The age of Anne

Preface

It would not be fair to this little book to send it forth to take its chance in the world without a preface, however much I should prefer that course. My aim in writing the book has been so definite, my object so distinct, that I particularly wish it not to be tried by an unsuitable standard, nor condemned upon wrong grounds.

In the field of history, as with other kinds of knowledge, there are two orders of workers. On the one side are the original writers, who make researches, and delve for new ore ; on the other, those who perform the humbler But equally needful office of teaching, of spreading 'Knowledge, and working into shape the material which the former produce. This book is Dot a contribution to the general fund of historical knowledge. Those who before knew the history of its period will find here no new light." It is offered as an effort to assist in the teaching of history in schools. It is written in the light of a theory, according to the soundness of which and the measure with which it has been followed my book must stand or fall.

Much as I should like to study history as it ought to be studied, to ransack Record offices and public libraries for new information, and with its help to place in new aspect facts known before, I can claim no credit for such work. I have had neither the time nor the opportunity. The demands upon a school-master's hours leave him little leisure, and vi Preface.

the undue pressure of examination, with which nowadays each school-time closes, destroys the working power of at least a portion of his holidays. But a schoolmaster may fairly be expected to know the kind of book that will be good for the purpose of teaching. This is the reason for my venture ; but I clearly recognise its limits.

The theory on which the book is based is the cardinal theory of the whole series called Epochs of History. I was led some years ago to believe that, in spite of the flood of school histories pouring from the press, there was room for a series, in which short periods could be studied with that fulness without which history is comparatively unprofitable. I had the good fortune to find publishers in the first to whom I applied, and to secure the cordial co-operation of several distinguished writers. As long as I remained in England I edited the series.

It would be ludicrous to claim originality for this method. I have always found that schoolmasters who are really educators accept the doctrine. But I am very anxious to state it clearly, for history lessons have been and are continually ruined by the intrusion of cram — names that are mere shadows, , and a profusion of dates.

History is not taught in schools that the excellent virtue of accuracy may be learnt. To teach this is the function of other lessons that occupy a much larger portion of the pupil's time. History should be taught for the sake of its human interest. For this reason I have made it my first object to avoi<J

Preface, vii

being dull. I have been very biographical, taking care to introduce formally all new characters of importance as they come upon the stage. Again, I have not feared the accusation of being a " drum and trumpet historian," for war, unfortunately, is an intrinsic part of history, and always stirs the interest of the young, acting as the bait which may draw them on to the study of other matters.

Disclaiming originality, I wish to indicate the sources from which I have drawn. The end of Lord Macaulay's history overlaps the period, but, unfortunately, only the end : all must lament that he was not spared to write the history of a time with which his acquaintance was so intimate. His essay on Lord Mahon's early book is almost as valuable as that book itself for the war in Spain. In the same way Lord Mahon's History of England from the Peace of Utrecht is helpful for the couple of years at the end of my period. The volume which the same historian wrote as Earl Stanhope, to cover the ground between the close of Macaulay's history and the opening of his own, I am inclined not to value so highly as his larger work ; but I have no wish to depreciate a book that has been one of my chief authorities. "A History of Great Britain during the Reign of Queen Anne," lately published by Mr. F. W. Wyon, is more thorough in its research and more interesting. His judgment is independent, and his knowledge of French memoirs very complete. It is a matter for regret that he seems to ignore or to despise the work of German historians. I have found Noorden'a viii Preface.

" Spanische Erbfolgekrieg " a very mine in which to dig, though I fancy no man could read the book through. The period is unfortunately beyond the point where the great Ranke writes with fulness, but his sketches are of more value than the details of others. Gfrorer's " History of the Eighteenth Century " is suggestive.

I have used Burnet's " History of His Own Time" with necessary caution, and the Lives of Marlborough by Coxe and Alison. Considering the purpose for which the book is intended, I have not hesitated to use my authorities freely, nor cared to avoid their language. I confess indeed that I have been amused to trace thoughts and expressions from authority to authority, and doubt not that I also have borrowed, perhaps too easily, even the words of others.

