He would have had also, not indeed a right, but something which to the vulgar would have looked like a right, to be his son's heir.

Now he was altogether unconnected with Spain.

No more reason could be given for selecting him to be the Catholic King than for selecting the Margrave of Baden or the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Something was said about Victor Amadeus of Savoy, and something about the King of Portugal; but to both there were insurmountable objections.

It seemed, therefore, that the only choice was between a French Prince and an Austrian Prince; and William learned, with agreeable surprise, that Lewis might possibly be induced to suffer the younger Archduke to be King of Spain and the Indies.