Dispositions of his Neighbors may the better take his own Measures in this great Conjuncture But to explain this Matter I must run it up to the Original Your Lordship remembers that after the French Invasions and Successes last year in Flanders and the Peace at Breda when they found how much both England and Holland resented the Progress of their Arms in Flanders They sent a Declaration to the States General that they were willing to make a Peace with Spain either upon Spain's quitting all their Right to the late conquered Places or else to the County of Burgundy Cambray Air and St. Omers and would leave to Spain the choice of either of these Alternatives The Dutch were perplexed what Use to make of this Declaration being frighted at the Danger of Flanders but newly and faintly reconciled to England and not knowing how we would take the Invasion of Flanders In these Doubts I found them when His Majesty sent me first to sound their Intentions and immediately after to enter into Leagues with them for our own mutual Defence and that of Flanders The King would have joyned with them for the recovery of all the Spaniards had lost in Flanders either by a Peace or a War The Province of Utrecht was for this Resolution but the Pensioner and the other six Provinces were for accepting the Offer of the Alternative made by France and obliging Spain to make their Choice as well as France to stand by their own Proposal Upon these Terms the Triple Allyance was concluded but with different Views both of Holland and of Spain The truth is Holland was unwilling to break off their antient Amity with France and embark in a War with the Conjunction of such an old Enemy as Spain and such a new Friend as England They reckoned on a Peace upon one of the Alternatives and were sollicitous only to preserve Flanders as a Frontier for Holland against France without considering the Interests of Spain further than as they appeared to be their own They reckoned certainly upon Spain's chusing to part with Burgundy Cambray c. which lay far from Holland and recovering the Towns they had lost in Flanders by which their Country would be left defensible at least with the Assistances of England and Holland On the other side Spain though they profess'd the greatest sense that could be of what they owed His Majesty upon the late generous Advances he had made in their Favour yet they were enraged at Holland for seconding so ill His Majesty's Resolutions and turning it upon the Choice only of an Alternative by which the Spaniards were to lose so great Territories and part with their Right to them instead of recovering the Possession they had yet only lost They took it as the greatest Indignity in the World that Holland should pretend to oblige the Crown of Spain to accept the very Conditions of France after an Invasion so unjust as they esteemed this last They were at first upon the thoughts of parting with all they had in the Low-Countries to France upon some Equivalent on the side of Spain and thereby both end the Charge of keeping Flanders and be revenged upon the Dutch by leaving them open and exposed to the Neighbourhood of France The Marquis once assured me that most of the Council of Spain were for making this desparate Peace and that for his own part he was inclin'd to it though more out of spight to the Dutch than what he thought was the true Interest of Spain After some Pause this heat of the Spaniards began to cool They saw the Spanish Crown by parting with Flanders must abandon all Commerce with the Princes and States on this side that Country and that upon a new War with France about the Succession they should have no way left of diverting the French Forces from falling upon Spain it self And so with much ado they resolved to accept the Alternative but left the Choice to the Marquis here as best inlightned in all the Interests of Flanders as well as the Dispositions of their Neighbours The Marquis hated the Peace upon either of the Alternatives and desired nothing but the continuance of the War with the Assistance of England and Holland to which he saw His Majesty inclinable and thought the States would be induced to rather than venture an Agreement between Spain and France for the Exchange of Flanders He thought that if they yielded Burgundy and the remote Frontiers Holland would be secure and France would perhaps be contented to let the Peace rest upon those Terms during the King of Spain's tender Life But if he yielded all the late conquered Towns to France Holland would be in perpetual Allarm for the Danger of the rest England would be likewise the more concerned and both being obliged to be continually armed to prevent the Danger or Flanders would find it their Interest rather to enter into such a War as might end in a safer Peace than by a patcht Peace to lie always in danger of a new War whenever France should be in a Condition of carrying the rest of Flanders by any sudden Invasion or by any Disconcert of Councils or Interests between Us and Holland Besides the Marquis imagines that France will either endeavour to avoid the Peace now offered or if they conclude it for the present that being possess'd of the Frontiers of Flanders they will not long resist the Temptation of carrying the rest being in a manner but open Country and thereby engage both Us and Holland to assist Spain with all our Forces which he thinks must make the War prosperous or a Peace secure So that upon the whole the Marquis has chosen this Alternative not from any desire of making the Peace at present but only in the view either of carrying on the present War or of making another with the Strength of his Neighbours Your Lordship may easily judge how much the Dutch are like to be disappointed and offended with the Spaniards for this Choice So that I cannot pretend to guess what is like to become of a Peace which both France and Spain come to so unwillingly and which England and Holland promote upon Conditions which they both dislike And so I leave this perplexed Affair and ask your Lordship's Pardon for this long Deduction which I should not have troubled your Lordship or my self with but that I thought you would come to know the true Springs of it no other way And which I could not have known if the Marquis were not a very warm Talker and sometimes further than he intended I am ever c. To Monsieur de Witt. Brussels Mar. 25. S. N. 1668. SIR BY Monsieur Van Beuninghen's dispatches of the 21st you will have known the Answer of the French Court upon the Truce we desired which in my opinion seems to make the War inevitable and that all the Appearances France has made of desiring a Peace are levelled at no other Mark but to slacken
fait croire le premier et si on ne veut point de moy en France je m'en vay prendre mon party pour le reste de mes jours Je ne doute point que l'on ne me laisse faire un tour á Paris pour voir si je pourrois m'accommoder mais je crains que l'on ne me fasse des difficultez insupportables Je vous supplie de me croire toujours Monsieur Vtôtre tres humble et tres obeissant Serviteur Gourville Je pourray peut être vous voir á la Haye plûtot que vous ne pensez From Monsieur de Wit Hague Feb. 25. 1668. SIR THE Bearer hereof delivered me the Letter you did me the Honour to write to me from Antwerp of the 24th Instant wherein I behold with Pleasure your Zeal and Diligence for the Advancement of our common Affair as also the good Dipositions that your Offices have already raised in the Mind of the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo and the Appearance of a more satisfactory Declaration we shall receive upon the common Request to be made him from the K. of Great Britain and this State I delayed not to communicate and deliberate the Contents of the said Letter with the States Commissioners deputed upon the Subject of our last Negotiations and we hope you will judge as we do that it is absolutely necessary for his Excellence to declare himself without further Delay or Reserve agreeably to what his concluded between England and this State without desiring before-hand any Concert more particular than that which is made signed and ratified between us and our Masters For since the King of France has seen by his last Conquests how weak and negligent the Spaniards are 't is to be feared that if the Marquis lets the Month of March expire without plainly declaring himself as we desire the King of France may be very glad after the Expiration of the said Term not to be oblig'd by virtue of his Word given to make the Peace upon the Alternative but may make use of the Time and Disorder of the Spaniards to surprize Luxenburg and a great part of what remains to the King of Spain in the Netherlands and to order his Affairs afterwards as Occurrences shall happen The States General are oblig'd and entirely resolv'd in case of Refusal from the King of France or any Evasions from that side after it has been insinuated to him that the Marquis has accepted either part of the Alternative to execute in the most vigorous manner possible what is contained in our third separate Article and by consequence jointly with England to break into open War against France to act in concert not only for Defence of the Netherlands but also and above all to attack and infest France by Sea by Descents Invasions into the Country and all other Ways But because it must be presupposed in publick that the King of France after having given his Word to the States and afterwards by a circular Letter not only to the King of Great Britain and the said States but also to many Princes of Germany will not break a Promise so solemnly made we cannot by any means enter into Concert and League with Spain before this Case effectually arrives And we think that such a League and Concert made before the Season would be likely indeed to produce the Effect the Marquis desires but which is far from his Majesty of England's Aim or that of the States for you cannot but know that his Excellence would prefer the Continuance of the War with our Assistance to the Conclusion of the Peace upon the Alternative and his Majesty as well as the States prefers this Peace before the Continuance of a War whereof they must bear all the Costs and all the Profit be to the King of Spain Now we comprehend very well that such a Concert and such a League as his Excellence desires would put the King of Erance upon an absolute necessity of continuing the War because if he should comply after such a League made with his Enemies it would appear publickly that he was obliged to it by this Bond and consequently by his Enemies themselves And therefore the Matter is judiciously enough propos'd by his Excellence for arriving at his End but since it would make us miss of ours we hope you will put the Marquis off it and make him quit all Hopes of engaging us by the force of his great Genius to enter of our own accord where we have no mind to come but upon a fatal Necessity I think his Excellence does wrong to the King of Great Britain and the States in not trusting their Affection and their Honour which are concerned as well as their Interest after the Alliance and the Peace they have already made together but if after his Excellence has accepted our Propositions the King of France shall happen to draw back or seek Evasions then the King of Great Britain and the States General entring into the Party and even into a Rupture with France it will be very just and proper to concert with his Excellency after what manner to act in the Territory of the King his Master and yet in the mean while not omit entring into Action without the least loss of time Therefore it will be no way necessary for me to be upon our Frontiers towards the End propos'd by his Excellence which besides will be wholly impossible for me much less to send any body from hence to Brussels since the States Deputies who are there at present are the same we should chuse for the End desired For I assure you I can name no body in whom the States as well as I in particular can have greater Confidence whereof I do not doubt but they will give you Proofs as well as of their Sincerity and good Conduct I desire you therefore Sir to use them with as much Freedom as me and I will engage they shall do the same by you And if you have been at all satisfied with my manner of transacting as I have been extremely with yours that you will be also satisfied with that of the said Deputies For the rest we approve extremely the Diligence you make on all sides in sending to the Ministers of the King of England and the States now at Paris And from your common Offices we promise to our selves an Universal Peace in Christendom to the great Advantage of the Publick and the Eternal Glory of your selves which no Man desires more than he who is SIR Your most humble and most affectionate Servant de Wit A Monsieur de Wit A la Haye 25me Fevr. 1668. Monsieur LE porteur de cellecy m'a bien delivré la Lettre qui vous a plû me faire l'honneur de m'ecrire d'Anvers le 24me de ce mois et j'y ay veu avec agrément le zele et la diligence que vous avez apporté pour l'avancement de nôtre affaire commune
