rds in, those parts, has obtained your Majesty's
order that the whole affair shall be brought before your Royal
Council in Paris, and that meanwhile, there being no decision there
hitherto, these churches, and especially that of Aix, are
prohibited from meeting for the worship of God." His Majesty is
asked to remove this prohibition, and to see the author of the
mischief properly censured. Such a missive proves that Richard and
his Council kept to Oliver's rule of interference whenever there
was persecution of Protestants, and also that they did not doubt
their influence with Louis and Mazarin.

(CXLI.) To CARDINAL MAZARIN, _Feb._ 19, 1658-9:[1]--The
Duchess-Dowager of Richmond, with her son, the young duke, is going
into France, and means to reside there for some time. His Eminence
is requested to show all possible attention to the illustrious lady
and her son.

[Footnote 1: So dated in the Skinner Transcript, but "29 Feb." in
Printed Collection and Phillips.]

(CXLII.) To CARDINAL MAZARIN, _Feb._ 22, 1658-9:[1]--About
eight months ago the case of Peter Pett, "a man of singular
probity, and of the highest utility to us and the Commonwealth by
his remarkable skill in naval affairs," was brought before his
Eminence by a letter of the late Lord Protector (not among Milton's
letters). It was to request that his Eminence would see to the
execution of a decree of his French Majesty's Council, as far back
as Nov. 4, 1647, that compensation should be made to Pett for the
seizure and sale of a ship of his, called the _Edward_, by one
Bascon, in the preceding year. His Eminence has doubtless attended
to the request; but there is still some impediment. Will his
Eminence see where it lies and remove it?--Since the time of Queen
Mary there had been three Peter Petts in succession, ship-builders
and masters of the Royal Dockyard at Deptford; and the present
Peter was the father of the more celebrated Sir Peter Pett, who was
fellow of the Royal Society after the Restoration.

[Footnote 1: So dated in Printed Collection and in the Skinner
Transcript; misdated "Feb. 25" in Phillips.]

(CXLIII.) To ALFONSO V., KING OF PORTUGAL, _Feb._ 23,
1658-9:[1]--Congratulations to his Portuguese Majesty upon a
victory he had recently obtained over "our common enemy the
Spaniard," with acknowledgment of his Majesty's handsome behaviour,
through his Commissioners in London,