But the clear-headed and patriotic Director-General was greatly mistaken in "Ambassador Douwning," or rather in his expectation that that envoy would aid in bringing matters to a settlement. Sir George Downing was as inimical to the Dutch nation as Governor Winthrop or any other Connecticut Englishman. He had been long in Holland under Cromwell and dis-

SGravesend, Hempstead, Flushing, Newtown and Jamaica. * Its claim was westward to the sea.

6 Sir Richard Downing, the English envoy to Holland at that time. » II. Col. Hist.

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE MANORS.

liked aud feared the Dutch. When it was evident tiiat Charles the 2d would be restored, he hastened to make his peace with him, and the Duke of York, before they left the Netherlands. Sharp, unprincipled, and determined to break down Dutch power, and Dutch commercial supremacy, if he could, he was the last man to give any assi.stance to effect such a solution of the Dutch and English difficulties as Stuy vesaut desired. The Duke of York, though he should not have possessed such feelings towards the people who had befriended his brother and himself in their exile, also was personally unfriendly to the Dutch Nation. Certain libels against him though punished by the Dutch courts, had not been punished as thoroughly, or as soon, as he wished. The Dutch West India Company in trading under their charter to the Guinea coast, interfered with the business of the Eoyal African Company of which he was the Governor. He complained of the Dutch on this account before the English Parliament, and, of his own authority as Lord High Admiral, sent a fleet to harass them on the coast of Africa. Therefore it was as a matter of revenge, as well as hoped for profit, thathe obtained from Charles the 2d on the 12th of March, 1664, O.