A DIALOGUE BETWEEN K. W. and Benting, Occasioned by his Going into Flanders after the DEATH of the QUEEN.  W. In Bed, the Candle burning dim. W. 
THese Gripes of Conscience are a domned Disease; nor is there any Cure for 'em except a Medicine, that will never down with me, I thought I had quelled, mauled, killed, and rammed the Worm for ever moving more; and yet if Trouble come, or Danger threaten, I cannot be alone, but it comes crawling on, and stings, and bites, the Vulture feeding on Prometheus' Heart cannot be a greater Torment: The impartial Devil will not bate an Ace of Truth, but musters up all my Villainies before me, enough to have damned ten thousand to the lowest Hell, and then ...  The Q's Ghost glides by, and disappears. 
Ha! What art thou? Sure it was She; and is there then something of us that remains even after Death? Is there a reckoning in the Case? Sure mine will be no very comfortable part in the other World if it be answerable to my Deserts in this.  The Ghost returns, approaches him, and speaks. 
Q's Ghost, Repent, for me it's too late, not yet for you.  (Exit Ghost.) W. 
Ha! This preaching Ghost hath put me in a fit of Trembling; but since Moses and though Prophets could never do any good of me, it shall never be said, that She coming Canting from the Dead shall move me, whom I never regarded in her Life. Repent! Wise work indeed. Where shall I begin? Or when shall I make an end? My whole Life hath been such a Scene of Monstrous Villainies, that they are searce to be repeated, never to be repent. Who would begin a work which will never be done? I have traded in barbarous Murders, hellish Lies damned Conspiracies; I have oppressed my Country, Banished my Father, Seized his Kingdoms, put the w●ole World in Blood and Flames, and as far as Man can, have even dethroned God himself; for I have made Religion a mere Cheat and Stalking-horse to my Designs, and undone all, who would not renounce any Obligation from the Lows of God, or from the Tw of Sacred Oaths: and could I but conquer Conserence, and the K. of France, nothing could stand before me. And shall ●repent? No. no, The evils I have done must be m●ntained by greater, if greater can be; if Hell can find out a Sin, which the World never yet knew, I'll readily act it, provided it may serve my Ambition, or further my Desi●●●.  
But oh! In spite of all, I shall feel something within; This gnawing Conscience, the Devil would not be troubled with: What? Who wa●s there?  Enter Page. P. 
Sir, Your Majesty's Pleasure?  W. 
Go tell my Lord Pertlard, it's time to rise, I want him, and send in one to dress me.  Enter Second Page. W. 
Come; bring my Clo●ths, Make ready, Be quick, I am uneasy and in haste, Give me my private A mour next my Body; there is no trus●ing any Man a Moment; every Man is, or has reason to be my Enemy. Page, Dost thou seep well on Nights? Dost thou never dream of the Devils nor see Ghosts?  P. 
Sir, I have heard of such things; but nothing breaks my Rest, unless when I am called, and they will let me sleep no longer; and then within myself, I wish them hanged for't.  W. 
Thou art happier than thou art ware of. Villain, What dost? Thou drawest the Stockin on my left Foot first. Curse on the Fool, and Omen both.  P. 
Sir, I'll pull it off, and put it first on the other, if you please?  W. 
Coxcomb, Thou hast done what thou canst undo; Dispatch, let me be out of thy Hands.  Enter Lord Portland. W. 
My Dearest Benting, welcome I never more longed for thy Company. I have had a restlest. Night; Come, let us retire, this Room is haunetd, the Devil here keeps 〈◊〉.  B●nt. 
Your Majesty seems disordered, I am not a little troubled to see it thus.  W. 
I sent for you to help to mend the matter, not to increase my Vexation.  B. 
I will do 〈◊〉 utmost lies in me, when I know what the ma●er is.  W. 
I doul●t it no●, I know I have thy Heart; and I never more nee●ed thy Head than now. Have you considered wha● desperate circumstances I am in by the Death of the Queen; and my Necessity of going for Flanders.  B. 
Yes if you were among Men of Sense or Thought; but amongst the Blockheaded English, who never in Convulsions of State contrive any thing, but their own ruin, you may be safe enough.  W. 
I know the Generality of them are like a Hog, who if he sets himself to go on in a way, you may sooner knock out his Brains, than turn him; but then they are like a Hog still, who if he chance to turn of himself, is as obstinate in the quite contrary way; and I have reason at this time to fear it.  B. 
