« to talk no more of the affair of Gertruydenberg, fince the 1712. king had fixed a time for the allies to accept his propofal; "which they not having done, he was under no engage❝ment." This occafioned a high debate; and d'Uxelles having, in relation to the affairs of Spain, faid, "that they "ought to wait the arrival of the ambaffador of that ❝ crown." Count Zinzendorf replied, "he was prefent, "and himself was the perfon." The marfhal returned, "that he acknowledged none but king Philip's;" which inflamed the difpute; and the marfhal having likewife advanced, in a relation to a point in debate," that the queen of "England had engaged her promife;" the lord privy-feal faid, there was no fuch thing in his inftructions." At laft, the French minifters consented to deliver their propofals in writing, which they did, February 11, in a very high ftrain. They promised, that at the figning of the treaty they The French propofals. would own the queen and the fucceffion to the crown, as fhe fhould direct; Spain and the Weft-Indies were to remain with king Philip; the dominions in Italy, with the iflands, except Sicily, were to go to the emperor, and the Spanish Netherlands to the elector of Bavaria: the trade was to be regulated, as it was before the war; fome places in Canada were to be restored to England, with the freedom of fifhery in Newfoundland; but Placentia was to remain with the French Dunkirk was offered to be demolished; but Lifle and Tournay were to be given for it: the states were to have their demands for the barrier; and the frontier between France, the empire, and Italy, was to be the fame, that it was before the war; by which Landau, Fenestrella, and Exiles were to be reftored to France (q). Thefe demands 1712. mands (which were called a fpecific explanation of the of fers of France for a general peace, to the fatisfaction of all Britain; and Acadia, with "Port-Royal, and the fort, fhall *be reftored intire to his majefty. As to the island of "Newfoundland, the king of fers to yield up that also to "Great-Britain, referving only "to himself the fort of Pla"centia, and the right of catch❝ing and drying fish, as before the war. It fhall be agreed "to make a treaty of com 1 66 merce before or after the peace, as England shall chuse, "the conditions of which fhall "be made as equal between the "two nations, as.. they can "poffibly. "The king will confent at "the figning of the peace, that "the Spanish Netherlands, which are made over and given to "the elector of Bavaria by the "king of Spain, shall serve for "a barrier to the United-Ne<<therlands; and, to augment it, he will join thereto Furnes, "and the Furnes Ambaught, or diftrict, Knock, Ypres, and "the caftellany of Menin with "its verge. In exchange, his "majefty demands to form the "barrier of France, Aire, St. "Venant, Bethume, Doway, and their dependencies. If "the ftates-general are defirous "to keep garrisons in the forti"fied places of the barrier fo "formed of the dominions "transferred to his electoral the "they fhall be maintained at the expence of the country. " In confideration of this "ceffion, and of this confent, "the king on his fide demands, "as an equivalent for the de"molishing of Dunkirk, the "towns and citadels of Lisle, "and Tournay, with their caf"tellanies and dependencies. "The barrier thus regulated "between France and the states"general, the king will grant "for augmenting the commerce "of their fubjects what is ftipu"lated by the treaty of Ryfwick, " and the advantageous tariff "of 1664, with an exception "only of fix forts of merchan"dize, which shall be agreed on, "and which fhall remain charg"ed with the fame duties, that commerce shall be allowed exactly, and carried on in the very fame manner as it was un"der the reign, and till the death "of Charles II. and will pro"mife, that the French fhall "fubmit, as all the other nations, "to the antient laws and regu"lations made by the king, his catholic majefty's predecef ❝ fors a the allies) were as extravagant as any the French king could 1712. have made, in the most profperous ftate of his affairs. They filled "duke of Savoy what he has "taken from him during this war; as in like manner hi royal highness fhall restore t "him what he has taken fro "France; fo that the limits o "both fhall be the fame the were before the declaration c war. "All things as to Portugal fha! "be re-established, and remain on the fame foot in Europe, "that they were before the pre"fent war, as well with regard to "France as to Spain: and as to "the dominions, which that "crown has in America, if there "be any differences to fettle, "endeavours fhall be ufed to "agree them amicably. "The king will confent free ly, and bona fide, to take in 66 concert with the allies all the "moft juft measures for hinder"ing the crowns of France and ፡፡ Spain from being ever united "on the fame head; that is to • fay, that one and the fame "prince fhall never be at once "king of both. "All preceding treaties, that is, thofe of Munfter, and "others, that have been made "In confideration of all the ciprocally his majesty will recognize in Germany, and in "Pruffia, all the titles, which he "has not yet acknowledged. "The king will restore the - VOL. XVII. fince, fhall