are bark, the eighth of next month this ftyle, at Antibes-All the forces that were in Catalonia and towards Bayonne, marching into Dauphiné. The army that is intended for Italy, is to confift of fixty battalions and eighty fquadrons of horfe; four lieutenant generals, and fix major-generals. The two firft of the lieutenant-generals are to embark with these fixteen battalions. It is faid, that the whole army will amount to forty thoufand men, if there be occafion. There is no doubt but they will fend what they can, fince they may by these means not only appofe the Imperialifts entering into Italy, but they may attack them in their country. I was yesterday to make a vifit of ceremony to monfieur de Chamillard. I was willing to know his thoughts a little on what has happened, by way of difcourfe, which cannot have any confequences. His expreffron as to Holland, was, that he owned it was very difficult to prevent people's fears of what may happen hereafter; but that in great measure it may be done by making of leagues offenfive and defenfive with each other, &c. and that the king would contribute all he could towards it. It is certain, that at prefent they do not defire to break with England. What they will aim at, here, is the fending the Dutch troops out of Flanders, and I am fatisfied that is their defign; fo that it is very proper that monfieur de Tallard fhould be brought to explain himself on that fubject. His coming fo abruptly to Hampton-Court, before he had an anfwer from you, fhews the na Count Tallard has not been at court fince his audience on Wednesday, nor have I seen him, or heard from him, fince I made him my vifit that day. I do not know, whether he has taken any thing amifs; that he can have no reafon for it, you will judge by the accounts I have fent you. If you find, therefore, that the accounts he has writ into France are different from what I fent you last poft, you will endeavour to make things rightly understood, that we may not fall into coolneffes upon being misapprehended. But this referved humour, M. de Tallard feems to be in, looks as if he had writ fomething home, upon which he expected further orders. The earl of Manchester to Mr. fecretary Vernon. Paris, Dec. 29, 1700. Monfieur de Torcy mentioned to me the project of a league between England, France, Spain, and Holland, for the fecuring of Flanders; and any other prince may come into it. Monfieur Lelienroot, had made this propofal; and the king, here, Will. III. is ready to confent to it, and give all fort of affurances, that 1700. can be defired; and he hoped, I had, or would acquaint the king with the disposition they were in, to contribute towards the public peace. I faid, That it could not be doubted, but the king had the fame defire and concern for the peace of Europe, which was manifeft by the treaty and it was plain, that he could have no other profpect. As to the propofal of monfieur Lelienroot, I knew nothing of it; but, I fuppofed, the meaning of it was, that all things in Flanders fhould remain as they are. Then he explained himfelf, and faid, That, as the king did not intend to fend any troops there, fo it could not be expected, that the Dutch fhould itay there, except only fuch as belong to the king of Spain. I have long perceived, that this was their defign; I only faid, that I thought Spain could never apprehend any thing from the Dutch troops remaining there, though I could not tell but it might give apprehenfions to others, if they were removed. He would have argued the matter, but I avoided it. I am confident, that, if in Spain it fhould be approved of, it will be oppofed here: yet, if the emperor can make any head, fo as to be able to give them trouble, and Portugal thould be diffatisfied, as I hear they are, I cannot but think they may be brought to to what terms we please. Monfieur Schonenberg to the earl of Manchester. Madrid, Dec. 30, 1700. The affairs here continue to reprefent a lively image of the inconftancy of human affairs, the regency of Spain doing all that it can to draw on it the yoke of France; but, provided England and Holland keep firm, there may be means found to make them return to their true intereft, and to maintain the new king in a convenient independency. The earl of Manchester to Mr. fecretary Vernon. Paris, Jan. 1, 1701. I cannot in the least complain of monfieur de Torcy. He is extremely civil to me; but, in general, there is a mighty fhynefs, of which I take no fort of notice, and do as I used to do. All things move, here, as the king takes notice of them; and, fince the accepting of the will, he has never spoken a word to me, though I continue to make my court every Tuefday. I am told, That the French king has wrote again to the States, to declare themfelves, by fuch a time; else he shall lock upon them, as taking meafures with the emperor, and act accordingly, to prevent their defigns. By what I perceive of things, this was not fo peremptory as it was faid, "though, that Will. III. 1700. that they will press the States is not to be doubted. I am in- The earl of Manchefter to Mr. formed, juft now, That an exprefs is come from Madrid; and that the regents have defired the French king to accept the generalfhip of the monarchy of Spain; and, that they have fent orders to all the viceroys, governors, &c. in all parts, to obey his orders punctually, in all matters whatfoever. If this be true, as it is very probable, one may judge what will be the confequence. Mr. Secretary Vernon to the earl