the Queene woulde haue proceeded thus: all is kept heere verie secret that Prince Will:' doth in Overizel, but I ame tolde that all goes well, and that Deventer which toune was the most against will doe well, as also Rupert who was of the other faction, not against the P. of Orange but Marshals. I pray beleeue me constantlie for I ame so Your most affectionat frend. I send you a letter for the best of Kings, tis about Thom. Killegrew's business. I pray remember me to Mr. Chancelour, and tell him his Ladie and my faourit his daughter came hither upon Saterday, and are gone this day to Teiling. I find my faourit growen euerie way to her aduantage. Nobris, 1654. R.. The Queene of Bohemia to me. The Queen of Bohemia to Sir Edward Nicholas. HAGH, De: 3. (1654). Mr. Secretarie, I receaued yours at Berghen,' whither I was come from Anwerp and Bruxells. I find you haue vnridled my riddle verie right. I saw the Queene of Sueden at the play, she is extrauagant in her fashion and aparell, but she has a good well fauoured face, and a milde countenance. One of the players who knew me tolde her who I was, but she made no shew of it. I went the next day to Bruxelles, where I saw the Arch-duc at mass, and I saw his pictures and lodgins. I lay at Sr Harry de Vics, 1 Prince of Nassau Dietz, married to the Stadtholder's sister. 2 Evidently an allusion to the De Wit agitation, which at this moment was disturbing the United Provinces. The object was to deprive the infant Stadtholder of his official power, and give it solely to the Assembly of the States. This, in fact, had been one of the articles which Cromwell urged upon the States as a sine qua non. 3 Sir Henry de Vic had been long in the English service. He was with the Duke of Buckingham at Rochelle; and there are several well-written letters from him to Lord Con-. way, respecting that affair, in Hardwicke's Collection of State Papers. who was verie carefull and dilligent to doe me all the service he coulde. I stayed but Sunday at Bruxelles, and returned to Anwerp vpon Munday, and heearing from Duart how the Queene of Sueden had desired to know when I came back thither, that she might meet with me in an indiferent place, I made the more hast away the next day because I had no minde to speak with her since I heard how unhandsomelie she had spoken of the King my deare Brother and of the King my deare Nephue, and indeed of all our nation, so I auoided it and went away as soone as I had dined. Yett she sent Donoy to me with a verie civill message that she was sorie she coulde not use that ciuilitie to me as she both should doe and desired, hoping that one day wee might meet together with more freedome ; I answered her as civillie as I coulde, and now when I went from Berghen I gaue S Will: Swann charge to make her a complement from me. I came hither vpon Tewsday from Berghen, where I was extremelie well intertained by the Princess of Zolern1 who was with me and was my guide all the iourney, and defrayed me. her daughter is now so prettie euerie way that you would like her yet better than euer you did if you saw her; she is much growen and is still of a verie sweet disposition, and she doth become her: she has a great deal of witt and loues our nation extreamlie, it makes me think of your wishe' which I ame not against you know. by this post I haue had verie good news of the Duke of Glocesters constantie in his religion and of my Lo: of Ormonds handsome carriage in that business,3 so as the Queen saith she will press him no further Francisca, daughter of Frederick the Rhingrave, the wife of John George Prince of Hohenzollern. 2 A plan for a marriage between Charles II. and this young Princess, one of the daughters of the Zollern family, appears at this time to have been under discussion. This alludes to the attempt made to force the young Duke of Gloucester into the Jesuits' College; from which, and other designs upon his religion, he was only saved by the Marquis of Ormond, who voluntarily offered his services in it, but I hope the King will not trust to it, but gett him away from thence, which will doe the King great right: it is so colde as I can say no more, but ame euer Your most affectionat frend. I pray excuse me to my Lo. Wentworth and reverent Dick Harding till the next. "For Mr. Secretarie." 3 Dec: St: No: 1654. R. 6°. The Queene of Bohemia cong her iourney to see the Qu. of Sweeden. The Queene of Bohemia to Sir Edward Nicholas. HAGH, De: 21. (1654.) Mr Secretarie, I haue receaued yours of the 18 of this month. I long to heare my sweet Nephue' is at Bruxelles. My Neece has sent Nick: Armourer to meet him there. I haue written to him by him, if the King woulde permitt him to take this place and Teiling in his way from Bruxelles he woulde make his Sister2 and me verie glade: he need not make such hast to see him, it is but the other day since he was with him, but it is much longer since wee saw him, and I ame sure our hoghen Moghens will take no notice of it if they be not asked the question as they were for the King's comming to Breda. To be with his Sister some time can doe him no harme. I haue taken the boldness to write the same by my Lo: Gerard to the King, who I beleeue will be with you as soone as this letter, for he went from hence vpon Saterday last. We heere nothing to the King to snatch his brother out of the hands of the Queen-mother and her Confessor Montague. Carte's Life of Ormond, vol. ii., pp. 163-7, contains a very amusing account of the whole transaction, telling much to the credit of the Marquis. 