In libro magistri Gauteri Mahap de Nugis Curialium distinctio prima; assimulatio curiœ regis ad infernum. Cap. primum.

In tempore sum et de tempore loquor, ait Augustinus,* et adjecit, nescio quid sit tempus. Ego simili possum admiratione dicere quod in curia sum, et de curia loquor, et nescio, Deus seit, quid sit curia. Scio tarnen quod curia non est tempus; temporalis quidem est, mutabilis, et varia, localis et erratica, nunquam in eodum statu permanens; in recessu meo totam agnosco, in redditu nihil aut modicum invenio quod dereliquerim, extraneam video factus alienus. Eadem est curia, sed mutata sunt membra. Si descripsero curiara, ut Porphyrius diffinit genus,† forte non mentiar, ut dicam earn multitudinem quodammodo se habentem ad unum principium. Multitude certe sumus infinita, uni soli piacere contendens; et hodie sumus una multitudo, cras erimus alia; curia vero non mutatur, eadem semper est; centimanus gigas * est, qui totus mutilatus totus est idem, et centimanus hydra multorum capitum, qui labores Herculis cassat et contemnit, invictissimi manum athletæ non sentit, et Antæo felicior matrem habet terram,† pontum, et aera, non allidere ad pectus Herculis, totus ei vires multiplicat orbis. Cum ille h … nus Hercules voluerit, fiat voluntas.

These Memorandums &c would have been put into the the [sic] fire, but after consideration I thought they might be useful to any one who should Edit the Memoir, as they contain parts of political matters alluded to in other places, and shew the views which I and others took of them. They are preserved only for this purpose. When they have been used in this way they should be destroyed.

• Introduction 137

• Text 145

• Acknowledgements 108

• List of Abbreviations 109

• Introduction 110

• Editorial Procedure 115

• Text 116

Ane Account of ane Embassie performed by William Steuart Commendator of Pittenweim And mr John Skeen

To England[,] Denmark[,] And Princess of Germanie in Anno 1590[.]

WE departed from Edinburgh the 9t day of Junij 1590. came yat night to Berwick lodged in mr Andersones[,] Humainlie receaved, Be Sir John Selbie Master porter, And Sir William Reid capitaine[.] 10. day in the morning we receaved the bankett from Sir Henric wodringtoun marschell and Governour deput. Theraster the samyn day wee tooke the post at 9 hours befoirnoon – Toward lundoun In maner follouing[:]

The editorial project ‘British Envoys to Germany’ was initiated with the aim of shedding new light on official British perceptions of German affairs and the states of the German Confederation, and thereby contributing to the historiography of nineteenth-century Anglo-German relations. As hoped at the outset, the diplomatic dispatches proved to be a valuable source, providing insights into many aspects of nineteenth-century history. The quantity and quality of reporting, the informative and often subtle nature of the dispatches, and the freedom of their authors to report on topics other than the political made working on the dispatches a challenging and often very enjoyable task. The selection in this series gives an idea of the richness of the thousands of letters stored at The National Archives, and a visit to Kew is recommended to anyone who wants to ‘delve’ into the nineteenth-century diplomats' world and Anglo-German relations at that time.

p. 1 The proceedings of the house of parlament the 13th April 1640. The first Ceremony is the riding to the Abbey. The King & Lords in state [in the House of Lords]. Then the Kings speech recommends a Speaker. Then the house of Commons & offer the Speaker [Sir John Glanville] the chayre whoe makes many delays & excuses & at last takes it. Then the house is adiourned till the 15:th of April. The oaths of Supremacy & alleageance adminnistered by the Earle Marshall to as many as were present. Then a Commission to Some of them to sweere the rest, which all men must take ere they sitt in the house.