We shall do well enough for that matter. It is but employing your Agents to fill their heads with dismal Apprehensions of Popery and Slavery approaching; and then spreading Strange Stories and Swinging Lies; and you may make them run mad which way you will.  W. 
I confess that has done Feats: But I doubt many begin to see throw the Artifice, and many are not so willing to be deceived as formely they were. Besides were it not for the variety of Factions, and the Natural Ungovernableness of the People, notwithstanding the Scandal, there wants not Men of Sense among them, who are capable of managing Affairs as well as others.  B. 
True, but it is Fatal in England for any Man to be wiser than his Fellows. If any one have a longer Head than ordinary, they are seldom quiet till they have it off. However these need not trouble you. For many of them are so deeply dipped in Gild, that they think they cannot be sat under any other Government; and so are unquestionably yours by an unchangeable Interest. And as for others, you have finely tricked the Common-Wealths-men to their own Destruction, by putting them in Employments; These notwithstanding their swe●●ous Pretences are a Cruel, Bloody, Barbarous sort of Men, who will stick at nothing in their way; and it is but giving them their full Scope for a time; and they will destroy every thing in the Nation, that is Brave or Honest; the Odium of which you may presently return upon them, and thence take occasion to root out them also; and so your work will be done every way.  W. 
Thou shalt be Canonised in Hell, Lucifer himself could not give better Council; but yet I fear all will not do, and that my Tools will not work as formerly, The Death of the Queen has shockt my Throne: She was Popular, and beloved by many; and in my Absence a sure Guardian of the Crown; now I know not whom to Trust, I am lest alone with a lamentable cracked Title, there being no less than Four before me, all Natural Born English, and I a Foreigner; agreeable neither in Humour nor Ma●ners to the People, and engaged ●n an Interest quite contrary to theirs.  B. 
It must be confessed, that the Death of the Queen was no small Loss; She was a Miracle in Nature, if it were but for this, how so bad a Daughter should make so good a Wife. But for all that, her Death is our Advantage, for thereby you are rid of a Rival in your Power; and a dangerous one too, if ever it should have come in her head to be but half as unkind to her Husband, as she had been undutiful to her Father; which might justly have been expected, considering the Provocations you gave her. Besides her Life kept up the Inclinations of the People to their Old Constitutions, and after a sort they seem to adhere to them. Now you have overturned all, and have an opportunity to pull them up wholly by the roots, and in a little time to do what you list.  W. 
But all this while you say nothing to the Four, the last of which, I told you had a better Title than myself. Do you think these will be no Rubs in my way?  B. 
You are got over those Rubs already, and may easily keep so.  W. 
Thou art a brave F●ollow, every thing is easy to thee, but pray covince me how.  B. 
A● for K. James and the Prince of Wal●● they are in Effect but one; for the Son cannot hurt you, while the Father lives; however they are both far enough off, and how they should come h●ther with any considerable Force, whilst you are Master of the Seas, is strange; and if they come without sufficient Force, it will be just to run into your Net.  W. 
I begin to doubt of that; for the English have been harassed almost to utter Ruin, and many begin to look upon there Case as desperate. And in the eye of Human R●●son nothing can rest●re l'eace, ●rade, and Safety to the Nation but the Restauration of K James, which in all reason will make him too welcome to a wearied People. Nay his Restauration would put an end to all the Broils and bloody Wars in Europe, with which all Nations are so quite tired out, that I wonder they do not strive to promote it.  B 
All this is true; and between ourselves it must be confessed, that K●●ames is a b●a●e and Generous Prince; that no Man ever better understood the Trade of his Kingdom, or more studied to promote i●, which made the Dutch both hate and dread him, and use all Arts to ruin him; and it is not to be doubted, but that the worst of his Enemies would find him more Merciful, than they expect or deserve? But we must say other things of him: Lying has done our Business hitherto, and must still; and l●t all other Nations do what they will, if we can keep his own Subjects against him, you may be safe enough  W. 
But how can that be done? It will be impossibly to keep them blindfolded always.  B. 
