Prospicimus modó quod durabunt Fœdera longo
Tempore, nec nobis pax citô diffugiet:
which may be turned into English thus, ‘We foresee now that the confederacy shall last a long time, and that peace will not quickly fly away from us.’ But if one reads this distich, backward, it runs thus:
Diffugiet citô pax nobis, nec tempore longo
Fœdera durabunt, quod modó prospicimus:
and it makes out a quite contrary sense, viz. ‘Peace will soon fly from us, and the covenant shall not last long; which we foresee already.’
This peace being concluded, the inhabitants of England vied with one another to congratulate their king on that account, who was now acknowledged as king of Great Britain, by the French king Lewis XIV. And since the magistrates of cities, the heads and fellows of the universities, and people of all societies and persuasions addressed the king, the Quakers were not wanting in this respect, and therefore drew up also an address, which they presented to the king, and was as followeth:
To King WILLIAM III. over England, &c.
The grateful acknowledgment of the people commonly called Quakers, humbly presented: