Maties intentions of continuinge a publike Minister here (as perhaps much may be sayd pro and con), I beseech your Hon' to giue me timely notice that yf I remoue, I may dismiss my house and forbeare to make a new household: and I pray your Hon' to giue mee instructions how to carray myselfe towards 668: 192: 95: whether I shall uisit him in quality of his Maties Minister or not? The French Court will some time the next weeke remove towards the Frontier. PARIS 19th May 1656. I haue as yett beene onely once at our Court, wher by misfortune I could nott kisse y hands of your faire daughter. Mr. Chancellor of the Exchecker. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. I am gladd to finde by yours of the 19. that you are returned to Paris, and cannot write at large to you upon what you propose to me in this concerning your selfe, and in some former, till wee are returned to Bruges, which I conceaue may be by the end of the next weeke: nothing being possible to be maturely weighed and considered in the moc'on we are in. I thinke wee shall be at Bruxells to-morrow or Munday, only priuately, to uisitt Don-Juan,' nothinge being to be publiquely declared on our behalfe till the returne of the Enuoy fro' Spayne, but we haue no cause but to hope very well. Ther can be no reason for you to discontinue your old frendshipp and neighborwoode with 668: 192: 95: who truly I believe wishes us uery well, and can do no other then he does: when you see him, remember my service to him, and tell him I doubte 1 Don John of Austria; formerly Viceroy of Catalonia, and recently appointed Governor of Flanders. Lord Clarendon, in his History, vol. iii. p. 478, mentions some anecdotes respecting him and the Earl of Bristol, his belief in astrology, &c. not but I shall yett lyue to meete him at Whitehall. I shall now heare from you euery weeke, and shall not neede to put you in minde not to omitt to write constantly to Mr Secretary: I shall be gladd to know how your frends do in Englande, who I doubte not continue ther kindnesse to you: If nothinge be done by the ffrench Courte to discountenance you, you will not putt off your house, till the Kinge giues you full order. I pray informe your selfe who of either Nac'on performe most respects to Mr Lockyer. I wish you all happinesse, & am uery heartily, S*, Your most affectionate huble Servt, ANTWERPE this 26: May (1656). The letter which included the examinac❜ons of the Spy2 is not yett arriued heare, so that wee haue a very obscure informac'on of that affayre, nor can I imagyne what seruice the rogue (whome I know well) could do in these partes, to deserve the charge he hath beene to them. I heare the Life of Cardinall Richelieu is newly come out, or in the presse, I wish you could send it to me.3 Sir Richard Browne to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Right Honble I did not vntill now know of your Hon" beinge 1 Sir Edward Nicholas. See post, p. 315. 3 The Cardinal seems to have been reckoned a conjuror or prophet by some folks at this period. One of the London newspapers called the French Intelligencer says, "There hath been lately a prophesie found in the Priory of Cardinal Richelieu at Paris, written by his own hand, wherein he foretells the wofull calamites of the family of Stuarts, descending from the Lyon, that is, King James, for so he was called, by reason that he brought the rampant Lyon figured upon his breast, in the world with him. He likewise predicts three changes of Government, and domestic divisions," &c. 4 Though without signature or address, this letter is evidently from Sir Richard Browne to Sir Edward Hyde. in personall attendance on his Ma". This ignorance of mine nott onely depriued me the contentment of beinge assured that I had soe worthy a friend soe neere my Royal Maister, butt also made me guilty of an omission of nott sooner giuing notice accordinge to my duty of my returne unto this my former station: for which I humbly crave your Hon" pardon. The French Court parted hence a weeke since, and remaines yett at Compeigne. Yesterday came newes that the Marl': de Turene had defeated 4 Regiments of horse, and taken a small place: yf true, a good beginninge of this Campaigne. Mr Locker, Mr Crumwells Envoye, followes the Court before his going hence he declared to a person of quality, that he had by him, and would ere long produce, a Commission to be Ambassador; nottwithstandinge that I haue publiquely (since my returne hither) appeared in the