To the list which I have given, and which is by no means exhaustive, I must add the following as of use in special portions. M. Duruy's " Histoire de France" ("Rhetorique,") Mrs. Bray's "Revolt of the Cevennes," Dr. Bridges' " France under Richelieu and Colbert," the introduction of Carlyle's " Frederick the Great " and Thackeray's " Esmond " and the " Four Georges." It is matter of regret that in a novel like " Esmond," which gives so excellent a picture of Queen Anne's reign, Thackeray should have placed the Old Pretender in London at the time of his sister's death — a deviation from history not necessary to the development of his plot.

Edward E. Morris.

The Grammar School, Melbourne: September 4, 1876.

Chronological STable of Contents.

Chapter I. The Spanish Succession

PAGE

Spain still territorially the most powerful kingdom in Europe, though she had outgrown her strength

Her want of vitality shown under the feeble rule of the childless Charles II.

Importance of the question as to his successor

Three claimants :

(i) Philip, Duke of Anjou ....

(2) Joseph, the Electoral Prince

(3) The Archduke Charles ....

Aggressive policy of France under Lewis XIV. dan

gerous to Europe

The one great opponent of Lewis — William of

Orange

The contest stayed by Peace of Ryswick .

First Partition Treaty

Death of Joseph, and second Partition Treaty

Irritation of Spain

The Darien Scheme

Unpopularity of William in England .

The Kingdom of Spain willed to Philip of Anjou

" II n'y a plus de Pyrenees "..... 9

Lewis's three mistakes :

(1) Reservation of Philip's right of succession to

the French throne 10

(2) Occupation of Spanish Netherlands ... to

(3) Recognition of the Old Pretender ... 10 x Chronological Table of Contents.

PAGK

1 70 1. The Grand Alliance of the Hague, result of these

mistakes 11

1702 Death of William 11

His character 12

1648 1668

1678 1697

1681 1685 1688

Chapter II. Lewis XIV. 1714

(Contemporary with Charles I., Cromwell, Charles II., James II., William and Mary, Anne, George I.) Five stages in his reign marked by —

(1) Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War

(2) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which, forced on Lewis by the Triple Alliance, ended the war of Succession in Brabant

ended the in

(3) Treaty of Nymwegen, which vasion of Holland

(4) Treaty of Ryswick, which ended the Grand Alliance

(5) Treaty of Utrecht. .

Three impolitic acts of Lewis :

(1) Seizure of Strassburg

(2) Revocation of Edict of Nantes

(3) Ravaging of the Palatinate the war against

24 139

Chapter III. The New Dramatis Persons

Queen Anne 25

Her Succession 25

Character 25

Husband and Children 26

Lady Marlborough 27

Duke of Marlborough 27

Chronological Table of Contents. xi

Character 27

Lord Godolphin, Lord High Treasurer . . .31 Prince Eugene (Eugenio von Savoie) .... 31 Heinsius, Grand Pensionary of Holland . • «>a

Chapter IV. " The Grand Alliance."

The Emperor 33

The nine Electors 34

How they ranged themselves :

(a) On the French side 35

Bavaria 35

Cologne 35

(b) On the side of the Grand Alliance ... 35 Brandenburg (kingdom of Prussia) ... 35

Bohemia 35

Hanover 35

The Palatinate 35

Mayence 35

Treves 35

Saxony 35

The central powers of the Grand Alliance . . 3*>

England and Holland 36

Other allies :

Minor princes of Germany and Denmark . 36 Also, after the first year, Savoy and Portugal, who

deserted France 37

SECTION I. — Marlborough in Flanders. 1702 His object 4 2

To clear the Netherlands of the French ... 4a xu

Chronological Table of Contents.

