Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 4.djvu/82

74 which he (Petecum) was not permitted to tell; and that Vanderdussen and Buys were impatient to have the negotiations with France, once more set on foot; which if monsieur Torcy thought fit to consent to, Petecum engaged that the States would determine to settle the preliminaries, in the midway between Paris and the Hague, with whatever ministers the most Christian king should please to employ."

Monsieur Torcy refused this overture; and in his answer to monsieur Petecum, assigned for the reason, the treatment his master's former proposals had met with, at the Hague and Gertruydenberg, from the ministers of Holland, Britain and Holland seemed pretty well agreed, that those proposals were too loose and imperfect, to be a foundation for entering upon a general treaty; and monsieur Gualtier was desired to signify to the French court, "That it was expected they should explain themselves more particularly, on the several articles."

But in the mean time, the queen was firmly resolved, that the interests of her own kingdoms, should not be neglected at this juncture, as they had formerly twice been, while the Dutch were principal managers of a negotiation with France. Her majesty had given frequent, and early notice to the States, of the general disposition of her people toward a peace, of her own inability to continue the war, upon the old foot, under the disadvantage of unequal quotas, and the universal backwardness of her allies. She had likewise informed them of several advances made to her on the side of France; which she had refused to hearken to, till she had consulted with those her good friends and confederates, and heard their opinion