The Embassy of Everaard van Weede 33 



very flattering testimony to the envoy's conduct on more than 

 one occasion. 142 



The letter of Ronquillo to the Spanish king, the letter to Abbe- 

 ville, and Dykvelt's own reports to the States General, — these 

 are quite convincing in their testimonies that Dykvelt did not 

 argue so insistently as Burnet would have us believe, but on the 

 contrary actually concurred for a time in the King's resolves. It 

 must also be borne in mind that up to the very publication of the 

 Declaration, Dykvelt appears to have had no great objection. 143 

 He did, of course, discuss the matter with the King, 144 and he 

 even went so far as to suggest that the Prince's "adherence 

 to the high Protestant party promoted the tranquility of the 

 kingdom, and the interests of the Catholics themselves, by 

 preventing the nation from proceeding to extremities." 145 It 

 is worth noticing, then, that the boon that James held out, of 

 co-operation with Holland against France, for a time gained as- 

 cendancy, and Dykvelt thought he was securing that which 

 William of Orange most desired. 



James II realized that he was holding out a most attractive 

 bait when he suggested the possibility of an alliance with the 

 continental powers against France. He had made the offer 

 through Albeville, 146 and Kramprich, the imperial ambassador at 

 the Hague, urged Fagel to grant James II the price he asked, — 

 William's consent to religious toleration. 147 His proposal was 

 repeated to Dykvelt, as we have seen. And it was not only 



142 Avaux, February 13, 1687, vol. vi, p. 41 f . 



"Cependant je mandai au Roi que j'avais decouvert par un entretien que 

 j'avais eu avec l'Envoye d'Angleterre que Dykvelt etait tres agreable au Roi de 

 la Grande-B-retagne." 



D'Adda, February 7, 1687, Appendix in Mackintosh's History. Also quoted in 

 Klopp, p. 325. 



143 The letter quoted in Mackintosh, page 459, bears the date of April 1, 1687. 

 The Declaration appeared April 4, 1687. 



144 Mackintosh, Continuation, p. 460. 



145 Letter of Barillon, June 12, 1687, which the Editor of Mackintosh found 

 among the Fox manuscripts. See note 4 of p. 460 of the History. 



146 Supra, note 47. 



147 Supra, p. 14. 



117 