diligences que vous ferez de part et d'autre directement aux Ministres du Roy de la Grand Bretagne et de cet Etat á Paris et nous nous promettons de vos Offices communs la paix universelle de la Chretienté au grand profit du public et á la gloire eternelle de vos personnes Laquelle vous souhaite avec autant d'affection que personne du monde celuy qui est et qui demeurera á jamais Monsieur Votre tres humble et tres affectionné Serviteur Joan. de Wit From Monsieur de Wit Hague March 5. 1668. SIR 'T IS with great Satisfaction that I have learnt from your Dispatch of the 2d Instant and by that of the Deputies of this State the provisional Success it has pleas'd God to grant to your Cares and Application to the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo And I doubt not but the Conduct you have us'd to dispose those of the Council of State of this Country to conform to his Excellence's Opinion will be aplauded by them I hope before the Receit of this you will have receiv'd from his Excellence a Declaration in Form and in Writing couched in clear and satisfactory Terms without any Ambiguity or Obscurity and in short such as will leave no Occasion or Pretext to France to find any thing to object against but what shall put them to a Necessity of declaring themselves plainly on their side upon the Conditions and Articles of our Convention and shall put us out of Doubt and Trouble of what we have to do For my self I shall endeavour all I can that this State shall be put in a Posture of entring vigorously and effectually upon the Defence of Flanders in case after a plain and satisfactory Answer from his Excellence the King of France shall leave us any Apprehensions of his endeavouring to make further Progresses in this Country which we cannot suppose without the Prejudice of suspecting that the said King will falsifie his Word given and the Promise so solemnly made by his publick and circular Letters which God forbid and which however common Prudence should make us suppose to be possible that we might not neglect the Means whereof we have so often discours'd and upon which the States have given Order to their Ambassadors in Holland to concert more particularly with the King of Great Britain and his Ministers You have further obliged me by not giving a Copy of my foregoing Dispatch to the Marquis since in my Opinion he might have made use of it to provoke and anger the King of France and oblige him as it were in point of Honour to be obstinate in the War against the Desire and Intention of the King of England and the States But by giving his Excellency so much part therein as to read to him our separate Articles that is what I cannot but entirely approve as being wholly agreeable to my manner of proceeding as well as your Precaution wherewith you kept the common Cause from the Danger above mentioned in not giving him a Copy For the rest I refer my self to what the Deputies of the States shall have already told you upon the Contents of your former Dispatch and to what they shall communicate to you from time to time of the Intentions of Their High and Mightinesses and shall ever remain what I am with Passion SIR Your most affectionate and humble Servant Jo. de Wit De Monsieur de Wit A la Haye 5me Mars 1668. Monsieur C'A esté avec beaucoup de satisfaction que j'ay apris par vôtre depêche du 2d de ce mois et par celle de Messieurs les Deputez de l'Etat le succez provisionnel qu'il a plû au bon Dieu d'octroyer á vos soins et á votre direction auprez du Marquis de Castel-Rodrigo et je ne doute point que la conduite que vous avez tenue pour disposer ceux du conseil d'Etat de ce païs á ce conformer au sentiment de son Excellence ne produisse leur applaudissement J'espere que devant que cellecy vous sera rendue vous aurez receu de son Excellence une declaration dans les formes et par ecrit couchée en termes clairs et satisfaisants sans aucune ambiguité ou obscurité et en fin telle qui ne laisse aucune occasion ni même aucun pretexte á la France d'y trouver quelque chose á redire mais qui la mette en necessité de se declarer ausside son côte nettement sur les conditions et articles de notre convention et nous hors de doute et d'embarras de ce que nous avons á faire Quant á moy je ne manqueray pas de tenir la main á ce que l'Etat se mette tout á fait en posture de pouvoir accourir vigoureusement et efficacement á la defence du Païs bas en cas qu'aprés une declaration nette et satisfaisante de son Excellence le Roy de France nous laâ—sse encore de l'apprehension des plus grands progrez que sa Majesté voudroit tâcher de faire dans le même païs ce que nous ne pouvons pas presuppsser sans estré preoccupé d'un soubçon que ledit Roy voudroit bien fausser sa parole donnée et sa promesse si solennellement faite par des lettres publiques et circulaires ce qu' à Dieu ne ne plaise et ce que pourtant la prudence veut que nous nous figurions comme possible pour ne negliger pas les moyens dont nous nous sommes bien souvent entretenus et sur lesquels les Etats ont donné ordre á leurs Ambassadeurs en Angleterre de concerter plus particulierement avec le Roy de la Grande Bretagne et ses Ministres Vous m'avez encore obligé de n'avoir point donné copie de ma precedente depêche au Marquis puisque á mon jugement on auroit pu s'en servir pour aigrir et picquer le Roy de France et pour l'obliger en quelque façon par point d honneur á s'opiniâtrer dans la guerre contre le but et scuhait du Roy de la Grande Bretagne et des Etats Generaux Mais que vous ayez donné part á son Excellence par lecture de nos articles separez c'est ce que je ne puis qu'approuver entierement comme estant fort conforme á ma maniere d'agir et de proceder aussi bien que la precaution dont vous avez garanti la cause commune du sudit danger en ne luy en ayant point donné copie Au reste je me remets á ce que Messieurs les Deputez de l'Etat vous auront dêja dit et temoigné sur le contenu de votre depêche precedentê et á ce qu'ils vous communiqueront de temps en temps
April and the 15th of May the strained Exceptions against the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo's Powers and his Acceptation of the Alternative As chiefly for what regards the Forces to be rais'd with all possible readiness and the manner by which we ought to proceed to the Defence of the Netherlands as soon as the K. of France shall begin to move against them The States are every Day more confirmed in the same Sentiments as their Actions declare by marching an Army with all Diligence to Berg-opzoom and by sending an Express to the King of Great Britain with Intelligence that they are of Opinion that in order to satisfie the K. of France upon the Scruples propos'd in Monsieur de Lionne's Paper of the 19th Instant with Promises and Assurances sufficient we must let him know discreetly and yet positively that we think his Generosity will not suffer him to ruine a State or a Minister of Spain whom the King of England and the States General have obliged at his Request to accept the Conditions prescrib'd with a formal Assurance that by that means he should free himself from all Danger of the War And at least that the Honour and good Faith of the King of Great Britain and the States cannot suffer such a State or Minister to be injured without lending him their Service and Assistance And by every body's Disposition here I am assured that as soon as the Agreement is concluded we shall march to the Assistance of the Netherlands upon the first Step France shall make to attack them if the King of England will do the like But to acquit our Consciences and let the World see the Justice of our proceeding I am entirely of opinion we must make all Advances and give all due Assurances to France to oblige them to the Peace Upon which with many other Particulars I refer you to the Deputies of the States to communicate to you having not time at present to enlarge further but only to repeat in one word that I am truly Sir Your c. Johan de Wit De Monsieur de Wit A la Haye 25 me Mars 1668. Monsieur J'AY bien receu la lettre dont il vous a plù m'honnorer le 25me de ce mois surquoy je vous diray en peu de mots que je suis tout á fait de vôtre opinion tant á l'egard de la disposition du Roy de France á continuer la guerre l'insuffisance de l'offre de vouloir restituer tout ce qu'il pourroit coâ—querir entre le premier d'Avril et le 15me May les exceptions recherchées contre les pouvoirs du Marquis de Castel-Rodrigo et contre son acceptation de l'alternative que principalement et sur tout á l'egard de l'armement que l'on devroit avancer avec toute la promptitude possible et de la maniere de laquelle on devra accourir á la defence du Pais bas des que le Roy de France commencera á se remuer pour l'accabler Lés Etats ont dêja approuvé et confirmé encore de jour en jour les mémes sentiments par leurs actions faisants marcher en toute diligence une armée aux environs de Berg-opzoom et ayants envoyé leur avis par un exprez au Roy de la Grande Bretagne qu'ils sont d'opinion qu' aussi bien que de satisfaire au Roy de France sur les scrupules proposés dans l'ecrit du Sieur de Lionne du 19me de ce mois avec des asseurances et promesses suffisantes il faudra luy faire savoir discretement et neantmois bien positivement que nous jugeons que sa generosité ne pourra pas permettre qu'il accable un Etat ou un Ministre d'Espagne que le Roy d'Angleterre et les Etats Generaux ont obligé á sa requisition d'accepter les conditions prescrites avec une asseurance formelle que par lá il se deliverroit de tout danger de la guerre Et qu'au moins l'honneur et la bonne foy du Roy de la Grande Bretagne et des Etats ne pourra pas souffrir qu'on accable un tel Etat ou un tel Ministre sans luy prêter leurs services et assistances Et je ne vois point de disposition icy qui ne m'asseure que l'oppignoration estant conclue on marchera au secours des Pais bas dés la premiere demarche que le Roy de France fera pour l'attaquer si le Roy de la Grande Bretagne en veut faire autant Mais pour nous satisfaire en bonne conscience et pour faire voir á tout le monde la justice de nôtre procede Je suis entierement d'opinion qu'il faudra faire toutes les avances et donner toutes les asseurances requises á la France pour parvenir et pour l'obliger á la paix Surquoy comme aussi sur plusieurs autres particularitez je me remets á ce que les Deputez de l'Etat vous communiqueront plus en detail n'ayant pas de tems de m'etendre icy plus amplement mais seulement pour repeter en un mot que je suis tres veritablement Monsieur Votre c. Johan de Wit From Monsieur de Wit Hague April 4. 1668. SIR I Could not immediately answer yours of the 2d Instant by reason of a Feaver I got by a great Cold last Night But towards Noon the Feaver lessening gives me leave at present to tell you that though it is now some Days since M. Beverning's Departure for Aix la Chapelle yet I do not see how in the present Conjuncture of Affairs it shou'd be more necessary for you to reside in that City than at Brussels but on the contrary that the Affair is now reduc'd to such a Point that the Business which carried you to Aix ought to be treated and finish'd in a few days in the Place where you are and in the Netherlands and I think the King of England's Ministers and those of the States at Paris have negotiated with Address in procuring us an Instrument which in a few Days will put us in a clear Light upon what we are finally to resolve and to do if the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo seconds us as we hope and expect from his Prudence and from the visible Interest of his Master which obliges him to it I speak of the Project of the Treaty drawn upon the Foot of the Alternative and concerted between the said Ministers of our Masters at Paris and the Commissioners of the K. of France whereof I am sure you have receiv'd a Copy from Sir John Trevor I think this Project gives us a certain way of obtaining the Peace or else a War wherein all the Princes and States of Christendom will support us or at least commend our Conduct and Proceeding And I think we must proceed in it after this manner I suppose before-hand that
should have had any Part in this Delay and that you should have told him you had no Orders from me to pay him that Money However to take away all scruple if any can still remain after our last Conference at Brussels upon this Subject I do by these Presents order and appoint you pursuant to those Powers that have been given me from the King to pay or cause to be payd to Monsieur Rhintorf or his Order alâ— such Sums of Money as you shall any ways be able to raise either by the Sale of such Tin as is already arrived or shall arrive at Ostend upon his Majesty's Account with all the Diligence and Dispatch that is possible Or in case you do not find any ready Sale for it that you will at least pay him all such Sums as you shall be able to raise by pawning or engaging it to the best advantage you can after this I need say no more than to Conjure you by all the Zeal you have for his Majesty's Service and all the Friendship you have for me to employ upon this Occasion your utmost Diligence and Credit for the Conjuncture is grown so extremely pressing at this time that I can never say enough to recommend this Service to your best Endeavours I am SIR Your Servant To my Lord Arlington Brussels Oct. 13. S. N. 1665. My Lord UPON Saturday last about Nine at Night the Bishop's Agent there brought me a Desire from the * Of Castel Rhodrige Governâ—â— of the Spanish Netherlands Marques to come privately to him We stay'd long together and talked much The Substance was that he had last Post writ to the Spanish Ambassadour to inform the King that he heard the French were ready to march in Assistance of the Hollander against the Bishop of Munster and had told the Spanish Ambassadour in France they should take all Delays here in leave of Passage for Denial That he the Marquess was resolved upon Confidence of his Majesty's late Letter and Assistance to oppose them till he received Orders from Spain and hopes his Majesty will not fail of protecting and defending him in this Resolution He speaks with much Earnestness and Passion for concluding the League between England and Spain and either a Peace or Truce between Spain and Portugal in which he very much presses His Majesty's Interposition at this Time because nothing else will take away the Dishonour on the Spanish side but the Respect given to so Great and Powerful a King's Mediation He assures me he has given an absolute Denial to the Hollanders Demand of buying a great Quantity of Corn in these Countries which now begins to be one among their other great Wants That the French upon Jealousie of the Swede sent very lately an Envoy into Holland to join with them in pressing the Dane to put himself into a Posture of making a Diversion That for Security of these Countries six thousand Spaniards and Italians were in few Days expected here these by Land those by Sea And that for raising German Troops he had last Week sent five hundred thousand Gilders into Germany from whence if they needed he could have twenty four thousand Men so as he doubted not to defend these Countries if France Assaults him The Biass of all this Discourse was to shew they had no great need of our Assistance at the same time they press so much to be assured of it and to represent the mutual Necessity of a Conjunction between England and Spain with all the Expressions of Affection to His Majesty's Person and Service that a Courtier or almost a Lover could use Upon this last Subject I could not let him pass with the Discourse of the late King's Ruine and His Majesty's Danger at home for want of Friendship abroad nor could I leave that Point because he had so often harped upon it till I forced him to confess at least by Silence that his Majesty was as safe at Home