Let. 8.
201
to reap the fucceffion, but a German army mighthave been there to defend it; for the court ofMadrid infilled on having twelve thoufand of thefetroops, and, rather than not to have them offeredto contribute to the payment of them privately:becaufe it would have been too unpopular amongthe Spaniards, and too prejudicial to the Auftrianinterell, to have had it known that the emperordeclined the payment of a body of his own troopsthat were demanded to fecure that monarchy tohis fon. Thefe propofals were half refufed , and halfevaded : and in return to the offer of the crownof Spain to the archduke, the imperial councilsafked the government of Milan for him. Theythought it a point of deep policy to fecure theItalian provinces, and to leave to England andHolland the care of the Low countries, of Spain ,and the Indies. By declining thefe propofals, thehoufe of Aullria renounced in fome fort the wholefucceffion : at leaft fhe gave England and Holland reafons , whatever engagements thefe powers hadtaken, to refufe the harder talk of putting herinto poffeffion by force ; when fhe might , andwould not, procure to the Englifh and Dutch,and her other allies , the eafier talk of defendingher in this poffeffion.
I faid that the meafures mentioned above wererendered impracticable, by the emperor chiefly,becaufe they were rendered fo likewife by othercircumflances at the fame conjuncture. A principalone I fhall mention, and it fhall be drawn fromthe Hate of our own country, and the difpofltion