produced a Treaty between His Majesty and the Bishop of Munster And this commences the following Letters I beg the Readers Pardon for any Errata's which may be in the Printing occasioned by my Absence THE First Dutch War Begun May 1665. To Sir John Temple Master of the Rolls of Ireland Brussels Sept. 6th 1665. SIR THO' I was forced by the King 's express Command not only to leave you and my Family at very short Warning and in a very melancholy Season but without so much as telling you whither I was sent yet I would not fail making you this amends by giving you an Account of my Journey and Negotiations thus far so soon as I thought it might be fit for me to do it When my Lord Arlington sent for me to Sheen it was to let me know that the King had received an Overture from the Bishop of Munster to enter into an Alliance with his Majesty against the Dutch from whom he pretended many Injuries to bring an Army into the Field and fall upon them by Land while His Majesty continued the War by Sea But at the same time to demand certain Sums of Money that would be necessary to bring him into the Field and to continue the War And that if his Majesty would either treat with the Baron of Wreden who was the Minister he sent over in the greatest Privacy that could be or send a Minister of his own to treat with him he doubted not an easie Agreement upon this Matter but desired it might be with all the Secret imaginable My Lord Arlington told me the main Articles were already agreed on here and the Money adjusted but that it was necessary for the King to send over some Person privately to finish the Treaty at Munster and to see the Payments made at Antwerp where the Bishop seemed to desire them That I must go if I undertook it without Train or Character and pass for a Frenchman or a Spaniard in my Journey and made me the Compliment to say He had been perplexed three or four Days together to think of a Person that was not only capable of the Affair and of the Secret but that was to be trusted with such a Sum of Money But that when he had thought of me and proposed me to the King and to my Lord Chancellor they had both approved it and I must suddenly resolve upon my Answer to the Proposal he mademe but whether I accepted it or no I must keep it secret from my nearest Friends I told him upon the Place I would serve his Majesty the best I could in it tho' being a new Man I could not promise much for my Self that there was only one Point I could by no means digest which was the Business of the Money having ever been averse from charging my self with any bodies but my own This made at first some Difficulty between us but at last his Lordship was content to endeavour the engaging Alderman Backwel who furnisht it to go over himself with it into Flanders and there by my Order to make the Payment to the Bishop's Agent and said he believed at such a time of Infection in London the Alderman might easily take an occasion of such a Journey After my Instructions dispatcht I came away in hast and with the Secret you saw and without more than one Days stop at Brussels went strait with the Baron of Wreden to Coesvelt where the Bishop then was I stay'd there but three Days was brought to him only by Night agreed all Points with him perfected and Signed the Treaty and returned to Antwerp where the Alderman performed his Part in making the first and great Payment to the Bishop's Resident there All this has been performed on all sides with so great Secrecy that the Bishop has not only received his Money but raised his Troops to about Eighteen Thousand Men without the least Umbrage given that I can yet hear of to the Dutch and by all the Assurances I receive from him I conclude that before this Letter comes to your hands he will be in the Field tho' some unexpected Disappointments about a General Officer he reckoned upon has a little discomposed the Measures he had taken and may I doubt not a little maim the Progress of them But that will be governed by Time and Accidents my Business was to bring him into the Field and I have had the Fortune to do it sooner than either they expected at Court or the Bishop had promised upon our Signing of the Treaty He is a Man of Wit and which is more of Sense of great Ambition and properly Un Esprit remnant But the Vigour of his Body does not second that of his Mind being as I guess about six or seven and fifty Years old and pursued with the Gout which he is not like to cure by his manner of Life he was a Soldier in his Youth and seems in his Naturals rather made for the Sword than the Cross he has a mortal Hatred to the Dutch for their supporting his City of Munster against him and is bridling those Citizens by a very strong Cittadel he is building there He seems bold and resolute and like to go through with what he has undertaken or break his Head in the Attempt and says he will perform all he has engaged Fide sincerâ Germanicâ which is a Word he affects He speaks the only good Latin that I have yet met with in Germany and more like a Man of