The Copy of a Paper Presented to the KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY BY THE Spanish AMBASSADOR, The third of May, 1661.  
SIR,  
THe 28th. of March the Spanish Ambassador delivered unto Your Majesty a writing, representing the dangerous consequence of the Portuguese Marriage proposed to Your Majesty, as also the solid Advantages which Your Majesty might obtain from Spain in this present conjuncture with Peace, Tranquillity and Commerce, abandoning the Chimerical Propositions made by the Portuguese, who offers nothing but doubtful things, not having any lawful possession of them, and cannot serve but to occasion a War between England and Spain, he not being able to assist Your Majesty to maintain it, neither can he ever of himself make any W●r against England, though Your M●j●s; tie should abandon him, and embrace the Interest of Spai●, whereby you shall receive an infallible benefit, instead of those vain Offers made by the other, not having reality in them: And in regard the Ambassador hath not yet received any answer, notwithwithstanding Your Majesty hath often assured him he should receive it, he finds himself obliged to put your Majesty in remembrance thereof, and to demonstrare to Your Majesty according to the last Order that he hath received from the King his Master, That over and above the Offers which he hath already made for the Princess of Denmark, and for the Princess of Saxony, or any other Princess that may seem pleasing to Your Majesty. He doth now propose the Princess of O●a●ge, whom his Catholic Majesty will adopt and endowre with the same Advantages which have been proposed with the Princess of Denmark and Saxony, in case that she be more pleasing to your Majesty, and with those very same Advantages and Conditions which Your Majesty desired with the Princess of Parma, when Your Majesty thought that, that Marriage would be convenient for You; being he believes that that with the Princess of Orange will be of great satisfaction to Your Majesty's Kingdoms for several Reason's of great consideration; and in particular, for the nearness and neighbourhood of that Princess; especially, all Your good Subjects desiring nothing more, then to see Your Majesty speedily married, and which cannot be elsewhere but with many delays, and those exposing the Conclusion to many Chances and Accidents, which may render it ineffectual. Moreover it is represented, that your Majesty's marriage with the Portuguese, doth not stand with the continuance of the Peace and Commerce between Spain and England, the which is even supposed in that Pamphlet written in favour of Portugal, where the Author concluding a breach with Spa●n, endeavours to persuade, that the Commerce with that Nation is no way profitable to England, but his Reasons are as weak and as false as those which are alleged in another Pamphlet set out to authorise and make good the Duke of Braganza's Usurpation of the Crown of Portugal; and as the Reasons in the latter Pamphlet be evidently false; so if it please your Majesty to command the committee of Commerce, or any other person understanding that Commerce, to consider the Reasons alleged in the former, where he insists to make it appear, That the Commerce with Spain is not absolutely necessary to England, his Discourse will be found weak, groundless, false, and proceeding from ill intentions unto both Kingdoms.  
And for what belongs to the Dowry, which some of your Majesty's Ministers have looked on, whether it be sufficient or proportionable to Your Majesty, the Ambassador saith, That it is the same which hath been demanded, and with which other great Kings have been contented. But if Your Majesty instead of the ordinary Dowry, doth desire at present other things more proportionable to Your conveniency, Your Majesty may please to declare them, being it is certain that Your Majesty ought not to doubt of obtaining from the good Will and Power of the Carholick King, much greater Advantages (and those real ones, and to be enjoyed in peace and quietness) than those that Portugal doth offer, and from which no benefit will ensue, but rather engaging Your Majesty in a War, which ought to be avoided for the good of Your Kingdoms, being that which the Catholic King proposeth, is without hazard, and with all the Advantages that Your Majesty can desire for the good of the Subjects of both Crowns,