ouaille.

Charles had indeed written in reply to his sister, on the 8th July of
the preceding year (1668), that "in every negotiation she shall have a
share, which will prove how much I love her." In August he told the
French ambassador--"The Duchess of Orleans passionately desires an
alliance between me and France; and as I love her tenderly, I shall be
happy to let her see what power her entreaties have over me." Henrietta,
probably, did not consider that by thus bringing her brother into
alliance with France she was betraying her native country. She no doubt
thought rather of augmenting the greatness of Charles than of benefiting
England. The sea should be given up to England; the territory of
Continental Europe to France. Louis XIV. expressly declared, in
opposition to the views of Colbert, "that he would leave commerce to the
English--three-fourths of it at least--that all he cared for was
conquest." But that would have involved, as a first step, the conquest
of England herself, and have cost torrents of blood. The fascinating
Henrietta, doubtless, did not perceive this when she trod so far in the
fatal footsteps of her ancestress, Mary Stuart. She had none of her rash
violence, but not a little of her spirit of romantic intrigue, and that
feminine delight of having in hand a tangled skein, of which she held
securely the end of the thread.

The secret negotiation of the treaty, however, went on between the two
kings. Louis had submitted to exorbitant conditions on the score of
money, and to another, moreover, sufficiently weighty. It was that
Charles, converted to the Romish faith, should share with him in the
conquest of Holland, should send a considerable military force thither,
and should keep for himself the Dutch islands opposite to England--an
advantage so enormous to the latter power that it would have rendered
national the odious alliance, and glorified the treason.

Two points still remained unsettled: first, to persuade Charles to
commence the war before his conversion--a step considered easy to
obtain; but that conversion terrified him when the moment came for
carrying it out. Secondly--and which proved the most difficult--was to
induce him to despatch very few troops--too few to take and afterwards
hold the territory promised him. Louis XIV. stipulated to send 120,000
men there; Charles II. engaged to furnish 6000, which number his sister
prevailed upon him to reduce to 4000.

Such was the sad, disg