JAMES THE SECOND.

75

knowledge of English affairs none seems to have been his co-equal. A pretence was found for despatching him, early in—pg-jy-the year 1087, to England on a special mission with credentialsfrom the States General. But in truth his embassy was not tothe government, but to the opposition; and his conduct wasguided by private instructions which had been drawn byBurnet, and approved by William.*

Dykvelt reported that James was bitterly mortified by theconduct of the Prince and Princess. “My nephew’s duty,” o,kveitsaid the King, “is to strengthen my hands. But he has alwaystaken a pleasure in crossing me.” Dykvelt answered that in slal «s-matters of private concern His Highness had shown, and wasready to show, the greatest deference to the King’s wishes;but that it was scarcely reasonable to expect the aid of a Pro-testant prince against the Protestant religion.** The King wassilenced, but not appeased. He saw, with ill humour whichhe could not disguise, that Dykvelt was mustering and drillingall the various divisions of the opposition with a skill whichwould have been creditable to the ablest English statesman,and which was marvellous in a foreigner. The clergy weretold that they would find the Prince a friend to episcopacy andto the Book of Common Prayer. The Nonconformists wereencouraged to expect from him, not only toleration, but alsocomprehension. Even the Koman Catholics were conciliated;and some of the most respectable among them declared, tothe King’s face, that they were satisfied with what Dykveltproposed, and that they would rather have a toleration, se-cured by statute, than an illegal and precarious ascendency.***

The chiefs of all the important sections of the nation had fre-quent conferences in the presence of the dexterous Envoy.

At these meetings the sense of the Tory party was chielly Daniiy.spoken by the Earls of Danby and Nottingham. Though more

* Burnet, i. 708.; Avaux Neg., Jan. , 3 j. Feb. -,V 1687; Van Kampen,Karakterkunde der Vaderlandsche Geschiedenis.

** Burnet, i. 711. Dykvell’s despatches to the States General contain,as far as I have seen or can learn, not a word about the real object ofhis mission. His correspondence with the Prince of Orange was strictlyprivate.

**' Bonrepaux, Sept. 1687.