L.ËTTRE: MCCCL.XVI

Sir L, Jenkins au Prince d^ Orange, Nouvelles,

Whitehall, 21 Dec. 1680. This afternoon the Gommons wayted on his Majestie with their answer to the speech that his Majestie made to both bouses. It is my misfortune that I cannot procure a copie this night to be sent your Highnésse. The promise that they make of supplies is clogg'd with severall hard conditions; the hardest is, to passe the Bill for excluding the Duke and the association that is thought necessary to attend it. His Majestie was not pleas'd to give any answer for the présent. The earl of Salisbury is said to bave mov'd this day in the House of Lords that the earl of Feversham , M*" Hyde , and col. * Legg should be remov'd from his Majestie, by reason of their too great addiction to the Duke. I wish I had any ground of hopes to give your Highnésse of a good issue from the ouvertures between his Majestie and his Gommons; we must expect some further steps; as things stand at this time, it would be easy and naturall to fall into a perfect good understanding with his Majestie, which God in his mercie grant.

LETTRE MCCCL.XTII.

Le Duc â! York au Prince cC Orange. Il ri a pas le moindre soupçon quHl ait des intelligences avec le Duc de Monmouth,

Edenburgh, Dec. 23.

I receved on sonday yours of the 19, in which you mention some discourses had been made of your knovving of the D. of Monmouths coming over. I assure you I

' colonel.

— 461 — [1680. Décembre.

never gave the least creadit to it; knowing you to well to beleve any such thinge, and therfore it was not necessary for you to hâve justifyd yourself, as you hâve done, and his behavior has been such as no man of sence could bave been thought his ad viser, thad wished well to his Ma. affairs; for, tho he has done himself harme , yett his flying in his Ma. face , as he bas' done , shews the weeknesse of our gouvernement, which has very ill efFects abroad. This day I receved yours of the 22, and shall be very impacient to know what will become of the great affaire with you; as for the newse you had out of France, I give little creadit to it, and would say more to you but that it is so late that I must raake an end, which I shall always do, with assuring you that I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.

LETTRE JUCCCLiXTIII.

Le Duc dYork au Prince d Orange, Le Roi et lui ne doutent pas que la démarche des États- Généraux à V appui du Bill d'exclusion riait été faite sans son aveu.

Edenburgh, Dec. 25.

By the last post I receeved yours without a date, and by it see you are in paine that it was reported that the Stats had pressed his Ma. to passe the bill of exclution; I easily beleve you had no hand in the paper M*" Sidney sent, as the sence of the Stats; for I hâve read a copy of it, and hâve it still by me, which to me seems to persuade his Ma. to agrée with his Parliament, in that, as well as every thinge els, in which I thinke I am not mistaken, and hâve been informed his Ma. was of that mind to, having ordred M"" Sidney to be reprimanded for

Ihavhig taken and sent such a paper, and looked on it to bave had its rise from a neare relation of his, and I jpannot help beleving that, without encouragment from London and the envoyé himself, such a paper had never

1680. Décembre] — 402 —

been sent, and I easily beleve you had no hand ' it, for, besids the unjustice of such a thing, you hâve to mucli kindnesse for me, and for the Monarky, and our family, to hâve promoted any thmg of that kind, knowing that a bill of exclution or limitation, and more especially the later, must of necessity destroy for ever the Monarky, and now I hope ail the world is convinced, by what past this day sennight in the house of Gommons, that their désigne is to use this King, as the long Parliament did his father, but I hope he will sone put a stop to their violent proceding; if he do not, he cannot be King long. As for newse, some of the scolars of the coledg ' hère, did désigne to hâve burnt the pope, with such ceremonys as was latly done at London , and had apointed this day to do it, but the gouvernment hère, not liking such tumultus doing, had some of them put in prison this morning, for entring into a bond to do it , which is very pénal by the laws hère; I meane, making any combination, tho the thing in its self might be ne ver so innocent; however a few of them this morning came up a bystreat carring a pope, which some officers seing went towards them, upon which they ran away and lift their pope, to which they had put fire, and so the matter ended, at least for this day, and, tho this in itsself be realy nothing , I beleeve from London they were sett on to do it, and that ill people there will make a great noyse out-, which is ail I hâve to say now, but to assure you that you shall always find me as kind to you as you can désire.

l^ETTRE ]yi€€€L.XIJC.

Le Duc d!York au Prince <î Orange. Audace du parti le

plus avancé dans h l'arlement.

Dec. 28.

I receved this day yours of the 27, by which I see

' in omit, ^ collège.

— 463 — [1680. Décembre.

the Prince of Hanover was upon liis departur for London; you may easily beleve I am as sorry as he can be, not to be there to see him ; in two or three months tyme there may happen many things. You see to what a height of confidence the violent people come to in the Parliament. I hope his Ma., before this can be with you, will hâve done his part , to save himself and the monarky ; for, if he letts them sitt till that tyme, I shall looke upon ail to be gone. Things are hère very quiat , and I hâve not tyme to say more but that you shall always be * very kind to you.

LiETTRË mCCCIiXX.

