so good an effect, that though he, as secretary of 1674.
state, was more exposed than any other, by the
many warrants and orders he had signed, yet he
was acquitted, though by a small majority. But the
care he took to preserve himself, and his success in
it, lost him his high favour with the king, as the
duke was out of measure offended at him: so he
quitted his post, and was made lord chamberlain.

The house of commons was resolved to force the
king to a peace with the Dutch. The court of
France recalled Croissy, finding that the duke was
offended at his being led by lord Arlington. Rou-
vigny was sent over: a man of great practice in bu-
siness and in all intrigues. He was still a firm pro-
testant, but in all other respects a very dexterous
courtier, and one of the greatest statesmen in Eu-
rope. He had the appointments of an ambassador,
but would not take the character, that he might not
have a chapel, and mass said in it. Upon his com-
ing over, as he himself told me, he found all the
ministers of the allies were perpetually plying the
members of the house of commons with their memo-
rials. He knew he could gain nothing on them: so
he never left the king. The king was in great per- A peace
plexity: he would have done any thing, and parted with the
with any persons, if that would have procured him States.
money for carrying on the war. But he saw little
appearance of that. He found he was indeed at the
mercy of the States. So lord Arlington pressed the
Spanish ministers to prevail with the States, and the
prince of Orange, to get a proposition for a peace to
be set on foot. And that it might have some shew
of a peace both begged and bought, he proposed
that a sum of money should be offered the king by

concluded

1674. the States, which should be made over by him to the prince for the payment of the debt he owed him. Rouvigny pressed the king much to give his parliament all satisfaction in points of religion. The king answered him, if it was not for his brother's folly, (la sottise de mon frère,) he would get out of all his difficulties. Rouvigny drew a memorial for informing the house of commons of the modesty of his master's pretensions: for now the French king was sensible of his errors, in making such high demands as he had made at Utrecht; and was endeavouring to get out of the war on easier terms. The States committed a great error in desiring a peace with England, without desiring at the same time that the king should enter into the alliance, for reducing the French to the terms of the triple alliance. But the prince of Orange thought, that if he could once separate the king from his alliance with France, the other point would be soon brought about. And the States were much set on the having a peace with 367 England, hoping then both to be freed of the great trouble of securing the coast at a vast charge, and also by the advantage of their fleet to ruin the trade, and to insult the coast of France. The States did this winter confer a new and extraordinary dignity on the prince of Orange. They made him hereditary stadtholder. So that this was entailed on him and his issue male. He had in a year and a half's time changed the whole face of their affairs. He had not only taken Naerden, which made Amsterdam easy but by a very bold undertaking he had gone up the Rhine to Bon, and had taken it in a very few days and in it had cut off the supplies that the French sent down to their garrisons on the

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Rhine and the Isel. So that the French finding 1674. they could not subsist longer there, were now resolved to evacuate all those places, and the three provinces of which they were possessed; which they did a few months after. An alliance was also made with the emperor. And by this means both the elector of Cologn and the bishop of Munster were brought to a peace with the States. The elector of Brandenburgh was likewise returning to the alliance with the States: for in the treaty, to which he was forced to submit, with Turenne for a truce of a year, he had put an article, reserving to himself a liberty to act in concurrence with the empire, according to such resolutions as should be taken in the diet. This change of the affairs of the States had got the prince of Orange the affections of the people to such a degree, that he could have obtained every thing of them that he would have desired: and even the loss of so important a place as Maestricht was not at all charged on him. So he brought the States to make applications to the king in the style of those who begged a peace, though it was visible they could have forced it. In conclusion, a project of a peace with England was formed, or rather the peace of Breda was writ over again, with the offer of 2 or 300,000l. for the expense of the war. the king signed it at lord Arlington's office.

And

He came up immediately into the drawing-room; where seeing Rouvigny, he took him aside, and told him, he had been doing a thing that went more against his heart than the losing of his right hand: he had signed a peace with the Dutch, the project being brought him by the Spanish ambassador: he saw nothing could content the house of commons, or

1674. draw money from them; and lord Arlington had pressed him so hard, that he had stood out till he was

weary of his life: he saw it was impossible for him to carry on the war without supplies, of which it The king was plain he could have no hopes. Rouvigný told mediator of him, what was done could not be helped: but he the peace. would let him see how faithfully he would serve

became the

him on this occasion: he did not doubt but his master would submit all his pretensions to him, and make him the arbiter and mediator of the peace. 368 This the king received with great joy; and said, it would be the most acceptable service that could be done him. The French resolved upon this to accept of the king's mediation. And so the king got out of the war, very little to his honour, having both engaged in it upon unjust grounds, and managed it all along with ill conduct and bad success: and now he got out of it in so poor and so disho nourable a manner, that with it he lost his credit both at home and abroad. Yet he felt little of all this. He and his brother were now at their ease. Upon this, the parliament was quickly prorogued: and the court delivered itself up again to its ordinary course of sloth and luxury. But lord Arlington, who had brought all this about, was so entirely lost by it, that though he knew too much of the secret to be ill used", yet he could never recover the ground he had lost.

The duch

ess's character.

The duchess of York came over that winter. She was then very young, about sixteen, but of a full growth. She was a graceful person, with a good measure of beauty, and so much wit and cunning,

n He was in that of the king's conversion to popery. O.

that during all this reign she behaved herself in so 1674. obliging a manner, and seemed so innocent and good, that she gained upon all that came near her, and possessed them with such impressions of her, that it was long before her behaviour after she was a queen could make them change their thoughts of her. So artificially did this young Italian behave herself, that she deceived even the eldest and most jealous persons, both in the court and country. Only sometimes a satirical temper broke out too much, which was imputed to youth and wit not enough practised to the world. She avoided the appearances of a zealot, or a meddler in business; and gave herself up to innocent cheerfulness; and was universally esteemed and beloved as long as she was duchess.

Coleman's

She had one put about her to be her secretary, character. Coleman; who became so active in the affairs of the party, and ended his life so unfortunately, that since I had much conversation with him, his circumstances may deserve that his character should be given, though his person did not. I was told he was a clergyman's son: but he was early catched by the Jesuits, and bred many years among them. He understood the art of managing controversies, chiefly that great one of the authority of the church, better than any of their priests. He was a bold man, resolved to raise himself, which he did by dedicating himself wholly to the Jesuits: and so he was raised by them. He had a great easiness in writing in several languages; and writ many long letters, and was the chief correspondent the party had in England. He lived at a vast expense. And talked in so positive a manner, that it looked like