But the emperor's minifter at Paris, foon hearing what had Will. III. paffed, expreffed great furprize to the earl of Manchester, and 1700-1. faid, that this ftep, would difcourage the emperor's friends. The earl answered, that it was no more than what the Statesgeneral had done, and that he saw how the empire itself was divided. the States. Mr. Stanhope likewife complimented the Spanish ambassa- D'Avaux's dor at the Hague, upon the recognition of the king of Spain memorial to by king William, while monfieur d'Avaux, the French am- Apr. 19. baffador at the Hague, prefented an amufing memorial to the N. S. States-general, fetting forth, "That having tranfmitted their Cole, p. 381 "refolution of the firft of April to his mafter, wherein they "defired the negotiations might be refumed, in conjunction "with the king of England's envoy, for maintaining the "peace of Europe, and providing for their own fecurity; "and that their lordships having at the fame time declared, "they wished, nothing fo much, as that thofe negotiations. "might be brought to a speedy and good conclufion with his "mafter; "to whom he had given an account of the answer "he gave their lordships concerning the admittance of the English envoy, and he had entirely approved the fame, and "was pleased with the affurances given by their lordships of "the defire they had to preferve the peace. And, as his "majefty continued in the refolution of maintaining the pub"lic tranquility, he would confent to every expedient, that "might conduce towards fecuring the common good and re"pole of Chriftendom; and that, in order thereunto, his "majesty had no fooner been acquainted with their lordships defign of renewing the conferences, but he had com"manded his ambaffador to resume the fame, and continue "at the Hague." refufe to Notwithstanding this fpecious declaration, the defign of The States the French politics was ftill to keep out the English envoy, treat but in and to engage the States to treat feparately. The Dutch de- conjunction puties immediately apprehended their meaning by the ambi- with Engguity of the memorial, and therefore preffed count d'Avaux land. to explain himfelf, letting him know at the fame time, that the States would not enter into any negotiation with France, but in conjunction with England, their interefts in this cafe being infeparable; and that they must infift upon a pofitive anfwer to that point, especially now that his Britannic majefty's owning the king of Spain had removed the principal objection, that was before infifted upon against treating with the minifters of England. The French ambaffador, to delay his anfwer, defired time to fend for new inftructions to H 4 court, Will. III. court, which they appeared no way forward to fend him ; 1700-1. their defign being to draw the bufinefs into a confiderable length; which gave them opportunity to ftrengthen themfelves daily on the frontiers of Holland, and to fecure the Milanefe. And prefs the king for fuccour. Two or three fruitless conferences paffed at the Hague, wherein the French ambaffador was still attempting to draw in the States to treat alone, without the concurrence of England, which they would by no means agree to. His majesty, in return, did all that lay in his power to aflift them; for which end he sent the three Scots regiments, retained in his own pay in Scotland, over into Holland. When the States had procured all poffible fupplies and reinforcements by their money and intereft from princes abroad, and had exerted their power to the utmost at hoine, they wrote a letter to the king, to inform him how matters ftood with them, and to defire the troops to be fent over to their affiftance without delay, as ftipulated by the treaty of 1677 (c). Upon which the king, on the 8th of May, fent this meflage to the houfe of commons. << William (c) This letter was as follows likewife a copy to this letter. (Cole, p. 379.) SIR, After the proteftations, which we have made to your majefty, in our laft letter, of the 23d of April, not to enter into any negotiation with France, but in concert with England, we have thought fit to ask of the count d'Avaux, ambaffador extraordinary of his moft Chriftian majefty, if he was inclined and authorized to re-enter into the negotiation, in the manner it was begun, in conjunction with the minifter of your majefty; as you may fee, by our refolution of the 2d of this month, here annexed. Count d'Avaux, having fent this to his moft Chriftian majefty, prefented us, after the return of his courier, with the memorial, of which we join We have immediately communicated it to Mr. Stanhope, envoy extraordinary from your majefty, and after having concerted with him about it, we found in the faid memorial, certain obfcurities, which made us doubt of its true fense: For that reafon we thought it neceffary to fhew the count d'Avaux the letter, which we did ourfelves, the honour to write to your majefty, on the 23d of April laft, and our engagements to take no meafures in the negociation, but in concert with you. The count d'Avaux answered our deputies, That he was come hither only to treat about means to preferve the general peace, and to eftablifh our particular fecurity: That, if we concert on this with your majefty, he had nothing to fay against it; and that he was con ' "William R. H'S Will. III. 1700-1. IS Majefty