iance. He likewise desired the states-general to join councils
with him in persuading the queen of England to reject the proposals
of France, and prosecute the war; or at least to negotiate on the
foundation of the first preliminaries, which had been signed by the
marquis de Torcy. He wrote a letter to the same purpose to the queen of
Great Britain, who received it with the most mortifying indifference.
No wonder that he should zealously contend for the continuance of a
war, the expense of which she and the Dutch had hitherto almost wholly
defrayed. The new preliminaries were severely attacked by the whigs,
who ridiculed and reviled the ministry in word and writing. Pamphlets,
libels, and lampoons, were today published by one faction, and to-morrow
answered by the other. They contained all the insinuations of malice
and contempt, all the bitterness of reproach, and all the rancour of
recrimination. In the midst of this contention, the queen despatched
the earl of Rivers to Hanover, with an assurance to the elector that his
succession to the crown should be effectually ascertained in the treaty.
The earl brought back an answer in writing; but, at the same time, his
electoral highness ordered baron de Bothmar, his envoy in England,
to present a memorial to the queen, representing the pernicious
consequences of Philip's remaining in possession of Spain and the West
Indies. This remonstrance the baron published, by way of appeal to the
people, and the whigs extolled it with the highest encomiums; but
the queen and her ministers resented this step as an officious and
inflammatory interposition.

The proposals of peace made by the French king were disagreeable even to
some individuals of the tory party; and certain peers, who had hitherto
adhered to that interest, agreed with the whigs to make a remonstrance
against the preliminary articles. The court being apprised of their
intention, prorogued the parliament till the seventh day of December, in
expectation of the Scottish peers, who would cast the balance in favour
of the ministry. In her speech, at the opening of the session, she told
them that notwithstanding the arts of those who delighted in war,
the place and time were appointed for a congress; and that the
states-general had expressed their entire confidence in her conduct.
She declared her chief concern should be to secure the succession of
the crown in the house of Hanover; to procure all the advantages to the
natio