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<DATE>2007-12-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B071028.apex.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A87474">
<STC T="W">J155B</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99895599</BIBNO>
<VID>153240</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 17 -->
<HEAD>A COPY Of the LATE King James's Letter, Sent by the Earle of <HI>MELFORT</HI> to the FRENCH KING, On the la&s;t SEA-FIGHT.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">And Publi&s;hed the next Day by the <HI>French</HI> King's Order.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Brother KING,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I HAVE with a degree of Re&s;olution bore all the Di&s;graces it has plea|&s;ed Heaven to &s;end me, whil&s;t they reacht me alone; but this la&s;t I confe&s;s, has quite over-whelm'd me: Nor can I ever forgive my &s;elf, &s;ince it &s;o nearly touches your Maje&s;ty in the great Damage of your FLEET; and &s;ince I am too well &s;atisfy'd, it is my Stars have occa|&s;ioned this ill Succe&s;s to a FLEET that has been ever Victorious till they fought for my Intere&s;t, which forces me to acknowledge that I do not in the lea&s;t de&s;erve the further a&s;&s;i&s;tance of &s;o great a King, who when he Wars for him&s;elf alone, is certain of Succe&s;s; therefore I beg of your Maje&s;ty, that you would forbear to concern your &s;elf for a Prince &s;o Unfortunate as I am: And give me and my Family leave to retire unto a Corner of the World, where I may not any way be a hindrance to the u&s;ual Cour&s;e of your Pro&s;perity and Conque&s;ts, which nothing but the Ill Fortune &s;o In&s;eparable from me, could ever interrupt; Nor is it ju&s;t that the mo&s;t Powerful Monarch, and the mo&s;t flouri&s;hing Kingdom in the World, &s;hould feell my Misfortunes, for you are indeed too generous; and it is better that I alone &s;ubmit, till it &s;hall plea&s;e the Decrees of Pro|vidence to order otherwi&s;e, and let that di&s;po&s;e of me how or where it will. I do a&s;&s;ure your Maje&s;ty, that with my la&s;t Breath, I &s;hall acknow|ledge your a&s;&s;i&s;tance &amp; Friend&s;hip; and when I &s;hall be from your Kingdoms, it will be my greate&s;t &s;atisfaction to think that you will again re&s;ume the good Fortune, which (whil&s;t my Intere&s;t was not twi&s;ted with yours) you ever had again&s;t Yours and My Enemies.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="commentary">
<HEAD><HI>Remarks on the foregoing</HI> LETTER.</HEAD>
<P>ONE U&s;e may very properly be rais'd from the&s;e Premi&s;es of informa|tion, <HI>Viz.</HI> This plainly tells us the True Principle of the <HI>French</HI> Kings A&s;&s;i&s;tance and Friend&s;hip to the late King. and that tis Intere&s;t and only Intere&s;t is the Powerful Motive, &s;ince he could make that ill u&s;e of his Friends Mode&s;ty, as to expo&s;e a Letter to the World, that is indeed neither more nor le&s;s than a Complement on the Blunder committed by the French King, for whatever tho&s;e who loo&s;e Spoons or Forks, may believe of the Influence of Stars, every body in their Wits, will grant one Cannon is of more force than twenty Stars; and methinks 'tis at the be&s;t but a poor come off, to make any ones Ill Fortune an Excu&s;e for his being overreacht.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>London, <HI>Printed for</HI> A. John&s;on, 1692.</P>
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