Confederates And by three different Articles Spain demanded the same thing of Sueden France said That the King being contrary to Justice and the obligation of the Treaty of Aix la Chapel attacqued by the Catholick King his Majesty had reason to pretend that in respect of that Crown all things should remain in the condition that the fortune of War had put them into without prejudice to his Majesties Rights which were to continue still in full force and power The Danes pretended that France should give them compleat satisfaction and reimburse all the charges of the War and by four Articles they demanded of the Suedes that betwixt the two Kingdoms and two Kings all things should be restored into the same condition as they were before the War that was ended by the Treaties of Westphalia and that the Treaties of Rochilde and Copenhagen should be abolished and that all the Provinces which had been dismembred from Denmark and Norway should be restored to the Danes that all that the Suedes possest in the Empire should be taken from them that Wismar and the Isle of Rugen should remain in possession of the Danes and that for the security of his Danish Majesty and Kingdoms they might put Garisons in all the strong places of Sueden that lye upon the frontiers of the two Kingdoms The propositions of France in reference to the Danes were That seeing the King had not declared War against the King of Denmark but he runs contrary to the Treaty of Copenhagen made in the year 1660. for performance whereof the King was Guarantee the King of Denmark had attacqued Sueden His most Christian Majesty was ready to desist from hostility on his part provided that the aforesaid Treaties and those of Westphalia were re-established In respect of France and Sueden the States General demanded That Maestricht Dalen Fangumont and all the dependencies of Maestricht should be restored to them That they were willing for the publick peace to sacrifice the inestimable losses whereof they might pretend reparation and that for avoiding all differences for the future the Treaty might contain a general and particular renuntiation of all sorts of pretensions There were afterward sixteen Articles concerning the full satisfaction to be made to the Prince of Orange in regard of what depended on the Crown of France and particularly the restauration of the fortifications of Orange that were ruined in the year 1660. and of the Castle demolished in the year 1663. the rights of Toll upon Salt and other Commodities as well upon the Rone as through the Principality of Orange the rights of Coyning of money of Laick Patronage for nomination to the Bishoprick the exemptions priviledges and other Immunities granted to the inhabitants of that Principality by the Kings his Majesties Predecessors and particularly by Lewis XIII The Estates General demanded nothing of Sueden but that the future Treaty might contain some regulations for obviating the frequent inconveniences that happened concerning Commerce France proposed to the States General That seeing the Union that hath always been betwixt the Crown of France and the States was only interrupted upon account of some causes of discontent which were easie at present to be removed and to be prevented for the future His Majesty was willing to restore the States General to his former amity and to hearken favourably to all propositions that might be made to him on their part even concerning a Treaty of Commerce And as to the propositions made for the re-establishment of the Prince of Orange the French Ambassadors made an answer to them but upon occasion opposed the pretensions of the Count D' Auvergne demanding that his Marquisate and Town of Bergen-op-zoom might be restored to all the rights of Soveraignty which the other Towns of Holland enjoyed conform to the Treaties of Pacification of Ghent The Elector of Brandenburgh demanded that France should make reparation for the damages that his Territories had sustained by the French Forces during the course of this War that all security should be given him for the future for the same Territories and that all his Allies should be comprehended in a general Treaty France made no propositions to the Elector of Brandenbourg besides those that were made to the Emperor and Empire which comprehended the full performance of the Treaties of Westphalia In all the propositions that the Suedes made to the Emperor the Kings of Spain and Denmark the States General and to the Elector of Brandenbourg they demanded of the one but the renovation of their former amity and good correspondence and of the others the execution of the Treaties of Westphalia and Copenhagen which contained the restitution of all that had been taken from that Crown Prince Charles of Lorrain to whom thâ— French King had granted the title of Duke with a general protestation made to the Mediators that the titles taken or given should be without prejudice caused his propositions to be made by which he said That as heir to his Predecessors he hoped from the Justice of the King that he would restore to him his Dutchies of Lorrain and Bar with their dependencies his titles records movables and effects taken from him and make reparation for the Towns Burroughs Castles and Villages that were ruined throughout all his Dominions But seeing the Ministers of the Confederates would not admit of the Sieur Duker the Envoy of the Bishop of Strasbourg whom the French King