having lately received an account from The king's Mr. Stanhope of the prefent pofture of affairs in message to "Holland, and likewife a letter from the States-general, the com"which is of the greatest importance. And his majefty, > account. "who has fo perfect a knowledge of their country, being contented, that your majefty's envoy fhould affift at the conferences to be held about this; but that he was not at all authorized to enter into a negotiation with us, about the interefts of England, which were to be treated of elsewhere. Upon this, our deputies reprefented, That in the conferences about a general peace, your majefty was equally concerned with us: That our fecurity could not, by any means, be feparated from that of England: That the two nations had, in this, a common intereft; and that we could not but look upon your majefty as a • principal party concerned, as much as we, in the prefent negotiations, without our injuring your majefty. But, notwithtanding feveral inftances of our deputies, and all the reasons they could alledge, count, d'Avaux perfifted in the forementioned anfwer, faying, That he had no other orders: That he would fend our refolution (of which your majefty will here fee the copy) to the court of France, without giving the leaft hopes of an anfwer conformable to our fentiments. Upon the report, which has been made to us, we have judged, that thus they would feparate the interefts of England from thofe of our republic. We look upon them as <intirely infeparable; and as it is a plain cafe that they are fo, we could draw no other conclufion from this proceeding, but that, on the fide of France, there was a defign to end the conferences, and to confent to none of the fecarities demanded, which are fo neceffary to the preservation of the kingdoms of your majesty, and of our republic. We are obliged to give your majefty notice of all this. We proteft, that, our interefts being the fame with thofe of your majesty, in this negotiation, and infeparable one from the other, we fhall not fuffer them to be diviIn the ded in any manner. mean while, Sir, we cannot but reprefent to your majesty the preffing occafion we have to be affifted, without loss of time, if we will prevent the ruin we are threatened with, and the apparent danger, in which we are. You know to the bottom, the fate of our affairs; and you can eafily judge, if it be poffible, in the fituation in which we are, to refift forces fo much fuperior, It is as thofe of France are. that which made us defire, with fo much earneftnefs, the execution of the treaty, which received the approbation of the parliament, in the year 1678, betwixt king Charles II. of glorious memory, and this State. We mons on that • Will. III. court, which. . 1700-1. their design b length; whic!. felves daily on Milanefe. And prefs Two or th the king for wherein the fuccour. (c) T (Cole, p SII Afte we ha in our April gotia Conc tho: d'A dir. jeft the got Bec min ma the nex fent maje retur. meme ancreate thote of as we are aimoi 4. all fides, excepc the fea. See here. any difguife, the 20, which we find sauce without ad gwhat is fact. aure, that, as your rands our affairs ni, you will agree prefent our con, than it was duawar, and worfe entually at war; *se forts under the rirong places, our frontiers, ug able to hinght do, if we oblige us to Aitate of de a if we were ov overflowand even to >ecure our .:rced to em ed all those we om his majefty, may more fully appear. And his ma- Will. III. ty does not doubt, but this houfe will be fo juftly fenfi- 1700-1. of thofe immediate dangers, to which they ftand expofed, as to take the fame into their most serious and efactual confideration; it being moft evident, that the fafety England, as well as the very being of Holland, does ry much depend upon your refolution in this matter." is meffage was confidered the next day, and the com- The refoluo refolved, “That they will effectually affift his majesty fupport his allies, in maintaining the liberty of Europe, d will immediately provide fuccours for the Statesneral, according to the treaty of the 3d of March 1677." is refolution being prefented to the king by the whole ie, May the 10th, he gave them the following answer: è could bear in an open war; that our fubjects fuffer, alay, more than they did duthe last war. Hitherto, winter has ferved us as a fort ecurity. That feafon is over we are at the brink of being aded and overturned every ment, if we do not get mpt fuccours. We promise felves, Sir, that it will come n your fide, efpecially, fince has pleafed your majefty to Lure us, that your parliament and taken resolutions, that were avourable for us. As our necellity is preffing, we pray you to confider well the extremity in which we are, and the impoffibility of avoiding our intire ruin, and the overthrow of our republic, if we are left in this condition. We believe, Sir, that the intereft of England are fo ftrictly united with ours, that we would fooner expose ourselves to all hazards, than fuffer, that they fhould be feparated, or take any measures, but in concert with your majefty. It is quite unneceffary to reprefent to you, that the prefervation of your own kingdoms ought to induce you to prevent our ruin, whilft we Your majesty's The States-General 13, 1701. J. Van Wicher. By their order, F. Fagel. "Gentlemen, tion of the commons. |