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 LXVII. (Book 67)

Of the Duke of York's being in France Twice, and Closetted by the French King. His Rencounter with the French Ambassadour Barillon. His Wives ill success in France. Her Petition to the French King. Return without Relief, and her fatal End.

My Lord,

HAD I been able to have given your Lordship some remarkable passages relating to the Duke, and Mr. Coleman's History, in the time the great Affair of the Popish Plot was in Vogue and Agitation, I do not doubt but I should have perform'd a grateful part to you; yet I find some∣thing so singular and diverting therein, that I cannot but flatter my self, it will still, in some measure, prove agreeable. Mr. Cole∣man had, for a long time, manag'd the In∣trigues between the French and English Courts, and that your Lordship well knows, for his Letters that were seiz'd and publisht make it evident; and he was one of the chief Instruments to draw his Master, the Duke of York, into so close a Corres∣pondence with them as he was ingag'd in, of which your Lordship has heard before; and from the Year 1676, to near the time he

was Arraign'd and Condemn'd for the Po∣pish Plot; I am free to acquaint you, my Lord, That all his Letters past through my hands, being first directed to a French Gen∣tleman, who took care to transmit them to me, with Orders to send them to Father St. Germain, who manag'd all Affairs be∣tween him and Father La Choise, but I saw the Contents of few or none of them, till lately I have found them among other things of that kind in the Minutes of our French Secretary, and which is the Reason your Lordship has not receiv'd this Account sooner, at which, I am sure, you cannot but stand astonished, as I was my self, when I acquaint you, that I find it entred here, that the Duke of York was, during this famous Correspondence, two several times in France, and Closetted to boot, by his Most Christian Majesty (which, by the way, unfolds the Mystery of the Proposals I have former∣ly mentioned, about Trapanning the Princes into France) but it was both times by Night, and the Works of Darkness, between One and Two of the Clock in the Morning, tru∣sty persons being ready posted to Introduce him: And one time a Councellor of the Parliament of Paris to whom, Some of Cole∣man's Letters were directed, happening ac∣cidentally to let fall an Expression, intima∣ting, That the Duke of York was come thi∣ther in Person, tho' it was Voic'd up and down among the Courtiers it was Coleman;

he receiv'd a very severe Check for his unsea∣sonable Inadvertence; and, as a farther pu∣nishment, he had no more any Secrets com∣municated to him: for, the Letters from thenceforward were distributed by another way. The first time the Duke was Closet∣ted, was a little before the second Dutch War, to concert Measures, how he should he enabled to induce his Brother to give his Consent to it to promote the French Designs thereby; as was likewise our Famous Ad∣miral Sir Edward Spragg, for the same pur∣pose, not very long after the Duke. The second time was a little before the Splendid and Extraordinary French Embassy was sent into England, and wherein Measures were Concerted how to induce our King to give his Consent to have the Princess Mary Mar∣ried into France; and, in case that would not do, how to Steal her, and send her away when they went off; but this Intrigue com∣ing to be privately discover'd to the King, by one of the Duke's great Confidents, he had the Cunning to dissemble the matter, and took no manner of notice of it to the Duke his Brother, but gave secret Orders that a strict Eye and a good Guard should be kept over the Princess, and would not permit the Duke to have her abroad upon a∣ny Invitations, or other pretence whatsoe∣ver, till the Embassadors were quite gone; saying, It would administer Iealousie to His People, if She should be permitted to stir abroad

much, while the French Sparks continued in England. And to prevent the like Plots upon her for the future, and to please His People, who were now upon the fret, and, as they would have it here out of Displea∣sure against such an Indirect and Rash Pro∣cedure, which, had it taken effect, as he said, would have dashed him and his Govern∣ment in an Instant upon an inevitable Rock, he Married Her, as your Lordship well re∣members, to the Prince of Orange, to the great Regret and Vexation of the French Court, and of the Duke too, who, from thenceforward hath not cared how almost he exposed the King his Brother, by engaging of Him in continual Troubles for his sake, nor how closely he United with the French Fa∣ction, who afterward wreakt their Revenge for some time upon the Duke himself, but chiefly upon the King, by their Intrigues, in bringing the following Popish Plot upon the Stage: Both the times the Duke was on this side, the King knew not of, or at least they design'd He should believe so, but thought he was retir'd for Indisposion, yet both times he brought Remittances for con∣siderable Sums of Money; yet the French were highly displeased at him for his failure in the aforesaid Match, and the subsequent Plot upon his Daughter; so far, as that they Suspended his Pensions, as they likewise did Coleman's, which made them both incline to Revolt to the Spanish Faction, and moved

