Torcy was sensible that his country was utterly exhausted, that Louis dreaded nothing so much as the opening of the campaign; and he agreed to those articles upon which they insisted as preliminaries.

The French king was confounded at these proposals; he felt the complicated pangs of grief, shame, and indignation.

He rejected the preliminaries with disdain.

He even deigned to submit his conduct to the judgment of his subjects.

His offers were published, together with the demands of the allies.