70S ENGL 
exerted in keeping him out of it. The eledtor of Ba¬ 
varia, who had been intimately connected with the 
French, was now detached from them ; and the Dutch, 
who had trembled for their barrier, were by this time 
encroaching upon that of the enemy. Thus accident, 
and a fortuitous concatenation of events, gave almoft to 
every power, except to England and France, all that war 
could ever give. Yet it was the inrereft of England 
that her allies (hould be reinftated in their rights, but not 
rendered too powerful. 
The conferences began at Utrecht, under the conduct 
of Robinfon bifhop of Briftol,, lord privy.feal, and the 
earl of Stafford, on the fide of the Englifh ; of Buys and 
Vanderduffen, on the part of the Dutch; and of the 
inarfhal d’Uxelles, the cardinal Polignac, and M. Me¬ 
rger, in behalf of France. The minifters of the em¬ 
peror and of Savoy aftifted, and the other allies fent alfo 
plenipotentiaries, though with great reluCtance. As 
England and France were the only powers ferioufly in¬ 
clined to peace, it may be fuppofed that all the other 
deputies ferved rather to retard than advance its pro- 
grefs. The emperor infilled obftinately upon his claim 
to the Spanilh monarchy, refufing to give up the leaft 
tittle of his pretentions ; and the Dutch adhered to their 
old preliminaries, which Louis had conftantly rejected. 
The Englifh minifters, finding fo many obftruCtions 
from their allies, fet on foot a private negociation with 
•France. They ftipulated certain advantages for the 
fubjeCts of Great-Britain, in a concerted plan of peace. 
They refolved to enter into fuch mutual confidence with 
the French, as would anticipate all clandeftine tranfac- 
tions to the prejudice of the coalition. Thefe articles 
were privately regulated between the two courts; but 
being the refult of pique and neceffity, they were not fo 
favourable to the Englilh interefts, as the nation, after 
fo many fignal victories, had a right to expeCt. The 
Englilh, willing to include their allies, if poflible, in the 
treaty, departed from fome of their juft claims, in order 
to gratify the Dutch with the polfelfion of fome towns in 
Flanders. But even this was not found fatisfaCtory. 
The queen, therefore, finding the confederates averfe to 
the propofitions (he had made for a general peace, gave 
them to underftand, that (lie looked upon herfelf as re¬ 
leafed from all her former engagements. 
Upon the difmilfion of the duke of Marlborough, the 
duke of Orfnond had been inverted with the fupreme 
command of the Britifh forces; but with particular 
directions that he lhould not hazard an engagement. 
However, he joined prince Eugene at Tournay, who, 
not being let into the fecret, advifed the attacking of 
the French under Villars; but he foon found how affairs 
flood with his coadjutor. Ormond feemed extremely 
uneafy at his fituation; and, in a letter to the fecretary 
in England, delired permifiion to return. But the con¬ 
federates were loud in their complaints; they expoftu- 
lated with the minifters at Utrecht upon fo perfidious a 
conduCt with great feverity. The Dutch, indeed, did 
rot reft here. They had a powerful party in the houfe 
of lords, and there they refolved to arraign the conduCt 
of the new miniftry. Lord Halifax delcanted on the ill 
confequences of the duke of Ormond’s refufing to co¬ 
operate with prince Eugene, and moved for an addrefs 
to her majefty to loofen the hands of the Englifh gene¬ 
ral. It was urged that nothing could be more difgrace- 
ful to the duke himfelf than being thus fet at the head 
of an army without a power of aCting. But earl Pawlet 
-replied, that though none could doubt of the duke of 
Ormond’s courage, yet he was not like a certain general 
who led troops to the (laughter, in hopes that a great 
number of officers might be knocked on the head, that 
he might increafe his treafures by difpofingof their com- 
miffions. The duke of Marlborough, who was prefent, 
was lo deeply incenfed at this malicious infinuation, that 
he fent the earl a challenge the next day; but the queen 
interfered, and prevented bloodffied. 
A N 13. 
In the mean time the allies, Tupported by the queen of 
England, (till continued the war againft the French. 
