clearing and fecuring property, ftrengthening and facilita- Will. III, ting the adminiftration of justice, reftraining and punishing 1700. crimes, preferving peace and quietnefs, &c. He next al'fured them of his great concern, for not being able to af'fert the company's right of establishing a colony at Darien, 'without disturbing the peace of Chriftendom, and bring'ing that ancient kingdom into an inevitable war, without hopes of affiftance. With these plain reafons, he doubted not but they would be fatisfied; and therefore, recommending to them unanimity, and the raising of competent taxes 'for their defence, he concluded with only acquainting them further, that he had thought fit to continue the duke of * Queensberry high commiflioner: and bid them heartily ! farewel.'

It must be observed, that, during the interval between the two feffions of parliament, came the news to Scotland of the intire surrender of their fettlement at Darien (a). This occafioned the company to reprefent to the parliament, the first day of their feffion, That, for want of due protection abroad, fome perfons had been encouraged to break in upon their privileges even at home.' This reprefentation was feconded with a national addrefs to the king upon that fubject, whofe answer was, That he could take no further notice of it, fince the parliament was now met; and he had made a declaration of his mind for the good of his people, with which he hoped all his faithful fubjects would be fatisfied.'

Though people were in fo bad a humour, that much practice was neceffary to bringthem into any temper, yet, after fome heats about the mifcarriage of the Darien affair, the faffion, in conclufion, ended well. After having fet about three months, the parliament came to this refolution, That in 'confideration of this great deliverance by his majefty, and, in that, next under God, their fafety and happiness de

Will.III. pended wholly on his prefervation and that of his govern1700. ment, they would fupport both to the utmost of their power, and maintain fuch forces, as fhould be requifite for thofe ends.' Accordingly an act paffed for keeping on foot three thousand men, till the 1ft of December, 1702, and another for a land-tax to maintain those troops; which done, the commiffioner produced the king's letter, wherein it was defired he might have eleven hundred men on his own account to the ift of June following; which was readily complied with, and then they were prorogued to the 6th of May. The troops, that were ordered to be broke, were fent to the States, who were now increafing their force. This feffion was chiefly managed by the duke of Queensberry and the earl of Argyle, and, in reward of it, the one had a garter, and the other was made a duke.

The death

Burnet.
Cole.

Nov. I. N. S. Dated

Octob. 2,

In October the pope died; and at the fame time all Euof the king rope was alarmed with the defperate ftate of the king of of Spain. Spain's health. When the news came to the court of France, that he was in the laft agony, monfieur de Torcy, the French fecretary of state, was fent to the earl of Manchefter, the English ambaffador there, defiring him to let the king his mafter know the news, and to fignify to him, that the French king hoped, that he would put all things in readiness to execute the treaty of partition, in cafe it fhould be opposed; and, in his whole difcourfe, he expreffed a fixed resolution in the French councils to adhere to it. A few days after that, the news came of the king of Spain's death, and of his will, declaring the duke of Anjou, fecond fon of the Dauphin, the univerfal heir of the Spanish monarchy; and, in cafe that duke fhould die without children, or should inherit the crown of France, then the whole Spanish monarchy fhould go to the duke of Berry; and, if the fame should happen to him, then the archduke Charles and his heirs were to inherit; and that monarchy was at laft limited to the duke of Savoy and his heirs. The will likewife recommended, that the duke of Anjou fhould marry one of the archducheffes. It is not yet certainly known by what means this was brought about, and how the king of Spain was drawn to confent to the will, or whether it was a mere forgery, made by cardinal Portocarrero, and fome of the grandees, who partly by practice and corruption, and partly for fafety, and that their monarchy might be kept intire (they imagining, that the power of France was far fuperior to all, and that the house of Auftria would not be able to engage in its interefts) had been prevailed on to prepare and publifh this will; and to make it

more

Aikman pinx. In the Collection of "Andhony Wescomb Bare IS Müllerfeuly,

more acceptable to the Spaniards, among other forfeitures Will. III. of the crown, not only the fucceffor's departing from what 1700. they call the Catholic faith, but even his not maintaining the immaculate conception of the Virgin, was one (b.)

(b.) The circumftances of the death and will of the king of Spain, will appear from the following extracts of M. Cole's Memoirs.

As

jou. They flatter themselves,
that the French king will accept
this offer. I hope the emperor
before it is too late, will fee it
his interest to fign the treaty.

The earl of Manchefter to Mr. The earl of Manchester to the

fecretary Vernon,

Paris, Octob. 9, 1700. I am of opinion, that we shall now foon fee matters of great importance tranfacted all over Europe; because it is expected, that, in a few days, we fhall hear, that the king of Spain is dead. They have, at court, received a courier from Madrid; and, on the 26th of September, the king was fo ill, he having continual vomitings, and a great loofenefs, that his phyficians believed he could not live a week. Laft night, late, the emperor's envoy was with me, who had just received news of the 30th, by an exprefs. His letters mention, That the king had received the facrament, the extreme unction, &c. and that he had taken leave of the queen, &c. fo they defpaired of his life: But, on the day this was wrote, there was fome little hopes of him, his looseness having abated. He told me, he was then going to Fontainebleau. It is certain, that the whole council of Spain, and even thofe, that were creatures of the queen, who is entirely for the houfe of Auftria, are all for the duke of An

earl of Jersey.

Paris, Octob. 11, 1700. Monfieur de Torcy told me, That they had an express from Spain, with letters of the 26th of last month; and that the king of Spain was fo extreme ill, that his phyficians thought he could not live eight days. That, thereupon, they had dispatched a courier to monfieur de Villars, with orders to acquaint the emperor with it, and to let him know, That, as they had not yet named a fucceffor, fo it would be neceffary to know his further refolutions, fince the cafe might foon happen, which would oblige them to take fuch meafures as would be proper, in cafe the emperor did not think fit to fign the treaty. Monfieur de Torcy made an excufe, that the time did not permit the first concerting with the king; that, elfe it would have been done; though he did not fee any difficulty, but that his majefty would approve of it. He defired I would write; which I affured him I would not fail to do: And then I took notice of the augmentation of their forces, which will amount to

twenty