow them with whome it was thought Generall Cobs would be sent & that Count Lesly who Commanded the Emperors Forces In Denmarke should supply his place In Hungary The dutch letters of the 11th tell us of a sale Exposed by the Dutch East India Company the day before where the Bidders were so few & profered such meane Rates that they Could Not vend any of their Comodities A thing Never knowne among them before The sweds army In lyvonia was Ready to March But are stopt by the death of their Generall Bent horne till their K has appointed another generall L.c. 599 [no place or date] [This letter is best read from the heading, "The severall Charges layd in the Poll Bill," below, to the end, then from the start to the heading.] Eldest son of a [duke?] 16 yeare age 30 L yonger son of a duke 25 L Eldest son of Marquesses 25 L yonger son of Marquesses 20 L Eldest son of Earles 20 L yonger son of an Earle 15 L Eldest son of a vicount 17 . 10 s yonger son of a vicount 13 . 6 . 8 d Eldest son of a Baron 15 L yonger son of a Baron 12 L Barronets 15 L Knights of the Bath 15 L Knights Batchelors 10 L Every sergeant at Law of the Kings Councill 20 L Every other sergeant at Law 15 L Esquires so Reputed 5 L Gentlemen so Reputed 1 L Every widdow the third part of what her husband according to his quality should pay The first meeting of the [Comrs] to be at or upon the 12th of Aprill l678 & within 8 dayes after In the severall divisions The severall Charges layd In the Poll Bill debts & Ready monies 1 L p Cent Offices & places of publicke Employmt 2 s In the pound Pensions granted by his Maty 3 s In the pound Judges sergeants at Law Councellors 2 s In the pound [A bracket connects Advocates proctors & publicke Notaries these two lines.] Servants wages 1 s In the pound All persons for their heads 1 s Except the Children Under 16 yeares of age or of Labourers servants In Husbandry & all that by Reason of their poverty pay Not to Church or poore, or all that are Not worth 50 L In Lands or goods & have 4 Children or More Every deane 1 th [?] 10 L drs of divinity Law & phisicke 5 L Every archdeacon 2: 10 s those of liveings of 120 L p Ann 5 L Every prebend 2: 10 " Merchants Not freemen & liveing within 10 miles of London & tradeing In the Port of London 10 L: 0: 0 Merchants & others that Rent a house of 30 L a yeare In London or within the Bills of Mortality 0 . 10 s .0 Members of the East India Company for stock upon the first Capitall subscriptions 1 L p Cont The Members of the Guinney Company the same to be paid by the Governor & treasurer of the East India & Guinney Companies Merchants strangers & aliens 10 L Jewes Resideing & tradeing In London 20 L The same Comrs as were In the act for Building 30 ships to be Comrs In this Bill All dukes 50 L Archbishops 50 L Marquesses 40 L bishops 20 L Earles 30 L barons 20 L vicounts 25L [See editor's note at start of letter.] L. c. 600 March 11th 1677 Whitehall 9th march 1677 +The letters wee Receive from flanders Bring us the Confirmation of the surrender of Ghent But what the Articles are they know Not, only it was said that the King had promised them the Confirmation of their priviledges & that the soldiers should Not be quartered Upon them That Mounsr de Lonvoy had In the Kings Name assured the Grand Baliffe of the Country of Waas that his Maty would Not this yeare Attempt anything against Antwerp But that he would turne his armies another way (which as its supposed will be towards Ipres Bruges & those parts[)] That the P of Orange had sent 6 Battalions by water to sluyce with orders to put themselves Into Bruges for the security of that place which they are In most feare for The letters wee Receive from Ostend tell us That my Ld Howard Arrived there with the men under his Command the 2/12 Instant In which place was only a Spanish Regemt of 400 That the deputy Governor had Refused to Receive them till he had orders from the Governor who was then at Bruges But the Arrival of the D of Monmouth the Next day Removed all scruples That on the 4/14 Instant my Ld Howard Landed with his men the officers haveing their quarters In the towne & the soldiers In Baraques, That the men that Came with the D of Monmouth Were Not all Landed haveing Been hindered by bad weather but so soon as they are Come Ashoare togather with 1000 men More Exspected out of the ffriggotts In that Roade) [sic] part should be sent to Bruges where is a Garrison of 5000 men & that the D of Monmouth had sent 400 men to Newport That on the 5/15 Instant our men tooke the guard of their posts which Reached from they [sic] Key port to the Newport gate In all 5 Bastions with demy lines and Redoubts which Cover about halfe the towne towards the Campaigne side & that they had Newes that the french were about Dixmude & Ipres both which places were said to be beseiged [In left margin next to this paragraph and written upside down in another hand is this note:] Due to F. 6-10-2. Pd H. King. all & gave him this 19 2+. Pd the Brewer 2+ Given him 1+. 5' Yesterday the Poll Bill past the Commons house the Title is To Enable his Maty to Enter Into an actuall warr against the french King & for prohibitting the Importation of french Commodities which was sent up to the Lds where it was Read for the 1st time All the Commissions for the New Leavies are Given out L. c. 601 [Handwriting changes here.] [no place or date] Articles agst Mr Coleman 1 ffor writing letters of news to St Omars wth treasonable observations thereon 2 ffor writing treasonable letters to Monsr Lackee ye french Kings Confesor 3 Receiveing a Comision from ye Genll of ye Jesuites to be secretary of state 4 Being privy to the treasonable results of the Jesuites Convention in the moneths of aprill & may. Concerning the murthering ye King 5 Receiveing Monsr Lackees instructions & dispersing them to the principall Contrivers & Conspirators of ye Kings Death here in England 6 Consulting to raise rebellion in Ireland & promoteing ye same 7 Paying sr Georg Wakeman 5000 L in pt of 15000 L for poysoning the King 8 Receiveing severall summs of mony in Order to the Carrying on ye Plott agst ye Kings person, Religion & Governmt 9 Transmitting 200000 L into Ireland to Carry on ye Rebellion by the resistance of ye Jesuites there & for designeing wth them ye murther of ye Duke of Ormond 10 Receiveing & transmitting mony to Windsor to ye 4 Ruffians that were to assassinate the King & Encourageing ye messengers to Carry ye mony. all wch articles were fully & clearely proved agst him & he accordingly sentencet to be drawne hangd & quarterd L. c. 602 [Handwriting changes here.] March 14th 1677 Whitehall 12 March 1677 +On sonday morning very Early the d of Monmouth & d of albemarle Earles of Mulgrave Plimouth Feversham & the Rest that accompanied him Returned hither from Ostend from whence they parted the day Before The Newes they bring is That Ipres is Beseiged That the 5/15 Instant the french K Arrived there That Next day the trenches were to be opened & that it was Exspected the french would be masters of the place In few dayes That at ostend there were 8 Companies of English foot Commanded by the Ld Howard That 4 or 500 were Marched from there to Bruges under the Conduct of the Earle of Middleton the Rest of the men Being Not yet Arrived by Reason of the ill weather & Contrary winds, That their Reception at Ostend from the Burghers had been Cold enough But that the governor had Received & treated the Duke with all posible Honours & Respects, That Besides the English there are 400 Spanish soldiers In garrison but are sad soules There are More Men going over dayly for flanders On satureday the Lds Being in a grand Committee Read the Poll Bill a 2d time & made a Considderable progresse therein, The Commons have Now before them the Bill Concerning the Laying A tax on the New foundations All that I have time to tell you of the proceedings In parliamt of this day is that the Lds have agreed to the Poll Bill without any Amendments & to morrow they Read it the 3d & last time The Commons past the Bill for the More Easy Collecting of the hearth money that about burying In woollen Reported & ordered to be Engrost L. c. 603 March 16th 1677 Whitehall 14 March 1677 +By the french letters which arrived yesterday wee have an account that the trenches were opened Before Ipres the 6/16 Instant that It was Beseiged only with 20000 men the Rest Being put Into quarters of Refreshment & that they Exspected to be Masters of the place In 5 or 6 dayes, They say that the King was Exspected backe at st Germains against Easter their stile, and that part of the troops who are at prsent In flanders will be sent towards Germany The Mareshall de la ffevillade In scicily has Not succeeded In the first Attempt he made you know he went out from Messina with all his forces to Attacke siracusa or Augusta, It seems he first Attackt the Castle of mola but was Repulsed with the loss of 450 men upon this place and about 200 taken prisoners of which wee Expect a more perticular account Lds 13 March +An act for Makeing salt water fresh & wholesome at land & sea Read An additionall act to prevent the spoyleing all high wayes by waggons & Carts Read & Committed An act for the Better Regulating the Residence of Ecclesiasticall persons & plurality of Benefices Read An act for Regulating the office of the Marshall of the Marshalsea of the Court of Kings bench & warden of the fleet Read An act for Raiseing Money by a Poll & otherwise to Enable his Maty to Enter Into an actuall war against the french King & for prohibbiting severall french Comodities Read with Amendments & past & Returned to the Commons +Comons The Bill for Encourageing the wearing of woollen Manufactures Reported & ordered to be Engrost The house also made a greate progresse In heareing the Matter Concerning Lindsey levell On the 14th the Commons past the poll Bill with Amendments & ordered that an addresse be prsented to his Maty Humbly to Advise him that his Maty (to quiet the Minds of his Loyall subjects & to Encourage the princes & states Confederated against the french King) will be graciously pleased Immediately to declare & Enter Into an actuall warr against the french King And to give his Maty assurances that this house will Constantly stand by him & aide his Maty In the prosecution thereof with plentifull supplies & Assistances And that his Maty will be Graciously pleased to Recall his Ambrs from france & Nimeghen & to send home the french Kings Ambrs severall Commissions are already delivered out for the Raiseing severall Regemts of foot vizt to Coll Villars to sr Charles wheeler Ld Allinton Coll Legg sr Jo fenwick Ld Douglas sr Lionell Waters Ld Morpeth Ld Brian mr sidney sr Henery Goodrich sr Thomas slingsby & Coll stradling for Horse for the Kings Regemt to the Duke of Monmouth for the queens Regemt to the Duke of Albemarle for the Dukes Regemt to the Earle of Peterbrough for one other Regemt to the Ld Gerrard for Dragoons for the Kings Regemt to the Earle of feversham for prince Ruperts Regemt to sr John Talbott L. c. 604 March 18th 1677 Lds ffriday 15 March l677 +The Bill for discharge of all prisoners for debt before the 2d of february last with some Amendments Read & Upon the Debate of the house Recommitted Mr Powell Reports the addresse which the house agreed to & the Lds Concurrance desired The Bill for laying a Charge on all New Buildings Read & ordered a 2d Reading severall private Bills Read The Addresse +May it Please yo[u]r Maty, wee yo[u&r Matys Most Humble & Loyall subjects the Commons In this prsent parliamt assembled doe with all duty & faithfulness to yo[u]r Matys service humbly prsent yo[u]r Maty with this o[u]r Advice, That for the satisfiyng the minds of yo[u]r good subjects who are Much disquieted with the apprehensions of the dangers arriseing to this Kingdome from the growth & power of the french King & for the encouragement of the princes & states Confederates against him would be graciously pleased Imediately to declare proclaime & Enter Into an actuall warr against the sd french King for the prosecution whereof (as wee have Already passed a Bill of supply which only wants yo[u]r Royall Assent so wee doe desire yo[u]r Maty to Rest Confidently Assured that wee will from time to time proceed to stand by & Aide yor Maty with such plentifull supplies & assistances as yo[u]r Matys occasions for so Royall an Undertakeing shall Require And Because yo[u]r Matys Endeavours by way of Mediation have Not produced those good Effects yo[u]r Maty Intended wee doe most Humbly Beseech yo[u]r Maty that you would graciously be pleased to Recall yo[u]r Ambrs from france & Nimeghen & to Cause the french Ambr to depart from hence that yo[u]r Maty being publickly disengaged as a Mediator or upon such tearmes & Conditions as were then proposed, yo[u]r Maty may Enter Into the warr to No other End then that the french King may be Reduced to such a Condition as he may be No longer terrible to yo[u]r Matys subjects & that Christendome May be Restored to such a peace as May Not be In the power of any prince to disturbe satureday 16 march +Resolved That it be Referred to a Committee to Considder whether persons Called quakers or any other dissenting protestants have Been Convicted as popish Recusants & two thirds of their Estates leavied & the sd Comittee to Considder to make a distinction of popeish Recusants from other dissenters from the Church of England That on Tuesday Next the house will take Into Considderation the dangers the Religion of the Church of England is In by the growth of popery The Lds have Adjourned the debate Concerning the addresse till Monday They have Resolved to pray his Maty to appoint a generall fast L. c. 605 March 21st 1677 Commons Monday 15 March 1677 +A Bill for Makeing the River Vale in Cornwall Navigable Read & ordered a 2d Reading mr shalnoffes Bill Committed +A Bill against Hawkers & pedlers Read a 3d time & passed A Bill for the More decent Enterment of his Most sacred Maty Read twice & Committed to a Committee of the whole house to sit on Wednesday The Members of the privy Councell to Acquaint his Maty that there is a Bill of Aide passed which only wants his Royall Assent sr Thomas Meere Reports the Election for Malton That mr Geblethwaight is duely Elected to which the house agreed Lds 18 March +The house went Into a grand Committee to proceed In the Considderation of the addresse which was Read and after a long time spent In the debate thereof the question was put whether they should agree to it as it was sent up & Resolved In the Negative & then they went upon it In paragraphs And Insteed of the word IMMEDIATELY they added WITH ALL THE EXPEDITION THAT CAN POSIBLY CONSIST WITH THE SAFETY OF YO[U]R MATYS AFFAIRES And Resolved to leave out that part Concerning the sending away of the french Ambr Beginning at these words AND BECAUSE to the words TO NO OTHER END which being Reported was agreed to Commons Tuesday 19 March 77 +A Complaint on the behalfe of sr Edward Bish that the proffitts of his office are Sequestred dureing the time of priveledg Referred to the