THE French King's Answer TO Mons, Tyrconnel's Letter.  
Licenced August 22. 1690.  
Right Trusty, Right Obeisant, and Right Couchant Champion, and Creature.  
WHEN your most obsequious Letters kissed our most Potent hands at our High and Mighty Seraglio at Versailes, we were graciously pleased to condescend to peruse them, and to approve the Zeal, and Affection therein expressed to Our puissant Person, and most Christian Cause: and We have vouchsafed to send you our Mighty Greetings, and most Sultan-like Thanks for the same.  
We cannot but take it well that with such profound Submission you acknowledge Our Sovereign Councils, and Conduct, Our Arms, and Alliances; wherein, as We have scorned to take Precedent from any other Monarch; so doubtless we have exceeded all that Less-Cultivated Princes could, or can pretend to.  
Hath not the Religion of our Wise Pagan Ancestors, Commanded them to Worship the Gods themselves had made? And if they were compelled to Deify the Graven, or Molten Images the work of their own hands; Is it not much more rational and according to Ecclesiastic Rudiment, That Adoration, and Divine Rights be performed to Us who are a Living Deity, yea of their Own forming and setting up too? Were they not the late Kings of England that exalted Us to this Grandeur, and doth not the World see with what Veneration, and Devotion the good King James always received Our Orders, with what Humility he lies at the Feet of Our Shrine, and with what Reverence he pursues our Absolute Commands? And is it not due to Us upon Account of the Almightiness to which We are exalted?  
Can We not Thunder like Jupiter, Fabricate Arms like Vulcan, contrive New Forms like Saturn, forge Stories like Mercury, be taken in a Net like Mars, if not Outdo these and the whole Pantheon of Old-fashioned Gods? And shall We be denied Our Priests, and Altars?  
'Tis true, there are not wanting some of the Sacerdotal Function, that with great Piety have acknowledged Our Jus Divinum, and have not been wanting in their Pulpit Declamations, and Writings too, to convince the unbelieving Mob of that Antecedent, and Inherent Right of Sway, and Empire which Our Infallibility justly claims, and Our Vassals out of their Bounden Duty, so inculcated, acknowledged to be Lineally descended with us, and that by Natural Prerogative. But after all this, I hope we are not to have Our Sovereign Authority, and Jus Imperii to stand, or fall at the Will and Pleasure of an Orthodox Cassock, or Hood! Was it not the Bounty of Our Fathers and Predecessors, that endowed their Cloisters, and Colleges? And shall these Coxcombs in Orders think to give Law to the Sultanian, and Imperial Power? What hath the Bishop of Rome to do in Secular Affairs? Must the Ambassadors of Our Mightinesis take his Time, and Manner of Entry from the Direction of an Old Formal Pontificat? But now the Father thinks he hath secured his Chair by entering into a Confederacy with Lutherans, Huguenots, and whigs; and drawing off a Parcel of sullen Devotees from their Unquestionable Allegiance to our Stupendious Majesty; but alas! the Old Prelate will find himself vastly out in his Measures, when the Thunder of the most Potent Monarch of France, England, Holland, Spain, and Almain, shall have broken his Bulls, ●●●m●nations, and Ecclesiastical A●●ery to pieces.  
Neither are We without the most Undeniable Assurances imaginable, that may encourage Our Illustrious Confidence, and buoy up the sinking Courage of Our drooping Troops with Undeniable Proofs of Our Rising Fortune. And that you may raise the Confidence of your Forces, by imparting so great a Secret to them; the Grounds are these; which We have thought meet to acquaint you withal.  
1. The de facto Party, as they are called, have made such a Schism in the Minds of the Subject, that, as long as we can keep alive that Scruple, it will incline vast Numbers of the sober; Churchmen to Our Side: For it is most certain, if they can be prevailed with to believe that a de jure. Shim is not there; It must necessarily reside some where else; and their Allegiance must be due where that is to be found, Now We defy the Papers of Our Late Trusty Confident Nevil Pain to speak more to the Purposes than this amounts to.  
2. The Cocks who were not in Condition to fight this Summer, will doubtless have their Weapons grown out against the next; and then We need not doubt Our Right Trusty Catholic, and Jacobite Friends will Arm, stand 〈◊〉, and give the Signal: It is almost Unaccountable to Imagine what became of their Courage when Animated by Our Ships of War, and Galleys on their Coast; but some think sending the latter so near dispirited them, they being a People that have a Natural Aversion to the Oar, and Chain.  
3. Those, who by too early opening the Design, have fallen under the Frowns of the Government, will, by that time, have drawn Breath, and be in Condition to Rally, and pursue their Purposes, unless they shall serve Us, as they did their Abdicating Master, that is to say, fly without a pursuer, Secundum Vsum Sarum. 'Tis very true, We have no great reason too much to confide in their Bravery, since, if they deserted when they had the Sword in their hand, there is but small hope they should have the Courage to attempt, when the Army, and Government are against them. But though much Confidence ought not to be laid on their Valour, We may a little rely on Verbum Sacerdotis.  
4. Our Royal Armada will, by that Time, be Refitted, and in Condition to put to Sea again, if We can but have such good Fortune as the last Bout; only I cannot forbear to tell you as Our Right Trusty Counsellor, that We escaped not altogether so well as Our Arches and Pillars boast, but, like Achilles We were galled in the heel: And though Our Gazettes made no mention thereof, yet the Docks belonging to Our Arsenal will show it, as well as the Abatement of Our Number.  
5. For a Supply of the True Sinews of War, though Our Enemy's stru●, and Erect themselves upon the Melting down of Our Household, and Altar-Plate, yet hath Our Egregious Care of your Concerns took up so much of Our Thoughts, that We have permitted you to make a Coin of Horn, and Leather, as hath been the Usage in Times past: Neither would We have the Ignorant World imagine, that it is the Intrinsic Value of the Metal, that gives Reputation to Our Bullion, but it is the setting the Image, and Superscription of Our High and Mightiness thereon, that puts a real Estimate upon it; So that as We were graciously pleased to indulge your late Master to Coin up Kettles, and Shellets to half Crowns, and Shillings: We have given you full Power to make any thing pass that comes next to hand, setting, as was said, Our Victorious Figure thereon.  
We hearty commend your Own, and Monsieur Lazun's Conduct in making good Limerick, and Galloway, for Places of retreat, and, if it be possible for the Soul of a Monarch flushed with such Continual Successes to be Capable of the mean Impressions of Sorrow; it is ' only for this, That Our great Ships so inconsiderately burnt the Fisher Boats at Tingmouth, which else might have served to Transvert you, and your Remaining Troops home to 〈◊〉, when Occasion shall Offer.  
What remains is this, That if that Active Prince King William can by no means be prevailed with to remit of his Rigour, and put on a Temper of Calmness, and Remission; if nothing will work him to Compassion; then that you make all possible haste you can to Us with the Remainder of your Forces, which no doubt we may have need enough of the next Summer; for if he bring his Travelling Tent hither, My Victorious Self, and your Great Master, are resolved to betake ourselves to the Sanctuary of some Holy Roof, and there to end our Days in that Undisturbed Peace, which we have always endeavoured to preserve in Europe: So We bid you hearty Farewell.  
Given at Our Castle at Versailes, in the last Year of Our Puissance, LOWIS.  
FINIS.   

London, Printed for R. Baldwin, in the Old-Baily, 1690.