and fent it to the Coaft 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 Refiftance poffible, confidering the Weakness of his Army; and tho' not able to fave the Ifland, yet he made fuch a Defence as hinder'd the Spanish Army from pufhing its Conquefts 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 defifted from its Enterprizes against the Neutrality of Italy; but otherwise to make a vigorous Refiftance. Admiral Bing communicated these Orders to Cardinal Alberoni, who anfwer'd him gravely, That he had nothing to do but to put them in Execution. The Admiral did fo with a Vengeance; for on the 11th of Auguft 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 Ambaffador at Madrid, with Letters from the Earl of Stairs to the English Ambassador Earl Stanhope. The Defign 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 ftunn'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, arriv'd at Paris on the 9th of September.

Mean

Mean Time the War betwixt the Emperor and the Turks was at an End, and Orders were actually given for fending the Imperial Troops into Italy. The Regent defpairing at that Time of perfuading the King of Spain to a Peace, order'd the Abbat du Bois, the French Ambaffador at London, to fign the Treaty commonly call'd The Quadruple Alliance, in Conjunction with the Ambaffadors of England and the Emperor. He alfo 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 Majefty perfifted fo long in his Refufal, that his Royal Highness refolv❜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 discover'd a Confpiracy 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 Confpirators, and what they were to do, was a Secret. Mean time the Regent suspecting that all these Intrigues were only fomented by the Minifter of Spoin, he caus'd the Prince de la Cellamare, Ambaffador 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 fhort no lefs than to remove him from the Regency. The Spanish Minifter for the better Succefs had caus'd a Body of Troops to be affembled in France, where they ftroll'd about like Fellows that dealt in unlicens'd Salt, and other Contraband Goods; but upon a parti cular Day they were to enter Paris, inveft the B 2

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Royal Palace, and to fecure the Perfon of the Regent. The Confpiracy was detected almost at the fame Inftant that it was to have been executed; and of this the Prince de Cellamare himfelf was partly the Caufe; 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 Confpiracy, and the Names of the Confpirators, was put into the Hands of the Abbat Portocarrero, in Prefence of a Couple of Domesticks, whofe Fidelity was not perhaps Proof against the Lewidors of the Royal Palace. Befides, this Abbat, tho' a Perfon of Merit, had not perhaps Experience or Wisdom enough to behave as was abfolutely neceffary in fo ticklifh 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 paffing a Ford, his Chaife broke, and he had like to have been drown'd; but notwithstanding the Danger of his Perfon, he feem'd to be more in Pain for his Trunk than for his Life. This Earneftness for the Prefervation 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 fecur'd. The Abbat was accordingly arrested †, and brought back to Paris. The Prince de Cellamare, being inform'd of what had pafs'd, claim'd the Trunk, faying it contain'd the Memoirs of

† Dec. 2, 1718.

his Embaffy: 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 Confpiracy, 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 Perfons there, upon whom he had heap'd his Favours. His Royal Highness acted in this delicate Conjuncture with all the Moderation poffible, and his Behaviour was in every Respect fo discreet, 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 fooner arriv'd, but Meffengers were fent to clap a Seal on his Effects. The Minifters went with him afterwards to his own House, where he was furpriz❜d to find a Guard that was charg'd to be anfwerable for his Perfon. Some Days after this, all his Papers were examin'd, and Three Boxes were fill'd 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 Perfons 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 vanifh'd as foon as the Confpiracy was brought to Light: All this pafs'd in the Month of December, 1718.

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

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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 whofe Life he had that Poft in Reverfion, had an Order to arrest the Duchefs of Maine: This Officer had fupp'd but the Night before with the Princefs, and ftay'd with her very late; guefs 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 excufed from ferving; but the Order must be obeyed, and therefore he went next Day to the Princess's Apartment, who was then in Bed, as were alfo her Ladies; fo that the Servants were very much startled to fee M. D'Ancenis there again fo early, and fcrupled at first to awake the Duchefs; but, as they imagined the Marquis was come about an Affair of great Confequence, the Ladies let him in The Princefs, 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, the faid to him haftily, Ob! my God! What have I done to you, that you should disturb me fo foon in the Morning? He then told her the melancholy Commiffion that he was fent upon. They fay, her Ladyfhip was much more provok'd at this Difgrace than the Duke her Huf band; and the could not help dropping fome Words which fhew'd plain enough that the was impatient under her Misfortune, However, the was quickly drefs'd, and getting into a Coach with Three of her Waiting-Women, fhe was conducted

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