Majesty and pray him ardently that it will please him to hear the devotions which we shall continue to make incessantly for the prosperity of the voiage and reign of your Majesty The King answered that he thanked the Magistrate and Councel for the affection they expressed to him and should indeavour to acknowledge it on all occasions that should be presented unto him Whereupon the Burgemaster having taken the liberty to reply that since his Majesty had the goodness to accept the affection and zeal which they had for his service he besought him most humbly to remember the grace which he had made them to hope for when he concluded in that place his treaty with the Deputies of Scotland some years since that he would honour the town of Breda and its inhabitants with all the favour which the Laws of his Kingdom would permit him to grant them The King answered that he remembred it very well and that he was obliged to do it for a town where he had received such agreeable news and which had rendred him so many testimonies of respect and affection The King took coach after this audience and came between eleven and twelve a clock at Moervaert He found there some squadrons of Horse in batalia and the Deputies of the Estates of Holland who presented themselves at the boot of his Coach and made him their complement in the name of their Superiours at the entrance of their Province His Majesty staied but to hear the quaint and obliging words of Mr. de Beverweert who spake for all the other Deputies and to answer to that civility After this he persued his way to the end of the Causey or Dike where they had made a bridge from the Dike to the Pinnace to facilitate his embarkment The Estates General to give no jealousie to some persons of quality who have coaches with six horses make use ordinarily for the entrance of Embassadours and for other publick Ceremonies but of the Coach of the Princess Dowager of Orange which represents that of the Estates in those occasions Hence was it they desired that the pinnace or barge of the same Princess which she had lent for the same purpose should have the same honour on this occasion and had enjoined their Deputies to indeavour to make it acceptable to his Majesty But the King after he had considered them all chose another as well because he knew it was very commodious as having used it formerly as because indeed that of the Princess Dowager was not great enough to lodge the King and the Princess Royal who would pass the night by the King her brother with persons necessary for their service That whereinto the King entred was made formerly for the Prince of Orenge but it is now in the Colledge of the Admirality of Rotterdam and was without doubt the greatest of all that little Fleet which was composed besides other Barks almost innumerable of thirty great Barges commonly called Yachts and are a kind of little Frigats whereof persons of condition make use upon the Rivers in passing from one Province unto another for necessity or for divertisement And indeed the King found his Yacht so fit and so well fashioned that he said in discourse with the Deputies that he would cause one to be made of the same manner as soon as he should be arrived in England to serve him upon the Thames above the bridge Mr. de Vlooswick Burgemaster of Amsterdam and one of the Deputies of the Province of Holland taking occasion from thence to render a very considerable service to this country said to the King that lately they had made one in their town of the same bigness at least as commodious every way which he took the liberty to offer to his Majesty beseeching him to grace the Magistrate of the town of Amsterdam to accept it The King accepted it not absolutely but declined not so strongly that upon the advertisement which Mr. de Vlooswick gave to the Magistrate of what passed on this occasion he caused not that Yacht to be bought which the Colledge of the Admiralty had gotten of the East-India Company and put it in condition to serve for the divertisement of this great Prince And to give it the more lustre the Magistrate caused the outside to be richly gilt whil'st some of the best Painters of the country wrought upon the fair Pictures wherewith they have since adorned the inside No person would undertake the commission to distribute the Yachts among the Lords of the Court because it would be impossible to oblige them all equally and to disoblige none Therefore Mr. de Beverweert besought the King to be so gracious as to cause the distribution to be made since the Deputies had no other order but fully to obey the commandments of his Majesty which were absolutely necessary for them on this occasion The King would fain take the pains thereof himself and ordained that the Duke of York should ont his occasion perform the functions of Admiral in distributing the Yachts under his authority and in his presence so that his Royal Highness gave himself the Yacht of the Princess Dowager of Oreng The Duke of Glocester had that of the Estates of Holland The Princess Royal one of the Yachts of the Councel of Estate The Deputies of the Estates General had the other The Deputies of the Estates of Holland went into the Yacht of Mr. Beverweert which received also Don Estévan de Gamarra who went to meet the King at Moordijck not in quality of Embassadour of Spain but as particular servant of his Majesty the Rhinegrave the Lord Craft and many other English Lords The Chancellour of England with his family and Sr. Edward Nicholas principal Secretary of Estate and of the King's commands and one of his most affectionate Ministers embarked themselves in a Pinnace called the Maid of Zealand The Marquess of Ormond Lord Deputy of Ireland of the House of Butler one of the chief and most ancient of that Kingdom had the Pinnace of Captain Brouwer The Marquess of Worcester Edward Sommerset embarked himself with his Family in the Pinnace named the Postillion of Zealand The Lord St. John and Bellasis had that of Mr. Wassenaer Mr. Clarges brother-in-law to General Monck and his company composed of the Deputies of the Army had the Yacht of the town of Dort The Lord Gerard and many other English Lords entred into that of Mr. Noortwick Governour of Sluce and the 13th Yacht which was that of the Prince of Oreng was reserved for the Chamber and Wardrobe of the Princess Royal. Every Yacht had its Steward and all other Officers necessary for the Kitchin and buttery and they which had not the commodity to have their Kitchin aboard themselves were accompanied with other Barks where chimneys were made for the Kitchin and ovens for the pastery and provision of so prodigious a quantity of all sorts of meats of foul of sweet meats of wine that all
in all the Churches on the revolution of the affairs of England in behalf of the King all the Ministers of the Churches English Dutch and French expounding Texts proper for the matter After the Sermons the Magistrate and Consistory were incorporated to make their complement to his Majesty and to their Royal Highnesses and at evening bonfires of joy were made through the whole Town all the Bels rung and many volleys were discharg'd from all the Artillery the Deputies of the Estates General those of the Estates of Holland the Magistrate and the particular persons emulating one another which should express most joy and satisfaction in this great day They began in the mean time to load and to send away the baggage whil'st they finished at the Hague to furnish Prince Maurice his House designed for the King's lodging to appoint lodging for the whole Court and to make necessary provisions for its subsistance when it should be come and whil'st it should remain there Munday the 24 there hapned at the Hague a thing very remarkable and which might be of great importance in its consequences if they had taken councel of ambition rather then of prudence By the fix'd resolution of the Estates General of the 16 of this moneth it was said that the Estates of Holland might cause the King to be received and complemented at the entrance of the Province and that they might make the honour of the House as being the Masters of it But the former had made known since that their intention was to cause the King to be received either by a greater number of Deputies then there had been from them at Breda or if the Estates of Holland went in a body to receive his Majesty by Delf towards Rotterdam in this case the States General would go also in a body to complement his Majesty between Delf and the Hage at the place where they are accustomed to receive Embassadours and that in conducting him their Coaches should follow immediately the King 's The Estates of Holland being advertised hereof likewise that the Estates General would send Deputies to their Assembly and pretending that formerly there passed too many things to the prejudice of the right of their Soveraignity they named the Deputies of the Towns of Dort Harlem Amsterdam Alckmar and Horn to enter into conference with the Deputies of the Estates General to the end to dispose fitly this affair And indeed they negotiated so happily that they were agreed at last among themselves that if the Estates of Holland caused the King to be received at Delf by Deputies they should remain both in the terms of the resolution of the 16 of this moneth by vertue of which the Lords the Estates of Holland might alone do the honours in their Province and cause the King to be complemented wheresoever he pleased and that the Deputies of the Estates General which were by his Majesties person should continue to be treated with respect as representing strange Soveraigns and that in this quality their Coach or Coaches if they judged fit to encrease the number of their Deputies which notwithstanding they promised by mouth that they would not do should follow immediately the King 's and precede those of the Deputies of the Province After this the Estates of Holland ordained that Mr. de Wassenaer Lievtenant Admiral of Holland should be joined to the Deputies named in the resolution of the 13 of May and to Mr. de Wimmenum who had been named the 22 and that every Town should depute one of its body to go to make the complement together with the Pentionary Councellour at the disbarkment of his Majesty by Delf And forasmuch as there was reason to fear that there might happen some disorder about the rank of the Coaches that should be sent to meet the King not so much because the Embassadours were not well agreed among themselves about precedence but chiefly because there were some of them that would make their Coach to go before that of the Prince of Oreng who ought to be considered here not only because of his quality of Soveraign Prince but also as Nephew to the King and consequently as chief Prince of the blood of England after the two Dukes as well the Estates General as those of Holland judged fit to cause the Embassadours of the Crowned-heads to be prayed by their Agent not to send their Coaches but to leave the conduct and whole honour of this ceremony to the Estate to the end to prevent the confusion which otherwise would be unavoidable They all acquiesced therein without repugnance and would fain have that respect for the King and condescendence enough for the desire of the Lords the Estates not to trouble the publick joy which the whole world indeavoured to make resplendent on this occasion The whole Court in the mean time departed from Breda the same day being the 24 of May. The Deputies of the Estates of Holland departed thence at four a clock in the morning to the end to have the leasure to chuse a fit place to put the five troops of Horse which were commanded into Battel and to give necessary orders for his Majesties embarkment The Deputies of the Estates General departed about two hours after and the King took coach with the Dukes of York and Glocester and the Princess Royal about 8 or 9 a clock in the morning But before they went out of the Hall of the Castle the Burgemasters and Councel of Ten presented themselves again to the King and caused to be made unto him by the same Mr. Snel who made him a speech when he arrived at Breda this following discourse for which the publick is oblig'd to a Gentleman of the King's House who had a care to write word by word and to communicate to the authour of the relation all the orations where he was present when they were spoken SIR The Magistrate and Councel of Ten of this town of Breda present themselves again with a most low reverence before your Majesty to render you most humble thanks for the honour it hath pleased you to do the town by the residence you have made here and to bring you a last proof of the perfect joy which the wonderfull success of your Majesty as it is the powerfull hand and infinite providence of God which hath drawn your Majesty out of a Gulf of dangers and conducted you through a desert of afflictions even unto the entrance of the greatness which the right of your Predecessours hath gained to all their posterity This is the subject of our joy Sir but that after the success of many battels Victories gained at the price of the blood of Subjects may content the ambition of a Prince transported but a good Prince whose thoughts are generous and magnanimous prefers an innocent triumph before all other advantages of the world We praise with all our hearts that great God who hath began this work in the person of your
to the most Christian King and President in his Parliament of Paris ordinary Embassadour of France having about three a clock or a little after obtained the first audience as well for that having demanded it first as for that there was no other Embassadour at the Hage that would come into competency with him he was met in the Court by one of the chief Gentlemen of the Chamber and on the top of the stairs by the Captain of the Life-guards which did on this occasion the functions of introductours As soon as the Embassadour had made his reverences and would begin to speak the King covered himself forthwith and shewed thereby to the Embassadour what he had to do His complement was very well received but his audience was short M rs Otte Krag Lord of Welberg Bayly of Nieburg and Senatour of the Crown of Denmark and Godsche of Bugwaldt Lord of Gieresbeeck Prevost of the Covent of Uttersen and Councellour of Estate to his Majesty Extraordinary Embassadours from the King of Denmark had their audience after the French Embassadour and after they were received and treated in the same manner as the other was the first who is of a most illustrious birth in the Kingdom as his Colleague is also in the Country of Holstein and a personage of a full experience betook himself to speak in these terms That since it had pleased the Almighty God to call again his Majesty into his Kingdoms where his great merit should have established him long ago as well as the right of his birth they would not fail to come to congratulate him and to acquit themselves by this means of the duty which they have as well to the neer affinity which is between his Majesty and the King their Master as because of the streight alliance which is and hath been alwaies between the two Kingdoms of England and Denmark That they had cause to rejoice for this happy change not only because of the glory and felicity which redounded thence to his Majesty but also because of the advantage which the King and Kingdom of Denmark would draw from thence which had not been afflicted and unjustly oppressed so long if that of England had been in condition to hinder it That the King their Master would not fail to witness himself by a solemn Embassage the joy which he received from so surprising and so extraordinary a revolution as soon as he was advertised thereof and that they hoped in this happy conjuncture that his Majesty would continue to live with the King their Master in the amity alliance and firm confidence in which their Majesties have alwaies lived and which for some years was not interrupted but to their irrepairable prejudice of both one and t'other And so that his Majesty would oppose himself generously to the violence which is done to their King and succour him against the unjust invasion wherewith his Kingdom was afflicted Besides that they thanked his Majesty for the honour he had done them to admit them into his Royal presence and for the particular grace which they received from thence in their persons The King thanked the Embassadours for the affection they had expressed to him and said that he knew very well that not only from long antiquity there was a most streight tie between the Kingdoms of England and Denmark but also that the deceased King his Father had such great obligations to the deceased King of Denmark father of him that reigns now his good Cosen and to the present King himself that one of the chief cares whereunto he would apply himself in entring into his Kingdom should be to renue the ancient amity with him to make known that the interests of the King of Denmark were as dear unto him as those of his own Estates Of which he praied the Lords Embassadours to assure the King their Master and that though he should not naturally have horrour for oppression and injustice he could not but be touched with those which were done him and could not deny them the proofs of affection which they demanded Don Estevan de Gamarra Councellour to the Catholick King in his Councell of Estate and War General Field Martial of his Armies in the Low-countries and his ordinary Embassadour with the Lords the Estates General of the United Provinces saw also the King the same day but it was without demanding audience and without ceremonies his Majesty having given him to understand that the affection which he had had for his interests when he was at Bruxels permitted him to see him every day and at all hours So covered he not himself because the open war which for some years was and is between Spain and England hindred him to make his character appear there whereas the particular devotion which this Lord hath alwaies had for the service of his Majesty obliged him to be continually at the Court and by his person As on the contrary Don Enriques de Souza de Tavares Count of Miranda Governour of the arms of the Senate of the town and castle of Porto and extraordinary Embassadour from the King of Portugal to this Republick could not obtain audience what instance soever he made for it But withall to the end not to reject him altogether the King who is without doubt the best and civillest Prince of the world sent unto him the next day Sir Edward Nicholas Secretary of Estate and of his commands to tell him that if the Lord Embassadour of Portugal had Letters of Credence for his Majesty he would make no difficulty to give him audience but being not in his Kingdom nor in a place where he might treat of affairs of Estate he praied his Excellence to consider how unhandsom it would look if in going out of the country under the obedience of the King of Spain where he had received all kinds of civilities he should give without any necessity audience to his declared Enemy But that he might assure himself that when he should be returned into his Kingdom he should alwaies be ready to give audience to the Ministers of Portugal which should be addressed to him with Letters of Credence After the publick audiences the King received the complements of many persons of quality and at evening went to make a visit to the Queen of Bohemia his Aunt and next to the Princess Royal his sister The Lords the Estates of Holland had a purpose to depute some of their body to accompany his Majesty at supper but for as much as it was made known unto them that the King would be very glad to sup in private and to retire himself in good time after the toil of the two former daies and particularly after the visits and complements which he had been obliged to receive and wherewith he had been almost oppressed that day they would not hinder him to take his repose but resolved to reserve to themselves that honour for another time when they might receive it
