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ing appearance. For, in the firft place, he declared, that at that time the utmost harmony fubfifted between the courts of France and Spain; that in confequence of their perfect agreement, there was a mu tual unreferved communication of every step taken in their feveral negotiations with England; that France had even offered to aflift Spain, in cafe the difcuffions the had with us fhould grow into a rupture; and that this offer was confidered in a friendly light. Such an intimate union of a third power with one of the parties at war, forebodes no long duration to its friendship, or even to its neutrality, with the other. If Spain juftified the proceedings of France, and owned herfelf concerned in them, it was but one, and that a fhort ftep to a junction with her.

As to the three matters in difpute, the Spanish minifter refolutely adhered to them all; and as to the laft (that of the logwood) he obferved, that Great Britain had of fered them nothing, but what they had long fince been tired of, treaty and negotiation; that this matter had been already fully difcuffed; and that on this head Spain had given the moft convincing proofs of her defire to be on the best terms with England; for in the beginning of this war, before England had grown terrible by her fucceffes, when their American governors had endeavoured to difledge the Englith from fome new eftablifhments on the coaft of Honduras, they had, at the complaint of our court, in order to take away all caufe of miitruft, ordered the governors to defift from fo juftifiable an enterprize. That on the offer of England on this occafion to fettle matters in an amicable manner, they cheerfully

agreed to that method. But that fix years had elapfed without their receiving the leaft fatisfaction. They even alledged, that the Englifh encroachments on their coafts in that time increased.

In this manner the Spaniards vindicated the form and the matter of their proceeding they fhewed no fort of difpofition to relax from their claims; but at the fame time they no longer infifted on blending together the feveral difcuffions; and they profeffed, in general, though. not in very warm terms, a defire of continuing in amity with us. With regard to the matters in difpute, the pretenfions of both powers flood in this pofture throughout this whole difcuffion; except that they were urged with more or lefs afperity, according to the fluctuating difpofition of the court of Spain, which feemed to reft upon no fure and settled principles. There were probably two factions in her councils, who, as they alternately prevailed, changed the language and countenance of the Spanish minifter. However, for fome time the afpect of things continued on the whole to be rather favourable, and even an exprefs declaration was at length made, that Spain had been, at no time, more intent on cultivating a good correfpondence with us. But fill the French intereft filently gained ground at Madrid; the confidential communications of that court with Spain, her affected moderation in the treaty; the dangerous greatnefs of England; the common intereft of the houfe of Bourbon, every part of which must fuffer, both in its dignity and fafety, by allowing the principal of its branches to be pruned to the quick; thefe points were urged with continual folici

tation;

tation; and they affured the Spaniards that even the figning an alliance between the fovereigns of the two nations, would intimidate England, already exhaufted by the war, and apprehenfive of lofing the valuable commerce the carried on with Spain.

Thefe arguments and fuggeftions at length prevailed, and a treaty was figned between the two courts, the purport of which was to preferve from oppreffion, and to maintain the interefts of the houfe of Bourbon. This alliance was of a nature the more dangerous, as it turned upon family, not national interefts, and because not ftating exactly its objects, it might be made juft of what extent they pleafed. We make no mention of any other treaty than this, of itself fufficiently alarming, because whatever fufpicions may be entertained, there is no certainty that any other has been concluded between thofe

powers.

France had obtained in this treaty almost all that the aimed at ; by it fhe entered into the clofeft connection with Spain; this connection did not indeed feem directly, and of neceffity, to include a breach with England; it led to it, however, almoli inevitably. At first the whole tranfaction was kept a profound fecret; the inferiority of the marine of Spain, and the precarioufnefs of their fupplies from America, in cafe they came to a prefent rupture with England, obliged them to this temporary referve. France took care that this treaty fhould not tranfpire until the negotiation was broken off, and Spain, whilft fhe was under thefe apprehentions, exhibited thofe occafional proofs of a pacific difpofition, which we have juft now feen.

But as foon as France had loft all hopes of concluding the negotiation in the manner fhe had wifhed, and had failed in the use she made of the intervention of the claims of Spain, fhe circulated with great induftry a report, that Spain would immediately declare against Great Britain, in confequence of a treaty lately concluded among the Bourbon courts.

England found that those boasts of the French were too confidently made, and too generally believed, to be altogether without foundation. In confequence of thefe apprehenfions, orders were fent to Spain, to demand in the most moderate terms, but in a manner not to be evaded, a communication of this treaty, or at least a difavowal that it contained any thing to the prejudice of Great Britain. But before thefe orders could reach Spain, lord Bristol had himself received intelligence of the treaty, and of the hopes, which the French made no fecret of their deriving from that fource. He therefore thought himfelf under a neceffity of defiring fatisfaction from the Spanifh fecretary of ftate concerning it.

Upon this application there appeared on a fudden such a change in the countenance, language, and fentiments of that minifter, as indicated but too fully the justness of the fufpicions that were entertained. The Spanish flota was now fafely arrived with a very rich cargo the French arms had made a confiderable progrefs in the king's electoral dominions; the fuccefs of the imperial arms was no lefs ftriking; the reafons for the former fhew of moderation no longer exifted. They therefore gave a loofe to thofe movements which they had hitherto concealed. M. Wall, evading a [E].2

direct

ing appearance. For, in th
place, he declared, that at tha
the utmoft harmony fubfifte
tween the courts of Franc
Spain; that in confequence-o
perfect agreement, there was
tual unreferved communicati
every step taken in their
negotiations with England;
France had even offered to
Spain, in cafe the difcuffion
had with us fhould grow into
turé; and that this offer was
fidered in a friendly light.
an intimate union of a third
with one of the parties at
forebodes no long duration
friendship, or even to its ne
with the other. If Spain
the proceedings of Fran
owned herfelf concerned
it was but one, and that a
to a junction with her.

