“My Lord,

“Your letter of the 10th of March arrived here this morning, whereby you are pleased to give a very particular and exact account of all proceedings in this treaty you are upon; I presently communicated the contents thereof to his Highness and the Council, with whom he was willing to advise, and thereupon he was pleased to send you the instructions which your Excellence will receive herewith, which are fully agreeable to your own desire in that behalf.  The former instructions had come sooner, if the issue of the Dutch treaty had been sooner known; now, through the blessing of God, it is fully concluded, and your Excellence will receive herewith the articles, as they are signed by the Commissioners of his Highness and the Lords Ambassadors of the United Provinces.  They signed them upon Wednesday, at night, and the next morning the ambassadors sent them away to be ratified by their superiors, which they will do without difficulty or scruple, as we believe.

“Your Excellence will see by those articles made with the Dutch, that the second and fifth article is omitted out of your instructions; that these two treaties will very well stand together; and for the notice to be given to the Dutch, it is clear to me that it will not be necessary, in respect that this treaty was not only begun, but as good as finished, before the conclusion with the Dutch.

“And for the fourth article, and the proviso your Excellence is pleased to send, that being so clearly within the substance of your former instructions, I thought it needless to add any instruction about it now.

“His Highness in the beginning of this week was pleased to send for the Great Seal, and kept it in his own custody two days, and now hath disposed it unto your Excellence, Sir Thomas Widdrington, and your confrater my Lord Lisle.  His Highness is very much resolved upon a good and solid reformation of the law, and proceedings in the Courts of Equity and Laws:  the matter of law he hath committed unto Mr. Justice Hale and Mr. John Vaughan; the reformation of the Chancery to my Lord Widdrington, Mr. Attorney-General, and Mr. Chute,—­being resolved to give the learned of the robe the honour of reforming their own profession, and hopes that God will give them hearts to do it; and, that no time may be lost, the next term is adjourned.

“The French Ambassador desires very much to get a despatch of his business.  His Highness hath at length appointed him commissioners to treat, but no progress hath been yet made thereupon.  The speech that he made at his first audience your Excellence will receive by this.

“The Portugal presseth much now to come to an agreement also, and to
close the treaty which hath hanged so long; and so doth the
Spaniard.

“I pray for your Excellence’s safe return home and rest.

“Your Excellence’s humble servant,
“JO.  THURLOE.
“April 7th, 1654.”