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Nov. 1.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Inghilterra.
Venetian
Archives. |
273. Gio. Giustinian, Venetian Ambassador in England,
to the Doge and Senate.
While I was hoping that I had escaped the perils of the plague
by leaving the city, the gardener of this house at Barvel has fallen
ill of the disease. For health's sake and to avoid difficulties
that would arise if this were known by those in charge of the villa,
who make no distinction of persons, I returned hastily to this
city to remain until I have taken another country house and
have received the orders of your Excellencies. The severe cold
of the present week has reduced the mortality here and allows
some hope that if it increases the plague may diminish.
I have arrived at a fortunate time for the public service and
to avail myself of the remarkable and unexpected news which
arrived only yesterday from Scotland. If things go on as they
seem likely to do they threaten the utter destruction of his Majesty
and all the royal house.
An express courier has brought word to the commissioners of
parliament that his Majesty suspecting the loyalty of the marquis
Hamilton and his brother, hitherto his confidential servants, the
former heir presumptive of the crown of Scotland in default of
the king's line, and at the same time keeping unappeased his
anger against General Lesle, the earl of Arghil and baron Barimech
for their part in the late movements, had resolved to free
himself from an equivocal situation and to pay the debts of
revenge by their death. The task of carrying this into effect
was entrusted to the earl of Craford, baron d' Umon and baron
di Care. They had everything ready to carry it into effect, but
as their courage was not equal to the magnitude of the undertaking,
as they did not consider that they alone were strong
enough to meet the resistance which the persons attacked could
make, they invited another friend of theirs to take part, a known
enemy of Hamilton. They communicated their plans to this
person and induced him to support them. He incautiously
imparted the secret to a nephew, a Puritan by profession and far
from friendly to the king's party. He made known without delay
to Hamilton and the others the design of his uncle against them
and so put a stop to the whole plan. (fn. 1) After this warning,
Hamilton and Lesle had withdrawn to the country and sent
information of the whole to parliament there. That body set
to work to draw up the process and, contrary to his Majesty's
wish, ordered the arrest of the earl of Craford and the other
conspirators. They are also making enquiries to bring to light
all the accomplices and afterwards to take such measures as may
be found best fitted to secure the quiet and safeguard the liberty
of that kingdom. The matter is discussed freely here and one
may expect to hear soon of unheard of events. I need not hatefully
predict with the pen what your Excellencies will, foresee. Those
servants of His Majesty who are most concerned for his welfare are
overcome by this event and are tortured by the greatest perplexity.
I am informed that at Otlant the queen is anxious beyond measure.
Such is the account which has reached parliament. It may be
coloured by prejudice, and everyone is waiting with impatience
for further particulars of these most serious events.
The Court makes a different statement and tries to have it
believed that the king has no share in these transactions. That
they are false and contrived by Hamilton and the others for the
purpose of discrediting his Majesty and for the perfecting of those
ambitious ends on which they have fixed their aim.
On the other hand the commissioners of parliament, anxious to
establish their credit with the people and to render the name of their
prince more hateful to them, do not hesitate to take advantage of the
opportunity, and announce that carried away by ambitious thoughts
of securing for himself an absolute royalty, the king not only laid
these snares against the life of those persons who had courageously
resisted his designs, in their zeal for the welfare of the community,
but that he is meditating fresh attempts in this kingdom also to the
prejudice of liberty and of the most active parliamentarians.
With this object they have had the letters from Scotland
printed, and under the empty pretext of securing this city against
any move of the Catholics they have summoned to London by
proclamation numerous squadrons of armed troops, with great
noise, to keep guard day and night. Although this precaution
was in no sense necessary and solely designed for the purpose
indicated, yet it serves to keep a check on the licentiousness of
the people and to maintain private quiet.
In accordance with the resolution when parliament separated
they have reassembled to day ; but in these first debates they have
not decided upon any matter of weight. The time has been
spent in discussion and in waiting for a more detailed account of
these recent events in Scotland, which will afford the most
certain indication of the direction of future events.
