the way They ofter to furnish them with 24000 Men in the Spring provided they will pay them three months now which I think is almost a Bargain How this may work as to some other Affairs you know of I cannot tell but I think however this should be no hindrance Adieu I am almost tired to death Pray get better Paper and be more careful for I cannot reade half your Letter Superscribed To Mris Coleman Transcribed Novemb. 8 1678. Ed. Dering February the 13th I Told you last Post how Throckmorton had disposed Pompone to speak to the French King and how they were agreed that Throckmorton should come again to know the French Kings Answer which yesterday he did and Pompone told him that the French King had ordered him to write to Ruvigny effectually on this concern that was That Ruvigny should joyn that he should take Measures and Directions from the Duke that he should consult with him about the means to prevent the Parliament and get the Parliament Dissolved and that all things that were possible to be done on the French Kings side to Dissolve the Parliament should be done Throckmorton told him this would do very well that he was resolved to keep his word for that he would not be inquisitive to know the other particulars which he hoped however there were or else they did nothing that he was extreamly glad it was put into Ruvigny his hand for that he believed him a good man and an able man that his late experience too had taught him that he would the better know how to behave himself among so many Knaves that he had now only two things to recommend to him strongly to inculcate unto Ruvigny that is Secresie and Promptness for that Throckmorton did not know whether all that he had said and which was however as much as could be said to it had evinc'd him that the thing did press as much as it did but he did assure him that if either of these were wanting or if he continued beating the bush the business would be lost that for Throckmortons part he had no other design but the common good c. he took him and embraced him and told him the French King was very sensible of that and gave all the imaginable to what he said and therefore begun now and would do all that was possible in his power and as the urgency of the Affairs required This is all Throckmorton for his life could do in this business and perhaps as much too as any other could have done in his circumstances For I am confident he omitted nothing that could press him as you may see by his Papers when the young Gentlewoman comes what the success of this may be God and is certain that Louvy who hath hitherto been against him and for War is now so much turned again hearing some disgrace by him that it is believed he will carry the French King to imbrace Peace presently upon any terms Now if this were so and Louvy a wise man it were the fairest way for us in all the world for nothing it is certain would do us more kindness than to see the Parliament Dissolved But if Louvy be a Fool and a Beast who can assure us of their patience for this way and not call'd to his passion of fear _____ and let any underhand little Engineer write to you on the whole or in part this is all I apprehend for unless this be an underhand way of his I am confident there is nothing and then we are well enough for let the French King beat about as he pleaseth now he shall be forced at last to come to the Duke and his terms too and therefore I am clearly with all submission in my poor judgment for this That if the French King does not help vigorously to gain the Parliament Dissolved that then the Duke should not be against the Parliaments coming for I think it is not morally probable that the Duke will be better armed against the Parliament three or four Months hence than he is now but on the contrary six Months hence in the first place the Parliament will be more incensed and violent against him than now for it is certain they all take it for granted that he does his possible for the Parliaments Dissolution It 's a prejudice to which the longer he is about and cannot comply it in his heart the more it will render the Parliament audacious mean and despised by him for it is clear that whilst the Duke is at shall he he looses ground Peace yet and the French King will not have made terms of Peace for all his dodging Now when the Parliament shall begin to play his prank the French King shall without doubt assist the Duke with all he can in the world against the Parliament But who will ensure that the French King and Peace will not be friends eight or nine Months hence and if so I am sure the French King says then Fight Dog fight Bear what can the Duke clear himself from the Parliament let him but shew as much Resolution in his Mind as he has often done Valour in his Person and not be startled or led away by Knaves or by Mens fearful Councels as he has too many about him of the one and other sorts who mind themselves more than his service and what can hurt him I wish I had ten thousand Lives and I would stake them all for him onely that a Throckmorton and Coleman may go to pot and it may not do so well for the Catholicks and his at first but for the Gods will be done and for the other really I cannot well pity some of them they having been so base and mean in his concern and their own as they have been Let them smart it will turn their good I think if the Duke thought