lessens it,
the self-interest which debases it, and that continual recurrence to
egotism which travesties it in intrigue. But she failed to crown her
career by that true glory. Seeing the King and Queen of Spain very much
offended at the retrograde step of Louis XIV., she further irritated
them by her peevish attitude and marked discontent. The Marquis de
Brancas, sent by Louis into Spain, proceeded to represent the articles
of the Treaty of Utrecht to Philip V. in such wise as the Emperor and
his allies wished them to stand; Philip replied that he would not sign
them, unless there was a special clause added in favour of Madame des
Ursins. That ambassador returned furious, crying out against the Spanish
Government, and especially against Madame des Ursins, who directed
everything, he said, and who had played at cross-purposes in order to
cause his mission to miscarry. He succeeded in drawing down upon the
Court of Madrid the heavy rebuke of Louis XIV. This, however, proved
altogether useless; for Philip persisted in his resolution, and
contented himself with sending the Cardinal del Guidice to his
grandfather, whilst Madame des Ursins employed with the same monarch the
customary influence of Madame de Maintenon. The latter, in fact, so the
Marquis de Saint Philippe tells us, made excuses for Madame des Ursins
to Louis XIV., and the other advocate of the Court of Madrid obtained
the order for the march of the troops destined for the siege of
Barcelona, whose success, looked upon as certain, ought likewise to
render the Austrians more disposed to treat upon the question of her
principality.

But that was not the only expedient employed by Madame des Ursins. The
English ambassador, Lord Lexington, besides Gibraltar and Port Mahon,
relied upon obtaining for the English a free trade in the brandies of
Tarragon; this the Princess conceded to him. He desired also that they
might be allowed to construct, upon the River de la Plata, a fort for
their protection, and as a depot for negroes, in order that in future
they might alone supply the Spanish colonies with slaves: this monopoly
was also accorded. In return, Lord Lexington signed a convention with
her, in which Queen Anne "_engaged to secure her a sovereignty_."[60] At
such price the adhesion of England seemed secured. She reckoned also on
obtaining that of Holland by analogous commercial advantages, and, in
fact, she obtained them. But how to win back Louis XIV. was the
q