arbitration of king George and
the states-general. These powers undertook the office. Conferences
were begun between the ministers of the emperor, France, England, and
Holland; and these produced, in the course of the following year, the
famous quadruple alliance. In this treaty it was stipulated, that the
emperor should renounce all pretensions to the crown of Spain, and
exchange Sardinia for Sicily with the duke of Savoy; that the succession
to the duchies of Tuscany, Parma, and Placentia, which the queen of
Spain claimed by inheritance as princess of the house of Farnese, should
be settled on her eldest son, in case the present possessors should die
without male issue. Philip, dissatisfied with this partition, continued
to make formidable preparations by sea and land. The king of England
and the regent of France interposed their admonitions to no purpose. At
length his Britannic majesty had recourse to more substantial arguments,
and ordered a strong squadron to be equipped with all possible
expedition. [206] _[See note 2 H, at the end of this Vol.]_

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

On the third day of November, the princess of Wales was delivered of
a prince, the ceremony of whose baptism was productive of a difference
between the grandfather and the father. The prince of Wales intended
that his uncle, the duke of York, should stand godfather. The king
ordered the duke of Newcastle to stand for himself. After the ceremony,
the prince expressed his resentment against this nobleman in very warm
terms. The king ordered the prince to confine himself within his own
apartment; and afterwards signified his pleasure that he should quit the
palace of St. James'. He retired with the princess to a house belonging
to the earl of Grantham; but the children were detained at the palace.
All peers and peeresses, and all privy-counsellors and their wives, were
given to understand, that in case they visited the prince and princess
they should have no access to his majesty's presence; and all who
enjoyed posts and places under both king and prince, were obliged to
quit the service of one or other at their option. When the parliament
met on the twenty-first day of November, the king, in his speech, told
both houses that he had reduced the army to very near one half, since
the beginning of the last session: he expressed his desire that all
those who were friends to the present happy establishment, might
unanimously concur in some pr