L.ETTRE IWCDXCI
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Nouvelles.
London, Mar. 30 1683.
I receved yesterday yours of the 1 of April from Die ren, and by it see you had not so faire weather as we hâve had, and, if we had had some of your raine, we should hâve past our tyms better at Newmarkett then we did, especially towards the latter end; for it was so very dry that I could not fox-hunt and, no raine having been since, I hâve been faine to sett up my fox-hounds, and it is not only ver}r dry, but warmer then ever I know it at this tyme of the yeare. There is yett no day sett for going to Windsor and, when it will bee I cannot yett say, it being reported hère that the smalpox is very much there. His Ma. has this day sent thether to know the truth ont, and, if it prove true, beleve it may dely ' the going thether for some tyme; if not, I am confident we shall go in Easter-weeke. The Prince Adolf , the King of Sweedens uncle, is hère and has been with their Ma. ; he has his sonne with him , which is ail the newse but what you know already; so hâve no more to say but that I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.
1 delay.
1683. Avril.] — 572 —
t LETTRE nCOXCM.
Le Prince d'Orange au Conseiller ~ Pensionnaire FageL 11 est indigné du projet de M. van Beuningen de traiter alliance avec la France.
Dieren, den eersten April 1683, op den middag. Mijnheer !
Ik heb deese morgen wel ontfangen UEd. brief met de bijlagen van gisteren. Ik heb met aandaght gelesen die schoone consideratien van den heer v. Beuningen , voor zoo veel hij hataleert ' de magt van Vrankrijck en de reeden die men heeft om deselve te apprehenderen. Dat gaat directelijk tegens zijne gronden om met Vrankrijck ooyt in alliantie te treeden; want, indien aile die fondamenten waer waren die hij stelde, zoo en is er niets overigh voor ons als ons te submitteren. Soo sijn die consideratien ofte malicieus ofte tegens sijn eigen opinie. De meeste van sijn fondamenten die hij verders stelt sijn onwaarheden ofte elatie die hij uit sijn eygen hooft maakt , alsmede de conclusie, maar het laatste van al sijn consideratie is een onverdragelijk drygement dat mijn bloet in mijn hooft heeft doen rijsen, als ik deselve période heb gelesen. Ik ben soo geïndigneert van dat geheel geschrift, dat ik UEd. het niet genoegsaam kan seggen. Het sal UEd. seer faciel sijn om het te refuteren ; maar het smert mij aan mijn hert dat UEd. soo veel onnodige moeyte sal moeten nemen , en daardoor soo veel kostelijcken tijt verlooren gaan die UEd. veel beter hadt kunnen besteden ten dienste der Republic. Ik voorsie seecker dat, naar dat UEd. dese schone consideratien sal hebben beantwoord , dat de Heeren van Amsterdam het daertoe sullen willen dirigeeren tôt een besoigne in Holland, daar ik mij oock sal laeten vinden , maer van Beuningen moet mede présent sijn, en ick pretendeere mij daer ook te expectoreren , gelijk hij gedaan heeft, maar het land sal daer ook van wagen, want ik meene niets bij mij te houden. Alhoewel 1 etaleert.
— 573 — [1683. Avril.
ik seecker ben dat van Beuningen en ik naderhandt irreconciliabel sullen sijn, maar daar vraagh ick niet na; d'eenigste saak die mij seer bedroeft, dat is te sien dat gemeen ' soo veel heeft geleden en nogh sal leyden alleen door een turbulenten geest. Ick versoeck dat UEd. mij wil laeten weeten tegens wat dagh ofte tijt UEd. mij in den Hagh wilt hebben , want ick sal daer niet alleen komen, maar vliegen, indien ick koste, om dienst te doen, ofte , om beter te seggen , beletten datter geen quaet en geschiet. UEd. sal nootsaackelijk aile de leeden, soo veel doenlijk , tegens de raisonnementen van den heer van Beuningen dienen te preoccuperen ; de eenigste van sijne raisonnementen die ick apprehendeere dat ingressie moghte vinden sijn die van d'apparentie van een oorlogh; want die sijn, naar mijn oordeel, niet soo klaerlijk te wederleggen als wel d'andre, en daarin komen veele saecken die men de menschen soo niet en kan doen begrijpen. Ick sal UEd. rescriptie verwaghten en blijve onveranderlijk, Mijnheer, UEd. dienstwillige vriend,
G. PRINCE D'ORANGE
P.S. Ick hoop dat Gelderlandt en Overijssel dese week in Equipagie sullen consenteeren, volgens de Hollandsche resolutie. G.