be repeated and ❝confirmed, to remain in their "force and virtue, excepting on"ly fuch articles, from which "the treaty of peace, now to "be made, fhall derogate or fomething." Signed, UXELLES. It may be observed, that the king of France here makes, as well as in the fpecial preliminaries, his first offers in the name, and by virtue of powers from his H h grandfon 1712. filled the allies with indignation, and heightened the jealou fy they had of a fecret understanding, between the courts of England and France. This indignation had such an effect, that the earl of Strafford, in his letter of the 16th of February, 1711-12, fays, "the French minifters were morti"fied at the general discontent thefe offers gave; and feem"ed to wifh, they had put in Tournay for the Dutch; and "St. Venant to be demolished, to have foftened the matter "at its first coming out." Nor were the British plenipotentiaries without their uneafinefs. They had done all they could, as the earl of Strafford fays in his letter of the 12th of February, to perfuade the French to be as ample in the explication as they could, "feeing that is what will have a ἐσ great effect, and strike the minds of unthinking people, "and make fome work for reflection for the faction." The British plenipotentiaries complained, that they were under great difficulties on all hands, for both Buys and Mefnager thought they came fhort of what had been told them in England; and, the allies then forming their respective demands in concert with each other, they wanted further orders. These plenipotentiaries were likewife at a great loss how to behave about Spain, both in regard to the particular advantages, that were to be afked on the behalf of GreatBritain, and the general difpofition of it. But Mr. fecretary St. John foon fent them words of comfort, in a letter of the 16th of February, that Mr. Harley, fecretary of the treasury, would fet out in a few days, who is fully instruc ted in all the queen's views and defires: "that it were to "be wifhed this gentleman could have been fooner fent; "but the hurry, fays he, which we have been in for fome "time, is inexpreffible; and he was too useful to be fpar ed, till the house of commons were perfectly fecured to "the queen's intereft, and to the measures of peace. I think "I may fay, they are abfolutely fo now. The fecretary "confeffed the French plan to be too fcanty; and obferved, "that they muft let the French minifters know, that the "whole turned upon their manner of proceeding, her majefty having gone further than could have been expected from her in promoting the peace.' The specific explanation raised no less indignation among grandfon as king of Spain. But viour upon it was to be juftified, 1 by the lords true Englishmen, than among the allies; more particularly 1712. the putting off the owning the queen, till the treaty came to be figned: the lord-treasurer, to foften this, faid, he faw a ceived with They are re letter, in which the king of France acknowledged her fcorn inEnge queen; this was a confeffion, that there was a private land. correfpondence between them; yet the doing it by a letter was no legal act. In excufe of this it was faid, that the late king was not owned by the French, till the treaty of 8 Ryfwick came to be figned:' but there was a mediator in that treaty, with whom our plenipotentiaries only negotiated; whereas there was no mediator at Utrecht: fo that the queen was now, without any interpofition, treating with a prince, who did not own her right to the crown. The propofitions made by the French were treated with the greatest fcorn, nor did the minifters pretend to fay any thing in excufe for them. The lord Halifax made a motion in the Addrefs ahoufe of peers, for prefenting an addrefs to the queen, about gainst them the fpecific offers of France, which his lordfhip called, Feb. 16. trifling, arrogant, and injurious to her majefty and her al- Pr. H, C. lies.' He was feconded by feveral peers, of both parties, who faid in fubftance, that thofe propofitions ought to be rejected with the utmost scorn and indignation; that it plainly appeared, France had no other defign in view, than to amufe the allies; and, in particular, that it was derogatory to her majefty's honour, to enter into any negotiation with that crown, before her majesty's just title was acknowledged.' Some endeavours were used to adjourn the debate at leaft till the next day, by fuggefting, that the offers that were handed about, having yet no other authority, than their being inferted in the Holland Gazettes, might not be genuine; and therefore the lords ought not to take any notice of them, till fuch time as the queen had communicated them to the houfe:' But this, and other arguments, were over-ruled; and an addrefs was made to the queen, expreffing a juft indignation at fuch a proceeding, promifing her all affiftance in their power, in carrying on the war, till fhe could obtain a fafe and honourable peace (r). Hh 2 Whilft (r) The addrefs was as fol-tiful and loyal fubjects, the lows: Moft gracious fovereign, "We your majesty's most du lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled, beg "leave humbly to represent to " your majesty the juft indigna |