28th.I staid all day at Nimeguen, and made a visit to the two Dutch ambassadors, Monsieur Van Beverning[1] and Monsieur Van Huren, who were very civil, and gave me a great chair and the hand.[2] I went afterwards to see the house where the ambassadors met, and the Belvidere.
- ↑ Speaking of Monsieur Van Beverning, Sir W. Temple says: "I think he was, without dispute, the most practised and the ablest ambassador of any I ever met in the course of my employments." He mentions a comical instance of his forgetfulness of diplomatic etiquette on one occasion at Nimeguen, when, under the influence of wine and enthusiasm for the French, he met their ambassador in the public walks, he threw his arms round his neck and kissed him"—Temple's Works.
- ↑ Points of diplomatic etiquette were considered very important in those days. By giving the hand is meant the giving the position on your right in your own house. Sir W. Temple, in the course of the treaty at Nimeguen, found himself very much embarrassed by these matters; and, to obviate the
pressions of the Prince nine years before, is curious. "I find him in earnest a most extreme hopeful prince, and, to speak more plainly, something much better than I expected, and a young man of more parts than ordinary, and of the better sort; that is, not lying in that kind of wit which is neither of use to oneself nor any one else, but in good, plain sense, with show of application, if he had business that deserved it, and that with extreme good, agreeable humour and dispositions, and thus far on his way without any vice; besides being sleepy always by ten o'clock at night, and loving hunting as much as he hates swearing, and preferring cock ale before any sort of wine."— Temple's Works, i. 285.
