ing the the lord-keeper to affix the great-feal to an inftrument thereto annexed, meaning the full powers; yet moft of those, who fo readily concurred in treating with the minister of France, declined becoming parties, when the treaty was to be concluded; and fo the special preliminaries between Great-Britain and France, figned by Mesnager on the 27th of September, were accepted and figned only by the earl of Dartmouth and Mr. fecretary St. John, by virtue of a warrant directed to them two only, and figned by the queen. And it is obfervable, that neither this, nor any one paper of powers or inftructions, throughout this whole affair was counter-figned by any one minifter, but the queen's name exposed to cover all, in cafe this clandeftine negotiation fhould at laft prove abortive, and be afterwards inquired into: and, the English ministry having every where extolled the great advantages, that were granted to GreatBritain, France made a proper use of it, and declared, That those articles were an eventual or conditional treaty only; and that the French king would not be obliged to make them good, but in case of the figning of a general peace.' In this fenfe Mefnager figned them; and by this means the queen was brought into this dilemma, either to go on through all adventures in the measures of France, or they had it in their power by divulging the fecret, and expofing such a notorious breach of national faith, to make what advantage they thought fit among the allies; who, from this time, must think themselves difengaged from the queen, if they could find their own account in feparate meafures. The fame day, that the fpecial preliminaries were thus accepted, another fet of general preliminary articles on the part of France were figned by Meinager; as was also a separate article in favour of the duke of Savoy, whereby the French king promised to restore to that prince the territories, which belonged to him at the beginning of the prefent war; and to confent, that there be alfo yielded to him fuch other places in Italy, as fhould be found agreeable to the fenfe of the treaties between him and his allies.' From this a perfect confidence was established between the two miniftries of England and France; and, in the letters written in the month of October, a mutual fincerity was recommended and engaged for, and, that a perfect unanimity fhould be maintained for accomplishing the work. The earl of Strafford's inftructions, in order to his immediate return into Holland, were now preparing, and dated October 1, O. S. and as an early proof of the con fidence, 1711. 1711. fidence, which Mr. St. John repofed in the French minifter, he acquainted Torcy by his letter of October 2, O. S. that the earl of Strafford was going for Holland, and faid, Your minifter,' (meaning Mefnager, who was then going back to France, and carried this letter) is fully informed in what the earl of Strafford is to propofe to the ftates.' Such intelligence of the queen's counfels, which Mr. St. John confeffed he had given to the minifters of the queen's enemies, feems very extraordinary; especially when it is confidered, that the earl of Strafford was fent over to prefs the opening the general conferences, with affurances of the greatest friendship and concern for the interefts of the ftates on the part of the queen, and by her authority to procure from France juft fatisfaction for all her allies; and in his inftructions, was likewife directed to propofe to the states a new fcheme for carrying on the war, and to acquaint' them with fuch refolutions, as the queen had taken concerning it. In fhort, every article in his inftructions was a fpecimen of the fincerity, with which the English minifters intended to treat the allies. He was inftructed, that it must be the most careful endeavour and fixed principles of all the confederates to hold faft together; and this immediately after a feparate treaty had been figned by Great-Britain; and, if the minifters of Holland fhould exprefs any uneafinefs at their apprchenfions of any fuch private agreement, he was ordered by evafive answers to avoid giving them fatisfaction concerning it. In the mean time Mefnager and his companion took their leave of the British minifters, in order to return to France, extremely fatisfied with their reception here, the queen having honoured Mefnager with a private conversation in her clofet, and, at his request, granted to marfhal Tallard (who was fuppofed to have laid the foundation of this negotiation) the favour of going to France for four months upon his parole, which ended in his enlargement, without ranfom (p). (p) It was confidently reported, That Mefnager, by the encouragement he received from Mr. St. John, fpoke to the queen in favour of the chevalier de St. George, whom he called her brother; that, her majesty feemed not difpleafed with the difcourfe; and that before he Five left England, he obtained, by means of Mrs. Masham, a verbal promise, that private inftructions fhould be fent to the British plenipotentiaries, not to infist on the French king's giving up the intereft of the chevalier intirely. Moreover, a letter from a good hand in Paris, dated No Five days after Mefnager's departure, the ministers 1711. thought fit to communicate the preliminary articles, he had n figned, to count Gallas the emperor's minifter, who treated The feven preliminathem with much scorn, and caufed an English translation of ries pubthem to be published, on the 13th of October, in the Daily lifhed. Courant, as follows: Preliminary articles on the part of France, for effecting a general peace. The king being willing to contribute all, that is in his power, to the re-establishing of the general peace, his majesty declares, vember 19. N. S. imported, N. S. imported, That, upon Mefnager's return thither, he was very fanguine, and affected publicly to affirm, that the peace was as good as concluded; and that, in particular, he laid great emphasis on the advantages granted in favour of the prince of Wales; which to fome people appeared very unlikely, especially when they compared the weight of fuch an affair with the abilities of monfieur Mefnager, who was never accounted a great genius. Boyer. In the memoirs of Torcy, lately published, it is faid, Mefnager feeing his commiffion drawing to an end, he ufed the king's inftructions how to behave before his departure, in regard to taking leave of the queen, if the king had not hitherto acknowledged queen Anne as queen of Great Britain. An order was fent him to take leave of the queen, if her minifters feemed to defire it, or he could not decently decline it.