Catalogue description THOMAS DETHICK and his partners to JOHN PRIDGEON.

--A series of letters in relation to supplying money, bills of exchange, &c. for the use of " Lord Robert Willoughby, " written from Leghorn. The style of the firm at first is " John Collyer, Thomas Dethick and Edward Rolte ; " but in July, 1651, a request is made that in future letters should be addressed to "Thomas Dethick, Richard Browne & Co.," and the later letters are so signed. They are all endorsed " Mr. Dethick ; " it is therefore probable that he arranged Willoughby's affairs. For the first twelvemonth, the travellers were in Rome, their address being alla Trinita di Monti, in strada Gregoriana, in casa di signore Ruberto Pendrick, gentiluomo Scottese." At the end of 1651, they went to Venice, from which place they made a short visit to Padua ; their movements being shown by the addresses of the letters.

The "worshippful William Cockayne," Governor of the East India Company, and William Methwold, deputy Governor, are mentioned in relation to the money affairs of the family in London, and the names of various Italian bankers and financiers appear, Signor Paulo del Sera of Venice, Signor Pucci and Messrs. Buon-talenti and Dondori of Florence, and Signor Gio. Mancini, Signor Gio. Antonio Portio, and Signor Fran. Mendes Enriques in Rome. The firm of the Vandervoorts had also money transactions with the Leghorn firm, and their great failure in the spring of 1651 is mentioned more than once. The only two allusions to anything except money matters are when the news of Charles II.'s march to Worcester reached Italy. On September 25, Dethick writes "There hath little of novelty hapned this weeke, only a report that the King hath ingaged with Lambert and Harrison, routed there party and slaine the latter upon the place." The next week however, Oct. 2, he mentions a truer report "that the King has received a greate defeat ; the truth thereof the London letters (which we expect to-morrow) will declare."