A Letter Intercepted from a Confident of the Prince of Orange to his Friend In the HAGUE.  
YOU see at last, Sir, that we know how to make good use of the prudent counsels you gave us. notwithstanding the objections of those speculative Gentlemen, who could not believe the Hollanders were capable to make themselves absolute Masters, of a Nation, accustomed to overcome, which treated them with contempt, and who were so proud and so jealous of their liberty, that th●y supposed they could never sufficiently limit and restrain the Regal power and Authority; which they endeavoured even in the Reigns of their most just and most moderate Kings, whatsoever care these could take to please them, we have nevertheless found out the way to subject them entirely, and to oblige them to act blindfold whatever is most convenient for our interests. You see Sir, the advantage we have made, and how dexterously we have pursued your advice, to engage this Kingdom in a war very like to ruin their trade for ever, to consume their bravest men in the flower of their strength, and take from them all possibility of ever recovering that liberty they had so long abused to the prejudice of their sovereigns; and which, had they been wise, they might have longer preserved against that which is called our Usurpation. To maintain which, it was yet further necessary to fortify ourselves pursuant to your advice, with an A●my wholly devoted to our Prince, and therefore we hav● not only the Troops of our own Nation, who know no other laws than what we give them, but also bring in, as fast as possible, Swedes, Germans, and Swisses; besides, we invite and gather from all parts, all those French that are enemies alike to Englan●, and to their own country; and who have nothing to live upon, but the hopes to enrich themselves by the spoils of all such as shall dare to attempt the shaking off the yoke of our Government.  
Nor do we forget to lay hold on all occasions, of sending out of the Realm, by little and little, all the English Army, yet imbued with the principles of hatred this Nation ever had, for Arbitrary Government, and the Dom nion of Strangers. And that which is most admirable in our conduct, is, that those very troops we expose in Flanders, and elsewhere, to all the dangers of the war, whose loss cannot but be advantageous to our Prince, do nevertheless serve, to keep in awe all the Republican party of the chief Cities of Holla●d, and prevent their daring to endeavour the setting up, in our absence, any other kind of Common-wealth, or the withdrawing themselves from under the absolute Empire of their Statholder.  
You will, with me confess, more solid measures could never have been taken to establish, at one and the same time, a despotic power both over England, and over the United Provinces. It is true, that notwithstanding all our care to persuade this people, and above all the Parliament, of the necessity of a foreign Army. We had much ado to make them swallow the pill, which they always looked upon as a remedy more proper to increase than cure their evils; but, our reasons well backed with French, Dutch, and German Troops, already in the heart of the Kingdom, and which will daily e●crease, could not but prevail at last, and convince the English that they must go abroad into other Countreys to learn to make War, and leave at home in their own country the War even against themselves, to be managed by Schumberg, and the French, Dutch, and German Officers, who have long known the way of making good cheer at the cost of their Landlords.  
Neither are we unmindful, to rid ourselves, as you wisely advised, of all the troublesone Lovers and asserters of liberty; and of the clear sighted men, who d●scant but too rightly upon the designs of our Prince, the Tower of London, and all other prisons are already filled, and we have got a wonderful easy way to deal with any that shall have the confidence to oppose our desires, an immediate accusation of high treason; whereof to convict them, we have always witnesses ready at hand.  
