ngs, dominion over Italy. The Maritime Powers were to
retain their commercial privileges in Spain, and everything they could
make their own in America. France was to be excluded from
transatlantic markets; but nothing was said as to Spain. Implicitly,
Philip V was acknowledged. The Maritime Powers aimed much more at
prosperity than at power. Their objects were not territorial, but
commercial. The date of this treaty, which was to cost so much blood,
was 7th September.

William was moving more rapidly than public opinion, but public
opinion was not far behind. The country was committed to war with
France at the very beginning of that fatal September. The treaty had
been signed nine days, when James II died at St. Germains. Lewis
acknowledged the son as he had acknowledged the father--the one as the
other, a king in partibus. It was a platonic engagement, involving no
necessary political consequences. Since the treaty of Ryswick, Lewis
treated William as king, though there was a James II. He did not
cease so to treat him because there was a James III. To a prince who,
the week before, had contrived a warlike coalition against him, a
coalition which soon proved more formidable than all those which had
preceded it, he owed no more than the letter of their agreements. The
decisive step towards open hostilities was taken by the King of
England, not by the King of France. Parliament had just passed the
Act of Succession. Lewis's declaration in favour of the Stuarts
appeared to be in defiance of the law in favour of the Guelphs.
England had not dared to question the right of the Spaniards to
regulate the succession. England could not permit interference with
her own.

This declaration of Lewis XIV, imprudent but not unprovoked, gave to
William what he wanted. It supplied a strong current of national
feeling. The nation was ardent on his side. He had succeeded at
last. The war with France, for the partition of the Spanish monarchy,
would be carried on with determination under the coming reign. For
William knew that Anne would soon be queen. It was also known at
Paris, for William had consulted the French king's physician, and
there were no illusions. The strange impolicy of Lewis's action may
be explained by the belief that another than William of Orange would
appear at the head of the allied armies in the next campaign. That
the change of commander would be the greatest calamity that had
befallen Fra