Paris: Henry Lord Jermyn to George Lord Digby. The Queen has written to the King by this bearer, Col. Fitz-Williams, with her own hand. It is the first time she has been able to use her pen since her sickness, which is now totally gone. She refers the King to me for several things. I shall begin with that which concerns this bearer, who is a brave man and has served in the wars of this country with great reputation. He persuades himself that if the peace be made in Ireland that he will be able to raise there for the King and bring into England 10,000 or 12,000 men upon the conditions that you will find here enclosed, signed by the Queen, which he desired her Majesty should sign for this end, that the King might see it was her opinion that the King upon this design of his should sign some others to him to the same effect; so that you are to keep the paper signed by the Queen, and to propose to the King the signing of something to the same effect, if he approves of the business, which the Queen believes he will find cause to do, being, by the opinion of many others knowing in the affairs of Ireland, induced to believe so more than by the confidence of his undertakings, which yet may pass for some ground, he having upon several occasions already, both raising and recruiting of those troops with which he has served this State, found himself very willingly followed by his countrymen. You will observe part of demands to consist of a considerable body of horse, that must meet at the place agreed on for his landing. The Marquis of Newcastle being here, and acquainted with this proposition, and foreseeing the landing can only be towards the north in Lancashire, hath believed he might not be an improper person for the conduct of this body of horse to this conjunction, and believes further that, the stage for it being among his friends, he may serve usefully in it. How reasonably this is imagined cannot be determined here, for it must rest upon the disposition that the King's troops in general will be in when the resolution for this particular shall be taken, to determine whether the Marquis of Newcastle or any other may be fit for the charge of conducting a body of horse to this conjuction with the Colonel, in case the King thinks fit to set forward the business, and that he [Fitz-Williams] be so fortunate as to go through with it. The Queen approves of [it], but not as a thing to be much relied on, for it is a great thing that will remain to be done on the Colonel's part, if the King should be able on his to comply with all the demands, which the Queen believes his Majesty in no estate for; neither doth she think they are demanded so much in hope of having them performed, as that the promise should give him means in Ireland the better to bring about undertakings, but rather as that which when it shall fail, if it disappoint no other enterprise of the same kind more like to produce the effects aimed at in this, which she hopes you will have a care of, [as it] can be of no inconvenience, and therefore adviseth you to consider it very seriously. Whatever be resolved on, let teh Colonel have all sorts of satisfaction as a man fully deserving it and zealously affected to the King's service. If the Marquis of Newcastle should be thought fit to have the charge of any troops appointed to join with those the Colonel shall bring, he is well content all shoudl fall under the Marquis's command, and himself to command under him, but if any other the Colonel must have the chief command. I have justreceived several letters from Holland, which I will send you in a few days by express, for we grow very near the conclusion of all our expectation there. What will be the issue, though near as we are, no man can tell; and the knowledge of it is no mor eof moment in that point, which heretofore was to be considered in it, how much influence it was to have in the swaying towards an accomodation or to the continuance of the war [in England], for it seems the lot is cast as to the matter; and if we save not ourselves with out swords, there is little hope of doing it. The knowledge of it would be of use in another respect, for it the issue were to be a declaration of the States [of Holland], to which would follow that of France, there would be in it such a reserve of help and so solid a foundation of strength to carry through with this war as there would be less necessity of exposing the fortune of it to frequent hazards; the game might be more securely played, whereas if now we saw ourselves totally without hope of this support, may [be] that would demand more sudden and less secure trials than else we should have cause to attempt; for this cause it is a great affliction to me that I cannot as soon as I would give you that which might be some guide to your counsels. Pray believe it is not my fault, since I am not without the apprehension of the use you might make of it, as you see, and that upon my word I am not negligent in it, which I desire you to represent to the King. The business of the Duke of Lorraine, is not in the same state with the rest, [nor] are our hopes of money here, for till we end or break with the Duke, the passing over of them, if it be obtained, will be of so great expense here that we cannot, with any appearance of success, press them for more supplies of money for arms and ammunition. All I can say are yet gone are M. Haesdonck's proportions, consisting of 6,040 muskets, 2,000 pair of pistols, 1,2000 carabines, 150 swords, 400 shovels, 27,000 lbs of match, and 50,000 lbs of brimstone; this brimstone will I hope enable you in England to make good store of gunpowder, for mills, saltpetre, coal, and men who know how to make it, may everywhere be had; 400 barrels of gunpowder I have sent to Dartmouth, having undertaken to pay for it if it be not paid for there, for fear presently there should be a want of it. I have news of the arrival of 200 barrels, and the others will be very shortly there. You will alos receive good quantities of powder from Collimore. I will write to-morrow by the ordinary, and presently after by an express. Endeavour to obtain the exchange of Captain Cartaret, a Jersey man, taken prisoner lately near Warwick.
Endorsed: "Not Read", and numbered 17, showing it to have been amongst the papers taken at Sherburn, and submitted to Parliament 3 Nov. 1645.. It is partly written in cipher, but deciphered.