LETTERS

WRITTEN IN THE NAME OF

RICHARD, PROTECTOR.

RICHARD, Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the most ferene and potent Prince, LEWIS King of France.

Moft ferene and potent King, our Friend

and Confederate;

So foon as our most ferene father, Oliver, Protector of the Commonwealth of England, by the will of God fo ordaining, departed this life upon the third of September, we being lawfully declared his fucceffor in the fupreme magiftracy, though in the extremity of tears and sadness, could do no less than with the first opportunity by these our letters make known a matter of this concernment to your majefty; by whom, as you have been a most cordial friend to our father and this republic, we are confident the mournful and unexpected tidings will be as forrowfully received. Our business now is, to request your majesty, that you would have fuch an opinion of us, as of one who has determined nothing more religiously and constantly, than to observe the friendship and confederacy contracted between your majesty and our renowned father; and with the fame zeal and good-will to confirm and establish the leagues by him concluded, and to carry on the fame counfels and interests with your majefty. To which intent it is our pleasure that our ambaffador, refiding at your court, be empowered by the fame commiffion as formerly; and that you will give the fame credit to what he tranfacts in our name, as if it had been done by ourselves. In the mean time we wish your majefty all profperity.

From our court at Whitehall,

Sept. 5, 1658.

VOL. V.

B

To

To the most eminent Lord Cardinal MAZARINE.

Though nothing could fall out more bitter and grievous to us, than to write the mournful news of our most serene and most renowned father's death; nevertheless, in regard we cannot be ignorant of the high esteem which he had for your eminency, and the great value which you had for him ; nor have any reafon to doubt, but that your eminency, upon whofe care the profperity of France depends, will no lefs bewail the lofs of your conftant friend, and most united confederate; we thought it of great moment, by these our letters, to make known this accident fo deeply to be lamented, as well to your eminency as to the king; and to affure your eminency, which is but reason, that we shall most religiously observe all those things, which our father of most ferene memory was bound by the league to see confirmed and ratified: and fhall make it our business, that in the midst of your mourning for a friend fo faithful and flourishing in all virtuous applaufe, there may be nothing wanting to preferve the faith of our confederacy. For the confervation of which on your part alfo, to the good of both nations, may God Almighty long preferve your eminency. Westminster, Sept. 1658.

RICHARD, Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the most ferene Prince, CHARLES GUSTAVUS, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, &c.

Moft ferene and potent King, our

Friend and Confederate;

When we confider with ourselves that it will be a difficult matter for us to be imitators of our father's virtues, unless we fhould obferve and endeavour to hold the fame confederacies which he by his prowefs acquired, and out of his fingular judgment thought moft worthy to be embraced and obferved; your majefty has no reafon to doubt, but that it behoves us to pay the fame tribute of affection and good-will, which our father of moft ferene memory always paid to your majesty. Therefore, although in this beginning of our government and dignity I may

not

not find our affairs in that condition, as at prefent to answer to fome particulars which your ambaffadors have proposed, yet it is our refolution to continue the league concluded by our father with your majesty, and to enter ourselves into a ftricter engagement; and fo foon as we fhall rightly understand the state of affairs on both fides, we shall always be ready on our part to treat of those things, which fhall be moft chiefly for the united benefit of both republics. In the mean time, God long preferve your majesty to his glory, and the defence and safeguard of his orthodox church.

From our court at Westminster,

October, 1658.

RICHARD, Protector of the Commonwealth of England, &c. To the most ferene and potent Prince, CHARLES GUSTAVUS, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, &c.

Moft ferene and potent King, our

room.

Friend and Confederate;

We have received two letters from your majefty, the one by your envoy, the other tranfmitted to us from our refident Philip Meadows, whereby we not only understood your majesty's unfeigned grief for the death of our moft ferene father, in expreffions fetting forth the real thoughts of your mind, and how highly your majesty efteemed his prowefs and friendship, but also what great hopes your majefty conceived of ourselves advanced in his And certainly, as an accumulation of paternal honour in deeming us worthy to fucceed him, nothing more noble, more illustrious, could befall us than the judgment of fuch a prince; nothing more fortunately aufpicious could happen to us, at our first entrance upon the government, than such a congratulator; nothing, laftly, that could more vehemently incite us to take poffeffion of our father's virtues, as our lawful inheritance, than the encouragement of fo great a king. As to what concerns your majesty's interefts, already under confideration between us, in reference to the common cause of the protestants, we would have your majesty have those thoughts

of us, that fince we came to the helm of this republic, though the condition of our affairs be fuch at prefent, that they chiefly require our utmost diligence, care, and vigilancy at home, yet that we hold nothing more facred, and that there is not any thing more determined by us, than, as much as in us lies, never to be wanting to the league concluded by our father with your majefty. To that end, we have taken care to fend a fleet into the Baltic fea, with those inftructions which our agent, to that purpose empowered by us, will communicate to your majefty; whom God preferve in long fafety, and profper with fuccefs in the defence of his orthodox religion.

From our Court at Westminster,

October 13, 1658.

RICHARD, Protector, To the most ferene and potent Prince, CHARLES GUSTAVUS, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, &c.

Most ferene and most potent King, our

Friend and Confederate;

We fend to your majesty, nor could we fend a present more worthy or more excellent, the truly brave and truly noble Sir George Afcue, knight, not only famed in war, and more especially for his experience in fea-affairs, approved and tried in many defperate engagements; but alfo endued with fingular probity, modefty, ingenuity, learning, and for the sweetness of his difpofition careffed by all men; and which is the fum of all, now defirous to serve under the banners of your majefty, so renowned over all the world for your military prowefs. And we would have your majefty be fully affured, that whatsoever high employment you confer upon him, wherein fidelity, fortitude, experience, may shine forth in their true luftre, you cannot entrust a perfon more faithful, more courageous, nor easily more skilful. Moreover, as to those things we have given him in charge to communicate to your majefty, we request that he may have quick accefs, and favourable audience, and that you will vouchfafe the fame credit to him as to ourselves if perfonally prefent: lastly, that you will give