Sir! Trouble not yourself, They hate and dread the Name of Papist worse than that of Devil; that shall be rung conti●nally in their Ears, and then I have set Scribblers to work to blacken him all that may be; some of which represent him as a Fool, some as a Knavo, some as cruel and bloody, some as a Dotard; in short, their Pens neglect nothing, that may render him Odious to his People, or to appear uncapable of Reigning. And then others I have in Pension, who go into all Companies, and Redicule him, and tell strange things of him, and after so long Absence, and so often telling, these things are sunk into the People's heads; and they are prepared for any thing, so that if it should be told them, that be had Horns and Hoos●, I am confident they would believe it, and therefore trouble not yourself about him.  W. 
Well! But have you considered, that I leave behind me the Princes Ann and her Son in my Captial City; and as I may say, in the heart of my Kingdom; and tho' others Precede them; yet both their Titles are anteredent to mine.  B. 
Great things to fear, a Woman and a Child!  W. 
pr'thee consider, that she hath a Husband, who, tho' he be not very Mutinous or Ambitious, yet is of a Martial Temper and well beloved by all the English Soldiers; and if some wiserilead should get the management of him, he might be tempted to give me more Trouble than I know how to provide against: For tho' he could now get a Crown for himself, yet he might Recall and Res●o●e his Injured Father-in-Law, and thereby not only recover his Reputation, but gain an Eternal Name and Honour throwout the World. What thinkest thou? Shall I procure some good Fellow to drop something in his Liquor, and send him on an Errand to the other World.  B. 
No, by no means. She might then either Marry another, who would not take things so patiently, or be stirred up by others to be more troublesome Herself. It were much more advised to send Her, and Her Brat packing, if it could be done neatly. But as to that, Opportunity must be waited, and the Matter well concerted.  W. 
What is to be done with them in the mean time?  B. 
You have lately given them the Honour of Guards; I suppose you did it to no other end but in effect to make them Prisoners. You must be sure those Guards are true to you, and watchful over them; and than it will concern you to keep some of their Servants in Pension, who may betray to you all their Motions and Councils. And lastly; You must secure a certain Number of resolute Fellows, if possibly, in the Guards to whom you must make large Allowances (for, Blood is not bought so cheap in England as in other Conntries) and these must never be without Orders without any Delay, Regard, or Mercy to D●spatch them, whenever they are informed they attempt any thing against your Government.  W. 
I am satisfied, that thus far thou hast tak●n thy measures not much amiss But still the People themselves run in my head; for tho' I have deluded them, yet I have abused them at that rate that I believe the whole World cannot find one Precedent to parallel it There it therefore some. 'Cause to fear them, unless they have utterly lost their Senses; and therefore, my faithful ●ev●ing! Deal truly with me, and let me know how they stand affected.  B. 
If I should tell you Truth, I shall enrage you? if not. I shall deceive you; Therefore, Great Sir! excuse me, and commit that unwelcome Task to some other, and not tome, who have always studied to please you.  W. 
Yes to be deceived, and consequently ruined; Come, Dally not with me; I must know what they say, and will know even the worst of it.  B. 
That is a hard matter to tell, for some say so very bad, that a Man searce knows how to repeat it after them.  W. 
Well Be it as bad as it will, I must know, that I may provide and arm against it. And therefore I conjure you, as you love and tender my Safety, that you deal plainly with me, and let me know all you have heard? I may be angry at them, but shall think myself obliged to you for a True and Faithful Discovery.  B. 
Tho' I had much rather this had been done by another; yet since it is your Majesty's Pleasure, I obey; Then know, that as to your Religion, they say you are a Papist; that when you so Barbarously caused the Dewitts to be torn in pieces, you transfacted the matter with Romish Priests; that when you entered into his Confederacy, you took the Sacrament there upon at the Great Church in Brussels; That you faithfully promised the Pope to promote the Romish Religion in England, and that accordingly you now indulge the Papists greater Liberty than ever they had under K. James, and that where he made one Papist, you have made Forty; and many more things to this purpose; and from hence they infer, that you have forfeited the Crown of England even by your own Act of Settlement. Yet others do not believe this, but take you for a perfect Libertine; and say that Religion hangs on you like water on a Goose, which you make use of for your Turn, and shake off at your Pleasure.  W. 