Committee of priveledges mr Samines Bill Read a 3d time & passed A Bill for a Registry for pawne Brokers Read A 2d time & Committed mr Thorrolds Bill Read a 3d time & passed The Bill Concerning New buildings to be Read a 2d time on Thursday mr powell Reports the Reasons to be used at the Conference touching the fishing Bill which was this day offered at the Conference A Message from the Lds with Amendments to the Addresse which this house did Not agree to & Appointed a Committee to draw up Reasons for their dissenting mr secretary Coventry delivered this following Message from his Maty CR +His Maty hath Recd the Notice sent him by this house that the Poll Bill was Now Ready for the Royall Assent which his Maty was well pleased to leave off & Resolveth to passe it to morrow; His Maty desireth this house to dispatch the Rest of the supplies promised him with all Expedition, The sea & land preparations Run greate danger of being disappointed if these supplies be Retarded, And it will be A satisfaction to his Maty to heare from this house that Noe More time should be lost In a worke so necesary for the safety & Reputation of the Nation at the finishing these supplies dated 19 March 77 whitehall 19 March 77 +By an Expresse Arrived this Morning from Newport wee had an account that Ipres was surrendred to the french on friday last, the Spaniards say the french have lost severall thousand men In the seige of Ipres But little Credit is to be given to it for at the same time that they writt from Ostend that 3 or 4000 men had Been killed In the seige of Ipres the french say they had Not lost above 500 men L. c. 606 March 23d 1677 Whitehall 21 March 1677 +Wee have Not yet the Capitulation of Ipres which was surrendred on ffriday the 15th Instant save that the garison was to March to Bruges The King is Certainly Gone Backe to Paris & his troops In flanders will goe Into quarters that they may be able to take the field againe About A Moneth hence Comons 20 March 1677 A Bill for the More Effectuall punishing of Champerty & Maintenance Read & ordered A 2d Reading The tobacco pipe Bill Read & Rejected The Bill for Measuring of Keeles & Boates for Carrying of Coales Read & ordered a 2d Reading his Maty After haveing Given his Royall Assent to the Poll Bill &c Made this following speech to both houses My Lords & Gentlemen./ I Am so zealous for the good of the Nation that I Cannot Choose But tell you that it shall be your fault & Not mine if all be Not done that should be for the safety & happiness of it & I must tell you there Must be No time lost. Commons 21 March 1677 +A Bill to prevent stealing deare Read & ordered a 2d Reading A Bill to lycense protestant strangers fo exercise their trades here Read a 2d time & Committed sr George Downing ordered to goe up to the Lds to desire a Conference about the Amendments to the Addresse which he did accordingly & the Lds have agreed to A Conference to Morrow at 11 A Clocke The Bill Concerning New Buildings Read a 2d time & A debate Arriseing about the Commitment thereof The same was adjourned till satureday & the Committee to whome the Estimate of the Buildings is Referred to perfect their Report by that time The house to take Into Considderation the dangers Arriseing to the Church of England by the growth of popery on wednesday The house to be In A Committee to Morrow about the Bill for the Interment of his late Maty The Dunkerke letters say the french lost 8 or 900 men Before Ipres which is to be dismantled the garrison which was 3000 are Marched to Bruges severall troops of horse & dragoons have proceeded so far as to Muster As have Also many of the foot, The soldiers Comeing very freely Into the service On the 17th there were 14 saile of his Matys ships in the Downes besids what are In ports &c and those that attend In Convoys with more soldiers aboard for the service of fflanders, The preparations for sea Aswell as land are Carried on with the greatest dilligence On the 14th was Launched At Chattam the sr Andrew Graves for sea, The Next tide the french Ruby The Next tide after that the Cambridg The next tide being the 16th Instant the Royall oake & when shee was out the Henrietta put Into the docke Both swede & dane prepare with greate vigour for a warr The danes send out ships Raise men & have appointed 3 dayes of fasting & the sweds Resolve to put In armes Every 4th man throughout the Kingdome of sweden L. c. 607 Reasons Used by the Commons at the Conference March 23d 77 +Impris That his Maty haveing declared to us since this Meeting That he had made a League offensive & defensive with Holland against the growth & power of the ffrench K And for the preservation of the spanish Netherlands wee Cannot but Judge that his Maty hath disposed of his Affaires In order thereunto & is therefore Now so far Engaged that An Immediate declaration of Warr against the ffrench K Cannot be Either prejudiciall or dangerous to his Matys Affaires 2 That by declareing warr Immediately his Maty may begin the warr against the ffrench K At this time upon Equall tearmes whereas If things Continue In A Doubtfull State the ffrench K may begin upon us when he sees his Best Advantage & surprize his Matys subjects whilst they goe on In security In their trade In Confidence of A seeming peace And if wee should agree to the amendments yo[u]r Ldships propose the provocation to the ffrench K will be Equall to An Immediate declaration of warr & will Equally Justify him In such A manner of proceeding & yet at the same time leave o[u]r selves & the Confederates In greate uncertainty 3 That the Armies of the ffrench K have been of late soe prosperous & soe succesfull that It may be doubted that If his Maty doe Not Immediately declare A warr the Confederates or some of the principle of them may be Constrained to make A peace Upon such tearmes as the ffrench K will grant whereby wee may be left to defend o[u]r selves Alone or Upon Much greater disadvantages then wee may at prsent 4 That by the words yo[u]r Ldships have put In, the time may be left Indefinite & so May be subject to the Exposition of those who have prevailed with his Maty to deferr the Entring Into A warr too long Already 5 That by declareing Warr Immediately the force his Maty hath Raised Must be prsently sent Abroade & Employed beyond sea, whereas otherwise they must be kept In this Kingdome, Then which Nothing Can be More dangerous & More destructive to the Lawes liberties & properties of the subjects of this Kingdome, the feare of which hath Already posessed their Minds 6 That by just declaration his Matys subjects Now In the ffrench service will be Recalled & brought thence & by that meanes the Armies of ffrance will be deprived of that Assistance & the Confederates strengthened with the Addition of so many forces, who may otherwise suddenly be Employed In fighting Against those whome wee desire to support 7 That the Charge of Maintaining the sd forces will be greate & wee Can Noe wayes satisfie those wee Represent Chearfully to leavie those taxes that Are Necesary unless the Imediate Employing them Abroade be plaine & visible 8 That if his Maty make himselfe A party In the war It will be Inconsistant with the Continuance of o[u]r Medi[ation] 9 That the Continuance of English Ambrs at Nimeghen as Mediators May Raise a Doubt In the Confederates that his Maty hath Not layd aside all Endeavours of peace by way of Mediation & would therefore prosecute the Warr with lesse vigour & may Also cause Apprehensions that the forces sent Into fflanders are Rather to Enforce a peace then for the defense of those Countries against the ffrench 10 That In the powerfull Condition the ffrench K is at prsent In, It Cannot Reasonably be Exspected he will Condescend to any peace whereby his Matys Kingdoms may be sufficiently served 11 That the Continuance of the ffrench Ambr here after the declaration of warr may be Very prejudiciall In Respect of Inteligence & private Correspondance And as to the English Ambrs In ffrance wee Conceive it better for his Maty to Recall his owne Ambr ffrom thence then to have them sent away L. c. 608 March 25th 1678 ffriday 22d March 1677 +Commons The Bill for the Repaireing the Cathedrall of St Asaph Read A 2d time & Committed The house then Adjourned Into A Committee of the whole house About the Bill for the More decent Enterment of his late Maty & Made some progresse therein And are to be In A Comittee Againe on Thursday Next satureday 23d March 1677 +some private Bills were only Read In the Commons house to day, That for A tax on New foundations is Committed & the house to proceed upon it on Tuesday Wee have No letters from Abroade since Tuesday & Wednesday last L. c. 609 March 28th 1678 Whitehall 26 March 1678 +Yesterday wee had the dutch & fflanders letters which were wanting the account they give of Ipres is That the governor & Garrison haveing Repulsed the Enemy In one Attacke they made were at lengh prevailed with by the Bishop & Inhabitants to Capitulate & obtained very Honble Conditions the towne haveing all their priviledges Confirmed & the garrison Marching out with 4 peeces of Canon & A Mortar peace to Bruges where they are Arrived, the garrison of which place Consists In 6000 men of which 2000 are English The Marquese de Conflans who was governor of Ipres is to Remaine there as governor The letters Add that the ffrench had lost 4 or 5000 men before Ipres. That they had put the troops that were employed In that seige Into quarters of Refreshmt That the King was gone with the queen from Lisle on his Returne to Paris, However they feared In flanders they should Not be quiett In his absence but that the M de Humieres would beseige Mons The P of orange Continues posted with the small Number he had Neare Antwerp Not being In A Condition to undertake anything Yesterday Being A holy day the parliamt did Not sit An Embargo is layd Upon all ships since satureday last Wee have Just Now an account from ffrance of A Rancounter Between 6 ffrench men of warr who were Cruiseing In the Channell & the dutch squadron designed for scicily Consisting In 12 or 14 men of war & that the former had Come off as they say without any Considderable dammage L. c. 610 March 30th 1678 March 26th 1678 March 30th 1678 +Commons An Addresse to be prsented to his Maty by the Privy Councellors as are Members to desire his Maty there May be A short Recesse Just as May Consist with his Matys Affaires The 2d day of Meeting After their Recesse the house to take Into Considderation the state of the Kingdome In Relation to fforreigne Affaires Commons 27th March 1678 +The Committee of the woollen Manufacturers Made A Report Concerning Aulnage & A Bill was ordered to be brought In thereupon They Also made A Report About Tapestry Hangings, And the Manufactures thereof & the Incouragemt of them is Referred to the same Committee with the Considderation of the Patent for Makeing Hangings The house tooke Into Considderation the dangers Arriseing by the growth of popery & ordered A Conference with the Lds Concerning the same mr secretary Coventry Acquainted the house that his Maty had Appointed the house to Adjourne till the 4th of Aprill, Leave was given to bring In A Bill for Better Regulating of the poore And the house Adjourned till the 11th Aprill Lds The Earle of Aylesbury Reported the Reasons In Answer to the Commons Reasons about the addresse which Being Read was agreed to That Being of the same mind with the Commons And o[u]r Earnest desire to have A warr procured Against france is A time when wee should be Unanimous In o[u]r Councills That nothing should Appeare of diference Between the 2 houses In their Reasons upon A Matter of so high Importance to the Kingdome, And to lay things which might Afford Matter of ffresh disputes Insteed of Arriveing at the Ends wee all Aime at Wee doe therefore Raither Choose to give this only Answer to the whole That Understanding Its so Absolutely Necesary to the vigourous prosecution of the sd warr against ffrance to obliege the Confederates Not to leave us alone In it, wee Cannot yet Agree to the Addresse of desireing his Maty to declare a warr untill the Alliances with the Emperour spaine & Holland at least shall be Compleated, In the dispatch whereof wee are Confident his Maty will Not be wanting on his part A Court is Erected In Westminster hall for the tryall of the Earle of Pembrooke on the 4th of Aprill for the death of mr Corey his Maty hath set forth A proclamation for Recalling all mariners & seafaring men aswell In merchantmen as others out of fforreigne service The Earle of Dunbarton St Jo: Lanier & Coll Duncan are Returning from france for England The hague letters dat Aprill 1st tell us of A match proposed between the Emperors daughter that was promised to the K of Spaine to the Elector of Bavarias son & that the Elector is Now so farr of the Imperiall party that he hath declared to the ffrench Minester that unles his master shall accept of faire proposalls of peace he shall be oblieged to leave his Neutrality & joine his Armies with the Confederates The states are Reduceing their Militia to 50000 L. c. 611 Aprill 4th 1678 whitehall 2d Aprill 1678 +There is But little to write to you at prsent for all the account wee have had since my last of the french haveing Abandoned Messina is In the Newes booke & that which you see there under the title of Leghorne was written by sr John Narrborrough for the Kings Information who was with his squadron at Leghorne It is the opinion of all people that the french would Never In this Manner have left that Island had it Not been for the prospect of the warr with England In fflanders & Germany things are Now quiet againe the severall parties Being Buissied In their preparations the greate Impatience is to see the Imperiall army In the field which is to Randevouz the 15th Instant Neere Wormes, They say it will be A Very good Army & that which makes people Exspect more from it then heretofore is that the D of Lorraine has a more absolute power to act as he shall thinke fitt Lds Preparations are Makeing for the tryall of the Earle of Pembrooke In westminster Hall on Thursday the 4th Instant for killing mr Conly [?] where a house is Raised for the house of peers to sit In [First verso has this note in another hand:] Building +I would have Martin Bond spoke to, to provide Marston stone for coping the West wall of the South Court and stone for the Grotto from Marston. I would have T. Teg hew the coping wth speed, but be sure let none bee hewd wthin the Walls. Let Andrew lay ye Coping. And Harry Stanley and hee set up the rest of the Statues Jupiter next the house, then Apollo then Mars. Next Let Andrew & Wm Holms lay the foundation of the Brewhouse Wall, yt fronts the new Stable. also let Andrew lay the Loughs and steps in the Flowr Garden. 29 Apr. Arbury 68 [sic] 20 Days work to follow in Wooddfd 6 Days to fetch 3 load of lime. 12 Days to fetch 24 load of Coal. 6 Days to f. 12 load of White stone. 6 Days to f 24 of red stone. 40 Days to f. 120 load of Gravell. 24 Days to carry Earth from ye Moor [?] 