him, and the other 1,000l. to that he left her big withall, leaving his sister and her children nothing; his funerall will be handsome, but not known yet whether at the King's charge or his executors. There has this weeke nothing past at the Signett but a lycence to one Jonas and others to dye haire from black and redd to white, to be used for perucques. I hope your Excellency will please to pardon the hast of this, and permitt me to continue in all humility, as I shall alwayes be, may it please your Excellency, Your Excellencyes most obedient and faithfull servant, R 27. No. 87.-FROM JAMES VERNON. May it please your Excellency, HENRY BALL. hitehall, 22nd August. I have not yet seen my brother to looke over my papers concerning your Excellency's account, he being gone to Titchfield by Mr. Montagu's order to be present att his wedding with the Countess of Northumberland, which is to be celebrated next Sunday. But if Mr. Ellise hath given your Excellency the account I sent by him, I am confident your Excellency will find it full and just, that the disbursements square with the receipts. The news of our late engagement and happier successe att St. Helena would be quickly known to your Excellency if it should not be writt from England, therefore I hope your Excellency will not accuse the silence of one man, where allmost everyone talkes. My Lord Sunderland setts out of Paris to-morrow, and is expected here towards the end of next weeke. My Lord Montagu upon the mariage of his son hath made the settlement of his estate, and putt him into present possession of 2,000l. per an.1 The Countesse of Northumberland, likewise, in 1 Ralph Montagu was eldest son of Edward, second Lord Montagu of Boughton, who died in 1683. Ralph, third Lord Montagu of Boughton, was in 1689 made Earl of Montagu, and in 1705 Duke of Montagu. case of no children, hath settled her estate upon Mr. Montagu during his life, in preference to all others. If there be any thing that may make my lady less satisfyed with a second mariage, and which perhaps hath kept her from it all this while, it is a clause in her late husband's will, which takes away from her the care of bringing up her daughter when she shall dispose her self to marry, and putts the child into the hands of the Dowager; this is of extreme hard digestion, and no stone will be left unturned, if either King or Parliament can be prevailed with to keep up the mother's right. The match with Modena is looked upon as broke, tho' it is said my Lord Peterborough shall go on to demand the reason of this alteration of opinion; others will have it that there are some reasons to thinke she may have no children, and therefore she is judged a match less fitt for the Duke, who they say, nevertheless, will marry a near relation of hers. Senior Scaramouchio and his band have beggd his Majestye's leave to returne, their affaires requiring their presence att home. It seemes Baptiste hath a grant of the Palais Royal to play the Operas in it, and these gentlemen are to remoove to Sourdiacs Theatre in the Faunbourg St. Germains; and now I am among players I ought not to omitt to acquaint your Excellency that the Duke's house are preparing an Opera and great machines.' They 1 A French troop first swept all things in its way, But those hot Monsieurs were too quick to stay; Yet, to our cost, in that short time we find They left their itch of novelty behind, The Italian Merry-Andrews took their place, And quite debauched the stage with lewd grimace. Was there to see two hobby-horses fight; Stout Scaramoucha with rush lance rode in, And ran a tilt at centaur Arlequin. But when all failed, to strike the stage quite dumb, Those wicked engines, called machines, are come. Dryden's Epilogue to the University of Oxford, 1673. (Globe edition of Dryden's Poems, p. 422.) will have dansers out of France, and St. André comes over with them, who is to have a pension of the King, and a patent of master of the compositions for ballets; further, the King hath granted them what boys of his Chappell they shall have occasion for to sing. I am with all duty, my Lord, Your Excellencyes most obedient and most faithfull servant, R Sept. 14 No. 88. FROM ROBERT YARD. May it please your Excellency, Whitehall, 22 August, 1673. I doubt not but your Excellency will by this night's ordinary receive from severall hands the good news our letters brought us this morneing from Ireland of Captaine Munday's arrivall at Kinsale, with 5 English East India ships and three Dutch, which he took at St. Helena. The particulars of that action is made publick, and here enclosed to your Excellency, to which I can onely adde, that the knowing marchants say that these three ships, if