1700. . Will.III. pended wholly on his preservation and that of his government, 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 Queenfberry and the earl of Argyle, and, in reward of it, the one had a garter, and the other was made a duke. The death of Spain. Burnet. Nov. 1. 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 Spain's health. When the news came to the court of France, that he was in the last agony, monfieur de Torcy, the French fecretary of ftate, was fent to the earl of Manchester, the English ambaffador there, defiring him to let the king his master 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 refolution 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 should die without children, or fhould inherit the crown of France, then the whole Spanish monarchy fhould go to the duke of Berry; and, if the fame fhould 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 archduchefles. 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 PortocarJero, 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 Austria would not be able to engage in its interefts) had been prevailed on to prepare and publifh this will; and to make it more OF ENGLAND 43 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, earl of Jersey. The earl of Manchester 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 looseness, that his phyficians believed he could not live a week. Last 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 loosenefs 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 Paris, Octob. 11, 1700. Monfieur de Torcy told me, That they had an exprefs 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 which further refolutions, fince the cafe might foon happen, would oblige them to take fuch meafures as would be proper, in cafe the emperor did not think fit to fign the treaty. Monnot perfieur de Torcy made an excufe, that the time did mit the firft 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 twentyforces, which will amount to Will. III. As foon as the news came to Rome, it quickened the in1700. trigues of the conclave, fo they fet up cardinal Albano, a Clement XI. chofen pope. twenty fix thousand foot. There is to be alfo one of the horfe; 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, because all of the council of Spain are entirely for the duke of Anjou; Cardinal Portocarrero and count Aguilar, who were in the queen's intereft, being alfo for it; and they flatter themselves, 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 fhip will fend me what directions his majefty thinks proper, in cafe this fhould happen, that I may act accordingly. Monfieur Schonenberg to the earl of Manchester. Madrid, Octob. 21, 1700. It feems, 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, fo that, if no relapfe, or unforeseen accident, comes across, the phyficians judge, unanimously, that he is abfolutely out of danger. In the mean while, his majesty fuffered himself to be perfuaded, when he was in the highest of his illnefs, 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 shews 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 trusted, 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 OF ENGLAND. 45 man of fifty-two years of age; who, beyond all men's ex- Will. III. pectation, was chofen pope, and took the name of Cle confide in thofe who inspired him with a refolution to make a will. The earl of Manchefter to Mr. 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 himself, 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 greatest 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 witneffes to it, it is certain, they have been ever that way difpofed, to prevent their monarchy's being difmembered. Some letters do aifo fay, That, fince that the queen has prevailed with him to add a codicil: That fome, that were are named for the regency 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. ment The emperor's envoy is gone. Mr. Stanhope to the earl of Hague, Octob. zz, 1700. The king arrived here laft night His majesty questioned me this morning what news of the king of Spain. I had not then received your advices, but answered him to the fame purHe inpofe, by what don Quiros had communicated to me. tends 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 majetty's prefence here, or in England, be of greater concern, I fall 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 1700. Will. III. ment XI. He had little practice in affairs, but was very 1700. learned; and in fo critical a time, it seems, a pope of cou tain as the marquis d'Harcourt, raifed the fiege of Fontarabia with dishonour, 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 Madrid, Octob. 22, 1700. fecond fon of the Dauphin, The earl of Manchester to the 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 that he is rather better, it being the best account that is come. have had none from Mr. Schonenberg this poft, which I wonder at. The Spanish ambassador has a letter figned by the king himself, as others were that went into Italy. Notwithstanding all this, monfieur d'Harcourt set out yesterday for Catalonia, and the troops are 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 favour of a prince of France for king of Spain has made, is in the whole fucceffion. Whether we fhall agree to that, is anowilling to accept of it. I fupther question, if France was with the count de la Tour. His pofe you have had work enough mafter would fain find his account in this affair, as I perceive by his minister; and the common report is, that he would Naples, which they will hardly give Savoy to France in lieu of perfuade them to with all their rhetoric. [While king William was at Loo, the count de la Tour, the duke of Savoy's minister, came with a fecret commiffion from his mafter. Don Bernardo de Quiros imagined it was to try to |