The reign of Queen Anne - v. 2 Author:Justin McCarthy Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ness to come to terms. France, on the other hand, had now no further hope of gathering laurels from the contest, and her ruler would have been even more glad if ... more »some conditions of settlement were suggested which would give him a decent excuse for " throwing up the sponge." While the leading powers on both sides thus stood anxious for peace and perplexed as to the means of getting creditably out of the war, an event occurred which seemed to give to both a providential opportunity of reconsidering their position. This event was the death of the Emperor Joseph, which put the Emperor's brother, the Archduke Charles, whom England and her allies were striving to create King of Spain, in what may be called direct succession to the imperial throne. According to the usages of the German states the new Emperor would have to be elected to the imperial position by the vote of the Electorate at Frankfort, but there seemed little doubt that the voices of the electoral states would invest him with the imperial title. " The electors," as Bishop Burnet tells us, " were all resolved to choose King Charles emperor." Some delays took place; even at a much more recent date the Germanic confederation was never inclined to be precipitate in its action; but after a lapse of nearly six months the due formalities were all accomplished, the Electors of Germany saw their way, and the claimant to the Spanish throne was duly proclaimed German Emperor. Here, then, it would certainly seem that a favorable opportunity was given to both the leading states in the war to reconsider their pretensions and their objects. England and her allies could hardly entertain any serious desire to make the new German Emperor also the new King of Spain. Louis the Fourteenth, on his part, could not but seethat the chances of a ...« less