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his Enemies will Maull him. The publique Expense is farr short. of ye Revenue, by ye last Computation above 10,000м. weekly, so yt the king will quickly have money in his purse; And it is feard that ye parliament will not Sitt, though they meet. If so, & yt the Frenche keep their ground, Essex will be removed next spring. I heare from a good hand that Coventre is willing to sell his place, wch is a terrible Signe, for you two must goe together; he complaines that nobody takes his part since Ormond went away, and saith that he will leeve his place rather then doe an ill thing, which agrees wth the former story.

Williamson waited the other morning, since secretary, 2 Houres at Treay. before admitted, so yt I can not tell what Course he wil shew.

Keeper acts very fearfully & warily. Laud. braggs like a mad man. Trea. is ill in health.

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CLXXIV.-WILLIAM HARBORD TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YR EXCELLENCY,

London, 21 Sept., '74. This Bearer, Captain Crofts, going this day for Dublin, I thought it best to write by him my thoughts to you upon the present occurrences here, that so you may take y measures accordingly, for I dare assure you I am not mistaken in mine.

First, the King ye last ffriday in Councell declared his thoughts of proroging the parliament till spring," not ascertaining the time, but yisterday his May, Duke, Trear. & Williamson mett at Mr.

a It was Danby's usefulness in this respect that enabled him to maintain himself so long.

b Charles was now acting as his own Foreign Minister. His intention of proroguing once more had been carefully concealed, even from Danby, and the announcement created consternation in the Council. The time named for the meeting of parliament was first November and then April, 1675.

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Coventry his office, & I believe there it was agreed, & this day, or on wednesday, It wil be declared, I suppose, in Councell. Coventry hath stoutly opposed it, but could not prevaile.

The french have Labored int, and I am apt to believe that a stratagem was made use off to bring it about, wch was the opportune contriving a story of a great victory procured by ye frenche, & ye Boats stopped 2 or 3 dayes yt so It might not Admitt of a suddain Contradiction, for Lockart, from Paris, writes only of ye Raising of ye Siege, & yet ye french Ambassador pretends to have Letters, of ye same date, of a great Rout given to ye Confederates, & in so improbable a Manner yt It Lacketh Even Creditt here. You can not Imagine how great a Surprise this Actt of Councell hath made among the people who talk very broad, And may perhaps prove fatall to Trea. & Laud. My Ld. Trear. eldest sonne is admitted into ye Bed Chamber, & waited this day; this is donne by ye help of 90, & Its wonderfull to see his good fortune in ye Marriage of his Children & settling his family in order; And many are of opinion that when yt is donne he will stop this Career. He hath greater Creditt wth the King then any man Ever had, & if he continue the way I heare he hath proposed of saving yearly 500, & laye it up in specie, Land will fall, I dare be bold to saye, in 4 yeares, to 10 yeares purchasse, & rents one Moitie of what they are now, all for want of Boullion to drive the Trade of ye kingdome, and then all ye nobility & Gentry must be Courtiers, or weare sabotts at home. This is the greatest blow yt can be given you, & I can not see a possibility of y' staying where you are longer then the spring, if those Councells hold; And, therefore, for God's sake let us apply ourselves wholy to ye payment of yr Debt, wthout wch I feare your family wilbe ruined. However, when Mr. Hine commeth to towne, I will send you his particular, but I expect yr Excellency to give me Leave to Labour yr being out of debt, & yt that have pretenses before all other considerations, & I assure you I will Labour it wth all Immaginable Industry.

a Duchess of Portsmouth.

I plainly perceave that king speakes well of Essex to cover his other designes, And I believe you wilbe of my minde ere long.

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CLXXV.-WILLIAM HARBORD TO THE EARL OF ESSEX. London, 29 Sept. 1674.

MAY IT PLEASE YR EXCELLENCY,

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The Duke of Monmouth was Confined to his Chamber, at ye Request & pressing of my La Montague, for some words his Grace was pleased to speake of my Lord, & those grounded upon ye late stopping of my Ld. Montague's by ye Guard by ye Duke's Command as he came from Mrs Kirk's; but is released again. The (illegible) hath gotten him great kindnesse among ye Generality of people by the other being so terribly hated, & yt Duke, Lau : Tre: apeared for him. There is a great feud between York & Mon: the whole Court backs M., & Arl. hath wisely made him head of the party, wich wil give him credit now and in Parl. All their hopes is peace, where in I hope they will faile.

My Lord Arlington is returned from the Bathe & bears his great losse patiently, thanking God yt his Child was not there. This is all at present from, &c.

CLXXVI. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO SIR HENRY CAPEL.

DEARE BROTHER,

Dublin Castle, Octobr 3, 74. I have received yrs of ye 20th of September; I am confident ye prorogation of yR parliamt will much alter ye face of things, in consequence to wch if any change should arise in relation to my selfe, Twill not in ye least surprise or discompose me, being resolved

never to doe any Thing unjustifyable upon ye Acct of Keeping my place. I doe believe I shall be able to clear my debt by ye next Spring, & as for my building at Cassiobury I have done enough already to make it an excellent House, & in such a manner as I can make use of it without doeing any more, & therefore if matters doe not succeed wth me I will let that rest as it is, but if I continue in ye station where I am, I will by degrees doe more.

CLXXVII. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE BISHOP OF Down.
MY LORD,
Dublin Castle, Octobr 19th, 74.

Twas some weeks since that I reed a Letter from yr LP wherein were severall Things relating to ye Nonconformists who are in those parts where you reside concerning their Intelligences wth Scotland. The Acct wch I had from you I comunicated to Sr Arthur Forbese, who was then goeing into that country, & tho' Things doe not at present looke very well in Scotland, yet I hope there will be nothing to disturbe ye peace there, or bring any unquietnesse here; however, I conceive yr Lp does very well in ye moderation wch I hear you use towards dissenters, this not being, in my opinion, a season proper to struggle too much wth them.

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CLXXVIII.-WILLIAM HARBORD TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YR EXCELLENCY,

Ye last of Oct., '74.

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I writt to you by ye last post concerning Brockley, & have endeavoured, both by my self, Sr H. Capell & friends, to finde out

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the bottom of it; & although from severall hands its plaine that King hath been tampred with, yet Tweedale hath prest Kg so hard that Kg did in anger saye that he had not promised it to Brockley. D Ham. Tweedale are Essex his friends; & so is Arl., Cov. most faithfully, and, indeed, the man proposed adds much to Essex his fame. Arl. may rest satisfyed That nothing wil be done till spring nor till the three yeares be out. Tweedale tels me that when Kg and he spoke o' this, Kg said all the good things of Essex immaginable, but he can not resist the importunities of Portsm., nor is to be trusted. Sr H. Cap., W. H. use their utmost care, & nothing shalbe omitted. If Essex can but have it 4 and his yeares, condition easy, I should be glad to see him at home and out of this court. The dutch Ambassador came to me & assured me that Orange did extreamly value and Desire Essex his friendship. Sr H. Capell is gone home, & wilbe here again on Thursday & write at large.

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And you can not Imagine how fair all Orm. his friends are to Essex, and particularly Ossory, who hath taken upon him to speake to Portsm. about this; & therefore I pray by some publique civility let the world see the good understanding that is between you, for all good men desire it.

Lady Pembroke hath said such words to Kg upon this much as wold make one tremble.

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CLXXIX. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO THE EARL OF TYRONE. MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Novembr 10, 74.

I have reed yrs of ye 6th instant, wch gives me notice of severall persons who doe much damnefy ye people in ye county of Waterford

ai.e. the "party" lords opposed to Lauderdale.

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