ith any of his English ministers. The only person whom he
consulted was Heinsius. Portland received a kind letter warmly approving
all that he had said in the conference, and directing him to declare
that the English government sincerely wished to avert the calamities
which were but too likely to follow the death of the King of Spain,
and would therefore be prepared to take into serious consideration
any definite plan which His Most Christian Majesty might think fit to
suggest. "I will own to you," William wrote to his friend, "that I am so
unwilling to be again at war during the short time which I still have
to live, that I will omit nothing that I can honestly and with a safe
conscience do for the purpose of maintaining peace."

William's message was delivered by Portland to Lewis at a private
audience. In a few days Pomponne and Torcy were authorised to propose a
plan. They fully admitted that all neighbouring states were entitled
to demand the strongest security against the union of the French and
Spanish crowns. Such security should be given. The Spanish government
might be requested to choose between the Duke of Anjou and the Duke of
Berry. The youth who was selected would, at the utmost, be only fifteen
years old, and could not be supposed to have any very deeply rooted
national prejudices. He should be sent to Madrid without French
attendants, should be educated by Spaniards, should become a Spaniard.
It was absurd to imagine that such a prince would be a mere viceroy of
France. Apprehensions had been sometimes hinted that a Bourbon, seated
on the throne of Spain, might cede his dominions in the Netherlands to
the head of his family. It was undoubtedly important to England, and all
important to Holland, that those provinces should not become a part of
the French monarchy. All danger might be averted by making them over to
the Elector of Bavaria, who was now governing them as representative of
the Catholic King. The Dauphin would be perfectly willing to renounce
them for himself and for all his descendants. As to what concerned
trade, England and Holland had only to say what they desired, and every
thing in reason should be done to give them satisfaction.

As this plan was, in the main, the same which had been suggested by the
French ministers in the former conference, Portland did little more
than repeat what he had then said. As to the new scheme respecting the
Netherlands, he shrewdly propounded a dilemma whic