PAGB

1702 Result of the first campaign 43

French cut off from lower valley of the Rhine. Ven-

loo and other towns taken . ... 43

Capture of Bonn on the Rhine and Huy on the

Meuse 43*44 and

SECTION II. — Campaigns in Germany and elsewhere (a) On the Upper Rhine .... Landau taken by Prince Lewis of Baden (<$) In North Italy

Victory of Cremona won by Prince Eugene passes into Tyrol secured

(c) In Bavaria

Imperialists routed by the French

(d) In West Indies

English under Admiral Benbow worsted

44 45 45

45 45 45 46 46

Section III.— Spain, (a) Failure of attack on Cadiz 46

(b) Treasure ships taken by the English at Vigo . 47

(c) Earl of Galway commands the allies against Duke

of Berwick . 48

(d) Capture of Gibraltar by Sir George Rooke " 49

Chapter VI. Rising In The Cevennes

The strength of the Huguenots in the valleys of the

Loire and the lower Rhone . . . 50

The Camisards ("Wearers of the white frock,") . 52

1703 Rise under Jean Cavalier and others ... 52 1684 The Dragonnades urged on by Madame de Maintenon 54

1704 Failure of the English fleet to help the Camisards . 56 The weakness of the Empire in Hungary and Transylvania 57

Chronological Tabic of Contents. xiii

Chapter VII. Blenheim

PAGE

Object of Lewis to attack Vienna . . . . 58

Marlborough's plan — to strike across the Rhine, meet Eugene, and prevent the junction of the French

armies in Bavaria 59

Battle of Blenheim 62

The results of the victory 67

The power of Lewis XIV. broken and prestige of French arms destroyed 67

Section II. — Turin. Siege of Turin 83

1706 Sept. 7 Battle of Turin 84

Results of Turin 84

(1) Disheartening effect on French army . . 84

(2) The French driven from Piedmont . . .85

(3) Naples cut off from France . . . .85 xiv Chronological Table of Contents.

Section III. — Barcelona and Madrid. PAGE

The French besiege Barcelona 85

The siege raised by Peterborough . . . .86 1706 Madrid entered by Earl of Galway . . . .86 Success of the allies checked by the chivalrous loyalty of the Spaniards to Philip 87

Chapter X. The Year Of Disaster — 1707

Neutrality of Charles XII. of Sweden secured by

Marlborough 90

1707 March The allies defeated by Duke of Berwick at

Almanza 92

Archduke Charles reduced to single province of

Catalonia 93

Naples secured by the Emperor . . . .93

Failure of attack on Toulon 94

Defeat of the allies on Rhine by Villars . . .94 Sir Cloudesley Shovel lost off the Scilly Islands . 95

SECTION I. — Oudenarde and Lille. Brabant inclining to French 96

Siege of Oudenarde 96

Eugene joins Marlborough 97

1708 July 11 Battle of Oudenarde . .... 97

Siege of Lille . 99

Skirmish at Wynendale 100

Surrender of Lille 101

SECTION II. — Negotiations. State of France 101

Lewis proposes terms 102

The terras of the allies 102

Chronological Table of Contents. xv

PAGE

Embassy of Torcy 102

Conference at the Hague 102

1709 Lewis finds proposal intolerable and (May), appeals to

his people 103

Their answer 104

Section \\\.—Malplaquet.

Villars and Bouffiers , 105

Plan of campaign — Tournai 106

Mons 107

Sept. 11 Battle of Malplaquet 108

Chapter XII. Later Campaigns In Spain

SECTION I.— The three Years that followed Almanza.

General Stanhope 109

Port Mahon taken 111

Duke of Orleans succeeds Berwick . . . .111

French withdrawn from Spain 112

Battle of La Gudina 112

Section II.— The final Campaign.

Stanhope's advance 113

His victory at Almenara 113

His victory at Saragossa 114

The allies advance and occupy Madrid . . . 115

They retreat to Toledo 116

Return to Catalonia 116

English defeat at Brihuega 117

Drawn-battle of Villa Viciosa 118

Chapter XIII. The Fortunes Of Parties

The development of parties and their influences . 120 Opposite views of Whigs and Tories on the Revolution and religious toleration 121

XVI

Chronological Table of Contents.

inclines to the Tories as the Church

The queen

party

Her first Ministry Tory in the main

Godolphin and Marlborough gradually go over to

the Whig camp

1703-1704 Occasional Conformity Bill brought forward

three times — its defeat in the Lords . . .

