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abroad, as ye late Proclamation enjoyn's, I am confident ye poor man could not escape ye Inquisition, or goe of wth his life; wch I look upon to be soe great a barbarity for me to be an Instrument in making him suffer, & of so ill an example to all others, who should be employ'd (as some must allways be) in this kind, as I would rather run ye hazard of shayring a point of my Orders then be guilty of doing anything wch for ye future I know will be most notoriously prejudicial to ye Kings service; I doe therefore desire you would send for this Martine French, & let him know that you have direction to take care of him, and I conceive it will be his best course to keep some where neer you in ye country, that you may protect him and those wth whom He abides from any Question or Trouble. This Lre you are to keep secrett to yr selfe.

XCI.-LORD CONWAY TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MAY IT PLEASE YOR EXCELCE,

November 15, 1673.

I came to this towne the 15th instant; my Lord Ranela met me at Wickham, and Mr Speaker at Uxbridge. On Sunday I kist the King's hand, dined with my Lord Treasurer, and supt with our new Lord Keeper. Yesterday I waited upon the Duke of Yorke

a Earl of Conway, Viscount Conway of Conway Castle and Killultagh, Baron Conway of Ragley; born about 1623; Captain of Horse, 1660; Justice of the Peace for Warwickshire, 1661; Joint Commissioner to examine the War Accounts, 1661; Governor of Armagh, Tyrone, Monaghan, and part of Down; Joint Commissioner of Customs, 1673-1675; Lieut.-General of Horse, 1674; Earl of Conway, 1679; Lord-Lieutenant of Warwickshire, 1681; Secretary of State for Northern Department, 1681-1683; Privy Council, 1681; died August 11, 1685. The confidential letters from London now begin.

b Seymour.

• Heneage Finch, in succession to Shaftesbury, who has been dismissed.

and my Lord Arlington, as also upon my Lord of Ormonde and my Lord Ossory.

:;

La Trear. told me that Essex was soe lock't up in a box with Arl: that He could entertaine no correspondence with Essex but civility. My answer was, that Essex entred not into any intriegues with Arl. but only transmitted affaires by Arl: to King; he replyed that, that was Arl: greatest support. Hen. Finch is brought in by Osborn & Seymour. King was alter'd six times in six hours about it. Two days after Osb: Speaker were jealous, Hen: Finch closed with Arl: this made Speaker meet mee, and Conw: keeps them united. If Kg. France furnishes King a million of our money besides our salary," then Parlat will not meet, & all these will fall, but if Parl: sits Duke, Anglesey, Arl: will be in danger. S II. Capel spoke much in Parl: against giving money, and aggravated grievances; this reflects so far upon Essex that Ormond was spoken of to succeed him. Herbert was more violent, and hath rendred himselfe odious to King. Du: Cleaveland is with child, by Moulgrave, & in no favor with King. King fears & hates D: of Yorke, yet is wholy Lodd is in with Treasurer, Ormond wth Arl: Buck: is in horrible apprehensions of danger.

govern'd by him;

I wish I had the honor to discourse of these affaires more particularly to yo' Excelce. While I am here I shall seperat my selfe from all things but those wch relate either to yo' service, or yo comands; tis that wch I have profest to yo' Excelce, and wch the obligations you have layd upon me, requires of me, and the affection I beare to yo' personall merit exceeds all other obligations, but after all this I shall only represent things as truly to you as I can, wch when you bave compared with what you receave from others, you will be best able to make a judgement upon. I shall never presume to offer any of my owne.

I suppose yo' Excelce will send me yo' congratulatory Letters to

The annual subsidy from Louis XIV.

a Letters XCII. and XCIV. show that this means William Harbord, at this time a violent member of the anti-court party.

my new Lord Keeper, who did me the honor yesterday to give me a visit at my Lodging. This night I am to meet Trear. aud Speaker in a place where none else can finde us out. I shall yet have a tug for the Mr of the Ordnance place. Yor Excelce knowes who are my friends, and consequently you may easily imagine who will be my enemyes. I suppose yor Excelce heard by the last of the conditions upon weh Bonne was surrendered, very dishonorable termes. The French had layd in there a vast Magazeene of Provisions, Ammunition, Armes, and Cannon, and Clothes for their Armyes. They begin now to say that Turene is old, and dotes." I suppose yo' Excelce will be no more troubled about Capt Barclay; he is heere soliciting for a Letter for the next company shall fall, but, upon the character I gave of him, my Lord Arlington promist me to stop it.

