d him from making either _peace_
or _truce_. The King nevertheless began to treat under the mediation
of the Pope, &c.

"The States sent Ambassadors to France with instructions dated 13th of
January, 1598, to dissuade the King from peace, and to take measures
with France against Spain for the ensuing campaign.

"On the 2d of May, 1598, peace was concluded between France and Spain,
at Vervins.

"In treating of the articles of this peace, the Deputies of France
declared, that they could not proceed to conclude it unless the Queen
of England and the United Provinces, who were allied with his
Christian Majesty, were received and admitted to the treaty. To which
the Deputies of the King of Spain answered, that from the commencement
of the conferences, they had declared that _they were ready and
content_ to receive and treat with the Deputies of the said Queen and
Provinces, and that they had resided long enough in that place to give
them time to come there if they had been so pleased; and it was
concluded and agreed, that if in six months the Deputies of the said
Queen and United Provinces should come with sufficient powers, and
declare themselves willing to treat of peace, they should there be
received, and for that purpose the Deputies of the King of Spain
should be at Vervins, or such other place as by common consent of
parties should be agreed upon; and at the instance of the Deputies of
his Christian Majesty, it was further agreed, that there should be a
cessation of arms and hostilities between his Catholic Majesty, the
Queen of England, and the United Provinces for two months, to be
computed from the day on which the said Queen and Provinces should
inform the Archduke of Austria, that they accepted the said cessation,
&c.

"On the 6th of May, 1598, the King of Spain conveyed the Low Countries
and Burgundy to his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia on certain
conditions, the first of which was to marry Albert, the Archduke of
Austria.

"On the 29th of June, 1598, the Queen of England, by her Ambassador
Sir Francis Veer, addressed the States on the subject of the late
peace between France and Spain, and left it to _their choice_ to
accede or continue the war. They resolved not to treat of peace.

"The Archduke expressed his astonishment, that the Queen should assist
his _rebellious subjects_, on which she desired the King of France to
tell him, that alliances with the States of the Low Countries was not
a new thing