SInce I promist to put in Writing what we had not time to talk fully of, I am set down to it in the Morning, that my Letter may be ready for the Messenger if any call.

I told you all that I had heard at Ver­sailles, and the favorable Audience I had of Madame de Mentenon, for which I beg it of you to return my most humble Thanks to the Queen, and beg of her to be so good as to Thank Madame de Mentenon, and know from her what can be [Page 4] done in that matter. It will be a great Charity in the Queen.

I told you amongst other things the great Fleet the King intends to put out this Summer, the Orders being given, and the Money ready, the Stores full, and every one concerned Active in their Sta­tions; There is no doubt but this Fleet will be Master of the Sea for some time, if not for all the Summer, because the Dutch dare not stir till the English be ready, and they have long Debates yet before they can be in a Condition to Act, if they have the Will; and it is a Question if they will have it at all.

The King never had so favorable a Conjuncture, if he can persuade this King that his Affairs are really in the Circumstances they are in, but there is the Difficulty.

The King and Queen have more Au­thority with the King, and with Madame de Mentenon, than any other in the World can have, but that's not all, there should be some one Acceptable to the Ministers, who should lay before them these Proofs, their Majesties cannot enter into the De­tail of, and explain the Reasons, make Plans and Memoires by their Majesties Approbation, to Convince them of the necessity, and to shew the easiness of Re­storing the King, the Glory it brings to their King, and the Advantage to Reli­gion.

How this will be done their Majesties are wise enough to Consider, and I think it is not a Subject fit for me to en­ter upon, but their Friends in general, who know not the half of what I know in this matter, think that it will not be well done by a Protestant Minister, Lazy in his Temper, Enemy to France by his Inclination, Tainted with Commonwealth Principles, and against the Kings Re­turning by any other Power than that of the People of England, upon Capitulation and Terms, who is suspected of giving aim to the Compounders, if not worse.

That Mr. Carrell is qualified no man doubts, but in Society with the other, these who must be Instrumental will not trust him as he ought, so that so long as the other is within distance of penetrating the Affairs, they will never think themselves secure.

And yet the King has no such Game to play as by these very Persons, who are thus defident, namely the true Church of England Party, the Catholicks, and the Earl of Arran, and I shall say something as to every one of them. The King cannot but be sensible that the true Church of England Party, and their Prin­cipal Head now the Bishop of Norwich, has been silent of a long time, and their Majesties may remember what weight the Court of France laid upon their joyning [Page 6] the King (I mean the Non-swearing Cler­gy) in case of a Landing.

Therefore all arts should be tried with­out delay to get them to enter into Correspondence again, and every Impe­diment ought to be removed, I say with­out exception, and though sometimes it is of hard digestion for Soveraignes who ought to be obeyed without reserve, to yield to the humours of Subjects, yet Prudence should teach them, when they cannot without hurting their Affairs do what they would, to do what they can, and remember the Fable of the Dog, who lost the Substance for the Shadow.

Assurances from the Non-swearers, the Soundest and Venerablist part of the English Church, would be of great use at this time, to persuade France to under­take this great Affair, for besides their owne Example at a Landing, and their Preaching and Writing to the People, that their Religion was in no danger, it is most certain they know better than any others can, what the Church of England in general would do for the Kings Service, and they being to run all the hazard, would be better believed at the Court of France than any other, as I found by experience.

As to the Catholicks and others Asso­ciate with them unfortunately for the King they were thought to have too [Page 7] much Inclination for me, and so have been reckoned as useless to the King, but I must beg leave to say, that Undertaking was the best Feather in his Wing, and was most justly thought so by him, and by the Court of France too, even to that degree, they pretended if this and the o­ther Article concerning the Clergy, could be made Appear, they would Concur with the King to Invade England. They Consist­ed of Seven Regiments of Horse and Dragoons, their Arms, Trumpets, Kettle Drums, Standards, &c. were all ready, and are yet in surety, their Men were all Listed, and their Officers Chosen, and they had twenty Horses to a Troop, which Troops lying at a distance in a Horse Country, twenty Horses would soon have Mount­ed the rest.

