laws of the nation, to procure the regulation of affairs in fuch a manner, that the proteftant religion, with the liberties and rights of the clergy, nobility, and people, may be put in entire fecurity. By this means alone there is place to hope, that there will follow a good union and fincere confidence between the King and his subjects, that they may be in a condition of being able to contribute powerfully to the common good, I must add, that in the defign which I have of endeavouring to prevent the continuation of these misunderstandings, and to ftrengthen so good an union upon solid foundations, I ought to intreat your Imperial Majefty to be affured, that I will employ all my credit to provide, that the Roman Catholics of that country may enjoy liberty of confcience, and be put out of fear of being perfecuted on account of their religion; and provided they exercise their religion without noife, and with modefty, that they fhall not be fubject to any punishment.

I have at all times had a great averfion to all fort of perfecution upon religious matters among Chriftians.

I pray God, who is powerful over all, to bless this my fincere intention, and I dare promife that it will not displease your Majesty.

I pray God also, that he may cover you with his best bleffing. I am with all fort of respect."

No VI.

Letters from Barillon to his court, which shew that King James intended to break the act of fettlement in Ireland, and had three Popish regiments in England in the pay of France. And intrigues of Lord Sunderland.—And King James's laft letters to the Prince of Orange.

There are facts in Barillon's dispatches fufficient to fhow that the revolution was a measure of the moft abfo

lute

lute neceffity. An English reader may not be furprised to hear, that King James had refolved to make void the act of fettlement in Ireland, in order to have it in his power to make ufe of Irish Catholics for the establishment of his authority in England. But he will be aftonished to learn a fact hitherto unknown and unfufpected, 'that towards the end of the reign of King James, there were in England three Popifh regiments regularly paid by France.

Lord Tyrconnel was the perfon who first fuggefted this project, and connected it with another equally pleafing to the King, to wit, that the British regiments in the Dutch fervice fhould be recalled from that fervice. The fecrets of these things are to be found in the following difpatches:

Tranfation.

Extract of a letter from Mr. Barillon to Louis the XIV'th.King James is to propofe that Louis fhould take into his pay a regiment formed of the British troops, to be recalled from Holland.-The views of this.-In the Depot.

"LOR

October 13, 1687.

ORD Sunderland acquainted me that his mafter was to speak to me about an affair of confequence, and that he would explain it to me, to the end I might be prepared when his Britannic Majefty fhould communicate

it to me.

The fact is, that the King of England is refolved to withdraw his troops which are in the fervice of the States General: He expects indeed that a great number of the officers and foldiers will remain in Holland, but also a good part may return here, and principally the Catholics, and all thofe who are not entirely gained by the Prince of Orange. However defirous his Britannic Majefty may

be

be to recall these troops, it is difficult for him to do it without having eafy means of fubfifting those who shall be recalled, and keeping them together in one body. The expedient of augmenting the troops which are on foot here would be the most natural, but there is already as great a number as the King of England can maintain. His thought therefore is, to propose to your Majefty the taking into your service a regiment of infantry, composed of the officers and foldiers to be recalled from Holland; this regiment will be entirely at your Majefty's own difpofal, it being understood nevertheless, that when the King of England fhall have occafion for them in his own country, your Majefty will not refuse to send them back.

The reasons which oblige this Prince to make this propofal are, that by this means there would be a new corps on foot, which would be better kept up and better difciplined than thofe which are in this country; that it will be a nursery to educate and form Catholic foldiers, who will not be informed of the dangerous maxims to monarchy, which are spread throughout all England, and from which even the Catholics are not entirely exempt; that without this, it will be difficult for him to recall for foon the troops which are in Holland, he not being able to fubfift them eafily together, although he knows of how much confequence it is to him not to permit to exist any longer a corps of troops of his own fubjects, the greatest number of whom are not in his interefts, and would ferve against him if the occafion offered.

Lord Sunderland having explained this, faid, he judged this affair was not eafily to be obtained of your Majefty; that in time of peace your Majesty would not eafily think of taking into your fervice a body of foreign troops, the expence of which would. exceed that of a like number of your own fubjects; that it was well known what had happened fome years

ago with regard to the English troops which were in France; and that your Majefty had perhaps formed for ever a dislike at taking them into your service, and making an extraordinary expence, for which there appeared no trong reasons to engage you at prefent; that however, confidering the state of affairs in England in particular, and (of Europe in general, your Majesty will perhaps judge that the proposal which is made to you, ought to be admitted; first, because it is a thing extremely important for the good of the catholic religion, for the advantage of which principally this regiment would be levied and maintained; that in this your Majefty would fenfibly oblige the King his mafter, and give him an effectual and folid mark of friendship, at a time when he might, on his fide, give proofs to your Majefty of his attachment to your interefts; that the propofal which is made, fhews a determined refolution on the part of the King of England, to preserve a strict connection with your Majefty, and it will even render this connection public, and may produce effects which will not be useless to your Majesty's service; that it will be a mortifying displeasure to the Prince of Orange to fee the troops recalled from Holland pafs into your Majesty's service; that even the States General will from thence form new fubjects of jealousy against the King of England, and perceive that he is far from entering into any connection or concert with them; that the House of Auftria will from thence believe, that there is between your Majesty and the King of England a connection more strict and more established than there is, which cannot but be useful in the prefent conjuncture; that, in fine, this regiment being in your service, ought to be looked upon as a pledge of an entire confidence on the part of the King his master, and that it is a beginning to lead in the end to all that your Majefty may judge convenient for your interefts.

I told Lord Sunderland that I could not of myself give him any answer to a thing so new, and of fo great consequence; that I could tell him, I believed it would be very difficult; and that he himself knew the reasons which might hinder your Majesty from taking foreign troops into your service at a time when you had disbanded so great a number of your own fubjects. The King of England has not as yet spoken to me about it, but I don't doubt he will upon the first occafion, and that he will add other reafons to those which have been alleged by Lord Sunderland."

Tranflation.

Extract of a difpatch from Mr. Barillon to Louis the XIVth.-James is to rescind the act of fettlement in Ireland.-In the Depot.

"I

October 16, 1687.

KNOW from Lord Sunderland that Lord Tirconel was the person who preffed the King his mafter moft to have a regiment of his fubjects in France, and who has pointed out to him the confequences of it; this gave me an opportunity of entering upon the affairs of Ireland: Lord Sunderland told me that the King his mafter is refolved to reverfe the act of fettlement which was made of the Irish Catholics eftates to the English Proteftants upon the return of the late King of England; that this was as yet kept very fecret; but it would foon be gone about, and that measures are taken to accomplish it. The reverfing this fettlement, which was made in favour of rebels and Cromwell's officers, is looked upon here as the most important of all things, and if it can be executed without oppofition it will be an entire feparation of Ireland from England for the future. This is the general fentiment of all the English.” VOL. II,

S

In