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 XLVII. (Book 47)

Containing a general Account of Par∣ties engaged in French Interests, and of their Designs; but more parti∣cularly of one Kelly a Priest, &c.

My Lord,

YOur Lordship will not now wonder, when such as I have mentioned in some of my late Letters, have plung'd themselves so deeply in French Sudds, that others should be so easily drawn into their Interests; I am to acquaint you therefore, That this Court had, accor∣ding to their Projection, gain'd the most considerable Roman Catholicks in the Three Kingdoms, by fair and specious Pretences, to comply even to every thing they desired of them; as thinking King Lewis to be a most Generous Prince, that had no By-ends in it, but as he was most able, was most willing to promote the propagation of that Religion, and the re∣instating their King in a condition to Protect them, out of a pure piece of Ho∣nour and Zeal for the Catholick Faith,

as they were wont to Word it; who therefore most willingly entred into a Correspondence with his Agents and E∣missaries; and some of them took Pen∣sions, but I cannot give your Lordship a List of their Names at this juncture; but most of that Kidney acted freely, in using all the endeavours they possibly could, to induce both King, Duke, &c. to a compliance with them in all things they had instructions to move to them and sollicit for; as they had long done themselves in the points I have already mentioned to your Lordship, and which I need not repeat: But tho' they de∣signed, if either one or both of the Roy∣al Brothers should disoblige them too much, especially the King, or that any juncture of things, or grand conveniency of theirs, should persuade, to proceed to some barbarous Extremity against the Persons of one or both of them; yet they thought not good to trust any British Papists with any thing so black, no not so much as their Jesuits, but took par∣ticular heed to reserve th••se Mysteries to another Cabal, having provided for that a Juncto of Foreigners and Irish for the taking off the King, if things came to that extremity: And as for the Duke, they seemed not much afraid of him, and therefore made no such exact provision,

but they knew of some two or three desperate Fanaticks, whom they had in reserve for that purpose, and they were of the Scotch Nation; but if the King alone was to be taken off, then the Dutchess's Cabal in conjunction with that of Portsmouth, were to engage in it; but if things came to that extremity, as that both Brothers were to be removed, then Portsmouth's Gang was only to be im∣ployed, without the concern or privity of the other. And this last Cabal of Portsmouth's was composed of French and Irish Jesuits, and Jesuited Popish Bi∣gots.

But among them there was a certain Priest named Kelly, who was a long time Ban∣ker to the Cabal, and is still I believe, on this side the Water, and coming to hear by the Correspondence he held with his Complotters in England, there were some who scrupled such Undertakings; he went Over, saying, He would procure enough to do either of the Works if occasion were. I had once a Bill upon him for a Friend of mine, and then I remember he railed mightily against both King and Duke, and said they were both Knaves, Fools and Cowards, for that having for∣saken the French Interest, they would be Ruined, and see all their Kingdoms quickly

in Flames; That it was an easie matter for the King of France to do it; That it would very quickly be effected, and be a most laudable Action; and would, he hoped, end in the total subjection of the Three Kingdoms to the French King's Power, which he heartily wished for his poor Country's sake, so tyrannized over by Hereticks; with abundance more of such Stuff; but I knew not then he was so deeply concerned as afterward, when I found his name for an Undertaker in Portsmouth's Cabal; one Father Patrick also who used often to go and come, and was wont to conceal his Intriguing under a pe∣culiar appearance, was another of the same Cabal, with two or three French Men, whose Names I have not at present. Your Lordship will pardon this imperfect Ac∣count, and judge favourably of his Endea∣vours, who desires nothing more than to gratifie your Expectation, who am,

My Lord,

Your Honour's most Humble and Devoted Servant.

Paris, Jan. 19. 1680, N. S.