Britain The King answered him that the testimonies of affection which he rendred him on this occasion from the King of Swethen were very acceptable to him and that he should find him alwaies disposed not only to execute with sincerity the ancient treaties which common interest hath caused to be made between England and Swethen but also to confirm them by new and streighter alliances After this his Majesty informed himself of the age of the King of Swethen that reigns now of the place where the Queen lives and causeth the King her son to be brought up at present and of many other things which denoted the great goodness with which his Majesty would receive the Ministers of Princes with whom his Predecessours had alwaies lived in good correspondence After this familiar discourse wherewith the Embassadour came of very well he went to the Dukes of York and of Glocester and afterward saw also the Chancellour of England to whom he spake of the present estate of the affairs of the North and gave him to understand that they were in terms of accommodation between the two Crowns of Denmark and of Swethen After this audience the King gave the rest of the day to the affairs of his Kingdom being in continual conferences with the Commissioners of the Parliament and of the City of London It shall not be from our purpose to say here a word of the manner wherewith the King was served at his ordinary repasts and of the Estate of the expence which was made every day for his Majesty We have spoken of his Table and how the Royal persons that did eat there were seated They served up great Dishes in Oval form at five courses each containing five dishes and twelve trenchers because they changed the dishes twice at every service and every dish was so massive that one shall not be troubled much to represent the expence thereof when he shall know that there was two dozen of Pheasants in one dish and that all the other dishes were furnished accordingly They served besides that five tables for the Lords and one for the Ladies as for the Marquess of Worcester c. all at four courses and almost as full and furnished with the same meats as those of the King's table except one course which was between the pottages and the rost All the sweet meats as well at the King's table as at the Lords and Ladies were pillaged at every meal and exposed to the discretion of the people who were ordinarily there at those hours by the King in crowds And not only they served all sorts of delicious wines at the tables but the sources steamed therewith continually day and night and were never dry as well for the English of what condition soever they were as for all those of the town that came to demand it Every Table was of twelve coverings and had its Steward it s four Butlers as many assistants in the buttery and twelve men that serv'd up the meat and drink But for the King's mouth it was particular there was a Clark of the Kitchin for the pottages another for the courses another for the pastry one more for the rost and one for the meats between the courses every Clark having four Cooks under him for each service There hapned this day a thing which for having made a great noise in the beginning deserves well to be spoken of here with circumstances which might make one beleeve the truth of what was spoken of then A man of a most mean condition French by birth being about 9 a clock in the evening in a remote place towards the Rampart presented himself at the dore of a Millars house wholly affrighted and almost senseless as he appeared out of breath and said unto him that having been enforced to draw off for some necessity of nature he stooped down towards that little rising which serves for entrenchment to the Hage and which we called Rampart where being almost hidden as well because that the place where he put himself was low as because it was neer night he presently saw three men to come whereof two were cloathed in grey and the third in black who said one to another with displeasure as he could judge thereof in bad French as he reported that they failed twice because of the great number of people that were about him and serv'd him for guards but they would so well take their advantage from the two sides of the Coach that he should not escape them That rising upon this the others wholly surprised to see a man in a place where they were come because they thought to find no body there said that they were discovered and must dispatch him that might reveal them That thereupon one of the three shot of a Pistol whose bullet pierced his hat which he shewed wherewith he staggered but that the other thinking the stroak was not mortal shot a second so neer that he burned his hair This had so astonished him the he fell to the ground where having lain a while untill the three men were retired he arose and went streight to the house of that Millar And indeed he gave such an alarm there that the Millar went presently forth with him and taking two of his neighbours with him that armed themselves with stones like him they pursued those three men but to no purpose because they met them not therefore they went to the place where he said he saw them at first and where they found indeed the cloak which he said fear had made him to quit The affair was judged of such importance that the Court of Justice was ordered the next day to make a most strict and most exact inquiry thereof The Informer being questioned herein by Commissioners persisted in his first depositions which were believed at first to be so much the more true as the accuser though incommodated enough in his domestick affairs witnessed to be much uninterested and demanded no recompence Those notwithstanding that staied not much at fair apparences and would that they should proceed to a more exact examination of an affair of this nature spake of it as of a deceit which the laws should either justifie or punish with the severest punishment Howsoever it was it produced this effect that the Estates judging that they could not bring too much care to the conservation of the precious pledge which they had with them caused some troops of horse to advance with all speed which were already commanded and which being arrived kept guard with the standard on the avenues of the Palace where the King was lodged and of which there was alwaies a brigade which followed the Coach wheresoever his Majesty went And for as much as it was known that there was found in the Fleet a man bould enough to have resolved to put fire to the powder when the King should go to see the Vessel where he served in quality of Marriner which obliged Admiral Montague to
of the Estate and for that of the Province of Holland in particular And as for the Prince of Orange that the merit of his Ancestours was still so present to their memory that there was no doubt but the desires of his Majesty should be fulfilled of that side After that the King retired in the same manner and order as he came the Estates of Holland following him in body with design to conduct him even to his house But the King being descended into the Court by the same way he went took that towards the Princess Royal her apartment which is in the same Palace and the Estates having conducted him even to the first story took leave of him and returned through the gallery to the Hall of their Assembly Every one was extreamly surprised with so obliging and so gallant a manner of proceeding but this joy was in some kind moderated because the place being so vast that notwithstanding the cutting off the most part of the Deputies lost either the sense or words of the King's discourse The Pensionary Councellour who answered thereto said unto those that ask'd it him in writing that he had perfectly well comprehended the intention of the King but that he would not undertake to relate word by word what his Majesty said concerning the Princess Royal and the Prince of Orange which was that they most desired to know The King being advertised of the displeasure of the Estates of Holland had the goodness to call for pen ink and paper in the Princess Royal her Chamber and to send to the Pensionary Councellour this following note written and signed with his hand Sirs whereas I leave here in your hands the Princess my Sister and the Prince of Orange my Nephew two persons which are extreamly dear unto me I pray you Sirs to take their intersts to heart and to make them to resent the effects of your favour in the occasions which the Princess my Sister shall request you either for her self or for the Prince her son assuring you that all the effect of your good will towards them shall be acknowledged of me as if I had received them in my own person and was signed CHARLS R. The Pensionary Councellour answered thereunto by a formal discourse and most elegant the substance whereof we shall only declare and so it imported no other thing but that this note whereof a copy was sent to the Estates General was inserted in the Registers of the resolutions of the Generality and of the Province of Holland Mr de Thou Count of Meslay Embassadour of France took this day his audience of leave with the same ceremonies he took the first Mr. Otte Krag and Mr. Gotsche of Bugwald Extraordinary Embassadours from the King of Denmark took theirs also and added to the complement they made his Majesty upon his happy voiage a most humble prayer that being upon his return into England it would please him to remember his good Cosen and Ally the King of Denmark their Master and the estate of his affairs as the King their Master of his side would acknowledge as lnog as he lived the good Offices which his Majesty should render him on so pressing an occasion The King after he had thanked the Embassadours for their complement upon the subject of his voiage said that he could not be ignorant that it was partly for his sake that the King of Denmark suffered and that he should be no sooner returned into his Kingdom then he would imploy all possible means to declare the part he took in the interests of that Prince his neer Cosen chiefly in a cause the justness whereof was so evident and wherein he was interested in his particular And that he hoped that the peace not being so far advanced as they were made to believe he should have leisure to give him proofs of his good will After that the Embassadours retired to go visit the Earl of Oxford chief of the Deputies of the Higher House of Parliament The Embassadours had caused the King to be sounded if he were pleased that they should see the Commissioners of the two Houses whereas his Majesty expressed to them that they should do him a pleasure therein they had often caused audience to be asked both of one and t'other but their continual imploiments upon the King's person joined to the difficulty that was to assemble persons that diverted themselves in a place where occasions were not wanting to them and in a time when all the world rejoiced opposed alwaies their satisfaction untill that the Earl of Oxford who indeavoured what he could to make the Commissioners of the Higher House to assemble but to no purpose They prayed at last the 31 day of May audience of the Lower House with the Lord Fairfax who had assembled some of them in the house of the Baron of Asperen where he was lodged and the next day which was Tuesday the Earl of Oxford did as much in receiving them at home with him in the house of Mr. Buysero Griffeer or Secretary of the Councel of the Prince of Orange Coming from the audience of the King both one and t'other treated the Embassadours with much honour and respect but they talked of the affairs of the North as of a thing whereof the King should have for the future the disposition since that in entring into the Kingdom he should have solely the whole conduct of the affairs of the Estate We have said elsewhere that the Embassadour of Spain saw not the King but as his particular servant and that he of Portugal saw him not when his Majesty arrived Hence was it that there were no other forraign Ministers that would trouble him with their complements upon his voiage after having officiated with him upon his coming to the Crown There was but Prince Maurice of Nassau who having had the honour to lodge the King in his house which is without doubt the only one in the Hage capable to receive so great a Monarch as well because of its seat being scituated in the fairest place of the Town and chief avenue of the Palace to which the Viver serves for Mote as because of the decoration of its apartments in one of which he caused to be represented the Princes of his House one of the most ancient and most illustrious of all Germany which would chuse there an Emperour in a time when there was none to be found in the other families There was but that Prince Isay who willing to acknowledge the honour he had received at home and at the same time to officiate with his Majesty for his Electoral Highness of Brandenburg made him also a complement upon his voiage His Majesty received him perfectly well did him civility in his particular speaking very advantagiously of the merit of his person and thanking him for the affection which he would express unto him but it was with an extraordinary resentment that the King spake of that which the Duke of Brandenbourg
Regalis scintillant fulgura recti Jamque Deum visu publicus orbis habet Floret tergemino constans Concordia Regno Sceptraque tot validis colligat arcta modis Nunc inscripta novis nascentur nomina terris Regis in Geminis conspicienda Rosis Quin auro qui floret ovans florentia Musis Condet Imperiis aurea secla suis. KEUCHENIUS VOTVM ET SALVS AD ILLUSTRUM VIRUM CONSTANTINUM HUGENIUM EQUITEM ZULECHEMI ET ZEELHEMI TOPARCHAM CELSISSIMO ARAUSIONENSIUM PRINCIPI A CONSILIIS ET SECRETIS PRO SALUTE ET IMPERIO MAGNI BRITANNIARUM REGIS CAROLI II. KALENDIS AUSPICIBUS ANNI POST RESTITUTO MIRABILEM SEQUENTIS CHRISTI M DC LXI SAlve Poëta plurimumque CONSTANTER Salve Senator Toparcha ter salve ZULECHEME salve vive Principi salvus Idemque Princeps Salus Poëtarum CONSTANS perenna dum STUARTUS BELGA Regisque constat Belgicaeque Majestas Haec vota festis nuncupata sub fastis Cape tota Regi queis Britannico sacros Precamur annos Imperîque longaevam FIDEIQUE Solio praevalente Tutelam Non jam Triumphis maximisque mirandis Superbus insto grandiorque regales Apto cothurnos ALITER HOC SACRUM CONSTAT CUI CONSTAT UNUS QUI SUIS SUUS CONSTAT DEBEMUS OMNES Debito repraesentat Hos insolutos Musa Gelra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MARS ORBIS HAERES TERROR ORBIS AC TUTOR MARS ORBIS ATHLAS IMPERANTIUM LUMEN FIDEIQUE NUMEN COELITUS REDONATUM DOLOS ET ARMA MACHINASQUE TRANSGRESSUS INVICTUS ARMIS NEC TAMEN FEROX ARMIS ASTU STUARTUS MAJOR AT VALENS ASTU FELIX TRIMPHIS ET PIUS TRIUMPHATOR CUNCTIS VERENDUS INDOMABILIS CUNCTIS DIS ET BRITANNIS BELGIOQUE SUBVECTUS DIS ET BRITANNIS BELGIOQUE REX VIVAT KEUCHENIUS The beginning of free Parliament The King's Letter to the Parliament The King sends a general Act of Oblivion The Army declares it self The Speaker of the Lower House his discourse to Sr. Iohn Greenvil The King arrives at Breda Lambert's defeat The Prince of Orenge comes to Breda As also Prince Frederic of Nassau And the Duke of Brunswic Lunenburg They know at Breda the Declation of the Parliament The news whereof is carried to the Hague The Estates of Holland send Deputies to the King The Estates General send Deputies to the King Mr. Beverweert goes to Breda The Marquess of Caracene desires the King to pass into Flanders Order of the precedence between the States General and the Estates of the Province of Holland Thurlo's Secretary comes to Breda The Deputies of the Estates General and of Holland depart The Deputies of the Estates General arrive at Breda The Deputies of the Estates General have audience of the King Have audience of their Royal Highnesses The Deputies of Holland have audience of the King Particular audience of the Deputies of the States General Mr. d'Amerongen goes to Breda Order between the Estates General and those of Holland for precedence in the Province The Estates send to pray the Embassadours not to send their Coaches to meet the King The speech of the Burgemaster of Breda The King embarks himself The town of Amsterdā makes a present of a fair Yacht to the King of Englād The King passeth in sight of Rotterdā The King arrives at Delf The King is complemented at Delf by the Deputies of every member The King arrives at the Hage The Queen of Bohemia and the Princess of Orange attended him The Estates General go to salute the King in a body The Speech of the Lord of Gent. The Counsel of Estate and the Reckoning chāber have audience Difficulties upon the audi ence of the Embassadours Audience of the Embassadour of France Audience of the Extraordinary Embassadours of Denmark The Embassadour of Portu gal cannot have audience The King giveth audience to the Deputies of the town of Amsterdam The Estates of Holland forbid the Courts of Iustice and the other Bodies to complemēt the King * The Estates General cause the Queen of Bohemia their Royal Highnesses and the Prince of Orange to be complemented The Estates General make a foundation of three hundred thousand gilders for the King's expence Audience of the Commissioners of the Parliament Particulars of the King's escape after the battel of Worcester Major Cromwell doth reverence to the King As also Sir Williā Davisson The Regiment of the Guards exercise Audiencé of the Deputies of Amsterdam Speech of Mr. de Groot Audience of the Extraordinary Envoy of Swethen How the King was served False advertisemēt of a design upon the King's person The Estates of Holland send victuals and provisions to the fleet The Estates General furnish Uessels to transport the King's stable And cause the Commissioners of Parliament to be complemented The Estates of Holland give charges upon the Kings recommendation They send to complement the Commissioners of Parliament Advise of the Coun cel of Estate of Holland for a foundation of six hundred thousand Gilders The Councel of Estate gives order for the imbarkment of the baggage Audience of the Ministers of Brandenbourg Audience of the Resident of Hessen Mr. Raet is made Knight Barronet The Embassadour of Spain entertaines the King Downing presents himself to the King The King toucheth the sick The English doubt not the effect of this remedy Feast of the Estates of Holland Order of the Estates General and those of Hollād to complement the King in taking leave The Estates of Frees land send to complement the King The Count of Oldenbourg is the first of the strangers which complemēted the King The Duke of York caused the Fleet to take an oath Changeth the name of the Admiral ship Descriptiō of the Admiral The King renders a visit to the Estates General The King makes a visit to the Estates of Holland The Estates General take leave of the King in a body The Speech of Mr. of Gent. Presents of the Estates of Holland to the Dukes of York and of Glocester The King departs from the Hague The Speech of Mr. de Wit The King goes out of the Hage He imbarks * York * The Princess Royal. * Neptune * The Rump * Sueton. in Tiber.
