The Embassy of Everaard van Weede 1 1 



The condition of our foreign affairs inspires fears. The King of England is 

 equipping a navy. The same is taking place in France. Our friends in England 

 announce their fear that the preparation is directed against this Republic. The 

 King, there, makes no secret of his dissatisfaction with us, partly because of affairs 

 in the East Indies, partly because of the fugitive Englishmen here. In England, 

 people are industriously looking up old claims, in order to molest the members of 

 the Republic. The ambassador whom the King has promised to send has not yet 

 come. 



For all these reasons the Prince considers it necessary to send an extraordinary 

 ambassador to England, who shall acquaint himself with the situation there; he 

 shall further express to the king our willingness to live in peace and friendship with 

 him, and at the same time receive reassurances that the King is of the same mind. 

 By this embassy we at least give the open evidence that everything that can be 

 done on our side is done. 



This version of Fagel's oration is to be found in Klopp, who appears 

 to have taken it from Kramprich's account of January 20. 



Count Avaux, who had friends among the opponents of William 

 and maintained spies in the Court, gives an account in greater 

 detail. This war, he says, which Fagel apprehended, was to be 

 declared in the spring. The King of France was to join James II 

 with forty ships. The King of Denmark and the Elector of Cologne 

 would take the side of Holland. Moreover, Fagel was as sure of 

 an Anglo-French attack against Holland the next spring as he 

 was of his own presence before the Deputies. 26 The pretexts, 

 continues Avaux, for the embassy were as follows: 27 (1) England 

 was putting to sea a large fleet; (2) the King of England was much 

 aroused over the episode between the East India companies of 

 Holland and England; (3) the King was dissatisfied over the 

 warm reception Holland had given to the English rebels; (4) fi- 

 nally, the States continued to leave the old debts, which had been 

 contracted before the founding of the Republic, unsettled. 



The Deputies did not reply at once to Fagel's request. They 

 wished to confer with their 'commitenten.' The popular disfavor 

 towards the Deputies forced the latter to acquiesce in the request 

 of the Prince. 28 Their selfish commercial desires made them 



26 Avaux, Negotiations, January 16, 1687, vol. vi, p. 26. 



« Ibid, January 21, 1687, p. 27-28. 



28 Klopp, Der Fall des Hauses Stuart, vol. iii, p. 280. 



95 



