Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. I haue receaued yours of the 15. of Octo: but nether know nor can imagyne1 the reason of your longe silence, but conceaue it proceedes from some such cause as made you wish that it might not be interrupted by any provocation from me: and yett it was not possible for me to do you any seruice without beinge instructed by you in the way, the businesse standinge as it did. I heare nothinge of Choquez, and what his undertakinge is I know not. I asked the Kinge whether he knew anything of the businesse, and I haue reason to believe that he nether hath nor will giue any order in that affaire without askinge me how the case standes; but if you give me no cause to move publiquely in it, it is no wonder if I say nothinge of it, and if you do write upon the argument, you will write so that the letter may be reade at Councell, any other advertisements you will put in a paper aparte. I heare nothinge of the wyne, nor know not any thinge of Nantes, when they come away, who are ther, or what they do ther. The Kinge hath spent the last fortnight in the country at Chantilly, and returned hither on Wensday last and proposes to goe backe thither agayne tomorrow, and I suppose will spende his tyme ther, till the fayre weather be done: I can tell you little of newes, the distractions I thinke are so high in Englande, that ther must be some suddayne alteration: and I depende more on that, then any thinge that can happen abroade, wher ther is little care of 1 Though Hyde was too sanguine in the hopes expressed in this letter, yet the plain good sense it shows, and indeed his general conduct in exile, where we have neither to mark the listless apathy which deadens enterprise, nor the hasty enthusiasm which mars it, admirably justify that place in Charles's councils which his talents and services continued to secure to him, notwithstanding many counter intrigues. honour, or any thinge but therowne present conveniences. It may be, all the pause in your businesse is in contemplation of the greate. pryze, and I would not interrupt that, by any meddlinge in a matter so particular and inferior as the other; but if that were at an end, or I knew what were like to come of it, I would be very importunate to knowe what the grounde of the proceedinge is. If ther be no reason to the contrary, I shall be gladd to heare from you, and as particularly as you please; but if you thinke it in any consideration inconvenient, I referr it wholly to you, and am very heartily, SF, Your very affectionate huble Servt, PARIS this 26; of Oct: (1653). Sr Ri. Browne. E: H. Sir Richard Browne to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Right Honble With humble acknowledgments of your last favour of 26. Octob* I can now give your Hon' this brief account of my businesse here on which I haue soe longe and with much charge and trouble attended. Captain Anthonio hath without any consent of mine, nor doe I know with what power from the rest of the witnesses, payed the Mar1 fifteen thousand livres, and by this meanes obtained mainlevee [removal of the arrest] of all the goods arrested, and consequently gotten them all into his hands. By H. H. Prince Rupert's order I haue now commenced a sute in law for recoverie of the fifteenths, and the Duke of Yorkes interest (both which the Mar1 allways intended to restore without diminution) and his highnesse doth soe nobly support and countenance me therin, that I hope eyther by decree of justice, or by the Captains volontary rendition, to have a speedy end, & therby be soon able to remit to Paris that money his Ma hath ordered towards satisfaction of my Landlord. I haue (together with money for the charges of the carriage) committed to Mr. Killigrews care, a butt of Canary wine divided into three barrells. The one wheroff I humbly present to his Ma", the other to his R. H. and the third to the Lords at Court.' Soe praysinge God for his Maties happy recovery of health, and dayly prayinge for the same. NANTES first Nor 1653. Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir Edward Hyde to Sir Richard Browne. I haue yesterday receaued yours of the 1.and the 4. of this month together, & this day gave the Bill of Exchange to Mr. Deane, who will be very glad that he is provyded to comply with some parte of your landlordes importunity, and we shall all have the more ease by it. I heare the Canary wyne is come to Paris, but no men'con of the delivery of it, being conceaved to be Mr. Killigrews owne wyne, so that I expecte a very small share of it, but have acquainted his Ma" and my LLds with that parte of your letter, and my La Chamberlyne will enquyre after it: You cannot imagyne I can misinterprett any acte of yours, which I know can not want kindness to me; your silence was very fitt, and I guessed so much at the reason of it, that I complyed with it, and yet (as you say) all is little enough, and iealous natures will alwayes finde somewhat to worke upon, to disquyett themselves and others, and I know no cure to apply to those, who are not pleased with fayre and open dealinge.2 1 The politic attention of Sir Richard in this instance shows how fit he was for a courtier, even upon the smallest scale; though his worldly prudence in trusting Killigrew with the wine may be open to some doubt. It will be observed in the next letter, that suspicions of Killigrew, by no means surprising, appear to have occurred to Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. 2 It has already been hinted that Sir Richard Browne had I hope you haue not suffered your selfe to be too much a loser by Capt: Anthonio, with whom you know how to deale well enough: at least if he intends to haue any more to do with us: I hope ther is care taken to giue Geo: Carterett satisfaction, who over apprehends discourtesy from hence, and that he was putt out of the Kinges protection, when God knowes the Kinge resolved to do all he could for him and the other adventurers, as soon as the case should be so stated that he knew what to presse, but it seemes all is now composed, and it is a notable ffyne you have payd to the Marshall, if the commodityes were not of a huge value: God preserve me from such governours.-Wee are yett in the country, which the Kinge is better pleased with then with Paris, and truly he hath recovered his health most miraculously: But if the weather changes, as it is like to doe, I suppose we shall looke backe to Paris : and then any good newes will carry us away. I wish you all happynesse, and am very heartily, Sr, Your most affectionate huble Servt, EDW. HYDE. CHANTILLY this 10: of Novemb: (1653.) Sir Richard Browne to the Chancellor of the Right Honple I have here received your Hon" of the 10th Nov.for which I sende humble thankes, as bringinge with it the assurance of my standinge upright in your opinion your friendship being one of the greatest consolations I have in the midst of all my sufferinges. I humbly submitt the adjoyned for your management: yf you approve not theroff, and had rather many enemies at the exiled Court. Hyde had many also; and no doubt all this caution in the correspondence of the two friends was for the purpose of guarding against the Court sycophants opposed to them. See Hyde's preceding letter of the 26th October. convert the summ mentioned to your own use, order it how you please and to whom you would have the bill made: perhaps you may think Mr. Edgman a fitt person to be trusted with the secret, that soe little notice may be taken. The three barrells of Sacke are yett here; in company with them goes a fourth vnder Sir Gervais Lucas' his name, which is a present I make to y' Hon' wherewith to rejoyce yourselfe and friends: Only I intreat you that the good Lady Lucas may have her physicall proportion out of it.... . warmed keepes her alive as shee herselfe sayth. That you will not give Dr. Earles half a dozen of bottles I cannot doubt. The person I last mentioned in cipher will tell you notable stories when he comes to you. To him I refer all. You may beleeve him, for hee is much a man of honour. Being ready to goe from hence I expect to find your answer hereto in Mr. Richards his hands at St. Malo's. This is all at present from, y' hon" most faithfull and most obliged humble servant, R. BR. The following is the Paper adjoined: I have formerly acquainted you that I cannot make up my accounts untill I returne to Brest, which I am now hastening: In the interim, finding that some monyes of his Maties will remaine with me, I humbly submitt it to your Hon" consideration whether a hundred Lewises in gold will not be acceptable to his Ma" to be by your Hon' privately delivered into his owne Royall hands towards his merry playing, wherwith to passe his time at cards 1 The whole of this is confirmation of the remark made in the foregoing note. Sir Gervais Lucas had been a cavalry officer in the Royal cause during the Civil Wars. 2 See post, p. 295. Of Lord Jermyn's conduct generally as cashier for the Royal expenses, Clarendon roundly asserts in his History that while Jermyn kept a coach of his own, and an excellent table for those who courted him, yet the King, even when under the most urgent want of twenty pistoles, could not find credit to borrow them. |