3 Days to f 6 [?] Coales for ye house. 6 Days Cox will bee absent. 11 Days Pen. 3)157(52 12 Bolt. 11 The other horse team. 4)157(39 --- 37 24 157. Three teames will bee all May and June doing this work. Mem. make 2 ox: teames. 6 Days fetching Brick. 6 Days fetching Sand. L. c. 612 Aprill 6th 1678 whitehall 4th Aprill 1678 +This Morning Coll Churchill parted hence Being sent by his Maty to the P of orange & the duke de villa hermosa to Adjust with them severall Matters Relateing to the troops This morning was the tryall of the Earle of Pembrooke for the death of mr Corey [?] The Lords that satt were 64 of which 6 brought It In Murther 16 Not guilty & 42 Manslaughter & soe the verdict was Manslaughter upon which the Earle pleaded his peerage & so was discharged The Magestrates of Bruges have done all that is In their power to make satisfaction to the English upon the late Misfortune there haveing taken Care of the wounded & given them 20 s Apeece &c The Earle of Middleton is Much Commended for his greate prudence on this occasion mr Trumball being dead mr Nicholas Morrice is sworne Clerke of the Councill The Dunkerke letters date 10th say an Embargo is layd on all ships aswell English as their owne & that it was layd on their owne Capers & that they were so strict that at Bologne they [tear near margin removes about eight letters] A stop of the Billanders & their Convoys w[hich?] are Carrying stoores for the fortifications of d[tear removes about four letters] Many men were at worke at the fort of M[ardicke?] to slight & Raize the Remainder of the fortificat[ions] & there are also many hands at worke in the harb[our] In hopes for A moneth or two to make it so good that the Capers may goe In & goe under the fort of Mardicke with their prizes & fitt out there On the 26th went out of the harbour of Portesmouth to the Spithead his Matys ships the harwich & the Greenwich where were also Re[fitting?] the defiance Woollidge & Centurion The southampton letters say that the se[amen] passe dayly through that towne to list thems[elves] under the Command of sr Kempthorne Ca[pt] of the Royall Charles L. c. 613 Aprill 8th 1678 Whitehall 6th Aprill 1678 +The New raised troops Begin to Randevouz & severall of the New Companies are Come to towne My Lord dunbarton is going backe for ffrance to try If he Can Get his Regemt from thence Coll dungan who had An Irish Regemt there is gone for Ireland to Raise another, for that In france is like to stay there The Ostend letters of the 10th tell us the people of Bruges seem very sorry for their Miscarriage towards the English & have set up placaerts In all the Corners of their streets to declare their Innocence & have taken 14 of the Burghers thought to be the Chiefe Mutineers out of their bedds & Clapt them Into prison Also have let all the water out of the towne ditch to see If any dead bodies Could be found, The scotch that lay there were gone to Daume & the garrison of Ipre which it was thought should goe to Newport was ordered to March to Brussells They write from deale that the wind Comeing about faire about 30 saile of Merchants ships went thence & that my Lord Hatton Governor of Guernsey went thence In the faulcon to his Command L. c. 614 Aprill 11th 1678 Whitehall 9 Aprill 1678 +Wee have nothing from abroade save the french letters which arrived this morning they tell us that 8 Companies of the Regement of Truronne & about 30 horse who were going to ffriburg had been Attacked by 500 Imperiall horse and the foot under the protection of A wood defended themselves soe well that Not above 20 were killed & the like Number wounded That of the Imperiallists a lieutenant Coll & 4 other officers & severall Cavaliers were Killed After which the french Continued their March to ffriburg where there is A good garrison & the fortifications will be finished by the end of this Moneth That the Imnperiallists had drawne out their heavy Canon from Phillipsburg &c In order to the Beseigeing ffriburg & were laying A bridge over the Rhine below strassburg & were provideing greate Magazines there That In flanders Mons was so Closely Blocked up that the Inhabitants began to be In want of severall Necesaries, That some were of oppinion that when the french K tooke the field againe which will be about the Middle of the Next moneth It will be on the side of Germany Though the More probable beliefe was that it will be In flanders all the troops haveing orders to be Ready by the 1st of the same moneth That they had Advice from Catalonia that don Juan Intended with the Assistance of the Militia to forme an Army of 22 or 25000 men that the spaniards had formed A Conspiracy at Perpignan & were discovered That the Marshall de la fevillade was Arrived at Provence from scicily That the troops he brought with him are 5000 foot 800 horse & 200 dragoons the latter haveing Hamstringed all their horses to Render them unservisable Most of the senators & about 40 Noble families & 200 others of Messineuses had with the french quitted Messina, The french before their department demolished the fort salvadore & Carried away the Artillery that was there L. c. 615 Aprill 13th 1678 Whitehall 11th Aprill 1678 Aprill 13th 1678 +The Preparations that are Makeing In this Kingdome are Carryed on with all possible dilligence both by land & sea & are In good forwardness Wee are told that his Maty has Nominated the Ld Gerrard Coll Russell, the Earles of Craven ffeversham & Oxford to be lieutenant Generalls of the forces Now Raiseing & the d of Monmouth to be generall of the forces Now Raiseing & the D of Monmouth to be Generall This day the Commons Being Mett mr secretary Coventry acquainted them that his Maty had recd an account of the Indisposition of mr seymour their speaker to that degree that he Could Not attend the service of the house Nor knew Not when he should & therefore gave them leave to Choose another speaker Recomending at the same time to them sr Robert sawyer & accordingly the house Chose sr Robert to be their speaker & adjourned till Monday Next On the 6th his R Highness went to see one of the New Raised Regemts Mustered at Blackheath, there are many of them already Compleated & the Rest will be In short time On the 29th of March the English were Mustered at Ostend where there were 800 And at Bruges the English were 1700 who mounted the guards on Good friday & Commanded 4 gates of the towne +The spanish garrison at Ostend was Mustered the same day & Recd 9 dayes pay which is said to be the first money In 4 Moneths before, but Now they are promised more punctuall payment though its Believed they will allow to A Colonell but 2 Guilders p day to A Capt but one, to An Holfares 10 stivers & to A private soldier 2 stivers, to A Reformed Captaine 10 stivers & to An Holfares 4 On the 5th Capt Clements in the Greyhound set saile from Hull for Ostend with Capt Roberts Company of foot The last letters from Lisbonne speake the Algerians very numerous on their Coasts & that they had found lately floateing on the sea 2 English vessells without any persons In them whome they Judged to have been made prize The dutch letters say the K of denmarke had againe sent orders to Count Anthony his Ambr at Nimeghen to goe to England, The swedish Ambr M: Oliverhrants Being there already, They speake of greate probability the french Manufactures should be forbidden under severe penalties & that the Chiefe Merchants of Amsterdam were sent to be Consulted for that purpose The french haveing sent Most of the dutch prisoners they tooke last yeare Into Catalonia against the Spaniards Most of them Ran away & Got to Bilboa where the dutch Consull Releived & Cloathed them & the states have sent him Money for furnishing all such as shall Come In on that account Although A treaty of peace is on foot Betwixt sweden & denmarke yet they both seem willing to try the fortune of this Campaigne The Paris letters say there was A talke among them that the King before he Entred upon the 2d Campaigne would visit the sea port townes In Normandy & the Neibourhood, Its said that King has given the Irish Regemt to Mr Hambleton A frenchman borne who was lieutenant Colonell [Handwriting changes here.] severall officers are come over from ffrance who have bene long in that service, but are come over wth out their pay for severall moneths, the french King has offerd that whatever English officers shall stay in his service they shall be advancet, upon wch some Capts who resolvd to stay are made Colls but tis said they will be hangd in Effigies here, for their disloyalty. The Imperiall, spanish, Danish, Brandenburgh & Bavarian ministries here, have presented his Maty wth a Draught of allyance as drawne up by them & severall Lds Comissionated by his Maty for that purpose, soe that tis hoped those allyances will be sudenly Compleated The Duke of Lauderdale has put forth a proclamate forbiding any person to depart that Kingdome wth[out] leave of his grace, tis sd Duke Hamilton, & 2 or 3 more Scotch noblemen are Come over to Complaine of ye sd duke, who have not yet bene Recd by his Maty His Royall Highness goes sudenly for flanders to see in what posture afaires are in there, but returnes Imediately, & will soone after goe over wth ye new raisd forces +The Citty of London have lent ye King 200000 L on security of ye Poll Bill Jo: Smith Sand: Knight Ri: Paul. [Some figures and the twelve names at J. Peg. left appear in another hand on outside Seth Bemfd of letter; about fifteen other names Ri. White. also appear but are canceled.] I. Freeman. Tho: Whitemore Robt Suffolk. Georg Green. Wm. Holms. Edwd Jones. L. c. 616 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill 20th 1678 Whitehall 18 Aprill 1678 +Its said the Conditions offered by ffrance for A generall peace are Not at all approved by the allies Except the dutch, who though they are advantagious to them yet Considdering how disadvantagious they are to the Rest of the Confederates Its Believed they will Never yeild to them The states of Holland were to meet as on tuesday & then it is hoped the Necesary orders would be directed to be sent to their Ambr here On Tuesday night mr Godolphin parted hence for the Hague On the 9th the Ld Maior & Court of Aldermen & Common Councill of the Citty of London being Mett did upon a proposall made to them by the Ld Chancellor &c unanimously agree to the Raiseing 100000 L for A present supply upon the Credit of the Poll act & at the same time made very Ample subscriptions They write from Portesmouth that the works at Gosport & Portesmouth are Carried on very Effectually The Cleiveland yatcht arrived lately at Ostend with money & Cloaths &c for the English soldiery +They were advised from Ghent that the french taxed the Inhabitants with halfe their yearely Rent for A Contribution formerly due to them The Paris letters Boast their King hath more men then they Know well how to dispose this Campaigne The ffrench are Equipping In all their ports & secureing them by fortifications & have ordered their ships In the mediterranian to Joyne with those already fitted to make a formidable fleet On the 10th was Towed Into Harwich Harbour A whale of 50 foot or more taken dead about the Corke or sledway, A large New 3d Rate fregot is there almost Ready to Launch & one of the 2d Rate is In greate forwardnesse They write from Vienna that the Cardinall de Estrees had Not prevailed with the Elector of Bavaria to side with his Master Notwithstanding the powerfull offers of makeing his son Elected King of the Romans & that the Dauphine should marry the Princesse of Bavaria They write from Tangier that the Emperor of Morocco was out with an army of 200000 men & did so Allarme Algeirs that they are Raiseing an army for their security by which meanes they may be the more Easyly Induced to an accomodation with us The Algerines for their sea strengh are accounted 40 saile besides 4 building & 4 Intended to be put on the stocks, This summer only 9 of them are abroade The Leghorne letters speake of A list from Algeirs of 45 ships Small & Greate taken since the warr broke out & about 520 made slaves & yet they Inclined to a peace As fast as the ships Come In they unrigge them Either in feare of the Returne of sr Jo: Narborrough or Else to get men to oppose the army Comeing towards them [A few figures in another hand appear on outside of letter.] L. c. 617 Aprill 22d 1678 straasburg 18 Aprill 1678 Aprill 22d 1678 +The March of the Imperiall Cavalry towards Willingen does very much Allarme the ffrench In those quarters who thereupon draw their troops togather about Brisac, About the Beginning of the Next Moneth wee may Exspect to heare of some action In those parts Brussells 26 Aprill 1678 +Wee are still Allarmed with the ffrench troops drawing togather About Ghent & other places In fflanders & Haynault which Gives us ground to feare they may have A designe upon this Citty some of o[u]r Generall officers were yesterday by Order of his Excye at scarberke upon the Right hand of o[u]r Canall In the way to Vilvord where they have Marked out A Campe for o[u]r owne & the Nearest German Auxillary troops Count Egmont designed Ambr for England presses very Much his departure On satureday arrived the spanish ordinary but brought as little Money as the last Hague 26 Aprill +To Morrow the states of Holland will be Assembled & then wee shall see what Resolutions they will take In Relation to the prsent Conjuncture The proposalls of the french ambrs at Nimeghen have been sent to the severall townes to Consult upon them & when the states are Mett as Its said they will be to morrow wee shall know their thoughts upon them The P of orange will Not be here as hath Been said for other newes wee have None [Handwriting changes here.] +...Comissions More are granted to compleate ye number designed by ye parliamt & tis said ye Earle of Pembroke has one, who is raiseing his men On[e?] Mr Parrot lately in prison abt a Lampoon, was this last weeke Run thro at ye Devill Taverne by one Capt south [about eight letters illegible] dead Six men & a woman were Executed this last weeke for Clipping &c & a woman to be burnt for killing her husband The new Raysed forces are to muster on Barron Downe tis said there are at least 20000 men already raisd +some Merchts in towne have letters from Holland wch say that ye states will agree to what ever his Maty of England shall doe tho many much feare ye Contrary, & that they will not Consent to prohibit trade wth france L. c. 618 [Handwriting changes here.] Aprill 25th 1678 Whitehall 23d Aprill 1678 +Yesterday Came In o[u]r Dutch letters of ffriday last, The states of Holland had been assembled since Wednesday & they had sent An Expresse to Breda to desire the P of Orange to come to the Hague where his High: accordingly arrived on friday In the Evening & Next day Intended to Assist In the assembly of the states who would then as Its thought come to A Resolution In matters before them The Princesse of Orange had had A Miscarriage In her Journey to Breda but was well againe His Maty has ordered two of the new Raised Regemts to be Imediately transported