Briefwisseling. Deel 5: 1649-1663

5351. Percy⁷⁾. (H.A).

The acquaintance I have had with you and the civilityes and respects I receaved in Holland gives me greate confidence to make this addresse to you, being assured that your communications to the rest of his Hig^ns Councell will be more satisfactory than if I writt to them apart. Since my returne from Chateau Renard I have bin under such a continuall indisposition as till this instant I was not in a condition to give any perticuler account of the place, nor indeed to doe that I much desired, which is to make my acknowledgements both to you and them for the dispatches of those things that concerned mee, wherein I doe understand by the advertissements I receaved from mylord Culpeper⁸⁾, how much I am obleeged to you all, which I will endeavour to continue. My last stay there was so short, that more then view the place almost I could not, which was enough to find that Mons. Vaufin⁹⁾ had discharged the duty he owed to his Master very infav[er]ously ill in his keeping the castle and gardens both, which are ruinouse, but the garden to such a degree as if the Lorraine troopes had quartered there, it could not have bin worse, and perticuler the grove of trees, that were an ornament to both, house and gardens, they have .....¹⁰⁾ to make firing. I must alsoe observe that the ditches about the house are so overgrowne with weeds as they stopp the currant of the waters in the winter and casts them with much violence uppon the howse, by which it has receaved much prejudice already, and time will lessen it; there are greate delapidations by the bridges and other things, which I will referre to a more perticuler account, that I shall

7) Zie No. 5349.

8) Zie I, blz. 333.

9) T.a.p., blz. 322.

10) Onleesbaar.

[p. 209]

send hereafter. The last warre hath bin heavy, both in towne and countrey, and the present tailles soe much augemented, that the oppression thereoff is worse than a warre, making the people that are left abandon there howses. I shall indeavor to procure some redresse in this abuse, which I find hath bin introduced by the neglect of his Higness ministers on the place, for if they had made it well understood to his Higness last or his father, their considerations were such in this state as it could not have remained as now it doth. I am at this present obleeged for the present te pursue a troublesome processe grownded uppon that inconsiderate lease for nine yeeres, granted by Mons. Tassin, by virtue whereoff and a surreptitious sentence obteined from the presidiall of Montargis, the tenant still continues his possession in the farme of the grange, soe that for his expulsion and for the conservation of his Higness right and interests there was necessity for our appealle to this parlement, where I doe not doubt but wee shall have it soone determined to our advantage, and then shall I leave it to your consideration, whether this Tassin hath faithfully discharged his trust, or whether he was well advised to make soe long a lease at the very same time, when he pretended to make saile of it. I am soe sensible of this grace conferred uppon me by the Princesse Royale and confirmed by the Princesse Dowager, as there is not anything I shall leave unattempted, that may promote there Hignesses or the Princes service, and I shall thinke myselfe happy of some occasion to assure you, that I am infinitely much ..... Paris, 1 of May 1654.