As to the three matte
pute, the Spanish minifter
adhered to them all; an
laft (that of the logwor
ferved, that Great Brit
fered them nothing, but
had long fince been tire
and negotiation; that
had been already ful
and that on this hea
given the moft conv
of her defire to be on
with England; for in
of this war, before
grown terrible by
when their Americar
endeavoured to dif!
fifh from fome new
on the coaft of Hon
at the complaint
order to take away
truft, ordered the
fift from fo juftifia'
That on the offe
this occafion to.fi
amicable manner

which

ported our p

Wall had urged fot deround, an

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war on the haughtiness of the late English minifter, and on the little management with which his court had been treated, both during the adminiftration of that minifter, and fince his refignation. That had the purport of the treaty been defired in a manner lefs offenfive to the dignity of his mafter, it might as eafily have been obtained, as it could have been juftified; for the treaty, which was believed to have been figned on the 15th of Angaft, contained only a reciprocal guaranty of the dominions of the fe veral branches of the house of Bourbon, but with this particular reftriction, that it should only extend to the dominions which thall remain to France after the prefent war.

British government, is what made the declaration of war, . attacked the king's dignity; 1 that the earl of Bristol ight urn when and in what manner moft convenient to him." he earl of Briftol parted from rid the 17th of December; and was brought on a rupture h has prodigiously extended operations, and confequently miferies of war, and threatens protrac them to a very long -ation. Europe unfortunately ind herself plunged into the Iph of a new war, at the time hoped to emerge from the old e, and by the very means which ere ufed to draw her out of it. A int of honour alone feemed to ave been the laft and immediate aufe of the breach; but whoever as diligently attended to the Spaifh affairs from the memorial preented by Buffy to the final antwer lelivered by Wall, will fee that the notives were, however ill underFtood, of a much more ferious and important nature.

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As the two powers had now come to extremities, and the English ambaffador had departed from Madrid, the Spanish minifter alfo quitted London; but before his departure he left a paper, in the nature of a manifefto, of very little importance in point of argument, but filled with invectives, charging the

It must be remarked, that this paper, whilft it pretends to fet forth the purport of a treaty, dated the 15th of Auguft, does not deny the exiftence of any other treaty which might more offenfively concern the interests of Great Britain. It was however anfwered in every article with the utmost moderation, perfpicuity, and force, in a memorial of lord Egremont. Here we clofe the Spanish tranfaction; as this is the whole of what belongs properly to the year we treat of. All that remains to fulfil our annual tafk, is to touch upon the affairs of the Eaft Indies and America.

CHAP.

direct answer, entered into a long and bitter complaint, not only of the treatment which Spain had received from us, but of the haughtines of our late proceedings with France: that it was time for them to open their eyes, and not to fuffer a neighbour, anally, a relation, and a friend, any longer to run the rifque of receiving fuch rigid laws as were prefcribed by an infulting conqueror; that we were intoxicated with our fur celles; and a continued feries of victories had elated us fo far, as to make us rejed the reasonable conditions offered by France. This refufal made it evident, that our design in ruining the French power, was the more eafily to cruth Spain; that we propaled entirely to chale the French from all their colonies in America, to have the easier talk in feizing on the Spanish dominions in thote parts, thereby to fatisfy to the utmoft our ambition, and to gratify our boundless thirst of conqueft; therefore he would himfelf be the man to advise the king of Spain, that fince his dominions were to be overwhelmed, at least that they fhonid be feized with arms in his fubjects hands, and not to continue the pallive victim he bad bitherto appested in the eyes of the world.

The English ambaffador, though aftonished at fo extraordinary a change of ftile, replied with coolness to the invectives, and with firmness to the menaces of the Spanish minifter; he obviated the objections which had been made, and fupported our pretenfions; after anfwering in the best manner to what Wall had urged, be returned to his furft demand, an explanation concerning the treaty; as often as a direct antwer was evaded, the fame

queftion was again put; and at length the only reply was, that the king of Spain had thought proper to renew his family compacts; and then, Mr. Wall, as if he had gone farther than he was authorized, fuddenly turned the difcourfe, and no farther fatisfaction could be obtained.

This revolution in the appearances of things in Spain, was too interefling not to be immediately communicated. Our miniftry faw evidently, that the moderation they had hitherto difplayed, might be attributed to fear, and that the language of the court of Spain would permit no doubt of their hoftile intentions. Orders were therefore given to the earl of Bristol, conformable to the dignity of the nation, and the juftice of our claim. He was ordered to renew his inftances concerning the treaty; to demand an explanation with a proper firmnefs, but without the mixture of any thing which might irritate; and to fignify, that a peremptory refufal to communicate the treaty, or to difavew an intertion to take part with our enemies, would be confidered as an aggreffion on the part of Spain, and an abfolute declaration of war.

Things were now brought to a fingle and precife point. The demand was made in the terms of the order. Then it was that the pride of Spain entirely threw off the remainder of that mafk, which her policy had perfuaded her to affume; the fecretary, M. Wall, replied, Wall, replied, "That the fpirit of haughtiness, and of Dec. 10th. difcord, which dic"tated this inconfiderate fiep, and "which for the misfortune of "mankind fill reigns fo much in

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