A LETTER Writ by Mijn Heer Fagel, PENSIONER to the Great and Mighty Lords, the States of Holland and Westfriesland.  
Writ in French on the Ninth of April, N. style. 1688.  
To the Marquis of Albeville, Envoy Extraordinary of His Majesty of Great britain, to the High and Mighty the States General of the United Provinces.  
To which is prefixed an Account in Dutch of the Letter writ by Mijn Heer Fagel on the fourth of November in the year 1687. to Mr. Stewart, written by the said Pensioner, and published by his Order.  
Printed at the Hague by James Scheltus, Printer to the States of Holland and Westfriesland.  
Translated out of the French and Dutch into English.  
READER,  
I Gasper Fagel, having the honour to serve the Great and Mighty States of Holland and Westfriesland in the Quality of their Pensioner, cannot any longer delay the giving the public this account, that in the Month of July last 1687. I was very earnestly desired by Mr. James Stewart Advocate, to writ to him what were the Prince and Princess of Orange's Thoughts concerning the Repealing of the TEST and the Penal Laws: but I was not easily brought to put Pen to Paper on this subject, because I knew that their Highnesses thoughts, did not agree with his Majesties: so that the Writing in such matters was extreme tender: therefore I delayed it till I was more earnestly pressed to it; and it was intimated to me, that those pressing desires were made by His Majesties Knowledge and Allowance: at last I did according to the mind of their Highnesses, draw the Letter which I writ to Mr. Stewart on the fourth of November: I transmitted the draft of my Letter to their Highnesses, and received upon it their order to sand it, after that their Highnesses had red and examined the draft in Dutch, together with the Translation of it into English: upon all this I sent my Letter to Mr. Stewart in the beginning of November, and received an Answer from him, by which he signified, that he had shewed my Letter, both to the Earl of Melfort and to the Earl of Sunderland, and that it was also shewed to the King himself; nor did he in the least intimate to me that it was desired that I should make any great secret of it, or take care that it should nor become public: That Letter, was afterwards about the middle of January, printed in England; and upon its coming over into this country, it has occasioned a gteat deal of noise; yet I have not hitherto concerned myself in all those discourses, or in all that has been Writ and Printed upon it. But have let all people reason or writ concerning it as they pleased; But I have lately seen an English Book, entitled, Parliamentum Pacificum, printed at London, in this present year, by virtue of a Licence signed by the Earl of Sunderland: in which that Letter writ by me, is not only called a Pretended Piece, but it is said, that that which I had set forth in my Letter concerning the Prince and Princesses thoughts, relating to the Repeal of the Test and the Penal Laws was advanced by me without the knowledge of their Highnesses, at least of Her Royal Highness: and by this the Reader may be perhaps wrought on to believe either that my Letter was a Pretended Piece, and Forgery, or that I writ it without Order from their Highnesses; since it may indeed seem scarce probable, that the Author could have obtained a Licence for the Printing of a Paper that contains such falshoods in it, which the Court and in particular the Earl of Sunderland could not but know to be such: for they know weli both that the Letter was writ by me, and that I was ordered to writ it by their Highnesses▪ theerfore I could not delay any longer to undeceive the world. Thus I am obliged to publish this account of the matter. I have still in my possession, those Letters by which I was earnestly pressed to writ the forementioned Letter, in which it is expressly said, that they were writ by His Majesties Knowledge and Allowance: I have also that Letter in which notice is given that my Letter had come to hand, and that it was shewed not only to the Earls of Melfort and Sunderland, but to His Majesty himself, so that they know well that it is no Pretended Piece. I have also by me the Letter, by which His Highness desired me to sand my Letter to Mr. Stewart, together with the English Translation of it: all which I will Print, if I find it necessary. So that it is a gross abuse put on the world, to say that my Letter is a Forgery, since as it was truly writ by me, so it has been avowed by me ever since it first appeared: And it is a base Calumny and Slander, to say, that I writ that account of their Highnesses thoughts concerning the Repeal of the Test and the Penal Laws without their knowledge; which appears so much the more evident▪ since it cannot be imagined, that their Highnesses would not have expressed their just resentments, at so high and extravagant a presumption as I should have committed, if I had written any account of their thoughts, without their knowledge: All this has obliged me for my own Vindication to writ the following Letter, to the Marquis of Albeville, His Majesties Envoy to the States: because I have had much discourse with him concerning the writing of that Letter, long before this Book called Parliamentum Pacificum was published: but I will not engage myself any further to examine the reasons of the Author of that Pamphlet: for I know well, that in those matters the world is divided into very different sentiments, and that men are apt to approve or censure such things, according to their preconceived Opinions: Of all this I thought it necessary to advertise my Reader, and to Order this account of my Letter to be Printed by a known Printer from a Copy signed by my hand:  
At the Hague the Tenth of April, 1688. GASPER FAGEL.   

