Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Diary continued, September 14 to September 16

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Diary of the times of Charles II
by Henry Sidney

Diary continued, September 14 to September 16

Mr. Sidney to the Earl of Sunderland, September 16

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2630773Diary of the times of Charles II — Diary continued, September 14 to September 16Henry Sidney

14th.⁠I was at the French church. After dinner I went to Hounslerdyke, and acquainted the Prince with the letters I had received from the Duke, that mentioned his coming over, and withal said he thought his journey would not be disadvantageous. The Prince went by water not far from Moredyke to shoot. Mr. Meredith was with me, and told me he heard the Duke of Orleans would pretend to the Upper Palatinate, which was given to the Elector of Bavaria at the Treaty of Munster, unless the Elector would pay him a sum of money which he pretended was due to him, and that the King of France had given order to Monsieur Jerviss to be present at the Diet at Ratisbon, to give his voice as a member of the Empire. I went afterwards to Mr. Rockwood; he told me that the French Ambassador said we took very ill measures, for we had disobliged all the world in assisting of France, and now we had displeased her, and obliged nobody; he thinks the King of France does pretend to this of the Palatinate to fright Bavaria, for, if the Elector should marry a daughter of the Duke of Neuburgh, he would have an interest from the Alps to Holland. He would be glad if the Elector Palatine would marry again, and thinks of my Lady Anne. He told me how this Freeman writ of his negotiations, and I find he writes many lies, as that my Lords Halifax and Essex and two more had writ to the Duke to come over.^[1]

16th.⁠Mr. Carr told me of one Vandastrade, who said that the King was married to Mrs. Barlow. The Duke sent to inquire of this man, and finds that he only said that my Lord Garrard and Croft told him 'twas the King said so. This is a mean fellow who lives at Amsterdam. I writ for leave.

↑ Mr. Freeman told no lie in this instance, at all events. Sir William Temple gives the following account of this transaction.
⁠"Next day I went to Windsor, and the first man I met was Lord Halifax, coming down from Court on foot, and with a face full of trouble, and as soon as he saw me with hands lift up two or three times; upon which I stopt, and alighting, asked what was the matter: he told me I knew as well as he that the Duke was come, that every body was amazed—he bid me go on to Court before the King went out, and said he was going to his lodging to sit and think over this new world."
⁠"I soon found out the whole secret; which was that, upon the King's first illness, the Lords Essex and Halifax being about him thought his danger great and their own so too, and that if anything happened to the King's life, the Duke of Monmouth would be at the head of the nation, in opposition to the Duke upon pretence of Popery, and in conjunction with Lord Shaftesbury, who had threatened to have their heads upon the prorogation of the last Parliament, had proposed to the King the sending immediately for the Duke. For my part, though I was glad of any mortification that happened to the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Shaftesbury, whose designs had run the kingdom into such incurable divisions and distractions, at a time that our union was so necessary to the affairs of Christendom, yet I was spited to the heart at the carriage of my friends in this affair, and not so much for their taking such a resolution without my knowledge and concert, as for keeping me ignorant after the Duke's coming over; and so far as to let me make such a figure as I did in doing all the good offices, and making all the court I could to the Duke for Lords Essex and Halifax as I told them I could do."—Temple's Works, ii. 518.

[p137-1] Mr. Freeman told no lie in this instance, at all events. Sir William Temple gives the following account of this transaction.
⁠"Next day I went to Windsor, and the first man I met was Lord Halifax, coming down from Court on foot, and with a face full of trouble, and as soon as he saw me with hands lift up two or three times; upon which I stopt, and alighting, asked what was the matter: he told me I knew as well as he that the Duke was come, that every body was amazed—he bid me go on to Court before the King went out, and said he was going to his lodging to sit and think over this new world."
⁠"I soon found out the whole secret; which was that, upon the King's first illness, the Lords Essex and Halifax being about him thought his danger great and their own so too, and that if anything happened to the King's life, the Duke of Monmouth would be at the head of the nation, in opposition to the Duke upon pretence of Popery, and in conjunction with Lord Shaftesbury, who had threatened to have their heads upon the prorogation of the last Parliament, had proposed to the King the sending immediately for the Duke. For my part, though I was glad of any mortification that happened to the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Shaftesbury, whose designs had run the kingdom into such incurable divisions and distractions, at a time that our union was so necessary to the affairs of Christendom, yet I was spited to the heart at the carriage of my friends in this affair, and not so much for their taking such a resolution without my knowledge and concert, as for keeping me ignorant after the Duke's coming over; and so far as to let me make such a figure as I did in doing all the good offices, and making all the court I could to the Duke for Lords Essex and Halifax as I told them I could do."—Temple's Works, ii. 518.

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