whereby he obtained the liberty of a great it was determined to send a squadron against Salle, and in 1637 it was besieged and taken. Mr. secretary Coke, in a letter to the lord-deputy Strafforde, dated Whitehall, 20th of February, 1636, writes, "This day captain Rainsborough, an experienced and worthy seaman, taketh his leave of his majesty, and goeth instantly to sea with four good ships and two pinnaces to the coast of Barbary, with instructions and resolution to take all Turkish pyrates he can meet, and to block up the port of Sally, and to free the sea from these rovers, which he is confident to perform. The king of Morocco hath already offered to comply with his majesty for suppression of these enemies of mankind; and the Basha and governors of Argier have also written to his majesty, to desire good correspondence with him and his subjects, and to have an English consul there to see the agreement performed; so there remaineth only Sally, which we presume this summer will be bro't to better terms "." What the event was will be seen from the following extracts, which, I doubt not, will be agreeable to the reader, as they contain some facts hardly known to our common historians.-The reverend Mr. Garrard, in a letter to lord Strafforde, dated Hatfield, July 24, 1637, informs him, "That from the fleet my lord Northumberland writes him, that captain Rainsborough hath made hitherto a very successful voyage to Sallee; neither our English coasts, nor your Irish, have this year been infested with those Turkish Moorish vermine, who other years have done much hurt: he keeps them in, that they cannot stir out at sea: besides, the Saint there by land besieges them with ten thousand horse and six thousand foot; so that they con * * Strafforde's Letters and Dispatches, vol. II. p. 50. a number of his subjects, who had been taken So ceive a great hope to get all the English and Irish captives in their hands, and to bar them hereafter for venturing in our seas. My lord-geheral hath obtained longer leave of his majesty for captain Rainsborough to stay out until the end of November, and is now sending a ship and one pinnace to victual him for two months longer"." In a letter of the 9th of October the same year, this gentleman thus writes to the same lord Strafforde. "The fleet sent to Sallee by his majesty, under the conduct of captain Rainsborough, captain Cartwright, and others, consisting of four ships and two pinnaces, hath had good success. that neither our English, nor your Irish coasts, shall be troubled any more with them. The Sallee men this year had ships in readiness to come forth of good number, intending their voyage for England and Ireland, were ready to set sail when our fleet came before the town, but they kept them in. The Saint who lives upon the land, seeing captain Rainsborough besiege them by sea, doth the like by land. The Moors presently sold away a thousand of their captives, our king's subjects, to those of Tunis and Argiers. The Saint and captain Rainsborough treat and agree to do their best to take the new town: he goes ashore, teaches them to mount their cannon, and how to use them; the new town thus beset, remove their governor, turn him out of town, because of the fierce displeasure of the Saint against him. He goes to the king of Morocco, makes his complaint against the Saint, (who is indeed but a rebel; for all those places of right belong to that king) saith, he will, by the help of the English fleet, gain the new town. Upon this advertisement the king of Morocco gathers an army, is a Strafforde's Letters and Dispatches, vol. II. p. 86, into captivity; and by a solemn embassy upon his march, which the Saint hearing, burns up all the corn within ten miles of Sallee, and spoils the country; yet sends him, upon his nearer approach, some necessaries for himself, great herds of cows, and flocks of sheep, which was a great relief to his army, who, with their long marches, were weak and feeble; but advises his majesty not to come nearer, lest some differences should arise betwixt their two armies, which would not easily be accommodated, should they meet: he stays, many of the soldiers fall sick and dye, many run away, so that he is resolved to retire, sending the governor with some others, and an English merchant, to treat with the town to deliver it up to him, and not to the Saint. They come aboard captain Rainsborough, confer with him, then return again into the town. The king offers to join in a league with our king, promises that never hereafter any of our coasts shall be infested by their ships, delivers two hundred and ninety of our captives to Rainsborough, (which captain Cartwright hath already brought home) saith, that the thousand sold away to those of Argiers and Tunis shall be redeemed and delivered back; for which purpose captain Rainsborough is gone to Saphy, forty leagues from Sallee, to treat for them, and, I believe, by this is on his way home. They have, since their coming thither, sunk in the harbour, burnt, and battered to pieces, twenty-eight of their ships before the new town, which surely will by the Moors be delivered up to the king of Morocco and not to the Saint. How we came off from farther treating with the Saint, I know not; neither the letters nor captain Cartwright give any satisfaction therein." Towards the conclusion of this letter Mr. a Strafforde's Letters and Dispatches, vol. II p. 115. received the thanks of that prince, and assurances of his favour and friendship. Thus much with respect to Charles's behaviour towards the nations around him. Let us now view him at home. On the 2d Garrard adds, "Captain Rainsborough is newly come into the Downs, hath put the new town of Sallee into the king of Morocco's hands, hath made a peace with that king; so that none of his majestie's coasts shall any more hereafter be troubled by those pyratical subjects of that king: he hath brought with him an ambassador from the king of Morocco, to renew antient amities betwixt the two crowns, who hath brought with him presents of Barbary horses and hawks to his majesty. I saw the list of the captives S70, many of them Irish "." This ambassador, on the 5th of November, 1637, had his audience at court. "He rid on horseback," says Mr. Garrard, “through the streets, my lord of Shrewsbury conducting him with twelve gentlemen of the privy-chamber, his own company, and some city captains. His present of four Barbary horses was led along in rich caparisons, and richer saddles, with bridles set with stones; also some hawks, many of the captives whom he brought over going along a-foot, clad in white. He himself is a Portugal born, brought a child into Barbary, an eunuch, and the third person of that kingdom. He is come to renew the old league and amities that hath been betwixt the two crowns, and to render thanks to his majesty, as the chief instrument of restoring Salle to his obedience, by sending his fleet thither, which, as long as his master holds it, a Strafforde's Letters and Dispatches, vol. II. p. 118. day of February, 1625, O. S. he was crowned by Abbot archbishop of Canterbury, Laud bishop of St. David's assisting. The coronation" oath being supposed different from that used to be administered to our a shall never again infest any of our king's subjects "." Thus ended this affair, which reflects some honour on the memory of Charles, and shews him not wholly unmindful of his own honour, or the wrongs he had received. Though from the smallness of the squadron sent on the expedition, we may probably conclude, that had not the circumstance of intestine commotions and domestic quarrels intervened, it would have returned without honour or success. But, fortunately for Charles, by means of the Saint and the king of Morocco, his fleet was of use, and he had the satisfaction of being praised by his subjects, and thanked by the prince whom he had assisted. 37 The coronation-oath being supposed different from that used by our former kings, occasioned many censures both of this prince and Laud.] Let us hear Heylin. "The king's coronation now draws on, for which solemnity he had appointed the feast of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, better known by the name of Candlemas-day. The coronations of king Edward VI. and queen Elizabeth, had been performed according to the rites and ceremonies of the Roman pontificals; that at the coronation of king James had been drawn up haste, and wanted many things which might have been considered of in a time of leisure. His majesty therefore issueth a commission to the archbishop of Canterbury, and certain other bishops, whereof Laud was one, Strafforde's Letters and Dispatches, vol. II. p. 122 in |