The secret history of White-Hall, from the restoration of Charles II down to the abdication of the late K. James writ at the request of a noble lord, and conveyed to him in letters, by ̲̲̲late secretary-interpreter to the Marquess of Louvois, who by that means had the perusal of all the private minutes between England and France for many years : the whole consisting of secret memoirs, which have hitherto lain conceal'd, as not being discoverable by any other hand / publish'd from the original papers, by D. Jones, gent.

LETTER XXX. (Book 30)

Of the Liberty of Conscience, first granted in Scotland, and then in England, by King James II.

My Lord,

YOur Lordship may call to mind what I have before written to you concerning Tollera∣tion in Religion, as necessary to facilitate the King's Designs, and now you see it hath sprout∣ed up in Scotland, and the Buddings of it are visible enough in England; that the Parliament of the former as well as the latter opposed the Dispensing Power is notoriously known, so that there was much less Hopes they would have concurred to the Indulgence, a Point as neces∣sary to be gained every whit as the other; that the Scotch Nation were more modelled to the King's Hand than the English, the King himself well knew; as having a personal Share in it

when high Commissioner in that Kingdom in his Brother's Reign, and the French and English Jesuitical Faction knew this as well as he; and therefore I am assured both of them concurred to have the Indulgence given there first, and that also in so partial a manner in fa∣vour of those of the King's Religion, that the rest have hardly any Share therein; which manifests plainly the Design of the English Catholicks whatever specious Pretence they may otherwise use, is to bring the People of England also under the same, nay a worse Yoke of Servitude, and to have their own Religion predominant quickly, and in Time the only one in both Nations: And as for the third they are cock sure of that already; but that of the French Emissaries is not so visible and above Board; for they hope such partial Proceedings must at last incense the People of both Kingdoms and that to so vi∣olent a degree, that the King must of neces∣sity have recourse to call in French Force to quell them: and then, my Lord, when they have once got sure Footing, who can guess at their farther Aim; however, they have not with all their Intrigues been able to pre∣vail with the King to use the same Partiality in England, who according to the Transmis∣sion of their Intelligence hither seemed very much inclined to it, upon their urging the Tractableness of the Scotch Council in the Matter, and what a great Pattern they had set to them of England, whom they did not doubt but would abrogate the Laws made against Roman Catholicks, &c. in imitation of them; but a Roman Catholick Lord, whom I have formerly named to your Lord∣ship

to have interposed upon the like Occasion, thwarted them therein; he deserves well of his Country in some respects, and I do not question but your Honour is of that mind; and so shall I be, till I see more than I do now to incline me to the contrary, who am,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most humble and obedient Servant.

Paris, Sept. 5. 168••. N. S.