(CXII.) TO M. DE BORDEAUX, THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR, Oct. 1657:—­This is not in the Protector’s name, but in that of the President of the Council.  It is about the case of a Luke Lucy (Lucas Lucius) a London merchant.  A ship of his, called The Mary, bound from Ireland to Bayonne, had been driven by tempest into the port of St. Jean de Luz, seized there at the suit of one Martin de Lazon, and only discharged on security given to abide a trial at law of this person’s claim.  Now, his claim was preposterous.  It was founded on an alleged loss of money as far back as 1642 by the seizure by the English Parliament of goods on board a ship called The Santa Clara.  He was not the owner of the goods, but only agent, with a partner of his, called Antonio Fernandez, for the real owners; there had been a quarrel between the partners; and the Parliament had stopped the goods till it should be decided by law who ought to have them.  Fernandez was willing to try the action in the English Courts; but De Lauzon had made no appearance there.  And now De Lauzon had hit on the extraordinary expedient of seizing Lucy’s ship and dragging the totally innocent Lucy into an action in the French Courts.  All which having been represented to the Protector by Lucy’s petition, it is begged that De Lauzon may be told he must go another way to work.

(CXIII.) TO THE DOGE AND SENATE OF VENICE, Oct. 1657:—­A rather long letter, and not uninteresting.  First the Protector congratulates the Venetians on their many victories over the Turks, not only because of the advantage thence to the Venetian State, but also because of the tendency of such successes to “the liberation of all Christians under Turkish servitude.”  But, under cover of this congratulation, he calls to their attention again the case of a certain brave ship-captain, Thomas Galilei (Thomam Galileum).  He had, some five years ago, done gallant service for the Venetians in his ship called The Relief, fighting alone with a whole fleet of Turkish galleys and making great havoc among them, till, his own ship having caught fire, he had been taken and carried away as a slave.  For five years he had been in most miserable captivity, unable to ransom himself because he had no property in the world besides what might be owing to him for his ship and services by the Venetian Government.  He had an old father still alive, “full of grief and tears which have moved Us exceedingly”; and this old man begs, and His Highness begs, that the Doge and Senate will arrange for the immediate release of the captive.  They must have taken many Turkish prisoners in their late victories, and it is understood that those who detain the captive are willing to exchange him for any Turk of equal value.  Also his Highness hopes the Doge and Senate will pay at once to the old man whatever may be due to his captive son.  This, his Highness believes, had been arranged for