well of it if Coleman speak to Rouvigny upon this now and that he urged him to the utmost in it about 300000 l. it would not be amiss and then Coleman will finde what is not for Throckmorton has done what he could here except he has new matter for it is clear that this which Pompone told Throckmorton is only either a putting him off civilly and that they intend to continue to dodge as they have given Rouvigny Orders and resolve to act only by him suppose which you will I think it will be necessary to Coleman thus to deal with Rouvigny that is openly and home for if they intend to do any thing it will certainly be by Rouvigny and if they intend to do nothing you will by his shuffling discover it I expected what you told me in your last from them both no doubt they will Court the Parliament or the Devil if they think him like to be uppermost but let the Duke consider of it accordingly _____ the Duke nor Rouvigny trust the King with more than needs be you know he is not good at keeping Secrets Dated February le
very glad to hear it again confirmed by you that the Gardeners brother proveth a good man he saith right the two Trees must down which now there is no more dispute cannot stand without the undermining of the Ladies house but all the craft will be how to get them removed for which the Gardiners Brothers Tools I doubt are not sharp enough besides those who have promised to work with him when the Spade cometh to the Rock 't is to be feared may digg Counter for at present 't is a tough piece of labour and will continue so untill the Ladies Sister doth feel the inconvenience of their standing there as well as she herself has felt it already That the Lady has gotten a Plenipotentiary of her own chusing is good if he doth not find that he must digg against the Rock too for then as well as I love the man he is not to learn this lesson of the Ladies of any Church whatsoever durum erit tibi contrà stimulum calcitare my friend I begin to hope may do well by something I have heard of him whereof more by the next return Send me word I entreat you what Bills are upon the Stocks and whether there be one in hand to exclude the Catholick Lords from Sitting and Voting in the House of Peers that I may prepare accordingly Since the Priests and Monks are all gon when they are beyond Seas again more Masters of their Conceptions than they were here I pray God that they may write no foolish Books to inflame the reckoning which by the way they are like enough to doe unless warned to the contrary by the Lady whose good they ought to tender more then the pleasing of their fancies since the penalty of their follies otherwise will certainly light upon her in the conclusion of things Since the Lady will go to a new triall intend proceed prosper and reign the Gardener will not be long from you to accomplish his word but if the event doth not prove otherwise than is expected I am much cousened for either John Bothoaks must heeds be stark mad or he is sure of having already packed the Cards enough to doe his feat with the Jury before he cometh to sit down at primavisti with the Lady in fine though I knew Cassandra was an Asse for Prophecying always where she was never believed yet I cannot leave this kind of style for my heart Let your new Instruments be never so acceptable to the Jury for a while that is to say till the cheat be enacted they will not have been long in the Ladies hands but they will become like the others heretofore whom they so much distasted since their business is not to accept of her security upon a change of officers but right or wrong to reject it whatever she offers or whomever she imployeth Another soruple too I have which is whether her friend over the dyke will be true to her or no for if so as you well observe Orange Trees will not thrive in our soil farewell till I see you March 24th 1674 5. Coleman to Monsieur Le Chese 29th Sept. 75. SInce Father St. Germain has been so kind to me as to recommend me to your Reverence Lect. pro Rege so advantageously as to Encourage you to accept of my Correspondence I will own to him that he has done me a Favour without consulting me greater than I could have been capable of if he had advis'd with me because I should not then have had the Confidence to have permitted him to ask it in my behalf And I am so sensible of the Honour you are pleas'd to do me that though I cannot deserve it yet at least to show the sence I have of it I will deal as freely and openly with you at this first time as if I had had the Honour of your acquaintance all my life and shall make no Apology for so doing but only tell you that I know your Character perfectly well though I am not so happy as to know your Person and that I have an Opportunity of putting this Letter into the hands of Father St. Germain's Nephew for whose Integrity and Prudence he has undertaken without any sort of hazard In order then Sir to the plainness which I profess I will tell you what has formerly pass'd between your Reverend Predecessor Father Ferrier and my self about Three years ago when the King my Master sent a Troop of his Horse Guards into his most Christian Majestie 's Service under the Command of my Lord Duras he sent with it an Officer call'd Sir William Throckmorton with whom I had a particular intimacy and who had then very newly embrac'd the Catholick Religion to him did