OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELA N D. FROM THE Diffolution of the laft Parliament of CHARLES II. VOLUME THE SECOND. Confifting chiefly of LETTERS from the French Ambaffadors in England, to their Taken from the Depôt des Affaires etrangeres at VERSAILLES, and King WILLIAM'S Interspersed with Hiftorical Relations, neceffary to connect By Sir JOHN DALRYMPLE, Bart. Ne quid falfi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. DUBLIN: CICERO. Printed by the Executors of DAVID HAY, Affignee PREFACE. THE HE papers contained in this collection are fo very interefting, that the public has a right to know from what fources they are drawn. His Majesty gave orders that I should have accefs to the cabinet of King William's private papers at Kensington; juftly confidering history to be the fcience of kings, and willing that the actions of other princes fhould be tried by that tribunal of public enquiry, which, he trufts, will do honour to his own, Among many other papers in that cabinet, which throw a blaze of light upon the history of the laft age, there are about two hundred letters from King James to the Prince of Orange. There is one confiderable chafm in the correfpondence, but this is luckily filled up. by about fifty letters from the king to the prince, in the poffeffion of doctor Morton of the Museum, who, with his ufual politenefs, permitted me to take copies. I believe that in these two collections there is not one letter wanting that King James ever wrote to the Prince of Orange. The earl of Hardwicke, from a partiality to me which I cannot be fo affectedly modeft as to conceal, gave me copies of several curious manufcripts from the treasures of historical knowledge in his poffeffion. |