what different tale. It will be well also to remark, that at the period when the events took place (in 1652), the Royalists were exasperated by many and recent misfortunes, among which the victories of Cromwell over Charles II. in Scotland and at Worcester, and the sale of the forfeited estates of the Cavaliers, were not the least.

The inactivity or indifference of the Dutch authorities at the Hague, probably arose from the circumstance of their government being on very bad terms with the English Commonwealth, which had just sent the two ambassadors (the principal objects of the Cavaliers' spite) to demand satisfaction for injuries received ;-a satisfaction which was not obtained until Blake and Monk, and Cromwell's other captains, had beaten the Dutch in seven naval engagements. The ambassadors were Oliver St. John and Walter Strickland, two very conspicuous republicans.

Our first extract is from the Mercurius Politicus, a weekly paper in small quarto, which generally consists of eight pages, and has for its motto, "In Defence of the Commonwealth, and for Information of the People."

66

"From the Hague.

My last to you from hence, told you of the insolent carriage of the Cavaliers, and divers French desperadoes; which is no whit abated: for lately, as two of your embassadours' gentlemen were going home in the evening, they hapned to light upon three Frenchmen, who taking occasion to justle them, without speaking, drew forth their pistols and fired; but God be thanked they mist them; whereupon my lords' gentlemen drew, and then there arose a great tumult in the street, and the people having separated them, demanded their cause of quarrell, whereupon the French, to justifie their own actions, laid the blame upon the embassadours' gentlemen, and so the business was husht up. Young Dorislaus, and a cousin of my Lord Fairfax, likewise named Fairfax, are threatened above all others. There are several Scotchmen, likewise, that have taken a develish oath, protesting the death

of my Lord St. John; [threaten'd folk live long;] but no doubt, the wisdom of this state will take order to curb and quiet these ranting humours. Many Scots and English Cavaliers come daily rushing into town, as if some design were a brewing. And they report up and down here, that Cromwell is dead, and that Massey hath routed and kild two thousand of his men, and an hundred such incredible stories, wherein the Royalists abound, even to the making of themselves ridiculous. Yet this doth effect so much, that it often puts our cautious statesmen to a stand, and makes some stagger, till they are certified by the next week or the next fortnight's post of the contrary; and then (perhaps) the Cavaliers have some other new story on foot, which takes off their resolutions for another fortnight.'

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"The last of March, stylo novo, a fast was kept at my lord embassadour's, to implore a blessing upon our present proceeding; Mr. Dingley, Mr. Nye, and Mr. Goodwin exercised severally; and at supper we fell into an English mode of dyet, with great contentment and abundance ; for then my lords began the world upon their own accompt.

"The first of April, some of the gentlemen went with my Lord St. John to the new house, who was not very well for want of ayr; for the old house was little and close.

"The second, being the Lord's day, we had two sermons, the one preached by Mr. Nye, the other by Mr. Dingley; and that morning information came to my lords, desiring Mr. Dorislaus to have a care of himself, for there were some threatened his life.

"The third, in the morning, my lords, and most of the gentlemen, some on horseback and the rest in coaches, went into the wood set with many fine walks and trees, to take the air; and, as they entered, they met Prince Edward (one of the Queen of Bohemia's* sons) walking

*The person who bore the empty title of Queen of Bohemia, was the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I. She was married in 1613 to Frederic Prince Palatine, who,

He

on foot, with the princess his sister by the hand. cal'd to my lords' coach, and told them they were rogues, and grinded his teeth at the rest, calling them dogs. But my Lord St. John's groom, following on horseback, leading my lord's saddle-horse in his hand, the prince strook him on the back parts with his hat: but the horse flinging up his heels, had like to have laid his honour at his feet. My lord rode about the wood, and returned to dinner."

Another paper, called A Perfect Account of the Weekly Intelligence,' in relating the same assault, is rather more severe on the young prince.

"The 24th of March, my lords and most of their gentlemen and attendants went, some on horseback and others in coaches, to take the air, and by the way met with a younger son of the Queen of Bohemia's, called Prince Edward, handing along his lady; and as my lords' coach and other coaches went by, he made monkeylike mouths at them, and with a squeaking voice called them dogs, rogues, traitors, &c. &c.; and with his hat struck my lord's saddle-horse on the buttocks, who returned it again with both his heels, as high as his head, and missed not much of leaving the print of his shoes in his breast."