I constantly write and by him address my self to Father Ferrier The first thing of great Importance which I presum'd to offer to him not to trouble you with lesser Matters or what pass'd here before and immediately after the fatal Revocation of the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our late Miseries and Hazards was in July August and September 73. when I constantly inculcated the great danger Catholick Religion and his most Christian Majestie 's Interest would be in at our next Sessions of Parliament which was then to be in October following at which I plainly foresaw that the King my Master would be forc'd to something in prejudice of his Alliance with France which I saw so evidently and particularly that we should make Peace with Holland that I urg'd all the Arguments I could which to me were Demonstrations to convince your Court of that mischief and press'd what I could to persuade his Christian Majesty to use his utmost force to prevent that Sessions of our Parliament and propos'd Expedients how to do it but I was answer'd so often and so positively that his Christian Majesty was so well assur'd by his Ambas here our Ambas there the Lord Arlington and even the King himself that he had no such apprehension at all but was fully satisfied of the contrary and look'd upon what I offer'd as a very Zealous mistake that I was forc'd to give over arguing though not believing as I did but confidently appeal'd to time and success to prove who took their measures rightest When it hapned that what I foresaw came to pass the Good Father was a little surpriz'd to see all the Great Men mistaken and a little one in the right and was pleas'd by Sir W. Throckmorton to desire the continuance of my Correspondence which I was mighty willing to comply with knowing the Interests of our King and in a more particular manner of my more immediate Master the Duke and his most Christian Majesty to be so inseparably united that it was impossible to divide them without destroying them all Upon this I shew that our Parliament in the Circumstances it was in manag'd by the timerous Counsels of our Ministers who then govern'd could never be useful
the Letter of Thanks which I write to him for his good News I will send him in exchange a Writing against the Enemy of 49 St. Germain and Mr. Beddingfield shall have it on Wednesday next at farthest when he departs from hence I am glad that that Enemy is decry'd there where you are as well as he is here But has 62 Coleman nothing to say to the new 41 Ambassador by the intervention of 49 St. Germain He desires it to the end to have occasion of speaking to the new 41 Ambassador concerning 62 Coleman and by that Means to be the better believed by the new 41 Ambassador when be shall speak good to him of his best Friend 62 Coleman I leave Mr. Warner to send you the News which are all concerning War The Spaniards refuse the Passports because the King terms the Prince of Lorrain Cousin and not Brother in those which he has given to the Plenipotentiaries of the other Princes 'T is said that the Jansenists fall short of their Expectations at Court and that the King shews himself averse to them in all the steps which they make to ingratiate with him Mr. Arnauld has not been able to make his Peace though he has offered to Subscribe the Doctrine of Mr. Amelot Priest of the Oratory touching sufficient Grace according to the sence of this Author And the Arch-Bishop of Paris has suspended a Predicator for not having spoken of the Popes and Councils as he ought If I were in the Street of St. Antoine as I am in that of St. Jaques I should know more News Adieu I pray believe that you have not a more faithful Servant nor a more true Friend than me in all the World Translated by Sir Henry Capell To Mr. Coleman Secretary of the Commands of her Royal Highness Madam the Dutchess of York in Deans-yard Westminster The 1 11 of March 75 76. I Have received your Letter of the 25 Feb. 2 Mar. I did not write to you on Saturday Sir and I shall send you very little by this Ordnary because that the Letters from England being not Arrived before Tuesday and not upon Monday I know not yet if there be any from you to me In those they send me I expect the Dutchesses Letter to desire Monsieur St. Germain to Treat with the King of France Just now I have received a Letter brought me from England but there is none from you I thank you for your Good will for the Lady Send me News of Mr. Sheldon an English Priest what he does in England will he stay there always Monsieur St. Germain thanks Mr. Coleman for the Marks of Friendship he gives him And he has already thanked him as he says by his Precedent Letter Monsieur St. Germain will send to know of him why Mr. Coleman would not have him speak of what he sends him concerning One hundred Thousand Pound Sterling promised to the King of England by the Means of the Duke of York For it is to the purpose as he believes That the King's Confessor should know it to the End he may serve him in the Business near the King of France Monsieur St. Germain is of the Opinion with Mr. Coleman as concerning the Great Treasurer And 't is absolutely Necessary that it be known in the King of France's Shop otherwise it will hurt his Commerce It suffices me to know that the Dutchess has received the Letter of Monsieur St. Germain It was nothing but a pure