the Rebells, which our frends ther do not belieue like to produce any reconciliation: and then I hope wee shall quickly leave this place, the which our poore Master prouydes to doe. The same day brought the newes of the takinge Bourgue by the Duke of Vendosme and Rhetell by Marshall Turgu, and yett the Prince of Condé is confident the English will relieue Burdeaux.' I am, S', very affectionate humble Serv', Your PARIS this 12 of July (1653). Sr Ri. Browne. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. S', PARIS this 30th of July (1653). I haue receaued yours of the 23. of July, as I had before your other of the 16. I deliuered your other to Pr: Ruperte, and he hath promised mee to write to the Marshall, who he sayes he knowes will make no scruple to deliuer those parcells to you and the Dukes officers, which concernes the 10th & 15th, which beinge done, you are not to make any instances in the Kings name, for the rest, till his Ma" shall be better informed, and you receaue other orders: so that you are only to looke for the 15. and 10ths. desyred the Prince to send his letter for the Marshall inclosed to you, but he was not willinge to do that, because ther is an agent heare of the Marshalls with whome he transactes all, and by whome he promises such directions shall be giuen, that upon your repayringe to the..... Gouernour (which is all you neede to do) that shall be done which wee exspecte: 1 The Prince of Condé was mistaken. I This necessity of temporising with the avaricious detainer of their captured property, to which the exiled Court was obliged to submit, is not only a convincing proof of the inhospitable conduct of the French Government, but also (if they did not participate in the plunder) of their want of authority over their own officers. it is now the tyme that the businesse of the pryze is transactinge, and therfore the Prince desyres that all complyance be vsed towards the Marshall, and that wee do nothinge to anger him :-I finde the Mar: pretends the stoppinge the other goods upon pretence of much money dewe to him as Admirall of Britany, upon many pryzes brought into those portes by the owners of those goods. I yett heare nothing of Anthonio. I know not what to say to your mayd, nor the information shee hath receaued, but I assure you, the King takes all possible care that the house receaues no affronte, and to that purpose hath had a consideracon of it in Councell within these 3 dayes, in which, particular order is taken, that his former directions to you, and to Dr. Cozens, reuiued and renewed, for the keepinge up the seruice' carefully when he shall leue this place: and I had order to sende for your landlord, and together with S Ri: ffoster, to renew to him his Ma" gracious promises that he shall not be any looser: I intende this day to send to him to come hither: ther are yett only 500, payde of the rent by S Ri: ffoster: when mony can be gotten, more shall: in the meane tyme, the Kinge himselfe commanded me to write to you; you should if possible returne some mony to the landlorde, in parte of the rent, out of your receipts ther, with such a letter for his encouragement that he may vnderstande it to be his Ma" mony, and sent by his order, and I thinke you will be no looser by it, for heareby I shall be able to keepe off all prætences and importunityes for other orders, weh his Ma" hath promised to me. I have no more to say, but that I am, • that S', your very affectionate huble Serv', E. H. 1 Dr. Cosins (afterwards Bishop of Durham) was one of the King's Chaplains. He is often mentioned by Evelyn in his diary and letters; and the allusion in the text is to his having the service of the Church of England regularly performed at Sir Richard Browne's house, which Evelyn tells us was always done. I haue receaued yours of the 26. of the last moneth, and by this tyme I suppose Pr: Ruperte' is with you at Nantes, so that you can iudge what is like to become of your businesse better then I, but his Highnesse seemes to me to be confident that the Marshall will make no question of deliueringe the 10th and the 15th. but it seemes he claymes accounts for the rights of his Admiralty at Britany, upon which he thinkes ther is a greate arreare dew to him from all those who haue carryed pryzes into Brest: And to this pointe you shall do well to instructe your selfe as well as may be, and whether his Officers at Brest ever demanded any thinge before he made this seizure at Nantes, for in truth I know not how to answer this; if he hath the rights of Admirall due to him in all the portes of Britany, and none of our shipps haue euer payd him any, by virtue of ther deere-bought protection at Brest, I do not wonder he 1 The Prince had nearly lost his life a few days before this date, as a journal of the period records: "Paris.-We have not much of newes here; but the river Seine had like to have made an end of your black Prince Rupert; for some nights since hee woulde needes coole himselfe in the river, where he was in danger of drowning, but by the help of one of his blackmores escaped. His Highnesse (it seems) has learnt some magic amongst the remote islands; since his coming hither he hath cured the Lord Jermin of a feaver, with a charme; but I am confident England is without the jurisdiction of his conjuring faculty." 