the allies, who were defired to use their interest with their respective masters, that their troops might be in a readiness to begin the campaign as early as poffible, as the most effectual means to force the common enemy to accept fuch conditions, as might fecure a fafe and lafting peace.

Six days after, an exprefs from the French plenipotentiaries arrived at the Hague, and acquainted the penfionary, that they had received an answer from the court to their last dispatches; and defired, either that they might be permitted to come to the Hague, or that the states deputies might again confer with them at Gertruydenberg. The first being denied, and the latter granted, meffieurs Buys and Vanderduffen fet out for Gertruydenberg, where, on the 21st and 22d of March, they had feveral conferences with the ministers of France, who again proposed a separate peace, exclufive of Spain; offering, as before, all manner of fecurity, that the most chriftian king fhould not affist his grandfon: which being rejected, they proposed several schemes of partition of the Spanish monarchy. They mentioned, in the first place, Naples and Sicily for king Philip: afterwards, that the allies would leave him in poffeffion of the kingdom of Arragon; and laftly, that he would content himfelf with Sicily, Sardinia, and the Spanish places on the coaft of Tuscany. The Dutch deputies told the French minifters, they were furprized to hear of no equivalent for the thirty-feventh article of the preliminaries, as their court had promised, and on which confideration alone the present negotiation was agreed on by the allies; adding; they had nọ power to treat of any partition. Having faid this, they took their leave of the French plenipotentiaries, who sent an express to Verfailles for farther inftructions. On the other hand, Buys and Vanderduffen, being returned to the Hague, made a report of these conferences to the penfionary, in the presence of the imperial and British minifters, who dispatched expreffes to their respective courts, with an account of the proposals made by France, which were alfo communicated to the states of Holland, and other provinces.

On the 22d of March, Petkum went from the Hague to Gertruydenberg, but without any commiffion on the part of the allies, and folely at the defire of the French plenipotentiaries; who, not many days after, having given notice of the return of the exprefs they had fent to their court, the deputies of the states fet out again for Gertruydenberg. In thefe new conferences, the French plenipotentiaries infifted on a partition of the Spanish dominions, according to the fchemes

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1710. fchemes they had proposed before; but feemed, however, to depart from what they had advanced in relation to Sicily and Sardinia, pretending that was only by way of converfation, and demanded either Naples, with the places on the coaft of Tuscany, or the kingdom of Arragon; which occafioned great debates. The French minifters mentioned afterwards the article of fecurity for the performance of what fhould be ftipulated in the preliminaries, and proposed what they expected from the allies for themselves; but would not explain their meaning on the fecurity to be given by France to the allies, for the performance of the preliminaries. The deputies of the ftates, being very much diffatisfied with the plenipotentiaries of France, frankly told them, The allies were tired with this way of treating, and therefore expected a full and clear declaration on the part of France on the matters already debated; or else they • would break off all manner of conference with them. Hereupon d'Uxelles and Polignac defired time to fend another courier to Verfailles for further inftructions, pretending, That the final refolution of their mafter depended upon that of the court of Madrid, which was expected about that time at Verfailles.' This dilatory way of treating confirmed the general opinion, that the French had not a real intention to come to a peace, even by way of partition; and that they had no other defign in these conferences, than either to divide or amufe the allies. In both of which, howPrince Eu- ever, they were equally disappointed: for, prince Eugene gene and the being come to the Hague on the 12th of April, and having, with the duke of Marlborough and the deputies of the ftates, concerted the operations of the next campaign, for the early opening of which great magazines of dry forage and other neceffaries had been provided, thofe two generals fet out, on the 15th, for Tournay, near which place the confederate forces, quartered on the Maefe, and in Brabant and Flanders, were ordered to rendezvous.

duke of

Marlbo

rough fet

Out for
Tournay.

It was by many expected, that the early fuccefs of the confederate armies in paffing the lines, and invefting Doway, would have quickened the negotiation at Gertruydenberg. But Buys and Vanderduflen being again returned thither on the 24th of April, at the defire of the French plenipotentiaries, they had the fame day a conference, in which they defired to know, Whether by the last courier they had received any further inftructions on the grand affair, for which they were come into thefe provinces?' The French minifters answered, they had no other propofals to make,

but

but what they had already offered; and told the deputies, 1710. they had expected the answer of the allies on their proposals. This declaration occafioned fome warm debates among them; and the deputies complained of the infincerity of the French court, telling them in exprefs terms, That the mi• nifters of France having fo often and fo pofitively declared by letters, and otherwife, that their plenipotentiaries were to propofe an expedient for the thirty-feventh article; the allies could not but be furprized, that, after fo many con-, ferences, they should hear nothing from them but a propofal for the partition of the Spanish monarchy.' And fo the conference broke up without any fuccefs. The next morning the deputies of the ftates went to take their leave of the French plenipotentiaries, and infinuated to them in general terms, That the armies being actually in the field, • and no advances made in the late conferences towards pro⚫ curing a general peace, they thought it was to no purpose to continue them.' The French minifters alledged, they had made feveral propófals, which, in their opinion, might have conduced to a general peace; and that they wondered the allies had made none on their part, fince they were not fatisfied with thofe of France. They defired likewise the Dutch deputies to give them their anfwer or declaration in writing, that they might tranfmit it to their court: but, this being denied, the deputies took their leaves, and the French plenipotentiaries difpatched d'Uxelles's fecretary to Verfailles. Many were ftill of opinión, that the late fuccefs of the allies, and the fiege of Doway, would have obliged the court of France to alter their style; and it was then ftrongly reported, that, in the council held at Versailles, upon the first advice of the allies having paffed the lines, there appeared a great divifion among the princes of the blood; fome infifting upon the neceffity of peace to preserve France from intire ruin; and others perfifting in their former opinion, that it was better to venture the fate of another campaign, than to fubmit to fuch ignominious terms, as were infifted on by the confederates.

