CXLVII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR HENRY CAPEL.

DEARE BROTHER,

Dublin Castle, May 9th, '74. [After complaining that an officer has been allowed to sell his command, without previous application to himself, Essex proceeds:—]

Yet I wish you would a little discourse this matter with my Lord of Arlington, that this Gentleman is not ye first who hath served me thus, for some others, knowing I doe not like this bartering for commands, have asked my leave to goe into England, & then gett his Majesties consent for this purpose. If you did but know wth what contempt & scorne my Lord Berkeley was used by all people here, after they found He was not supported at Court. It would not be thought strange if I have a more than ordinary concerne at these Things wch seeme so litle in themselves, for indeed ye nature of this people is very apt to trample on their superiors, & unless a man be thoroughly countenanced in England, there is no dealing with them; therefore I would be glad some of my friends there would, as much as they could, prevent these inconveniences, for no man that doth not see it can tell how prejudiciall it is to his Majesties service, wch is impossible any Lieut can goe through wth it as he ought, unless ye world here doe believe him absolute in relation to those affairs that are under his charge. I may, perhaps, take ye libertie to speake more plainly upon this subject then another, having no con cerne of profitt therein. It is my principle to bring in as fitt men as any I can finde to serve in ye Army, but by no means to make ye least benefitt (as some others have done) of those places.

He is again urgent upon this point in a long letter to the king, on June 8,

1674.

CXLVIII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR HENRY CAPEL,a

May 16, 1674.

Essex has certain intelligence that Renel. about a fortnight since did resolve to endeavour Essex his removall; Treasurer, Speaker joyned in it. These resolved to get Lauderdell his concurrence. Conway, too, is not out. They intended to propose to K. the placing of Justices. Essex also knows who they propose to name. Essex is not certaine whether they will still continnue this their design, but Essex is sure 'twas once resolved by them. I think 'twere fitt H.C. acquainted Arlington or Conway with this, & desired them to be watchfull of the proceeding. Ranelagh has some reason to get Essex displaced at this time if he can, for he is now paying y arrears to Orrery, & I find endeavours to compound it, by which they will save sixty thousand pounds at lest. Essex has alwaise vigourously obstructed these actings, they being by convenants oblidged to pay this without deduction, composition, or defalcation. Essex has found two men in this town, one servant to Major Deane, Commissioner of treasury, the other to Champanty, their paymaster, who deale for these compositions, and have already bargained with many souldiers & officers for arrears. Essex is apt to beleeve if K. be throughly sensible of these trans-actions, & thereby understands the true grounds of these men's plots against Essex, K. will not harken to their projects on that side. Ranelagh seems to play a subtile game, for being at Court he has often advantages of gaining orders in relation to his affaires, & if his partners here committ any gross faults, his excuse is easy, for he may disowne any knowledge of them, and in appearance seem most innocent. Let H. C. be expectant in this affaire, & advise wth Arlington, Essex his just & true freind, to whom this may be shewed.

This is a loose leaf in Essex's handwriting among the copies of his letters by his secretary Aldworth.

i.e. superseding him by Lords Justices. CAMD. SOC.

2 G

VOL. I.

many to you

This paper will unriddle of the second of this instant May. The newes dispersed here of my removall came from Trear. Orrery, Renella, or their servants. As for the first, Captain Fitzgerald can tell II. C. what he knows of it.

CXLIX.—THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR Henry Capel. DEARE BROTHER,

