fhould proceed, what is to be done on your part, in order to make it take place: whether any more be required than that the English and Dutch fhould fit ftill, and France itself to fee it executed. If that be fo, what fecurity ought we to expect, that, if by our being neuter the French be fuccessful, the French will confine themselves to the terms of the treaty, and not attempt to make farther advantages of their fuccefs?" In these circumstances, a fevere but obvious and indifpenfable duty was impofed on the lord chancellor to reprefent to the king, in the most energetic language, the pernicious confequences which muft inevitably result from this ftrange and impracticable project; and peremptorily to refuse, at the risque of incurring the utmost displeasure of the king, to tranfmit the extraordinary and unconstitutional commiffion required of him. Even fuppofing, against all probability, the eventual acquiefcence of Spain and the emperor in this treaty, what arrangement more favorable to the interefts of France could even the caprice of chance devise, than the prefent, by which fo many rich and valuable provinces were incorporated with her empire?

The grand object of the king and kingdom of Spain was to preferve unimpaired, by a fimple and abfolute devolution to one of the rival claimants, the unity and grandeur of the Spanish monarchy. But the courts of Vienna and Verfailles did not for a moment indulge the hope, that Europe would permit the crown of Spain to be held in conjunction either with the Imperial or Gallic diadem. The real views and efforts of the emperor were directed to the exaltation of his fecond fon the archduke Charles; and of the king of France, of his grandfon the duke of Anjou, fecond fon of the Dauphin, to the Spanish throne and it was a maxim univerfally received amongst the Spaniards themselves, that the empire of Spain could neither be dif membered on the one hand, or abforbed and fwallowed up in the vortex of any collateral power on the other. The king of Spain had fhewn himself sufficiently inclined to favor

the

the pretenfions of the house of Auftria, in contra-difə tinction to those of the house of Bourbon; but his vanity was flattered by the adulatory folicitations of the rival powers, and his jealousy alarmed at the idea of an irreverfible fettlement of the fucceffion; fo that his weak and feeble mind, though he had death in near and terrific profpect, could not attain to any resolute and steady decifion.

The commiffion under the great feal of England had no fooner arrived, than the treaty was formally figned by the earl of Portland and fir Jofeph Williamson, ambassador at the Hague, on the part of the king of England, and on that of the king of France by M. Tallard, in the preamble of whofe powers it is faid, "that the defire of maintaining the peace of Europe, together with the efteem and friendship which Louis king of France and Navarre had conceived for his moft-dear and most-beloved brother the king of Great Britain, had induced him to enter into closer engagements with his faid brother, and to concert with him the neceffary measures for preventing fuch emergencies as might occafion a new war, &c." Such was the surprise and fuch the delight excited in France when the contents of the treaty were divulged, that we cannot wonder at the remark faid to be made on the occafion, « Voici un roi d'Angleterre encore plus commode pour nous que n'eftoit le roi Charles!"

The treaty of partition was fucceeded by a triple league between England, Holland and Sweden; not only importing perpetual amity and reciprocal affiftance in cafe of invafion or attack, but profeffing to guaranty the peace of Europe against all aggreffors.

The mediation of the maritime powers, fo repeatedly offered, and as often declined or evaded, was at length accepted in form by the Imperial and Ottoman courts, and a general pacification, after a negotiation of several months, was concluded January, 1699, at Carlowitz; by the terms

of

of which the emperor was allowed to retain all his recent acquifitions and conquefts. Ruffia, Poland, and Venice, the other belligerent powers, fucceffively acceding to the treaty; the former was gratified by the ceffion of Afoph, Caminiek was restored to Poland, and the Morea, with several fortreffes in Dalmatia, yielded to the Venetians. Europe was therefore once more permitted to enjoy throughout the wide extent of her kingdoms and empires an univerfal, but precarious and fhort-lived, tranquillity.

BOOK

Seffion of Parliament.

BOOK IV.

Declining popularity of the whigs. High debates refpecting the army. King compelled to part with his Dutch guards. Affairs of the East India company. Refignation of the earl of Orford. Bill for appropriating the Irish forfeitures. Difmiffion of the duke of Leeds. Affairs of Scotland. Intrigues of France at the court of Madrid. Second treaty of Partition. Refentment of the court of Madrid. Tories reinflated in administration. Piracy of Kydd. Malignant accufations against lord Somers. Severe penal act against the papifts. Eaft India affairs. Bill to treat concerning a Union. Report relative to Irish forfeitures. Bill of Refumption. Difmiffion of lord Somers. Affairs of Scotland. State of Europe. Treaty of Travendahl. Death of the duke of Glocefter. Demife of the king of Spain. Violation of the fecond Treaty of Partition by France. Its political confequences. Seffion of Parliament. Predominance of the Tories. Debates refpecting the Spanish fucceffion. High demands of the maritime powers. The lords Portland, Orford, Somers, and Halifax impeached. Act of Settlement. Angry disputes between the two houses. Kentish petition. Proceedings of the convocation. Second Military tranfactions in Italy. Death

Grand Alliance. of king James II. Recognition of the pretender by France. Departure of the English ambassador. Refentment of the English nation. Whigs regain their afcendency and popularity. Seffion of Parliament. Energetic Speech of the king. Bill to attaint the pretender. Bill of Abjuration. Illness and death of the king. His character.

THE king returned not to England till the month of De

cember, 1698, and the nation seemed not well pleased that their fovereign, now that the war was terminated, should con

tinue to pass fix months of the year upon the Continent--the greater part of it spent, as was well known, in indolent

retirement at Loo.

The new parliament, which had been originally convened for the 27th of September, had been somewhat trifled with, after affembling in town, by fhort and repeated prorogations; and at last met December the 6th, in a humour not very placid. Various caufes concurred to irritate and inflame the minds of the people and of the parliament at this pe-. riod, and to deprefs the credit of the whigs; amongst which the chief was the unconftitutional attempt made in the laft feffion to maintain and perpetuate a standing army in time of peace. The next in magnitude was the recent establishment of the Scottish mercantile company, which continued to excite great and increasing alarm in the commercial world. The third was the erection of a new East India company; by which the tories were beyond measure exafperated, and which they took infinite pains to reprefent as an inftance of unparalleled partiality and oppreffion on the part of the whigs. The choice made by the commons of Thomas Lyttleton as speaker was nevertheless considered as a favourable omen by the court; but the inference proved very fallacious.

The king in his speech ftrongly urged to the parliament, as a matter which demanded their immediate confideration, what force ought to be maintained at fea and land, `this year. "To preserve," said the monarch, "to England the weight and influence it has at prefent on the councils and affairs abroad, it will be requifite Europe fhould fee you will not be wanting to yourselves." The indifcreet conduct of the king in retaining a military force fo much larger than the last parliament had voted or provided for, could not in the difcuffion of this fpeech remain longer unacknowledged and the refentment, or rather rage, of the commons inftantaneously broke out in a very unusual manner. Omitting to return any answer or address whatever to the throne,

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