32

CONFERENCES BETWEEN DE WITT

of danger to them upon this chapter, either from the judgment or disposition of his Majesty, or humour of the nation. Monsieur De Witt seemed very much pleased with what Sir William Temple had said on that subject, both of the king's dispositions, and the people's humours and thoughts, especially that of the king of doing as he would be done by. He added, what he had said formerly, that the States' intentions were to make the Prince of Orange captain-general of their forces, and admiral too, though it was not mentioned; and to this purpose they would already have brought him into the council of state, in order to fit him for those charges, had it not been for some of the provinces that had hindered it upon pretence of more kindness, and designing greater matters for him. That it was, indeed, agreed, those charges were inconsistent with that of stadtholder, which gave as much authority in the civil, as the others in the military part of the government. That, considering the smallness of their state, and greatness of their militia, there was an end of their republic, when both were centered in the same person: that, for his part, if he had been born under a king, he could never have consented to what his ancestors did towards the King of Spain; but being born in a commonwealth, and sworn to maintain it, he could consent to nothing that should destroy it; and he wondered how it had subsisted so long in such danger, unless their preservation was to be attributed to their constant wars abroad, and to the

AND THE ENGLISH AMBASSADOR.

33

great moderation of this prince's predecessors, among whom not one had thoughts of encroaching on their privileges but the last; nor would he ever have done so, without having been encouraged thereto by the French, who had his breeding and education. That if he had lived, he would have been the ablest of all the race: and from hence fell into commendations of this young prince's parts and dispositions, and so this matter ended.

The Prince and his friends, on the other hand, were anxiously watching for a favourable opportunity of increasing his influence. The inhabitants of Zealand seemed to be well affected towards his family; therefore, having secretly gained over the major part of that state to his interest, he pretended a hunting excursion to Breda, but proceeded suddenly to Zealand, where, the States being assembled, he desired admittance, and then proposed his being chosen First Noble, as had been the case with his ancestors when they had attained the age of eighteen, promised to himself on his reaching the same age, and of which he now only wanted two months. To this they readily consented, with many expressions of kindness towards him. Some expected they would at once have elected him Stadtholder of that province; but things were not yet ripe for so great a change. The person chiefly instrumental to the prince's views was Monsieur O'Dyke, in conjunction with the Princess Dowager of Orange.

In an interview between Sir William Temple and

34

DISPUTES AMONG THE STATES.

De Witt, shortly after the above occurrence, the Pensioner frankly, yet coldly, observed, that there would be no ill consequences of the Prince being chosen First Noble; and, for his part, if his Highness had imparted his design to him, he should not only have consented to his attempting it at that time, but served him in it: however, that the manner was somewhat shocking; having come, the day before he went out of town, to take his leave, and said all that could be to disguise any such intention, which seemed to show he would not think of living in any confidence with the States, nor with those into whose care they had committed him; - that if it should proceed to his being chosen Stadtholder of Zealand, it would come to breed a sharpness between the two provinces; that Zealand would pretend he should enter into the Council of State upon that right by virtue of a former resolution, that the Stadtholder of every province should have that privilege, which was passed when every province had that magistrate; but that now, Holland having none, nor being like to have any, would hardly consent to it, while others of the States said absolutely they would not. The Pensioner concluded, that the Prince had gained nothing by this place besides entering into the States General, as deputed from Zealand, and representing the nobility of that province.

Towards the end of the year 1669 there happened a dispute among the States, which raised the hopes of the Prince of Orange. The citizens of

DISPUTES AMONG THE STATES.

35

Amsterdam, on account of their paying one half of all that was levied upon the province of Holland, in the same manner as Holland did one half of what was levied on the Seven Provinces, imagined, with some degree of justice, that they should possess the same influence in the province that Holland did in the state. This induced them to oppose to the utmost the faction of Leyden, Dort, and Rotterdam, who, under the influence of De Witt, carried the elections of civil and military officers. In order to favour the demand of the inhabitants of Amsterdam, there were some overtures made respecting the creation of a new minister, under the title of Secretary of State, whose province should be to receive the addresses of foreign ministers. This office was supposed to be designed for Monsieur Van Benninghen, a person well af fected to the Prince of Orange, who was secretly concerned in all the councils and motions at Amsterdam. De Witt had sufficient penetration to see into the consequences of this project, and was too much interested not to quash it. Nevertheless, Monsieur Van Benninghen excited such a feeling in favour of the Prince, that the states of Holland, after the warmest debate that had been known among them for many years, resolved by a plurality of voices, that the Prince should have session in the Council of State, with a decisive voice, and possess the same place his ancestors formerly had enjoyed. However, after this was resolved on, that party which most opposed the Prince's interest started

36

VISIT OF THE PRINCE TO ENGLAND.

two new points: the first, that no Captain General should be chosen otherwise than from year to year, but by an unanimity of voices; and, secondly, that in case the Prince should be chosen Captain General for life, then it should again be debated, and resolved by a plurality of voices, whether he should continue his session in the Council of State. These two questions were agreed to in all the towns, excepting four or five, in which number were Amsterdam and Haerlem; where it was determined that they were not to be resolved till those matters came in question.

In the mean time the Prince of Orange, probably at the suggestion of the Princess Dowager, formed the design of visiting England, and anxiously inquired of Sir William Temple whether his pretensions were likely to meet with support there; adding, that all his best friends in Holland were of opinion, that, unless such were to be the case, a visit to that country could only prove prejudicial to his affairs. Sir William informed his Highness that he was wholly ignorant of his master's position, excepting as far as related to Holland. Upon this the Prince desired the ambassador to touch upon the subject to Lord Arlington, Secretary of State to King Charles; but finding little encouragement in the answer returned by his lordship, he put off all thoughts of his journey till towards the sitting of Parliament, having assured Sir William that he was resolved to act according to his Majesty's advice in his motions relating to