protection guaranteed by a French alliance, or the division of the Belgic provinces between the two powers.  The latter proposal, however, had two great disadvantages:  in the first place it gave to France and the Republic the undesirable common frontier; in the second place Amsterdam was resolved that Antwerp should not be erected into a dangerous rival.  The last objection proved insuperable; and, although De Witt had many confidential discussions with D’Estrades, in which the French envoy was careful not to commit himself to any disclosure of the real intentions of his government, no settlement of any kind had been arrived at, when the threatening state of relations with England threw all other questions into the background.

The accession of Charles II placed upon the throne of England a man who had no goodwill to Holland and still less to the council-pensionary, and who, like all the Stewart kings, had a keen interest in naval and maritime matters.  The Navigation Act, far from being repealed, was vigorously enforced, as were the English claims to the sovereignty of the narrow seas.  The grievances of the English East India Company against its Dutch rival with regard to the seizure of certain ships and especially as to the possession of a small island named Poeloe-Rum in the Moluccas led to a growing feeling of bitterness and hostility.  A special embassy, headed by De Witt’s cousin, Beverweert, was sent to London in the autumn of 1660 to try to bring about a friendly understanding, but was fruitless.  At the same time George Downing, a skilful intriguer and adventurer, who after serving Cromwell had succeeded in gaining the confidence of the royal government, had been sent as ambassador to the Hague, where he worked underhand to exacerbate the disputes and to prevent a settlement of the differences between the two peoples.  The position and treatment of the Prince of Orange had likewise been a source of difficulty and even of danger to the supremacy of the States party.  There arose a general movement among the provinces, headed by Gelderland and Zeeland, to nominate William captain-and admiral-general of the Union and stadholder.  The lack of leadership in the Orangist party, and the hostility between the two princesses, rendered, however, any concentrated action impossible.  De Witt, with his usual adroitness, gained the ear of the princess royal, who accepted the proposal that the Estates of Holland should undertake the education of the prince, and even consented that De Witt himself and his wife’s uncle, De Graef, should superintend the prince’s studies.  This arranged, Mary, for the first time since her marriage, paid a visit to her native land, being desirous to consult her brother on various subjects.  Unfortunately she died of small-pox in January, 1661, having nominated Charles as her son’s guardian.  This nomination did not tend to smooth matters between the two countries.