A RELATION IN FORM of JOURNAL OF THE VOIAGE And RESIDENCE Which The most EXCELLENT and most MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLS THE II KING OF GREAT BRITAIN c. Hath made in Holland from the 25 of May to the 2 of June 1660. Rendered into English out of the Original French By Sir WILLIAM LOWER Knight HAGUE Printed by ADRIAN VLACK Anno M. DC LX. with Priviledge of the Estates of Holland and West-Freesland THE PRINTER TO THE READER IF ever was a Relation whose truth might be indubitable it is questionlesse this which I give you at present It was composed on the Publick Acts drawn from the Registers of the Estate and exposed to the eys of those who were ey-witnesses of the things whereof it treateth and made the speeches which are inserted there and which are so faithfully related that except one onely there is none which was not pronounced in the same manner as you see them here written After this one cannot doubt that it may not one day serve advantagiously the History of the time whose mervellous revolution of the affairs of England shall make one of the principal parts It is requisite the world should know the particularities which you shall not find but in this discourse and I think to oblige my Country in publishing the marks of affection and good will which one of the first Kings of Christendom hath left it The Relation is French because the King would use that tongue during the residence whereof you have here the recital though he that composed it hinders it not to be extant in other languages but would that all people of the Universe should know it I confess it would have been more proper to have put it forth as soon as it was made immediately after the Kings departure and I would have given you this satisfaction if the diligence of those men that graved the Plates had answered my desire But I cease not to hope that it will not be ill received and that this production though tardive will have its agreements as well as the fruits which though given by nature but in a late season please notwithstanding and are carefully preserved I confess also that some faults are escaped in the Impression which all the diligent care of the Corrector could not avoid There is not any though that I know which alters the sense and which your discretion may not either correct or excuse Extract out of the Priviledge of the Estates of Holland and West-Freesland THe Estates of Holland and West-Freesland make known that Adrian Vlack dwelling at the Hague having remonstrated to us that he had caused to be printed at his great expense a Book entitled A Relation of the Voyage and Residence which the most Excellent and most Mighty Prince CHARLS THE SECOND King of Great Britain c. Hath made into Holland from the 25 of May to the 2 of June 1660. Enriched with divers fair Plates not only in the French tongue but also in the Dutch and English c. And fearing that some one might counterfeit it to his great Damage We have consented and granted by these Presents that the said Adrian Vlack may cause the said Book to be imprinted with prohibition to all other persons to imprint or distribute in our Province the said Book or part of it in any language or form whatsoever nor counterfeit the said Plates in any kind during the space of ten Years on pain of Confiscation of all the Copies and of three hundred pounds besides A RELATION Of the VOYAGE AND RESIDENCE Which His Most Excellent MAIESTY CHARLS THE II KING OF GREAT BRITAIN c. Hath made in Holland from the 25 of May to the 2 of June 1660. WHen the Parliament began at London the fourth day of May in this present Year 1660. it was no new thing in the noble breast of his Excellence the Lord General Monck Commander in Chief of the English Army in Scotland as sensibly touch'd with the calamities wherewith he saw his poor country so long afflicted to think of the means to establish there the Monarchal government grounded upon the old and primitive Laws of the Estate This could not be a free Parliament and such a one as the whole Kingdom demanded if it were not composed of two Houses viz. the Higher House of Lords or Peers and the Lower House of Commons or Deputies of the Provinces For the same violence which had destroyed the essential form of the estate had so disfigured that illustrious Body in cutting off one of its principal members that being incapable to act for the important affairs which made the convocation of that great assembly to be judged absolutely necessary if it opened not the Higher house which tyranny had shut up it must of necessity find it fit to repeal the Lords who had voice and place there for so many Ages I say many Ages because it may be truly affirmed that this custom is no lesse ancient then Monarchy it self since that from the time that it came out of the hands of the Britans and Saxons to passe into the family of those that possesse it at present the Estates of England never assembled but the Peers were called as well as the Deputies from the towns of the Kingdom The resolution which was taken on this occasion was not so soon executed and scarce had the two Houses began their assemblies to labour in regulating the government which the pass'd disorders had perverted into a miserable Anarchy but there appeared on the twelfth of the same moneth of May at the dore one of the Gentlemen of the King's Bed-chamber named Sir John Greenvil who demanded permission to present Letters to the House from his Majesty That Sacred name which not long since was the aversion of varlets and fanaticks was heard with veneration and inspired into that illustrious assembly such extraordinary and advantagious motions for the King that it was impossible for it to expresse them as we also will not undertake to represent them here upon paper It sufficeth to say that not above three or four months before it had been a crime of high treason to speak in Parliament in behalf of the King but now no sooner is that great name pronounc'd then one sees a general joy in the countenance of all the commons and observes a most high respect for that divine character They caused the Gentleman to enter The Speakers of the two Houses receive the King's Letters from his hand and make the Secretary to read them every one in the meane time with the greatest expressive submission of the world standing bare headed The two Houses compose but one sole Parliament and they are two members of one and the same body so that the King in writing to each of them upon one and the same subject might well make use of one Letter and addresse it not only under divers inscriptions to the two Houses but also to General Monck for the Army to
Admiral Montague for the Fleet and to the Major of London for the Capital town of his Kingdom which were all united with one and the same affection and laboured unanimously to make one and the same design to succeed His Majesty added thereunto an excellent Declaration for the safety and repose of those who tortured in their consciences for having partaken in the rebellion might fear the punishment of it and in that fear might oppose the tranquility of the Estate and the calling in of their lawful Prince It is printed and published as well as the Letter but that shall not hinder me to say that there was never seen a more perfect assemblage of all the most excellent natural qualities and of all the vertues as well Royal as Christian wherewith a great Prince may be endowed then was found in those two wonderfull productions They breath but piety and zeal for the glory of God and for Religion but tendernesse for the afflictions of his people but esteem for the Parliament but firmness for the conversation of the King 's rights an admirable prudence for the regulating of affairs an inexemplar conduct for the re-establishment of the government in its former estate love for the good indulgence for the seduced and a more then Christian clemency for criminals or rather for crime it self for a crime I say so black and so abhominable that as there hath not been an example in history since the creation of the world so it is to be hoped that the goodnesse of his Majesty will not make it serve for example to the following ages Both one and t'other wrought the effect which the King promised to himself from them since they fully gained the hearts which the miseries of the time pass'd had already very much disposed to acknowledge their Prince For the Letter and Declaration were no sooner read but the Parliament declared that the sentiments of the King were good lawful generous and conformable to the fundamental laws of the Estate the government whereof ought to be composed of a King of Lords or Peers and of Commons and judging that the people would be well satisfied in the Declaration which the King had granted them the Parliament ordained at the same time that most humble thanks should be returned to his Majesty for the favourable Letter which he graciously had written to them That to disingage his Majesty from the place where he was and to facilitate his passage they ordered him presently a sum of fifty thousand pounds sterling which was increased with another of ten thousand by the inhabitants of the City of London That the Admiral Montague should go with his Fleet to attend the King's orders on the coast of Holland That the two Houses and City of London should send to beseech him by their Deputies to come forthwith to take possession of the Kingdoms which God and his Right had given him and that in the mean time Sir John Greenvil should be dispatched with the Parliaments answer and should carry to Breda the resolutions and prayers of the two Houses or rather the just impatience which all England had to see again their Soveraign after a sad absence of so many years But that which is most remarkable in these resolutions is that they were not taken after a long contestation nor upon a simple acquiesment of the assembly but by the expresse suffrages and upon the universal and unanimous consent of all the Deputies of the two Houses who laboured in emulation of each other which should give the most proofs of affection The Parliament also permitted General Monck to send Mr. Clarges his brother-in-law accompanied with some Officers of the Army to assure his Majesty of the fidelity and obedience of the Army which had made publick and solemn protestations thereof after the Letter and Declaration was communicated unto them by the General But to the end one may see plainly what the sentiments were of all the English on this occasion I will not fear to report here the very words which the Speaker of the house of Commons said to the Gentleman which had delivered him Letters from his Majesty It is impossible for me said he to expresse the acknowledgment and submission with which the Commons assembled here in Parliament have received the Letter wherewith his Majesty was pleased to honour them The thing speaks it self you have seen it with your eys and heard it with your ears Our Bels our Bonfires and the report of our Artillery have already begun to proclaim the King and to publish our joy We have made known to the People that our King the glory of England is returning unto his Kingdom and have heard resound in our ears these agreeable protestations that they are ready to receive him and their hearts open to lodge him and as well the Parliament as People have already cried aloud together with one voice in their prayers to the King of Kings Long live King Charls the second I have also to tell you continued he that the Parliament not willing that you should return without some mark of acknowledgment to the King your Soveraign and ours hath ordained you the sum of five hundred pounds sterling to buy you a Jewel to make you to remember the honour which his Majesty hath done you in charging you with a Commission of this nature whereof you have so well acquitted your self that the Parliament hath commanded me to give you thanks We must confesse that there is something very extraordinary in this marvellous revolution but it is also certain that there is nothing miraculous in it The King was not surprised thereat God used him in the conduct of this great work He had laboured therein he had observed the dispositions and knew the progresses thereof and in this foresight he departed from Bruxels the last of Mareh to go to Breda And though since in the same month he went sometimes to Bruxels and to Antwerp he was resolved notwithstanding not to remain there but to betake him to the Princess Royal his sister Many considerations obliged him to depart the Territorres under the obedience of the King of Spain in this conjuncture of affairs but the sole convenience which he had at Breda to receive at all times Posts from England which passed and repassed every day and hour and to go from thence unto Holland to expedite the return into his Kingdom might invite him to transfer his Court there for a while He arrived there the 14. of April and was the same day complemented by Mr. Snel old Burgemaster in the name of the Magistrate who would likewise oblige the Town to make a solemn entrance to his Majesty but the Princess Royall hindred it for most considerable reasons The 17 the Lord Mordant arrived there with full assurances of the good will of the Parliament and that it would labour indubitably for the re-establishment of the King as soon as it should be compleat
and that the entrance into it should be made the day that had been named for it From that time forward there passed not a day almost that the King received not some remarkable news upon which he might ground infallible hopes of his re-establishment The 25. of April Sir John Greenvil since Earl of Bath and Sir John Boys brought him intelligence of the defeat of General Lambert he had been prisoner in the Tower of London by vertue of an Ordinance of the Councel of Estate and made an escape thence with design to put himself in the head of those that would oppose Monarchal government but he was beaten and taken by Colonel Ingoldsby and brought back unto his former Prison before he could assemble troops enough to form the body of an Army He received the same day Letters from Admiral Montague which continued to assure him of the good estate of the affairs of the Kingdom and of the sincerity of his intentions of which he had already given proofs many months before when Sir George Booth took up Arms for the King under the name of good Englishmen which demanded the convocation of a Free-Parliament The Prince of Orenge his Nephew was at Breda the 16. of the same moneth and every day some Prince or person of quality came to rejoice with his Majesty for the happy change of his fortune whereof they began to have almost infallible assurances Prince Frederic of Nassau brother to Prince Maurice of whom we shall have occasion to speak hereafter arrived there the 2. of May with the Prncess his wife from his government of Bergen op Zoom and the Duke of Brunswic Lunenburg who resides at Hannover came there four daies after The visit of this Prince which is no lesse considerable through the excellent qualities which he possesseth then through the Extent of his Dominions was so agreeable to his Majesty that he could not forbear to testifie it to him on all occasions and in a most obliging manner insomuch that he would voluntarily sup with his Highness accompanied with the Dukes his brothers and live with him in a confidence which might make him to hope for a very particular good will for the future The 14 of May a day fatal to the most potent Kingdom of Christendom for the death of the two last Kings was that which fully assured the King of the revolution of the affairs of his Kingdom through the advertisement which came to Breda of what was done in Parliament the eleventh of the same month as we have spoken of it before and the next day after the news was brought being the 15 they being of great importance were sent to the Hague by Letters from the Princesse Royal which were seen in the Assembly of the Estates General The Estates of the Province of Holland who were at that time assembled in a body and had by their wisedom foreseen in the disposition of the affairs of England the change which would apparently arrive there had also foreseen by their prudence the advertisement which was given of the Declaration of the Parliament For on thursday the 13 of May before it could be known what passed at London that illustrious Senate making reflection upon the present constitution of affairs and on the apparences of the neer and indubitable re-establishment of the King resolved that Mr. Beverweert Strevelshouck Vlooswijck and Teylingen Deputies at the Assembly from the Nobility and from the Towns of Dort Amsterdam and Alckmaer should depart immediately after they knew the intention of the Parliament to make known to the King of great Britain the affection of this Province for the person of his Majesty and for all the Royall Family to testifie unto him the joy and satisfaction they had to see infallible dispositions almost ready to place him in the Throne of his Ancestors and to assure him of the strong inclination which they had to make with him and with the Kingdoms under his authority a firm and indissolvable alliance for the mutual conservation of the common interests of his Estate and of this Republick But chiefly to make him offers of service and to beseech him to do this Province the honour to reside there as in a place most commodious for communication with his Subjects for his passage into England and to receive there the effects of the most sincere protestations of respect and amity which they caused to be made unto him by their Deputies They had also order to insist particularly upon this last point as on the most important of their commission and to use to this purpose the most civil and most engaging terms that interest of Estate and affection for the good of their country could dictate to them They enjoined also the same Deputies to officiate with the Dukes of York and Glocester the King's brothers and with the Princess Royall his Sister and that instance should be made in the Assembly of the States Generall that the same offices might be made of their part with his Majesty and with all the Royal persons The last point of this Resolution was executed the next day when Mr. de Wit Pentionary Councellor Keeper of the great seal and Lieutenant of the Fiefs of Holland was in the Assembly of the States General where it was resolved that Mr. de Ripperda Lord of Buirse Deputy to the States Generall of the Province of Gelderland Mr. de Merode Lord of Rumme Deputy from the Nobility of Holland to the Assembly of the same States General named to the extraordinary Embassage of Spain and Guldewagen of Holland Vrybergen of Zealand Renswoude of Utrecht Velsen of Frieseland and Isbrants of Groning should go to Breda to congratulate the King for his glorious re-establishment and do with his Majesty with the Dukes of York and Glocester and with the Princesse Royall the same office which the Deputies of the Province of Holland had order to do with him in the name of their Superiours The States of Holland pretended that their Deputation would have no effect until they should have advertisement of the Declaration of the Parliament not that they doubted of its intention but because they judged that it imported the service of the King so to use it whereby not to prevent the Parliament and to do nothing rashly in an affair of this consequence where civility done out of season was both incommodious and unprofitable Notwithstanding forasmuch as it was necessary that his Majesty should know the sentiments of the Estates they ordained that he should have assurance thereof under hand by offices efficacious and capable to express them well and to this purpose they judged it fit that the person of Mr. Lewes of Nassau Lord of Lecque and Beverweert c. Serjeant Major General of the Armies of the United Provinces and Governour of the Bosch should be so much the more proper for that as the devoirs which he was obliged to render to the King
