nsult him about everything. But
in this case the delay even of a week might have produced serious
consequences."

These ignominious excuses were, on the following morning, repeated by
Rochester. Barillon received them civilly. Rochester, grown bolder,
proceeded to ask for money. "It will be well laid out," he said: "your
master cannot employ his revenues better. Represent to him strongly how
important it is that the King of England should be dependent, not on his
own people, but on the friendship of France alone." [235]

Barillon hastened to communicate to Lewis the wishes of the English
government; but Lewis had already anticipated them. His first act,
after he was apprised of the death of Charles, was to collect bills of
exchange on England to the amount of five hundred thousand livres, a sum
equivalent to about thirty-seven thousand five hundred pounds sterling
Such bills were not then to be easily procured in Paris at day's notice.
In a few hours, however, the purchase was effected, and a courier
started for London. [236] As soon as Barillon received the remittance,
he flew to Whitehall, and communicated the welcome news. James was not
ashamed to shed, or pretend to shed, tears of delight and gratitude.
"Nobody but your King," he said, "does such kind, such noble things. I
never can be grateful enough. Assure him that my attachment will last
to the end of my days." Rochester, Sunderland, and Godolphin came, one
after another, to embrace the ambassador, and to whisper to him that he
had given new life to their royal master. [237]

But though James and his three advisers were pleased with the
promptitude which Lewis had shown, they were by no means satisfied with
the amount of the donation. As they were afraid, however, that they
might give offence by importunate mendicancy, they merely hinted their
wishes. They declared that they had no intention of haggling with so
generous a benefactor as the French King, and that they were willing to
trust entirely to his munificence. They, at the same time, attempted
to propitiate him by a large sacrifice of national honour. It was
well known that one chief end of his politics was to add the Belgian
provinces to his dominions. England was bound by a treaty which had
been concluded with Spain when Danby was Lord Treasurer, to resist any
attempt which France might make on those provinces. The three ministers
informed Barillon that their master considered that treaty as no longer