[127] "Above twenty years together," says Sir Roger L'Estrange, perhaps himself a disguised catholic, in his reply to the reasons of the clergy of the diocese of Oxford against petitioning (_Somers Tracts_, viii. 45), "without any regard to the nobility, gentry, and commonalty, our clergy have been publishing to the world that the king can do greater things than are done in his declaration; but now the scene is altered, and they are become more concerned to maintain their reputation even with the commonalty than with the king." See also in the same volume, p. 19. "A remonstrance from the church of England to both houses of parliament," 1685; and p. 145, "A new test of the church of England's loyalty;" both, especially the latter, bitterly reproaching her members for their apostacy from former professions. [128] Ralph, 982. [129] See _State Trials_, xii. 183; D'Oyly's _Life of Sancroft_, i. 250. [130] Fox, App. 29; Dalrymple, 107; Mazure, i. 396, 433. [131] Several proofs of this occur in the course of M. Mazure's work. When the Dutch ambassador, Van Citers, showed him a paper, probably forged to exasperate him, but purporting to be written by some catholics, wherein it was said that it would be better for the people to be vassals of France than slaves of the devil, he burst out into rage. "Jamais! non, jamais! je ne ferai rien qui me puisse mettre au dessous des rois de France et d'Espagne. Vassal, vassal de la France!" s'écria-t-il avec emportement. "Monsieur! si le parlement avoit voulu, s'il vouloit encore, j'aurois porté, je porterois encore la monarchie a un de considération qu'elle n'a jamais eu sous aucune des rois mes prédécesseurs, et votre état y trouveroit peut-être sa propre sécurité.'" Vol. ii. 165. Sunderland said to Barillon, "Le roi d'Angleterre se reproche de ne pas être en Europe tout ce qu'il devoit être; et souvent il se plaint que le roi votre maître n'a pas pour lui assez de considération." _Id._ 313. On the other hand, Louis was much mortified that James made so few applications for his aid. His hope seems to have been that by means of French troops, or troops at least in his pay, he should get a footing in England; and this was what the other was too proud and jealous to permit. "Comme le roi," he said, in 1687, "ne doute pas de mon affection et du désir que j'ai de voir la religion catholique bien établie en Angleterre, il faut croire qu'il se trouve assez de force et d'autorité pour exécuter ses desseins, puis-qu'il n'a pas recours à moi."--P. 258; also 174, 225, 320.