No. XVIII.

James the Second by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.

To the most illustrious and most high Prince, the Lord Eugenius* Caraffa, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, our well-beloved cousin and friend — Greeting:

Most illustrious, most high Prince, our well beloved cousin and friend.

As the letter of your highness, expressive of your highness' grief at the decease of our much beloved brother of happy memory, is an undoubted proof of that friendship with which your highness honoured him while living, so your second letter, in which your highness congratulates us on our succession to his crown and kingdoms, is abundant testimony of your highness' respect and affection towards us. We also on our part are desirous that your highness should rest persuaded that we shall willingly embrace every opportunity to evince in every possible manner in how great esteem we hold your highness' person, and how dear to us are all the interests of the military Order of St. John the Baptist, on account of its high merits, and the valiant deeds it has performed for the benefit of the world, and the Christian faith. It remains for us heartily to recommend your highness to the Most High and Most Good God.

Given from our castle of Windsor on the 24th day of the month of August, in the year of our Lord 1685, and of our reign the first.

Your Highness' good Cousin and Friend,

JAMES REX.

To the Grand Master of the Order of Malta,

 

the Earl of Sunderland.

 *A slip of the pen: The Grandmaster was in fact Gregorio Caraffa.