last, for all that day was heard a great deale of shooting as well by vessells come from sea as at Harwich and other places; the weather was that day pretty gentile and the wind N. W. and what confirms this opinion is that the Prince writt on Tuesday that he would take the first good weather to fall upon the enemy, which he had not yet had since his being on their coast. God send us good news! The Clerks of the Signett scruple to part with their books, that is to permitt them to be carried out of their office, and at the same time adde a complement, that they pray your Excy not to take it amisse of them that they cannot without great prejudice to their office suffer notes to be taken out of their books as your Excy desires.

Wee just now have the letters of Friday last from Flanders, but not any from your Excy. The master from this packett boat heard the shooting on Wednesday. Wee are in great expectation to hear what has happened.

I am with all dutifull respect,

May it please your Exey,

Your Excyes most faithfull obedient Servant,

B. .

No. 7.-FROM WILLIAM BRIDGEMAN.1

R. YARD.

MY LORD, Whitehall, June 2nd, 1673. I forbore troubling your Excy by the last post, having nothing of moment to impart to you, neither had we then any account of the fight more then strong presumptions that there had been one, which you had earlier notice of then wee possibly could have; the relation wee have since had from the Prince goes here enclosed in print, by which you will see wee wholely want the particulars

A clerk in the Secretary of State's Office, one of Williamson's regular correspondents, who ultimately became Under-Secretary in 1682.

concerning the Dutch losses, and many circumstances of our owne fleet in reference to the engagement. This morning Coll. Tho. Howard2 arrived here with letters of the 31st of the last, but tells us little more but the losse of severall land officers, which, consider. ing there were so many in the fleet, could not but be expected.

The report of St Thomas Osborne's succeeding my Lord Treasurer in his place is much cooled, though according to the best information I have my Lord Treasurer designes the leaving his place, and the discourse now is that it will be executed by Commissioners. The King has appointed a generall rendezvous of his forces upon Blackheath near Greenwich, where they are to be encamped till such time it shall be thought convenient to ship them in order to a descent in Zeeland or Holland; a suitable traine of artillery is likewise in readinesse with its respective officers, and the Duke as yet continues his resolution of going in person as generallissimo; it is not knowne who goes as maj-generall, Coll. Russell having refused the employment because the Duke of Buckingham was made Lieutt generall, he pretending to it.

His Royal Highsse match with the Princesse of Inspruch is quite off, and orders were last week sent to Sir B. mediately to take his leave and retire from that Court.

Gascon im-
There have

The engagement was on Wednesday, May 28. The result was indecisive. Both Commanders-in-Chief, Prince Rupert and De Ruyter, claimed victory. But the English and French losses were not very considerable, and the allied fleet remained on the Dutch coast. De Ruyter, reporting to the Prince of Orange, admitted great losses: "Five ships, which were quite disabled, I have sent to Ulising [Flushing] to be refitted. Three of our men-of-war are missing, and, I fear, lost. We have lost most of our gun-ships, and a great many men." See Ralph's Hist. of England, vol. i. p. 235.

2 Also called Captain Howard in these letters; probably a younger brother of Charles Howard, Earl of Carlisle.

3 Negotiations for a marriage of the Duke of York with the daughter of the Archduke of Innspruck had been proceeding for more than a twelvemonth, and everything was concluded, when the death of the Empress of Austria in March, leaving the Emperor free to marry this Princess, the Duke and the English government were obliged to forego this marriage. Sir Bernard Gascoigne, the English

been some thoughts of the Duke of Newburgh's daughter, and (as they say) a niece of Card" de Retz's; but I doe not heare of any direct overtures yet made of the one or the other, though I beleeve the Earl of Peterborow may be instructed to see both or one of them.

The news from the French camp I doe not question but you have att first hand, and therefore trouble you with none of itt.

My lord commands me to acknowledge y' severall letters of the 24th, 27th, 29th of the last, and make his excuses he does it not himselfe in a distinct letter to yourselfe in this post.

I shall bee glad to heare of your safe arrivall att the place of

Resident at Vienna, who had conducted the negociations there, was a Florentine by birth, who had served long in the army of Charles I. All the despatches on this matter of the Earl of Arlington to Sir Bernard Gascoigne are printed in "Miscellanea Antica," London, 1702. Lord Arlington's despatch to Sir B. Gascoigne telling him to quit is dated May 26.

1

1 There were many ladies thought of after the Empress's death and the giving up of hope of the Princess of Innspruck: the Emperor's sister, the Duchess of Guise (a cousin of Louis XIV.), a Princess of Wurtemberg, Princess of Neuburg, the Princesses d'Elbeuf of the House of Lorraine, a daughter of the Duc de Retz, a Princess of Spain, and two Princesses of the House of Modena. Louis XIV. wished for the Duchess of Guise, but Lord Peterborough pronounced her ugly. The Princess of Wurtemberg was thought of by Charles and James, but they changed their minds, and sent Lord Peterborough to see the Princess of Neuburg. See No. 59 of July 21. Her appearance did not please Lord Peterborough. This Princess afterwards married the Emperor, after the death of his second wife. See full particulars in "Les Derniers Stuarts à St. Germain de Laye par la Marquise de Cavelli," 2 vols. 4to. 1871. The choice ultimately fell on Princess Mary of Modena.

