Series 1 > Letters and papers illustrating the relations between Charles the Second and Scotland in 1650

ENGLISH REMONSTRANCES
75
their goodness, they court and seek him for a Kingdoms’ sake ;
and you may be assured that if they come to an agreement, you
will finde there will be almost a total transmigration of all that
collavies1 of their beggarly trash, to take their possession of
England. Trust them not; if you be aforehand with them,
you may prevent it at their charge; if you will not, they will
put you to the trouble of destroying them (when like so many
locusts, as another Egyptian Plague, they have destroyed the
country) at your own. We have here newes of some prepara¬
tion you are making there to have an army on foot, and it puts
us here to new thoughts. The English that are here about
the King, seeing the Scots will not come off' upon such terms as
were desired, inveigh most bitterly against them, and perpetu¬
ally buz so many things into his ears that he knows not what
to do, nor by what Councels to guide himselfe, for there is not
a man both ^ hath his end upon him, and his interest to serve
by him, and how he should be able to pursue his own amongst
them all, might be a difficulty to a greater j udgement then his.
They tell him they have lost their estates, and are all undone
for his sake, that he cannot in equity and justice forsake them,
and leave them to the wide world without estates, or counte¬
nance, or reputation, as he must do by this his agreement with
the Scots. To perswade him to this, they tell him he is a
dead man if ever he gives up himself to the Scots, for they will
sell him to the scaffold as they sold his father; and thus they
fill the fancy of the poor King with dreadful fears. The
Prince of Orange he tells him that there is no other way in the
world for him to come by bis Crowns again, but by joyning
with the Scots; that all his friends he hath will otherwise
forsake him. But if he were once in possession there, he should
finde such assistance from his friends as he should not need to
keep more of the Agreement then he should finde to be for. his
service and advantage, and might soon put himself from under
their power. He told him also, if it were his case, he would
go with them, though he should lose ten lives. I am confident
the Prince of Orange would not care though he lost ten lives,
so he could be rid of him ; and that it is from no other con-
Colluvies.
2 but.