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the court of France and the new ministers, who had a double aim in this
measure; namely, to mortify the whigs and the Dutch, whom they detested,
and to free their country from a ruinous war, which had all the
appearance of becoming habitual to the constitution. They foresaw the
risk they would run by entering into such measures, should ever the
opposite faction regain the ascendency; they knew the whigs would employ
all their art and influence, which was very powerful, in obstructing the
peace, and in raising o popular clamour against the treaty. But their
motives for treating were such as prompted them to undervalue all those
difficulties and dangers. They hoped to obtain such advantages in point
of commerce for the subject? of Great Britain, as would silence all
detraction. They did not doubt of being able to maintain the superiority
which they had acquired in parliament; and perhaps some of them
cherished views in favour of the pretender, whose succession to the
crown would have effectually established their dominion over the
opposite party. The earl of Jersey, who acted in concert with Oxford,
sent a private message to the court of France, importing the
queen's desire of peace, representing the impossibility of a private
negotiation, as the ministry was obliged to act with the utmost
circumspection, and desiring that Louis would propose to the Dutch a
renewal of the conferences, in which case the English plenipotentiaries
should have such instructions that it would be impossible for the
states-general to prevent the conclusion of the treaty. This intimation
was delivered by one Gualtier, an obscure priest, who acted as chaplain
to count Gallas the Imperial ambassador, and had been employed as a
spy by the French ministry, since the commencement of hostilities. His
connexion with lord Jersey was by means of that nobleman's lady,
who professed the Roman catholic religion. His message was extremely
agreeable to the court of Versailles. He returned to London with a
letter of compliment from the marquis de Torcy to the earl of Jersey, in
which that minister assured him of his master's sincere inclination for
peace, though he was averse to a renewal of the conferences with the
states-general. Gualtier wrote a letter to Versailles, desiring, in
the name of the English ministry, that his most christain majesty would
communicate to them his proposals for a general peace, which they would
communicate to the states-general, t