Court and Business than a Scholar He says if he fails in his Enterprize and should lose his Country he shall esteem his Condition not at all the worse for in that Case he will go into Italy and has Money enough in the Bank of Venice to buy a Cardinal's Cap which may become him better than his General 's Staff tho he has a Mind to try this first and make some Noise in the World before he retires This is the best Character I can give of the Bishop and for my Self I can say nothing but what you know finding no Change at all by this Sally into a new Scene of Life and Business as well as Climate my Health I thank God the same my Kindness so too to my Friends and to Home only my Concernment for them in this miserable Time among them much greater while I am here than when I was with them which makes me very impatient after every Post that comes in and yet very apprehensive of every Letter I open The Length of this I doubt is too much for once and therefore shall end with the Assurances of my being SIR Your most Obedient Son and humble Servant W. Temple To Alderman Backwell Brussels October 9th 1665 Mr. Alderman I Am very much in pain to find at Monsieur Rhintorf's Return that he has made no Progress in his Affairs which are ours too during the stay he has lately made at Antwerp But I am very much surprised to hear that I
and bestow your Friendship only upon such as deserve it since you cause Persons to be employ'd who acquit themselves so worthily I think my self happy to have negotiated with him and that by his means your Lordship hath been pleased to give me a new Testimony of your Goodwill For the Favour you say His Majesty is pleased to have for me I have no otherwise deserved it than by my Respects for his Royal Person whereof I shall endeavour to give Proofs upon all Occasions His Majesty will please to afford me In the mean while I shall wait with Impatience for some Opportunity to shew how sensible I am of all your Lordships Civilities which I shall ever acknowledge by a true Esteem for your Merits and by a strong Passion to let you see that I am with as much Sincerity as you can desire My Lord Your c. Monsieur de Witt á Milord Arlington Le 14. Fevr. S. N. 1668. Monsieur COmme il n'etoit pas possible d'envoyer icy un Ministre plus capable ni plus propre pour le naturel le Genie de cette nation que Monsieur le Chevalier Temple aussi croy-je que l'on n'auroit pas pû choifir une personne qui puisse ou venille plus equitablement juger de la disposition en laquelle il a trouvée les Etats á repondre aux bonnes intentions du Roy de la Grande Bretagne Il ne doit pas etre moins satisfait de la promptitude avec laquelle les Etats ont passé outre á la conclusion signature de traitez pour lesquels il est venu icy qu'ils sont de sa conduite de sa belle maniere d'agir en toute la suite de sa negâ—tâ—ation Il paroit Monsieur que vous vous connoissez en hommes que vous ne donnez votre amitié qu'á ceux qui la meritent puisque vous faites employer des personnes qui s'acquittent si dignement Je m'estime heureux d'avoir eu á negotier avec luy de ce que par son moyen il vous a plû me donner un nouveau temoignage de votre Bienveillance Pour ce qui est de la bonté que vous dites que sa Majesté a pour moy je ne l'ay merité point que par le respect que j'ay pour sa personne Royale dont je tacheray de luy donner des preuvez á toutes les occasions qu'Elle me faira la grace de m'en faire naître J'attens bien avec autant d'impatience celles ou je vous puisse temoigner combienje suis sensible á toutes vos civilitez que je reconnoitray toujours par un veritable estime pour votre merite par une trés forte passion de vous faire voir que je suis aveâ— autant de sincerité que vous pouvez desirer Monsieur Votre c. The Triple Alliance copied from the Original Papers WHereas by the late Treaty concluded at Breda between the King of Great Britain and the States General of the United Netherlands both Nations have been restored through the Blessing of God to that ancient Friendship and good Correspondence which was between them And in Order to cut off all Occasions of farther Differences and to prevent all new Accidents which might tend to the Disturbance of the said Amity and good Correspondence of the Subjects on either part some Articles and Rules of Navigation and Commerce were there agreed and particularly by the Eleventh Article of the said Treaty it was ordained That the said King and the said States General shall be oblig'd as Friends Allies and Confederates mutually to defend the Rights and Immunities of each others Subjects against all such as shall endeavour to disturb the Peace of either State by Sea or by Land or such as living within the Dominions of either shall be declared publick Enemies by the one or the other And because it is not particularly determined in what way and manner the said Confederates stand oblig'd mutually to succour each other and that it is the fix'd Resolution of the said King of Great Britain and of the said States General more and more to