three bafhaws were flain, the fourth fcarce paffed with difficulty the fwift river of Tyras; eight thoufand jani zaries, twenty thousand chofen fpachies, befides the more common foldiers, were cut off; the whole camp with all their ammunition and great ordnance, befides the Affyrian and Phrygian wealth of luxurious Afia, Iwere taken and pillaged; the famous caftle of Cotimia, and the bridge over Tyras, ftrong fortreffes, equal to castles on each fide the river, were additions to the victory. Why therefore fhould not fuch renowned heroic valour be crowned with the legal reward of a diadem? All chriftendom have gone before us in example, which, being arrived to the recovery of Jerufalem under the conduct of Godfrey of Bulloin, on. their own accord gave him that kingdom, for that he firit fcaled the walls of that city. Our moft ferene elect is not inferiour, for he firft afcended two main fortreffes of the enemy.

The moment of time adorns this victory unheard of in many ages, the moft ferene king Michael dying the day before, as it were fignifying thereby that he gave way to fo great valour, as if it were by his command and favour, that this conqueror might fo much the more gloriously fucceed from the helmet to the crown, from the commander's ftaff to the fceptre, from his lying in the field to the regal throne.

The commonwealth recalled the grateful and never to be forgotten memory of his renowned father, the most illuftrious and excellent James Sobietski, caftellan of Cracovia, a man to be written of with fedulous care; who by his golden eloquence in the public councils, and by his hand in the fcene of war, had fo often amplified the State of the commonwealth, and defended it with the arms of his family. Neither can we believe it happened without divine providence, that in the fame place wherein forty years ago his renowned father, embaffador of the Polonian commonwealth, had made peace and cowenants with Cimanus the Turkish general, his great fon fhould revenge with his fword the peace broke, Heaven itfeif upbraiding the perfidious enemy. The reft of his grandfires and great grandfires, and innumerable names of famous fenators and great officers,

have as it were brought forth light to the ferene elect by the emulous greatnefs and glory of his mother's defcent, especially Stanislaus Zelkievius, high chancellor of the kingdom, and general of the army, at whose grave in the neighbouring fields, in which by the Turkish rage in the year fixteen hundred and twenty he died, his victorious nephew took full revenge by fo remarkable an overthrow of the enemy: the immortal valour and fatal fall of his moft noble uncle StanislausDanilovitius in the year fixteen hundred and thirty five, palatine of Ruffia, doubled the glory of his ancestors; whom defirous of honour, and not enduring the fluggith peace wherein Poland then flept fecure, valour and youthful heat aqcited at his own expenfe and private forces into the Tauric fields; that by his footing, and the ancient warlike Polonian difcipline, he might lead and point the way to thefe merits of Sobietski, and being flain by Cantimiz the Tartarian Cham, in revenge of his fon by him flain, he might by his noble blood give luftre to this regal purple. Neither hath the people of Poland forgot the moft illuftrious Marcus Sobietski, elder brother of our moft ferenę elect, who, when the Polonian army at Batto was routed by the Barbarians, although occafion was offered him of efcape, yet chofe rather to die in the overthrow of fuch valiant men, a facrifice for his country, than to buy his life with a dif honourable retreat; perhaps the divine judgment fo difpofing, whofe order is, that perfons pafs away and fail, and caufes and events happen again the fame; that by the repeated fate of the Huniades, the elder brother, of great hopes, removed by a lamented flaughter, might leave to his younger brother furviving the readier paffage to the throne. That therefore which we pray may be happy, aufpicious, and fortunate to our othodox commonwealth, and to all chriftendom, with free and unanimous votes, none oppofing, all confenting and applauding, by the right of our free election, notwithftanding the abfence of thofe which have been called and not appeared; We being led by no private refpect, but having only before our eyes the glory of God, the intreafe of the ancient catholic church, the fafety of the STR 5 commonwealth,

