and High-Dutch, almost as readily and fluently as A. C. his Mother Tongue.

made by

In the Year 1668, there were fome faint steps Faint fleps made by his Britannick Majefty towards the Reestablishment of his Nephew the Prince of Orange Charles for Sir William Temple His Majefty's Ambaffador, II. K. of B. being at the Hague, to carry on the Negotiations for the Rein purfuance of the Treaty at Breda, the Triple ftoration of Alliance, and the Peace of Aix la Chappelle; his the P. of Excellency told Monfieur De-Wit in a long Con- Orange. ference he had with him, *"That it was true, Sir W. "that there wanted not fome amongst the English Temple's "that would be fo Wife to know, that it was vol. 2. P. "impoffible for England to fall into any firm Con-12, &e. "fidence with the States upon their prefent Con"ftitution, nor particularly with him, upon the "Prince of Orange's 'Occafion; that for his Ex"cellency's part, he was not at all of that Mind, "that tho' the King could not lofe the Affection "he had for his Nephew, yet he was of Opini

Letters.

on he could not Exprefs it better than by in"fufing into him the Belief, That he could make Golden "bimfelf no way fo happy as in the Good-Will of the Maxims of States, and trufting wholly to them in the Courfe Sir. W. "of his Fortunes, and not to Private Factions, or Fo- Temple. 66 reign Intrigues and Applications. That His Ma"jefty was of Opinion himself, That Princes were

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not apt to do themselves more Hurt, and make them"felves lefs, any way than by affecting too much Power,or "fuch as was directly contrary to the Stomach and "Genius of the Country which fell to their share. That "befides this, he knew His Majefty was fo juft "and fo reafonable, that tho' he fhould take kind"ly of the States any Refpects they should fhew "his Nephew; yet his Excellency did not be"believe he would ofler that to any other King "or State, which he fhould not take well that c. any other fhould offer to him, or ever be put upon any fuch Designs by his Council, or his "People's Inclinations: For they who look'd upon the "Prince in a poffibility of one day to be their King; "and that lov'd a Prince who grounded his Power in "the Affections of his People, and lov'd to Rule by

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Laws,

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Laws; had rather perhaps fee the Prince of O 66 range happy in the Good Will of the States, and "fuch Moderate Power as they should think Confiftent 86 with their Government, than of a Humour and Aims 6s at any thing that might tend to fubvert their Civil "Conftitutions: So that his Excellency faw nothing "of Danger to them upon this Chapter, either "from the Judgment or Difpofition of His Ma"jefty, or the Humour of the Nation. Monfieur "De-Wit feem'd very much pleas'd with what Sir "William Temple had faid on that Subject, both " of the King's Difpofitions, and the People's Hu"mours and Thoughts, especially that of the "King, of doing as he would be done by: He added, "That the States Intentions were, to make the "Prince of Orange Captain General of their Forces, "and Admiral too, tho' it was not mention'd ; and "to this purpose they would already have brought "him into the Council of State, in Order to fit "him for thofe Charges, had it not been for fome "of the Provinces that had hindred it, upon Pre"tence of more kindnefs to him, and Defigning greater Matters for him. That it was indeed agreed thofe Charges were Inconfiftent with that "of Stadtholder, which gave as much Authority "in the Civil, as the others in the Military part "of the Government. That, Confidering the fmal"nefs of their State, and greatness of their Militia, "there was an end of their Republick when both "was in one Hand. That for his Part, if he had "been Born under a King, he could never have "confented to what his Ancestors did towards "the King of Spain; but being Born under a "Commonwealth, and Sworn to maintain it, he "could Confent to nothing that fhould deftroy it, "and he wondred how it had fubfifted fo long in "that Danger; which was to be attributed to "their conftant Wars abroad, and to the great "Moderation of thofe Princes, among whom none, "had Thoughts of it but the laft, Nor would be ever have fallen into them, without having been put upon them by the French, who had his Breeding and.. bis Education: That if he had liv'd he would

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** have been the ableft of all the Race. And from A. C. hence fell into Commendations of this Young Prince's Parts and Difpofitions: And fo this matter ended.

Sir W.