These last are most in the Right; but they are all a parcel of Fools. What is Religion to me, except for a Pretence to blind the People. Did ever any considerable Action of my Life savour of Religion? It had been impossible for me to have driven my Father out of his Kingdom, if he had not had too much Religion. I can be a Church of England-man here a Presbyterian in Scotland, a Papist in Flanders, and of any other Religion that is in Vogue in any other place, so that it promote my Designs. For after all, I will serve God no further, than God serves me. But go on.  B. 
They say you are a very Brute; and downright charge you with Sodomy, and name your very Catamites. Now this Sin is accounted in England not only Unnatural but Monstrous, and is no where in a worse Name; the Men abhor it; and the Women will not endure the name of one guilty of it, and therefore you must be wary, for if the Women here are once your Enemy, the Men will not long be your Friends  W. 
Slaves and Villains! What am I a King for; if I can have no peculiar Pleasure to myself? The Sot● ought to be thankful, that I take this course, that there may be no more of the Breed of me. Have I not been plague enough to them, unless they may be blessed with a Succession of such?  B. 
Then thuy say that you have given many Honest Men's Estates, and almost all the Crown-lands to Foreigners, whereby you have ruined many Families, and impoverished the Crown, and set up Foreigners to trample on the Natives.  W. 
Can the Fools imagine, that I came hither to enrich them? Where should I have it? If I came hither for my own Ends, what can they expect, but that I should advance my Friends and Relations, and such as will be true to me? What would they have? They neither wanted Lands, nor moneys, nor any sort of Riches before; their only Complaint was for Religion; and they have Religions enough, let them take them, and be content, and be damned their own way.  B. 
They Clamour loud against your carrying the Money out of the Nation, and encouraging the Dutch in their open Clipping, Counterfeiting and Debasing it. This last Act against Clipping and Coining, is said to be only a Contrivance to hang Englishmen, and to secure the Profit of all the Good Money, that is left, to the Dutch; and now they say you have Erected a Bank and Mint at Antwerp, where you Coin Money of Iron, and other base All●●. ●●●send it hither, and Exchange it for good Money out of the Exchequer, which receives none here bad, and now pays none good; whereby in a short time there will not be one Penny of Sterling Money lest in the Kingdom, which will breed Confusion, and set them all together by the Ears.  W. 
And let them go together by the ears, and tear out each other Throats, with all my Heart, my Necessities must, and shall be Supplied. If I do not make vast Contributions, the Confederacy cannot be Supported; and if that fall, I shall be like the Jackdaw in the Fable, strutting in the Peacock's Feathers; they will begin then to examine the Case, and every one will be pulling his Feather, and I shall be a Daw again. No, no, I'll spend their Coin as far as it will go, and then make them sell their Plate for Iron Money; and when that is spent, I'll sell their Horses, Cows, Sheep, Corn, and Themselves too, rather than I'll want.  B. 
They complain that whilst you are profuse to others, you pay neither the Seamen▪ or Soldiers of the English; and yet use them basely, and starve many of them, and put them on the most desperate Attempts, and then leave them in the Lurch, on Purpose, that they may be ●ut off; by which means they say you have Murdered above a Hundred thousand English.  W. 
And I wish they had been ten times as many more; I had been rid of so many Rogue● and Rebe●, and might have Stocked their Country with others, whom I could have called in, who would have been truer to me, than these can be expected.  B. 
Very true, but these heavy Clod-pated Rascals, seem to be sentible of this, however they came by it. For they do not yet cease to talk of the Attompt to Naturalise foreigners by Act of Pa●● ament: which they look upon as an Invitation of all the Rogue●, Malcontents, and Begga●● of other Countries to come over and Dispossess them: And they do not stick to call even their Dear beloved House of Commons 〈◊〉 to their Country, for that under Pretence of Favour to some particular Persons, they passed Bills whereby several Hundreds of Strangers were Clandestinely Naturalised, which they say is pursuing the same design by Retale, which they failed of in Gross.  W. 
And that Design I will carry by one means or other; what care I what becomes of them, so I can secure myself, and my own Grandeur?  B. 
But you must do it warily, for they complain that you are bringing Foreigners over daily; and that whilst you disarm the Natives, you put Arms into the hands of Dutch, Walloons, and Refugees, and privately Exercise them; to what End, they say, they cannot guests, unless it be when opportunity serves to cut the English Threats.  W. 
If I had enough of them, they should quickly find what I would do with them.  B. 
