| Show anecdote of cromwell an english T merchant ship was captured during a per pen period iod lod of profound pro found fouad peace with france by a vessel of that nation and carried into st malo maio where she ehe wi s condemned and sold for the benefit of the th cap captors tors tord upon some frivolous and groundless pretence predence pre tence the master of the mercha merchantman ritman who bappel happened to 10 be an honest quaker immediately on bi his 9 return to england presented a petition complaining of tills this grievance and praying for redress to uie hie protector in council on hearing the case cromwell informed the council he lie would take the affair into his own hands bands and ordered the master to attend him next morning after a strict examination into the particulars of the case casi finding the master roaster to be a plain honest man matio who had been embarked in no illegal traffic ba he asked him if he be would be the bearer of a letter to pard paris ta tue lle lie man assenting lie desired him to prepare for the journey without dclay delay and wait on him again the following morning 01 oi the next morning he gave the master a letter to i cardinal Ma Me macarin earin tarin with directions not to wait longer than three days foi for an answer this answer 1 he informed him hlen was to be nothing not hinge hiDge less that the fhe full value of what he might have made of his ship and carfo cargo careo desiria desiring him to tell leu the cardinal that if it was not paid in three days had strict orders from him to letura home i i the honest appears to have followed the tile injunctions to the tile very letter and ine lne meeting eting with the usual shuffling evasions so common anion anlon among diplomatists took his leave on oil the tile third day a and n d returned without accomplish accomplishing int 1 the object of ili lil his hig mission i well friend demanded tile the protector on seeing see ng him have you obtained your money being answer answered ea in the negative he told the quaker to leave his address with his secretary aromi promising an to let him hear from him shortly without involving 1 i nv himself in the tha delays trickeries eri erl s and evaskus evask evash ns of diplomatic negotiations without the empty parade of protocols and con which too often waste time wit without hoult boult leading to any satisfactory results without even deigning to repeat his demand or explain the ground of his proceedings 0 this distinguished statesman issued orders to seize 1 ize every french ship which his cruisers fell in in with and bring t them em into port in pursuance of these thase orders several captures were made and their cargoes ordered by the protector to be immediately sold ont out of the proceeds of these hese sales lie he paid tile the quaker the full value of the ship and cargo and sending forthe for the french then resident in london he acquainted him with wilh the steps lie had taken and the reason of iiii hh doing so informing him at the same time that there was a balance out of the sales which should be paid to him if he pleased for the tha purpose of le ie turning it to the french owners |
