My lord's business is to hasten the peace before the Dutch are too much mauled, and hinder France from carrying the jest of beating them too far." ("Journal to Stella," August 7th, 1712.

See vol.ii., p.
381 of present edition).

The result of Bolingbroke's visit was the signing, on August 19th, of an agreement for the suspension of arms for four months.

Torcy's reception of Bolingbroke was so managed that the _bon vivant_ peer had as pleasant a time as he could well have wished.
How much influence that had on Bolingbroke we can only speculate; but it is certain that he would have made a separate peace with France, after his return, had Oxford been willing.

See Torcy's "Memoires" (vol.ii., p.