It is to this Warrant that the following passage in Ashburnham's Narrative alludes, when speaking of his escape from Newcastle: "So that his (the King's) foreign dispatches "being closed, I did pass into Holland. Where "having obeyed such instructions as I had been "entrusted with by his Majesty, I hastened into "France." It is well known that the money borrowed on the king's jewels was from subjects of the United States. V. WARRANT. CHARLES R. Whereas Wee have comanded Our trusty and welbeloved servant Sir Edward Walker knight to repaire into France unto Our dearest Consort the Queene Our pleasure is (if there bee occasion) that you supply him with such moneyes as shall bee requisite for his support there, untill hee shall bee disposed otherwise in Our service. And for your so doeing this shall bee your sufficient warrant. Given at Our Court at New-Castle the 28th of July 1646. To Our trusty and welbeloved John According to lord Clarendon sir E. Walker was Garter King at Arms and Secretary to the Council of War. And according to Bishop Warburton lord Clarendon has drawn his relation of the campaigns from Walker's Historical Discourses. These were seized among the King's papers at the battle of Naseby; but afterwards restored by Fairfax. VI. JOHN ASHBURNHAM TO THE KING. On the part of Ashburnham nothing remains, in manuscript, of his correspondence with the King but the rough draft of a letter, which unfortunately fell into other hands than those for which alone it was intended. Such as it is here given is a transcript from the Parliamentary History, together with a somewhat curious account of the manner in which it was detected. In this instance at least there is no cause to complain of an unfair garbling by the Parliament of the royal papers for the purpose of publication. On comparing the print of the deciphered letter with the manuscript draft of it, not the variation of a single word has been discovered: the only difference being that which the writer himself must have made between the foul and fair copies. Where, in the former he had written, in the first person; "I have perfected, &c."-" I hope, &c. ;" and "I have made, &c." in the latter occurs his cipher, 389. The draft is endorsed "Mine to his Majesty of "the 11th of February 1647." Car. 1. 1647. "May 13. A Letter from the Earl of Denbigh, An. 23 "addressed to the Speaker of the House of Peers, was read, with the examination of John Brown "and Mrs. Mary Cave, and a Cypher sent to the May. "We send you here inclosed a Petition which Examinations, &c. "served only as a cover to a Cypher on the back-relating to "side thereof, and was to have been delivered to Cyphers " his Majesty by Mrs. Mary Cave. It was brought "to her by one John Brown, servant to Mr. Ash"burnham, then at the Hague, he being newly " removed, as Brown affirmed, out of France into "those parts. All the other particulars your Lordship will find in the inclosed Copies of their "Examinations." 66 Captain Abbot, the bearer hereof, did first discover the business to us, being made acquainted "with it at the place where he quartered; and since, in the management of it, he hath carried " himself very discreetly. We have secured their persons with the Mayor of Northampton till your pleasure be further known, which we desire your Lordship to signify to "Your Lordship's humble Servants, "B. DENBIGH, "ED. MONTAGUE." a Letter in designed to ed to the King. An. 23 "The Examination of John Brown, taken before "the Commissioners at Holdenby, May 11, 1647. Car. 1. 1647. May. "This Examinant saith, about two months since "he received the Petition, with the Cyphers on "the backside thereof, from Mr. Ashburnham at "the Hague, and did see Mr. Ashburnham write "the Petition, but not the Cyphers. "That about three weeks since he delivered "the Petition and Cyphers to Mrs. Mary Cave, "who undertook to deliver it to the King; and "that he was induced thereunto, being acquainted "with her when the King was at her father's "house, with Mr. Ashburnham, as his Majesty "came from Oxford to the Scots army. "That he had an Order from his Majesty by "Sir James Lilly, to attend upon Mr. Ashburnham "at the Hague. "That he never lost any goods at sea, as is set "forth in the Petition; but that the Petition was "meerly written to be a colour, that he might the "better deliver the Letter to the King which "Mr. Ashburnham gave him." "JOHN BROWN." |