at this time as either French or Spanish King For the rest finding him now much warmer than he used to seem in the Desires of the Bishop of Munster's Success or at least Preservation and finding from Alderman Backwell that he had yet been able to raise no more Money upon all our Tin at Antwerp for the second Payment those paltry Merchants combining to Ruine him in the Price of it upon the Belief of his Necessity to sell I would not omit that Occasion of desiring the Marquess to find some Person out that should take it all off our Hands with ready Money which they might raise at their own leisure and I believed with much Gains in which I assured him he would give His Majesty a great Testimony of his Affection to his Service which was so much concerned in the Bishop of Munster's Fortunes He told me he would consult about it next Morning and upon Sunday Night sent one with a Dispatch of mine to Alderman Backwell to know the whole Quantity and lowest Price So that I am now in great hopes of seeing some good Issue of that Business which I almost begun to despair of An Express from the Bishop of Munster came to me on Saturday last protesting he could no longer subsist unless the Money came anâ— Your Lordship may easily imagine how much Pain I am in upon that Occasion especially hearing my Self so often reproached for having drawn him to so desperate an Adventure so much against his own Resolutions which were not to take the Field till the second Payment were received and the third assured on this side It would look like Vanity in me to tell Your Lordship more of what I hear too much of this kind but I will say that unless you take some speedy and effectual Resolution in this Particular I shall look like the veriest Rogue in the World and such as it will not be much for his Majesty's Honour to employ But after all I will tell Your Lordship freely that I think all my Trains had not taken Fire without a perfect Accident which I had the good Fortune to improve so upon the sudden as to make it the absolute Occasion of the Bishop's taking the Field when he did which I shall some time or other I hope entertain you with and will serve for a Moral to shew how small Shadows and Accidents sometimes give a Rise to great Actions among Mankind for either such or the beginning of such this bold March is like to prove All I know of its Success you will find in these Letters one from my Lord Carlingford to whom I cannot send Your Lordship's last till I have farther Directions from him for my Address the other being Part of one from a Person in the Holland Camp belonging to the Rhingrave Twenty Rumours more we have of his Successes but I will not yet credit them this much I will that nothing can probably endanger him besides want of Money and that I know him to be a Man too firm to be
diverted from his Point or slacken it without some such Maim for he wants neither Prudence Courage nor Ambition For the Hollanders they were certainly never worse at their ease than now being braved and beaten both at Sea and Land flay'd with Taxes distracted with Factions and their last Ressourse which is the Protection of France poisoned with extreme Jealousies yet that must be their Game or else a perfect Truckling Peace with England I am ever Your Lordship 's most Faithful and most humble Servant To the Duke of Ormond Brussels Novemb. 20. S. N. 1665. My Lord. I Am to acknowledge the Honour I received last by one from Your Grace of October the 25th which gives me the Occasion to beg your Belief that the frequent Troubles I give Your Grace of this kind proceed from a most hearty and uninteressed Duty without the least Thoughts of making any unconscionable Advantage by such a Commerce or at all expecting a Return of so great value as Your Lordship's Letters to a Venture so small as mine I confess I am extremely pleased with any Testimonies of Your Grace's Remembrance and Favour to me which I must esteem the best and ever acknowledge for the first of my good Fortunes nor shall I ever be so much pleased with any lucky Hits that may happen to me in publick Employments from any other Respect as from the Hopes of meeting some Occasion to express the Esteem and Resentment of Kindness shew'd me when I was idle and unknown But I beseech Your Grace never to give your self the least Trouble or lose Time in writing to me upon the Score of common Civility but to deal with me perfectly like one of your own and write only when you have Commands to honour me or Inclinations to oblige me for the rest one Word to my Father or Brother may at any time give me the Knowledge that mine are received which is all they pretend and perhaps more than they deserve Since the Passage of the French Troops which thought fit to touch no Part of these Dominions we hear little of them Their Number fell something short of six Thousand their Horse were brave as they passed Mastricht their Foot rascally their Shoes upon their Shoulders their Feet galled and their Gallantry spent in giving the Dutch a thousand times to the Devil for their kind Invitation They paid nothing as they pass'd or false Money took the best Treatment the Dutch could make them with Scorn and Insolence and drank his Majesty's and the Prince of Munster's Health openly in the Market-Place at Mastricht a strain I suppose of their Extravagance rather than good Meaning So I leave them as they do their Colours when they can and return this way by Couples and Leashes good Store By the last from the Prince of Munster of the 12th instant we had Assurance that his Bridge over the Marsh was perfected his Army joined and that Colonel or Baron d'Ossory who is made a Serjeant Major de Bataglia had with a Squadron of Horse killed nine Hundred of the Dutch in a late Encounter near Groning Besides this and the French Envoy's Monsieur Lessyn having been dismiss'd with General Terms I had nothing but desperate melancholy Complaints of his Disappointments from his Friends which I will not trouble Your Grace with at this Distance I had my first Formal Audience last Night from the Marquess and was received with the greatest Expressions of Zeal and Devotion to the King my Master's Person and Service of the Resentment of the Honour done him by this Resolution of a Resident here and wonderful Compliment to the Personal Choice as I believe Your Grace knows good Words of all Sorts cost no Man less than His Excellency But I am very confident his Inclinations to Us his Aversions to France his Desires of Truce with Portugal and strict League with England are all very hearty I am ever Your Grace's most Obedient and most humble Servant To the Baron Wreden Brussels Dec. 10. 1665. SIR I Received yours and am glad of your Arrival at Court where I never doubted the good Reception so honest a Gentleman would find who came from so brave a Prince I am sorry for your bad Wine and Lodging at Oxford for as to the former I know it is a sort of Plague you are more afraid of than that at London where in a little time I hope you will have no occasion to complain either of one or t'other In the mean while take my word for the matter 't is but half a dozen Glasses more and good or bad comes all to the same thing As for your Lodging in Troth I believe the Crowd is so great at present in every House that you will hardly find an opportunity of making Love to your Landlady But Sir you must have a little Patience and not think of succeeding in all Amours at the rate you did with Madamoiselle Isabella besides if you remember it cost you dear enough then by the Fright you were in of losing your great Diamond Love like other things is good for nothing when one makes too much haste in it and our English Ladies don't care that Men should be over violent in beginning this Game for fear they should be so in concluding it Well I am heartily sorry I can give you no good Recommendations where you are because I am sure you would be so just and generous to pay me by a Bill of Exchange on your little Mistress here But now I talk of a Mistress you must know Monsieur le Chevalier has ordered his Affairs here worse than at Paris For I believe seriously he pass'd through this Place without so much as paying one Visit to his and that is the Reason why he carried so much Money to Munster and rode Post with greater vigour than ever he did from hence to France And is not this now a very fine Letter for two Grave Ministers of State But come we must talk a little of Business if it be only for the good Grace of the matter And yet I am confident if Sr. Bealing would entertain you at this Rate but once a Month and unbend himself a little from his serious way you would reckon him as your only Friend and think no more of me Well but have you heard what the Dutch Resident tells us that the Prince of Munster has taken Reyde a small Sea-Port where his Friends may come and give him a Visit The News from Antwerp say further that he has got the Fort of Bourtang But they add how the Bishop of Osnabrug is resolved to let the World see that a Lutheran Prelate is as good as a Catholick and to that end is resolved at the Head of some Lunenbourg Troops to go knock Mitres with your Master All in good time and as for Heads I do not doubt the Prince of Munster's is much the stronger of the two but for the Mitres I can say nothing I am told besides that your
confident five and twenty or thirty Thousand Pounds in a Lump and sudden would bring him strong and vigorous into the Field this Spring which would prove a cheap Advantage to His Majesty's Arms and perhaps the greatest in Sight next to your Grace's commanding this Summer's Fleet from which we all here certainly reckon upon a Success suitable to the rest of your Fortunes and Glories which I hope to see compleated upon the French Fleets Mine will be great if your Grace pleases to esteem me as you will ever have Reason to do My Lord Your Graces most faithful humble Servant To my Lord Carlingford Brussels Mar. 6. N. S. 1666. My Lord I Have this Exception to your Service that my Faults are taken notice of and not my Diligence for in your Lordship 's of the 21st past I find not the least Mention of any Letters received from me tho' I am confident by other Circumstances some of them must have been come to your Hands I fear your News at Vienna is not so good nor true as your Wine and by the Abundance of Reports with shallow Grounds I doubt your Court is rather inclined to hear News than to make it That Brandenburg is our Enemy at least for four Months is too certain that Sueden is a Friend to Munster we may guess rather from Causes than any Effects that I know of and since neither the Emperor nor Spain will contribute any Thing towards the Bishop's Assistance nor so much as the staving off Enemies that by Dutch and French are raising up against him in the Empire it self I know no Remedy But yet in spight of all Force and Artifice to disarm him I expect for my Part to see him rather besieged in Cosvelt or Munster than make a Peace without our Master's Consent as is hoped by our Enemies and perhaps wished by some of our Friends for fear the Continuance of his Musick should make them dance before they have a Mind to it But I believe all their Coldness and Shrinking will hardly defend them and may help them rather to lose their Friends than gain their Enemies For we have certain News that the French have made a Place d'Armes between la Fere and Peronne where that King is coming down to the Rendevouses of Fifteen Thousand Men and the Hollanders on the other side are so incurably possest with an Opinion of some wonderful deep important League between us and Spain that they are upon the very Brink of resolving a War too and concluding a League Offensive as well as Defensive with France at least if the Ascendant of this Year be favourable to De Witt 's Party as that of the last was which begins to be a little doubted of late I will not send your Lordship any English Letters nor our Declaration of War against the French in Confidence it goes along with your Pacquet by which you will see His Majesty hath been as generous and civil as the French King was rough in his to call it no worse but he hath begun the War with so much Heat that I am apt to believe he will come to be cool before it ends I shall ill deserve your Lordship's Leave of writing often if I do it so long and so little to the Purpose together After I have â—â—ld you my Lord Ossory is come 〈◊〉 into England and that my Lord Arlington is for certain as they say both in England and here to marry the Lady Emilia my Lady of Ossory's Sister I will give your Lordship the good Night almost as late as I imagine you use to go to Bed and only tell you that I am at all Hours My Lord Your Lordship 's most humble Servant To Sir Philip Warwick Brussels Mar. 12. N. S. 1666. SIR THough it be more easie and more usual to beg Favours than to acknowledge them yet I find you are resolved to force me upon the last without ever giving me Time of Occasion for the other How much I am obliged to you in my last Dispatch I am told enough by Mr. Godolphin but more by my own Heart which will never suffer me to believe that a Person to whom I have been so long and am so much a Servant should be any other than kind to me for that is my way of judging my absent Friends and serves like a Watch in my Pocket to measure the Time tho' I see no Sun The very Name of Time puts me in mind that yours is not to be spent idly and that you are more pleased to oblige your Friends than to receive their Thanks and therefore I will only say that mine are very sensible and very hearty and that no Man is with more Reason and with more Sincereness than I am SIR Your Affectionate humble Servant To the Bishop of Munster Brussels Mar. 19. S. N. 1666. SIR YOUR Highnesse's Letter of the o th instant came in due time to my hands by which I plainly find with how much Faith and Conâ—â—â—â—y as well as Wisdom and Courage your Highness intends to order your Affairs My utmost Endeavours shall not be wanting for the advancing of them as well as for encreasing and cultivating the Confidence His Majesty hath in your Highness on which the common League chiefly relies especially at this time when so many ill designing Men use all Endeavours to shake or destroy it wherein it is hard to tell whether their Folly or Malice be greater I hear every day in this City that you Highness has made Peace with thâ— Hollanders without any Regard to us or our League or so much as consulting His Majesty upon it And I pretend to believe what I 〈◊〉 toâ—â— tho' I am inwardly assured to the contrary As for Whispers and Rumours it is not my Custom either to amuse others with them or perplex my self I confess I was somewhat moved with a Letter from the Duke of Brunswick to a Man of Understanding in this City which I lately saw and read wherein he seems to feed himself and his Friend with hopes of a speedy Peace in all those Parts of Germany and assures him from his certain knowledge that the Prince of Munster will accept it in case it be offered to him without the greatest Ignominy and Loss wherein he says the neighbour Princes use all means to engage him I am sorry to find the Marques Castel Rodrigo of the same Opinion because I know the Event must be dishonourable to your Highness and will be imputed to the King my Master perhaps as Imprudence at least as ill Fortune Nor do I think the Spaniards at this time of day so generous as to promote the League which we hope to see confirmed by my Lord Sandwich's Embassy into Spain if they once imagine tho' but falsly that His Majesty among such potent Enemies is forsaken by his nearest Confederates On the contrary I am entirely persuaded as well from your Highness's last Letter as from your Virtue and good Sense that
