nce of the present
debate, and report it again to the Council." Cromwell was himself
present at this meeting of the Council, with Lawrence, Lambert,
Wolseley, Strickland, Rous, Jones, Skippon, and Pickering. The
draft read was most probably the English that was to be turned into
Latin by Milton: but this does not preclude the idea that the
document itself was substantially Milton's. Thurloe can hardly have
drafted _such_ a document. He may have gone to Milton first.

(LXXXVI.) To The King of Portugal, _Aug._ 1656:--The Protector
has received his Portuguese Majesty's Ratification of the Peace
negotiated in London by his Extraordinary Ambassador Count Sa in
1654, and also of the secret and preliminary articles of the same;
and he has received letters from Philip Meadows, his agent at
Lisbon, informing him that the counterpart Ratification on the
English side had been duly delivered to his Majesty. There being
now therefore a firm and settled Peace between the two nations,
dating formally from June 1656, the Protector salutes his Majesty
with all cordiality. As to his Majesty's letters of June 24th,
mentioning some clauses of the League a slight alteration of which
would be convenient for Portugal, the Protector is willing to have
these carefully considered, but suggests that the whole Treaty may
be perilled by tampering with any part of it.

(LXXXVII.) To THE COUNT OF ODEMIRA, _Aug._ 1656:--This is a
letter to the Prime Minister of Portugal, to accompany the
foregoing to the King. The Protector acknowledges the Count's zeal
and diligence in promoting the Peace now concluded, and takes the
opportunity of pressing upon him, rather than again upon the King,
relentless inquiry into the late attempt to assassinate Meadows.

(LXXXVIII.) To CHARLES X., KING OF SWEDEN, _Aug._ 1656:--A
letter very much in the strain of that just sent to the
States-General of the United Provinces. Although, knowing what a
champion the Protestant Faith has in his Swedish Majesty, the
Protector cannot but rejoice in the news of his successes, there is
one drawback. It is the accompanying news of the misunderstanding
between his Majesty and the Dutch, now come to such a pass, he
hears, that open conflict is likely, especially in the Baltic. The
Protector is in the dark as to the causes, but ventures to press on
his Majesty the views he had been pressing, but a few days ago,