Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Sir William Temple to Mr. Sidney, August 29
SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE TO MR. SIDNEY.
Since I writ last to you, I have had two or three letters from you, and the last, upon your return from Amsterdam. I do not think you have had any loss by my failing you so long together, though I expect you should complain, for there has been little to be said to you from hence of late upon any other subject than that of the King's illness, which you could only receive a good account of from those of your friends, who have been constantly near him. However, I will tell you, because I am just now come from Windsor, that he was today much better than I expected to find him, after having passed a very ill day on Wednesday: though I had given the Prince of Orange an account of his health the night before, with good hopes of the worst being over, and will now be confident it is, since all the physicians are so, and he has missed his fit both yesterday and to-day, and seems to speak with much better humour, as well as more strength and spirits than he did on Tuesday. For my own part, I have been taken up of late with a journey to Cambridge, but not so pleasantly as you have been with that to Amsterdam. All that was good in mine is, that I had what I proposed to myself by it, and in the best manner that could be, without a voice against me, and with all the honour and compliments that could be upon it, from the university. Whether, after all, I have reason to be pleased now that I am fixed to be upon that busy scene, I know not, but you will be so, and the Prince, I believe, which will go far with me. All that I know is, that very much will depend both at home and abroad upon this Session of Parliament, so that we are all concerned to see it begin and end well. I would be glad you were in, since I am, and hope Mr. Harbord has it still in his care, as well as your friend in Sussex.
In the mean time you will expect I should say something to you of your business in Holland, though I need not by this post, which will bring you a long letter from a better hand. There are some expressions in it concerning 19 and 98, which you will not think fit should go farther than the Prince, for to him I suppose you need have no reserve. For my own part, I will say nothing more to you upon it, than just to ask you a question, without which I think none of us can say much that will be to the purpose; and that is, to know of you what Monsieur Van Beuninghen's project is. Monsieur Van Lewen speaks of it as a thing he had expected to receive from the Pensioner, but never has yet; and you mention it as a thing sent over, upon which you expect an answer; but neither my Lord Sunderland nor I can find any thing more by your letters than that Monsieur Van Beuninghen dislikes a guarantee of the peace being concluded between us and Holland, according to the project that came first from them, or the other that you carried over a copy of :[1] and would have, instead of it, a defensive league between us and Spain. Now, if this be all that you call his project, we are still in the dark what to make of it; at least, I am, for I confess I differ from my Lords Sunderland and Halifax in the meaning of your letters. They think Monsieur Van Beuninghen desires only that they should make a defensive league with Spain, in some such manner as Holland has done already with that Crown; and consequently that Holland should have no part in any farther treaties. I cannot but think Monsieur V. B. means that a new defensive league should be made between us and Spain and Holland, and cannot comprehend that by Monsieur V. B.'s project, you should mean nothing but a league between us and Spain, which may be called his advice to us if he pleases, but cannot, I think, be called his project. If he means this last, I doubt he will find none here of his mind; if he means the other, that is, a defensive league between us and Spain and Holland, he would do well in that case to send his project of it over to the Ambassador here, if the Prince and Pensioner be of his mind in it, with orders to propose it to the King or the Commons, or at least the Secretary, though I am of opinion it is not a thing the King will easily fall into, or that could be effected easily if he should, the delays of all negociations with Spain being so great, and the miscarriages of all such matters easily brought about when they once take wind.
By your next, I hope you will set us right in this matter; and if there be any such project of Monsieur V. B. endeavour that it may be sent over. If it should be only as my Lord Sunderland understood it, an advice to his Majesty to make a defensive league with Spain, all that is to be said is, we thank him for it, and to conclude that his town has no mind to do any thing at all in such matter, either upon fear of angrying France, or in doubt upon our condition here to support them in any dangers they may by that means draw upon themselves. If this should be their mind, I will not determine whether they have reason or no, but leave men to judge of their own interests, without pretending to dispute them out of it. All your business I think is only to know, as clearly as you can, what they would be at, and to tell it as clearly as you can here.
I shall be glad to receive the letter you mention by Bridges, which tells us those things which we have most mind to know; though I suppose you will not send it by him or any other hand without a good deal of cypher, which you need not be so much afraid to deal with, at least not with me.
- ↑ This plan of the Guarantee, of which we read so much in the Journals, and which was ultimately rejected by the States, has been ably and clearly stated by Ralph, in the following passage extracted from his history. This short and accurate account of it will make the whole transaction more intelligible and more interesting.
"Mr. Algernon Sidney calls this plan of the Guarantee one of Sir W. Temple's projects, and that the great drift of it was, under the pretence of a Guarantee, to draw Holland and Spain into a League with England, that should help the Prince of Orange to an occasion of breaking the peace so lately made; that to induce the Council to embrace it, Sir William, who was taken to be the oracle of those parts, assured them there was no such thing as a party in Holland inclined to oppose the Prince of Orange; that all was submitted to his authority, and united in desiring such an alliance with us; that it would necessarily be accepted as soon as offered; that the French, who had made the peace for fear of us, would, by a parity of reason, more exactly keep it, when it appeared that we were of the party against them; and that it would make the government as popular at home as formidable abroad.
"No pains, it seems, were spared to convince Lord Sunderland that this was no better than a political dream, but to no purpose. The pursuit was pleasing, and therefore it was followed; but neither he that gave the advice nor those that followed it had any reason to plume themselves on the success: for no sooner had Mr. Sidney opened his commission, and the States had taken it into consideration, than Monsieur D'Avaux, the French minister at the Hague, set all his engines to work to render the whole proceeding abortive. The States were not only told with much freedom in a letter anonymous, that the ill posture of affairs had laid them open to the menaces of Spain, Denmark, and Brandenburgh, and that the only way to recover their former significancy was, to return to their former adherence to France, &c, but Monsieur D'Avaux, in person, delivered in a memorial demanding a renewal of the alliance in 1672, and containing a representation of all the inconveniences that would in all probability attend their refusal.
"These counter-projects revived the war of parties in Holland. The Lowestein as greedily fastened on this of France as the Orange did on that of England. Each in turn was so warmly opposed, that neither could be accepted; they were not, however, immediately rejected. Such a proceeding would have equally offended both Crowns; and the sad effect of having both united against them, the States had but too lately felt, and still too sorely remembered.
"But France had been now so accustomed to give the law, that they would not suffer their high and mighty Lordships to demur, without giving them to know, by the Dutch Ambassador at Paris, how much the Grand Monarque was offended at it. The King was much surprised, they were told, to find they placed so little value on his friendship aa to hesitate whether they should close with his offers or those of England; that he should take any farther delay for a refusal; and that, though he would maintain the peace with them, he should no longer look upon them as worthy of his favour, as they would soon feel by the effects his displeasure would have on their commerce.
"This touched the States in the most sensible part, and the Lowestein faction made so dexterous a use of their apprehensions on that head, that Mr. Sidney's offers were first dismissed, though in the softest manner imaginable, their high and mighty Lordships, by way of a qualifier, directing Monsieur Van Lewen to return his Majesty their most humble and grateful thanks for having by his mediation procured a general peace, and to assure his Majesty that they would have a perpetual remembrance of his kindness and good will towards them, and that they would on all occasions shew their acknowledgement thereof."—Ralph, ii. 488.