sacrificed to his service; if so, considerable troops may have an open entry into the middle of the country at pleasure: That how constant soever we have been to our friendship with France, and how desirous soever we are to continue it, yet we find the humour of our people so violently bent upon the preservation of Flanders, and for which we have so often assured them of our care and endeavours, that we do not see how we can live at any ease with them, if we should suffer it to be lost by any further conquest there during this war, or by the terms of a peace ruinous and destructive: That this jealousy in the Parliament, and the desire thereupon of engaging us in the war, had for these three years last past run us into so many difficulties by hindering our supplies, and raising so general discontents among our subjects, because we alone have stemmed this tide for so long together, that we reasonably doubt, whether the heat of a whole nation be always to be resisted: That we shall be necessitated to call a parliament in April, by reason of a very great branch of our revenue that will determine at Midsummer next; and that we cannot have the least hopes of getting it continued, if after these as surances we have given them of the preservation of Flanders, they shall find it in so much a worse condition than when they parted: That if a peace shall not be concluded, or at least the main points agreed upon before that time, the great influence that some of the confederates' ministers (less inclined to a moderate peace than the Prince of Orange) seem to have amongst some warm men in the Parliament, may raise many difficulties, which by concluding it now, may safely be avoided: How far the irresistible temper of the House did necessitate us to a peace with Holland, is well known to the Most Christian King; and they having the like advantage now upon us in respect of our revenue, they then had in respect of our expenses, to what streights they may, and are like to drive us, is not hard to guess: That besides this, the many obligations we have to take care of the welfare and safety of the Prince of Orange, needs not repeating to you; they will sufficiently occur to you of themselves; and we do find a thorough resolution in that Prince, to fling himself into the most desperate counsels imaginable, rather than consent to the loss of Flanders by such a peace as must ruin it, in which he judgeth his own. honour and country's safety concerned to the You may represent to the Most Christian King, that we are the more earnest in pressing this peace, because of the many reasons it draweth with it of removing all accidents that may obstruct the hearty friendship between that King and us. That it will be with all the honour and all the safety imaginable to that King, that he being now secured by Cambray, St. Omers, and other conquests in Artois, against all the apprehensions of Flanders, and further strengthened by the accession of Burgundy, whatsoever further towns or countries he shall desire, will argue not the preservation of himself desired, but the conquest of Flanders. He hath so often declared against the latter, that we have no reason to doubt it; and as the emoluments of the war redound solely to His Most Christian Majesty, so will the glory of the peace, besides the obligation upon us, by his making it at our in tercession. The foregoing reasons, the time of the year, the nigh assembling of the Parliament, will give you ample matter to press a speedy answer to these proposals; this opportunity being lost, I know not when we shall be master of such another, if the meeting of the Parliament should, as there is probability, cross the measures we have now taken. relate to terms. The rest of the instructions be offered to Spain; a truce for Sweden and Sicily; Sicily to be restored to Spain; all to be restored betwixt France and Holland: as to the Emperor, all to stand on the present foot, or the King will use his best endeavours to have Maestricht slighted on the one side, and Philipsburg on the other. Lorrain to be restored; the acceptance of the terms to be kept secret, till consented to by the Confederates. Additional Instruction apart. Besides the other instructions we have given you, in order to your negociation in France, we have thought fit to add this: In case you shall judge that the showing the instructions given you to his Most Christian Majesty, or such of his ministers as he shall appoint, may beget a greater confidence in that Court, and so hasten your answer, (much depending upon our soon receiving of it,) we do impower you, in case in your judgment you shall think it for our service, to show the said instructions as aforesaid, the better to accelerate your dispatch, which you shall press with all instance, and return with what speed you can; but this (if done) is to be done as of yourself, and unknown to us. We give you no project of a treaty, because you are not sent to conclude any thing, but only to acquaint that Court with the propositions mentioned in the instructions, to desire the Most Christian King's judgment upon them, and to bring that back to us with all speed. Given at our Court at Whitehall, this 10th day of November, in the twenty-ninth year of our reign, 1677. By His Majesty's command, C. R. H. COVENTRY. The instructions to Mr. Montague, dated December 4th, are nearly in the same words. But they also contain these additional argu ments: "That we desired to know the Most Christian King's mind by my Lord Feversham; but he hath brought us back an answer in general, that the propositions are no way reasonable; which doth very much surprise us, when we consider how nakedly we, by him, stated the case to his Most Christian Majesty, viz. that this was the lowest terms we could bring the Prince of Orange to for a peace that without a peace, suddenly concluded, all our measures would receive such a disturbance at home, that we should possibly be obliged to take some that we desire with all earnestness to avoid: and when his Most Christian Majesty hath seriously considered what inconveniences we have endured in parting with |