The English government would not have undertaken the war so lightly in the beginning, had it not thought itself justified in reckoning upon the neutrality of the King of France, who indeed on his side wished nothing more than to free his kingdom from the superiority of Holland in shipping and commerce. He was credited with the opinion that the strife of the two neighbouring naval powers was advantageous to him, and we perceive from one of his instructions that such an idea had indeed occurred to him; but this was more than counterbalanced by the opposite consideration, that England if she crushed Holland would attain to a naval preponderance which must be unbearable to all other states. Besides, in his last treaty he had pledged his word to the Dutch to come to their assistance should they be attacked. He declared without hesitation to the English, that he must keep his word if the war went on.

It was an embassy of mediation sent by him to England immediately on the outbreak of the war which made this declaration. Charles II answered that England, not Holland, was the party attacked. He made special mention of the assurance of friendship which Louis XIV had so often given him; he represented it even as a political duty to support a neighbouring kingdom against the Republicans.