promise him, that it should not be long before he should be prefer’d. My Gentleman had no Time to wait, and renew’d his Solicitations; but being put off, he was quite out of Patience, and at last declar’d, that he would serve no longer if he was not made a Major-General. His Eminence grew angry, so that _F----_ thought it was proper to submit, or at least to assume a submissive Air. Mean while he study’d Revenge, and imagin’d the only way to make his Fortune in _France_ would be, to seize the Cardinal, and run away with him to the Regent. The Thing that remain’d to be consider’d was, what Methods he should take to succeed; and ’tis even said, that he had laid his Plot so well, that had it not been for the Treachery of one of the Conspirators who discover’d the whole Mystery, the same would have succeeded. The Cardinal caus’d _F----_ to be arrested, and sent Prisoner to _Pampeluna_, and from thence to the Castle of _Segovia_, where he was try’d, and would infallibly have been beheaded, but Cardinal _Alberoni_ happen’d to be disgrac’d at the same Time, as I shall have the Honour to tell you anon. While these Trifles pass’d in the _Spanish_ Army, the _French_ went on furiously to Action. _Fontarabia_ was closely besieg’d, upon which the King and Queen made as if they would relieve it; but while they were consulting about it, the Marshal _de Berwic_ oblig’d it to capitulate. This Conquest, tho’ to the Advantage of _France_, did not abate one Jot of that Aversion which the _French_ had to the War. The People contributed to it not without Reluctance; nevertheless it was the Regent’s Interest to continue it; and as he perceiv’d they were already so over-burden’d with Taxes, that ’twas in vain to think of creating new ones, he contriv’d new Methods to fill the Treasury. He obtain’d an Arret of Council for making a considerable Number of Bank Bills, those which had been made before having been soon snatch’d up. Then the Council pass’d another Arret, for diminishing the Value of the Species. The Bustle this Arret occasion’d at _Paris_ is not to be imagin’d; every body was glad to part with their Cash, upon which they apprehended there would be a Loss, and they hurry’d to receive Paper in Exchange, upon the Promise which the Council had made, that the Value of the Bills should be fix’d, so as never to rise nor fall. Nevertheless, it was not long before the People seriously reflected upon the Invalidity of the Matter, into which their Gold and Silver was transform’d, and the Hurry to the Bank abated. But the Regent soon contriv’d a way to bring in the little Cash that remain’d in private Hands; for he caus’d an Arret of Council to pass, which forbad any one’s having more than 500 Livres about him, upon the Penalty of a great Fine. In Pursuance of this Arret, People began again to change their Species for Bank Bills, which were in Truth more commodious than Cash, because People might then carry the Value of several Millions about them, without