to flanders to Reinforce the garrison of Bruges The ffrench K: will be the Next weeke at Ghent & wee Exspect to heare he will undertake something Considderable By letters from Germany wee find the Imperiall army Cannot Come Into the field till the Middle of the Next Moneth for want of fforrage A small English vessell who was at Rochell laden with Coales is Come back & sayes he was Not permitted to unlade his Coales for that the ffrench had prohibitted all English Commodities for 10 yeares of which wee must Exspect to heare farther he sayes there was No Embargo at Rochell Wee want o[u]r flanders & ffrench letters L. c. 619 [This letter is an almost exact copy of L. c. 618; it even bears the same date.] L. c. 620 Aprill 27th 1678 +On the 23d Came Into the Roade of Ilfordcombe A vessell of Bristoll from burdeaux with wine & Brandy But durst Not goe Into the Port being Informed of the prohibition of ffrench goods shee Came from Burdeaux about 14 dayes before & left Not above 3 or 4 English ships there They Report that the poore people In those parts are already like to mutiny foreseeing their Ruine by the obstruction of their trade The Prohibitting the Importation of ffrench Commodities is since the 20th observed with greatest strictness Insomuch that some vessells that Came from Jersey & Guernsey with such Commodities were Not suffered to unlade though taken In at those Islands Before the 20th of March The Leyden Gazette tells us how Effectuallly the prohibition of ffrench Manufactures &c In England had wrought In france for that In this short time Noe less then 20 persons who did drive very great trades In silks & Ribbons were already broke for very considderable summs of Money On the 19th sr Lionell watson went to Ipswich where he found 7 Companies of his Regemt the other Being within a dayes March of that place all full & some had 20 or 30 beyond their Complement On the 23d sr Jo: Berney with other of his Matys frigotts sett saile from the downes for Harwich to take In the soldiery there & Carry them for Ostend The fflanders letters tell us that Count Egmont is prepareing to goe for England & that an Extrary Courrier was arrived from spaine whose buisness was not yet knowne, Their prints say the English forces doe every day come In for their succour & that they doe observe very good discipline In all places where they are A ship arrived at dartmouth who had been at st Christophers Reports that upon advice sent thither they began to make up the fortifications &c mr Morris the Exeter Carrier was Robbed going from London neare Honyton of 600 L by 3 men who Being Closely pursued dropped the money which the Carrier Recovered & after the Robbers were taken & Carried to prison Its said the Messineuses have surprised 4 or 5 merchants ships with provisions &c who knew nothing of the french deserting the place And have since the ffrench left them to themselves sent to the viceroy some deputies In the Name of the senate but that he would Not hearken to them under that Character It being too greate A priveledg to be Continued to them who so lately In the same Name Called In A fforreigne prince against their owne +The Paris letters dat 27th tell us that the English Regemt of foot had orders to march & that, It was Believed the scotch Regemt would have the like orders to be Remooved as farr off from England as they Could be sent The Hague letters dat 29th say the states sent to those of amsterdam to give their Reasons in writeing why they agreed Not to prohibitt ffrench Commodities upon which the admiralty of Amsterdam have sent In their advice Concludeing the prohibition though Not so positively as those of Roterdam but with Certain Restrictions & there are that pretend to give the Reason of the Backwardness for th[is?] by their seeming Aversness to warr the [seal removes word of about four letters] Induce the allies to take off from them the payment of the subsidies which they would Now be willingly Eased of They write from Vienna dat 7/17 that It was the greate discourse there that Count Wallenstein was to be made Ambr In England In Regard generall Ambrs were going thither from sweden denmark &c who might dispute precedency If he had Not that Character, Generall Cobs hath held long Conference with the Emperour about the affaires of Hungary & those of the Rebellion are upon New overtures for an accomodation & are pitching upon deputies to be sent to the Emperour, The D of Newburg was Exspected In 6 weeks of whose Comeing severall of the Minesters were very apprehensive as what might Cause some alteration among them The Maine of his Buisness Being said to be to assist the Emperour In his Counsills +Whitehall 25 Aprill 1678 wee have letters from the streights which give us an account that Capt Herbert In the Rupert Mounted with between 50 & 60 guns & 320 men haveing Mett the admirall of Algiers of 50 guns & 500 men had had A very sharpe fight with her for severall houres In which Capt Herbert was himselfe wounded & most of the officers killed & of the turks 200 were killed & wounded & their ship miserably torne which Notwithstanding they fought on still till they saw sr Roger strickland In the Mary appeare upon which the turks Called for quarter & yeilded their ship +orders are given for the transporting all the New Raised Regemts Into flanders with all speed Last night Count Anthony of oldenborch arrived Ambr from the K of denmarke & had his 1st audience of their Matys L. c. 621 Aprill 29th 1678 Whitehall 27 Aprill 1678 +Last night Coll Churchill Returned from Holland And at the same time Came in the dutch letters which said That on friday In the Evening the P of Orange arrived at the Hague that the Next Day he assisted In the Assembly of the states of Holland which lasted till almost 3 In the afternoon that what had passed there was Not knowne the members takeing An oath of secrecy, And After the assembly was up the P of orange went tp vissitt the deputies of Amsterdam & Leyden at their owne Lodgings & had A long Conference with them the subject is Not Certainely knowne But those townes being the most Inclined to peace It [was] Believed his high: Endeavouring to persuade them against [it?] In the Evening all the deputies as had Been Resolved at the assembly went from the Hague to their severall townes to Consult their principles & Returned againe on Monday night The Next day being tuesday last the states were againe Assembled but wee Know not what Resolutions have Been taken by them, Though Its said one was to send Immediately an Extrary Ambr to his Maty upon the prsent Affaires & that he will be here In few dayes [Handwriting changes here just for rest of letter.] +Tis said ye Duke of yorke shall be Generallissimo of all ye forces both German spanish & Duch, to be Employd agst ye french, & that ye King of spaine has Orderd the D: De Vill Hermosa to prepare a Generallissimos Truncheon richly set wth Diamonds to be presented to his Royall Highness upon his arrivall L. c. 622 May 2d 1678 whitehall 30 Aprill 1678 +The Parliament Being yesterday Reassembled & the K Come Into the house of Lds In his Robes, the Commons were sent for up & Being Come the Ld Chancellor by the Ks Comands gave the 2 houses A very Large & open account of his Matys proceedings since their ffirst Addresse against ffrance In 1676 Of the Carriage of the dutch In the prsent Conjuncture & of their violent Inclination to A peace Even upon the tearmes Now lately proposed by the ffrench Ambr at Nimeghen In which they have proceeded so farr that they were sending an Ambr hither to pray his Maty to Consent thereto, Notwithstanding the King had Already by his Ambr at the Hague declared to the states that A peace upon those tearmes would be As ba[d] A one for themselves & all Christendom as their Enemies could wish them, Adding that his Maty was willing that the offensive & defensive treaty which he had Concluded with the dutch In January last as likewise another alliance Concluded prsently after Called A perpetuall defensive treaty should be Communicated to the 2 houses, Concluding that haveing thus Given them an account of the prsent state of things his Maty had thought fitt to demand the advice of his two houses what was fitt to be done which he was Resolved to pursue, after which the Commons Returned to their own house Yesterday Morning the Dutch Ambr above mentioned Arrived here & last night had his ffirst audience of the King; his name is the Heere van Leeuwen Burghermaster of Leyden & one of the states of Holland A man who In his owne perticuler is said to be Extreamly for the peace Commons 29 Aprill 78 +Resolved to pray his Maty that the treaties above Mentioned be brought Into the house to be Read to morrow And approved Certain Reasons drawne up by the Committee to be delivered at A Conference with the Lds against the Growth of Popery & then Adjourned ffrom fflanders wee have this Morning An account That the ffrench had surprized the towne & Castle of Leeier [?] towards Liege which is No big place but of Greate Importance L. c. 623 [no date] +The Reasons offered to the Lds touching the Danger the Nation is In by the growth of popery The house of Comons takeing Into serious Considderation the dangers arriseing to this Kingdome by the Restlesse Endeavours of priests, Jesuits & other popish Recusants to subvert the true Religion planted among us & to Reduce us againe under the Bondage of the Romish superstition & Idolatry, And findeing how greate Boldness they have assumed to themselves by the greate Remissness & Connivance of his Matys officers both Civill & Ecclesiasticall whereby so many good & Necesary lawes heretofore Made against them have Not of late been put In any Effectuall Execution They doe therefore thinke it Necesary to Apply some Remedy to the growing Evill Especially at this time wherein the unity of Affections & the Mutuall Confidence between his Maty & his people doe so much Conduce to the preservation of the whole Kingdome, And because they have found by Experience that all those applications they have formerly made upon this subject have Not produced any Effect answerable to their Expectations they have Endeavoured to discover the Causes & grounds thereof which they Conceive are principally these The dificulty to Convict popish priests by proveing their Ordination from the authority delivered from the see of Rome which makes them more Confidently appeare In publicke to performe those offices & functions without feare of punishment That Justices of peace are discouraged because severall of those that have been forward In Executing the Lawes against Papists In such Countries where they doe most abound have been turned out of Commission without any apparent Cause whilst others suspected to be popishly Inclined have Continued In Comission or put In de novo That In severall Countries Many protestant dissenters have been Indicted under the Name of popish Recusants & the Penalty of the Law Levied upon such protestant dissenters when the papists there have been Either totally or for the greatest part discharged That papists doe Evade the penalties of the Law by makeing over their Estates by secret trusts & ffraudulent Conveyances & yet Receiveing the proffitts of them to their Owne use And Benefitt whereas In former times Considderable summs of Money were raised by the forfeiture of popish Recusants That Now by the Remissness of some & discouragemt of others of his Matys officers & Minesters of Justice little or Nothing is levied upon them or like to be Levied hereafter unless the Care thereof be Committed to perticuler Commissioners In the severall Countries & the money Arriseing thence be applied to some use for the Advancement of the protestant Religion which may Incourage persons to see it Executed +That persons are Not discouraged to Bring up their Children or suffer them to be bred up In the popish Religion because they are as Capable of Inheriting the Estates of their Parents & Relatives as any other of his Matys subjects The Commons doe therefore Most Earnestly desire yo[u]r Lordships to Considder the danger & sad Consequences that May befall this Kingdome by the spreading of that Religion Amongst us & seriously & Cordially Joyne with them In Remooveing these & all other Impediments which obstruct the Course of Justice & the due Execution of the Lawes Either by Expediting the Remedies that have been offered by them to your Lordships, Or by proposeing other as may be more Effectuall & that they may be done with all Expedition, Because the Commons Cannot thinke it suitable to their trust for them to Consent to lay any farther Charge upon the people how urgent soever the occasions be that Require It, till their Minds be satisfied that all care & dilligence is used to secure the Kingdome & prevent the danger that may Arrise from the prevalence & Countenance that is Given to that party, By some More Effectuall Course then hath been already provided L. c. 624 May 4th 1678 Whitehall 2d May 1678 +The letters wee Receive ffrom fflanders give us An account of the great trouble the Court at Brussells was In upon the Newes of the takeing of Leewe In Brabant 4 miles from Lovaine, A place whose situation Renders It of greate Importance & Capable to be made one of the strongest In Europe. It lyes In the Midst of A Country most Abundant In Corne from whence the Spaniards have of late had all their provisions, Besides greatest part of Brabant will by this Meanes be set under Contribution & the ffrench have already sent to summon the Citty of Lovain & Even Challenge Arriers for A yeare or two past They say the Spaniards are More Concerned for the loss of this place then for that of Ghent & therefore have sent to the P of Orange to see If anything can be done for the Recovery of It before the ffrench have settled themselves there Wee are told that the Elector of Brandenburg the D of Newburgh & Lunenburg the Munster & Paderbone have offered to forme A body of 18 or 19000 men upon the Meuse & Even to come to the assistance of fflanders if the Spaniarde Could only provide them with bread which They say they Cannot doe The Earle of Carlisle is parting for Jamaica Yesterday Being A holy day the parliamt did Not sit & this day they sat so late that wee Know not what has past The Hague letters of the 7th give us an account with what great heats those of Amsterdam & Leyden have stood for peace with ffrance upon the Conditions offered & what Complaints have been made of their Inability any longer to maintain warr & at last agreed to send Mounsr Leeuwen hither to declare their Necesities & some say to desire Money of us In their assistance The fflanders letters tell us of the greate preparations the ffrench make for warr at Ghent & that the hollanders have sent thither all sorts of provisions & Ammunition In greate Aboundance Especially Cannon Bullets & powder The Virgin ketch of Bristoll Amos Johns Master Came from Morlaix the 20/30 of the last were stopt by An Embargo as were all the fforreignes for some time till An Explanation Came from above & then they were all set at liberty