arted in an amicable manner. He had concealed the
treaty until he should receive the remaining part of the subsidies due
to him from the confederates. A considerable sum had been remitted
from England to Genoa for his use; but lord Galway no sooner received
intimation of his new engagement, than he put a stop to the payment of
this money, which he employed in the Milanese for the subsistence of
those troops that were in the British service. King William was encamped
at Gemblours when the duke's envoy notified the separate peace which his
master had concluded with the king of France. Though he was extremely
chagrined at the information, he dissembled his anger and listened to
the minister without the least emotion. One of the conditions of this
treaty was, that within a limited time the allies should evacuate the
duke's dominions, otherwise they should be expelled by the joint forces
of France and Savoy. A neutrality was offered to the confederates;
and this being rejected, the contracting powers resolved to attack the
Milanese. Accordingly when the truce expired, the duke, as generalissimo
of the French king, entered that duchy and undertook the siege of
Valentia; so that in one campaign he commanded two contending armies.
The garrison of Valentia, consisting of seven thousand men, Germans,
Spaniards, and French protestants, made an obstinate defence; and the
duke of Savoy prosecuted the siege with uncommon impetuosity. But after
the trenches had been open for thirteen days, a courier arrived from
Madrid with an account of his catholic majesty's having agreed to the
neutrality for Italy. This agreement imported that there should be a
suspension of arms until a general peace could be effected; and that the
Imperial and French troops should return to their respective countries.
Christendom had well nigh been embroiled anew by the death of John
Sobieski, king of Poland, who died at the age of seventy in the course
of this summer, after having survived his faculties and reputation.
As the crown was elective, a competition arose for the succession. The
kingdom was divided by factions; and the different powers of Europe
interested themselves warmly in the contention.

NAVAL TRANSACTIONS.

Nothing of consequence had been lately achieved by the naval force of
England. When the conspiracy was first discovered, sir George Rooke had
received orders to return from Cadiz, and he arrived in the latter
end of April. While he to