| Title: | Letter, John Robertson [John Dury] To Hartlib |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 18 December 1655 |
| Ref: | 4/3/137A-139B |
[4/3/137A]
[Hartlib: No. 82. Dec. 18. 1655./]
Deare freind
yours of the 30 Nouember I receiued the last weeke with one from my wife & the Mercurius; I thank you for all your care: but I must tell you good newes of Brandenburg contrary to your coniectures which you write to me viz: that the Suede & hee are alreddie agreed in the two most difficult points viz: that of Prussia by what tenor & in what way hee shall hold it, & that of the Commerce. the other points are not of weight, as the Chancelour here tels me out of the letters which hee had from those quarters three or foure dayes ago: & withall hee told me that the Mediation which the Emperour intended for the King of Poland towards Sueden will now come too late; for this agreement beeing made & the Poles themselues beeing desirous to haue the Suede for their King; there is no place more for mediators: I told you in my last that there was a visit intended by the Elector of Mentz towards the Elector of Saxonie, it is true but upon this account apparent, what other account may bee in secret is not knowen: the occasion pretended was upon a motion of the Emperours Ambassadors at Francfort meeting; to the Electorall Colledge; to induce them to Consent to interpose for a mediation between Poland & Sueden; & to that effect to Depute in their name the Elector of Mentz & Saxonie to mediat between the two Kings to this motion the Colledge did Consent, & Mentz & Saxonie were desired to take the worke upon them, wherupon Mentz went into Franconia (a Dukedome belonging to him as annexed to the Bishoprick of Wirtzburg. which is his before hee was made Elector of Mentz,) which borders upon Saxonie, to meet with that Elector; whether they haue met or no is as yet uncertain, but it may bee Mentz is gone to him for some other further designe: I haue beene informed that before this motion was made to the Electorall Colledge the Emperour [catchword: sent to the]
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sent to the Elector of Saxonie & offered to come to him to giue him a visit; but the Elector excused himself & intreated his Majestie not to trouble himself with so long a iourney because hee was now old & Decrepit & could not go to meet him & attend upon him as would become him to doe unto his Lord; & besides his Country was poore & exhausted & not able to giue him & his retinue such entertainement as was fit, & thus that visit was put off, which certainly was for a deeper designe then for a mediation on the behalfe of Poland.
This Elector of Saxonie is Grand father to this Queene of Sueden, who is now brought to bedde of a young Prince which is another blessing to make his conquest's more considerable.
The Prince of Nassaw Dillenberg was here on the Lords day last; hee gaue me admittance to Conferre with me about my[H? underlines] businesse; & hath engaged himself wery heartily in all that I can desire, & that upon such grounds as I cannot but iudge that hee is very sound towards God & the public, & that God will make him instrumentall in the Cause as taking it up from Principles of Pietie & Gospell interest<H?: />. hee[H? underlines] spoke of my Lord Protectors way & cariage of his busines; with so much ressentment & iudicious obseruation of the [mainer?] of his proceeding that hee gaue me a great testimonie of his owne wisdome & sinceritie to the common Cause therby: & at last hee said that hee had no Curiositie for any thing in this world so much as a desire to see that man who was made so admirable by God, that there was none like him now in the world: hee spoke of the difficultie of this enterprise against Spaine, but Concluded that if the Siluer fleet should bee kept up a yeare two or three that Spaine would bee undone utterly although my Lord Protector should not get hold of it, yet it would undoe Spaine.
hee gaue me an Excellent Character of the King of Sueden [catchword: from whose]
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whose quarters hee was come Lately; & had a Commission to Leauie forces for him. hee said that the Counsellours about the Elector of Brandenburg haue put him in danger to bee utterly ruined, & that if hee would haue ioyned with the King in an agreement before hee came into Prussia; it would haue beene an aduantage to him farre beiond what hee now will get; for the King offered unto him the Ducall Prussia Hereditably[altered from Heritably] & free to himself; hee offered besides the Bishoprick of Wermeland & a great part of the Mazures territorie to bee added to his Iurisdiction if hee would haue made his agreement in time: as for the demand of the Pillaw & Memel that was only upon a supposall that if hee could not or would not enter into termes with him so as hee could trust him, that then hee would haue those places for Securitie & for a retrait in Case of need; but that now the King of Sueden sayes that hee needs none of those places hauing all Poland in his power hee can sufficiently under God secure himself & therefore makes no account of any thing belonging to Brandenburg & will bee so farre from taking any thing from him that hee will rather increase his Dominions & make him more considerable. this is the summe of his discourse upon that subiect: wee spoke of seuerall other[H? underlines] matters relating to the Reformation of Churches & Schooles in Germanie; & to the Correspondencie of Protestants about my busines; & about that public interest of mutuall safetie; of which you can guesse his meaning to bee sound by what I haue said alreddie<H?: />:
As for the Hollanders Ambassie's to the Emperour & Kings of Sueden Denmarc & others; I am sorrie that they are of so little consideration amongst other Protestant States to heare some that haue beene at the public treatie at Munster & Osnabrug Speake of them; how they lost their Credit there. it would grieue one for their sake aswell as for the cause so that it is thought that since they haue quitte the Cause of [catchword: Religion &]
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Religion & for the loue of Money haue embraced the [Spanish? MS torn] interest; that God hath cast them out of the hearts of all intelligent Protestant States men; & that hee will discredit them euery where, wheresoeuer they meddle, as being men that seeke only themselues without any respect to the Church or Cause of God. I write this with grief, as finding it the words & sense of some that were with them at Munster, & who wish them otherwise well, & complaine ouer the disaduantage which the Common cause receiues from their designes<H?: ./> manage I pray this intelligence so as may not preiudice Rhaetus in their opinion; for you tell me that their Ambassador with you sayes that I am too much a Suede; I would not haue any think that I am too little a Hollander, I shall approoue my self I hope without partialitie & I haue more cause to bee a Hollander then a Suede as hauing beene bredde there & gotten much good amongst them wheras in Sueden I neuer receiued any thing but an occasion of toil & trouble to labour for the Common Cause which I thank God for.
Concerning the admission of the Iewes I belieue that in your warre with Spaine they may bee of use to the state; the restraints that are laid upon them are necessary; but I wish that the meanes to deale with them for their Conuersion were also thought upon; to lette them see that the Messias is reuealed to us, & hath brought us gentiles to the father according to the Prophesie of Iacob that to him belongeth the gathering <of> the people Genes. 49. 10. & in dealing with them I would aduise that all wherin wee & they doe agree for the worshipping of God in spirit & truth should bee made out from Moses & the Prophets & shewed that this is the only worship which the father requires, & that the Messias is come to teach us Gentiles aswell as their forefathers this truth, & that this hauing beene foretold that hee should doe this to us; & this now beeing done, which could bee done by none but by him, it is euident that hee is come in his spirit to us, & [catchword: that it]
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that it is his purpose by us to shew mercy unto them also & to bring us all in one fold together to his father.
what doth Mr Borell say of the way of dealing with him? I pray salute him from me, & tell him I would bee gladde to heare from him before hee goes out of England, as I am told hee has some purpose so to doe.
I am called away from these thoughts to another busines therefore I commend you to God & rest
Your most affectionat Seruant
Cassell this 18th. December. in Christ
1655 I. Robertson
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I thought by this post to haue sent
you some Copies of passages
but I am cut short in point
of time as hauing beene
interrupted.
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For Mr. Samuel Hartlib
the Elder
at his house neer
Charring Crosse
ouer against Angel Court in
London
[another hand:]
Ps. dd. Anuers
[another hand: B 1:4 210]
[seal]