They say, you value more, and have a greater kindness for Monsieur Renew, and his Hugen●ts; than for the Lord Mayor, aldermans, Common-Councel, and all the City of London.  W. 
There is reason for it; the one are True, to me, the others False, at least wavering and inconstant: It is a Rebellions, Headstrong City; I care not if it once more lay in Ashes, had I but first secured the Wealth of it; and I think I have pretty well pillaged it, or shall do, before I have done.  B. 
You must consider of some way or other to came that City, or have it at your beck; which will searce be, unless it were peopled with other Cattle, or the greatest Part of it; but to proceed; They say, that you have conveyed away all the Crown Jewe●●, Plate, and Far●iture; and some such as the World cannot repair the Loss of.  W. 
The Fools gave them me, and who is there, whom I would leave them to here? And therefore I will enrich myself, and my own Country with them, rather than any other. Besides I must live Great and Splendidly amongst the Confederates; nor do I know but after all, in spite of my Endeavours, King James may come back again, which if he do, Infa●th, I'll make my Mother-in Law a giddy Housewise; for she shall come to bare Walls.  B. 
I must, Sir, farther tell you, That it 〈◊〉 a general Complaint, that you have destroyed the Trade of the Nation, at Home and Abroad. That the Merchant▪ cannot have Convoys, unless when it is in savour of the Dutch, whose Trade you by all means advance, while you stifle theirs; That above three Thousand Trading Vessels (and some vastly Rich) have sall'n into the Hands of the French; and that you have withheld the Ships appointed to cruise, as if you joined with them in the Design. That the East-India Trade is in a manner lost; and given to your Beloved ; That the Turkey Trade is in very ill circumstances; That our Islands and Plantations are lamentably harassed, and impoverished: and then for the Trade at home: They say you encourage the Refugees, Dutch, and all sorts of Strangers against the English; and that not only by employing them, buying of them, and encouraging others to do so, but also by raising vast Contributions for them, whereby they are enabled to work at Under-Rates, and undersell the English, and thereby Beggar and Starve them; and this they say you do to force the English to go off for Sould●ers, and to bring on Foreigners in their room for Inhabitants, till in the end you shall be able to give the L●nd away from them to mere Strangers, or their very Enemies.  W. 
I have reason to encourage those Men, as being the Persons, who in all likelihood must stand and fall with me; and they are the Men perhaps I must trust to at last, if ever it should come to a desperate Push.  B. 
Great Sir, I humbly beg your pardon; I am unwilling to tyre you with these unpleasant Relations; but to say the Truth, they have a thousand Complaints, and they increase daily▪ But in short, they say you are an utter Enemy of the English, and do all you can to destroy them from being a Nation.  W. 
Hell and Damnation seize them; would they had all but one Head, that I might dispatch them all at once. Who can have kindness for such Rogues and Villains as drove away their natural King, and s●t aside the Princes of the Blood, born amongst them, to set me up a Stranger, who from my Cradle was bred up an Enemy to them? How shall I trust such Fools and Madmen? Or can I think myself safe, till they are quelled? When I have shared the Lands of their Nobles and Gentry amongst my Creatures and Dependants, and made the rest Gibeonites and Slave●; when I have rendered them unable to hurt me, than I may trust them, and not before But enough of this Theme, I believe thou hast dealt pretty truly with me. Come, let us now consider how to be even with them, and manage them.  B. 
Sir, After such a strain of Thought, and such uneasy Discourse, Would not a little Diversion do well to refresh you? I just now saw Madam Villiers walking in the Garden.  W. 
Call her up; It is a witty Slut, when she gives her Mind to it; and ●o unstring the ●ow sometimes is not amiss.  (Exit Binting.) B. 
Madam▪ The King wants your Company.  M. V. 
My Lord; You are mistaken sure, you mean Monsieur Capel; or is your own Arse grown too old and out of Fashion? Go, te●● that shameless Buggering, Sodomitical Rascal your King, that I scorn to come near such a Beast; nor ought any Woman to come at him, unless it were to scratch out his Eyes, or serve him, as the Swedes serves Jesuits, when they catch them in their Country. Go, bid him sen● for his Catamites, with a pox to him.  (Enter Benting.) B. 
I suppose your Majesty heard the Vixin, I need not relate her Answer.  W. 
