dren of the prefent Queen of Spain, who hath "appeared, for fome Years, to have fo much In"fluence at that Court, to have been principally "intended, in the Settlement made of those Italian

Dominions, in Favour of Don Carlos, and the "Male Defcendants of the Queen? If this is "true, if these are the prefent favourite Views of "the Queen, by what Arts hath it been poffible "to perfuade her that Spanish Troops, (which fo "much alarm the Emperor) are a proper Security "for the Succeffion of her own Family to Domi"nions allow'd to be Fiefs of the Empire, and in "a Cafe where it is fo evidently the Intereft of her "own Family to poffefs a Sovereignty in them, in"dependently on the Crown of Spain?

That "Princefs muft furely know what almost every "Man in Europe is aware of, the Contingencies to "which her prefent Influence in the Councils of "Spain remains liable; Or, if thefe were out of "the Cafe, fhe may die, or the prefent King of "Spain may die, and, in both Cafes alike, the In"tereft of her Family be left at the Mercy of "Councils very different from those which now "feem to prevail at that Court.

I make no doubt but all Men of Sense are so far of this Author's Opinion, as to believe, that if the prefent King or Queen of Spain should die, that Kingdom will be governed by quite different Councils, and, in fuch a Cafe, if the Spaniards had fix thousand Men in Italy, it is highly probable they would rather chufe to annex the Dukedoms of

Tuscany, Parma, &c. to the Crown of Spain, than erect a Sovereignty there, in Favour of the Iffue of the Queen of Spain, independent on them, and as a Fief of the Empire.

I have given the Author's Sentiments of the prefent Pofture of Affairs, but whether he, or those who write on the other Side, deferve to be most

taken

taken Notice of by their Countrymen, muft be left to those who have confider'd the Course of publick Affairs, for fome Years past.

T

SATURDAY, May 23, 1730.

HERE is no Employment belonging to a State, to discharge which fo many great Abilities are required, as that of an Ambaffador to a foreign Court; a Perfon fet for this Province fhould be polite, noble, magnificent, of great Knowledge in the Affairs of the World, and well read in the Humours and Paffions of Mankind.

It may therefore be obferved that the wifeft Princes, not only of our own, but of other Nations, have been extremely delicate in the Choice of Perfons for foreign Embaffies; and Queen Elizabeth, in particular, carried this Matter to fuch a Nicety, that the was of Opinion that even a comely Perfon was one of the Qualifications neceffary for a publick Minister, well knowing that a graceful Perfon is an excellent Credential, that it makes an Impreffion in Favour of him that carries it, and fometimes caufes Men to be well received.

And when it is confider'd, what great Advantages have frequently been derived to Nations from the Abilities and Accomplishments of its Ambaffadors, Envoys, c. it must be owned that too great a Delicacy cannot be obferved upon that Head. Sometimes Wars have been prevented, and Points gained, by the Skill and Addrefs of an Ambaffador or Plenipotentiary, beyond what could be expected

by

by a fuccefsful War, of which the Reign of Lewis the fourteenth, of France, will furnish us with many Examples.

When that Prince was a young Man, Sir William Temple, then King Charles the Second's Minifter, at the Hague, feem'd to foretel of him what afterwards happened, for fpeaking of him in a Letter to a Secretary of State, he fays, it is Time for Europe to be circumfpect, and to beware of a Prince who employ'd none in his Negotiations but Men of the fineft Parts, for (fays he) let his Designs be what they will, it is highly probable he will compafs them by the great Addrefs of his Minifters.

And I remember what is written on the other Side by one Monfieur Langey, reputed, by the French, a Man of great Knowledge in Affairs; - he takes Notice of the Danger of fending Men of weak Capacities in the publick Character of Ambaffadors, and tells a Story, that the Bishop of Mafcon and Monfieur Valley were at Rome, as Ambaffadors from the Court of France (when the Emperor Charles the fifth came to that City) with Inftructions to endeavour to bring on a Treaty, without feeming fo follicit it.- Thefe Men (fays my Author) were no Way equal to the Charge, and were only fent there because they were Creatures of the first Minister at Home, fo that the Emperor Charles foon founded the Depth of their fhallow Capacities, and in a Speech he made in the Confiftory of Rome, he spoke to this Effect.