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I am affrayd I have comitted many falts in my Character, wch I hope yor Excelce will pardon, because I am not yet practised in it. Upon notice of my errors I shall endeavour to mend them, and be alwayes zealous to assure yo' Excelce of my being, &c.

XCII.-LORD CONWAY TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

[Essex Papers, vol. iv. fo. 194.]

MAY IT PLEASE YOR. EXCELCE

November 22, 1673,

My last to yo' Excelce was dated the 18th instant, and yesterday, having the honor to wait upon Sr H. Capell, I desired him to write severall things to yor Excelce wch I thought would shorten my worke this Post. I am every day with Osborne, Speaker, H. Finch, and Buckingham, and they entrust Conway in their councells.

a Sir Thomas Chicheley obtained the place to Conway's disappointment.

b The winter campaign of 1674 in the Vosges was, perhaps, the most masterly he ever carried out. It ended in the complete rout of the Grand Elector of Brandenburg and the Allies.

• The cypher.

They are confident that Arl: and Duke Y: will fall, wch I doe not beleeve; some words of King is the ground of it, who will speake to Duke: Arling: as bad of the others. Osborne told me that if Herbert was about, Essex-though he should put all the confidence in Essex wch Conway desired, yet he was sure that other would betray him to Arling. K: of France doth offer the mony King demands, 'tis pleasant to see how our party bestirr themselves to be at him for it; I was last night with Shaftesbury, and made all the complements I could to him in behalfe of Essex; he hath been twice commanded by King to goe out of Towne, but will not stir. Orrery is in towne, somewhat unsatisfied with Essex, but I hope he will not expresse it to any but Conway, who hath assured him his apprehensions were groundlesse.

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XCIII. THE EARL OF ORRERY TO THE EARL OF ESSEX.

MY LORD,

Warrick house, the 25th of Novber, '73.

I esteeme it a Duty to acquaint your Lp. that on Wednesday I got to this Place, But I am soe newly com hither, & have my Time taken up soe much with Receivinge of Visits, as I am yet unable to Inquire after newse. Only I shall give yo' Exce a Relation of his Ro: H: Marriadge at Dover, as I received it, from a Nephew of myne, who has the honour to waite on Him & who was all ye while present.

The Bp. of Oxford First asked his R. Higs if he had the Kings concent to marry Mary D'Estee, Prins of Modena, to wch the Duke Answered, Yes. The Bp. then Asked ye La Peterborough if he had Authority from His Majty & Power from ye Duke to contract ye said Marriage, & if his Lp. had observed all ye Instructions given him in yt Behalfe. His Lp. Answer'd, Yes. Ye Bp. then asked

ye Duke if he were content to marry Mary D'Estee, Princes of Modena. The Duke Answer'd, Yes. The Bp. then asked ye Duts. if she were content to marry James, Duke of Yorke; she said Yes (in French). The Bp. then Declared them Man & Wife, in the name of the Father & of ye Son, & of the Holy Ghost. This he assured me was all yt passed, in yt Action & Sollemnity.

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XCIV. THE EARL OF ESSEX TO LORD CONWAY.

MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Novembr 29th, 73.

I have reed two of yr Lops, one of ye 15th, & another of ye 22th instant, in both wch are severall particulars of great use to me, & ye continuance of yr correspondence will enable me from Time to Time to know ye Temper of Affairs in England.

It has ever bin my method in all matters to keep ye plain way, & so long as my Lord of Arlington continues in ye station where He is I can doe no other than hold ye same measures wth him as formerly; besides, my Lord Arlington has ever bin a Friend to me, whose maxime is not to lessen my respect to those that are my Friends but upon very good grounds. As for Mr Will Harbord's succeeding S H: Ford, I did from ye very first give caution to my brother S Hen: Capell, that by no means He or any other should come that was not agreeable to ye King; but for Mr Harbord's betraying any thing to my Lord of Arlington, you may be assured, & may also assure yr Friends, that I never entrust him or any other but my owne Closett Secretary, wth my correspondencys in England, & I take Will: Harbord to be a very quick man for dispatch of business, & having experience of his integrity towards me upon

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Aldworth, in whose hand these copies of Essex's letters are written.

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