MR. PELL TO SECRETARY THURLOE.

September 2, 1654.

SIR, The last week I answered yours of Aug. 4. Yesterday I hoped to receive a letter from you, dated Aug. 11, in answer to mine of July 22; but the post brought me no letter. M. D. is at Basil by this time, if he hold the resolution which he expressed to me in his last letter from Bern. When I hear that he is there, I shall send him the copy of a French letter which came to my hands to-day; the greatest part whereof I have thought fit to translate and send you here:

Orleans, August 20, old style. By your last, I have understood that M. D. is gone from Zurich, to continue his conference with other churches, about the accommodation, &c. God bless his good intentions with a happy success. Monsieur Mestrezat (minister), of Paris, but born at Geneva, hath been in this city these two days. I came just now from him. In our discourse, I gave him occasion to speak of Mr. Dury's design. He approved it very much, and said that our churches (in France) and that of Geneva shall do well to assist M. D. with their good counsels and advice; but that he would not encourage him to come into France to treat with the reformed churches there, because he would be personally suspected at court, the cardinal having already conceived an ill suspicion, when Mr. Stoupe (with good zeal, but little policy,) had been in some parts of the kingdom to assure the reformed churches of the good will of the Commonwealth of England, and had held some conference with Monsieur de Montbrun.

He said, that as for them, they should be able to do nothing in Mr. Dury's good work but accompany it with their good wishes and prayers.

1654.] THE FRENCH PROTESTANTS.

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He spoke much of Dr. Calixtus, a man entertained by the Duke of Brunswick, who hath written much (though he be a Lutheran) against the doctrine of the ubiquity of Christ's body. He said that there are many other Lutheran states that are peaceable enough; but that there are others, who by their little charity give sufficient proof that they are no members of the mystical body of Christ. "As for us," said he, " we are ready to entertain and cherish a good amity and concord with all those that are touched with the spirit of peace and charity."

He also told me that he had not long since written a letter to the Princess of Wirtemberg (a French lady of the house of Chastillon) to strengthen her against the instigations made (contrary to her contract of marriage) to change her profession (of Huguenot.) Some are not contented that she communicates with the Lutherans, because she keeps firm in her (Calvinistical) opinions, in the points controverted between them and us. "That letter," said he, "hath made a great deal of noise, but it hath done some good," &c.

I doubt not but you have heard of the good success of the French at Arras, against the Spaniards, who have there gotten such a brush that we think it will be long ere they be in good posture again.

Cardinal de Retz, upon his escaping out of the castle, is declared criminal by the king, and all his kindred are commanded out of Paris. The canons of Notre Dame, in Paris, are in disgrace for singing "Te Deum," when they heard of that Cardinal's escape.

Thus far that letter from Orleans.

MR. PELL TO SECRETARY THURLOE.

September 9, 1654.

SIR,-I wrote somewhat largely by the last post— that is to say, September 2. The next day, one of the

secretaries here told me, that the Dutch translation of the two letters out of Scotland had been read in their Council of Fifty-that they had commanded him to give me thanks for that communication, and to pray me to signify to H. H. their joy for the continuance of his good success in his affairs of war— that their prayers shall be that H. H. may be no less fortunate in the managing of civil affairs, and all the consultations of this parliament. I told him their good wishes were very seasonable, for as that moment when he spoke was, for aught I knew, the beginning of the parliament's first meeting at a

sermon.

On Monday, September 4th, I saw the jewels, mentioned in my letters of July 1 and 8, and that of August 26. He that hath them in his keeping hath been, and is, the principal opposer of them that would renew the league with France. He was also the first and the greatest urger of the protestant cantons to offer their mediation between the English and the Low Dutch. He told me that those jewels were delivered in the French court to the officers of the Switzers. Some officers of every canton have a right to some share in them. Most of the officers were then cashiered and sent home. The French say, that those jewels were worth much more than the debt the Swiss officers then claimedthat was, six hundred thousand livres-but that they were forced to give them so many jewels, because

1654.]

THE FRENCH QUEEN'S JEWELS.

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the Switzers would not be contented with fewer, as not believing that they were worth so much money as the French valued them at. Wherefore those cashiered officers have often called upon the French ambassador to redeem them. He always answered them, that if they would renew the league, he would presently receive the jewels, and pay them the said six hundred thousand livres, with interest for four years, due at the end of this year. But the treasurer that hath them in his keeping-being, as I said before, an utter enemy to the league-hath always hindered that resolution. The captains that were at Vienna say, that the Emperor, having the pictures of them, offered to buy some of them, but was not willing to buy them all. The officers here begin to be impatient, having need of their money.

The treasurer would fain prevent their falling out, and yet sees it hard to be done without procuring of money. He told me-but desired that it might be kept secret both here and in Englandthat I should oblige him very much if I would signify these things to his Highness; adding that he believed that the French ambassador would make haste to pay them that money, if he heard for certain that my Lord Protector had given me order to lay down money for them, either by way of buying them outright, or taking them as a caution or pawn, to be redeemed by France within a year, otherwise to be accounted irrevocably sold. I told

him that I would not give him any encouragement to hope that my Lord Protector would meddle with any such bargain; but the high account that I had made of his friendship should prevail so far with me as to promise him to write into England, at large, concerning that business. He seemed very confident that his Highness would, at least, give me leave to enter into a fame of treating for them; which fame he thought would be enough to make the French ambassador redeem them. But I replied that this fame might seem to engage H. H. to do it indeed, and so to disburse so much money -about seventy-two thousand pounds sterling— which I doubted H. H. would not be put upon. He answered that if H. H. should indeed disburse so much money, he could not be a loser, because the jewels were worth more. I replied that there might be at this present in England better uses for money than to buy jewels withal. He answered that it would be a good use of money, to lay it out for that which was more worth; and yet, at the same time, to oblige the whole Helvetian nation, as well papists as protestants, who would all be much taken with such a motion out of England; seeing it might be represented to them as an effect of my Lord Protector's desire to prevent a civil war, which might arise amongst them about the sale of them, or about the renewing of the league, that so the jewels may be redeemed by the French ambassador.