assured that they would deal syncerely and moderately with me afterwards I should witsh te armies casheering but the very ill usage I receive as yet from them makes me suspect alle things that I can hardly resolue what is best for me to doe in such an unhappy conjoncture and shall deliberate a little longer however take you hence the occasion to let those see whoe say they are my frends how much more reasnable I am even according to their owne rules then the authors of theise desorders which can never be appeased unless they agree with me they know what will satisfy me but the botom of theise mens designes is not easily sownded upon the place where you are you know best how to urge this with the most efficacy According to the advice your next letter brings me I shall take my measures Send the inclosed to my wife and deliver the other your selfe to my Lord Dumfermlin and keep my correspondence with him secret farewell Your frend CHARLES R. Sect. 46. Upon the answer which I made to this letter which contained very many matters of fact of great importance betwixt the Parliament and army whose differences flew very high with the opinion of others as well as my owne there upon the particulars where of all thowgh to long to be Here Mentioned may be guessed at by the Kings answer which followes May the 16. SEct. 47. Monday last I received yours which put such thowghts into my head that I could not delay the dispatching my Message to the twoe houses for undoubtedly reason will be sooner heard by unreasnable men when they dispute whoe shall be master then when there is no opposition and certainly seeing many of those in the Parliament whoe pretend to be my frends make soe little account of what you have offered them in my name I can expect nothing from them but extremest rigour when they have no competitors for in the incertainty of their affaires they may judg me necessary but then useless What I send you now is no more then what you know allready touching the four cheif propositions and for the covenant I have Done as much as I promised them Cause my message to be printed and published all you can Make my excuse to the french Ambassadour for what he has written to me in his last is of soe little concernment that it is not worth the payns to answer it in cipher to him selfe Assure him from me that neither Dumfermlin whoe is now here nor any els saving you shall know what passes betwixt him and me Send the inclosed to my wife to whome faile Not to give an account of all that passes farewell Your frend CHARLES R. Sect. 48. I have many other letters from his Ma tie touching theise negotiations at that tyme not necessary here to be inserted for the end I propose to my selfe The Parliament had past an ordinance in both houses for the disbanding of the army which would not obey their refusall and proceedings there upon were very high and factions and out of the power of the houses to restraine their only force lying in their votes and orders which the other laughed at and dispised whoe haveing thus begun fownd themselves obliged to goe on or perish The Parliament was here at much alarmed and the wisest amongest them began to repent their haveing rejected a proposition which was secretly made to them and often urged with weighty reasons not to send the Scotch army out of England entirely and at once but at the same tyme to disband part of their owne and send away a like proportion of the Scots and soe by degrees make them selves quit of both But this was refused without aleaging any solid reason against it but only depending on Parlementary authority which they sayd the army would never dare to disobey they were likewise sorry they had soe long and soe much neglected the great advances which the King had made and told me plainly they would endeavour the passing of a vote in both houses for the Kings coming to London but that they apprehended the army there upon would seize upon his person before he could come thither Sect. 49. They desired me to write to his Ma tie to know his inclination I told them I would goe my selfe to a frends house within less then an hower from Holmby and would write from thence which I did all the same night post Arriving where I intended before noon the next day from thence I wrote I mediately to his Ma tie inclosing my letter in one to the Earle of Dumfermlin I acquainted him with the great danger he was in of being seized by the army to prevent which I saw no means unless his Ma tie would and could save himselfe by night in desguise and that I would have horses ready very neer the place to bring him to London where as affaires stood I was persuaded he might come to a reasnable accord on the fowndation of his Message The next morning he sent my Lord Dumfermlin to me whoe gave me the following lerter Holmby June 4. SEct. 50. Referring particulars to the Earle of Dumfermlin I shall only tell you that what you proposed to me by your letter of yesterday is quickly to be answered that ever since I heard of the armies refusal to disband I have often thowght of what you now propownd and am resolved not to fall into their hands if I can avoyde it I have sownded the commissioners about the expedient which you mention of escaping with them to London I have assured them to confirme my last message and to treat with the Parliament concerning the other things in question I have layd before them the publique danger as well as of my person in case I should be taken by the army all agree to it except two whoe say they connot Consent without order from the Parliament it being to betray their trust soe that I see no way to shun falling into the hands of the army if they have the designe to take me as soone as Dumfermlin returns I will try againe what may be done with those whoe make the greatest difficulty Expecting your answer this evening if I can put in execution by any means what you move you shall know my resolution speedily to which end you shall doe well to remain where you are farewell Your frend CARLES R. Sect. 51. My answer to this letter was very short haveing acquainted my Lord Dumfermlin fully with all things whoe had likewise himselfe received letters from some of the Scotch Commissioners at London which confirmed all I had written and savd and therefor concluded some thing was to be done out of hand for the Kings escape He named the twoe persons to me whoe opposed it one where of commanding the troupes which garded his Ma tie without him it was not possible to have been done The next morning in stead of receiving any advice from the King how I might serve him in