That Monsieur de Witt for his Part thought they were a free State no longer if they should yield a Point that they not only knew we had no Ground for but were sure we knew it as well as they and that whatever the States should give upon this Occasion might be demanded at any Time by our Court upon any other since none could have less Pretence This was all the Account he thought fit at least to give me of this War But other politick Reasoners among the Dutch pretended to give several others Some said the Duke 's military Genius made him desirous to enter upon some Action abroad and be at the Head of a great Fleet against a State he never had been a Friend to That the Duke of Albermarle had long had a Peek to their Countrey upon some Usage he resented during his being an Officer there That he had a very mean Opinion of their Fleets as well as their other Forces since the Successes of the English in the first War during the Usurper's Time That some of the Ministers were possest with an Opinion of getting Money by only threatning a War without Intention of seeing it brought to Effect and had let it run on so far till it was too lare to go back Some others attribute Sir Thomas Clifford's Violence in the House of Commons and Practices with our East-India Company to a deeper Design and would have the Matter of Religion concerned in the Quarrel as their Pamphlets still endeavoured during the War and these will not believe that when all Christendome was at Peace such a War could be begun merely upon a Chicane about the Loss of a Ship or Two so many Years since There are others that lay the War upon the Conduct of France by which they say we were engaged in it That the present King was resolved to pursue the old Scheme laid by Cardinal Richlieu of extending the Bounds of France to the Rhine for which Ends the Conquest of Lorrain and Flanders was to be first atchieved That the Purchase of Dunkirk from us was so violently pursued for this End without which they could not well begin a War upon Flanders That after this they had endeavoured to engage the present Ministry in Holland to renew the Measures once taken in Cardinal Richlieu's Time for dividing Flanders between France and Holland But not succeeding in it they had turned all their Intrigues to engage us in a War which might make Room for their Invasion of Flanders whilst the two Neighbours most concerned in it's Defence should be deep in a Quarrel between themselves That they made both Parties believe they would assist them if there were Occasion and would certainly have done it That as they took Part with Holland upon our first Successes at Sea and the Bishop of Munster's Treaty so if the Successes had been great on the Dutch Side they would have assisted us in Order to prolong the War These are Discourses current in Holland upon this Subject and I had rather give you those of others upon it than any of my own The Duke of Ormond will be able to judge whether any of these Dutch Reasonings are true or which are most probable For my part I can only say that however the War began I am very glad 't is ended but sorry it has made Way for another which if it lasts any time is like to involve us and perhaps all the rest of the Neighbours either in a new War or in new Dangers For if the French shall carry Flanders as they very well may in another Campania by the Weakness and Disorders in the Government here the Dutch are sensible that they must fall to be a maritime Province to France upon the best Terms they can The Empire will expect to see them soon at the Rhine and thereby Masters of four Electors and what a Condition England will be left in by such an Accession of maritime Forces as well as Provinces to such a Power as France is already is but too easie and too melancholy a Reflection The Dutch are much exasperated at this Invasion of Flanders both as dangerous and as scornful to them in particular for they say that France till the very Time of their March gave constant Assurances to the States both by the French Ambassadour here and by their Ambassadour at Paris that they would not invade Flanders without first taking their Measures upon it with the States themselves I find our Court are as much provoked on t'other side not only upon this new Danger but also upon the French having declared War against Us in Favour of Holland without the least Pretence of Injury or other Occasion so that if we both understood or trusted one another 't is likely we should be both of a Mind in this Matter but after such a sharp War as hath been for two Years between us and such a snarling Peace as that at Breda I do not well see how this can happen before it be too late and so must leave these Contemplations to such as are in the Ministry both in England and Holland as well as Spain and the Empire to take such Measures as are wise and necessary in such a Conjuncture which is perhaps the most important that has been a great while in Christendome and may have Consequences that none alive will see the End of 'T is time I am sure that you should see an End of this long Letter and come to the Assurances of my being ever SIR Your c. To Sir George Savil. Brussels Dec. 9th S.N. 1667. SIR BEcause my Wife assures me I am not wholly lost in your Favour and Memory I will not run any further Venture of forfeiting my Title for want of laying Claim to it but make use of the smallest Occasion rather than none in a Matter wherein I am so much and so justly concerned This Place never was in worse Posture to furnish either a War or a Gazette than at this Time for the Troops are all mouldring in their Winter Quarters and as the greatest Calms ordinarily succeed the greatest Storms so since the Heat of News and Occurrences here during the late Campagne I have hardly known a Place where less of both were stirring Action and Invention seeming to have ended together There is indeed a new Difference between the two Crowns arisen this Winter which is that France talks of Peace but prepares for War and Spain talks of War but prepares hitherto as if they were sure of Peace They say at present they are off that with Portugal which is the only Thing yet in Sight that can make the other necessary to them Because my Wife tells me you were content with the last Papers I sent of the Roman News I take Occasion to continue it by the inclosed though there be seldom any Thing in it worth considering at this Distance unless it be the Style and the Quiet of that Scene which like the upper
between him and the States for their own mutual Defence and to this Purpose had sent me over as his Envoy to the States with full Powers and the Draught of a Defensive League between us but refers the rest for what touched Flanders to what the States and I should agree Monsieur de Witt received this Discourse with a Countenance pleased but yet as I mark'd something surprized and as if he expected not a Return from His Majesty so sudden and so resolute He said that the States would be much pleased with the Honour His Majesty did them and the Overture he made them that I should chuse my Time whenever I desired it for my Audience and would pass the Forms of demanding it from the President of the Week That he was still confident the States would enter with His Majesty into the Mediation tho' France gave them Hopes of succeeding by their own That the Provinces differed in Opinion upon what Terms the Peace should be made That Utrecht was so bold as to think nothing but Justice ought to be considered in the Case that all that France had conquered should be restored to Spain and their Pretensions be referred to Judgment or Arbitrage But Holland with most of the other Provinces were of another Mind and considering their own present Condition as well as that of France thought it best to keep the French to their own Offer but he believed would come to Means of more Force if France should recede from what they themselves had advanced to the States That for the Defensive League between us he did not know whether the late Sore were yet fit for such an Application but would try the Mind of the States That he doubted they would think it like to prove too sudden a Change of all their Interests and that which would absolutely break them off from so old and constant a Friend as France to relie wholly upon so new and so uncertain a Friend as England had pâ—â—â—ved I told him that the doing what he said would be the Effect of any Treaties of this Nature between us let them be as tenderly handled and composed as we could That France would take it as ill of us of them to be stopp'd in the remaining Conquest of Flanders as to the forced out of all they had already gained That he knew very well it had been long their Design at any Price to possess themselves of the Spanish Netherlands and he knew as well that it was their Interest to do so considering the Advantages it would give them over all the rest of Christendom that it was as much our Interest to hinder it and that nothing could do it but a firm Conjunction between us That the States Part would be next after Flanders was gone and therefore they had now as much need of being protected by England against France as they thought they had three or four Years ago of being protected by France against England and that they had no other Choice but either continuing their Friendship with France till they should see both Flanders and themselves swallowed up by such a Neighbour or else change their whole Measures and enter into the strictest Alliance with His Majesty for the Preservation of both and let France take it as they pleased Monsieur de Witt confessed the Design of France for the Conquest of Flanders spoke of the Treaties they had made with the States in Cardinal Richlieu's Time and lately offered again for partaging it between them and said he understood very well the Danger of such a Council and Neighbourhood or else he should have fallen into them but the Ventures were great on the other side too that the States were much more exposed than the King that the Spaniards were weak and ill to be trusted by the States between whom there had never yet been any better Measures than barely those of the Munster Peace after so great Rancors and long Hostilities That tho' he believed the German Princes would be glad of what His Majesty proposed yet he knew not how far Sueden might be engaged in the Measures with France who lay here at their Backs in the Dutchy of Bremen And last of all tho' this Resolution seemed now to be taken by His Majesty and his Ministers upon the surest and wisest Foundations which were those of true Interest and Safety yet no Man knew how long they might last That if they should break all their Measures with France and throw themselves wholly upon His Majesty by such a Conjunction any Change of Councils in England would be their certain Ruine That he knew not this present Ministry and could say nothing to them but that he knew the last too well Upon which he said a good deal of our uncertain Conduct since His Majesty's Return and concluded that the Unsteddiness of Councils in England seemed a fatal Thing to our Constitution he would not judge from what Grounds Mais que depuis le temps de la Reyne Elisabet il n'y avoit eu qu'une fluctuation perpetuelle en la Conduite de l'Angleterre avec laquelle on ne pouvoit jamais prendre des Mesures pour deux Annèes de Temps After this ended with some Melancholy that looked a little irresolute I told him that as to their own Interests he knew them and could weigh them better than I that after my Audience and first Conference with Commissioners I should quickly see how the States would understand them in which I knew very well how great a Part he would have That for our Danger I confest they would be first exposed to France and we the last which made it reasonable they should make the first Pace to their Safety That for Sueden I had no Orders to negotiate with them but being fully instructed in His Majesty's general Intentions I should be glad to see them strengthened all I could and to that Purpose if he thought fit I would talk with the Count de Dona the Suedish Ambassadour here and see whether he had any Powers to engage their Crown in any common Measures for the Safety of Christendom that if by such a Conjunction we could extend it to a Triple Alliance among us upon the same Foundation I believed he would think it too strong a Bar for France to venture on That for the Unsteddiness of our Councils I would rather bewail than defend it but that I should not have made this Journey if I had not been confident that had been ended and we now bottommed past any Change or Remove That I could not pretend to know any Body's Mind certainly but my own but that upon this Matter I was as confident of His Majesty's of Your Lordship's and My Lord Arlington's as I was of my own Upon this Occasion I said a great deal not only of the Interests but Resentments that had engaged His Majesty and His Ministers in this Council and concluded that I was confident it could never break but
