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Show [ 0 J the time of King Charles's Death; nor had in the Courfe of the War been taken from them. When the firft Steps to a Treaty were made the French fo little thought ot thefe Dem~nds, that the quitting evet1 Lift~ :wd ].{enin w~s refus'd. But now thefe extraordimry Points on the Part of England and Hellancl, were by the Minifters of Fr~ncc readily agreed to, and yet at t.he fame nme great Difficulty was made wtth refpetl: to what was ask' d. for the Emperor and the Duke of Savoy; tho there was nething in thofe Articles, but what was extremely reafonablc, and neceffary to fecure the Dominions of thofe Princes from the Itwafions they would otherwife be expos'd to. There was anT ncerval of feveral Davs, before the Frcncb Minifters · would treat about thcfe Articles ; nor did they at lafl: confent to them, but · with aRef; rve, and a Declaration that this was beyond their Infl:ruCl:ions ; aryd that therefore rhey mufl: fufpcnd a full Alfenr, till the fur, rher Pleafure of the King was known. Now what could be the me~ning of this Management, but to enfnare the Madtime Powers if they could, and draw them into a bafe Defign of f:1crificing the Interefl: of their Allies to their own? And what Ufe can any body imagine they would have made of this, but to engage the Allies in a Quarrel among themfelvcs, and to take advaqtage of their Differences, to break th~ Confederacy , and to entice feme of the Members of it by large Offers to come inr.o feparate Meafures with them? But thts Schen1e failing, by the firm Adherence of the [ q J the Maritime Powers to the reft of the Allies, there was one Article ftill remain'd to be adjufl:ed, which in effetl: included all the ret~, and which would afford the French a fpecicus Pretence for breaking off the Treacy whenever they had a mind to it ; and that was to fettle Terms, on which a perpetual Sufpenfion .. of Arms fhould be agreed. No body had. ever doubted, but that there '\vas fuch an Underftanding between the Frwcb King and his Grandfon, ·that the Former could oblige thi! Latter to Refign the SpanijiJ Monarchy whenever he pieas'd ; fince be not only gave it King Philip at firft, but had hitherto fupported him in it. Accordinr; ly every thihg about him was entire! y Frwc!J; and the.Reftitution of Spain at leail:, and the Indies, had, as 1 obferv'd before, always \:een fuppos'd : And as this was the Point that ccca!ion'd the War, the firft r\:ing fettled. in the Preliminaries was'!l perfcCl: and enttrc Ccffion of the whole Spanij/, Monarchy to King Charles the Third, co be made within Two Months from the Firft of 'June following : And in cafe the Duke of /.'!io" f11?ul~ :nake any Difficulty to comply With ti1!S , ns exprefly covenanted in the Fourth Article, That His Moft Chriftian Majefty and the Allies fhall take in Concert rhe proper Meafures to oblige him ·to it • What was to be underltocd by taking prop; J11eajims, both Sides were content Lf11ould not be then explain' d. Thus far lcok'd well, and on: would have thought , the French meant .m em:neft that. the Duke of .Aniou ihou.ld umned1atel~' qmt Spain to his Com-petitor: |