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« cefsful. He concludes, that, if the fufpenfion be not "immediately made, we may find ourselves indifpenfibly "drawn into fome great event, which he hopes the fecreta"ry's prudence and care will prevent." And altho' in the anfwer to the queen's demands, nothing material, that was afked for our trade in North-America, was granted, the evacuating of Dunkirk, and admitting an English garrifon was not agreed to, and the receiving a Dutch garrison into Cambray was abfolutely refused, which were propofed as conditions of the fufpenfion of arms; Torcy hopes, "that this return to the queen's demands will occafion no new trouble; but as the beginning and whole course of "this negotiation was carried on upon a mutual confidence,

of which they had feen the good effects; it is neceffary "to banish all diftruft, and the queen to repofe an intire "confidence in his majefty, without infifting on demands, ́ "which may serve only to create jealoufies.'

On the 6th of June, O. S. Mr. St. John owns the receipt of Torcy's two letters of the 8th and 10th of June, N. S. and fays, though the king of France had not answered the queen's demands according to expectation, which were the conditions, on which the queen was to make fuch peremptory and decifive declarations; yet the queen would not defer going that day to parliament, and making all the declarations, that were neceffary to render the nation unanimously inclined to the peace. That he had not indeed mentioned to the parliamen the fufpenfion of arms, but had commanded him to acquaint monfieur de Torcy with the refolutions fhe had taken in relation to it; and infifting upon the renunciation as the capital point of the negotiation; and for which her majesty would rather depart from almost all the points that had been agreed upon, than leave that to any uncertainty. Upon this foundation the queen hopes, that the most christian king will not find any thing offenfive in the demands, which the found herself obliged to renew, being conditions for a fufpenfion of arms between the two armies in the Nertherlands; which, if the king confents to (fays Mr. St. John to Torcy) " you have only to fign and fend to "the duke of Ormond, who, at the fame time that he "takes poffeffion of Dunkirk, will declare to the allies, "that he has orders to act no further against France. He "acquaints him, lord Strafford is going back to Utrecht; "the inftructions he is to carry, will, according to your de"fire, put the queen's plenipotentiaries in a condition to "keep no longer those measures, to which they have been "hitherto

2

hitherto obliged to fubmit; but from henceforth they may openly join with France, and give law to thofe, who will "not fubmit to just and reasonable conditions; and promises, "when lord Strafford is gone, he will dispatch another

courier to inform him of the orders he carries." The articles for a fufpenfion were figned by Mr. St. John, June 6, O. S. and the next day Mr. St. John writes a private letter to Torcy, expreffing the utmost confidence in the good faith of the most chriftian king; thinks it neceffary to haften the peace; tells him, it will frighten the Dutch, to be told, the queen will act no longer against France; and that, if they do not haften to make their agreements, they will have a burden upon their backs, which they are not able to bear. On the fame day, Mr. St. John fends to the duke of Ormond copies of these two laft letters, and of the memorial fent to Torcy. "They have been (fays he) prepared by the queen's order, in anfwer to the laft exprefs, which came from France: and you will perceive by them, my lord, that the queen infifts on the execution of the article "relating to Spain, and on the delivery of Dunkirk, as

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points, without which she will not declare for a ceffation "of arms in the Netherlands: but, if these conditions are "accepted, and fent figned by the marquis de Torcy to

your grace, and Dunkirk put into your poffeffion, you "are publicly to own, that you can act no longer against "the French. If they are not confented to, you are in"tirely free from reftraint, and at liberty to take all reasona"ble measures, that are in your power for annoying the

enemy. It is probable marshal Villars may receive the "orders, which will be fent him from Versailles, within a "day after this letter will come to your hands. Your grace "will therefore lofe no time in acquainting him, that you

are in expectation of hearing from his court that, which "must determine your proceedings; and that according "to the king's refolution, you are either to look upon your"felves on both fides as freed from any restrictive orders, and "in full liberty of acting against each other; or that you

are openly to declare for a ceffation." This order was in itself of a very extraordinary nature, though conditional and the British miniftry feemed in very great hafte to give all up into the hands of France, when the queen's general, at the head of a confederate army in the field, at that time covering a fiege, which the allies were engaged in, fhould be ordered to govern himself according to such fignifications, as fhould come from the court of France, and

thofe

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*712. thofe tranfmitted to him by the general commanding the enemy's army, whofe duty it was by force or ftratagem to raise the fiege, or gain any advantage he could over the allies.

On the 22d of June, N. S. an answer to the proposals aft font over was tranfmitted to Mr. St. John, figned by Torcy, with two alterations; one no less material, than whereas it was demanded, that the renunciation hould be ratified in the most folemn manner by the states of France, which had been mentioned before as one of the chief fecurities to make it as effectual as any thing could, it is here fubftituted, that it fhall be registered in the feveral parliaments and to the article of Dunkirk is added, that all the king's officers, both land and fea-officers, fhall have liberty to stay at Dunkirk, and to execute their several offices. And on the fame day Torcy writes two letters, ⚫ the one a public letter, explaining at large the alterations; the other a private letter to prevail with him to confent to thefe alterations of which private correfpondence carried on between the two secretaries there are several instances. Upon the foundation of thefe preliminaries, though not Speech to then fully fettled, the queen, on Friday the 6th of June, containing came to the houfe of peers with the ufual folemnity, and the plan of made the following speech to both houses:

The queen's

Both houses,

peace. PL. H. C.