Upon the report made at the Hague by Buys and Vanderduffen of the laft fruitlefs conferences, the imperial minister thought fit to declare, That the emperor, his mafter, • could not confent to any partition of the Spanish dominions; and therefore propofed, that the French plenipo• tentiaries fhould be forthwith difmiffed.' But the Dutch were of a different opinion, alledging, that, fince the French ministers had sent an exprefs to their court, it was but rea

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1709. fonable to expect his return, and fee whether the late progrefs of the confederate arms had caufed any alteration in the measures of that court. The exprefs being returned on the 3d of May, the French plenipotentiaries wrote the next day the following letter to Petkum :

"We could wifh our conferences had produced a peace; "but, as we have no order to make any other proposition than those we have already made, we patiently expect, "that the deputies will come hither, to declare themselves "in a more open manner than they have done hitherto, or "to give us our difmiffion; or, at least, that the penfionary will send us an order to be gone."

66

This letter being communicated to the ftates-general, and by the penfionary to the imperial and British minifters, it was thought fit to impart it to all the minifters of the allies, who, being met on the 9th of May, unanimously refolved, monfieur Petkum fhould be defired to write to the French plenipotentiaries, That, feeing they had nothing further to propofe, and the allies nothing more to fay than what they had faid before, it was to no purpose to continue ufelefs conferences; but he fhould avoid to fpeak any thing of difmiffion, or order to depart. Petkum having writ a letter to that purpose to the French plenipotentiaries, they fent him the next day an answer, importing, They were extremely concerned to fee, that, notwithstanding all the advances of the king their mafter for procuring peace, the ftates and the allies fo refolutely refused it; and, fince it was thought fit to break off the negotiations, they were preparing to depart. Upon this declaration, it was generally believed the French plenipotentiaries would have fet out for Paris, for which purpose they had caufed their baggage to be packed up. But, having received another courier from Verfailles, they gave notice of it to Petkum, defiring, at the fame time, that the states would once more send their deputies to Gertruydenberg. These new conferences met with fome difficulties, count Zinzendorf, the imperial minifter, having infifted on his being present: but his demand being over-ruled (by reafon the other minifters of the allies, particularly British, might with equal juftice have claimed the fame privilege) Buys and Vanderduffen set out the 23d of May for Gertruydenberg. Being returned to the Hague, they made the next day their report to the penfionary, in the prefence of the imperial and British mini

fters,

ters, to this effect: After many proteftations of their

after's fincere inclination to peace, the French plenipotentiaries faid, his most chriftian majefty had been prevailed upon to recede from the former demand he had made of Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, and the places on the coaft of Tuscany; and therefore was willing, that Naples should remain to the house of Auftria, and that king Philip fhould content himself with Sicily, Sardinia, and the places on the coast of Tuscany. The deputies upon this thought fit, without granting any part of the proposals, to ask the French plenipotentiaries, what fecurity they had to propose to the allies for the evacuation of Spain and the Indies by the duke of Anjou, fuppofing that thefe proposals of a partition fhould be accepted. But they declined to give them any fatisfactory answer. Whereupon the deputies told them, the allies being daily more and more convinced, that the French court continued the negotiation, not out of a fincere defire of peace, but only to encourage their subjects to bear the more patiently the burthen of the war, they would be obliged to break off all further conferences with them, to remove all occafions of jealousy amongst themselves. The French made great proteftations of their mafter's fincerity; and faid, they would send him another exprefs, with an account of these conferences.

1710.

The Dutch deputies having made the like report to the ftates of Holland, they took no final resolution, but deferred it to another meeting, in order to give the French plenipotentiaries time to receive new inftructions from their court; which they did the 6th of June, and immediately writ a letter to Petkum, with one inclosed for the penfionary, acquainting him, that, having new overtures to make, they defired that meffieurs Buys and Vanderduffen would once again return to Gertruydenberg. The imperial plenipotentiary renewed his former pretenfion of affifting at the conferences; and being again refused, and his orders from Vienna, to perfift in his demand, being pofitive he sent an express to prince Eugene for his opinion, who advised him to follow the example of the British minifters, whofe miftrefs, though fhe contributed more to the war than any other of the allies, was yet fo well fatisfied of the wisdom and integ rity of the ftates-general, as to truft to them that preliminary negotiation of peace.

Buys and Vanderduffen being abfent from the Hague, when the French courier, fent to Petkum, arrived there, they did not fet out, for Gertruydenberg till the 14th of June.

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The