JAMES THE SECOND.

11 !)

serious notice of the proceedings of the refugees till three C,I * Pvessels which had been equipped for the expedition to Scot- j 68 5.land were safe out of the Zuyder Zee, till the arms, ammuni-tion, and provisions were on board, and till the passengershad embarked. Then, instead of applying, as he shouldhave done, to the States General, who sate close to his owndoor, he sent a messenger to the magistrates of Amsterdam,with a request that the suspected ships might be detained.

The magistrates of Amsterdam answered that the entranceof the Zuyder Zee was out of their jurisdiction, and referredhim to the federal government. It was notorious that thiswas a mere excuse, and that, if there had been any real wishat the Stadthouse of Amsterdam to prevent Argyle fromsailing, no difficulties would have been made. Skelton nowaddressed himself to the States General. They showedevery disposition to comply with his demand, and, as thecase was urgent, departed from the course which they ordi-narily observed in the transaction of business. On the sameday on which he made his application to them, an order, drawnin exact conformity with his request, was despatched to theAdmiralty of Amsterdam. But this order, in consequenceof some misinformation which he had received, did not cor-rectly describe the situation of the ships. They were saidto be in the Texel. They were in the Vlie. The Admiraltyof Amsterdam made this error a plea for doing nothing; and,before the error could be rectified, the three ships had sailed.*

The last hours which Argyle passed on the coast of Hoi-land were hours of great anxietv. Near him lay a Dutch manof war whose broadside would in a moment have put an end to Holland,his expedition. Round his little fleet a boat was rowing, in

* Avaux Neg. 7 ^,’' » MayMay T Y* 1685 ? Sir Patrick flume’sNarrative; Letter from the Admiralty of Amsterdam to the States General,dated June20. 1685 ; Memorial of Skelton, delivered to the States General,

May 10 . 1685 .