10 James Muilenburg 



To it she looked for guidance, and in it she found her only hope of 

 rescue. 



When James attempted to control the elections at the Univer- 

 sities, to deprive the Church of its immemorial rights, and to 

 dispossess men of their rightful holdings by force, the hitherto 

 compliant conduct of the clergy and the Church party came to 

 an end. Bishop Burnet, who was in especially close touch with 

 the court at the Hague at this time, tells of the many "very 

 pressing messages to the Prince of Orange, desiring he would 

 interpose and espouse the concerns of the Church, and that he 

 would break upon it, if the King would not redress it." 23 William 

 held these letters secret, but he afterwards complained that 

 many of those who were most eager to have him come over proved 

 to be his worst enemies. 24 



Matters had come to a head both in England and in Holland. 

 Still both sovereigns were hoping to avoid a break. But each 

 had his sine qua nihil. In each case it was the consuming passion 

 of the heart that was at stake. Diplomatic negotiations were 

 opened between the court of England and the Hague. James 

 sent over the worst possible diplomat to "manage the affairs." 

 William also sent over an envoy. To give an account of this latter 

 embassy to England, to relate how matters were concerted with 

 all parties, to point out the significance of this mission is the pur- 

 pose of this thesis. 



Dykvelt's Embassy Determined Upon 



On the fifteenth of January, 1687, Gaspard Fagel, the Pen- 

 sionary, appeared before the States of Holland in the name of 

 William, Prince of Orange. 25 It was a momentous occasion, for 

 the rancor that poisoned the relationship between the States and 

 the Prince had made the position of the government perilous. 

 Fagel, who was a great statesman and a powerful orator, addressed 

 the Deputies as follows: 



23 Burnet, History of His Own Time, p. 446. 



24 Ibid, p. 446. 



25 Kramprich's Report of January 20, 1687, as quoted in Klopp, Der Fall des 

 Houses Stuart, vol. iii, p. 279-280. 



94 



