333 Nous du 20me Juin 1639 a Barwick. Nous vous declarons & tous aultres qu'il appartiendra, que Nous desavouons celuy pretendu du dit N're Grand Thresorier, com'e estant donné hors son pouvoir, et contre le bien de Nos affaires et interests, & contre Nostre intention. Et pour celuy donné au dict Barwick, Nous le revoquons absolument, com'e ayant esté tiré de Nous par surprise & du tout contre Nre intention & le bien de Nos affaires. Ce que vous declarez et notifierez quand ainsi vous adviserez éstre affaire. Et pour ce faire, ces Nos Lettres vous seront Garrant et Authorité suffisante. Donné soubs Nostre signet le dixneufiesme jour de Juillet a Nr Cour a Beuerley, 1642, l'an XIIX de N're Regne. me A Nre feal et bien amé Richard Browne, Gentilhom'e de N're Chambre Privée, Sec're en N're Conseil d'Estat & Privé, et N're Resid' en France. 1642. CHARLES R. Trusty and well beloued Wee greet you well. Whereas one Walter Strickland' hath bin very lately sent in y name of both Houses of Parliam heere with credentials to treate with or Allyes the States G'rall of the Vnited Netherlands, as pretended, for the publick good, though without any concurrence or knowledge of Us, which We must interprett the highest act of affront & disobedience weh hath bin committed against o' Royall person & dignity; And this example leading us to a beleefe of what Wee haue bin told, but were not apt to creditt whilest there was any shew of reverence of o' knowne Regalities yet remaining, that Augier, or some other person, is by the said Houses sent with their usurped comission into France; Wee haue thought fitt hereby to authorise & com'and you to use y 1 Strickland was afterwards a member of the House of Commons, and strenuous in the affair of the "Self-denying Ordinance." Augier had formerly been engaged in the diplomatic negotiations on the Continent with regard to the Elector Palatine. best and utmost meanes as well privatly as publickly & in Our Name to hinder & oppose any audience, countenance, or treaty in any kind to be afforded the said Augier or other whatsoeuer craving the same of ore Brother the French King, the Princes of the Blood, or any of the Protestant Party, or Friends & Allyes, without Warrant under owre owne hand. And if, notwithstand, Augier or any other shall prevaile, That you then in Or Name solemnely protest there against the highest violacon of theire Allyance & Friendship with Vs, against wch Wee shall seeke such reparacon as by God's assistance Wee shall be enabled. For all wch as these ore Letters shalbe y sufficient Warrant & Proteccon, So we shall expect hereof yo' faithfull & bounden discharge as occasion therefore shalbe offred vnto you. Giuen at or Court at Nottingham the 12th day of Septemb' in the Eighteenth yeare of or Reigne 1642. "To our trusty & welbeloved Richard Browne, Esq. Our Resid' with or Brother the French King." Indorsed, "From his Ma" 20th day of Sept 1642." CHARLES R. Trusty & welbeloved Wee greet you well. Wee beleeve that before this Letter the Capucins3 of Somersett house, or some from them, wilbe arrived at Paris & haue represented there how disgracefully they were lately entreated at London. Wee are exceedingly displeased that soe high an affront hath This letter was written a month after the King had raised his standard at Nottingham. An allusion to the complaints, so long existing, against the Queen's Popish attendants. So strong was the feeling on this subject, that the King, unable to resist it, was under the necessity of conceding to Parliament their demands that he should by royal proclamation require all statutes concerning Popish recusants to be put in execution, that the seven condemned Popish priests should be banished, and that all Romish priests should be ordered to depart the Kingdom in twenty days. been put upon the Treaty between Vs & the French King Our Brother, & upon Our owne Authority. But forasmuch as this barbarous Act is the child of that monstrous Rebellion weh goes big with confusion & destruccon to our Person & Posterity as well as our Laws & Rights. Wee wilbe cleere of any imputacon thereof, disavowing the same, the authors, actors & abettors thereof, as Wee doe disavow & detest all their traytrous machinacons against Vs & the Peace of Our Kingdoms, leauing them obnoxious to the iust indignacon & revenge web God shall inflict upon them in his due time. And to this effect Wee will & command you in Our Name to make yo addresse to Our said deare Brother the French King for his satisfaccon & the discharge of Our conscience & affeccon to Him in this regard. And soe Wee bid you farewell. Giuen at Our Court at Oxford the 5th day of Aprill in the Nineteenth yeare of Oure Reigne. 