d, as he has cited this Passage, any one would
believe, that all the Glory and Merit of Preserving _Flanders_ was
intirely owing to Sir _W. T_'s Conduct; and with this wrong Scent
Monsieur _de Cros_ runs along very furiously, talks of erecting
Statues, of the Ingratitude of _Spain_ and _Holland_, with abundance
of other bitter things, with which his Indignation plentifully
furnishes him at all times. But our Comfort is, that this Passage is
nothing near so criminal and arrogant in the Original as our
Letter-monger would have it; and therefore it may not be _mal a
propos_ to cite it fairly. [A]_This I suppose gave some Occasion for
my being again design'd for this Ambassy, who was thought to have some
Credit with_ Spain _as well as_ Holland, _from the Negotiations I had
formerly run through at the_ Hague, Brussels, _and_ Aix la
Chapelle, _by which the remaining Parts of_ Flanders _had been saved
out of the Hands of_ France _in the Year 1668._ In the first Citation
it looks as if Sir _W. T_'s Management of the Treaty had wholly
occasioned the Preservation of _Flanders_, whereas in the latter, if
it meets with a true Construction, nothing more is meant, but that the
Negotiations at the abovementioned Places, in which Sir _W. T._ had
his share amongst the other Ministers that acted there, retrieved
_Flanders_ from ruin. If we may believe Monsieur _de Cros_, he will
positively tell us _p. 8. that all the Merit and Glory of the Peace
as well as of the Triple League, ought in justice to be ascribed to
the generous Resolution and Constancy of the States-General, who
employ'd, upon this Occasion, a Minister who far surpassed Sir W. T.
in Prudence, in Experience and all Abilities_. Sir _W. T._ has nothing
to quarrel with Monsieur _de Cros_ for upon this last Article; (tho,
as he is sure, no one is the worse for his Calumnies, so he thinks no
one is the better for his Commendations,) nor is he insensible what a
generous Part the States-General acted at this important Conjuncture,
when the publick Repose of all _Europe_ so much depended upon their
Resolutions and Conduct: Only he thinks it hard that _England_ should
not be allowed the least Share in the Turn of these Affairs, and that
the Ministers of so powerful a Crown should be passed over in Silence
without any Mention or Acknowledgement, as if they had been reckoned
abroad for so many Cyphers.

[A] _Memoirs_, p. 30.

After this Fit of Passion is over, the Weather begins