The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 19.4.7

19.4.7

withall admonishing mee (with deepe protestations that he spake it with the like affection and loue to mee that he saw I carried toward them by tymely warning) that I should by all meanes indeauour to prevent that the Dutch should neither robb the Princes ships nor spoyle the Coast, for that it would bee very ill taken of the king and dangerous for vs, in respect that he had often hard that they were a Nation, though not subiect, yett som way dependant vpon the king of England. I answered: though I had no reason to doubt the kings iustice and wisdom in discerning and doeing right, yet hee might see that I had their safety already in my Care, which made mee so farr wade into the busines almost against our frendes: yet the loue of Iustice compelled me to yt, for that wee were frendes to the dutch, but not to any of their vnlawfull attempts: that I could by noe means answer, nor by any equitye be required to yt, for what they should doe at sea: but after the arriuall of our fleete, or where wee were seated, I supposed they would offer no violence, and to that end I would both use my Creditt and authoritye, and also giue such dayly aduise and intelligence as came to mee: and that for prevention of what might happen at sea, I would deliuer my opinione to the Prince. Now though these doubts which I sowed (especially of any enterprise on the Coast) were not so vrgent as I pretended, yet they serued my turne for many purposes;