Among the great Assembly, which is adjourned till next
Monay; two things have been agitated among them, and
that almost to daggers drawing; the Amnesty; of which I
told you in my last; and the Decisive voice, upon emergent
controversies, in which they could not agree: of this last
they have ordered, that upon such a dubious case, each Province
shall chuse one, and they shall decide it. But how
fit and effectual this remedy is like to prove, time will
teach.
As touching the Amnesty, or Act of oblivion still pressed
by the Provinces, and opposed by Holland, if it be not granted,
Sommerdyck will be like to incur this fate, if he prevent
it not by running to be tryed, and condemned; and
then the Provinces to iutercede and beg his pardon. Groningen
denies consent to the Ambassadors that are to go for
England, unless the Amnesty pass, wherein their Governors
seem to stickle.
I had forgot one thing of the Princess Royal; she hath
opened the Cabinet of the deceased Prince, which the
States of Holland had shut up and sealed; she hath rifled
and taken out many things, whereof restitution is required,
and must be made: this is no small regret and disgrace to
her, thank Mounsieur Henvliet, and Madam Stanhop for the
Counsel.
Your Lord Craven is now at the Hague, whether he will
come for England in this exigence of the publick and his
own private affairs, is not known, as my informer tells me, he
beleeves not.
At Dort we have a mutinous fire broken out, of the nature
of that at Middleburg, Utrecht, &c. It seems to be a
train laid so, as to run from City to City, till all be set in a
blaze; truly we have but to much tinder and touch pouder
among us; our sins, animosities, mutual irritations, continuances
of taxes, which are yet kept up, though the war be
over, together with the corruption of Magistrates, almost
everywhere, and male contents, Jesuites, with Spanish and