"think proper for preferving the balance of Europe, affuring Will. III. "him, that they would readily concur with whatever should 1700-1. "be I found his opinion was, that it was contrived only to frame a defign to incenfe the nation, and to break with France, &c. He faid, that I was fenfible how little credit lord Melfort had at this court, or at St. Germain's. He read the letter to me, as alfo a paper cried about the streets of London, of a new plot or confpiracy of France against England. The anfwer I made him was, that by my last letter I had fome account of this letter: That, by as much as I knew of it, I did not in the leaft doubt but they were lord Melfort's thoughts, and wrote by him; but at the fame time I was fatisfied, that the French court was far from taking fuch measures. That as to the communicating it to the parliament, if he knew our conftitution, he would know, that it was impoffible to do otherwife in this conjuncture, when greater preparations by fea and land were never known to be made than are actually making now in France, which was no fecret, nor did I believe, that there was any defire, that it fhould be fo. That he must forgive me, if I thought lord Melfort was not fo despicable a perfon, fince I faw him often at court, which, here especially, is no fign of it, fince men of that character were not permitted to approach fo near the king. That, not having yet my letters of the laft pott from England, I could not tell what effect it had caufed; but that my opinion was still, that we were far from defiring a war; neither could it be our intereft; unless we were obliged to it for our own fecurity, and confequently that of Holland. I also took notice of the expreffion of the discovery of fome treachery, which the king was fuppofed to be guilty of, and which I did not understand, unless it meant the extravagant reports, that were at Paris, of letters found, which my fervant, who was drowned, brought from Madrid; and I did not doubt but he knew the fubftance of them very well, and was convinced of the contrary of the reports. I told him alfo, that the proceedings of the viceroy of Navarre in opening the letters, and fending them toMadrid, could not be any ways juftifiable, fince he could eafily fee, that they were directed to a public minifter refiding at the court of France. He did own, he could not tell the meaning of that expreffion, fince the king was far from having any fuch thoughts. He feemed to know nothing of the letters, but he had heard of this accident; but he condemned very much the opening of them. I faid further, that, as for the paper cried about the streets, I did believe it was not done by order; that they printed what they pleased in England, though, if the authors were difcovered, they were liable to be punished. Because it is not fent to me, I am of opinion it is fuch a paper, as we have often at London; but I do affure you, it makes more Will. III." be conducive to the honour and fafety of England, prefer❝vation of the Proteftant religion, and the peace of Europe. "Next .1700-1. impreffion here than the letter. Endeavours are used to make it to be believed, that it was forged only to ferve a turn, as they fay has been the custom at the beginning of parliament. This must reflect on the honour of his majesty; and I did venture to say to monfieur de Torcy, that, in cafe it could be fuppofed fuch a letter was forged, I did not doubt but I might produce the original, if there was any occafion. I wonder he did not mention to me what had paffed between you and monfieur de Tallard. In fhort, I am told, they take it for granted, that we fhall enter into a war; and as I happened to come a little later to Verfailles yesterday than ufual, the whole court had it, that we had declared war; but when they faw me, it foon put a stop to that report. fieur de Tallard (as I acquainted you) made no doubt but it was his letter, and I imagine monfieur de Torcy thinks fo too. My lord Seafield being newly come up from Scotland, I fhewed him the original letter, this morning: He is well acquainted with lord Melfort's hand-writing and féal, and knows both to be genuine. As to the printed paper, that was fent to monfieur de Torcy, of the discovery of a new French plot upon England, I know nothing of it, nor have I met with any body that has feen it. I fuppofe it must be fome Grubfreet writer; and those, you know, print any stuff, to get a penny; and their news dies as foon as it comes out: Therefore I wonder monfieur Torcy fhould lay ftrefs upon fuch unknown, unauthorized pieces, which he knows creep out daily on both fides, and are not taken Mr. fecretary Vernon to the earl notice of by either. It is not a of Manchester. fair charge upon us, that we feek occafions to flir up animofities, and to pick quarrels with them. For my part I fhould be glad they would fhew us the way, how they are to be avoided with any reasonable fecurity to ourfelves and neighbours. The earl of Manchester to Mr. fecretary Vernon. Paris, March 16, 1701. Lord Melfort is fent to Angiers. The court of France concerted with that of St. Ger "Next they humbly thanked his majesty for communicating Will.III. "the earl of Melfort's letter to them, and defired he would 1700-1. "be pleased to order the feizing of all horfes and arms of "Papifts, and other difaffected perfons, and have thofe ill tr men removed from London, according to law; but efpecially they defired he would please to give directions for a "fearch to be made after arms and provifions of war men"tioned in the letter. Laftly, they requested, that fuch a "fleet might speedily be fitted out, as his majefty in his great "wisdom should think necessary for the defence of himself " and kingdoms." His majefty thanked their lordships for this addrefs, and for the concern they expreffed in relation to the common fecurity both at home and abroad;' and told them, he would give the neceffary orders for those things they desired of him, and take care for fitting out fuch fhips, as in that conjuncture fhould be neceffary for their 'common fafety.' vote about the act of The king having earneftly preffed the parliament to provide The first for the fucceffion of the crown after himself and the princefs of Denmark, the commons took the fame into confideration, fucceffion. and on the 3d of March