38 James Muilenburg 



which he was resolved to bring about, or to die a martyr in endeavoring it; and that 

 he would rather suffer death in carrying on that, than live ever so long and 

 happy without attempting it. He said he must make haste in this work, other- 

 wise, if he should die before he had compassed it, he would leave them worse than 

 he found them. They added, among many particulars, that, when one of them 

 kneeled down to kiss his hand, he took him up, and said, since he was a priest, 

 he ought rather to kneel to him, and to kiss his hand. And, when ons of them 

 was lamenting that his next heir was an heretic, he said, 'God would provide an 

 heir.' 



Dykvelt also received a copy of this letter, according to Burnet. 

 He spoke very plainly with the King upon the latter's plans of 

 converting the nation to the Catholic religion; 168 and when he 

 mentioned the Liege letter, James asked for a copy of it. The 

 King promised Dykvelt that he would read it to see whether or 

 not it was an imposture to make him the more odious. But he 

 never mentioned the letter to the envoy again. 169 Dykvelt con- 

 sidered that this was a confession that the letter was no forgery. 



If the Liege letter is genuine, it is a revelation of the character 

 of James II. The extremities to which it goes, however, rather 

 incline one to view it with at least a measure of incredulity and 

 suspicion. On the other hand, one can not believe firmly in the 

 sincerity of James. It has been seen that his tone to the Prince 

 was kindly. On May 10, he sent the following letter to William: 170 



Whitehall, May 10, 1687 

 I have had yours of the 13th, by which I find that you in Holland are not 

 alarmed at the King of France's journey to Luxembourg. Those who are jealous of 

 it, will, I am confident, be soon out of their pain. I suppose Mr. Dyckvelt will give 

 you an account of two memorials have (sic) been given me, the one by the Count 

 Caunitz, and the other by the Spanish ambassador, both of them to desire me to 

 endeavour to persuade the King of France to let me be guarantee of the truce. 

 You may be sure I will do my part to persuade the King to it, since nothing can 

 contribute more than that to continue the peace in Christendom. I have not time 

 to say more, but that you shall still find me as kind as you can desire. 



At this time, nevertheless, James II was on the best of terms 

 with Louis. 171 He had expressed himself enthusiastically to 



168 Burnet, p. 452. 



169 Ibid, idem. 



170 Dalrymple, May 10, 1687, from Whitehall, vol. ii, Appendix to Part I, p. 164. 



171 Van Praet, Essaies, Guillaume III, p. 394. 



122 