An express courier has arrived from the Ambassador Ro at
Ratisbon, who went on to the king without stopping. He brings
news of the release of Prince Rupert by the emperor. That Sir
[Oliver] Flanin is on his way to these parts, sent by Ro himself, (fn. 2)
with precise information about the state of his negotiations and
with instructions to urge them here to vigorous action, without
which that minister has little hope of success in the negotiations
begun. But here while their talk is all for action, their deeds
certainly will not correspond, for the reasons already reported.
The merchants interested with Obson in the suit against
Bonicelli, backed by two members of parliament who have an
interest in Obson's forfeited goods, (fn. 3) still persist in their audacious
demand for letters of marque. I will keep on the watch and will
vindicate when opportunity occurs, the uprightness of our
magistrates and the care of your Excellencies for the interests of
English merchants, until such time as your instructions reach me.
London, the 1st November, 1641.
[Italian ; the part in italics deciphered.] |
Nov. 4.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Haya.
Venetian
Archives. |
274. Zuanne Zon, Venetian Secretary at the Hague, to the
Doge and Senate.
With the return of the Prince to the Hague the States have
again taken in hand the question of sending an embassy extraordinary
to England to arrange for the renewal of the old alliance
with that crown, settle upon some arrangement favourable to
the Palatine's interests and conclude the marriage of the young
prince of Orange. The Dutch, mindful of the instability of
that nation in keeping their former promises, are not likely to
be induced to come to any definite decision on the subject at
the present moment. The prince, who builds his hopes of a
definite settlement for the marriage of his son from this affair,
seems more eager than the others, and is trying every means to
bring it about. He is trying hard to reconcile differences and
have the ambassadors sent when the Assembly of Holland meets,
as it will do very soon.
The Hague, the 4th November, 1641.
[Italian.] |
Nov. 8.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Inghilterra.
Venetian
Archives. |
275. Gio. Giustinian, Venetian Ambassador in England,
to the Doge and Senate.
The meeting of parliament has afforded an opportunity to
the directors of the Levant Company to lay fresh petitions before
the commissioners appointed to examine their paper touching the
prohibition of currants in this kingdom, that they will despatch
the affair without further interposition. Yesterday, at length,
they made their report to the Lower Chamber, pointing out that
it would be advisable to forbid them for some time, and also to
give ear to the petitions of the merchants concerned. (fn. 4) The
passing of the bill is fixed for next week to be sent then to the
Upper House and thereafter to the king for his assent. As I
had information about this transaction I did not fail to remind
them of the ideas communicated by your Excellencies and of
others employed in the past to your satisfaction. But while
these have served to delay a decision they will not suffice to postpone
it for long. New motives are now at work. There is now
in this city a quantity of currants from last year, and as they are
expecting a large supply from Zante this year, those interested
are fearful lest they shall not be able to dispose of them quickly,
and are pressing for prohibition with all their might, considering
this the surest way to escape from their dilemma. The better
to secure success for their insidious demands they have instilled
into the minds of the members of parliament, that this prohibition
will in no wise prejudice the state customs, which profit largely
by the import of currants, nor damage trade in the dominions of
your Excellencies, assuring them that when the news of this
decision reaches Venice, your Serenity in your own interest, will
lose no time in making some advantageous proposal to the merchants,
to induce them to resume their ordinary trade at Zante
and Cephalonia. They represent that without inconvenience
to them here your Serenity will reduce the duties, and this
nation will realise considerable profits in the purchase, which
will enable them to sell currants here at a lower price.
Other merchants, however, who have no interest in this voyage,
do not support these assurances. Indeed they are of opinion
that if the English do not go to Zante to buy currants, the Dutch
will take up this trade, carry the fruit to Holland and force the
English to go there to buy it, with injury to them and the loss
of the freight of their ships. No one will believe that the people
here will suffer themselves to be deprived of a commodity which
has become an inveterate habit in the course of so many years
and which is familar to everyone.
