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Brussels, Mar. 4. S. N. 1697.
My Lord,
UPon the Arrival of the last Post from Spain, which brought us the unwel∣come News of our Treaty meeting an un∣happy Obstruction when it was at the very Point of being perfected; Count Marsyn came to me, and after a Preface of the great O∣bligations he had to His Majesty, and the Part he took in all our Interests, as well as
those of Spain; he fell into large Discourses of the unhappy Influences any Interruption in the present Treaty would have upon the Affairs of both Crowns. He insisted much upon the Hardship we put upon the Spaniards, in not consenting to leave the Assistance of their Enemies, which was all the Advan∣tage they expected from this Treaty in stead of many they gave; that the great Effect of it on both sides would thereby be lost; which was a Return into mutual Confidence, and at least the Beginnings of a sincere Friend∣ship: That Spain having consented to what Terms His Majesty thought reasonable, and Portugal not only refusing them, but entring at the same into new Dependancies upon France; he could not see what could oblige His Majesty to more than offering Portugal an equal Peace, and becoming the Warrant of it. That at His Majesty's Mediation Spain had given them a Style as usual and as ho∣nourable as what they desired; and if they could resolve to give them that of King in stead of Crown they had then no need or use of His Majesty's Mediation.
That whether we thought it our Interest to have a Peace or War in Christendome, we must begin by adjusting the Business of Portugal; for if we desired the first, nothing could so much awe the French into quiet Dispositions as that Peace, and ours with Holland, to
which that would likewise be an Ingredient; If the latter, and we had a mind rather to be Seconds in a War of Spain with France, than Principals in any, (which he thought was our true Interest) nothing could make Way for it, or enable Spain either to begin or sustain a War with France, but a Peace with Portugal.
That he was confident, His Majesty's con∣senting to abandon them in Case they refu∣sed to be included in our Treaty, would force them immediately to accept it; that if not, and His Majesty should hereafter find it his Interest to support them upon any great Successes of Spain on that side, it would be easie to do it by Connivance, by voluntary Troops of his own Subjects, or by a third Hand, provided it went no further than to keep Spain in the Temper of yielding to the Peace upon the Terms His Majesty shall have judged reasonable: But for the present, without His Majesty's Condescension to Spain in this Point; he did not see how we could hope to effect our Treaty, or to re∣ceive any Fruits of it, where new Occasions of Diffidence and Distaste would every Day arise.
These were the chief of Count Marsyn's Discourses, which he ended in desiring me that I would represent them to His Majesty's chief Ministers, and particularly to Your
Lordship from him, as the best present Testi∣mony he could give of his Zeal to His ••aje∣sty's Service and Affairs; and which he would have done himself, but for fear it might look like intruding into Matters and Councils he was not called to.
Besides this single Point upon which this Stop of our Treaty is wholly grounded; I could not but represent to Your Lordship some other Circumstances which I imagine may have fallen in and helpt to occasion it. I hear, France has declared positively to the Spaniard, that they will immediately begin the War, upon the Spaniards Signing the Treaty with us, and concluding the Truce or Peace with Portugal upon our Mediation. To this End, and to shew the Spaniards, they are in earnest, they busie themselves in ma∣king new Levies, and drawing down many Troops upon these Frontiers, as well as all sort of Provisions, either for Sieges or a Camp. Upon this, I know not whether the Spanish Councils may be so faint as not to dare give the French any pretence of a Quarrel, but preserve their Quiet rather by shrinking, than making a bold Peace: Or whether being composed of Men that hardly ever lookt out of Spain, or consider any thing but that Con∣tinent; they may not upon Foresight of War either continuing with Portugal or beginning in Flanders, rather chuse the first, where be∣ing
Invaders, they may give themselves what Breath they please, imploy their own Natives in the Charges of Honour and Gain, and keep all the Money spent in the War, still within their Countrey; whereas whatever comes into Flanders, never returns, and is swallowed up by so many foreign Troops as the Levies for that Service must needs draw together. There may yet another and more prudent Consideration arise with these, which may for the present delay the Conclusion of our Treaty; and that is, a Desire to sign it rather before the Winter than in the Spring, and by that Means both gain this Summer to finish the Fortification of their Frontiers here, and the next Winter to put their Army in a better Posture than they now are, or I doubt, will suddenly be for the beginning of a Cam∣pagne; and if this Council should be taken by Concert with us, that no Breach of Con∣fidence may grow between us by these De∣lays, but the French only flattered by vain Hopes of breaking our Treaty, and thereby induced to let the Spaniard grow a Year ol∣der in their Peace with them, and slacken the War of Portugal into as low Expence, and as little Action or Hazard as they can; I know nothing can be said against it, and should be apt to believe it, were the Coun∣cils there, in the Breast of any one Person by last Ressort; whereas the divided Interests
and Passions of the Councellours cannot well suffer them to fall into such a Resolution with hope of Consent, and Secret among them all.
This Reflection puts me upon another I hear from private Hands; which may possi∣bly have made some Change in the Course of our Treaty; which is, that the whole Management of Affairs in the Council of Spain seems at present to be devolved into the Hands of Count Castriglio; the Confessor leaving it to him, and reserving to himself those Things only which depend immediate∣ly upon the Will of the Queen, and proposing to himself during his Ministry (which can∣not be long in regard of Castriglio's great Age) to make Way for his own, by growing older and practised in Affairs, as well as the Know∣ledge, Obligations, and Dependances of Per∣sons. Now, our Treaty having never pas∣sed through Castriglio's Hands, but conduc∣ted by Sir Richard Fanshaw wholly through the Duke of Medina's, (his declared Enemy) and since by my Lord Sandwich chiefly through Pignoranda's, who is a third Party; 'tis not improbable, that a new Hand may give it new Form, either to add something of his own, or to shew his Authority, or perhaps to pursue his former usual Dispositi∣ons, which have been bent upon the War with Portugal: considering no Part of the Mo∣narchy
but Spain and the Indies, and I doubt, in particular, not very partial to our Alliance or Affairs.
Upon these Intimations Your Lordship will infinitely better judge than I, to what to attribute the present ill Posture of our Af∣fairs in Spain, and how to retrieve it.
I am ever My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient and most humble Servant.