twenty fix thousand foot. There is to be alfo one of the horse; but the number is not yet declared. I faid, That I heard, that monfieur de Nefmond was to remain at Cadiz. He faid, As to the firft, that as affairs food, it was convenient; but, as for the latter, monfieur de Nefmond had orders to return to Toulon. There was alfo a courier fent to monfieur de Tallard, who will already have informed you of all this matter. I returned to Paris the fame day; where I found the emperor's envoy at my houfe. He had received a courier from Madrid of the 30th; which confirms the fame news of the king; but fays much more, that he had received the facraments, and had taken leave of the queen, &c. That all about him took it for granted, he could not live: Yet, in a poftfcript they write, That that night they had fome little hopes, his loofenefs, which had been very violent, had been abated. He went ftrait to Fontainebleau, and is very uneafy, and the more fo, becaufe all of the council of Spain are entirely for the duke of Anjou; Cardinal Fortocarrero and count Aguilar, who were in the queen's intereft, being alfo for it; and they flatter themfelves, that the offer will be accepted with France. There is no courier arrived fince; though, at this place, the only difcourfe is, that the king of Spain is dead. I am of opinion, that we fhall foon hear it. I hope your lord

man

ship will fend me what directions his majefty thinks proper, in cafe this thould happen, that I may act accordingly.

Monfieur Schonenberg to the earl of Manchester.

Madrid, Octob. 21, 1700. It seems, that the 8th has been the day we call, here, critical in fickness, because that was properly the time, that the king gave probable proofs of mending. In effect, his loosenefs is fo much abated, fince that time, that his health is grown better, daily, so that, if no relapfe, or unforeseen accident, comes acrofs, the phyficians judge, unanimously, that he is abfolutely out of danger. In the mean while, his majefty fuffered himself to be perfuaded, when he was in the higheft of his illness, that is, on the 3d inftant, to fign a teftamentary difpofition, in favour of the fecond fon of the Dauphin: But, fince he is better, he thews fuch indignation against thofe, who, under pretence of confcience, perfuaded him to make this ftep, that he is grown diffident of all his minifters; infomuch that he has even recalled the power given to the fecretary of state, for the univerfal dispatches, relating to the most preffing affairs; which he had trufted, during the greatest violence of his illness, to three or four counfellors of ftate, in conjunction with the faid fecretary, his majefty not thinking it proper to

confide

confide in those who inspired him with a refolution to make a will.

ment

The emperor's envoy is gone to Paris, to meet count Averfberg, in his way to Spain, who, it is believed, had fome further

fecretary Vernon.

Paris, Octob. 22, 1700. We have this day letters from Madrid of the 8th, by the ordinary poft. The Spanish ambaffador has one of the 9th; and his depeche' is figned by the king himfelf, as feveral others were, that are fent into Italy. I fuppofe, this was done, to convince them, the more, that he was in a way of recovery: But you will find, by the inclofed, that there is little hopes of it. We have had no courier, of late, which, fince that time, would have come, in cafe of any alteration. That, which occafions the greateft difcourfe, is, his will; which he figned on the 3d. By all the letters, it is thought in favour of one of the princes of France; and, as to the perfons concerned, and, who were witnesses to it, it is certain, they have been ever that way difpofed, to prevent their monarchy's being difmembered. Some letters do alfo fay, That, fince that the queen has prevailed with him to add a codicil: That fome, that were named for the regency are changed; at laft, the queen feemed, after that, very eafy, In fhort, these are all conjectures; and I am of opinion, that it will not be known, what it contains, till the king's death.

in cafe the king of Spain was dead, the emperor has given orders to declare, he accepts the treaty, though with some alterations. I cannot but think, that he has no other way to take, unlefs he has a mind to lofe the whole. We shall now foon fee, how our parliament will behave in this affair.

Mr. Stanhope to the earl of Manchester.

Hague, Octob. 22, 1700. The king arrived here laft night His majefty questioned me this morning what news of the king of Spain. I had not then received your advices, but anfwered him to the fame purpofe, by what don Quiros had communicated to me. He intends to imbark for England on Wednesday next, if wind and weather permit; though it is probable, an exprefs, with what we fear from Spain, may keep him here fome days longer, that being the important affair now on foot in Europe; yet whether in order to that, his majesty's prefence here, or in England, be of greater concern, I fhall fubmit to greater statesmen to determine. Don Quiros fets a good face on a bad game; fays the militias' of Spain, in the memory of men, made the prince of Condé, as great a cap

tain as the marquis d'Harcourt, raifed the fiege of Fontarabia with difhonour, though he had fifty thousand men all regular troops; and he promises himfelf no lefs bravery from the prefent Spaniards, in a caufe, where their honour, as well as their monarchy is at ftake. This way of reasoning feems to us very extraordinary; and I am obliged at the fame time to do him juftice, in faying he has as little of that rodomontade humour as any of his countrymen I have ever known.

Monfieur Schonenberg to the earl of Manchester.

Madrid, Octob. 22, 1700. After having fent my dif patches of the 21ft inftant to the poft, I juft now learn, that the Catholic king, angry at thofe, who were prefent at the figning

of the former will in favour of a

fecond fon of the Dauphin, made them all come before his royal perfon, and he has figned another will, that was clofed up. Some fay, that it was only a codicil relating to the firft teftamentary difpofition, &c.

The earl of Manchester to the earl of Jerfey.

Fontainebleau, Octob. 24,

1700.

