Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland

regions as large as one half of Europe; and in extending those disturbances to Afia, fhe paved the way for the enemy whom she meant to annoy, to gain a kingdom as rich, as extenfive, and as populous as her own. A mifchievous nation is like a mifchievous man, both may make all their neighbours uneafy for a while, but both will be the dupes of their own mifchief in the end. It is fortunate for the interefts of human nature, and for thofe of the people I fpeak of, compofed as they are, of an ingenious and induftrious commonalty, and of a learned and gallant gentry, that they have at laft changed their system, and do not any longer confider their own happiness. to confift in making all their neighbours unhappy.

In a country in which the paffions of every individual are ftrong, becaufe his fpirit is high, and in which all take a fide in politics, because all ought to take it, I prefume that thofe who do not like me, or fome of the following letters, will do me the honour to fay that they are published with party views: if this be fo, I am certainly a very unfortunate party man, and this a very unfortunate party book; because I am not fure that I fhall gain either of the two great parties in this kingdom; and if they judge with lefs candour than I have done, I am afraid I fhall lofe both; yet one fide will permit me to affure them, that when I found in the French

dispatches lord Ruffel intriguing with the court of Versailles, and Algernon Sidney taking money from it, I felt very near the fame fhock as if I had feen a fon turn his back in the day-of battle.

THE

CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.

REVIEW of the POLITICAL STATE of

ENGLAND, from the Commencement of the

Monarchy, until the Restoration

Page 1

CHAP. I.

From the Restoration, until the Fall of Lord

Clarendon's Miniftry in the end of the year

1667.

alifts not united.
3d cause, The jealousies in government.

-4th caufe, Careleffness of the King's perfonal character.

-Laft caufe, Sufpicions of the popery of the royal

family. Effects of thefe caufes at the end of the first

Dutch war

25

CHAP. II.

From the Downfal of Lord Clarendon's Miniftry,

until the Prince of Orange's Marriage in the

year 1677.

Ruling public paffions of Charles. His wavering conduct

about triple alliance.-Secret intrigue of the Duke of

Buckingham and Duchefs of Orleans for the deftruction of

Holland.- Separate intrigue of Charles and the Duchefs

for the fame end.-Intrigue of the Duke of York with

Popish Lords for the fame end, adopted by Charles.

.

Secret money treaty in the year 1670, with Louis, for the

deftruction of Holland, and the King's becoming catholic,

concluded by popish counsellors.-Charles dupes his

proteftant counsellors in the year 1671, and makes them

parties to the treaty, without their knowing the article for

his popery. T
The King's fhifts to avoid declaring him-

felf catholic.
First vifit of the Prince of Orange to

England. High tone of the King and his proteftant

counsellors after he had duped them.-Bold courfes of

thofe counsellors. They defert the King.-Lord

Danby's miniftry. Several money treaties with France.

Double dealing and meanness of Charles in foreign

-His differences with parliament for several

APPENDIX to CHA P. II.

N° I. Letters from Charles II. to the Duchefs of Orleans; from Mon-

feur Rouvigny and Monfieur Colbert to the French court; and

between Louis XIV. and Charles II. concerning the firft fecret

money-treaty with France, concluded in the year 1670, by the

popish minifters of King Charles, for his declaring himself a

Roman catholic, and the destruction of Holland; together with

a draught of the treaty

Page 66-112

N° II. Letters from Monfieur Colbert and the Duke of Buckingham, to

the French court, concerning the second secret money-treaty with

France, concluded in the year 1671, by the proteftant ministers

of Charles II. for the deftruction of Holland; with the fecret

article of that treaty, unknown to his proteftant minifters, for

the King's popery

III. Letters from Monfieur Colbert to his court;

112-12I

and other papers,

which mark the characters and conduct of the Prince of Orange,
the Duke of York, Lord Sunderland, the Cabal, and King
Charles; with fecret hiftory during the fecond Dutch war, and
the conclufion of the peace between England and Holland
121-139

IV. Letters of Rouvigny and Courtin concerning four fecret money-

V. The Prince of Orange's knowledge of these treaties 155-159

CHA P. III.

From the Prince of Orange's Marriage in the

year 1677, till the Fall of Lord Danby's

Ministry in the year 1679

APPENDIX to CHA P. III.

160