A Copy of the LETTER Writ by Mijn Heer Fagel, to the Marquis of Albeville, bearing date the Ninth of April, 1688.  
SIR,  
THere has appeared here an English Book Printed at London this year, Entitled Parliamentum Pacificum, with an Imprimatur before it signed by the Earl of Sunderland: of which I cannot but complain to you how averse soever I am from all things of that kind. It is affirmed in that Book, that the Letter which I writ to Mr. Stewart the Fourth of November last year, concerning the Test and the Penal Laws is a Pretended Piece, or at least that I writ it without Order; and without the consent of their Highnesses, and more particularly of her Royal Highness the PRINCESS of ORANGE: I will not engage myself to examine and refute the particulars that are in that Book, for that were as unsuteable to the Character I bear, as it is to my own Inclinations: which do both concur in making it unfit for me to enter upon a public dispute in things of this nature: But you cannot think it strange, if I desire you to call to mind, that it was not of my own head that I was engaged to writ that Letter which is now called in question: it was far from that: I was pressed by earnest and often repeated Instances for the space of four Months, that were made to me in His Majesties name, to writ upon that subject; which at last prevailed with me; yet I went about it with all the caution that a matter of such Importance required; and I took care not to writ one single period in that whole Letter, that I apprehended might give His Majesty the least offence: yet after all I see this Letter is treated as an Imposture, in a Book published by Authority: thô both His Majesty and the whole Court know the truth of this matter, which Sir, I have in particular owned to yourself, as being the Kings Minister here: as I have also owned it to all that have spoken to me upon the Subject. But that which troubles me more is, that I am accused for having made use of their Highnesses name, and in particular of her Royal Highnesses without their Order, as if I were capable of so Infamous a Forgery, and of an Imposture so unworthy of any Man of honour, and that chiefly in a matter of so great Consequence. Sir, You must not think it strange, if in this I appeal to yourself, to that which you know, and which you have often owned to me yourself: that their Highnesses, and particularly Her Royal Highness, have often expressed to you their thoughts concerning the Test and the Penal Laws, comform to that which I writ in their names: which you owned to me, that you had writ to the Court of England, long before I writ that Letter, and that therefore you could not imagine upon what reason the Court could press me so much as they did to writ to Mr. Stewart. I do assure you, I find myself very little concerned in what is said in this late Book, or in any other of that kind: I foresaw well enough from the beginning that I should be attacked upon the account of my Letter: in which it was Indifferent to me what any man thought of it. But this Book being published by the Authority of a Licence granted by the Earl of Sunderland President of His Majesties Privy Council and Secretary of State, I find my honour is so touched in it, that I am obliged to undeceive the world, of the false accusation with which I am charged in it. And I thought Sir, that I could not do this better, than by Writing to you, that are His Majesties Minister, and who know perfectly the truth of the matter, that is now called in question: and therefore I desire you will writ concerning it, to the Earl of Sunderland: I believe he has not seen or at jest that he has not considered the passages of that Book that do concern me. For I am sure if he had done that, he would never have licenced it: for my Lord Sunderland know, as well as any man alive does, that my Letter to Mr. Stewart is no Pretended Piece: he himself saw the Letter, or at least the English Translation of it that I sent along with it: And he could not but know likewise, both by your Letters, and by what you  told by word of mouth, that their Highnesses, and in particular Her Royal Highness, have often owned to you, their sense of the Test and the Penal Laws, comform to that which I writ in their name to Mr. Stewart. So I do persuade myself, that My Lord Sunderland will have the Justice and Goodness to recall this Licence, which has been obtained of him by a surprise: and that the Author of so manifest and so Injurious a Calumny, shall be punished as he deserveth. I will not likewise conceal from you, the design I have of publishing an account of all that has passed in this matter, as well as of this Letter, which I take the liberty now to writ to you, in which my design is not to enter into any dispute concerning the matter itself, much less to offend any person whatsoever, but only to cover my Honour which is struck at by this attrocious Calumny.  
I am Sir your most humble and most obedient Servant, GASPER FAGEL.   

To all which this Attestation of the Printer is added.  
I the under subscribing James Scheltus Printer in Ordinary to The Great and Mighty Lords the States of Holland and Westfriesland, dwelling in the Hague, do Declare and Attest by these presents, that the Writing here published, together with the Copy of the Letter Writ in French to the Marquis of Albeville Envoy Extraordinary of His Majesty of Great britain to the States, were delivered into my hands in order to their being Printed by Mijn Heer Gasper Fagel, Pensioner to the abovenamed Lords and States of Holland and Westfriesland, and that I have Printed them by His express Order.  
At the Hague the Tenth of April, 1688. J. SCHELTUS.