The Mercurius Politicus continues on another day "It seems the embassadours complained to some of the States of the ill language which Prince Edward gave

in 1620, by accepting the crown of Bohemia, involved himself in ruin, and lost not only Bohemia but his hereditary states. For many years his wife and family were wanderers from .court to court, and the expense of their maintenance chiefly fell upon England: but in 1648 (four years before the events described in our text), the lower palatinate was restored to Prince Charles Lewis, eldest surviving son of Frederic and Elizabeth, and brother to Prince Edward, who "struck my lord's saddle-horse," as also of the Princes Rupert and Maurice, who did more serious injury to Englishmen during the wars between their uncle Charles I. and the parliament. The vain efforts made by James I. and Charles I. for the recovery of the palatinate, cost us much money and not a little disgrace.

them yesterday; whereupon it was ordered, that three of them should go to the Queen of Bohemia, to let her know how ill they resented the business, and to know of her whether they were not masters of their own country? and to enquire how the prince durst break any order they had made? and withall, to certifie her, that he should severely suffer for his contempt. This message being delivered to the Queen, in the presence of her son Edward, he would willingly have excused the business, and said that some of the embassadours' followers gave him (as he was walking with a lady) the first affront, which was the occasion that he returned them that uncivil language.

"It is reported that the same prince is going towards Franckendale, for the letters that came this week from Germany inform us that the King of Spain hath sent an express for the restoring of Franckendale to the Prince Elector. But the States are resolved [before he departeth] to bring him before a court of justice, to teach him to keep a better tongue in his head another time; and we expect to have him severely dealt withal. The Queen's court is grown very mute about this business, and Prince Edward is much startled at it.

"The States have referred Prince Edward's business to be determined speedily in a court of justice; and without question it concerns them to see us have justice in this particular; for it was England received the affront done by that petty prince, whose nursing was paid for out of the English exchequer; and therefore we are confident those in power here among the Dutch cannot but consult so far with their own honors as to make the vindication answerable to the crime."

The very next week the Mercurius Politicus continues the subject, opening in a somewhat solemn manner.

"When a nation hath cast off the yoke of tyranny or kingship, and newly obtained their liberty, it must look to have all those for enemies that were familiars and retainers to the tirant; who, having lost their preferments, wil never rest, but seek all opportunities to re-establish themselves upon the ruins of liberty, and

aspire again unto a tyranny: that, exercising an arbitrary power, they may be enabled to take the more sharp revenge against all those that had a hand in their expulsion."

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"We hear no great matter is like to be done in the business of Pr. Edward, that French cuckow with the Pythagorean frontlet, for affronting my lords embassadors; only, the States will let him know they take it ill, and bid him keep a better tongue in his head another time. He intended this week to have gon for Germany, but hath put it off til the next, because they should not think he went for fear of anything that they could do to him for he saith, though he had affronted them with his brow antlers of the French graft upon his German head-piece, the States could not punish him, because (forsooth), being a freeborn property (called prince) of the empire, he would be tried at a Diet. So it seems he makes nothing of it, and cares not what my lords can do to him his mother, Madam of Bohemia, is much troubled at it, not for our sakes, but her own, that it should be done just at this time, when she is about suing for monies from the States; and she fears it may be a means to hinder them from doing anything for her.

The

"Last Tuesday night, my Lord Strickland's coachman, and another of his men, were set upon, almost at the dore of our house, by half a dozen. The coachman received a cut upon the head, and the other lost his sword. gentlemen watch by turns in my lord's house; for the Cavaliers rant as if they intended to act some tragedy or other before we depart: more and more of them come still into the town, where many of the Dutch themselves likewise are very bitter against us.

"A great many of our young sparks that came over with us, are going to travel up and down the country, to see fashions. It would be too tedious to relate all the passages; but, in short, many are the dangers we daily go through we dare hardly peep out of dores in an evening; so that, if you know any blades which keep ill hours in England, you may do well to send them over to wait on my lords embassadors for a cure.