Sʳ, my most humble duty wᵗʰ Bro. Wms. presented unto you wᵗʰ oʳ intire loves to oʳ loveing brothers and freinds wᵗʰ you. These only serve to advize yoᵘ of our wellfare, hopeing and earnestly praying to the Lord that yᵉ like good health atends you yᵗ, blessed be God, we injoy. These I hope will find yoᵘ safe arrived at Leghorne. My last from the Downes gave yoᵘ an accᵗ yᵗ we were ordered over hither to take the command of this squadron that now lyes wᵗʰ us before this place.[a] Since oʳ arrivall heere, wᶜʰ is 14 dayes since, not anything of action hath ofered worth yoʳ advice; the good we doe heere is only to keepe there men of warr in yᵗ are in, and prevent those comeing in wᵗʰ there prisses yᵗ are abroad. But they want not harbours in Holland to secure them and wᵗ they ketch from us. I conseave yoᵘ want not letters of caution from yoʳ owners to be carefull of trusting the Hollanders. I feare they will prove treacherous to there ingagemᵗˢ wᵗʰ us in the peace agreed betwixt us. They are almost ready to saile wᵗʰ 50 or upward men of warr, besides 16 saile now in or Channell. My Lord Protector is not wanting to prevent there treacherous actions, if any intended against us. I conseave in 14 dayes we may have upwards of 40 saile, considerable men of warr, in the Downes, to answer any atempt may be ofered by them; and doe beleive both we and the squadron before Ostend may be called of, as soone as we have any intelligence of there redynes to saile. All oʳ freinds in England, I heare, are in health. My wife still at Deall, and stayes to accompᵃ Aunt Morgan to London; my unkle now being in the Downes, and conseave may saile very sodainely, the wind presenting faire at present. Sir, please at yoʳ arrival at Venᵃ to present my service and respects to my Mr. and Mrs. Hobson, with Mr. Jno. Hobson, junʳ, my saluts; as also to Mr. Jones and his wife. Sir, I have not else at present worth yoʳ advice. With my earnest prayers to Almighty God to preserve you out of the hands of yoʳ mercyles enemyes, and send yoᵘ a safe returne to the injoymᵗ of yoʳ relations, for the happy accomplishmᵗ whereof itt shall be the earnest request of, Sir, yoʳ most affetionate and obedient sonne till death, RICHARD HADDOCK. To his honᵈ freind Capt. Wm. Haddock, Comander of the ship Hanniball, these present, at Livorno. * * * * * [a] By the treaty (23 Mar. 1657) with France against Spain, Cromwell agreed to find 6000 men, with a sufficient fleet, to operate against Gravelines, Mardike, and Dunkirk; the two latter towns, when reduced, to be delivered to the English. Mardike was captured in September of this year, and Dunkirk in June 1658; and both towns were duly handed over to the English forces. THE SAME TO THE SAME. Dragon frigᵗ in Dunkirke Road, this 26 Aprill, 1658; Monday. HONᵈ FATHER,