Since that time the aforesaid Directors had requested your High Mightinesses, to instruct Mess" Cats' and others, your High Mightinesses' extraordinary ambassadors, on their departure for England, to ratify, in the negotiation with the government of England, this boundary line, which we doubt not would be done, had not God the Lord been pleased, on account of our sins, to cut short for a time, the thread of that negotiation, and we are now informed that some extraordinary ambassadors have gone thither, to renew negotiations, whereunto the Almighty will grant his gracious blessing for his honor and the welfare of these countries, the aforesaid Directors ex-otficio, could not omit humbly praying your High Mightinesses, that the aforesaid extraordinary ambassadors may be intrusted in their commission with this settlement of the boundary, not only as regards those of New England, bordering on our territory on the North, who are now agitating unfounded questions, doubtless by order of the government of England, but also on the other side, to the South, with the English of Virginia. Although these exhibit, as yet, every inclination to continue good neighborly correspondence and commerce with us, we,

' Jacob Cats, the national poet of the Dutch, was born at Brouwershaven, in Zealand, on the 10th November, 1577. Having mother at an early age, he passed under the guardianship of his uncle, who sent him to school at Zierikzee. Hence lost his

he went to Leyden, and next to Orleans, in France, where he obtained the degree of Doctor of Law. On his return to his native country he was offered and declined the Law chair at Leyden, having been appointed Pensionary of Middelburg. He held this high office two years, and was then unexpectedly elected Pensionary of Dordrecht. In 1627, he was sent Ambassador with Mr.