Lord Somers the most eminent Lord

Sunderland the most violent of the Whig Junto

Abigail Hill comes on the scene

She supplants the Duchess of Marlborough

1708 Yet the Ministry is made more Whig by the enforced

resignation of Harley and St. John

Steady growth of Cabinet government

Life-command refused to Marlborough

1710 Dr. Sacheverell's sermon .

General election — Tory majority Dismissal of Whigs ....

Occasional Conformity Bill passed

122 122

124 125 126 126 127

Chapter XIV. Fag-end Of The War

The two Tory chiefs — Harley, Earl of O

St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke Archduke Charles becomes Emperor Marlborough's last campaign

1711 Expedition against Quebec Marlborough's disgrace Death of Godolphin .

Twelve Tory peers created Ormond commander-in-chief English troops separated from the allies Eugene still commands the " road to Paris

1712 July 24. Victory of French at Denain xford and

132 133

Chronological Table of Contents. xvii

Chapter XV. Peace Of Utrecht

PAGE

Negotiations 138

1706 (a) After Ramillies 138

1709 {b) At the Hague 138

1710 (c) At Gertruydenburg 139

1711 (d) At Utrecht 139

3 March. Peace of Utrecht signed .... 139

1714 The Emperor makes a separate peace at Rastadt . 139

Results of the Peace of Utrecht .... 139 To France : The Spanish monarchy left in the hands of the

Bourbons 140

To England:

The possession of Gibraltar and Minorca, Hudson's Bay Territory, Newfoundland, and

Nova Scotia 140

To Spain :

The loss of possessions in Italy and the Netherlands ........ 141

To Prussia :

The acknowledgment of its status as a kingdom 141 To the Dutch : Gain of a barrier in the Austrian Netherlands

against France 142

Arguments for the Treaty : (a) The war a great burden to England and

increase of national debt .... 142 (6) Strength of patriotism in Spain enlisted on

the side of Philip V 142

(c) The union of Spain and Austria more dangerous than that of Spain and France . . 143 Against the Treaty: {a) Necessity for seizing the opportunity of preventing danger from France for the future 143 {b) Worthlessness of renunciations . . .143 (c ) The scanty fruits of such splendid triumphs 143 B xviii Chronological Table of Contents.

The war a just one, but should have been finished after Ramillies J 43

Chapter XVI. The Union With Scotland

SECTION I. — The Union itself. 1704 The Scotch Act of Security passed in opposition to

the English Act of Settlement *4S

1706 Commission appointed to treat, with Lord Somers as

its president J 4 6

The Union accomplished x 4 6

Opposition in Scotland .147

Principles of representation X 4S

The Scotch law unchanged x 49

Adoption of the Union Jack *49

Good results of the Union I 5°

Compared with union with Ireland . . . .15°

SECTION II.— Attempt for the Pretender.

X707 Jacobite rising I S 1

Sketch of the old Pretender J 5*

Failure of the attempt J 53 1

Chapter XVII. Peter The Great And Charles XII

SECTION I.— The North- Eastern State System. View of Russia, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland IS5

SECTION II.— Peter the Great.

His early life *!

His policy *59-

In pursuance of it he travels in Western Europe . 160

He visits Holland and England ..... 1 60

St. Petersburg founded ... . , 161

Chronological Table of Contents. xix

PAGE

The Patriarchate abolished 162

European fashions introduced 162

The institution of the Tchin 163

SEC TION III.— Charles XII.

