A. D. 1700. 709 



of L200 penalty on the perfon having, or felling, any of them, [ir, 

 12 Gul. III,c. 10.] 



This wholefonie law greatly revived the drooping fpirits of our own 

 lilk. and (luff manufacturers. 



By another ftatute of this feflion [c. 11] for making the laws more 

 effedlual againft the importation of foreign bone-lace, needle-work, &c.. 

 they were again to be re-admicted three months after the prohibition of 

 the Englifli woollen manufadures in Flanders fliould be taken off. The 

 prohibition of our woollen manufadures in Flanders, which was found- 

 very detrimental to us, was occafioned by our prohibition of their lace, 

 &c. wherefor we were now obliged to repeal that law, in order that our 

 woollen manufadures might be re-admitted into Flanders. 



The ftates of the United Netherlands, and the proteftant princes of 

 Germany, now adopted the new ftile in all their deeds, ads, &c. 



An ad was pafl'ed [11, 12 Gul. Ill, c. 20] whereby our own woollen- 

 manufadures, corn, and grain, of all kinds, as alfo meal, malt, pulfe,, 

 and bread, were exempted from paying any duty on exportation. 



In the month of November 1700 King Charles II of Spain departed 

 this life. The French king had managed that weak prince's will abio- 

 lutely in favour of his grandfon the duke of Anjou, and thereupon feiz- 

 ed on the entire Spanifh monarchy, without regarding the lafl partition 

 treaty. Hereby the greateft part of Europe was juflly alarmed, and 

 moll efpecially the emperor, England, and Holland. By Louis's feiz- 

 ing on Milan, and other imperial fiefs in Italy, the emperor and empire- 

 were nearly concerned. By his feizing on the Spanifh Netherlands the 

 Dutch were deprived of a barrier againft France. And by his pofief- 

 fion of Spain itfelf, both England's and Holland's great commerce in 

 the Mediterranean lay much at his mercy, as did alfo their Weft-India 

 commerce, by his difpatching ftiips of war to take pofleffion of the 

 Spanifh dominions in America. Yet both England and Holland found 

 themfelves obUged fo far to temporize, as at firft to recognize his grand- 

 fon for king of Spain, being as yet in no condition to oppofe his title, 

 or openly to fltvour, what was more for their intereft, the claim of the 

 houle of Auftria to the Spanifh monarchy. This grand event occafioned 

 much terror in England, and the prices of the national funds and pub- 

 lic ftocks were fo deeply afFeded thereby, as to fink fo low as 50 per- 

 cent, whereby great diflrefs enfued to many ; and, on the other hand, 

 it afforded great advantages to the monied men. Thereby alfo the ere-- 

 dit of the bank of England was much fiiaken for a time. 



This year King William concluded a dcfenfive treaty with King 

 Charles XII of Sweden, for 18 years : ftipulating, in fubfhmce, not to 

 fhelter the rebellious fubjeds of each other : to affift each other, when 

 attacked, with 6000 auxiliary foot foldiers : and that, neverthelefs, 

 either party might lawfully carry on commerce with the country witlu 