It does not appear that they can obtain the fruit from other
countries. On previous occasions a certain quantity was got
from the dominions of the Turks, but the people did not like it
and as the owners could not get rid of it they suffered great loss,
as I have already reported. I beg your Excellencies to favour
me with your instructions if you consider it desirable for me to
make cautious representations to his Majesty when he returns,
to prevent him from giving his assent to the bill if it should pass.
In the meantime I will continue to make the usual considerations,
whenever it seems opportune, and by such gentle methods I will
endeavour, if possible, without committing myself in any way,
to prevent the proposal being passed in the Upper House even
if it should get through the Lower, although I do not think this
likely for the reasons already given. If it should be known to
the king that such a prohibition would damage his revenues, that
alone might prove sufficient to oblige him to proceed with reserve
before giving his assent to the bill.
A proposal was also made in this connection to forbid the
importation of grapes as well, which come from Spain. But as no
one was interested in this prohibition, they went no further in
the matter. The ambassador of the Catholic made no scruple
of intimating that if they prohibited grapes from Spain, his
master would retaliate upon the baize (bogiette) which the
English send to those realms.
London, the 8th November, 1641.
[Italian.] |
276. Gio. Giustinian, Venetian Ambassador in England,
to the Doge and Senate.
The letters arrived from Scotland this week confirm the news
reported and the continuation of disturbances there. At the
same time they represent the course of events there in a manner
less disadvantageous to his Majesty than the first accounts led one
to expect, and than what the commissioners of parliament tried
to insinuate for their own ends. The letters report that the
Marquis Hamilton has left the Court and withdrawn to the
country on the pretext that the king had laid snares against his
life and the lives of the other persons named. His Majesty
went to parliament followed by a numerous company of nobles
and others. There he complained with feeling that Hamilton
was trying by false inventions to sully the uprightness of his
proceedings. He asked that he might be severely punished,
and with promises of the utmost satisfaction, a thorough enquiry
should be made whether the suspicions of Hamilton were true
or false, and then take the course which best fits in with justice
and the service of the state. The tenor of the depositions of the
Earl of Craford is not yet known or of the other prisoners accused
by Hamilton of being instruments for the execution of his
Majesty's revenge.
Meanwhile the Marquis maintains his suspicious attitude,
refuses for this reason to go to Edinburgh, and backed by the
Earl of Arghil a man of great influence ill affected to the king,
he is assembling troops ostensibly for defence, but not without
indications that he is contemplating more weighty designs.
The doubt about this makes wise men apprehensive of a civil
war in that kingdom, with the issues uncertain, as although his
Majesty's cause has for it the force of duty and the loyalty of his
people, the Marquis is surrounded by his connections among the
great lords, owners of many castles, with numerous vassals and a
fortune of 300,000l. sterling, so that he will not lack means to harass
the king considerably and put himself in such a position that he can
wait for time to give him some favourable opening for the realisation
of these machinations, ivhich it is believed he has been secretly
nursing in his heart for a long while. Unprejudiced persons now
lay the blame on him, for having artfully and designedly led the king
to offend and then to take arms against the Scots, all for the purpose
of rendering more easy the success of his present ambitious notions.
Since these last letters the bitter feelings which the queen
experienced at first are assuaged and she professes more confidence
in the issue. She continues to assert the innocence of her husband
with great courage, as well as the disloyalty and ambition of
Hamilton. On Sunday she was visited at Otland with remarkable
demonstrations of regard, by many of the gentlemen here,
and on Monday, by order of the parliament, a gentleman was sent
to the king with the most liberal offers in this fresh emergency
and begging him to return to this kingdom as soon as possible.
But those who judge these offers in the light of past actions do not
consider this compliment entirely sincere, and call it a trick designed
for purposes not yet made apparent. I content myself with merely
recording these opinions. The only safe way with events in
this country is to leave the issue to time.
