If we send you not by this, yet I trust we shall by the next, our Declaration setting forth the justness of this war.

I remain,

Your loving friend,

OLIVER P.*

The Declaration here alluded to, of War with Spain, came out on Tuesday, 23d October 1655;1 which with sufficient approximation dates this Letter for us.2 By obscure intimations, allusions to events, and even by recurrence of phrases, the following Letter seems to have the same or a closely subsequent date; but no sense could be made of it till the Address, Major-General Fortescue, at Jamaica' (which, being nonsense, we have to impute to Birch), was erased,-was altered, by dim lights and guessings still a little uncertain, as below.

*Thurloe, iv. 130. [Now printed from Thurloe's MS. copy at the Bodleian.]

1 Ibid., iv. 117; Godwin, iv. 217; Antea, p. 467. [Carlyle has been misled, as to this date, by a letter from Nieupoort, the Dutch ambassador, printed in Thurloe and there dated Nov. 3 (i.e., October 24 old style). But this date is manifestly too early, as the contents of Nieupoort's letter show. The MS. transcript, at the British Museum, is (no doubt correctly) dated Nov. [2]-12. In this letter, Nieupoort says that the Spanish ambassador left for Gravesend on Monday last (i.e., October 29 old style) and that the declaration was published next day i.e., Tuesday, the 30th. As a matter of fact, the ambassador left London on Saturday, October 27, as is shown by his own letters (Simancas Transcripts at the Public Record Office) but perhaps remained in the neighbourhood until Monday, as he did not reach Dover until the Tuesday. The Declaration (not of war, but, as Cromwell says above, "setting forth the justice of the war") was approved and ordered to be printed on October 26 (Cal. S. P. Dom. 1655, p. 400) but its publication was probably purposely delayed until after Cardenas's departure. It is printed in one of the King's Pamphlets (E. 1065, 1). All these letters and declarations were sent out, as the West Indian correspondence shows, by the Marston Moor frigate, which, after many delays, set out at the beginning of December, reached Barbados on the last day of the year, and Jamaica on the 15th of January.]

2[For the date see note, p. 469 above.]

3 Thurloe, iv. 633, &c. &c. [But see note on next page.]

LETTER CCV

'To Daniel Serle, Esquire, Governor of Barbadoes' 1 [But should be To Luke Stokes, Esquire, Governor of Nevis']

SIR,

2

'Whitehall, October 1655.'

Those are first to let you know that myself and this Government reckon ourselves beholding to you for the ready expressions of your love in giving assistance to our late design, which indeed, though it hath miscarried in what we hoped for, through the disposing hand of God, for reasons best known to Himself, and, as we may justly conceive, for our sins, yet is not this Cause the less His, but will be owned by Him, as I verily believe: and therefore we dare not relinquish it, but shall, the Lord assisting, prosecute it with what strength we can, hoping for a blessing for His name's sake.

You will herewith receive some Instructions, with encouragements to remove your people thither, whereto I refer you: only let me tell you, that if you shall think to desire some other things which are not mentioned in those Instructions, 'you may' rest upon my word that we shall be most ready to supply what they may be defective in and you may reasonably demand, when once

1[There can be no doubt that this letter was written to Stokes, not to Searle. It is very improbable that Cromwell would suggest to Searle to give up so important a post as the government of Barbados, where he had his hands quite full with managing transported delinquents, ordering a militia, etc. Moreover, Searle was already a Commissioner-the only one left of the original four appointed in December 1654, and again, when acknowledging the receipt of the declaration to be read concerning transplantation to Jamaica, he definitely says that he has received no orders or commands from his Highness on the subject (Thurloe, iv. 400). Stokes, on the other hand, fits the situation in every respect. He had shown ready love and assistance to the design, he actually did remove himself with his people (see Correspondence in Thurloe during 1655, 1656), he was made a Commissioner (ibid., vi. 110), he thanks the Protector for honouring him with his "lines of godly humility" by the Marston Moor (ibid., v. 66), and he writes to Major Sedgwick of the "undeserved and unexpected favours" of his Highness to himself (ibid., iv. 603).]

2 Hispaniola: to which Searle, at Barbadoes, had given due furtherance, as the Expedition passed. [But see note above.]

No!

Thurloe, iv. 633-7; worth reading, though in great want of editing.

you are upon the place,-where certainly you may be better able to judge what may tend more to your accommodation than at a distance. Surely the sooner you remove thither,1 you will have the more time to strengthen yourself, in such place or upon such port as you shall like of. And for your own part, I have named you one of the Commissioners there for managing of the whole affair; whereby you will have your vote and interest in that Government.

