tion. The duke of
Savoy, while his minister was thus employed in England, engaged in an
alliance with the crowns of France and Spain, on condition, That his
catholic majesty should espouse his youngest daughter without a dowry;
that he himself should command the allied army in Italy, and furnish
eight thousand infantry, with five-and-twenty hundred horse, in
consideration of a monthly subsidy of fifty thousand crowns.

INEFFECTUAL NEGOTIATION with FRANCE.

During these transactions, Mr. Stanhope, envoy extraordinary to the
states-general, was empowered to treat with the ministers of France
and Spain, according to the addresses of both houses of parliament. He
represented, that though his most christian majesty had thought fit to
deviate from the partition-treaty, it was not reasonable that the king
of England should lose the effect of that convention; he therefore
expected some security for the peace of Europe; and for that purpose
insisted upon certain articles, importing, That the French king should
immediately withdraw his troops from the Spanish Netherlands; that for
the security of England, the cities of Ostend and Nieuport should be
delivered into the hands of his Britannic majesty; that no kingdom,
provinces, cities, lands, or places, belonging to the crown of Spain,
should ever be yielded or transferred to the crown of France, on any
pretence whatever; that the subjects of his Britannic majesty should
retain all the privileges, rights, and immunities, with regard to their
navigation and commerce in the dominions of Spain, which they enjoyed
at the death of his late catholic majesty; and also all such immunities,
rights, and franchises, as the subjects of France, or any other power,
either possess for the present, or may enjoy for the future; that all
treaties of peace and conventions between England and Spain should be
renewed; and that a treaty formed on these demands should be guaranteed
by such powers as one or other of the contractors should solicit and
prevail upon to accede. Such likewise were the proposals made by the
states-general, with this difference, that they demanded as cautionary
towns, all the strongest places in the Netherlands. Count D'A vaux, the
French minister, was so surprised at these exorbitant demands, that he
could not help saying, They could not have been higher, if his master
had lost four successive battles. He assured them that his most
christian majesty would withdraw his tr