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364 Letters Historical and Galant. Vol: 6

XIII. All that is above unanimously agreed upon for the Order and good Government of this Assembly "shall not be brought for an Example, nor drawn into consequence, at any other Place time or Juncture; and none shall Take Advantage of it, no more than receive Prejudice by it, upon any other Occasion.

Done at Utrecht. January 23rd 1712

All those Wise Precautions, did not prevent some disputes happening; and the Quarrel between the Domesticks of the Count of Rechteren and those of Mr. Menager had more serious Consequences, than might naturally be expected. For the Thing migh thave nbeen stifled in its infancy, if there had not been some misunderstanding in it, and the Spirit of Discord had not made use of this Opportunity to disturb the Conferences, and by that means delay the Peace. The Count de Rechteren is one of the Plenipotentiaries of the States General, and a Deputy to the Congress from the Province of Guelderland; a very great Lord for birth, Estate, Rank and Alliances; for he married a Princess. He is greatly distinguished too by his personal Merit. This Lord was advertised by some of his Domesticks, that the Day that the news came of the defeat of the Camp of Denain, Mr. Manager's footmen had made some Indecent Gesticulations or Grimaces at them. Mr. de Rechteren wanting to know whether the Grimaces had been made designedly, or had been made directly at his Servants, went into his Coach and drove by Mr. Menagers Door. Tis said that the Grimaces were repeated, and that he was convinced of it with his own Eyes, which obliged him to send his Secretary to Mr. Menager, to demant Satisfaction for the Insolence of his people. Mr. Menager promised to inform himself of the Truth of the fact, and to punish the Guilty. But his affairs or perhaps that Unwillingness which people Naturally have of coming to Extremities with their Servants, made him a little too negligent in inquiring into it, and giving the Satisfaction required. He contented himself with examining all his people, who all persisted in the Negative, and let some time pass without seeing any greater Attention to it; and when the Count sent for his Answer, Mr. Menager replyed, that his footmen denied the fact, and that whatever enquiry he had made in his house, he could never discover the Person on whom their Accusation lay: however he promised, to inform himself more fully still, and to punish the Offender, in case he should find him out. In order to this Mr. de Rechteren demanded that his Footmen should be confronted with Mr. Menagers; But Mr. Menager was not willing that so boistrous a Scene should pass at his house, and still Insisted upon the want of Proofs, which hindered his giving Upon the Spot the Satisfaction required of him. The Count of Rechteren look'd upon this Answer to be no more than an Evasion, and no longer opposing the Desire his Footmen had to revenge themselves the Affront they had received, he left them at full Liberty, which they did not fail making use of upon the first Occasion As Opportunity soon offered at the Mall, which is a Place where all the Company usually walk. Mr. de Rechteren and Mr. Menager met there, and they say that the former, foreseeing what would happen and desirious to prevent it said to Mr. Menager: "It would be time Sir, to put an End to the Affair of our Footmen, and I am greatly afraid of their deciding their own Quarrel themselves, if you stilll delay giving them satisfaction." Mr. Menager repeated almost the same words in reply, that he had said before, with which the Count de Rechteren was not Satisfied: And a moment After that Lords footmen fell upon those of the French minister, and upon his demanding Satisfaction the Count replyed, that his footmen were revenging their own Quarrel, and taking a Satisfaction that they were disappointed of. Mr. Menager said, he would complain to the King his Master of this Insult, and immediately went into his Coach. He has actually complained, and the King takes the thing so much to heart, that he will not suffer his Ministers to assist at the Conferences with the Count of Rechteren, who, on his part, as soon as the thing pass'd went to the Hague, and desired to resign his Commission so earnestly, that they could not refuse him. They say that the King still insists that the States disown their Minister's Conduct, and nominate another to assist at the Congress in his Room. See how a Trifle becomes a serious affair, when tis not taken care of in the beginning, since this Paltry Incident has delayed a general peace, by preventing the holding of Conferences during all that time. It were to be wish'd that some third Party had interposed to make up this breach: Nothing would have been easier, especially if it be true what some Frenchmen say here, that after Quesnoy had been taken by the Confederates, Some Dutch Footmen had huffed the French Ministers upon it, who in this Case, did no more than make reprisals in the Affair in Question: So they might have made a Compensation among themselves for the Insult: or if that was not to have been done, the most guilty of Mr. Menager's footmen, might have been suffered to make his escape, and be charged with all the mischeif, to prevent the Chastisement of the rest. In short, a thousand Expedients might be found, which might have satisfied the Count, and to which Mr. Menager, so remarkable