his Highness.  The dissensions among Protestant States are causing him profound grief.  Especially he is grieved by the jealousies and misunderstandings that separate two such important Protestant States as Denmark and Sweden.  Can they not be removed?  Sweden and the United Provinces, with both of which his Highness had taken the liberty of remonstrating to the same effect, have been coming to a happy accommodation:  why should Denmark keep aloof?  Let his Danish Majesty lay this to heart.  Let him think of the persecutions of Protestants in Piedmont, in Austria, and in Switzerland; and let him imagine the eternal machinations of the Spaniard behind all.  These surely are inducements sufficient to a reconciliation with Sweden, if it can be brought about.  The Protector’s good offices towards that end shall not be wanting if required.  He has the highest esteem for the King of Denmark, and would cultivate yet closer alliance with him.—­Relating to this letter is a minute of Council of the date Tuesday, Dec. 2:  “The draft of a letter from his Highness to the King of Denmark was this day read, and after read by parts; and the several clauses thereof, being put to the question, were, with some amendments, agreed; and, the whole being so passed, it was offered to his Highness as the advice of the Council that his Highness will please to send the same.”  The letter, therefore, was deemed important.  Was the draft read in English or in Latin?  On the first supposition it may still have come from Milton, though it had to go back to him.

(XCVII.) To WILLIAM, LANDGRAVE OF HESSE, March 1656-7:—­After an apology to the Landgrave for not having sooner answered a letter of his received nearly twelve months ago, the Protector here also plunges into the subject of Union among Protestants.  He is glad that the Landgrave appreciates the exertions in this behalf that have been made in Britain and elsewhere.  “We have particularly desired the same peace for the Churches of all Germany, where dissension has been too sharp and of too long continuance; and through our DURIE, labouring at the same fruitlessly now for many years, we have heartily offered any possible service of ours that might contribute thereto.  We remain still in the same mind; we desire to see the same brotherly love to each other among those Churches:  but how hard a business this is of settling a peace among those sons of peace, as they pretend themselves, we understand, to our great grief, only too abundantly.  For it is hardly to be hoped that those of the Reformed and those of the Augustan confession will ever coalesce into the communion of one Church; they cannot without force be prevented from severally, by word and writings, defending their own beliefs; and force cannot consist with ecclesiastical tranquillity.  This, at least, however, they might allow one to entreat—­that, as they do differ, they would differ more humanely and moderately, and love each other nevertheless.”