ande, both English and Dutch. I doubt if
they'll ventur to quitt with both, and I would fain hope that none
of them will come soon. God grant that the K---- be safe. If he go
to England, as we are told he designed, I doubt not but he knows of
support there. I confess there's a great deal lost by his long
delay, but that certainly was not in his power to help, else it
wou'd not have been so. If he still come here, I hope we will yet be
able to make a stand for him this winter, but I thought I was
obledged to let him know the true situation before he land, which I
have done to the best of my pow'r, and lodged letters for him in the
places where I thought it most likely he wou'd come, so that he may
not be dissapointed by expecting to find things better than they
are. He has been so long by the way that it wou'd seme he is not
comeing to England, but that he is comeing round about Ireland to
Scotland; and neither he nor D---- O----d[116] be in England. It
wou'd seem that they will not stir there, which would make it a very
hard task here; but I hope Providence will protect him, and yet
settle him on his throne.

"I find it will be sometime before I can stirr from hence, and if
the enemy get not reinforcments, I judge they will not stirr either;
but as soon as they get them they certainly will, and I'm afraid we
shall be oblidged to take the hills, which is a could quarter now.
I wish you knew a great many particulars I have to tell you, but it
is not safe writing them; there are some people with us who it had
been good for the King they had stay'd at home, where they want not
a little to be, and will leave us at last, but we must make the best
of them, tho' there be but ill stuff to make it of as the saying is.
Never had man so plaguie a life as I have had o' late; but I'll do
the best I can to go threw it, and not be unworthy of the trust
reposed in me. My service to Mr. Hall, and I hope he'll make my
compliments to his correspondent at P----se,[117] who he mentions in
his to me; but its odd that I have heard from none there myself ever
sine B----n came, especially since other letters come through. I
must own I have not had many encouragements, but that should be
nothing if I had encouragements for others. Should it please God
that the King's affairs should not succeed, but that people