France to contribute unto their relief and comfort in Your Name But forasmuch as at present there occur some new difficulties concerning the said Churches Your Majesty would advise more particularly thereupon And lastly concerning the Merchants Ships which come from the United Provinces into this Kingdom and are stopped without permission to Land any where because they are suspected to come from some place infected with the sickness there being no distinction made between Provinces and Cities really afflicted with the said Contagion and those which are not so at all That Your Majesty having an extraordinary apprehension of that disease had great reason to use all possible precaution against it Notwithstanding that the business should also be thought upon more fully All which points abovesaid having been repeated by the said Ambassador at his last Audience and instance thereupon made that according to their Lordships desires Your Majesty would be pleased to explain Your Self in Writing to put the minds of his Superiors out of perplexity and disquiet and Your Majesty having to that purpose desired that all should be comprised in a Memorial for an Answer to be given thereunto in Writing The said Memorial May it please Your Majesty is here most humbly presented with like prayer that such Order may be taken therein as that by a favourable answer which the said Ambassador expects from Your Majesty he may be enabled to give his Masters content M. Van-Gogh From Chelsey July 21 31 1664. HIS MAJESTIES ANSWER To the fore-going MEMORIAL THe Ambassador of the United Provinces having so particularly set down the Answers he received from Us in his several Audiences to his particular demands albeit We think he may well acquiesce with the same yet since he hath thought fit by his Memorial to desire an Answer in writing We are very well pleased to satisfie him herein that the States General may see the sincerity of Our proceedings towards them Concerning the preparations and provision of Vessels of War it is notoriously known that in the beginning of this year We gave order for the providing a less guard of Ships for the Summer then hath been set out any year since our happy Restoration for that season believing Our Self to be in so good Intelligence with all Our Neighbours that We might well 〈…〉 charge when Our Parliament upon the cry of the whole Nation with some earnestness pressed Us to take an extraordinary way to repair Our people for the many and daily injuries they sustained from the Subjects of the United Provinces by depredations at Sea in other places as well as in the East-Indies in which there were some circumstances of that presumption in declaring their Dominion and inhibiting of Commerce against the Law of Nations as all Princes are equally concerned therein with Us We made no other answer to Our Parliament then that We made no doubt but that Our good Allies the States of the United Provinces to whom in truth the injuries sustained could not reasonably We thought be imputed would cause justice to be done in order to which We would appoint Our Minister residing there to make a representation and complaint For which temper and moderation when it may be another resolution considering the nature of the provocations would have been more agreeable to the desires of Our Parliament We expected the thanks of Our good Neighbours when on the contrary they no sooner received advice of this Answer returned by Us then in a very extraordinary manner they gave direction for the present setting out of a very great number of Ships of War without any other visible cause then to manifest to the world how much they defied Us and Our Parliament Upon all which as We should have been thought to have had very little foresight for our Honour or Interest if We had not prepared a considerable Fleet for Our defence the charge and expence whereof We would have been very glad to have prevented so the same being prepared it will be thought a very strange proposition that it be 〈◊〉 kept within the Ports and it will be found by their demeanour that their Instructions are not to do any injury to Our Neighbours and Friends but to defend Our Self Our Dominions and Our Subjects from receiving injuries from Our enemies Nor in truth can we believe or imagine that the United Provinces from whom We have deserved well and with whom We are ready to maintain a fast friendship to which many other considerations besides that great one of the Protestant Religion should dispose both of Us will deny to do Us justice upon Our reasonable demands or that they will ever sacrifice the Peace of their Country for the support of the miscarriages of particular persons or a particular Company who We find by experience more considers their own profit and interest then the honour or safety of the Government under which they live which the States General will well weigh and consider As We did with great frankness and as an everlasting manifestation of Our affection and kindness conclude the late Treaty with the United Provinces by which many very memorable discourtesies and injuries to Our Self and Our people and particularly that of Amboyna were put in oblivion So We have most exactly observed every Article on Our part and have no sooner been moved in any particular in which the Subjects of the United Provinces have been grieved then We have given order for their redress in the most expedite way without putting them to those formalities which are usual in Courts of Justice whereas We are very sory to say that upon all the complaints made at the Hague by Our Minister in which the matter of Fact hath been most notorious and convincing and the Right most apparent redress hath not been given to any one and such delayes used in all as are upon the matter and in the consequence of it a plain denial of Justice which brings every day great complaints to Us from Our Subjects of all parts Notwithstanding all which We have not to this day granted one Letter of Mart upon the Subjects of the United Provinces Concerning Captain Holmes We have with great sincerity assured the Ambassador that he had no Commission to take Capo Verde nor any other place belonging to the Dutch or to do any Act of Hostility upon any of the Subjects of the United Provinces that was not for the defence of Our Subjects and their Trade into those parts And we cannot but expect that this Our free Declaration should find more credit with Our Allies then any informations or examinations of Mariners and Sea-men who seldom know what they inform We expect the said Captain Holmes his arrival here every day and will then upon due enquiry into all that he hath done determine what is just The Ships at present designed for those parts are Ships of Trade and have neither power nor will to wrong the Subjects of the United Provinces But we are very heartily
