Letters written by Sir W. Temple, Bart., and other ministers of state, both at home and abroad containing an account of the most important transactions that pass'd in Christendom from 1665-1672 : in two volumes / review'd by Sir W. Temple sometime before his death ; and published by Jonathan Swift ...

To my Lord Carlingford.

Brussels, Mar. 6. N. S. 1666.

My Lord,

I Have this Exception to your Service, that my Faults are taken notice of, and not my Diligence; for in your Lordship's of the 21st past, I find not the least Mention of any Letters received from me, tho' I am confident by other Circumstances, some of them must have been come to your Hands, I fear your News at Vienna is not so good nor true as your Wine; and by the Abundance of Re∣ports with shallow Grounds, I doubt your Court is rather inclined to hear News than to make it. That Brandenburg is our Enemy, at least for four Months, is too certain; that Sueden is a Friend to Munster, we may guess rather from Causes than any Effects that I know of; and since neither the Emperor nor

Spain will contribute any Thing towards the Bishop's Assistance, nor so much as the staving off Enemies, that by Dutch and French are raising up against him in the Empire it self, I know no Remedy; But yet in spight of all Force and Artifice to disarm him, I expect for my Part, to see him rather besieged in Cosvelt or Munster, than make a Peace with∣out our Master's Consent, as is hoped by our Enemies, and perhaps wished by some of our Friends, for fear the Continuance of his Mu∣sick should make them dance before they have a Mind to it: But I believe all their Cold∣ness and Shrinking will hardly defend them, and may help them rather to lose their Friends than gain their Enemies: For we have cer∣tain News that the French have made a Place d'Armes between la Fere and Peronne, where that King is coming down to the Rendevouses of Fifteen Thousand Men; and the Hollanders on the other side, are so incurably possest with an Opinion of some wonderful deep impor∣tant League between us and Spain, that they are upon the very Brink of resolving a War too, and concluding a League Offensive as well as Defensive with France; at least, if the Ascendant of this Year be favourable to De Witt's Party as that of the last was, which begins to be a little doubted of late. I will not send your Lordship any English Letters, nor our Declaration of War against the French,

in Confidence it goes along with your Pac∣quet; by which you will see, His Majesty hath been as generous and civil, as the French King was rough in his, to call it no worse; but he hath begun the War with so much Heat, that I am apt to believe he will come to be cool before it ends.

I shall ill deserve your Lordship's Leave of writing often, if I do it so long and so little to the Purpose together. After I have ••••ld you, my Lord Ossory is come 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into England, and that my Lord Arlington is for certain (as they say both in England and here) to marry the Lady Emilia my Lady of Ossory's Sister; I will give your Lordship the good Night, almost as late as I imagine you use to go to Bed, and only tell you that I am at all Hours,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most humble Servant.