lighted with them, and made them be continued many more days than were intended. He took that fancy to a gypsy-boy, that swung and danced, as he hath him in the degree of a favourite, being taken into the seraglio, and presented by the great bashaws.

The mussaip, that hath married the grand signior's daughter, is a man that meddles in no business, nor is thought to be much capable of it; for, being chimacham in the visier's absence, he shewed no great abilities. The grand signior takes him for a constant companion in all his divertisements, and hath a strong affection to him, which time does not impair, but rather augment, he being a prince most constant where he fixes. You would think this marriage would make him happy, but it is quite contrary; for it not only cuts him off in his pleasures, to which he is indulgent, he being forced to discharge all his women, even his own sisters; but it ruins his fortune, both by the expence in maintaining her, while she lives, and, should she die, he must refund to the treasury all he hath had with her, besides four millions (according to common report) of dollars, which is her dote; which he is so far from an ability of, that he cannot pay his present debts: she hath good proofs of his abilities another way, he having, it is said, two-and-thirty

children.

To our own private affairs, his excellency my lord ambassador, Sir John Finch, had all satisfaction, and hath obtained very advantageous additions to our capitulations; but, they being things mercantile, and, though not beyond, yet beneath your knowledge, I shall not particularise.

We had a very hot plague; my lord ambassador retired to a village, but it soon arrived there; so he lived in his tents till the sickness got among the servants, of whom five died: then he returned to the village. Mr. North and I stuck to the city, where, though in our street only two houses were free, besides our own, and the two adjoining had five sick on the one, and two on the other side, yet, God be praised, we and our servants passed well along the road; and here it is not much less: Sir Thomas Baines, my lord ambassador's companion, that attended him in his chamber, three days after our arrival, was taken, and in three more died; he is the only Englishman that hath been visited. His excellency hath retired upon this, a little way out of town, for some time.

Dated from Pera, the 9th of October, 1675.

A PERFECT NARRATIVE OF

The Apprehension, Trial, and Confession of the five several Persons that were Confederates in

STEALING THE MACE & THE TWO PRIVY PURSES

FROM THE

HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND.

As it was attested at the sessions held at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, the seventh and eighth of March, Anno 1676-7. With permission. Quarto, containing eight pages.

MANY

ANY and intolerable are the injuries and abuses that are committed almost daily within the city and suburbs of London. I

need not run no further to find out examples that may equalise the barbarian infidel, do but consider in what sphere we move; with double diligence our natives run to hasten others and their own destruction; one brother can't put confidence in another, but still is fearful, lest he should betray him; one neighbour hates another, and are grown so implacable and almost incorrigible, that, did not timely justice supersede, no man could find safety in his own castle; the superview. ing of each sessions will demonstrate the vices and perverseness of our

times.

But not to derogate too far from the intended subject of this present narrative; I shall give you an account of the audacious burglary that was committed on my Lord Chancellor, the sixth of February, being Tuesday night, one-thousand six-hundred seventy-six, and the parties that were apprehended the Saturday night following.

The manner of their apprehension was thus: some of the head of the gang had taken a lodging in Knight-Rider-street, near Doctor'sCommons; and there, in a closet, they had lodged the mace and purses.

The woman's daughter of the house, going up in their absence to make the bed, saw some silver spangles, and some odd ends of silver scattered about the chamber, which she, with no small diligence, picked up, not knowing from whence such riches should proceed. In this admiration she paused a while, and it was not long before her fancy led her, like the rest of her sex, to pry into and search the furthermost point of this new and strange appa:ition, and directing her course to the closet door, she, through the key-hole, could discern something that was not commonly represented to her view, which was the upper end of the mace, but knew not what it was; however, she thought it could not be amiss to acquaint her beloved mother with what she had beheld; and, with this resolve, she hastens down stairs, and, with a voice betwixt fear and joy, she cries out: 'Oh mother! mother! yonder is the king's crown in our closet! pray, mother, come along with me and see it.'