in his particular might serve for pretext to his voiage And indeed the person of this Lord should be extreamly agreeable not only because of the affection which he had witnessed for the affairs of his Majesty during his persecution and because of the alliance which the Lord of Ossery eldest son of the Marquess of Ormond Lord Deputy of Ireland of the illustrious House of Butler and now Lord Steward of England hath taken in his House but also and principally because of the great imploiments which he hath in his country and of the excellent qualities which are found in his person All considerations which obliged him to see the King before he did the functions of publick Minister He arrived at Breda on Saturday morning the 15 of May and executed his Commission so happily that the King reserving but the open declaration of his good will for the Deputies when they should be arrived disposed himself to receive the offers and civilities which they had order to make him with so much the more advantage and glory for this Estate and for Mr. Beverweert in particular as Don John de Monroy who arrived the same day at Breda had prayed his Majesty from the Marquess of Caracene General of the King of Spains Armies in Flanders to take his way through the Provinces under the obedience of his Catholick Majesty and to embark in one of the ports of those quarters to return to his Kingdoms Some report at that time and even those who took pains to observe what passed at Breda during the abode which the King made there as sure that Don John de Monroy had also made known to the King that the arrears due to the troops which the King of Spain entertained for the service of his Majesty were at Bruxels and that he might cause them to be paied as he passed But this appeared not no more then what passed in the conference which the Duke of York had some daies before with the Marquess of Caracene himself in the town of Antwerp by order of the King who would not go there in person though he was pressed thereunto through the consideration of the important affairs which he said he had order to communicate to his Majesty The King defended himself with the same firmness from the civilities which he sent to be made unto him in excusing himself upon the facility which he found for his passage in the place where he was at present I know that two reasons principally obliged the King to render himself at first to the request which Mr. Beverweert made him in the name of the Lords the Estates of Holland The first that having had advertisement that the Parliament and City of London sent a great number of Commissioners he would not they should lose time in going from the Sea to Breda and the other that the Court was already so great and the town so incommodated of provisions that it would be impossible to lodge there and diet the Deputies and their train which were said to be three or four hundred Gentlemen besides other Domesticks We have said that the news of the Parliaments Declaration of the Army and of the City of London was carried to Breda the precedentday by Posts express and that from thence it arrived the next day at the Hage where the estate of affairs being changed since the resolutions of the former daies as well the Estates General of the United Provinces as those of the Province of Holland pressed their Deputies to depart And those last in particular writ to Mr. Beverweert and gave him order to signifie to the King that they had nominated already some of their body which should be gone forthwith to congratulate his Majesty and in the mean time to dispose him to honour that Province with his presence and abode during the time that his affairs should oblige him to stay in the Country They writ also at the same time to the Magistrates of the towns where the King might passe in his way that they should make necessary preparations to receive his Majesty with all the honour and magnificence that was due to so great a Monarch The devotion of the day of Pentecost which hapned the 16 of May was cause that the Deputies departed not that day but it hindered them not from labouring in the regulation of a most important affair and which was judged by the Province of Holland to be of the greatest consequence This Estate is composed in such manner that notwithstanding the Soveraignity of al the United Provinces in one body every Province ceaseth not to be Soveraign in particular and they are all so jealous of their Soveraignity that they suffer not the Generality to have other advantage in the Provinces then that which is due unto them by vertue of their union and of the perpetual alliance which is in some kind more streight even then that of the Cantons Suizzers So that the Deputies of the Estates General being to meet with those of the Estates of Holland in the place where these pretended to represent the Soveraignity of their Province which acknowledgeth no superiour at home the difficulty was to order the rank between them and to conserve to each that which belongeth to it The Estates of Holland who had caused the King to be prayed in particular to honour their Province with his presence would have him to be received and saluted in their name upon the Fronteer would defray the charges on his way from the time he entred into the Province and till the first day he should arrive at the Hage as making part of his Voiage The Estates General who represent not indeed in general but what every Province possesseth in particular acquiesced therein left to the Province of Holland all the marks of Soveraignity and consented to this that their Deputies after they had congratuled the King and conducted his Majesty to the entrance into Holland should remain without functions conditionally notwithstanding that the Deputies of Holland should do the honour of the House and treating them of the Generallity with civility should give them precedence in the places where they might meet together The Estates General resolved the same day that the King's charges should be defrayed during the whole time he stayed in the United Provinces and ordained likewise that provision should be made for it but at first they met with so many difficulties that it was absolutely impossible to execute this resolution For the Town of Breda being already starved almost because of the great number of persons of quality which came there every day and the hot season permitting not provisions to be brought there from other places there was no body would undertake to treat the King and those that would have undertaken it could not have accomplish'd it so that the Estate would have had the displeasure to see their substance dissipated at the expense of its reputation We think to relate here as a
thing most remarkable that the same day Mr. Moorland chief Commissioner under Mr. Thurlo who was Secretary of Estate unto Oliver Cromwel his chief and most confident Minister of his Tyranny arrived at Breda where he brought divers Letters and Notes of most great importance forasmuch as the King discovered there a part of the intricate plots of the interreign and likewise the perfidiousness of some of those who owed him without doubt the greatest fidelity of the world The King received him perfectly well made him Knight and rendred him this publick testimony that he had received most considerable services from him for some years past The 17. the Deputies of the Estates General whom we have named departed from the Hage about two a clock after dinner and embarked themselves the same day at Rotterdam where the Jachts or Pinnaces which the Estate had caused to be in readiness attended them Those of Holland departed in the morning but they made not the same haste as well because they would not be the first in the place where the Estates were to precede as because they had divers orders to give in the places of their passage The Deputies of the States General arrived at Breda the 18. of May after dinner and were met with neer the village of Terheida by four Cornets of Horse of the Garrison and arriving at the Town they found there 12 Companies of Foot drawn up in battalia which saluted them with their shot whil'st the Artillery thundred from the walls and bulwarks As soon as they were come to the house which was prepared for them they gave notice thereof to his Majesty and next to the Dukes of York and Glocester and to the Princess Royal and towards the evening the King and their Royal Hignesses sent them most civil salutes by Gentlemen of their House They understood that Mr. Clarges brother-in-law to General Monck was arrived there the same day and that he had brought the protestations of fidelity and obedience from the Army and the confirmation of what they had already heard of the Declaration of the Parliament Until then the Major of the Garrison had taken orders from the Princess Royal but the Deputies of the States General being arrived at Breda would transfer that honour to the King who gave the word Amsterdam not so much for that he considered this Town as the most powerfull of all these Provinces but for as much as he could not silence the resentiments which he had for the Magistrate which had given him most illustrious and most agreeable marks of its affection The next day there came a Post to Breda bringing intelligence that the Garrison of Dunkerck declared for the King and had witnessed its joy by the fire of its Cannon and Muskets The King had the goodness to invite the Lord Lockart Governour of the place to express some inclination for his service and to give him an occasion for it by the advance he had made and the assurances he had given him but it could gain nothing upon that spirit prepossessed and tied so by particular interests to the house of Cromwel untill he was constrained to leave himself to be carried away by the general motion of the whole Army and of the Garrison it self The next day being the 19. the Estates General having had advertisement by publick Letters from their Ambassadour at London of what passed in Parliament in behalf of the King redoubled the orders which they had given to their Deputies touching the complement and offices which they were to do to the end to acquit themselves thereof with zeal and affection and certified them by an express that they had sent commissions to Arnham Heusden Bergen op Zoom and Gercum for the Troops of Horse of Prince William of Nassau of the Count Christian of Dona and of M rs de Buat de Wassenaer and de la Lecque son to Mr. Beverweert with order to march with all speed night and day towards high Swaluwe to attend there the King of great Britain and to execute the commands which should be given them by the Deputies of the Estates of Holland The last arrived this day at Breda and the Deputies of the Estates General had their audience The King sent unto them about eleven a clock in the forenoon the Lord Gerard one of the Gentlemen of his bed-chamber whose quality and functions are answerable to those of the chief Gentlemen of the Chamber of the King of France who was to take them at their lodgings with four Coaches each drawn by six white horses and conducted them to the Castle where the King was lodg'd The Marquess of Ormond came to receive them at the top of the stairs and caused them to enter into the King's chamber where they found his Majesty standing in the mid'st of the chamber and covered but as soon as he saw them he uncovered himself and came two or there paces to meet them After they had made most low reverences and were come unto the King Monsieur de Ripperda Lord of Buirse one of the Deputies would begin to speak but his Majesty would oblige them to put on their hats in making semblance that he would be covered They had not the character of Ambassadour and could not have it at home with them therefore would they not be in that condition but remained in their duty and obliged thereby his Majesty who could not overcome their modesty though innocently and against their intention to remain also uncovered whil'st the first Deputy spake The substance of his discourse was that the States General of the United Provinces had understood with an extream joy the chang of the affairs of England That they knew the good God had so well touched the heart of the inhabitants that there was not any Person almost that cried not on the name of the King and wished passionately to see him returned into his Kingdom that upon certain advertiements which the Estates General had had thereof they thought it fit to send their Deputies to this Majesty to witness unto him the part they take to congratulate him in so important an occasion and to wish him and all his Royal Family all the blessings of Heaven and all the prosperity that he might hope from God after so long and such bitter afflictions that the Estates General made those prayers with so much the more ardour as they knew that the repose of this Common-wealth depended in some kind on that of its neighbours and that they would not willingly enjoy the amity of the English but under the Monarchal Government of his Royal House that they pretended to enjoy it still for the future under the happy government of his Majesty and for this purpose they hoped he would have the goodness to renue with the United Provinces the alliance which they alwaies considered here as one of the chief points of Estate and as the foundation of the conservation of the
common interests of the two Nations That they had order also from their Superiours to remonstrate to his Majesty that the residence of Breda was inconvenient and distant and to beseech him most humbly to chuse one in their Provinces that he should judge more proper for his affairs for his residence and for his embarkment That the Estates General had commanded them to follow his Majesty in his voiage and to serve him with whatsoever the United Provinces possessed The King thanked the Lords the Estates for their civility and for the testimonies of affection which they caused to be made him by the mouth of their Deputies and assured them of his amity in such strong and obliging terms that knowing one shall be very glad to remember often the goodness of the King we fear not to relate here the same words which he used to conclude his discourse I love this Common-wealth said he not only because the Princess Royal my Sister and the Prince of Oreng two persons who are extreamly dear unto me remain here but also through interest of Estate for the good of my Kingdoms and through a very strong inclination towards their good I love truly SIRS these Provinces and so strongly that I should be jealous if they gave greater part in their amity to another Prince then to me who think that I ought to have much more therein then any other Prince since I love them more then all the other Soveraigns together After dinner the Deputies did reverence to the Dukes of York and Glocester the King's brothers and to the Princess Royal his sister where Mr. de Ripperda made again the complement Mr. German Gentleman of the Horse to the Duke of York came to take them at their lodging and conducted them to the audience of his Royal Highness At coming from whence he conducted them to the audience of the Duke of Glocester and coming forth of his appartment they met with Sir Alexander Humes Steward to the Princess who conducted them to his Mistress chamber which was not above fifteen or twenty paces from thence The two Princes made them a full civility in conducting them even to the dore almost of their apartments Thursday the 20. of May about eleven a clock in the fore-noon the Deputies of the Estates of Holland had their audience of the King unto which they were brought in by the same persons and with the same ceremonies wherewith that of the Estates General was accompanied The Marquess of Ormond who had the conduct of it giving them the hand Mr. de Beverweert Chief of the Deputation carried the Word and spake in these terms SIR It is now the third time that My Lords the Estates of Holland have congratulated with your Majesty upon your coming to the Crown The first was when you attained thereunto by vertue of the fundamental law of your Estate immediately after the decease of the late King your father of most glorious and eternal memory and the other when the Scots came to this place to invite your Majesty to go to take possession of one of the Crowns of your Ancestours It is but with great grief SIR that we remember those two disastrous encounters but on the contrary it is with a transport of joy that we come now from the Estates of Holland our Superiours to congratulate your Majesty upon the present happy estate of your affairs We may say that they see already your Majesty seated in the Throne and so that they take the part which they ow to the satisfaction which you are to have thence and this with so much the more reason as they know that the reciprocal amity between England and this Republick hath never suffered the least alteration under the government of her Kings So promise they themselves that it shall be better conserved then ever it was under that of your Majesty with whose alliance they shall feel themselves alwaies extreamly honoured as well as with the Royal good-will which your Majesty expresseth unto them They also most humbly beseech your Majesty to give them a proof thereof at present in transferring your Court into their Province for the litle time which your Majesty will have to stay in these quarters and to suffer that they cause to be rendered and render themselves in person unto you during that time all the services which they ow to so great and potent a Monarch whose amity is so precious and necessary to them The King made them very neer the same answer which he did the day before to the Deputies of the Estates General in saying that he was very much obliged to the Lords the Estates of Holland for the affection they expressed to him that he refused not the offer they made him of the commodity of another residence in a Province for which he had alwaies had a most particular inclination as well because of the dear pledge of the Princess Royal his sister and of the Prince of Oreng his nephew which they kept as trhough a secret motion and an interest of Estate indispensable This the King said with so much goodness and tenderness that the Deputies finding themselves insensily engaged in a discourse more particular and his Majesty making known that he heard speech of the affairs of the North with pleasure opened himself fully therein and feared not to say that he was obliged to assist the King of Denmark not only because of the neer affinity and affection which the present King as well as the deceased King his father had expressed for his interests but also because he judged that it extreamly imported England and all Europe to stop the progress of the Swed's Arms in those quarters The Deputies were after dinner with their Royal Highnesses where they were brought in by the same persons and received in the same manner that the Deputies of the Estates General had been treated and received the day before About five a clock in the evening the Estates General had a particular audience of the King in execution of the express order which they had to make known to his Majesty the inclination of the Estate for a most streight and perpetual alliance with his Majesty to which the King answered with much freeness and affection saying in most strong and most obliging terms That not one of the Kings his predecessors had ever had for this Common-wealth the affection which it should find alwaies in him not only because of the interests of the two persons so neer as the Princess Royal and the Prince of Oreng who live in the Estate and make as one may say a part thereof as he said unto them the day before but also through inclination and many reasons of Estate which obliged him to make with these Provinces a most streight alliance The same day the Estates General having understood by Letters from their Deputies that the King's design was to come into Holland by water gave order that all the Pinnaces
