Will. III. cept that their refufals became ftronger and fharper, the more 1700. they were prefled; and sometimes they pretended, what they

Mr. James Creffet to the earl of giving him fo fudden notice of

could not believe, that Charles II was in a fair way of reco- Will.III. very, and might have pofterity of his own. This was the 1700. language

fo he dispatched back the cou-
rier to give his mafter an ac-
count, that he had obeyed his
orders; and four days after he
fent one of his fervants poft with
the answer he received from the
duke of Cadaval, his commif-
fary, which was, that, this be-
ing a bufinefs of great confe-
quence, it required fome time
to confider of it; and that in the
mean time the king returned his
most Christian majefty thanks for
this particular demonftration of
his kindness, and affured him,
that no body could defire more
earneftly than he, whatsoever
was for the good and peace of
Christendom. By this anfwer it
feems probable, that the king
of Portugal will not take any
refolution of being comprehend-
ed in the treaty, until he fees
what the emperor does; and that,
in order to it, he will wait for
count Wallenftein, who has been
fome time at Madrid, and is ex-
pected here in a few days, the
king's barges being already gone
to wait for him on the other fide
of the river.

The earl of Manchefter to the earl of Jersey.

Paris, Jan. 16, 1700.

I find the French defign very foon to communicate the treaty in all parts, as monfieur de Torcy fays, fince England fays there is no occafion of deferring it, especially in thofe parts of Germany, where the king has no minifters; but, where he has, it is neceffary they fhould all

act at the fame time. The
French intend and think it con-
venient to do it to the prince of
Heffe-Darmstadt and the duke
of Saxe-Gotha, who were for-
got. As for the electors of Ha-
nover and Bavaria, they leave
that to us, the elector of Hano-
ver not being yet owned as fuch
The French mi-
by this court.

nifter at Mantua is to have or-
ders to communicate it there and
at Parma, &c. And they have
given their order for Turin. The
duke of Lorrain has not yet fign-
ed, though he pretends he will.
He has called a council of
twelve perfons, fince which he
has defired many explanations
from this court to what concerns
his own country, that fo they
may have the fame privileges.
when under France. Some are
allowed, but he defires alfo not
to be a guarantee of the treaty,
which defire is of fuch a nature,
that it cannot be agreed to. We
fhall foon find, whether all this
is not to gain time, and to fee
what the emperor will do.

Mr. Robert Sutton to the earl of
Manchester.

Vienna, June 19, 1700. Understanding that it would not be unacceptable to your excellency to know what measures the emperor takes in relation to the treaty newly concluded. with France, I could not but rejoice at an occafion of doing your lordship any pleasure, and take the liberty to acquaint you, that the emperor has not hiB 4

therto

Wil.III. language of their public memorials; but the counts Harrach 1700. and Kaunitz, the principal ministers of Leopold, talked in a

therto taken any refolutions

earl of Jersey.

higher

on

touching the treaty. All that The earl of Manchester to the
has been declared is, that the
emperor, for reasons very well
known, thought himself obli-
ged to communicate with Spain,
which is the party most con-
cerned in his opinion, and that
afterwards he would return an
anfwer; which perhaps we may
be forced to wait for till towards
the end of the term allowed
him. In the mean time your
excellency will eafily judge the
agreements to be very unwel-
come to this court. Some of
the minifters do not hide their
high diflike of it. But never-
theless, though they do not ex-
plain themfelves, I believe it is
paft doubt, that the emperor
will at length enter into it. The
neceffity of it is very clear, and
will be often repeated to them.

Mr. Stanhope to the earl of
Manchester.

Hague, June 24, 1700.
Here is a perfect good under-
ftanding between the French
ambaffador, the count de Bri-
ort, and me. I difpatched two
days ago, by his courier, copies
of the late treaty about the Spa-
nish fucceffion to our minifters
at Hamburg, Copenhagen, Swe-
den, and Berlin, to be commu-
nicated to thofe princes, with
inftructions to endeavour to per-
fuade them to approve and en-
ter into the guarantee for exe.
cuting it. I am told your excel-
lency has done the fame to Mr.
Methuen in Portugal.

