act upon until the issue thereof be perfectly known; and after that, your Excellence shall not be an hour without the knowledge of his Highness’s pleasure thereupon.

“It is certain this State hath moved upon Christian grounds only in making this peace:  we have not been beaten or frightened into it; the Dutch have not yet any fleet at sea, nor can have this month, if the war should continue.  In the meantime we have a hundred and forty sail at sea, and better ships than we have had at any time heretofore, which gives occasion to all our neighbours to wonder at our intentions thereby.

“Since I began my letter I have been with the Dutch Ambassador, and every article is agreed word for word, so that nothing now remains to be done but to write them over and sign, which will be done upon Monday next.  It is not possible for me to send unto your Excellence a copy of the articles as they are now agreed; I hope to do it by the next, when you will be satisfied concerning the reports I hear there are in Sweden, concerning the honourable terms the Dutch have gotten by this treaty.  I know not what men may expect in matters of honour; I am sure the true interest of the nation, both in point of trade and otherwise, is provided for more fully than ever hath been in any treaty made between these States.

“The French Ambassador had a public audience on Monday last.  There is joined with him in commission one Monsieur le Baas, in quality of a Commissary, who is a great confidant of the Cardinal’s, and a very crafty man.  The French doth certainly intend by all means to make a league with his Highness, and offers very frankly and considerably as to our present interest.  The Spaniard thinks he saith more to invite the Protector to look that way and embrace an alliance with him; and sure he is the steadier friend, and hath the better and more considerable trade.[142]

“The news I have either from France or Holland this week your Excellence will receive enclosed.  The affairs in Scotland do not much alter:  Middleton is very active to get an army, but keeps in the most northerly parts.  We never met with any of their forces but we beat them—­the last letters being that we fell upon a party and took forty prisoners and sixty horse, which is all we have from thence.

“I have done my utmost to get the Swedish ships released; but to say the truth, although some of the Swedes are innocent, yet many of them appear to be deceivers, which makes the rest fare the worse.  I endeavoured to get a resolution of the case your Excellence wrote about by your former letters, so as to have sent it by this post, but could not; the orders which have been made about it since my last I have sent, whereof your Excellence may see the care that is had to do justice therein.

“What your Excellence is informed concerning the preferring of the Agent of the