A
COPY
Of
the
LATE
King
James's
Letter
,
Sent
by
the
Earle
of
MELFORT
to
the
FRENCH
KING
,
On
the
last
SEA-FIGHT
.
And
Published
the
next
Day
by
the
French
King's
Order
.
Brother
KING
,
I
HAVE
with
a
degree
of
Resolution
bore
all
the
Disgraces
it
has
pleased
Heaven
to
send
me
,
whilst
they
reacht
me
alone
;
but
this
last
I
confess
,
has
quite
over-whelm'd
me
:
Nor
can
I
ever
forgive
my self
,
since
it
so
nearly
touches
your
Majesty
in
the
great
Damage
of
your
FLEET
;
and
since
I
am
too
well
satisfy'd
,
it
is
my
Stars
have
occasioned
this
ill
Success
to
a
FLEET
that
has
been
ever
Victorious
till
they
fought
for
my
Interest
,
which
forces
me
to
acknowledge
that
I
do
not
in
the
least
deserve
the
further
assistance
of
so
great
a
King
,
who
when
he
Wars
for
himself
alone
,
is
certain
of
Success
;
therefore
I
beg
of
your
Majesty
,
that
you
would
forbear
to
concern
your self
for
a
Prince
so
Unfortunate
as
I
am
:
And
give
me
and
my
Family
leave
to
retire
unto
a
Corner
of
the
World
,
where
I
may
not
any
way
be
a
hindrance
to
the
usual
Course
of
your
Prosperity
and
Conquests
,
which
nothing
but
the
Ill
Fortune
so
Inseparable
from
me
,
could
ever
interrupt
;
Nor
is
it
just
that
the
most
Powerful
Monarch
,
and
the
most
flourishing
Kingdom
in
the
World
,
should
feell
my
Misfortunes
,
for
you
are
indeed
too
generous
;
and
it
is
better
that
I
alone
submit
,
till
it
shall
please
the
Decrees
of
Providence
to
order
otherwise
,
and
let
that
dispose
of
me
how
or
where
it
will
.
I
do
assure
your
Majesty
,
that
with
my
last
Breath
,
I
shall
acknowledge
your
assistance
&
Friendship
;
and
when
I
shall
be
from
your
Kingdoms
,
it
will
be
my
greatest
satisfaction
to
think
that
you
will
again
resume
the
good
Fortune
,
which
(
whilst
my
Interest
was
not
twisted
with
yours
)
you
ever
had
against
Yours
and
My
Enemies
.
Remarks
on
the
foregoing
LETTER
.
ONE
Use
may
very
properly
be
rais'd
from
these
Premises
of
information
,
Viz.
This
plainly
tells
us
the
True
Principle
of
the
French
Kings
Assistance
and
Friendship
to
the
late
King
.
and
that
t
is
Interest
and
only
Interest
is
the
Powerful
Motive
,
since
he
could
make
that
ill
use
of
his
Friends
Modesty
,
as
to
expose
a
Letter
to
the
World
,
that
is
indeed
neither
more
nor
less
than
a
Complement
on
the
Blunder
committed
by
the
French
King
,
for
whatever
those
who
loose
Spoons
or
Forks
,
may
believe
of
the
Influence
of
Stars
,
every
body
in
their
Wits
,
will
grant
one
Cannon
is
of
more
force
than
twenty
Stars
;
and
methinks
't
is
at
the
best
but
a
poor
come
off
,
to
make
any
ones
Ill
Fortune
an
Excuse
for
his
being
overreacht
.