1699.

BOOK IV. of the infanta Maria Teresa, the right of succession would devolve upon the electoral prince of Bavaria, descended also from a daughter of Spain. But it was impossible that the Most Christian king could tamely acquiesce in a disposition so injurious to the rights and interests of his crown as the absolute transfer of the monarchy of Spain and its vast dependencies to the house of Austria, already too much aggrandized by her recent conquests in Hungary; and he insinuated that the catholic religion might be endangered under a prince so closely connected with heretics. The ambassador submitted the decision of this great question with the utmost confidence to the justice of his catholic majesty, whose friendship the Most Christian king was most sincerely desirous to cultivate; and this dexterous negotiator took occasion to express the indignation of his sovereign at the flagrant encroachments of the British nation on the territorial rights of Spain in America; and his readiness to act in concert with the catholic king to repel these invaders*: making also an offer of succours by sea and land against the Moors, who were then besieging both Ceuta and Oran."

This proves the effrontery of the Scottish directors, who, in their memorial of March 21st, 1699, presumed to assert the probability, that France had it in contemplation to settle a colony on the coast of Darien, which they absurdly claimed the merit of preventing.

1699

This was civilly declined; but by degrees a forci- BOOK IV. ble impression was made by these arguments, and others no doubt of a very different kind, on a very large proportion of the Spanish nobles and grandees, with the famous cardinal Porto-Carrero at their head, who had a powerful sway over the Spanish councils The queen of Spain, on the other hand, was strongly in the interest of the house of Austria, and exerted her influence with no inconsiderable effect to counteract the machinations of France, who, to operate on the fears as well as the justice and gratitude of the Spanish court, had ordered an army of 60,000 men to assemble on the frontier of Catalonia.

Such was the state of things, when the court of Madrid was apprised of the treaty of partition about to be concluded at Loo. The king of Spain, violently and justly offended, was instantly incited by the impulse of passion to adopt a resolution which wisdom had so long unavailingly dictated, viz. to make a testamentary disposition of his dominions, which he left, June 1698, without reserve, to the electoral · prince of Bavaria, now solemnly constituted sole heir of this vast inheritance. This resolution was taken in full council with the secret ap. probation of the queen, who was flattered with the hopes of the regency*. The emperor had

*Torcy's Memoirs, vol. i. p. 48, 50.

BOOK IV. obstinately refused to permit his son the arch1699. duke to take up his residence in Spain-in the memorial presented by the imperial ambassador count Harrach at the court of Madrid on the subject of the treaty of partition, the chief stress seemed to be laid on the injustice done to the house of Austria, which is said to have offended the pride of the Spanish court-and it was obvious that in present circumstances there existed a greater probability of preserving the integrity of the Spanish empire by an absolute devolution of it to the electoral prince than to the archduke: and in this case France and Austria would have derived much consolation for the disappointment they respectively sustained, by reflecting on the bailled hopes and abortive projects of each other.

,

A memorial was subsequently presented at the court of Madrid by M. de Harcourt, which, under color of complaining of the injury done to France, contains a virtual acquiescence in this disposition. In the conclusion of this memorial*, the ambassador says, "Your majesty knows I have never importuned you concerning the succession. Lastly, sir, it is to be considered, whether the disinterested respects of my master, and his desire to maintain a good correspondence with

* Lamberti.

your majesty, deserve the resolution you have BOOK IV. taken; and what reason all Europe may have to 1699. complain of your majesty, if, to the general misfortune, the solicitude of my master cannot prevent the disturbance to be feared from such an incident." This can only be construed to mean, that the king of France will not, but that he apprehends the emperor will, contest this disposition. The answer of the Spanish court to this memorial* was wholly vague and complimentary: "The zeal of his catholic majesty for preserving the tranquillity of Europe was equal to that of the Most Christian King-that he could not but be surprised at his excellency's memorial, at a time when the divine goodness had so recently restored him to health-but he expressed his sense of the friendship of his Most Christian majesty, and his readiness to concur with him in whatever should be found necessary for continuing the public repose, which his catholic majesty affirmed would be the constant tenor of his prayers." With whatever reluctance, it is probable that the two great rival powers of Bourbon and Austria would have ultimately acquiesced in a testamentary disposition so conformable to the interests of Spain and the inclinations of all Europe, had not the unfortunate death of the elec

Lamberti.

BOOK IV. toral prince in a few months (February the 16th, 1699. 1699,) entirely altered the face of things, and thrown the whole political world into an abyss of doubt and confusion.

Second treaty of

Notwithstanding the pretended recovery of the partition. king of Spain, it was well known that this enfeebled monarch could not long survive and the attention of the king of England was anew engaged, with laudable and disinterested solicitude, but with very doubtful wisdom, in the formation of new schemes and projects for the preservation of the peace of Christendom, I cannot comprehend," said that monarch to the pensionary Heinsius, to whom he communicated without reserve all his embarrassments and perplexities, "how we shall ever be able to declare to Spain our having intended the succession to the monarchy for the elector of Bavaria, and still less to communicate it to the imperial court, so that we are in no small labyrinth, and may it please God to help us out of it." Soon after the arrival of the king at Loo, M. de Tallard was again deputed to negotiate with his majesty a second partition treaty, to which the court of Vienna was invited to concur as a principal party. Various obstacles, occasioned by as many different causes, retarded the conclusion of the

*Hardwicke Papers.