would answer if ever it did it should never be by my Hand and was as confident I might answer the same for Your Lordship and My Lord Arlington and that you would fall or stand upon this Bottom Monsieur de Witt seemed much satisfied with what I had said assured me for his Part he would give his Hands towards a good Conclusion of this Affair That he would trust His Majesty's Honour and Interest upon so great a Conjuncture as well as the Sincereness and Constancy of His Ministers whom he could judge of by no other Lights but what I gave him made me Compliments upon the great Confidence he had taken in me and my manner of dealing by what he had heard and seen of me since the first Visit I made him in my Passage here after the End of the War and concluded that I should see the Count Dona and try how far Sueden was to be engaged in this Affair I tell Your Lordship all these Circumstances that knowing where the Difficulties have been how they have been overcome and upon what Advances on my side this Knot has been tied Your Lordship and My Lord Arlington may the better know how to support this Affair and make any others easie by recovering the Credit of our Conduct in England so far lost by the Unsteddiness too truly laid to our Charge and at least by your own Constancy in what you have begun make good the Characters you have already in the World and the Assurances I have given Monsieur de Witt upon your Occasion That Evening I went to the Count Dona and run over all Ceremonies of our Characters by going straight into his Chamber taking a Chair and sitting down by him before he could rise out of his I told him I hoped he would excuse this Liberty upon an Errand wherein I thought both our Masters were concerned that Ceremonies were intended to facilitate Business and not to hinder it that I knew nothing to make my seeing the other Ambassadours at the Hague necessary and so was content with the Difficulties had been introduced between our Characters but thinking it absolutely for my Master's Service to enter into Confidence with His Excellency upon my Errand here I had resolved to do it in this Manner and if he gave me Leave would pursue it as if our Acquaintance and Commerce had been of never so long a Date The Count embraced me gave me great Thanks for the Honour I did him made me Compliments upon so frank and confident a Manner as I used with him and said he was ready to return it upon any Thing that I should think fit to communicate to him After this I entred into the Detail of my whole Progress to that Time both in England and here of His Majesty's Reasons of the common Interests of Christendom of the Reception my Errand found from Monsieur de Witt and the Hopes I had of succeeding Of our Discourses about engaging Sueden in the same Measures and a Desire of extending our League into a Triple Alliance among us for our own mutual Defence the Safety of Flanders and thereby of Christendom That I knew how the Crown of Sueden had been treated of late Years by France how close they had kept to the Friendship with His Majesty and how beneficial as well as honourable such a Part as this might prove to them by the particular Use they might be of to the Crown of Spain and that upon any good Occasion they might be sure of His Majesty's Offices and the States who resolved to enter into this Affair without any other Interest than that of the Preservation of Flanders and thereby of their own Safety and the common Good The Count Dona professed to applaud His Majesty's Council to be confident that Sueden would be content to go his Pace in all the common Affairs of Christendom which he was assured of by his own Instructions in general but that such an Affair as this not being foreseen he could have none upon it That if it succeeded he would make all the Paces he could to engage his Master in it as what he thought of Honour and Advantage to the common Safety But that he would return my Frankness to him with the same to me in telling me that he doubted my bringing it to an Issue That he first doubted Monsieur de Witt 's Resolution to break upon any Terms with France and close with England not only considering what had lately passed between us but the Interests of the House of Orange which he must ever believe would at one Time or other be advanced by us whereas he was sure to be supported against them by France Therefore he believed tho' he would not oppose it because the States and People might run into it yet he would find some Means to elude the Conclusion or Effect of it without appearing himself in any such Design That in the next Place since such a Treaty could not be made by the States general without first being sent to all the Provinces and Towns for their Approbation and Orders upon it to their Deputies he did not see how it was possible for the French Ambassadour to fail of engaging some Towns or Provinces against it and the Opposition of any one of them would lose the Effect since no new Treaty could be made by the Constitutions here without an universal Consent That however he would not discourage me but wish'd me Success with all his Heart upon many Reasons and among others as being so much a Servant to the House of Orange which could not but profit by a Conjunction between England and Holland And again promised whenever I brought it to a Period to use all his Endeavours and stretch his Powers as far as he could towards engaging his Master in the same Measures with us In the second Conference I had with Monsieur de Witt I acquainted him with what had passed with Count Dona which he seemed much pleased with and said tho' we could not expect he should have Powers so general as to conclude such an Affair yet an Instrument might be drawn up between us whereby Room may be left for Sueden to enter as a Principal into our Alliance and the Count de Dona had so much Credit at his Court to recommend it there so as to succeed especially upon the hopes we must give him of obtaining Subsidies from Spain which might countervail what they might lose from France upon this Occasion I then fell upon the Form of concluding this Treaty saying I could easily foretell the Fate of it if it must pass the common Forms of being sent by the several Deputies to all their Principals for their Result upon it That I knew this would take up a Month or six Weeks Time and that nothing would be so easie as for the French Ambassadour to meet with it in running that Circle and by engaging some one Member perhaps by Money thrown among the chief Persons in
Commerce provided we are not alarmed too much and too near with the Growth of the French Greatness And I wind up all with pressing him still to an Acceptation of the Alternative and to embrace the Peace according to our Project And thus we fence here at present of all which your Lordship I believe will receive the Detail more at large by the Holland-Pacquet in the Dispatches past between me and Monsieur de Witt since my Arrival here of which I desir'd him to send Copies to their Ambassadors in England to be by them communicated to your Lordship because more Uncertainty in the Nieuport-Pacquet and the present Want of a settled Cypher have hindered larger Transmissions this way and more directly to your Lordship's Hands Yesterday came in the Spanish Letters and though I have not seen the Marquess since yet by what I have from his Secretary and the Count Monterey I have reason to believe That Don Juan is on his way hither and now at Sea with considerable Supplies of Men and Money which are very necessary here either for carrying on a War or inducing a Peace The Particulars I cannot assure though the common Talk is of eight Thousand Spaniards and six hundred thousand Crowns in Specie and eight hundred thousand in Remise 'T is very possible your Lordship may hear more there of his coming and see him sooner than we shall here as well as judge better What or how much it will import to the Effect or Defeat the Advance or Diversion of the present Councils What occurs to your Lordship upon it and will relate to my Conduct here I hope to receive from you by the first not esteeming any thing well begun without a Thread at least from your Lordship to guide me nor well perform'd 'till I receive your Approbation upon which depends so much the Satisfaction as well as good Fortune of c. To Monsieur de Witt. Antwerp Febr. 27. S. N. 1668. SIR I Have received much Satisfaction as well aâ— Honour by yours of the 25th and am very glad to observe the same Conformity of Sentiments between us since we parted that there ever was while I resided at the Hague I shall write to you now with my own Ink having already done it with that of the Marquess who would not be satisfied 'till I sent you that Dispatch And I was forced to shew him my Letter before I sealed it to see whether it were agreeable with what he had desired me to tell you upon that occasion I had at my first Audience prest him so closely to declare himself upon the Alternative and surmounted all his Excuses upon defect of Powers by desiring that he would do it by way of Limitation not to be ratifyed 'till the Queen of Spain's further Pleasure that at last he told me he would comply provided France could be brought to ratify their Renunciation in Form in the Parliament of Paris to content themselves with an Equivalent for the Cities taken which advance so far into the Heart of the Country And lastly if in case of a Refusal from France he might be assured before hand of the Assistance of England and Holland by a common Concert I told him That for the two Points of the Renunciation and the Equivalent he might reckon from our joint Offices upon all we could obtain from France in favor of Spain For as to the Equivalent our own Interest oblig'd us to it that we might leave so much a stronger Barrier between France and Holand And as for the Renunciation we desir'd it too but do not conceive it a Thing upon which Spain ought to be too stiff since our Guaranty was the only strong and solid Renunciation that could be made upon this occasion And for the Assurance he desir'd of being assisted in case of a Refusal from France I did not doubt but he had heard at least the substance of our secret Articles to that purpose because their Ambassador at the Hague had told me that a Jew of Amsterdam had sent him a Copy of them by which he must needs be well inform'd of our mutual Obligations as well as of our Intentions not only to assist Spain in case of a Refusal from France but to engage our selves in the Quarrel by an open War of all our Forces against that Crown After much Discourse to this Purpose I thought fit for his entire satisfaction upon the Article of our assisting Spain to let him know clearly how far he might hope from us in the Point of the Renunciation and to remove a Thought which Don Estavan de Gamarra had given him as coming from me That there was something in the Articles by which it should appear that we would not force Spain in case of a Refusal For these Reasons I say I thought good to read to him our three separate Articles without giving him a Copy for he profest to me that he never receiv'd one from the Jew tho' he did the substance of them both from him and the Baron de Bargeyck I do not know whether I did well in shewing them to him but if you think otherwise I hope you will excuse me upon my good Intentions and my usual plain dealing to inform freely those I treat with of what they have to hope or to fear The Marquess took no Offence at our two first Articles and onely said He could not comprehend why the States being newly Enemies to Portugal and having still a Controversie with them should desire so much to see them strengthned by a Peace with Spain I told him my Opinion was That they drove on this Affair because they believ'd that without a Peace with Portugal Spain would not recover it self enough to make head against France and reduce Affairs of Christendom to the Ballance that is necessary He was satisfied with this Answer and spoke no more of the Business of the Renunciation But upon That of the Assistance we promis'd he said That the Words of the third Article were strong enough but in too general Terms and that after he should have accepted the Alternative France might yet during the next Month or April make some Enterprises upon the Places on this side before the new Levies could be raised and take some of them if he were not furnished with three or four thousand Foot which might be easily done from Holland And tho' I told him that we could not concert further with him before he had accepted the Alternative and by that means cast the Refusal upon France and by consequence the Force of our Arms in case of a War which we would not declare 'till we were assur'd upon which Side the Refusal would lye For all that he would not be satisfied 'till I had writ you that Letter from which however I lookt for no other Effect than to let him understand from you what he had already learnt enough from me On Sunday-Morning your Deputies arriv'd and we had a joynt Audience with
