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 Earl of Essex.

Hague, July 7. S. N. 1670.

My LORD,

I HAVE received by this last Post the Favour of one from your Excellency of the 18th past; which gives me the Hopes of a sudden Dispatch in your present Ne∣gotiations, and the very welcom News of your Intention to pass this way in your Return; where I shall be very glad to find the Occasions I desire of serving your Lord∣ship in a Place that indeed better deserves a passing Visit than any long Abode.

Your Excellency will have received by a former Letter my Condolements upon my Lord Northumberland's Death, which indeed was very untimely for Himself, his Fa∣mily, and his Friends. But if we needed greater Examples how little Defence is to be found against that Enemy either from Greatness or from Youth; we should have received a very sufficient, as well as a very sad one by an Express which brought this Morning the News of Madame's Death,

by particular Letters both to the States and to the Prince of Orange.

The French Courier being not expected till to Morrow Morning, I have not yet received any Letter of it from my Lord Ambassador at Paris; and therefore shall give your Lordship the Relation just as it comes in the Prince's Letter; which says, That on Sunday last being the 29th of June N. S. Madame having eaten very well at Dinner, and continued so some Hours afterwards; about four a Clock in the Afternoon called for a Glass of Succory-Water, which she used to take every Day about that Hour; and having drunk it off, complained that it was very bitter, and presently after began to find her self ill, and fell into violent Fits of the Colick; upon which she said, That she was sure she should die, and immediately sent for her Con∣fessor, and with great Resolution disposed her self to it, by passing through all the Forms of that Church upon such Occasions. The News of her Highness's Illness was immediately dispatch'd from St. Clou where she lay, to Versailles where the Court then was; and occasioned the King's coming presently to her, who arrived about Eight a Clock that Night, and brought his chief

Phisician with him; who both began to comfort her Sickness, and assure her that her Colick could not easily carry away a Person of her Age. But she persisted in assuring them of her Death, spoke a good while softly to the King; and afterwards said aloud, That she had no Regret at all to die; but that her greatest Trouble was, by so hard a Separation to lose his Majesty's Friendship and good Graces which he had always express'd to her. She spoke to Monsieur in the same Terms about her great Willingness to die; which, she said, was the more, because she had nothing to re∣proach her self of in her Conduct to∣wards him.

The King left her about Ten a Clock at Night, his Phisician assuring him she could not die of a Colick, or at least not so suddenly as she seemed to apprehend: But her Illness and Pain encreasing, she expired about Two a Clock in the Morn∣ing, leaving great Sadness in that Court, and Regret in all those who had the Ho∣nour to know her.

Your Excellency will easily imagine how sensibly his Majesty will be touch'd by this Affliction; and therefore I am sure you

will receive the same Part in it that I, and all the rest of his Servants ought to do: Which I shall not encrease by enlarging upon so sad a Story, further than by one Particular more of the Prince's Letter; That her Body being opened in the Pre∣sence of several Persons, and among them my Lord Ambassador, they could not find the Cause of so sudden a Death.

Our News from Brussels is, That the Constable was to depart from thence on Sa∣turday last, leaving the Count de Monterey Governor of those Countries by the Queen Regent's Commission for the In∣terim, until a new Governor should be sent from Spain; who they give out will be Don John, and that he will be there in a very little time, and take upon him that Government for his Life: But the Cer∣tainty of this we must expect hereafter from Spain. The Danish Envoy here, tells me he intends to go very shortly for Copen∣haguen, and that he hopes to find your Excellency there; wherein I confess I dif∣fer with him. I should be very glad to know whether he did me the Right of conveying a Letter I wrote to Monsieur Guldenlew, in answer to one I received from him upon his last Arrival in Denmark.

Your Lordship will oblige me to let one of your Secretaries inform himself from one of his, whether such a Letter was re∣ceived, without drawing it into any fur∣ther Consequence.

I beseech your Lordship to believe me always what I am with very much Sin∣cereness

My LORD,

Your Excellency's most faithful most humble Servant.