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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap, find a secure asylum in France. Burnet was well aware of his

- 6g f —danger: but timidity was not among his faults. He publisheda courageous answer to the charges which had been broughtagainst him at Edinburgh. He knew, he said, that it was in-tended to execute him without a trial: but his trust was in theKing of Kings, to whom innocent blood would not cry in vain,even against the mightiest princes of the earth. Fie gave afarewell dinner to some friends, and, after the meal, tooksolemn leave of them, as a man who was doomed to death,and with whom they could not longer safely converse. Ne-vertheless he continued to show himself in all the public placesof the Hague so boldly that his friends reproached him bitterlywith his fool-hardiness.*'

Missionof While Burnet was William’s secretary for English affairsin Holland, Dykvelt had been not less usefully employed inLondon. Dykvelt was one of a remarkable class of publicmen who, having been bred to politics in the noble school ofJohn De Witt, had, after the fall of that great minister,thought that they should best discharge their duty to the com-monwealth by rallying round the Prince of Orange. Of thediplomatists in the service of the United Provinces none was,in dexterity, temper, and manners, superior to Dykvelt. In

* Burnet, i. 72G—-734.; Answer to the Criminal Letters issued outagainst Dr. Burnet; Avaux Neg., July T V If., 4687, Jan. 168S;

Lewis to Barillon, j*°‘ 9 *** ; Johnstone of Warisloun, Feb. 21. 1688;

Lady Russell to Dr. Fitawilliam, Oct. 5.1687. As it has been suspectedthat Burnet, who certainly was not in the habit of underrating his ownimportance, exaggerated the danger to which he was exposed, I willgive the words of Lewis and of Johnstone. “Qui que ce soit,** saysLewis, “qui entreprenne de 1’enlever en Hollande trouvera non seule-ment une retraite assuree et une cnti&re protection dans mes etats, maisaussi toute I’assistance qu’il pourra desirer pour faire conduiresurement ce scGlerat en Angleterre.” “■The business of Bamfield(Burnet) is certainly true,” says Johnstone. “No man doubts of it here,and some concerned do not deny it. His friends say they hear he tabesno care of himself, but out of vanity, to show his courage, shows hisfolly; so that, if ill happen on it, all people will laugh at it. Pray tellhim so much from Jones (Johnstone). If some could be catchedmaking their coup d’essai on him, it will do much to frighten them frommaking any attempt on Ogle (the Prince).”