The Embassy of Everaard van Weede 43 



this expedient very clever, for it would throw the Prince into the 

 necessity of refusing that which was proposed to him or of losing 

 his credit with the factious Protestants. But Dykvelt refrained 

 from disquisition and disputation. The King knew of the envoy's 

 attempts, 186 "but he poked fun at the false advances Dykvelt 

 made to them." 187 Nothing daunted, Dykvelt continued his 

 conferences with the Catholics, and besought them to contribute 

 "to the great work." 188 He demonstrated to them that James 

 was going too far and too fast, that it was their part not to carry 

 things to the extreme, for it would expose them to certain ruin. 

 It was quite certain that the Protestants would sooner or later 

 recover their authority. He spoke to them of Ireland where 

 the affairs were already conducted to such a point that the King- 

 dom would soon be separated from England. 189 They answered 

 him according to the agreement they had come to in their council. 

 At another time, however, the moderate Catholics assured him 

 that they were not at all opposed to the rights of the Prince of 

 Orange. 190 In fact, they were fearful of the future and disap- 

 proved, even in the presence of Dykvelt, the measures of the 

 court. Dykvelt, on his part, held out to them the boon of tolera- 

 tion when William came to the throne. 191 According to Bonrepaux, 

 the special ambassador of Louis XIV in England, the Catholics 

 were conciliated, and the most respectable (sic) among them 

 declared that they were satisfied with what Dykvelt proposed, 

 and that they would rather have a toleration secured by statute 

 than an illegal and precarious ascendancy. 192 An adroit diplo- 



186 Mazure, quoted for the most part directly from the correspondence of Barillon, 

 p. 200. 



187 Ibid, p. 200 ff . 



188 In the light of what follows, this "great work" evidently refers to a position 

 against the aggression of France. See Evelyn, May 10, 1687, p. 36; also Mazure. 



189 Mazure, vol. ii, p. 218. Tyrconnel, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, had 

 deep-laid plans for the separation of Ireland from England upon the death of 

 James. 



190 Mazure, vol. ii, p. 218. 



191 Ibid, p. 245 ff. 



192 Macaulay, vol. ii, p. 894. This is based directly upon a communication of 

 Bonrepaux, September 27, 1687. The translation is Macaulay's. 



127 



