A LETTER OR DECLARATION, SENT From the KING of SCOTS, TO The Marquis of Ormond: Concerning his Agreement with the Scots; And his special command to the said Marquis for publishing the same to the Irish: With his protestation touching his former Grants.  
Sent by an Express to the City of Paris, to be forthwith printed.  
Whereunto is annexed; A Narrative from Portugal, touching Prince Rupert's design, to have fired the Parliaments shipping; the manner thereof, the discovery, and a fight that happened on shore, between Prince Rupert and Gen: Blague's men.  
London, Printed for G. Orton, and are to be sold at the Royal-exchange. 1650. June 6   

A Letter or Declaration, sent from the declared King of Scotland, to the Marquis of Ormond; touching his Agreement with the Scots.  
SIR,  
WHere liberty is, if great men be Magistrates they are hateful to the people, being not sensible that they are banks reared, which though they hinder the sight, yet withstand inundations; therefore to ruin a Kingdom by force, is a dangerous undertaking: Good resolutions are seldom taken altogether; in all things dangers do appear, and to secure ourselves from evil, good is done by halfs; and the half of that good is not good, which consisting in the whole admits of no division. To reverse things now irreparable, and which cannot be diverted, is a labour without profit; but there ought a remedy to be had, for the appearing danger. Injuries received, tend to the ruin of men, who with the zeal of honour do not accompany wisdom; they run upon revenge for past-wrongs, and throw themselves headlong upon new miseries; they would amend one error, and produce a thousand. Too much haste is as much before time, as too much delay is out of time: Errors of impatience, are worse than errors of delay; for it is better to shun precipices then to run upon them: if they be not hindered, they are retarded. Justice is not believed to be there, where violence is observed to be; nor can it be accounted wisdom where there is no augmentation. Augmentation is not had in an instant, time is not measured by instants: Wisdom is the daughter of cold, violence of heat; things which have not been done in times past, may well be effected in times to come, but things already done, cannot be undone again: occasions are never wanting to men, but men are wanting to occasions. And he who sighs, egged on by fury, gins his war for having lost; he satisfies his affection not his duty, and is sooner beaten by his own weakness then another's valour. Our forbearance is to be served, not despised; the world is his who hath patience when it proceeds from sagacity, not timidity. Generous spirits address themselves to endure present injuries, out of hope of future revenge; they reprove their anger to vindicate offences, not to evaporate passion. Dissimulation is not to be blamed, when by the injury of time it is not transformed into oblivion; dissimulation is never worse than when it becomes forgetfulness; never better, then when it resembles it. All industry ought to be used, to have peace with a people, who can never have a worse war, than peace: fair pretences are not wanting to cloak our received injuries; and many great Statists have self-interest for the sphere of their actions. It was the saying of a great Roman, that a Prince's death (though violent) if his whole race cease in him, is no impediment to the good government of him that succeeds, if he be not a cause thereof himself, through his bad government: where there is none of the blood, there is no head; where there is no head, people do but murmur, they take no resolution; the greatest provocations to revenge, are either necessity, or profit. And it was likewise the saying of one of the Patriarches, that he who hath won a kingdom by the sword, if he lay not down the sword, the sword will lay down him; and that, that Magistrate is not wise, that maketh use of the same means to govern a State, which he did to possess himself thereof: and that power is not worthy to be obeyed, who useth not the means to be beloved. But it is not now with England as it hath been formerly with other Nations, who after an intestine War, and differences composed, enjoyed future peace, by disbanding their Armies, and sheathing the sword, having no enemies abroad to disturb or molest them: But so numerous are the Enemies of the English Communality, who act and conspire in several parts, now to make an inroad for the involving of her in new troubles, and taking revenge for bypast actions; that there is great reason a defensive power should be kept on foot, for the safety and preservation of its peace and liberty, from foreigners threats and fury.  
But (Sir) fearing I have been too tedious in the foregoing circumstances, I shall now proceed to the subject of my intelligence, representing such occurrences as have reference to my Native Country England. The Treaty here being ended, the declared King of Scots dispatched a letter to the Marquis of Ormond, wherein he declared;  
That what he had done as to his Agreement with the Scots, he had done it out of mere necessity, for preserving to his obedience the kingdom of Scotland; and that it had no ways diminished his good affection to the Irish Catholics, and the rest of his party; and that as he had absolutely refused to give way to any thing that should tend to their prejudice, so he would still adhere to them, as relying altogether upon their true and faithful affection (under the judicious conduct of him) incomparably more than upon any; either English, or Scottish. And to the end that the true sense of his condescensions might be imparted unto them, he conjured him to declare this his will and pleasure, to all his Roman Catholics in that Kingdom; (viz.) That he will never diminish or recall any of his Grants [formerly] made unto them, but augment them, in all things that may redound to their liberty and safety, etc.  
The particulars of this Declaration, I received from a very good hand, who justified, that he was an eye-witness of the signing the said Letter; and withal, that express command was given, that a Copy of the said Letter should be forthwith sent to Doctor Tyrrell [the Irish Agent at Paris] authorising him to print a hundred Copies, to disperse amongst those of his loyal subjects whom he could confide in, and that had an interest, for the carrying on of the work in Ireland. These passages are very ill resented, and in all probability (as many conjecture) the Scots will find the sad event thereof when once he gets into the Saddle; which causeth this expression from many, that they never desire to see him set footing within those territories: And indeed it is the desire of many others (on the contrary part) likewise. Thus runs the current of several sorts of people; but for my part, I desire nothing more, then to see the Land of my Nativity, flourish in peace and tranquillity: Which is the humble supplication of him, who remains  
Breda, May 29. 1650. Your unfeigned friend, Tho: Lathbury.   

Postscript.  
SIR,  
AT the closure of my precedent lines, here arrived an express from Portugal, intimating; That Prince Rupert had lately studied a notable stratagem, for the firing of the English shipping, the manner thus: Two Portugal Negroës, and three English Artificers, undertook the work, who in the night time had prepared a Longboat with Granado shells, filled with wildfire and other materials, to fire the Vice-admiral and Bonadventure; and towards break of day, coming near to the stern of the said ships, to execute the same, miraculously they were discovered, and being seized on, confessed, that their aim and intent was to fire the said ships, and that they were hired by Prince Rupert for the performance thereof. But no sooner was the Plot discovered, but immediately Prince Rupert (being almost mad with rage that his plot had miscarried) fell upon some of the Parliaments men, that were then ashore providing fresh water, killed three, and took four prisoners. But it's believed, that these scores will be suddenly made even; for we hear that General Popham is joined with General Blague, with ten of the Parliament of England's ships, and that the said General Blague hath weighed anchor, and sailed from the Bay of Wears, to Cassia's road, to try whether the King of Portugal will order Prince Rupert to put to sea: Which by my next, I doubt not but to give you a more particular account of; in the interim, nothing more, but the affectionate subscription of him, who remains  
Breda, May 29. 1650. Yours: T. L.  
FINIS.