Although the majority of the members have not yet arrived in
this city, parliament has resumed with great ardour the important
proposal to remove the bishops from the Church here. To
facilitate this the Lower House has passed new laws providing
that they shall be excluded from parliament for the time being
and from all other temporal employment.
The bill has been sent to the Upper House for approval and will
very soon be examined by the nobility. It will certainly lead
to very fierce disputes owing to the consequences involved.
Meantime letters have reached the Secretary of the Council from
the king, with orders to publish them to parliament, in which he
states that it has come to his ears that he is thinking of altering
the religion. He commands him to assure his subjects that such
ideas are remote from his thoughts as he is resolved to preserve
inviolate the religion established by Queen Elizabeth in which
he was born, and which was professed by the king, his father.
To prove the constancy of his determination he has sent the
nomination of bishops to five churches which were vacant. (fn. 5)
This at once strikes a blow at the Puritans whose sole intent is
to uproot this hierarchy, and affords the greatest consolation to
the Protestants. These cling persistently to their own sect and
roundly refuse to embrace Puritanism, from which party they
show an increasing alienation.
Fresh bills have been posted up in public places against the
Puritans and their leaders. These, on their side, have published
in their wrath a manifesto in which they make known to the
people that they have discovered a fresh conspiracy against the
liberty of the state contrived by the Catholics assisted by Protestants
also. To give more credit to this announcement they
have appointed commissioners to draw up a process to discover
the authors. Also they cause ceaseless watch to be kept over
this city by armed guards, and over parliament itself, all this
being done with the aim of keeping the people apprehensive and
to increase the excitement against the Catholics and Protestants.
There is a danger that ivhat is begun with the tongue and the pen,
may end at length with the sword and give rise some day to a sanguinary
issue throughout the kingdom.
They are expecting at Court in a few days in the capacity of
ambassador of the United Provinces the Sieur d' Enflit, who
conducted and brought to a successful conclusion last year the
marriage of the princess here to the young Prince of Orange.
I gather that besides a request that the bride may be taken to
Holland without further delay, he brings instructions to start
negotiations to marry the prince here to the daughter of the
Prince of Orange, (fn. 6) or, if this cannot be arranged, at least with the
Duke of York. If the offers of money are in proportion to the
present need, this minister may possibly achieve the desires of
those who send him. Time and circumstances are admirably
suited to the success of this excellent proposal.
I am still in this city as I have not been able to obtain another
house in the country yet, though I am trying to do so. I think
it necessary for the service of your Serenity not to leave before
this affair of the currants is settled.
London, the 8th November, 1641.
[Italian ; the part in italics deciphered.] |
Nov. 9.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Germania.
Venetian
Archives. |
277. Thadio Vico, Venetian Resident in Germany, to the
Doge And Senate.
On Monday the English ambassador with Prince Rupert
arrived here from Ratisbon. The emperor has assigned them
both a house, but no other treatment. Doctor Spina, the ambassador
of the Palatine, is with them. Prince Rupert is treated
familiarly as they play at racquets with him and take him hunting.
I paid my respects to the English ambassador, who responded.
He said he had come here about the affairs of the
Palatine family, but feared it would prove a long business, after
the manner of the House of Austria, so he said. He told me that
Prince Rupert had received his liberty upon making a promise
never to take arms against the emperor, and he would soon be
taking leave to go to England. The ambassador might have
gone with him had he not discovered in three or four meetings
that the affairs of the Prince Elector were not going well. Bavaria
was holding back, to whom, according to him, the emperor is
more attached by constraint than by his own wish. The ambassador
spoke highly of the emperor and said it would be more
to his advantage to restore the Palatine than to support Bavaria,
and he should remember the wars in the time of Louis of Bavaria.
