Venice: March 1670 | British History Online

Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 36, 1669-1670. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1937.

Citation:

'Venice: March 1670', in Calendar of State Papers Relating To English Affairs in the Archives of Venice, Volume 36, 1669-1670, ed. Allen B Hinds( London, 1937), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/venice/vol36/pp162-174 [accessed 25 November 2024].

March 1670



March 2. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	177. Piero Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate. The simple prorogation of the parliamentary session did not permit the members of the two Houses to go far away from London. On Monday last, the 14th February, old style, they reassembled in the largest numbers in the presence of the king, who appeared with the greatest pomp, attended by the guards and wearing the royal mantle and crown. His Majesty opened the way for the discussion of the matters most important for the country, setting them forth in a prudent and well weighed discourse, to which the lord keeper added another more diffuse, by his order. His Majesty relied upon the Houses for the prompt provision of money, recommended them to put aside their disagreements over their respective powers and renewed the proposal for the union of the two kingdoms of Scotland and England. With weighty words the king entered on the subject of money, mildly recommending to them the consideration of the dignity of the realm and of the obligations incurred by him in the late emergencies. The lord keeper entered more deeply into the matter. He reminded them that the last war with Holland had been undertaken by the king with the advice of parliament. He pointed out that his Majesty could not take accidents into account and claimed to defend the corrupt management of the money administered by the Houses, by the knowledge that the king had taken thereof. Here he enlarged upon his Majesty's zeal for the honour of the realm. He said he had contracted debts, pledged his own private property, diminished the revenues by little less than 600,000l. sterling, what with the war, the plague and the fire, which had involved infinite accidents and expenditure losses to the people, reduction of the customs duties and reduced to one half the tax imposed upon hearths through the fire which destroyed half the houses of London. Your Serenity will notice that in this discourse the king did not choose to introduce the pledges of the alliance, so that they might not counter with the considerations reported about the assurance of peace. Your Excellencies will also note the king's zeal to divert evil humours from the road opened the other time, of perquisitions and accusations; because by saying that he has himself seen the accounts and the administration of the money provided by the Houses, he covers the individual who has had the control of it and in some sense lets it be seen that his compassion does not allow the deficiency in the exchequer to be made good in that way. (fn. 1) How far this tacit declaration will avail, time will show as it will also disclose the true intentions about composing the disputes between the Houses. So far as one can judge from appearances they will never mature any resolution calculated to bring about the union between these two kingdoms, which differ too much from each other in fortune and interests. To put a stop to an abuse which has prevailed particularly in the county of Kent, of breaking the laws of the realm by the export of wool, which is embarked under cover of night and with the advantage of the beaches is taken over to France in small barques, the Council has issued a strong order giving ample powers to the earl of Vinchelsea. (fn. 2) By means of a secret in- quiry and the distribution at his will of that part of the fisc that pertains to the king, he has already discovered many guilty of this crime, and with great energy he is proceeding to track down the others, so that the best wool of the kingdom and the longest may not be exported and serve to provide other nations, who without it would find it difficult to supply the copious manufacture of different cloth, by which that of England is depreciated. [Acknowledges receipt of the ducali of the 28 January and the 1st February.] The latest news of Vice Admiral Alen reports that after having left the Mediterranean he is now back in the Strait. But letters from another quarter state that the corsairs, taking advantage of the opening are now all in the Ocean, intent on better prizes so long as the absence of Alen and his frigates leaves them at peace. Making a text of the unfaithfulness of those barbarians I will take an opportunity to suggest to the king and ministers how fictitious their treaties are and that they only make use of them to lull Christian princes to sleep, without any intention of keeping their word, a thing they do not understand. There is no certain news from Holland as yet about the armament that the States decided upon. They are awaiting the decision here with impatience. London, the 2nd May (sic), 1670. [Italian.]