they lay nor was it councellable he Should only that he would demande a treaty and debate by a power given to the commissioners to explaine and discuss Every artickle apart and in particular which was the likeliest means to produce a good Effect and that by such an answer and demande those persons whoe had as then the most credit and cheif direction would endeavour to despose the Parliament to consent by which means and throwgh reasnable expedients which might be fownd out the severest things might have been moderated and great difficulties remouved To which end I told him I had already written to the King whoe seemed to be very well satisfied therewith and disposed to give such an answer 35. He replyed that he was upon good grounds assured when his Maj. had hearâ—d what this messenger forementioned had to propownd be would not demande any treaty and that the army would set him on his throne and make him a great King I besowght Allmighty God that it might prove soe but that I feared thy would at last take away his life and crowne together puting him in a capacity of possessing another in Heaven more durable Sect. 36. The next day I went to waite on the Marquis of Hartford since Duke of Somerset whoe the forenamed Gentilman had told me was acquainted with all this transaction and concurred in it which I fownd true and that he was persuaded the army would restore his Maj. sudainly perceaving me obstinate in the contrary opinion he sayd theise words to me Colonel Bamfield I have allways wished you well and doe soe Still and therefor would advise you not to oppose your selfe further to obstruct this cource towards the Kings recouvery for some of the clergy begin to suspect that you have particular interests in your transactions with the Presbitereans which weigh more then that of his Maj. I made answer that I had no other worldly interest but what was involved in and subordinate to the Kings that I never expected any advantage neither from the one or from the other partie but that I was soe fully convinced of the desperate designs secret practices and principles of the army and their adherents where of I did not want light that the groundless jalousie of some men nor their deluding hopes should never make me prostitute my reason nor act against it or have any thing to doe with those whose end and underground workings were for the destruction of the Kings person and Monarchie Sect. 37. A few days after this his Maj. answer came but not alltogether such as theise his freinds whoe I have mentioned desired but unhappy enough for him to doe the armies business at that tyme for the most Zealous part of the Presbitereans left the wisest and most moderate whoe endeavoured to have made the Kings answer the fowndation of a treaty and being likewise irritated by the Schotish Ministers Gyllaspy and others joined with the armies adherents in Parliament to demande of the Scots the delivery of his Maj. person to commissioners whoe were sent to receive him and guardes commanded by Collonel Graves This was clearly foreseen by the late Duke of Lauderdalle then one of the Commissioners for Scotland the Earle of Holland my Lord Willowby of Parham my Lord Hollis S r. Phillip Stapleton and very many others in both houses whoe were ar that tyme entirely for the Kings restauration upon as moderate termes as their conduct and credit in Parliament Could possibly worke out and as the only expedient to remoue difficulties wished and endeavoured to bring the business to a personall treaty by which means they hoped to abate the severity of some demands which all reasnable and truly conscientions men amongst them knew his Maj. Could not graunt without violence to his conscience in the breach of his othe and divesting himselfe of all power to maintaine ye lawes protect his subjects or to preserve himselfe and his posterity from being deprived of that less then halfe his regall and just authority which his assenting to those propositions in the termes they were drawne up would have left him the remaining part of his power being but precario and at the arbitrement of every succeeding Parliament Sect. 38. The wisest amongest them Considered and acknowldged theise truths and seeing a part of the Nation desposed with the army and their adherents towards a popular Gouverment would willingly have had more power in the King then when they began the war they desired or designed Sect. 39. On the contrary the adverse partie was absolutely against a treaty which they feard might lead to moderation on both sides and produce an accord destructive to those great projects the cheifs of them had figured to themselves for a long tyme and resolved upon after the niew modeling of the army to prevent an agreement they must hinder a treaty to which end that party in both houses haveing at first vigorously opposed sending of any propositions to the King but that being carried against them in the affirmative by great adress and infusing jalousies concerning Religeon into the greatest nomber of the Presbitereans few of them being States men by experience and peradventure not all by reason they easily drew them to a vote that his Maj. Should be obliged to signe the propositions in