ffrench aswell as strangers The Paris letters Mention not anything of A prsent declaration of war against England as some without ground Reported here They write from Vienna that A Courrier arrived there from the Emperors Resident In Constantinople to acquaint the Court of the likelihood there is the turks will Ratify the treaty with the poles & make peace with the Muscovites & afterwards Employ some of their forces In Hungary against the Emperour L. c. 625 May 6th 1678 Whitehall May 4th 1678 +since my last wee have Not Recd any letters from abroade so that wee have No fforeign Newes And here at home wee are altogather Ignorant of what passes In parliament for It seems It has Been thought fitt what is transacted there may Not be Communicated at this time Just now the Commons Rose after A long debate this whole day They Came to A Resolution ffirst to disprove the offensive treaty with Holland as Not goeing High Enough 2dly that An Addresse be prsented to the King That his Maty will be pleased to Enter Into An Alliance with the Emperour Spaine & other the Confederates for lessening the power of the ffrench King &c, And that his Maty will be pleased to use his Endeavours for the makeing a firme alliance with Holland. The addresse was drawne up & Approved before the house Rose L. c. 626 May 9th 1678 Whitehall 7th may 1678 +yesterday morning his Maty sent the following Message to the House of Commons Charles Rex +His Maty haveing been acquainted with the votes of this house of the 4th Instant was very Much surprized with the Matter & forme of them But if his Maty had had Exception to Neither yet his Maty haveing asked the Advice of his 2 houses does Not thinke fitt to give any answer to anything of that Nature till he hath A Concurrant Advice from both houses Given at the Court at Whitehall the 6th May 1678 +mr seymour the former speaker was yesterday Chosen Anew (sr Robt sawyer haveing Excused himselfe upon his Indisposition) speaker of the house of Commons, And accordingly was yesterday In the Chaire On sonday morning arrived an Expresse from Holland who brought Advice that the states had Resolved to accept for asmuch as Concernes them the Conditions proposed by ffrance & had sent orders to their Ambr at Nimeghen to demand A Certaine time In which they may Endeavour to bring their allies to accept of them from whome they say the[y?] will Not seperate though at the same time they will let them understand that they Cannot posibly Continue longer In the warr This morning Arrived another Expresse with An account that the states had demanded of the ffrench A Cessation of armes for 3 moneths & had directed their Minesters at Nineghen to labour with the Minesters of the allies to agree to the sd Conditions to which Its Believed the ffrench will Consent L. c. 627 May 11th 1678 Commons may 7th 1678 +Resolved That A Humble Addresse be prsented to his Maty that his Maty would graciously be pleased to give a speedy Answer to the last Addresse prsented to his Maty from this house of the 4th of May last +Resolved That an Addresse be prsented to his Maty for Removeing those privy Counsellors who Advised the Answers to the Addresses of the 26 May or 31 January last Resolved that An Addresse be pesented to his Maty to Remove the D of Lauderdale from his Councell & presence Commons 8th may 1678 +The Commons Being Met after the Reading of some private Bills adjourned that the Committee might sitt In the Meane time to draw up the Addresses Resolved the day before, Being Mett In the afternoon the Committee had only drawne up the Addresse Concerning the D of Lauderdale which after A debate was Rejected The Ld O Brians Regemt Embarked on Monday for fflanders as other troops did the last weeke +By An Expresse wee have An account that the ffrench K: arrived last sonday at Ghent On the 2d sailed from Chattam The Charles ffrench Ruby Royall oake & Cambridg, severall other Vessells are fitting & there will be quickly Ready to saile the st Michaell Royall Katherine Unicorne & Rainbow, There were at spithead the Harwich Greenwich stanerne [?] & frances And the R James & R Charles are comeing thither from portesmouth The Genoa letters date Aprill 27th confirme the unhappy Murther of the D of Somerset at a small towne 60 miles Eastward whither the D was driven with some other passengers In his way to Leghorne, some frenchmen going out of towne Met 2 women of the Best of that place going to Church whome they handled so Roughly that their Relations were Resolved to Revenge It The ffrench Aware of It went to the Mountains whilst one of the womens brothers went over against the Inne where the strangers lay Resolving to kill the first that Came out which happening to be the Duke he shot him with 3 Bulletts of which In few houres he died The letters from Holland tell us the allies doe what they Can to Encourage the states to A Continuation of the warr & the P of orange had Intimated to them that without breach of faith & totall loss of Reputation they Could not make A peace without their allies +The Hague letters dat 3/13 advise that Amsterdam & leyden were both obstinate for A peace the former In Respect to their East India actions & the latter In Respect to the vend of their goods & Employmt of their workmen & the discourse was that the states have Resolved for peace though the deputies of zealand protested against It as Not to be Done without Consent of the allies L. c. 628 May 13th 1678 ffriday 10th May 1678 +Amendments to the Bill for Burying In Woollen Read & all of them agreed Except those that Relate to the disposeing of the fforfeitures The Bill for Repealing the Clause In An act Concerning High wayes which Relates to the Carrying of goods for Hire Committed This day seavenight appointed to Considder of the suppressing of stage Coaches The Addresse Reported & Agreed to A quarrell Happening Between sr Thomas Chickley & the Ld O Bryan, whereupon they are Comitted to the Custody of the Sergeant at Armes satureday 11th May 1678 +The Addresse aforementioned is drawne up Upon the heads Resolved on Tuesday, It was passed by 2 3 and 4 Votes upon as many severall questions Concerning It, In the Close of the Addresse is likewise their desire to have the D of Lauderdale Removed Notwithstanding the Vote of Wednesday This morning his Maty sent A Message to the Commons to let them know that unlesse they did farther supply his Maty he should be forced to disband his forces & Cease his preparations by sea, The house was upon the debate of It & adjourned till Monday +This afternoon the addresse was prsented, I Cannot yet tell you what the King answered for I am loth to take It upon Reports [Handwriting changes here.] Tis said the Kings answer to ye Commons address, was, that it was soe Extravagant a thing that he was not Willing to give it ye answer it deserved The Commons voted that noe member of ye house should leave ye towne wth out leave first obteyned of ye house under ye penalty of being sent for in Custody of a sergeant at armes. Tis said that sr Wm Lowther, Mr Bennet, & Mr savill are removd from their Employmt, & places they held. L. c. 629 [Handwriting changes here.] May 16th 1678 Whitehall 14 May 1678 +By the letters which Came In on sonday wee have an account of A letter the ffrench K had written to the states Genll dated at his Campe at deyase the 8/18 Instant The substance is that he takes Notice & Applauds their greate disposition for A peace & that they have Judged the Conditions offered by him Just & Equitable, That on his side (Notwithstanding those greate advantages he may Exspect from his armes) he will make the advances which may Contribute towards It That he observes they made some dificulty upon 2 points the one Concerning Commerce & the other the spanish Netherlands That as to the ffirst he absolutely grants them what they desire, And as to the 2d he declares, That though spaine should Refuse to Come Into the peace yet upon the states Concludeing a treaty with him upon the Conditions already by him offered And their obliging themselves to Remaine Neutrall during the Course of the warr he will In Considderation of them the states, Be alwayes Ready to accord to spaine the same Conditions they are Now at liberty to accept & that he will make No farther progresse with his armes In fflanders, Lastly he advises the states if they desire to goe on with this worke to send deputies to him who he tells them will find him in the Neibourhood of Ghent till the 17/27 Instant This letter they have printed with a designe as is Believed to dispearse Coppies of It In Holland from whence wee must Now Exspect to heare how It hath Been Received +Yesterday Morning the K Came Into the house of Lds In his Robes & the Commons Being sent for up his Maty gave his Royall assent to 5 private Bills & the parliamt was put off till the 23d Instant A letter from Holland sayes that In A greate debate of the states about Carrying on the warr or Closeing up A peace the P of Oranges party urged for Continuing the warr to their utmost & makeing no manner of peace without Includeing all the allies The Newes of the Exchange this day was, That Bruges was Beseiged that the Burghers were eager to have It delivered forthwith But that the soldiers were Resolved to fire it ffirst & that they would defend It to their utmost L. c. 630 May 18th 1678 Whitehall 16 May 1678 +On saturday & sonday last the Ld Allintons Regemt sailed from Harwich for fflanders & the same day my Ld O Bryans Regemt sailed out of the River Its the Newes about towne that the dutch have Consented to the prohibition of trade & will doe anything the K desires when on the other side I Can assure you that the dutch Ambrs doe declare to the K that the states cannot posibly make the sd prohibition Even In Case the warr should Continue to which they say they are Not able to Contribute anything & therefore Must have A peace which Its Notorious they are going to as fast as they Can On the 10th sailed from Chattam the Unicorne On the 13th the R Katherine On the 14th the St Michaell & Rainebow & in few dayes the Henrietta which Except the prince is the last of the ships out of that Harbour, On the 17th sailed out of Portesmouth the R James & the ffaulcon & Its said that on Monday Next sr Thomas Allen who has the Command goes downe to his ships & within A short time after this the fleet will hold their Generall Randevouz There being In the downes & passing too & fro 17 or 18 sailes & at Spithead 10 more yet Notwithstanding this & all other Endeavors the dutch are so forward for peace & the spaniards soe Backwards In their preparations for warr that Its probable a peace must Ensue The Paris letters of the 18th tell us the ffirst Battalion of the Irish Brigade was Marched towards Perpignan & the 2d was to follow & It was Exspected the same orders would goe for the English & scotch Regemts By some ships lately arrived from Virginia Its advised that the Indians were In armes In Maryland & 300 men were sent out to suppresse them but the successe was Not Knowne when they Came away, But all was quiet In Virginia The Ld Vaughan the late governour of Jamaica is Arrived & the Earle of Carlisle was on the 12th as far as Torbay In prosecution of his voyage thither L. c. 631 May 21 1678 Whitehall 18 May 1678 +Yesterday we Recd o[u]r ffrench & fflanders letters of ffriday & satureday last all they tell us is That the ffrench K Continued In his Campe at deyuse That the M: de Humieres Continued with a body of 15000 men at Kienveran, That haveing sent a detachment towards Mons the 18th Instant with 4 peeces of Canon they had ffalne upon the Redoubt, which is without the gate de Hauve wherein there Being but 15 spaniards The ffrench succeeded with little dificulty & then demolished it ffrom Liege they write that the ffrench are assembling a body of An Army below Maastricht at A place called Rocken where they have Already between 7 and 8000 men & that they will be twice as strong very shortly whereupon the Brandenburg & Newburg troops on that side are likewise drawing togather to oppose the designes of the Enemy People talke Mightily Every where of peace, The Hollanders labour hard at Nimeghen to Obtaine A Cessation of Armes for 3 moneths which they looke upon would be a greate step towards the peace Wee have o[u]r dutch & fflanders letters of Tuesday last The letters say that the ffrench K was Removed from deyuse with his Army had passed the Canall & was Encamped In the Neiborhood of Ghent where he would Continue till the 27th Instant to see what Effect his letter written to the states of Holland would have which was Brought them on satureday last by one of the Kings trumpeters upon which the states of Holland prsently Assembled & haveing Been so severall houres & that night all the deputies went home to their severall townes to Advise with their principalls & on tuesday last they Returned to the Hague & the states were assembled that day, by my Next I may be able to tell you something of the Resolution they tooke The Marshall d'Humieres haveing taken & demolished all the Redoubts & other separate ffortifications about Mons is Marched towards Dendermonde which place Its feared he will Attacke, M. Schomberg is Marched with 8000 men towards Maastricht to Joyne the troops at Rochen The Imperiall Army Randevouzed the 16th Instant It is thought they will passe the Rhine forthwith The states have Resolved to send deputies to the ffrench King L. c. 632 May 23d 1678 Whitehall 21 May 1678 +This morning wee have o[u]r dutch letters off ffriday last & they give us this account that upon the Receipt of the letter from the ffrench K the states Immediately Assembled & then parted againe till the tuesday following which was the 14th Instant, when haveing had severall Conferences with the Minesters of the allies Resideing at the Hague to Communicate to them the letter & to Consult with them the Answer that should be Returned to It had at lengh by Consent of the said Minesters Come to this Resolution vizt +To Returne the ffrench Trumpett (To whome they prsented 100 duckitts) with a trumpetter of their owne to Carry A letter from the Pensionary ffagell Containing only A Complement to the secretary of state to the ffrench K, And Advises that the same should be Immediately followed by A deputation to his Maty & accordingly that orders should be Imediately sent to the sieur Van Benerning one of the dutch Ambrs at Nimeghen to Repaire Imediately to the Kings Campe Neere Ghent & to assure his Maty of the Continuance of their disposition to A peace & In order thereunto to desire a Cessation of Armes In order to the Bringing their allies to accept of the tearmes offered Not any Newes of any other Kind worth Comunicating The Randevouz of severall Regemts which was Intended as this day at Hunslow heath is put off. L. c. 633 May 27th 1678 +His Maty & Royall Highnesse have Every Day this weeke gone to see some of the New Raised Regemts who are found to be such Good men & so well disciplined that they Recd more then ordinary satisfaction On the 21st Count Egmont Ambr Extrary from the Court of spaine