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Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne.
S',

I haue receaued yours of the 21. of the last, and had one little letter from the Gouernour1 since his departure from you, after he had wayted on the Prince I belieue he is now busy at Burdeaux, yett sure he will sometymes write to his frends, who haue the lesse reason to be angry with his silence, since his wife knowes so little of him, that shee askes me wher he is. Our reportes of the proceedings of the ffrench minister in Englande are so different, that I know not what to thinke of it, many of our frends at London conceauinge him even ready to come away full of dissatisfaction, & on the contrary the Courte heare belieue, or seeme to belieue, that they haue almost finished a treaty with them to their content : if the newes which came to the towne 2 dayes since, be true, that Burdeaux hath declared it selfe a common wealth, and is promised protection fro' Englande, ther will be a quicke end of that negotiacon: I wish wee were ready to be gone from hence, though you were not so amply prouyded for as I wish, yett I doubte not somewhat would be done towards it in the meane tyme, I am confident Sr Ric: ffoster hath payd at least halfe a yeeres rent, but I thinke more: I know no new councellours made but the Keeper: and wee haue now another new greate officer, Pr. Ruperte, Master of the Horse :3

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1 Sir George Carteret, who had been Deputy Governor of Jersey.

2 Sir Edward Herbert, Lord Keeper since 1652, of whom Clarendon elsewhere says, that he "thought himself the wisest man that followed the King's fortune; and was always angry that he had not more to do." His intrigues are humorously depicted in Clarendon's autobiography.

A letter from Paris, in the journals of the day, says: "Prince Rupert is in some measure recovered of his bloody flux, but goes little abroad out of the Palace Royal, because he wants a princely retinue, which I see no probability for him to have in France yet a while. Charles Stuart is at a

VOL. IV.

T

God præserue you, and send us a good metinge. I am uery heartily,

S',

Your most affectionate huble Servt,

PARIS, this 3 of May 1653.

E. H.

Sir R. Browne.

Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne.
S',

I receaued yours of the 28. of the last, and of the 2 of this, togither 3 dayes since: I thought all the dutyes of the Marq pryzes had bene already in Mr. Bullins hande, and I told him that he should, and he told me he would retayne in his owne hands the 15th for you: I will not so much as enquyre into what concernes or may relate to the 10ths, nor a worde more concerninge the commissyons, for which I am sure Edgman neuer exspected a penny, but Maffonett did, and had reason to doe, which I suppose Mr. Bennett' had not but no more of that: nor I pray take any more notice of it.

I receaued a letter from the good Gouernour within these 2 days from Brouages, which was the first I had from him since his beinge at Nantes, though he sayes he hath writt others. It is no easy matter in that hurry he is in of businesse and remooues to write frequent letters, nor is he good non plus what to do; things do not answer his expectations: his designes faile him." Another observes: "Prince Rupert flourishes with his blackmoors and new liveries, and so doth his cousin Charles, they having shared the moneys made of the prize goods at Nantz; and in recompence Rupert is made Master of the Horse."

1 This is that Bennet of whom Clarendon remarks, that he was a man bred from his cradle in the Court, and had no other business in the world than to be a good courtier, in the arts whereof he succeeded so well, that he might well be reckoned in the number of the finest gentlemen of the time; and, though his parts of nature were very mean, and never improved by industry, yet, passing his time always in good company, and well acquainted with what was done in all businesses, he would speak well and reasonably to any purpose.

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at itt at any tyme, and therfore you and I shall be very vnkinde and vniust to him, if wee suspecte his frendshipp to us, for those omissyons, which all men, but those of the penn, are alwayes guilty of: he is sure a very worthy person, and loues when he professes soe to do: you heare what a noble confusion Cromwell hath made, by dissoluinge ther Parliam1 with all the contempt and scorne imaginable, and now those adored members, and of the Councell of State, are looked upon by all, as they deserue to be: what be.ther next acte, is our great expectacon, and what influence that which is done, must haue upon forraigne nations, who were treatinge with them: sure some notable crisis is at hande, worse I hope wee cannot be. All thinges are heare as they were, Sr Ric. ffoster hath payed 500". for your rent, and hath acquittance only for so much, but no information, what the contracte is, or how much is still in arreare. God send us a good meetinge in England, which is not despayred of by,

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20 May, 1643.

Right Honble, Yesterday I gaue yo' Hon' notice of my being called to Nantes; this morninge as I am ready to

1 An allusion to the memorable event of the 20th April, 1653, when Cromwell entered the House of Commons at the head of a party of soldiers, forcibly dissolved the Parliament then sitting, took away the mace, and ordered the doors to be locked up. A few days afterward a bill was stuck upon the door-"This House to be let unfurnished." One of the Intelligencers of the same day published an alleged letter from Paris, stating: "Charles Stuart pretends to be as glad

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