informed of the fentiments of the queen of Great-Britain, by 1709. the return of the duke of Marlborough.

The duke, who made but a fhort ftay in England, returned to the Hague, the 18th of May. The first thing he did was to confer with prince Eugene, who arrived there fix days before from Bruffels, and had the fatisfaction, in his conferences with the penfionary, to receive fresh assurances, "That the ftates would never separate from the ge"neral intereft and scope of the grand alliance, upon any "private confiderations whatsoever." With the duke of Marlborough went over the lord viscount Townshend, as ambaffador extraordinary, and joint plenipotentiary with him, the duke reckoning the load too great to bear it wholly himfelf. The choice was well made; for as lord Townfhend had great parts, had improved these by travelling, and was by much the most shining perfon of all our young nobility, and had, on many occafions, diftinguished himself very eminently; fo he was a man of great integrity, and of good principles in all refpects, free from all vice, and of an engaging converfation. Upon their arrival, the president of the week and the penfionary went together to the duke, to compliment him on the part of the states, and at the fame time to confer with him, which they did for about an hour and an half, and then they returned to the affembly of the ftates-general. The fame evening the marquis de Torcy went alone to the duke of Marlborough's lodgings, and had a conference of above two hours with him and the lord Townshend. The 19th in the morning the marquis paid another vifit to the duke, and they both went together to prince Eugene's apartment, where they likewife conferred for fome time. In the evening, thofe two princes went to the penfionary, who acquainted them with the refolution of the ftates-general, not to accept the offers made by the French minifters, nor to take one step farther, but in concert with all the allies. This determination was very satisfactory for the duke and prince Eugene, and begat fuch an unanimity and good harmony among all the confederate ministers, as intirely baffled all the fecret defigns of France, notwithstanding the marquis de Torcy managed his purpose very artfully, and did all he could to amufe them with half promifes and faint denials.

On the 20th, in the morning, the duke and prince Eugene, together with the lord Townfhend, returned the vifit they had received from monfieur de Torcy, where Rouillé, who, till then, had been with no other minifters but Buys

and

1709. and Vanderduffen, was presented to these great generals and minifters. This fame day, the French ministers carried the amufement fo far, as to declare, that their mafter confented to the demolition of Dunkirk; that he would abandon the pretender, and fend him out of his dominions; that he would acknowledge the queen's title, and the fucceffion eftablished on the house of Hanover; that he would renounce all pretenfions to the Spanish monarchy, and yield up such places as the Dutch demanded for ther barrier. With refpect to the empire, the French offered to restore all things, as they were fettled by the treaty of Ryfwick, and to demolish the fortifications of Strasburgh. But the allies infifting on fome other articles, namely, the reftitution of Upper and Lower Alface to the empire, Torcy declared he had no power to make any further conceffions, broke up the conference, and fent to the penfionary to defire paffes to return home. However, upon fecond thoughts, and as they pretended, at the defire of monfieur Petkum, refident of Holftein, the French minifters confented to fufpend their departure; and, on the 21ft, Torcy went alone to the penfionary, to agree about another conference, which was held at fix o'clock in the evening; and notwithstanding the French minifters had declared the day before, that they could not inlarge their offers, they now propofed to furrender Strafburgh in its present condition. The allies not being satisfied with the proposals made in this conference, another was appointed for the 22d, in the morning, which proved likewife unfuccefsful. Whereupon the French declared, that they were refolved to go away; and, the better to demonftrate their seriousness in this refolution, they fent again to the penfionary for passes, and took their leave of prince Eugene and the duke of Marlborough, and the ministers of the neutral princes; but the states having, the fame evening, fent them paffes, and the penfionary intimated to them, that they were not hereafter to expect any paffport for their return to the Hague; and confidering, on the other hand, how unconcerned the minifters of the allies were at the threats of their departure, they were eafily perfuaded to ftay, at the defire (as they ftill pretended) of fome neutral minifters; and, the better to colour the matter, they fent, on the 23d of May, an express to the court of France for new inftructions. The fame day, in the morning, another conference was held from nine o'clock, till about two in the afternoon; wherein they began to fet down fome articles in writing, and agreed to meet again about fix in the evening.

