LETTRE ]9I€DL.TII

Le Duc â!York au Prince â! Orange. Nouvelles.

Newmarkett, April 2.

I had yesterday yours of the 6 from Dieren, and by it see you were to be there some tyme to divert your-

' ou es.

1682. Avril.] — 546 —

self by hunting; I hâve been as offten at that sport hère as I could, tho the weather has not been at ail favorable for it, we having had nothing but cold N. and N. E. winds, and many shov^'ers of snow and haile and raine, almost every day since I came hither, it has been faire thèse two days , but continus still very cold for this tyme of the yeare. We shall now be sone at London, bis Ma. intending to go thither on saturday, where he intends to stay but a fortnight and then to Windsor. I beleve I shall wayte on him to both those places, and as sone as he is at the last of those two places, am to go back for Scotland to settle some affairs and bring back the Dutchesse with me, some tyme in May; and, now that the afFair of Luxembourg is over, I hope ail Christendome will enjoy peace and quiatnesse. I hâve no more to say but that you shall always find me as kind to you as you can désire.

LETTRE 9ICDL.TII1.

Le JDuG (TYorh au Prince d'Orange. Raffermissement de Fautorité du Roi.

Newmarkett, April 4.

I would nott lett this bearer Sir Gabriel Silvius go back to you into Holland, without writing to you by him; he is so fully informed of ail things hère that I need say little to you by him; for he can give you an account of the true condition of things in this country, which are, God be thanked, much raended within this twelve month, and his Ma. is now master, if he pleases, and hee need not feare nor endeavour to manage Lord Shaftsbury and his party ; which is ail I shall say to you now, and assure you I shall always be as kind to you as you can désire.

For my sonne the Prince of Orange,

— 547 — [1682. Avril.

I^ETTRE ]?I€DLIX.

Lord Halifax au Prince et Orange. Le Roi, par son attitude envers la France, mérite les éloges de ses Alliés.

I had not given your Highnesse so much respite, but that the things which hâve happened , since I writ * last , might appear so ill and give you such an impression of us hère that I did not know but, whilst that dissatisfaction remained in your mind, I might bee involved in it, and therefore nothing could bee more welcorae than the assurance your Highnesse is pleased to give mee that I am stil in possession of the same place in your favorable thoughts you hâve ever afForded mee. I am the same man in relation to the publique, and am yet lesse to bee altered in my respects to your Highnesse in particular, and, as one of the greatest obligations I could possibly receave , was the opennesse and freedome you were pleased to use towards mee at Windsor. So I lament my ill memory, in not being able to recall to my mind that particular of which you give mee a hint in your letter, so that it would bee a welcome favour to give mee some further light in it , especially if it is of such a nature that it may either bee of use, to your Highnesse or to myselfe, that I should remember it. In the mean time it is unnecessary for mee to lay before you that the posture of things is extreamly changed, since vt^hat hath passed at Luxembourgh; which, as it is a great step towards the establishment of the publique peace, so I hope it will bee improved, as much as may bee, in order to that end, and since the King hath had such a part in bringing this about, hee deserveth ail imaginable incouragements from his Allyes, who are the more obliged to do him right in this, by their having been so hard upon him in their censures, before hee gave this évidence of his zèle for the préservation of Flanders. Your Highnesse will, I am sure, not bee wanting in this, because it is

* wrote.

1682. Avril.] — 548 —

not onely a justice and a respect, in neither of which you can ever favle, but that it is really of a publique conséquence that his Ma. and jour Highnesse should in ail circumstances bee intirely satisfyed vvith one another. I am the more earnest in this, from the knowledge I hâve how much dependeth upon it, and therefore, since it proceedeth from so good a meaning, I am sure you will forgive mee, if I moove your Highnesse, when you write next to the King, to take some paines to rectify ail mistakes and to excuse any thing that might bear an unkind interprétation ; there is as much zèle in this as in a greater service, and so I hope it will bee accepted from one that is so much devoted to you.

London, April 4 1682.