I Do confess I have since we parted receiv'd three Letters from you which I should be asham'd to acknowledge now if I had been faulty in not doing it sooner as I promise my self you have been informed from my Lord Arlington's Justice and Friendship It is now near three Months that the Pain of the Gout hath restrained me from the Exercise of Writing and I am hardly yet returned to it because not able to put my Head out of Doors or more than to stand rather than walk in my Chamber So that I would not have ventur'd to have given you this Trouble but upon the Absence of my Lord Arlington who hath transmitted to you constantly what we thought jointly But upon the Sight of your last Letter which came since his Departure I think it necessary to say a little to you upon a Particular or two I do in the first place think and believe the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo to be a very generous Person and a very useful Friend to the King our Master and one who will be the best Instrument to contribute to that firm Friendship between the two Crowns that is necessary for the joint Interest of both And therefore we must be careful to remove the least Umbrage which may dispose him to suspect our Prudence with Reference to our own Affairs or our Affection with Reference to Spain With Reference to our selves it is not possible we can be without a Sense of the almost insupportable Weight that lies upon us in the carrying on the War against the Dutch and preparing for a War against France And therefore we cannot but heartily wish to be fairly quit of one of them and would be very glad that any Advance were made to it by Holland I thought always that the Overture made by the Spanish Ambassador had come from Don Stephano and never heard the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo's Name But it being the very same in Terms that the French Ambassadors had made there could then be no Proceedings upon it But we have done all we can to invite the Dutch to an Address how privately soever Nor shall we make any Demands concerning the Prince of Orange lest it should do him hurt If we can bring them off from a Conjunction with France in which Spain is more concerned than England I confident we shall insist upon very reasonable Conditions We have great Reason to commend the Proceedings of the Bishop of Munster Nor are we jealous in the least Degree of him or his treating And as our Failing towards him has not proceeded from any Faults of ours but even from the Hand of God So we shall out of hand repair those Omissions And it is but reasonably expected that the Princes of the Empire should how secretly soever support him from a Dissolution lest before many Months past and the French Designs are a little more evident they would be glad to re-purchase the Advantage of the Bishop's being in such a Post as he now is at any Price There is nothing now ought to be laboured with so much Industry and Dexterity as the uniting Enland Spain and Flanders which would give and which only can give Peace to Christendom I am sure our Master is passionately inclined to it and truly I think Spain is well disposed to the main yet I know not how by the fatal Delay in Dispatch there and it may be their Expectation that in the Straits we are we shall buy their Friendship at a Rate we shall never pay for it there is not Haste made that the Affair required My Lord Sandwich who will be gone in twenty Days I hope will give Life to it You see how ill my Hand is though never legible by shaking and weakness somewhat worse than usual God keep you and I pray let me know that this is come to your Hands from SIR Your Affectionate Servant Clarendon From Late M. of Hallifax Sir George Savil. Febr. 5. S. N. 1666. SIR IT is a Sin against the Publick and a Trespass upon you at this time to clog you with such an idle Correspondence as mine But I find I consider my own Interest before yours beeing not able to make you an Expression of my Kindness at so dear a rate as the denying my self the Satisfaction of hearing from you And therefore I take hold of your Offer and beg you would sometimes bestow a Letter upon me which shall be as welcome for telling me you are well as it can be for the best News it bringeth in relation to the Publick For which if I can be concerned next to what I am for my best Friends it is the utmost I will pretend to in that Matter I find his Majesty of France will be an angry Enemy He doth not declare War like an honnête homme and therefore I hope he will not pursue it like a wise one I do not despair but that the English who use to go into France for their Breeding may have the Honor once to teach Them better Manners The League with Spain is a good Circumstance to make us able to do it It is so seasonably and so well done that I will suppose you had a Hand in it In the mean time we have great Alarms the Monsieur will invade us which makes every body prepare for their Entertainment And I hope they will neither find us so little ready or so divided as perhaps they expect I will not make this longer when I have assured you I am SIR Your most Faithful Humble Servant George Savill From the Bishop of Munster Munster Feb. 12 1666. SIR THE Favours you have expressed to me are such that nothing can add to my Esteem of you However it was very acceptable to find from yours of the 25th past that your Affection to me still continues In the mean time I am busie in preparing an Army against Spring Nor do I doubt but such Care is taken of the third Payment that I may have it all together at least that you have prepared 30000 Dollars ready at Brussels and that 25000 more may be returned with all speed by Exchange to Cologn For it is certain that by small Sums and paid by Parcels nothing can be perform'd worthy of such an Undertaking and that my Expedition will be as much obstructed by these as if the Subsidies were wholly delayed Besides I shall this Year meet with more Resistance by Enemies unexpected to whom the Elector of Brandenburg will join himself But that I hope will be recompensed by the Friendship of Sueden and his Majesty's Declaratory Letters communicated to me and to be kept secret Nor shall any thing be more unviolably observ'd by me than the League I have made with his Majesty from which nothing shall be able to force me Nor is there any Reason why the Offer of a Mediation from the Emperor and Princes should raise any Suspicions of the contrary since the present Conjunctures would not permit me abruptly to refuse
de l'intention de leurs Hautes Puissances Et demeureray á jamais celuy qui suis avec passion Monsieur Votre tres affectionné et tres humble Serviteur Johan de Wit From Monsieur de Wit Hague March 16. 1668. SIR YOur Dispatch of the 11th Instant did not come to my hands till the 14th at Noon the Courier who brought it having not been dismiss'd from Brussels till the 13th I was very glad to see you had at last dispos'd the Marquis to dispatch the Baron of Bergeyck for Aix la Chapelle being very much perswaded that it imports us mightily to have a quick Conclusion of the Peace or else to see clearly into the most inward Dispositions of the King of France as well as those of the Spanish Court and that all Delay is very prejudicial to our Intentions and to the Interests of Spain And that we may be neither surpriz'd nor abus'd on either side I think in the present Conjuncture two things are absolutely necessary The first is that England and this State be well furnished by Sea and Land and the other that we take away not only all lawful Cause but also as much as possible all Pretext from France to delay or avoid the concluding and signing the Treaty of Peace To satisfie on our side for the first Point we are resolv'd as soon as the Season will permit to send into the Field all our Cavalry which consists of 7300 Horse and provisionally 25 Regiments of our Foot for which the chief Rendezvous shall be at Bergopzoom or thereabouts from whence there will be a convenient March in a few days into most part of the King of Spain's Places in the Netherlands We have also given Order for equipping 48 Ships of War above the Number commonly used for Guard and Convoy And the States have already given order to their Ambassadors in England to concert with the King of Great Britain and his Ministers upon the Number of Ships and Men that each Party shall be oblig'd to have ready and in what time Besides the Deputies of the State have this Day finally agreed with the Ministers of the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunebourg to bring into the Service of this State three Regiments of Horse and 3000 Foot and I hope the Treaty will be signed to morrow or the next Day And further they are going here to augment the Old Militia by new Levies to the Number of 12000 Men with the Troops of the said Dukes which are to enter into the Service of the State And I will not fail of helping what I can to the accomplishing of all this as soon as it can be done by the Constitution of the Government And if you approve all these Preparations and Diligences as I hope you will since they seem very necessary and no way offensive since he who really desires the Peace will find in it his Support and Advantage and that these Forces shall not be employ'd till the last Necessity against him that by his Wilfulness would disappoint Christendom of the Benefit of it I desire you by your Letters to make the Exhortations necessary to the King of England and his Ministers that they may not fail on that side to make the like Preparations and Diligences As to the 2d Point I think it imports much that the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo should explain himself upon which of the two Conditions proposed by the Alternative he pretends to have accepted wherein there seems the less Difficulty since his Excellence will without doubt explain himself for the abandoning the Places the King of France has conquer'd the last Campagn with their Dependances But then I think it will be our Interest and Duty to endeavour that some reasonable Exchange be made for Places far in the Heart of Flanders against Places lately taken in the Franche Compté or others that shall be more for the Advantage of France and less for the Inconvenience of Spain and Us. Besides to take all Pretext from France which they may pretend to make upon a Defect of Powers in the said Marquis either in the principal Matter or by default of a Clause of Substitution or otherwise I think it will be very necessary that the K. of Great Britain and the States General shall be obliged to ratifie and accomplish whatever shall be treated and concluded at Aix and shall promise in the firmest manner the K. of France can desire to oblige Spain in case of necessity to the said Ratification and Accomplishment by all their Forces both by Sea and Land And in short that in every Occurrence they will do very judiciously to obviate all Exceptions and Delays which can be brought to the Prejudice of the Peace But further when we shall have brought the King of France to an absolute Necessity of either finally concluding or discovering his Intention contrary to the Peace in that Case upon the first Step France shall make to frustrate Christendom of such a general Good the King of Great Britain and the States shall without further Delay bring all their Forces by Sea and Land not only for Defence of the Spaniards but also for the Intent specified in the third of our separate Articles and more amply deduc'd in my Dispatch of the 25th of February last For the rest if you have receiv'd the King of Great Britain's Ratification upon our last Marine Treaty I shall wait till you think proper to exchange it upon which I shall endeavour to câ—â—form the States to your Desire whether our Ratification shall be sent to our Commissioners now with you or whether you will please to send your Secretary or your Brother hereto the Hague or whether you know any way will please you better For in this and every other Occurrence I shall endeavour to follow your Desires and second your Intentions as being not by form of Compliment but very really Sir Your c. De Monsieur de Wit A la Haye 16me Mars 1668. Monsieur VOtre depêche du 11me de ce mois ne m'a esté rendue que le 14me apres midy le courier qui la apportée n'ayant esté expedié et parti de Brusselles que le 13me J'ay esté fort aise de voir que vous aviez enfin disposé Monsieur le Marquis de Castel-Rodrigo á depêcher le Baron de Bergayck promptement vers Aiz la Chapelle estant tres persuadé qu'â— nous importe d'avoir une prompte conclusion de la paix ou de voir clair dans les intentions les plus interieures du Roy de France aussi bien que dans celle de la cour d'Espagne et que tout delai est fort prejudiciable á nos intentions et aux interêts de l'Espagne Et á fin que nous ne puissions pas estre surpris ou abusés de coté ou d'autre je juge qu'en la conjuncture presente deux choses nous sont absolument necessaires dont la
de la France vous seriez plus liberal ou complaisant que moy car au lieu que vous vous contenteriez du terme de 15me de May cy devant proposé par Monsieur de Ruvigny il me semble que la raison et la hiensance nous obligeroient bien de prendre jusques au dernier jour de May Et si le Roy de France vient á refuser ou la signature de son côté ou le terme avec la cessation d'armes je ne hesiterois point á nous declarer d'abord sans marchander pour l'Espagne et agir par mer et par terre en conformite du 3me de nos articles separez Et comme il ne peut tomber dans l'esprit d'un homme raisonable que la Reyne d'Espagne pourroit estre si aveugle que de ne ratifier point le dit traitté qui luy fait rendre une * La Conté de Bourgogne Province entiere et qui delivre un Roy mineur d'un second accablement de l'Angleterre et de cet Etat jé ne serois nullement chiche á accorder au Roy de France tout ce qu'il pourroit demander avec quelque apparanâ—e de raison dans un cas qui n'echerra pas Principalement parceque plusieurs Princes d'Allemagne alors se declareront de nostre parti qui sans cela aveugles par les apparances du raisonnement compris dans la lettre de Monsieur de Lionne du 19me du mois passé nous abandonneroient entierement Le Roy de Suede ouson Ministre á Londres me semble trop tendre la corde et il la rompra s'il ne se met un peu á la raison Neantmoins nous avons encore Vendredy passé envoye tels ordres á nos Ambassadeurs que je ne doute d'un bon succés de cette negotiation Quant aux autres points de votre lettre je suis obligé de me remettre á ce que vous pourrez entendre de nos Deputez et de son Excellence par les âvis de l'Ambassadeur Don Estevan de Gamarra C'est pourquoy en finissant je demeureray comme je suis veritablement Monsieur Votre c. Johan de Wit From the Elector of Mentz Mentz April 12. 1668. My Lord HAving heard of Your Excellency's Arrival to Aix la Chapelle to assist in his Majesty of Great Britain's Name at a Negotiation of Peace between the two Crowns I could not forbear expressing my Joy and the Confidence I have that the Intervention and Authority of so great a King will give much Weight to the Affair and very much facilitate the Peace which employing all my Thoughts at present I have dispatch'd to the said Town of Aix the Baron of Schonborn my Nephew with Orders to render all Offices from me to Your Excellency and to contribute all he can towards a Peace so necessary to the Repose of all Christendom In the mean time I desire Your Excellency to be assured that as I shall always reckon it an Honour to serve the King your Master so I shall never let pass any Occasion of shewing in particular that I am My Lord Your Excellency's most humble and affectionate Servant J. Ph. El. de Mayence De Electeur de Mayence A Mayence 12me Avril 1668. Monsieur AYant sceu l'arrivée de votre Excellence á Aix la Chapelle pour y assister au nom de sa Majesté de la Grande Bretagne á la negotiation de la paix entre les deux Couronnes Je n'ay pû m'empecher de luy temoigner ma joye et la confiance que j'ay que l'intervention et l'autorité d'un Roy si puissant donnera un poids tres grand á l'affaire et facilitera de beaucoup la conciliation et le retablissement de cette paix Laquelle faisant aujourdhuy tous mes soins j'ay depêché á ladite ville d'Aix le Baron de Schonborn mon neveu avec ordre d'offrir et de rendre á Votre Excellence de ma part tous les offices et de contribuer de son possible pour parvenir á la fin que l'on s'est proposée pour obtenir une paix si necessaire au repos de toute la Chrêtienté Cependant je prie Votre Excellence d'estre asseurée que comme je feray toujours gloire de servir le Roy son maitre de même je ne perdray jamais l'occasion où je peurray temoigner en mon particulier que je suis Monsieur De Votre Excellence tres humble et tres affectionné Serviteur J. Ph. E. de Mayence From Monsieur de Wit Hague April 16. 