the tables were perfectly served therewith and in so great aboundance that the English Stewards though very much accustomed to aboundance were astonished thereat and confessed that they could not comprehend how they could make ready in Boats and agitation twenty or five and twenty great dishes for every Table The intention of the King was to dine at Noon in entring into the Yacht and indeed the Steward who was appointed there by the Estates of Holland had caused the meat to be made ready but the wind was so strong and the water so tossed that the Princess Royal not able to endure the violent motion of the vessel lost her appetite and finding her self incommodated with the sea-sickness was enforced to lie upon the bed Hence was it that the King caused the Captain to be asked if there was means to shelter them somewhat under some rising land or trees to ease the Princess a little but the Captain having answered that there was no rest to be hoped for but at Dort where they might arrive in an hour and a half or there about they went on upon this hope Notwithstanding they came not in sight of Dort till between three and four of the clock in the afternoon The Rampart and Key were bordered with Citizens which were put into arms and with a battery of great Cannon which made many volleys as well as the Muskets whil'st the Fleet passed there during and after the repast which was taken in sight of the town and as long as they could discover the flag of the ship which carried the person of the King with all the Royal family they thundered The Fleet stopped a quarter of a league below the town with design to cast anckor that evening and to stay the whole night following at the mouth of the river of Leck which gives its name to one of the fairest territories of Mr. de Beverweert and which is very well known through the great number of Salmons which are taken there every year But there happened two things which obliged the King to change resolution The first was the return of Sir John Greenvil who arrived from England whil'st the King dined and reported that the Parliament was resolved to beseech his Majesty to come to take possession of the Crown without any condition or reserve and that Admiral Montague was at sea with a good number of ships to come to receive him in Holland to transport him unto his Kingdom The other was the advertisement which his Majesty received almost at the same time by an express that that Fleet appeared in the morning in sight of Scheveling and at nine a clock had cast anckor in the Rode about half a league from the shore The King presently imparted it to Mr. Beverweert as to the chief of the Deputation of Holland and caused the Duke of York to tell him who was in person in the Deputies Yacht which joined side by side with his that it was true he had made accompt not to arrive at Delf till the next day about noon to the end to be able to make his entrance into the Hague at the hour which he had appointed for his reception but that he had received intelligence which obliged him to change his design and to anticipate the hour that was resolved on because it was of the highest importance for him to speak as soon as might be with the Officers of the Fleet and so that he should be constrained to go the whole night to the end to arrive at Delf at the break of day whereof he prayed him to give advertisement to the Lords the Estates immediately and by an express to the end that the Coaches designed for his reception might be there at seven a clock precisely Mr. Beverweert remonstrated to his Royal Highness the difficulties that would accur in the change of the orders which were already given in telling him that the Poste which he was to dispatch could arrive at the Hague but very late and perhaps at an unseasonable hour when it would be almost impossible to make the Estates to assemble and without that they could not change the time which it pleased his Majesty himself to appoint Notwithstanding if the King desired it absolutely the Deputies would not fail to write immediately and to advertise their Superiours therewith since they were there but to obey his Majesty and to serve him The Duke of York replied that it was through an invincible necessity and with an extream regret that the King did thus but that he hoped the Lords the Deputies would consider the estate of his affairs and oblige very much his Majesty in losing no time to dispath their Poste and in contributing by that means to the advancement of his voyage and embarkment in this pressing conjuncture The Letters went away about five a clock in the after-noon the King caused anckor to be weighed and passed at evening before the town of Rotterdam where the contrary wind enforcing the Fleet to board or tack about and by this means to draw neer the haven two or three times gave the town leasure to salute his Majesty by the musket shot of the Burgers who were all in arms with flying colours on the rampart and port and with all the artillery of the town as well as with all the Cannon of the Ships which were there in the rode He passed next to Delfs-haven where they had made a battery of sixteen peeces of Cannon and staied not till he came to Owerschie a village scituate between Delfs-haven and Delf where he would attend the day The Estates of Holland had resolved to cause his Majesty to be received at the powder Magazin upon the channel which serves for line of communication for the two towns Delf and Rotterdam for the town of Delf having been partly ruined by an accident of fire which met with the powder some years since they thought it fit to lodge it without the walls and without cannon shot of the town But the King having caused the Fleet to set sail as soon as the Sun began to appear on the Horizon they were at the suburbs of Delf by five a clock in the morning before the Deputies could give order to make the Fleet to stay at the place designed for the reception All the Citizens of the town were in arms from three a clock in the morning and a part had their poste upon the Key before the port where the King was to dis-imbarck and the Magistrate came there in body to do reverence to the King in the Yacht as soon as he understood he was arrived and to beseech him to do them the honour to repose and refresh in their town whil'st his Majesty should attend the Deputies of the Estates of Holland but the King excused himself on the Estate of his affairs which was so far from permitting him to stay by the way that it had obliged him to prevent the hour which he had taken and
into the Hage had the leisure to cut some little streets and to come to put themselves behind and so to make a guard from the Highstreet and along the great Place even to the Viverberg where the Regiment of the Guards had taken its Post and made a guard on both sides even to the House of Prince Maurice of Nassau which the Estates of Holland had caused to be furnish'd and accommodated for the King's lodging As soon as the first coaches were entred into the Court and the King alighted the Deputies of the Estates General retired and left the honour of the reception and entertainment for that day to the Estates of Holland The King being gone up found on the top of the stairs the Queen of Bohemia his Aunt led by the Duke of Brunswick Lunenburg who had the honour to salute and to entertain the King at Breda and the Princess Dowager of Orange led by Prince William Frederick of Nassau her son-in-law and accompanied with the two Princesses her daughters Madam the Princess of Nassau and the young Lady of Orange The King saluted them all and being entred into the chamber where he was followed by the Deputies of the Estates of Holland he received there another small complement from them by the mouth of the Pensionary Councellour who said no other thing but that the Estates of Holland would give themselves the honour to come in full body to render their duty to his Majesty when they might do it without incommodating him The King answered him that they should alwaies be welcome and that after he had dined they might take their audience But the Pensioner replied that his Majesty being without doubt weary with his journy they would not trouble his repose that day but would send to receive his orders the next The King who was weary indeed expressed a willingness to dine in private so that there staied no body by him but Mr. of Wimmenum who was charged with the order of making his Majesty to be served at dinner and in whatsoever it should please him to command The Princess Royal who had not slept the night before was the first that withdrew and obliged the others by her example to do the like The Queen of Bohemia and the Princess Dowager of Orange followed her and the King who would lead them and who took the Queen by the hand had the goodness after he had put her into the coach to turn about to the end to help the Princess Dowager to go up There staied with the King at dinner none but the two Dukes his brothers who dined with him His Majesty before he sate at Table would do Mr. of Wimmenum the honour to make him to take his napkin to present it him but that Gentleman who knew how to behave himself civilly excused himself through modesty and yeelded that advantage to him of his Officers who used to perform that function about the person of his Majesty The toil of the journy and little rest he had taken the two former nights made him desire to withdraw And indeed they would have made the musketteers to forbear shooting who gave continual volleys if it had been possible to smother the universal joy which the whole world would express on this occasion To these volleys answered those of a battery of eight and thirty peeces of Canon which were planted on the Viverberg reinforced with another of five and twenty peeces of a greater stamp which they were enforced to plant behind the Cloister Church of the Voorhout upon the rampart in turning the mouth towards the field for fear the noise of that thunder might shake the walls of the old Palace and of all the adjoining buildings The Estates General had ordained the precedent day Mr. de Heyde their Agent to go to Prince Maurice his House and to know immediately after the King's arrival at least as soon as civility would permit him when it would please his Majesty to receive the duty which they had resolved to render him in coming to do him reverence in a body and his Majesty having granted it them at four a clock in the afternoon it was resolved that they should all meet in the ordinary chamber of their assembly half an hour after 3 a clock to go from thence in a body to the house of Nassau They met accordingly at the hour appointed to the number of five and twenty viz. Mr. van Swanenburgh Burgemaster of Leiden and Deputy to the Estates General from the Province of Holland who at his turn was President that week the Baron of Gent M rs van Bemmel Braeckel Balveren Vande Steen Ripperda of Buirse the Count of Flodorff Schimmelpennick Vander Oyen Huygens and Ommeren Deputies from the Dutchy of Gelders Meerman of Horn and the Pensionary Councellour from the Province of Holland de Veth Crommon Vrybergen Lampsins and Kien for Zealand Renswoude and Amerongen Deputies from the Province of Utrecht Velsen for the Province of Freesland Ripperda of Hengelo for Overyssel and Schulenbourg and Isbrants for the town of Groning and the adjacent country with which it makes also a Province As soon as they were assembled they went forth two and two in the same order as we have named them going directly to the King's lodging which is separated from the Palace but by a Ditch whose two sides are joined by a stone bridge That Palace is named the Court or the Court of Holland because it served sometime for dwelling to the Counts as it comprehends now in its inclosure the apartments where the Estates General assemble the Councel of Estate of the United Provinces the Estates of Holland the Councel of Estate of the same Province the Reckoning-chambers of the Generality and of the Province of Holland The two Courts of Justice and the apartments assigned for the lodging of the Princess Royal and of the Prince of Orange Before the Estates marched Prince William Frederick of Nassau Governour and Lievtenant General of Freesland of Groning and of Overyssel the Rhine Grave Commissary General of the Horse of the United Provinces and Governour of Mastricht Mons de Hauterive Chasteau neuf Collonel of a Regiment of French Foot in the service of the Estates and Governour of Breda and many other Collonels Lievtenant Collonels and other Officers as well of Foot as of Horse all bareheaded At the entrance into the King's lodging they were met with by the Lord Crafts one of the four Gentlemen of the bed-chamber accompanied with a great number of gentlemen The Marquess of Ormond Lord Deputy of Ireland and in this quality the first and most considerable person of all England after the Dukes came to receive them at the stairs and brought them into the King's chamber All the high Officers that marched before being entred the Lords the Estates could scarce make way through the press which was extraordinary great there but at last being come to the King the Baron of Gent as chief Deputy
without incommodating his Majesty We said before that the King had advertisement the precedent day that Admiral Montagu was arrived with a part of the Fleet in sight of Scheveling which is but a village inhabited by a hundred or six score families of fishermen a good mile from the Hague which was found true For as soon as they understood in the Fleet then at anckor in the Downs which is a rode at the entrance of the channel that separates England from the main Land what passed in Parliament in behalf of the King and the publick Declaration which almost through the whole Kingdom was made it also declared for its lawful Prince and set sail upon the first orders of the Parliament with so favourable a wind that it appeared on the coasts of Holland on Munday morning the 24 of May and it had the same Admiral that dispatched an express to the King to let him know that he was come there with a part of the Fleet to receive his Majesties commands and to pass him into England It was composed at first but of eighteen or nineteen vessels but those that carried the Commissioners of the two Houses of Parliament and of the City of London having not yet joined with it there arrived others every day and hour so that before the King was in condition to embark there were reckoned eight and thirty great ships the most part of them bearing fifty sixty and seventy peeces of brass Cannon That of the Admiral called yet the Naseby carried fourscore where of the fir strank was of eight and forty pound bore the second of two and thirty and of four and twenty and the third of twelve pount bullet all of brass The Commissioners of the two Houses of Parliament and of the City of London arrived the same day but for as much as they were not of the King's train and had no Letters of Credence for the Estate it was resolved that they should not be treated nor lodged by Harbengers Notwithstanding the consideration which was had for the quality of the Commissioners of the House of Lords which were all followed with a great number of Gentlemen and store of servants clad in very fair and rich Liveries as also for some of the Lower House because of their birth or merit it was found good to lodge them by billets They went not a shore till the next day and the Estate was carefull to cause coaches to be sent for them by particulars which brought them at the Hage in the evening but they did not reverence to the King till Wednesday the 26. as we will say hereafter We have said also that the Estates of Holland would not take their audience the day that the King arrived to the end not to oppress him with complements when he had need of rest but they ordained Mr. Beaumont their Secretary to address himself to one of the Gentlemen of the Bed-chamber and to pray him to know of his Majesty the hour of their audience the next day officiating in the mean time under hand by Mr. Beverweert that it would please his Majesty to do them the favour to hear them in private and to make all to depart the Chamber when they entred there except the Lords that were necessary for the service of his person Not that they had to entertain him with secret affairs in a publick audience where they were but to felicitate his Majesty upon the present estate of his Kingdom but because that being assembled in a very great number and having to make their complement in a body all the Deputies could not enter into the Hall nor approach