Civility touching the condition she is in and an Affair was recommended to her which is done since I saw your Friend Yesterday he shew'd me News of you He will come hither to Day to be present at a Comedy which will be represented here Monsieur de Vantelett is with me and prays me to do you his Civilities Pray do mine to Madam your Wife and to Monsieur Tartereau when you shall see him We have no News They prepare strongly for the War and they work strongly to Accommodate the Affair of Monsieur the Prince of Conde to the End he may go into Flanders and make Head against the Germains who will come with a very great Strength I make you no Complements Sir neither in the beginning or finishing my Letters Translated by Mr. Anchitell Gray To Mr. Coleman Secretary to her Royal Highness the Dutchess of York in Deans-yard Westminster March 8 18. 75 76. THe slow arrival of your Letters hath very much disquieted me I thought my self Dead in your Remembrance But that which you writ to me of the 2 12 of March hath again restored me to Life at least for some time for the dulness wherewith the Business that you wot of is carried on will I fear let me die no other Death and that for Reasons which you will hear of too soon Those of the Catholick Religion have desired me to write to you to let Coleman know the Condition of their Affairs which is that being for the present out of Purse it is altogether impossible for them to keep up their Trade long without his help Beside That the Party apprehendeth that his Trade failing in the Shop where he now is he shall after Easter be sent to set up in some other Town But if he could have obtained from the D. of York the Papers for which he hath so long waited he might probably e're this time have concluded his Business with the French King by the Means of the King's Confessor and he might have put himself in a condition to have continued his Trade to the Advantage of those in whose favour those Papers were written for having no Imployment in his Shop for want of Money it is impossible that he should keep it long since he wanteth Opportunity to make himself appear useful to the Service of the Duke and Dutchess having no order to act in any thing whatsoever I am overjoy'd with what Coleman hath said to the Dutchess and with what the Duke hath done for the grand Treasurer St. Germain hath made himself Enemies by maintaining the Opinion That the Dutchess ought to be prevailed with to manage her Affairs otherwise than she hath hitherto done I would gladly understand what Answer the Dutchess hath made to Coleman St. Germain buildeth great hopes upon what Coleman writeth to him about the Discourse which the Duke held with the grand Treasurer But Coleman may consider That if the Duke shall Treat any thing with the French King through other hands than the Confessors he shall meet with People that will couzen him and who will prefer the good of France before that of the Catholick Religion and of the Duke and principally of Coleman who hath many Rivals about his R. Highness and who is neither sufficiently known to nor hath any Interest with the French King If Monsieur St. Germain were a little acquainted with Matters he would Discourse them freely with the Confessor and learning from him the bottom of the Matter he would without Dissimulation Communicate
perhaps it may be that by the old friendship I have had with Coleman he may think to secure him by me and so if Trade grows naught on the other side for you remember how Lord Berkly and Sir Ellis Leighton have alwayes spoke of his behaviour between Duke Lauderdale and Lord Arlington and how he they say hath attached himself to the latter ingratiate himself at least with the Duke or perhaps he may have a real intention of serving the Duke if you please in Charity and Generosity we will believe but in Prudence we will not trust too and therefore I continue the same Ignoramus and the more full he is in his praises of the Duke and in Discourses of him the King and Lauderdale and Lord Treasurer the less I either know the Duke his concerns or any things else Often we talk too of the French King and Monsieur Louvy and of War and Peace and in this Discourse he told me the day before yesterday that he found the French King and his had great expectation of what Lord Arlington should do for them nay that he beleived they might have some confidence in him or it he wondered how they came to little things equally and fair between us without which nothing can last we will being thereto led a little by interest but much more by inclination give them the preference and refusal in all bargains but if not we may then truly tell them we must endeavour to make our best market they know the advantage Fortune hath now more than ever put into our hands by giving us the Scales to hold wherein all European Commodities are to be weighed and I hope then the dissolution of the Parliament being compassed the Duke will never suffer the King again to quit that if this does not bring them to any thing you call reason I will give you my head for I must tell you the French King is mightily divided at this very hour in his thoughts and perhaps more agitated than ever he was in making any resolution having or I am much mistaken one Boot on and sought something _____ in him making him a little weary of what is on already and another thundering The rest