1668. SIR AFter having writ to you on the 4th I find my self honoured by two of yours of the 9th and 14th Instant The Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo's manner of transacting does infinitely displease us and we believe we have entred enough into his Designs to conclude that his aim is to delay the signing of the Project and the sending of the Powers till the French begin to be in motion and in the mean while to sign or send the Power desired and summon us by virtue of a former Promise to oppose our Arms against those of France which will then begin to enter into Action and by that means set us into an open War by Advance However to give the said Marquis the amplest Assurance and to convince him he is in the wrong we were willing entirely to agree to your Advice and to authorize our Deputies to pass a promise with you in due Form by Writing inserting in it the same Words of our third separate Article And I think you have very judiciously considered that the Condition of the Promise ought to be not only the signing of the Project and Powers but if after the Signing c. France refuses either to consent to it or to continue the Suspension of Arms we believe we have great cause to complain of the Marquis that notwithstanding the solemn Promise made by the States General and delivered to Don Estevan de Gamarra in their Resolution of the 5th of this Month he has delay'd to sign and dispatch the Power so that if this had been done at first we had been already out of all Doubt for either the Conclusion of it would have been pursued at Paris with the Suspension of Arms or in case of Refusal England and this State would already act in earnest and with a good Conscience for Spain And I desire you to let his Excellency see as plainly as possible that if now after the signing and sending the Power to Paris and before the K. of France can be inform'd of it he shall receive any Disgrace it is himself he ought to impute it to for England and this State will not put into his Hands the Power of involving them in an open War with France unseasonably and against
time will only assure you of my utmost Diligence in a Matter wherein you say his Majesty is so much concerned I doubt not but a great part of Monsieur Van Beuninghen's Errand was to dispose us towards the Admission of the Emperor and therefore wonder not at his enforcing that Proposition But yet sure the Ground of his Journy was the Desire of finding some Temper in the Business of the East-India Trade wherein I am very glad you hope for Satisfaction from him I mean upon that single Article which has so long stopt the Marine Treaty and foiled me absolutely in the Pursuit of it For the other Point I know not yet whether Monsieur de Witt has received any new Account from Mentz of the Emperor's Intentions nor how much it signifies what the Baron d'Isola tells me That the Imperial Minister there has declared his Master's Resolution of referring himself wholly to that Elector for the Conduct and Conclusion of that Affair And that the said Elector hath declared his Judgment of its being both fit and necessary but that as to the Proposition of Forces to be furnished by the several Princes he could not proceed to ascertain it without more particular Directions from the Emperor tho' his Minister there press'd him to it All which seems to me a very general and loose Account for his Majesty to proceed upon and to have something of the Baron d'Isola in it as well as of the Negotiations of Mentz And yet this is all the Light I can get at present nor do I well know where to expect better the States Envoy having already left that Place I shall not fail of performing all the Offices you please to enjoin me towards the preserving our mutual Confidence in this Conjuncture which I have endeavoured in all my Discourses here upon the Duke of Buckingham's Journy into France since I first heard of it And I am confident to have succeeded with the most Rational and Intelligent For common Authors they are not to be dealt with being too many and too credulous to be reasoned with upon such Points The best is their Credit is of as little Weight as their Belief and at last Truth will ever out I hear the Count Molina parted from Madrid upon his way through France into England about sixteen Days since so as he ought to be by this Time well advanced The Spanish Ambassador is likewise upon his return from Brussels hither Which with other Marks confirm me in the Opinion of the Count de Monterey's being likely to find a long Interim in the Government of Flanders I have nothing more to encrease your Trouble besides the Profession of my being always Sir your c. To Mr. Williamson Hague Aug. 12. S. N. 1670. SIR I AM to acknowledge the Favour I have lately received of two from You of the 22d and 26th past with the Advices you were pleased to give me of what passes with you in my Lord Arlington's Absence And know not what better Return I can make you from so barren a Scene as this is at present but continuing the Orders I gave upon Mr. Blaithwait's going out of Town for all the Prints as well as the Papers of Occurrences to be constantly transmitted to you by my other Secretary Mr. Downton who tells me he does not fail you in these Points no more than I shall do in any other wherein I can serve you here I thought in a time of so little Motion or Talk to have used his Majesty's Leave for a short Journy into Flanders but some small Matter still arises to keep me from being wholly idle and among others the Shadow of the Surinam Business haunts me still tho' Monsieur Van Beuninghen assured me he would Lay it upon his going over I should be glad to know if you find him as eloquent in a Court as they do in an Assembly of States here and that he proves as good at Concluding as at Reasoning I know to a Person of so much Business an empty Letter is an Interruption therefore will add nothing to this but the Profession of being SIR Your most humble Servant To Sir John Trevor Hague Aug. 15. S. N. 1670. SIR UPON Tuesday-night Monsieur de Witt returned to Town and the next Morning I went to him upon the Affair wherewith you had charged me in your two last Letters whereof that of the 29th past gave me notice of the Yatcht's being dispatch'd away I related the Occasion to Monsieur de Witt and his Majesty's Desire upon it as near as I could in the Manner and Terms you had imparted them to me adding of my own whatever I could think of concerning the Interest of this State in such Compliances to his Majesty especially where his Person was concerned and how fit it was for them to pass over the Want of small Circumstances and Obligations of Treaties in Matters of so great Importance to a King so nearly ally'd to them and in whose Safety and Quiet they were so deeply concerned He allowed all this latter Part of my Discourse and for the Matter it self which I desired he told me That whatever the States were obliged to by the Treaty they had Power to enjoin the Execution of because every Province had already given their Consent to it But in other Matters the States General had no Power upon any Point wherein the Jurisdiction of a particular Province was concerned The Union consisting of seven Provinces whose Sovereignty remained still entire to each of them That for this Reason it was impossible to seize upon a Man residing in Holland and send him over to his Majesty by any other Power but that of the States of Holland who were not now assembled That the seizing those Criminals by Sir George Downing hapned to have been desired at a time when the States were assembled who gave their general Consent to it Whereas if the Town wherein they were had dissented and stood upon their Privileges it had not been in the Authority of the States of Holland themselves to command it After my Expostulations upon these Forms in their Government which made it much harder to Treat with Them than They found it to Treat with other Princes and Monsieur de Witt 's Deduction of the several Sovereignties of their Provinces and Privileges of their Towns from their Original as well as the framing them into an Vnion rather than a Government for their common Defence We fell at last into the Consideration of what could be done upon the present Business since we had found what could not And he told me with great Professions of his own Desire to see it succeed That if I put in a Memorial to the States General besides the Danger of having it grow publick I should lose just so much Time whereas all they could do would be but to recommend it to the Committee de Raedt of Holland to dispose the Magistrates of Rotterdam to seize upon the Person
of such Counsels as they esteem most Just and Safe at least if we are not in Condition to think so far as Glorious Multa dies variusque Labor mutabilis Aevi Detulit in melius We have nothing new nor material in present Agitation upon this Scene The last little Commission I had was as troublesome as unsuccessful and proceeded certainly in the Manner of it from want of knowing or considering the Constitutions of this Government which makes me confident your Lordship had no Part in directing it no more than my Lord Arlington who was out of Town I wish your Lordship perfect Health and Satisfaction and that when neither of these make it necessary you may not be too much at your Country-House Tho' in all Places I shall be ever with equal Constancy and Truth My LORD Your Lordship's c. To the Duke of Buckingham Hague Aug. 21. S. N. 1670. My LORD AS your Grace will I hope meet with many new Entertainments on this Side the Water so you must I fear be content with some new Troubles For both usually happen upon all Changes I wish your Grace all that can be of the first and should not have given you any of the other but to rejoice with you upon your happy Arrival at Paris From so little and so barren a Scene as this is at present I cannot offer at informing your Grace of any Thing especially since Men expect here to receive all their material Informations from your Motions where you now are and from what shall succeed them at your Return But to leave these People in their doubtful and mystical Reflections I shall not interrupt either your Grace's Business or Leisure with any Thing but what is plain and certain for nothing is more so than that I am with equal Passion and Truth My LORD Your Grace's most obedient and most humble Servant To my Lord Falconbridge Hague Aug. 22. S. N. 1670. My LORD I WAS very glad to find by your Lordship 's of the first current that the Suddenness of your Return therein mentioned was owing to the Dispatch of your Business in Italy and to the Care of your Health and consequently that you receive from it both Honour and Satisfaction I shall esteem it a great deal of both to me if you continue so favourable Intentions as you express of taking this Place in your way where your Lordship may promise your self whatever my Services can be worth to you I expect my Lord of Essex with my Lady here every Day unless they have changed their Design since their Arrival at Hamburgh where they came about ten Days since after my Lord's having dispatch'd all his Affairs in the Danish Court Our Treaty with Spain for regulating the Affairs of the Indies came signed to London last Week from whence I doubt not it will be suddenly remitted with its Ratification All here is in great Quiet and Silence and like to continue so unless France furnish us with some new Discourse I have hitherto writ by Mr. Perwich's Conveyance but chuse to send this by Sir John Finch's who is like to be a nearer Observer of your Motions But I will not give your Lordship a long and an empty Interruption which has little else to bear it out besides the Profession of my being My LORD Your Lordship 's most faithful humble Servant To the Great Duke of Tuscany Hague Aug. 25. S. N. 1670. SIR I Received almost at the same time the Honour of two Letters from your most Serene Highness one of March the 31st with an entire Vintage of the finest Wines of Italy and the other of the 5th Instant with your Highness's Condolences upon the Death of Madame The great Delay of the Ship that brought the Wine and your Highness's great Dispatch to make a Compliment so sad and so obliging were the cause that two Letters of so different date arrived almost together For I have very much reason to commend the Diligence of Monsieur Ferroni in conveying me all your Highness's Favours I find the Wines admirable and seeming to resemble their Prince in having lost nothing of their natural Tast or Goodness by the length of their Voyage or the Extreams of Heats or of Colds And herein I am more obliged to your Highness than you imagine not only for having made me tast the Delights of so fine a Climate in so miserable a one as this but also for having by the same Means given me the Talent of a Drinker a Quality I wanted very much to acquit my self of an Ambassy in Holland I cannot tell whether your Highness by your moving Expressions upon the Deplorable Death of Madame has more discovered the Beauty of your Wit or the Greatness of your Affection to the King my Master Therefore I hope your Highness will not take it ill that I have sent his Majesty a Copy of your last Letter by which you have given such sensible Proofs of the Part you take in whatever happens to the Royal Family The States General are very much surprized at the News brought them this Day from France in an Express sent them from their Minister at Paris which assures them of the march of the French Troops towards the Frontier to the number of 30000 where they are to rendezvous at Peronne But it is not yet known whether their Design be upon Flanders or this Country or whether they project any other Measures However the Alarm is here so great that they have immediately resolved to continue six thousand Men which they were just going to disband They have also ordered the Council of State to compute what Forces and Provisions they shall judge necessary in case of a Rupture with France and have dispatched a Boat from Scheveling to England with Orders to Monsieur Van Beuninghen who is upon the Point of departing to stay till further Orders from the States For my self I know not what to judge of these Appearances I shall ever complain of any Events that are like to endanger the Quiet of Christendom to which I have for some time under the Orders of his Majesty dedicated all my Cares And without doubt if the War opens at present great Conjunctures will arise whereof perhaps there will be Reason to give your Highness Joy not for being out of the Noise of them but because great Princes only wait for great Occasions I am Sir Your Highness's c. Au Grand Duc de Toscane De la Haye le 25 Aout S. N. 1670. Monsieur J'Ay quasi reçû en meme tems les deux Lettres que V. A. Sme m'a fait l'honneur de m'ecrire l'une datée du 31 de Mars accompagnée des plus riches vendanges d'Italie je veux dire de ses vins les plus exquis l'autre du 5 du courant avec les complimens de condoleance de V. A. sur la mort de Madame Le long retardement de navire qui a apporté les vins
