aig A Sketch of the History Let.8.

feen that the influence lafted no longer. But not-withftanding this , it muft be confeffed, that a warwas unavoidable. The immediate fecuring of com-merce and of barriers , the preventing an union ofthe two monarchies in fome future time , and theprefervation of a certain degree at leaft of equalityin the fcales of power, were points too importantto England, Holland , and the reft of Europe , tobe refted on the moderation of French , and thevigor of Spanilh councils, under a prince of thehoufe of France . If fatisfa&ion to the houfe ofAuftria, to whole rights England and Holland ihowed no great regard whilft they were betterfounded than they were ftnce the will had beenalone’ concerned; a drop of blood fpilt, or five{hillings fpentin the quarrel, would have been toomuch profufion. But this was properly the fcaleinto which it became the common intereft to throwall the weight that could be taken out of that ofBourbon. And therefore your lordfhip will find, thatwhen negociations with d’Avaux were fet on footin Holland to prevent a war, or rather on our part togain time to prepare for it, in which view the Dutchand we had both acknowledged Philip king ofSpain ; the great article we infilled on was, that rea-sonable fatisfadlion fhould be given the emperor ,upon his pretenfions founded on the treaty of parti-tion. Wecoulddonootherwife : and France , whooffered to make the treaty of Ryfwic the foundationof that treaty, could do no otberwife than refufe toconfent that the treaty of partition fhould be fo,after accepting the \yiH. r and thereby engaging to