CHARLES II. icy

dom : That though the present ministry , havingentered into views so coniorinable to nationalinterest, promised greater firmness and constancy,it might still be unsafe, in a business of such con-sequence, to put entire confidence in them: Thatthe French monarch was young, haughty, andpowerful ; and if treated in so imperious a man-ner , would expose himself to the greatest ex-tremities rather than submit: That it was sufficient,if he could be constrained to adhere to the offers,which he himself had already made; and if theremaining provinces of the Low Countries couldbe thereby saved from the danger , with whichthey were at present threatened : And that theother powers, in Germany and the north, whoseassistance they might expect, would be satisfiedwith putting a stop to the French conquests' ,without pretending to recover the places alreadylost.

The English minister was content to accept ofthe terms , proposed by the pensionary. Lewishad offered to relmquiffi all the queen’s rightson condition either of keeping the conquests ,which he had made last campaign, or of receiving,in lieu of them, Francnccomte, together withCambrav, Aire, and St. Omers. De Wit andTemple founded their treaty upon this proposal.They agreed to offer their mediation to the con-tending powers, and oblige France to adhere tothis alternative, and Spain to accept of it. IfSpain refused, they agreed, that France shouldnot prosecute her claim by arms, but leave it

H A P,LXiV.1668 .