1643. "To our trusty and welbeloued Richard Browne, our resident with our deere Brother the French King." From his Male 5th April, 1643. The extracts which now follow are from letters written by Sir RICHARD BROWNE whilst Ambassador at Paris. They generally, but not always, indicate to whom they were addressed; but the topics sufficiently explain themselves. In a few instances, a general abstract of the subject of the letter precedes the particular extract given. 21 Oct. 1642. Rich Browne, Esq; Ambass' at Paris writes to S Edw Nicholas, Secretary of State-That by his Ma late speech at.... Shrewsbury & by other advices, he heares the possibility of a thing we he hopes will never come to pass, that his Ma" wili be constrained to sell or engage his fairest parks or lands: that there is at Deptford certain pastures called Sayes Court, reserved in his Ma hand for the special service of his household, for we being so near London, there may in these intruding times, be persons, ready to deale: he beseeches St Edw. to move his May that they may not be sold, but if (wch God defend) his Ma" shod have just cause to part from them, that he wo let some sufficient persons (whom he shall find out) to deale for them, have the first offer, not above 260 acres ; no man shall give a clearer light than he will, for they have been long in the custody of his ancestors, by whom the dwelling house thereon was built at their own charge, & it is the only seat he has, & is the place wherein he was borne. That To Sir Edward Nicholas. 7 Nov. 1642. [in cypher] doth continue his assistance to the Irish, furnishing money to buy arms, we they Bend away for Ireland; that he has made reiterated complaints by his Mar express order, & in his name, with so little success that it is useless to endeavour any more. The Irish priests as well as the soldiers flock very fast into their country & pretend bishopricks and other benefices by donation from Rome. Col. Tirel is here lately come out of Portugal and hastens into Ireland. Col. Belinge (late prisoner in England) hath obtained his liberty, & is now in this town. To the same. 9-19 Nov. 1642. The Prince of Condé lately sent for me & told me the Counsells of France had hitherto beene contrary to his Ma"-excused and asked pardon for his complyinge: bad mee assure his Ma" he would henceforward do all that lay in his power to serve him, that he would in confidence advertise me (and only me) of all that passeth, and (yf neede so require) hee would himselfe endeavour assistance for his Ma". Use may be made hereoff yf cherisht & kept secrett, especially in regard the French King is not like to live longe, & the Princes of the blood will probably have their share in govornm' then yf not sooner. To the same. 13-23 Jan. 1642-3. The whole numbers of the Scotch who doe allready serve or have contracted to serve this Crowne, are, Colonel Douglas his foot Regt Earl of Erwin his new Regt of Guard consisting of 30 2000 companies 4500 My Lord Gray one Reg' of foote 1000 My Lord Lundy one Reg' of foote 1000 Colonel Fullerton one Regt of foote 1000 Earl of Laudian (is sayd) shall have auncient company of Gens d'Armes 100 9600 The rest expected, butt much difficulty to find men in Scotland. I have seene letters lately written from a person of great quality in Scottland, bearinge the Earl of Laudian's speedy comminge over hither with his Ma" leave to treate the renewinge of the auncient allyances betweene the Crowns of Scotland and France; uppon which Treaty many particular interests depend, as, the reestablishinge the Marquis Hamilton in the Dutchy of Chatelraut, of the Marq. Douglas in that of Turenne, of restoringe the Captainship of the Scottish Archers and Guardesdu-corps to one of that nation, &c. . . . . relative to which negotiations [cypher] and Mons' de la Ferte Imbault pretends to have in favour of him erected a VOL. IV. |