refolved, "That, for the preferving Drake, "the peace and happiness of this kingdom, and the fecurity p. 28. "of the Proteftant religion by law established, it is abfolutely "neceffary, a further declaration be made of the limitation "and fucceffion of the crown in the Proteftant line, after his "majefty, and the princess, and the heirs of their bodies re main's firft. Lord Middleton is not a little pleased. know, whether he still doubted The earl of Manchefter to Mr. his wife had owned it. The fecretary Vernon. Paris, March 19, 1701. Lord Melfort was ordered to Angiers by a Lettre de Cachet, yet fome will have it, that he has underhand had affurances, that he fhall be restored, when affairs will admit of it. excufe he made was, that the confufion he was in, and its being read to him in French, made him think, that there was fomething added; but that he fince found it otherwife, and that thereupon he was banished. The ufe I made of this was to fhew him thofe fufpicions they had, that it was done to enflame the The earl of Manchester to Mr. nation against France, could no fecretary Vernon. Paris, March 23, 1701. What I mentioned first to monfieur de Torcy, was to longer remain; neither could I "spectively Burnet. Will. III. refpectively. And that further provifion be first made for 1700-1." the fecurity of the rights and liberties of the people." The new minifters spoke for this refolution with great zeal; from which their friends made inferences in their favour, that certainly men, in the interefts of France, would not promote a defign fo deftructive of all they drove at. This was fo little of a piece with the reft of their conduct, that thofe, who were ftill jealous of their fincerity, looked on it as a blind to cover their ill defigns, and to gain them fome credit; for they could not but fee, that, if France was once poffeffed of the power and wealth of Spain, our laws and every thing that we could do to fupport them, would prove but feeble defences. The manner, in which the motion of the fucceffion was managed, did not carry in it great marks of fincerity. It was often put off from one day to another, and it gave place to the most trifling matters. At laft, when a day was folemnly fet for it, and all people expected, that it should pafs without any difficulty, Mr. Harley moved, that fome things previous to that might be first confidered. He obferved, that the hafte the nation was in, when the prefent government was settled, had made them go too faft, and overlook many fecurities, which might have prevented much mifchief; and therefore he hoped they would not now fall into the fame error; fince nothing preffed them at prefent. He moved then that they would fettle fome conditions of government, as preliminaries, before they fhould proceed to the nomination of the perfon; that fo they might fix every thing, that was wanting, to make their fecurity compleat. This was popular, and took with many; and it had fo fair an appearance, that indeed none could oppofe it. Some weeks were fpent upon it. Sufpicious people thought, this was done on defign to blaft the motion, and to offer fuch extravagant limitations, as fhould quite change the form of the government, and render the crown titular and precarious. At laft, thefe preliminaries were agreed on : Heads of the I. That whoever shall hereafter come to the poffeffion of bill of fuccef- this crown, fhall join in communion with the Church of fon. Pr. H. England, as by law eftablished. C. III. 130. II. That, in cafe the crown and imperial dignity of this realm fhall hereafter come to any perfon not being a native of this kingdom of England, this nation be not obliged to engage in any war for the defence of any dominions or territories, which do not belong to the crown of England, without the consent of parliament. III. That no perfon, who shall hereafter come to the pof- Will. III. feffion of the crown, fhall go out of the dominions of Eng- 1700-1. land, Scotland, or Ireland, without confent of parliament. IV. That, from and after the time, that the further limitation by this act fhall take effect, all matters and things relating to the well governing of this kingdom, which are properly cognizable in the privy-council, by the laws and cuftoms of this realm, fhall be tranfacted there, and all refolutions taken thereupon fhall be figned by fuch of the privycouncil, as shall advise and consent to the fame. V. That, after the limitation fhall take effect, no perfon born out of the kingdom of England, Scotland, or Ireland, or the dominions thereunto belonging, although he be naturalized, or made a denizen (except fuch as are born of Englifh parents) fhall be capable to be of the privy-council, or a member of either houfe of parliament, or to enjoy any office or place of truft, either civil or military, or to have any grant of lands, tenements, or hereditaments from the crown to himself, or to any others in trust for him. 兼 VI. That no perfon who has an office or place of profit under the king, or receives a pension from the crown, shall be capable of ferving as a member of the house of commons. VII. That, after the limitation fhall take effect, judges commiffions be made, quamdiu fe bene gefferint, and their falaries ascertained and established. But, upon the address of both houses of parliament, it may be lawful to remove them. VIII. That no pardon under the great-seal of England be pleadable to an impeachment by the commons in parlia ment. The king was alarmed at these proceedings, for almost every article implied a reflection on him and his adminiftration, chiefly that of not employing ftrangers, and not going out of the kingdom. All thefe, as well as moft of the other articles, were unacceptable to the king; fo many who had an ill opinion of the defign of those who were now at the helm, began to conclude, that the delays were affected, and that thefe limitations were defigned to raise difputes between the two houfes, by which the bill might be loft, When fome time had been spent in these preliminaries, it came to the nomination of the perfon to the fucceffion, after the king and the princess of Denmark, and their heirs; Sir John Bowles, who was then difordered in his fenfes, and foon after quite loft them, was fet on by the party, to be the firft who fhould name the electorefs dowager of Brunswick; |