of our French gallants, who came all sneaking home againe, for her greefe was so great for the beating of the Spanish armie before Arras' as she would not goe to Breda. She sent another account than that to the Ambassadour as you may imagin, but the Landgrave writt the truth to his neece the Princess of Tarente. We haue yet heere no particullars of this defeat, but in generall it is a verie great one. I long to heare what part my godsonne had in it, for I still thinke of him, being my cheefest comfort next your excellent Master. I am verie glad your daughter is so well, I doe not wonder at it, she is soe well vsed, and now she has her father with her she is the more content, and I take it verie well that all this makes her not forget her frends heere. I assure you I long to haue her heere againe. I am verie sorie for poore Killegrew, she was a verie good gentlewoman. You will heare by Mrs Howards letter howe great a scrape my little Nephue escaped yesterday vpon the bridge at the Princess of Orange's house, but God be thanked there was no hurt onelie the coache broken: I tooke him into my coache and brought him home. The Princess of Orange went from hence vpon Saterday, and you will haue our Baron shortlie with you at Aix, he itself even to her own relations: for Emilia, Princess of Tarente, was daughter of William, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel; and Charlotte, another daughter of the Hessian Elector, was wife to her son Charles Louis. The Prince was Henry Charles de la Tremouille, then in the service of the States, and in command of the Hessian cavalry. His connexion with these families procured him to be chosen a Knight of the Garter in 1653, along with the young Duke of Gloucester.

An allusion to the defeat of the Spaniards by the French on St. Louis's day, when their lines were forced, whilst besieging Arras, with great slanghter.

In the Queen's letters preserved in the Bromley Collection there are also frequent allusions to this "godsonne." In one place (p. 286) she speaks of him under the name of "Tint," playfully writing to a familiar friend.

"Kate Killigrew," daughter of Lord Stafford. She had been Maid of Honour to the Queen upwards of eight years. A curious letter, introducing this lady to her Majesty in 1646, may be referred to in Bromley's Royal Letters, p. 135. Afterwards William the Third.

will tell you the second part of the Queene of Sweden, for he comes from her to your Court. to morrow I beleeve I shall goe a shooting, which I haue not done since you went. I am verie glade to heere that you are established in your place, which you desarve so well. this is no complement but the verie truth from

HAGE, Aug. 31.

Your most affectionat frend,
ELIZABETH.

I am verie sorie for my Lo: Wentworths sickness. pray lett him know so from me, and remember me to Mr. Chancellour.

I

I

pray remember

my

humble seruice to the King: the news of beating the Scotch' is now tolde quite contrarie by a ship come from thence.

"For Mr. Secretarie."

Indorsed by Sir E. N. 31oAug: st: No: 1654. R. 3o. 7bris Queene of Bohemia to me.

The Queen of Bohemia to Sir Edward Nicholas. HAGH, Sep: 7 (1654).

Mr. Secretarie, I thanke you both for the good news you writt to St Charles Cottrell out of Holland, and for your letter I receaued this morning with the relation of the defeat before Arras. I hope you will send that of Holland to Curtius' that the beleef of the Scotch defeat may not be continued in Germanie. but none pleaseth me better then what you write of my deere Godsonne, and the continuance of my Neeces good health. The Queen of Sweden is yett at Anwerp, wee looke euerie day to see the Landgrave heere, and by him I shall know what she will doe. It is certaine that the flux is much in Monkes army, a Scotchman that is come from thence reports

This was a trifling affair; being merely a check given to Lilburn, the Parliamentary General, who commanded during Cromwell's absence.

* Curtius had long been the English agent, at Frankfort, to the German princes. He had been Secretary to the King of Bohemia, and in 1640 was also employed by Charles the First in Germanic diplomacy.

Monk commanded in Scotland at this period; having

it, and all the particulars you haue written. Dr. Morley has a letter from Anwerp of some trouble by a discouerie of a new treason in London of the levellers against his pretious highness, but I beleeue you will haue more particulars of that then wee heere. Dr. Earle setts forwards to morrow to Breda and so to Aix. I doe not write to you by him because this will be sooner with you. Our Baron has sent for his man Smith to meet him God knows where, for I doe not, I beleeve you will haue him at Aix: he is the direct wandring Jew. My Ladie Herbert is looked for heere shortlie, but she was not come from Paris the last week. I heare M" Hide' is to come to my Neece in M" Killegrews place, which I am verie glad of, she is verie fitt for itt and a great fauorit of mine, who ame euer

Your most affectio
nat Frend,

I pray lett my Lord Wentworth know I ame extereme glad he is of the kings councell, being so much his frend as I ame I cannot but wish him much ioye of it.

Indorsed, 7° Sepbris, 1654. The Queene of Bohemia to me. superseded Lilburn, Morgan, and other Parliamentary offi

cers.

This was immediately after Cromwell's assumption of the Protectorate. It was on the 3rd of the present month that he called together his first parliament; and eight days after the date of this letter, the members swore fealty to him.

Afterwards Duchess of York. Though not yet married to the Duke, Mrs. Hyde appears to have engaged much of the royal attention at this time. Charles, in a letter to Bennet, afterwards Earl of Arlington, in 1655, says, "I will try whether Sir S. Compton be so much in love as you say, for I will name Mrs. Hyde before him so by chance, that except he be very much smitten it shall not at all move him." Sir Spencer Compton, son of the Earl of Northampton, was the youth of whose loyal and gallant infancy Sir Philip Warwick relates, that though not able to grasp a pistol, yet in indignation he cried because he was not exposed to the same hazard his brothers were.