March 3. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	178. Caterin Belegno, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. The archbishop of Toulouse has arrived here (fn. 3) bringing the intentions of the Most Christian about the restitution of the strong places. Mediation is accepted, but on condition that the Dutch are excluded. Feeling here is in favour of the Dutch. Apropos of this the envoy of England remarked to me some days ago that it will not be easy for the Most Christian to do them any hurt directly because the States find themselves strongly armed in their own persons and covered by an offensive and defensive alliance with the crowns of England and Sweden. He went on to say that every effort will be made to bring the Spaniards into this association now that the designs of the Most Christian are known; assistance ought to be mutual, and commitments and interests on a par. This much is certain that the English and Dutch do not want the emperor to have a part in this affair, with the pretended advantage of their own affairs. Madrid, the 3rd March, 1670. [Italian.]
March 7. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	179. Piero Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate. The king, not content with having closed the way against parliamentary proceedings against the treasurers, by his declaration, reported in my last that he had looked into the administration of the money sufficiently, has by his prudence forestalled any strange imagining which the process of time might have admitted and compelled the Houses, by a precise order, to discuss immediately before anything else the subjects which he had himself proposed. He feels confident in their coming to speedy decisions, as well from the reasonableness of his proposals, leading to the successful realisation of his most just wishes. Such is precisely the result of the sitting of last Saturday. It was proposed in the Lower House to petition the king to be pleased to allow the extraordinary duty on wine to continue for seven years longer. This was approved by the Upper House and both were similarly in accord, to reduce the burden on the community, to reduce the duty to a half; with this distinction that whereas formerly the wine for the use of gentlemen and other favoured persons was exempt from it, from now and henceforth all shall pay the same as the merchants. In this way, with wine paying half the duty, the people will drink more of it, and according to the consumption of other small details the revenue, which to day is estimated at a million and a half pounds sterling, might even be increased. After this matter had been settled the Houses immediately proceeded to expunge the eighteen articles of accusation received against the treasurers of the navy, recognising the superfluity of inquiring further into what the king had taken upon himself, and that nothing was left for them to add. The king, seeing how happily matters were going, without allowing a moment for a possible change in the aspect of affairs, summoned the two Houses to the great hall at Whitehall for Tuesday morning. There after commending the zeal with which they had cooperated for the relief of his exchequer and taking their share in the glory of the kingdom he went on to express his sorrow at the differences which had arisen about the jurisdiction of the chambers and suggested, as a sort of expedient, his own wish that both should expunge these and the memory of all that had passed from their registers. This expression of his wish had the force of a command. After the members of the two Houses had proceeded to Westminster, those of the Lower returned soon after on foot, in a procession, to the king's presence with extraordinary respect, to the hall of Whitehall. There by the mouth of the Speaker they recalled the suggestion made by his Majesty and informed him that they had entirely removed from their registers everything concerning these differences, declaring their peculiar concern for the quiet of the kingdom and his Majesty's glory. This forwardness drew from the king's lips or effectively from his heart a very warm expression of appreciation and of his fatherly love for his people. Accordingly the Lords, after some controversy, judged it a prudent policy to fall in with the king's wishes. Expunging from their books all that was there about this dispute they caused the act to reach the royal chamber in the ordinary way, and they all will consign what is past to oblivion. Such is the position to which the wise manœuvres of the king have brought matters, and which have, in three days given his Majesty a more abundant supply of money than his predecessors have ever enjoyed, brought about peace between the two Houses, which is as good as saying quiet to the realm, and demonstrated the true way to govern and direct his subjects, even in the midst of their greatest disorders. A good number of the most loyal have been unable to refrain from celebrating it openly by lighting bonfires. Notwithstanding all these distractions the ministers are not diverted from more serious business. Your Excellencies will see attached the two letters written to the kings of Spain and Sweden, so that the former may send authority and instructions to treat, and the latter commissions to arbitrate upon the boundaries between the crowns of France and Spain. In the mean time the notion having occurred in France for the business to be transacted in a third place, Lille being mentioned, the king here directs his ambassador to obtain a declaration from the Most Christian, when he may have suggested a wish to have it in the city of London. Three days ago came the assent brought to the king by the Ambassador Colbert in his master's name. Yet another important point remains to be announced about the effort made by the Dutch with the Spaniards to be summoned to the arbitration about the boundaries. So far we do not know whether the Spaniards will exert themselves about this, or if France will agree. Whilst matters are being disposed in England for the definition of the boundaries, they continue work at the Hague upon the alliance, on those minor points which I indicated in my No. 127. These are that within the stipulated term of fifteen days for the succour of England and Holland it shall be left to the discretion of the former to provide 600 horse and 6000 foot instead of the 10,000 reported, while the latter may give 2000 horse instead of 4000 foot, besides the 6000, like England. That Sweden must wait eight months after the first payment for the 140,000 reichsthalers, and another eight months for the like sum amounting in all to the 480,000 reichsthalers. There is a small outstanding difference at present, for which the constable governor is not blamed as it is too insignificant. It is a question of deducting from the Swedes some interest on the exchange of the money, which will come to more than 10,000 reichsthalers; but it is expected that this will be removed very soon, and all feel confident that this union will subsist to give peace between the crowns once and for all. London, the 7th March, 1670. [Italian.]