1697 Charles succeeds to the throne 164

His character 165

He fights Denmark, Poland, and Russia in succession 166

1700 His victory at Narva 167

He becomes the arbiter of Europe .... 168

Section IV. Pultowa. 1708 Charles marches to meet Mazeppa in the Ukraine . 169

1709 July 8 Battle of Pultowa 170

The power of Charles XII. broken .... 171

He takes refuge with the Turks 172

171 1 Peter the Great crosses the Pruth, and is defeated by

the Turks 172

Section V.— End of Charles XII. and 0/ Peter. Charles XII. expelled from Turkey .... 173

1718 Dec. 11 His death at the siege of Fredericshall . 173 Peter the Great makes a second journey through

Europe . . * 174

1725 Feb. His death 174

Chapter XVIII. The Protestant Succession

Measures to secure the succession of the nearest

Protestant heir ........ 175

1597-1690 The Electress Sophia 177

Her mother Elizabeth, daughter of James I. . . 177

Her father Frederick, Elector Palatine . . . 178

Her brother Prince Rupert 179

Sketch of her life 179

XX

Chronological Table of Contents.

The Jacobites the extreme wing of the Tory party

The Tory ministers charged with Jacobite leanings 1714 Quarrels in the Ministry ....

The last week of Anne's life

Previous career of Shrewsbury .

His appointment as Lord High Treasurer

The Protestant succession secured 1660-1728 Sketch of George I

His merits as a king for England

180 181 182

183 184

Chapter XIX. End Of Lewis XIV

1715 Sept. 1 Death of Lewis XIV.

1643-1715 Events in England parallel with his reign His later life clouded by trouble Death of the Dauphin ....

Death of the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy Lewis XIV.'s reign an evil one for France . Policy of the Regent, the Duke of Orleans

1716 1724

Chapter XX. The Fragments That Remain

Later career of the Duke of Marlborough . . . 192

His death 193

Fate of the Catalans 193

Victor Amadeus becomes king of Sardinia . . 193

Philip V. of Spain abdicates, but on the death of his

son resumes the government 194

Later events in the Life of the Emperor Charles . 195

His death 19S

Chronological Table of Contents. xxi

SECTION I. — Population, Towns, Architecture. PAGB

Population in time of Anne roughly estimated at between five and and seven millions . . . 195-196 Population and wealth greatest in the south and

east 196

Important towns (London, Bristol, Norwich, York, Exeter, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Derby, Nottingham, Canterbury) ....... 197

Steady growth of London 197

Sketch of London life of the period .... 198

The City and Westminster 199

The London Exchange the centre of the commerce

of the world 199

Sir C. Wren the architect of St. Paul's . . .201

His style 202

Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect .... 203

Description of Bath 203

SECTION II.— The Poor. Statistics Gradual improvement in the condition of the poor 204

Pauperism in the reign of Anne .... 206

Prices and wages 207

Distribution of land 207

Corn the staple produce 208

Wool next in importance 208

Cotton manufacture in its infancy .... 209

Other manufactures 209

High standard of comfort 209

Consumption of beer diminished by introduction of

tea and coffee 210

The " Spectator " on luxuries 211

Claret driven out by port 212

Section III.— National Debt. General principle of a debt ... .213

Later history of the debt «5 xxii Chro?wlogical Table of Contents

The policy of repudiation attributed to the Pretender

by the Whigs 215

SECTION IV. — Strength of Parties. The Tories, their strength in the country . . . 217

The Whigs, their strength in the towns . . . 217

Oxford, the Tory university — Cambridge the Whig . 218 The clergy below the present standard . . .218

Their position improved by Queen Anne's Bounty . 219

Chapter XXII. 221 221 221 221 221

LITERATURE.

SECTION 1.— French Literature. Influence of patronage and rules of art . . 219

Literature greatest in first half of reign of Lewis XIV. 220 Strength of the drama

1622-1673 The comedies of Moliere .

1606-1684 The tragedies of Corneille .