corroborate and accomplish the said Agreement Therefore in the first place and above all other things they consent to confirm the said Treaty concluded at Breda together with the said Laws of Navigation and Commerce relating to the same as by these Presents they are confirm'd under a mutual and undissolvable Obligation to observe and accomplish them truly and faithfully and to command the Subjects on both sides exactly and religiously to observe and fulfill them according to the genuine Sense and Tenor of the said Treaty and Articles And for the better ascertaining the mutual Assistance that the Parties are to give to each other which was omitted in the preceeding Treaty for increasing Amity and Friendship between the said King and States General and that full Provision may be made by a nearer Alliance and Union for the safety and mutual defence of both States against the pernicious Endeavours and hostile Attempts of any Enemy under any Pretext whatever We whose Names are underwritten in virtue of the Orders and full Powers granted to us and hereunder to be inserted do covenant and agree That the said King of Great Britain and the said States General of the united Netherlands shall be mutually obliged united and confederated together as they are by the Force and Virtue of these Presents mutually obliged united and confederated in a perpetual League defensive in the manner and under the Conditions following I. That if any Prince State or other Person whatever without exception shall under any Pretext invade or attempt to invade the Territories Countries or any Places that lie within the Dominions of the said King of Great Britain or shall exercise any Acts of Hostility by Sea or by Land against the said King or his Subjects the said States General shall be obliged as by Virtue of these Presents they are obliged to send forty Ships of War well furnish'd with all things necessary to assist the said King to oppose suppress and repel all such Insults and acts of Hostility and to procure him due reparation for any Damages sustained That is to say Fourteen of the said Ships shall carry from sixty to eighty great Guns and four hundred Men a just allowance and computation being made as well with respect to those Ships that carry a greater as those that carry a lesser number of Men Fourteen other Ships shall carry from forty to sixty Guns and one with another three hundred Men at the least Allowance to be made as before and none of the rest to carry less than six and thirty Guns and a hundred and fifty Men. Besides which they shall assist him with six thousand Foot-Soldiers and four hundred Horse or shall pay a Summ of Money with due regard to the just value of such an
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
you and our Deputies with you will not be at much pains to dispose the Marquis to send immediately a Power to Monsieur Beverning and Sir John Trevor to sign in his the Marquis s Name and from the King his Master the Treaty with the K. of France's Commissioners agreeable to the Project above-mention'd which I find entirely conformable to our Agreement and secret Articles as Monsieur Beverning tells us that he and Sir J. Trevor made the same Judgment of it Unless his Excellency would rather sign the said Treaty himself and receive the Exchange of it signed by the K. of France In which case I think there may be only writ on the Top of the Project A Treaty of Peace between the Kings of * Spain and France to prevent disputing upon the Terms of the Preface And in the other Instrument Of France and Spain and beneath to add the Date This being done the aforesaid Ministers at Paris must in my Opinion offer the K. of France to sign in the K. of Spain's Name or in case his Excellency thinks fit to sign himself to exchange the Treaty signed on condition that France will consent to a reasonable time to procure the Ratification from the Queen of Spain and above all the Continuance of the Cessation of Arms during the time agreed I see that for granting this term a little more to the Humour of France you will be more liberal and complaisant than I For whereas you are satisfied with the Term till the 15th of May already proposed by Monsieur de Ruvigny I think Reason and Decency should oblige to take till the End of May. And if the King of France refuses either to sign on his side or to grant the said Term with the Cessation of Arms I should not stick to declare immediately for Spain and act by Sea and Land in Conformity to our third separate Article And since it cannot enter into a reasonable Man's Mind that the Q. of Spain can be so blind as not to ratifie the said Treaty by which a * The County of Burgundy whole Province is restored and a minor King deliver'd from being engaged in a second War with us and Spain I should not be hard at granting the King of France whatever he can demand with any Appearance of Reason in a Case that will never arrive Chiefly because many Princes of Germany will then declare on our side who might else blinded by the