The admiring mother, being something surprised at her daughter's relation, as also having no good opinion of her new lodgers, makes haste, good woman, and goes to the closet door; and, opening the lock with a knife, she entered into the closet, where she soon discerned that it was not a crown, but a mace; and, having heard that such a thing was lost, sends immediately away to acquaint my lord chancellor that the mace was in her house; upon which information, a warrant was soon granted, and officers sent to Mr. Thomas Northy, constable of Queen-hithe ward, who, with a sufficient assistance, went into Knight-Rider-street, to their lodging, and very luckily found them, being five in number, and of both sexes, viz. three men, and two women, whom they carried before the Right Worshipful Sir William Tur ner, who, after examination, according to justice, committed them to the common jail of Newgate.

At the sessions held in the Old Bailey, beginning the seventh day of this instant March, the five prisoners aforesaid were first called to the bar, where, according to the custom of England, they were bid to

hold up their hands, and asked, whether guilty or not guilty? they all replied severally, not guilty. After that the witnesses were sworn and examined, who very manifestly proved the fact, the woman and her daughter where they lodged being two great evidences against them.

After this the principal of those malefactors, a person very well known in court, having been arraigned at the same bar five or six several times before, very confidently speaks to the bench in this manner: • My lord, 'I own the fact, and it was 1, and this man, pointing to one that stood by him at the bar, that robbed my lord chancellor, and the other 'three are clear of the fact, though I cannot say but they were confe. 'derates with us in the concealment of the prize after it was taken. 'This I declare, said he, to the honourable bench, that I may be clear of the blood of these other three persons.' The bench, and all spectators else, admired to hear him thus confidently declare himself guilty before examination, knowing that the fact was of so high a nature, and, without all doubt, would prove capital. However, the court went on in a legal way; and another witness begun to demonstrate in what manner he was taken; to whom the prisoner answered in this manner: Prithec, fellow, do not make such a long narration of my being taken, thou seest I am here, and I own that I and this man, 'as aforesaid, are guilty of the fact.'

With that the other prisoner, whom he thus impeached, endea youred to clear himself, after this manner: My lord, said he, this man, meeting me in Paul's churchyard, asked me to go and drink, with whom I went, and, after we were seated, he told me, that he knew of a booty that would make me smile, telling me of the mace and purses; and further saying, that, if I would be his assistant, he 'would give me my share of the prize.' To whom the prisoner aforesaid made this reply in open court; Yes, my lord, I look like a fellow that would commit a robbery, and give him half the prize. At this there was a great shout in the court, but silence was straight commanded. And the other man with the two women were examined, who endeavoured to clear themselves; but sufficient evidence was produced in court, who did attest, that they found some of the plate with them at the time of their apprehension; so they were put to silence, and dismissed the court for that time.

It was observed, the prisoner whom the chief malefactor impeached to be equally guilty of the fact with himself, had a great sense of sorrow upon him whilst he was at the bar, and complained to himself of lewd and lascivious women, saying, that they were the cause of his and many other men's ruin; which is certainly true, that they are the ruin of many a hopeful young man.

THE PRESENT STATE OF CHRISTENDOM,

AND THE

INTEREST OF ENGLAND, WITH REGARD TO FRANCE. In a Letter to a Friend, 1677.

The subject of this treatise is of that consequence, that it needs no recommendation, in the present posture of affairs; and the interest of every state of Christendom, to oppose and curb the ambition of France, is here so clearly and justly described and proved, that nothing can be added to its perspicuity and strength of argu

ment.

