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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

APPENDIX E: Letter from Mr. G. Paul to King Charles II. - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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APPENDIX E

Letter from Mr. G. Paul to King Charles II.

[This letter, which is amongst the Rawlinson MSS. in the Bodleian Library (MS. A. 477, f. 34), throws some light on the secret history of Sir George Booth’s rising and on the nature of the services performed by Sir Samuel Morland to the King’s cause during 1659. It also supplies some new information as to the treachery of Sir Richard Willis, and the manner in which it was discovered.]

To the King

Sir,

Your Majestie this day hath raised mee from death to life, a miracle none but your selfe could have done, in pleaseing soe gratiously to lett mee know with what weapons my enemyes have soe long fought against mee, assureing my selfe I shall with as great ease as telling truth overcome them. These heads, Sir, I shall when ever commanded prove to Sir Samuell’s face, and then doubt not but that your Majestie will doe mee justice, protesting before God Almighty neither hopes of recompence nor (the greatest pleasure in the world) revenge hath caused my penn to be partiall in any one thing I here give under my hand.

First I shall shew I had designe for your Majestie’s service in my first desireing to be acquaynted with Sir Samuell Morland.

2ly. How, haveing his acquaintance, I spared nothing that might bring it to an intimacy with the Gentleman, thereby to facilitat the gayneing of him to your Majestie’s service, which I att last did.

3ly. What expence, both of tyme and money, ere I could get him about, and what trickes and strattagemes I used ere I could fix him, and how I did fix him, and what offers I was forced att last gaspe to make him in your Majestie’s name.

4ly. What dainger I runn before and after I gayned him; how I, rather like the master then the man, turned away all his servants, put in new ones of my owne, ere I could rifle his study as I did.

5thly. How it was I discovered Barrett to be Sir Richard Willis; how it was I ran the dainger of poasting him, which I did with my owne hands, unknowne to him till it was done.

6thly. I gayned Sir Thomas Whetston (Cromwell’s nephew) unknowne to him, and sent him to you att Bruxells, designing him for to goe to the Sound to tempt Mountague, for which I have a letter under your owne hands of thankes, telling mee your Majestie had performed all I promised Whetstones in your name, and had followed my advice in sending him to Mountague; all this unknowne to Morland.

7ly. How Morland had moneys of mee, not I of him ever in my life a farthing token, which my servants that payd him money I lent him are ready to witnes.

8thly. I shall shew that his noble Lady aided and assisted to gayne him to your Majestie’s partie, about which I shall tell your Majestie what passed in a garden by the neats’ howse betwixt him, his Lady, and my selfe, and how shee often hindred him from backsliding, for which I presented her with a cabinett of 50li.—sheweth I wanted not moneys—which I bought att Antwerpe att my returne from the King.

9ly. Hee was soe farr from being my master and sending mee to your Majestie with what my owne industry made mee master of, that after I had gayned him—I say, three dayes after hee had promised to send you all hee had—hee repented, and tould mee hee runne a great dainger, and would not act for you, nor send your Majestie any thing untill you should send him tenn thousand pounds in moneye. His Lady with her witt beate him off of that gimcrack, or all had been marred.

Lastly. To shew your Majestie, further, I not only gayned, but governed him, his worship, on Dick’s goeing downe and Bradshawe’s commeing up in play, resolved to quitt all, packed upp all his goods, sent them to be shipped by Dorislawes for feare. There I used my last witt, threatned him I would render him suspect if hee resolved not to stay, advised him to quitt Thurlo and goe to the Dog Bradshaw and offer him his service, which, nolens volens, hee did, became his secretary for examinacions att Wallingford Howse; there hee rendred your Majestie the greatest service in shufling papers of examinacions and advertising mee of their names which was discovered; desired mee to goe on all daingerous messages as advertisly, and so save them by it. My Lord and Lady Mordent, alive to witnesse it, Sir Edward Massy, Lady Mary Howard, had shee made good use of my advertisment, cum multis alijs.

All this, Sir, being made out, I hope I shall no more be accused of pretending to greater services then I have done. I tooke no money of Morland, but furnished both him and Henshaw and Whetstones. I never begged any thing from your Majestie till your arrivall in England. I have waited 3 yeares for somewhat, what you please. I, leiw [sic] of all your Royall promises, only begge one design’d for government of Garnesey in tyme past may not att present be commanded to put off cloake, lay by sword and hatt, to keepe a doore. This is all hee beggeth who is,

Sir,
Your Majestie’s loyall subject and most faithfull servant,1

Sir, permitt me to add nothing was Sir Samuell’s owne; but the inventing the carecter I gave your Majestie att Bruxells to write to mee by the invisible inke was myne, and every thing else of my laying, conducting, and carrying on from the first to the last.

Monday night, 13th, 1663.

[Endorsed] Lambeth, ’63. Mr. G. Paul.
That he gain’d Sir S. Morland to
the service of his Majesty.

Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., Printers, New-street Square, London.

[1 ]There is no signature.