defpife the Laws of Hofpitality, and the Refpect due to the facred Character of Ambaffadors; the Minifter of one of the moft powerful Monarchs in Europe is fcarce fafe in their Court; they will make no Conceffions to the Reformed Princes, but defy 'em to do their worst.

Some late Tranfactions at the Court of FRANCE must fhew us the reft of the fecret Springs which move all Europe. During the prefent King's Minority, he was married to the Infanta of Spain, then but three Years old; in which it is generally thought private Views were more confider'd than publick Good; and befides, the Regent had an Opportunity, by the fame Treaty with Spain, of providing for two of his Daughters; marrying the one to the Prince of Afturias, the other to Don Carlos, Infant of Spain, and Heir to the Dukedom of Parma and Placentia. But the Regent's Death breaks all thefe Measures; the Duke of Bourbon, who fucceeded him as Prime Minister, knowing of what Importance it was that the King fhou'd have Heirs, determines to provide him a more fuitable Match; and spite of all that Spain can do, the Infanta Queen is fent back, and the Duke of Bourborn, willing to fhew more regard to the Merit and Virtues than the Fortunes of a Queen, pitches upon the Princess Mary Leczinski, the only Daughter of King Stanislaus.

SPAIN, enraged at this Affront, meditates nothing but Revenge; the Prince of Afturias, who by the voluntary Refignation of his Father had afcended the Throne of Spain, being dead, the Young Queen Dowger obtains Leave to return to her native Country. Whilft fhe is upon her Journey the Infanta is fent back; upon which the Queen receives a Meffage from the King her Father in Law requiring her to make fome Stay where fhe is, till her Sifter Madamoifelle Beaujolois the contracted Wife of the Infant Don Carlos can reach her. Thefe Princeffes are conducted to the Frontiers by fome Spanish Troops, and are exchanged there with the Infanta, who had been guarded thither by French Forces. The Princeffes proceed forwards, but the Troops remain on the Frontiers, and every Body's Eyes are fix'd upon them, expecting fome Action there; but the Commanders have an Interview, and

come

come to an Agreement about fending back Deferters on both Sides: However, both the French and Spaniards continue to fortify the Frontier Places, and feem to threaten each other with Preparations of War.

As the Alliances between the French and Spaniards are now entirely broken, the latter feek to strengthen themselves by new ones; and weary with the delay of the Congrefs of Cambray, and no longer caring for the Mediation of France or England (the former of whofe Ufage they very much refented, and the latter they were forming Pretenfions upon) they pitch upon a Perfon, whofe Secrefy and Fidelity they can rely upon, and fend him to the Court of Vienna, with Inftructions to conclude an Alliance with the Emperor at any rate; and it is accordingly done beforeany one knows there is fuch a Treaty on Foot. 'Tis uncertain. whether there are any fecret Articles favourable to Spain, which time may bring to light; but by those which have been made Publick, the Emperor feems the only Gainer. The Sueceffion to the Dominions in Italy and the Netherlands, is fecured to the House of Auftria by a folemn Renunciation on the Part of Spain.. Freedom of Commerce is granted to all the Imperialists in the Harbours of Spain, which is chiefly calculated for the Service of the Oftend India Company; and Don Carlos is to receive the eventual Inveftiture of Tuscany, Parma and Placentia, from the Emperor, as Fiefs of the Empire. Shortly after, a double Treaty of Marriage is propofed between the Crowns of Spain and Portugal, the Infanta who had been fent back by the King of France being contracted to the Prince of Brafil, and the Infanta of Portugal to the Prince of the Afturias; and this double Match threatens an Alliance still more dangerous: the King of Portugal is invited to come into the Treaty concluded at Vienna, which would fortify the Spanish Intereft, and extent further the Commerce of the Imperialists; but that Prince has not yet declared himself.

This Alliance feems to alarm Europe, and makes it abfolutely neceffary that fome other should be concluded to balance it. His Britannic Majefty goes abroad, and has an Interview with the King of Pruffia, the French Minister attends him, and at Hanoveran Alliance is concluded between those three Crowns; the main Design of which is a mutual Guarantee for the Defence of all the Dominions now in Poffeffion of any of the Allies, and of all their Rights, &c. And if any one of the contracting Powers fuffers,

from

from any Hoftility committed by another Power, they are all to join in procuring him Satisfaction and Justice. And as to the Treaty of Oliva, the three Powers being Guarantees, they all promise to use the strongest Remonftrances poffible to obtain Satisfaction for what has been done contrary to that Treaty.