reckoned among the Confederate Princes the French Ambassadors made no propositions concerning Lorrain nor shewed any Plenary Commission for treating about the Interests of that Prince though much urged to it by the Confederates that by this means they might oblige the Imperialists to own the Minister of the Bishop of Strasbourg On the other side the propositions of the Duke of Holstein Gottorp which the Sieurs Vlkens and Wetterkop that Princes Envoys had put into the hands of the Mediators lay there without answer or being interchanged because the Danish Ambassador hindred the Minister of that Prince from being admitted as being an Ally of Sueden and protected by France and upon that account dispossessed of his Territories by the King of Denmark The Propositions of the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenbourg were not made publick because the Ministers of those Princes kept incognito pretending to the character and rank of Ambassadors yea and these Princes wrote to the King of England for obtaining the effect of their Pretensions but what instance soever they made during the whole course of the Negotiation no Crowned head yielded to their demand I have here but inserted the substance of the first propositions of Peace yet thereby may be seen how unreasonable the demands of Spain and Denmark were seeing that not only the Mediators but even the Ambassadors of the States General thought them exorbitant The sixth of this Month Monsieur Stratman gave the French Ambassadors notice of his arrival who at the same time sent each of them a Secretary to make him
added to their declaration of the Instances which they said were made to them by the Bishop of Gurck in the name of the Ambassadors of Denmark and Brandenbourg so sensibly touched those two Ambassadors that thinking their Honour thereby much offended they took a great deal of pains to make the contrary appear by long answers which they made on that subject on the eighteenth affirming that they had never neither desired nor rejected the cessation of Arms but nevertheless that they might omit nothing that might in any probability tend to the promoting of the Peace they accepted the Truce upon such conditions as should on both sides be agreed upon Never were any Ambassadors more fond of Writing than those of Denmark and Brandenbourg their debates had already occasioned as many publick Writings during the Month of March alone as had been made during the negotiation of all the other Treaties put together In the mean time the French Ambassadors that they might give these Ambassadors all the satisfaction that they could desire upon so nice a point declared on the Nineteenth That since the Ambassadors of Denmark and Brandenbourg thought themselves wronged in that they could be suspected to have demanded or desired a cessation of Arms they consented that the Mediators might give them a publick Act thereupon to be joyned to the protestations which they had made against the peace of the Empire whilst that they on the contrary being perswaded that all the proceedings of the King their Master for the advancement of the general Peace in a time when he was in a condition to continue the War with advantage argued great glory to his Majesty They still offered the cessation on the same conditions which they proposed to the English Mediators without derogating in the mean time from their Declaration of the 24th of February in case that the Peace was not signed in the Month of March and that they accepted not the Truce But that if they consented to it for the whole Month of April it was his Majesties will that during all that Month the King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenbourg might have liberty to conclude the Peace without requiring the new Conditions that had been demanded of them At length after so many debates and proceedings to no great purpose the Treaty of cessation was signed at Nimueguen the last of March to continue till the first of May and was exchanged both in name of his most Christian Majesty and King of Sweden betwixt the French Ambassadors on the one part and those of Denmark and Brandenbourg on the other But seeing that before the signing of that Treaty the French Intendant had caused Contributions to be demanded from the Country of Cleves on the other side of the Raine and that the French Ambassadors could not promise that they should not be pretended notwithstanding the conclusion of the cessation the same Ambassadors consented by a publick Act that the Dutch Ambassadors should pass their word for them that they should Write about it to the King that they might know his intentions and that in the mean time no hostile execution should be made during the space of Fifteen days after which if his Majesty thought good that these Contributions should be exacted they engaged to give the Inhabitants of the Countrey Three days more to take such measures in as they should think fit The Truce that was now signed instead of advancing the negotiation on the contrary stopped the course thereof during all the time that it lasted because the French Ambassadors sticking to their Declarations there was no more to be said So that the Two Princes that remained still in War Judged it more convenient to negotiate their Peace with the King himself than at Nimueguen not doubting but that they might promise themselves some advantage to their interests from Treating rather with a