sorry to hear not from general rumour or the loose discourses of hear-sayes but from the pregnant evidence and full information of Our Governour of Our Fort of Cormantine That about the end of January last the Commanders of the Ships belonging to the Dutch West-India Company after many assaults upon Our Merchants Ships in those Seas and forbidding and restraining them from Trade did stir up and hire the King of Fantine to assault and surprize that Our Castle of Cormantine and to put the same into their hands for the price of sixty Bendys whereof one half was payd down by the said Dutch Commanders with this condition likewise that the said Natives should enjoy to themselves all the plunder of that Our said Castle In pursuance of which infamous Contract and the better to enable them to perform the same the Dutch Commanders supplied the said King of Fantine with a good quantity of Muskets Powder and Cartages whereof Our Commander having notice by the blessing of God surprized the same which it may be is one of those Acts of Hostility whereof mention is made in this Memorial We having no notice of any other Two Men of War belonging to the Dutch Company came from the Mina to Cape Coast to attend this enterprize at the time appointed and accordingly the King of Fantine upon the fifth day of February last came with five hundred men in hope to have surprized Our Castle but finding himself discovered and forced ro retire with some loss he advanced again the next day with a Body of three thousand men and continued a sharp fight with Our men for the space of four hours after which time he was beaten off with great loss and hath since with shame and sorrow acknowledged his breach of faith towards Us and declared the motives and Contract aforesaid the Dutch Ships at the same time driving a small Ship belonging to Our Merchants under the command of Captain Borthwick into Our Port Inashange anchored by him hindred all the Canoes from coming on board him and took his Boat and five men which they would not restore till they found their other enterprize had miscarried We cannot in any degree doubt that the States of the United Provinces will manifest their detestation of this perfidious design and cause exemplary Justice to be done upon the Persons guilty of it which We expect and require and that instead of sending Ships of War to justifie these unwarrantable and scandalous proceedings which would be attended with ill effects and would insensibly produce a War between the two Nations which we desire to prevent their Wisdoms will reprehend and warn their West-India Company that they hereafter forbear those outrages and that they do not presume under the stile of Merchants to usurp the Prerogative of Princes and assume such a Dominion to themselves as if it were in truth vested in them would not warrant them to inhibit Traffique and Commerce with their Neighbours but must incense all Christian Princes against their presumption Concerning the Reformed Churches in the valleys o◠Piedmont towards whom We have expressed Our compassion and charity in a contribution since Our happy Restoration as We will be alwayes ready to relieve and protect the afflicted state of any Protestant Churches to Our Power We being not fully informed of their condition or the grounds of their late sufferings know not what more to do then to desire the most Christian King to use his mediation which We doubt not but he will do upon the desire of Our Ambassador in Ou◠name and acccording to Our directions We are exceedingly afflicted for those places withi◠the Dominions of the United Provinces which are 〈◊〉 present infected with the Plague and do heartily pray to God that he will speedily withdraw that his Visitation from them and in the mean time do in a great degree suffer with them by the suspending that Traffique and Commerce which is so much for the good of both Nations But it cannot be expected or desired that We will neglect or decline that provident care of Our People which is due to them in using all possible means to preserve them from that Contagion which cannot be done without such restraints which are for the present with great loss and damage to both People and to which We hope the goodness of God will shortly put a period by making the correspondence as safe and wholsome as it hath been and restoring perfect health to the places now infected as well as to their Neighbours who cannot but in a degree suffer with them though they are not under the same calamity We having now complyed with the Ambassadors desires in giving this particular Answer in writing to his Memorial and to all that he hath proposed to Us We make no question but he will faithfully transmit the same to Our good Friends and Allies the United Provinces and We desire him the said Ambassador to assure them that We are so firmly resolved to maintain a firm Amity and Friendship with them that a War by the blessing of God cannot fall out between Us except they depart from all Rules of Justice and suffer their Subjects to involve them in a War to support the wrong they do their Neighbours against all Right which we are most confident they will never be induced to do and which mischief of which no man can foresee the end their great Wisdoms will prevent CHARLES R. By His Majesties Command
