444 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 23' 



of Malta, unless, perhaps, he had thought some- 

 thing had been omitted on the part of the Maltese 

 which he considered due to our dignity, and to the 

 flag of our royal fleet. Be it, however, as it may, 

 your eminence may be persuaded that it is our 

 fixed and established intention to do and perform 

 everything both ourselves and by our officers 

 amply to show how much we esteem the sacred 

 person of your eminence and the Order of Malta. 



In order, therefore, that it should already ap- 

 pear that we do not wish greater honour to be 

 paid to any prince than to your eminence and 

 to your celebrated Order, we have directed our 

 above-mentioned admiral to accord all the same 

 signs of friendship and good will towards your 

 eminence's ports and citadels as towards those 

 of the most Christian and catholic kings ; and 

 we no way doubt your Order will equally show 

 that benevolence towards us which it is customary 

 to show to the above-mentioned kings, or to either 

 of them. 



It only remains to us to heartily recommend 

 your eminence and all your military Order to the 

 safeguard of the Most High and Most Good God. 



Given from our palace of Whitehall on the 21st 

 day of June, 1675. 



Your Eminence's good Cousin and Friend, 

 Charles Rex. 

 No. XV. 



Charles the Second by the grace of God, of Great 

 Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender 

 of the Faith, &c. 



To the most eminent prince the Lord Nicholas 

 Cotoner, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, 

 our well-beloved cousin and friend — Greeting : 



Most eminent Prince, our well-beloved cousin 

 and friend. 



Not only by the letters of Sir John Narbrough, 

 knight, whom we appointed in right and power to 

 be the admiral of our fleet in the Mediterranean 

 sea, but also from other sources, we have heard 

 how benignantly your eminence, both by command j 

 and example, and all the sacred Order of Malta, j 

 have treated him and the other commanders of 

 our ships, so much so that they could not have 

 been better at home, and in our dockyards, than 

 in your port of Malta. This is, indeed, a sign of 

 great friendship, and the more so that our king- 

 doms and seas are so far distant from the usual 

 navigation of the sacred Order of Malta, that few 

 occasions could be expected to offer themselves to 

 us of reciprocating the friendship of your eminence. 

 Some other mode, therefore, must be sought by 

 which we may testify our gratitude and affection 

 towards your eminence and the other members of 

 your most sacred Order, to do which we shall 

 willingly embrace and studiously search after 

 every opportunity which may offer. 



In the mean time we heartily recommend your 



eminence and all your military Order to the safe- 

 guard of the Most High and Most Good God. 



Given from our palace of Whitehall the 26th 

 day of January, 1675-6. 



Your Eminence's good Cousin and Friend, 

 Charles Hex. 

 No. XVI. 

 Charles _the Second by the grace of God, of Great 

 Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of 

 the Faith, &c. 



To the most eminent Prince the Lord Nicholas 

 Cotoner, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, 

 our well-beloved cousin and friend. 



Most eminent Prince, our most dear cousin and 

 friend. 



Our well-beloved and faithful Sir John Nar- 

 brough, knight, latterly admiral of our fleet in the 

 Mediterranean sea, conveyed to us your eminence's 

 letters written under date of the 7th of April last, 

 which being most full indeed of affection and 

 gratitude on your part, we received and perused 

 with equal feelings and satisfaction. The acknow- 

 ledgments of benefits conferred by us, which your 

 eminence so frequently expresses, causes us also 

 to return similar thanks to your eminence and to 

 the whole of your sacred Order, for all those offices 

 of humanity and courtesy with which you assisted 

 our above-mentioned admiral and other our ships 

 stationed in that sea, of which we shall always pre- 

 serve the memory indelibly engraved in our hearts. 

 It is equally a source of pleasure to us that our 

 arms have been of help to your eminence and to 

 your Order; and if the expedition had been of no 

 other benefit, we consider it ample compensation 

 in having restored to their homes so many persons 

 celebrated through the whole Christian and Infidel 

 world who were recovered from the power and 

 chains of the barbarians. 



May your eminence continue to desire that we 

 should freely divide the glory of rendering peace- 

 ful the Mediterranean sea with the illustrious 

 Order of Malta ! 



May the Most Good and Great God sustain and 

 preserve your eminence with all your religious 

 Order ! 



Given from our palace of Whitehall the 28th 

 day of October, 1676. 



Your Eminence's good Cousin and Friend, 

 Charles Rex. 

 No. XVII. 

 Charlesthe Second by the grace of God, of Great 

 Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of 

 the Faith, &c. 



To the most eminent Prince the Lord Nicholas 

 Cotoner, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, 

 our well-beloved cousin and friend — Greeting: 



Most eminent Prince, our well-beloved cousin 

 and friend. 



The thanks which your eminence, by your 



