Letter from Charles II to Sir George Downing, Ambassador at the Hague, 16th January 1672.Artist: King Charles II

Letter from Charles II to Sir George Downing, Ambassador at the Hague, 16th January 1672. Letter written from Whitehall shortly before the outbreak of the Dutch war, instructing Downing as to his conduct of negotiations. War was declared by England against the Dutch on 17th March, and by France three days later. Downing suddenly returned home, for fear of mob violence at the Hague, on 6th February and was sent to the Tower for leaving his post contrary to the King's orders. From the fifth series of Facsimiles of royal, historical, literary and other autographs in the Department of Manuscripts, British Museum: Series I-V. (London, 1899). (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)