| Title: | Copy Extracts, ? To Hartlib: |
|---|---|
| Dating: | August 1661. |
| Ref: | British Library Add. MSS 4159 ff.50A-51B |
| Notes: | Included in Volume V of the Thurloe Papers (Add. 4159). |
[50A]
[left margin, another hand:] Amster. 12. Aug.1661./
Amsterdam the 12. of August. 1661.
Mr Comenius gives his Iudgment of the Evangalicall Polonian Affaires in these words - De nostris Evangelicis in Polonia actu est, nisi Deus ex machina, tanto ardet furore hostilis rabies. Orandum! Thus farr hee. Ab Aulico Concionatore Principis Transylvaniæ Iohannis Kemenij ex Comitiis Transylvanicis in Urbe Besterciana Mense Maio celebratis, hæc scribuntur - Principissa cum Filio suo Rakoci defecit ad Papismum, præsente ipso Concionatore, qui hæc scribit, qui etiam obtestatus est in conspectu Domini nostri Iesu Christi, per quem salutem nostram expectamus, ne hoc faceret Principissa, nihilominùs nihil quicquam admonitio Ispius profuit. Barczaj cum Principatum sponte resignasset, hanc adversus se tulit Legem, quod si vel in minima Proditionis suspicione deprehendatur, tanquam condemnatus morte plecteretur. Idoeque Proditor deprehensus, post latam contra se sententiam à Regnicolis 4. Maij ad mortem condemnatus est, cujus Executio est penes Principem Transylvaniæ Iohannis Kemenij. Turca furibundus minatur Transylvanis, et nisi Principes et Reges Christiani Ipsis succurrant, actum est de salute eorum.
From Cleve they write by the last Post as followeth - His Electorall Highness went again two dayes agoe towards Turnhout, whither also the Ambassadors which were in England are appointed to come; as likewise the Prince of Orenge his Counsell [to?] consult about some speciall Affaires. Afterwards the said Prince intends to make a short Iourney of Pleasure as incognito into Braband. The New's whch came last out of Prussia and the Hague, are presently to follow. That which is in Latine, was sent likewise to a Person of great quality. This day I received from Holland these following free lines - The Lord states of Holland having beene informed that Sir George Downing having freely discovered himselfe towards the Spanish Ambassador how that there was noe feare that the fore-said states should breake of the Treatises with Portugall, as having noe courage to doe soe, & that the fore-named Resident could make such a Treatment with the, as should seeme best vnto him. This beeing noe sooner brought to the eares of the Lord states Generall, they unanimously resolved to send a message to the Portugall Ambassador to let him know, that hee should within the space of 10. dayes bring in a satisfactory Declaration concerning the Agreement hitherto treated on, & neere brought to a Conclusion betweene the King of Portugall & the Lords the states; or in case that this was not done, that then hee should quit the Countrey & bee gone. This was signified to the said Ambassador shortly after he had bought a Coach with six Horses, which now hee will not stand in need of. Hee makes himselfe ready to bee gone, & Sir George tells him for his comfort, that hee was like to keepe him Company, for as much as his Master his Majesty of England would never bee induced to abandon Portugall. [catchword: Yea]
[50B]
Yea suppose that the Portugall Ambassador would conclude the Treaty with the Lords the states Generall, that the King of England would goe neere to overthrow the said Agreement. Notwithstanding all this the Province of Holland is very courageous, having ordered and Decreed, that all those that put to Sea with any Portugall Commissions, if they bee not Portugall Natives, if they beeover taken or overthrown, should bee dealt with-all as Pirats. The Spaniards doe their best, & continue to use their utmost endeavour to bring France into a League with them against Portugall. To which intent they are offereing to put the Franche Comte into their hands, together with Charolois St. Omer and Aire. But whether the French will suffer them selves to bee drawn into this net, time will shortly determine this Affaire. If it should bee done or brought about, England would have cause to looke to it & to themselves, especially if it should loose or make the Lords the states their neighbours their Enemies, as they seeme to doe. The Letter of which I spoke before to have beene sent to a great Personage, dated Cliviæ 3.Aug./24 Iuly run's in these words - Poloni Comitia sua jam finierunt, nullo ferè cum fructu. Designatio Successoris, tantoperè à Rege expetita, post varias ultro citroque disceptationes, tandem communibus ferè omnium suffragiis, in proxima Comitia rejecta est, quæ an proximo Mense Decembri ut quam plurimi optant, indicenda sint, nondum satis liquet. Serenissimo Electori amplissima promissa a Republ. data, de præstandis omnibus, quæ ultimis Tractatibus pacta fuere, et quidem eo verborum tenore, qui nec ipsius Elbingæ traditionem abnuere videtur. Qvid secuturum sit dies docebit. Status alioquin Regni est anceps admodum et perturbans, præter Intestina Procerum dissidia, nulla adhuc spe Pacis cum Mosco, denuo Lithvaniam ingresso, nec validis satis adversus tantum hostem Reipublicæ viribus, Exercitu non admodum magno, et nunc inde disperso, nec ad pugnandum valdè prompto, ob non soluta, nec forsan in summis illis ararij angustiis satis citò solvenda stipendia, Foedere denique cum Svecis itidem adhuc incerto. Foederati Belgæ paulo ante ob desperatum prope Tractatuum cum Anglis successum, Legatos suos revocaturi, jam subitò mutata mente iisdem mandarunt, ut propositas à Regiis Commissarijs Conditiones omnes accipiant, et sic quantocyùs Foedus concludant, priori, cum Cromwellio isto, excepto uno atque altero capite, per omnia simile futurum.
