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any ‘conclusion with France, he summoned, not- cwithstanding the long adjournment, the parlia-ment on the fifteenth of January ; an unusualmeasure , and capable of giving alarm to theFrench court. Temple was sent for to the council,and the king told him, that he intended he shouldgo to Holland , in order to form a treaty of alliancewith the states; and that the purpose of it shouldbe, like the triple league, to force both France andSpain to accept of the terms proposed. Templewas sorry to find this act of vigor qualified bysuch a regard to trance , and by such auappearance of indifference and neutrality be-tween the parties. He told the king, that theresolution agreed on , was to begin the war inconjunction with all the confederates, in cafe ofno direct and immediate answer from France:That this measure would satisfy the prince, theallies , and the people of England ; advantageswhich could not be expected from such an alliancewith Holland alone : That France would bedisobliged , and Spain likewise ; nor would theDutch be satisfied with such a faint imitation ofthe triple league , a measure concerted when theywere equally at peace with both parties. Forthese reasons, Temple declined the employment;and Lawrence Hyde , second son of chancellorClarendon , was sent in his place.

The Prince of Orange could not regard with-out contempt such symptoms of weakness andvigor conjoined in the English counsels. He wasresolved, however, to make the best of r

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