Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A38981
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An Examination of the impartial state of the case of the Earl of Danby in a letter to a member of the House of Commons.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing E3727; ESTC R5161
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24,243
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38
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not give this Lord time to reduce things in such a posture as might be wisht and makes a Query Whether it be not the most unsafe as well as most unjust practice for a Nation to discourage such Ministers as endeavour to draw their Master to his Kingdoms Interest Here the Impartial Author lays the Foundation of his ensuing Arguments and resolving to Charge this Lords Crimes on the King he first boldly attempts to make him a fit Subject to bear it and to lessen his own Impeachment draws up one against his Soveraign That he had forsaken the Interest of his Kingdom and wanted this Lord to draw him to it With this gratitude he seldom fails to pay his Majesty in every particular and having declar'd what a profest Enemy this Lord was to the French Interest believing it destructive to this Nation he desires That the Proceedings of this Lord may be impartially considered Page 9. and see whether they have not all tended to the diminishing the French Interest since his time and if it have diminish'd it will be hard to finde who else there was besides himself neer his Majesty who had power and inclination to do it c. The Issue then to be joyn'd is upon the Question begg'd Whether the French Interest was diminish'd by this Lords Proceedings but it will easily be granted that 't would be hard to finde any neer his Majesty besides himself that had power And then I hope if it appears that the French Interest grew enlarg'd in his days 't is as reasonable to apply his Power and Inclination to be the Causes of it as it is for his impartial Friend to use them for the contrary I will pass over some Instances he gives which cannot amount to the proof of the whole as the breaking the League with France Peace made with the Dutch the Duke of Monmouth call'd from the French Service the Match with the Prince of Orange all which are attributed to this Lord as the Custom is of any reputed Good At which I will not quarrel because I have yielded the point that he had all Power but I will onely put him in mind of the Address from Parliament to the King to recall the Forces from France and the Bills pass'd in several Sessions to that purpose even in those years when the French so clearly ow'd Success to the English and the Marriage of the Lady Mary unless the Consequences had been happier might rather be thought the disposer of the Prince of Orange to the Peace that follow'd than be a prejudice to the Interest of France which prosper'd most after it In the same Paragraph 't is said That every one knows that this Match altered the mindes of the Duke of York and Duke of Monmouth that from being the greatest Asserters of the French Interest they became as forward as any for the War of France And this Conversion it seems assisted by the Power and Inclination of this Lord brought on the Actual War with France for which the Parliament gave their Money and by this we see it own'd that all were French but this Lord and people not so mistaken it seems that have been constantly jealous of it But whether the Dukes of York and Monmouth have reason to thank him for declaring their Conversions I know not since he condemns them for an errour which we found ill effects of but none on the contrary by the Conversion and then he says the King had good intentions c. which implies that he never had any good before as if he had now drawn him to his Kingdoms Interest And as this Lord was pleas'd to order it he never appears to have better after it for whatever he is accus'd of he charges upon the King and acts as if agreed with what he pretended to know of the Opinion of the French Vid. His Speech in the House of Lords at his Charge that they had the Kings Person and Government in the last degree of Contempt I know not whether that Lord shrunk when he spoke those words in the House of Peers but next the owning of such an Opinion of the King 't was an audacious Crime to own a Belief that any could retain such a Judgment of him I hope this Lord is the onely person that thinks it either probable or possible But leaving this point with blushes to have repeated such a thing I will set down some general Observations of Publick Affairs which will best shew whether the Diminution or Increase of the French Interest was likely to be intended or effected in his time In the first place to lay a Foundation to build upon I suppose it may be taken for granted that the Parliament did ever appear warmly averse to that Interest and of consequence must give the greatest apprehensions to the French that from them might proceed the onely fatal Opposition and which was not probably to be diverted either by Skill or Money In March 76 the Commons in Parliament presented an Address most humbly offering to his Majesties consideration That the mindes of his People were disquieted with the manifest dangers arising by the Growth and Power of the French King c. And therefore humbly presented their Desires that his Majesty would strengthen Himself with stricter Alliances to quiet the mindes of his People and preserve the Netherlands The Kings Answer agreed That the preservation of Flanders was of great consequence But it seems not being thought particular enough it begot a second Address on March the 26th wherein they again more strictly prest the King to enter into such Alliances as might obtain those Ends. And in case that in pursuance of such Alliances his Majesty should be engaged in a War with the French King they promise chearfully upon notice of it in Parliament so to supply the King as that he might prosecute the same with success And in their Address of the 29th of Jan. 77 they humbly desired no Treaty but such a one as might put the French King in no better an Estate than he was after the Pyrenean Treaty This sufficiently shew'd the temper of the Parliament and their Judgment That War it self was more suitable to the Interest of England than the growth of the French Power But this begot great Debates and shew'd so many influenc'd that they appear'd ill Witnesses for the boasted Power and Inclination and presently after while things of this great nature here had heavie motions the frontier Towns were taken as Valenciennes and St. Omers c. I will not delay to set down the particular Reasons and Arguments that were raised against this constant Sense of the Parliament nor the sharp Reprehensions they sometimes received from the Notions of their too-much invading the Kings sole Power in Peace and War It shall suffice to observe That those Reprehensions Arguments and Delays did not seem to tend to the Diminution of the French Interest But to proceed to make it yet more clear that