WILLIAM THE TIIIKD.

1G9

accession of territory or influence on the side of tlieNether-lands; and Dutchmen, who remembered the terrible yearwhen the camp of Lewis had been pitched between Utrechtand'Amsterdam, were delighted to find that he was not toadd to his dominions a single fortress in their neighbour-hood, and were quite willing to buy him off with wholeprovinces under the Pyrenees and the Apennines. Thesanction both of the federal and of the provincial govern-ments was given with ease and expedition; and in theevening of the 4th of September 1698, the treaty wassigned. As to the blanks in the English powers, Williamhad attended to his Chancellor’s suggestion, and had in-serted the names of Sir Joseph Williamson, minister at theHague, a born Englishman, and of Portland, a naturalisedEnglishman. The Grand Pensionary and seven otherCommissioners signed on behalf of the United Provinces.Tallard alone signed for France. He seems to have beenextravagantly elated by what seemed to be the happyissue of the negotiation in which he had borne so great apart, and in his next despatch to Lewis boasted of the newtreaty as destined to be the most famous that had beenmade during many centuries.

William too was well pleased; and he had reason tobe so. Had the King of Spain died, as all men expected,before the end of that year, it is highly probable thatFrance would have kept faith with England and the UnitedProvinces; and it is almost certain that, if France hadkept faith, the treaty would have been carried into effect

chap.xx IV.

J6B8.