Paris, June 26, 1700. The court being at Marly, monfieur de Torcy came Thurfday laft to Paris, and, in the conference I had with him, he told me, that the duke of Lorrain had himself figned the treaty with monfieur de Calliere, and at the fame time had wrote to the french king, that notwithstanding he did not infift on the feveral explanations, and the propofais he had made, yet he hoped they would be granted him. The chief point, and which he defires most, is, that he may not be looked upon as a guarantee, fince he had neither troops nor money to maintain it, in cafe of a war. Befides, to act against the emperor, he thought, was what in gratitude he ought not to do. It was not proper to allow him this, as I take it, for very good reafons, fince it would have been an example to others to make the fame difficulty, and especially to thofe, who have not the fame advantage by this treaty. Yet it is explained to him, that it is not expected he fhall give any other affiftance than a free paffage through his country, in the fame manner as he is already obliged to do by the treaty of Ryfwick. He alfo confents to fend fome full power to fign it at the Hague, as I underitand the king defires. Moft of the other things, he defires,

and

higher and more confidential ftile to the French ambaffador, Will. III, the marquis de Villars. They expreffed, in their private conferences,

and of which I think I formerly acquainted you, relate to his own country, when it fhall be fubject to France, and most of It was this is granted him. well he did not stay for an anfwer from Vienna; for, as I perceive, there is but little inclination there to agree to the treaty, as it is now; for, I take it, you will fee them play another fort of game.

Monfieur

de Zinzendorf's courier is re-
turned, and he told me, that
his orders were to affure me,
that his mafter was as much in-
clined as any body to preferye
the peace of Europe; but, as
the treaty was communicated in
Spain, he could not come to any
refolution, till he had heard
from thence; I did perceive
there was fomething more, and
efpecially fince I faw him fo
impatient to fee monfieur de
Torcy, which he did prefs very
much; and he faw him on
Tuesday at a houfe near Marly,
where he told him, he had or-
ders from the emperor to offer
the Dauphin, instead of what
he was to have in Italy, the
Weft Indies. Monfieur de Tor-
cy faid (as he tells me, and I
cannot but think this court will
act fincerely) that the propo-
fition was of fuch a nature, that
he did not think it proper to ac-
quaint the king with it, neither
could he imagine that England
and Holland could agree to it.
To which monfieur Žinzendorf
anfwered, That France was
able to maintain it by their fleet
and troops, if they would ac-

cept of it. When he found this
would not do, then he propofed,
as from himself, that France
fhould have Sardinia and Lux-
emburg, in lieu of Lorrain,
This
and the emperor Milan.
was as extraordinary as the
other. At last he faid, it was
impoffible for the emperor to
agree to the ninth article, viz.
That the kingdom of Spain fhal!
never defcend to any one, who
fhall be at the fame time empe-
ror, or king of France, &c.
After fome further arguments
that paffed, monfieur de Torcy
asked, Whether the emperor
would fign the treaty, in cafe
this article was fuppreffed? He
could not fay any thing pofi-
tively to that. I cannot tell but
France would be eafy enough in
this alteration; but I take it to be
against the intereft of Europe to
have it fo, When monfieur de
Torey acquainted me with this,
I told him, that what he had
propofed, was, in my opinion,
of great confequence, and very
unlikely to be agreed to by who
ever might approve the treaty.
Spain might then poffibly be
joined to the empire, &c. He
did own it would have difficul-
ties, and faid, the French king
would not hearken to any pro-
pofal but by common confent.
I must take notice to your lord-
fhip, that monfieur de Villars
was only acquainted with the
firft propofition, viz. that of the
Indies, and even that was not
communicated to Mr. Hop. I
have not taken any notice of
all this matter to monfieur de

Zinzendorf,

1700.

Will. III. ferences, the strongest resentment at the conduct of the maritime powers, not unmixed with terms of disrespect towards king

1700.