the termes as they were sent him by both houses alowing no latitude to the Commissioners by whome they were sent to treat or debate one syllable knowing very well that the King neither would nor indeed Could consent to them as they were neither with Conscience honour or safety however least the extreme danger whereunto he lay exposed might have prevayled with him to consent they made use of the stratagem I have allready mentioned of infusing into the belief of many of the most considerable of the Kings freinds that the army would restore him upon certaine conditions specified whoe led his Maj. himselfe to some hopes of it Sect. 40. By theise means the King was by the Scots delivered to the commissioners sent by the Parliament to receive him by them browght to Holmby one of his owne houses where he was rigorously guarded and very hardly used in all considerations not permitted to Speak with any man but in presence of some of the Commissioners not one of his domestique servants suffered about him nor the liberty to write or receive a lettre from the Queen any of his Childeren or freinds knowing nothing what his enemies did or what he was to doe himselfe In this deplorable condition one nepar whome the Parliament had placed about him as his barber being gained whose employment every morning and evening neer his person gave him the oportunity of conveying letters unpercevably into his hands how strictly soever he was watched by this conveniency haveing written to him at large concerning many things and especialy of the desorders begun betwixt the Parliament and the army and of all els which I judged necessary for his Knowledg in that estat
of Parliament under the penalty of high treason The last vote was relative to the first as before theise votes all most as soone as he was in the Isle of wight I had fownd out means of correspondence with him and of giving his Ma tie constant advertisements of all occurrencies which concerned him soe notwithstanding this danger of being punished as a traitour I continued it even to the last continuing to write to him and to receive letters from him both for my selfe and others the greatest part of his intelligence both with english and Scotch passing throwgh my hands whilest I remayned in England not without great hazard as may easily be conceaved which had it ever been discouvered no humane means that I sawe could have secured my head Sect. 86. Cromwell haveing as I have already sayd and demonstrated from tyme to tyme opposed and by his several artifices prevented all treaties as much as he possibly could and agreements betwixt the King and the Presbitereans by degrees wrowght the Earle of Essex Bedford and Manchester the Generall Waller Major General Massy Major General Browne and all those Military persons out of all employment whome he judged capable to bring any opstacle to his projects in some Kinde reduced the citty of London and jugled the King prisoner into the Isle of wight in the custody of Colonel Hammon one of his creatures he belived his game sure which was the sole reason why I ever declined all treaty or colusion with those people foreseeing clearly their ends and as visibly their ways to them even when the Generallity of the Kings party assured themselves that they would infallibly restore both him and them Sect. 87. My stedfastness in the contrary opinion and my endeavours against that gross delusion not prostituting my reason to other mens phantasies procured me many enemies with very severe sensures leading divers to a jalousie that I had rivited my selfe into that interest rather for my owne private ends then for his Ma tie service or for the publique behoofe of the Nation which most groundless and unreasnable credulity together with the animosities and calomnies which arose therefrom had prepared the way and facilitated my after mine all thowgh I solemnly and syncerely protest that I alone declined the one party as being unchangeably convinced that they designed his Ma ties destruction nor applyed my selfe to the other then by his commands and as things were in those tymes that I Could perceave no other means for his preservation Sect. 88. Upon advertisements I gave the King which I know he had from other hands of the foregoeing votes as likewise of what Cromwell and Ierton had sayd against him he sawe to late howe perfidiously they had jugled with him which first disposed him to treat with the Scotch and with as many of the Presbitereans in England as safely Could and would be treated with which evidently refutes that rediculous assertion of some whoe pretend to be the Kings frends that Cromwell and Ireton broke with his Ma tie because he treated with the Scots makeing the effect the cause it being notorious to all whoe had any transactions in and knowledg of the affaires at those seperate tymes that the King after the armies proposalls had no treaty with the Scots or any els till the votes of non adresses and unanimous protestation of the army to live and dye with the Parliament in the persuance of those votes and for the setlement of the Gouverment without his Ma tie and a little after the like was done by the Parliament to live and dye with the army for the same ends and which was the wonder of wonders the house of Lords Passed this resolution first with great zeal and sent it downe to the Commons for their concurrence whoe for some tyme opposed it vigorously till threatnings and fear caused many members to absent themselves soe that it was carryed in the affirmative by five or six vooices Thus the commons contended to preserve the Peerage for the abolishing of which the Peers themselves layd this fowndation which ensued in about a year after Sect. 89. Theise proceedings haveing been visible and his Ma tie no other recource for the gaining of his liberty with the preservation of his crowne and life came to a conclusion with the Scotch