Enclosure.	180. Charles II, King of Great Britain, etc. and Charles, King of Sweden, etc. (fn. 4) On the arbitration between the crowns; asking him to appoint deputies, with assurances for payment of the promised subsidy. Dated at Whitehall, 5 February, 1669/70. [Latin.]
March 14. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	181. Piero Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate. The two important questions of money and their powers having been settled in the parliament, they have a wide field for concerning themselves with civil causes. The most important of these is one that lies between the merchants and the customs officers. The king has farmed out the generality of the duties to the latter. For some years past they have interpreted this as being that eau de vie, brandy and similar liquors shall be subject to the same duty, to the disadvantage of the merchants who are attached to the former use according to which drink of inferior quality was exempt from payment. The difference is not one of the kind to call for the king's attention, as it is merely a question of some increase in the farm when it is renewed with the customs officials, if they have judgment in their favour; but full of zeal for the good of his subjects, he is dealing with the matter. One of these days perhaps he will urge parliament to discuss the union between the two kingdoms. But though he succeeded with ease in the last two important affairs, he will meet with a corresponding opposition in this one, the difficulties being the same that were found insuperable by King James his grandfather and Charles, his father, for the reasons already given, the objection of this country, rich in trade and fertile in climate, to join with the bare poverty stricken Scotland. Other important resolutions are under consideration to day in parliament, against the sectaries. The constant increase of their conventicles with their great attendances render their meditations too suspect if not dangerous. This work will be the fruit of the zeal or interest of the bishops as perpetual opponents of the sectaries who are enemies of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. But the king conducts himself with the utmost prudence and with impartiality only concerns himself with that which affects his own sovereign authority and the peace of the realm. With equal attention his Majesty applies himself to the affair of the alliance, having learned with displeasure that the constable of Castile, before paying out the money to Sweden, demanded an assurance from the other two allies that that crown, immediately after the first payment, should not demand sureties for the other two payments at intervals of eight months. News has just arrived that the Spanish ambassador Gamara has directed the merchant at Amsterdam to pay the money to the Swedish ministers. It is hoped that this will happen without further delay and also that the 10,000 reichsthalers in dispute will remain in the caisse of the merchant until the constable's reply comes. Notwithstanding this, your Excellencies will see from the attached copy of the treaty of guarantee that there is not a syllable about the arrangements with Sweden. These have been put in other papers, separately, out of consideration for that crown which does not wish to appear in the treaty of alliance and the guarantee to seem to be answering to the chink of money or that the world shall see arrangements which are believed or pretended to be secret, in a sense. These will be the payments already reported of the 480,000 reichsthalers, in three instalments and of 60,000 pieces for every month of the war, with this difference that Holland alone will pay the 15,000 for her fourth part, while Spain will supply the portion of England in cash or will give security in the same form as will serve for her 30,000 a month, since it seems that England is unwilling to wait until after the war for the repayment of the money that she pays to Sweden. With high spirit and infinite patience the king continues in his determination to see the Algerines reduced once and for all. He is at the moment sending copious munitions to the Vice Admiral so that he may be able to keep at sea and not allow those infidels a moment of respite. On the other hand Lord Arondel, the ambassador destined for Morocco, has sent home some of his household and is returning a part of his superfluous baggage to England. From this and from letters they have more definite news than ever of the state of affairs there. The rebellion of the two nephews of Taffilet, which threatened the empire itself and his predominance, stayed the strips of the ambassador. When there seemed to be signs of greater security he sent his household by sea to Salez when he received an affront from those corsairs. The emperor has made reparation for this by releasing the English prisoners and punishing the offenders severely as well as by sending ample passports for the ambassador and his court. But the earl of Arondel being suspicious of his good faith as well as of the fortune and power of Taffilet made a short detour to amuse himself in Spain. (fn. 5) He will return to Tanger to await the commissions of the king here, which are not yet published because they are not yet decided, the Council being doubtful whether to expose so conspicuous a person in the hand of an infidel, which might involve the worst consequences to the fortress of Tanger. The secretary of Denmark has returned with the treaty of commerce signed by the king there, (fn. 6) Baron Guldeleem, the king's natural son, who was ambassador, came back to England with him. He is leaving London for Copenhagen in all diligence, the king, his father having died on 19th February last, being succeeded by his eldest son under the title of Christian V. According to his own statement this minister was only received in London for his own amusement and he is recalled to his country by this great change. Nothing is said about his returning here; the secretary says that he has in his hands all that is required for the total conclusion of the treaty. I have handed to old Galileo's widow the fresh pledges of your Excellencies compassion. London, the 14th March, 1670. [Italian.]