evening. That afternoon count Zinzendorf, the emperor's 1709. plenipotentiary, arrived at the Hague, and went immediately with monfieur Heems, the imperial minifter, to pay a vifit to prince Eugene and the duke of Marlborough; with whom, together, with the penfionary, count Gallas, and the lord Townshend, the French minifters had another conference in relation to the fecurity of the execution, of the points agreed on. But, though this conference lafted from fix till eleven o'cock, in the evening, yet nothing was concluded in it. The 24th, in the morning, the French minifters had another interview with the deputies of the ftates, who gave an account of what had passed in it to the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene; and, the fame evening, there was another meeting, wherein they resumed the debate relating to the security of the performance of the articles agreed on, particularly the evacuation of the Spanish dominions. For this the allies demanded feveral cautionary towns; but the French refused to give any, infifting, That the engagement, which the most chriftian king offered to enter into, to recall his troops from Spain, and his promise to ⚫ give no manner of affistance to king Philip, was a sufficient fecurity, fince that prince, being thus forfaken by his grandfather, would be obliged to quit Spain; and the rather, because the Spaniards, in fuch a cafe, would certainly declare for king Charles.' This occafioned warm debates; but at laft it was agreed, that France fhould deliver up fome places in the Netherlands, that were to be part of the barrier, cefore they entered upon the general negotiations of peace. On the 25th and 26th, there was no interview with the French ministers; but the duke of Marlborough, prince Eugene, the lord Townshend, and count Zinzendorf, had feveral conferences with the penfionary and the deputies of the ftates, wherein they acquainted the new imperial plenipotentiary with what had been tranfacted fince the beginning of this negotiation, and agreed on the further demands to be made to the French minifters. A conference being held on the 27th, in the morning, at which count Zinzendorf affifted for the firft time, thofe demands were communicated to Torcy and Rouillé, who defired fome time to confider of them. But the duke of Marlborough having fent them word, that he and prince Eugene had determined to fet out for Flanders within two days, they promised to return an answer at fix in the evening in another conference, which lafted till two o'clock in the morning. After many difputes, the French feemed to comply with all the preliminary articles infifted on by the confederates. VOL. XVII.

L

The

1709.

naries agreed

on.

The foundation of the whole treaty was, the restoring of the whole Spanish monarchy to king Charles, within two The prelimi- months: Torcy faid, the time was too fhort, and that, perhaps, it was not in the king of France's power to bring that about; for the Spaniards feemed refolved to stick to king Philip. It was, upon this, infifted on, that the king of France fhould be obliged to concur with the allies, to force it by all proper methods: but this was not farther explained, for the allies were well affured, that if it was fincerely intended by France, there would be no great difficulty in bringing it about. This, therefore, being laid down as the bafis of the treaty, the other preliminaries related to the reftoring all the places in the Netherlands, except Cambray and St. Omer; the demolishing or reftoring of Dunkirk the reftoring of Strafburg, Brifack, and Hunningen to the empire, Newfoundland to England; and Savoy to that duke, befides his continuing poffeffed of all, he then had in his hands; the acknowledging the king of Pruffia's royal dignity, and the electorate in the house of Brunswick; the fending the pretender out of France, and the owning the fucceffion to the crown of England, as it was fettled by law. As all the great interests were provided for, by these prelimi naries; fo all other matters were reserved to be confidered, when the treaty of peace should be opened: a ceflation of all hoftilities was to begin, within two months, and to continue till all was concluded by a compleat treaty, and ratified: provided the Spanish monarchy was then intirely reftored. The French minifters feemed to be confounded at thefe demands: but, in conclufion, pretended to fubmit to them (p). Torcy told the minifters, he would fet out for Paris

(p) The preliminary articles were as follows:

1. That a firm and lafting peace be forthwith treated of,

&c.

2. That to that end prelimi-
nary articles be agreed on, &c.
3.

That the moft chriftian
king fhall acknowledge king
Charles III. king of Spain, &c.

4. The treaty fhall be finished in two months, during which time Sicily fhall be put into the hands of king Charles; and the duke

of Anjou fhall evacuate Spain, which, if he refuses to confent to, the French king and the allies fhall enter into proper measures, that this article may have intire effect.

5. That the French king fhall, within that time, withdraw his troops out of Spain, &c. and not affift the duke of Anjou for the future with troops, artillery, ammunition, or money.

6. The monarchy of Spainfhall remain intire in the houfe of

Auftria,

Paris immediately, to lay the whole before his moft chriftian majesty, and at parting defired the ratifications might be returned

17. Dunkirk fhall be demo- barrier. lished.

1709.