inform his majesty. I desired he would let me take the copy which I send your lordships, and most that passed is contained in it. You may easily imagine I had little to say when he told me the resolution the king had taken. It is certain the proceedings of the emperor have put them in some measure on this necessity. For M. de Torcy observed to me, that if the king had refused, the archduke had then a double title, viz. that of Philip IV. and that of the late king's will: and he could not tell but the Spanish ambassador had orders to send word to Vienna-that the moment the emperor consented to the treaty, the duke of Savoy had a good title, and his hu mour is so well known that we are sure he would not slip such an opportunity; and then there must have been a war not likely to be soon ended whatever the success would be; that whole kingdoms must be conquered, the Spaniards being entirely against dividing their monarchy; that the ships we and Holland were to furnish, fifteen, that is to say, would not be sufficient for such a war; that it was very doubtful whether England and Holland would engage themselves in a greater expence, which must necessarily be the consequence; that it was certain that the treaty was more advantageous to France, and was what the king could have wished. He then ended, saying that the king hoped that the strength of these reasons would so far prevail with the king our master, that there might still be the same good understanding as ever, which was so necessary for the good and quiet of Europe. I made no other answer than that I would faithfully acquaint the king with what he had said to me by order.-I cannot tell what resolution the king will take, and I am far from giving my opinion;

though if your Lordship will permit me, I cannot see but we must acquiesce. You are sensible of the pos ture of our affairs and of the discontent there was in England against the treaty: insomuch that my lord Portland and all that were concerned in it, were the next session to be sacrificed if possible.

NEGOTIATION

OF

M. DE VILLARS AT VIENNA.

A. D. 1700.

THE king of France wrote to M. de Villars that he had at last agreed with Great Britain (March 1700) upon a treaty of partition with regard to the Spanish succession, and that the States General were to join in it. The court of Madrid was at this time in a great ferment and their ambassador at Vienna, who concealed nothing from M. Villars, declared often to him that the Spaniards were now not so desirous of any thing as to be governed by a grandson of France; that they perhaps would have wished rather for the archduke, but that as they were sensible the empire was not able to support them, the report of a partition of their empire was an inexpressible grief to the whole kingdom. Count Kaunitz and count Harrach being come to Vienna, appointed M. de Villars a meeting, and read two memorials to him. The first was filled with the emperor's complaints, that in the life-time of his catholic majesty a treaty of partition had been made of the Spanish monarchy in opposition to the regard which ought to have been shewn so august a king, and the venerable heirs of so great a monarchy; that neither equality nor decency had been observed in the treaty; since if the emperor did not agree to the treaty in three months, he who was next

heir should not have any part of this monarchy when the succession should be vacant; that moreover it was but just for the emperor to concert with the king, i. e. of France, on these matters, but that he would not take one step till the courier he had sent to Spain was returned; religion, honesty, and decency, requiring that he should first know what the king of Spain thought with regard to this partition of his dominions. The second memorial stated that the emperor was greatly surprized that his most christian majesty would treat of the Spanish succession with foreign powers, though they had no right to any share of this monarchy, of which the king and the emperor were the only heirs. It declared, secondly, that a union being entirely settled between those two princes, who only were concerned in the succession, the emperor did not desire any thing so much as to correspond directly with his majesty without the participation of the mediators who had merely set themselves up as such. "Is not the court of France," said the German ministers in the ensuing conference, "sensible that the cause of God, as well as the interest of our masters, call upon them to unite? Though the king of Spain is in so very ill a state of health, there is yet room to hope that he will outlive king William ; and should this happen, the king will have the glory to restore the king of Great Britain to his dominions, and establish the catholic religion in them." June 16th, the marquis de Villars received a letter from the king, declaring expressly that it was his majesty's opinion the emperor did not act sincerely with him: that the pro posals of treating directly were owing to a secret design of making the king averse to the measures taken by him

with Great Britain and Holland rather than to a sincere desire of sharing the Spanish monarchy with the king; that the emperor's design was to make an advantage of the resolution which he supposed was taken by the king of Spain, viz. to declare the archduke his universal heir; and that he endeavoured to draw over the duke of Savoy, whose troops he wanted to facilitate the execution of this design. The delays made by the imperial ministers, who always refused to come to an explanation, increased also the suspicions of his most christian majesty, and enforced the resolution he had made to adhere to the treaty of partition. The houses of France and Austria had been irreconcileable enemies for many ages. Though the war was concluded, it had not put an end to suspicions, and those reciprocal disquietudes prevented the real union which nevertheless, in the opinion of M. de Villars, was more sincerely desired by the emperor than the French imagined. His majesty informed M. de Villars of another great piece of news, viz. that all the counsellors of state but one in Madrid had declared their opinion that it would be proper to invite one of the king's grandsons to succeed the king of Spain; they looking upon this as the only expedient to prevent the division of their monarchy.

The duke de Mole's, ambassador from Spain, arrived at Vienna the 10th of July, and was immediately admitted to audience by the emperor. He brought with him the order of the golden fleece for the younger prince de Vaudemont; also, as was said, the will made by his catholic majesty in favour of the archduke. The imperial court determined to spend the month of August at Neustadt. It was now believed that the emperor