'By favour of whose Government,' as Walton in his Preface furthermore records, we had our paper free of duty, quorum favore chartam a vectigalibus immunem habuimus,'-with perhaps other furtherances. See Irwell's Life of Pocock (reprint. London, 1816), pp. 209-211. 2. Here, lest any one should be again sent hunting through Pegge's Manuscripts,' take the following highly insignificant Official NoteDate, four weeks after the Dismissal of the Rump; when the 'Com mittee of the Army,' and Oliver Commander of all the Forces raised and to be raised,' are naturally desirous to know the state of the ArmyAccounts. Where Mitchell commands at present, I do not know,1 nor whether he might be the 'Captain Mitchell' who was known some years ago in a disagreeable transaction with the Lord-General's Secretary,2 and whose Accounts may be rather specially a matter of interest. SIR, For Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell Whitehall, 18th May 1653. You are desired with all expedition to prepare and send to the Committee for the Army an account of all moneys by you received upon their warrants between the fifteenth of January 1647 and the twentieth of October 1651, for the use of the Forces within the time aforesaid under your command, or for the use of any other Regiment, Troop or Company, by or for whom you were entrusted or appointed to receive any money. And in case you cannot perfect your account, and send the same, as you are hereby directed, before the seventh of June next, you are desired by that time at the farthest to send in writing under your hand to the said Committee, what moneys by you received as aforesaid do remain in your hands. Hereof you are not to fail. OLIVER CROMWELL. * 3. Among the State-Papers in Paris there have lately been found Three small Notes to Mazarin, not of much, if indeed of almost any moment, but worth preserving since they are here. Two of them belong to this Section. The first, which exists only in French, apparently as translated for Mazarin's reading, would not be wholly without significance if we had it in the original. It is dated just three days after that Summons 1[Lieut.-Col. William Mitchell was then serving in Scotland. Mr. Firth believes that he was lieutenant-colonel of the regiment of foot lately commanded by MajorGeneral Richard Deane. He succeeded to the command of Overton's regiment in 1655.] 2 Newspapers (in Cromwelliana, p. 61), 22d-29th June 1649. * Pegge's MSS. (in the College of Arms, London), vii. 425. struggles to to the Puritan Notables; 1—and the Lord General, we see, 'A Son Eminence, Monsieur le Cardinal Mazarin' MONSIEUR, De Westminster, ce 9-19 Juin 1653. J'ai été surpris de voir que votre Eminence ait voulu penser à une personne si peu considérable que moi, vivant en quelque façon rétiré du reste du monde. Cet honneur a fait avec juste raison une si forte impression sur moi, que je me sens obligé de servir votre Eminence en toutes occasions; et comme je m'estimerai heureux de les pouvoir rencontrer, j'espère que M. de Bourdeaux en facilitera les moyens à celui qui est, Monsieur, De votre Eminence Le très-humble serviteur, Of which take this Version : OLIVER CROMWELL.* ་་ Westminster, 9th June 1653. "SIR,-I have been surprised that your Eminency was pleased to "remember a person so inconsiderable as myself, living as it were "withdrawn from the rest of the world. This honour has justly such "a resentment with me that I feel myself bound, by all opportunities, "to be serviceable to your Eminency; and as I shall be happy to meet "with such, so I hope M. de Bourdeaux," the Ambassador, "will help "to procure them to, Sir, "Your Eminency's most humble servant, "OLIVER CROMWELL." Nay here now (Edition 1857) is the Original itself; politely forwarded to me, three years ago, by the Translator of M. Guizot's English Commonwealth, where doubtless it has since appeared in print: 2 1 Antea, vol. ii. p. 269. 2[See Scoble's Translation, Appendix No. 4. But one would judge this English version to be a re-translation from the French, rather than the original. There is no English version, either original or copy, in the Archives.] * From the Archives du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, at Paris. Communicated by Thomas Wright, Esq. F.S.A. &c. [Against the word "Monsieur," the contemporary translator has written: "Il a mis en Anglois Sire, qui se donne aux roys et aux princes". Carlyle has modernised the spelling.] Westminster, the 9th of June 1653. Ir's surprise to me that your Eminency should take notice of a person so inconsiderable as myself, living, as it were, separate from the world. This honour has, as it ought, 'made' a very deep impression upon me, and does oblige 'me' to serve your Eminency upon all occasions: and as I shall be happy to find out 'such,' so I trust that very honourable person, Monsieur Burdoe, will therein be helpful to, Your Eminency's thrice-humble servant, O. CROMWELL. 4. The negotiations with Whitlocke for going on that perilous Embassy to Sweden have left us the following offhand specimen of an Official Note from Oliver. Oliver and Pickering had already been earnestly dealing with the learned man that he would go at their subsequent interview, Oliver observed to Whitlocke, "Sir Gilbert" Pickering "would needs write a very fine Letter; and when he had done, did not like it himself. I then took pen and ink, and straightway wrote that to you:" 'To Sir Bulstrode Whitlocke, Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal' Whitehall, 2d September 1653. MY LORD, The Council of State having thoughts of putting your Lordship to the trouble of being Extraordinary Ambassador to the Queen of Swedeland, did think fit not to impose that service upon you without first knowing your own freedom thereunto. Wherefore they were pleased to command our service to make this address to your Lordship; and hereby we can assure you of a very large confidence in your honour and abilities for this employment. To which we begging your answer, do rest, 1 My Lord, Your humble servants, OLIVER CROMWELL. 