'
Confining ourselves to home news, there appears an edict from
Whitehall, commanding the Duke of York's (James II.) absence.
'WHITEHALL, _3 Mar. 1678_.--His Majesty, having thought fit to command
the Duke to absent himself, his Royal Highness and the Duchess took
leave of their majestys, and embarked this morning, intending to pass
into Holland.' But three years afterwards, he must have stood better
with the city, for in 1681 we find the lord mayor and court of
aldermen offering a reward of L.500 for the discovery of the person
who offered an indignity to the picture of his Royal Highness in the
Guildhall, to shew their deep resentment at that 'insolent and
villainous act.'
The many allusions to Algerines and pirates of all kinds, and the
audacity which seems to mark their acts, are good evidence of the
inefficient state of our navy in King Charles's reign. Witness the
following extract. 'LYME, _April 21, 1679_.--Yesterday, a small vessel
called the _William and Sarah_, bound for Holland from Morlaix, put in
here to avoid two Turks men-of-war, as he very much suspects them to
be, because he saw them chase a small vessell, who likewise escaped
them. It is reported that some of these pyrats have been as high as
the Isle of Wight, and that Sir Robert Robinson met with five of them,
whom he chased into Brest.' There are many accounts of the pirates of
Sally (Salee), and an account of an engagement with one of them by an
old collier, called the _Lisborne Merchant_, on her voyage from London
to Lisbon.
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