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Show " [ 5 1 ~] f thing"'of Affairs, but mull: knowrf ·w6U'a be as groot lmprhdence as PerfidiouTntlfs ;~o h!farken to any fuch Propofitions; an.d ' ~hb there_ be no room for them 'to 'doubt dfthe .1\'f!Urances which the King's Minill:ers had alr~dy giv~ri them, yet, fays ht!, I protell: a-ne.w ~'to your Lordlhips upon my Life and my Honour, that they are Falfities, malicioufly invented by1:he Enemy; and I fubmit my felf to lo~both, rif on t~e. part of France any ear has· Seen gtv!m to Jny thing of this' kind, or any Negotiation has been enter'd into. After fo fol'emn a Decl~ration, the good Amban'ador think; it · but jull:, that the Aufhors of this Impofrure lhou'd be punith'd in an exemplary manner; for daring to attack with their Calumnies the Faith and Reputation of a great King: And have we not great Reafon to take' the bare Word of. a Mini!l:er of France, when they are our Enemies, who cou'd deceive in this folemn manner thofe wh9m at th~t time they were in League with? Others may have a .good Opinion of French Faith if they pleafe, and think the Protell:ations of Torey or Polignac of more weight, than what a whole Congrefs of our Allies tell us; for my part, I !hall always remember Scr'Uien, who at1:ed this fcan·· dalous part not asS<Yvicn, but as the Ambaffa. dor of France, for the fame King, and for the f3me Caufe, we are now treating with and guarding againft. There is nothing fo falfl:!, I can't think this Prince and his MinifteYs capable of, that can help them to gjve the finifhing Stroke to theit Proje[t, \~hen they cou'd violate their Faith in fo infa.mous a mam1~r, to give the firfr Beginnint,s' to H. r'lnd [ 53 J And l confefs 'tis a great Surprife to me, to think· we fhou'd not in this be all of the 'fame Mind • . But fome.. Men, it feems, were in fo much halte for Peac~, that they cou'd not bear the bifappointment ; they had work to be dorie, that wou'd not 1l:ay; and yet cou'd not without a Peace 'onveniently be carry'd on. The want· they had of a Peace made them too eafily believe there wou'd be one; and their impatience to be doing wou'd not Jet them wait till they cou'd be fure: they were fo fond of their leap, that they were 1·efolv'd to take it in the dark; they find themfelves plung'd fo deep, they don't kno\v which ' way to turn themfelves, or how to get out, and then are angry there is not a ·Peace, and wou'd fain Jay the Fault on others right or wrong, to excufe what they have brought upon themfelves. In truth 'twas a very great Dilemma thefe Gentlemen were under : 'twas very much for their Purpofe, to have the Ferment the Nation is in, and a Peace, no matter what fort of one, come both together. The Ferment they are in poffeilion of, the Peace is a little doub•ful ; what now !hall they do? if they !l:ay for a Peace, which wou'd be very convenient for them, they may Jofe the Ferment; for nothing that is fo violent can !all: : On the other band, it they take the ad vantage of the Ferment, they may lofe the Peace. 'Nell, 'tis refolv'd to venture, i.f they lofe one 'tis but ruining the Nation: whereas lofing the other wou'd be the ruin of themfelves. When rhat is the Dilemma, 'tis no great wonder fuch Me.n |