LETTRE 9ICDXCIII.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Il prévoit la guerre entre les Chrétiens et contre les Turcs.
Windsor, April 17 1683.
On saturday morning we came hetlier, and this morning I receved yours of the 19, by whicb I see y ou intended to stay where you then were, till the beginning of May; what I heare from abroad maks me of your mind that war will sone breake ont amongst Christian , as well as against the Turke, and that bettwene the Northern
1 het gemeen res publiai.
1683. Avril.] — 574 —
Kings, which I am sorry for, being one of those who désire peace. As for nevvse, there happned a disorder last weeke bettwene the towns-people and the scholars at Oxford; by what I heare, the townsmen were in the wroug' and may go neare to lose their Charter by it; I hâve no more to say but that you shall find no altération in my kindnesse to you.
For my sonne the Prince of Orange.
LETTRE WLCWXCIV.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Attitude menaçante des Whigs.
Windsor, April 27 1683.
I hâve now receved yours of the 29 , bij which I see you were very sone to go to the Hage, and from thence to Honslardike , where it will be very good being at this season of the yeare, and what you hâve in thunder and raine we hâve in wind, we having not had above one calme day this great while. The Whigs hâve a mind to immitat the season and to make a storme amongst the people, as well it is in the aire, and to that purpose do what they can to revive the plot and make disorders; but, in doing it, they shew their malice is greater then their judgement , as witnesse what they hâve done latly to the Lord-Major and some of the Aldermen, and their silly contrivance of a new plot by one Lewis; it would be to long to informe you of both thèse afFairs, besids that you will certainly hâve an account of them from others, so that I need not repeat them to you, and shall ad no more at présent but that you shall find no altération in my kindnesse to you.
575 — [1683. Mai.
LETTRE MCDXCV.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Mariage entre la Princesse Anne et le Prince de Danemark.
Windsor, May 3, 1682.
I most now informe you of a proposai which has been made to his Ma. and aproved of by him ; it is a marriage bettwene Lady Anne and Prince George of Denmarke ; it was this day proposed to his Ma. by the envoyé of that Crowne and aproved of, of which I would not faile to give you notice. It is now very late and I am to go a stag-hunting to morrow morning. so that I hâve not tyme to say more but that you shall still find me as kind to you as you can désire.
LETTRE MCilXCVI.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Nouvelles.
Windsor, May 8 1683.
I hâve receved yours of the 1 1 , by the which I see you were corne to the Hage, and that you had much raine; we hâve had our share ont, but not to much for the country, and for thèse two days last past hâve had faire weather which, if it continus, we shall in ail apearence hâve a very good season and a plentifull yeare. I write this hère, tho I am just now agoing to London, for feare I should not hâve tyme enough to do it there, where I intend only to stay this night and to be back hère to morrow. I hâve no other newse to ad to what was in my last, and so shall end, which I do with assuring you that I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.
1683. Mai.] — 576 —
LETTRE >l< l>\< \ Il
Le Duc oV York au Prince oV Orange. Les Espagnols auroient dû se soumettre à un arbitrage.
Windsor, May 29 1683.
I receved yours of the 1 of June so late on friday last that I could not then answer it. I see by it you were newly corne from Antwerp and that the Mar. 1 de Grane says he désirs the peace. I agrée with you and him that the Spaniards are not in a condition to désire a war, which I beleve they might hâve been secured from by this tyme, if they had accepted of the Arbitration , without losing ail pièce by pièce or endangring the whole at once; which is ail I shall say on that subject. I had good weather enough in my journay to and from Oxford, but, since I came back, we hâve had much thunder, lightning and raine. This place affords no newse, so that I shall end, which I do with assuring you that you shall find no altération in my kindnesse to you.