Commissioners whoe were permitted by the Parliament to repaire to the King about the Gouverment of their owne nation Sect. 90. The agreement with them gave such satisfaction that they engaged themselves to enter into England with an army as speedily as well could be and in order to conjonction with them severall treaties were secretly mannaged with the principall persons of the Presbiterean party In a Parliamentary way nothing Could be done with them nor by them because of the awe of the army and the incertainty of many amongst themselves whoe in divers debates voted with the contrary party Besides that the very late resolutions and protestations of both houses rendred all propositions of that Kinde vaine and exceeding dangerous in soe much that there remained no other way but to treat with them a part and with the greatest Privacy The result was that they should declare at the same tyme with the Scotch the Kings party being to joine with them Upon the Scotch commissioners leaving the Isle of wight his Ma tie was more severely guarded then ever Not with standing I had constant correspondence with him all or much the greatest part of his intelligencies either with the Kingdome of Scotland or England passed my hands not without great difficulty danger and expence When all these transactions were concluded the King sent me the following letter of credit to be communicated to as many of the Gentilemen of the Easterne assotiation as I should thinke fit with the advice of those with whome I had before treated The Duke of Lauderdalle did me the honour to deliver it me at his returne from Cairsbrook Castel and to let me know what was concluded betwixt his Ma tie and the sotch Commissioners Cairsbrooke Decemb 1647. SEct. 91. Gentilemen I have been long since advertised by Colonel Bamfield whoe I have often employed to you of your good affections to my service and since there may fall out in a short tyme an occasion wherein they may be usefull to me in the present condition I am it may prove inconvenient for me and to you dangerous that I should give you Particular directions under my hand I have left it to Colonel Bamfield whoe knows my affaires and has order to communicate to you as much of them as is necessary for the direction of your Councels and endeavours for the publique good of your country and for him whoe is Your most assured frend CHARLES R. For the Gentilemen of the Easterne association Jan. the 24. SEct. 92. I have received yours of the 17 present but have not as yet decypherd the other letters inclosed because I would first fiuish this despatch
condemne you as often to free Speaking to him about his Royale Highness the Duke of Yorke and my Lord Chancellour he told me the Duke is not as I hear inclined to you as he has been and I easily belive that S r. Allen Apsley sayd the truth to you for I had told him what it was that his Master will not medle in your concernments My Lord Chancellour had kindeness for you wrowght out your liberty was opinion when you first came out of the Tower that you might have been employed at sea for the King would not endure to hear of your coming to Court but now those thowghts of his Lordship are off and thowgh I can perceave that he wishes not your utter ruine yet if you should fall into any new trowble you will finde no favour from him I have here inserted the substance of this noble persons discource and as far as I can possibly recollect his words Upon these advices twoe or three days after I embarqued my selfe in a ship of Zealand and landed at Midelburgh where meeting with very great civility and kindeness from all persons in generall I remayned neer four years when by the councels and very effectual recommendations of some of my frends I went to the Hague where by their credit and by the power of some persons in Holland whome they had engaged to favour me I had the honour to be received into the service of the State Shortly after Colonel Dolman and I were summoned by proclamation without the specification of any crime as the cause to render our selves in England by a day which neither of us doeing we were both proscribed and which I belive was never done before by act of Parliament without any Criminal charge aleadged against either I shall not wear out tyme with fruitless complaints nor with any other kinde of reflexions which can signify nothing I only solemnly protest that after my proscription which was I thinke in the very beginning of the year 1666 till the month of April in the year 1674 I never wrote letter nor sent message to any creature in any of his Majesties Dominions nor did receive any Haveing not had in all that tyme being about eight years the least correspondence directly or indirectly either to good or bad ends In the month of April 1674 when the peace was concluded by the last treaty of Breda I wrote three or four letters to twoe persons of great quality in the most eminent employments about his Majestie and in no less credit Whoe had been bred up from their youth in the service of the crowne one with whome I had formerly long and great correspondence returned me no other answer then verbally to him whoe delivered him my letter that he was very sorry for the unhappiness of my condition but that the conjoncture Could not permit any man to speak in favour of that unfortunate Gentileman The other I know did move his Ma tie in my behalfe for my returne into England severall tymes but Could obtayne no Grace Thus finding my selfe most entirely ruined and hopeless of ever recouvering either in England or els where I betooke my selfe to a resolution as contrary to my temper humour and custome as one opposite can well be to another where unto I could never constraine my inclination throwgh the whole course of my life untill that tyme which was to retire my selfe not only from all kinde of affaires of what nature soeever but even from the usual contentment