arrived here It is Judged by the ffrench K putting A stop to the pioneers & Waggons at Ghent that A Cessation is Granted & A peace will Ensue, And the Paris letters tell us they Every day Exspect to heare It is finished On the 21st the stavaren sailed from Portesmouth with soldiers for the Islands of Jersey & Guernsey They write from Cadiz Aprill 28th that on the 19th the Earle of Inchequin arrived there In 8 dayes from Plimouth & on the 24th Imported the Leopard & Jersey with about 50 Merchantmen under their Convoy, The Algerines were most Layd up In the Mould for feare of the English The Andrew Ketch of Colchester putting Into ffalmouth Bound for Roterdam from Burdeaux say they left Not one ship there at their Comeing off To the Greate affliction of that people to thinke what Commodities must spoyle on their hands The Hague Letters say the discourse Ran there on the 26th That An Expresse was come from the D de Villa Hermosa to acquaint them that haveing had farther deliberations about the matter of the peace he was Not unwilling Considdering the little Appearance of Resisting to Incline to tearmes of peace And that M: de Lyra was observed More easy In Complying with the proposalls of the states upon that occasion Their Advice from Coppenhagen was That An Envoy from Munster was gone to Denmarke & that the peace between the 2 Northerne Crownes was very farr Advanced & that of the D of Holbein Almost Concluded On the 23d both houses Being Mett his Maty made this following speech MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, When I met you last I asked your Advice upon the greate Conjuncture abroade, what Returne you Gentlemen of the H of Comons made mee & whether It was suitable to that End I Intended (which was the saveing of fflanders) I Leave it to your selves In Cold blood to Considder, since I Asked your Advice the Conjunctures abroade & o[u]r distempers (which Influence so much have, driven things violently on to A peace & where they will End I cannot tell but will say this only to you that I Am Resolved as farr as I am able to save flanders Either by warr or A peace which way soever I shall find Conduceing towards it; & that must be Judged from Circumstances as they play from abroade ffor my owne part I should thinke being armed were as Necesary to make A peace as A warr & therefore if I were able would keep up my army & my Navy at least for some time till A peace were Concluded But because that will depend upon your supplies I leave It to your selves whether to provide for their subsidies so long or for their disbanding sooner & to take Care In Either Case Not to discourage or use ill so many worthy Gentlemen & brave Men who Came to offer their lives & service to their Countrey upon this occasion & In pursuance of your owne advise & Resolutions I must put you likewise In mind of A branch of my Revenue which is Neere Expireing & of Another greater which is Cutt off by A Clause In the Poll Bill As also of the 200000 L taken up upon the Credit of the Excise at your Request & I desire your Resolutions May be speedy because the prsent Necesities Require It And I shall Consent to any Reasonable Bills you shall offer mee for the good & safety of the Nation My Lords & Gentlemen; I shall say No more but only to assure you whatever some ill men would have believed I Never had any Intentions but of good to you & to my people, Nor Ever shall, But will doe all that I can for your safety & Ease as farr as you your selves will suffer mee, And since these are my Resolutions I desire you will Not drive mee Into Extremities which must End Ill but for you & mee & (which is worst of all) for the Nation which wee ought all to have Equall care of, Therefore I desire wee may prevent any disorders or Mischiefs that May befall them by o[u]r disagreement & In Case they doe I shall leave It to God Almighty to Judge between us who is the occasion one thing More I have to Add & that is to let you know that I shall Never More suffer the Course & Method of passing lawes to be Changed & that If severall Matters shall Ever againe be tacked togather In one bill that bill shall Certainly be lost let the Importance of It be Never so greate The Rest I leave to my Ld Chancellor +23d May 1678 the Commons appointed their grand Comitees Read only some bills & then Adjourned +24 May 1678 The Commons ordered a Bill to be brought In for secureing the protestant Religion & Appointed A Committee to Inspect the lawes Concerning the poore & to bring In A Bill for Remedying the Inconveniencies thereoff & appointed A Comittee to Considder of the Temporary lawes that are Expired & which of them are fitt to be Revived & gave leave to bring In A Bill for Exportation of leather & Read A Bill for wearing woollen Manufactures +The Lords Read A Bill for provideing Reliefe for poore protestant strangers & A Bill for Burying In woollen & ordered A Bill to be brought In for preventing Clandestine Marriages And A Bill for punishing of Blasphemy & for preventing drunkennesse & swearing +May 25th The Commons were this day In a long debate about prsenting A New Addresse to the King for A warr against ffrance but the debate was adjourned till Monday The yeas were 195 and the Noes 176 +Wee have o[u]r letters from ffrance of Wednesday last they say the K was Exspected that Evening at st Germains & that the peace was lookt upon as good as Concluded The spaniards haveing likewise accepted of the tearmes proposed +They had account from Germany the M: Crequi had passed the Rhine at brisac & the Imperiall army was Comeing towards [tear removes about five letters] L. c. 634 May 27th 1678 Commons May 24th 1678 +A Bill to be brought In for secureing the protestant Religion A Committee Appointed to Inspect the Lawes Concerning the poore & to bring In a Bill for Remedying the Inconveniences thereof A Committee Appointed to Considder of the Temporary Lawes that are Expired & which of them are fitt to be Revived Leave Given to Bring In A bill for Exportation of Leather +A Bill for wearing woollen Manufactures Read & ordered A 2d Reading Lds +An act for provideing Reliefe for poore protestant strangers Read & Committed An act for Burying In woollens Read +A Bill ordered to be brought In for preventing Clandestine Marriages +A Bill to be prepared for punishing of Blasphemy & for preventing drunkennesse & swearing May 25th +Wee have o[u]r letters ffrom ffrance of Wednesday last They say that the King was Exspected that Evening at St Germains & that the peace was lookt upon as good as Concluded The spaniards haveing likewise accepted of the tearmes proposed That from Germany They had account that the M: de Crequi had with his Army passed the Rhine at Brisac his designe was Not knowne The Imperiall army was advanced towards him The Commons were this day In A long debate about prsenting A New Addresse to the King for A warre against ffrance But the debate was Adjourned sine die The yeas were 195 and the Noes 176 L. c. 635 May 31st 1678 Whitehall 28 May 1678 +Wee have o[u]r letters of ffriday last from Holland which tell us that the Heer Beverning Returned that Evening to the Hague from the ffrench Campe from whence he Came on the Wednesday last (The ffrench K parting the same day for Paris) & went Immediately Into the states of Holland to make his Reports of which all the account they had abroade when these letters Came away was, That the ffrench K had agreed to the Cessation of armes for 6 weeks, And it was said that a ffree trade between ffrance & Holland was granted by that King from that prsent time It is said that the ffrench army will goe & Encampe In the Neibourhood of Brussells dureing the said Cessation It is Certain that the spaniards have accepted the tearmes of peace offered by ffrance Yesterday the H of Commons Resolved that the privy Councellors that are Members of the house should prsent to his Maty the desire of the house That his Maty would be pleased to let them know whether there would be A peace of a Warre This morning his Maty sent them A Message the substance was That the ffrench King had Consented to A Cessation of Armes which would Expire the 27 July our stile & that his Maty Believed It would be ffollowed by A peace But that he thought It Necesary to Keep up the Army till that time, And therefore Calls upon them to provide a subsistance for the forces till that time & for their disbanding them The Considderation of this Message is Adjourned till Thursday To Morrow being the Kings birth day the house sitts Not L. c. 636 June 1st 1678 +On the 24th the Commons ordered A Bill to be brought In for secureing the protestant Religion And Read A Bill for wearing woollen Manufactures & ordered it a 2d Reading, Appointed a Committee to Inspect the lawes Concerning the poore & to bring In A Bill, and another Committee to Considder of the Temporary lawes that are Expired & which of them are fitt to be Revived & Gave leave for 2 Bills to be brought In the one for Exportation of Leather the other for Linsey levell On the 25th The Commons Gave leave for Bringing In severall Bills vizt for Reliefe of poore prisoners for bringing In Woollen for Better Repaire of Highwayes & then takeing his Matys Speech Into Considderation were upon An Addresse to his Maty to desire to Know the state of affaires as they Now stand In Relation to warr or peace & If his Maty shall thinke fitt to Enter Into A warr against the ffrench King with the alliances of the Emperor & such other princes & states as would Come Into the Confederacy In which they would Assist & support his Maty In the Carrying on the warr But they Came to No Result On the 27th the Commons upon debate of his Matys speech voted that if his Maty pleased to Enter Into An actuall warr against the ffrench K, They will supply & assist him In such warr or otherwise they will Enter upon the Considderation of A way for disbanding the forces already Raised, And ordered the Members of the privy Councell doe acquaint his Maty with their vote And on this day they Read A Bill for Burying In woollen, And A Bill for preventing Maintenance & Buying pretended titles & A Bill for Exportation of Leather & ordered a Committee to Inspect the Claimes Concerning Bankrukpts & Considder of the defects thereof On the 28th they ordered the Bill for wearing woollen Manufactures & for Regulating the Makeing thereof to be Read on thursday & Read the Bill for Reliefe of poore prisoners for debt A 2d time & Committed His Matys Answer to the vote of the house yesterday +Charles R His Maty haveing purused the vote of this house of the 27th Instant hath thought fitt to Returne this answer That the most Christian K hath made such offers for A Cessation till the 27th July as his Maty doth not only Believe will be accepted But doth also verily Believe will End In A generall peace, yet since that is Not certain his Maty doth by No meanes thinke it prudent to dismisse Either fleet or Army before that time nor does he thinke it Can Add Much to the Charge Because the Raiseing of the Money & paying them off would take as long A time as that although the speediest disbanding that is posible were Intended, That In the meane time his Maty desires some supply may be provided for their subsistance, That as hitherto thay have been the Most orderly Army that Ever was togather they may be Encouraged to Continue so That there is another thing which presseth his Maty with very great Inconvenience In his domesticke affaires which is the Want of the 200000 L you promised to Repay at your Meeting after, And which does Effect the whole branch of his Revenue by haveing A 5th part taken out of Every payment which should be applied to the Necesary use of his household, he does therefore desire you would Immediately apply your selves to the Repayment of that money to him Given at o[u]r Court at whitehall 28 May 1678 On the 30th the Commons tooke his Matys Answer on the 28th Into Considderation & Resolved That all the forces that have been Raised since the 29th sept last Except those that have been sent to the plantations be forthwith paid & disbanded And to Morrow are to be In A Committee of the whole house to Considder of A supply for their disbanding, and have Appointed A Committee to Examine the Arreirs due to the forces & to Considder of Meanes to lessen the Charge of the Navy On the 21st sr Thomas Allen went to portesmouth & thence to spithead aboard the R: James The Plimouth letters of the 24th tell us of the safe Arrivall of the streights ffleet from Cadiz whence they parted 96 In Number of which 3 men of warr the Leonard & Guernsey & Tigur, The last taken from the turks by the Rupert & Mary +The hague letters mention the Cessation & that they are to have A free trad from that prsent time +Its Advised from Bruges that all Communication betwixt them & ostend by water is stopt by Reason of the disturbances given by the ffrench parties who were that night at one of their gates & Carryed away severall persons and among others a Burghermasters son They write from fflanders That the ffrench had Ravaged 8 villages In the Jurisdiction of Ghent for Arreirs of Contribution due before Its surrender & were takeing downe the Church Bells for Non payment of the summe agreed on for the Redemption & had Begun with those of the Cathedrall +sr Richard Rainsford hath A writt of Ease & sr William scroggs is Made Ld Chiefe Justice of England +The Brussells letters say the Cessation with the dutch was with this Restriction That if that the states Cannot prevaile within that time with the Rest of the allies to accept of the Conditions of peace which the Most Christian K has offered that they shall Not directly or Indirectly assist them against him or any of his allies L. c. 637 June 3d 1678 Commons 30 May 1678 +A Bill for makeing the River Vale in Cornwall Navigable Read A 2d time & Committed A Bill for Admeasuring keeles & Boates Read & ordered A 2d Reading A Bill for wearing woollen Manufactures Read A 2d time & Committed Leave Given to bring In A Bill for the Better discovery of the Estates of Thompson & Nelthorp Bankers The house then tooke Into Considderation his Matys message & Resolved That all the forces that have Been Raised since the 29 sept last Except those that have been sent to the plantations shall be forthwith paid And disbanded A Motion Being made for A supply to his Maty for the disbanding of the Army Resolved +That this house to morrow morning A 10 of the Clocke will Resolve Into A Comittee of the whole house to Considder of the said Motion A Comittee Appointed to Inspect & Examine what arreirs are Now due to the Army which by the vote of this house is to be disbanded & that the paymaster of the army be summoned to attend & that the Committee have A power to Considder of A way And Meanes to lessen the Charge of the Navy That on Monday this house will take Into Considderation the state of the Navy Commons 31 May 1678 +A Bill for preventing the Abuses In takeing affidavitts In the Countrey Read & ordered A 2d Reading The house then Resolved Into A Comittee of the whole house to Considder of his Matys