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of people here; and I have befides other reasons, upon which I explained myself at large in a letter which I wrote last post to my Lord Hyde, which without doubt he will have communicated to your Majefty; fo that I hope you will not mortify me fo far as to fend any one here with whom I cannot live in good intelligence. That, however, will not prevent me from endeavouring to ferve your Majefty with the fame ardour and application which I have always done, and nothing can happen which can make me change the fixed inclination and attachment which I have for your interefts; and I fhould be the most unhappy man in the world if you was not perfuaded of it, and should not have the good nefs to continue me a little in your good graces, fince I fhall be, to the last breath of my life, with more zeal and fidelity than any one can be, your Majefty's, &c."

The following letters from King James to the Prince of Orange during the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, are in King William's cabinet.

James the Ild to the Prince of Orange.-Warns him of

Monmouth's intention to rebel.

St. James's, April 28, 1685. I RECEIVED your's of the 30th, by the laft poft, but had not time to let you know it on Friday laft; and by letters, which came over by the fame pacquet, have it confirmed to me, that fome of the fugitive rebels, which have lurked long in Holland, have had a meeting with the Duke of Monmouth there very privately, and have fome defign in hand on Scotland, or elsewhere, and that they have bought arms, and are fending them by the way of Amfterdam,

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Amfterdam, for the Weft Highlands of Scotland, with an intention of making a raifing there; but of this Skelton will give you a further account; and this day I fpake to the ambaffadors here about the rebels and fugitives that are there, that they my be fent away out of the country, according to what is ftipulated in the treaty, which, I hope, you will get done, it being very neceffary to have thofe turbulent traitors driven out of Holland."

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--On the fame fubject.

St. James's, May 5, 1685. "I HOPE that the fhips which were to have failed from the Texel, with cannon, arms, and ammunition for Scotland have been flopped by your's, or the States orders, before they got out, or that fome veffels I have fent that way may have met them'; you fee how bufy and reftJefs that rebellious party are. I hear that Lord Argyle is already gone for Scotland, and that the Duke of Monmouth has defigned to go either after him, or come over hither into England, in a fhort time, to make, if he can, fome disturbance; but I am preparing for him and the other in both kingdoms. I have reason to believe that the Duke of Monmouth is ftill in Holland, either at Rotterdam or Amfterdam."

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--Vexed that Argyle's fhips have escaped.

May 12, 1685. ON Saturday laft I had yours of the 15th, by which I fee the orders were given for fending thofe fugitives out of your country, and I make no doubt but that you' will do your part to have it well put in execution, you feeing how neceffary it is it fhould be done. I fee by the

fame

fame letters, how vexed you are, that the three ships, laden with arms and ammunition, from Amfterdam, got out to fea, notwithstanding the orders you had given to ftop them. I hope you will do your part that no more follow them, and that you will endeavour to know whether the Duke of Monmouth be gone with them, or remains ftill in Holland, as it is reported."

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--On the fame

“I

fubject.

Whitehall, May 19, 1685. HAVE now two of yours to answer, one of the 22d, the other of the 25th, and do eafily believe if you had been at the Hague, the Lord Argyle, with his three fhips, had not got out; and fee, by the fame letter, that what I had defired of the States, concerning my fugitive fubjects, was ordered, which I take as kindly as can be defired, and as you fay, I am sure you will look to its being well executed. Lord Treasurer fhewed me the paper you mentioned in yours of the 25th: I believe the intelligence is true, and the rather, because yesterday I had letters from Scotland that gave me an account of Lord Argyle's having been at the Isle of Orkney, in his way towards the Weft of Scotland, or North of Ireland: He failed from those isles the 8th, old ftile, fo that I expect every day to hear of his being landed. I have reafon to believe the phanatick party have a defign to rife if they can in fome part of England, and that the Duke of Monmouth is already privately here; I am taking the best care I can to prevent it; and now you fee how little truft is to be given to what the Duke of Monmouth fays."

James

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--Defires three Scotch regiments to be fent to Scotland.

Whitehall, May 22, 1685. "You will hear from others how well the parliament γου have behaved themselves this day, after I spoke to them, fo that I need not repeat it. This morning I had letters from Scotland, which gave me an account that Argyle was landed at a place called Dunftafnage, in the fhire of Lorne, in the Weft Highlands, where, with the help of the arms he carried with him, and the intereft he had heretofore in that part of the country, I believe he will get a good number of difaffected men together; and though I make no doubt, by God's help, that the rebels will foon be mastered, yet there is no harm of providing for the worst, and therefore I have charged Mr. Skelton to propose to you, the lending me the three Scotch regiments that are in your fervice, to be fent over into Scotland; and if this is a thing you can do, the fooner it is done, the more reafon I fhall have to take it very kindly of you."

James the Id to the Prince of Orange.--Refufes to accept the Prince's offer to go to Scotland with the Scotch regiments.

"L

Whitehall, June 2, 1685. AST night I had yours of the 5th, by which I see

you had received mine, in which I defired you to lend me the three Scots regiments to be fent to Scotland, and was the next to propofe it to the States, which, I hope, by the next, to hear they have agreed to; for though I have reason to believe that the rebels there will be in time reduced, yet fuch a body of old good men as those three regiments are, will help very much towards it. I take very kindly of you what you offer concerning yourfelf; but befides that you cannot be fpared from

where

where you are, this rebellion of Argyle is not confiderable enough for you to be troubled with it; however, I am as much obliged to you, as if I had accepted of the offer you made me as to yourself."

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--Defires the three English regiments to be sent over, because Monmouth is advancing.” Whitehall, June 17, 1685. WHEN I wrote to you yesterday I thought the militia would have kept the Duke of Monmouth fhut up within Lyme, but by the fault of thofe of Devonfhire or Somersetshire, he has opened his way towards Taunton, which is a very factious town, and where he may increase his numbers; and though with thofe troops I have raised, and am raifing, I make no doubt of maltering him in fome fmall time, yet to make all fure, I defire you to lend me the three English regiments that are in your service, and they may be fent over with all poffible speed."

James the IId to the Prince of Orange.--Declines accepting the Prince's offer to come over to England.

London, June 30, 1685. TWO days fince I had yours by Monfieur Bentinke, who has given me a full account of all you had charged him with, and I take very kindly from you all the offers you made me by him, and I make no doubt, but by God's help, your fending me the three regiments I defired of you (the three Scotch being arrived this day at Gravefend), to put a speedy end to this rebellion. As to your coming over, which he told me you were ready to do, if there were any neceffity of it, I do not at all think it proper at this time for our common intereft, it being as neceffary for you to stay in Holland at this conjuncture, to keep all things well there, as it is for me to ftay here in London. I have difcourfed at large with M. Bentink