2 The Earl of Peterborough had been appointed Ambassador to Vienna for the purpose of concluding the affair of the Duke of York's marriage with the Princess of Innspruck: he had only just left England, and had not reached Paris en route for Vienna, when the news of the death of the Empress of Austria reached the English Government. He was immediately ordered not to proceed further. This Earl of Peterborough was the second of the title, and was through life a devoted friend of Charles I. and his sons Charles and James. He fought in the Civil Wars, and was wounded at Newbury. He died in 1697. He has given a detailed account of his mission in quest of a second wife for the Duke of York in his work on genealogies published under the name of Halstead.

congresse,1 and of your good successe in your negociation, which I hartily wish, and am with all respect and truth,

This morning I received your Excellencies of the 27th past, and most humbly begg your Excellency's pardon for ye late mentioned account of the bill which I was forced to intreate your Excellency's comand in, because none else would take it upon them. I hope your Excellency will be confident I neglect not in the least your Excellency's comands or business.

Now some say My Lord Treasurer will not quitt his imployment for the oath sake; but all the Roman Catholiques say he will, which I rather believe in regard they have great interest with him.

Mr. Blood the elder 2 went on Tuesday last into Ireland (as he

The Ambassadors arrived at Cologne on June 3, having stayed some days at Antwerp.

"Mr. Blood the elder" is the notorious ruffian who had attempted to assassinate the Duke of Ormond and afterwards to steal the Crown from the Tower, and had been not only pardoned by the King (astounding enough!) but taken into his favour and rewarded with the grant of an estate of 5007. a-year in Ireland. See Sir Gilbert Talbot's relation of Blood's attempts on the Crown and Duke of Ormond in Strype's Survey of London, vol. ii. p. 91, and Carte's Life of Ormond, vol. ii. pp. 420-5. These crimes of Blood were committed in 1670 and 1671. Evelyn relates meeting him at dinner at Sir Thomas Clifford's, then Treasurer of the Household, on May 10, 1671 (but there is some mistake about the date: it would probably have been later in the year), "Dined at Mr. Treasurer's in company with Monsieur de Grammont and several French noblemen, and one Blood, that impudent bold fellow who had not long before attempted to steal the imperial Crown itself out of the Tower, pretending only curiosity of seeing the regalia there, when, stabbing the keeper, though not mortally, he boldly went away with it through all the guards, taken only by the accident of his horse falling down. How he came to be pardoned, and even received into favour,

pretended by my Lord Arlington's leave), but I heare his Lordship was rather gladd of his absence, he having lost himself much by his impertinance: he pretends to have a great estate left his wife, but Dr. Butler tells me 'tis only a flamme, and he has none att all on that side. The Presbiterian party all renounce him as one that has kept not very well his word with his Majesty as to serving him.

Mr. Philip Lloyd, Mr. Sherwin, and Mr. Fillingham with 3 others are this weeke made commissioners for the managing the late Act of Parliament for money, with a sallery of 250l. per annum to each of them, besides allowance for house rent and servants. Mr. De la Dale lyes dangerously ill, and his recovery doubted. My Lord Duke of Ormond's family is now in mourning for his Lordship's mother my Lady Thurles, now lately dead.2

My Lord Duke of Buckingham is not yet returned from Yorkshire, but I heare his Lordship has compleated his regiment to 100 each companye.

not only after this but several other exploits almost as daring both in Ireland and here, I could never come to understand. Some believed he became a spy of several parties, being well with the sectaries and enthusiasts, and did his Majesty services that way which none alive could do so well as he." The murderous assault on Ormond was a greater villany. Carte relates, in his "Life of Ormond," that Blood had pretended to the King great power among the fanatics. "He was admitted," says Carte, "into all the privacy and intimacy of the Court: no man more assiduous than he in both the Secretaries' offices. If any one had business at Court that stuck, he made his application to Blood, as the most industrious and successful solicitor, and many gentlemen courted his acquaintance, as the Indians pray to the Devil-that he may not hurt them. He was perpetually in the royal apartments, and affected particularly to be in the same room where the Duke of Ormond was, to the indignation of all others, though neglected and overlooked by his Grace. All the world stood amazed at this mercy, countenance, and favour showed to so atrocious a malefactor, the reasons and meaning of which they could not see or comprehend." Amazing, indeed, were the ways of Charles the Second's government! This reference to Blood in Mr. Ball's letter shows his connection with the Secretary of State's office.

1 An Act had been passed in the last Session for granting a supply of 1,238,7501. 2 Lady Thurles, widow of Thomas Lord Thurles, eldest son of the eleventh Earl of Ormond, who died before his father's death, and thus did not become Earl. Lady Thurles died in May, 1673, in her eighty-sixth year. Her eldest son, James, twelfth Earl, was created Duke of Ormond on the coronation of Charles the Second,