the Duke to some seeming willingness to go over, and Command the English Forces in Flanders, in the War then likely to be de∣clared from England against France; for which they were cruelly revenged upon Mr. Coleman, by contriving his Ruin and Death; and against the Duke of York too, by the dis∣covery of the Popish Plot, in which they were highly Instrumental, and by imploying the Dutchess of Portsmouth, and some other of their Creatures in our Court, which were bi∣gotted to their Interests, to promote the Bill of Exclusion, that so that Prince might be brought under a necessity, as they thought, to return to, and absolutely to rely upon them; for when, in those Troublesom Times, the Duke was forced to retire to Bruxells, the French King was heard to say, That had he follow'd his Counsel, and been constant to him, he should not have needed to have retir'd to Bruxells, or to any other place but France. But however, I find all was accommodated again afterward, and the Duke got closer in with them than ever, when the Whig∣party, as they call'd it, was quash'd, and things were ripe for another Plot, called. The Pr.—one. But however, before that Breach we have spoken of with the Duke and Coleman, they were resolv'd first to get some Service out of them; for, find∣ing, after the Allyance with Holland, that our King was somewhat inclin'd to comply with His Parliaments and Peoples Instances,

well as those made to Him by the Confede∣rate Ministers in Declaring a War in con∣junction with them against France, as ap∣pear'd by His Speech to the Parliament; But more by their Voting a Fleet of Ninety Capital Men of War, and an Army of Nine and twenty thousand Land-soldiers for that purpose: of all which it does appear, Cole∣man sent over hither a speedy Account; They then presently Renewed their Pensi∣ons to him, and to the Duke for some time, with a Solemn Promise of a considerable Sum by way of Gratuity besides, if they could so far prevail, as to sow such Dissen∣tions between the King and Parliament, as might hinder those Preparations by being seconded by an Actual Declaration of War, which they did effectually; for they had, by their Creatures, inspired into the heads of the most Stirring and Active Members of the House, that the Pretence of War against France, was only a Court-trick to get Mo∣ney, and a Standing Army to Enslave the Nation; and therefore it were not their best way to trust the King with Money for that purpose, unless it were at certain moderate Sums, and with such Limitations as might Secure them from any Arbitrary Deligns, and from Intrigues with the French; and at the same time it was Infused, with much Artifice, into the King's Head, That if he once ventured on a War against France without an Unconditional Vote for

sufficient supplies, and that in very con∣siderable Sums at once; as for example, of so much yearly as long as the War last∣ed; that he was an undone and lost Man, and would, by that false step, be infallibly unhinged; by which Artifices a Declara∣tion of War against France was so long protracted, till the Hollanders despairing of any good from England, were necessita∣ted to clap up a Separate Peace (which the French, with all diligence, proposed to them) whilst the King and Parliament in England were disputing the Case about Funds for the War. My Lord, I have been necessitated to recapitulate some things here, which I remember I have Written a Larger Account of to your Lordship, and that because I could not well other∣wise have brought in the succeeding part of Mr. Coleman's History, who, to say no∣thing of the Duke, having effected the foremention'd Divisions, Jealousies and Disputes, claim'd his Promised Reward of Monsieur Barillon, the French Ambas∣sador at London, having yet received but one Payment of it; but the slie Mon∣sieur finding his Business was so far done, that he was able to go on with the rest himself without their assistance, put him off at first with Fair Words, but Cole∣man still Renewing his Instances, Ba∣rillon began to slight his Applications, and at last told him, in Down-right

Terms, he had no Orders to Pay him a∣ny more Money; That he had Receiv'd enough for the Business he had done; since there were other Instruments which he had there, who had done more, and been much more Serviceable in it than himself; and, in a word, That his Master, the French King, had no further occasion for the Service of such a Sawcy, Imperti∣nent, and Inconsiderable Fellow as he was: Coleman was Netled to the Quick at this Unexpected Treatment, which he conceived he had not deserved at their hands; and therefore he reply'd again as warmly, saying, That for his part he had neglected much greater Rewards then what he demanded of him, and which was his Iust Due, which he might have had from the Con∣federate Party; and that now since he found he was so slighted, he should take care to let them see they should find the miss of his Servi∣ces, by what he would, and was resolv'd to do for the other side, and that he question'd not but to bring the Duke his Master to be quickly of his Mind: Barillon thereupon answer'd, That his Master would be sure to find them such Im∣ployment in a short time, that they should have no leasure to think of serving the Confederates, or hunting the French in Flanders, having already such a pack of Hounds in a readiness, as would quickly snap him, and hunt his Ma∣ster too off his Legs, if he did but offer to

depart so much from his own Interest as to quit theirs.

