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 XXIX. Hague, April 12. S. N. 69. (Book 29)

SIR,

I gave you no trouble by last Post ha∣ving nothing to bear me out, besides a short account of my last Conference with the Commissioners, which I sent in one to My Lord Arlington. I have since seen Mounsieur de Witt and others of the chief Persons here, and once more talked all the matter of that Article to the Grave, I fear; for though they will not come to any po∣sitive denial, yet by several Circumstances, and the Manner and Style of their Dis∣courses, I am of Opinion it will prove a desperate pursuit. For they now say, it is a matter that cannot be argued fairly with the Kings Ministers in England, by my Representations from hence of what they say, but must be opened and cleared, viva voce, by some Ministers of theirs in England; but at the same time they say, 'tis a hard thing to press a State to any Contract, which they think will be rui∣nous to them, that the performance of all Contracts which are enter'd into, may be

prest reasonably, whatever they import, but in making new ones, each party uses to find their Account. That the danger of Interpretations to be rais'd upon any Arti∣cles, how clearly soever penned, they have sufficiently felt, by Sir George Downing's sense given upon the words, Litem incep∣tam prosequi, which was the occasion of the War; and now by our interpreting the Articles of Surrendring Surinam to import a liberty for the King to send and com∣mand all the English there to remove, with threats of Loss and Ignominy, in case of their remaining there, which was (as they say) by the Articles left to their own choice. And this, Mounsieur Boreel tells them, is maintained in England, tho' it be not directly exprest in the Kings last Answer. But this of passing Forts and Lands not in Occupation of either Com∣pany, is, they say, a thing so little under∣stood at these distances, that they con∣clude it impossible to frame any Article upon it, which will not in a Years time engage them in quarrels with us, or in the ruine of their present Establishments in the Indies. At the same time they press me very much to conclude the rest of the Articles, while the States seem disposed to pass them, though some of them, as they pretend, are of very hard Digestion, and would leave this of the Forts to further light and satisfaction, but with assurance of Redressing any Complaints we can ex∣hibit

of particular Grievances, contrary to the ancient and constant practices, and writing severe Letters to all the Officers of the East-India Company in those parts, to be sure to give us no such occasion, and to desist immediately, if any such has hap∣pened. By all these Discourses, and the whole course of this matter from the first, I cannot but judge it will prove a business out of my reach here, and that we may take our Measures upon that con∣clusion, how tender soever they are of letting it come to a direct Refusal. And as I gave my Lord Keeper such a hint near two Months since, so now seeing the several offers which have been since made at new Expedients, takes no effect, I can∣not but again repeat it, that we may not be deceived in what Reckonings we make upon this matter. And yet 'tis possible than if Monsieur Van Beninghen goes over, he and our Merchants may come to understand one another better, then they have done at this distance.

The States have yet taken no Resolution in that point, by reason of his being so deep ingaged in pursuing a proposition, up∣on which the Town of Amsterdam is very warm; which is, for taking away a consi∣derable part of the Customs upon the En∣try of the Ships, which they think of ve∣ry great Importance, to the conserving and encreasing the Trade of these Countries:

But the Admiralties maintain the necessi∣ty of keeping up the Tax to find Money for Convoy's, and the safety of their Ships abroad. I do not hear either this matter, or those between Holland and Zea∣land, are like to be decided this Session of the States of Holland, which will end the beginning of next week.

Monsieur de Witt tells me, that by their President's Letters from Copenhagen, they find my Lord Carlisle's passage that way and Complement, has been so well taken, that the King of Denmark will make no difficulty of sending an Ambas∣sage into England; and further, that there is an entire disposition in that Court, to grant us equal priviledges with any of his Nation in our Commerce there, which Monsieur de Witt professes to be very glad of.

He tells me, the French Ambassador is very earnest with him, to make his De∣mands apart from us and Sweden, of what they desire from his Master, to quit their Jealousies and Apprehensions upon the bu∣siness of Flanders, and to restore the confi∣dence betwixt them. That his Master is resolved to satisfie them, if they will make their Demands apart, but that the manner of doing it by an Alliance of se∣veral States, is too Choquant, Et contre •• honneur de Son Maistre, & ce qu' un Roy

jeune & brave & puissant ne peut pas trou∣ver bonne. He tells me that he answered him positively, that this State would ab∣solutely proceed in conjunction with us and Sweden, in what ever should be trans∣acted upon this Subject, and no otherwise; and that since the same thing would satis∣fie us all, it would be much better for France at the same time, to satisfie three then one. Monsier Appleboom sent me word this day, that Monsieur Mareshal is Arrived here, being joyn'd in Commissi∣on with him, for Transacting the matters of the Guarantee, Subsidies, and what else concerns the joynt Alliance, and that they expect▪ every day, that Secretary which was with the Count Dhona in England, to Arrive here with full Instructions upon the whole business.

I received a Letter from you lately by the Kings Command, in favour of Cap∣tain Hooper. His pretensions I find are of a different Nature, one for Arms he bought, and the other to be restor'd to the pension he enjoy'd before the Wars. I have spoken again to Monsieur de Witt, and Meerman about him, which I had done several times at the Captains being here; they say the first is reasonable, and will be satisfied, but that the other cannot be done, because it draws in consequence the pretensions of all other English Officers, who lost their Pen∣sions upon the same occasion, of which

they name several that the States would be very willing to oblige out of particu∣lar Esteem, were it not for the general consequence of it. I kiss your Hands, and am ever,

SIR,

Your most Obedient, and most Humble Servant, W. Temple.