Enclosure.	182. Covenant between the kings of Great Britain and Sweden and the United Provinces to guarantee the dominions of his Catholic Majesty in accordance with the treaty of the triple alliance and the peace of Aix la Chapelle. Dated at the Hague, 9 May, 1669. (fn. 7) 5 pp. Spanish, with Italian translation.
March 21. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	183. Piero Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate. The important matter of the sectaries having been dealt with in private houses and conferences a single sitting of parliament on Wednesday was able to settle it by the passing of severe laws to prevent conventicles. By the consent of both Houses the king is petitioned to order a perquisition against fanatics, independent of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, condemning them to a fine of 200 crowns and summary imprisonment if more than five outsiders are surprised at their meditations in a private house, and threatening with a more severe punishment and deprivation any justice of the peace who, in the discharge of his office, should neglect or countenance such gatherings. Precaution was necessary in dealing with this matter and bring it to completion as once it was set for discussion it might arouse a difference of opinion not to say perilous altercations, because on a division a majority of only eighteen votes decided in favour of renewing severity against the sectaries. An individual, more excited than the rest, thought to promote the good of the country by suggesting the severe laws against the Catholics when parliament was devoting so much attention to suppressing the sectaries, as the supposed disturbers of the peace; but a better person was able in reply to point out the moderation of the Papists, as the Catholics are called, who are all obedience and submission to the will of the prince. So the Lower House for the time being put off petitioning the king for the execution of the laws; but it has not given up the question and it would seem that some of them are persisting in suggesting ways of disclosing the poor Catholics and the ease of punishing them. An important case is being dealt with in the Upper House. It is a dispute, the issue of which is uncertain, between two peers, husband and wife. They separated for good cause by a divorce; but now that the earl is wishing to marry again the wife is objecting, although she has few supporters in parliament, the best being that of the bishops. These are all opposed to the introduction of such an abuse into matrimony in the certainty that the beginning of so pernicious a liberty would utterly destroy the ecclesiastical ordinances with universal confusion. (fn. 8) So much for the internal affairs of the country. With regard to external, the ministers are waiting for positive news of the payment promised by the Spaniards to the Swedes and definite information about the transactions of the Baron dell' Isola, who announces the inclusion of the emperor in the alliance. The French ambassador remarked to me that he could not understand the policy of his imperial Majesty in attaching himself to the interests of the alliance when he ought rather to be looking for an irruption of the Turks into Hungary. The northern powers certainly would not come to his help either soon or late as they are far away and their interests are different, and France, who is near, might not be willing to commit herself to prompt declarations and succour as in the past. The Ambassador Colbert went on further to speak of the princes of the empire who favour the alliance. He said he thought it a pretence on their part in order to cause more money from France to flow into Germany; but they should have learned by this time that the soil was barren. His Excellency did not open out any further and I am unable to tell your Excellencies any more as my information is restricted through the lack of several ordinary letters from Holland. They are actively at work here over the despatch of strong succour to Vice Admiral Alen by three ships of war, which are only waiting for a favourable wind to take them out of port. (fn. 9) The Council of State is issuing to Alen more vigorous commissions than ever to hunt down the Algerians. So far as they are providing him with money for provisions of food, with arms and munitions for fighting they direct him to show corresponding energy in finding occasions for repressing the ardour of the corsairs. On the other hand they are sending well considered instructions to the Ambassador Arondel, encouraging him to undertake the journey to Taffilet if he finds it to be safe or to introduce a treaty by way of commissioners in the fortress of Tanger, in order that, in one way or another, trade may be adjusted and correspondence established with the people and with Taffilet himself. Two days after the departure from London of Baron Guldenleem a courier arrived here from Denmark with a despatch from the new king Christian V which accords him once again the character of ambassador extraordinary. Thus confidential relations will be continued with him personally for the greatness of the embassy or for some residue of the business of the treaty that is left over. So he will soon be seen back here to distinguish himself by infinite generosity, setting a burdensome example to the others at this most costly Court. London, the 21st March, 1670. [Italian.]