of humane conversation as far forth as the possibility of subsisting Could admit and to lead an Hermitical kinde of life to which end haveing throwgh the frendship of a worthy person to whome I was knowne procured in the country a little house in a garden but as great as my designe Thither I retired my selfe and soe continued during the space of five years haveing had in all that tyme very little other society then my bookes and meditations notwithstanding this great circomspection and harmless way of living I Could not be entirely free from some practises which had been for a long tyme one of the chiefe causes of my great calamitie in soe much that I then did and doe now thinke that if the very trees Could have had the discoursive faculty they would have been employ'd to my disadvantage which made me as much as was decently possible to avoyd the speaking with all man kinde but in this egiptiene darkness by intervalls God extraordinaryly afforded me such glimerings of light that I Could discouver the first mouvers reasons ends and instruments of all theise practises as likewise that passion in the first and interest in the last produced theise effects from which I playnly saw no manner of life that I Could consine my selfe unto was of sufficient force to free me Theise considerations which were solid and reall exempt from all Hypocondriacall vapours or chimeraes together with the very sencible decay of my health throwgh this way of living as likewise that melancholy sencibility of my to heavy distresse not haveing been Stoicien enough to have lost my feeling together with other reasons that I shall not mention I concluded my return to Leuwarden at least for the winter more conducible to my health to my security and more convenient in other considerations then the country about the end of September 1679 I posted my selfe there where I lived as free from all conversation as I had done at Bergum In the year 1680 coming to the knowledg of some things which concerned me in the highest degree that I Could be touched with and perceaving by the prints which were frequent and filled therewith that the desordres in England were risen to that Height that the storme seemed to blow from all points of the compass and not only conjecturing that I should be suspected but knowing that I was soe thowgh innocent as to all those transactions as the childe whoe had never seen the light I begun to thinke with my selfe what course was fittest for me to steer and after much deliberation I concluded it absolutely best to write into England which accordingly I did to a person whoe I thowght Could not be exposed to any suspition and by their means if they would have adventured it to have letters delivered to some of the Court whoe had formerly been my frends this person answered my letter and undertooke what I desired Where upon calling the saying to minde that he that wallkes circomspectly walkes surely allbeit I saw no necessity to have done it as things were betwixt England and this State I demanded leave from those whoe had the power to accord it me for my writing to such of my frends as would have endeavourd to get my proscription taken off free and entire liberty was graunted me very Generously without those limitations which I offered to Impose upon my selfe I wrote three letters to persons of Importance at the court one tooke tyme to resolve whither he would
was conducted to New Castle Whither Imediately at his arrivall he sent me his commands to Come with all diligence haveing obeyed his Majestie was Pleased to Acquaint me with the State of his affaires with the Scots Whose conduct towards him had not Given him the Satisfaction which he reasnably hoped for when he had volontarily betaken him selfe to them for Refuge in his distress haveing heard all I had to represent concerning the affaires at London wich could any ways relate to his person or Intrest since his Escape from Oxford he commanded me to make a short deduction of all in writing to leave with him for the refreshment of his Memory 26. Haveing remained there a few days his Majestye was pleased to trust me with new Instructions according to the change and Exigence of his affaires and to dispatch me back to London 27. Not long after I receaved a Letter from him by an express whome he eminently trusted to whose Information he referd me chiefly in the following termes The Severall ends I have in this despatch I have fully communicated to the Bearer resulting from what you left with me when you where Heere and from what you and others have written to me since the Particulars are to long and troublesome to bee put in chypher and to important to be hazarded out of it Wherfore I must refer you to him for answer to your two last and for direction in your conduct touching what you have propownded Your assured frend CHARLES R. 28. Part of this Business needs not to bee mentioned Heere being in some Kinde particular relating to what degree two or three persons might or might not be trusted and in what Maters but the principall thereof was to Engage the Earl of Essex the Earl of Holland Mylord Willoby of Parham with severall others of both houses so to contrive the Business by their owne and frends credit that the propositions of the Parliament which were resolved should be drawne up upon his Maj. message a litle before pressing earnestly a treaty migt be as moderate as possible Could be Procured and that such commissioners by the influence of theise persons might be chosen to compile them as neer the model which his Ma tie had given in writing to the person all ready mentioned as Could be effected 29. The business was communicared where it was most convenient but the sudaine death of the Earle of Essex throwgh an appoplexy rendered the propositions more harsh and difficult then peradventure they would have been had he lived whoe was animated resolute would hazard