and fent it to the Coast of Sicily, where it put a numerous Army on Shore, under Command of the Marquis de Lede. The Count de Maffei Viceroy of the Kingdom for the Duke of Savoy, who was King of Sicily, made all the Resistance possible, confidering the Weakness of his Army; and tho not able to save the Island, yet he made fuch a Defence as hinder'd the Spanish Army from pushing its Conquests farther by giving Time to Admiral Bing, who commanded the English Fleet, to enter the Mediterranean, and execute the Orders he had to attack the Spanish Fleet. These Orders imported, that he was to act in a friendly manner, in cafe that Spain desisted from its Enterprizes against the Neutrality of Italy; but otherwise to make a vigorous Resistance. Admiral Bing communicated these Orders to Cardinal Alberoni, who answer'd him gravely, That he had nothing to do but to put them in Execution. The Admiral did so with a Vengeance; for on the 11th of August he gave Battle to the Spanish Fleet, and intirely defeated it. As foon as the Duke Regent was inform'd of the News, he fent away a Courier to the French Ambassador at Madrid, with Letters from the Earl of Stairs to the English Ambassador Earl Stanhope. The Design of his Royal Highness was to engage the latter to return to Madrid, from whence he fet out on the 27th of August, that he might make fresh Instances there for a Peace with Cardinal Alberoni, who to be fure was a little stunn'd at this Reverse of Fortune. But the Earl, whether he did not meet the Courier, or whether he did not think it proper to return to Spain, arrived at Paris on the 9th of September.

Mean

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Mean Time the War betwixt the Emperor and the Turks was at an End, and Orders were actually given for sending the Imperial Troops into Italy. The Regent despairing at that Time of perfuading the King of Spain to a Peace, order'd the Abbat du Bois, the French Ambassador at London, to sign the Treaty commonly call'd The Quadruple Alliance, in Conjunction with the Ambassadors of England and the Emperor. He also repeated his Orders to the Duke of St. Aignan, to try all the means imaginable to prevail on the King of Spain to accede to the Terms that were propos'd to him by the Quadruple Alliance; but his Catholic Majesty persisted so long in his Refusal, that his Royal Highness resolv'd to declare War against him, and the Duke of St. Aignan had Orders to demand his Audience of Leave.

At that Time the Regent happily difcover'd a Conspiracy that was form'd against him in the very Heart of the Kingdom. The King of England had before appriz'd him, that there was fome Contrivance on Foot; but the Names of the Conspirators, and what they were to do, was a Secret. Mean time the Regent suspecting that all these Intrigues were only fomented by the Minister of Spoin, he caus'd the Prince de la Cellamare, Ambassador from that Crown, to be fo narrowly watch'd that he was foon let into the Secret of the whole Intrigue carrying on against him, which was in short no less than to remove him from the Regency. The Spanish Minister for the better Success had caus'd a Body of Troops to be assembled in France, where they stroll'd about like Fellows that dealt in unlicens'd Salt, and other Contraband Goods; but upon a particular Day they were to enter Paris, invest the Royal

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Royal Palace, and to secure the Person of the Regent. The Conspiracy was detected almoft at the fame Instant that it was to have been executed; and of this the Prince de Cellamare himself was partly the Cause; not that I fufpect him of having betray'd the Spanish Minister, but probably he was too credulous of every one that came to him; for I was told, that the Pacquet containing the whole Mystery of the Conspiracy, and the Names of the Confpirators, was put into the Hands of the Abbat Portocarrero, in Prefence of a Couple of Domesticks, whose Fidelity was not perhaps Proof against the Lewidors of the Royal Palace. Besides, this Abbat, tho' a Person of Merit, had not perhaps Experience or Wisdom enough to behave as was absolutely necessary in so ticklish an Affair. Be this as it will, he fet out for Madrid with fuch Dispatches committed to his Care as contain'd the Fortunes of a great Number of People. He had not travell'd far, when, as he was passing a Ford, his Chaise broke, and he had like to have been drown'd; but notwithstanding the Danger of his Person, he feem'd to be more in Pain for his Trunk than for his Life. This Earnestness for the Preservation of his Trunk gave a Sufpicion to those who attended him; and the Spies whom the Regent had planted upon him, advertis'd that Prince of it time enough for him to give his Orders to the Commandant of Poitiers to cause him to be arrested, and his Trunk to be secur'd. The Abbat was accordingly arrested †, and brought back to Paris. The Prince de Cellamare, being inform'd of what had pass'd, claim'd the Trunk, faying it contain'd the Memoirs of

† Dec. 2, 1718.

his Embassy: He was given to understand, that his Word was not to be taken; and the Trunk being open'd at the Royal Palace, there was all the Scheme of the Conspiracy, and the Lift of the Perfons that were enter'd into it. The Thing that gave the Regent most Vexation was, to fee the Names of Persons there, upon whom he had heap'd his Favours. His Royal Highness acted in this delicate Conjuncture with all the Moderation possible, and his Behaviour was in every Respect so difcreet, that it was hardly difcernible that any Thing extraordinary was paffing in France; he caus'd the Abbat Portocarrero to be releas'd, as an infignificant Tool; but as to the Prince de Cellamare, he was invited to a Conference at the Royal Palace, to which he no sooner arriv'd, but Messengers were fent to clap a Seal on his Effects. The Ministers went with him afterwards to his own House, where he was furpriz'd to find a Guard that was charg'd to be answerable for his Person, Some Days after this, all his Papers were examin'd, and Three Boxes were filled with them in his Prefence, which were feal'd and carry'd to the Louvre, there to be kept till the King of Spain sent Per. fons that he could confide in to fetch them, At length on the 13th of December, the Prince de Cellamare fet out from Paris with a Guard : As for the Smugglers, they vanish'd as foon as the Conspiracy was brought to Light: All this pass'd in the Month of December, 1718.

The 29th of the fame Month the Duke and Duchess of Maine were arrested: The Duke had been the Day before to pay aVisit to the Duchefs of Orleans at the Royal Palace, and stay'd there Three Hours, after which he return'd to lye at Seaux

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Seaux; where next Morning a Lieutenant of the Guards came and told him, that he had Orders to carry him under a strong Guard to the Castle of Dourlens. The fame Day at Seven in the Morning, the Marquis D'Ancenis, who was Captain of the Guards after the Death of his Father the Duke of Charoft, during whose Life he had that Post in Reversion, had an Order to arrest the Duchess of Maine : This Officer had fupp'd but the Night before with the Princess, and stay'd with her very late; guess then how he must be furpriz'd when he came Home, and found the Letter de Cachet or Warrant, which put him upon an Office that he would have been glad to be excused from serving; but the Order must be obeyed, and therefore he went next Day to the Princess's Apartment, who was then in Bed, as were also her Ladies; so that the Servants were very much startled to fee M. D'Ancenis there again so early, and scrupled at first to awake the Duchess; but, as they imagined the Marquis was come about an Affair of great Consequence, the Ladies let him in: The Princess, being wak'd out of her Sleep by the Noise of the Door, as it open'd, ask'd, Who was there? M. D'Ancenis having told her his Name, she said to him hastily, Oh! my God! What have I done to you, that you should disturb me fo foon in the Morning? He then told her the melancholy Commission that he was sent upon. They say, her Ladyship was much more provok'd at this Disgrace than the Duke her Hufband; and she could not help dropping fome Words which shew'd plain enough that she was impatient under her Misfortune, However, she was quickly dress'd, and getting into a Coach with Three of her Waiting-Women, she was conducted