1639-1697 The tragedies of Racine . Development of French prose

1627-1704 Absolutism in religion advocated by Bossuet 222

1623-1662 Revolt of Pascal against this absolutism . . 222

Reform advocated by the saintly Fenelon . . . 223

Influence of French on English literature. — Later

reaction on French literature .... 223-224

Section II. — English Literature. Literature all-powerful and in close alliance with

politics 22^

1688-1744 Alexander Pope 225

171 1 " Essay on Criticism " 227

1712 " Rape of the Lock " 227

Pope's style and influence 228

Chronological Table of Contents. xxiii

PAGB

The age of Anne strongest in prose .... 228

Party spirit gives an impulse to pamphlet-writing . 230

1667-1745 Jonathan Swift • 230

1704 "Tale of a Tub" 231

" Conduct of the Allies " 231

1724 " Drapier's Letters " 232

1726 " Gulliver's Travels " 232

" The True-born Englishman '* 233

" Shortest way with the Dissenters " .... 234

1719 " Robinson Crusoe 234

Joseph Addison 235

1705 ' ' The Campaign " 236

Character of Addison 237

1671-1729 Sir Richard Steele 238

171 1 Joined by Addison in the "Tatler'* and the "Spectator" 239

Influence of the " Spectator 240

Index 243

MAPS.

Europe, 1700 To face title page

PAGE

Battle of Blenheim, August 13, 1704 . . .62

Battle of Ramillies, May 23, 1706 . . . 78 ;.

Italy, 1700 •. to face 82

The Netherlands •' 95

Western Europe: showing the principal changes effected by the Treaties of Utrecht and Rastadt ...... 140

Europe: illustrating the Wars of Charles

XII. and Peter the Great ... .155

THE AGE OF ANNE.

Chapter I. The Spanish Succession

In the last years of the seventeenth century the minds of all European statesmen were turned towards Spain. Spain had once been the most formidable of monarchies, dangerous to the peace of Snarchy. sh Europe. As far as this formidableness depended on material resources and extent of territories, there was no reason why she should not be so again. In the reign of the Emperor Charles V., who was also known as Charles I. of Spain, the Spanish king ruled not only over Spain, but over the rich provinces of the Netherlands, over large districts of Italy, and over undefined territories in America, rich in silver mines. It is true that from his son Philip II., husband of our Queen Mary, the provinces of the Netherlands revolted, ! excited by his malignant hostility against the Protestants. Some were successful in their revolt, and formed the country which, released from the Spanish yoke, had since prospered under the name of the United Provinces, or Holland. Portugal, also, which Philip had seized, had again established itself as a separate kingdom.

2 The Age of Aiine. A.D. 1700.

France had wrested three provinces from Spain. But the greater part of the dominions of King Philip were still joined together, Spain and the Netherlands, Italy and the Indies; and the crown of this ill-assorted monarchy was upon the head of Charles II.

As long as he should continue to live, no anxiety would be excited in the mind of any statesman. In mind

Charie II anc * body he was> P erna P s » tlie feeblest man in his dominion. In infancy it had been doubtful whether he could be reared. Ever since, he had been an invalid ; he suffered from a malformation of his jaw, which prevented the mastication of his food. He was terribly ignorant, and as superstitious as he was ignorant. The kingdom of Spain had been misgoverned before, but in his time it was going to ruin. Every department of the State was in disorder ; the law courts, the army, the finances. As long as he could be kept alive, no foreign statesman would feel in the least afraid of Spanish ambition ; but his death was imminent, and great uneasiness was felt as to the succession to his crown. Charles was childless. The crown would therefore devolve upon the descendants either of one of his sisters or of his aunt. Their respective claims will ^ h . e be best explained by a reference to the ac-

claimants. l J

companying table. According to the ordinary rules of inheritance, the dauphin, as son of his eldest sister, had the best right ; but Lewis XIV. and Maria Theresa had on their marriage renounced for their posterity all claims to the succession, and ratified this renunciation with the most solemn oaths On the marriage of Leopold, the emperor, to her sister, a similar renunciation had been made, though, according to the notions of the day, the oaths were less sacred, and the agreement was regarded as less binding. The issue of

The Spanish Succession.

to

1 «>•«

2 «

fc-S,

SI

OJ 2 rt

_rj 'm Qrt *i

-H go « j

H O e rt rt 55 c

^ ii * p.

OvmC/5 o

X « rt

rt S m c 5

■ftfiM

Prt-a

'Eg* a.^ rt p.

