668 A. D. 1695. 



deed, it muft needs be owned, that, fuppofing all Europe but them- 

 felves to be flift afleep, the very advantageous fuuation of their colony, 

 together Vvith the national bottom, and fiill large capital of their com- 

 pany, feemingly promifcd, fooner or later, the acconiplifliment of moll 

 of the great things they had in view. But they ought certainly to have 

 expecftcd oppoiition, from almoft every quarter, to every part of this 

 fine-fpun fcheme : for, befides the general interefl: of England, confider- 

 ed by all men to be in imminent danger from this fcheme, King 

 Charles II of Spain was then our ally, and his minifter at London pre- 

 fented a very fharp memorial to King William againft the Daricn fettle- 

 nient, which he termed ' an infult of the Scots, in attempting to fettle 

 * themfelves in the very heart of the Spanifli dominions in America ; 

 ' and which his mafter therefor looked upon as a rupture of the alli- 

 ' ance between the two crowns.' To this theScottifh companyrepliedwith 

 great labour and learning, and exhaufted all the civil-law arguments, 

 touching the nature of the pofleiTion of countries ; urging, that they 

 had at leaf!: as good a right to fettle in Darien as the French had to 

 fettle on Hifpaniola and on the Millifippi, or the Dutch at Surinam, 

 Sec. all which had been efteemed parts of the Spanifli dominions in 

 America, and were generally furrounded with Spanifh colonies ; with 

 much more to this fame purpofe. The Dutch likewife were extremely 

 jealous of this Scottifli fettlement, as what might greatly fpoil their con- 

 traband trade from Cura^oa, &c. to the Spanifli American coafl:s ; and 

 might in time alfo prove very detrimental to their Eafl:-India com- 

 pany. Lattly, the French were no lefs jealous of this company, on the 

 fcore of their Wefl:-India commerce, which at this time begrai to be 

 confiderable. They therefor excited the king of Spain's refentment, 

 and modeftly hinted their readinefs to aflifl: him in driving the Scots 

 out of Darien, at the very time (anno 1698) they were jufl: beginning 

 a French colony in the bay of Mexico, at the entrance into the great 

 river Milhtippi, always efl:eemed a part of Spanifli Florida; and were 

 likewife extending their late pofl^eilion of the wefl: end of Hifpaniola, 

 always, from Columbus's days till very lately, pofleflTed by Spain. Thus 

 was King William teazed and prefled on every fide, for the lupprellion 

 of this new company, and was therefor neceflltated to comply with 

 the urgent defires of his parliament and people of England ; of the 

 Dutch, whofe ftadtholder he then was ; and of his other allies; to fend 

 inftrudions, in January 1698-9, to the governors of all the Englifli 

 American colonies, fl;ridly to prohibit all correfpondence with the Scots 

 in Darien. For it feems the colonies of New- England and New-York 

 were thought to have a warm fide toward the Scottiih colony, and would 

 gladly have fupplied them with neceflaries, as their fuccefs would have 

 opened a new and large market for their fiih, corn, pork, beef, butter, 

 8cc. Proclamations, therefor, in the fpring of 1 699, were publiflied ia 



