in his copy of Lord Clarendon's "Hiftory of "the Rebellion."

"It is very ftrange, that amongst so many "dangers to which King Charles the Second

was expofed, and from which he was furpriz"ingly and miraculously delivered, neither "Lord Clarendon, nor any Author I have met "with, takes the leaft notice of one of a very "extraordinary nature which happened to him "in Holland, and which was as follows:

"The King when at Bruffels, being defirous "and refolved to fee his fifter the Princess of

Orange (but withal under a neceffity to make "his journey with the utmost secrecy), did "communicate his design to no person whatso56 ever. He ordered Fleming (a fervant of the "Earl of Wigtoun), who was in his fervice, "and of whofe fidelity he neither then nor ever "after did doubt, fecretly to provide a couple "of good horfes, and have them ready at a "certain place and time of the next enfuing night, by his Majefty appointed; and that

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Fleming, with thefe horfes, fhould remain "alone till he heard from the King. At the "time appointed, the King (having gone to "bed, and afterwards dreffed himself) privately

goes out at a back door, and leaving only a "letter to fome one of his fervants in whom "he confided, with an account of his having

gone from thence for a few days, and with "directions to keep his abfence as fecret as poffible, under pretence of his being indifpofed, came to the place, where he found

Fleming with the horfes as he had directed. "He then acquainted Fleming of his defign to fpeak with his fifter at the Hague; and, not

regarding the hazards he might be exposed "to, away he went with his flender equipage "and attendance, travelling through the most "fecret by-ways, and contriving it fo, that he

came to the Hague by fix in the morning, " and alighted at a scrub inn, in a remote part "of the town, where he was confident none"would know him under the disguise he was "then in. He immediately fent Fleming to

acquaint his fifter where he was, and left it "to her to contrive the way and manner of having access to her, fo as not to be known. Fleming, having difpatched his commiffion "in a very fhort time (less than an hour), was "no fooner returned to tell the King, whom "he found in the room where he had left him

(where he had been ftill alone), than an un"known perfon came and afked of the Land

lord, if two Frenchmen had not alighted at "his houfe that morning. The Landlord replied, that two men had come, but of what country he knew not. The ftranger re

quired him to tell them that he wanted to fpeak to them; which being done, the King "was much furprized, but withal inclined to "fee the perfon. Fleming oppofed it, but "the King being pofitive, the person was in"troduced, being an old reverend-like man, "with a long gray beard, and ordinary gray "cloaths, who looking and fpeaking to the King, told him, he was the perfon he wanted "to speak to (and all alone) on matters of importance. The King, believing it might per

haps be a meffage from his fifter, or being "curious to know the refult of fuch an adven

ture, defired Fleming to withdraw; which "he refused, till the King, taking him afide, "told him, there could be no hazard from fuch

an old man, for whom he was too much; "and commanded him to retire. They were "no fooner alone, than the ftranger bolted "the door (which brought the King to think "on what might or would happen), and at the "fame time falling on his knees, pulled off his <s very nice and artificial maík, and discovered "himself to be Mr. Downing (afterwards well "known by the name of Sir George Downing, "and Ambaffador from the King to the States"General after the Reftoration) then Ambaffa"dor from Cromwell to the States-General; "being the fon of one Downing, an Independ

"ent Minister, who attended fome of the Par"liament Men that were once fent to Scotland "to treat with the Scots to join against the "King, and who was a very active and violent

enemy to the Royal Family, as appears by "this history. The King, you may imagine, "was not a little furprized at the discovery; "but Downing gave him no time for reflection, "fpeaking to him immediately in the following

manner: That he humbly begged his Majefty's pardon for any fhare or part he had "acted during the rebellion against his royal "intereft, and affured him, that though he was

just now in the fervice of the Ufurper, he "wished his Majefty as well as any of his sub

jects; and would, when an occafion offered,

venture all for his fervice, and was hopeful "that what he was about to fay would con"vince his Majefty of his fincerity. But be"fore he mentioned the caufe of his coming

to him, he muft infift, that his Majefty "would folemnly promife him not to mention "what had happened, neither to Fleming nor "to any perfon whatever, until it pleafed God "that his Majefty was reftored to his Crown, "when he fhould have no reason to defire that "it fhould be concealed; though even then, "he muft likewife have his Majefty's promife "never to afk, or expect he fhould discover, "how

2.

how or when he came to know of his Majefty's being there. The King having fo

lemnly engaged on the terms required, "Downing proceeded and told him, that his "Mafter the Ufurper, being now at peace with "the Dutch (and the States fo dependant and obfequious to him that they refufed nothing "he required), had with the greatest secrecy, "in order to make it more effectual, entered "into a treaty, by which (amongst other trifling "matters agreed to between them) the chief " and indeed main end of the negociation was, "that the States ftood engaged to feize and "deliver up to the Ufurper the perfon of his

Majefty, if at any time he should happen by "chance or by defign to come within their "territories, when required thereto by any per"fon in his name; and that this treaty, being

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figned by the States, was fent to London, "from whence it had returned but yesterday "morning, and was totally finished yesterday "night, between himfelf and a Secret Commit"tee of the States. Downing likewife repre"fented to his Majefty, that his Master's (Cromwell's) intelligence was fo good, that a difcovery would be made even to himself (Downing) of his Majesty's being there; and if he "neglected to apply to have him feized, his "Mafter

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