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Show [ 18 J Service·of th.eir 1\falkrs. ~n<;l their ~ot fpcce~ ingc\t;exe, bas nc;Jt, I be!Iev~, deter d, them ft=om trying tl}eir SkiU, where t\Je.Y. may, fuc-ceed better. ·;. . I,f the D. of M. govern'd. himfelt wttl: ref pea til P,ea,ce, by_ private V ~eyvs ; there ts, ~ think no doubt, but more 1s to · be got a great1 qeal, by agreeing to the Terms, of Fr4 r1c• than be can ever hope for by refufing t)~pm: And I believe .on~ ,may fafely fay, no Mirrifter was ever graufy d for makwg. a good Peace tho many have been well. patd for,JJerfuading their Mafters into ill ones. . But ~C5· return to M?nfieur Pctkum, and h1s Journey to P aru1 w h!Ch the States confented to, not from any Good they expeB:ed. f~·om it, hut to prevent the ill1!fe the E~1llarys of France wou'd make of the1r t·efu!ing It: After a fhy there of ~bout t~n Days, and ~eveTill fruitlefs InterVIews wtth the Marquis de Torey, be return'd to the Hague, Decemb. 7· witho"~ having been able to make the l_eaft Progr.efs · n the Bufinefs he. went 011, or br~nging fo much a~ the Prete_nce of a1,1 Expedtent along with h1m : But utftead of that,_ he .brought, the Senfe of the French Court 111 a Paper drawn up by Monfieur Torey, which has been madF fo publick, that I can't but prefume y9u have feen it,. and muft re_member, that the Subftance of tt was to tht~ effeB:: ~" 'l'ha.t :t~e Defign, ot ih_e Pt'climin:i,ry .(\rti" des b.ciog to prevent, 1£ polJ!bl~, ~he Cam." paign tha~ was then drawtl)g op,; Iince " thaf: ~ffcB: cou!9 pot be obtain'd, the1 rea. ,t fan £Yh.i:fH w~s now ceas'd1 togtjth~r with :" 'ibe K,i-rig's Obligation 1to <~gr~. tq them, · ' - r • · " fince [ '9 '] '" flnce' ' they' wete"not acccihed within •the " l'ime'lirnlted: but' thatif'tl\e Allieswdu7d, " ' theKing''wa~ wil1!ng the ':\'_inter fhou'd' ~e " employ'd in treatmg definltlvely of Peace; " and that fhrpr'effing the Form of thofe " Articles, he won'd preferve t he Snbftarice of " tliem, and on rlie Foundation'of th_e Con" O::effions therein made to ,the Allies, ·he '' wou'd confent to refume the Negotiations, " td commence from the firit of 'Janul<ry fol" lowing; and that. the E.x~cution of the " Ar'ticles fhou'd, as ts ufualtn all Trcatys, " bet~in from the time of their Ratification.'' This was the Anfwer Monf. ~ctk um brou!\ht, which was fhort even of their ExpeB:atwns who hop'd for leaft from it: for this_ overthrew all the Preliminarys at once, wh1le the King pretended to agree to all but one; and by promifing to keep the Snbftance of them, white they deftroy the Form, they effeB:ually defeat :in that had been 'done, and recover to themfelves an entire liberty to difpute all Points afrefb, and to lay hold of all the Occafions · which that wou'd give them to create Divi!ions and Jealou~ys be_tween the St'!tes a_nd their Allies, which ts platnly the great Pomt they have all along aim'd at; ~vhich !ho they have been fo terribly dtfappotnted Ill, they a're unwilling to give over, in hopes their Conftancy and Firmnefs to the commo~ Caufe wou'd in time be weary'd out, and yteld to the importunate-solicitations with which they tempted them. · Tho to prevent a new Campaign might be a reafou for hall:ening the Preliminarys, 'twas not the only or chiefDefign of them. When- D 2 ever |