He then spoke to the following effect : I perceive that some of
the ministers here expect us to be satisfied with little. But we
have not come here to beg, but to have that which belongs to
the Palatine House in integrum, because that is only a matter
of mere justice and moreover it is required by the constitutions
of the empire, namely that all its members shall have equality
in their several ranks, and especially the electoral rank, which is
the director of the others of the empire. He continued with a
torrent of words, allowing no reply : But I am inclined, nevertheless
to hope that his imperial Majesty, both to facilitate the peace
and also in his own interest, will incline to satisfy these princes
and lay them under an obligation as well as two great crowns.
Because if those monarchs perceived that they were after all
proceeding differently they would be constrained to employ
their forces to vindicate the justice of this cause. If the negotiations
did not take a favourable turn, it would be necessary
to unite them with those for a general peace. I made no reply
except to thank him for the confidence he had shown.
Vienna, the 9th November, 1641.
[Italian.] |
Nov. 15.
Senato,
Secreta.
Dispacci,
Inghilterra.
Venetian
Archives. |
278. Gio. Giustinian, Venetian Ambassador in England,
to the Doge and Senate.
Nothing fresh has occurred this week about the currants, and
I have had an opportunity of speaking with several members of
parliament in my confidence, and of endeavouring to undermine
their belief in the false assertions of the interested parties. I
have assured them that it is the fixed determination of your
Excellencies that English subjects shall be well treated in every
part of your dominions, and that they are welcomed and received
like your own people. As regards the duties, all princes impose
those which they consider proper in their own states, without
aliens having any possible ground for complaint. The laws are
general for the advantage of the prince who makes them and
cannot be altered without injuring him. The duties of which
they complain have been imposed for very many years and have
always been readily paid by the English themselves, who have
wanted to keep the trade in currants for themselves alone and
prevent Venetian ships from taking them to England, although
in infringement of laws of the late King James. When the trade
first began the currants were taken from the islands of the Levant
to the city of Venice, where English ships used to lade them to
take elsewhere. To accommodate the English merchants, who
submitted to the charges of their own free will, your Excellencies
gave them permission to lade direct at the islands. Ostensibly
out of zeal for this country, I have indicated the mischief that
would result if this unjust petition of the merchants is granted,
as they are only seeking their private profit without caring for
the public. That the customs will lose 25,000l. sterling a year.
The shipowners will lose their freights, which are considerable.
The sale of cloth to those islands will cease, with serious loss to
the wool trade. Finally that as they cannot do without currants
here, the Dutch will take to that trade with loss and shame to
the English. The only motive of the merchants is to raise the
price of currants by this means, with profit to themselves, but at
the expense of the poor people, who consume a great quantity
of the fruit.
Many have agreed with these arguments and have even thanked
me for enlightening them on the subject. They assured me that
they will lay them before parliament when the matter is brought
up again. The Earl of Arundel in particular, confirmed what he
said before on the subject. I hear he openly discountenanced the
petition of the merchants and opposed the disposition of parliament
to take it up. He assured me that the people here would
bear the lack of bread more patiently than shortage of currants,
and if the import is prohibited, it will amount to an invitation to
the Dutch to take up this trade, with the certainty that the
English will have to go to Holland to buy them.
Lord Fildinch also, ostensibly as a sign of his devotion to the
interests of your Excellencies, came to this house and informed
me of this new move of the merchants. He called their demands
unjust and injurious to this kingdom and for the sole advantage
of two merchants, who between them have bought up the major
portion of the currants. He told me that owing to the bad
impression created by these interested persons in the Lower
House, they were inclined to forbid currants for a certain time,
in the hope of obtaining better conditions by means of fresh
negotiations. He said that the grievances of which the merchants
complain most are these : that the officials and ministers at
Zante and Cephalonia force them to great expenses and presents
etc. contrary to right and to the decrees of your Excellencies.
