alfo ferved the faid regency, as more largely in the faid provifion and cedulas doth appear, to which we refer. And because that the faid Don Lorenzo hath been impowered by our faid council, and by our order is gone to the islands of the Canaries upon divers affairs of our fervice; and it being convenient that there be a minifter that may take care of the obfervance of the faid privileges, according to the grant of our Lord the King to that nation, trusting that you will act with rectitude and integrity, as is convenient, we have thought fit to give you charge and commiffion, as by these prefents we do give you charge and commiffion, for the protection and defence of all therein contained; and we do command you to fee that the faid cedula of the two-and-twentieth of November, of the year one thousand fix hundred fortyand-eight, in which his Majefty gave the faid commiffion to Don Geronimo del Pueyo Araciel, for the faid obfervance and prefervation of the articles, conditions, and pre-eminences, which are granted to the faid nation by thofe his faid privileges, that you obferve, accomplish, and execute it, and caufe it to be observed, accomplished, and executed, in all and through all, according as if it had been spoken and directed to you from the beginning, as therein is contained, ufing the faid commiffion in the form that he and the rest of your ancestors (that have holden it) have done and executed, without limitation or any moderation, that for all of it, and whatfoever thing and part thereof, and that fhall be annexed to it, and belong thereunto; we give the fame commiffion, with its incidences, dependencies, annexities, and connexities; and declare, that for this grant you have paid the duty de la Media anata, which imports feven thousand five hundred maravedis; which faid fum fhall be paid by those who fhall fucceed in the faid commiffion, on account of the privileges which the faid nation enjoyeth, and for the ufe thereof. Done in Madrid, the

3

twenty

twenty-eighth of Auguft, of the year one thousand fix hundred fixty-feven.

By command of her Majefty,

I the QUEEN.

Bartolomè de Legaza.

IN Sevilla, the thirteenth of September, in the year one thousand fix hundred fixty-feven, his lordship Don Rodrigo Serrano y Trillo, of the council of her Majefty, and her regent in this Royal court, having feen the Royal cedula of her Majefty, whom God preferve, in which his lordship is named for judge confervator of the English nation, his lordship obeyed, and doth obey it with the due refpect, and accepted the jurifdiction, which by the faid Royal cedula is given him, and is ready to comply therewith, and firmed

it.

D. Rodrigo de Serrano y Trillo.

Before me, Antonio Gonçales de Avellaneda, Notary. All which being seen by his lordship the said regent, he made an act of the tenor following, viz.

The Act.

IN the city of Sevilla, on the second day of the month of July, in the year one thousand fix hundred fixty-and-eight, his lordship Don Rodrigo Serrano y Trillo, of the council of his Majefty, and his regent in the Royal court of this city, judge confervator of the English nation, having feen the petition, and the teftimony of the privileges granted to the faid nation, commanded that the faid teftimony fhould be printed, and the cedula of confervatorfhip from his Majefty, given to Don Geronimo de Pueyo Araciel, who was of the council of his Majefty, and regent of this Royal court, confervator of the faid nation, and that which was given his lordship for the faid effect, together with this petition and act, figned and firmed

by

by the present notary, that printed certificates thereof fhould be delivered to the faid conful for the effect they require them, in the which, and by virtue of this act, his lordship interpofeth his authority and judicial decree, that it may be valid and given credit to where they fhall be prefented; and fo ordered and firmed

it.

D. Rodrigo Serrano y Trillo. Before me, Antonio Gonçales de Avellaneda, Notary.

According to the tenor of the faid petition, certificate, and cedulas, that it may appear I have given the prefent certificate, by order of his lordfhip, the regent, this 8th day of the month of Auguft, one thousand fix hundred fixty-and-eight, and have fet my feal thereunto,

Antonio Gonçales de Avellaneda.

Petition.

