into the field, and I have had the good fortune to do it fooner than either they expected at court, or the bishop had promifed upon our figning of the treaty.

He is a man of wit and, which is more, of fenfe; of great ambition, and properly, Un Efprit remuant: but the vigour of his >>body does not exceed that of his mind, being, as I guess, about fix or seven and fifty years old, and pursued by the gout, which he is not like to cure by his manner of life. He was a foldier in his youth, and feems, in his naturals, rather made for the Sword than the Crofs. He has a mortal hatred to the Dutch for their fupporting his city of Munster against him; and is bridling thofe citizens by a very ftrong citadel he is building there. He seems > bold and refolute, and like to go through with what he has undertaken, or break his head in the attempt; and fays he will perform all he has engaged, Fide fincerâ & Germanicâ, which is a word he affects. He speaks the only good Latin that I have yet met with in Germany, and more like a man of court and bufinefs than a scholar. He fays, if he fails in' his enterprize, and fhould lofe his country, he, fhall efteem his condition not at all the worse; for, in that cafe, he will go into Italy, and has money enough in the bank of Venice to buy a cardinal's cap, which may become him better than his general's ftaff, though he has a mind to try this first, and make some noise in the *world before he retires.

This is the best character I can give of the bishop; and, for myself, I'can fay nothing but what you know; finding no change at all by this fally into a new fcene of life and bufinefs as well as climate; my health, I thank God, is the fame; my kindness so too, to my friends and to home, only my concernment for them in this miferable time among them, much greater while I am here than when I was with them; which makes me very impatient after every poft that comes in, and yet very apprehenfive of every letter I open.The length of this, I doubt, is too much for once; and therefore fhall end with the affurances of being,

SIR,

Your most obedient fon
and humble fervant,
W. Temple.

But one of the most famous circumstances in Sir William Temple's life, was his skilful and dexterous bringing about the triple-league between England, Holland, and Sweden, in the latter end of the year 1667, fo much to the peace of Europe and to the diminution of the threatning power of France. This was mamaged with fo much fecrecy and uncommon industry, together with fo much unexpected fuccefs, that the great statesman De Wit, too much leaning to the French party, could not

help

help complimenting him, with having the ho nour which never any other minifler had before him, of drawing the flates to a refolution and conclufion in five days, upon a matter of the greatest importance, and an affiftance of the greatest expence they had ever been engaged in; and all directly against the nature of their conftitution; which enjoined them to have recourfe to their provinces: adding, That now it was done, it looked like a miracle.

Upon the conclufion, two letters were writ; one from De Witt to the earl of Arlington, and the fecond from the ftates-general to the king of Great-Britain; of which fome notice ought to be taken.

The former fays, "As it was impoffible to fend a minifter of greater capacity, or more proper for the temper or genius of this nation than Sir William Temple; fo, I believe, no other perfon, either will, or can, more equitably judge of the difpofition wherein he has found the ftates, to answer the good intentions of the king of Great Britain."

In the ftates letter, they tell the king, "As it is a thing without example, that, in fo few days, three fuch important treaties have been concluded, fo, we can fay, That the addrefs, the vigilance, and the fincerity, of Sir William Temple, are alfo without example. If your majefty continues to make ufe of fuch minifters, the knot will grow too fast ever to be untyed." And yet Sir William Temple, VOL. VIII.

D

with

with no lefs wit than modefty, gave another turn to it in a letter to Monfieur Gourville, faying, They will needs have me pass here for one of great abilities, for having finished and figned, in five days, a treaty of fuch importance to Chriftendom: but I will tell you the fecret of it; To draw things out of their centre, requires labour and addrefs to put them in motion; but to make them return thither, nature helps fo far, that there needs no more than just to fet them a going."

But, as this memorable treaty is well known to have been the mafter-ftroke of policy of that reign, the influence of which has been felt in Europe from that time to this, we think it will not be disagreeable to our readers if we present them with another letter of Sir William Temple's, written to lord Arlington, then fecretary of ftate upon that occafion. It is dated from the Hague, on the twenty-fourth of January, N. S. 1668; and, as it fhews Sir William's excellent talent at literary compofitions, fo it gives an entertaining and fatisfactory account of the progrefs and completion of the famous triple alliance.

My Lord,

UPON laft Friday, at night, I gave your lordfhip the account of what advance I had then made in my negotiation, and of the point where it was then arrested, with defires of his majefty's pleasure; whereupon having spent

that

that whole day in debates, I had little time left for that letter, but intended to make fome amends for the hafte of it, within two days, by a dispatch with the yatcht; and, though delayed a little longer, will not, I hope, be more unwelcome by bringing your lordship a fuller and final account, which may be allowed tó furprize you a little there, fince it is looked upon as a miracle here, not only by those that hear it, but even by the commiffioners themfelves, who have had the whole transaction of it; which I fhall now acquaint your lordship with.

Upon my two firft conferences with Monfieur de Witt, which were the Tuesday and Wednesday, I found him much fatisfied with his majesty's refolution concerning our neighbours; but of the opinion, that the condition of forcing Spain was neceffary to our common end, and to clear the means towards it from all accidents that might arife. For the defenfive league he was of his former opinion, that it should be negotiated between us; but upon the project offered his majesty at Schevelin, by which all matter of commerce might be fo adjusted, as to leave no feeds of any new quarrels between the nations.

After two very long conferences upon thefe points, we ended with fome difference upon the neceffity of concluding both parts of my projects at the fame time; but, for the reft, with great confidence and fatisfaction, in one D 2 another's