oops from the Spanish Netherlands
as soon as the king of Spain should have forces of his own sufficient to
guard the country; with respect to the other articles, he could give no
other answer, but that he would immediately transmit them to Versailles.
Louis was filled with indignation at the insolent strain of those
proposals, which he considered as a sure mark of William's hostile
intentions. He refused to give any other security for the peace of
Europe, than a renewal of the treaty of Ryswick; and he is said to have
tampered, by means of his agents and emissaries, with the members of the
English parliament, that they might oppose all steps tending to a new
war on the continent.

{WILLIAM, 1688--1701.}

SEVERE ADDRESSES FROM BOTH HOUSES.

King William certainly had no expectation that France would close with
such proposals; but he was not without hope that her refusal would warm
the English nation into a concurrence with his designs. He communicated
to the house of commons the demands which had been made by him and the
states-general; and gave them to understand, that he would from time
to time make them acquainted with the progress of the negotiation. The
commons suspecting that his intention was to make them parties in a
congress which he might conduct to a different end from that which they
proposed, resolved to signify their sentiments in the answer to this
message. They called for the treaty of partition, which being read,
they voted an address of thanks to his majesty, for his most gracious
declaration that he would make them acquainted with the progress of the
negotiation; but they signified their disapprobation of the partition
treaty, signed with the great seal of England, without the advice of the
parliament which was then sitting, and productive of ill consequences to
the kingdom, as well as to the peace of Europe, as it assigned over to
the French king such a large portion of the Spanish dominion. Nothing
could be more mortifying to the king than this open attack upon his own
conduct, yet he suppressed his resentment, and without taking the least
notice of their sentiments with respect to the partition treaty, assured
them that he should be always ready to receive their advice on the
negotiation which he had set on foot according to their desire. The
debates in the house of commons upon the subject of the partition treaty
rose to such violence, that divers members, in declaiming against it,
transgr