"rt £> W> o rt.S

t! IX

JJH « fcd «-Q

« M

H

^ow

O <fl u c " O «

•Jts'sJ.&lil

Ah w

4 The Age of An?ie. a.d. 1700.

this marriage was a daughter, who had married the Elector of Bavaria. Her claim would pass to her son, Joseph, the Electoral Prince of Bavaria. The third claimant was the emperor himself, the cousin of King Charles. His claim was the weakest by descent, but the strongest in that, at his mother's marriage, no renunciation had been effected.

The King of France and the emperor were fully aware that an absolute union of the Spanish Crown either with that of France or with the empire would never be permitted. The dauphin, therefore, and the emperor, agreed each to waive his right in favor of his second son. The three claimants stood forth as Philip, Duke of Anjou; Joseph, the Electoral Prince ; and the Archduke Charles.

It was manifest that it would be best for the peace of Europe that the crown should pass to some prince of small power, or one whose power was distant from Spain. Anxiety was especially felt lest it should fall to a French prince ; for France was now occupying the position in Europe once held by Spain, and the prospect of a union of the two countries under princes of the same family caused a genuine alarm, especially amongst Protestant statesmen. Lewis XIV. is called in French history "the great king." He was the founder of that policy of the aggrandisement of France at the expense of her neighbors which has marked French history since. Earlier French statesmen and French kings had the notion of an equilibrium in European politics, France being one amongst equal States ; but Lewis wished to give her supremacy. Owing to her wise interference on behalf of toleration in Germany, in the Great Thirty Years' War, France had, about the time of the accession of Lewis, attained very a.d. 1697. The Spanish Succession. 5

considerable power. By unscrupulous encroachments, by interfering in the affairs of Germany — weakened as she was by her long struggle — and by vigorous fighting under most skilful generals, Lewis had increased that power. There was, indeed, reason to fear for the liberties of Europe if Spain were joined to France ; nor was there room for doubt that this power would be hostile to the cause of Protestantism. The wise toleration which Henry of Navarre had granted to the Huguenots by the Edict of Nantes had been cancelled by the revocation of that charter. The influence of the Jesuits was plainly visible on the French Court.

Lewis had one great opponent, William of Orange. His ancestor, William the Silent, had opposed Philip of Spain whose power was dangerous to Europe and to Protestantism ; and young William William of devoted his life to the same cause — the defence of the liberties of Europe, especially in religion. At first he stood forward only as the ruler of Holland ; but when the Revolution placed him on the throne of England, that country, which, under Charles II., had been but the vassal, the paid servant of France, resumed her rightful position at the head of the Protestant cause. It is not necessary here to recapitulate the different events that mark stages in the contest between William and Lewis. The last tedious war, in which England had, for the most part, been successful at sea, and France on land, was ended with the Treaty of Ryswick, which, whilst it acquiesced in many of Lewis's conquests, yet settled the Jacobite question. Lewis had undertaken to recognise William as King of England, and nevermore to assist the exiled James in his attempts to regain the crown.

The peace was eagerly welcomed. England and

France alike were tired of war ; and the rulers of the

two countries, reluctant that the peace of

Ryswick. Europe should be disturbed by this new question with respect to the succession to

the crown of Spain, desired to arrange it without fighting.

The negotiations between William and Lewis upon

this subject were long and anxious. They began when

Bentinck, Duke of Portland, once William's Son tfep?" greatest friend, and still one of his most

trusted advisers, was sent on an embassy to Versailles. They continued when Tallard, a distinguished French nobleman and general, was sent by Lewis on a special embassy to England. They were brought to a point at Loo, William's favourite Dutch palace, to which, when released from cares of State in England, he always hastened. The result was the First Treaty of Partition. When Lewis found that the English and the Dutch would not consent to the Spanish dominion passing to a French prince, even if shorn of some of its territories, he agreed that it should fall to the Electoral Prince of Bavaria, provided that France received an equivalent for this concession. The price was Naples and Sicily, as a separate kingdom for the Duke of Anjou, and the province of Guipuscoa, in the north of Spain, to be added to France. The Archduke Charles was to have the Milanese.