most faithfully observe, begging only your Exeyes pardon for the mistakes and falsityes of them, and that your Exey will excuse me for writing exactly what I heare. The whole towne is now no longer in doubt of my Lord Treasurer's being a Roman Catholique, since the passage that unluckily fell out on Saturday last, which day his Lordship having given out he sett apart from all business to prepaire for the Sacrament, the people reported he would take it in St. Martin's Church, but such was the misfortune that that afternoone, comeing out of Somersett House in a private coach, the back way, with only Father Patrick with him, at the entrance into the Broad Place in the Strand, the coach was unfortunately overthrowne, and his Lordship and the Father exposed to the view of the streete, one bringing his hatt, another his perriwig, with complements that they were very sorry for the mischance, so that his Lordship tooke boate and came privately home by water. They say now of him that he has been but lately seduced, and that by Father Patrick, who, though seemingly acts a hard head, has more witts than he suffers to appeare at once. And that on Wednesday last the Councell was conveened on purpose about resolveing what to do with him since he quitted not the nation according to order. Sir Thomas Osborne all say shall have the staffe, or one of the com. missioners, and some put in my Lord Arlington. A Roman Catholique told me, discourseing of it, that my Lord Treasurer he wondered was not concerned at the generall report of his ingratitude to my Lord Arlington,' since none had been more gratefull, as particularly in upholding his interest when flagging under the contrary faction 1 Evelyn, a warm friend of Clifford, who gives him in all other respects the highest praise, speaks very reproachfully of his ingratitude to Arlington, who had been his patron, and powerfully helped for the King's making him Treasurer of the Household in 1668. Evelyn mentions his having seen Clifford's letters on that occasion to Arlington, and says " they were written with such submissions and professions of his patronage as I had never seen any man acknowledging." Evelyn accuses Clifford of having pretended to Arlington that he was working in his interest to get him made Lord Treasurer, while he managed to get it for himself, "assuring the King that Lord Arlington did not desire it." (Evelyn's Diary, August 18, 1673.) of Orrery, and that he was confident my Lord Arlington would not stand long (which I believe, if he or his faction could prevent it). They marke now in the towne that my Lord Clifford has always observed popish hollydays, and would never doe business on any of them, and that his chappell was only for fashion and for his servants, his Lordship nor Lady never frequenting it. Collonell Russell continues firme in his resolutions not to serve under the D. of Buckingham, and intends therefore to be going into the countrey suddainly, so that they talke as if he should be layd bye and the comand of that regiment given to the Duke of Buckingham, who should alwayes attend it, and Sir Thomas Morgan goe in his roome. The 14th of the next is they say to be the generall review of his Majestyes forces at Black-Heath, his Majesty having, besides the Duke of Buckingham's recruites, ordered 40 to be added to each company in his present army. The people seeme much satisfyed at the great hopes of footing in Holland or Zealand, and promise themselves after this warr a long succession of peace. Only great wagers are laid dayly in the coffee-houses about the meeting of the Parliament, some saying they must, others they cannot safely meet. Her Majesty has been these two dayes not well, but without the least appearance of danger. The Venetian Resident here is recalled, and now Sir Thomas Higgons takes his leave this weeke to go thither. I must now beg 1 Orrery is Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery, known as Lord Broghill during the Protectorate, when he was a friend of Cromwell. After Lord Chancellor Clarendon's fall in the end of 1667, Orrery had for some time great influence in Charles the Second's councils, but he held no office beyond being a Privy Councillor. (Rawdon Papers, Letters 101, 103.) There is a statement, evidently derived from himself, that the Duke and Duchess of York urged him to apply for the Lord Chancellorship when Clarendon was removed. (Morrice's Memoirs of Orrery, prefixed to his State Letters, p. 76.) 2 Parliament, after the cancelling of the Declaration of Indulgence and the passing of the Test Act, had been adjourned on March 29 to October 20: when it did meet, it was for technical reasons prorogued till the 27th, and then met for a session, which was, however, suddenly cut short by a prorogation on November 9. 3 Sir Thomas Higgins, M.P. for Windsor. Marvell's description of him (1677) is: "hath a pension of 5001. per annum, and hath had 4,0007. in gifts, married to the Earl of Bath's sister." He was married to Elizabeth, Countess of Essex, widow of Robert Devereux, third Earl, who died in 1646. your Excellency to permitt me to add a line of the account of the wine, &c. the money for which (Mr. Yard telling me he had none) I went with him and borrowed to give the Quaker, who would not trust us out of his sight. The Quaker's bill came to 30l. 10s. 2d. and 31. 