he most
favoured nation; that she should be put in possession of Newfoundland
and Hudson's Bay, either by way of restitution or cession; and that
both nations should continue to enjoy whatever territories they might be
possessed of in North America at the ratification of the treaties. She
likewise insisted upon a security that the crowns of France and Spain
should never be united on the same head. Her majesty no longer insisted
upon Philip's being expelled from the throne of Spain by the arms of
his own grandfather. She now perceived that the exorbitant power of the
house of Austria would be as dangerous to the liberty of Europe as ever
that of the family of Bourbon had been, in the zenith of its glory. She
might have remembered the excessive power, the insolence, the ambition
of Charles V. and Philip II. who had enslaved so many countries, and
embroiled all Europe. She was sincerely desirous of peace, from motives
of humanity and compassion to her subjects and fellow-creatures; she
was eagerly bent upon procuring such advantages to her people as
would enable them to discharge the heavy load of debt under which they
laboured, and recompense them in some measure for the blood and treasure
they had so lavishly expended in the prosecution of the war. These
were the sentiments of a christian princess; of an amiable and pious
sovereign, who bore a share in the grievances of her subjects, and
looked upon them with the eyes of maternal affection. She thought she
had the better title to insist upon those advantages, as they had been
already granted to her subjects in a private treaty with king Charles.

MENAGER ARRIVES PRIVATELY in ENGLAND.

As Prior's powers were limited in such a manner that he could not
negotiate, Mr. Menager, deputy from the city of Rouen to the board of
trade, accompanied the English minister to London, with full powers to
settle the preliminaries of the treaty. On his arrival in London, the
queen immediately commissioned the duke of Shrewsbury, the earls of
Jersey, Dartmouth, Oxford, and Mr. St. John, to treat with him; and the
conferences were immediately begun. After long and various disputes,
they agreed upon certain preliminary articles, which, on the eighth day
of October, were signed by the French minister, and by the two
secretaries of state, in consequence of a written order from her majesty.
Then Menager was privately introduced to the queen at Windsor. She told
him she was averse to war;