A MEMORIAL Delivered to His MAJESTY July 21 31 1664. From the Lord VAN-GOHG Ambassador from the STATES GENERAL of the UNITED PROVINCES Translated into English With the ANSWER Which His Sacred MAJESTY returned thereunto Edinburgh Re-printed in the year 1664 THE MEMORIAL OF THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO HIS MAJESTY SIR THe under-written Ambassador of the States General of the United Netherlands Your good Friends and Allies having had the honour of several Audiences with Your Majesty and therein made known to You such Orders as he hath from time to time received from his Masters upon occasion of and concerning divers Affairs and especially these following To wit Seing it is understood and perceived that Vessels of War are fitting and preparing on both sides which if they go forth to Sea and meet there together might by some misunderstanding fall foul upon one another Your Majesty would therefore be pleased to keep back Your Fleet and 〈◊〉 suffer it to go to Sea as their Lordships offer on their pâ—â—â— to do the whole intent and design tending only to thâ— safety of both parties and the prevention of the foresaiâ— sinister encounters Moreover whereas their Lordships have been informed that Captain Holmes with the Vessels under his command hath now again as heretofore done very great and enormous injuries to the Netherlandish Company of the Wesâ— Indies by taking divers of their Vessels upon the Coast oâ— Africk as also by making himself Master of some Placeâ— and Forts belonging unto them and namely amongst otheâ—â— of Capo Verde c. which is directly contrary not onlâ— to the Treaty last concluded between Your Majesty and thâ— States of the United Provinces but also to mutual amitâ— and good neighbourhood The said Ambassador did therefore in the name of his Superiors demand restitution oâ— the same and that reparation might be made of the damageâ— and interests which the said Company and other Subjectâ— of their Lordships who were concerned have suffered thereby as also that the like proceedings and violences might be prevented for the future by an express Order In the third place that their Lordships being from day to day confirmed by certain Intelligence coming from that Coast that the foresaid action of Captain Holmes had not only been effected in the manner above-specified but also that he was intended to carry on his design further by making incursions and seising upon all the Coast and that for his better success therein he expected a notable supply of Ships from England as the whole matter may be proved by the testimony and depositions of credible persons newly come from thence Which actions being without right reason and equity and which consequently cannot be endured nor looked upon with a good eye Your Majesty was entreated that it might be Your good Pleasure to command as well the said Captain Holmes as others who were in that engagement or are held to have been employed therein not only to restore the foresaid Forts and Vessels so taken and to repair the damages thereby suffered as reason requires but also that the Ships which by report are now ready to set Sail or which may be fitting for that end may by Your Majesties express Command be prohibited and charged not to do or cause any other injury or damage to the said Company or to any other the Subjects of the United Provinces Fourthly Forasmuch as the poor and afflicted reformed Churches in the vallies of Piedmont have represented that after the agreement made with his Royal Highness the Duke of Savoy some while since they are again overwhelmed and ruined by exactions and charges required of them to defray the expenses of the Army which the said Duke had commanded against them which charges amounted to so high a sum that it was impossible for them to make it up for the reasons more at large alledged in their Remonstrance Therefore they have desired the intercession of the States General with Your Majesty that Your Ambassador in the Court of France may have order to procure from his most Christian Majesty as being Mediator between his said Royal Highness and them as much favour and comfort to those poor afflicted Churches as can possibly by any means be obtained And finally considering that the Vessels coming from the United Provinces into the Rivers Streams and Roads of this Kingdom are stopped there under pretence that there be Persons and Commodities on board which come from places infected with the Plague or at least suspected to be so by which means the freedom of Trade and Passage is obstructed and disturbed to the great prejudice of the inhabitants of both Nations The said Ambassador therefore insisted thereupon that the same might be remedied or at least that the strictness of those Orders might be mitigated in such measure as in reason shall be found convenient And that the rather because by the mercy of God all the Provinces in general are not infected with the Contagion To all that is abovesaid Your Majesty hath been pleased to answer in effect to wit upon the first point touching keeping of the Fleet from going to Sea That the numbers which were fitted and prepared on Your Majesties side being no way extraordinary but only for common and customary use and without design of bringing any damage or inconvenience upon the inhabitants of the United Provinces the said Vessels could not be kept from going to Sea because Your Majesties Honour was engaged therein Nevertheless that You would give such Orders to the Chief Commander of Your said Fleet that their Lordships shall have no cause to apprehend any sinister encounters from it As to the second touching the action of Captain Holmes Your Majesty thought good to answer thereunto That You had received no information of it and that having given no Order for his so doing You would cause reparation to be made if the matter proved to be true and that the said Captain Holmes should be punished according as the case should require Nevertheless adding thereunto afterwards at another Audience that the West-India Company had likewise done much damage to Your Majesties Subjects upon the said Coast pretending to be Masters thereof to themselves alone which thing ought to be considered also in its proper season judging it unreasonable and unjust that the Trade of the English upon that Coast should continually be disturbed and hindred And as to the third Your Majesty was pleased to say as before That You had received no information of Holmes his actions in those parts and for so much as concerned the Ships which are ready to set Sail towards the Coast of Africk that they were not in a condition to make any attempt there being only Merchant-men unto which there was added but one Man of War for their Convoy For what regards the poor Piemontoies That You were sensibly touched with the miserable condition of those Churches and People and for that reason Your Majesty had already given Order to Your Ambassador in