After this mutual Huff, Coleman going to take his Leave of Monsieur Barillon, the Frenchman retaining still a spice of French Civility, came to attend him to the Gate, where, seeing Coleman's Coach standing right before it;

Sir, said he, briskly to him, What is the meaning of this, that your Coach stands right before my Door, that is no place for a person of your mean station and qua∣lity.

That's strange, Monsieur, Answer'd Coleman, I should be of meaner quality now, then I used to be; there, you know well enough, it used to stand; But pray where would you have it to stand then, continu'd he? Two or three doors off, cry'd Barillon: So indeed, said Coleman, I used to place it, when I went to a Baw∣dy-house, but I did not take yours to be such till now, and so adiew.

It was but a few days after this rencounter, my Lord, that Coleman was seized for the Popish Plot, at the news of which, the Discourse was at the French Secretaries, that Coleman would certain∣ly pay dear for having adventured to displease the King their Master; for that they had perswaded the Conceited Fool to keep his Papers all by him, which they flat∣ter'd him, were Rare Compositions, and

Specimens of incomparable Wit and Parts, in which they said were things, not only enough to hang him out of the way, but so to hamper the King and Duke too, and in∣volve them in such Troubles, that they would be glad to quit all their thoughts of leaning towards the Confederates, and so return again to their interests at last, as most expedient for them; and that they had im∣ployed such Tools as would not fail to Dis∣cover all their Inttigues, and be in spight of their Teeth, forc'd to acts of Repentance and sorrow for what they had done: And in fine, when Coleman was Condemn'd, and the Duke would have interpos'd for a Par∣don for him, Monsieur Barillon oppos'd it Tooth and Nail, and said, He ought to be Sacrificed upon that occasion, and that if he were not, the King his Master would find means to have a worse Discovery made, than all that had yet been made to appear out of his Papers or otherwise: After Coleman was Hang'd, his Wife reduc'd to a forlorn state, retir'd into France, and presented a Petition to the French King to this effect.

That whereas her late Husband, besides his many other good and timous services done to his most Christian Majesty, had upon his instances by his Minister at London, hired an House in Deans-yard in Westminster, of a considerable Rent, some time before that Session of Parliament wherein the matter of a War against the King∣dom of France was to be debated and agitated,

for the better convenience of Treating some Members of Parliament, and some other Gentle∣men that had influence over them; That he had expended considerable Sums of Mony that way, as he had done in like manner among other use∣ful instruments he had in the Country as well as the City for promoting his Majesties Service in England, for which he had declined much great∣er Rewards from the Spanish, Imperial, and Dutch Ministers, and other Agents, than he expected or desired from him, whom he served more by inclination than Interest; and that he had had the good Fortune happily to effect the great task imposed on him by his most Christian Majesties Commands, in dividing the King of England and his Parliament, and breaking the neck of the intended War against France; that yet for all that, when his work was accomplish'd, Monsieur Barillon had refused to pay him his ex∣pences, and never had given him one quarter of the Su•• he was to have had for that Affair, and much less, the Expences he had been at; And that now at last he had lost his dear Life for serving his Majesty, by which sad disaster, she and her Family being ruin'd, and reduc'd to misery and great want; she therefore humbly besought his Majesty, if he would be pleas'd to do nothing else for her, that he would order her the payment of her Husband's Arrears, &c.

To which Petition, my Lord, this Court Reply'd, That Mr. Coleman, her Husband, had had more Mony from them than he de∣serv'd; That he had been a false, inconstant

Rascal, and had brought himself to that shameful end by his own Folly and Knavery, having had the impudence to threaten his Majesties Embassador, to turn Cat in Pan, &c. That his Majesty had nothing to say to her, and would not give her one Farthing; which surly Answer so thunder-struck the Poor Woman, that she return'd over into England so enrag'd, and in such a dreadful Fit of Despair, that she miserably cut her own Throat, at her Lodging in London; which relation and Coppy, of the Petition I had delivered me by an English Priest, who was Coleman's Wife's Confessor, and which after I had Transcrib'd it, I delivered to the English E—to be sent to King Charles the Ild. that he might see how his Bro∣ther's Creatures served him; but how he represented it is beyond my know∣ledge to tell. I have been tedious and am affraid troublesome to your Lordship by a long Epistle, but the Curiosities whereof the various parts of it are Composed, will I hope be as powerful a lenitiue against any Dis∣pleasure I may have incurred from your Lord∣ship, as they have been incitatives for me to write it, who am, My Lord,

Your most humble, and most obedi∣ent Servant.

Paris, Apr. ••. 1683. N. St.