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 Arlington.

Brussels, Oct. 13. S. N. 1665.

My Lord,

UPON Saturday last about Nine at Night, the Bishop's Agent there brought me a Desire from the* 1.1 Marques to come privately to him. We stay'd long together and talked much. The Substance was; that he had last Post writ to the Spanish Ambassadour to inform the King, that he heard the French were ready to march in Assistance of the Hollander against the Bi∣shop of Munster, and had told the Spanish Ambassadour in France, they should take all Delays here in leave of Passage, for Denial: That he, (the Marquess) was resolved upon Confidence of his Majesty's late Letter and Assistance, to oppose them till he received Orders from Spain, and hopes his Majesty will not fail, of protecting and defending him in this Resolution: He speaks with much Earnestness and Passion for concluding the League between England and Spain; and ei∣ther a Peace or Truce, between. Spain and Portugal; in which he very much presses His Majesty's Interposition at this Time, because nothing else will take away the Dishonour

on the Spanish side, but the Respect given to so Great and Powerful a King's Mediation. He assures me, he has given an absolute De∣nial to the Hollanders Demand, of buying a great Quantity of Corn in these Countries, which now begins to be one, among their other great Wants: That the French upon Jealousie of the Swede, sent very lately an Envoy into Holland, to join with them in pressing the Dane, to put himself into a Po∣sture of making a Diversion: That for Secu∣rity of these Countries, six thousand Spani∣ards and Italians were in few Days expected here; these by Land, those by Sea: And that for raising German Troops, he had last Week sent five hundred thousand Gilders into Germany, from whence, if they needed, he could have twenty four thousand Men; so as he doubted not to defend these Countries, if France Assaults him. The Biass of all this Discourse was to shew, they had no great need of our Assistance, at the same time, they press so much to be assured of it; and to re∣present the mutual Necessity of a Conjuncti∣on between England and Spain, with all the Expressions of Affection, to His Majesty's Person and Service, that a Courtier, or al∣most a Lover could use. Upon this last Sub∣ject I could not let him pass, with the Dis∣course of the late King's Ruine, and His Majesty's Danger at home for want of

Friendship abroad; nor could I leave that Point, because he had so often harped upon it, till I forced him to confess, at least by Si∣lence, that his Majesty was as safe at Home at this time, as either French or Spanish King.

For the rest, finding him now much war∣mer than he used to seem, in the Desires of the Bishop of Munster's Success, or at least, Preservation; and finding from Alderman Backwell, that he had yet been able to raise no more Money upon all our Tin at Antwerp for the second Payment, those paltry Mer∣chants combining to Ruine him in the Price of it, upon the Belief of his Necessity to sell; I would not omit that Occasion of desiring the Marquess to find some Person out, that should take it all off our Hands, with ready Money, which they might raise at their own leisure, and, I believed, with much Gains, in which I assured him, he would give His Majesty, a great Testimony of his Affecti∣on to his Service, which was so much con∣cerned in the Bishop of Munster's Fortunes: He told me, he would consult about it next Morning; and upon Sunday Night, sent one with a Dispatch of mine to Alderman Back∣well, to know the whole Quantity and lowest Price: So that I am now in great hopes of seeing some good Issue of that Business; which I almost begun to despair of.

An Express from the Bishop of Munster came to me on Saturday last, protesting he could no longer subsist unless the Money came; an•• Your Lordship may easily imagine, how much Pain I am in upon that Occasion, es∣pecially hearing my Self so often reproached for having drawn him to so desperate an Ad∣venture, so much against his own Resoluti∣ons, which were, not to take the Field, till the second Payment were received, and the third assured on this side: It would look like Vanity in me, to tell Your Lordship more of what I hear too much of this kind; but I will say, that unless you take some speedy and effectual Resolution in this Par∣ticular, I shall look like the veriest Rogue in the World, and such, as it will not be much for his Majesty's Honour to employ. But after all, I will tell Your Lordship free∣ly, that I think all my Trains had not taken Fire, without a perfect Accident, which I had the good Fortune to improve so upon the sud∣den, as to make it the absolute Occasion of the Bishop's taking the Field when he did; which I shall some time or other, I hope en∣tertain you with, and will serve for a Moral to shew how small Shadows and Accidents sometimes give a Rise to great Actions a∣mong Mankind; for either such, or the be∣ginning of such, this bold March is like to prove. All I know of its Success, you will

find in these Letters; one from my Lord Carlingford, to whom I cannot send Your Lordship's last, till I have farther Directions from him for my Address; the other being Part of one from a Person in the Holland Camp belonging to the Rhingrave. Twenty Rumours more we have of his Successes, but I will not yet credit them; this much I will, that nothing can probably endanger him, be∣sides want of Money, and that I know him to be a Man too firm to be diverted from his Point, or slacken it without some such Maim; for he wants neither Prudence, Courage, nor Ambition. For the Hollanders, they were certainly never worse at their ease than now; being braved and beaten both at Sea and Land; flay'd with Taxes, distracted with Factions, and their last Ressourse, which is the Protection of France, poisoned with ex∣treme Jealousies; yet, that must be their Game, or else a perfect Truckling Peace with England.

I am ever, Your Lordship's most Faithful, and most humble Servant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of Castel Rhodrige, Go∣vern•••• of the Spanish Ne∣therlands.