more then all the others had credit and was every moment incited by the influence and persuations of his sister the late Dutchess of Somerset 30. However Cromwell the army and their adherents in Parliament fearing the very possibility of the Kings assent in that extremity of his affaires and by consequence the frustration of their designs leading to the destruction of his person and the subversion of Monarchy Employd all the artifices Imaginable to have the King desposed to reject entirely the propositions Without soe much as demanding any treaty or Explication which they concluded would disgust to that height both the Scotch and severer of the English Presbitereans as indeed it did that they should the easilier arrive at their great designe in the overthrowe of all as it after fell out and chiefly throwgh that maxime which he all a long persued of keeping the King and Presbiterans from agreeing whereof the success was even at that tyme clearly probable 31. To this end they connived at the escape of a person out of the tower there Prisoner and in reasnable credit with the King being moreover a clergy Man animated in the highest degree against the Scotch and Presbitereans was a very proper instrument for their designe thowgh I shall doe him that right as to declaer my persuation that he suspected not the deceit wherein he was flattered employed and deceaved as many others were unblemishedly faithfull to the King but to credulous This man as I have sayd escaped made his speedy repaire to Niew Castel being fortified with powerfull recommendations from twoe or three great and worthy persons 32. The same day that he parted from London one whoe was at that tyme very intimately my frend and in the secret gave me a visit telling mee with joye even in his eyes that he came to tell me the best newes that ever I had heard being a particular recite of the Escape of the fore Mentioned person with his Message instructions and the ouverteurs he was charged with to his Maj. from some of the army and principal persons of their adherents whoe as he sayd were absolutely resolved to restore the King upon his utterly rejecting the Parliaments Propositions and graunting them a full liberty of conscience and such a power in the Militia as might secure all to them which his Maj. as affaires stood should finde himselfe necessitated to accord them Sect. 33. He added as allready in tryumph that the business was as good as done and that in less then three months we should see the King on his throne and in the full Execution of his Regal authority haveing heard him with great attention for his discource was weighty thowgh his judgment deluded without one word of interuption I answered him at lenght that I was sorry I could not rejoice with him at his triumphant niewes which I should undoubtedly doe as much as any Man alive if I believed the success would prove what he and those engaged in that designe figured to them selves for he had told me whoe they were three or four of the greatest and one of the wisest men that served the King on whose prudence and integrite his Maj. relyed as much as any mans I added I believe or rather I knowe this to be a manifest cheat concerted betwixt Cromwell Ireton and some cheif persons of their adherents in the twoe houses whose reall and hidden end is what specious pretences soever they make to abuse the credulity of you and others to render this treaty ineffectuall which has been browght about with great difficulty and against stronge opposition even of those persons whoe make theise ouvertures now hoping hereby to frustrate by adress what they Could not hynder by their debates in the twoe houses and by Makeing it break of abruptly by his Maj. Rejecting all the propositions in Generall cast the odium upon him and render the breach irreconcilable betwixt him and the Presbitereans whereby as I had much reason to fear the moste zealous the most violent and the least reasnable which are allways the greatest nomber would entirely abandon the wisest and most moderate uniting them selves to the armies party in both houses whereby the authority of Parliament being joyned to the power of the army both the Kings person and Monarchie would be desperately exposed Sect. 34. I aleaged further that I knew his Maj. would never consent to the propositions as
months after his Ma tie sent an order for my liberty I continued some tyme in London where I lived with the greatest circomspection Imaginable not to give cause of jalousy or offence to any Till at length S r. Allen Apsly treasurer to his Royale Highness whoe did me the honour some tymes to see me with a civile and frendly introduction to very ill niews told me in plain termes that the court was againe abondantly unsatisfyed with me and that Particularly his Royale Highness the Duke of Yorke had commanded him to tell me that I owght to be carefull of my comportment that if I fell into any trowble he would have nothing to doe with me adding theise words the Duke is soe displeased with you that I belive it easier for you to recouver the Kings favour then his I with some Importunity urged him to tell me if he knew any thing of the cause to which he gave no other answer then that the best cource he Could advise me to was for some tyme to retire my selfe out of England till the publique affaires were soe re-settled that there might remaine no grounds of jalousy concerning me I replyed I shall take this night to thinke of it and would the next day give him an account of my resolution which I did the morning following before he was out of his bed I told him that I had duly weighed his councel and was determined to follow it that thowgh the storme I had stoode out seemed to have been abated yet I Could perceave the sea was stil unquiet the winde contrary and my ankers not the surest in soe much that I should seek another port his answer was you doe very wisely