him at large the whole Business of Commerce between us and the necessity of giving us some Reason and Ease in those Matters upon which tho' he seemed a little stanch as his Complexion is and jealous of our great Growth in Trade by a more parsimonious and industrious Genius among us of late than had formerly been yet I found what I said had Impression on him For he parted with great Professions of contributing all he could towards the Success of all Negotiations between us And went that Night to communicate all to Monsieur de Witt as I found by our Conference next Day It began with his having perused my Papers about the Guinea Company upon which he desired to know if I had no other Information than those gave me For by those the Matter seemed favourable to them by the Letters of their Director being particular and with Relation to Time and to the Articles of the Breda Treaty by which the new Settlements there were to be governed whereas what concerned our Pretensions was contained only in some loose Examinations concerning Possession or not Possession formerly by one or the other without any Reference to the Constitutions made by the Breda Treaty and without mentioning in any direct Terms what it was we complained of or what we desired The Truth is all the Papers concerning that Matter remitted to me by Mr. Secretary Morris were only the Guinea Company 's Petition the Examination of Mr. Thomas Crisp Captain Merbrooke and Mr. Be'ois with a Letter and Protest of the Director of the Dutch West-India Company I excused my being so little informed upon the Reasons I had alledged to Monsieur Meerman and press'd in the same manner the Reference of it to Commissioners He allowed his Majesty's Consideration of preventing the two Companies proceeding by Rules or Executions of their own to be very prudent and necessary and that he knew the States would second his Majesty's good Intention in it and that when he could find the Matter of Fact and Right but alledged in distinct Testimonies of known Persons he doubted not but he should easily find a Composure for all these Disputes and agree upon a constant Reglement hereafter And to this purpose he would send immediately to enquire among the Officers of their Company for any Papers that may have been remitted to them from our Officers to theirs in Guinea for he could not believe but that Letter and Protest of their Director had either been occasioned by some precedent Letters or Demands from some Officers of ours or at least followed by some Answers in which our Demands and Rights were asserted as those of the Dutch were in those Papers of their Director I answered all by insisting upon Commissioners according to my Instruction and argued its being a Matter much more proper for such to debate and determine as understood the Coasts Situations manner of Trade in those Parts former Possessions and Matters of Fact past than for him and me how willing soever we should be to inform our selves or to find Expedients and went so far upon this Subject that he seemed inclined it should be so at least when the Pretensions were stated so as it might appear what was to be referred to such Commissioners But upon this he fell into the Discourse of what Monsieur Meerman had told him or I had formerly written to him concerning some Exceptions to the Marine Treaty and how willing the States would be to alter the Form of Passports when they knew how we desired it And if the King wisht any more particular Definition of what should be esteemed a Town invested he did not doubt we might agree upon that too having found me always to propose only what I thought reasonable and to agree to what I found so and he was made after the same manner and so I should always find him I easily perceived that the Thing he would be at was upon occasion of this Guinea Matter to know at once the Bottom of all we pretended in point of regulating Commerce between us having I presume heard more than was need perhaps of all the Noise made by the East-India Company upon the Subject of the Marine Treaty or by their Patrons either out of Zeal to the Good of our Commerce or out of Envy at the Success of so great a Council and Conduct of his Majesty in which they had no Hand and upon which if we had lost a little in Trade by changing the Form of the Articles at Breda into a Marine Treaty wherein I do not conceive how we lost at all yet I am sure it was infinitely recompensed by the Necessity the unexpected Success and the great Consequences of those other Alliances to which that Circumstance of the Marine Treaty was made I thought but a Sacrifice of Smoak And this I could not but say for his Majesty's Satisfaction and your Lordship's Vindication with those other Ministers by whose Advice that Council was taken and pursued finding every Day more how highly it is applauded abroad while it is maliced by some and so little esteemed by others at home tho' his Majesty has reaped already from it both the whole Honour of giving Peace to Christendom and perhaps the only Safety of his own Kingdoms considering the Conjunctures in which that Council found us But to return to my Conference with Monsieur de Witt Finding him lead me so industriously into a Field wherein I had no Intention to enter I resolved however to take the Occasion and once for all to say all I had thought or your Lordship had infused into me upon that Subject And so I told him plainly That I was not yet instructed in that Matter of our Exceptions to the Marine Treaty but believed I might be in a little Time That the Particulars he mentioned were complained of in the Treaty it self and other Things thought to be admitted but that I could not enter into any Particulars till I had Instructions but since he gave me the Occasion I would enter once for all into the general I discoursed over to him the common Interest and indeed Necessity of preserving perpetual the present Alliances between Us especially on their Side while the Dangers were so great from the Ambition and Power as well as Neighbourhood of France The great Overtures would now be made us from thence to the Prejudice of this Alliance and at all other Times whenever they could hope we were ready to receive them That though I could give him no Jealousy of them now but on the contrary assure him he might be at Ease on that Side and that the King would only have the Honour by it of setting them an Example of his Sincereness and Constancy which he would expect they should follow when the Game begun with Them as it would after it ended with Him Yet I â—ould tell him That France was at all Times capable of making us such Offers and of giving us our present Account
so well tho' in Exchange perhaps of Danger to come in case of no new Revolutions that whenever there should be in England a Prince less direct or less foreseeing than his Majesty or either a weak or corruptible Ministry I could not answer what Measures we should take That upon this Ground I thought they could not do wiser than to root this Alliance in the very Hearts of the People and current Genius of the Nation and not rely wholly upon the present Inclinations or Judgment of his Majesty or the Dispositions of the Ministers For if there were any Thing that lay cross to it in the common Interest or Humour of the People it would be upon all Occasions breaking out to disturb it and whenever that should concur with the Dispositions of the Prince they would be able to make a great Noise in the World I told him That many Persons in England either to make way for the French Alliance by weakning or breaking this or else perhaps to discredit the most applauded Councils of the present Ministry had made a Noise about the Marine Treaty as if it had been a ruining the Nation and from thence took Occasion to infuse into all People as far as they could that we should never find any Fairness or Directness or Equality in all we treated with the Dutch but Subtilty and Hardship and Injustice and when Occasion was Obstinacy and Injury in all Matters of Commerce between us while we gave them Reason to believe we thought their Friendship necessary or very convenient to us That I had ever since I knew him maintained the contrary to his Majesty assured him of the Sincerity I had found in their Proceedings and been always made confidently believe by them that his Majesty should find them ever reasonable and easy in what should be offered in reducing Matters of Commerce to an Equality and to be reciprocal between us That it was a small Matter that all my Credit and perhaps Fortune lay at Stake upon their making this good But I was sure it was considerable that the very Safety of our Alliance might at one Time or other come to lie at Stake upon it too And therefore for my Part I thought they could not do in the World a wiser Thing than to give us all reasonable Satisfaction in these Points by consenting to any Reglements of Commerce which might import Equality and be reciprocal between us That any Equality it self would be the same Advantage to them that a long Arm against a short would be between two Men with equal Swords for considering their Parsimony Industry Necessity of turning all their Stock to Trade for want of Land and multitude of People and on the other side our native Luxury want of Order or Application and our Extent and Cheapness of Land and Ease of Taxes which made People chuse to turn their Mony that way They could never fail of Advantage enough in any Equality and upon it would find the surest the most commodious Ally and the best able to protect them that they could have in the World being without any Ambition or Designs among our Neighbours further than to keep the Ballance of Christendom And yet on the other Side the only Power that was feared by France and that were able in Conjunction of our Fleets with theirs to awe them by what they might suffer from Sea into some Consideration of what was fit for them to act at Land During this Discourse which I enlarged the most I could to the Purpose resolving to bend all my Force upon the Effect of it I found Monsieur de Witt very attentive and willing to let me go on with Marks in his Countenance of relishing and as I thought approving what I said which made me resolve to go yet one Point further and to the Root of all that could spring into any Jealousies between us I told him it was true That there wanted not some among us that would be so wise to know that it was impossible for us ever to fall into any firm Confidence with the States upon their present Constitution nor particularly with him upon the Prince of Orange's Occasion That for my part I was not at all of that Mind That tho' the King could not lose the Affection he had for his Nephew yet he was of Opinion he could not express it better than by infusing into him the Belief That he could make himself no way so happy as in the good Will of the States and trusting wholly to Them in the Course of his Fortunes and not to private Factions or Foreign Intrigues and Applications That his Majesty was of an Opinion himself That Princes were not apt to do themselves more Hurt and make themselves less any way than by affecting too much Power or such as was directly contrary to the Stomach and Genius of the Country which fell to their Share And besides this I knew his Majesty was so just and so reasonable that tho' he should take kindly of the States any Respects they should shew his Nephew yet I did not believe he would offer That to any other King or State which he should not take well that any other should offer to him and I did not believe he would ever be put upon any such Designs by his Council or his People's Inclinations For they who lookt upon the Prince in a possibility of one Day coming to be their King and that loved a Prince who grounded his Power in the Affections of his People and loved to Rule by Laws had rather perhaps see the Prince of Orange happy in the good Will of the States and such moderate Power as they should think consistent with their Government than of a Humour and Aims at any Thing that might tend to subvert their Civil Constitutions So that I saw nothing of Danger to them upon this Chapter either from the Judgment and Disposition of his Majesty or the Humour of the Nation But was confident in case we could agree upon Matters of Commerce nothing could ever intervene to break an Alliance that was so useful to our Selves and all Christendom besides And so I left it with him Upon this Discourse Monsieur de Witt with very great Signs of Satisfaction told me That all I said was so reasonable that he agreed with me perfectly in it And upon that said a great deal of the Sympathy he had ever observed between us and how easy That would ever make any Thing we should fall in Treaty of That he knew from Monsieur Meerman I had been the occasion of giving him any Credit in England of an honest sincere Man and he would never lose mine upon that occasion by giving the King Cause to believe other of him That he confest he had often told me That the States would be ever contented with an Equality with us in point of Trade and that provided they might know what it was we would be at and that we proposed nothing