Folios 85-92. Original and duplicate of a letter from Count Schonenberg to the King,...

Folios 85-92. Original and duplicate of a letter from Count Schonenberg to the King, dated at Madrid. Informs the King of the work he has done to fulfil his orders with respect to the government of the Low Countries and in favour of the Elector of Bavaria, both with the King [of Spain?] himself and his principal ministers. He has met with opposition and the Spanish King has ordered his Council to consult him on whom is considered most appropriate to succeed the Marquis of Gastanaga. Three candidates are proposed: the Count of Monterey, the Duke of Montalte, and the Count of Melgar (currently the Admiral of Castile following the death of his father). Since each of the three candidates are supported by a powerful party, the Council found itself split and was adjourned to the '16th'. On the '16th' there continued strong support for the Count of Melgar, and pressure on the Spanish King in his favour. Before taking his decision, the Spanish King sought to have communicated to Count Schonenberg what had happened, whereupon the latter emphasised the good that would accrue to the Allied Powers by appointing the Elector to this important post, and his many qualifications for it. He further suggested that it would be beneficial at least for a plausible appearance to be left for the Elector that he had not been excluded from the post completely, but that it had been expedient to fill this post on an interim basis; were anyone of the standing of the three proposed candidates to be appointed that would clearly not be the case and the Elector would feel profound resentment. In other words, it would be absolutely suitable to 'sugar-coat the pill'. The current state of affairs are such that they cannot remain in the hands of the Marquis of Gastanaga and the matter needs to be resolved urgently. Those Ministers that were in favour of an interim appointment proposed three candidates: the Marquis del Pico, the Marquis of Bedmar, and the Marquis de Borgomainero (Spanish Ambassador in Vienna).