nothingremainedforthemtodouponthisprinciple，buttodetachFrancefromtheengagementsofthepartitiontreaties，bygivingtheirwholemonarchytoaprinceofthehouseofBourbon。AsmuchasmayhavebeensaidconcerningthenegotiationsofFrancetoobtainawillinherfavor，andyettokeepinreservetheadvantagesstipulatedforherbythepartitiontreatiesifsuchawillcouldnotbeobtained，andthoughIampersuadedthatthemarshalofHarcourt，whohelpedtoprocurethiswill，madehiscourttoLouistheFourteenthasmuchasthemarshalofTallard，whonegotiatedthepartitions；
yetitiscertainthattheacceptationofthewillwasnotameasuredefinitivelytakenatVersailleswhenthekingofSpaindied。Thealternativedividedthosecouncils，and，withoutenteringatthistimeintotheargumentsurgedoneachside，adheringtothepartitionsseemedthecauseofFrance，acceptingthewillthatofthehouseofBourbon。
IthasbeensaidbymenofgreatweightinthecouncilsofSpain，andwassaidatthattimebymenaslittlefondofthehouseofBourbon，oroftheFrenchnation，astheirfathershadbeen，thatifEnglandandHollandhadnotformedaconfederacyandbegunawar，theywouldhavemadePhiliptheFifthasSpaniardasanyoftheprecedingPhilips，andnothavegoodaenduredtheinfluenceofFrenchcouncilsintheadministrationoftheirgovernment：butthatwethrewthementirelyintothehandsofFrancewhenwebeganthewar，becausethefleetsandarmiesofthiscrownbeingnecessarytotheirdefence，theycouldnotavoidsubmittingtothisinfluenceaslongasthesamenecessitycontinued；and，infact，wehaveseenthattheinfluencelastednolonger。Butnotwithstandingthis，itmustbeconfessed，thatawarwasunavoidable。Theimmediatesecuringofcommerceandofbarriers，thepreventinganunionofthetwomonarchiesinsomefuturetime，andthepreservationofacertaindegreeatleastofequalityinthescalesofpower，werepointstooimportanttoEngland，Holland，andtherestofEurope，toberestedonthemoderationofFrench，andthevigorofSpanishcouncils，underaprinceofthehouseofFrance。IfsatisfactiontothehouseofAustria，towhoserightsEnglandandHollandshowednogreatregardwhilsttheywerebetterfoundedthantheyweresincethewill，hadbeenaloneconcerned；adropofbloodspilt，orfiveshillingsspentinthequarrel，wouldhavebeentonmuchprofusion。ButthiswaspropertythesaleintowhichitbecamethecommoninteresttothrowalltheweightthatcouldbetakenoutofthatofBourbon。Andthereforeyourlordshipwillfind，thatwhennegotiationswithd’AvauxweresetonfootinHollandtopreventawar，orratheronourparttogaintimetoprepareforit，inwhichviewtheDutchwehadbothacknowledgedPhilipkingofSpain；thegreatarticleweinsistedonwas，thatreasonablesatisfactionshouldbegiventheemperor，uponhispretensionsfoundedonthetreatyofpartition。Wecoulddonootherwise；andFrancewhoofferedtomakethetreatyofRyswicthefoundationofthattreaty，coulddonootherwisethanrefusetoconsentthatthetreatyofpartitionshouldbeso，afteracceptingthewill，andtherebyengagingtoopposeallpartitionordismembermentoftheSpanishmonarchy。IshouldmentionnoneoftheotherdemandsofEnglandandHolland，ifIcouldneglecttopointouttoyourlordship’sobservation，thatthesameartificewasemployedatthistime，toperplexthemoreanegotiationthatcouldnotsucceedonotheraccounts，aswesawemployedinthecourseofthewar，bytheEnglishandDutchministers，topreventthesuccessofnegotiationsthatmight，andoughttohavesucceeded。ThedemandImeanisthatof“alibertynotonlytoexplainthetermsproposed，buttoincreaseoramplifythem，inthecourseofthenegotiation。“Idonotrememberthewords，butthisisthesense，andthiswasthemeaningoftheconfederatesinbothcases。
Iftheformer，kingWilliamwasdeterminedtobeginthewarbyalltherulesofgoodpolicy；sincebecouldnotobtain，naysinceFrancecouldnotgrantinthatconjuncture，norwithoutbeingforcedtoitbyawar，whathewasobligedbytheseveryrulestodemand。Heintendedthereforenothingbythisnegotiation，ifitmaybecalledsuch，buttopreserveformsandappearances，andperhaps，whichmanyhavesuspected，tohavetimetoprepare，asIhintedjustnow，bothabroadandathome。Manythingsconcurredtofavorhispreparationsabroad。Thealarm，thathadbeengivenbytheacceptationofthewill，wasincreasedbyeverystepthatFrancemadetosecuretheeffectofit。Thus，forinstance，thesurprisingandseizingtheDutchtroops，inthesamenight，andatthesamehour，thatweredispersedinthegarrisonsoftheSpanishNetherlands，wasnotexcusedbythenecessityofsecuringthoseplacestotheobedienceofPhilip，norsoftenedbytheimmediatedismissionofthosetroops。TheimpressionitmadewasmuchthesameasthoseofthesurprisesandseizuresofFranceinformerusurpations。Nooneknewthen，thatthesovereigntyofthetenprovinceswastobeyieldeduptotheelectorofBavaria；andeveryonesawthatthereremainednolongeranybarrierbetweenFranceandthesevenprovinces。Athome，thedispositionofthenationwasabsolutelyturnedtoawarwithFrance，onthedeathofkingJamestheSecond，bytheacknowledgmentLouistheFourteenthmadeofhissonaskingofEngland。
Iknowwhatwasbeensaidinexcuseofthismeasure，taken，asIbelieve，onfemaleimportunity；butcertainlywithoutanyregardtopublicfaith，tothetrueinterestofFranceinthosecircumstances，ortothetrueinterestoftheprincethusacknowledged，inany。itwassaid，thatthetreatyofRyswicobligedhismostChristianmajestyonlynottodisturbkingWilliaminhispossession，heslight，withoutanyviolationofit，haveacknowledgedthisprinceaskingofEngland；accordingtothepoliticalcasuistryoftheFrench，andtheexampleofFrance，whofindsnofaultwiththepowersthattreatwiththekingsofEngland，althoughthekingsofEnglandretainthetitleofkingsofFrance；aswellastheexampleofSpain，whomakesnocomplaintsthatotherstatestreatwiththekingsofFrance，althoughthekingsofFranceretainthetitleofNavarre。Butbesidesthattheexamplesarenotapposite，becausenootherpowersacknowledgeinformthekingofEnglandtobekingofFrance，northekingofFrancetobekingofNavarre；withwhatfacecouldtheFrenchexcusethismeasure？CouldtheyexcuseitbyurgingthattheyadheredtothestrictletterofonearticleofthetreatyofRyswic，againsttheplainmeaningofthatveryarticle，andagainstthewholetenorofthattreaty；inthesamebreathwithwhichtheyjustifiedtheacceptationofthewill，bypretendingtheyadheredtothesupposedspiritandgeneralintentionofthetreatiesofpartition，incontradictiontotheletter，tothespecificengagements，andtothewholepurportofthosetreaties？ThispartoftheconductofLouistheFourteenthmayappearjustlythemoresurprising，becauseinmostotherpartsofhisconductatthesametime，andinsometohisdisadvantage，heactedcautiously，endeavoredtocalmthemindsofhisneighbors，toreconcileEuropetohisgrandson’selevation，andtoavoidallshowofbeginninghostilities。