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A Sketch of the H i s x o r Y Let. 8.

opposition. The second irritated the Dutch par-ticularly ; for the emperor and the other allies hadthe modesty at least, not to prétend to bear anyproportion in the expense ot the war : and thusthe two powers, vvhose union vvas the mosteíïential, vvere the most at variance, and the Oueenwas obliged to act in a doser concert with herenemy who desired peace, than stie would hâvedone ik her allies had been léss obstinately bent toprotract the war. During these transactions, mylord Oxford, who had his correspondences apart,and a private thread of négociation always in hishands, entertained hopes that Philip would bebrought to abandon Spain in favor of his father-in-law, and to content himfelf with the states of thatprince, the kingdom of Sicily , and the préservationoí his right of succession to the crown of France .Whether my lord had any particular reasons forentertaining these hopes, besides the général reasonsfounded on the condition of France , on that otthe Bourbon samily, and on the disposition ofI ewis the fourteenth, 1 doubt very much. ThatLewis, who sought, and had need os seekingpeace, almost at any rate, and who saw that hecould not obtain it, even of the Queen, unlessPhilip abandoned immédiate!y the crown of Spain ,or abandoned immediately, by renonciation anda solemn act of exclusion, ail prétention to that ofFrance . That Lewis was désirons of the former,I cannot doubt ; that Philip would hâve aban-doned Spain with the équivalents that hâve beenjnentioned, or either oí them, 1 believe ìikewile ;