evacuated the Places which her Troops held in Spain till after the had fign'd the Preliminary Treaties, and by confequence had the exchang'd the Troops which the had then in Spain only with thofe of the Allies, the Duke of Anjou had never been in a Condition to declare, that he neither could nor would leave Spain: for in that Cafe he had been utterly unable to have oppos'd what had beer. agreed on betwixt. the Allies and France; and then things might have been much more easily difpos'd towards a General Peace. It was therefore that Change which France made in the Affairs of Spain, which afterwards occafion'd all thofe Difficulties with refpect to the fourth and thirty feventh Articles of the Preliminaries.

Notwithstanding all thofe captious and fraudulent Proceedings, the Allies, to convince the World that the hindrance of the Peace proceeded not from them, allow'd the French King to fend his Minifters to the Frontiers of Holland; and were even fo modeft, that they did not demand his figning all the Preliminary Articles, except the fourth and thirty feventh, as to which they were to agree upon an Expedient, but contented themselves with his Declaration only, that he did accept them.

In answer to this Lewis XIV. declar'd, That all the Preliminary Articles, except the fourth and thirty feventh, fhould fubfift: And tho this word came far fhort of the Term Accept, yet the Allies, to fhew their Sincerity, did thereupon allow his Minifters to come to the Frontiers of Holland, where inftead of treating upon this Foundation, according to Agreement, or offering an Expedient for thofe two Articles, they propos'd what the Allies had fo frequently rejected before, That the King of France would come into no Preliminary Engagement, but conclude a feparate Peace; and that if the Allies would have a General Peace, they muft grant the Duke of Anjou the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily; which if they did, the King of France would employ all his good Offices to difpofe that Prince to content himself with this Exchange, and to quit Spain. This was rejected by the Dutch Deputies, becaufe contrary to what the French King had formerly agreed to as the Foundation of renewing the Treaty. And the French Minifters declaring, that they had nothing else to fay, the States Deputies return'd to the Hague, where they reported this Conference, and the French Minifters fent an Express to their King for new Inftructions.

Upon the Return of the Exprefs, they fignify'd to the Great Penfionary of Holland, that the French King thought this Negotiation of too great Importance to be treated of

by Writing, and in a Place fo inconvenient as that where they were; and therefore defir'd that they might come to the Hague, or fome other convenient Place, where they might treat with all the Confederates at once. Tho the States might juftly, for the Reasons above-mention'd, have broke off all further treating; yet they fent their Deputies to tell the French Minifters, that they could not agree to their Demand; and if they would continue to treat they muft do it where they were, which they had no reafon to except against, fince they had prefer'd Gertruydenberg to Antwerp, which was first offer'd them. Upon this, the French agreed to a fecond Conference; but inftead of treating of an Expedient for the fourth and thirty feventh Articles, they declar'd in a haughty manner, that the Duke of Anjou neither could nor would quit Spain. The French King demanded a particular Peace for himself, without including Spain, which he would liften to as foon as the Allies fhould grant the Duke of Anjou, Firft, either the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily: Or, Secondly, the Kingdom of Arragon: Or, Thirdly, Naples, Sardinia, and the Places on the Coast of Tuscany: Ör, Fourthly, Sicily, Sardinia, and thofe Places. And at the fame time they infinuated as their own particular Opinion,, that this laft Partition might be granted to fome foreign Prince, whom they did not name,, that fhould exchange his Dominions with the Duke of Anjou,

This was alfo rejected by the States Deputies, who infifted on treating of an Expedient for the fourth and thirty feventh Articles, according to the French King's former Agreement; which being refus'd by the French Minifters, the Deputies return'd to the Hague to report what had pafs'd, and the French Minifters fent again to their King for new Inftructions.

