160 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

16S8.

Offers ofFrance tothe king.

c I! a P. But as the cardinal kept possession of many of thelxxi. fortresses, and had applied to France for succour,the neighbouring territories were full of troops;and by this means the preparations of the Dutchand their allies seemed intended merely for theirown defence against the different enterprises ofLewis.

All the artifices , however, of the prince couldnot entirely conceal his real intentions from thesagacity of the French court. D’Avaux, Lewis’senvoy at the Hague, had been able, by a com-parison of circumstances , to trace the purposes ofthe preparations in Holland ; and he instantlyinformed his master of the discovery. Lewis con-veyed the intelligence to James; and accompaniedthe information with an important offer. He waswilling to join a squadron of French /hips to theEnglish fleet; and to send over any number oftroops, which James should judge requisite forhis security. When this proposal was rejected,he again offered to raise the siege of Philipsiburgh,to march his army into the Netherlands, and bythe terror of his arms to detain the Dutch forcesin their own country. This proposal met withno better reception.

James was not, as yet, entirely convinced,that his son-in-law intended an invasion uponEngland. Fully persuaded , himself, of the sacred-ness of his own authority, he fancied, that alikebelief had made deep impression on his subjects ;and notwithstanding the strong symptoms ofdiscontent which broke out every where, such

Rejected.

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