To these two Treaties are all the Powers of Europe invited. Had the Czar lived till then, 'tis easily known to which of 'em he would have acceded; but his Death caus'd a confiderable Alteration in the Affairs of Europe. At first the Czarina appears very warm in the Proteftant Intereft; fhe threatens, fhe arms, and every body thinks her in Earnest; but soon after she grows cool, her Threats end in an Alliance with Poland and the Emperor, and her warlike Preparations are now turn'd for the Defence of that Kingdom, against which they were at first thought to be defign'd. The Reasons of the Czar's joining with the Protestants, and the Czarina's forfaking 'em, are very visible. The Czar was a powerful Prince; he had made an Alliance with Turky; this, join'd to his Victories on the Caspian Sea, left him nothing to fear on that Side; his Navy was prodigiously increas'd; which made him not doubt but he was able to reftore his future Son-in-Law to the Dutchy of Holftein, and one Day to fet him upon the Throne of Sweden. He had fome Pretenfions upon Poland, and had Forces enough to fupport 'em; but in the midft of all this he dies. Affairs take a new Turn in Perfia; the Muscovites remain on the Defenfive and the Turks make great Progreffes. What has she not to fear from 'em after the Reduction of Perfia? And what Alliance can be of fo great Service to her against the Turks, as one with Poland and the Emperor. Befides, in the late War the Czar conquer'd many Places, which to balance the Power of the North ought to have been restored: Who knows, but that fome of the Proteftant Powers, after having reduced the Poles to Reafon, might have turn'd their Arms against her, to retake thofe Places, which feem'd very neceffary for fecuring a more lafting Peace on that Side? Nor are indeed her Pretenfions upon Poland the most important; thofe upon Holftein in Favour of her Son-in-law, and the Defire fhe has of obtaining a free Paffage thro' the Sound, seem at prefent to require all her Attention.

As for the King of DENMARK, 'tis probable he'll accede to neither of the Treaties; the Czarina's whole Defign feeming to

be

be levell'd against him, will find him Work enough to obferve her Movements, and to defend his own Privileges and Dominions.

The King of SWEDEN has been invited, and feems moft willing to accede to the Treaty of Hanover. But this he cannot do of himfelf; he must first affemble the States of the Kingdom, and confult with them upon that Occafion; but 'tis fcarce to be doubted, but that they will come into the fame Measures.

The STATES GENERAL have always been fo true to their ancient Alliances, and to their Interefts, that there is not the leaft Question to be made of them; and the most powerful of the Seven Provinces, to wit, that of Holland, has already voted for the Herenhaufen Treaty. And indeed the Dutch and English can never too zealously join against fuch an Alliance as that of Spain and the Empire. The latter have obtained of the former feveral Privileges in Trade, which in Equity they could not grant; the fame Privileges having by former Treaties been given away to the English and Dutch, who ought, and 'tis believed will, defend them to the laft. This Oftend India Company might have been crufh'd in time; but it was at firft look'd upon as an idle Project, that wou'd ruin the Undertakers, and drop of it felf; but the Charter fince given 'em by the Emperor, the Commerce granted 'em by the King of Spain, an Archdutchefs affuming the Government of the Auftrian Netherlands, with an Intent chiefly to protect and encourage them, fufficiently fhew that they are to be trifled with no longer; nor is the French India Company of fo little Importance to 'em, but they will be very ready to fupprefs all Intruders, and to crush the Invaders of their Trade and Property.

There is still another Point, and of as great Importance, that makes it neceffary for England to unite against Spain. This Kingdom cannot with Patience fee two of her strongest Places difmember'd from her Body, notwithstanding that they were conquer'd in a former War, and yielded up to the Conqueror by fucceeding Treaties. They are of the greatest Security to the British Commerce, and confequently a Nation that has always been fo jealous of its Trade, will never part with 'em; and indeed the Poffeffion of 'em would add fuch a Power to Spain, as to make it become formidable to its Neighbours.

There is fearce any thing left to fpeak of but ITALY, a Country once the glorious Seat of Arts and Arms, now over-run with Ignorance and Superftition, and corrupted by Sloth and Prieftcraft; infomuch that when we come to converfe with its Inhabitants, we begin to think it impoffible that this Country should have given Birth to the Cefars and Scipios, or that a Virgil and a Horace had their Education in it. A whole Age fcarce produces a famous Man amongst 'em now, and him at beft but a Painter or Musician. Rome, once the Retreat of the brave Unfortu nate, the Protectrefs of injured Monarchs or oppreffed Subjects,. famous throughout the World for a strict Administration of Juftice, is become the Sanctuary of Rebels and Ufurpers, the Broacher of Treasons, and Fomenter of Rebellions. But to my Purpose.

The Ecclefiaftical State of Rome governed by the Pope is of very little Importance; nor wou'd its Friendship or Enmity be of great Confequence any where but in Italy, where there are fo many petty Princes. The Pope feldom wages War, yet is perpetually in Difpute with fome one or other; for Ecclefiaftical States ever. were encroaching: however, their Difputes are generally adjusted in a friendly manner, after fome Years have been spent in wrangling. People had great Hopes when the prefent Pope was chofen, that they fhould fee a Reformation in the Roman Church, for which Purpose he had call'd a Council; but all the Reformation ended in a few Externals, the Ecclefiafticks were obliged to throw by their Perukes, and to flap down their Hats, His Holinefs too was at first faid to be of a very moderate Spirit, and one that hated Perfecution; but his approving of the Maffacre of Thorn, and encouraging the Poles not to make the Proteftants any Satisfaction, and promifing 'em a Supply of Men and Money for their Defence, fufficiently demonftrate the contrary. Befides which, he has lately writ five Letters with his own Hand to the Emperor, to perfuade him not to make any Conceffions to the Proteftants, who for fome Years paft have fuffer'd many Grievan ces in Germany, and on the redreffing of which depends the Peace and Tranquillity of the Empire,

The Great Duke of TUSCANY is one of the moft powerful Princes in Italy; but he begins to grow in Years, and has no Succeffors; fo that the ancient Houfe De Medicis will by his Death become extinct, and a Foreigner poffefs himfelf of his Dominions.

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