r spread that it had been written
under the influence of the pope, who dreaded the presence of Dutch and
English sailors and factors in South America. A letter was produced
purporting to contain the advice of Innocent XII in the matter; and
the following pontiff, Clement XI, was obliged to disavow it.

Before the death of Charles II the nature of the will he had made was
known at Versailles. Tallard, who had negotiated the Partition Treaty,
was beside himself with anger. He convinced Torcy, he convinced Lewis
himself, that they must not accept the succession. On 4th November the
king sent word to William that he remained true to the scheme of
Partition to which he had pledged himself. "I shall fulfil my
engagements," he said, "in spite of any offers that may be made to
me." He assured Leopold that he would never accept the whole
succession. It was safer to be content with a share, under the
auspicious sanction of the Maritime Powers. But Torcy having shaken
off the too eager Marshal Tallard, changed his mind. He urged that
neither the whole succession nor a part of it could be had without
fighting, as Austria was as much opposed to the partition, as to the
acceptance of the will by France. Torcy was not yet the great man he
became during his long administration. But his argument carried
conviction, and Lewis argued that his grandson should accept the
proffered throne, and that Bourbons should reign where the Habsburgs
had reigned for a century and a half. He was not bound by any
engagement to the emperor, who was no party to the Partition
Treaty. He was bound by that treaty to King William; but it was
uncertain whether William had the support of his two nations. The
funds rose at Amsterdam; and in England the king observed that
everybody preferred the will to the treaty. For the Partition Treaty
had stipulated nothing for English interests, nothing, therefore,
worth fighting for. And England had no territorial advantage to claim.

The commercial, economical, and pacific spirit was evident, both in
England and Holland. On the other side, there was the strong will and
infinite dexterity of William. In the last Partition Treaty he had
betrayed this weakness of his position, and had given way to the
skilled diplomacy of France. Lewis did not believe that he would
prevail over the public opinion of his country. And if he did
prevail, his position would be less formidable than before. Lewis now
had Spai