the thing be well managed, may be worth to the King 300,000l.; many people in the mean time speak of double the sum, but they know not that these ships are neither so big, nor so rich laden, as usually their ships have been: the biggest of the three is 800 tun, the second 550, and the third 350 tuns. The Papenburgh, which lyes now in the river (as the others), will be putt into the hands of the East India Company to dispose of to the King's best advantage; this latter is a fly boat and not so rich laden as the others, and will, when sold, it is thought, not yield above 50 or 60,000l. This Fleet, togeather with the East India and Barbados ships, which were there before, will, it is believed, continue there till they have convoy from hence. They have at present there the St. David and another small frigatt, with Captaine Munday in the Assistance, and three other marchant men fitted out for men of war; but Captaine Munday haveing left 250 men at St. Helena, with severall great guns, his ships are very ill manned and gunned. The last account wee had from his Majesty's Fleet came by letters dated the 14 instant, in which the Prince says that he intended to come within 18 or 19 leagues east and by south off Yarmouth, and to continue there 5 or 6 days, and therefore desired all letters might within that time be sent to him thither; whether he is since removed from that station, and whither wee doe not yet learne, though your Excellency will please to see what is reported by a ketch come into Harwich on Wednesday last. Thirty saile of Victuallers are gone for the Fleet, and wee hope are with them ere this; fresh supplyes of ammunition have been likewise sent them; Mr. Pepys told me yesterday that orders had been sent to his Highnesse to come nearer home, I heare, being great appearance of a warr between France and Spaine; the marchants apprehend wee may be likewise engaged in it, and have already had the precaution to remove greatest part of their effects to Tangier, as I have been told by some eminent marchants. Upon the takeing of these East India ships some begin already to discourse that the meeting of the Parliament will be putt off till January or February next,' but that will hardly please the people, who impatiently expect from this next Session some vigorous resolution, first for secureing the peace of the kingdom at home, and next for restoring it with our neighbors abroad; but yet there is hardly any body so much desires it, as to be content to have it upon dis. honourable termes. Your Excellency will not expect to hear from me what reason of State has putt by the intended marriage with the Princesse of Modena; I shall onely presume to say that the people are not at all dissatisfied at it, and wish there may be none of the French makeing. Here has been a report as if Sir Robert Holmes was killed in 1 A false rumour: Parliament met in October. some rencounter as he was goeing from Tunbridge to the Isle of Wight, but it meets not with any creditt. The colliers which your Excellency will see in the enclosed were forced ashore near Yarmouth, have made a great deale of noise here, thoug wee know onely of two or three that are lost. I am, with all humble duty, my Lord, Your Excellencies most faithfull, obedient, and gratefull servant, R. YARD. R Sept. 4. No. 89.-FROM HENRY BALL. May it please your Excellency, Whitehall, August 25, 1673. The inclosed Mr. Chauncellor of the Dutchy1 commanded me to present your Excellency. Yesterday Sir Thomas Daniells came from the Fleete, leaveing them coming into the Gun Fleete, so that it's said there will be no more action this summer; after some stay to putt the ships in order and to putt out a squadron to goe to disturbe the Dutch fishing on the Dogger, where there now are 60 sayle and 3 convoyes; and I cannot heare what reason they had to come in, more than the want of provisions, and the great dissatisfaction in the fleete at the French behaviour. Prince Rupert has sent his family word they might expect him in 3 days; and all the discourse is, he comes up very angry and rageing, and that his coming is to do some extraordinary thing. The French Squadron (all say) complain of our ships not doing their duty; so that between these pro and con's, none can tell where the fault lays: the Dutch are still out, and it's feared may attempt something on our Fleete at Kinsale, but the King sent them orders on Fryday night to come directly to Plymouth. It was thought the Dutch scarse knew of their loss yett, but they say they have printed itt in their Thursdayes Harlem Gazette, and that they are not worth above 90,000l. in all. Sir Robert Holmes death happily proves a mistake; for this Sir Robert Carr. |