March 26. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Francia. Venetian Archives.	184. Zuane Moresini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Doge and Senate. Some domestic circumstance obliges his Majesty to postpone his journey towards Flanders until the 25th of April next. The duchess of Orleans having urged him strongly to give her permission, when the Court has got as far as Cales, to go on to Dover in order to spend a few days with her brother, the British king, who is disposed to go to the same place to have the pleasure of conferring with her Highness, the king graciously listened to her request. He cared little about the steady opposition of the duke of Orleans, who tried hard to prevent this expedition by his prayers to the king and by threats of scant confidence in his wife. The peculiar regard which his Majesty cherishes for his sister in law and above all the hope that the Court has conceived of seeing the British king detached from the alliance by means of the duchess, oblige the king to use his supreme authority to overrule the wishes of the duke. Accordingly the duchess will cross the sea attended by a distinguished cortege, with which, eight days after her stay at Dover, she will return to this country. Although the expedition is confined within such brief limits it is resented by the duke of Orleans with inexpressible bitterness at seeing his wife win the consent of the Court against his wishes and from a suspicion that her Highness, by mixing herself up in affairs, may win a more intimate place in the royal confidence, to the exclusion of her husband. From the supreme credit acquired by the British king in all Europe; from his being the first among the northern allied powers; from the manifest advantage which his Majesty has secured in his own realms by this same union, by the security of seeing tranquillity continued and the peace of Flanders between the two first powers, one might easily feel assured of the firmness of the British king in persisting in his union with the other powers. Nevertheless all this does not in the least prevent this government from making this fresh attempt. The duchess also persuades herself that she will easily prevail upon her brother to gratify them over here, possibly in order to facilitate the pleasure of this journey for herself. In the mean time the bitter feeling between the duchess of Orleans and the duke grows stronger every day. This might, in the opinion of some, lead to the postponement of the journey to another time in order to prevent greater upheavals. None the less all present resolutions and appearances point to the original forecast. Paris, the 26th March, 1670. [Italian; the part in italics deciphered.]
March 26. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Spagna. Venetian Archives.	185. Caterin Belegno, Venetian Ambassador in Spain, to the Doge and Senate. The minister of England, in obedience to his instructions, has spoken to the queen about mediation. The office was practically in conformity with the one performed in anticipation by the French ambassador. None the less he did not say positively that the king of England desired the mediation but all the same that her Majesty would find no other prince more disinterested than he; indeed owing to present circumstances he is with more reason suspect to France than to them here. That in spite of all this the Most Christian, from his desire for peace, had of his own accord referred the judgment to his king and to the crown of Sweden at the very time that they were signing an alliance with the crown of Spain and when her Majesty's ministers in Flanders were counting out the money for the subsidy to the Swedes. The queen replied that she appreciated and valued the regard of his king and that if it had not been forestalled she would have preferred him before any one else in the arbitration from her confidence in his justice and his partiality for the interests of her son. This reply is considered equivocal by the minister and as indicating that the Spaniards for their part would like to nominate two other princes for them. Upon this he has been in a delegation to see the ministers and to tell Pegnoranda that he believed that his king would not consider himself satisfied if any other prince had a share in the arbitrament besides those who had been selected by France; because in such case they would not only lose the fruit of the mediation but would also be imperilling what was being done for the maintenance of the peace, especially if they chose interested judges such as the Dutch and the emperor. The case is precisely that France would withdraw her promise and the aspect of affairs would be entirely changed and that here they would be giving the world to understand that the French were in the right about the dependencies claimed, since they were unwilling to embrace the juridical method of recognition. Here on the other hand the government so far thinks of nothing but of dragging matters out, without giving an answer, The master stroke of the Most Christian king is recognised. It introduces embarrassment since it is known that he aims at separating the interests of the allies. Thus a suspicion is beginning to grow that France is trying in some respect to win over the English and that the affairs of the triple alliance are likely to be exposed to changes. Madrid, the 26th March, 1670. [Italian; the part in italics deciphered.]
