not whence, but recognisable as his, which we must snatch and save. A private and thrice-private Note, for Secretary Thurloe; curiously disclosing to us, as one or two other traits elsewhere do, that, with all his natural courtesies, noble simplicities and affabilities, this Lord Protector knew on occasion the word-ofcommand too, and what the meaning of a Lord Protector, King, or Chief Magistrate in the Commonwealth of England was.

'Margery Beacham,' Wife of William Beacham, Mariner, lives, the somnolent Editors do not apprise us where,-probably in London or some of the Out Ports; certainly in considerable indigence at present. Her poor Husband, in the course of 'many services to the Commonwealth by sea and land,' has quite lost the use of his right arm; has a poor Pension of Forty shillings allowed him from Chatham;' has Margery, and one poor Boy Randolph, 'tractable to learn,' but who can get no schooling out of such an income. Wherefore, as seems but reasonable, Margery petitions his Highness that the said Randolph might be admitted ‘a Scholar of Sutton's Hospital, commonly called the Charterhouse,' in London.14

His Highness, who knows the services of William Beacham, and even a secret service' of his not mentioned in the Petition or Certificates, straightway decides that the Boy Beacham is clearly a case for Sutton's Bounty, and that the Commissioners of the same shall give it him. But now it seems the Chief Commissioner, whose name in this Note stands Blank Blank, is not so prompt in the thing; will consider it, will &c. Consider it? His Highness dockets the Petition, 'We refer 'this to the Commissioners for Sutton's Hospital: 28th July '1655;' and instructs Thurloe to inform Blank Blank that he had much better not consider it, but do it! Which there is no doubt Blank Blank now saw at once to be the real method of the business.

'To Mr. Secretary Thurloe?

'Whitehall,' 28th July 1655.

You receive from me, this 28th instant, a Petition from Margery Beacham, desiring the admission of her Son into the Charterhouse; whose Husband15 was em

Her Petition printed, without date, in Scatcherd, &c. ubi infra.
15 'who' in the hasty original, as if Margery's self or Son were meant.

ployed one day in an important secret service, which he did effectually, to our great benefit and the Commonwealth's.

I have wrote under it a common Reference to the Commissioners; but I mean a great deal more: That it shall be done, without their debate or consideration of the matter. And so do you privately hint to I have not the particular shining bauble for crowds to gaze at or kneel to, but-To be short, I know how to deny Petitions; and whatever I think proper, for outward form, to “refer” to any Officer or Office, I expect that such my compliance with custom shall be looked upon as an indication of my will and pleasure to have the thing done. Thy true friend, OLIVER P.*

LETTER CCI.

WE fear there is little chance of the Plate Fleet this year; bad rumours come from the West Indies too, of our grand Armament and Expedition thither. The Puritan Sea-king meanwhile keeps the waters; watches the coasts of Spain ;– which, however, are growing formidable at present.

The Person bound for Lisbon' is Mr. Meadows, one of Secretary Thurloe's Under-secretaries; concerning whom and whose business there will be farther speech by and by. Of the Commissioners of the Admiralty' we name only Colonel Montague of Hinchinbrook, who is getting very deep in these matters, and may himself be Admiral one day.

*Scatcherd's History of Morley (Leeds, 1830), p. 332. Printed there, and in Annual Register (for 1758, p. 268), and elsewhere; without commentary, or indication Whence or How,-with several impertinent interpolations which are excluded here. In the Annual Register vague reference is made to a Book called Collection of Letters &c. 'compiled by Leonard Howard, D.D.,' who seems to be the first publisher of this Note; author, I suppose, of the impertinent interpolations, which vary in different copies, but being exactly indicated in all, are easily thrown out again as here. In Howard's Book (a disorganic Quarto, London, 1753; one volume published, a second promised but nowhere discoverable), which is credibly described to me as one of the most confused farragos ever printed,' search for this Note has been made, twice, to no purpose; and with little hope of elucidation there, had the Note been found. By internal evidence a genuine Note; and legible as we have it.

To the General of the Fleet, General Blake, at Sea.

SIR,

'Whitehall,' 30th July 1655.

We have received yours of the 4th, as alo that of the 6th instant, both at once; the latter signifying the great preparations which are making against you.

Some intelligence of that nature is also come to us from another hand. Which hath occasioned us to send away this Despatch unto you, immediately upon the receipt of yours, to let you know That we do not judge it safe for you, whilst things are in this condition, to send away any part of the Fleet, as you were directed by our Instructions of the 13th of June;16 and therefore, notwithstanding those Orders, you are to keep the whole Fleet with you, until you have executed the Secret Instructions,17 or find the opportunity is over for the doing thereof.

