s a more far-sighted politician than his subjects either
in England or Holland. The States General took the same view as the
English. "Public funds and shares have undergone a rise at Amsterdam,"
wrote Heinsius to the King of Englaiid; "and although this rests on
nothing solid, your Majesty is aware how much influence such a fact has."

Louis XIV. had lost no time in explaining to the powers the grounds of
his acceptance. "The King of Spain's will," he said in his manifesto,
"establishes the peace of Europe on solid bases." "Tallard did not utter
a single word on handing me his sovereign's letter, the contents of which
are the same as of that which the states have received," wrote William to
Heinsius. "I said to him that perhaps I had testified too eager a desire
for the preservation of peace, but that, nevertheless, my inclination in
that respect had not changed. Whereupon he replied, 'The king my master,
by accepting the will, considers that he gives a similar proof of his
desire to maintain peace.' Thereupon he made me a bow and withdrew."

William of Orange had not deceived himself in thinking that Louis XIV.
would govern Spain in his grandson's name. Nowhere are the old king's
experience and judgment more strikingly displayed than in his letters to
Philip V. "I very much wish," he wrote to him, "that you were as sure of
your own subjects as you ought to be of mine in the posts in which they
may be employed; but do not be astounded at the disorder you find amongst
your troops, and at the little confidence you are able to place in them;
it needs a long reign and great pains to restore order and secure the
fidelity of different peoples accustomed to obey a house hostile to
yours. If you thought it would be very easy and very pleasant to be a
king, you were very much mistaken." A sad confession for that powerful
monarch, who in his youth found "the vocation of king beautiful, noble,
and delightful."

"The eighteenth century opened with a fulness of glory and unheard-of
prosperity; "but Louis XIV. did not suffer himself to be lulled to sleep
by the apparent indifference with which Europe, the empire excepted,
received the elevation of Philip V. to the throne of Spain. On the 6th
of February, 1701, the seven barrier towns of the Spanish Low Countries,
which were occupied by Dutch garrisons in virtue of the peace of Ryswick,
opened their gates to the French on an order from the King of Spain.
"The instructio