the King if entrance should be allowed to all the world indifferently The reason which obliged them to give order to the Captain of the Regiment of the Guards to forbid that morning entrance into the House of Nassau to all the inhabitants of the country of what condition or quality soever they were They caused a Guard also to be made for them of some Companies from the dore of their apartment in the Palace even to that of the Prince his house and prevented by this means the confusion which they would hardly have avoided without it After then they had given these orders and understood that the King expected them at nine a clock they came about that time to the place of their ordinary assembly and went forth thence in the following order Mr Starenberg Collonel of the Regiment of their Guards marched first and alone bare-headed After him came the Estates of Holland in body two and two the Deputies of the Nobility which are M rs of Wassenaer of Beverweert of Schagen of Wimmenum of Nortwijck of Somelsdijck of Duyvenvoorde vander Mylen to wit Scagen Wimmenum and Merode are politick and as we say of the robe and the others have military charges according to the order of their reception and the other Deputies according to the rank which their towns hold in the assembly with this difference notwithstanding that the Pensionary Councellour who although in the assembly he hath his place at the table of the Nobility cannot as Minister of the Estates pretend rank but after all the other Deputies when the Estates are together in a body and yet takes place immediately after the Nobles because that being to make the speech he could not without disorder make through the press to approach the person of the King Being thus arrived a foot at the gate of the King's lodging they were received there in the same manner as the Estates General had been the day before The Pensionary Councellour made a very quaint discourse which would give without doubt much ornament to our relation if that Minister would have communicated it but it could not be obtained from his modesty which is so much the more incommodious on this occasion as it is wel known that all the productions of that accomplished wit have their perfection and that this little treatise cannot have it without that We must beleeve notwithstanding that he would not have rendred himself so difficult if he would have considered that it is not in his power to take away the knowledge thereof from posterity who will find one day his Speech in the Registers where the Estates would it should be inserted in the same manner as he pronounced it The subject was common to him with all those that had spoken to the King 15 daies before Therefore the answer of his Majesty must also relate to that which he made to the oher complements But that which was particular in this audience was this that his Majesty having given occasion to the Estates to enter into other matters and the Pensionary Counsellor making use thereof to speak of the Estate of the affairs of the North the King declared himself so openly and so favourably for the interests of the King of Denmark that though the Lords the Estates should draw no other advantage from the generosity and vigour with which they
carried their arms unto those quarters then the sole approbation of this great Monarch the glory which returns unto them from thence would pay in a manner the great expence they were at there It is not fit to speak here of the particularities of that discourse no more then of those of the secret audiences which the same Pensionary Councellour had after this general and publick one but it shall suffice us to say that the Estates of Holland remained very well satisfied with the civilities they had received in this and with the declaration which his Majesty had made there The Estates of Holland being retired the Deputies of the town of Amsterdam which made a part of them gave order to Mr. de Groot their Pensionary Councellour to demand a particular audience for them and to address himself for this purpose to Mr. Oneal one of the Grooms of the Bed-chamber to know the hour that it would please his Majesty to appoint them for that Mr. Oneal who is of most illustrious birth in Ireland and by the King's favour to be made a Count after he had spoken to the King thereof his Majesty said to him that he desired himself to speak with Mr. de Groot who presently was brought into the chamber where he found the King neer the chimny a little distant from some English Lords who were in affairs with his Majesty Mr. de Groot being come to the King said that the Burgemasters and Magistrate of the town of Amsterdam having understood that this Majesty was come to this Province of Holland had ordained their Deputies to go presently to the Hage most humbly to beseech his Majesty to honour their town with his Royal presence for so little time as the estate of his affairs should permit him to stay in the country and that the Deputies had ordained him to know of his Majesty when they might without incommodating him have the honour to do him reverence in private and to make him the same request in person The King answered that he had a very strong affection for the town of Amsterdam and that he was obliged thereunto by particular considerations so that he would be very glad to see once again that fair and great town and to thank the Magistrate before his departure for the proofs of tenderness which he had received thence but that he believed he should not be able to obtain it from the impressement with which the Commissioners of Parliament and City of London spake of the necessity of his speedy return into England Notwithstanding that he would see the Commissioners after dinner since they were already disimbarked and if they gave him never so little time he would imploy it in making a voiage to Amsterdam and that in the interim he would attend the Deputies as soon as he had dined The Pensioner replied that since his Majesty expressed an inclination to make a journy to Amsterdam he besought him most humbly to defer the audience of the Deputies untill that after the hearing of the Commissioners of Parliament he could resolve himself upon the most humble supplication which the Deputies made him Adding thereunto that his Majesty might be fully perswaded that there was no town even in his own Kingdom where he could meet with more tenderness and respect for his person and more zeal for his interests then in that of Amsterdam and that the Burgmasters and Magistrate had no stronger ambition then to be able to give him effectual and indubitable proofs thereof That they had understood that his Majesty had some design to cause a Yacht to be made in Holland on the model of that which had passed him from Breda into Holland and likewise that he had the goodness not to despise wholly the offer which Mr. Vlooswijck one of their Burgemasters had made him of one which is newly built at Amsterdam and which upon the advertisement given them thereof they had caused to be bought of the Colledge of the Admiralty to which it belonged but they judged it not a present worthy of his Majesty and that they should not without some confusion make him a present of this nature Notwithstanding if his Majesty would be pleased to accept it it would be necessary that he should send some one at the place to order the contrivances and accommodations as for their part they would indeavour to give it all the embellishmens which might render it pleasing to his Majesty The King answered that it was true that the commodity which he had found in that kind of building on diverse occasions and especially in his last voiage coming from Breda had given him some thought to make one to serve his use on the Thames but that his intention was not to oblige the Lords of Amsterdam to present him that which they had though he would not refuse to receive again this mark of their affection and to charge himself with a new obligation towards that fair and great town That to this effect he would send there the Captain of Mr. Beverweerts Yacht with order to cause that to be finished which he received from their hands in the best and most commodious manner that he should judge fit for his service Moreover that he would give notice to the Deputies of the hour he could appoint for their audience after he had heard the Commissioners of Parliament The Estates of Holland had understood that the Courts of Justice which they call the great Councel and the Court of Holland where of the last is composed but of subaltern Judges for the Province and for that of Zealand and the first serves for Parliament to the same Provinces for the appeals which are brought there from all the others Courts of Justice had a purpose to demand audience of the King and that after their example divers other Colledges might demand it as some of those which make no body took a priviledge to do it before the King was arrived at the Hage resolved that notice should be given to the two Courts of Justice to the Reckoning Chamber of the Province to the Consistory of the place to the University of Leiden whose Rector was come to the Hage for that purpose and to all the other bodies and Colledges that the Estate in making its complement did it for all its subjects and that it would not that the King should be troubled with other visits after that which the Estates of Holland had made him in a body The Estates General named this day M rs de Gent Deputy of Gelderland Guldewagen of Holland and Lampsins of Zealand to go to felicitate the Queen in her Palace and the Dukes of York and Glocester who were lodged at the House of the extraordinary Embassadours on the re-establishment of the King and on the revolution of the affairs of England and M rs of Renswoude of Utrecht Ripperda of Hengelo of Overysel and Isbrants of Groning were deputed to do the same office
with the Princess Dowager and with the Prince of Orange The same day Mr. Ripperda of Buirse having made report in the same assembly of what passed in the voiage he made with some other Deputies to the King at Breda in order to their resolution of the 14. of this moneth the Deputies were thanked for it And for as much as the Estates General as it was agreed upon with the Estates of Holland should be at all the expence that should be made for the King during the residence which his Majesty should make in the Country except that of his voiage and that from the day that he arrived at the Hage they laid down this day a foundation of three hundred thousand Gilders and they required the Lord Ripperda of Buirse Guldewagen Swanenburg Stavenisse Renswoude Velsen Ripperda and Schulenbourg to attend his Majesty at dinner The Table was doubly furnished at the head of which and in the mid'st sate the King having on his left hand the Princess Royal and on his right the Queen of Bohemia when she dined there At the end of the Table on the same side were the Dukes of York and Glocester and at the other end by the Princess Royal was the Prince of Orange her Son And this order was observed in all the repasts only in the absence of the Prince of Orange the two Princes his Majesties brothers separated and placed themselves at the two ends of the Table By this means one could well serve all those that were there because they were all at a certain distance which permitted the Officers to do their functions as also the Deputies of the Estates left space enough between the King's Table and theirs for the convenience of those which served the meat before the Royal persons putting themselves at the two ends of the skirt before the King who would not that the Deputies Table should be separated from his Most commonly there was a Set of Violins which divertised pleasantly the King during the repast and in the healths that were drunk as the King never failed almost to drink the prosperity of this Estate and very often of each Province in particular the Cannon of the Viverberg thundred from every Battery As soon as they arose from dinner the Commissioners of the Parliament and City of London came to do reverence to his Majesty The Higher House had nominated six viz. The Lord Aubery Veer Earl of Oxford the Lord Leonel Cranfield Earl of Middelsex Foulk Grevil Lord Brook the Lord Charls Rich Earl of Warwick the Lord Leicester Devereux Vicount of Herford and the Lord John Barcley but the Earl of Warwick being sick of the gout when the others embarked was constrained to stay at London The Lower House deputed the Lord Eairfax sometime General of the Parliaments Army who on that consideration drew upon him the curiosity and eys of every one and who would see the King privately to ask him pardon for the pass'd offence with extraordinary submissions The Lord Bruce the Lord Falkland the Lord Castleton the Lord Herbert the Lord Mandevil Sir Horatio Townsend Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir George Booth he that levied an Army a year since for the calling of a Free-Parliament in behalf of the King Denzil Hollis Esquire Sir John Holland and Sir Henry Cholmly The Deputation of the City of London was much more numerous as being composed of twenty persons taken partly out of the Magistracy and partly from amongst the principal inhabitants and from the Militia of the City The chief assembled in the House of the extraordinary Embassadours and the others in the house where the Citizens exercise to shoot at the mark and learn to exercise arms Both one and t'other went forth a foot walking two and two and having before them a very great number of young Gentlemen that marched in the same order Being brought into the King's chamber they made a very low and most submiss reverence The Earl of Oxford spake for the Higher House but those that were there at that action agreed in opinion that never person spake with more affection nor expressed himself in better terms then Mr. Denzil Hollis who was the Orator for the Deputies of the Lower House to whom those of London were joined He insisted chiefly upon the miseries under which that Kingdom had groned for so many years and upon the government of Cromwel who tyrannized the English in their lives in their goods and in their consciences whereas on the contrary they could hope from the goodness of his Majesty but repose but sweetness and a lawful liberty beseeching him to return forthwith into his Kingdom and to take again the Scepter of his Ancestours without any condition which redoubled the joy of this Court though it were already assured thereof by the mouth of Sir John Greenvil The King received them with much goodness as well as the protestations of obedience and fidelity which they made him in the name of the Lords and Commons of England and of the City of London in particular and after the speech they did all reverence to the King in putting one knee to the ground and in kissing his hand After they came forth of the King's appartment they went to the Dukes to whom they also made complements from the Parliament and City they went there also a foot and from thence in the same order to the Queen of Bohemia and to the Princess Royal where they acquitted themselves also of the duty which they had order from the Parliament and City to render unto them After the audiences of the Deputies the King received many persons of quality who in the impatience to see his Majesty had passed the sea voluntarily without any particular commission they all did him reverence in the same manner the Commissioners had done Monsieur Friquet Councellour of Estate to the Emperour and extraordinary Envoy from his Imperial Majesty to the Estates General had also audience of the King and made him his complement in the name of the Emperour his Master whose Predecessour had expressed a most particular affection for the King even in the height of his persecutions In the number of those that came to render their duties to the King that day was the Captain or Master of the Ship which received the King aboard on the coast of England and passed him into France when that Illustrious Maid Mistris Lane saved the fortune of the Kingdom after the unfortunate battel of Worcester at least if one may give that Epithete to an accident which God hath so favourably blessed and who hath so favourably disposed the affairs in the glorious return of the King without any effusion of the blood of his subjects It is not our design to make here an unnecessary digression in making a perfect narrative of all that passed in the miraculous escape of the King after the loss of the battel nor in what manner the King being separated from the Officers that
