Series 1 > Diplomatic correspondence of Jean de Montereul and the brothers de Bellièvre, French ambassadors in England and Scotland, 1645-48 > Volume 1

MONTEREUL TO MAZARIN
73
1645]
interceptees depuis trois semaines, par lesquelles une personae
de la Cour asseurait que la reine de la Gr. Br. ne voulait point
entendre a une paix generale, mais seulement a un accommode-
ment particulier, afin de pouvoir se servir des uns, pour se
venger des autres, mais tous ces bruits n’empecheront pas,
comme j’espere, que je ne puisse aller trouver sans soup^on le
roy son mari. Ce qui me pourrait faire plus de prejudice et
les porter a m1 accorder plus difficilement mes passeports, c’est
une lettre que M. de Sabran a re^ue d’Oxford, et qu’il montre,
en grand secret, a tout le monde, par laquelle le Secretaire
Nicholas lui mande que le roy de la Gr. Br. a appris que les
Ecossais voudraient faire leur accommodement par le moyen
de la France, et le prie d’ y contribuer.
Je dirai seulement a V. E. que je viens d’apprendre que le
roy de la Gr. Br. a oblige les seigneurs qui sont pres de lui a
courir sa meme fortune apres leur avoir promis de ne les point
abandonner, de sorte que le traite qui se commen^ait ici, n’aura
point d’effet.
[Montereul to Cardinal Mazarin. London, ^ Dec. 1645.
Although I had resolved not to disclose anything, previous to the
return of Sir Robert Moray, which has been long delayed, I thought it,
however, necessary for me to see the Earl of Holland, in order to
encourage him in the resolutions he had taken, and to advance still
further what he and his friends contemplate, by telling him the most
advantageous conditions they could offer to the King of Great Britain,
and how they could best adapt their plans, so that the Scots might be
able to agree with them ; as Lord Balmerino, following the opinion of the
Scottish Chancellor, did not judge it expedient for me to communicate
more fully with the friends of the earl, or to disclose to them what was
being transacted in France, through the agency of Sir Robert Moray,
further than that I might let them know by Sir Robert that the Queen of
Great Britain was very well disposed for peace, and that I had reason to
believe she would do what the Earl of Holland had judged to be useful,
viz., write for that purpose to the king, her husband.
After having spoken to the earl in these terms, he told me in reply
that in the matter of religion it would be necessary to adhere to what
was proposed at Uxbridge; and he would see with his friends what modi¬
fications could be introduced into the rest; and he assured me further
that in time everything would be brought into the state the king wished,
but that there was no time to lose, seeing the king would have to treat
on even more unfavourable terms than these, if he did not hasten to
accept them ; and that the lords who are with him would oblige him to
make peace in one way or another.
I had in fact learned from the Countess of Devonshire that after Lords