The other incident which proved so favourable to the imperial interest, was a treaty by which the king of Portugal acceded to the grand alliance.

His ministry perceived that should Spain be once united to the crown of France, their master would sit very insecure upon his throne.

They were intimidated by the united fleets of the maritime powers, which maintained the empire of the sea; and they were allured by the splendour of a match between their infanta and the archduke Charles, to whom the emperor and the king of the Romans promised to transfer all their pretensions to the Spanish crown.

By this treaty, concluded at Lisbon between the emperor, the queen of Great Britain, the king of Portugal, and the states-general, it was stipulated that king Charles should be conveyed to Portugal by a powerful fleet, having on board twelve thousand soldiers, with a great supply of money, arms, and ammunition; and that he should be joined immediately upon his landing by an army of eight-and-twenty thousand Portuguese.
SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVEL SAILS WITH A FLEET.
The confederates reaped very little advantage from the naval operations of this summer.

Sir George Rooke cruised in the channel, in order to alarm the coast of France, and protect the trade of England.