great Prince than being too headstrong in defending the same at Nimueguen by a long train of proceedings from which they had no great cause to expect a happy conclusion The Elector of Brandenbourg had for that effect already sent M. Meinders to the French Court and his Danish Majesty ordered M. de Mayerkron his Envoy to the States General to go immediately and wait upon the King In the mean time a great part of Europe was allarmed at the Fleet which the most Christian King was setting out to Sea Italy and particularly the Republick of Genoa were much startled thereat Denmark feared a descent in the Countrey of Holstein and the Parliament of England where there happened such commotions that the Duke of York was obliged to depart out of the Kingdom conceived some Jealousies at the French Naval preparations In the mean while the Ambassadors of Sweden having by two several Couriers and contrary ways sent to the King their Master the Treaty of Peace which they had signed with the Emperor that by that means notwithstanding the severity of the Danes concerning free passage they might receive the ratification in time these two Couriers arrived at Nimueguen from several places the 17th and 18th with the ratification in good form But his Swedish Majesty refused to confirm the Treaty which was concluded with the Princes of Brunswick because they thought in Sweden that they had yielded to them a great deal too much and the rather that the most Christian King indemnified all these Princes at his proper charges About the same time the President Canon Plenipotentiary from the Duke of Lorrain renewed his instances with the French Ambassadors that he might obtain some moderation of the conditions that had been stipulated for his Master The Imperial Ambassadors did also the like but without any success So that they thought it enough to declare that his Imperial Majesty pretended to be no longer obliged by the Articles that concerned that Prince by which his most Christian Majesty had declared himself obliged and they demanded that that Peace might be deferred until another time in so much that the Imperialists being unwilling that the time mentioned in the Treaty should expire without exchanging the ratifications because of the pretensions made by the French in their last declaration of the 26th past they resolved to make the exchange the 19th of April April 1679 There arose an unexpected difficulty concerning the exchange of the ratifications for the Mediators who had not signed the Peace would not take it upon them The Nuncio likewise excused himself from doing it because he had protested against the same Peace in respect it was concluded in conformity to the Treaties of Westphalia against which Rome had then protested because of the revenues of the Church which they were then obliged to secularise and yield up to Protestants without which it had been impossible to have procured Peace to Germany So that the expedient that was found out was to make the exchange of the ratifications by the hands of Secretaries who were reciprocally sent on both sides And seeing the
disposition to promote the common cause In effect they sufficiently perceived that they were engaged farther than they would have desired which made the Spaniard fear that if they accepted a Truce they might in a short time be abandoned by the greatest part of their Confederates On the fifth of May the news came by Letters from England that the Session of Parliament was broken up the 26. of the foregoing Month and that the King was fully satisfied with them though no Act had passed contrary to the Interests of France but that his Majesty of Great Britain had adjourned them till the 27 of May to consider of such means as might give a new countenance to the present affairs There came news also which gave some content that the first Ambassadors of the Emperor and King of Spain were shortly to come with the Popes Nuncio to Nimueguen where all affairs were at a stâ—â—â— because the Count of Kinsks had no 〈◊〉 to agree but on preliminaries until thâ—â—â—â—ing of the Bishop of Gurck the châ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Imperial Embassy The President Canon Envoy and Plenipotentiary from the Duke of Lorrain being come to Nimueguen on the 25th of May payed a visit to the three French Ambassadors in one of the Coaches of Don Pedro de Ronquillo who remained still incognito Mr. Spanheim who was at Nimueguen about the affairs of the Elector Palatine visited also the same Ambassadors who returned the Visits without any ceremony seeing this last had had the quality of Envoy in other Negotiations it was not doubted but that he carried the same character in this but it appeared afterward that he had only Credential Letters from his Master and therefore the Confederates would not admit him into their Conferences About this time the Elector of Brandenbourg wrote to the King of England concerning the Injustice that he pretended was done to his Ambassadors by France and the matter said he touched him the more sensibly that the decision of that difficulty was left to his Enemies without doing the lustice which was due to him and that he expected it from his Majesty of 〈…〉 Britain without which he would be â—â—â—ged to recall his Ambassadors from Nimueguen But that Letter and all the instances that were made upon that subject had no effect as to France which had not the same reasons as England had to condescend