LETTRE ]9I€€€X€T1I

Le Duc â! York au Prince cC Orange. Il faudra choisir entre ^autorité du Roi et celle du Parlement

Edenburgh, March 29.

I wrot to you by the last post, and then lett you know I had receaved yours by M. Villattes, by whom I write this to you; I shall repeat nothing to you upon the subject of your sending him hether, since it would be unpleasing to us both; he gos back straite from hence by sea, in which he dos much better then to returne back by Harwich, since with but a reasonable wind he may be in three days in Holland. On sonday I receved yours of the 25, and do easily beleve what you say, tho I assure you I bave been very credebly informed that M. van Lewen and others sayd it, as what was your mind, so that I though ^ there was ground enough for me to take notice to you of it ; but you hâve satisfyd me , by what you hâve sayd ; by that tyme this getts to you , you will hâve heard whether bis Ma. or the Parliament ^ thought.

1681. Mars.] — 488 —

be the masters, for now the tyme is come that either the one or the other must be the intire masters, and certainly never more pains were taken to ruine a monarky then has been to destroy this. You see that he is chosen speaker to this Parliament that was so to the last; by which choise and other things, one has little reason to hope any good by this meetting at Oxford, which is ail I shall say to you now, but that you shall always find me as kind to you as you can désire.

lettre: ]?ic;ccxcviii.

Sir [j. Jenkins au Prince â! Orange. Outrecuidance du Parlement.

Whiteball, 29 March 81.

His Ma. hath been forced to dissolve the Parliament at Oxford. He did it yesterday, having no hopes from the matters they took in hand, nor from the manner of their proceedings, that the Gommons would doe otherwise then grow into greater beats and disorders. One of the first things they did, was to bring in the old Bill of Exclusion against the Duke; the opposers of that Bill offer'd to their considérations severall expédients, or rather an expédient, consisting of severall parts, as that the Princesse of Orange should hâve the whole administration and exécution of the regall power, under the name of a Kegent during the Duke's life; they would not so far hearken to it , as to turn the House into a committee of the whole house, which was necessary in order to a free debate (as committees-men hâve the libertie to speak often, at the House but once to the same busines); the Régent was to take a présent oath out of hand; and so were ail persons in places of truth to observe and exécute the act for a régence; the Duke was not to be in England, and the parliament the last sate was to meet again, as soon as was possible after the Kings decease, whom

489 — [1681. Mars.

I beseech Allm. God to blesse and prosper in a long and happy reigne over us, and this Parliament was to sitt some short but sett time, to settle things after that the Régent was enter'd upon lier office. But nothing of this would be hearken'd to , the exclusion must be had or nothing, and not onely that, but (as one of the cabal said it openly in the house) they must hâve the militia, the fleet, the strong places, etc. at their command, and an Association to boot. There was, besides the Bill of exclusion , another incident thàt began to be a matter of anger between the two Houses; it was att one Fitzharris whom his Ma. had committed to the Tower for high treason. The King had directed his Atturney-generall to prosecute him at the Kings-Bench (our ordinary criminall Court) aecording to the course of the common law; this was done some weeks agoe. The Gommons at Oxford impeach the sarae man, whereby the prosecution would hâve been at their pleasures, not at the Kings-atturney his direction; the Lords hère upon threw out their impeachment, and left the prisoner in the course he was allready in, to be prosecuted at the common law; this the commons prétend can not be done without breach of their privilèges, which are to impeach any body living, and consequently a flatt denyall of justice to them. Hère his Ma. was necessitated to part them , before their heatt grew too great; his Ma., having dissolv'd them, left Oxford and came to Windsor last night, he arriv'd hère at half an houre passt 9 this morning, and was [receiv'd] with the usuall démonstrations of joy, ringing of bells, etc.; the Queen arriv'd at six this evening. Ail things, God be prays'd , are in ail the calme and quiett that were to be wisht, onely the restlesse party do their uttmost to excite tumullt.

1681. Mars.] — 490 —

LETTRE MCCCXCLi:.

Lord Hyde au Priiice d^ Orange. Motifs de la dissolution du Parlement

St. James, March tbe 29. 1681.