not legible I Am heartily glad to hear by your Lady you will be return'd to London to receive this which I pray lose no time to shew his H. I wrote you word before you went that I thought I should soon be in England for I am confident they would have sent me but your going into Flanders of which they had notice before you would have been cross the Sea I cannot imagine but sure I am they told me of it as soon as I came to the Army I suppose may have hindred that and retarded the propositions which I have order to make his H. till now for they have been much disquieted about it and I have had much a do to assure them that I was confident there was nothing designed by it to their prejudice for that I was sure the Duke was as much by inclination as interest disposed to prefer their Alliance and Friendship to all others and that they would take it for a certain rule that if they were not wanting to themselves we should never be wanting to them The King here is certainly disposed as much as can be for the interest of his H. but is wise and very cautions however by these Propositions which I have order to make to his H. and which are word for word as I took them from Pere Ferriers mouth for I writ them down presently and shewed it to him afterwards and keep it for my justification that I writ no more than I was ordered you will see that it now depends only upon his H. to consider of a way that will best secure his interests and with all a good correspondence with them here for that we must alwayes perswade our selves in the thing they propose to themselves by it I say let but his H. consider of that and then what he would ask of them here in order to it and I doubt not God willing if he will honour me with his instructions and commands but I shall procure him any thing which in reason he can expect either of mony or any thing else if therefore his H. shall be pleased to think well of this and proceed in it I will meet you any where privately to receive his H. commands and instructions by you or if he will I doubt not but I can put my self in a private way to come for a night to receive his Orders my self I pray be very cautious that there be no suspition given of any thing of this by you for the King is very scrupulous here even of some of his chiefest Ministers whom perhaps he may apprehend people have been or at least have endeavoured to be dealing with and Pere Ferrier positively charged me to communicate it to no one but the Bishop of Dublin of whom they have a good opinion for he said they would have to do in it with none but us but I prevail'd at last that I might do it by you or Collonel Talbot in England for that being they would not yet let me go my self and it was impossible but I must imploy some body therefore I would not write to the D. and that I answered for you as for my self to which at last they consented I intended to have taken the liberty to have writ to his H. but this to you I think will do better I pray you therefore present my most humble duty to him and if I have done any thing amiss in this it is for want of judgement not of affection and duty and I am sure of one thing that if perchance our Counsels should go another way I have done nothing that can prejudice him if they be not but that this alliance shall be adjudged advantageous I have had the good fortune to work my self into such an esteem and opinion here with some of the ablest to serve his H. that I am an honest man that I dare promise my self they will put confidence in me and I shall be able to serve him for to do which pray assure his H. with all humility that I shall alwayes be ready to venture my life and fortune Decemb. 15. 1674. I Am heartily glad to hear by your Lady you will be returned to London to receive This which I pray lose no time to shew his H. I wrote you word before you went that I thought I should soon be in England For I am confident they would have sent me but your going into Flanders of which they had notice before you could have crost the Sea how I cannot imagine but sure I am they told me of it as soon as I came to the Army I suppose may have hindred that and retarded the Propositions which I have order to make his Highness till now For they have been much disquieted about it and I
angry that I went to England but that he did not shew it for fear of giving any umbrage and that for the same reason he hath not spoken with me yet he hath since prayed me to assure his Highness of some secret way that his Majesty doth take his part in all interests and will serve him to the utmost of his power and that he is strongly perswaded that my Lord Arlington is not in the esteem of his Majesty nor in that of his Highness although that some do labour to perswade him to it he saith The re-assembling of this Parliament will not be profitable for the King or for his Royal Higness although my Lord Arlington will endeavour to uphold it if therefore his Royal Highness shall judge it necessary to have another Parliament he will assist him with Money to have such an one and as he shall desire and prayeth him to make his Proposals thereupon or upon any other thing that he shall judge either needful or profitable being resolved to do all things possible for his Service The Father hath told me of the Knavery of Monsieur de Sessaube and of the folly of some others of ours but notwithstanding