animosity against Prance,
seconded every where the applications of the Spaniards. In the year
1681, he made a journey to England, in order to engage the king into
closer measures with the confederates. He also proposed to the states to
make an augmentation of their forces; but several of the provinces,
and even the town of Amsterdam, had been gained by the French, and the
proposal was rejected. The prince's enemies derived the most plausible
reasons of their opposition from the situation of England, and the known
and avowed attachments of the English monarch.

No sooner had Charles dismissed his parliament, and embraced the
resolution of governing by prerogative alone, than he dropped his new
alliance with Spain, and returned to his former dangerous connections
with Lewis. This prince had even offered to make him arbiter of his
differences with Spain; and the latter power, sensible of Charles's
partiality, had refused to submit to such a disadvantageous proposal.
Whether any money was now remitted to England, we do not certainly know;
but we may fairly presume, that the king's necessities were in some
degree relieved by France.[*] And though Charles had reason to apprehend
the utmost danger from the great, and still increasing naval power of
that kingdom, joined to the weak condition of the English fleet, no
consideration was able to rouse him from his present lethargy.

* The following passage is an extract from M. Barillon's
letters kept in the Depot des Affaires etrangeres at
Versailles. It was lately communicated to the author while
in France. "Convention verbale arretee le 1 Avril 1681.
Charles 2 s'engage a ne rien omettre pour pouvoir faire
connoitre a sa majeste qu'elle avoit raison de prendre
confiance en lui; a se degager peu-a-peu de l'alliance avec
l'Espagne, et a se mettre en etat de ne point etre contraint
par son parlement de faire quelque chose d'oppose aux
nouveaux engagemens qu'il prenoit. En consequence, le roi
promet un subside de deux millions la premiere des trois
annees de cet engagement, et 500,000 ecus les deux autres se
contentant de la parole de sa majeste Britannique, d'agir a
l'egard de sa majeste conformement aux obligations qu'il lui
avoit. Le Sr. Hyde demanda que le roi s'engagea a ne point
attaquer les pays bas et meme Strasbourg, ternoignant que le
roi son maitre ne pournoit s'empecher de secourir les