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256 De Torcy now offered much more enlarged terms. Louis was willing to destroy the fortifications of Dunkirk at the instance of the allies; to engage to send the pretender out of France, and also not to aid him in any attempt on the throne of Great Britain, provided that provision was made for his security and maintenance. He would give up Sicily, but would retain Naples, a country entirely gone out of his power for more than two years, and in possession of Austria. He even proposed that Philip should resign Spain and the Indies; but his allies the electors of Bavaria and Cologne must be provided for, as they had sacrificed their own territories in his alliance. The main difficulties appeared to be the frontier towns of Lille, New Brisac, and Hermingen, in Flanders, De Torcy contending that the surrender of Ypres, Menin, Condé, and a few inferior fortresses, would be sufficient for frontier defences. As they would give up Spain, the only obstacle in the south appeared the demand on Naples. These terms would have been received with exultation by the allies some time ago, but they were now in a different position, and their demands were proportionate.

As De Torcy could not bring the Dutch ministers to concede anything, he consented to meet prince Eugene and Marlborough, who had now returned from England with lord Townshend. To these was added count Zinzendorf, as minister for the emperor. The French minister, assisted by Bouillé, though he was treating in a condition of the deepest anxiety, yet maintained all the high pretensions which his court had so long assumed. He offered the surrender of Spain, but he would give no guarantee for its evacuation. He contended that the word of his king was enough—as if the word of any king could be accepted in such a case, and especially of Louis, who had broken his a thousand times. He pleaded that the king's great age, his earnest desire for peace and repose in his declining years, and the situation of his affairs were of themselves ample guarantees for the fulfilment of that article of the treaty; and he even melted into tears in his earnestness to bring the ambassadors to accept the word of the grand monarque. This was all mere child's play in a treaty which was to be the result of such a war, and to establish the future peace of Europe. As time was going on, the representatives of the allies, at the end of May, presented their ultimatum in forty articles, the chief of which were these:—That king Philip should within two months totally evacuate Spain and Sicily, which, with the Indies, were to be made over to king Charles; that if Philip refused to evacuate Spain and Sicily the king of France, so far from helping him, should assist the allies to expel him; that Spain should never, nor any part of it, be united to the crown of France; that the Dutch should receive as a barrier to their states Furness, Fort Kenoq, Menin, Saverge, Ypres, Warneton, Comines, Wervick, Lille, Condé, Tournay, and Mauberge, and that the French should deliver up all the towns, cities, and fortresses which they had taken in the Netherlands; that the fortifications of Dunkirk should be destroyed and never again be restored; that the pretender should quit France; the queen of England's title and that of the protestant succession should be acknowledged; and the interests of the electors of Bavaria and Cologne be settled by the congress which should settle this peace; the duke of Savoy should receive back everything taken from him, and should also retain Exilles, Feneshelles, Chaumont, and the valley of Pragelas. Strasburg and Kehl were to be given up by Louis, but Alsace itself retained. The new king of Prussia and the new elector of Hanover should be acknowledged, and all these preliminaries should be adopted and the treaty completed within two months.

De Torcy, who could not expect for a moment that Louis would consent to any such terms, to gain time, however, engaged to send them to Versailles. He speedily received a secret letter from Louis, with orders to tempt the cupidity of Marlborough for the lowering of these demands. According to the Memoirs of De Torcy, his majesty's offers were these:—He would give him two millions of livres to procure for his grandson Philip the retention of Naples and Sicily, or even of Naples alone. He would give the same for the retention of Strasburg, or for the non-destruction of the fortifications of Dunkirk, without any reference to Naples and Sicily. If he could obtain for him Naples and Dunkirk, three millions; and for all those places, with Strasburg and Landau, for himself, four millions of livres. Marlborough is said to have blushed on the mention of these terms, but to have refused them. On that De Torcy informed Marlborough that he was well aware of his correspondence with the court of St. Germains, and thereby intimated that it was in his power both to do him good and harm. Marlborough stood firm, and it was well for him that he did, for there were vigilant eyes upon him, and the offer of the bribe was speedily conveyed to Harley, and by him to the queen.

De Torcy, finding that he could not move the allies, professed to accept the preliminaries, so great, he said, was the anxiety of his master to spare fresh miseries to his people and to Europe. He set off for Paris, but at Douay he saw marshal Villars, showed him the conditions of peace, and told him to put his army in order, for they would never be accepted. Villars replied that he should be prepared, but that the army was on the point of utter starvation, and such was the destitution of the country that he had no conception how the troops were to exist. No sooner did De Torcy reach Paris than it was announced to the allies that Louis would never accept such terms. Bouillé was recalled, and was commissioned by the allies to assure the king that no others would be offered, and that, if they were not accepted by the 15th of June, they should take the field. But the French king had gained one great object by the negotiation—it enabled him to represent to his subjects his earnest endeavours for peace, and the arrogant obstinacy of the allies. He had circulated letters all over France, representing the anxious endeavours he had made to put an end to bloodshed and to the miseries of Europe; that he had offered to make unheard-of sacrifices, but to no purpose; everything had been rejected by the allies but a fresh carnage and spoliation. He represented that the more he had conceded the more they had risen in their demands; that he found it impossible to satisfy their inordinate demands, except at the cost of the ruin and the eternal infamy of France.

The effect of this representation was wonderful. The whole of France was so roused by indignation at the