of being employed as it ought to be and as it will be in little time after it shall have tasted the sweetness of that Profit which it shall find by the Managery of the Duke and his Associates being assisted by his Friends and yours and principally by the Church We have in agitation great Designs worthy the consideration of your Friends and to be supported with all their Power wherein we have no doubt but to succeed and it may be to the utter ruine of the Protestant Party if you joyn with us in good Earnest and cordially second our Enterprizes The Affair is too long to give you all the Particulars of but without doubt you will understand much of it by the little which you find here Septemb. 4. 1674. Jo. Nicholas AT present Sir We are returned again to London where we shall be as I hope less embarrassed than at Windsor and by consequence shall have more leisure to entertain our Correspondents for the future than we have had before Since our return I have received your Letters of the one and twentieth of August and fourth of September and three others from our Friend through whose hands you sent me yours I wonder whence it comes that they have lost their way thus but I conceive that he directed them to his Correspondent here instead of addressing them immediately to me or to Mr. Jerome Boteman I will advertise him of it this day the better to settle our Correspondence for the future 't is true that I did not write till this present as I intended fearing lest you should have forgotten what I said thereupon when I was at your House but being delivered from that fear I will not fail hereafter to treat you with that Liberty and Freedom you have permitted me to use towards you having no other Design than to obey you as I ought being You will wonder without doubt at the Freedom I take in this Letter and at my Confidence and perhaps will esteem it as a mark of my Weakness judging thereby that I accustom my self to treat others in the like manner and to open my mind without distinction to all who make profession to me of their Friendship and Sincerity But Sir I desire you not to believe me guilty of so great Lightness and Folly if I shall let you know my most secret Thoughts And first to answer the Question in your Letters touching the Concerns of the Catholicks before the Parliament viz. Whether they will come in Debate again in the Month of I assure you there is none but my self either Friend or Enemy of the Duke's who doth not believe certainly that that Business will be begun again at the time aforesaid and that it will terminate to the utmost prejudice of the Duke and of the Catholicks For my self I am alone of the opinion that it will not then be taken up at least I will do my utmost to prevent it although I know well that the Spanish Minister and all those who are for the Interest of Spain and the Confederates wherof some notwithstanding are very good Friends to the Catholicks will do all they can to prevail with the King to pursue the said Business preferring their Malice and Enmity against France which will as they believe be overwhelmed thereby before their Love to the Duke and the Catholicks who will certainly by that means be in great danger to be quite ruined As for my self I am neither tied to the Interest of Spain nor France but intirely to that of the Pope and the Catholicks but pardon me if I tell you freely that I believe that the whole Proceeding of Spain in this Contest with France is visibly to the great prejudice as well of the Pope and the Catholicks as his own Interest and that He hath been long deceived by his Ministers and Associates who have exposed him during this whole Affair to vast Expences and have brought all the Burden upon him and in the end will quit him in his extremity if He doth not take heed betimes All his Friends on this side have foreseen a good while what is faln out of late and have been much afflicted to see two Gentlemen of equal Merit of the same Parentage and of the same Interest so transported one against the other as to expose themselves to the Derision of their Neighbours who have alwayes been and who are at present inwardly what shew soever they make in appearance Enemies to both In short I believe that it is not Prudence in Spain to suffer it self to be thus governed by the Passion of its Ministers to its own Damage and the ruine of its best Friends rather than to agree with France because it hath been perfidious altho Spain may have all the Assurances imaginable that France will act honestly for the future like a good Neighbour a kind Relation and a most faithful Friend The Duke 's principal Defign is to terminate this Difference by the Interposition of the Pope and by that means to establish himself in the possession of his Estate through their Assistance and to turn all their Cares which at present are employ'd to destroy each other for the Ease of the Pope's Friends and particularly for the Catholicks of the Church against their great Enemies If you please to consider the Affair as it is you will find that the Pope never had an occasion so favourable as at this Hour to inrich those of his Family and to augment the number of his Friends and if he lets it slip he will never find the like so that if ever they propose to make use of the Treasure of the Church 't is now they ought to do it for they can demand nothing that the Duke will not be capable to do for the Pope's Friends and the Emperour being assisted as I said On the other side without their Aid He will run great hazard of being lost both himself and his Associates This is all I can say From Mr. Coleman to the Pope's Internuncio September 11. 