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 the Spanish Ambassador.

Hague, Aug. 13. S. N. 1669.

My Lord,

I Was in hopes the Affair now under Debate could have met with no Reply to what I writ yesterday to your Excellency: But having observed the contrary by yours of this Evening; I am obliged to say, that I thought, upon our last Conference, I had left your Excellency en∣tirely persuaded, that the Constable was in the wrong to raise a Diffi∣culty about the first Payment upon the Con∣cert proposed; because there was no mention of it in the Act signed by your Excellency. I shall say further, that you have reason at pre∣sent, if in that Act

you shall find (either expressed or implied) these Words of the Guaranty, Y los Instru∣mentos necessarios depen∣dientes de ella. If these Words are not there, the Party contracting cannot bring them in by any Interpretation of his own, without Consent of t'other Par∣ty, or Sentence of some Arbitrator: Besides, that this of the Concert, does not absolutely or of necessity import any thing to the Security of the Guaranty: For, provided we execute it as the Wants of Spain require, it is of no Importance whether it be done with such or such a number of Troops, either of one or t'other Nation, since that i•• to be concerted according to the diffe∣rent Interests or Con∣veniences of each Par∣ty: And it may happen

that the Attack from France may be so pow∣erful, that it will be necessary for each of us to assist you with all the Forces we can raise or equip, according to the general Guaranty, and not according to any Concert of Forces specified in the Treaty.

I do not accuse Spain of any want of Since∣rity in all this Affair, but only of Readiness and Freeness to con∣sent to, and accomplish what was absolutely necessary for engaging Sueden in the preser∣vation of the Peace. And on t'other side, your Excellency cannot accuse the Sincerity of the King my Master; who at the lowest of your Affairs, and when Flanders was desperate, gave the first helping Hand (when the Prin∣ces

nearest allied to the Crown of Spain would have nothing to do in it); contracted his Alliances last Win∣ter, set a Fleet to Sea the Summer following, sent Ambassadors to Aix la Chapelle, found∣ed the Triple Alliance, and sollicited other Princes to join in it: And all this, only to begin and procure a Peace, where neither his Dominions nor Peo∣ple were concerned; nor (with permission of great Reasoners) had any Prospect of fu••••re Dangers, but what would concern the Em∣pire and all the rest of Christendom, before his Majesty or his King∣doms could be exposed to it.

For what your Ex∣cellency desires to know, why, Monsieur Marechal having said, there would be no Dif∣ficulty in concluding and ratifying the Con∣cert, there should not∣withstanding prove to be any in doing it at present; I will tell you, That the two Mi∣nisters of Sueden, in all that has passed between us, have not only said, but still persist, that they were ready to enter into the said Con∣cert, and intended to do so before Monsieur Marechal goes from hence (upon which however he is extream∣ly pressed) but that they never intended to enter into it before the Payment of the first Subsidies, which ought to have been made up∣on the mutual Delivery of the Ratification; saying withal, that they would never allow that this Mony ought to pass for Payment of

the particular Aids they were to give Spain by virtue of the Triple Alliance. I have always found them so stiff upon that Point, that I have been a long time in despair of over∣coming their Nicety. It remains therefore to Spain to consider whe∣ther the Guaranty of three such Powers be worth giving this little Satisfaction to Sueden; and whether it would not be more to the purpose when the se∣cond Term expires, to press us then upon the Concert, if you shall not see it finished: But by all means to procure as soon as pos∣sible that the general Guaranty be put into your Hands: And I do not doubt, but accord∣ing to the Dispositions I see on all sides, that the Concert will quickly follow, though your Excellency should no more concern your self with urging us to

what we are drawn by the Interest of every particular Party as well as the Publick.

I wish your Excel∣lency Health and Hap∣piness; and am, &c.