Before Temple left England he had a long audience of the King, to whom he spoke with great severity of the measures adopted by the late Ministry.  The King owned that things had turned out ill.  “But,” said he, “if I had been well served, I might have made a good business of it.”  Temple was alarmed at this language, and inferred from it that the system of the Cabal had not been abandoned, but only suspended.  He therefore thought it his duty to go, as he expresses it, “to the bottom of the matter.”  He strongly represented to the King the impossibility of establishing either absolute government, or the Catholic religion in England; and concluded by repeating an observation which he had heard at Brussels from M. Gourville, a very intelligent Frenchman well known to Charles:  “A king of England,” said Gourville, “who is willing to be the man of his people, is the greatest king in the world, but if he wishes to be more, by heaven he is nothing at all!” The King betrayed some symptoms of impatience during this lecture; but at last he laid his hand kindly on Temple’s shoulder, and said, “You are right, and so is Gourville; and I will be the man of my people.”

With this assurance Temple repaired to the Hague in July 1674.  Holland was now secure, and France was surrounded on every side by enemies.  Spain and the Empire were in arms for the purpose of compelling Lewis to abandon all that he had acquired since the treaty of the Pyrenees.  A congress for the purpose of putting an end to the war was opened at Nimeguen under the mediation of England in 1675; and to that congress Temple was deputed.  The work of conciliation however, went on very slowly.  The belligerent powers were still sanguine, and the mediating power was unsteady and insincere.

In the meantime the Opposition in England became more and more formidable, and seemed fully determined to force the King into a war with France.  Charles was desirous of making some appointments which might strengthen the administration and conciliate the confidence of the public.  No man was more esteemed by the nation than Temple; yet he had never been concerned in any opposition to any government.  In July 1677, he was sent for from Nimeguen.  Charles received him with caresses, earnestly pressed him to accept the seals of Secretary of State, and promised to bear half the charge of buying out the present holder.  Temple was charmed by the kindness and politeness of the King’s manner, and by the liveliness of his Majesty’s conversation; but his prudence was not to be so laid asleep.  He calmly and steadily excused himself.  The King affected to treat his excuses as mere jest, and gaily said, “Go; get you gone to Sheen.  We shall have no good of you till you have been there; and when you have rested yourself, come up again.”  Temple withdrew and stayed two days at his villa, but returned to town in the same mind; and the King was forced to consent at least to a delay.