were by his person after the defeat was brought to the house of a countryman who changed cloaths with him and shewed him a tree where he passed the night How afterward being come to the house of Mistris Lanes father her brother received him as servant to wait on him in his chamber and how in this quality he rid a journy before that Gentlewoman How he had a care of the horses in the journy and what encounters he met there because all these things are not of the subject of our relation and deserve well a particular one But we think it not amiss to say that the Lord Wilmot deceased Earl of Rochester who had been extraordinary Embassadour at the Diet of Ratisbon in the year 1653. and who was he that gave orders for the King's passage being come at the place where his Majesty was to embark and seeing the Master of the ship to enter into the chamber where they supped to tell them that the tide would be good about midnight and that they should do well to embark before night praied him to sit at table and to sup with them But the Master had no sooner taken his place and observed the features of the King's face but he whispered Mr. Wilmot in the ear saying that he knew that illustrious person and that it was indubitably the King the other denied it and would have him to relinquish that thought but the Master though he made semblance to acquiess therein during supper said notwithstanding in rising from the table that whatsoever they would make him to beleev he knew the King so well that he could not be deceived because that having been brought before him a few years since when his Majesty being with a Fleet in the Downs where he caused some fishermen to be stopped to whom he gave liberty presently after he had caused them to be brought to his presence and he with the rest he had so well considered him that since that time he could not lose the Idea of him But that they needed to fear nothing that the person of the King should be alwaies sacred to him and in safety in his hands Wilmot persisted in his negative caused the King to embark and said no more to the Captain untill that his Majesty being landed on the coast of Normandy he feared not to tell him that it was indeed the King that he assisted to save and that his Majesty would remember his fidelity and affection when there should be an occasion to acknowledge one another And indeed after the King had perfectly well received him at his closet dore the Lord Craft who had presented him to his Majesty assured him that he might hope for any favours from him The English Officers that are in the service of the Lords the States and were come to this town did him reverence also and among the rest Mr. Cromwel Maior of a Regiment of foot of the same nation He is Cosen German but issued from an elder brother of him who is known to have sacrific'd the King his Soveraign to his irregular ambition and detested that brutal and horrible action but seeing some apparent establishment in the fortune of the Protectour he passed into England where he rendered considerable services to those of the good party and even gave himself the liberty to remonstrate sometimes to his Cosen what belonged to his duty so that insteed of making his fortun there he could draw from the Protectour for himself and for his brother who commands a Regiment of foot in the service of the Lords the Estates but a gratification of two thousand pounds sterling whereof they have received but the half though the Major made an expence at London where with he shall be long time incommodated The King who know the intentions of this honest man and permitted his brother to take the surname of Williams instead of that which shall be eternally in execration to all Englishmen and who had many good proofs of them received him perfectly well This day came also to salute the King Sir William Davison a Scott by birth but since some yeares established at Amsterdam His Majesty had considered him as a person most affectionate to his service and was not deceived therein because that those who know how he behaved himself cannot doubt that he was most usefull and that he acted if not directly for the re-establishment of the affairs of England at least it cannot be denied that he hath not been unprofitable therein It was not long before that the King had given him some proofs of his acknowledgement in making him Knight Baronet but this day he confirmed that quality to him by letters pattents in adding thereunto a pension without comparison more considerable then that title The King gives it with very litle ceremony in making the Novice kneel before him he laies his sword on his shoulder and sayth unto him Rise Knight Baronet Those that are invested with this quality follow the Barons and precede the ordinary Knights After this the King went to visit the Queen of Bohemia his Aunt but it was without ceremony as he used to do the whole time of his residence at the Hague during which there passed not a day almost that he saw her not From thence he went to the House of the Princess Dowager of Orange who received him on the stone stairs that go up into the Court. The King presented her presently his hand and led her through that fair hall and through the Guard Chamber to that which they call the Chamber of presence where the King treated her with much civility refusing to sitt till the Princess took her place at the same time After a conversation of half an hour the King took leave and retired himself but perciving in the fore-chamber that the Princess followed him he turned about and would hinder her to go further untill that seeing after a contestation very agreeable and very obliging that he could not overcom her he took her again by the hand and led her to the foot of the stairs where he made her again some civility but seeing her obstinate to render him her devoirs even in the Court he yeelded at last went up into his coach and betook him to the Princess Royal his Sister where he met the Embassadour of France who had the honour to discourse there with his Majesty a good while The King having spoken in the evening at supper to the advantage of the Regiment of the Guards which he had seen at his coming and of which he had alwaies a Company in arms in the Court of his lodging the Deputies of the Estates General who were by his person at the hours of his repast offered to shew it him the next day in battel to the end his Majesty might judge as favourably of their skil as he had judged of their shew The King promised to be present if his affairs permitted him to give himself that divertisement
but the two Princes expressed that they should see that exercise with much satisfaction And indeed the next day being the 27 th the Regiment of the Guards having been in the field from the beginning of the morning stood in battalia half the way to Scheveling by the house where Mr. Catz sometime Pensionary Counsellour and Keeper of the great Seal of Holland made his retirement after he had passed through the fairest imploiments wherewith his country could have acknowledged his merit in a very pleasant and fair plain where the two Princes the Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg the Prince of Orange Prince William of Nassau Governour of Freesland the Rhine-Grave and all persons of quality that were at the Hage repaired about ten a clock in the morning and after they had seen all that which skil could make a body perfectly exercised and disciplined to do both in marching and fight under good Officers they made a course even upon the banks of the sea from whence they considered the Fleet and went from thence to dinner the Dukes of York and of Glocester with some English Lords to the Duke of Lunenburgs and the rest to the Court The Estates General deputed there to accompany the King that day M rs de Gent of Gelders of Merode and Navander of Holland Lampsins of Zealand Renswoud of Utrecht Velsen of Freesland Ripperda of Hengelo of Over-Ysel and Isbrants of Groning The King was from the morning shut up with Mr. Hide his Chancellour who for being chief of his Councels and his most confident Minister was lodged in the same house because that being incommodated with the gout his Majesty would that he should be lodged in a place where he might make use of his councels at all hours of the day He was with him more then an hour and a half sitting on his bed-side and sometimes leaning upon the bed it self in a very secret conference After the King was gone out of the Chancellour's chamber the extraordinary Embassadours of Denmark caused his Excellence to be prayed to appoint them an hour for a particular audience which they obtained for the after-noon They received in this audience new assurances of the good intentions of his Majesty to the advantage of the King their Master who would have profited notably thereby if the treaty of peace with Swethen had not been too much advanced as indeed it was concluded a few daies after We said that the precedent day the King had promised the Pensioner of Amsterdam that he would certifie the Duputies of the same town when he could give them audience to the subject of the request which they had to make unto him touching the journy wherein they indeavoured to engage him And indeed the same evening he sent them the Lord Wotton second son to the Lady Stanhop since Countess of Chesterfield who was to advertise them that they might see his Majesty the next day at nine a clock in the morning This Deputation was composed of Mr. Cornelius of Vlooswick Lord of Vlooswick Diemerbrouck and John de Huydecooper Lord of Marseveen Bourgemasters in charge Conrade Burg sometime extraordinary Embassadour in Moscovia Conrade of Beuningen heretofore extraordinary Embassadour in Denmark and in Swethen and now named for the extraordinary Embassadour into France Senatours and Peter de Groot Pensionary of the same town The last after he had made a low reverence to his Majesty spake in these terms SIR The Burgemasters and Magistrate of the town of Amsterdam who yeeld not in devotion and zeal for the glory and interests of your Majesty to any person of the world thinking that they have not satisfied neither their duty nor their affection by the general testimony which they have rendred thereof by the mouth of the Lords the Estates General and likewise by that of the Estates of this Province have commanded us to beseech your Majesty to grant them a particular audience where they may give stronger proofs both of one and t'other Your Majesty shall see them in the extream joy which they have for the glorious re-establishment of your Majesty upon the throne of your Ancestours the circumstances whereof are so much the more considerable as this miraculous revolution is made without effusion of blood and as your Majesty is obliged for it but to the powerful hand of God only who hath wrought therein by means altogether extraordinary But you shall find the proofs thereof particularly in the most humble prayer which we have order to make you to honour their town with your Royal presence for the few daies the time will allow you to remain in this Province to the end that so many strangers wherewith their town is inhabited may be witnesses of the publick and real demonstrations which they intend to make of the veneration which they have for the person of your Majesty and of the passion which they have for your service Nothing can be added to the obliging words with which the King answered the complement of the Deputies of Amsterdam in thanking them with much affection for that of theirs whereof he said he had received most illustrious proofs witnessing to be very sorry that he could not satisfie their request seeing that he had no less inclination for that journy then the Lords of Amsterdam could have passion to see him in their town and assuring them that he would eternally remember the amity they had for him The Deputies replied in the most submiss terms that respect could put into their mouths and after they had prayed for the prosperity of his Majesty and for the perpetual felicity of his reign they retired Mr. Coyet Knight Extraordinary Envoy of the King of Swethen to the Estates General of the United Provinces had demanded audience the day before but those which his Majesty found himself obliged to give to the Estates of Holland and next to the Commissioners of the Parliament and of the City of London made him to refer it to this Thursday at eleven a clock in the morning Mr. Coyet being come into the fore chamber at the hour appointed the King sent immediately unto him Mr. Wentworth one of the four Gentlemen of the Bed-chamber to entertain him till affairs permitted his Majesty to come to speak with him as he did presently after in the Presence-chamber The Envoy made known to his Majesty that he would speak Latine to him and as he was very wel versed in that language he had prepared a very elegant discourse for him but for as much as his Majesty signified to him that that tongue was not familiar enough to him to serve his turn to answer readily he made him his complement in French as the Ministers of all the other strange Princes did extending himself on the present revolution of the affairs of England on the excellent and great qualities of his Majesty and of the amity which the Kings and Crown of Swethen had from all time received from the Kings of Great
Mr. Copes ordinary Resident from the Elector to the Lords the Estates The discourse of the Prince was like a Cavaleer so that after the King had answered his complement they spake of indifferent affairs which have nothing of common with this relation The same day Monsieur Vicquefort Knight Resident with the Lords the Estates for the Land-Grave of Hessen made his complement for the Prince his Master which was so much the better received as in his particular he had had an occasion to render most important services to his Majesty as well as to the deceased King his Father of glorious memory He had the honour to do reverence to his Majesty at Breda when in the voiage which he made there some daies before with the Duke of Brunswick Lunenburg the King expressed unto him that he remembred the affection which he had for his service He spake also for the Duke of Courland in such sort that the King who witnessed to be touched with the affliction of that Prince protested that he would not fail to acknowledge the good offices which that Prince rendred to the deceased King and to his own person during the disorders of his Kingdom Monsieur Walter de Raet Councellour in the Court of Holland Zealand and West-Freesland being gone to Bruxels in the beginning of the moneth of March this present year with Mr. Goes his Colleague by vertue of a Commission from the Court to speak to the Princess Royal of the affairs of the Principality of Orange understood that there was notice given that General Monck dissembled in a manner no more the inclination which he had for the King's interests and for the re-establishment of the affairs of England and from thence took the liberty to felicitate the King His Majesty received him so well as also the words which he said unto him when being gone since about the same affairs at Breda where his Majesty betook himself he gave him to understand the occasion which hindred the Lords the Estates at present to complement him on the estate of the affairs of the Kingdom of England that he said unto him that he should never see him but he would remember the good will he expressed to him in this conjuncture And indeed this very day the 29 of May the King remembring those marks of affection sent him his in presenting him by Mr. Oudart Councellour to the Princess Royal and to the Prince of Orange her son with Letters Pattents under the great Seal of England by which he gives to Mr. Raet and to his issue male the quality and rank of Knight Barronet for ever And for as much as those whom the King honours with this title are obliged to maintain thirty foot souldiers for the service of Ireland or to pay into the hands of the Treasurer the sum of a thousand fourscore and fifteen pounds his Majesty caused the first Letters to be accompanied with a second dispensing him of paying that sum and acquitting him in general terms and his posterity after him to perpetuity of the said sum We have said elsewhere that Don Stephen of Gamarra ordinary Embassadour of Spain to the Lords the Estates went to meet the King at Moordike to express there to his Majesty the joy that he had for his re-establishment The residence which the King had made for some years at Bruxels where Don Stephen of Gamarra had the honour to lodge some daies in the house of the two Princes the King's brothers made him to be considered quite otherwise then he could hope from his character in a time when there was open war between Spain and England though against the intention of the two Kings The caresses which the Princes made him on this occasion and the extraordinary civilities which he had received from the King proceeded from a particular affection as well as the goodness wherewith the same Dukes of York and of Glocester prayed to dine with him on thursday the 27 of this moneth The Marquess of Ormond and many other Lords had dined there the day before with the same familiarity wherewith the Lords German Earl of St. Albans and Craft went to dine with the Embassadour of France the day the King arrived at the Hage and upon the recital which these Lords had made to their Royal Highnesses of the great cheer the Embassadour of Spain had made them they resolved to dine there the next day But the King who would dine that day in publick with the Queen of Bohemia the Princess Royal the Prince of Orange and the Deputies of the Estates General having desired that the Princes his brothers might be of the company the Embassadour who had expected their Royal Highnesses gave himself the liberty to complain to the King in raillery for taking away his guests from him His Majesty had the goodness to tell him that he did it of purpose to hinder their dining with him because he would be also of the Party And indeed that very Saturday the King after he had ridden to Scheveling where he saw the Fleet and at his return visited the Queen of Bohemia went in the evening to the house of the Spanish Embassadour where were also the Queen of Bohemia the Dukes of York and Glocester the Princess Royal the Prince of Orange the Marquess of Ormond the Lords Digby Craft and Taff the Lady Stanhop Widow to the Lord Heenvliet to whom the King gave the title of Countess of Chesterfeild and Madam Howard her daughter-in-law Lady of honour to the Princess Royal. The table was covered in the Hall which is one of the fairest and greatest of the whole Hage but it would be very difficult to make a pertinent discription of this feast because that although they served up there but fish and sallats it was without doubt one of the most splendid and stately that ever was seen at a private house There was two great services of fish or rather of Sea-monsters besides the pottages the courses and the inter-meats and there was served up so great a quantity of sweet meats dry and liquid that all the persons of quality which were come in great number to see the order of that supper returned thence all loaden For the Master of the house had given order that they should have enough and that the servants should present Limonada Hypocras and all sorts of delicious wines to all those that should demand it whil'st the Officers of his Majesty and of their Royal Highnesses were magnificently treated in the other apartments of the house The King appeared there in the best humour that ever he was seen to be and expressed so much content in this company which was composed of none almost but of his family and of persons whom he saw every day that he staied there even until one a clock after midnight notwithstanding without the least disorder or confusion that might trouble their conversation and divertisement Every thing there was high and magnificent but that
