ON Friday being the fifth of this in­stant November, the Lord Cra­ven, with divers other English Gentlemen, gave a visit to Her Majesty the Queen of Bohemia at the Hague, where they sate in Councel (from 9 in the morning, till 7 in the evening.) to consult and advise how they might (even in this present Juncture of Time) propagate the Work in hand, for the most easie and facile advancing of the Intrest of their Lord and Master Charles; whose present condi­tion they much commiserate; And indeed, it doth not a little concern them, since that [Page 4] they are all ballanc'd equally in the Skales of your English Judicatory. In considera­tion whereof, they resolved once more to put the Chance of the Day to its Hazard, and agreed upon a Declaration to be pub­lished in the Name of their Master, to in­vite all the loyal-hearted English through­out the United Provinces, to an engage­ment for Him: And in pursuance thereof, her Majesty hath sent a Message to her Ne­phew Charles, importuning his Residence at the Hague, &c. But I can give you no ac­count of the event thereof, by reason He hath not as yet returned an Answer.

The chief obstruction which causeth the delay is said to arise from Sweden; by rea­son that Queen Christiana hath given him to understand by a Message, That she is re­solved not to put the general peace into the b [...]llance with any particular Interest; nei­ther can she enter into a League Offensive [Page 5] or defensive with the Netherlands, conside­ring the great abuses and wrongs formerly by them sustained, &c.

Further assuring him, that she is obliged and bound by the laws of God, to advance the publike peace of her People, and to pre­serve and defend Them, according to the great Trust reposed and committed to her Charge, against all Confederacies, Combi­nations, and particular Interests, that may prove dangerous and destructive to her Weal-publique.

Upon reading of this Message, the King seemed to be much astonish'd, and in the presence of the Marquess of Ormond, the Lord Wilmot, and divers other Gentle­men, struck his hand upon his breast, say­ing, Heavens protect me, for verily I think I have not now a true friend in the World: Well! God's Will be done; he is all-suffi­cient, [Page 6] and in him I wil repose my sole Trust and Confidence; therefore I will not fear what man can do against me.

He continues still at the Palace-Royall in Paris; his Councel are very active to promote and carry on the Design, and M. General Massey is as busie as a little Lord with the high and mighty States, to stir up the fire of Revenge, which lyes glowing in the Embers throughout the United Pro­vinces.

We hear that the English are still at Portelongone, where the Dutch have got leave to come in, upon pretence, say they, to bury some eminent persons among them killed in the late fight; having permission to bury their dead, they have interred 8 of their Commanders, among which the Vice Admiral is said to be one, with 3 Captains; the English General having desired the Go­vernour [Page 7] of that place to furnish him with som pou­der and shot for his money, he hath excused himself of a non-possibility, whereupon the same hath been supplied by way of Porto Ferraro.

The two Squadrons of English and Dutch do remain very quiet to the Ha [...]bor, not offering the least act of Hostility one to the other, onely that the Trumpeters of each pa [...]do daily sound severall Challenges each to the o [...]h [...]r, to provoke them to fight; the which to preve [...] the Governour hath caused more Guns to be plant [...] [...]pon the two Bul­works that command th [...] [...] to double the Watch, and moreover hath [...] of [...]al brass-pieces of Ordnanee to the Town of Piombino.

Great are the preparations for War throughout all the Provinces; but the most active and forward to engage are the English: Yet there is a people who are loath to run the hazard of War, knowing that it is not a little Ghelt must feed the flame, and want of Trade will soon make a hole in the bottom of their purses. And so I leave them between Hope and Despair: God knows the future Events, and not I.

Leyden. 7 Novemb. stilo novo.

On Munday being the eighth of this instant, we received intelligence, That Sir George Carteret is very busie with his Pickeroons upon the Western Coast, seizing divers small Vessels, but sometimes they snap short of their prey; and instead of prize receive shipwrack. Amongst the rest, a gallant ship richly laden with plunder'd Plate, and other famous Commodities, was bulg'd upon the Sands neer Co­rum in Kent, and became a prey to the Inhabitants thereabouts: she is by estimation deemed to be worth forty thousand pounds.

Two hundred sail of Colliers are now bound from Newcastle for London; they put forth on the third of November, and are daily expected at the Hope.

General Blake maintains the Western seas, and expects the coming forth of the Dutch Fleet very suddenly. Vantrump hath tendered an Oath to all his Officers and Sea-men; and unanimously they have vow'd to dispute their Quarrel upon the Ne­ptune Ocean to the last man. But it is the Muzzle of the Canon, and not such Squibs must resolve our Case.