A Memorial was delivered at the Hague in the April following, by the English Ambassador, Sir George DOWNING, in which, after a general statement of the case at issue, he went on to say: ‘Whereas it may seem strange that this matter may be set on foot at this time, whereas in the year 1654 Commissioners were sent to England who did end several matters relating to the East Indies, and whereas in the year 1659 several matters of a fresher date were also ended, and thereby a period put to all other matters of difference which had happened about the same time, and were known in Europe before the 20th of January in the same year, it is to be considered that the persons interested in these ships were such as, for their singular and extraordinary activity to His Majesty, ... father to the King my master, were rendered incapable of obtaining or pursuing their just rights, at home or abroad. [Sidenote: _Memorial delivered to the States General_, at the Hague, 19 April, 1662.] And upon that account it is that the business of the two ships remains yet in dispute, though several matters of a much fresher date have been ended.’ When these proceedings were initiated by Sir George DOWNING at the Hague, COURTEN himself was still in his minority. But it is probable that he had already returned to England. COURTEN’S first personal appearance upon the scene was also made in the way of presenting a petition to the King. [Sidenote: MS. Sloane 3515.] In July 1663, he thus alleged that the steps which had been taken were without his concurrence or knowledge, ‘and, as is feared, with intention to deprive him of his claims.’ The King referred the petition to Sir Geoffrey PALMER, who pronounced in COURTEN’S favour. His position was one of great embarrassment. [Sidenote: THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN COURTEN AND CAREW.] Some of his family connexions had already suffered much annoyance from litigation about the COURTEN Estates at home, and were little inclined to incur further risk or trouble on behalf of a relative whose inheritance was certain to yield abundance of immediate vexation and anxiety, and very uncertain in respect to its prospects of any better harvest in the end. [Sidenote: 1663.] He was advised to sell the remnant of his entailed estates, to put the product of the sale out of danger from any adverse issue of pending claims, and to come to terms with CAREW for the prosecution of the latter—or of some of them—on a joint account. In accordance with this advice, an agreement was made, in the course of 1663, by which CAREW was empowered to pursue the claims against the Netherlands, as well on COURTEN’S behalf as on his own and that of other creditors. The remaining landed estates in Worcestershire and other counties—or nearly all that remained of them—were sold, and a life income was secured.