A. D. 1655. 46^ 



The Swedifh refident in Holland this year reprefented, that the com- 

 miflioners of the Dutch Weft-India company in New-Netherland (now 

 New-York) did in this fummer afTault the Swedifli colony there by 

 force of arms; took their forts, drove away the inhabitants, and wholely 

 dilpofleffed the Swedifli company of their diftrid: ; although it be true and 

 without diipute, that the Swedes did acquire that fort which they pof- 

 fefled by the jufteft title (opt'imo titulo juris ) , and did buy it of the na- 

 tives ; and in confequence have had poITeflion of it for feveral years, 

 without the Dutch Weft-India company ever before pretending any 

 right thereto. Therefor the refident, in his mafter's name, demanded 

 that the Swedifli company might have it reftored to them, &c. [T'hur' 

 he, V. \y,p. 599.] 



Among Cromwell's inftrudions in this year for the council of Scot- 

 land, we find the following very good one, viz. ' that in regard there be 

 ' a great many hofpitals and other mortifications (mortmains") in Scot- 

 ' land, you are therefor to take fpecial notice and confideration of the 

 ' fame; and fee them particularly employed for the benefit of the poor, 

 * and other pious ufes for which they were firft appointed ; and to obey 

 ' every other thing for the relief of the poor in the feveral parifhes, that 

 ' fo none go a-begging, to the fcandal of the chriftian profefllon : but 

 ' each parifli to maintain its own poor.' [Thiirloe, P\ \\i,p. 497.] 



The ftates of Holland this year reduced the intereft of money due by 

 them, from 5 to 4 per cent, whereby they faved 1,400,000 gilders per 

 annum. And De Witt on this very point obferves, that by the zeal of 

 their good rulers an expedient was found to difcharge the province of 

 Holland of 140 millions of gilders, (or nearly about 14 millions fter- 

 ling) by reducing the yearly intereft thereof from 5 to 4 per cent, and 

 employing the yearly advance of it toward difcharging the principal, 

 which hereby will all be paid off in twenty-one years, \_lntereji of Hol- 

 land, p. 466.] 



This was probably the firft national finking fund ever fet on foot in 

 Europe. De Witt adds on this fubjed, ' that what is moft to be gloried 

 ' in is, that though the greateft part of the regents of Holland had lent 

 ' a confiderable part of their property to that province, neverthelefs, 

 ' the confideration of their own profit did not hinder them from cut- 

 ' ting off a fifth part of their revenue for the neceflary fervice of the 

 ' public.' Here that able author was perhaps fomewhat miftaken in his 

 great glorying ; fince poflibly thofe felf-denying regents couid not well 

 tell where to get an higher intereft for their money ellewhere, had they 

 been inftantly paid off, s was afterwards the parallel cafe of the pope's 

 finking fund, in the year r 686, (of which in its place) and of the ftveral 

 branches of our own national finking-fund from 171 7 downward. 



Mr. Prideaux, the Englifli Ruflia company's agent at Archangel, fenf 

 to Cromwell an accoimt of the exports from Archangel in that fame-- 



