1677.] THE OCTOBER MEETEKG. 345 



king upon naval affairs.* Wyndham mentions, in a 

 letter to Williamson, dated October 3rd, that " Joe 

 hath wonne his match although there was two to one 

 against him. Wee pass the tyme in hawking and 

 hunting." f This royal visit cost the king ^370 \s. 'x,\d. 

 in September, ^661 2s. o\d. in October, while the 

 " extraordinary " expenses of the stables came to 

 /1134 11^. ^d.X 



During this meeting at the headquarters of the 

 Turf, the marriage of William, Prince of Orange, and 

 the Princess Mary of York, was finally 

 arranged. This alliance had been rejected Newmarket. 



, , 1 1 . October. 



m 1674, when, however, the pnnce very 

 unceremoniously refused the hand of the princess. But 

 succeeding events had taught him to lament his im- 

 prudence. All the flattering predictions of his advisers 

 were, during the interval, falsified ; and he discovered 

 that he had given offence to the only potentate who 

 could enable him either to conclude an honourable 

 peace with France, or to continue the war in which he 

 was engaged with any prospect of success. Convinced 

 that it was his interest to seek a reconciliation, he 

 began, in the first place, by cultivating the friendship of 

 the favourite minister, the Lord Treasurer ; in the next, 

 he condescended to solicit that union which he had 

 previously rejected ; and, alarmed at the coolness with 

 which the proposal was received, requested permission 

 to come to England, that he might apologize for his 

 past conduct, and explain his views for the future. 



* State Papers, Dom., bundle 394, No. 170, 198. 



t Ibid., bundle 395, No. 17. 



X Cofferer's Aces., Rot. s. d. (in both series). 