which was most remarkable was this that about midnight arrived there Mr. Downing who did the affairs of England to the Lords the Estates in quality of Resident under Oliver Cromwel and afterward under the pretended Parliament which having changed the form of the government after having cast forth the last Protector had continued him in his imploiment under the quality of Extraordinary Envoy He began to have respect for the King's person when he knew that all England declared for a free Parliament and departed from Holland without order as soon as he understood that there was nothing that could longer oppose the re-establishment of Monarchal government with a design to crave Letters of recommendation to General Monk This Lord considered him as well because of the birth of his wife which is illustrious as because Downing had expressed some respect for him in a time when that eminent person could not yet discover his intentions He had his Letters when he arrived at midnight at the house of the Spanish Embassadour as we have said He presented them forthwith to the King who arose from table a while after read the Letters receiv'd the submissions of Downing and granted him the pardon and grace which he asked for him to whom he could deny nothing Some daies after the King Knighted him and would it should be believed that the strong aversions which this Minister of the Protector had made appear against him on all occasions and with all sorts of persons indifferently even a few daies before the publick and general declaration of all England proceeded not from any evil intention but only from a deep dissimulation wherewith he was constrained to cover his true sentiments for fear to prejudice the affairs of his Majesty Sunday the 30 of May the King would in the morning hear a Sermon and to that purpose it was ordained that Mr. Hardy one of the Ministers which came from England with the Commissioners of the City of London should preach before the King in the Chappel of the Court which serves for Church to the French that live at the Hage at eleven a clock in the forenoon as soon as the French had ended their ordinary devotions And to the end to prevent the disorder among the people which were come there in crowds from the neighbour towns the company which had the guard was commanded to seise themselves of the avenues of the Chappel and particularly to possess the dore which leads into a little Partition where the Princes of Orange heretofore caused a bench to be made cloathed with black velvet and covered with a canopy of the same stuff for themselves and for persons of quality that were ordinarily of their train but they dreamed not to remedy another inconvenience which deceived all the other precautions that they used For the French instead of giving place to the English and of using the civility which they were accustomed to have for strangers would not go out of the Church and even the persons of condition which sate in the little partition whereof we have spoken and who were for the most part Dutch refused to make place for the Lords which were in great number about the King's person without considering that this very incivility hindred them absolutely to satisfie the curiosity they had to see the King and to be present at the English Liturgy The Reader of the Church exhorted the people to withdraw and likewise the Pastor who made the Sermon went up again into the Pulpit and represented to them the wrong they did themselves as well as their brethren of the same religion and strangers as they in this country in obstinately staying thus in their seats after having heard the word of God in a place where they had been fed and in failing of respect to the King to whom that very Temple was given by their Superiours and where the English were to hear it after them in their tongue But these exhortations made no impression on spirits prepossessed no more then the other reasons which he alledged so that the King was enforced to do his devotions in the place where her Royal Highness is accustomed to have her preaching particularly since most important considerations hindred her to go to the English Church where there entred as many as it could hold of the Lords of that nation The Minister took his text in the 26 Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah verse 19 which he applied to the present estate of the affairs of England and made so learned and so pathetick a discourse that there was not any one there which was not touched and edified therewith After the Liturgy and Sermon were ended there presented themselves many persons sick of the Evil which the King was to touch after many others he had touched Friday and Saturday the 28. and 29. of this moneth in private And for as much as this ceremony is done with circumstances very remarkable and different from those which accompany it in France when the King there toucheth the sick it shall not be from our purpose to speak here of all the particulars thereof since they make as well one of the essential parts of our relation which is to omit nothing of what his Majesty did at the Hage But before we engage us in this recital it will be necessary to undeceive the spirit of those that believe that that which the Kings of England do on this ocasion is but a copy of that which is done in France and that it is not but because of the pretension which they have to that Crown and by vertue of the title which they take and from the arms of France wherewith they charge their Escuchion that they attribute to themselves a grace which is given to the eldest Son of the Church For it is most certain that the King of Great Britain hath this right and advantage not as King of France though he takes the quality thereof in his titles but as King of England and because the Kings his Predecessours have used it efficiaciously since the reign of Edward surnanamed the Confessour that is to say since the beginning of the 11. age and long before the Kings of England had declared their pretensions as they did when Philip of Valois came to the Crown Now this ceremony is performed in the manner as we shall at present relate Those that feel themselves afflicted with the disease commonly called the Kings-evill because the King cureth it are obliged to address themselves to his Majesties chief Chyrurgion who visits them and if he judgeth that it is the disease which the King cureth he appoints them a day and hour to be at the Chappel where the King is to touch them As in France the ceremony of touching the sick is done in the morning after the King hath communicated so was it this day done in the Chappel of the Princess Royal after the King had been at the sermon and publick prayers For the preaching
had had for the estate of his affairs when all the world believed them desperate and said that he would conserve eternally the remembrance of the good Officers which his splendid Highness had rendred him in the Empire and of the great obligations which he would gain upon him in a time when there was no Prince almost that dared to declare for his interests Mr. Coyet who had saluted their Royall Hignesses some daies before and had had a particular conference with the Chancellour contented himself to signifie to his Majesty by Sir Edward Nicholas that he would not trouble him among so many other complements which he should have to receive because the King his Master would not fail to send an Extraordinary Embassadour to felicitate his Majesty solemnly in his Kingdom as soon as the distance of the places would permit the advertisement of his re-establishment to be carried into Sweden But the Estates General who had received an honour whose memory shall be eternally pretious to posterity thought themselves bound to acknowledge it in going in body to thank his Majesty for the grace he had done them and to complement him upon his voiage They were there as we now say in body and in the same order as at their first audience and the Baron of Gent who uttered the speech eight daies before was the Orator also this time and spake thus SIR The Estates General of the United Provinces having been advertised from your Majesty that you purpose to embark to morrow to compleat your voiage for England return here again to receive the honour of your commands on the point of your departure If your Majesty finds not on their faces the same cheerfulness which you might observe there when they had the honour to come to salute you at your arrival it is because of the sorrow they have to see themselves ready to be deprived of the splendour of so fair a light which your Majesty hath made to shine in their Estate during the little time you would remain there That which comforts them SIR in some kind is that they know that the interests of your Majesty press your departure and the good of the affairs of your Crown permits you not to defer it longer Notwithstanding the little residence which it hath pleased your Majesty to make amongst us and the goodness wherewith you would receive the indeavours we have made to be able to please you leaves there such signal strong and indubitable marks of your good will towards us that we shall bless eternally for it the providence to which we ow those incomparable advantages The presence of your Majesties sacred person in their assembly SIR and the obliging expressions which your royal mouth would make in their Senate are such evident testimonies of the disposition which you have to honour this Estate with your Royal good will that they deserve that all posterity should find them written in Letters of Gold in their registers as we have deeply graven them in our hearts If the entertainment which hath been made to your Majesty and which it hath pleased you to accept in so ingaging a manner hath no proportion with the greatness of so potent a Monarch we beseech you most humbly to believe that this defect proceedeth rather from the indigence of our country then from the will of the inhabitants in whose acclamations and joy we are perswaded that your Majesty may observe visibly the zealous devotions and ardent prayers they put forth unto Heaven for the prosperity of your affairs and for the glory of your Majesties person And since the Estates General are through an indispensable necessity to be deprived of the precious presence of your Majesty they will accompany at least your person with their prayers which they will make incessantly that the sea and winds may favour your passage and make you happily to arrive at the haven of your Kingdom that calm and quietness may be open unto you after that storm and tempest had so miserably held it shut to you so many years As soon as the Estates General shall have understood that your Majesty is landed they will not fail to send to you their Extraordinary Embassadours as well to finish with you in your Kingdom the offices which they have begun here as to receive and make more particular overtures in the important subject of an alliance whereof it had pleased your Majesty to touch here something in general being ready to answer of their side the good and sincere intentions whereof you had the goodness to give such great assurances because that with the affection which we have for the good of your affairs we have also a most deep respect for the sacred character of your unction and for the inestimable merit of your Royal person The King did but confirm by his answer the assurances he had already given of the amity he had promised to conserve for this Common-wealth and the unparallel'd advantages which the Estate should find in the alliance which they may renue with England thanking them also for all the civilities they had done him since the time he entred into the country The Estates General being retired the King imploied the rest of the day in visits of taking leave The first he made was to the Queen of Bohemia his Aunt where he staied not long Coming forth thence he went to the house of the Princess Dowager of Orange where he found also the Princess of Nassau and the Young Lady of Orange her daughters The conversation which he had with her Highness was more then a good halfhour which was imploied not only in civilities ordinarily practised among persons of that condition but also as the wit of this Princess is capable of the greatest affairs in a very serious discourse on the present Estate of Europe and on the most important interests of its Princes whereof she hath a most perfect knowledge She had received the King on the stone stairs of the Court and intended to wait on him even to his Coach the King opposed it and protested that he would never receive that honour from a Princess whom he esteemed no less for her merit then for her birth and quality but the Princess insisted therein so strongly that it was impossible for the King to overcome her civility though at every step and at every apartment he indeavoured to hinder her But indeed she reconducted him with the Princesses her daughters to the same place where she received him and retired not till she saw the coach go away as she did at the first visit After this the King went to see the Princess Royal who presented him many persons of condition either to recommend them or to take leave He staied there untill supper time whil'st the wagons which the Estates had hired had brought the baggage to Scheveling where they embarked it as soon as it came At evening Mr. of Wimmenum laying hold of the occasion which the King gave
us of an immutable affection for the good of this Republick We render most humble thanks unto your Majesty for them and particularly for the illustrious proof which it pleased you to give us thereof by the glorious visit wherewith you honoured our assembly We shall conserve the memory of it most dearly and make the marks of that goodness to pass to our last posterity to the end you acknowledge it with the same respect with which we have received it The constitution wherein we see your Majesty ready to take horse for the continuation of your voiage forbids us to enlarge our selves upon a subject which would never weary us if we had words conformable to our respectful sentiments But we have no mind to increase the just impatience which your Majesty should have to see your self returned into your Kingdom We pray God SIR that it be quick and happy and that as he hath disposed the hearts and affections of your subjects to acknowledge their lawfull and soveraign Prince it will please him also to command the sea and winds to favour your voiage to the end that after you have received on your own coast the same prayer which we shall reiterate you may enjoy in your royal person and in your posterity forever all the felicity and prosperity which your most humble servants wish unto your Majesty The King thanked the Lords the Estates of Holland for the civilities they had done him during the residence he had made in their Province as also for the affection they had expressed unto him by the prayers they made for the success of his voiage and prosperity of his reign He promised them also that he would not only continue to live with that Republick in a perfect good correspondence but would also take a great pleasure to make a good and most streight alliance with it After this the King who staied but till this complement was ended went forth of his chamber at the same time the Estates of Holland retired He took his way to the Princess Royal her apartment whom he would visit at home before he took horse and seeing that the Lords the Estates conducted him he would not be covered from his house to the chamber of the Princess Royal where being come the Estates retired to take coach when they saw the King to go a horse back The conversation which his Majesty had with the Princess was but a moment for immediately after he went thence and came down into the Court of the Palace where he mounted a horse back with the Princes his brothers and took his way for Scheveling with the report of the great artillery which thundred from the Rampire marching in the mid'st of those two Princes and having before him the Prince of Orange accompanied with Prince William of Nassau Governour of Freesland with Mr of Wassenaer Lieutenant Admiral of the Province and with many other persons of condition The Queen of Bohemia the Princess Royal the Princess Dowager and the Princesses her daughters took coach as well as the Estates of Holland who would accompany him in body even to the place of his embarkment The Embassadours and other Ministers of forraign Princes who sent not there their coaches for the same reason that had dispensed them thereof at the entrance and almost all persons of condition took the avantguard and disposed themselves along the coast where the Citizens the Horse and the Regiment of the Guards stood in Battalia A great part of the inhabitants of the neighbour Towns were there already and those that came not forth of the Hage early in the morning or the nightbefore followed the Royal Persons in so great a multitude that that place which is very populous and could not lodge the people that were come there from all places of the Province was abandoned and converted into a desart in very few hours As soon as they saw the King to appear on the hill which covereth the village of Scheveling on the sea side the Cannon which was transported two daies before from the Viverberg upon the strand saluted him with its whole battry which ceased not to shoot continually untill being drawn off from those coasts could see no longer the honour they indeavoured to render him The Citizens and the Guards answered thereunto with their vollies of Musket shot and the Cavallery with their Carbines and invited thereby the Fleet to make all their artillery to thunder which afving lightened the air filled it with so thick a smoak that those great floating Castles disappeared in a moment to the eys of those that were on the land The King being alighted received the last complement of the Lords the Estates of Holland who had conducted him in body to the very brink of the sea and left him Deputies to conduct him to his ship by the mouth of the Pensionary Councellour His Majesty next took leave of the Duke of Brunswick-Lunenbourg of the Princess Dowager of Orange of the Princess of Nassau and of the young Lady of Orange her daughter and of all the other persons of quality which could not follow him or might trouble him in waiting on him to the Fleet There were none but his nearest relations the Queen of Bohemia the Princess Royal and the Prince of Orange that conducted him aboard the Admiral ship which was to pass him into England The Estates of Holland had caused one of the greatest barks of the place to be fitted for the Royal persons The body of the vessel was garnished with Tapistry its Mast carried the Royal Flag and its yards were loaden with garlands and crowns of verdure and flowers amongst which there was one fastned accompanied with a streamer which carried for Devise Quo fas fata to denote that the King in embarking himself went to the place where the justice of his cause and the providence of God called him and to allude to the ordinary Motto of the Kings of England Dieu mon droict The King entred there with all the Royal Family but seeing a shallop to approach covered glased and tapistred which the Admiral Montague had sent from aboard him as soon as he saw the King to appear on the Strand he entred into her and the Queen of Bohemia followed him This Shallop was accompanied with many others and was rowed with oars by the sea men who seeing themselves in possession of their Soveraign Prince made the whole neigbour shore to resound with their shouts and expressed their joy by all the marks that could be required from persons of that quality some in casting their caps up into the air and others in casting them into the sea to which some likewise abandoned their doublets and wastcoasts The Lord Montague who had changed the Flag of the pretended Republick before he departed from the coast of England and born that of the three Kingdoms whil'st he was in the rode seeing the King to approach caused the Royal Flag to be put to