2 There were also other difficulties respecting the prizes : the French Court at this period, or at least Mazarin, being so anxious to conciliate the favour of Cromwell, that an arrest was even permitted to be made upon them. Indeed all the affairs connected with these prizes were very badly managed, as Sir Edward Hyde observes in another place, by Sir Edward Herbert, whom he describes as despising all men, and looked upon by Prince Rupert as an oracle. See the Clarendon State Papers, vol. iii. p. 177. The shabby conduct of Mazarin-surpassed even by that of Marshal Melleray at Nantes-in these matters, may be further seen by reference to Clarendon's History, vol. iii. pp. 405-6, where Melleray is also spoken of with justly merited severity. takes the best way he can to recouver his dewes, when wee fall into his dominions: Ther is not the least thought of Ostende in the pointe: My opinion is, that you should do the best you can to gett the 10th and 15th. and you are to vse his Ma" name to no other purpose, and then lett the rest petition the Prince (since his Ma" hath referred the matter to him) to mediate for fauour to the Marshall, for it is playne he will haue somewhat out of it, if not the whole: God blesse me from your ffrench Governours: Concerninge your house I can add nothinge to my last: nor will any care be omitted to keepe up the seruice. God præserue you. I am, S', your affectionate huble Serv', E. H. PARIS this 2d. of Aug. (1653). Sir Ri: Browne. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. Yours of the 31. of the last (which is the last I haue receaued from you) gaue me so much ioy, that as soon as I receaued it, I thought it my duty to imparte the good newes to the Kinge, who upon reading that clause, made not the least scruple that Mr. Morrice' 1 From this mention of Mr. Morrice's escape, it would seem as if some report now prevailed that a Royalist of that name, who was supposed to have been (and in fact was) put to death in 1649, had made his escape, and remained in Ireland. This Morrice had in the latter year got possession of Pomfret Castle, and held it some time for the King, till it was besieged and taken by Lambert. Morrice, who was excepted from the terms of surrender, managed to make his escape at the time; but he was afterwards seized and executed at Lancaster, as Whitelock tells us. His story, as given by Lord Clarendon, is a curious episode of the civil war, and sufficiently brief to be worth repeating here: A young man, in the beginning of the war, had been an officer in the King's army, but engaged in the Parliament army with some circumstances not very commendable. By his courage and pleasant humour he made himself very acceptable, and obtained a commission as Colonel; but being a free speaker, and living licentiously, he was left was in safety, of which since wee see no euidence, I pray send me worde, how it was possible for you to be deceaued, and how the reporte came to you: I told you in my last, that it is too manifest, that Innisboffin is deliuered up, so that there is nothinge to be out in new modelling the army, but not without compliments. He had a competent estate in Yorkshire, to which he went, and resided there. As he grew older, he repented of having left the King's service, and meant to take an opportunity of returning to it. His humour was so cheerful and pleasant, and he mixed so much with men of all parties, that he had great weight with all of them. The Governor of Pomfret Castle was his most intimate and particular friend, and was so fond of him that he was never easy without him; he was continually at the Castle, and the same bed served him. He now concerted with the King's party to surprize the Castle, and he so artfully managed with the Governor, telling him that there was such a design, that he mixed with those concerned, in order to communicate everything to the Governor, that he completely lulled that gentleman to sleep, and made him inattentive to notices which he received from other quarters. He also ingratiated himself with many of the soldiers, and at length effected his purpose. Cromwell was then gone for Scotland, so that they had time to repair the fortifications, and collect a good garrison. Cromwell ordered Rainsborough to go with a few troops to keep them in check; and whilst he lay at Doncaster, 10 miles from Pomfret, they sent 20 picked men, who by the most dexterous management actually surprized Rainsborough in his bed, and mounted him on a horse; but when he found how few there were who had surprized him, he called to his soldiers, and then the captors, finding they could not carry him off, actually killed him, and then all made their way back to the Castle. At length Lambert was sent to besiege the Castle; the garrison made a most gallant defence, but finding no hopes of relief, they at length offered to surrender, if they might have honourable conditions. Lam. bert said, they were gallant men, and he would do all he could to preserve them; but Col. Morrice and five more of those who had destroyed Rainsborough, must be given up, and he could not save their lives. The garrison said they never would deliver up any of their companions, and desired six days, that these six might deliver themselves as well as they could, the rest being at liberty to assist them. Lambert generously consented. The garrison made several sallies to effect the desired escape, in one of which Morrice and another escaped; in another sally two more got away; and when the six days were expired and the other two remained in the castle, their friends concealed them so effectually, with a stock of provisions for a month, that rendering the castle, and assuring Lambert that the six were all gone, and he was unable to find them, after the most diligent search, and had dismantled the castle, they at length got off also. The subjoined notices are from Whitelocke's Memorials: April, 1649. Col. Morris, late Governor of Pomfret Castle, and one Cornet Blackburn, who had a hand in the death of Col. Rainsborough, and who were excepted persons on the surrender of the Castle, were taken at Lancaster in disguise. Ang., 1619. They were arraigned at York before Baron Thorp and Judge Puleston, for levying war against the kingdom. They made a stout defence on points of law, all of which were over-ruled, were found guilty, and Morrice being manacled with irons, complained of a soldier being so treated, but got no relief. Before the end of the month Morrice was executed. whether Blackburn suffered. It is not said • P. 407. |