6

My lords and gentlemen,

HE making peace and war is the undoubted prerogative of the crown; yet, fuch is the juft confidence "I place in you, that at the opening of this feffion I ac"quainted you, that a negotiation for a general peace was "begun; and afterwards, by meffages, I promised to com*municate to you the terms of peace, before the fame *fhould be concluded.

"In pursuance of that promife, I now come to let you " know upon what terms a general peace may be made.

"I need not mention the difficulties, which arife from the 4 very nature of this affair; and it is but too apparent, that thefe difficulties have been increased by other obstructions, "artfully contrived to hinder this great and good work.

"Nothing however has moved me from fteadily pursuing, "in the first place, the true intereft of my own kingdoms; and I have not omitted any thing, which might procure to our allies what is due to them by treaties, and what is neceflary for their fecurity.

The

"The affuring of the proteftant fucceffion as by law eftablifhed in the house of Hanover to thefe kingdoms, being what I have nearest at heart, particular care is taken, not only to have that acknowledged in the strongest terms, "but to have an additional security by the removal of that "perfon out of the dominions of France, who has pretended to difturb this fettlement.

"The apprehenfion, that Spain and the Weft-Indies "might be united to France, was the chief inducement to begin this war; and the effectual preventing of such an union was the principle I laid down at the commencement of this treaty.

"Former examples, and the late negotiations, fufficiently fhew how difficult it is to find means to accomplish this << work. I would not content myself with fuch as are fpe<culative, or depend on treaties only. I infifted on what is folid, and to have at hand the power of executing what should be agreed.

"I can therefore now tell you, that France at last is "brought to offer, that the duke of Anjou fhall, for him"felf and his defcendants, renounce for ever all claim to

the crown of France. And, that this important article "may be expofed to no hazard, the performance is to accompany the promise.

"At the fame time the fucceffion to the crown of France "is to be declared, after the death of the prefent dauphin

and his fons, to be in the duke of Berry and his fons, "in the duke of Orleans and his fons, and so on the rest of "the house of Bourbon. As to Spain and the Indies, the "fucceffion to those dominions, after the duke of Anjou ❝ and his children, is to descend to fuch prince, as fall be "agreed upon at the treaty, for ever excluding the rest of "the house of Bourbon.

"For confirming the renunciations and fettlements before mentioned, it is further offered, that they shall be ratified "in the most strong and folemn manner, both in France and Spain; and that those kingdoms, as well as all the other powers engaged in the present war, fhall be guarantees to << the fame.

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"The nature of this propofal is fuch, that it executes it"felf. The intereft of Spain is to support it; and in France. the perfons, to whom that fucceffion is to belong, will be ready and powerful enough to vindicate their own right, "France and Spain are now more effectually divided than eyer, And thus, by the bleffing of God, will a real bass lance

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<< lance of power be fixed in Europe, and remain liable to as "few accidents as human affairs can be exempted from.

"A treaty of commerce between these kingdoms and "France has been entered upon; but the exceffive duties "laid on fome goods, and the prohibitions of others, "make it impoffible to finish this work so soon as were to

be defired. Care is however taken to establish a method "of fettling this matter; and in the mean time provision is <<made, that the fame privileges and advantages, as fhall << be granted to any other nation by France, fhall be grant❝ed in like manner to us.

"The divifion of the island of St. Chriftopher between << us and the French, having been the cause of great incor«venience and damage to my fubjects, I have demanded to ❝ have an absolute ceffion made to me of that whole island; ❝and France agrees to this demand.

"Our interest is fo deeply concerned in the trade of << North-America, that I have used my utmost endeavours

to adjust that article in the most beneficial manner. "France consents to restore to us the whole bay and straits "of Hudfon; to deliver up the island of Newfoundland, " with Placentia; and to make an absolute ceffion of An"napolis with the rest of Nova Scotia or Acadia.

"The fafety of our home-trade will be better provided ❝ for by the demolition of Dunkirk.

"Our Mediterranean trade, and the British interest and << influence in those parts, will be fecured by the poffeffion "of Gibraltar, and Port-Mahon, with the whole ifland of "Minorca, which are offered to remain in my hands.

The trade to Spain, and to the Weft-Indies, may in "general be settled as it was in the time of the late king of "Spain, Charles II, and a particular provifion be made that "all advantages, rights, and privileges, which have been "granted, or which may hereafter be granted, by Spain to << any other nation, fhall be in like manner granted to the "fubjects of Great-Britain.

"But the part, which we have borne in the prosecution "of this war, intitling us to fome diftinction in the terms << of peace, I have infifted and obtained, that the Affiento "or contract for furnishing the Spanish Weft-Indies with "negroes, fhall be made with us for the term of thirty years, "in the fame manner as it has been enjoyed by the French ❝for these ten years past.

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"I have not taken upon me to determine the interests of our confederates. Thefe must be adjusted in the congrefs

at