we hope, find in him an Impartiality rarely met with in Writers, who have been, like him, of a Party; for being a Man of the ftricteft Honour, and niceft Confcience, be it feems thought it as unjust not to applaud an Enemy for any good he had done, as weak not to accufe a Friend when, through human Frailty,be hapned to deferve it. This, and what goes before, might be fufficient to befpeak the Reader in his Favour, even tho' he had related no Fact but fuch as had been an hundred Times repeated before this Appearance of his Book; but as he abounds with Things new,or what is the fame, with Matters known to very few living, and which will much affift us in forming a right Idea of the Times he lived in, he must claim a greater Share of Attention. But we will now leave Sir John to plead his own Caufe, and fball only add, that we flatter our felves with the Approbation of the Public for our thus retrieving him from the Recelles of Privacy. THE MEMOIRS O F SIR JOHN RERES BY. From the Year 1658 to the Year 1689. Sir JOHN having very minutely acquainted us HIS Year, fays he, died been good, the World ever faw. His Actions I leave to the Historian; and having been very near his Person but once, at an Audience of an Ambassador at Whitehall, I can only fay that his Figure did not come up to his Character; he was indeed a likely Perfon, but not handsom, nor had he a very bold look with him. He 1658. Sept. 3. 1658. Aug. 12. was plain in his Apparel, and rather negli - gent than not. Tears he had at will, and was doubtless, the deepest Diffembler on Earth. The Duke of Buckingham, who had attended the King in his Exile, had disobliged, 1659. and left his Majefty fome time before, and was now endeavouring to marry the Daughter and Heiress of Thomas Lord Fairfax, formerly the Parliament's General, and unto whom had been granted the greatest Part of the faid Duke's Eftate. This Duke was the finest Gentleman, both for Perfon and Wit, I think I ever faw; but he knew not how to be long ferious, or mindful of Business; and had behaved with fome Infolence to the King, which was the Cause of their Separation. It was now that I first became acquainted with him, and he from the very firft Moment expreffed a Kindness for me. It was now easy to perceive that a way was paved to facilitate the King's Return; but ftill the Rump kept up fome Face of State; and I remember to have been prefent at a Dinner, given by the City of London, to Lambert and other Officers of the Army, by far more coftly and fplendid, than any I ever faw given afterwards to his Majefty; Majesty; so much is Awe more prevalent than Love. Continuing but in an indifferent State of Health, I, partly for that Reason, and partly for others, returned to Paris, where I had no fooner put my self into fome Equipage, but I endeavoured to be known at our Queen Mother's Court, which the then kept at the Palais Royal. Her Majefty had none of her Children with her, but the Princess Henrietta Maria; and few of the English making their Court there, I was the better received. As I spoke the Language of the Country and danced pretty well, the young Princess, then about fifteen Years of Age, behaved towards me with all the civil Freedom that might be; the made me dance with her, played on the Harpficord to me in her Highness's Chamber; fuffered me to wait on her as fhe walked in the Garden, and fometimes to tofs her in a Swing between two Trees, and, in fine, to be prefent at all her innocent Diverfions. The Queen commanded me to attend as often as I conveniently could; fhe had a great affection for England, notwithstanding the Severity of Ufage fhe and hers had met with there. With the great Men and La B 2 dies 1659. Oct. 20. 1659. dies of France, the difcourfed much in Praise of the People and Country, of their Courage, their Generofity, their good Nature, and would excufe all the late Misfortunes, as brought about by fome defperate Enthusiasts, rather than proceeding from the Genius and Temper of the Nation. To give a little Instance of her Inclination for the Englife, I hapned to carry an English Gentleman with me one Day to Court, and he, to be very fine, had got him a Garniture of rich Ribbon to his Suit, in which was a Mixture of Red and Yellow; which the Queen obferving, called to me, and bad me advise my Friend to mend his Fancy a little, as to his Ribbons, the two Colours he had joined, being ridiculous in France, and might give the French Occafion to laugh at him. I had three Coufins then in an English Convent at Paris, one of them an antient Lady, and fince Abbefs of the House: Hither the Queen was wont often to retire for fome Days; and the Lady would tell me that Lord Jermyn, fince St. Albans, had the Queen greatly in awe of him, and indeed it was obvious that he had great Interest with her Concerns; but that he was married to her, or had Children by her, as fome |