1656.] COL. LOCKHART AT PARIS. 413 SECRETARY THURLOE TO MR. PELL. 28th of May, 1656. SIR,-Yours of the 8th instant from Baden came to my hands upon Monday last. I suppose you know before this that Colonel Lockhart is arrived at the court of France; you may subscribe your letters to him in the manner expressed by the enclosed. He hath in very serious terms recommended to the court the condition of the protestant cantons, and also of the people in the valleys; and hath received a very friendly answer; the good effects whereof he is in the expectation of. We have nothing of news here at all, save the confirmation of the victory which the Swedes have obtained upon the Polish army, under the command of Charnetzky; the particulars whereof, I suppose, you will have heard before this come to your hands. I rest, your affectionate friend and servant, MR. PELL TO SECRETARY THURLOE. Baden, May 29th. SIR,-Having received yours of May 8th, I told the deputies of Zurich here, that you had written believed that they would be easily satisfied that money, &c. They answered, that to England it was an inconsiderable sum; but to them it would be a very great and seasonable help, if they could receive it. I replied, that we have now very great occasions to employ much money, because of the vast expenses of our fleets, and that the affairs of Switzerland were now looked upon as composed; but if they fell again into danger, they might be assured that the state of England would strain for the preservation of the protestant interest. They answered, that their affairs were not composed, but that they may break out again into war. Hitherto, the interposing cantons had endeavoured to bring them to an agreement by persuasions, but in vain; and, therefore they had now laid aside that amiable way, and were entered into the judiciary form. The arbiters and scribes took their oath very solemnly, May 23rd, in a general assembly in the senate house at Baden, whereby they have received authority to pronounce their award sentence; in which, if they can agree, and if both parties will submit to it, there will be no new war; but if the number of judges be equally divided, their sentence will be null, and all the labour and cost of this assembly frustrate, unless they can agree in some super-arbiter. If these judges agree in a sentence, and one of the parties will not submit to it, then the interposing cantons are bound to join with the submitting part, without any respect to the differ 1656.] THE KING OF SWEDEN. 415 ence of religion; and by force of arms to constrain the other part to submit also to their sentence. This the interposers promised in sealed handwritings, which three months ago they delivered to both sides, before they would disband; so that this way they may fall into a new war, wherein none of the cantons can be neutral spectators; all must be actors. I told the deputies, that I had learned that some Archithophel had counselled the popish cantons to part with their right over Turgow, and to sell it to the house of Austria (either to the emperor or the archduke at Insbrug), and that this nuncio hath assured them that the pope will be contented, if they sell it to any catholic prince. The protestant deputies seemed not to fear that this will be put in practice. But I told them, that I had assurance from very good hands, that if the King of Swedes be beaten out of Poland, so that the emperor may dare to enter into a quarrel with the protestants, the popish cantons will take his money for Turgow, and will leave the other cantons to struggle with Austria, in defence of the Turgovian protestants. As for the king of Sweden, the papists are here very busy in speaking news of his losses, captivity, &c.; but they have not yet had the luck to circumstantiate their stories, so as to make the other side believe them. I have heard of a book of eight sheets against the Swedes, printed at Gripswald, with this title, Animorum in Europa et vicina Asia motus de Suecici belli motu in Polonia. I cannot yet come to see it. The Venetians have lately received a bull from the pope, wherein he gives them leave to suppress eighty small convents in their dominion, and to employ the money in their war against the Turk. The same bull, with a change of a few words, may give leave to all popish princes to sequester the revenues of all their monasteries, and to employ them in a war against the protestants. The pope's nuncio still continues at the monastery of Wettingen, where he was visited by the ambassadors of France and Savoy. He hath been in the town of Baden twice, to repay their visits. Crivelli, the Spanish ambassadors' agent, went hence the last week. They say here, that France intends to send two armies into Italy this summer; some wonder at it, saying, the French horses ought to have been sent thither in March, that they might by degrees become acquainted with the heat of Piedmont and Lombardy. Now May is past before they come thither, they will die there like rotten sheep. For your news concerning Cadiz, Lisbon, and Jamaica, I give you thanks, and am, Sir, your humble and faithful servant. 1656.] COLONEL LOCKHART. 417 MR. MORLAND TO MR. PELL. Geneva, 3rd June, 1656. yours of the 29th May, I thank you most kindly SIR, I have received with one for M. A. P.* for your Dutch piece, and entreat you to send me more of them, for I take extreme delight in the High Dutch at present, having bent my studies lately to understand that language. The enclosed A. I received just now. Mr. Preville is also come, who has brought me a letter from Colonel Lockhart, in which there is nothing but this, that he is at Compeigne with the court, and that, as soon as there shall pass anything considerable touching Piedmont, he will send me word, and I shall not fail to send the same to you by the first opportunity. Mr. Secretary has not wrote to me by this post, neither have I anything else worth the writing, and therefore shall trouble you no further than to say that I am your most humble and faithful servant, I know not yet the title, but I write to him thus, right honourable, and, your lordship, &c. * i. e. Mr. Adrian Peters, the assumed name of Secretary Thurloe. |