by his dexterity in the year 1677, contrary to the will of her royal highnefs's father, and not very much to the inclination of the king her uncle. In the latter part of this tranfaction indeed he made ufe of the affiftance of the lord treasurer Danby; fince the duke of Leeds, who thought the affair of that happiness and importance to the public, that, afterwards, in print, he declared, That he would not fuffer that part of his fervice to be buried in oblivion yet, that Sir William Temple was, as we have already said, the chief agent in this momentous occurrence, the following letters will evince; which, as matter containing fomething curious in itself, we fhall present to the reader without any further preface or apo logy.

To the King.

Hague, April 23. S.N. 1676.

May it please your Majefty,

THE day before the prince of Orange left this place, I attended him at Hounflerdyke, upon his own appointment; and telling me feveral times, That he had fomething to fay to me before he went into the field, and defired it might be there, and at fome liefure. When we were alone in the garden, he was pleafed

pleafed to tell me, I would eafily believe the inftances of the ftates, and of his friends, as. well as the condition of his family, must needs have put him often upon the thoughts of marrying; but he had been ftill in hopes, that the conclufion of a peace would have made way for it fooner than he now thought it was like to do; for, at prefent, he did not fee when or how that could be brought about, unlefs your majefty would refolve upon fuch conditions as you fhould think fit to have it upon; and fo propofe them to the parties, who were otherwife too diftant in their pretenfions to agree eafily themselves. That, upon this profpect, he began to think, his marriage could not longer attend upon the motions of the peace, which might be very flow and uncertain; and therefore he would tell me, freely, That he was refolved, in cafe he re-. turned from this campaign, to neglect no time, or paces, that could be made in the pursuit of

That, for the perfon, I might be fure his. inclinations would lead him into England,, though he did not know what difpofitions he hould meet with there; and, while the war lafted, it might, on this fide, admit of much reflection both from this ftate and their allies. That, however, he would not go into the field without writing to your majesty and to the duke of what he had fo much at heart; and begging the permiffion, that, immediately after the campaign ended, he might go over

into England. That he thought this would be neceflary, both that he might make his own purfuit himself, in an affair that fo nearly concerned him; and that, by afking leave fo early, no time might be loft upon that occafion when the campaign was over. That he

had reason to defire this affair might, at prefent, be managed with all the fecrely that could be; and therefore was refolved to put the letters concerning it into my hands; and defired my wife might deliver them both to your majefty and his royal highness, and faid that he would take care to fend them to me before he went.

This was the fum of his highness's discourse to me when I took leave of him; and his letters both for your majesty and the duke being fome days after come to my hands, I thought it my duty to fend them, according to the directions I received from the prince; and fhall leave your majefty to know the rest from bis own hand, though I think I have not miftaken any thing of what he faid to me upon this occafion. I fhall not farther encrease your majefty's prefent trouble, than by the humble profeffions of that perfect devotion wherewith I am, and fhall be ever,

SIR,

Your Majesty's, &C.

To

To the Duke of York.

Hague, April 23. S. N. 1676.

May it please your Highness,

WHEN I took leave of the prince of Orange, at his going to the army, he was pleased to tell me the refolutions he had taken of writing to your highness, upon an occafion he had fo much at heart; and that he would do it before he went into the field. He said, He was refolved to apply himself directly to your highness in all that concerned it; and to beg your interceffion with his majefty, that he might have leave to go over into England immediately after the campaign ended. That he would write to his majefty at the fame time to beg his permiffion.. And, because he had reafon to defire, that whatever paces he made at prefent, in this point, might be secret, he was refolved to put his letters into my hands; and defired that my wife, upon her going over, might herself deliver them both to his majefty and your royal highness; I thought it my duty to obferve these directions: and having, by the fame hand, given his majefty an account of the manner, and circumftance, with which the prince was pleased to enter into these discourses, I fhall not presume to trouble

your

your highness with the bare repetition of them, nor with any thing more, at present, than the humble profeffions of the devotion and truth wherewith I am always,

SIR,

Your Highness's, &c.

To Sir John Temple.

SIR,

London, November-, 1677.

THO' I do not trouble you often with public news or bufinefs, yet I am fenfible of having too much neglected it of late, confidering what has paffed; which I know you will be more pleafed with than any you have been entertained with a great while: for I remember how often, and how much, you have defired to fee the prince of Orange married here; not only from your good wishes to him, but from your apprehenfions of fome greater matches that might befall us, and with confequences ill enough to pofterity as well as to the prefent age. I am in a good deal of hafte at this prefent time, and therefore fhall fum up a great deal in a little room.

The prince of Orange came to the king at Newmarket, where he was mighty well received both of king and duke. I made the acquaintance there between the prince and my

lord