To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Of Coleman's Intelligence, and private Correspondence with France, to the King and Duke's Disadvantage; and his Motions and Pretences for Money.
My LORD,
WHen I acquainted your Lordship with the Censure past by this Court up∣on the King and Duke's Sentiments, in
reference to their League and Correspon∣dencies with them, and especially the bu∣siness of the Match, I could neither deter∣mine whether it were purely their own Suggestions, collected from the Circum∣stances and natural Positions of things as they then stood, which I was inclined to, or to some secret Information from ano∣ther hand, but now I find the latter to be true; for whatever the King, Duke and Dutchesse's true Sentiments were, so they were represented under-hand by Coleman to the Juncto here, and by some other self∣ended Confidents of theirs, of whom but more particularly of Mr. Coleman I find it thus inserted in our Minutes: That being entered into a close and separate Corre∣spondence of his own with this Court, be∣sides that known to their Highnesses, whose Agent he was, he was therein to give them intelligence of all that was transact∣ed at White-hall, and St. James's, that pos∣sibly he could, but more especially of the Comportment of the King and the Duke, as to the Points agreed on between France and them; as also of the Disposition of all the Factions in England, and of the foreign Ministers, &c. to obliege himself to make Parties to cross his Master, the Duke, or the King, or both; in case either, or both of them, should go about to deviate from the Measures prescribed them by the French Court.
I find, my Lord, he was besides this a great Undertaker for Conversions, and Proselyting Men to Rome, or rather France; and his Agreement with them was to have allowed him as an Annuity the Summe of Twenty Thousand Crowns pun∣ctually to be paid, and for Extraordinaries, as should be calculated, according to the emergency of the Occasions: His Preten∣ses for Conversions were manifold, and ex∣travagant enough in the relation of them; and did slily at first insinuate, and when he had once broken the Ice, warmly ur∣ged, that whereas the Duke had very large Remittances made him upon the ac∣count of Conversions, wherein he was an Undertaker; that it were more advisable, for the future, to entrust him with a mo∣derate Summe for that purpose, and there∣by save themselves that deal which they must have sent to the Duke upon that Account, if they should send any; and so moved them, entirely to wave that point with him, for that he could do much more in that nature, than the Duke could ever pre∣tend to, because more imperceptibly.
He promised them likewise for the gaining of Members of Parliament over to their Interest, great and mighty things, and then discreetly insinuated those things already spoken of, about the Designs of the King and Duke towards them, and thereupon advised them to transmit unto
them both only but moderate Summes, and let him have but moderate ones, ac∣cording to a private Man's fortune, and he would take effectual care both to ma∣nage them, and do their business in Eng∣land more to purpose, than they would do without him.
He also added, That to give the King and Duke great Summes, would be no o∣ther than to enable them to buy the Par∣liament's Votes for themselves, and not for the Interest of France, and to get such store of Money of them, that they would afterward take such measures as they themselves pleased, without any regard to France, being sure to please the People at any time whenever they were minded to go contrary to them; and much mat∣ter to the same purpose, with which I shall no farther trouble your Lordship, but sub∣scribe my self, as I unfeignedly am, and ever shall be,
My LORD,
Your most Obedient and Most Humble Servant.
Paris, Feb. 28. 1680. N. S.