The King hath commanded mylord Conway to give your Highnesse an account of this suddaine dissolution of the Parliament, which no doubt will surprize you, and this gentleman, the Dutch ambassadors secretary, having lett me know he was goeing over, I hâve presumed to add something to your Highnesse upon the same subject, which I know is not a very agréable one to you , neither indeed is it to any that wish well to the generall peace or our owne; but what can be done, if one side be to yeild ail and the other nothing? The King, besides that clause in his speech which gave faire invitation to any expédients in the matter of the succession , on saturday last commanded ail his servants in the house of Gommons, to promote them the most that was in their power, and particularly one that was to provide, in case the Crowne should descend to the Duke; your Highnesse and the Princesse were to hâve been Régents, and particularly S"" Thomas Littleton, the Chancelor of the Exchequer and severall others of the Counsell and in the Kings service laboured to hâve raade this proposall to be accepted, but ail in vaine, nothing would be hearkned to but the bill of Exclusion, which the King had once more so lately declared he could not agrée to. This was but an ill beginning, but then the impeachment of Fitzharris of treason, (which doubtlesse he is guilty off for contriving and writing the most villanous libell that ever was made against the King) which was allready before the examination of the law, and it being done in such a manner as made it but too suspicious that the impeachment was rather designed to save him then bring him to justice, and the Lords haveing resolved not to admitt the impeachment,

— 491 — [1681. Mars.

but directed the criminall to be tryed in the ordinary courts (which hath been done severall times) made so ill humour in the House of Gommons, that they proceeded to such angry votes, that the King thought it best to putt a speedy end to them, especially since, by those votes, there vvas ail intercourse between the two Houses prevented. This is the account of this suddaine dissolution; I found, both on the one side and the other, it was not expected there should be a much better issue of this meeting, but no body expected it so very soon. Immediately when the King came from the House, he tooke coach for London and lay at Windsor last night, and this morning arrived hère. I fînd his Ma. in the same disposition as to his Allys that he hath been of late, and will doe ail he can to support them, but, if peace and quiett be not to be had abroad but by the totall ruine of gouvernement and monarchy hère, he cannot easily résolve to submitt to those termes. In private conservation with some of the most leading men in the Parliament, they being asked what they had to object against the expédient of the Regency, they answered they could not but allow it was very fairly ofFred and it might goe a great way to quiett mens minds; but, as they were of the Parliament , they had engaged themselves so farr in the Exclusion they could not recède; they should be ruined in their réputations and interests, if they should be guilty of such a change in their resolutions. From such tempers there was not much good to be expected; God send it some way or other.

LETTRE MC»

Lord Conway au Prince cC Orange. Même sujet.

Whitehall, *29 March 1681.

I should not hâve neglected my duty in giving your

1681. Mars.] — 492 —

vice and interests, but that I was every post expecting the honor to convey a letter of his Ma. to your Highnesse, which he intends to write.

And now that our aâaires heere hâve receaved a great altération , by the dissolution of the Parliament yesterday at Oxford, I présume to give your Highnesse the speediest account of it.

It was ofFred, as an expédient to hinder the Bill of exclusion of the Duke, that your Highnesse and the Princesse of Orange should be declared Régents upon the death of the King and to be vested with ail the royall power and authority, the name and title only remaining to the Duke, who upon those termes was to be banisht for ever, and ail this secured by a clause of exclusion, if the Duke should attempt to violât this Act.

Had it been ofFerd that the Duke of Monmouth should be Régent, there were very probable grownds to beleeve they would hâve accepted it. But as it was offred, nothing would satisfie them but a Bill of Exclusion, without naming a successor, which his Ma. having [fewer] times denyed in severall Parliaments, took this following occasion to dissolve them.

A notorious villain, one Fitzharris, having contrived the most treasonable paper that ever was read, not only against the King, but the whole race which his Ma. is of, being orderd to be speedily prosecuted, the Howse of Gommons, to take him out of the Kings hands, sent up to the Lords an impeachment of high-treason against Fitzharris. The Lords would not receave it, but orderd he should be tryed at common law; upon which the House of Gommons past severall extravagant votes, which I hâve presumed heere to enclose , and made it impossible by such beats to hâve any farther intercourse between the two Howses, and therefore his Ma. thought it best to take that opportunity to dissolve them, and from thence came immediatly to London, which he finds very joyfull for his safe arrivall and in great peace and quietnesse.

— 493 — [1681. Mars.

This will not at ail divert his Ma. from giving ail possible assistance to his Forrein Allyes, especially where your Highnesse and the States of Holland are concerned.

His Ma. knows very well what esteeme his neighbors abroad hâve of him , when he is without the assistance of his Parliament, but however his Ma. thinks it is still in his power to afFoord snch supplyes , both of ships and men, at the request of, and in conjunction of his Allys, that it shall not be ont of his power to support them upon better grownd then the totall subversion of the monarchy, which they who would not be contented with lesse then making the Gouverment élective, would not be pleased with. And your Highnesse will finde, in ail his Ma. proceedings, that he hath a particular regard to the intrest of the United-Provinces , wherewith he knows his owne is so much concerned and your Highnesse in both of them, which he commands me to assure you, shall be always his care, next to his owne. — In the last place, I humbly beg the honor of your Highnesses commands that I may hâve the opportunity to shew myselfe

your Highnesses most obedient and most devoted servant