L.ETTRE 91CCLXI

Lord Danhy au Prince d'Orange. Le Roi est dans des dispositions très-énergiques à regard de la France.

London, 4 Decemb. 1677.

I bave a multitude of acknowlegdments to make to your Highnesse for your severall letters and honours in them, which your H^ bas been pleased to bestow upon mee since your leaveing this place , and as I hâve received great satisfaction from them ail , so itt bas not been the least that, by your last from Honslaerdyck , I bave heard the good newes of both your Highnesses safe arrivai in Holland. Wee had received the news of S^ Gillin being beseiged % before your letter came, and I hope dth no ill effect, for itt did so alarme us hère (I meane Jhe King and Duke themselves , as w^ell as others) that, tojether with the account wee bave received from France }j mylord Feversham , itt bas made us come up to more >risk councills then I dare bee confident your H^ could ixpect from us, and of which you would bave had an ac- ' Guillaume de Nassau, Seigneur d'Odijk. ^ receive. ' besieged.

count by the sending of Sir W™ Temple, but that wee stay him, in expectation of haveing more to send him with, when wee hâve heard once more from France by M"" Montagu, who is to départ hence on thursday morning, with orders to presse for a speedy resolution of theire mind. The summe of the answer to mylord Feversham (who has acquitted himselfe very well there) lias been, that the King of France did not expect the King of England would hâve thought such propositions reasonable, and that hee should thinke itt as reasonable to désire of him that hee should cutt off his legs and then bid him walke. That, to shew his intentions are not to take ail FlanderSj hee would bee willing to consent to a truce, for ail the Spanish and Holland townes betwixt the Meuse and the sea, as was in the yeare 1668, and that truce to bee for a yeare or what further convenient time the King should thinke fitt. What answer His Maj. has returnd to this. M"" Hyde is directed to communicate to your H^ att large , so that I will not trouble you with the répétition of itt; butt you may bee fully assured his Ma^'^ will not now go lesse then the seaven townes mentioned to your H% and will, as much as your selfe, expect that, if S^ Gillain or any other place shall bee taken, since the sending of mylord Feversham into France, they bee restored, over and above the townes already demanded; and your H* may judge how much our temper is altered, when the principall end of this expresse is to tell you that the King will joyne with Holland to oblige France to accept the proposalls sent by mylord Feversham, in case Holland will joyne with him to oblige Spaine to the same, in case they shall refuse itt; ànd the King will rely upon your Highnesses single engagement for this, without saying any thing to the States of itt. Your Highnesse will easily remember how far the King was from coming iip to this, when you made severall essaies to hâve gained itt from him, so that your H* will give mee leave to say the fault will

— 359 — [1677. Décembre.

now lie on your side of the water, if you hâve not, either the peace upon the tearmes proposed, or us as deeply ingaged * in the war as yourselves and , if I may ofFer an ad vise (though itt may bee too early) I thinke itt were not amisse to consider on your parts, as wee shall bee thinking on ours, in what manner the carriyng on of the war might bee best concerted betwixt England and HoUand, in case of a rupture with France, because the project of itt will do no harme, though itt should never bee executed. I beleeve your H^ has as litle ' expected the short adjournment of the Parliament, which proceeds from the same cause, and that which I beleeve you lesse expect then ail the rest, and which I asure your H® the truth of, is that the Duke goes as chearefully into thèse councills as the King. In short, I hâve so great confidence in our stedinesse to thèse resolutions that I can feare nothing but a Spanish obstinacy to make us recoile, which I hope your H^ will take care to prevent, and I am comanded by His Ma*'^ privately to tell your H^ that hee wishes you could hasten the recall of the Marquis de Burgomaine, by speeding the Marquis de Fuentes hitther, whom wee hâve expected a good while, and who I hope there will bee care taken to instruct so as to transact in a more satisfactory manner with his Ma*'^ then this has done, and which will certainely bee more usefull to the interests of Spaine. I am, with ail possible duty and zeale, your Highnesses most truly obedient servant.

LETTRE mCCLXII.

Sir William Temple au Prince d^ Orange, Le Duc (TYork aussi veut résister à la France.

London, December 8 1677.

May it pleas your Highnesse. I should by last post hâve rejoyced with your Highness upon the news of your

^ engaged. ' little.

1677. Décembre.] — 360 —

happy arrivai and upon the resolutions that hâve beene taken heere since y ou wente, in those afïairs wherein your H^ is so deeply concernd, but that mylord treasurers letter to you upon this subject was so long and so particular that nothing could bee added to it , for your H' information or satisfaction, and therefore I resolved not to trouble you with the same things by that post, and from so much a worse bande. I suppose Mylord amb. Hide will hâve showed your H^ his instructions and M"^ secretarys letter upon that occasion , v^hich, agreeing so fully with what mylord treasurer writt, must bave left you in no doubt of those resolutions beeing fîrmely taken heere, and yett I thought your H^ would not bee displeased to kno^^ from mee that I am of opinion they are so, and, which is more, that the Duke will goe up to as great a heigth in them as any man, in case France gives him the occasion by their answer to what IVP Mountague goes away with to say, and that His H^ will absolutely conclude from thence what their good intentions either are or bave beene to the King. Though I bave this second time excused myself from attending upon your H% and thereby devolved His Majestys commands upon Mr Hide once more, yet I hope your H** will pardon mee, since I bave onely reserved myself for the next occasion, which I expect will bee of 7nore moment, and within a very little time. For the présent I onely désire your H^ will please to give your answer to what M"* Hide carrys you, in such manner as may bee fully to his Maj» satisfaction, and, if you should scruple the doing it to any other bande, that you would at least doe it in a private letter to His Maj^ owne, with a désire it may goe no further then those hands by which ail your H" concernes bave hitherto been transacted, which hâve been no more in thees last affairs then in those of the match. I hope your Highnesse will thinke fitt to write particularly to the Duke, as well as to the King, in acknoledgment and applause of thees late resolutions, and Mylord

— 361 — [1677. Décembre.

Treasurer will deserve it too by the great parte he has had in them. I aske your tP pardon for the length and confidence of this letter and your justice in beleeving mee ever, what I shall ever bee , with a perfect dévotion and truth, Sir, your Highnesses

most faithfull and most obedient humble servant,