supply & Resolved That A supply be granted to his Maty towards the paying And disbanding all the forces that have been Raised since the 29 sept last The Committee Appointed to Inspect & Examine what arreires are due to the Army & lessening the Charge of the Navy to sitt this afternoon And Then Adjourned till ye mon [Handwriting changes here.] June ye 1st This day The Commons tooke ye Chancellrs speech into Consideration, fell upon ye debate whether ye proceeding of their House were ye occation of ye peace, or the Ld Chancellrs mentions, & after long debate, & 3 questions put Concerning it, it was adjourned to another day sr Richard Raynsford is to have his sallary allo[wed] him for his life 4 troops of Horse & severall Companys of foot are orderd to march toward ye North The Ld Chancellrs Speech to sr Wm scroggs at his being sworne Ld Cheife Justice May ye 31 1678 The great age of the Ld Cheife Justice Raynsford hath obtaynd his Maty[s] writt of quietus Therefore the King haveing great Experience of your knowne Integrity & honesty, as well as somewhat of your Loyallty has laid his Commands upon me to bring you his Commision to be Ld Cheife Justice of this Court. And in regard you have had Experience as well of sitting on ye Bench as at ye Barr. I shall not take up your tyme wth needless Cautions and admonitions, but onely say thus much to you, that ye worke of this Court will Call for ye Exerciseing yo[u]r uttmost dilligence, for ye worke that you will find before you here, is not more Honrble & proffitable, then laborious, for Especially will your great Patience be tryed when you have to doe wth ye most stubborne & greatest Mallefactors, & then Will you be discredited if you Extend not your Dilligence & Patience Now must you sequester yo[u]r selfe from ye private, totally to be given to ye publique Even in such a manner as to borrow some houres from your most needfull Recreations & sleep it selfe. L. c. 638 [Handwriting changes here.] June 6th 1678 Commons 4 June 1678 +A Bill for preventing Maintenance & Champerty Read A 2d time & Committed +A Bill sent from the Lds for Reliefe of poore protestant strangers The question Being propounded That the proceedings of this house had Not occasioned the peace It Being Moved that the Words (Mentioned by my Ld Chancellors speech) may be added, which Being put to the question & then the house divided with the yeas 146 and the Noes 181 And so It passed In the Negative The question being afterwards put whether the question should be Now put the house divided with the yeas 157 And the Noes 181 And so It passed In the Negative Commons 3 June 1678 +The Committee Appointed to Examine what was due to the Army made their Report but the Charge of the Navy Being Not yet Ready to be brought In the house Adjourned On ffriday last being the ffirst day of the Tearme mr Justice scroggs tooke his place as Ld Chiefe Justice of the Kings Bench In the Roome of sr Richd Rainsford Commons 4 June 1678 +The house Resolved Into A grand Comittee & Resolved That a supply of 200000 L shall be Raised for paying off the fforces Raised since Michaelmas last to Commence Next after the determination of the prsent Monethly tax A Clause to be put In the Bill that the forces be disbanded by the last of June And also for appropriating the Money for that use [Handwriting changes here just for rest of letter.] +Mr Powell Reports from the Committee that ye Charge of ye Land forces amounts to 1800 L a day, & ye Navy to 2500 L a day, in all 4300 a day The supply is to be Raised by a 6 moneths Tax at ye Rate of 34010 L- 9 s- 6 d p month To morrow the Lds have appoynted to heare The Ld Purbecks buisness L. c. 639 June 8th 1678 +On the ffirst Instant the Commons had under Considderation the Ld Chancellors speech, The Lds sent downe A bill for Reliefe of poore protestant strangers & the Commons Committed the bill for preventing of Champerty & Maintenance & the Bill for Erecting A Church In st Martins In the fields On the 3d the Commons Committed A Bill for Admeasuring of Keeles & Boates & then had the Report what was due to the forces & tooke Into Considderation the state of the Navy On the 4th the Commons ordered A 2d Reading to the Bill against Bankrupts & to the Bill for Encreasing the Revenue of the deanne of St Pauls & for assuring the tennants their Estates & Committed the Bill for the more Easy Collecting the duty of hearth money, And then In A grand Committee Resolved A supply of 6 moneths tax after the Rate of 34410 L: 9 s: 6 d p moneth to Commence Next after the determination of the prsent Monethly tax towards paying & disbanding the forces that have been Raised since the 29 sept last And a Clause In the Bill to Encourage people to lend money upon that act & A Clause for the disbanding the forces by the last of June & A Clause for Appropriating the Money for that Use On the 5th the house ordered A 2d Reading to the Naturalization Bill & A Bill against Pelthorp & Thompson & Gave leave to bring In A bill for the discovery of stolne goods & for preventing the oppression of the poore, And then In a grand Committee Resolved A supply to be given to his Maty for dismissing the Extrary Charge of the Navy On the 6th the Commons Committed the Bill for Burying In woollen & Read the Bill for A supply & ordered A 2d Reading The ffrench letters of 11th tell us That King out of A prospect of peace had abated of the taxes for his Next yeare & is upon paying off the greate summs of money which he had borrowed on his Revenue at 8 L p Cent Interest, Those that lent their moneys before the warr arre prsently to Receive It, But those that lent since the war hope for faivour to Continue it at the same Rate The E of dunbartons Regemt is Reduced from 16 to 6 Companies & Coll Machartys from 14 to 5 Companies The dutch ships are Already In greate plenty at Burdeaux & other parts of ffrance to take off their Commodities so that they make No question of A generall [sic] which that It may be the more assuredly Effected the M: schomberg is Marched wth A body of 25000 men to dispose the Elector of greate dificulty to part with all those acquisitions that have Cost him so deare The Imperiall army & the french were only parted by A wood so that they Exspected to heare of An Engagement The Brussells letters of June 7th tell us all the Countrey is beforend [?] with french who live at Ease & plenty whilst their men are Cooped up In Garrisons to which None are suffered to Carry provisions so that they generally lye under the penury of A siege The Hague letters are of oppinion they may prevaile with the allies to accept of the ffrench proposalls yet they are willing to see all Compleated before they disband any of their forces They write from Elsenor may 24th that besides those men that were forced backe by Contrary winds there was another fleet arrived from Jutland with 2000 horse upon the same designe who were set saile that day & would make up the forces with M: Guildenlieu 20000 men with which they doubted Not but to be soon masters of Gottenburg By the Leghorne letters date may 21st Its advised that things begin to be quiet at Tunis & that the English whose goods were taken promiscuously from them when the towne was taken had all that Could be found of theirs afterwards Restored to them Two Algerines who were then In port haveing Advise That an English ship was off the port went out & after 4 houres fight tooke her, The ship was the Neptune formerly the guinney ffregot bound from Alexandria with turks goods Those of Tunis declared Immediately It was No prize, But the Algerines who were selling some part of her at Porto ffarina answered there was good Justice at Algiers & they would Carry her thither +On the 27th Arrived In the downes one English ship from Bantam, & on the 30th sr william poole In the guernsey with the Leopard & Turks Tiger with the greate streights fleet, The Turks tiger is said to be A very Nimble ship & though shee sailed only with a jury Mast Can Keep Company with the rest, They bring Newes from Cadiz that the Algerines had been beaten by the Moores army that Came downe against them & that they were become very desirous of peace with us +On the 26th was Launched at Harwich A 3d Rate ffregot which will Carry 76 guns Named the Restaurations shee went very well off the stocks & by Judgment is accounted as good as any of her Rate In England L. c 640 [Handwriting changes here.] June ye 8th/10th [sic] 1678 +Yesterday his maty sent a message to ye house of Commons Reminding them of ye advice he gave them ye 23d of May last for ye delaying ye disbanding his forces till ye success of this Cessation appears & Telling them he has much Employed his thoughts on ye same subject, since, & that he is still of ye same Opinion, & that ye saveing a little Charge Can noe way Countervaile ye prejudice that may succeed upon his being necessitated to disarme his land & navy forces, upon soe great uncertaintys, may tho a peace should Certainly Ensue, Therefore Earnestly againe recomending his former advice to them. Especially Concerning ye forces that are now in flanders, whom should soe sudenly recall, it might be of ill Consequences & lyable to bad Construction, for that haveing taken severall Spanish townes into his protection it might appear strongly unreasonable to wthdraw his forces from them, wth out any timely warning for their Regarrisoning, thereby leaving them to ye discretion of ye Enemy Upon Receipt of this message a motion was made to goe into a Comittee of ye Whole house on ye Consideration of it, but it past in ye negative Then appoynted they Wednesday next to proceed on ye supply Bill And this day after reading some private Bills, they Enterd upon ye Consideration of ye 200000 L taken upone ye Credit of ye Excise, & Resolved that there lyes an obligation on this House to see ye said 200000 L dischargd, & accordingly appoynted a Comittee to Examine ye severall disbursmts of ye said money Noe forreigne posts are Come in The Lds have throwne out ye Bill abt Pedlers & Hawkers L. c. 641 June 13th 1678 June 8th 1678 [The first four paragraphs of this letter are an almost exact copy of L. c. 640 except that the last two one-sentence paragraphs of L. c. 640 are omitted.] Monday 10 June +A Bill for hindring Papists to sitt In Either house of Parliamt Read & ordered A 2d Reading The Election for Grantham Reported & Resolved That sr Robert Markam is duely Elected Tuesday 11 June +Resolved that the time be Enlarged for disbanding the forces since the 29 sept last & Now beyond the seas Not Exceeding 27 July. [Handwriting changes here just for rest of letter.] +A petition of ye poor Clothiers read & referrd to a Comittee to Consider Wednesday senight appoynted for sr sollomon swale to Certify ye house of his Conformity to ye Church of England or Else they will proceed to ye Election of a new member to serve in his roome. to morrow ye house will proced in ye supply Bill L. c. 642 June 15th 1678 +On the 7th his Maty sent A Message to the Commons to put them in mind that In his speech the 23d May last he told them that if he were able he would Keep up his army & Navy some time till a peace were Concluded If It must be, But because that depended upon their supplies he Referred it to them whether to provide for their Maintenance or disband them sooner, since which time his Maty hath often had his thoughts Employed on the same subject & is Every day more & more Confirmed In his ffirst opinion that A few dayes Expence Cannot Countervail with the parting with his fleet & Army if after that A peace should Not follow, And though It should yet hazzarding [sic] so much of the bare presumption of A thing In it selfe altogather uncertain & Not In his power Could not be Countenanced by Any procedings Therefore his Maty Recomended to them his sd Advice of the 23d may that they would see the Effect of the Cessation In flanders before his Maty be Necesitated to disarme them, But more Especially that part of the army that is In flanders which if his Maty should Recall before A peace it would be lyable to A very hard Construction, That haveing severall of the K of spains Townes In his protection he had without any Reasonable warning for their Regarrisoning withdrawne his forces & abandoned those townes to the discretion of the Enemy The Message was ordered to be taken Into Considderation on the 11th when they were also to Considder the supply Bill of 200000 L On the 8th the Commons Resumed the debate touching the 200000 L borrowed on the Excize & Resolved +That An obligation lay on the house to Repay it & appointed A Committee to take the disbursemts thereof, Then they ordered A 2d Reading to the Bills from the Lds for Burying In woollen And Committed the Leather Bill & Appointed A Committee to Considder how to Improve the woollen & silke Manufactures, The Lds sent downe 3 Bills the one for preventing unnecesary suites & delayed Another for Execrs in their owne wrong [sic] to Receive debts of Execrs & Admrs And A 3d for the Better Incouragement of the dealers in Butter & Cheese On the 11th the Commons Resolved the time be Enlarged for disbanding the forces Raised since sept last & now beyond sea Not Exceeding 27 July, They also Comitted the Naturalization bill & A Bill to Repeale A Clause In the act Concerning Highwayes & A Bill for preserveing fish In the River severne And An Engrossed Bill from the Lds for Burying In woollen & ordered A 2d Reading to the Bill against papists sitting in parliamt & Referred A petition of the Clothiers to A Committee to whome A petition of the Creditors of the Hamburg Company is Committed & ordered A Bill for poore prisoners for debt to be Engrossed On the 12th the Commons Committed the Bill to hinder papists to sitt In Either house of parliamt & In a Committee of the whole house went through the supply Bill & ordered the Committee appointed to Examine the disbursemts of the 200000 L to sit to morrow morning to perfect their accounts On the 13th the Commons Read A Bill to prevent Burglary & Breaking up of houses & ordered A 2d Reading to A bill for A Register for pawnes +The supply Bill was Reported & ordered to be Engrossed The dutch letters tell us the D of Brandenburgh has put a stop to his March for A Moneth but the Lunenburg forces which were In Mecklenburgh were on their March towards the Randevouz The Munster troops are about 6000 with 30 Cannon haveing Recd their moneys on the 10th went on the 11th to schonen or Norway The Bp of Munster is very angry that such A progresse is made towards A generall peace In which the Businesse of sweden Causeth the greatest dificulty & yet they Judge that the Bp of Munster & D of zell may be brought to part with who[m they?] hold In the Dutchy of Bremen for money & they talke that the D of Hannover hath already offered to his brother the D of zell from france A Million for what he holds In the sd Dutchy though others say he has made him proposalls & will settle upon him the Bishoprick of Hildesheim The D of Bavaria is said to presse the Emperor that the K of sweden may Not be so much A looser for that if he should