LETTRE MCDXCVIII.
Le Duc oVYork au Prince d'Orange. Recommandation.
Windsor, June 11 1683.
This bearer L.C. 2 Cannon being going back to his command, I would not lett him returne without writing to you by him, tho I hâve but little to say by him but to recomend him to you in generall, which is sufficient, you knowing, as well as I, how good an officer he is; he gos by London and will be able to tell you what newse is there, so that I shall say no more now but to assure you that you shall find no altération in my kindnesse to you.
For my sonne the Prince of Orange.
i Marquis. 2 lieutenant- colonel.
ZHH [1083. Juiu.
LETTRE ItlCUYCIY.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d'Orange. Suppression de la Charte de Londres.
Windsor, June 28 1683.
I find, by yours of the 22, which I had yesterday, that the squadron you hâve gott ready will be sone at sea; I heare no more certain newse of the French squadron , which was preparing at Brest; only beleve they are not gone north-ward, because we hâve had no newse of their being in the Channel. — This day the Lord-Major and Aldermen were hère, to pétition his Ma. as to their Charter, which is now forfited absolutly, if he pleases. What answer they had will be in print before the next, and your Ambassadeur having heard it, will, I beleve, give you an account of it, so that I need not repeat it to you, and shall only say that this has been a great day for the monarky, and that I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.
For ray sonne the Prince of Orange.
LETTRE MB.
Le Duc d'York au Prince d Orange. Conspiration contre le Roi et le Duc.
Windsor, June 22.
When I went to London, I found there was then a discovery made of a désigne against his Ma. and myself, and not such a plot as that of Dr Oatess, but a real one; for of ail the consperitors ' that were ordred to be seased, there is but one as I heare of taken , the rest being fled ; they are most of them phanatiks in principels or conversation, three of them are lawyers, as Goodenough, West, and Nelthrop; their désigne was, to hâve sett upon his Ma. and I, as we came last from Newmarkett, but the 1 cundpirators.
1683. Juin.]
fire which happned there, obliging us to corne away soner then was intended, they were not ready, and since our being hère they hâve talked of attemting it bettwene this and Hamtoncourt , but, because I used not to go thether with his Ma., they thought not fîtt to attempt it upon any one of us alone. By the next you will heare more of the particulars; to morrow his Ma. gos to Councell to Hamptoncourt about this affaire. The French squadron past by Dover on monday last, so that, as the winds hâve been hère ever since, I judg them neare the Sound by this ; which is ail I shall say now but that I am still as kînd as ever to you.
AW\/Vv/v
LETTRE M&1
Le Duc <V York au Prince oV Orange. Suppression de chartes municipales ; conspiration.
London, Julij 3 J683.
T had yours of the 6 on sonday last , by which I see how well pleased you were with the newse of the affaire of the Charters having gone so well, which, as you say, will be of great advantage to the monarky in ail tyms, as well as for the présent peace and quiat of the governement, and, if the right use be made of this conspiracy, which has been so happyly discoverd (of which I do not doubt), that which was designed to be the destruction of it, will prove of great advantage to it. Severall of the conspirators are to be tryd next week and most of those who are taken every day owen the rising and that, tho it had been put of in November last, and that they had failed of their attempt upon the King and myself, yett for ail that they intended to hâve nsen about the end of the last or the begining of this month, and were still contriving ways how they might secure, as some of them termed it, his Ma. and myself. The phanatikes are ordred
579 — [1G83. .Juillet.
to be disarmed everywhere, and in serching ' Wildmans house there were to 2 threepounders found hid in a celler under some billets, which certainly were keept there for the rising, being very fît guns for a street. The Lord- Major and Aldermen and Common-councell were yesterday with his Ma., to congratulât his deliverance from this horrid plot, and afterwards came to complyment me upon it. I would say more, but hâve not tyme to ad any more, but that I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.
