and you will easily believe that in this little tyme wee have not bene able to conferr of halfe the matters of importance which are necessary for present consultac'on: yett wee have spoken of your businesse, wherein I perceive he is farr from hauinge any positive opinion, nor have either of us yett spoken with the Kinge of it: Wee haue many thinges under debate, which must be præliminary to any determinac'on in that pointe, therfore you must haue a little patience, and be confident if you are designed to continue that imployment, prouisyon must be made for your reasonable supporte, and it cannot be most [more] secure then upon that pension, but whether you are to be continued ther I cannot yett tell; shortly wee may. I do not finde that the Queene or my La Jermin haue writt or sent any opinion upon it: I am of your opinion in the matter of Mon' Lyon, nor can I discover the least footestepps of a treaty betweene the 2 Crownes, nor is Madrid a place of that secrecy, but the Venetian Ambassadour in that Courte would discover it. I pray informe your selfe as particularly as you can of Mo' Orleanes, whose visitt in this season is not merely upon complement. It is not possible to give such an accounte of our affayres heare, as may satisfy the curiosity of our frends, since if what is intended be not kept secrett, wee shall have little fruites of it trust me, so farr, as to be confident, our condic❜on is very hopefull, and I am as confident that I shall lyue to see you at Whitehall, and serve you ther as, : Sr, your very affectionate huble Servt, EDW: HYDE. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. S*, Hauinge replyed as particularly as I can in my last to what concernes your owne particular, I should not at this tyme (when I have very much to do) acknowledge yours of the 11. were it not to desyre your fauour in transmittinge the inclosed. I receaved a letter from Mr. Bourdon, whom I well knew at my beinge at St Sebastians, and I am gladd that ther is such a distinction made ther, for he writes me worde that since the Edicte for the turninge out of towne all the English, Irish, and Scotts, ther is a seconde order, that excepts all those that can make it evident that they are good subiectes to his Ma", and therefore he hath desyred such a certificate, having as he sayes hitherto preserved himselfe by producinge some letters which I writt to him at my beinge at Madrid: I have in the inclosed sent him what I conceave may do him good, and have derected it as he aduised, to Bourdeaux.1 We exspecte the Duke of Yorke here very speedily, and then wee shall come the sooner to a resolution in that pointe which concernes you. I pray lett us know more of Don Michel de Castile, and of Mr. Locker: I would be gladd you would send me (if you have it by you) the life of the Connestable De Desguynes, which they say is well written. I wish you all happinesse, and am very heartily, Sr, Your most affectionate huble Serv1, BRUGES this 18: of Aug: (1656). Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. Sr,2 BRUGES this 25. of Aug. (1656). I have yours of the 18. and as you have greate reason in this perplexed and unsteady condic❜on wee are all in, to desyre to know as soone as may be what your owne lott will be, so, you must not wonder that your frends cannot give you so speedy This transaction seems to have had reference to the expected war between Spain and the English Commonwealth. 2 The hopes of the Royal partisans were now reviving rapidly, as the whole tenor of this letter makes clear. satisfaction in it, as they wish; wee shall shortly I hope see the Duke of Yorke heare, and then that matter will be most properly and seasonably consulted; besydes, the case is now very different from what it was understoode to be, when you returned to Paris, for the Romance of Don Miguell will prove authentique History, and it may be Mr. Lockier may retyre with lesse glory then he entred, and S' Ri: Browne stay ther with more respecte: ther is one thinge no doubte you may depend upon, which is, if you are continued ther, some fitt assignac'on will be made for your supporte, and if you are called away, no doubte your Master will thinke of some other prouisyon and imployment for you. Our businesse does not goe so ill, but that wee may reasonably hope that wee shall all have somewhat to doe. The Declarac'on of the freedome of the Portes is now published accordinge to our heartes desyre, and many other evidences given us, of a full affection from Spayne, and if they do not do all for us that wee desyre, it is only because they are not able: nor