n Finland, which
he totally reduced. Steenbock maintained himself in Tonningen until all
his supplies were cut off; and then he was obliged to deliver himself
and his troops prisoners of war. But this reverse was not foreseen when
the Dutch dreaded a rupture between the Porte and the Muscovites, and
were given to understand that the Turks would revive the troubles in
Hungary. In that case, they knew the emperor would recall great part of
his troops from the Netherlands, where the burden of the war must lie
upon their shoulders. After various consultations in their different
assemblies, they came into the queen's measures, and signed the
barrier-treaty.

Then the plenipotentiaries of the four associated circles presented a
remonstrance to the British ministers at Utrecht, imploring the queen's
interposition in their favour, that they might not be left in the
miserable condition to which they had been reduced by former treaties.
They were given to understand, that if they should not obtain what they
desired, they themselves would be justly blamed as the authors of their
own disappointment; that they had been deficient in furnishing their
proportion of troops and other necessaries, and left the whole burden of
the war to fall upon the queen and the states in the Netherlands; that
when a cessation was judged necessary, they had deserted her majesty
to follow the chimerical projects of prince Eugene; that while she
prosecuted the war with the utmost vigour, they had acted with coldness
and indifference; but when she inclined to peace they began to exert
themselves in prosecuting hostilities with uncommon eagerness; that,
nevertheless, she would not abandon their interests, but endeavour to
procure for them as good conditions as their preposterous conduct would
allow her to demand. Even the emperor's plenipotentiaries began to talk
in more moderate terms. Zinzendorf declared that his master was very
well disposed to promote a general peace, and no longer insisted on
a cession of the Spanish monarchy to the house of Austria. Philip's
ministers, together with those of Bavaria and Cologn, were admitted
to the congress; and now the plenipotentiaries of Britain acted as
mediators for the rest of the allies.

{1713}

PEACE WITH FRANCE.

The pacification between France and England was retarded, however, by
some unforeseen difficulties that arose in adjusting the commerce and
the limits of the countries possessed by both n