be beaten quite out of Germany It would Make the D of Brandenburgh too formidable to the Emperor & Roman Catholic Religion They write from france the Rebells of Hungary have got togather A Considderable army some say 30000 men Effective & More are sent them still by the Marquesse de Bethune the french Ambr & they have Refused those faire proposalls which the greate assembly of Hungary has gained them of the Emperour & that they thought might prevaile with them & will Not now be Content to have liberty to Erect Churches on the frontiers where they say they shall be Exposed to the violence of the Turks & Hussers but demanded to have them In garrisoned townes which Its Conceived they will Not obtaine it being No small hazzard to Admitt the Confluence of such A sort of people In places of greatest strength +whitehall 13 June 1678 wee have severall Reports abroade of An Engagement between the ffrench & the Germans In Bresgau but no Credit is to be given to them the armies are Indeed very neere & It is likely they will Not part without blowes The states generall have Resolved that In Case their allies will Not Come Into the peace they will Conclude it seperately, But It is Certain they will have the Company of the spaniards who have formally declared themselves thereupon, sr William Temple one of his Matys plenipotentiaries for treating the peace hath taken his Leave In order to his Returne Into holland This day the Ld Ambr hide the E of ossory arrived safe here L.c. 643 None 17th [?] June 20th 1678 Commons friday 14 June +A Bill for Better Incouragemt of dealers In Butter & Cheese ordered a 2d Reading +A Bill to prevent Exportation of wooll Read A 2d time & Committed A Bill ordered to be brought In for Encouragemt of the lynnen Manufactures mr Nolds Bill sent from the Lds Read A 1st time & Rejected The supply Bill Read A 3d time & past Commons satureday 15 June The Bill for fishing In the River severne past The Affidavit bill Read A 2d time & Committed +Resolved that after Tuesday Next Noe New motion be made for A New supply to be given to his Maty before the Recesse That the house will on Tuesday Next take Into Considderation that part of his Matys speech which Related to A farther supply That Report about the Charges of the Navy and the 200000 L upon the Excize to be made on Monday The house have voted that all Apprentices that shall be disbanded shall be kindly Recd by their masters without any show of Anger & serve their times out There are letters from Coll stapleton Governour of Nevis in America which say that the ffrench fleet under the Command of the Count de Estrees Consisting In 16 Kings men of warr & 10 or 12 privateers or Bulamines as they Call them had very much Allarmed them haveing had for A long time their station very neer them, That the 27 Aprill they appeared within sight of that Island but some houres afterward tacked & stood away whether they tooke their Course was Not Knowne There are Now Rideing at the spithead the R Charles & the R James with 14 or 15 of the Kings ships Besides those that are Cruiseing abroade & have their station in the downes, And I have seen A list of above 90 men of warr greate & small which are now abroade in the Kings service Commons Monday 17 June The stannary bill Read A[nd?] ordered A 2d Reading mr Powell Reports the Estimate of the Extrary Charge of the Navy & ordinance of which there Rests due 150078 L and also of the disbursemts of 200000 L borrowed upon the Creditt of the Excize upon the debate whereof Resolved +That It appears to the house that 160000 L has been borrowed upon the Credit of the Excize & Expended for the Extrary use of the Navy That It appears to the house that there has been 40000 L borrowed upon the Excize & Expended upon the Extrary use of the ordinance Tuesday 18 June +The King Came Into the house of Lds this morning & made A speech to both houses which was long & Chiefly Related to his Revenue which he desired to have Augmented because some branches were going to Expire The Commons sat so late that I have Not yet seen Either the journall or the speech & In things of this Nature I doe Not love to goe by heresay +The letters wee Recd last night from Holland say that on wednesday last the states Generall finally Resolved that orders should be Immediately sent to their Ambrs at Nimeghen to Conclude & signe the treaty with france without any more delay, that A letter should be written to the K of ffrance & sent by the Heer de savoy to Acquaint him with this their Resolution so that wee may Exspect our Next letters from Nimeghen will Enforme us that the peace is signed between ffrance spaine & Holland what the Rest of the parties doe time must show +The letters from straasburgh of the 7/17 say that the 13th at night the Imperiallists who began to want fforrage silently decamped from Hockberg & Marched [to?] Buckem without the Enemies knowlegd who might have disputed their passage over the River Elz: but soe soon as M: Crequi knew of it he likewise decamped & Marched to Munzigh within halfe a league of the Imperiallists Campe severall skirmishes happening In which some men of Note were killed. It is said the Imperiallists are so posted that they hinder Crequis Communication with Brisac, which If so will very much Incommode him Crequi has [Handwriting changes here for rest of letter.] Recd A Reinforcemt of 15 standarts The Commons have Orderd an account to be brought into ye house what privy seales have bene Issued for secret services since ye 1st of May last L. c. 644 [no date] A letter from the Emperour to the states of Holland & Read In their last Assembly deare ffreinds Allies & Confederates +The greate Affection & Kindness which wee have had for your state Moveth us Now to direct this letter unto you, Aswell to demonstrate to you those obligations due from you to us, as also to Exhort & perswade you from those Intentions which wee understand by yo[u]r Ambrs here are In Agitation between you & the ffrench K, which doth Not A little surprize us when wee Considder the Vast disadvantage that will succeed such undertakeings & weighing with o[u]r selves how sincere wee have alwayes been unto you & that when the ffrench K had Invaded your dominions & territories & had overcome part of your Netherlands, wee Even then In the height of your distresse upon your solicitations & Entring Into A strict bond of Amity Engaged o[u]r Armes upon your account & Brought o[u]r Armies so vigourously against the Enimy as obliged him to quitt those townes which he had gained from you, & have Ever since Kept A strict Confedracy & alliance with you on o[u]r part & are willing to Continue the same, which if you Recede from will be greately Injurious to us In this Conjuncture, And wee Cannot find It beneficiall to any of us upon those Conditions proposed by the ffrench K to Consent to A Unreasonable peace, for the Enemy haveing posest himselfe of some Important townes of o[u]r Territories & haveing Reserved to himselfe the Best part of fflanders which are your ffrontiers, wee doe verily believe It will Rather terminate to all o[u]r disadvantages hereafter then Conduce to the quiet & peace of Christendome +Therefore wee finding It so hazzardous A thing wee desire you would Not give any Complyance thereto, But with Courriage & Resolution prosecute the warr till A much better peace Can be obtained, otherwise wee shall Not looke upon you any longer o[u]r Confederates, And that which seemes the greatest diskindnesse In you is to make A desertion In the greatest height of o[u]r hopes Even now when his Maty of England hath so faivoured the Cause as to Raise by the advice of his Parliamt A puissant Army & has A Royall Navy Now at sea & has given such testimonies of his Intentions towards It as to loose A part of his Revenue by prohibitting Commerce +This step his Maty hath already made & wee are Confidently assured that his Maty will Not be wanting to assist us, If not prevented by your overtures with ffrance & those Jealousies you have Amongst you by which the good Intentions of the King is [sic] prevented & wee Exposed (whome with An Unanimity wee might suppresse) to A Mercilesse Enemy that no longer will Continue A peace then shall Conduce to his Advantage there, on these tearmes wee Cannot be safe & so hope that these Animadversions may have such Influence on you as that you may Considder the ill you are about & Not anticipate those designes which are Now on foot & bring In slavery the Christian world to A Tiranick prince, In which Confidence that you will persevere In o[u]r alliance wee pray to god to protect you & soe wee Rest &c dated from vienna L. c. 645 June 22d 1678 +On the 14th the Commons ordered A 2d Reading to the Bill for the Better Incouragemt of the dealers In Butter & Cheese, Committed the Bill to prevent Exportation of wooll, ordered the Bill for Building A Church In st Martins In the field to be Engrost & past the supply bill of 200000 L On the 15th the Commons Resolved the Report of the Charge of the Navy to be made on the 17th, And that the house take Into Considderation that part of his Matys speech Relating to A supply on the 18th, And that after that day No farther Mention be made for A New supply to be given to his Maty & ordered A 2d Reading to A Bill to prevent Remova[ll]s In suites, Comitted the Affidavit bill, ordered the Leather Bill & the Bill for Measuring Keeles & Boates to be Engrost & past the Bill for ffishing In the River severne On the 17th the Commons ordered A 2d Reading to the stannary Bill, Committed the Pawnebroakers Bill & past the deane of st Paulls Bill & the Leather Bill, They also Upon A Report made to them of the disbursemt of the 200000 L Borrowed Upon the Credit of the Excize Resolved That It appeares to them that 160000 L was Expended upon the Extrary Use of the Navy & 40000 L Upon the Extrary Expence of the ordinance On the 18th his Maty In his Roabes made A speech to both houses the substance whereof followeth That things abroade seem already to have determined In A peace at least as to spaine & Holland That notwithstanding there will be greate Conjunctures abroade In which the safety & honour of the Nation will be much Concerned, That It will be Necesary o[u]r Navys are Constantly strong at sea That It will be Imposible for his Maty Even In time of peace with A Revenue so Impaired as his is to Keep up the honour & safety of the Kingdome That at the Best his Revenue is Extreamly disproportioned to those of the Kings his Neibours & Even to that of the united provinces That his Maty therefore desires they would find A way of setling for his life Not only the additionall duties at [sic] they were at Crismas last, But of Adding to his Revenue Upon Some New fonds 300000 L p Ann to which his Maty will Add 200000 L more to be appropriated to the Constant Maintenance of the Navy His Maty assures them he is Ready to Consent to any publick & Reasonable bills they shall offer him That he will Employ his whole life to advance the good of his people & will Endeavour while he lives that none Else shall Ever be able to doe them harme ffinally Recommends to them the 40000 L for o[u]r Neece of Oranges portion After which the Commons Being withdrawne the Lds Entred upon the debate of the Claime to the Vicounty of Purbeck & Resolved +That no fine Now Leavied or at any time hereafter Leavied to the King Can barr any title of honour or the Right of Any person Claimeing such title, After which the d of Bucks offered A Bill to the house to make the petitioner illegitimate But It being Irregularly offered was withdrawne The Commons ordered the humble thanks of the house to be given his Maty for his gracious Expressions In his speech & Resolved to be Next morning In A Grand Committee to Considder of Continuing the duty upon wines & for paying the 200000 L borrowed on the Excize & the 40000 L for the P of Oranges portion, And ordered that the Auditor of the Exchequer doe bring In an account what privy seales have been used for secret service since the 1st may 1677 & of the pensions granted out of his Matys Revenue The Bill for Burying In woollen was Reported They Committed the Bills for Butter & Cheese & to prevent the Removall of suites from inferior Courts & past the Bill for makeing the River vale Navigable On the 19th the Ld treasurer by the Kings Command acquainted the Lds that the french K began to be unwilling to Restore any of the places In fflanders till the swede be Reinstated & that therefore the spaniard was like to be Comprehended In the peace & that the ffrench K waiting for o[u]r Armyes disbanding makes his Maty not thinke It fitt to dismisse them so soon as was Intended whereupon the house Resolved to desire A Conference with the Comons Next morning The Commons ordered the Bill for High wayes to be Engrost & Committed the stannary bill & ordered sr solomon swayle be discharged the service of the house & there be A new Election for Albrough On the 20th the Commons had A Conference with the Lds, upon the Matter Communicated to them by the Ld treasurer & have Returned the thanks of the house to the Lds for the sd Conference & to desire them to dispatch the supply bill And Resolved that the Additionall duty upon wine be granted to his Maty for 3 yeares to Commence from the 1 August Next +On the 10th Arrived at Bristoll 6 or 7 ships from Barbados who Report A plentifull Crop of sugar at Barbados this yeare, And Informe they had been In barbados all In Armes & fortified their places of strengh out of An apprehension of the ffrench fleet who for some time with 20 saile hovered about those Islands, But were set saile as they Ghessed by their Course towards Curassau, The Man of war building at Bristoll is hastning with all hands & is like to prove An Extrary strong ship They write from Vienna dat 12th that the Hungarians Cannot yet agree about Choosing A palatine the Archbishop opposing It asmuch as posibly he Can as being that which might lessen his Authority & the Nobility themselves Contend for it but Its believed Count fforgats will Carry it, The states have agreed the protestants Churches shall be upon the frontiers they being for the most part Roman Catholicks, But the Rebells being now A Considderable body they will Not Come In without other tearmes The hague letters tell us the Elector of Brandenburghs minester desired the states to procure A Neutrality for the Countrey of Cleves which though It was by some strongly prest to be sent at the same time to the King with the letter of their acceptance of the peace, yet at last they only prevailed that they would send to the ffrench Ambr at Nimeghen Earnestly to Move him to procure A Neutrality of the ffrench K as the ffirst faivour to the states upon the peace The fflanders letters say the Emperor (if some sudden advantage may Not alter his Resolution) is Inclinable to A peace & though It looks too low for him to accept tearmes prescribed to him may Not be unwilling if the Matter be so managed to him as to passe In some forme of A Negotiation On the 10th the dutchesse of Cleveland went backe againe hence for Paris