1674. SIR I Have received yours of the 7th Instant by which you do me the Honour to desire the continuance of News from us in which I will willingly obey you nothing being more agreeable to me than to serve you On Tuesday was sevenight our Commissioners and those of Holland who are to adjust the Commerce of both Nations to the East Indies entered upon that Affair Friday last the Privy Council met again the King present being the first time since his Majesty adjourned them at Hampton-Court about five or six Weeks ago and for the future they will meet regularly as heretofore The third Son of the Dutchess of Cleaveland known hitherto by the name of my Lord George Fitz Roy hath been lately made Earl of Northumberland Viscount of Falmouth and Baron of Pomfret Don Carlos another of the King 's Natural Sons will be created Earl of Plymouth but his Letters Patenes are not yet figned An Irish man named
Cussack in a small Vessel of 13 men had the boldness the last Week to take a Scotch Ship in our River near Sheerness and got off But the Yacht called the Merlin pursuing the said Cussack and took him so that he and his thirteen men are to be treated as Pirates Saturday last Sir Jonathan Atkins Governour of Barbadoes sailed from Portsmouth to take possession of his Charge His Majesty will go to New Market about the end of this Month to divert himself with Hunting Horse races and the other divertisements of the Place and Season Yesterday the Earl of Arlington took possession of his Charge of Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold his Majesty having delivered him the Staff and this day he hath complemented their Royal Highnesses and hath received the Visits and Congratulations of all his Relations and Grandees of the Court. Sir Joseph Williamson succeeds him in the Charge of Secretary of State for which he hath taken the ordinary Oath and hath this day taken his place in Council As for the Process of your Friend for which I was in great apprehension when I writ to you on the one and twentieth of the last Month it is at present as I hope in a better condition than formerly and although his Adversaries prosecute him with as much vigour and more confidence than ever nevertheless I do not doubt but the Lawyers of Mr. will find out some means to avert the danger for the present in deferring it at least for some Months and then it 's to be hoped that his Enemies will begin to hear reason and that those who had a Design to make use of this ill Conjuncture to satisfie their Malice under the specious pretext of obtaining their pretended Debts and securing their Trade will see perhaps that it is not so easie to maintain a Cheat and ruine by their tricks honest People supported by Justice and Innocence as they imagined after having got that point Your Friends the Emperour and the Pope will have a fair occasion of giving marks of their Friendship to Mr. by joyning their Credit and Interest to his to make the great Design which he hath so long meditated succeed to undermine the Intrigues of that Company of Merchants who trade for the Parliament and the Religion and to Establish that of the associated Catholicks in every place which may be done without any great trouble if the Emperour and the Pope will grant him their assistance and that Spain will not too obstinately oppose him as he hath hitherto done to his own prejudice of which I freely told you my Opinion in my last of the Third Instant A little time will now let us see the Trade of all Affairs of this nature more clearly than at present In the mean time you see the Confidence and Liberty I use with you c. From Mr. Coleman to the Internuncio Octob. 23. 