commerce. The
new king of Spain* being supposed well-affected to the British nation,
an effort was made to detach him from the interests of France, by means
of the marquis de Tabernega, who had formerly been his favourite, and
resided many years as a refugee in England.

* In the month of July, Philip king of Spain dying, in the
sixty-third year of his age, was succeeded by his eldest son
Ferdinand, born of Maria-Louisa Gabriela, sister to the late
king of Sardinia. He espoused Donna Maria Magdalena, infanta
of Portugal, but had no issue. Philip was but two days
survived by his daughter, the dauphiness of France. The same
month was remarkable for the death of Christian VI., king
of Denmark, succeeded by his son Frederick V., who had
married the princess Louisa, youngest daughter of the king
of Great Britain.

This nobleman proceeded to Lisbon, where a negotiation was set on foot
with the court of Madrid. But his efforts miscarried; and the influence
of the queen-mother continued to predominate in the Spanish councils.
The states-general had for some years endeavoured to promote a
pacification by remonstrances, and even entreaties, at the court of
Versailles; the French king at length discovered an inclination to
peace, and in September a congress was opened at Breda, the capital
of Dutch Brabant, where the plenipotentiaries of the emperor, Great
Britain, France, and Holland, were assembled; but the French were so
insolent in their demands, that the conferences were soon interrupted.

The parliament of Great Britain meeting in November, the king exhorted
them to concert with all possible expedition the proper measures
for pursuing the war with vigour, that the confederate army in the
Netherlands might be seasonably augmented; he likewise gave them to
understand, that the funds appropriated for the support of his civil
government had for some years past fallen short of the revenue intended
and granted by parliament; and said he relied on their known affection
to find out some method to make good this deficiency. As all those who
had conducted the opposition were now concerned in the administration,
little or no objection was made to any demand or proposal of the
government and its ministers. The commons having considered the
estimates, voted forty thousand seamen for the service of the ensuing
year, and about sixty thousand land-forces, including eleven thousand
five