"Perhaps it may be wondred at, that I am not more forward to enter into a Treaty of Peace; I "confefs, indeed, if my Minifters were not Men "of greater Capacity, Knowledge, and Honour than "thofe of my Enemies, I fhould not ftick to fue "for a Peace, even with a Rope about my Neck; "but, as the Cafe ftands, I think, I may ftay my

"own Time, and wait, at leaft, 'till they fue to " me to give them Peace, upon my own Terms.

The aforefaid Author obferves that the French Minifters were prefent when this Speech was delivered, but they never acquainted their Master with it, nor with feveral other Things which the Emperor, from Time to Time, let fall to the fame Effect, while they were in Rome, as particularly this Expreffion, that, if all the World was against bim, he fhould not much fear them, if they employ'd fuck Minifters.

The Reafon (fays my Author) why they did not acquaint their Mafter with thefe Things is plain, they knew they were Reflections upon themselves and their Patron at Home, and tho' they did not know how to manage their Mafter's Intereft, they had the little Cunning not to hurt their own.

But it is furprising to hear fome Men argue, that it fignifies nothing who or what Kind of Perfons are fent upon Embaffies, that a meer Cipher will ferve, fince there is nothing for them to do, but now and then to deliver a Meffage.

In Anfwer to this, we may maintain, that let an Ambaffador's Inftructions be never fo copious or fo confined, fome Occurrence may happen, in the Course of a Negotiation, or (when there is no particular Negotiation going on) during his Residence in a foreign Court, fome Accident may fall out, which could not be forefeen at Home, and must be left to his own Conduct, and here his Country may gain by his Ability, or be drawn into Troubles by his Want of it.

If Count Gundamar, who refided in England, from the Court of Spain, in the Reign of King James the firft, had had nothing to do but to deliver a Meffage, he would not have been fo famous in Hiftory as he now appears, and Spain might have been re

duced

duced to the contemptible Neceffity of buying

Alliances.

Our own Hiftorians tell us of him, "that he " was endow'd with a most amazing Acuteness of "Wit, that he had a moft delicate Turn of rally"ing, and that he could, when he faw Occafion, "transform himself to the Way, the Humour and "Manner of all those he convers'd with; his "Conversation abounding with Jefts, Conceits, and "witty Sayings, fo that he fpread his Nets fo fine, "that he not only gain'd over the Nobility and La "dies of the Court to his Party, but cajoled the 62 very Minifters, and, at the Time that he had no "other Character than that of a foreign Ambaffa"dor, he acquired the Rank of a Favourite at "Court, winding himself fo into Secrets, that he "became acquainted with the moft private Tranf "actions, and even influenced all the Measures of "the Court in his Time, doing his Country more "real Service than a victorious Army, maintain'd at a vaft Expence, could have done.

Yet, after all this, and a thousand other Inftances that may be produced, of the vaft Importance it is to a Nation to be reprefented in foreign Countries, by Men of the finest Parts and Addrefs that can be pick'd out from amongst the People, we fhall meet with Hundreds that will tell us, that an Embaffy is a Kind of a Sine-cure; that if a great Man has a Number of needy and infignificant Relations, it is a good way of difpofing fome of them; that it is fitter the State fhould provide for them, than that he fhould provide for them out of his own private Pocker.

Suppofe we were to ask one of thefe Gentlemen what he would think if he was to fee a Perfon come from a foreign Country, with the publick Character of an Ambaffador, who, inftead of the Air and Mein of a Man of Quality, fhall appear with the fneaking Look of a Sheep Stealer; if at fome publick Audience,