French Court in presence both of this K. & Queene, and twice beene with the Count of Brienne, yett I find nothinge at all of any the least intimation to retire:1 And the other day in conference with my Lord Jermyn, his opinion was that this State would permitt me to remaine here as long as his May thought good: soe that I expect to heare what his Maties pleasure will bee, in this particular: forbeareinge in the meane time to engage for the continuance of my house, or to make a new family: humbly intreating your Hon, that yf his May thinke fitt to continue mee here, you will please to move for a settlement of my subsistence uppon some good and well assured funds, without which I shall soone lapse into a very sad condition. In the conuersation I have had abroad in my trauail, as well as here in Paris since my returne had with the French Protestants, I find them generally much inuolved in Crumwells interests, he hauinge The temporising policy of the French Court, still unwilling openly to concede all that Cromwell demanded, yet fearful to offend the Protector by abrupt dismissal of his Envoy, appears in these allusions. dexterously insinuated into their belief that he will maintaine them in the enjoyment of ther preuiledges: a more manifest demonstration of their good inclinations to him may also doubtlesse bee, their hauinge since Lockers arriuall effaced the name of Kinge out of the inscription of the Seate for the Inglish Ambassad at Charanton, and left only "pour les Ambassad" de la Grand Bretaigne." Olim tempus erit magno cum optaverit emptum And in their discourse uppon all occasions, they fervently declare their great good wishes of the prosperity of the army of the Kinge of Sweden as abettinge uppon that band in order to the ruine of Antichrist, vnder that Kinge and Crumwells banners.1 I humbly beseech your Hon' to direct mee how I shall henceforwards addresse my letters unto you Soe praying for &c. PARIS 2nd June 1656. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. I had not tyme the last weeke to acknowledge yours of the 23. (whiche I hope you excuse) and I have since receaued your other of the 30. in answer to both which I can say no more, then that you shall be sure of all the seruice I can do you upon all opportunityes, and I hope any improvement of our fortune will administer these opportunityes:-you shall doe well seasonably and naturally to pursue that discourse to Ld. Jermin concerninge your stay ther, and draw an advise from him hither for your 1 Of all this private history of political chicane the French Court could not have been ignorant. In some respects it may explain the course they found it expedient to hold between the cause of Charles and the demands of Cromwell. Certainly the Protestants had no reason to wish well to Charles. reuocac❜on, and then wee shall know what is next to be done. All the papers concerninge Martin wee have, and would be gladd to know what is become of the fellow, and whether he be yett hanged, and what goodly confessyon he made in that season.-God send us once a good turne, wch it may be may not be farr off: and then wee shall have more frends and I hope lesse neede of them. I perceave your spiritts in Paris are not so composed, but that ill accidents may cause some disorders amongst you, and those people do belieue that your designe before Valenciennes may be frustrated; it is a greate stake, and these as much concerned to preserve and you to possesse it. Wee exspecte howrely newes of some action before it: I have beene misinformed if Cardinal Richelieu's life be not in the presse.-I wish you all happinesse, and am very heartily, : It is uery true, I haue besydes your last of the 4 of this moneth, your other of the 21. and 28. of the last upon my hands, the subiecte of both which beinge such, as I could not discourse upon, before my Ld of Bristolls arriuall,2 to whom you referred me, I forbore to say any thinge till I could speake to the purpose, and he arrived not till Sunday last: 1 See ante, p. 312. 2 The hopes and designs of the Royal partisans, now carrying on a rapid intercourse with their friends in England, and seeing happy omens for themselves in the distrust manifested by Cromwell in regard to his own personal security, account for the tone and manner of this letter. Soon after its date Lord Bristol was left as the King's Agent at Brussels, whilst the King and his Court went to Bruges, &c. See the Clarendon State Papers, vol. iii. pp. 308-10. |