feem pleafed with the choice, but it was too late to oppofe Will.III. it; and therefore they refolved to gain him to their interefts, 1700. in which they fucceeded beyond what they then hoped for. believe any body, that is acquainted with the prefent confitution thereof, would eafily own. But they will prefume things cannot go worfe for them, than according to the difpofition of the treaty. They now hold daily conferences." We hall fhortly fee the refult of them. I have afked audience three days together, and cannot yet have the honour to have one to deliver the king's orders. When much. He arrived here on Monday, late at night; and, the next morning, I was to wait on him. He expreffed a great fenfe of the king's favours to him: That he was juft going to Fontainebleau, to give the king, his mafter, all the affurances imaginable of the friendship of the king, and of the ftates-general; which he could do with great truth. In fhort, he feemed extremely pleased. The earl of Manchester to the The earl of Manchester to Mr. earl of Jersey. Paris, Nov. 3. 1700. Before I left Fontainebleau, I was with monfieur de Torcy, who, I find, is well fatisfied with the proceedings in Holland. I must own, that, during my ftay there, the king took all occafions to oblige me. You know already, that monfeur Calliere is gone to the duke of Lorrain. The duke of Savoy has declared, that he will not act against the treaty. His ambaffador here is now more in hopes than ever, that his mafter will have fome advantage in the 'partage;' but I found by monfear de Torcy, that the French king was fatisfied with the divifion already made, and yet he would confent to any reafonable alteration, if that was to make the king, our mafter, eafy. This was meant in relation to our trade in the Levant; and, I fuppofe, that monfieur de Tal. lard has already told you as VOL. XV. fecretary Vernon. Paris Nov. 3, 1700. Here are letters from Madrid of the 2zd paft, by an exprefs; which fay, That, on the 21ft, the king of Spain made a new will, in favour of the archduke: That he called on those, that were prefent, and had perfuaded him, in his fickness, to make the former in favour of the fecond fon of the Dauphin; and fhewed a very great diflike to what they had done, figning, in their prefence, another. This laft action has still increafed the factions and discontents here. Will.III. When the court of France had notice fent them of the 1700. king of Spain's will, real or pretended, they seemed to be at a ftand for fome days; and the letters wrote from the fecreThe king of tary's office gave it out for certain, that the king would adSpain's will here to the partition treaty. But madam de Maintenon had is accepted. Burnet. an unspeakable fondnefs for the duke of Anjou; fhe therefore prevailed with the Dauphin to accept of the will, and fet afide the treaty; and the engaged monfieur de Pontchartrain the two acts of accession and ad- The earl of Manchester to Mr. fecretary Vernon. Paris, Nov. 9, 1700. We have now news that the king of Spain died the 1ft inftant between two and three of the clock in the afternoon, which the inclofed will inform his majefty of. The cardinal Portecarrero was declared, by a commiffion under the privy feal, chief governor during his illnefs; and by the teftament, which they have fince opened, he is continued. He fent monfieur de Blecourt a copy. The fubftance of it is, That whereas the king of Spain was fatisfied, The earl of Manchester to Mr. that the intention and defign of fecretary Vernon. Paris, Nov. 6, 1700. The account we have from Fontainebleau is, that the king of Spain is very weak, and extreme ill again, and not like to live any time. The laft will, which he made, and which I have already given you an account of, is kept here as a very great fecret, and there is no mention made of it at court, though I am fatisfied it was the occafion of fending an exprefs. There may be reafons for con-cealing it till they fee what the emperor will do. the renunciation, which the late queen of France, &c. made, was only in order to prevent the union of the two monarchies in one perfon; and whereas the Dauphin has feveral fons, to whom in confcience the fucceffion does belong; he does therefore appoint and declare the duke of Anjou his heir. In case he should die without children, or inherit the crown of France, then to the duke of Berry, and, if the fame fhould happen to him, then to the archduke and his heirs and he limits it at last to the duke of Savoy and his heirs. He does also recommend to 1700. train to fecond this. They being thus prepared, when the Will. III. news of the king of Spain's death came to Fontainebleau, where the court was at that time, a cabinet council was called within two hours after, which met in madam de Maintenon's lodgings; and fat about three hours. Pontchartrain was for accepting the will, and the rest of the ministry for adhering to the treaty. But the Dauphin joined, for accepting the will, with an air of pofitiveness, that he had never affumed before; fo that it was believed to be done by concert with the king, who was referved and feemed more inclined to the treaty. In conclufion, madam de Maintenon faid, What had the duke of Anjou done, to provoke the king to bar him of his right to that fucceffion? And upon this all fubmitted to the Dauphin's opinion, and the king seemed overcome with their reafons. declared Nov. 16. Though the matter was refolved on, yet it was not pub- The duke lifhed till five days after. For then the French king, fending of Anjou for the duke of Anjou into his clofet, faid to him in the pre- king of fence of the marquis des Rios: Sir, the king of Spain has Spain. 