We have been expecting every day to hear the death of the king of Spain; but your lordfhip will fee by the inclofed,

rage

are

that he is rather better, it being the best account that is come. I have had none from Mr. Schonenberg this poft, which I wonder at. The Spanish ambaffador has a letter figned by the king himself, as others were that went into Italy. Notwithstanding all this, monfieur d'Harcourt fet out yesterday for Catalonia, and the troops marching on that fide. Monfieur la Pratra, chief engineer under monfieur de Vaubon, went fome days before. The emperor's envoy is gone to Paris to meet count Aversberg in his way to Spain. I found by him, that he was in hopes to have fome further inftructions. I do not know what they mean at Vienna, for all letters do agree, that the will, which the king of Spain has made, is in favour of a prince of France for the whole fucceffion. Whether we fhall agree to that, is anowilling to accept of it. I fupther question, if France was pofe you have had work enough with the count de la Tour. His mafter would fain find his account in this affair, as I perceive by his minifter; and the common report is, that he would give Savoy to France in lieu of Naples, which they will hardly perfuade them to with all their rhetoric.

[While king William was at Loo, the count de la Tour, the duke of Savoy's minifter, came with a fecret commiffion from his master. Don Bernardo de Quiros imagined it was to try

to

to get the duke named in the room of archduke Charles. But the truth was, that the duke, having learnt by the treaty of partition, that he had no part in it, thought to reap fome advantage from thence. For this reafon he had fent la Tour to the court of France to complain, as he did, that, notwithstanding his confanguinity, the most Chriftian king had done nothing for him. At the fame time, la Tour made a propofition, with an offer if it was accepted, that the duke fhould guaranty the treaty. The propofition was, that the duke would refign to France the dutchy of Savoy with all its pretenfions, in exchange for the kingdom of Na ples. The answer of the French court was, that his propofition fhould be confidered, but it must also be laid before the other allies, England and Holland. This la Tour did, but without fuccefs. One of the principal reafons of its being rejected by king William and the States, was, that the king of France having Savoy with all its pretenfions, juft and unjuft, he would be better able to affert them than the duke; and, by that means, Geneva and the country of Vaca, where the Proteftant religion is profeffed, might be in danger. Befides, it was not disagreeable to give the duke fome mortification, for having, after his peace with France, caused a speech to be made to king James, which feemed directly contrary to that

France

which la Tour had made at London, upon the king's advancement to the throne. [Lambert, Vol. I. p. 120.

Mr. Sutton to the earl of Manchefter.

Vienna, Octob. 26, 1700. There is no answer given to the new invitation made by the contracting parties to the emperor to come into the treaty of divifion, before which it cannot be faid pofitively what his imperial majefty will conclude upon. Your excellency judges very juftly, that it appears to be his intereft to accept the offer, when the condition of his affairs is confidered; but his having refufed it before, and the king of Spain being in fome measure recovered, make it probable, that he will anfwer again in the negative. Nevertheless it is invifible what measures are taken to fence off the blow. It is true, there have been many confultations, but either nothing is concluded in them, or no conclufion executed. And yet one fees very little emotion in the imperial family at the alarming news of the king of Spain's defperate illness, which would perfuade one, that they very leifurely expected another miracle to be wrought in their favour. If the offer made them after the king of Spain's death, per- . haps the feeing themfelves evidently unable to withstand the execution of the treaty may force them to yield to it, though

he could be thought on.

their averfion to it be fo great, that it must be a great ftrefs to bring them to it. They have rather chofen hitherto to abandon themselves to providence and chance. They feem to flatter themselves, that their steadi. nefs will make fome impreffion, and procure them fairer offers. The duchy of Milan, the marquifate of Final, and the Stato delli Prefidii, would in all likelihood buy their confent; and they would rejoice heartily at the bottom to fee them added to the archduke's fhare, to which they would join themselves the duchy of Mantua after the duke's death. I am afraid they are not likely to be gratified in their defire; but they feem to think, that, rather than enter into a chargeable war, his moft Chriftian majefly will enlarge their portion. Your lordship will be more cafily and better informed, than I, of what difpofition there may be hitherto.

Your excellency will obferve by the following account, in what condition this court is to oppofe the execution of the treaty. They have difcourfed a good while of remounting and recruiting their troops, and give out, that they have money ready for it. I can fcarce believe, they have money fufficient for remounting according to their own reckoning, and a great part of the colonels will not undertake the work at the rates the court offers. Yet it is faid, that affignations are delivered to fome of them. Their troops would

feem

amount to seventy thousand men, if they were complete; but they are far from it, and the cavalry half difmounted. They cannot difpenfe themselves from having near thirty thousand men in Hungary and Tranfilvania. Their places upon the Rhine are very thinly garrifoned, and will never be well furnished or repaired, though there be fome artillery paffed by from Buda towards Brifac. They have no forces near Italy, and very few within a great distance of it in quarters. The emperor is between twenty and thirty millions of florins in debt, and pays extravagant interest. It has been difcourfed, that the hereditary countries would take the payment of the debts upon them. I do not find any certainty thereof; but, if it should happen, there must be a term of years allowed for it, and they will fcarce be able to give the emperor any further aid. The chamber of finances is in fo bad a reputation, that they have no credit, and have had much ado for a long time to supply the emperor's neceffities. I do not hear of any recruits, that are yet making, though I hearken after it; but peradventure in two months they may begin to make them, and they mult begin fome time, otherwise they will fhortly have no troops at all. In fine, my lord, it is ap parent, that, whenever the king of Spain comes to die, this court will be found unprepared to make any great refiftance, as I

believe