VIII. 1717. to the plan laid down, the former was to renounce CHAP. all claims on the Italian provinces, and the latter on the Spanish monarchy; the Emperor was to be gratified with the acquisition of Sicily in exchange for Sardinia; and the King of Spain with the succession to Parma, and to the whole or nearly the whole of Tuscany, for the Infant Don Carlos. These offers, being a tolerably fair and impartial award for each of the contending parties, were, of course, bitterly opposed by both. It was hoped, however, that, backed by so formidable a confederacy as the Triple Alliance, they would be finally accepted; and, in order to give them greater weight at Madrid, Stanhope despatched his cousin, Colonel William Stanhope (since created Earl of Harrington), as ambassador to Spain. The Regent, soon afterwards, sent thither the Marquis de Nancré in the same character; but the tone both of France and of Holland, in this negotiation, was far less earnest and effectual than that of England, the Regent being withheld by the affinity which had so lately subsisted in politics, and which still subsisted in blood, between the two branches of the House of Bourbon. "I have been shown the "instructions for M. de Nancré," writes Lord Stair: 66 they are certainly drawn in the most "guarded and cautious terms that I have ever seen. No man could touch fire with more un"willingness and circumspection than these in"structions touch every point that could give the slightest chagrin to Spain. M. de Nancré is to 66 66 F F . VIII. 1717. CHAP. " say nothing savouring of threat. . . . . . Nor has "he any orders to insist upon a declaration that the Spaniards will not, in the meanwhile, undertake "an invasion of Italy. Yet, in my opinion, "there is no way to avoid a war so sure as seeming "not to be afraid of it." * "As to the Dutch," observes Stair, in another despatch, "they will gladly accede whenever they find us concur "with the Emperor; but their weak and pitiable "state of government prevents them from en"gaging in any thing of vigour, unless they find "themselves in good and large company." + 66 Nor were there fewer difficulties with the Court of Vienna. St. Simon assures us, that the Emperor had such strong personal repugnance to resign his claims upon the Spanish monarchy, that his ministers scarcely durst mention the subject before him. I find it stated, however, in the instructions to Colonel Stanhope, "that the Emperor "at first had showed no want of readiness to con"clude a peace with Spain. He agreed to yield the "succession of Parma; but, in spite of the most "pressing entreaties from his Majesty and from the Regent, he positively refused the dominions of "the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Even while the war "with the Turks seemed likely to continue, the * Lord Stair to Lord Stanhope, Paris, March 6. 1718. (Orig. in French.) + To Lord Stanhope, March 11. 1718. (Orig. in French.) Mem. vol. xv. p. 328. ed. 1829. VIII. 1717. "on this point. But now, when it is evident that CHAP. "the Emperor may at his pleasure conclude a peace, or at least a long truce, with the Turks, "the King our master, and the Regent, are appre"hensive that the Imperial Court will be still "more difficult to deal with than before." Temporal enemies were not the only ones roused against Alberoni by his conquest of Sardinia. The Pope, swayed by Austrian counsels, and indignant at having been duped by the Spanish Minister, launched forth an angry brief to Philip, threatening him with the "divine vengeance," and assuring him that "not only your reputation, but your soul also is at stake*; " and he backed these spiritual remonstrances by a suspension of the INDULTO, or ecclesiastical tax, in the Peninsula. This brief was publicly circulated throughout Spain, but was treated with utter contempt by the minister; and the Indulto was strictly levied as before. It is remarkable that one of the very few serious differences between the Spanish Court and the Holy See should have occurred with a Cardinal as Prime Minister; and it is still more strange that, in a country so blindly devoted to the Catholic faith as Spain, the Papal indignation should have produced so little effect. Is it that the Spaniards are still more zealous for their country than for their religion, and, even in matters See the brief at length in the Historical Register, 1717, p. 357. CHAP. of faith, look rather to Madrid than to Rome? I VIII. find it stated that, at this period, even the statues of saints could not please them unless attired in the true Spanish habit! * 1717. The representations of Colonel Stanhope and of M. de Nancré were met by Alberoni first with anger, and afterwards with dissimulation. In one of his private letters he inveighs against "certain unprin cipled men, who would cut and pare states and "kingdoms as though they were so many Dutch "cheeses t;" nevertheless, after a vain struggle for the cession of Sardinia, he sullenly consented to open a negotiation on the basis of the proposed preliminaries. But it soon became apparent that his object was only to gain time and to spread divisions. See the Travels of Father Labat, who visited Cadiz in 1705, and who says of one of its churches, " Sainte Anne qui est d'un "coté du berceau de l'enfant Jesus, est habillée comme une "vieille Dame, d'une grande robe de velours avec des dentelles "d'or. Elle est assise sur un carreau à la manière du pays, et tient "son chapelet à la main. St. Joseph est a coté de Sainte Anne "vetu à l'Espagnole, les culottes le pourpoint et le manteau de "damas noir, avec la golille, le bas de soie avec la rose de rubans "de la même couleur, les cheveux partagés sur le coté de la " tête et poudrés, les grandes lunettes sur le nez, le chapeau à "forme plate sous le bras gauche, l'epée de longueur, et le "poignard avec un très grand chapelet à la main droite!" (Voyages, vol. i. p. 23.) In the same volume is a curious story of the monks of Cadiz, who, it seems, never attended the midnight mass prescribed by their rules, although the bells for it were still rung every night, as they said, "pour l'edification du "peuple!" + To Mr. Bubb. Printed from the Melcombe Papers in the original French in Seward's Anecdotes, vol. iii. p. 255. ed. 1804. Under his orders, the most active measures were CHA P. in progress for another armament. Ships of war were built in the Spanish ports, or bought in foreign ones; the foundries of cannon at Pamplona, and the manufactories of arms in Biscay, sent forth the din of preparation; soldiers were enlisted in all quarters; the irregular valour of the Miquelets in Catalonia was raised and improved by discipline; and no less than six regiments were formed from those hardy mountaineers. In order to obtain money for this armament Alberoni did not, as he boasts himself, lay any tax upon the people; but mortgaged some revenues, enforced the strictest economy, sold some offices at Court, and stinted the Queen's personal expenses, insomuch that her Majesty afterwards complained of not having been allowed "sufficient to provide common necessaries "†— words which, from such a quarter, may perhaps mean only jewels and trinkets! In short, there This Court has contracted for the timber and all other "necessaries for the building of three ships in Catalonia, and "eight in Cantabria, and six from 60 to 80 guns they have "bought of the Dutch; so that they pretend to have a numerous " squadron at sea next year. One Castañeta, a sea officer, and « a builder, is gone to Holland to take care of their purchase; "these six ships they will certainly have, and, if we allow them, "six more."-Mr. Bubb to Lord Stanhope, Nov. 14. 1717. Hardwicke Papers, vol. xxxvii. + This was said in 1725. See Mr. Keene's despatch as quoted in Coxe's House of Bourbon, vol. ii. p. 392. VIII. 1717. |