jours. Le Roy d'Angleterre avoit fort envie que les
Catholiques eussent seuls la liberte de l'exercice de leur religion."
April 19/29 1686.]

[Footnote 139: Barillon, April 19/29 1686 Citters, April 18/28 20/30 May
9/19]

[Footnote 140: Fountainhall, May 6. 1686.]

[Footnote 141: Ibid. June 15. 1686.]

[Footnote 142: Citters, May 11/21 1686. Citters informed the States that
he had his intelligence from a sure hand. I will transcribe part of his
narrative. It is an amusing specimen of the pyebald dialect in which the
Dutch diplomatists of that age corresponded.

"Des konigs missive, boven en behalven den Hoog Commissaris aensprake,
aen het parlement afgesonden, gelyck dat altoos gebruyckelyck is, waerby
Syne Majesteyt ny in genere versocht hieft de mitigatie der rigoureuse
ofte sanglante wetten von het Ryck jegens het Pausdom, in het Generale
Comitee des Articles (soo men het daer naemt) na ordre gestelt en
gelesen synde, in 't voteren, den Hertog van Hamilton onder anderen
klaer uyt seyde dat hy daertoe niet soude verstaen, dat by anders
genegen was den konig in allen voorval getrouw te dienen volgens het
dictamen syner conscientie: 't gene reden gaf aen de Lord Cancelier de
Grave Perts te seggen dat het woort conscientie niets en beduyde, en
alleen een individuum vagum was, waerop der Chevalier Locqnard dan
verder gingh; wil man niet verstaen de betyckenis van het woordt
conscientie, soo sal ik in fortioribus seggen dat wy meynen volgens de
fondamentale wetten van het ryck."

There is, in the Hind Let Loose, a curious passage to which I should
have given no credit, but for this despatch of Citters. "They cannot
endure so much as to hear of the name of conscience. One that was well
acquaint with the Council's humour in this point told a gentleman that
was going before them, `I beseech you, whatever you do, speak nothing of
conscience before the Lords, for they cannot abide to hear that word.'"]

[Footnote 143: Fountainhall, May 17. 1686.]

[Footnote 144: Wodrow, III. x. 3.]

[Footnote 145: Citters, May 28/June 7, June 1/11 June 4/14 1686
Fountainhall June 15; ---- Luttrell's Diary, June 2. 16]

[Footnote 146: Fountainhall, June 21 1686.]

[Footnote 147: Ibid. September 16. 1686.]

[Footnote 148: Fountainhall, Sept. 16; Wodrow, III. x. 3.]

[Footnote 149: The provisions of the Irish Act of Supremacy, 2 Eliz.
chap. I., are substantially the same with those of the English Act of
Supremacy, I Eliz. chap. I.