They had the utmoft confidence in prince Eugene, their 
juftly celebrated genera!; but after the rec’al and difmif* 
fion of the duke of Marlborough, as if Providence had fo 
ordained it to punifti the fin of ingratitude, there was a 
total end of tlieii victories. Villars, the French general, 
attacked a large body of the allied troops encamped at 
Detrain, under the command of the earl of Albermarle. 
Their intrenchments were forced, and feventeen battalions 
were either deftroyed or taken. The earl himfelf, and all 
the furviving officers, w ere made prifonersof war. Thefe 
fucceffes of Villars gave a favourable turn to the affairs 
of France, and ferved to haften the treaty of Utrecht. 
The only obftacle which feemed now to retard the bufi- 
nefs, was the fettling the fucceflion to the kingdoms of 
France and Spain. The danger that threatened the in¬ 
terefts of Europe was, left both kingdoms fhould be 
united under one fovereign ; and Philip, who was now 
king of Spain, flood next in fucceflion to the crown of 
France, except with the interpofition of one fickly child, 
afterwards Louis XV. Philip, however, at iaft waved 
his pretenfions to the French monarchy, and the treaty 
went forward with rapidity and fuccefs. 
In the beginning of Auguft 1712, fecretary St. John, 
then created lord vifcount Bolingbroke, was fent to the 
court of Verlailles to remove all obftruCtions to the 
feparate treaty. He was accompanied by Prior the poet, 
and the abbe Gualtier, who were treated with the mo(t 
diftinguiftied maiks of relpeCt. The duke of Marl¬ 
borough, now negleCted 1 y the queen, and contemptu- 
oufly treated by Iter tory adminiftration, retired with his 
family to the continent; and his retreat was compared 
to that of Scipio from Rome, after he had faved his 
country. 
The treaty of peace and commerce between England 
and Franee being at length agreed on, and ratified by the 
queen, (he informed her parliament of the fteps fhe had 
taken. She left it to the commons to determine what- 
forces, and what fupplies, might be neceffary for the fafe 
ty of the kingdom. “ Make yourfelves fafe, (aid (lie, 
and I (hall be fatisfied. The affection of my people, and 
the providence of Heaven, are the only guards I a(k for 
my protection.” Both houfes returned warm addrelfes ; 
and the ratifications of the treaty being exchange •, which 
had been figned on the 31ft of March, 1713, peace was pro- 
claimed in England on the fifth of May, to the inexpref- 
fible joy of the majority of the nation. 
The articles of this famous peace were longer can- 
vaffed, and more warmly debated, than thofe of any other 
treaty we read of in hiftory. The fir ft (tipulation was, 
that Philip king of Spain, renounced* for ever his claim 
to the crown of France ; the union of two fuch powerful 
kingdoms being thought dangerous to the liberties of Eu¬ 
rope. It was agreed that the duke of Berry, Philip’s 
brother, fhould al(o renounce his claim to the crown of 
Spain, in cafe he ever became king of France. It was 
ftipulated that the duke of Savoy lhould poffefs the.ifland 
of Sicily, with the title of king, together with Feneftrel- 
lea, and other places on the continent ; which increafe 
of dominion was, in fome meafure, made out of the fpoils 
of the French monarchy. The Dutch had that barrier 
granted them which they fo long fought after; and if 
the crown of France was deprived of fome dominions to 
enrich the duke of Savoy, on the other hand the houfe 
of Auftria was taxed to fupply the neceffuies of the Hol¬ 
landers, who were put in poffeftion of the ftrongeft towns 
in Flanders. With regard to England, its glory and its 
interefts were fecured. The fortifications of Dunkirk, 
which were thought dangerous to their trade in time of 
war, were ordered to be demoliffied, and its port deftroy¬ 
ed. Spain gave up Gibraltar and the ifland of Minorca. 
France refigued her pretenfions to Hudfon’s Bay, Nova 
Scotia, and Newfoundland ; but they were left in poftef- 
fion of Cape Breton, with the liberty of drying their fi(h 
vt-pon 