1674. YOU agree with me Lec ' pro Rege that Money is the onely means of bringing the King into the Duke's Interest and of difingaging him from the Parliament and you must also agree with me that nothing can more promote the Interest of the Catholiek Party which is the principal Object of the Duke's Care and Affection and of the Hatred of the Parliament and which must hope or fear according as the one or the other of them increase in Power Now the Power would be unalterably established in the Duke if the King were resolved to give him his Assistance in one or two things so that if Money can prevail with him to act in the Duke's favour and to abandon the Parliament the Catholicks will find themselves at great ease about it And if that be the only way to gain the King that without him the Duke will be in great danger of being ruin'd and all the Catholicks with him it imports much to the Duke's Friends and to the Catholicks that nothing be omitted for the securing to them assistance of Mony as above mentioned But how shall one get it There 's the difficulty For my part I do not doubt notwithstanding the Discourse which we had together when I had the honour to speak with you upon this Subject and when we proceeded upon other Propositions than now we do but that the Pope may do it effectually if he think fit to employ his whole Power because Money which is intirely at his command is more than sufficient to make the Pretensions of the Duke and the Catholicks succeed besides that the Pope hath many other means to attain the favour of Money But before it be endeavoured to perswade the Pope to ingage himself in things of this nature he must first be made to understand that the assistance which he shall give the Duke shall be hindred from becoming ineffectual to the Catholicks either by the lightness of the King or by any other means and that it shall be so ordered as to produce infallibly or at least very probably the Effects which we wish for from it As for the first nothing in the World is more certain than that the King has a good inclination towards the Duke and the Catholicks and would joyn himself willingly and inseparably to their Interests if he did not apprehend some danger from such a Union which however he would not have any cause to fear if he found their Interest and consequently their Power so far advanced above that of their Adversaries that they should neither have the Power nor the Boldness to contest any thing with them or with him upon any matter that concerned them which he could see in a very little time if we could perswade him to treat roundly with Sir Will. Throckmorton and to do two or three things besides which would necessarily follow the first and which he could not easily avoid doing and I am certain Mony could not fail of perswading him to it for there is nothing it cannot make him do though it were as much to his prejudice as this we endeavour to perswade him to will be to his Advantage To convince you that the Duke and his Friends would have so much the Advantage in their Trade over their Competitors in case they might be assisted by Money that there would be nothing for the King to apprehend either of immediate loss or Collateral Damage in present or to come it will be enough that you consider the infinite augmentation of Credit which they have already gain'd by the bare suspending of their Suit for a little time onely for if that has been capable of advancing their Interest to such a degree consider I beseech you how one definitive Sentence in their savour must needs establish both their Reputation and real Power It would do it to that degree that I dare say not one man of those who now balance betwixt them and their Adversaries or that seem to be even of their Enemies Parry believing the Advantage of the Suit on their side would dare to cross or
Te Deum like to be Sug There were several Letters writ to Mr. Coleman by the late Earl of Berkshire under the borrowed name of Rice The names of principal men and matters are therein expressed in words of Cabal or Cypher which there was not any key found to open and explain But at the Committee of Lords there was the following key made but made by Conjecture onely and therefore it is not warranted for certain But the Reader may use this or his own sense and Conjecture upon the 4 or 5 of the Letters here exhibited March the 7th 1674 5 William Rice Lady D. York Patch Arlington Brother D. York Trees Great men Lord Treasurer Ladys Sister The King Oake The Treasury Lady to be passively neutral c. D. York to be passive in the matter of dissolving Parl. Adversaries The Protestant party The two Trees Parl. and Protestant party Yorkshire and Dorset Atturnies Buckingham and Shaftesbury Bothoakes Lord Treasurer and L. Ladies Neece Duke of Monmouth The Aunt The Duke Octob. 20. 1674. Wife of Shaftesbury The Nonconformist Interest Without Date Dorc. Atturneys Letter Shaftesburys letter to Carlisle Gardiners brother The Duke The two trees The Parl. Protestant Religion or Protestant Relig. Property Ladys Sister The King Ladys house Romish Religion Plenipotentiary Lord Treasurer Champerty Court dissimulation or undermining My Friend D. Buckingham Ladies friend over the Dike The French King A Terme A Session of Parliament New Assize A New Parliament His Mistress The Popish Cause The Grand Jury The Parliament Men September 10. 