Towards the end of the Year 1669, there hap- Temple's pen'd a Difpute among the States, which gave our Letters, Prince fome Hopes of being reftor'd: The City Vol. 2. P、 of Amfterdam, upon account of their Paying half 151. of all that is laid upon the Province of Holland, as Holland does of all that is Levied on the Seven Provinces, did juftly believe they ought, at least in fome degree, be confider'd in the Province, as Holland is in the State,; which made them ufe their utmost endeavours to Oppofe the Faction of Leyden, Dort, Rotterdam, &c. who under Penfioner De-Witt's influence carried all before them in the Elections, both of Civil and Military Officers. In order, to favour the Demand of the Amfterdamers, there were fome Overtures made about creating a new Minifter, under the Name of Secretary of State, whofe Province fhould have been to receive the Addreffes of Foreign Minifters; which Office was fuppos'd to be defign'd for Monfieur Van Beuninghen,a Perfon well affected to the Prince of Orange, who had underhand a great fhare in all the Councils and Motions of his Town of Amfterdam. The Penfioner had too much Penetration not to fee into the Confequences of this Project, and too great an Intereft not to quash it. but nevertheless Monfieur Van Beuningben ftirr'd fo much in Favour of the Prince, that the States of Holland, after the warmeft Debates that had been known among them for many Years, * Re- * May folv'd by a Plurality of Voices: That the Prince 1670. fhould have Seffion in the Council of State with a decifive Voice; and fhould have the fame Place his Ancestors had formerly had.. However, after this was refolv'd on, that Party which the most oppos'd the Prince's intereft, ftarted two new Points: The First, That no Captain-General should be chofen otherwife than from Year to Year, but by Unanimity of Voices; and Secondly, That in Cafe the Prince fhould be chofen Captain-General for

Life

A. C.

Vol. 2. P.

àer,

Life, then it fhould be again Debated and Refolved by Plurality of Voices, whether he fhould continue his Seffion in the Council of State. These two Questions were agreed to by all the Towns excepting four or five, in which Number were Amfterdam and Haerlem, who maintain'd, That they were not to be Refolved till thofe Matters came in Question.

In the mean time, the Prince of Orange, either out of his own Motion, or thro' the Suggeftion of the Princess Dowager, form'd the Design of going over to England; and was very earnest with Sir William Temple, to know whether he was like to procure any Satisfaction in his Pretenfions there? Adding induftriously, that all his best Friends in Holland were of Opinion, that in Cafe that fhould wholly fail him, his Journey into England would prove of great Prejudice to his Affairs; by letting his Friends fee how little he was regarded by His Majefty, whofe Countenance would be a great Support to him in the Courfe of his Sir W. Fortunes. Sir William Temple, told his Highness Temple's that he was wholly Ignorant of his Mafter's AfLetters, fairs, befides what related to Holland, and particularly of the prefent State of his Revenue, or how much the late Supplies had contributed towards the Ease of it. Upon this his Highness defir'd the English Ambaffador to touch upon this Point to the Lord Arlington, Secretary of State to King Charles II. but finding no Encouragement from his Lordship, his Highness put off the the Thoughts of his Journey till towards the Sitting of the Parliament; having affur'd Sir William Temple, that he refolv'd to fteer by his Mafter's Advice in the Course of his Affairs and Motions relating to England. So that all that Sir William Temple pretended to have done in Favour of the Prince, during his firft Embafly to the States, was only not to have fpoil'd his Business; which it had been the eafieft thing in the World for an English Minister at the Hague to have done. For that great Politician did wifely conclude that the best part the English could play, was to feem

no

no further concern'd in the Affairs of Holland, A. C. than their Wishes for the perfect Union of al State, they were fo near Allied to ; tho' at the fame time, he did not fail to infinuate by the by, that fuch an Union would never be compaffed, but by taking in the Prince's interefts as far as could confift with the Liberty of the State: And ma king fuch a Perfon of him, as might in Title, Expence and other Circumftances represent the Dignity of their Commonwealth.

About this time a violent Humour ran a- June gainst Monfieur De-Wit, in the City of Amfter- 1670. dam, upon Pretence of his growing too far into the Sway of all Affairs by fo long a Ministry, and of advancing his own Creatures into Offices and Places of Truft, with too much Industry. "The "bottom of this Sir William Temple fuppos'd to "be the fame with that of all Popular Humours; "that is, a Defign in the Leaders to change the

Scene, that thereby thofe who had been long "employ'd might make room for thofe who had "been long out. And he was not of Opinion they would fucceed to prejudice him fuddenly

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"both becaufe his chief Enemies acknowledg'd "his great Abilities, and Ufefulness to the State 5 66 and becaufe he would always have it in his "Power, to fall in very confiderably with the "Prince's Interelt, which the other Party pretend "ed to promote. Tho', he thought in fuch a Cafe "his Highnefs would have a hard Choice which "Wind to Sail; as indeed he was likely to fall "into Conjunctures that would require all his "Prudence.

These Conjectures of that able Minifter were grounded on Solid Reafons; for indeed, Monfieur De-Witt's Intereft was fo firmly eftablifh'd, that nothing lefs than the Irruption of the whole French Power, was able to fhake it. Wherefore it must be confeft, that France, in fome Meafure, contributed to the Restoration of the Prince of Orange, altho without the leaft Defign to favour him: Providence fo ordering it, that that Monarch fhould ravage, and almost deftroy this flourishing Re

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