Having said this, I think fit to let you know that we have twenty men-of-war already there, and are sending eight more, many whereof have forty guns and upwards, and the rest above thirty. We hope the Plantation is not lacking in anything; having at the least seven-thousand fighting-men upon the place: 3 and we are providing to supply them constantly with fresh men, and we trust they are furnished with a twelve-month's victuals; and I think, if we have it in England, they shall not want.

4

We have also sent to the Colonies of New England like offers with yours, to remove thither; our resolution being to people and plant that Island. And indeed we have very good reason to expect considerable numbers from thence, forasmuch as the last winter was very destructive, and the summer hath proved so very sickly.

I pray God direct you;

and rest,

Your loving friend,

'OLIVER P.'*

1 Will mean, if our Addressing of this Letter is correct, that it had at one time been intended and decided to send Searle of Barbadoes, an experienced man, the ablest and principal English Governor in the West Indies, to take charge of Jamaica himself. Which however, in the quick succession of new lights and occurrences, never came to pass. [But see note on page 473 above.]

2 Same phrase in the preceding Letter.

[The Protector no doubt believed this when he wrote, but it was much too sanguine an estimate. In the January following, Sedgwick and Goodson plainly told him that they had not 3,000 men, and of these many were sick and weak, and dying at the rate of fifty a week; "which is much," they add sadly, "considering our small numbers. At the same time, Sedgwick wrote to Thurloe saying that they seemed to think that he had 7,000 men, but he hoped they now understood that the army, far from assisting in any design, was hardly in a capacity to maintain the Island. Thurloe iv. 454, 455.]

4 Encouragements to them, as to your' Colony, to emigrate thither. *Thurloe, iv. 130. [Now printed from Thurloe's MS. copy at the Bodleian.]

Undoubtedly to 'Daniel Serle,' or else to Major-General Sedgwick,' the other of the Four new Commissioners, this Letter must have been addressed. With either of which Addresses it remains historically somewhat obscure; but is legible enough for our purposes with it here. The next seems to be of slightly later

date.

SIR,

LETTER CCVI

To Major-General Fortescue, at Jamaica

'Whitehall, October 30 (?) 1655."1

You will herewith receive Instructions for the better carrying-on of your business, which is not of small account here, although our discouragements have been many; for which we desire to humble ourselves before the Lord, who hath very sorely chastened us. I do commend, in the midst of others' miscarriages, your constancy and faithfulness to your trust in remaining 2 where you are, and taking care of a company of poor sheep left by their shepherd: and be assured that, as that which you have done hath been good in itself, and becoming an honest man, so it hath a very good savour here with all good Christians and all true Englishmen, and will not be forgotten by me as opportunity shall serve.

I hope you have long before this time received that good supply which went from hence in July last, whereby you will perceive that you have not been forgotten here. I hope also the ships sent for New England are, before this time, with you: and let me tell you, as an encouragement to you and those with you to improve your utmost diligence, and to excite your courage

5

1[Carlyle dated this 'November' but Cromwell's allusion to it in the letter to Goodson (see p. 469 above) shows that it was written not later than October 30.] 2 [Mis-read" every" by Birch.]

3 Fortescue's own expression: in a Letter of 21st July 1655 (Thurloe, iii. 675). Vaughan, i. 303; Thurloe, iv. 4.

5 Thurloe, iv. 157; one, the first of them, did arrive, Nov. Ist: 'sent from Jamaica to New England for provisions.'

in this business, though not to occasion any negligence in prosecuting1 that affair, nor to give occasion to slacken any improvement of what the place may afford, that you will be followed with what necessary supplies, as well for your comfortable subsistence as for your security against the Spaniard, this place may afford, or you want.

And therefore study first your security by fortifying and although you have not moneys, for the present, to do it in such quantities as were to be wished, yet, your case being as that of a marching army, wherein every soldier, out of principles of nature, and according to the practice of all discipline, ought to be at the pains to secure the common quarters,—we hope no man amongst you will be so wanting to himself, considering food is provided for you, as not to be willing to help to the uttermost therein. And therefore I require you and all with you, for the safety of the whole, that this be made your most principal intention. The doing of this will require that you be very careful not to scatter, till you have begun a security in some one place. Next I desire you that you would consider how to form such a body of good Horse as may, if the Spaniard shall attempt upon you at the next coming into the Indies with his galeons, be in a readiness to march to hinder his landing; 'who' will hardly land upon a body of horse; and if he shall land, be in a posture to keep the provisions of the country from him, or him from his provisions, if he shall endeavour to march towards you.

[We trust we shall furnish you with bridles, saddles and horseshoes, and other things necessary for that work, desiring you to improve to the utmost what you have already of those sorts. Should it be known that you had five hundred horse well appointed, ready to march upon all occasions in that island, even that alone might deter the Spaniard from attempting anything upon you.] 2

We have sent a Commissioner and Instructions into New Eng

1[Printed "presenting" in Thurloe.]

2[The passage in square brackets was omitted by Carlyle.]