James the IId to the Prince of Orange.-Thanks for Lord Pembroke's affair.-Commends the appearance of the troops encamped at Hounslow.

"I

Windsor, August 25, 1685.

HAVE received yours of the 27th, by which I am very glad to find you do agree to what I proposed to you concerning the Earl of Pembroke, and thank you very kindly for doing it, and fhall fend to advertise him of it, that he may make what hafte he can over to you, to thank you for your kindneffes to him. As for the names of any of the magiftrates of Amfterdam, when I can get any authentic proofs against them, I fhall let you have it, which, I fear, will be hard to be got, though 'tis certain some of them knew of the Duke of Monmouth's defign. On Saturday laft I faw fome of my troops at Hounflow, they confifted of ten battalions of foot, of which three were of the guards, and the other seven new-raised regiments; of horse there were twenty fquadrons, and one of grenadiers on horfeback, and one of dragoons, and really the new troops of both forts were in very good order, and the horfes very well mounted : I was glad that the Marefchal d'Humieres faw them, for feveral reasons."

Tranflation.

Prince of Orange to Monf. Bentinck.-Refuses to give the command of the English regiments in the Dutch fervice to Lord Carlingford, recommended by the King.

I AM under an extreme embarraffment from the King's thinking proper to name the Earl of Carlingford to me for the command of the fix regiments of his fubjects who are in this fervice, because there is no

29

thing in the world I defire more than to give fatisfaction to his Majesty in every thing that depends upon me. But as the Earl is a Catholic, and it would hurt me extremely in this country if I gave the command of these fix regiments to a person of that religion; and as I was obliged, which no doubt you will remember, to represent the fame thing to the deceased King with regard to the Earl of Dunbarton; and as his Majefty had the goodness upon that not to infift upon it any longer, I find myself forced to represent all this to the King, in hopes that his Majesty will have the fame goodness, and that he will not wish me to do so great an injury to myself in this country, without bringing any advantage to him. I would have made this reprefentation directly to the King, if I had not thought that it was more refpectful to do it by your means. I entreat you to take the trouble of it, and that in whatever manner you think proper, and you will oblige extremely him who will be always entirely yours."

Lord Sunderland to the Prince of Orange.-Presses him, from the King, to give the command of the British troops in the Dutch Service to Lord Carlingford, a Papist.

IN obedience to your Highness's commands, which I received by your letter of the 19th of this month, I have reprefented to the King what you directed me concerning my Lord Carlingford, and the prejudice it would be to your Highness if he commanded the King's fubjects in Holland; upon which his Majesty has ordered me to affure your Highness that he will never defire any thing of you that can poffibly be disadvantageous to you; and if my Lord Carlingford's being at the head of those troops could be fo, he would never have writ to you about it, nor would continue to press it as he does. His Majefty not thinking it unreafonable for him to recommend

a man

a man of quality and honour fuch a one as he likes to be over his fubjects, and that his being a Catholic is no argument against it, fince men of that religion have been fo often employed in Holland in all places and at all times. That when my Lord Dunbarton was propofed by the late King, the noise of the plot and the clamour of the faction were at the height, which is the reason his late Majefty preffed it no further; but all that being over long ago, and his present Majefty employing Catholics where he finds they are fit, he cannot but defire that my Lord Carlingford may command those regiments, and thinks the alterations of times and perfons ought to be confidered. This his Majefty has directed me to write to your Highnefs, to which I have nothing to add, but that I am fure the King would be very well pleafed if this might be done, and that he will take it extremely well of your Highness if you could comply with him in it. For my particular, I am very forry that you should defire any service of me out of my power, being, with the greatest refpect and fubmiffion poffible, yours."

Windfor, Auguft 24, 1686.

Tranflation.

Prince of Orange to Lord Sunderland.—Refuses pofitively to give the command of the British troops, in the Dutch fervice, to Lord Carlingford.

me on

24 Aug.

Dieren, September 12, 1686. "THE day before I left the Hague, I received the letter which you took the trouble to write to upon my Lord Carlingford's affair. It 4 Sept. would be not decent, and I have too much respect for his Majefty to enter further into reasonings on that matter ; and therefore I have only to beg you will humbly intreat

his

his Majefty, on my part, to have the goodness not to infift upon this affair, and I will take it as a great favour. I am forry to give you so much trouble, and I crave you not to take it amifs, and to believe me always, &c."

N° III.

The King's intrigues with Louis for money, and his chagrin on refufal.

IN

N the mean time, Lord Churchill not having fucceeded at Paris in getting money for his master from the French court, King James and his minifters renewed their attempts with Barillon. The following dispatch relates the particulars. I print the whole of it, though long, because I prefume the effect of it will be to make every British reader, even at this day, fhudder, when he reflects what an escape from arbitrary power our ancestors made at the Revolution.

Translation.

Extract of a dispatch from Mr. Barillon to Louis the XIVth.-James afks a supply and fubfidy from France. -His views.- Conferences with Godolphin, Rochester, and Sunderland, and their views.

March 26, 1685.

7ITHIN thefe few days I have had many conferences with the King of England and his minifters, in which I have been much preffed to represent to your Majefty the ftate of affairs in this country, and at the fame time to ask fuch a supply of money as may put the King of England in a condition to fupport himfelf, and not fink under the efforts which it is expected

his enemies will make as foon as an occafion offers. Lord Rochefter, Lord Sunderland, and Lord Godolphin, came to me together, and explained the need the King of England had of a prefent fupply, that is to fay, of a confiderable fum of money, in order to enable him to conduct himself with a neceffary firmnefs towards his parliament, and not to grant any of thofe conditions prejudicial to his authority, which undoubtedly will be proposed to him at granting the revenue which the deceased King enjoyed. They told me the resolution was taken not to accept what the parliament would grant for a limited time, because it would establish a neceffity of affembling a parliament, which would change the form of government, and render the King their mafter entirely dependent on that affembly: That rather than fall into this inconvenience, it would be better to have recourfe directly to violent remedies, diffolve the parliament, and maintain himself by open force in the enjoyment of the revenues granted for life to the deceased King of England: That it ought not to be prefumed this can be done without oppofition, and they ought to be in a condition of oppofing inftantly the firft difturbances which fhall be raifed: That they cannot prevent them by levying fresh troops before the fitting of parliament, nor by bringing in a foreign force, which on the firft diffolution of the parliament would rather caufe a general revolt in England, than ferve to reduce the rebels: That thus the only remedy is, that his Britannic Majesty be in a condition of making one grand effort, and of fupporting himself with a fum of money which would facilitate all his defigns: On the contrary, if he muft wait for the fupply he ftands in need of, the time will be gone before any advantages can be drawn from it, but which are undoubted, if the supply be immediate.

The three minifters enlarged upon the glory your Majefty would acquire by preferving the crown, as yet but VOL. II. * E tottering