commonwealth, and the dignity of the Polish nation and name, have thought fit to elect, create, and name, JOHN in Zolkiew and Złoczew Sobietfki, fupreme marfhal general of the kingdom, general of the armies, governor of Neva, Bara, Strya, Loporovient, and Kaluffien, most eminently adorned with fo high endowments, merits and fplendour, to be KING of Poland, grand duke of Lithuania, Ruffia, Pruffia, Mazovia, Samogitia, Kyovia, Volhinia, Padlachia, Podolia, Livonia, Smolensko, Severia, and Czerniechovia, as we have elected, created, `declared, and named him: I the aforefaid bishop of Cracovia (the archiepifcopal fee being vacant) exercifing the office and authority of primate, and by confent of all the ftates, thrice demanded, oppofed by none, by all and every one approved, conclude the election; promifing faithfully, that we will always perform to the fame moft ferene and potent elect prince, lord JOHN the Third, our king, the fame faith, subjection, obedience, and loyalty, according to our rights and liberties, as we have performed to his bleffed anceftor, as also that we will crown the fame moft ferene elect in the next affembly at Cracovia, to that end ordained, as our true king and lord, with the regal diadem, with which the kings of Poland were wont to be crowned; and after the manner which the Roman catholic church beforetime hath obferved in anointing and inaugurating kings, we will anoint and inaugurate him: yet fo as he fhall hold faft and obferve first of all the rights, immunities both ecclefiaftical and fecular, granted and given unto us by his ancestor of bleffed memory; as also these laws, which we ourselves in the time of this present and former interreign, according to the right of our liberty, and better prefervation of the commonwealth, have eftablished. And if moreover the most ferene elect will bind himself by an oath, to perform the conditions concluded with thofe perfons fent by his majefty before the exhibition of this prefent decree of election, and will provide in beft manner for the performance of them by his authentic lettters; which decree of election we, by divine aid defirous to put in execution, do fend by common confent, to deliver it into the hand of the most ferene elect, the most illufVOL. IV. trious

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trious and reverend lord bishop of Cracovia, together with fome fenators and chief officers, and the illuftrious and magnificent Benedictus Sapieha, treasurer of the court of the great dukedom of Lithuania, marshal of the equeftrian order;. committing to them the fame decree of intimating an oath, upon the aforefaid premises, and receiving his fubfcription; and at length to give and deliver the fame decree into the hands of the faid elect, and to act and perform all other things which this affair requires; in affurance whereof the feals of the lords fenators, and thofe of the equeftrian order deputed to fign, are here affixed.

Given by the hands of the most illuftrious and reverend father in Chrift, the lord Andrew Olszonski, bishop of Culma and Pomifania, high chancellor of the kingdom, in the general ordinary affembly of the kingdom, and great dukedom of Lithuania, for the election of the new king. Warfaw, the twenty-fecond day of May, in the year of our Lord fixteen hundred and feventy-four.

In the prefence of Francifcus Prafkmoufki, provoft of Guefna, abbot of Sieciethovia, chief fecretary of the kingdom; Joannes Malachowski, abbot of Mogila, referendary of the kingdom, &c.; with other great officers of the kingdom and clergy, to the number of fourfcore and two. And the rest, very many great officers, captains, fecretaries, courtiers, and inhabitants of the kingdom, and great dukedom of Lithuania, gathered together at Warsaw to the prefent affembly of the election of the kingdom and great dukedom of Lithuania.

Affiftants at the folemn oath taken of his facred majesty on the fifth day of the month of June, in the palace at Warsaw, after the letters patents delivered upon the covenants, and agreements, or capitulations, the most reverend and excellent lord Francisco Bonvifi, archbishop of Theffalonica, apoftolic nuncio; count Chriftopherus a Scaffgotfch, Cacareus Tuffanus de Forbin, de Jafon, bishop of Marfeilles in France, Joannes free-baron Hoverbec, from the marquis of Brandenburg, embassadors, and other envoys and minifters of state.

LETTERS OF STATE

TO MOST OF THE

Sovereign Princes and Republics of EUROPE,

During the Adminiftration of the Commonwealth, and the Protectors OLIVER and RICHARD CROMWELL.

LETTERS written in the Name of the PARLIAMENT.

The Senate and People of ENGLAND, to the most noble Senate of the City of HAMBOROUGH.

OR how long a series of paft years, and for what

our ancestors with your most noble city has continued to this day, we both willingly acknowledge, together with yourselves; nor is it a thing difpleafing to us, frequently alfo to call to our remembrance. But as to what we understand by your letters dated the twentyfifth of June, that fome of our people deal not with that fidelity and probity, as they were wont to do in their trading and commerce among ye; we presently referred it to the confideration of certain persons well skilled in those matters, to the end they might make a more strict inquiry into the frauds of the clothiers, and other artificers of the woollen manufacture. And we farther promife, to take fuch effectual care, as to make you fenfible of our unalterable intentions, to preserve fincerity and juftice among ourselves, as alfo never to neglect any good offices of our kindness, that may redound to the welfare of your commonwealth. On the other hand, there is fomething likewife which we not only required, but which equity itself, and all the laws of God and man demand of yourselves; that you will not only conferve inviolable to the merchants of our nation their privileges, but by your authority and power defend and protect their lives and estates, as it becomes your city to do. Which as we moft earnestly defired in