The winter session 1699–1700 proved, in his own words to Heinsius (Grimblot, ii. 398), ‘the most dismal’ ever experienced by William. For the failure of the Darien settlement and the expedition sent to recover it (June 1699–February 1700), which plunged the whole of Scotland into the wildest excitement, he was not responsible, although in Edinburgh his presence was loudly demanded, while at the same time every obloquy was heaped upon his name (Carstares Papers, p. 539, June and July 1700). His desire for a union with Scotland, which he impressed upon the lords at the very time when they were remonstrating against the Darien settlement, was diametrically opposed to the spirit pervading English commercial as well as religious legislation in this age. On the other hand, he was personally concerned in the question of the Irish grants, on which the commons' commissioners—or the four of the seven who signed—reported 15 Dec. 1699, with the result of a bill of resumption being immediately passed by the commons which vested the lands in trustees and for the most part voided the grants. The Earls of Portland (through his son, Viscount Woodstock), Romney (Henry Sidney), and Rochford (Zulestein), and the king's former mistress (Lady Orkney) had benefited by what had been to some extent a misappropriation, but could not, without dishonour to both king and parliament, be proclaimed as such. The bill was tacked to a money bill, in order to prevent its rejection in the House of Lords, where, however, it was passed by the king's own desire (May; Burnet, iv. 436; cf. Hallam, chap. xv.). The next blow aimed against him was an address for the removal from his councils of his supposed chief adviser in recent transactions, the Lord-chancellor Somers. This was lost only by a narrow majority, and soon afterwards Somers resigned at the king's request. Finally, an address having been carried against the employment in the service of the state of any person not a native of England, with the exception of Prince George of Denmark, William avoided receiving it by proroguing parliament (11 April), for the first time in many sessions without a speech from the throne.
The death (30 July) of the Duke of Gloucester, of whom the king, his godfather, had been unmistakably fond (see Jenkin Lewis, Memoir of William, Duke of Gloucester, ed. W. J. Loftie, 1881), made it necessary to take immediate thought of the eventual succession to the prince's mother. William's interest in the claims of the house of Hanover was shown in this year (October) by his reception of the Electress Sophia and her daughter the Electress of Brandenburg, both at the Loo and at the Hague (Klopp, vii. 570–571). In the same year he intervened against Denmark on behalf of Sweden and the peace of the north, and English vessels took part in the not very severe but effectual bombardment of Copenhagen (June). William had not long returned from Holland to England when the news arrived of the death of Charles II of Spain (1 Nov.), and of the bequest in his will of the entire Spanish inheritance to the dauphin's younger son, Philip, duke of Anjou. A fortnight later Louis XIV had made up his mind, and the second partition treaty (to which the emperor had never acceded, although a secret article left him two months after the death of Charles II for the purpose) had become waste paper. William, who had hoped that Louis would at least for a time keep up the appearance of adhering to the treaty (see his letter to Heinsius, 12 Nov., Ranke, vol. vii. app.), was fully aware of the general disposition in England to acquiesce in Charles II's will, and could only trust to the action of Holland for giving him time to draw over his English subjects to the right side (see his letter to the same, 16 Nov., in Hardwicke Papers, ii. 394). But Holland very speedily dropped the treaty. William therefore returned to the policy of the grand alliance, which he was to carry to a successful issue even before Louis XIV's final challenge. For the moment he felt the necessity of governing with the support of the tories, and with this view admitted Rochester and Godolphin into office and dissolved parliament (December).
In the House of Commons of the new parliament which met on 6 Feb. 1701, the tories had a large majority, as was shown by the election of Harley as speaker; but the supposition of Burnet (iv. 474) that corruption secured a strong support for the policy of France seems unwarranted. A reaction against the general acquiescence in the succession of Philip of Anjou is perceptible already in 1701 (see ‘The Apparent Danger of an Invasion,’ in Harleian Miscellany, vol. x.); and, though William was unable to prevent the recognition of Philip as king of Spain by the States-General, this reaction was increased by the seizure of the barrier fortresses by the French (6 Feb.) The whigs were inclined for war. On a motion (20 Feb.) for the recognition of Philip, Harley advocated leaving the matter to the judgment of the king, and an address was voted giving him virtually a free hand in his efforts for preserving peace. He improved the opportunity by communicating to parliament a letter
