Feb. 4. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



99 



Company there ; it is said, these ships touch no where 

 after they quit the coast of Malabar till they come 

 upon the coast of Guinea, where they put in for fresh 

 water ; and as for those which come from China, they 

 water on the bank of the Island of Ceylon, and again 

 on the east shore of Madagascar ; but that none of 

 them touch either at the Cape de bon Esperance, or 

 at St. Helena, not caring to venture falling into the 

 hands of any of the Dutch or other nations trading to 

 the east. These ships they say are exceedingly rich, 

 and the captains confirm the account of the treaty 

 which one of their former captains made with the 

 Great Mogul, for the settling a factory on his do- 

 minions, and that with very advantageous conditions ; 

 what the particulars may be we yet know not." 



" Went away the 22d of July last, from the house 

 of William Webb in Limehouse Hole, a negro man, 

 about twenty years old, call'd Dick, yellow complec- 

 tion, wool hair, about five foot six inches high, having 

 on his right breast the word Hake burnt. Whoever 

 brings him to the said Mr. Webb's shall have half a 

 guinea reward, and reasonable charges." 



James Graves. 



Kilkenny. 



ORIGINAL ROYAL LETTERS TO THE GRAND MASTERS 

 OF MALTA. 



(Continued from Vol. viii., p. 558.) 



I am now enabled to forward, according to my 

 promise, literal translations, so far as they could 

 be made, of three more letters, which were 

 written in the Latin language, and addressed by 

 Henry VIII. to the Grand Masters of Malta. The 

 first two were directed to Philip de Villiers LTsle 

 Adam, and the last to his successor Pierino Du- 

 pont, an Italian knight, who, from his very ad- 

 vanced age, and consequent infirmity, was little 

 disposed to accept of the high dignity which his 

 brethren of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem 

 had unanimously conferred upon him. The life 

 of Dupont was spared "long enough," not only for 

 him to take an active part in the expedition which 

 Charles V. sent against Tunis at his suggestion, 

 to reinstate Muley Hassan on the throne of that 

 kingdom, but also to see his knights return to the 

 convent covered with glory, and galleys laden 

 with plunder. 



No. IV. Fol.6th. 



Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and 

 France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of 

 Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ, 

 Dominus F. de Villiers LTsle Adam, our most 

 dear friend — Greeting : 



For a long period of time, Master Peter Vanes, of 

 Luca, has been serving as private secretary ; and 

 as we have always found his service loving and 

 faithful, we not only love him from our heart, 

 and hold him dear, but we are also extremely de- 



sirous of his interest and advancement. As he 

 has declared to us that his most ardent wish is by 

 our influence and favour to be in some way in- 

 vested with honour in his own country, we have 

 most willingly promised to do for him in this mat- 

 ter whatever lay in our power ; and we trust that 

 from the good offices which your most worthy 

 Reverence has always received from us, this our 

 desire with regard to promoting the aforesaid 

 Master Peter will be furthered, and the more 

 readily on this account, because what we beg for 

 may be granted without injury to any one. Since, 

 then, a certain Dominus Livius, concerning whom 

 your Reverend Lordship will be more fully in- 

 formed by our same Secretary, is in possession of 

 a Priory in the Collegiate Church of SS. John 

 and Riparata in the city of Luca, we most earnestly 

 desire that the said Livius, through your Reverend 

 Lordship's intercession, may resign the said Priory 

 and Collegiate Church to our said Latin Secretary, 

 on this condition, however, that your Reverend 

 Lordship, as a special favour to us, will provide 

 the said Dominus Livius with a Commandery of 

 equal or of greater value. AVe therefore most 

 earnestly entreat that you will have a care of this 

 matter, so that we may obtain the object of our 

 wishes ; and we shall be greatly indebted to your 

 Reverend Lordship, to whom, when occasion offers, 

 we will make a return for the twofold favour, in a 

 matter of like or of greater moment. 

 May all happiness attend you. 

 From our palace of Greenwich, 

 13th day of January, 1526, 



Your good friend, 



Henry Rex. 



No. V. Fol. 9th. 

 Henry by the Grace of God, King of England and 

 France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of 

 Ireland, to our Reverend Father in Christ, 

 Dominus F. de Villiers LTsle Adam, our most 

 dear friend — Greeting : 



Although, by many proofs, we have often before 

 been convinced that your Reverend Lordship, 

 and your venerable Brethren, after the loss of 

 Rhodes, have had nothing more to heart than that 

 by your actions you might deserve most highly of 

 the Christian republic, and that you might some- 

 times give proof of this by your deeds, that you 

 have zealously sought for some convenient spot 

 where you might at length fix your abode ; never- 

 theless, what we have lately learnt from the let- 

 ters of your Reverend Lordship, and from the 

 conversation and prudent discourse of your vener- 

 able Brother De Dentirville ha3 caused us the 

 greatest joy ; and although, with regard to the 

 recovery of Rhodes, complete success has not an- 

 swered your intentions, nevertheless we think that 

 this your Order of Jerusalem has always wished 

 to seek after whatever it has judged might in any 



