Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/317

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THE TIMES OF CHARLES THE SECOND.
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14th.I was at church, and heard Mr. Ken preach.[1]

15th.The English officers dined with me; at night I asked the Prince what I should write into

    accept them; and in the mean time gradually prepared Monsieur D'Avaux to expect the like refusal, that at his instance they had before given to those of England.
    "Shocked and enraged as the French Court certainly was upon this occasion, they could not persuade themselves to give over the pursuit, or to think that menaces would not succeed, though solicitations had failed. Repeated orders were therefore sent to D'Avaux, to awake their old terrors, which he failed not to obey in a thundering memorial to the States, setting forth that the King his Master was extremely astonished at their manner of proceeding in this matter of the Alliance proposed by him, and that he highly resented it. That he had his Majesty's command to wait yet a few days longer for their final decision on that affair; after which he should mention it no more, nor accept of any act relating to it. That in case they should omit this opportunity, they must expect his Majesty would alter his conduct so as would be most conducive to the good of his kingdom and advantageous to the commerce of his subjects. That his Majesty did not threaten them with his indignation, but they would find perhaps that his dissatisfaction would be more prejudicial to them than the indignation of others, and that they would do well to recollect what had happened to them within these eight or ten years; and that his Majesty had then less reason to be displeased with their deportment than now.
    "This was no sooner presented than it was followed by another from Mr. Sidney, filled with artful dissuasives, under

  1. Mr. Ken, afterwards Bishop of Bath and Wells, was then private Chaplain to the Princess of Orange.