idently, again, Cromwell, whatever might be the
issue of the Treaty, was anxious to stand well with the
Scandinavian; in corroboration of which we have this special
paragraph in Whitlocke under date May 3: "This day the Protector
gave the honour of knighthood to MYNHEER COYET, the King of
Sweden's Resident here, who was now SIR PETER COYET, and gave him a
fair jewel, with his Highness's picture, and a rich gold chain: it
cost about L400." Coyet, therefore, had remained in London a
fortnight after the date of Milton's letter.[1] Indeed he remained
a few days longer, assisting in the Treaty to the last.

[Footnote 1: Whitlocke, IV. 227-255: i.e. from Feb. 20, 1655-6, to
May 3, 1656.]

(LXXV.) To Louis XIV. OF FRANCE, _May_ 14, 1656:[1]--John
Dethicke, Merchant, at present Lord Mayor of the City of London,
and another merchant, named William Wakefield, have represented to
his Highness that, as long ago as October 1649, a ship of theirs,
called _The Jonas of London_, was taken at the mouth of the
Thames by one White of Barking, acting under a commission from the
son of the late King, and taken into Dunkirk, then governed for the
French King by M. L'Estrades. They had applied for satisfaction at
the time, but had received a harsh answer from the governor.
Perhaps his French Majesty, on receipt of this letter, will direct
justice to be done.

[Footnote 1: Not dated in Printed Collection, Phillips, or Skinner
Transcript; but dated by reference to it in a subsequent letter.]

(LXXVI.) TO THE STATES-GENERAL OF THE UNITED PROVINCES, _May_
1656:--Also about a ship, but this time for the recovery of
insurance on one. She was _The Good Hope of London_, belonging
to John Brown, Nicholas Williams, and others; she had been insured
in Amsterdam; she had been taken by a ship of the Dutch East India
Company on her way to the East Indies; the insurers had refused to
pay the sum insured for; and for six years the poor owners had been
hopelessly fighting the case in the Dutch courts. It is a case of
real hardship.

(LXXVII.) TO THE SAME, _May_ 1656:--Three times before letters
have been written to the States-General in the interest of Thomas
and William Lower, who had been left property in Holland by their
father's will, but have been unjustly kept out of the same by
powerful persons there, and tossed from law-court to law-court.
This fourth application, it is hoped