Yes, yes, Some water has run by her Mill; the Jade is angry, that she cannot ●ngross the whole Trade to herself, let her fret in her Gree●e, till she is weary, and come to again; but let you and I resume our former Consideration, How I shall deal with these damned English.  B. 
The Blockheads begin to be angry; but you have ways enough to hamper them; and I make no doubt but ere long, you will thoroughly tame them, and bring them to your Bow.  W. 
Thou ●ever wantest either Courage or Contrivance; But prithee, let me hear by what ways this may be brought about.  B. 
They are pretty well enured to the Yoke already; they have born that within these Seven Years, that would have broke any other People's backs in Europe. Hold them to it some three or four Years longer, and they'll look for it of course.  W. 
But how to do it is the Great thing: for tho' they are a People wicked and foolish, yet they are r●sly and stubborn; and if they run a head, there will be something to do with them.  B. 
Sir, Do not entertain the least Fear o● Thought that way: For all things cons●●●e, as it were; to accomplish your Designs. And first, I think the Wisdom of the House of Commons hath gone a great way in the Matter, but more particularly in the late Act for Births, Marriages, and Burials; whereby such an Account i● ordered to be returned into the Exchequer that the People are not only ●umbe●ed, but their respective Quality and 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉; so that from thence, with a little further Assistance from your Agents in all Countries, you may, like another William the Conqueror, compile another Doomsday Book; and thence take an Estimate of the Strength and Riches of the Nation, know whom to support, and whom to cruk, and where at any time to have a Booty. Nor can they ever hereafter cheat you considerably in any Tax or Poll, but from this account you may trace them out.  W. 
I do believe that more and better use may be made of that Act, than ever they intended; and I will not fail to improve it to the utmost.  B. 
Your Majesty has chserved that the English Coasts for the most part he open; and that there are many rich Villages by the Shoar which are utterly Indefensible; These the King of France, without troubling his R●yal Navy, might burn at pleasure by his Privateers; and when they had made us these costly Bon fires and ●●uminations, they might whip away, and be gone without the least hurt or damage either by hand or Sea, unless by mere Accident.  W. 
'Tis very true, and I wonder he hath not done it; but I suppose it is to show himself a Generous Enemy, and to ingratiate himself into a Good opinion with the English.  B. 
But it is not your Interest to suffer this; but by Bombing and Burning his Town●, and Haressing his Coasts, you must provoke him to Retaliate.  W. 
But I fear, that when the English see their Houses on Fire, and their Goods burnt, they will be Enraged, that they are not better Protected, after such vast Sums of Money given.  B. 
No, It will only enrage them against the French King, and they will every where cry out against his Cruellies and Barbarities, tho' you foret him to it; and being he hath forborn so long, the People may be persuaded, that it was not from his own Inclination, but by the Instigation of K. James: and thus you may set them violently against the K. of France, and K. J●mes, and revenge yourself on the English all at once.  W. 
What Excellent use may be made of Mischief and Lying? But proceed:  B. 
When the Coasts are thus burnt, you must take care to remove the Inhabitants, either under Pretence of putting them into the Hospitalt, or of allowing them Pensions, or of finding them Employment, or something else to that purpose; but above all show yourself extraordinary Compassionate of their Condition, and wondrous Zealous to relieve them.  W. 
Pox take thee, Benting! thou wast never so much out in all thy life, as now: Besides that, mercy is not in my Nature, this would undo me.  B. 
Your Majesty is mistaken, not I I never intended you should do thus, but only preten● it; And when you have thus blinded the People's Eyes, then scatter them all over the City of London, and their Great Towns there to Starve or Beg their Bread, and with Frightful Stories to enrage all others against the French: but in the mean time you must 〈◊〉 sure to take care, and see that you in no wise neglect to Repeople the forsaken Coasts with trusty Foreigners, who shall depend upon you, and be your faithful Servants upon all occasions, and if you could possibly thus secure the Coasts the whole Island must be at your Devotion; for after all to deal plainly with you, you must either Conquer this People, or they will Conquer, you, and kick you off, or deal worse by you.  W. 
Now you say something to the purpose, if I could make a Conquest, my work were done; if nor, I am senssible, that I am only Tenent at will, or by Courtesy and may be turned out at Pleasure; and I will hazard all. rather than l●ve in such Circumstances, but as to what you were speaking; the coasts indeed generally lie open and defenseless, but yet there are several strong. Ports, and Citadels, which Monsieur cannot hurt; and in these seems to lie the great strength of the Nation,  W. 