[50B]
Yea suppose that the Portugall Ambassador would conclude the Treaty with the Lords the states Generall, that the King of England would goe neere to overthrow the said Agreement. Notwithstanding all this the Province of Holland is very courageous, having ordered and Decreed, that all those that put to Sea with any Portugall Commissions, if they bee not Portugall Natives, if they bee
From Dantzigk they write after this manner - Letters from Hungaria of the 24. of Iune complaine, that they can heard nothing certain concerning the Turkish Warr, whether it bee resolved on or not. Only thus much is certain, that the Imperiall Forces are divided into three severall Armys which are to bee lodged in severall Qvarters. But in the Popish [catchword: work]
[51A]
Work of Reformation nothing is omitted, but it is carried on with the greater zeale & violence. They threaten again the City of Cashaw with another Guarrison. At Shamutz the Protestant Churches are demaunded the second time, and round about that City the Protestant Ministers are expelled by maine force. Along the Transylvanian Confines the Tartars are enquartered: Whether it bee to assist Kemenj Ianush, or to doe mischiefe to him & the poore Countrey, time will shortly determine. On the other side & about Waradin, the Turks are enquartered with such powers, the like hath not been known of late, the Country round about beeing horribly wasted & harrased, & a number of People carried into Captivity. Whether Kemenj shall remaine Prince of Transylvania, is very much questioned. Baraczay hath beene beheaded, & his Brother immured. Kemenj is said to have noe more about him, but only 14. thousand men. From Vienna they write, that the Swedes are mainly endeavouring to send an Army of 20. thousand men through Poland, to relieve Transylvania. But few there are that will believe it. But it's certain, that vnexpressible hurt hath beene done to that afflicted Countrey by extraordinary storms & Tempests. From Warsovia they write of the 18. of Iuly as followeth - The 11th of Iuly were mighty debates about money-matters. The Particular Counties are ready enough to make Collections, but are noe wayes willing to deliver the said Collections into Cassam Publicam. They are very jealous of the Lord Treasurer, & dare not trust him. The Clergy cannot abide to heare of Contributions, but they suggest another expedient, which is to demaund from all Marchants 10. pro Cent. On the same day the Brandenburg Affaires came again into consideration, which were urged & debated with many Arguments. The Tartarian Envoye hase had Audience, which demaunded & urged a Conjunction with the Great Chams Forces within 14. dayes, otherwise they are threatning that they must bee excused, if they shall bee forced to take vp another Resolution. The Lithvanian states proposed their owne Gravamina, which were answered in the Kings name, that his Majesty was resolved to goe in Person within a few dayes into the Great Dukedome of Lithvania, beeing fully resolved to cleere the Countrey of all its Enemies. Much time was spent concerning a Motion for a Generall Custome & Imposition, which at last was carried and consented vnto. Generall Charnetsky was to bee paid or rewarded by setling vpon him starostia of Tykochyn for certain yeares. It was likewise resolved vpon the Qvestion, that the City of Thoren should bee freed of it's Guarrison, as also the rest of the Townes in Prussia, which groaned much vnder that burden, except the City of Marienburg, in which should bee left also noe more then one hundred Men. They have agreed with the Cossacks, according to the tenor of the Pacta Hadriacensia. Something was mooved concerning a Swedish Liga, but it came not to any Conclusion. The Gravamina of the City of Dantzigk were put off to the next [catchword: Covocation]
[51B]
Covocation pro mense Septembri. Elbing likewise is to bee delivered into the Electors hands, if the Commissioners cannot finde out a better Expedient. Another Letter of the 19 of Iuly st.n. speakes after this manner - The Parliament was happily dissolved the 17. of this Month. Satisfaction is given to the Cossacks. A Treaty is to bee had with Muscovia. The Articles of Peace with Sweden are ratified. A Generall Toll or Custome with many other Contributions are granted & allowed for raising of Monies. The banished Polonian Vice-Chancellour Radzicofsky is now to bee restored, as long as his present Majesty is yet alive. The great Inundations of the werders in Prussia have begun to cease, & there is great hopes, God bee praised, they will bee fully gained & recovered by those Meanes, whch are now used or continued. The Letter is dated the 27. of Iuly. As for the states here, except the matters of their Treatie with his Majesty frame better, then