1656.] FRANCE AND ENGLAND. 411 and they might take time to seek the best ways of avoiding all such blame hereafter, by the amendment of some of the conditions. If I could be useful to them in it, I should willingly serve them, not only from my own propension, but also because of an express command of his highness. I also told them, that France desires a more strict and inward amity with England. In such multitude and difference of heads and tempers, I knew that what I said would please some of them very well, but much displease some others that hate Spain, and yet love not France. I have also let them understand that Colonel Lockhart will be ready to serve their interest in the court of France, and to that end we both are commanded to hold an ordinary correspondence of letters, so that by me, or without me, they might let him know what they desired and believed might, by his means, be there obtained for them. But I have not yet received any letter from Paris assuring me that he is come thither. As for the affairs of this place, they are but little advanced this week. It is thought, the arbiters must, to-day or to-morrow, take the judges' oath according to the old Helvetian form, and then both parties are in writing to deliver their promise of submission to their sentence, &c. In the meantime, all remains undemolished, the oath in Turgow unrenewed, &c., and I remain, Sir, your humble and faithful servant. MR. PELL TO MR. MORLAND. Baden, May 22nd, old style. SIR,-With yours of the 16th of May, I received one from Mr. A. P., wherein he tells me, that the French are desirous to come into further terms of amity with us, more strict and intimate. What he adds concerning the English fleet and the Spanish galleons, is the same with that which he wrote to you. The French paper that you sent me concerning Colonel Lockhart hath no date, so that it left me unable to tell any man the day of his entrance into Paris. The French ambassador's last letters made no mention of his coming; but if he be indeed come, he will hear of it by the next ordinary. This week I saw a French letter from Westminster, out of which I learned that my Lord Whitlock is Tresorier d'Estat; M. Strickland, Colonel des Gardes de S. A.; Colonel Fines, Garde des Sceaux. Perhaps none of this is news to you. From Cologne they write thus :-King Charles is yet at Bruges. He hath 2000 crowns a-month from Spain. He shall have the governments of Ostend, Dunkirk, Mardyke, and Gravelines. Woe to the English merchants! 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. SIR,-Having received yours of May 8th, I told the deputies of Zurich here, that you had written that you believed that they would be easily satisfied with the suspension of the loan of the 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 |