Letters written by Sir William Temple during his being ambassador at The Hague, to the Earl of Arlington and Sir John Trevor, Secretaries of State to K. Charles II wherein are discovered many secrets hitherto concealed / published from the originals, under Sir William Temple's own hand ; and dedicated to the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Littleton, Speaker of the House of Commons, by D. Jones, Gent.

LETTER XIX. Hague, February 5. S. N. 69. (Book 19)

SIR,

•• Have since my last, the Honour of yours of the 15th past; Whereby I find ••ou expected my next would be from Brus∣〈…〉〈…〉ls, after the Receipt of my Powers and 〈…〉〈…〉structions some Days before arrived; But 〈…〉〈…〉e great Business of our Adjustment with 〈…〉〈…〉pain, upon the Swedish Subsidies, being, as 〈…〉〈…〉e hope, come to an Issue here by full 〈…〉〈…〉owers to the Spanish Ambassador, I know 〈…〉〈…〉ot whether that Journey will hold, or 〈…〉〈…〉.

Monsieur de Witt thinks it may still be 〈…〉〈…〉cessary, if it be but to give Heart to the 〈…〉〈…〉eople there who need it much, and to 〈…〉〈…〉ake some Entrances with the Constable, 〈…〉〈…〉on the best Ways and Methods of setling 〈…〉〈…〉at Countrey in a posture of not falling 〈…〉〈…〉der another Surprize from France: But I 〈…〉〈…〉all have time to consider whether that be 〈…〉〈…〉rand enough for such a Journey, when I 〈…〉〈…〉ar the States Resolutions about it; For 〈…〉〈…〉therto it is only Monsieur de Witt's pri∣〈…〉〈…〉ate Opinion. And they not having pro∣ceeded

so far as to engage any Person in it, when there was more occasion, 'tis possible they may now desist from the present Thoughts of it.

I can give no further Account of our Marine Treaty, expecting your Answers to their Desires of some Instances, when we either had felt, or apprehended the Grie∣vance in that only Article which remains. I find Monsieur Van Benninghen has been very large upon that Subject in a Letter to you from Amsterdam, which Monsieur d•• Witt shew'd me a Copy of, and would have had me transmitted, for fear of the Originals miscarrying: But I thought it not necessary, both in regard of the Safety of all Letters in their usual course; and to say truth, because I found not the Argu∣ments very weighty, and a Byass in the•• towards the leaving out that whole Arti∣cle, or at least confining it to particular places, of which instance should be made. Whereas Monsieur de Witt had always de∣clar'd, That the Instances were desir'd on∣ly for Information in the nature of our De∣mand, and not to insert in the Article.

I am apt to believe, that 'tis only Jea∣lousie on both sides, which makes this point so much insisted on by us, and so much ap∣prehended by them, at least if we can give no particular Instances of the Grie∣vance: For they are positive, that with the knowledge of the Directors, no such thing is practised. However some Expe∣dient

must be found out to agree it: If you ••urnish me with Instances, that will be some Assistance to me; If you cannot do that, I was thinking whether it might not be an Expedient to add to the Article, as I trans∣mitted it, some such Words, that this should be done in the same manner as was ••sually practised between the two Compa∣nies, before such a Year, naming two or three Years before the War, since you af∣〈…〉〈…〉rm before that time no such thing was ••retended or exercised by them: But I have mentioned nothing of any such Ex∣••edient here; nor shall till I have answer ••f my last, and your result upon it, after having communicated it to those who are ••ost concerned to understand it.

I know not whether I thought it worth ••aking notice of, that the Admiral of Den∣••ark came hither some Days since, about ••••e long debated Difference between that King and these States, upon certain Sums ••f Money, and likewise about agreeing ••pon the Measures of Ships that pass the ••ound. I am always,

SIR,

Your most Faithful Humble Servant, W. Temple.