hitherto they have done to their content, there is little appearance, that they will give way to a Concurrence in any other Deisgne. There is a jealousie here, that most of our Leading Prelats will favour the Elector of Ments his Designe of Reconciling Papists with Lutherans, more then any other vndertaking, which doth make some here more jealous of the Worke of Pacification, & will make the Leading-Men lesse inclinable to deale with any comming from them. The complaints & murmuring here are great amongst the Common sort against your dealing with the Ambassador of this state. They talke much of a likelihood of falling out with you, & what then they will doe to make their Partie good against you. I hope neverthelesse that you & they will bee wiser for the good of both states, then to spoile one another, that such as hate the welfare of Protestants may rejoyce at your variance, & helpe to weaken the one by the other till you both become a Prey vnto them. The Ambassador of Portugall at the Hague is makeing ready to bee gone from thence, the states Generall having sent him a Message, that if he did not give them instantly security to make good the Conditions promised, that hee should bee gone within tenne dayes. As for the Syncretisme, there is noe need of any Agreement with the Romanists in these parts, because they have as much Libertie, as they themselves can desire, except it bee to have the publick ordering of the Affaires of the Church & Worship: for in privat they have their freedome, & order themselves vnder their Bishop (who is knowen to Reside here at Amsterdam) in such a way as they thinck best. After the writing of these just now I heare, that our Peace with Portugall is concluded, but the English Resident at the Hague hath protested against it, NB. not in regard of vs, but of Portugall. Yet I heare there is a clause in it, which can salve all, that if anything bee in this Peace which might contradict the contract with England that England shall have what is promised, & wee an Aequivalent for it. The Lord graunt Peace in our dayes, & keepe of the Plagues that hang over our head, or take vs to himselfe. Another Letter writes thus - The New's here (at which they are glad) are, that the Treaty with Portugall is concluded, & signed by the Ambassador on saturday last, before the Meeting of the states of Holland was dissolved, which lasted till eleven Clock at night. They send him with a ship of their owne, & two Commissioners into Portugall, to get the Kings ratification, & vpon it two hundred thousand pounds in money; the remainder of the money, which is six hundred thousand lb were to bee paid at certian Termes. They are also glad that the Treatie with England hath a more favourable aspect then heretofore it hath had./.
[51A]
Work of Reformation nothing is omitted, but it is carried on with the greater zeale & violence. They threaten again the City of Cashaw with another Guarrison. At Shamutz the Protestant Churches are demaunded the second time, and round about that City the Protestant Ministers are expelled by maine force. Along the Transylvanian Confines the Tartars are enquartered: Whether it bee to assist Kemenj Ianush, or to doe mischiefe to him & the poore Countrey, time will shortly determine. On the other side & about Waradin, the Turks are enquartered with such powers, the like hath not been known of late, the Country round about beeing horribly wasted & harrased, & a number of People carried into Captivity. Whether Kemenj shall remaine Prince of Transylvania, is very much questioned. Baraczay hath beene beheaded, & his Brother immured. Kemenj is said to have noe more about him, but only 14. thousand men. From Vienna they write, that the Swedes are mainly endeavouring to send an Army of 20. thousand men through Poland, to relieve Transylvania. But few there are that will believe it. But it's certain, that vnexpressible hurt hath beene done to that afflicted Countrey by extraordinary storms & Tempests. From Warsovia they write of the 18. of Iuly as followeth - The 11th of Iuly were mighty debates about money-matters. The Particular Counties are ready enough to make Collections, but are noe wayes willing to deliver the said Collections into Cassam Publicam. They are very jealous of the Lord Treasurer, & dare not trust him. The Clergy cannot abide to heare of Contributions, but they suggest another expedient, which is to demaund from all Marchants 10. pro Cent. On the same day the Brandenburg Affaires came again into consideration, which were urged & debated with many Arguments. The Tartarian Envoye hase had Audience, which demaunded & urged a Conjunction with the Great Chams Forces within 14. dayes, otherwise they are threatning that they must bee excused, if they shall bee forced to