to those new pretensions On the first day of June 1677. Seignior Beliagua who had been Nuncio extraordinary at the Emperor's Court to incline him to contribute to the peace of Christendom arrived at Nimueguen by water from Cologne and came to the house that was prepared for him near the French Ambassadors the scarcity of convenient Houses not permitting him who was sent before to follow the express Orders he had to chuse a house in some part of the Town which might be equally distant from the French and Spaniards that he might give no cause of jealousie to either of those two Nations The arrival of a Mediator so disinterested as the Uncle of his Holiness ought to be gave hopes that his Mediation would much contribute to the promoting of the Peace because of the confidence that the chief parties concerned reposed on him Seignior Beliagua is of a very noble Family in Ferrara and rich in estate he is Patriarch of Alexandria and was Governour of Rome in the reign of Clement IX nor was that charge taken from him under â—â—â—ment X. his Successor but in exchange of the extraordinary Nunciature of Vienna from whence he was sent Mediator to Nimueguen by Innocent XI who at present fills the Holy See Although the allowance of great Nuncio's exceed not 370. Roman Crowns a month and that he was not well paid his Train was nevertheless splendid and his House well ordered His civil and familiar carriage gained him the affection of all people and his good intentions towards the Peace made him to be equally respected by all the Ambassadors Next day after his arrival the French Ambassadors sent three Gentlemen together to testifie the joy they had for his happy arrival and to offer him all the civilities they were able to perform impatiently expecting a fit time to come and salute him in person The three Gentlemen were received by the Nuncio according to the custom of Italy in the Chamber of Audience upon three elbow-chairs They spoke covered and were conducted by the Nuncio as far as the dore of the outer anti-chamber that looked into the Court. The same honour was done to the Gentleman that render'd that compliment on his part and the day following after noon the three Ambassadors of France went severally to visit the Nuncio incognito and on foot his house being distant but a few steps from thence yet they were followed by all their servants The Emperors Ambassadors were there also in the morning incognito On the fifth of June the Nuncio gave notice of his arrival to the two Ambassadors of the Emperor who had their publick audience at five of the clock afternoon and to the French Ambassadors who visited him at seven of the clock with a train of seven Coaches and six horses a piece The Towns-people were very curious to see such ceremonies but much more for this being impatient to see how a Nuncio of the Pope looked The Burgomasters of the Town and a great number of other persons placed themselves in the Windows of the Neighbouring houses to see him at his gate whilst he received and re-conducted the Ambassadors to their Coaches He was in a plain long purple habit lined with scarlet and carried a Cross of Diamonds but he was cloathed commonly in a short habit No body wondered at the curiosity of that people seeing it was a very extraordinary thing to see a Pope's Nuniorâ—â— a Protestant Town The Countrey people both Protestant and Catholick came flocking to Nimueguen for that end these found their spiritual consolation and those satisfied the great curiosity they had to see an Ambassador sent from the Pope of whom their Ministers give them an hideous description The Burgomasters of Nimueguen in consideration of the neutrality of the Town and of the Negotiation of so great a work as that of a general Peace visited the Nuncio and offered him all they could do for the free exercise of the Catholick Religion but he was satisfied to have a large Chappel only in his house whither Catholicks might freely come as they did to the French Ambassadors Chappel where service was performed on Festival-days with all the solemnity that is usual in Parish-Churches having even placed a Bell in the top of a Tower which was heard over a great part of the Town Some days before the arrival of the Nuncio a Jesuit belonging to the Family of Don Pedro de Ronquillo went about the streets in the habit of his Order this seemed so strange a thing that it stirred up the curiosity of all the people and therefore the Magistrates fearing lest such Novelties might
occasion some disorder published next day an Order under the pain of corporal punishment That no body should say or do any thing to any person whatsoever whatever Ecclesiastical habit they should see them wear But Don Pedro de Ronquillo thought it not fit that that Jesuit should appear any more abroad in that manner The Nuncio himself left two Capucins of his houshold at Cleves and suffered them not to come until he was assured that they should enjoy a full liberty Don Paolo Spinola Doria Marquess de los Balbases first Ambassador of Spain arrived at Nimueguen the 4th of June and seeing he came from Germany he took passage down the Rhine as the Nuncio had done That Ambassador is a Genoese a Grandee of Spain and Grandchild to the great Spinola he hath been General of the Cavalry of Milain and since Governour of that State for a time He came from the Extraordinary Embassy of Vienna where he had continued seven years He is a tall lean