of men to deal with than King James and his minions: "You are to make your repair to the said Lord Ambassador of Spain and shall signify to his lordship that we have taken the petition into consideration, and have consulted with the judges and advocates of the Admiralty about it, and find that the taking of the said ship and men therein is not against any treaties or articles of alliance between the Commonwealth of England and any of the countries of the jurisdiction and obedience of Spain, which treaties we shall be careful to maintain inviolably. "You shall also inform his lordship that the Irish nation are dependents upon the Commonwealth of England, and therefore neither the nation nor any party or particular man of them have any power to treat or agree with any foreign State or their ministers for their levying or transporting of men to their service without special licence first obtained from the Commonwealth of England, which hath not in the case of these men been either desired or granted. "You shall further inform his lordship that the Irish are declared long since by Act of Parliament to be rebels against the sovereignty of England and therefore it is justly in the power of the English to deal with them as such wherever they shall take them. "That therefore the Council hath given order for the disposing of the men, and shall leave the ship and goods to their just trial in the Court of the Admiralty. "And lastly you shall signify to his lordship that this Commonwealth cannot permit these nor the rest of the men to be transported, it being (besides other important reasons) a private transaction of a rebel and against the honour and sovereignty of the Commonwealth of England." 1 1 Order Book of the Council of State, State Paper Office. Die Martis, 17th April, 1649. MS. On the 24th of May it is ordered in pursuance of an order of the House that it be reported to the House "as the opinion of this Council that those houses and parks hereunder named be kept for the public use of the Commonwealth and not sold viz. Whitehall House, and St. James's Park, St. James's House, Somerset House, Hampton Court and the Home Park, Theobald's and the Park, Windsor and the little park next the house, Green wich House and Park, Hide Park."1 On the 28th of May the warrant for the clearing of Whitehall was delivered out to the Serjeant-at-Arms to put in execution; and after that day the Council of State removed from Derby House and held their sittings at Whitehall.2 the 31st of May, as if conscious of an increase of dignity by the change from Derby House to Whitehall, they ordered "that there shall be a mace provided for the use of the Council at the charge of the State." 3 On In forming a judgment of men engaged in such a contest as that which was the business of those who now governed England, it is necessary to bear in mind that defence not wealth was their object, while the object of political economists is wealth solely. This distinction is admitted even by Adam Smith himself in his criticisms of their famous Navigation Act, passed about two years after the time of which I am now writing. "It is not impossible," says Adam Smith, "that some of the regulations of this famous Act may have proceeded from national animosity. They are as wise, however, as if they had all been dictated by the most deliberate wisdom. National 1 Order Book of the Council of State, 24th May, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. 2 Order Book of the Council of State, 28th and 29th May, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. Order Book of the Council of animosity, at that particular time, aimed at the very same object which the most deliberate wisdom would have recommended, the diminution of the naval power of Holland, the only naval power which could endanger the security of England." And after stating some economical disadvantages consequent upon that Act, such as that of buying foreign goods dearer and selling our own cheaper, he adds, "As defence, however, is of much more importance than opulence, the Act of Navigation is, perhaps, the wisest of all the commercial regulations of England." " 1 The Navigation Act carried the animosity between England and Holland into open war. But more than two years before the passing of that Act namely at the point of time to which the present narrative has reference, grave matter of offence had arisen on both sides. On one side the Dutch authorities had taken no effective measures to punish the cowardly and infamous assassination of Dorislaus by the partizans of the Stuarts; and by such criminal neglect they had offered a mortal affront to a body of men who taught the Dutch and all the world that they were not men who could be insulted with impunity. On the other side it must be admitted that the English Government only a few weeks after the assassination of Dorislaus afforded to the Dutch Government grave cause of offence. The Dutch were at that time, and indeed for more than a century after, the great carriers of Europe. In that capacity it was natural that the Council of State should seek to employ Dutch vessels for the transport of their troops to Ireland. But the matter was urgent, the English Government pressed their own ships, colliers and others, and they resolved to press the Dutch ships, if their masters or owners 1 Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, book iv. ch. ii. On the 6th of June 3 should refuse to contract with them. 1649 the Council of State made an Order "That a warrant be issued to the Commissioners of the Navy to contract with 20 Dutch Prams, or other needful vessels for the transportation of forces into Ireland; and that they have warrant to the sergeant of the Admiralty to make stay of them in case they shall refuse to stay to make a contract with the said commissioners for the aforesaid service." And on the same day a warrant was issued to "make stay by the marshal of the admiralty of 20 Dutch prammes." At the same time they ordered a letter to be written to their agent in Holland Mr. Strickland "to use his best endeavours to stop clamour, if any should arise thereupon not an easy task for Mr. Strickland, it may be supposed. On the 8th Sir Oliver Fleming was ordered to go to the Dutch ambassador to give him an explanation that the Dutch ships are only stayed for a contract with them for transporting of troops to Ireland and that the State will dismiss as many of them as possibly they may.* On the 13th they ordered a letter to be written to Mr. Walley at Chester to desire him to make stay of all Dutch bottoms and other fit ships for the transportation. And on the same day they made an order "That £2500 be paid upon account to the Commissioners of the Navy, out of which the masters of the several colliers' ships who are now pressed for the service of Ireland shall be presently, according to 1 This word is in the warrant in the Order Book spelt "prammes." Johnson in his dictionary gives the word 66 'prame -a flat-bottomed boat. Bailey." 2 Order Book of the Council of State, 6th June, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. 3 Order Book of the Council of State, 5 6th June, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. * Order Book of the Council of State, 8th June, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. 5 Order Book of the Council of State, 13th June, 1649. MS. State Paper Office. "1 contract, paid. On the same day the 13th of June they ordered "That Mr. Scott do report to the House as the opinion of this Council that Commissary General Ireton shall be the person who shall be the next commander-inchief of the forces in Ireland, under the command of Lieutenant General Cromwell." 2 On the 15th of June Mr. Scott brought up this report to the House, who confirmed the appointment. 3 Thursday the 14th of June was the day appointed for the public funeral of Dr. Dorislaus. The Council of State resolved to show every mark of respect in their power to the remains of the man who had been so basely assassinated in executing the commands of the Parliament of England. The body of Dorislaus was accompanied to the grave by the members of the Council of State, by the two Lords Chief Justices and the Lord Chief Baron, and by the Lord General and the general officers of the army; and the Lord General was directed by the Council to give order for a fit guard to prevent any disorder that might happen by so much concourse of people as might be at such a solemnity.* a Under the date 20th June the Order Book contains " list of Bills proposed by the Council to the House to be put 1 Order Book of the Council of State, 13th June, 1649. 2 Order Book of the Council of State, 13th June, 1649. 3 There are many instances in the Order Book of the Council of State as well as in the Commons' Journals of the prompt punishment of all injury or insult offered to or by their public servants, and of their prompt acknowledgment of the claims of the widows and children of those who died in their service. Dr. Dorislaus would appear to have died very poor, to judge from |