are they so weake, and unable to helpe us, nor Mr. Cru❜well at so much ease or so confident of his new parliam' that wee have reason to dispayre of better dayes, or that we may not eate cherryes at Deptforde agayne. I returned you by the last post an answer to what was desyred from St Sebastians, which I præsume you receaved and have sent forwarde. I do belieue ther will be occasyon for me the beginninge of the next weeke to repayre to Bruxells and Antwerpe, and therefore if you please lett your letters be putt under couer to Sr H. De Vic, or Mr. John Shaw at Antwerpe: S H. De Vic complaynes he knew not of your returne to Paris, till some letters from you came into his handes to be sent to a 3d. person. Corresponding with each other may be usefull to you both. I am Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. I haue yours of the 8. upon my hands, and this last nyght at my comminge I founde your other of the 22. and how longe I shall stay heare I knew not, my businesse dependinge upon the pleasure of others, who will mooue faster or slower as they haue a minde to it, and the ill newes of the losse of Valenza, and the march you haue putt this army to make, by your attempt upon la Chappelle,1 makes the season lesse fitt for those kinde of negotiac'ons then I belieue otherwise it would haue prooved; howeuer I hope sometyme the next weeke to be agayne at Bruges, and then after the Kinge hath conferred with the Duke of Yorke, I conceaue some resoluc'ons will be taken concerninge your owne particular, and it may be the Cardinall2 will finde wee can be as angry as hee, and with more reason: I will enquyre of the letter you say was writt to the Jesuite, and I pray haue as strict an eye upon the Knight, and informe your selfe of him, as you can: and likewise of the moc'ons of the Cardinal de Retz3 which is an intriegue I do not understande: you must excuse me for writinge so impertinently at this tyme, when the truth is, I haue so much to doe, that I hardly 1 An allusion to the events of the Low Country wars, and the campaign in Italy. The Valenza here mentioned is in the Milanese, and was taken, at this period, by the Duke of Modena and the Duke of Mercœur. 2 Mazarin. • De Retz had always been extremely active during the contest between the King and Princes. He was the bitter enemy of Mazarin, and also of Condé, playing a double part, and ruling the Duke of Orleans in all things. De Retz also, before this period, had been joined in an accusation brought against Charles, as the mere creature of Cardinal Mazarin. We quote the Mercurius Politicus of July 1, 1652: "In the mean time the Cardinal, by his creatures, the pretended King of Scotland, the Cardinal Retz, Madame Chevreuse, Monsieur le Chasteauneuf, and Montagu, have plaied their game so well that they have drawn the Duke of Lorrain to declare for the King, and to forsake the cause of the Princes." lett me gett this tyme to write at all: and I pray heare from you of any thinge you thinke fitt to imparte, I mean when I am fro' Bruges, for whilst I am ther, your letters to the good Secretary will serue us both God send us good newes fro' England, which is exspected by : S', Your very affectionate Serv*, EDW. HYDE. ANTWERPE this 29; Sept: (1656). Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. The I had not tyme the last post to acknowledge yours of the 29. of the last moneth, and I haue since, by your to reasonable guesse of the slownesse of all dispatches heare, receaued your other by the last post without a date, which was the only one I receaued fro' Paris, all my other frends conceauinge as they had reason that I would be at Bruges, and therby they are all now without any letter fro' me. truth is, my stay heare hath beene beyonde all possible exspectac'on, and hath so tyred my patience, that though this day be not like to giue so good an ende to my businesse as I desyre, yett I resolue (God willing) to be gone to morrow towards the Kinge, from whom I haue been now aboue a fortnight: Wee are willing to belieue that these seasonable raynes will dispose both armyes to enter into ther winter quarters, and then wee shall do our businesse the better: Ther is a discourse of the Marq: of H. . . . . court goinge this winter into Spayne, which meethinkes yett he should not haue leaue to doe: you menc'n your neighbour the Venetian Ambassadour, but you neuer speake of your next neighbour my old friend the Holl: Ambassadour, I would gladly know what he thinkes of these alterac'ons, and whether his old affections continue to us : 1 Mynheer Borell, before referred to. |