This Conduct of the French Court difcover'd plainly enough what Game they were acting, and that they demanded, a General Congrefs, that they might have the more oppor tunity to carry on their Intrigues, and to tie up the Hands, of the Allies by a separate Peace with France, that they might not make War against Lewis XIV. tho he fhould, con trary to his folemn Promife, affift the Duke of Anjou; and their Demand of a Partition was only to divide the Allies, who were fo fincere in their Inclinations to a Peace, that upon the return of the French Courier, they fent Deputies to. enter into a third Conference with the French Minifters,

Thefe, inftead of treating on an Expedient for the fourth. and thirty feventh Articles, were fo disingenuous as to dif own that they had propos'd, the yielding of Sicily, inftead of Naples, to the Duke of Anjou,, And when convicted of their

Falfhood,

Falfhood, they faid they did it without Orders, but that their Mafter approv'd their other Propofals; and if the Allies would accept them, he demanded a Guaranty from the Confederates, that they would not break the Truce to be agreed on for the fake of the thirty firft and thirty fecond Prelimina ries, by which the Allies had referv'd a power to themselves to make new Demands. And he likewife judg'd a Mediation neceffary to bring things to an Accommodation, which ftill feem'd to be very remote.

The States Deputies amaz'd at these Novelties, infifted, according to Agreement, that all the Preliminaries fhould fubfift except the fourth and thirty seventh; adding, this was not the way to bring the Negotiation to a happy Conclufion, for the French to be continually breaking their Word, and making new Propofals: After which the Deputies return'd to the Hague, and the French fent off another Courier. By this it appears, that the French defign'd only an Amusement, and the prolonging of the Treaty, by demanding a Mediation and a Guaranty; for it was already provided by the thirty firft Preliminary, that the further Demands to be made by the Allies of the French King in the General Treaty, fhould not break the Truce: Nor was there any need of a Mediation on the part of the Allies, fince they had religiously ftood to the Preliminaries, and the French could mean nothing by it, but to have more room for their Intrigues.

Upon the return of the French Courier, the Deputies went a fourth time to confer with thofe of France, whofe Infincerity was fo visible, that the Allies did not flacken their Care of the War, but took the Field before the Enemy, enter'd their Lines which they thought impregnable, and invefted Doway. It was fuppos'd that this happy opening of the Campaign would have made the French King to act with more Faith and Sincerity; but inftead of that, his Minifters infifted on a separate Peace, alledging, that it was not in their Mafter's Power to make the Duke of Anjou quit Spain, and told the Allies, they were miftaken if they thought the taking of the Lines would make him alter his Mind, for he had ground to hope that Spain would quickly make up what he might lofe in Flanders. To this the Deputies anfwer'd, That fince the French King would not keep his Promise as to the reft of the Preliminaries, and treat of an Expedient for the fourth and thirty feventh, they had Orders to tell them that they would return no more to Gertruydenburg, till the Minifters of France were empower'd to make Propofals more agreeable to the Defign of the Negotiation.

This is the Subftance of what Count Gallas order'd to be publifh'd, relating to the Conduct of the French Court during

the

the Treaty of Gertruydenburg; and fince it agrees with the Refolution of the States General on the 27th of July, 1710. which was approv'd by all the Confederates, we cannot doubt the Truth of it. This join'd to the Introduction before the firft Volume, brings down the Hiftory of the French King's Perfidiousness, with relation to publick Treaties, to the time when that at Utrecht began; and for his Conduct fince, 'tis fresh in every one's Memory, and may very probably afford Matter towards another Collection. But fince there is nothing yet concluded as to a General Peace, 'tis not proper to infift upon the Particulars of that Negotiation

here.

(1)

ATreaty of Amity and FriendShip, and of a Free Intercourse of Trade and Merchandizes, between Henry VII. King of England, and Philip Archduke of Auftria, Duke of Burgundy, &c. made on the 24th of February, 1495.

T

O all and fingular who fhall fee, hear and look upon thefe Prefents, Philip of Burgun dy, Lord of Benves, Lieutenant-Governor, Captain-General of Artois, and Admiral; Paul de Bacust, Lord of Formefecle, Prefis dent of Flanders, Robert de Melun, Lord of Rouny, Daniel de Praet, Lord of Mervede, Chamberlain and chief Bailly of Flanders; John of Courtney; Thomas of Portnair, Counfellor; and Florence Hanwel Secretary in Ordinary, the Ambaffadors, Negotiators, Meffengers and Commiffioners of the moft Illuftrious Lord the Archduke of Auftria, Duke of Burgundy and Brabant, Earl of Flanders, Hainault, Holland and Zeeland Greeting.

We make it known, That fince no better Gifts can be beftow'd on Mortals than the Benefits of Peace; fince it has been always found by long Experience and Reafon, that Peace is that chief Precept of the Deity, which conduces moft to the Interest of Mankind; and fince it abundantly appears how many Calamities and Miferics B Vol. II.

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