Of those aron; there are other Matters in course must fall under Consideration before them; are you fully resolved how to leave Matters in your Absence?  W. 
Yes, I think the best way will be, as we concerted the Matter among ourselves. It's true, that in spite of the Parliament, I made old Schomberg's Son General of all the English Forces; and I would willing have left him and you my Deputies, or Viceroys in my Absence; but things are not ripe for that yet, the Nation will not bear it, and there are some sturdy Noblemen, as well as some pliant Tools, whom I must make use of, till I can handsomely get rid of them.  B. 
Then you seem to be resolved on the Seven?  W. 
I am so. I am unwilling to say, that they have lost their Reputation; however, the worse Men, the better for me; but they have no Interest in the People, so that it is not likely they should do me any hurt: And then being so many, and of such different Persuasions, they will never agree upon any thing of Moment without Recourse to me; so that wherever I am, I shall be their Umpire and Oracle; but if they should so fall out, as to accuse each other; I might in time have an happy opportunity to cut them all off; and th●n be sure the rest shall follow as fast as I can. Besides, I have left Leeds and Sunde●land, who are over head and cars in my Interest, to be their Council and Directors; and in case any of them tread awry, to be my Spies and Informers.  B. 
And I think you have so limited their Power by your Commission, that they are rather Pageants than Princes. But to leave these Actors to their Parts, What are your thoughts of the Campaign?  W. 
I wish the Devil had it with all the Confederates, and the King of France into the Bargain. I must bluster and make a Noise, and in words despise the French Lines, and threaten to break through them at pleasure; and some Shows and Offers I must make, and perhaps cause ten thousand English or more, to be knocked o'th' head; and then send strange News hither, and cause every thing to be magnified, and right or wrong reported on my side, as if I had done Great Fea●●. But to deal plainly and truly with thee, my Bosom Friend! I have 〈◊〉 little hopes of doing any good there, that I care not how soon it is at an end; and my Chief thought● are employed, what I shall do at my Return, if I can secure it.  B. 
Your Majesty is now come to the main Point, for (pardo● this Freedom, Great Sir) with humble submission, 'tis my poor Opinion, that if you do not your Business socedily, at your Return you will certainly miscarry.  W. 
I like not such O●nens. But come, tell me what you think can be then done, that by Consultation with my Friends in Holland, I may improve ●t to the utmost, I know nothing will b● wanting from them to destroy the English, whom they irreconcilably hate.  B. 
My thoughts, Sir! are only to serve you, and therefore I hope I am more pardonable, if I warn you of Danger, and advise you to secure yourself.  W. 
I am sufficiently satisfied b●th of your Fidelity and Ability to serve me; and therefore let me have no more of these idle A●●●●gies; but come to the Business.  B. 
Sir, there is an unlucky Swaggering ●amphletteer, who hath given su●h a spiteful, ●mp●deat, lying Character of K Jame●, that I m● self was ashamed to read it, and yet in my Conscience he hath no great love for you; but after all, he has hit upon the thing, that will do the Fea●.  W. 
Say you so? But pray what may that be?  B. 
Sir! He says plainly, and I think truly, that we are no ways likely to distress France, whilst from time to time we talk only of trying one Summer more: For as he well observes, that Rich Kingdom cannot fail at a pinch to afford their King a Cordial Sup, or furnish him wherewith to hold out one Summer more. But, says he, if a General Excise was settled, that would be such a large and lasting Fund, as would fright him into a Compliance, when he saw no end of the War.  W. 
Nor any end should he have, till I were Master both of Him, and the Confederates too, could I get that, but how shall I come by it?  B. 
Why thus Sir, You see your Parliament grow troublesome and factious; and I know not how you can trust another; and therefore make this serve for a●l, and be troubled with no more for them.  W. 
God's Sacrament 〈◊〉 would give the Kingdom of scotland to be ●id of the Parliament of En●l●nd, f●● know how; t●ach me but this trick, and I'll deny thee no h●ng b●t my Th●one; nay th●u shalt not want an Intered of share in that, wh●r● in it may ●erve thee.  B. 