We think it likewise requisite that you keep with you the two Frigates which conveyed the victuals to you; as also the Nantwich, which was sent to you with a Person bound for Lisbon with our instructions to that King. And for the defects of the Fleet, the Commissioners of the Admiralty will take care thereof; and be you confident that nothing shall be omitted which can be done here for your supply and encouragement.

I beseech the Lord to be present with you. I rest, your very loving friend, OLIVER P.*

Copied in Secretary Thurloe's hand;' who has added the following Note: With this Letter was sent the intelligence of 'the twenty ships coming across the Straits, and of the thirtyone ships and eight fire-ships-[word lost]—in Cadiz ;' dangerous ships and fire-ships, which belong all now to the vanished generations: and have sailed, one knows not whence one knows not whither!

16 Antea, Letter CXCVIII.

17 In Blake's Letter, antea ;- they concern the 'Silver Fleet' most likely
Thurloe, iii. 688.

VOL. IV.

K

COMPLIMENT.

PRECISELY in those same summer days there has come a brilliant Swedish gentleman, as Extraordinary Ambassador to this Country from the King of Swedeland. A hot, high-tempered, clear-shining man; something fierce, metallic in the lustre of him. Whose negotiations, festivities, impatiences, and sudden heats of temper, occupy our friend Bulstrode almost exclusively for a twelvemonth. We will say only, He has come hither to negotiate a still stricter league of amity between the two Countries; in which welcome enterprise the Lord Protector seems rather to complicate him by endeavouring to include the Dutch in it, the Prussians and Danes in it,-to make it, in fact, a general League, or basis for a League, of Protestants against the Power of Rome, and Antichristian Babylon at large; which in these days, under certain Austrian Kaisers, Spanish Kings, Italian Popes, whose names it may be interesting not to remember, is waxing very formidable. It was an object the Protector never ceased endeavouring after; though in this, as in other instances, with only partial, never with entire suc

cess.

Observe however, as all Old London observes, on the night of Saturday July 28th, 1655, the far-shining Procession by torchlight. Procession from Tower-wharf to the late Sir Abraham Williams's in Westminster;' this brilliant Swedish Gentleman with numerous gilt coaches and innumerable outriders and onlookers, making his advent then and thus; Whitlocke, Montague, Strickland (for we love to be particular) officially escorting him. Observe next how he was nobly entertained three days in that Williams House, at the Protector's charges; and on the third day had his audience of the Protector; in a style of dignity worth noting by Bulstrode. Sir Oliver Fleming; 'galleries full of ladies,' 'Lifeguards in their gray frock-coats with velvet welts;' lanes of gentlemen, seas of general public: conceive it all; truly dignified, decorous; scene 'the Banqueting House of Whitehall, hung with arras :' and how at the upper end of the room the Lord Protector was seen standing on a footpace and carpet, with a chair of state behind him ;' and how the Ambassador saluted thrice as he advanced, thrice lifting his noble hat and feathers, as the Pro

tector thrice lifted his; and then-Bulstrode shall give the

rest:

'After a little pause, the Ambassador put off his hat, and began to speak, and then put it on again: and whensoever, ‘in his speech, he named the King his master, or Sweden, or 'the Protector, or England, he moved his hat: especially if ' he mentioned anything of God, or the good of Christendom, 'he put off his hat very low; and the Protector still answered 'him in the like postures of civility. The Ambassador spake ' in the Swedish language; and after he had done, being but short, his Secretary Berkman did interpret it in Latin to this ' effect' Conceivable, without repetition, to ingenious A stately, far-shining speech, done into Latin; 'being 'but short.'

readers.

And now 'after his Interpreter had done, the Protector 'stood still a pretty while; and, putting off his hat to the Am'bassador, with a carriage full of gravity and state, he ans'wered him in English to this effect:'

My Lord Ambassador, I have great reason to acknowledge, with thankfulness, the respects and good affection of the King your master towards this Commonwealth, and towards myself in particular. Whereof I shall always retain a very grateful memory; and shall be ready upon all occasions to manifest the high sense and value I have of his Majesty's friendship and alliance.

My Lord, you are welcome into England; and during your abode here, you shall find all due regard and respect to be given to your person, and to the business about which you come. I am very willing to enter into a "nearer and "more strict alliance and friendship with the King of Swedeland," as that which, in my judgment, will tend much to the honour and commodity of both Nations, and to the general advantage of the Protestant Interest. I shall nominate some Persons to meet and treat with your Lordship upon such particulars as you shall communicate to them.

After which, Letters were presented, etceteras were trans