take vp another Resolution. The Lithvanian states proposed their owne Gravamina, which were answered in the Kings name, that his Majesty was resolved to goe in Person within a few dayes into the Great Dukedome of Lithvania, beeing fully resolved to cleere the Countrey of all its Enemies. Much time was spent concerning a Motion for a Generall Custome & Imposition, which at last was carried and consented vnto. Generall Charnetsky was to bee paid or rewarded by setling vpon him starostia of Tykochyn for certain yeares. It was likewise resolved vpon the Qvestion, that the City of Thoren should bee freed of it's Guarrison, as also the rest of the Townes in Prussia, which groaned much vnder that burden, except the City of Marienburg, in which should bee left also noe more then one hundred Men. They have agreed with the Cossacks, according to the tenor of the Pacta Hadriacensia. Something was mooved concerning a Swedish Liga, but it came not to any Conclusion. The Gravamina of the City of Dantzigk were put off to the next [catchword: Covocation]
[51B]
Covocation pro mense Septembri. Elbing likewise is to bee delivered into the Electors hands, if the Commissioners cannot finde out a better Expedient. Another Letter of the 19 of Iuly st.n. speakes after this manner - The Parliament was happily dissolved the 17. of this Month. Satisfaction is given to the Cossacks. A Treaty is to bee had with Muscovia. The Articles of Peace with Sweden are ratified. A Generall Toll or Custome with many other Contributions are granted & allowed for raising of Monies. The banished Polonian Vice-Chancellour Radzicofsky is now to bee restored, as long as his present Majesty is yet alive. The great Inundations of the werders in Prussia have begun to cease, & there is great hopes, God bee praised, they will bee fully gained & recovered by those Meanes, whch are now used or continued. The Letter is dated the 27. of Iuly. As for the states here, except the matters of their Treatie with his Majesty frame better, then hitherto they have done to their content, there is little appearance, that they will give way to a Concurrence in any other Deisgne. There is a jealousie here, that most of our Leading Prelats will favour the Elector of Ments his Designe of Reconciling Papists with Lutherans, more then any other vndertaking, which doth make some here more jealous of the Worke of Pacification, & will make the Leading-Men lesse inclinable to deale with any comming from them. The complaints & murmuring here are great amongst the Common sort against your dealing with the Ambassador of this state. They talke much of a likelihood of falling out with you, & what then they will doe to make their Partie good against you. I hope neverthelesse that you & they will bee wiser for the good of both states, then to spoile one another, that such as hate the welfare of Protestants may rejoyce at your variance, & helpe to weaken the one by the other till you both become a Prey vnto them. The Ambassador of Portugall at the Hague is makeing ready to bee gone from thence, the states Generall having sent him a Message, that if he did not give them instantly security to make good the Conditions promised, that hee should bee gone within tenne dayes. As for the Syncretisme, there is noe need of any Agreement with the Romanists in these parts, because they have as much Libertie, as they themselves can desire, except it bee to have the publick ordering of the Affaires of the Church & Worship: for in privat they have their freedome, & order themselves vnder their Bishop (who is knowen to Reside here at Amsterdam) in such a way as they thinck best. After the writing of these just now I heare, that our Peace with Portugall is concluded, but the English Resident at the Hague hath protested against it, NB. not in regard of vs, but of Portugall. Yet I heare there is a clause in it, which can salve all, that if anything bee in this Peace which might contradict the contract with England that England shall have what is promised, & wee an Aequivalent for it. The Lord graunt Peace in our dayes, & keepe of the Plagues that hang over our head, or take vs to himselfe. Another Letter writes thus - The New's here (at which they are glad) are, that the Treaty with Portugall is concluded, & signed by the Ambassador on saturday last, before the Meeting of the states of Holland was dissolved, which lasted till eleven Clock at night. They send him with a ship of their owne, & two Commissioners into Portugall, to get the Kings ratification, & vpon it two hundred thousand pounds in money; the remainder of the money, which is six hundred thousand lb were to bee paid at certian Termes. They are also glad that the Treatie with England hath a more favourable aspect then heretofore it hath had./.