all that and also though his Majesty knoweth very well that his Highness hath sent into Flanders which in truth giveth him a little umbrage notwithstanding his Majesty is resolved to conside intirely in his Highness and to afford him all imaginable assistance but above all he prayeth his Highness that he will indeavour by all ways and means to confirm a perfect intelligence with his Brother he told me morcover that if Monsieur de Rouvigny was not a Man to your liking nor such a one upon whom you may wholly rely that if his Highness would give me the least order to advertise his Majesty thereof he would indeavour to send over another person The following LETTERS were writ by Cardinal Norfolk to Mr. Coleman Rome January 4.76 SIR I Received your two this week one of 19 November by your Friends way here th' other without date by Sir H. Tichb I am glad of the Prorogation so that the Parliament will not now in hast trouble you again or others and if finally the King will resolve well and keep close to it all may yet do well if not God have mercy on ye I wrote last week as I inclose now another to the same and assure the Duke I both can and will serve him and his faithfully to good purpose having already for the short time put all in excellent way of which more hereafter in due time I having now very little for so much I have to do Mr. Hayes at Arundel-house can tell you something particularly of my condition here time giving only leasure to adde I am Yours as you know Rome 8. Feb. Stilo Novo 76. SIR I Suppose you received my Answer to your _____ received since my being here and the Duke my Answer unto his by Sir H. Tich And you may be sure that the Pope will do all he can to serve the Duke in all occasions as I can as assuredly also answer for Cardinal Norfork both for his Affection and Duty hoping before very long to shew it by deeds in a due time and proportion I have in the interim written pretty full to Mr. Hayes at my Brothers as you know to conferre with you what my time is too short to repeat about the old business in which the Portuguese would get the Queen to give Cardinal Norfolk his place to a Portuguese under several specious pretexts as some of your Friends give out here will speedily be done and if the King had not at first hindered would have been done by the Queen Now therefore you are desired to deal with the Duke that he speak privately and efficaciously with the King to hinder it on all scores both at present or at any time hereafter c. as Mr. Hayes can tell you Another business is that Cardinal Norfolk being written unto from Paris by the Prince William of Furstenburg's Brother to move the Pope's and others credits with the Emperour for that Prince's Liberty it 's thought good if the Duke will please to desire the King to send his Command to his late Envoy now with the Emperour to joyn his endeavour with those of the Pope's Minister now at the Emperour for the Liberty of the said Prince William and also for the Peace and that Cardinal Norfolk may know from you or others securely that the King hath sent such express Orders to his Envoy now with the Emperour of which I will accordingly acquaint the Pope who in the interim will send Order there to joyn with the King 's Envoy's endeavours for that and the Peace In the same Order the King may also please to command his said Envoy to joyn his endeavours with another who will quickly be sent by the Pope for the Peace as also the like is desired be sent to my Lord Barkley Temple and Jenkins to joyn with the Pope's Minister for the Peace and please to let me know of all fully that I may accordingly dispose all here for the best that I may likewise my self write by the Pope's Minister to my Lord Barkley and the rest about it Henceforth please to direct yours to me thus A Monsieur Monsieur Chaumont commis du general des Postes en son Office à Bruxells pour faire tenir à Monsieur Thomas Grane and with this Superscription he will send them me safe as I have ordered him and will also send mine to you safe and with less expence putting mine to you on my account as far as Bruxels and if you think it safest and quickest as I think it may be he can direct mine to you by my good Friend Mr. Cook 's way who you know I should have told you that although the French Ambassadour nor his Brother the Cardinal do neither receive or give any Visit or converse with any of the Cardinals of the last Promotion yet the said Cardinal hath sent many Excuses and Complements to me how sorry he is that he cannot at present visit and confer with me as he doth mightily desire c. And I have as often sent the like Compliments to him and finally the other night at a great Assembly at the Queen of Sweden who often in publick speaks mighty well of England and our Nation her Majesty spoke to me ex abrupto in French although she used always before in Italian and presently called on the Cardinal d'Estré who was there with fifteen Cardinals more to hear how well I spoke French as she said better than herself and he approaching to her Majesty and me who were alone talking could not well but speak to us both which when he did to me I answered accordingly and presently the Queen left us alone so that I then began to talk to him of the business you know of which he said much and I answered as much hoping that
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