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Show [ 1. J that journey and the Arrival of the Marquis d''l.lxe{les and the A bbc de Poliguac, the Frmch Plenipotentiarys, at Gertruydmberg': A'nd then give you in the Third place, fom'e 'Account of the Negotiations during their !l:ay there ; fince \'{hich no Advances have been made on either fide in this grand Affak ' Firft: For what paft between the Conferences at the Hague, and Monfieur Petkum's Journy to Paris, you know without my telling you, that the Negotiations did not entirely ceafe with thofe Conferences, but were ftill kept up, and carry'd on by an intercourfe of Letters between Monfieur Pctkum and the Marquis de Torey; to try if an Expedient cou'd be found out for the 37th Article: the Difficulty i11 that Article being the only Point for which the Conferences, in appearance at lea!l:, were broke off. The Point they offer'd to fatisfy the Allies in, was, That the King of France lhou'd not direa:Jy nor indiretl:ly affi!t his Grandfon. You will eafily judg of the Importance of this Point, by what 1 have faid in my lall: Letter; and by that fee, that the recovery of Spain and the Indies depends entirely upon it: for if the King of France fuppor ts the Duke of Anjou, all the Efforts the Allies can make again!l: him, will be to no purpofe, fincc Fr.u:ce can fend more Men and Money to Spain in a Month, than they can do in :1 Twelvemonth; but if the King of France will in )!,OOd Earneft withdraw all Affi!l:ance from him, then a Spanijl1 War wou'd be but a ,lhort Buuncfs,fintc in that Cafe,tber'e can be no doubt, hut that in a little time the D. of Anjou . wou'd be content to leave the Spaniards, or they [ 3 J they at leal!: wou'd find it for their Interefl: to ~eavehim.;:Ngw~the more important this'Point ts, the piore llre the others concern'd to infift upoJ;t fu~sienf Security, not to be deceiv'd · and_ ~11 hat ~a ~ p~ft hitherto on the Par~ o( F'iJln e, eitHer' m former Treatys ·or in the 1aft Conf:rences, give them but t:o'o much rea~on to think, they can never be cautious ~noRgh, h~w they truft fo perfidious a Prince !n an ;'\ffazr of fo m~ch Confequence. And tf you carry thefe Vtews with you in your Thoughts ?POD t_his SubjeCt, you can't eafily take ~p wtth the1r foolilh and groundlefs Infin~ auons, who wou'd perfuade you, that the Allzes have been too difficult. As to the Expedients propos'd to fecure this Point ;ll went upon the fame Foot with that ~bich Monfieur Petkum had propos'd, as from himfelf, the day before Moniieur Rtmille left the flague ; That three Towns lhou'd be put into the Hands of the A_llies, to be re!l:or'd to France? when th~ Affair of Spain, &c. lhou'd be ~ec1d~d. 'flu~ was the nature of the Expedtent Ill ag1tatwn ; and nothincr can !hew better the Readinefs o( the Allies0to put an end to the War, and the infincerity of Frana tha~ wha~ p:lft between them upon thi~ SullJ~Ct. 1 be Towns to be given up for this J?Urpofe, mull: l11ve been either in Spain or on. the Borders of it, or on the fide of Alfac., or In !lan_ders. \Vhatcver cou'd have been done of this. kind, was but a poor Expedient for :/.ll .. ~~tlcle of fo much C_o nf~que11ce: and had th~'Klllg of Frano·• been 10 E1rne!l:, one can't t~u1k he w~u'd have made any difficulty to gtve thy Allt~s wh~t they were willing to ac- B 2 'cept: |
