A MEMORIAL Delivered to His MAJESTY (July 2●/31 1664) from the Lord VAN-GOGH, Ambassador from the STATES GENERAL of the UNITED PROVINCES.  
Translated into English.  
With the ANSWER which His Sacred Majesty returned thereunto.  
LONDON, Printed by J. G. for R. Royston, Bookseller to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1664.   

THE MEMORIAL OF THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO HIS MAJESTY.  
SIR,  
THE under-written Ambassador of the State's General of the United Netherlands, Your good friends and Allies, having had the honour of several Audiences with Your Majesty, and therein made known to You such Orders as he hath from time to time received from his Masters upon occasion of, and concerning divers affairs, and especially these following: To wit,  
Seeing it is understood and perceived, that Vessels of War are fitting and preparing on both sides, which if they go forth to Sea and meet there together, might by some misunderstanding fall foul upon one another; Your Majesty would therefore be pleased to keep back Your Fleet, and not suffer it to go to Sea, as their Lordship's offer on their part to do; the whole intent and design tending only to the safety of both parties, and the prevention of the foresaid sinister encounters.  
Moreover, Whereas their Lordships have been informed, that Captain Holmes with the Vessels under his Command hath now again (as heretofore) done very great and enormous injuries to the Netherlandish Company of the West-Indies, by taking divers of their Vessels upon the Coast of afric, as also by making himself Master of some places and Forts belonging unto them, and namely amongst others of Capo Verde, etc. which is directly contrary, not only to the Treaty last concluded between Your Majesty and the States of the United Provinces, but also to mutual Amity and good neighbourhood: The said Ambassador did therefore in the name of his Superiors, demand restitution of the same, and that reparation might be made of the damages and interests, which the said Company and other Subjects of their Lordships, who were concerned, have suffered thereby; as also that the like proceedings and violences might be prevented for the future by an express Order.  
In the third place, That their Lordships being from day to day confirmed by certain intelligence coming from that Coast, that the foresaid action of Captain Holmes had not only been effected in the manner above specified, but also that he was intended to carry on his design further, by making incursions and seizing upon all the Coast, and that for his better success therein, he expected a notable supply of Ships from England, as the whole matter may be proved by the Testimony and Depositions of credible persons newly come from thence: Which actions being without right, reason and equity, and which consequently cannot be endured, nor looked upon with a good eye, Your Majesty was entreated that it might be Your good Pleasure to command as well the said Captain Holmes, as others who were in that engagement, or are held to have been employed therein, not only to restore the foresaid Forts and Vessels so taken, and to repair the damages thereby suffered (as reason requires) but also that the Ships which by report are now ready to set Sail, or which may be fitting for that end, may by Your Majesty's express Command be prohibited and charged not to do or cause any other injury or damage to the said Company, or to any other the Subjects of the United Provinces.  
Fourthly, Forasmuch as the poorand afflicted Reformed Churches in the Valleys of Piedmont have represented, that after the agreement made with his Royal Highness the Duke of Savoy some while since, they are again overwhelmed & ruined by exactions & charges required of them to defray the expenses of the Army which the said Duke had commanded against them, which charges amounted to so high a sum, that it was impossible for them to make it up, for the reasons more at large alleged in their Remonstrance; Therefore they have desired the intercession of the State's General with Your Majesty, that Your Ambassador in the Court of France may have order to procure from his Most Christian Majesty (as being Mediator between his said Royal Highness and them) as much favour and comfort to those poor afflicted Churches as can possibly by any means be obtained.  
And finally, considering that the Vessels coming from the United Provinces into the Rivers, Streams and Roads of this Kingdom, are stopped there under pretence that there be Persons and Commodities on board which come from places infected with the Plague, or at least suspected to be so, by which means the freedom of Trade and Passage is obstructed and disturbed, to the great prejudice of the inhabitants of both Nations: The said Ambassador therefore insisted thereupon, that the same might be remedied, or at least that the strictness of those Orders might be mitigated in such measure as in reason shall be found convenient; And that the rather, because, by the mercy of God, all the Provinces in general are not infected with the Contagion.  
To all that is above said, Your Majesty hath been pleased to answer in effect, to wit, upon the first point, touching keeping of the Fleet from going to Sea, That the numbers which were fitted and prepared on Your Majesty's side being no way extraordinary, but only for common and customary use, and without design of bringing any damage or inconvenience upon the inhabitants of the United Provinces, the said Vessels could not be kept from going to Sea, because Your Majesty's Honour was engaged therein; Nevertheless that You would give such Orders to the chief Commander of Your said Fleet, that their Lordships shall have no cause to apprehend any sinister encounters from it.  
As to the second, touching the action of Captain Holmes▪ Your Majesty thought good to answer thereunto, That You had received no information of it, and that having given no Order for his so doing, You would cause reparation to be made, if the matter proved to be true, and that the said Captain Holmes should be punished according as the case should require: Nevertheless adding thereunto afterwards at another Audience, that the West-India Company had likewise done much damage to Your Majesty's Subjects upon the said Coast, pretending to be Masters thereof to themselves alone; which thing ought to be considered also in its proper season, judging it unreasonable and unjust that the Trade of the English upon that Coast should continually be disturbed and hindered.  
And as to the third, Your Majesty was pleased to say as before, That You had received no information of Holmes his actions in those parts; and for so much as concerned the Ships which are ready to set Sail towards the Coast of afric, that they were not in a condition to make any attempt there, being only Merchantmen, unto which there was added but one Man of War for their Convoy.  
For what regards the poor Piemontoys, That You were sensibly touched with the miserable condition of those Churches and People, and for that reason Your Majesty had already given Order to Your Ambassador in France to contribute unto their relief and comfort in Your name; But forasmuch as at present there occur some new difficulties concerning the said Churches, Your Majesty would advise more particularly thereupon.  
And lastly, concerning the Merchant's Ships which come from the United Provinces into this Kingdom, and are stopped without permission to Land any where, because they are suspected to come from some place infected with the Sickness, there being no distinction made between Provinces and Cities really afflicted with the said Contagion, & those which are not so at all; That Your Majesty having an extraordinary apprehension of that disease, had great reason to use all possible precaution against it; Notwithstanding, that the business should also be thought upon more fully.  
All which Points abovesaid having been repeated by the said Ambassador at his last Audience, and instance thereupon made, that according to their Lordship's desires Your Majesty would be pleased to explain Yourself in Writing, to put the minds of his Superiors out of perplexity and disquiet; and Your Majesty having to that purpose desired, that all should be comprised in a Memorial for●… Answer to be given thereunto in Writing: The said Memorial (May it please Your Majesty) is here most humbly presented, with like prayer, that such Order may be taken therein, as that by a favourable answer (which the said Ambassador expects from Your Majesty) he may be enabled to give his Master's content.  
M. Van-Gogh. From Chelsey, July 2●/31 1664.