Lord Sunderland au Prince d^ Orange. Le Roi disposé à soutenir les Etats- Généraux contre la France.

The King bas commanded me to let your Highnesse

know, that, for his owne sake and for y ours, there is

nothing he should more unwillingly see then an alhance

between France and the States, and therefore he bas sent

positive orders to M^ Sydney to use ail raeans possible

to prevent it. His Ma. thinkes the prorogation may be so

ill understodd abroade, as to fright many into a submission

to the power of France , but his reasons being onely to bring

his people to such a temper as may make it more likely

the next session should be a good one, he hopes it will

be rightly understood in Holland, and in a little time

everywhere els, and that those vrho expect support from

^him will not be disheartened. He will hâve above forty

i^Hhips at sea this summer, without any helpe from his

^^H*arlament ; when they meet (which he intends, as soon

^^Bs he can hope for a good session, and he will use ail

I^Pfee'meanes he can to create such a temper in his people

as is necessary towards it) he doe's not doubt but to be

inabled by them to défend himself and his friends from ail

theire ennemys, and, în case the french King should attacke the States , on the presumtion of a long prorogation , it would be so generall a concerne that ail Princes [must] , for theire owne sakes, engage in theire quarrell, which would make ail Europe against him, which wee hâve twice seen him affraide of. This, Sir, the King has commanded me to write from him, but I can not give over, without letting your Highnesse know that no man in the world has greater esteeme and respect for your person then I hâve. I could not but with greate joy receave those markes of your favour you were pleased to give me in your letter of Decemb. the 26, which I will endeavour to deserve as long as I live, by ail the services I am capable of, being most truly and with that sub mission I ought to be. Sir,

your Highnesses most faithfull , most humble , and most obedient servant

SUNDERLAND

Whitehall, Decemb. 30.

V 'NyN/\,'^'N -vx/vx/x/v/ws

LETTRE MCCCL.XXI.

Le Duc ctYorh au Prince cC Orange. La prorogation du Parlement fortifiera le gouvernement du Roi,

Edenburgh, Dec. 31.

I receved yesterday, as I was a going to a feast in the Citty, yours of the 29, but for that reason had not tyme to answer it by the post of that day. It was not necessary, I assure, for you to hâve sayd so much to me upon the subject of the D. of Monmouth, as you did, knowing you to well to hâve thought you capable of any thing of that kind; I am sorry to see that, where you are, any were allarmd at the prorogation of the Parliament; had they meett, you and ail our friends would indeed hâve had reason to hâve been troubled. I hoj)e, and am confident, this long prorogation will do good and

465 [1680. Décembre.

give his Ma. and the gouvernement tyme to recover a little strengtli, and will settle peoples minds , especially when they see he can live on bis owne revenu. As for newse, this place afFords none, only the weathîr continus very faire and warme for thys tyme of yeare, and pray beleve I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.

LETTRE mCCCLXJLlI.

Sir L. Jenkins au Prince dt Orange. Le Roi résolu à maintenir les prérogatives de la Couronne,

Whitehall, 31 Decerab. 80.

May it please your Highnesse. Upon the receipt of a letter from your Highnesse of the 27*'^ current new style, I did humbly acquaint his Ma. with the satisfaction that your Highnesse had receiv'd upon his Ma. declaring, as he was pleas'd to doe, when I produced your Highnesses letter to him , against those limitations that would , if consented to, retrench the rights of the Crown for ever.

I acquainted his Majestie likewise of the appréhensions that your Highnesse had, least the Crown shou' ' in the présent exigencies be brought , by indirect ways and means , to sufFer a diminution , that might at last prove a ruine to the monarchy itself , and that it was your Highnesses command upon me to represent to his Ma. 'om time to time, as occasion should require , tlie assurance that his Ma. had been pleas'd, by his commands ipon me, to give to your Highnesse of his care and ïoncern to préserve the birth-right of every brandi of ^he royall family in keeping and maintaineing the prérogatives of the Crowne, free, full and entire , as they low are.

His Ma. was therefore pleas'd to command me to repeat igain the same thing to your Highnesse; and to assure '■ou that there will be as much care taken on his Ma- [esties part as your own heart can wish to that effect.

1680, Décembre.] — 466 —

His Ma. was pleas'd, when I had layd before him this whole matter and your Highnesses desires and cares about it, to expresse himself as if he had look'd on the act of Association, as a law, according the modell that was given him of it, that would be of a most dangerous conséquence to the authority and dignity of the King, as well as to the peace of the Kingdome.

There is no such act yet drawen up into a Bill, so that no certain accompt of the parts and extent of it can yet be given to your Highnesse , onely the house of Gommons, in their last addresse (or answer) to his Ma., doe represent it as necessary, to fortifie and défend that other act whereby the Duke is to be excluded.

My poor judgement leads me to be (as farr as my vote can goe) against the diminishing of or retrenching from the rights of the Crown, by any act or consent of his Ma. or of his Parliament , and the command I now hâve from your Highnesse will make me as watchfull as I am capable of being , to mind his Ma. of his assurances to your Highnesse. — I am, with a perfect dévotion, may it please your Highnesse,

your Highnesses most humble and most obedient servant