for in case the least newe disorder should arise I am soe much your frend as to tell you freely that I persuade my selfe you would be confined to a perpetuaile Imprisonment I replied I had rather dye he told me brusquly that you may easily doe if you have a minde to it I besowght him to acquaint his Ma tie that if he pleased to give me leave I would for some tyme retire out of his Dominions till the affaires of state were soe settled to his contentment that my returne might give no ombrage The apprehension of a continuel Imprisonment had soe alarmed me that I was willing to be gone as soone as I could which made me hasten to him agayne twoe days after he told me he had fownd occasion to represent to the King my humble resolution of retirement which his Ma tie approuved He added likewise that he had acquainted my Lord Chancellour therewith whoe he sayd commended my discretion councelled me to carry my selfe abrode circomspectly and Dutifully not haveing to doe with factious or scismaticall people by which means he hoped to see me in some tyme recalled from my volontary banishment Theise discources of his together with some advertisements I had from a person of great Importance at that tyme of his Ma ties councel whoe either out of compassion or frendship by one of his neer relations had desired to meet me in a third place caused me to hasten my departure with soe much precipitation as to leave my torne affaires in a very desorderly condition for he gave me some light into the reasons of my niew desgrace as my often frequenting of some places thowgh most publiquely which was interpreted to my disadvantage as all things in nature at that tyme by some would have been secondly that I had spoken words to a certain person with greater confidence then discretion which were looked upon as marques of remaining discontent and of factious inclinations he told me the expressions but assured me that he knew not whoe the reporter was where upon I named the person avowing that I had sayd those words or to the same effect Acquainting him with the occasion which was that this Gentileman was not at that tyme in very much greater grace in the court then I with whome some tymes I met occasionally and at other oportunities he did me the honour to visit me one day I retayned him with me at dinner at the table we discourced of many indifferent things as I tooke them to be for as long as he was there one of my servants was present and till neer the end of dinner his footeman whoe being gone out of the chamber he sayd some words to me absolutely in rallerie which was custumary amongest the great wits of which nomber he really was both by nature and acquisition as any I knew of the Nation the substance was a paralelle he made betwixt me and one dead some tyme before whoe had not been of the Kings most dutyfull subjects referring to the future course of things as he sayd they might fall out I I suspecting nothing for we had lived during the space of twelve or thirtien years with great kindeness and familiarity answered him in the same dialect in pure and manifest rallerie nor could the thing it self about which he had spoken bear any other sence if weighed without passion and my answer much less if the antecedent as well as the consequent had been reported but he in another place and to other persons repeated only and that grammatically my words as seperate from his owne which he never mentioned in soe much that where twoe sentences are relatives if the later be reported without the former to which it related the sence may be wrested oftentimes to what one will Haveing recited exactly the whole Matter with all the circomstances to this noble person he shooke his head and sayd theise are dangerous tymes and such are most dangerous men I besowght him that he would acquaint my Lord Chancellour with this business and all its circomstances He replied his Lordship knowes nothing of my speaking with you much less of what I say to you and I desire he never may nor any els I have wished you well as long as I have knowne you and have been very sorry for your misfortunes and out of pure pitty have adventured to speak with you to hynder your falling into greater which may prove as lasting as your life and therefor I hope you will keep this meeting and what I have sayd to you secret otherwise you will deal unwisely as to you selfe and unthanckfully as to me Some persons of the greatest Calibre are soe prepossested against you that your clearing your selfe in this point will in no kinde help you for the words themselves can bear no action in law nor be of any other consequence then to confirme some in the belief long rooted in them that you are discontented and that your heart swells with mutinous and revengfull thowghts which is soe ingrafted that if an Angel should descend from Heaven to declare the contrary I may question whither it would avayle you Retire your selfe as soone as you can be very circomspect in your whole comportment and especially in your discources wherein your best frends