man most civil and well bred and married the Sister of the Constable of Colonna Their eldest daughter is married to one Spinola Duke of St. Peter one of the richest Gentlemen in Italy and who lived at Nimueguen until the conclusion of the Treaty This Ambassador had another Daughter with him married by Proxy to the Marquess Quintana Son to the President of Castile He had likewise an only Son ten years old who was called Duke of Sesto This great Family made a very numerous Train yet among so many servants there were not above five or six native Spaniards When the French Ambassadors came to Nimueguen finding that the Catholicks though under the Diocess of the Bishop of Ruremond followed the old stile according to the practice of Guelderland they resolved likewise to conform to it The Catholicks of the Countrey have a dispensation so to do to the end they may celebrate Easter and the chief Festivals of the year at the same time the Protestants do and not appear singular in a Countrey where they are with much pain and difficulty suffered The French Ambassadors followed the same stile that they might not seeem to make a kind of Schism betwixt themselves and the Catholicks of the Town and that their Chappel where five or six Masses were said a day might serve for the devotion of the Catholick people The Imperial and Spanish Ambassadors did not at first conform to that stile but the Nuncio resolved at Cologn to follow it and even kept the Rogations at Nimueguen according to that custom Nevertheless next day about ten of the clock at night he sent to acquaint the French Ambassadors That he was to observe the New Stile according to which the next day was the Vigil of Pentecost The Ambassadors sent the Nuncio back word That having taken the Old Stile upon very pressing considerations and particularly that they might conform themselves to the Orders of the Bishop to whom the Catholicks of the place were subject they could not leave it off The Nuncio made answer That it was not his intention to oblige any body and that what he did concerned only his own Family Nevertheless he altered his opinion eight days after The Imperial and Spanish Ambassadors and all the Ministers of the Catholick Princes followed the example of the French Ambassadors and all the Chappels observed only one stile At that time the Nuncio rendered his visits of ceremony to the Imperial and French Ambassadors on one and the same day The French met at the house of the Marshal D' Estrades to receive him resting satisfied with that single visit instead of having each of them one as the Nuncio offer'd though he afterward saw them severally His Train made a great show he had three Coaches with six horses and many servants in Livery cloathed after the Roman fashion with hanging sleeves some laced all over and others of Velvet with long cloaks But all the other Ambassadors had their Equipage after the French Mode My Lord Barclay having at that time obtained leave to return to England by reason of his age and indisposition parted from Nimueguen the fifth of June The truth is the Negotiation was at such a stand that there was no discourse of any affairs then and both Mediators and Ambassadors had time to play At the same time news came from England that the Parliament being assembled the fourth of June had made a pressing Address to his Majesty of Great Britain to incline him to make a League offensive and defensive with the States of the Vnited Provinces for opposing the progress of the French Conquests The King was displeased at this Address and made them answer That it did invade so essential a Prerogative of the Crown that the like had never been done but during the Civil Wars That it did not belong to the Parliament to prescribe to him what kind of Leagues and far less with whom he should make them That it seemed rather that he should engage in it by their permission than at their sollicitation That foreign Princes might have cause to doubt whether the Soveraignty was in his person and refuse to treat for the future with a King that had only the bare name In a word that he could not suffer that prerogative to be invaded which no consideration should ever make him to renounce seeing it was the foundation of the Crown and Government And hereupon he dismissed the Parliament without having obtained from them the Supplies he demanded for procuring the satisfaction and safety of his subjects June the 23. the Marquess de los Balbases who desired to begin to appear in publick sent on his own and Colleagues parts to compliment all the Ambassadors of the Princes but the French received and rendered them the first of all The substance of the compliment that was made to every Ambassador in particular by a Gentleman accompanied with two others was That the Ambassadors of Spain upon their arrival at Nimueguen sent to salute their Excellencies to testifie the joy they had to find themselves in so illustrious an Assembly and to have occasion of treating with persons of so known worth as their Excellencies were and that his Master impatiently expected that his Colleagues were in a condition to be treated according to their character that he might come in person to testifie his joy to their Excellencies The Marquess de los Balbases gave thereby to understand that Don Pedro de Ronquillo and Mr. Christin had not as yet the quality of Ambassadors but it was known that the Court of Spain had sent to the Duke de Villa Hermosa Plenary Commissions in divers forms and left to the Marquess his disposal the characters that he pleased to give them but he being no Native Spaniard and being to treat about an affair of so great importance for Spain which he well foresaw would not prove advantageous for that Crown it was his interest as well as the dignity of his Embassy that the