'The Duke of Gloucester, who had just been brought from Paris by the Marquis of Ormond. 2 The Princess Dowager of Orange. 3 Lord Gerard of Bromley; a title now extinct. of the rebells fleet heerabouts, but they say that Blag' is to ioine with the Spanish fleet against the Duke of Guise. The French Ambassadour beleeues the treatie with Cromwell as good as broken: he is much ioyed that the meeting betwixt the Queene of Sueden and P. of Condé2 was to neither of theire content, for he desired to be receaued as the Queene receaued the Arcdduc, which she refused, saying she had done too much in that and woulde doe soe no more, yet he came to see her brusquement a l'improuist, and did nothing but railler her in his talke, which putt her so out as she said almost not one worde. This was in the morning; after dinner she sent to know if he woulde see the play at night, he said he would obey her, but desired to know whither he shoulde come knowen or as vnknowen, for if he came as Prince of Condé he looked to haue a chaise a bras as the Archduc had-she saide he had better come unknowen, so he came, and she stood all the play, railling with Mon' Quito the Princes favourit. the next day the P. went to Bruxelles, and neither of them well satisfied with the other. My La: Swann will be heere within a few days, by her I shall know more of this: I haue heard the reason of S Henry de Vics iourney to Coloign: since it is a doting time for the kings oulde Ministers of 1 Admiral Blake is the personage here alluded to. The Duke of Guise died very soon after this letter was written, in consequence of wounds received at the siege of Arras. 2 Yet the Prince de Condé was a great admirer of Christina, being recorded to have exclaimed of her abdication-" How great is the magnanimity of this Princess, who could so easily give up that for which mankind are continually destroying each other, and which so many throughout their whole lives pursue without attaining!" Condé, at the period here recorded, was in exile at Brussels; and though they had their differences on the score of etiquette, they appear to have talked familiarly on meeting. "Cousin!" exclaimed Christina, "who would have thought ten years ago that we should have met at this distance from our countries ?" The Prince might have thanked her for his exile, as it arose partly from her intermeddling in the affairs of the Fronde in France, a few years previous. It was an affair of courtship. Her Majesty again alludes to it in the next letter but one. State, I thanke God your wife is yet aliue, for feare you should fall in loue againe. I pray lett me know when that wedding will be, for I (will) send you a letter to reverent Dick to bespeak him for brideman. I thank you for your congratulation of Apollos' returne, you know how great a favorit he is to I Your most affectionat frend. pray tell my Ladie Hide I ame verie glade she is so well come to Coloigne. "For Mr. Secretarie." 2 11 Dec: 1654. R. 14. The Qu: of Bohemia co the Pr of Condé ond the Qu: of Sweedes being unsatisfied wh each other. The Queen of Bohemia to Sir Edward Nicholas. HAGH, Dec: 27 (1654). Mr. Secretarie, since you wrote yours, I understand that that arch villaine Manning has receaued his iust desert.' I wish all those of his cabal with him. I wish I might know whome he has accused on this side the sea, to auoide them, but this is onelie in case you may tell it, for I doe not desire it otherwise; I haue curiositie enough to desire to know the rest, but I will not desire but as you think fitt. There is The Queen's lap-dog, already noticed. 2 The assassination of this Manning, thus referred to by the Queen, is related in a scarce tract, now in the British Museum, which professes to give a memoir of Charles during his exile. "Before his Majesty's departure from Colen, there happened a discovery of one of those persons who, under pretence of waiting upon him (Capt. Manning by name), dis◄ covered unto the Protector all his designs and counsels; who being found out, was by his Majesty's command sent to a strong castle adjacent to Colen, there to be kept close prisoner. But all the Court being highly incensed against him for his perfidiousnesse, one of his Majesty's servants (though contrary to order) pistoled him as he was lighting out of the coach at the Castle gate, giving him less than the due reward of his so abominable treachery." It was by Manning that Penruddock had been betrayed. He corresponded with Thurloe. |