March 28. Senato, Secreta. Dispacci, Inghilterra. Venetian Archives.	186. Piero Mocenigo, Venetian Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate. Your Serenity will have gathered with what prudence and reputation the king forwarded his affairs in the parliament from reading in my despatches with what felicity the most important ones about money and the quiet of the kingdom were brought to a happy issue in parliament and in his own Court. From such beginnings his Majesty could expect not other than continued submission from the Houses here. These, following the example of those of Scotland in the matter of the union of the two countries, have not as yet given any indication that would suffice to justify their full concurrence in the royal wishes. Last Saturday the two Houses together presented themselves before the king in the great hall of Whitehall. They professed their infinite respect for his most zealous efforts to bring his common subjects more and more into accord. They commended the nomination of commissioners, entrusted by the Scots to his Majesty. They announced their intention to choose those for England so that together they might discuss the form of the union of the two countries, and this being matured would then be brought before the parliaments for the final decision. The king will nominate the commissioners. These will dispute about the conveniences of both the kingdoms. The arguments that convinced the king's grandfather, father and himself will be brought forward again. The negotiations will have ample space; the result will not be known before the new parliamentary sessions. In short while it is certain that the Houses in hearkening to these proposals and referring the nomination of the commissioners to the king, are humbling themselves to his wishes and announce their exceptional submission, there is not as yet any sign of improvement on past transactions and his Majesty will rest content with having satisfied the petitions of his Scottish subjects by such a demonstration. The question of the union of the two kingdoms having been brought to this point, sufficient for the king's reputation and committing the parliament of England to little while practically deluding that of Scotland, his Majesty applied himself to the troubles which arose from the threats against the sectaries and the speeches about the Catholics. By leaving these without force, for lack of his assent, he gives time for the Houses to examine the matter better. It seems that the Upper inclines to relax the restrictions, permitting meetings of ten instead of five outsiders in a private house; but the Lower is not yet agreed about this. The interval of time before positive enactment will certainly mitigate severity to some extent; and the Catholics may possibly get through, exempt from fresh persecution, even if they have not the good fortune to take a share of the liberty which is accorded to the others. While these affairs of the parliament are occupying the greater part of their lordships and are engaging the attention of the people and of the whole country, the king is not allowing himself to be diverted from the affair of the alliance and guarantee. He is pleased to get the news from Holland that the claim for interest for 10,000 reichsthalers has been stifled and that the cash destined for the Swedes is in the hands of the States, all ready to be paid on the arrival of the ratification from Stokolm. Upon these foundations the king signed the treaty and sent it to Temple, his ambassador at the Hague, so that he might communicate it to the Spaniards and to the ministers of the allied princes. Thus, so far as England is concerned, every circumstance of the treaty has been fulfilled with punctuality. But they will study carefully to make sure that the decision of the boundaries between the crowns shall remove the necessity for the employment of the forces which she promises for the maintenance of the peace of Aix la Chapelle. On the other hand the Baron dell' Isola, in order to keep on strengthening the alliance and with it the interests of Spain, has presented a paper at the Hague for the inclusion of Caesar and spreads a report that other princes of the empire would follow his example. But as yet it is not known with what forces the emperor is willing to undertake the obligation and no other effective public declarations are heard. Three ships of war have been sent as a reinforcement to Vice Admiral Alen and will sail with a good wind. (fn. 10) They are well furnished with munitions and a supply of money. London, the 28th March, 1670. [Italian.]