Dublin Castle, May 16, '74. I have this day reed a Lie from Mr Harbord dated ye 9th instant, wherein he tells me that Essex House is now to be sold, & valued at about 70007. Tis a Purchase, I confess, weh I had rather make then anything I know, and it seemeth to me not to be overrated. I am very cautious of undertaking great things or plunging my selfe in debt, yet, could I be sure of continuing here one year, or a year & halfe longer, I doubt not of means to compass it. I would therefore be glad you entertained some Treaty of it, & finde to what Terms they can be brought. It ought to be considered in ye Purchase whether ye House be in good repaire, for if 'Twill cost a man any thing extraordinary to sett it right, that by so much will lessen ye value. I know my Lady Dutchess was careless enough in her business, & therefore I suspect ye Timber & other things, if they come to be searched, will be found very faulty. As for money to defray ye purchase, I would straine my selfe, as far as I could well be able. Thus much I can propose to doe: I have 2,500l. now ready by me to returne upon any warning, weh may be paid downe, & I shall be able about Michaelmas to pay 500l. more. Soon after Christmas I believe I can pay 2,0007., & by Midsummer following I doubt not to gett together so much as will discharge ye rest, so as ye whole may be thus compleated in one year's Time, wch I conceive very good payment. This I can doe, & yet send over now and then one or two Hunderd pds to raise & cover ye building of that wing wch is begun at Cassioberry, but then I must resolve to stop

is

my building there for this & ye next year, & only cover what is begun, & leave ye Inside finishing to some further opportunity, all wch I would be very glad to doe. This you must apprehend upon supposition that I stay here a year longer, & tho' no such thing can enter into a bargaine, yet you can best judge upon ye Place of ye likelyhood of my continuance, & accordingly guess what may most prudently be done. If you finde it likely, You may conclude for this House, wch truly is ye most convenient thing to me I could have; but then you must stop ye bargaine I am treating wth Mr Fotherley for his Land, &, if it be not already concluded, I would be glad to break off that wth Mr Hogsden for yo litle parcels of Land neer ye Bowling ground at Cassioberry; but as for Higby's, close-ye purchas is but 1807. at most, & it lyes so very convenient for me as I would have that goe on.

Tis possible you may bring ye price of this House to 6,000l., &, if soe, & that they require ready money downe, you see I shall be able to pay halfe immediately, & for the other halfe, money may be taken up & ye House engaged for it. My Lord Conway is never wthout such a summe, & I am sure He would be very willing to putt it into my hands. I doe imagine this being a Noted House it will not be difficult to let it to some Ambassador, or that from year to year, or perhaps two years, or some such short time, & that ye Rent may answer ye Interest of ye whole purchas money, soe as I doe not well see how I can be a Looser by it, if ye bargaine be carefully made. Pray take Sr Charls Harbord's advice in all yr Proceedings upon it.

I confess there hath not any thing of this sort come in my way that I have so great a mind to as this, it being necessary for me to have a House in London, & I am sure, take all circumstances, none can be so fitt for me as this will be.

CL.-LORD CONWAY TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YOR EXCELCE,

London, 19 May, 1674.

I came to this towne last Friday, and I found my friends in a better condition then I left them: Treasurer is esteemed the great support of the Crowne, Arlington makes his Interest amongst the discontented Members of Hous of Comons, and Duke & Lodderdale are his mortal enemies. If Ormond goes into Ireland, he will be commanded to stay there, and not returne into England. Keeper, not knowing the mistery of things, had like to have ruind himselfe for moving in the proclamation against spreaders of false news, yet you will not finde any thing in it which says parliam' shall meet. Keeper is now as ill with Arlington as any of the rest, and how ill Arlington is You will know it by this, that he will not be permitted to part with his Secretary's place to Williamson, though he offers the mony demanded for it. I wish that Treasurer and Essex were as intimat as I have always desired, and if Conway could compasse it without the assistance of Essex, it had been long since effected. Trear. told me that Esser had not delt well with him by writing to him in a Letter dated the 30th or 31st of March, to quicken Ranelagh in his payments, for otherwise Essex should be obliged to make a Representation of it, and when Trear. went to acquaint King with the contents of that Letter, King called for a Letter to Arlington of the 17th of March, wherein the Representation was made so many days before. If Yor Excelce will take my word for it, you cannot split upon any other Rock then by running a tilt at Ranelagh, and by being thought too much of a party with Arlington. 'Tis true that Orrery doth Essex all the ill offices he can, but he hath lost himselfe beyond imagination, and hath no

ai.e. the Duke of York.

Finch.

This only took place Sept. 11, 1674, for 6,000l., when Arlington was made Lord Chamberlain.