You gave me a brief and a pertinent deduction, the other day, of

the French practices and designs; the progress of their arms, and the methods of their proceedings: together with a scheme of the inevitable ruin, and slavery, that threatens Europe, without a speedy and a powerful conjunction, against them. After this general contemplation of the present state of Christendom, you were pleased to take a particular prospect of the interest of this nation; and how far we are to reckon ourselves concerned in the common calamity: coming, at last, to this conclusion, that England cannot reasonably expect to stand long, after the loss of Holland and Flanders. For the support of this opinion (besides the force of your own reasoning) you referred me to several historical and political treatises upon the subject; which I have diligently examined, and made use of, in this following discourse; wherein I take the freedom to give you my thoughts upon the whole

matter.

Your first charge upon the French was, breach of faith; and you pitched upon the cases of Spain and Portugal; the barbarous usage of the Duke of Lorrain; and the nulling of the Most Christian Queen's renunciation upon marriage; (which was the very foundation of the Pyrenean treaty) by a pretended devolution of the Spanish Netherlands in the right of that match: their underhand tampering of Denmark and Sweden, to draw the one from us, and hinder the other from joining with us; the influence they had upon our disgrace at Chatham; their playing booty on both sides, betwixt England and Holland, in the Dutch war: and to these instances (which are all so notorious, that they need no expounding) you might have added a thousand more of the like quality. But these may suffice for a seasonable and a necessary caution, and without the helps of aggravation and clamour; especially that extraordinary action of destroying the queen's renunciation, and then invading the Spanish Netherlands upon it: an action, hardly to be paralleled in the story of the whole world, for a concurrence of so many enormous circumstances. There was in it the publick faith of

the two crowns; which is the only security of government, and the bond of human society: there was in it the solemnity of an oath, at the very altar; which is the most sacred tye of a Christian: there was also the highest profession and assurance of friendship imaginable; which is accounted one of the most binding obligations betwixt man and man and then there was a brother, a cousin, and an infant, in the case; which makes it matter of humanity and honour. And yet all these cords were as easily broken as buirushes. This single precedent may serve, however, for a warning to all princes, and states, not to leave themselves at the mercy of men of such principles. But his Most Christian Majesty is not the only prince, that has been abused by corrupt and ambitious ministers.

Your next observation was, that they are the greatest intermeddlers in the world, in other people's affairs; that they imbroil all wherever they come; and that there is hardly any rebellion, but they are in the bottom of it. For their money walks in all the courts and councils of Christendom; nay, and beyond it too; for it is said, that the last grand visir was their pensioner. Was it not France, that debauched Scotland first, and afterwards, England, into the late rebellion? Nay, did they not stand still, and look on, to see the crowning of the work, which they themselves began, in the execrable murther of the late king? And did they not refuse to our gracious and persecuted sovereign, that now is, even a retreat in their dominions? How did they prolong the war in Portugal? What havock have they made in Poland, and what work in Hungary? And are they not, at this day, in counsel with the Port against the Empire, and undermining the bulwark of Christendom? How have they dashed England against Holland; blinded the eyes of several princes of the Empire; and baffled all mediations towards a general peace? Did they not formerly, under the colour of protecting Germany, cut off Alsatia from the Empire? And in a word, this has been their practice, wheresoever they have come: They covet harbours in Spain (says the admirable Baron del' Isola); leagues in the Empire; factions in Poland; wars in England and Holland; passes into Italy; and the sovereign arbitrage every where. Their quiet consists in the trouble of all others, and their advantage is in the publick ca. lamities.' Nor have they any other way, than, by dividing and weakening the parts, to master the whole, which is the capital design. And if so, there is no fence against a common enemy, but a common

union.'

It is already made appear, by what is above said, how dangerous they are to mankind. The next hint, you gave me, was to consider on it, whether the English may reasonably expect any better quarter from them, than other people? In which point, I shall only lay the matter before you, and leave you the judge on it.

The four main interests of a nation, are, religion, reputation, peace, and trade. For the first of these, we shall neither fare the better, nor the worse; but lose just as much for being of another communion, as his Catholick Majesty gets, by being of the same. The question, now on foot, is, a communion of state, not of faith. The alcoran and the gospel go hand in hand; and at the same time, the protestants are pro