formerly it was, so certain a Character of a good and honest Man, do's Sir W. think he can dishonour me, in reproaching me for leaving a Profession which himself thinks so contemptible, for a Petticoat?

It will not be material in this place to say how I was engaged therein in my tender years. There is nothing more usual in France, Spain and Italy, where ancient Houses do sacrifice a good part of their Families in Monasteries; 'tis a Maxim, to say the truth, most cruel and horrid.

Neither will I relate how, and after what manner I came out of it; however, it was not for a Petticoat. I have remained several years without so much as having any inclination to it; and it hath been apparent that I have had much a-do, and was very much unresolved as to this Choice.

There was too great advantage to throw off my Frock for the Petticoat that I have taken, not to do it. It is a Petticoat of a Scotch Stuff, and which hath been a greater Ornament, and done the Crown of England more good than Sir W. himself; if he do not know it, the History of England and Scotland in these late Times may inform him. I shall enlarge no further, that I may not engage my self to publish the Misfortunes and Disorders of Sir W's Family; which, I suppose would not be like a Gentleman. I have no reason that I know of, to complain, neither of his Lady, nor his Son, nor of his Daughters.

Besides, had I even cast off the Monk's Habit for a Petticoat, I should have done no more than a great many worthy deserving Persons have done; yea, some of the Pope's Nuncio's, Cardinals, Bishops, Kings and Princesses too, who have quitted the Veil for the Breeches, whose Posterity, I make no question is highly esteemed and reverenced by Sir W.

I did so well insinuate my self, saith Sir W. into the Court of Sweden, that I obtained from thence a Commission to be a kind of an Agent in England. That is very dirty. I have had the management of Affairs and the Quality of Envoy, when Sir W. had no more than that of an Agent or Resident at Brussels. I was Envoy at the Court of England before ever I was in Sweden, or before ever I had any acquaintance there.

I went the first time to Sweden just at that time the late King of England sent me into Sweden and Denmark, about the beginning of the Year 1676. The Pretence was for to demand the free passage of Letters; which the King of Denmark refused, for hastening the Congress of Nimeguen, in procuring the expedition of Passports, requisite to the Ministers of State who were to compose the Assembly; and also to urge the Departure of the Embassadors belonging to those two Northern Crowns. But now the true Cause was quite another Matter, and of greater consequence; not for the King of England, but indeed for another Potentate.—That shall be made appear some time or other in my Memoirs.

Had I been a kind of a Swedish Agent, I should not have defended myself in that Point; I should have held it as a great piece of Honour, since it could not chuse but be very glorious and splendid, to have the Affairs of so great a King, in such important Conjunctures as those were, committed to ones charge and care; but at the very time Sir W. speaks of, I was dignified with the Quality of Envoy Extraordinary from the Duke of Holstein Gottorp, acknowledged and received at the Court of England for such.

Sir W. knows that very well, there was sent him divers Memoirs to Nimeguen whilst the Mediation lasted, which I had delivered in at London, concerning the re-setling my Master; but the Interest and Concerns of this Prince were so indifferent to him, that I was fain to beg of my Lord Treasurer to recommend them more particularly to Sir Leoline Jenkyns.

Moreover, you may see Sir W.T. mentions in his Memoirs all the Potentates that had any interest in the Peace of Nimeguen, except the Duke of Holstein Gottorp, notwithstanding he had two Ministers at the Congress, and although France had stipulated for his re-establishment in the second Article or Condition of the Peace, such who shall peruse the Memoirs of Sir W might be apt to think that the Duke of Holstein was reckoned as no body in the World, and that he had no part at all in what pass'd in Christendoom, from the commencing of the War in 1672, until the conclusion of the Peace 1679. But Thanks be to God Sir W. is not the Steward of Glory and Immortality.

Sir W. therefore must have often read my Name and Character in the Letters, and Orders of the Court, and cannot have forgot that he came to render me a Visit at my Lodgings, at such time as he, by the King's Order, was to confer with me upon what account Monsieur Olivencrantz might be obliged to pass from Nimeguen into England. That Swedish Embassador lodg'd at that time in my house.

'Tis true indeed, as the Interests of my Master were inseparable from those of Sweden, I found my self engaged to be very much concerned in the Interests of that Crown in whatsoever might depend on my care: There was an Envoy extraordinary from Sweden at London; and yet for all that, the Swedish Ambassadors did me the Honour to maintain a very regular Correspondence by Letters with me: The King of England was also graciously pleased to hear me in what concerned the Affairs of the Swede, although I was no otherwise authorized for it. Monsieur Olivencrantz, his Voyage to London was contrived first of all by the King and my self, without the least medling or intervention of any one of his Ministers; and then again in the Negotiation, whereof my Voyage to Nimeguen was a Consequence, the Restitution of Sweden was especially insisted upon.

All this made many Men believe, that I was intrusted with the Management of the Affairs of this Crown; and Monsieur Van Beuninguen believed it so to be, in the Letter he writ to the Lords States-General, which hath since been printed; where he speaks with so much uncertainty concerning the Voyage I was about to make to Nimeguen, and about this Negotiation, that it was evident it was a very great Secret.

Since his being at London, saith Sir W. speaking of me, he hath wholly devoted himself to Monsieur Barillon, the French Ambassador, under pretence to act for the Interests of Sweden. Monsieur Barillon was not at that time in London, when I was sent thither, he came not thither till a long time after; I found Monsieur le Marquis de Ruvigni there, whom Monsieur Courtin succeeded; and after that Monsieur Barillon came to take the place of Monsieur Courtin.

I never devoted my self to this Ambassador, and I never had any Correspondence or was in League with him prejudicial to my Duty. Nay, it happened the King of England one day, having a design more especially to take into Consideration the Swedish Interests, Monsieur de Barillon diverted him from it; whether for fear lest a particular Peace should be clapp'd up between the Northern Crowns, or else out of Jealousie, that he might leave the Glory of the Restitution of this Crown to the King his Master; and depriving it of all other relief, might keep it in the mean time in a greater dependance.

I was so much put to it, and fell out with Mr. Barillon so much thereupon, that I did not so much as speak to him in 3 or 4 months; nay, one day as the King was at Dinner I cast in his teeth what had past in the