Appearances of Reason in Monsieur de Lionne's Letter of the 19th past abandon us intirely The King of Sueden or his Minister at London do I think stretch the Cord too far and he will break it if he does not yield a little However we have last Wednesday sent such Orders to our Ambassadors that I doubt not a good Success of this Negotiation For the other Points of your Letter I must refer my self to what you can learn from our Deputies and his Excellency by Advices from the Ambassador Don Estavan de Gamarra Therefore I shall conclude remaining Sir Your c. Johan de Wit De Monsieur de Wit A la Haye 4me Mars 1668. Monsieur UN grand rhume qui m'a suscité une fievre la nuit passee á esté cause que je n'ay pas pû vous repondre d'abord á votre lettre du 2d de ce mois Mais vers le midi la fievre estant beaucoup diminuée me laisse presentement la faculte de vous dire que quoy qu'il y a deja quelques jours que Monsieur de Beverning est parti pour se rendre á Aix la Chapelle je ne voy pas pourtant que dans la conjoncture presente des affaires vôtre sejour soit plus necessaire au dit lieu qu'a Brusselles mais que tout au contraire l'affaire est presentement reduite á un point que ce pour quoy vous vous fussiez transporte á Aix se pourra et se devra traitter et achever en peu de jour◠au lieu ou vous estes et au Païs bas Et il me semble que Messieurs les Ministres du Roy de la Grande Bretagne et des Etats á Paris ont negotié adroitement de nous avoir sceu procurer un instrument qui nous mettra en peu de jours dans une clarté entiere pour resoudre finalement ce que nous aurons á faire si le Marquis de Castel-Rodrigo nous y seconde comme nous l'esperons et l'attendrons de sa prudence et de l'interet visible de son Maître qui l'y oblige Je parle du projet de traitté dressé sur le pié de l'alternative et concerté entre les dits Ministres de nos Maîtres á Paris et les Commissaires du Roy de France dont je m'asseure que vous aurez receu copie de la part de Monsieur Trevor Il me semble que ce projet nous donne en main un moyen asseuré pour avoir la paix ou une guerre dans laquelle tous les Princes et Etats de la Chrêtienté nous appuyeront ou au moins loueront nôtre procedé et nôtre conduite Et voicy comme quoy á mon avis nous y pourrions proceder Je presuppose que vous et Messieurs nos Deputez qui se trouvent auprez de vous n'auront pas beaucoup de peine á disposer Monsieur le Marquis d'envoyer incontinent un pouvoir á Messieurs van Beuningen et Trevor pour signer en son nom et de la part du Roy son maître le traitté avec les Commissaires du Roy de France conformement au projet susdit que je trouve entierement conforme á nôtre convention et á nos articles secrets ainsi que le Sieur van Beuningen nous mande aussi que luy et Monsieur Trevor en ont rendu ce même jugement Si ce n'est que son Excellence ayme mieux de signer luy même ledit traitte et d'en recevoir un en échange signé de la part du Roy de France au quel cas il me semble que l'on n'auroit qu'a mettre dessus le projet Et en l'autre Instrument De France et d'Espagne Traitté de paix entre les Roys d'Espagne et de France pour ne disputer pas sur les termes de la preface Et au bas d'ajoûter la date Cela estant fait il faudra á mon jugement que lesdits Ministres á Paris offrent au Roy de France de signer au nom du Roy d'Espagne ou bien d'echanger le traitte signé si son Excellence ayt trouvé bon de signer luy méme moyennant que la France accorde un terme raisonable pour procurer la ratification de la Reyne d'Espagne et sur tout la continuation de la cessation d'armes pendant ce terme un peu augre
sparing no Man's part and holding an equal proportion with every Man's Estate Only this Circumstance should be in it to make it easy That not only every Man should have the Offer and Pre-emption of his own but if upon refusal it should be sold to another Hand yet it shall be free for the Owner to buy it of him at any Time within a certain Space as of two or three Years and the present Purchaser to be content with the Profit he shall have made in the mean Time which will prove a great Interest for his Capital Thirdly A reducing of the Interest which the King pays from Ten to Eight in the Hundred with which the Bankers may very well be contented and must be I suppose if the King pleases and finds a Course to make them see their Security cannot fail them For two in the Hundred Gain is of all Reason enough for them where the Security they receive is as good as what they give as it is in this Case For the King's Security to the Banker is in effect the Banker's Security to his private Creditors and whenever one fails the other must Now the Bankers pay but Six in the Hundred at most for In-land Mony and less for some And I have Reason to doubt a very great Trade is driven with them from Holland by Dutch Merchants who turn their Mony through their Hands encouraged by the great Interest they gain there in lieu of so small here that the States have lately refused to take the Value of Twenty Thousand Pounds Sterling of the Duke