A Sketch of the Hisxoky

Let 8.

39S

Wililam and others made by Lewis the four-teenrh aster he had taken Ath and Barcelona, evenduring the course of the négociations, comparedwith the Iodes and repeated defeats of the alliesand the tll state of the co n fédéra cy, surprifed thegenerality of mankind, who had not been accuf-tomed to s> much modération and generoíìty onthe part of this prince. But the prétendons of thehoule oí Bourbon on the Spanilli succession re-mamed the famé. Nothing had been doue toweaken them ; nothing was prepared to opposethe m : and the opening of this succession was vifi-bly at hand: for Chaales the second had beenin immédiate danger of dying about this rime. llisdeath could not be a remote event: and ail thegood queen’s endeavours to be got with child hadproved ìneffcòìuai. The league dilíolved, ail theforces of the confédérales cafperfed, and manydiíbanded; France continuing armed, her forcesby sea and land increased and held in rcadiness toaòlon ali íides, it was plain tbat. the confédéraleshad failed in the fìrst object of the grand alliance;that of reducing the povver of k rance ; by í’ucceed-ing in which alone they could hâve been able tokeep the second engagement, that of fecuring thesuccession of Spain to the houfe of Austria .

Aster this peace, what remained to be done ?In the whole nature of things there remained butthree. To abandon ail care of the Spanifh succes-sion was one; to compound with France nponthis succession was another, and to prepnre, likeber, during the interval of peace, to make an