of Manchester. Whitehall, Dec. 23, Your excellency's letter, of the 29th inftant, arrived yefterday; and, as foon as I had decyphered it, I laid it before his majefty, being then at Hampton court. His majesty commanded me to acquaint you, That he does not know what monfieur de Lelienroot's project is, any further than the account you give of it; nor does he know upon what grounds he propofes it; but he supposes it arifes from monfieur Lelienroot, or monfieur Palmguift, without any directions from the king of Sweden. His majefty approves of what you replied to monfieur de Torcy, upon his explaining, That it was the intention of that court, not to allow of the continuance of the Dutch troops in Flanders. If thefe methods are purfued, it will be hard to make it underflood, that they are meant to free people from their jealoufies and apprehenfions. fecretary Vernon. Paris, Jan. 8, 1701. I had the favour of your's of Decemb. 23. I take it, that the propofals, which monfieur Lelienroot makes, are of himfelf, and not by order; and that monfieur Palmguift does the fame thing here. They might have their ends in it, for the fervice of their mafter; but the fuccefs the king of Sweden has had lately, may be, will put an end to all thofe projects. Mr. fecretary Vernon to the Whitehall, Dec, 30, 1700, O. S. Count Wratislaw, the emperor's envoy, arrived here on Saturday laft. He goes, to morrow, to Hampton-Court, where his majefty has appointed him a private audience. I hear, he already begins to difcourfe of both the emperor's pretenfions, as well to the Spanish fucceffion, as to the fief of Milan; and that they are publishing a manifefto at Vienna, in maintenance of each of thofe titles; and are refolved to juftify them, though they ftand alone in the defence of them; but, they say, they cannot fall alone, fince their ruin muft draw others after them. His majefly is not very well; his appetite abates, and his legs are more swelled; but it chiefly arifes from great thoughtfulness, in relation to the public. The Will.III. 1700. The earl of Manchefter to Paris, Jan. 12, 1701. ther on the defenfive. They are too fenfible of the condition of France, where there are no means left to raise any confiderable fum, but by a capitation, which is already figned; but, unless there be occafion, it will not be levied. It is a very hard tax on the people, especially when all other impofitions remain as they were during the late war, with an augmentation of five millions of livres for this year. The lottery, which it was thought, would have fucceeded, comes to nothing. It is now thought, here, that the war in Italy is certain; and this court endeavours to perfuade the pope, and the rest of the princes of Italy, to form a league againft the emperor; for, fay they, without fomething of that nature is done, that country will, in all likelihood, be the feat of war. The earl of Manchester to Paris, Jan. 15, 1701. There is nothing now left to make the great union betwixt France and Spain compleat, but the fettling their trade; and it is faid, that all the impofitions on the produce of Spain will be taken off here, as the like will be done there, in relation to the produce of France. Several other regulations are confidering of, and there is no doubt but France will find their account. The great point will be, whether France can furnish them with commodities proper for the Indies; if fo, we may greatly suffer. The himself declared lord-lieutenant of Ireland (a); and, that the Will.III. moft eminent man of the Whigs might not oppofe them in 1700. the new parliament, they got Mr. Montague, now auditor The earl of Manchefter to Paris, Jan. 19, 1701. I often meet the Spanish ambassador, and I obferve your directions. I do not in the leaft take notice to him of what his majefty's intentions are. He began to talk with me yesterday at Versailles, and afked me, whether we would break with them; making many profeffions, that whatever had paffed, yet in Spain they had the fame defire to cultivate and increase, if poffible, the friendship with his majefty. I told him, that I did not know, but that there might be the fame defire on the king my mafter's part; but that he muft allow, that the late proceedings of the regents cannot but have given great jealoufies to Europe, and the regents had acted as if they were defirous of being in a manner tributary to France, which would be alfo of fatal confequence to themselves at laft. His answer was natural enough: he said, What would you have them do, whilft they are threatened with war from all parts, and are not in a condition to help themselves? But, if there was any difpofition on our fide to continue the ancient good understanding, we fhould foon fee another effect. This he fpake in a manner as if he had orders for what he faid; and, that, if I doubted, he might venture to give it under his hand, that they would renew all treaties, &c. (a) The king writ the follow- Loo, Aug. 15, 1700. It is fome time fince I received your letter of the 13th of July, in which you defire to know on whom I have caft my eyes for the government of Ireland; and, as I am fure, that what Í write you will be fecret, I fcruple not to tell you, that I intend to give it to lord Rochester, and to declare it at my return to England; but he will not go to Ireland till the next spring. You will eafily conceive the reafons of it. I fhall expect your thoughts of a matter that concerns you, and you may always rely on my friendship. William R. of |