That the obligation to make appeal to Venice in causes is an
unbearable inconvenience. He said that moved by his desire
to show his respect for your Serenity and for improved relations
with this crown, he would take steps with all sincerity to prevent
a harmful decision. He would tell the truth about those who are
not animated by the best intentions towards the English, about
whom he was fully acquainted, and there could be no doubt
about the incorruptibility of Venetian justice. He urged me to
speak to some of the members of parliament in order to disabuse
their minds of the opposite opinions which the merchants have
instilled for their own purposes, and I shall do so with due circumspection
and without committing myself.
I thanked him and assured him of the desire of your Excellencies
that English ships should receive the best treatment, and
orders about this had been sent to your ministers. I judged it
expedient to communicate to him in confidence the letters recently
sent to the Rectors of Zante and Cephalonia on the subject, of
which he seemed to think a great deal. He told me that this
would serve to dissipate the false ideas spread by the merchants,
and without losing time he has, I understand, made it known to
some persons of standing.
Besides all this I have thought of another expedient and that
is to induce the customs officers to oppose the petition of the
merchants publicly in parliament by representing the injury done ;
and I have acted with such caution that I have not allowed those
officials themselves to realise that this step was suggested by me,
as I made use of a third person devoted to your Excellencies and
a familiar of the officials. I thought it wise not to betray excessive
alarm about these unjustifiable efforts of the merchants.
I am assured that these officials will make additional representations
if the urgency becomes more pressing, and possibly these
will prove the most effectual. In the meantime I shall await
your instructions.
London, the 15th November, 1641.
[Italian.] |
279. Gio. Giustinian, Venetian Ambassador in England,
to the Doge and Senate.
The rigorous laws passed by this parliament against the Catholics
have not only terrified those of England, but driven the
Irish to the last pitch of desperation and have impelled them to
seek the free use of their religion by the most hazardous means,
as your Excellencies shall hear.
Having assembled together in secret understanding under the
leadership of the Catholics most in repute, for this object, they
suddenly took arms on the 1st of this month, by concerted action,
in many parts of that kingdom, surprised some castles, slew the
Protestants who offered resistance, burnt their dwellings and
subsequently took possession of several strong positions in the
country. They tried to capture the city and fortress of Dublin,
but without success, as the design was discovered prematurely
by the hereties, who also took prisoner two of the prime movers
in the enterprise. (fn. 7)
After all this the Catholics formed a body of 10,000 men and
rendered themselves masters of the country. They are devoting
their attention now to securing possession of the places occupied,
and there is a suspicion that they will again turn their arms
against Dublin. They announce that they will maintain the
faith inviolable and their obedience to his Majesty, their action
having no other aim than to shake off the yoke which this parliament
pretends to impose upon them and to secure liberty of
religion.
The accounts of this most serious event have aroused strong
feeling everywhere here and among the members of parliament in
particular, because of the harmful consequences which this
example may entail, and because it has happened at a time
unsuitable for the transport of troops to those parts. This
renders it more difficult to remedy the disorder and to stop its
spreading further.
Many conferences have been held on this emergency and they
have decided to send to Ireland the Earl of Lester, selected for
the viceroyalty there, with Baron Conove, Marshal of that
kingdom, and to send with them 8000 infantry and 2000 cavalry
of this nation. The captains have been appointed for these
levies without delay and the patents distributed with orders to
complete them in a short period. But it will require time and
that may give a great advantage to the rebels.
They have asked the city here for a loan of 50,000l. which has
been promptly paid. This will all be devoted to the present
occasion. They do not neglect to enquire in what ways they may
cautiously prevent neighbouring princes from affording succour
to the Catholics, as many fear they may, the Spaniards in particular,
although the present state of that monarchy might relieve
them of anxiety.
They have richly rewarded the individual who made known
the conspiracy for capturing Dublin. (fn. 8) All the letters come from
Ireland have been taken to parliament and read there. What is
more worthy of remark, they have opened some despatches
directed to the ambassador of the Catholic here, who is highly
incensed at this barefaced insult and threatens all manner of
things.