Court should authorise his Colleagues that the event might be the less laid at his dore The French Ambassadors sent three Gentlemen to return his compliment in the like terms of esteem and civility whom that Ambassador answered in French The same Gentlemen had Orders also to go wait upon the two other Spanish Ambassadors and to compliment them apart But it being just before insinuated that they had not as yet the character those Gentlemen were advertised not to give them the title of Excellence and for that reason Din Pedro de Ronquillo was not at home thô they went twice to his house and at dinner-time But Mr. Christin received the compliment without the least difficulty The Nuncio made no doubt but that if in the first steps that the French and Spaniards made there happened any thing that might give discontent to the French the Treaty might thereby receive great prejudice and therefore for preventing the same inconveniences to which the conduct of the Imperial Ambassadors towards the French had given occasion he so ordered mâ—â—tes that the carriage of the Spaniards should give the French no cause to complain So that that Mediator extremely zealous for the repose of Christendom hoped that by bringing the French and Spanish Ministers to a good and familiar correspondence together the affairs of the Peace would the more successfully be promoted Though the Marquess de los Balbases remained still incognito yet the French Ambassadors sent to compliment my Lady Marchioness and to desire audience of her They visited her separately and without much ceremony and so did all the other Ambassadors and their Ladies expecting till they could render her their publick Visits Of all the Ambassadors Ladies that were at Nimueguen the Marchioness de los Balbases was the only Lady that spoke not French but seeing she understood a little of it and that the other Ladies had no great difficulty to understand Italian from conversation and play they had no need of any Interpreter The progress that the French Tongue had made in foreign Countreys appeared at Nimueguen for there was no Ambassadors house where it was not almost as common as their Mother-tongue Besides it became so necessary that the Ambassadors of England Germany Denmark and other Nations held all their Conferences in French The two Danish Ambassadors agreed that even their common Dispatches should be made in that tongue because Count Anthony of Oldembourg spoke good High Dutch but not a word of Danes which his Collegue did Insomuch that during the whole course of the Treaty of Peace nothing hardly but French Writings appeared strangers chusing rather to express themselves in French in their publick ceremonies than to write in a language that was not so much in use as it July 1677. The Assembly now beginning to be formed and many strangers being with the Ambassadors at Nimueguen the Mediators on the second of July thought fit to renew the Writing that was spoken of before concerning the means of avoiding the inconveniencies which might happen upon the meeting of Coaches they likewise intreated the Ambassadors to command their Gentlemen upon severe penalties not to fight any Duels and all their servants not to make any disorder in the Town neither by day nor by night This was approved hy all the Ambassadors because of some Duels that had been already fought The Nuncio who was no less zealons for preservation of peace amongst the families which were to procure a general peace to all Europe made a like Writing in Italian which was signed by the Ambassadors in the same manner as that of the English Mediators was In thâ— mean time the Confederates raised all their Batteries in England and were not discouraged Their Ministers made new instances to the King of Great Britain That it would please him to recall the Forces that he had in the French Service representing to him that they were the cause of the loss of Mont-cassel His Majesty made them answer That in that Engagement there were none of his subjects in the French Army but the single troop of the English Gen d'arms wherein there were but seventeen English all the rest being French and that on the contrary the Dutch had two Regiments of Scots who had behaved themselves better in that action than any others of the whole Army That besides he could not recall his Forces from the French Service without declaring War against France seeing he had sent them thither before he was received to be Mediator and that desiring to retain that quality and only labour to procure peace he could not recall the one unless he likewise at the same time recall the others that he had in their service The Confederates had nothing to say to so just and reasonable an answer as that was and they found themselves disappointed of their hopes seeing that that powerful German Army that was to enter into France was put to a stand on the frontier by the Forces which the Marshal de Crequi commanded and so distressed for want of provisions and the parties of the neighbouring Garisons that it was obliged to retreat They conceived also so