send, and of the persons who were to be trusted. I do not mention
some inconveniences which they touched upon arising from a delay;
because their opinion was clearly for this delay, and because that
they could not suppose that the Chevalier would act, or that those
about him would advise him to act, contrary to the sense of all his
friends in England. No time was lost in making the proper use of
this paper. As much of it as was fit to be shown to this Court was
translated into French, and laid before the King of France. I was
now able to speak with greater assurance, and in some sort to
undertake conditionally for the event of things.

The proposal of violating treaties so lately and so solemnly
concluded, was a very bold one to be made to people, whatever their
inclinations might be, whom the war had reduced to the lowest ebb of
riches and power. They would not hear of a direct and open
engagement, such as the sending a body of troops would have been;
neither would they grant the whole of what was asked in the second
plan. But it was impossible for them, or any one else, to foresee
how far those steps which they were willing to take, well improved,
might have encouraged or forced them to go. They granted us some
succours, and the very ship in which the Pretender was to transport
himself was fitted out by Depine d'Anicant at the King of France's
expense. They would have concealed these appearances as much as
they could; but the heat of the Whigs and the resentment of the
Court of England might have drawn them in. We should have been glad
indirectly to concur in fixing these things upon them: and, in a
word, if the late King had lived six months longer, I verily believe
there had been war again between England and France. This was the
only point of time when these affairs had, to my apprehension, the
least reasonable appearance even of possibility: all that preceded