1 ["O. Cromwell P." the translator has, but Carlyle naturally omitted the "P". For another letter which must have been written about this time, see Supplement, No. 79a.] * From Whitlocke's Account of his Embassy (quoted in Forster, iv. 319). [There is a contemporaneous copy of this amongst the MSS. of the Marquis of Bath (See Third Report of the Hist. MSS. Commissioners, Appendix, p. 192) where also are the instructions to Whitelocke, signed and sealed by Cromwell. These are put amongst the papers of January-May, 1654, but if they are his original instructions, they were finally settled and ordered to be "fair written" on October 27, 1653. WhiteVOL. III.-19 5. The Little Parliament has now dismissed itself, and Oliver has henceforth a new Signature. 'To his Eminency Cardinal Mazarin' MY LORD, 'Whitehall,' 26th January 1653. Monsieur de Baas hath delivered me the Letter which your Eminency hath been pleased to write to me; and also communicated by word of mouth your particular affections and good disposition towards me, and the affairs of these Nations as now constituted. Which I esteem a very great honour; and hold myself obliged, upon the return of this Gentleman to you, to send my thanks to your Eminency for so singular a favour; my just resentment whereof I shall upon all occasions really demonstrate; and be ready to express the great value I have of your person and merits, as your affairs and interest shall require from, Your very affectionate friend to serve you, OLIVER P.* 6. The Corporation of Lynn Regis,' it appears, considered that the navigation of their Port would be injured by the works now going on for Draining the great Bedford Level of the Fens. They addressed the Protector on the subject; and this is his Letter in answer thereto. Nothing came of it further. To the Mayor and Aldermen of Lynn Regis GENTLEMEN, Whitehall, 30th January 1653. I received yours; and cannot but let you know the good resentments I have of your respects; assuring you that I shall be always ready to manifest a tender love and care of you and your welfare, and in particular of that concernment of yours relating to navigation. Commending you to the grace of God, I remain, Your loving friend, OLIVER P.t locke sailed from Tilbury Hope in the Phenix on November 6, and arrived at Gottenburg on November 15 (see Cal. S. P. Dom. 1653-4, pp. 218, 346). The letter, as calendared in the Report on the Longleat papers, is said to be from Cromwell and Sir "George" Pickering, but this is of course an error.] 1 The new Envoy, or agent; of whom in the next No. From the Archives du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, at Paris. Communicated by Thomas Wright, Esq. F.S.A. &c. [The last few words in Oliver's own hand.] + History of the Ancient and Present State of the Navigation of the Port of King's Lynn and of Cambridge, (London, fol. 1766), p. 55. ["But I suppose nothing was done" says the author; "for Aug. 29, 1654, it was ordered at a congregation then No. 28 From 1654-1655: VOWEL'S PLOT; RECTORY OF HOUGHTON CONQUEST; PENRUDDOCK'S PLOT; LETTER TO THE POET WALLER; NEW ENGLAND [Vol. ii. pp. 332, 437, 447.] 1. Another wholly insignificant Official Note to Mazarin, in regard to Vowel's Plot, and the dismissal of M. De Baas for his complicity in it. De Baas, whom some call Le Baas, or rightly Le Bas, was a kind of subsidiary Agent despatched by Mazarin early in the Spring of 1653-4 to congratulate the new Protector,'-that is, to assist Bourdeaux, who soon after got the regular title of Ambassador, in ascertaining how a Treaty could be made with the new Protector, or, on the whole, what was to be done with England and him. Hitherto, during the Dutch War and other vicissitudes, there had been a mixed undefinable relation between the two Countries, rather hostile than neutral. The "Treaty and firm Amity,' as we know, had its difficulties, its delays; in the course of which it occurred to M. Le Bas that perhaps the Restoration of Charles Stuart, by Vowel and Company, might be a shorter cut to the result. Examination of Witnesses, in consequence: examination of Le Bas himself by the Protector and Council, in consequence; mild hint to Le Bas that he must immediately go home again.1 'Eminentissimo Cardinali Mazarino' EMINENTISSIme Cardinalis, In Litteris Nostris ad Regem datis, causas et rationes recensuimus quare Dominum De Baas ex hâc Republicâ excedere jussimus, et Majestatem Suam certam fecimus, Nos, non obstante hâc dicti de Baas machinatione, cujus culpam ei solummodo imputamus, in eâdem adhuc sententiâ perstare, firmam arctamque Pacem et Amicitiam cum Galliâ colendi et paciscendi. Atque hâc occasione gratum nobis est priora illa propensœ nostræ erga vos et res vestras voluntatis indicia et testimonia renovare; quam etiam, datâ subinde occasione, palam facere et luculenter demonstrare parati erimus. Interea Eminentiam vestram Divina benignitatis præsidio commendamus. Dab. ex Albâ Aulâ, vicesimo nono Junii an. 1654. OLIVERIUS P.* held in the Guildhall, Lynn Regis, that Mr. Recorder be desired to draw up a petition to the next Parliament for redress of the prejudices done to their navigation by the fen-drainers."] 1 Depositions concerning him (April, May, 1654), Thurloe, ii. 309, 351-3: notice of his first arrival (February 1653-4), ibid. 113. See also ibid. 379, 437. * From the Archives du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, at Paris. Communicated by Thomas Wright, Esq. F.S.A. &c. [The signature has been torn off.] |