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 XXXIX. (Book 39)

Of Don John of Austria's being hindred to take upon him the Ad∣ministration of the Spanish Affairs in the year 1676.

My Lord,

IT's not long since I have given your Lordship an account of the advances made by this Court towards a Peace; but you know, since that, the War went on with various successes; and perhaps your Lordship has heard of the Business of Don John in Spain, How he was pre∣vented from having the Administration of the Affairs of that Country, by a Let∣ter under the King of Spain's Hand, when he was just going to embark for the relief of Messina; there was at that time an expectation in the Confederates of mighty things to be perform'd by him to their advantage, and the preventing him from a share in the Government, was esteemed generally to be a French Trick, and so it was; but I believe the Confederates were guilty of a grand mistake in their expectation of him; for the French Memoirs say, Don John was

perfectly their Creature, and that it was the violent hatred of the Queen Mother of Spain, as well as a jealousie to have her own Power invaded, that put him beside the Administration; That it was through his means the Matching of the King of Spain with the Emperor's Daugh∣ter was put by, and that with the Duke of Orleans's Daughter effected; and that he was going to act mighty things for the French Interest, for which he had large Promises made him of their power∣ful and effectual Assistance to obtain the Crown of Spain for himself, after the Decease of the present King, upon con∣dition he should quit the Spanish Domi∣nions in the Indies, Low-Countries, and Italy, to the Crown of France; for the performance of which, they had sufficient Assurances from him.

I am further to observe to your Lord∣ship from the said Minutes, That they have attributed his Death to a Dose of Poison administred by the order and par∣ticular prescription of the Queen-Mother, and that out of a fear she had he would one day Poison the King her Son; and because he had against her Will, been the instrument to make the French Match. They further add, how true the one or the other, I will not take upon me to determine, That the Queen Mother's ha∣tred to Don John was inveterate; that she

had attempted once before to have Stab'd him, and at another time to Pistol him: As for the fore-mentioned Letter from the King of Spain, to stop the Don's passage for Messina, they say it was sent by the Instigation of the Duke de Medina Celi, then in the French Faction, with an intent to make him miss that stroke, and secure him in their Interests, by letting him know, that it was by their Intreague he was admitted to Court. I could further enlarge upon this subject, did I judge it pertinent or agreeable to your Lordship's humour, as I am affraid it is not; and therefore I remain,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most humble! and devoted Servant.

Paris, July 2, 1679. N. S.