For a man that pays so
small a regard to Truth, as he seems to do, perhaps, may think nothing
in the World an infringement of his Duty. But let us hear him explain
himself upon this Chapter. _I confess, indeed_, p. 30. _that when
he_, meaning Monsieur _Barillon, employ'd himself for the Interests of
my Master, and of_ Sweden, _I became intirely devoted to him_. At last
Monsieur _de Cros_ owns himself to be devoted to Monsieur _Barillon_;
however to mollifie it somewhat, he pretends that he never made those
Advances till that Ambassador cultivated the Interests of his Master
and of _Sweden_. A miserable Evasion! for how perfidiously the
Ministers of that Crown have all along dealt with their Allies, let
_Candy_ and _Messina_ proclaim to the World. Their Friendship has been
fatal to all that ever depended upon it, as the Histories of the last
Times will evidently show; and though they pretended never so
cordially to espouse the Quarrel of their Confederates, yet they
seldom scrupled to abandon their Interests when it made never so
little for their Advantage to do it.

_How this Dispatch by_ de Cros _was gained, or by whom_ (says Sir _W.
T._ in his Memoirs, _p. 336._) _I will not pretend to determine._ And
a little lower: _The Account I met with at Court was, that these
Orders were agreed and dispatched one morning in an hours time, and in
the Dutchest of_ Portsmouth's _Chamber by the intervention and pursuit
of Monsieur_ Barillon. In this place Sir _W. T._ by no means
pretends, to decide the Question, but only relates what were the
general Sentiments of the Court upon it, and for the Truth of this,
appeals to several eminent Persons still living. But it is pleasant to
observe what a learned Harangue Monsieur _de Cros_ has made upon this
Account. _'Tis a great deal of pity_, says he, _p. 35. that an
Ambassador of_ England, _who had the Secretary's place so often
proffer'd him, was not only during his absence, when he was
negotiating the Publick Affairs at_ Nimeguen _and the_ Hague, _but
even at his return into_ England, _so little instructed in what had
passed there, and principally in an Affair of this Importance and
Consideration._ Perhaps 'tis a great deal of pity, as he says; but by
his favour 'tis no wonder at all, especially considering the
Constitution of our Court at that juncture, that when they were to
play any private Game, they never thought it worth their while to
acquaint Sir _W. T._ with their Intrigues; no