10s. for the carriage backward and forward, all which is now demanded of mee againe, being 341. in all, which I most humbly beg your Excy to order Mr. Yard or I may receive of Mr. Newcombe to defray it according to promise. In all humility and due respect I most humbly am, Your Excies most humble and obedient servant, Acknowl. 27 May. HENRY BALL. No. 5. FROM ROBERT YARD. May it please your Exe, Whitehall, 26 May, 1673. Since my last wee have the good news of the arrival of the Streights Fleet, under the convoy of Capt. Narbrough at Plimouth. This afternoone a very sober marchant was with me and told me that with this fleet was arrived the Humphry and Elizabeth (a ship of 40 guns sent out by the East India Company in November last with recruits for the fort at [St.] Helena) and the Suratte marchantman of 26 guns from the East Indies, that the captaine of the former advises that he, togeather with the said Suratte marchant, were at St. Helena when three Dutch men-of-war, fitted out at the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch, arrived there, and that they were in fight with them one whole day till evening, when the Dutch (while our ships expected to engage them againe the next morneing) gott to the other side of the island and in the night landed 700 men, who without any difficulty made themselves masters of the fort; upon which the Humphry and Elizabeth togeather with the Suratte took their course to Brasile, where they hired a small vessell to goe out and meet our East India ships, that are comeing home to give them notice of what had happened, and so proceeded homeward. This account I am assured the East India Company have; yet wee may be deceived in this report, as I hope wee are, and therefore I humbly beg your Excy will be pleased to expect the further certainty by the next post. Wee have not any news from the fleet since they sailed for the coast of Holland, though wee expect dayly to hear from them; I heard Secretary Coventry say yesterday, that in case the Dutch did avoid fighting, that the Prince1 should send 30 of our lightest frigats, 12 of the French, and 12 fire-ships, with 24 tenders, in amongst them as they lay at ankor in the Weilings, and that Capt. Wetwang is to have the conduct of this exploit. This day I am told the marchants had advice (though I cannot hear the King had any such,) that the Dutch fleet being gone towards the Texell the Prince was come to an ankor in Schoonvelt, and so would call them of from retreateing to their place of refuge in the Weilings. Yesterday the Committee mett about ordering the precedency of the officers of the army. Mr. Skinner at Leghorne and Mr. Legat at Genoua complaine that they have not of late received the ordinary newspaper, which Mr. Ball tells me is by your Excies order. I fear when they find that failes them they will forbear corresponding with us. Wee have not received any letters from France since your Excies departure. I am, with all dutifull respect, My Lord, Your Excies most faithfull, obedient, and most obliged servant, The Earle of Sunderland' it is thought may now be in a condition to begin his journy. 1 Prince Rupert. 2 Robert Earl of Sunderland, now thirty-two years of age, had been named PleniCAMD. SOC. с No. 6. FROM ROBERT YARD. May it please your Excy, Whitehall, 30th May, 1673. I doubt not but your Exey will ere the receipt of this have had the particulars of the losse of St. Helena, for Mr. Page told me he sent them your Excy by the last post; the East India Company hope that the vessell sent out for Brasile by the Captains of the Humphry and Elizabeth will have the good fortune to meet their homeward-bound ships to give them caution to avoid the danger. Wee have not any forreigne news to communicate to your Excy. Had we received any by the last post from France or Italy I should have presumed to have sent it your Exey this night; but Mr. Perwick has taken another way to send my Lord the advices of those parts, so that most times wee doe not see them, and when wee doe, they are so stale, as that they are not worth your Excies readeing. All men now conclude Sir Thomas Osborne shall succeed my Lord Treasurer, and Mr. Seymor1 him in his employment of Treasurer of the Navy. In the mean time the people's discourses are very free and open concerneing what the Parliament will doe at their next Sessions. Wee are at present in a great expectation to hear from the Fleet, who wee not doubt but was engaged with the Enemy on Wednesday potentiary at Cologne, jointly with Jenkins aud Williamson; but he never proceeded abroad. He had previously been Ambassador first at Madrid and then at Paris. He succeeded Williamson as Secretary of State in 1679, and afterwards had a conspicuous, but not creditable, public career. 1 Edward Seymour, afterwards Sir Edward Seymour, baronet, had been elected Speaker in the last Parliament, February 1673. He was the first Speaker of the House of Commons who was not a lawyer; and there was another innovation in his case, that he was a Privy Councillor when elected Speaker. He was the head of the elder branch of the great Seymour family, the Duke of Somerset of the time being descended from a younger son of the Duke Protector. He was made Treasurer of the Navy, on Osborne's succeeding Clifford. |