Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Mr. Sidney to the Earl of Sunderland, August 1
MR. SIDNEY TO THE EARL OF SUNDERLAND.
My Lord,
On Tuesday I went with my Lord Ambassador Jenkins to the Prince, at Dieren, who received me as well as I could wish; he talked awhile with the ambassador, and then carried me into his bedchamber; when I had delivered the King's letter and told him of the expressions of kindness which his Majesty commanded me, and informed him of several things relating to England, which he was glad to hear, and which he was extremely pleased with, showing all the sense and gratitude imaginable of the King's favours, and telling me how he would study to deserve them, he said, as to public business, you will find us better disposed towards England than jou imagine, and that you may assure yourself of it upon my word, the States will go farther than you have yet desired; you, saith the Prince, only desire to enter with the States into a guarantee of the peace between France and Spain ; we are willing to enter with you and Spain into the firmest and strongest league that can be proposed to us for the preservation of Europe, which is evident to eveiy body is in great danger: we do not much approve of the project of guarantee, for by that we must defend France if it be attacked by the Emperor or any body else, which we should be unwilling to do. This is the sense of the States, and this Monsieur Van Lewen hath order to acquaint you with at London. The town of Amsterdam, saith the Prince, which every one knows hath been such a friend to France, is now forwarder against them than I myself, for that they regard nothing but just their own interest; the rest he would leave to the Pensioner and Monsieur Van Beuninghen, who hath been very instrumental to bring the town of Amsterdam into the good temper it now is in. Monsieur Valconier, burgomaster of Amsterdam, who was the Prince's greatest enemy, pretends now much the contrary, so that he and others of his party say that they find the Prince much in the right, and they in the wrong; and are convinced that which he hath desired all along hath been for their interest and advantage, and they are very sorry they were not of this mind sooner.
The French ambassador, who hath lived with the Prince after a strange manner, never making the least civility, and perpetually saying, "qu'il etoit ambassadeur aux Etats, et pas au Prince d'Orange," will have orders to behave himself quite otherwise. I came to town yesterday morning, and I sent that afternoon to see if I could speak to the Pensioner, but he is out of town. I sent to Monsieur Van Beuninghen, and, as soon as he heard of my being here, he came to me, and, in the first place, made great professions of esteem and respect au Roi d'Angleterre ; and falling afterwards to talk of the public, he told me, he had endeavoured all the ways he could how to find out a means of preserving Europe, and he found that this of the guarantee would not do it; for, he said, if the King and the States did agree upon this project, if the Spaniards were not taken in to their assistance, it would signify nothing, for we may resolve to preserve a country, but, if that country will do nothing themselves towards it, it would be impossible to be done. What Monsieur Van Beuninghen said to me was only by way of discourse and advice, bat he thought the Pensioner had given it to Monsieur Van Lewen in writing; he is not to be altered in his opinion, and I find it does proceed from fear of the French and of our disturbances at home. Monsieur Van Beuninghen told me the Pensioner had writ about it, and I concluded he had done it more fully than I could do it, but it seems he hath neglected it. Mr. Meredith told me of the offers that were made by Monsieur Borel to enter into a league, offensive and defensive, with this State, and they would promise never to trouble them.[1] One effect I find the Duke going over hath had already, that they are here more cautious of what measures they take with us, and are more afraid of angering France than they were before, and Monsieur Van Benningheu told me I might be sure it would be so. They say Monsieur Louvoy asked Monsieur Bord whether the States would not be on their side, in case they came to a rupture with Spain. Monsieur Van Beuninghen told me that nobody would dare to propose a new alliance with us, for, if France should be displeased at it, and any ill accident should happen upon it, the person who advised it would certainly be pulled to pieces by the people; that he believed nobody would doubt his affection for England, but he told me plainly he could not advise it in the condition we were now in. Every body that comes in are in a maze at the Duke's going. They said, at the French ambassador's, that he was poisoned, for he complained of a great pain in his belly.
2nd.I was with Monsieur Van Beuninghen this morning, when he told me, that it was some discontented English that came over hither that did all the mischief. In the afternoon I went to see the Greffier, Monsieur Fagel,[2] who is the Pensioner's brother, and he advised me to deliver my letters of credence on Monday to the States, and to desire commissioners to tell what I had to say from the King, and to treat of any business. After I came home, the French ambassador made me a visit; and in the evening I went to Zierfleet, Monsieur Benten's[3] house; then to the Prince's house in the wood; at night I received a letter from Mr. Mountstevens, with Wakeman's trial, and one from Sir William Temple.
3rd.I dined with the maids of honour.
4th.I went this morning to the president for this week, whose name is Lucklama; he is deputy for the province of Frise; afterwards I came home. Mr. Car, who knows a good deal of the affairs of this country, came. In the afternoon I went to Hounslerdyke. When I came home, Mr. Meredith came to see me; he showed me the States' answer to Monsieur de Lira's[4] memorial about Maestricht. I writ to my Lord Sunderland, Lord Essex, Lord Halifax, and Mr. Hide.
- ↑ Monsieur Borel had been Ambassador from the States at the English Court, and Burnet mentions a very curious conversation that occurred between Charles and this Dutchman. "King Charles, when he was seeking for colours for the war with the Dutch in the year 1672, urged it for one, that they suffered some of his rebels to live in their provinces. Borel, then their Ambassador, answered that it was a maxim of long standing among them, not to inquire upon what account strangers came to live in their country, but to receive them all, unless they had been concerned in conspiracies against the persons of Princes. The King told him upon that, how they had used both himself and his brother. Borel, in great simplicity, answered—'Ha! Sire, c'etoit une autre chose: Cromwell étoit un grand homme, et il se faisoit craindre et par terre et par mer.' This was very rough. The King's answer was—'Je me ferai craindre aussi à mon tour:' but he was scarce as good as his word."—Burnet's History, i., 139.
- ↑ "The person that the Prince relied on chiefly in the affairs of Holland was Fagel, a man very learned in the law, who had a quick apprehension and a clear and ready judgment. He had a copious eloquence, more copious than exact, and was fit to carry matters with a torrent in a numerous assembly. De Witt has made great use of him, for he joined him very zealously in the carrying of the perpetual edict which he negociated with the States of Friesland, who opposed it most; and he was made Greffier or Secretary to the States-General, which is the most beneficial place in Holland. He was a pious and virtuous man, only too eager and violent, and out of measure partial to his kindred. He was vain and too apt to flatter himself; he had much heart when matters went well, but had not that courage which became a great minister on uneasy and difficult occasions."—Burnet's History, i., 560.
- ↑ This must be Sidney's mode of spelling Bentinck.
- ↑ The Spanish ambassador at the Hague.