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 XLIX. (Book 49)

Of King Charles II's Politick's upon his Entring into the fore-mentioned pri∣vate League with France, as repre∣sented by the French Court.

My LORD,

IN my last, your Lordship had the sub∣stance of the Private League entred into by our King, and this Court, it may not be now unworthy your curiosity to know the Censure they have past upon him in rela∣tion to that head; they have said, they un∣derstood well enough that what ever their Design might be in obtaining such a point, that the King, and his Brother's too up∣on them, was to draw as much Money out of them as they possibly could thereby, and yet not to venture too far on any of those important and ticklish Points propo∣sed, without very large Summs, to secure every Step made forward, and that by ad∣vance too; for that they both concluded that the best and only way to make the French stick close to them was, to be al∣ways considerably before-hand with them, not without reason, as they imagined, fea∣ring, that if they were not still before∣hand, when they had engaged them in Difficulties, and saw them fast, they would

leave them in the lurch: As for the King, tho' they knew him to be no more a Papist than he was a Politician, yet he was of the Opinion, if the Popish Religion could be handsomly made predominant, it might suit better with the Monarchy; yet having no Children to succeed him, that he was but careless in that point, and his Brother only being concerned in that matter, he moved only as he was spurred on by his importunity, the Temptation of Money, the Diffidence he had of his People, and among others, the Fears he had either of having his days shortned, or his Crown very much endangered by the Intrigues of his Brother, or the French King; should he not keep fair and humour them both in some tollerable measure, since he found himself so far intangled in their snares: For as for his Nephew the Prince of Orange, that he had no aversion for him, but rather an in∣clination through Nature and Policy, and therefore was of himself willing enough the Match should go on; yet that he would have been glad, if the Prince could have been drawn over to the French Inte∣rest, for that then he thought he would have compassed many desirable Ends in one business, and made a very great ad∣vance to have satisfied all parties in the greatest part of their several Pretensions; because that then he supposed he could have satisfied the French King, in bringing

over a Prince to his Interest so very capa∣ble to serve him in that juncture of time; that he would have satisfied also those of his own Subjects, who were well affected to the English Monarchy, as he would have likewise our Trading Companies, by mar∣rying our Princess to a Prince of the Pro∣testant Religion, whom he by separating from the Interests of the States of Holland, and drawing into a League with two great Kings, should have put into a condition to depress that Republick, which was so ill a Neighbour to the Monarchy, so much our rival in Trade, and so great a fomen∣ter of the Schisms and Factions in England; that thereby he should have laid grounds to hope, that if ever he succeeded to those Crowns, he might be able to subject the Belgick to the British Lions, and transfer the magazine of the Riches of the World from the Netherlands into England; and that fie thought to have satisfied the Duke, his Bro∣ther, in a great measure, by so satisfying his friend the French King, and likewise by de∣pressing a Republick so well scituated and in∣clined to abet his deadly Enemies, that in all appearance would way-lay his Succession to the Throne, and thereby cutting off all occasion from that Male-content party, that continually sought occasion to stir up against him the old Devils of Fears and Jealousies of Popery and Arbitrary Power. And that he thought to oblige the Prince

too, by putting him into a method to be∣come a Sovereign in time. And lastly, that he was perswaded, if the Prince com∣plied with those Methods, the Match could disoblige no body, but the States of Hol∣land, and the sympathizing Factions of the Sectaries in England, and the Republicans, whom he thought inconsiderable; but that how desirous soever he was of such a Com∣pliance with France, as they desired, yet it was not in his inclination to break the Match, for that he having in reality a much grea∣ter mind to the Alliance with the Prince of Orange, than to that with the Dauphine, in which he did imagine he foresaw un∣furmountable Difficulties, and such as might endanger, if not over-turn, his Throne, ruine his Brother, and the whole Royal Family, and at last make Great Britain but a French Province; however that know∣ing the Temper of the Duke, his Brother, and the vindicative humour of the French King, he was willing to seem almost all com∣plaisant, and temporize for a while, where∣by he might appease them, and at the same time get what Money could be drawn from France, both for his own security and pleasure; and when he had done that, that he knew wheeling about and con∣cluding the Match, when they least thought of it, or expected it would please his peo∣ple again, tho' never so unsatisfied by the delay. These, my Lord, are the Sentiments

of this Court, concerning him; which, if true, in all points, I conceive they are more beholding to him, than many persons in England are willing to believe of him; but I shall leave it to your Lordships profound Judgment, to revolve upon the particu∣lars, and remain,

My LORD,

Your Lordship's Most Humble and Devoted Servant

Paris, Feb. 1. 1680. N. S.