of Lunenburg's Mony at Two and a half per Cent. and Three is the utmost that any Man makes And if the King by granting good Security punctual Payments and the Reputation of good Order in his Revenue were gotten into Credit I do not see why he might not upon Occasion take up what he pleased at Six per Cent. as well as the States do here at Two and a half Fourthly To enable the King upon any Occasion to give better Security I know nothing would do so much as if the Parliament could be disposed to settle the Customs upon him for one Year after his Death as they are already for his Life but that being an uncertain Term Mony will not be readily or without Exaction of Interest lent upon that which may fail next Day And yet I conceive it to be the largest Branch of the Revenue and in all other Points the most certain Fifthly If any Thing were set on foot in Parliament towards an Act of Resumption of Grants of crown-Crown-lands since a certain Time Use might at least be made of it towards drawing such Grantees to a voluntary Composition of holding their Grants at the Rent of a fourth or fifth part of the real Value to the Crown in Consideration of having such Grants confirmed by Act of Parliament or the King's Engagement to consent to nothing to their Prejudice after their Consent to such a Rent and Tenure Sixthly A View may be made at least of what has been gained by any Grants from his Majesty above what were really his Majesty's Intentions to grant As where the King intended to give Five hundred Pounds a Year and perhaps Seven or Eight or a Thousand Pounds is made of it And the same of Sums of Mony out of certain Benefits granted towards the raising them And what is found to be beyond the Intention of the King's Grant to be repaid Many smaller Particulars might perhaps be thought of All which with what has been mentioned will be made valuable by a good Order in the management and a stanch Hand in Grants hereafter till the King be as much before-hand as he is behind-hand now I am my Lord your c. To Mr. * Now Earl of Montague Montague Hague Jan. 2. S. N. 1669. My LORD IT is an ill Sign of the Dulness of this Place that I must have Recourse to the Complements of the Season for the Occasion of a Letter and that I can find very little to say from hence besides wishing your Lordship according to our good old Stile a merry Christmas The Spaniards have not yet had so much good Nature as to make ours here the merrier with their Two hundred thousand Crowns I doubt it has some Enchantment or other upon it and is not to be delivered but in some fatal Hour or by some charmed Knight All is here frozen up and the Bishop of Munster may march if he pleases but if he do as has been so much talkt will blow his Fingers unless he receives very great Influences from your warmer Climate For the good Pay of these States is in so much Credit among their Neighbours that I believe they will not want what Forces they shall have Occasion for besides what they have a-foot I should be very glad to hear what becomes of my Lord and Lady of Northumberland and how long they intend their Pilgrimage supposing your Lordship keeps some Correspondence with them of which I am out of the way but very much in that of being My LORD Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant To my Lord Arlington Hague Jan. 18. S. N. 1669. My LORD THE Baron d'Isola arriving here Yesterday I have this Afternoon had some Discourses with him upon the Subject of his Journey which he professes to be a Desire of advancing the Treaty of Guaranty as a Thing his Master has more Interest in than Spain it self which will be better able to subsist after the Loss of Flanders than the Empire can I find he came with Hopes of affecting much by his Eloquence and great Parts and by making others see more of their own Interests than they were willing to do And so the two Themes wherein he came provided were To make it evident that France would open the War again this Spring and within six Weeks attack either Burgundy or Luxenburg and on the other Side That the Councils of Spain as they are now composed if they saw not a solid and firm Assistance from their Neighbours would fall into the easiest way of ending that Matter by giving up Flanders upon the best Terms they could That they were as a sick Man that would not or could not help themselves and were so to be dealt with by those that were so deeply concerned in their Loss as these States in particular seem to be And that after the Disarming of the Duke of Lorrain which France had now resolved and the seizing of Burgundy which would be their next Work it would be impossible to maintain a War in what remains of Flanders when they could do it no longer by Diversion after these two Inlets into France stopt up From this we fell into the Story of the Suedish Subsidies and the Hardships put upon Spain in that Business all which I suppose your Lordship has heard a dozen Times already and are obvious enough and therefore I shall not repeat them not remembring any Thing