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 V. Hague; Octob. 26. S. N. 68. (Book 5)

SIR,

SINCE a very long one to my Lord Ar∣lington, with the Account of my late Conference with Monsieur de Witt; I have the Honour of yours of the 13th, with an Instruction, tho' not in form, for my car∣riage in the present Affair, concerning the Swedish Subsidies. I have neither Time left, nor shall I have occasion to say much upon it, but hope the want of form in that Instruction will be supplied; and for the Substance, I shall make it my utmost En∣deavour here to bring it about, tho' I can promise nothing as to the Success of it yet, having ever found them resolved against it.

I shall say no more, but that you put me here upon very hard Parts; my whole Business having been hitherto, since the first step I made last Year into this Coun∣try, to engage Holland into as bold and forward Paces against France, and for the Defence of Spain, as we were content to make our selves; and they remember

very well the Proposal I made them last Winter, of an Offensive and Defensive League to that purpose. How far beyond Hopes I have succeeded in this pursuit, I need not tell you after the Paper Mon∣sieur de Witt drew up as an Expedient for the Swedish Satisfaction. The Province you give me now, is to temper them in this warmth upon this occasion, and yet to sa∣tisfie them that His Majesty's backward∣ness to accompany them in it, as far as they are willing to go, proceeds not from any change of Measures, or Temper in us; tho' to avoid it, we are content to lay down a good Sum of Money for Sweden, which they think is a Commodity we cannot spare, but upon a very great Oc∣casion. I that know the King a little, and His Ministers a great deal, believe this perfectly, but doubt it will not be with∣out difficulty to make every Body else be∣lieve it; especially at a time when all Mouths here are full of Monsieur Col∣bert, and his Negotiations: However, I will go as far in it as I can, and doubt not to go as far as any Man else shall do, by the Credit of my Plainness and Truth among them here, and by their belief that when the King falls into other Mea∣sures, he will use some other Hand here, and not mine; which, I hope, you will be of Opinion to do as my Lord Ar∣lington promis'd me he would. In the mean time to help me in this Pass, I wish

I might have something given me to say about the Marine Treaty, and that the Imprisonment of this poor Man at Har∣wich, were out of the way, unless we are sure we have Right of our side; and such a Right as we are resolv'd to make out, upon every occasion, for upon a less than this, I think we cannot do it.

I will presume to say, That you have now sufficient Testimonies of what I al∣ways perswaded my self concerning Mon∣sieur de Witt's being a perfect Hollander, and no more a Frenchman than any thing else: I will now tell you my further Opinion of him; which is, That if we think to make use of any Advances he may have made against France, past re∣treat, towards the gaining any Points, or Advantages of the States, which he esteems not reasonable or fit, he is a Man to venture all, rather then suffer, or consent to it, this Maxime running through his whole Frame; That a State is at an end, when they are brought to grant the smallest Matter out of Fear, or to offer at purchasing any Alliances, otherwise than by Mutual Interests, and Reciprocal Advantages. I say this, be∣cause Actions spring much from Men's Dispositions, who are in the Head of them; and there is nothing so necessary towards Treating, as knowing the Per∣sons with whom they are to Treat. By

the next I hope to give some account, what progress I am likely to make upon my last Instruction.

I beg your Favour in excusing me this Post to my Lord Keeper, from whom I received one at the same time with yours, and your Justice in esteeming me what I am always,

SIR,

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