-After the inftruments were figned, and the minifters withdrew, Prior gave Mefnager notice, in St. John's name, to fet out next day for Windfor. He went, and was conducted by secretary St. John to the queen's apartment. The The fame memoirs obferve, that it is falfe that marshal Tallard made the first overtures of peace. The Abbé Gaultier (fays that author) had the honour of being the first that broke the ice, and, in juftice to his memory, we ought to commend his prudent judgment, and the good intelligence he gave, during the whole courfe of the negotiation, without abufing the confidence of the English ministers. Vol. II. • I. That 1711. I. That he will acknowledge the queen of Great-Britain in that quality, as alfo the fucceffion of that crown, according to the prefent fettlement. II. That he will freely, and bonâ fide, consent to the • taking all just and reasonable measures, for hindering that "the crowns of France, and Spain may ever be united on • the head of the fame prince; his majesty being persuaded, ⚫ that this excess of power would be contrary to the good and quiet of Europe. III. The king's intention is, that all the parties en<gaged in the prefent war, without excepting any of them, may find their reasonable fatisfaction in the treaty of peace, which shall be made: that commerce may be re-established and maintained for the future, to the advantage of Great-Britain, of Holland, and of the other nations, who • have been accustomed to exercife commerce. IV. As the king will likewife maintain exactly the ob• fervation of the peace, when it shall be concluded, and the object, the king propofes to himself, being to secure the frontiers of his kingdom, without disturbing in any manner ‹ whatever the neighbouring ftates, he promises to agree, by the treaty, which shall be made, that the Dutch fhall be put in poffeffion of the fortified places, which shall be mentioned, in the Netherlands, to ferve hereafter for a < barrier; which may fecure the quiet of the republic of • Holland against any enterprize from the part of France. V. The king confents likewife, that a fecure and convenient barrier fhould be formed for the empire, and for the house of Austria. • VI. Notwithstanding Dunkirk coft the king very great fums, as well to purchase it, as to fortify it; and that it is further neceffary to be at very confiderable expence for razing the works, his majesty is willing however to enC gage to caufe them to be demolished, immediately after the conclufion of the peace, on condition, that, for the fortifications of that place, a proper equivalet, that may • content him, be given him: and, as England cannot furnish that equivalent, the difcuffion of it fhall be referred to the conferences to be held for the negotiation of the peace. VII. When the conferences for the negotiation of the peace fhall be formed, all the pretenfions of the princes and ftates, engaged in the prefent war, fhall be therein • difcuffed bona fide, and amicably; and nothing shall be emitted omitted to regulate and terminate them, to the fatisfaction of all the parties.' -Done at London, Sept. 27, O. S. 1711. MESNAGER. away in Soon after count Gallas received a meffage from Mr. fe- Count cretary St. John, in the queen's name, That he fhould Gallas fent come no more to court, his behaviour of late not being difgrace. • agreeable to her majefty, but that whatever should for the Burnet. future be prefented to her from his imperial majefty, by < the hands of another minifter, should be very well received." He was further told, he might go away when he thought fit. This proceeding was fevere and unusual; for the common method, when a provocation was given by a public minifter, was to complain of him to his mafter, and, to defire him to be recalled. It was not then known upon what this was grounded that which was furmized was, that Gaultier betrayed him, and discovered his fecret correfpondence, and the advertisements he sent the emperor, to give him ill impreffions of our court; for which Gaultier was faid to be rewarded with an abbey in France (q). (q) It is hard to exprefs, how greatly the generality of people, and even fome friends of the ministry, were furprized at the publication of these preliminaries, which they looked upon as captious, infidious, and infufficient to ground a treaty upon; whereas, they had been made to expect fuch glorious and advantageous terms for all the allies, that the peace would be lafting, fafe, and honourable. Hereupon, to calm the minds of the people, an addition of fix other preliminary articles were the fame day made public in the Poft-Boy, which were faid to be agreed to by France, though they were not yet figned, nor communicated to the minifters of the allies. The These were in fubftance: 2. That king Philip fhould 3. That, for the fecurity of the English and Dutch trade at all times with Spain, king Philip will confent that the city of Cadiz fhall be always garrifoned by the English, with full liberty to the South-Sea company, to establish themfelves on the continent of that country, according to the act of parliament. 4. That |