Sir, It must be a shaft winged with their own Feathers, that must give the Fatal wound. You know your Parliament by their own Act draw towards an End: Great lawyer's say, it is dissolved already; however, as matters go, ●ere can be expected but o●e Sessions more: and therefore, a soon as you return, at their next Meeting, spare for no Cost, give wh●t the loudest, ●nd mo●● extravagant A h●rs can desi●e, for 〈…〉 be at that Trouble or Charge to 〈◊〉 again, and all shall be your own.  W. 
I would throw away a Bra●e or two of 〈…〉, that I'm grought a General Excise settled. But what if they should settle ●t but for some Years?  B. 
Never fear that, we w●ll make it everlasting, if we can once get it of any fashion. And perhaps it is not so difficult a thing to get, ●s you imagine. Some of them know, that they shall never be Chosen again, if another Parliament were called; and these w●ll play their last Game to their utmost Advantage. Some of them are so b●se and beggarly, that they would not sti●k to sell their Country for Twenty Guineas. Some are desperately in your Interest, and must comply with what you Resolve. Many are your Pensioners, and many accustomed to be greased; and I scarce think there are any, who will be ablet to refuse Gold enough: but if any such there be, their Number is in considerable; they will be laughed at by the rest, and may be undone first, You are not bound to make all; The Major Vote will do your Business.  W. 
And I will have it, if Money will do it.  B. 
When this is done, Parliaments will be reedless to you, and hateful to their Country; so that there will be no danger in laying them aside. Then placing your Troops conveniently, by degrees make Foreigners the Gatherers of it, who will not sp●●e the Natives, and best know how to serve it to the Height; and will make you a trusty A●my, if occasion require. Then putting faithful Carrisons in Portsmouth, Hull, and Plymouth, and other places of Strength, you may privately invite Foreigners by way of Trade to pour in, till they overpower the Natives, and keep them under; and if any Great, or Small, do but so much as grumble, behead, or hang them, and dispose of their Lands and Fortunes to your sure Dependants, till you have rooted out their Nobility and Gentry; and when you have brought things to this pass, you may have what you will, and do what you will.  W. 
A General Exc●se, I think, would enable me for this But what if I fail in the Project?  B. 
I hope you will not; but if the worst come to the worst, than you must watch the breaking of the Confederacy, and exchange all the Forces you can, or buy them, and s●nd them over speedily hither, with promise of Estates; Arm all the Refugees and Strangers; Secure the Ports in such way as we discoursed before, and then with the Sword in your hand you may take, what they would not give; and if any Stir against you, it will be your Advantage to destroy them and their Families, and gratify your, Followers with their Estates. And, all this you may do with a few Veterane Forces, which you may have when you please; and if you need Recruits, there are not less than a Hundred thousand Foreigners in the Kingdom, who will be at your devotion, and afford you a Select Stock upon all occasions. And who shall be able to stir or molest you, when you have a form Army, and Secured all Avenues?  W. 
I do not see, but this may take, if closely and resolutely followed,  B. 
But, Sir! There is one thing I had almost forgot; The Fleet with Russel in the Mediterranean. Though the Confederacy should hold, it cannot stay long there; and yet it must not come home, till you have effected your Designs; of which if you should fail (and then the Devil deceives me) it were well if the matter were so contrived. That that Fleet were given to the Dutch, which will eternally oblige them to you, and m●ke them Superior to both English and French by Sea; but I think that matter ought to be further Consulted with the old Staunch Politic Cabal at the 〈◊〉. In the mean time continue to carry away every thing that is good for any thing. It will be some revenge to have Beggared the English, if you cannot Rule them; and will procure you Friends abroad; and you will be ready furnished to set your Tools at work, and wait the opportunity of another Turn here o● elsewhere.  W. 
Well, My Benting! I am resolved. I fear neither Scotch nor Irish; so I can get the Absolute Domonion over the English; and if all the Arts of Man, or all the Powers of Hell can effect it, I will not fa●l of it; But if like Phaeton I must drop, it is some Satisfaction to have set the World on Fire; and as for this Cursed England, if I must bid Adieu to it, I will first so pill, strip, and ransack it, that I will not leave it worth King James' or any other Man's having. But come, My Faithful Benting, enough for this time; Let us now go and refresh ourselves, and drink a Cheerful Glass to our good success in prosecuting the Designs we have now Consulted on.  B. 
I am always ready to attend Your Majesty.  Exit Tyrannus, etc. 
FINIS.