Those who could not divine the Great­ness and the Use of the Undertaking, blamed the Rashness of it, and even some Churchmen have not been disapproven for endeavouring undutifully (because contrary to the Kings Written Or­ders) to break the Designe; but I desire you now for all this to believe, that you have not such another Argument to use to the Court of France as this, and if you could make it appear, as it might have been done some Years ago, I should have very good Hopes of this Summers Work. Nay let the King have what [Page 8] other Hopes, or even Promises you please from the Court of France, this is to be Encouraged, and if possible, to be put in the Circumstances it was in, for if ever there be a Landing in England to purpose, it must be before they can be armed, and they cannot be armed before the Parlia­ment come to a Resolution concerning the War, and considering the few Troops in England, suppose these men to be no better than Militia, what a Diversion would it be.

It is not necessary for me to say any more of this Article, till I know whether their Majesties have as good an Opinion of this Undertaking as I have. If so I shall shew what I think to be done in it, if otherwise I shall save the Pains.

As to the Earl of Arran, it would be of great use to have an Understanding with him. He will have none where— can prye; his all is at stake, and he ought to be wary with whom he ventures to deal.

I think it better for the Kings Service, that the Court Party prevailed in the manner they have done in the Parliament of Scotland, than that the Country Party should have got their Will. Opposition swells the Waters to a Flood, and so long as the Country Party is not discouraged, they gain more Ground in the Kingdom than they lose in Government. So that [Page 9] the Disaffection to the Government will encrease, and one may judge of the Na­tion in general, which is of an other Tem­per than this pretended Parliament, or rather Presbiterian Rabble, ill repre­senting the Nation. For since even in it, there is such a Struggle against the Go­vernment, what would there be in a Free Parliament, which the P. of O. durst ne­ver hazard to call.

The Nation then, at least a great part of it, being disaffected to this Govern­ment, it is of the last Consequence that E. Arran may know what to do in case of an Invasion of England, or in case he and his Friends be obliged for Self preser­vation to rise in their own Defence.

The Army who are and ever were well-affected, are to be gained by Money, and a little goes a great way with them.

The Disbanded Troops would be en­gaged, and the Officers are well inclined.

The Places of Strength would be secu­red, and such as can be put in Defence (without Expences) fortified.

To do all this, at least such a part of them as can be begun with, a small Sum will serve, and He ought to have Hopes of it, and of the Command.

These being only Heads to be discour­sed of, and much to be said of every part, it is not to be thought that this Letter can carry a final Conclusion; for it may [Page 10] be upon Discourse, I might change my Mind, or be more confirmed in, and see further.

This makes me insist again to you, upon two things as appearing to me ab­solutely necessary to put things upon a right foot.

The First is the removing of all Im­pediments out of the way, and sending all Suspected Persons to Champagne or Burgundy, according to their Goust.

And the Second is of the last Use, both to their Majesties and the Prince, which is the Establishing of such a Number, under no Qualification, to talk of their Affairs in their Majesties Presence, with whom we can freely converse and pro­pose what may be for their Majesties Service.

As for the First, It will be for the Kings Reputation both at the Court of Rome, France, and with all his true Friends in England for many Reasons—

As for the Second, It is according to Scripture, In the multitude of Coun­cellors there is safety.

Nothing is so dangerous as first to De­termine what one will do, and then hear Reasons against it, and immitate the deaf Adder who hearkens not to the Voice of the Charmer, let him Charm never so sweatly. Reasons against a Re­solution taken, offend, and the more [Page 11] Force they have, they offend the more, whilst before the Resolution be taken, Reason has its Effect, and the Determi­nations are not the Effects of Humour and Faction, but of Prudence and Justice.

If in any thing I fail, I'le Swear its want of Understanding, and not of Will. And I beg, that their Majesties may be persuaded, that it is not Humour nor Vanity, but their Service I have in my viewe, who am,

There are no Letters from England, I expect and am promist—

I forgot to tell you, that the Con­juncture ought to be improven so long as the Court of France have the Ill Opi­nion of the Pr. of Orange's Treachery discovered lately in their hands.