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Reflexions on Monsieur Fagel's Letter.
SIR,
I Shall endeavour to Answer yours as fully and briefly as possible.
1. You desire to know whether the Letter I sent you be truly Monsieur Fagel's or not.
2. Whether their Highnesses gave him Commission to Write it.
3. How far the Dissenters may rely on their Highnesses word.
4. What effects it has on all sorts of People.
Sir, Roman Catholicks may be pardoned if they endeavour to make that Letter pass for an Imposture, it is their Interest so to do, and they are seldom wanting to promote that, let the methods be never so indirect which they are forced to make use of: It does indeed spoil many hopeful Projects of theirs. But how any Protestant among us can really doubt the truth of it, is strange to me. Some things carry their own evidence along with them, I take this Letter to be one of that kind. I do not desire you to believe me upon my bare affirmation that I know it to be genuine, (tho this be most true) but shall offer, my Reasons to convince you that it cannot be otherwise.
First, The Letter is like its Author, the matter is weighty, the Reasoning solid, the Stile grave, full and clear, like that of a Lawyer: It has an Air all over, which as well shews the Religion and Temper of its Writer, as the Matter and Method of it do his Capacity and Judg∣ment. Now all these Qualities make up the Character of Monsieur Fagel.
Secondly, There are the same grounds to believe this Letter to be M. Fagel's as there are to believe any thing you have not seen, Viz. The constant Asseverations of Persons of undoubted Credit that come from Holland, who all agree in it, and assure us of it. M. Fagel own'd it to several English Gentlemen, and many both here and in Holland knew two Months ago that such a Letter was written; a Forgery would before this time have been detected, especially such a one as ruines the Designs of the Triumphing Party.
Thirdly, It was written by M. Fagel in answer to Letters from Mr. Stewart, sent by his Ma∣jesties special Orders, and Mr. Stewart had both an English and Latin Copy sent him: There∣fore the English Copy is not called a Translation, but it is a sort of Original: For you are not to doubt but the matter was ordered so, that her Royal Highness might peruse it as well as his Majesty.
In the next place, you would know whether their Highnesses gave Order to Monsieur Fagel to write it.
I wish Sir; you would take the pains to read the Letter over again, and consider who this Monsieur Fagel is; He is Pensionary of Holland, and first Minister of State, raised to that Digni∣ty by the Prince's Favour, he Answers Letters written to him, which are ordered by his Ma∣jesty to be Communicated to their Highnesses, In his Answer, he gives an Account of their Highnesses Opinions about the Repeal of the Penal Laws and Test; matters of a National Concern, and of the greatest Importance. Now you must have a strange Opinion of Monsi∣eur Fagel, if you think him capable of so great an indiscretion (or rather Imposture) as to write such a Letter of his own Head. The Letter it self Demonstrates, that whoever writ it is no Fool, and the Circumstances I have marked show that he is no Knave. And indeed the Substance of it is not new, it only repeats to his Majesty the same Answer which the Prince and Princess had formerly given to his Majesties Envoy there.
In short, you may leave the whole Matter to this plain Issue: If this Letter be a false one, it will be disowned; if a true one, it will be owned. Their Highnesses love not to do things that will not bear the Light. It is evident, they did not intend the Matter of it should be a Secret, having told it to Monsieur D' Albeville, as often as he (in his discreet VVay) necessita∣ted them to do it. But how it came to be printed, I cannot inform you justly; however you shall have my Conjecture.
I remember, as soon as it was noised about Town, that Mr. Stewart had received a Letter of such a Nature from Monsieur Fagle, care was taken, that the VVriter of the common News Letters, which are dispersed over the Kingdom, should insert in them, that their Highnesses had declared themselves for the Repeal of the Test. This Pia Fraus might, I suppose, give occasion to the printing of the Letter, as the VVisdom and Policy of our States-men (in putting Mr. Stewart on writting such Letters) had procured 〈◊〉〈◊〉: I say Letters, for Monsieur Fagel had five or six on that Subject, before he answered, so unwilling were they in Holland to return an An∣swer, since they could not give one that was pleasing, or do any thing that looked like medling.
The third thing you desired to be satisfied in, is, Whether the Dissenters may re••y on their High∣nesses Word. I am as apt to mistrust Princes Promises, as you are. But shall now give you my Reasons, why I think the Dissenters may safely do it. And at the same time, because of the Affinity of the Matter, I will tell you why I think we may all rely on their Highness for