1674. SIR I Have received yours dated August the 28th and if your Lady pleaseth with Confidence to retaine me in her Cause as you say she will she may rest most secure to be both Faithfully and Uncorruptibly served according to the old English Oath of an Attorney without Fear Favour or Affection from hence therefore I resolve not to stir upon no other bodies Call nor Fees untill I have her special Command to come up to Westminster and full Instructions how to move when I am there which must be your part to see done and prepared in the mean time because I would think a little thereupon between this and then since the impertinentest of officiousnesses is to pretend to be wiser in other folks concerns than they are themselves yet give leave to say that I doubt very much words will not be kept with her by those whom chiefly she doth depend on not to shrink in the day of Battle when bullets begin to fly thick and near and though my Brother Attorney of Dorchest and his whole packed jury saving two of the number who are my Cousin Germains originally are Cowards let not that comfort you at all for if you remember after Clinias was driven into the water he fought like a lyon besides the ills which they have already done to speak the plain truth cannot be safe but by attempting greater wherein the Ladies Neece if good care be not early taken will have a considerable portion I would you saw as I doe because of my Ladies former displeasure towards me which makes them lie at something an opener Garde with me in this particular then they doe perhaps with others of the same profession what postings and meetings there are up and down the Country about this matter to the exaltation of the Neece usque ad Coelum and to the crying down of the Aunt nay and to such an insolence is the little Atturny grown that when applications are made unto him from the Center of all these lines as you well observe and the man for whose sake I first fell into disgrace with the Lady to admit them into his Counsels and interests the urchin still answers quod cùm impiis non vult Conversatio and that he intends to doe his work not by such assistances sed solum ex pondere causae wherefore if any Champarty masculine or feminine of that kind could be proved in open Court it were not amiss but when the thing comes to the touch you 'l see that it will not abide the tryall nor bear water The giving of mony then is all I can apprehend to be dangerous in this Case with a Condition to exclude the Aunt out of the entaile because upon those terms no separate proviso can serve her turn onely conduce towards the invalidating the testimony of her witnesses and Friends I desire to here onely that you have gotten this note safe into your hands shew it unto my Lady at seasonable opportunities and ever esteem me without welt or guard Your faithfullest Friend and Servant William Rice October 20. 1674. I Have Received yours dated the 13th of this month these come to you by a secure hand else I would not venture to write out of paraboles The new Parliament is that which the Dorsetshire Attorney and all his Clients have now in chace Consultations are on foot how to frame addresses for it within the compass of the Law Tell our Lady from me that she hath but one point seriously to intend which is to make herself and not be denyed the Commission mediatrix of the Peace which France as well as Spain are more inclined towards than ever because of the unruliness of the German Confederates for should either the Duke of Buckingham or my Lord of Arlington get that Employment from her nay any one besides there is an end of her storie By reason if the new Parliament cannot be obtained to have their own Creatures trusted with this mediation is the onely hope they have left I mean the wife of Shaftsbury could they and their adherents be authours of the general peace upon the nick of this Conjuncture I am afraid France will not stick so close to the Lady as perchance she believeth they would since to my knowledg they are actually in treatie at present with those two persons whom I last named to this very purpose therefore you see in this cause I do not juggle nor regard either peculiar Interests or friendship for the Duke of Buckingham till he be at the brink of death will never be right to our Cause more both because he doth think the Lady underhand hath used him hardly in the matter of his late persecutions as also that most of our persuasion were in the contrivance of the petition which was delivered in Parliament against my Lady of Shrewsbury and him though perhaps both equally mistaken however I must be sincere always with you for so it is and if my Lord of Arlington can obtain the Commission aforesaid then a rope for the Pope and long live the house of Nassaw you see clearly I trust you therefore I am sure you will not suffer the integrity of a poor Country Cloathier to be abused I tell you again if they can get the acting of the Peace into their hands in one word they will be able to doe their work peractum agere and much better hilted than it was the