In the mean while, we, the few friends and confidents of the Prince, are of opinion, we cannot do him, or ourselves better service, than by rendering him inaccessible t● these, who by birth or merit might pretend to some ●hare in the Government, and administration of affairs: and, as we have truly observed, the fear of being accused of Treason, of Imprisonment, confiscation of goods, and ●f whatever our resentments, supported by foreign Troops entirely devoted to us, might prom●● us ●o ac● against them, will always keep them in more subjection, than the small favours they could hope from the Prince our Masters liberality; to which virtue, you know how much he is a stranger; we are very glad to keep them low and cringing, and to oblige them, as well as the rest of the English. to purchase the smallest graces and dispatches in business; insomuch, that there is room to hope, that over and above the honors and dignities from which they are excluded, and we already possessed, the meanest among us will soon find himself enriched by their further spoils, and by all that we may promise ourselves from their debasement, and from the slavery of this Nation; to which, like an unruly horse, it is so perfectly reduced, that we have no cause to fear it will ever hereafter prove refractory, or offer to kick against our spurs; and we have the less reason to apprehended any such thing, in that we have resolved for the future not to suffer any of the English, who have the least talent for war or remainder of brave and generous thoughts, to enjoy any manner of charge or employment in ●his Kingdom: and if they refuse to go and serve us abroad, you s●a●l soon see them lead to Newgate as criminals; or else 〈◇〉 ●hall yet find a shorter way to free ourselves from them. Nor shall we want expedients to put the Hollanders into the places of those that command in the Tower of London: it would be the greatest imprudence imaginable, to trust a Post of that consequence in the hands of any of a Nation, we resolve to govern by fear, rather than by love.  
I make no doubt but you have taken notice, that we have not neglected your advice concerning the great body of this Common-weal, the Merchants; of whom it is certain we should have been afraid, had they continued in that state of opulency wherein we found them. We could not have given them a more uneasy shock than that of the Embargo; whereby, under pretence of the necessity of having Vessels and Seamen for the War against Franc, we made the English Merchants lose, according to their own computation, above three mill o●s sterling; and we hope to ruin for ever their con merce; for you may well conclude that that being once got into other hands, into those of Spain, I●aly, turkey, and other Nations, it will be impossible, in one whole age, to retrieve it, at least to resettle it upon the same bottom it was in three or four months ago.  
It must indeed be acknowledged, that the most clear fighted Merchants of London murmur extremely against this proceeding, and believe that not only their navigation and traffic, but also Men of War for Convoys might have been allowed them: and some of them are so bold as to say, that they were full as happy under the Reigns of their lawful Kings, as now they are really miserable under the arbitrary power of the Usurper. But we know well enough how to silence these mischievous tongues; and believe me, there is nothing more ●●sy than to enslave this Nation, and mould it into any kind of fashion; especially for us, who are so well armed with power; and we often laugh among ourselves at the simplicity of the late Kings of England, as well as at the mistake of their neighbours, who ever bel●ev'd it was to be governed by gentleness, and that great care ought to be taken to act nothing contrary to their laws, their privileges, and their liberties: but I affirm to you, a man may easily, and without danger, overturn and confounded all these, provided he does but know how to conceal a little his method of proceeding; and I ●a●e e●gage, that within a year there will not be one man le●●●o dispute▪ ●he laws we shall think fit to g●●e them. Nay, we shall without difficulty, dest●●y even the Religion of the Church of England, and a●l other Sects that shall be found contrary to our designs; and that only by making them continually apprehensive of a handful of Papists, and by amusing the whole Nation with an imaginary conspiracy; of which, from time to time, we will accuse any we suspect, against whom, and all others, who make the least resistance, we will act under that pre●ence, all the violences proper to b●ing about our projects. You have already observed after what manner we made the Scottish Convention pull down Episcopacy. You may take it upon my word, that we have laid as good measures to have the same th ng done in England, and that the Rel g●on of this State w●ll hereafter be that which will most favour our enterprise, and best serve us to destroy all those who yet conserve the spirit of liberty, incompatible w●th that absolute power we intend to establish. In a word, our affairs go according to our wishes, and I advice you Si●, to make what hast you can h ther, together with all our best friends, to reap the profits and riches our own industry, and the little sense of those that called us in are ready to heap upon us; and, to take from you any trouble you may possibly have for quitting your Countre●; I may in confidence venture to tell you, that it is necessary to come and serve here, if you expect to command at home? and that our Prince is fully determined not to suffer any even but suspected, not to execute hearty whatever he shall command for the entire destruction of the republic, and ancient power of the States-General, to come hereafter ●nto any charge in Council, or any office or employ tho never so ●nconsiderable; no, not to enjoy any share in the benefits me●it might make them hope for; which henceforward, according to our m●xims, must consist only in a blind obedience to his will. Make, I pray your own advan●ge of this advice, as we have done of yours, and believe and always, &c.