MR. John Bater, deputy of the English nation, declares, that foliciting for the faid nation, the searching for a cedula from his Majefty, and the lords of his Royal council of Caftile, dated the twelfth of July of the year paft, one thousand fix hundred feventyand-four, which faid cedula hath reference to Don Francifco Diaz de Vallecilia, judge, which came to this city with a commiffion to fearch after prohibited goods and things exported, wherein it is ordered, that the merchants books of the faid nation may not be vifited. A copy of the faid cedula hath been found, authorized by Jofeph de Cafas, notary public of the city of Cadiz, in the power of D. Juan de Santa Cruz, agent of the faid nation, refiding, and an inhabitant of Madrid, who hath delivered it to me, with exprefs charge that I return it to him, to deliver it to him that gave it him; and, that the copy which I intend to take of the faid Royal cedula may have all the comprobation that is neceffary, I defire and intreat your lordship to order, that the prefent notary in this commiffion

may

may take a copy of the faid royal cedula, that it may remain in the fecretary's office of the faid nation, for the cafes that may offer, and that the copy of the said royal cedula may be returned to me, that I may fend it back to him who fent it me. I ask justice, &c.

A&t.

John Bater.

That the prefent notary of this city may take out a copy of the royal decree, that he prefented with this petition, for the effect he declareth therein, and having. fo done, return it to this party, and in the said copy, his lordship did interpofe, and hath interpofed his authority, and judicial decree, as far as the law permits, it was ordered by Don Lucas Trelles Villamiel, of his Majefty's council, and his elder judge in the royal court of this city, judge confervator of the English nation. Done in Sevilla, the 6th day of July, of the year one thousand fix hundred eighty-nine.

Royal Decree.

Henrique Luyder.

DON CARLOS, by the grace of God, King of Caftille, of Arragon, of the Two Sicilias, of Jerufalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Mallorca, of Sevilla, of Cerdeña, of Cordova, of Corcega, of Murcia, of Jaen, Lord of Bifcay, of Molina, &c. the Queen Doña Mariana de Auftria, his mother, as his tutrefs, guardianefs, and governess of the faid kingdoms and dominions; to you Don Francifco Diaz de Vallecilla, our judge in commiffion for the vifit of exportations, and things prohibited in the city of Sevilla, and its diftricts, fend greeting: Know ye, that the ambaffador of Great Britain hath reprefented to us, that you have caused to be notified to the merchants of the English nation of this city, that you would fearch and regifter, and even mark the books and papers of their traffic and correfpondency, which

faid proceeding hath been a manifeft contravention of what hath been agreed to by the articles of peace, efpecially in the one-and-thirtieth article thereof, in which it was established and agreed, to all that relates to the faid books, that they might have liberty to keep them in what tongue they pleased, and in particular, that the faid merchants might not be examined, nor upon any account whatsoever fined by them, nor the faid books registered, nor taken from them; upon which occafion, thofe of the faid nation have had recourfe to Don Carlos de Herrera Ramirez de Arellano, regent of our court of this city, and governor thereof, and judge confervator of the faid English nation, requiring him, as fuch judge, that he would difpatch his letter of inhibition, inferting the aforefaid article of peace, that you might defift from your proceedings, and keep and obferve what is contained in the faid article, and might not difquiet and difturb thofe of the faid nation, as in effect he had difpatched the faid inhibition; notwithstanding which, you have oppofed and perfevered in your first intent, and there was notice, that you were foliciting a ftronger commiffion and authority, to profecute your intent, in which it seems you had more regard to your particular intereft, than the inconveniency which might refult to us from the faid trouble given the merchants, and the violating of the faid treaty; defiring, that we would be pleafed to provide a remedy, and command you, that would ceafe and forbear your proceedings, and pretenfions, and comply with the inihibition I have laid on you, for fuch public concerns ought not to be facrificed for private ends; and likewife, that we would fend an order, that all judges whatfoever fhall obferve the articles of peace between the two crowns, and that under no pretence they fhall intermeddle, or take cognizance of the caufes relating to the English nation, nor prefume to any jurifdiction over them, unless it be their judges confervators; and the article which is referred to it, having been perused by our council, is of the tenor following, viz. The VOL. II.

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