receive his or not but after three or four days consideration excused it the other twoe received my letters promised answers but as I have since knowne not finding means to obtaine any thing in my favour wrote not to me However at length one whoe had credit was Induced to receive letters from me and to write to me My end and endeavour was first to make my innocency appear demonstrably touching all correspondence or colusion with any of his Ma ties subjects either in or out of his Dominions nor to have had soe much as knowledg of any contrivements or designes tending in any kinde or degree to the prejudice of his person or disturbance of his Gouverment And nevertheless that I knew negatives were most difficult to be prouved yet by inductions and necessary consequencies much may be clearly demonstrated Besides I was certayne that it Could not be in the power of mankinde to prouve any such matter against me haveing ever since my residing in Freezland been soe exactly circumspect not to give any just occasion of jalousie that I have entirely avoided the speaking with any whoe I knew or did but Imagine to have been suspected by his Ma tie as disaffected to his person or Gouverment and if any such have desired any communication with me I have civily excused it as that which Could not have been benificiall to them and might have proved domageable to my selfe Nor have I ever done it to this moment either by interview speech writing or Message sent or received Nor have I had any other knowledge of those plots and practises during theise last ten years which have filled all Christendome with noise saveing what I have seen in print and not before it was publique Theise truths haveing been soe made appear as that they neither had been nor Could be contradicted by any lawfull evidence or reasnable appearance I flattered my selfe as indeed I have done into the hopes of getting my proscription taken off and might have met with no opposition from England which has allways befallen me to my obtayning employment abroad in case of a foraigne war which till about eighâ—een months since I concluded unavoydable haveing been positively resolved to throwe my selfe into the first engagement where I best Could with the satisfaction of my Conscience thereby to have honourably ended if God had thowght it fit an unhappy and a burthensome life more to my contentment then the continuation thereof for many years has been Perceaving now no means remayning in this dead calme which is Joyfully believed of 20 years continuance for the lawfull persuance of my designe being likewise deprived of all hopes in England I resolve during the short reste of my life with as much tranquility as God shall please to voutsafe me to submit to his holy will in whose booke the nombers of our dayes are registred wayting on him till my change comes whoe sways all men and actions to those ends for which he has ordayned them in this course to meet with the less interuption I yet determine neither to discompose my selfe nor give any ombrage to others by medling with wordly affaires further then the necessity of my subsistance may constraine me to it which I conceave cannot happen if I am dealt justly with by those for whome I have visibly suffered to great extremities for Divers years This being my syncere intention I shall summ up the principal points which have in some kinde constrained me to become publique to the following heads and soe conclude First I here declare and protest which I doe with a clear and safe conscience that since my leaving of England with his Ma ties permission I have had no correspondence by writing receaving of letters or Messages into or out of England or of any other part of his Dominions nor have had any consultations or contrivements with any of his subjects abroad tending to the raysing or fomenting any discontents uproors seditions or treasons against his person or Gouverment Secondly that from the year 1665 after the first war was declared by England against this State I neither wrote nor received any letter or Message into or out of England or any other of the Kings Dominions untill the year 1674. after the last peace concluded at Breda and then only as I have allready sayd unto twoe persons of as great honour and fidelity to the King as I have ever knowne and of the neerest places and trust about him at which tyme I wrote but twoe or three letters with Communication of some persons in the greatest consideration in the Gouverment of this state Nothing at that tyme haveing been obtaynedned for me I wrote not more till the end of 1679 or the beginning of 1680 and then writh free leave of those in cheif authority where I was and only for the ends I have allready mentioned Thirdly and lastly knowing positively and particularly that by some very ill persons I have been accused to have spoken undecently and undutifully concerning the late King of happy Memory as likewise of some other Princes abroad of the Royale blood which has been believed and contributed as much to my late Calamities as those other matters of a higher nature and may yet reduce me to greater extremities then I thinke decent for me to mention Wherefor I doe declare that I have never at any tyme nor on any occasion mentioned his late Ma tie neither any other Prince of the blood capable of a legall succession at any tyme or event which can happen to the crowne but with that due respect and modesty which became a subject to speak of his Souveraigne or a sober man of such whoe are in a legal possibility to become soe Few men can be ignorant and to many not insencible of the prodigious liberty which has of late years been taken of false informations in secret which being belived without due examination no man can be safe as likewise of Improbable untrue and contradictory evidences in publique and of most Impudent perjury which renders it a bold hazard for any man to lay himselfe open to yet such is my innocency as to all theise matters and soe great and full the satisfaction of my conscience that I shall venture to declare that if any man upon the earth either of his Ma ties subjects or strangers will say and can suffiently and authentically prove the contrary to any one of theise assertions I shall freely with my soul forgive him if he does it and be contented to suffer death As I began soe I shall end that false accusations with secret and detestable practises to destroye me or at least to continue me under the Calamity which has long layne heavy upon me much worse to me then death have constrayned me to this course as unfit for me as I am for it referring my selfe to the equitable sensure of unpreoccupied persons the judgment of my cause to God and my soul in all events to his incomprehensible mercy FINIS