The parliamentarians have conceived some suspicion that the
queen may have given some encouragement to these movements in
in Ireland, in secret ways. Accordingly they are trying to discover
the truth, and are eagerly awaiting advices from that quarter.
The event redoubles the odium against the English Catholics
as well as their danger, and a proclamation has been published
commanding all of them, under severe penalties, to bring their
names to parliament. The intention is supposed to be to force
them to leave the kingdom or at least to involve the loss of their
property.
Since his Majesty's departure for Scotland and the withdrawal
of the queen to Otland, as a solace in her affliction, she has sent
for the princes, her children, who usually live in another village
near this city. (fn. 9) Suspecting from this that her Majesty was
meditating some mischievous design and that she contemplated
flight and taking the prince with her, parliament resolved on Saturday,
with the consent of both Chambers, that the princes should
return to their original quarters. They sent the Earl of Lande to
inform the queen of this decision, justifying this action by the pretext
that if the princes remained with her Majesty they could not attend
to their studies. As there are many priests there by no means
friendly to parliament, many have conceived the fear that the princes
may be imbued with noxious ideas, instructed in Catholicism and
turned away from the Protestant faith ; in short that with the machinations
of the Catholics coming to light daily it is not thought that the
princes would be quite safe in that place. The queen dissimulates
her just resentment at this action and without an answer immediately
had her sons sent back to their usual residence. Parliament has
sent instructions there to the Marquis of Erfort, governor of the
Prince, not to permit them to go to their mother in future, and not to
leave the presence of his Highness at any time under pain of forfeiting
his head for any mischance that may ensue from such neglect.
Only yesterday the queen's confessor was summoned to parliament,
where they handed him the Bible to swear that he would answer
truthfully to all that should be asked. He refused to recognise it as
the true one, and without further interrogation he was sent prisoner
to the Tower. The true reasons which led them to examine this
priest have not transpired and this action causes well grounded
anxiety to prudent people, since by the marriage treaty he enjoys
full liberty as the queen's secretary.
With the arrival in the country of the news of the decision of
the Lower House against the bishops, several counties have had
outspoken memorials presented in parliament, signed by quite
100,000 persons, that they will not suffer this hierarchy to be
taken away from the Church of England. Warned by this
and fearful of more energetic action, the parliamentarians have
referred a decision on this proposal to another time. Meanwhile
the sittings of parliament are poorly attended. The majority
of the members consider it wise not to mix themselves up in such
confused and troubled affairs, and stay at home. Thus all control
at present rests in the hands of those who, as authors of the late
strident decisions, are called upon, for their own safety's sake, to
continue boldly in the course which they have begun. Truth to
tell they have transformed this country and brought England to the
verge of most dangerous contingencies.
By the special despatch of a gentleman his Majesty has informed
the Council of State of the events in Scotland reported, and has
sent the depositions of the prisoners accused by the Marquis
Hamilton and the others of conspiracy against their persons.
From these it appears clearly that his Majesty had no part in
these matters. This gentleman reports that Hamilton and the
Earl of Arghil, being summoned by the king and parliament,
have at length gone back to Edinburgh. They have seen his
Majesty and abandoned their activity in collecting troops, so
the first fear of civil war in that kingdom is disappearing. He
states, nevertheless, that the city of Edinburgh continues to be
guarded by 2000 men under General Lesle, ostensibly to prevent
disturbances, but really owing to the secret determination of
parliament that the king shall not leave suddenly. Many fear
that he will not be allowed to return very soon, although the most
influential councillors and ministers assert that he will be in this
city within a fortnight. The event will show.
London, the 15th November, 1641.
Postscript : I learn that a courier from Scotland has reached
the queen with the news that his Majesty will leave Edinburgh
on Monday to travel back to this city. If this happens it will
relieve those who love their Majesties of the apprehensions that
trouble their minds.
[Italian ; the part in italics deciphered.] |