'made you king. The grandees demand you, the people N. S. wifh for you, and I give my confent. Remember only you Lambert, ' are a prince of France. But I recommend to you to love I. 235. your people, to gain their affection by the lenity of your government, and render yourself worthy of the throne you are going to mount.' All the princes of the blood came to the emperor and the king of France a marriage between the duke of Anjou and one of the archdutcheffes, in order to keep up the fame good understanding, that is at present. The queen finding, that the had no part in the government, is fallen very ill. I waited upon monfieur de Torcy, who gave me an account of thefe matters, and I did endeavour to learn what measures they intended to take. The king crdered a council immediately, and I believe you will foon fee monfieur de Tallard. I can fee they are very well pleased here with all thefe circumstances; and, what effect they will have, time muft fhew; though I am of opinion, that Monfieur Zinzendorf affures The duke of Orleans and his fon protest against the 52 Will.III. to congratulate the new king; but, however, the duke of 1700. Orleans, the king of France's only brother, and his fon the duke of Chartres, protested against the will, because the archduke was put next in the fucceffion to the duke of Berry ; whereas they alledged, that the duke of Orleans and his heirs ought to come before him, as younger fon of Anne of Auftria, whofe renunciation could be of no more force than that of Maria-Terefa. However, this was no obftruction to the new king's fetting out for Spain, which he accordingly did on the 4th of December, accompanied by his two brothers, who went with him as far as the frontiers of that kingdom (a). Am will. Ibid. Paris, Nov. 12, 1700. thofe two kingdoms, in relation to the trade of the Levant; befides that none of the princes, that the treaty has been communicated to, have promised more than a bare neutrality; the king could not but think there was a neceffity of accepting what the will of the king of Spain declared in favour of the duke of Anjou. Then he read to me the motives, which he had drawn up, that I might the better ipform his majesty. I defired he would let me take the your lordcopy, which I fend fhip, and moft, that paffed, is contained in it. You may eafily imagine I had little to fay, when he told me of the refolution the king had taken. It is certain, that the proceedings of the emperor have put them in fome measure on this neceffity, for monfieur de Torcy obferved to me, that, if the king had refufed, the archduke had then a double title, viz. that of Philip IV. and that of the late king's will: And he could not tell but the Spanish ambaffador had orders to fend word to Vienna, that, the moment the emperor confented to the treaty, the duke of Savoy had a good title; An exprefs of the king of France's accepting the will being Will.IIL fent to the count de Briord at the Hague, he immediately 1700. went to the penfionary, and, pursuant to the orders he had received, told him, that his mafter, having taken into confi- The king deration the prefent fituation of affairs, and feeing the emperor had not acceded to the treaty, nor but few of the nor- notified to thern the States title; and this humour is fo well known, that we are fure he would not let flip fuch an opportunity; and then there muft have been a war, not likely to be foon ended, whatever the fuccefs would be: That the whole kingdom must be conquered, the Spaniards being intirely against dividing their monarchy. That the fhips, we and Holland were to furnish, would not be fufficient for fuch a war: That it was very doubtful, whether England and Holland would engage themfelves in a greater expence; which muft neceffarily be the confequence. That it was certain, that the treaty was more advantageous to France, and was what the king could have wished. He then ended, faying, That the king hoped, that the strength of thefe reafons would fo far prevail with the king, our mafter, that there might be ftill the fame good anderstanding as ever; which was fo necellary for the good and quiet of Europe. I made no other anfwer, than that I would faithfully acquaint the king with what he faid to me, by order, on this fubject. I only asked him, If I might have a copy of the will. He faid, he would first afk the king, and then fend it me, It will, now, be feen public. I have already acquainted Mr. fecretary Vernon with the fubftance of France's Nov. 18. Lambert, of it; but, for fear my fer- I. 193. vant, whom I difpatched on the 9th, fhould not be arrived, I now repeat, that the difpofition of the will is in favour of the duke of Anjou, and his heirs, &c. The account of the king of Spain's death came on Tuesday, the 9th, about one o'clock in the afternoon; and, at three, there was a council in madam de Maintenon's lodgings; at which fhe was prefent, with the chancellor, the duke de Beauvillier, and monfieur de Torcy. The Dauphin was out a-hunting. The next morning, there was another council, in the fame manner, when the Dauphin was present. Monfieur Blecourt had fent a copy of the will, which the regents had given him. On the 10th, the Spanish ambassador received a courier, with orders to notify the king's death. He had a letter alfo for this king, figned by the regents; and the queen's name was first. He went ftrait to monfieur de Torcy; and, that night, there was another council, where the matter was determined, as I fuppofe. On the 11th the Spanish ambaffador had a private audience, when the will was read, all over, to the king; who de clared, he accepted it. Soon after this, the Spanish ambaffador fent a courier for Spain; and there is no doubt, but, as D 3 foon |