![TEMPLE, Sir William (1628-1699). Five letters to an unidentified ('My Lord') [the Secretary of State, Lord Arlington], Aix, Brussels (2, both incomplete), London, Rykswick (incomplete), 8 May - 28 August 1668, and one [to Sir Joseph Williamson], the Hague, 7 April 1676, and one addressed to Temple by Jan de Witt, 28 July 1668, all transcripts in a secretarial hand, referring to the negotiations for the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and to Temple's embassy at the Hague, and in 1676 commenting on diplomatic letters and reports, particularly the King's letter in favour of the Jews at Surinam, 13½ pages, folio (the letters dated 1668 on leaves extracted from a letter book, numbered 36-38, 45 and 48).](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/1995/CKS/1995_CKS_05424_0374_000(103239).jpg?w=1)
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TEMPLE, Sir William (1628-1699). Five letters to an unidentified ('My Lord') [the Secretary of State, Lord Arlington], Aix, Brussels (2, both incomplete), London, Rykswick (incomplete), 8 May - 28 August 1668, and one [to Sir Joseph Williamson], the Hague, 7 April 1676, and one addressed to Temple by Jan de Witt, 28 July 1668, all transcripts in a secretarial hand, referring to the negotiations for the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and to Temple's embassy at the Hague, and in 1676 commenting on diplomatic letters and reports, particularly the King's letter in favour of the Jews at Surinam, 13½ pages, folio (the letters dated 1668 on leaves extracted from a letter book, numbered 36-38, 45 and 48).
Temple reached Aix la Chapelle on 24 April 1668, his arrival being greeted with much ceremony and the firing of guns. The long letter of 8 May describes, with considerable humour, his efforts to persuade the Spanish envoy, Baron Bergeyck, to sign the treaty. Bergeyck had the humiliations of signing away the towns conceded by Spain to Louis XIV. The proceedings were delayed by Temple's illness, and the mutual hostility of the French and Spanish representatives, while 'Holland was so desparately bent on the peace, without any respect to the Spanish honour or interest farther than joined immediately with their own ... I was five hours upon the rack with the opinion that the business would absolutely break by the delays this would occasion; and indeed out of all patience with the Baron, not believing it possible he could be without his first powers by him; and Monsieur Beverning [the Dutch mediator] and he were at those points that they were several times upon the point of drawing their swords in my room, and I believe had done it in any other place'. De Witt, the grand Pensionary, who was on the most friendly terms with Temple, writes apparently in reply to a letter of sympathy on the death of his wife, and welcoming Temple's appointment.
A selection of Temple's letters to Arlington was published in 1699 by D. Jones, and also in Jonathan Swift's edition which had been prepared with Temple's authority (1710). The letters of 8 May 1668, 7 April 1676 and De Witt's letter are published. Numbers in the margins of the transcripts, possibly page references, may have been added during the preparations for publication.
Temple reached Aix la Chapelle on 24 April 1668, his arrival being greeted with much ceremony and the firing of guns. The long letter of 8 May describes, with considerable humour, his efforts to persuade the Spanish envoy, Baron Bergeyck, to sign the treaty. Bergeyck had the humiliations of signing away the towns conceded by Spain to Louis XIV. The proceedings were delayed by Temple's illness, and the mutual hostility of the French and Spanish representatives, while 'Holland was so desparately bent on the peace, without any respect to the Spanish honour or interest farther than joined immediately with their own ... I was five hours upon the rack with the opinion that the business would absolutely break by the delays this would occasion; and indeed out of all patience with the Baron, not believing it possible he could be without his first powers by him; and Monsieur Beverning [the Dutch mediator] and he were at those points that they were several times upon the point of drawing their swords in my room, and I believe had done it in any other place'. De Witt, the grand Pensionary, who was on the most friendly terms with Temple, writes apparently in reply to a letter of sympathy on the death of his wife, and welcoming Temple's appointment.
A selection of Temple's letters to Arlington was published in 1699 by D. Jones, and also in Jonathan Swift's edition which had been prepared with Temple's authority (1710). The letters of 8 May 1668, 7 April 1676 and De Witt's letter are published. Numbers in the margins of the transcripts, possibly page references, may have been added during the preparations for publication.