26o HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

.> * ' , >•»c u a p. measure, which he did not approve ; and as Spain-

lxvi. secretly consented , that her ally should form a1S7S. league , which was seemingly directed against heras well as France, but which was to fall only«thjan. on the latter, the States concluded the treaty inthe terms proposed by the king.

08th Jan. Meanwhile, the English parliament met,after some new adjournments ; and the king wasastonished, that, notwithstanding the resolutemeasures, which, he thought, he had taken,great distrust and jealousy and discontent wereapt, at intervals , still to prevail among the mem-bers. Though in his speech he had allowed , thata good peace could no longer be expected fromnegociation, and assured them, that he was re-solved to enter into a war for that purpose; thecommons did not forbear to insert in their replyseveral harsh and even unreasonable clauses. Uponbis reproving them, they seemed penitent, andvoted , that they would astist his majesty in theprosecution of the war. A fleet of ninety sail,an army of thirty thousand men , and a million ofmoney were also voted. Great difficulties were madeby the commons with regard to the army , whichthe house, judging by past measures, believed tobe intended more against the liberties of Englandthan against the progress of the French Monarch.To this perilous situation had the king reducedboth himself and the nation. In all debates, severespeeches were made, and were received withseeming approbation : The duke and the trea-surer began to be apprehensive of impeachment*;.