great jealousie of the King of England's equipping of a Fleet that they were in doubt whether on that side they had not as great cause to fear as to hope On the 13th of July there was an extraordinary Courier from England having Orders to Ambassador Temple to repair forthwith to London and accordingly on the fifteenth about five a clock in the morning he embarqued for that Voyage Every one had his several reasons concerning the hasty departure of that Mediator and could not agree whether it was a good or bad presage for the desired peace On the 16. the Marquess de los Balbases returned from Holland not well satisfied with the people of Amsterdam from whom he received not that favourable reception which he expected by reason of an opinion which that people had that the Spaniards for their own particular interests were the only cause of the continuance of the War Mr. Vlkens Envoy from the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp a Prince in League with the King of Sweden and who hath been dispossessed of his Territories by the King of Denmark rendered his first Visits to the French Ambassadors on the third of August and the same day the Count of Kinski and Mr. Stratman the Imperial Ambassadors visited publickly the Ambassadors of Spain who returned the Visit the same day The Nuncio ought to have been dissatisfied at those publick Visits made before the performance of that which was due to him as Mediator and Nuncio of the Pope Besides the French Ambassadors declared that at the very instant that the civility which was due to the English Ambassadors as Mediators was not rendered to them and that the Ambassadors of that Crown suffered those of the Emperour to have the precedency they would likewise re-assume the rank which they pretended to be their due without any respect to the Mediation
was never any good understanding betwixt him and his Colleague the Count of Kinski nor the Marquess de los Balbases His allowance was 3400 German Florins a Month and he had always several persons of Quality in his Retinue Count Anthony of Oldembourg arrived at Nimueguen on the seventh of September but as he was preparing to give the Mediators and all the other Ambassadors notice of his arrival the Imperial Ministers acquainted him that they expected to be preferred before the English Mediators That Ambassador perceiving this to be contrary to the custom that was established at Cologn would not consent to the Imperial pretensions He well foresaw that not only the Mediators would not have admitted his Visit but likewise the French and all the other Ambassadors who maintained the honour of the Mediation and therefore he gave no notice of his arrival gave nor received no Visit and continued still incognito at Nimueguen but that hindered not but that he met at conferences and especially at all places where they played That Count is the Natural Son of the last Count of that name to whom the King of Denmark was heir as being of the same family but the present Count hath obtained a vast Estate from his Majesty with the Government of the County of Oldembourg he is of the Order of the Elephant and very handsome his presence courage rich equipage and vast expence shewed him to be a great person but his civility and free humour made him beloved of every body insomuch that the Assembly of Nimueguen lost much by his departure which was eight months after his arrival The end of the Campagn drawing now near the Confederates did not think that the French forces would effect any considerable Enterprize Nevertheless the Mareshal de Crequi assured the King that he would make him Master of Fribourg if his Majesty pleased The design appeared extreamly difficult But the Mareshal having obtained permission and all that was necessary for carrying on so great an Enterprize endeavoured to make the Duke of Lorrain believe that he intended some design upon Sarbruck and at the same time made a considerable body of men pass the Rhine at Brisac which on the ninth of October invested Fribourg and marching thither in great haste he forced the place to render before that the Duke of Lorrain could come in time to relieve it Octob. 1677 such was the consternation at Nimueguen among the Germans and all the Ministers of the Confederates that even after the taking of that place they could hardly believe that the Mareshal de Crequi durst have undertaken the siege Fribourg has a Cittadel strong by situation and fortifications the Town is great and well peopled because of the University that is there and the Emperour received a very considerable revenue from it but the consequence of that conquest was better known afterwards than at that time The Voyage that the Prince of Orange was preparing to make into England gave ground of various conjectures On the 17 of Octob. he Embarked at the Brill being accompanied with the chief of his Family and the Heer Odyke the Extraordinary Ambassador of the States-General who had not as it was given out given him a full power to conclude a Peace or make a new League On the 19th the Prince arrived in England where his Marriage with the Princess Mary Eldest Daughter to his Royal Highness the Duke of York was carried on so secretly that the first news that they had of it at Court was the conclusion thereof The news of this Marriage came to Nimueguen the 29th and seeing all the Confederates began to hope more than ever that England would not be long before it declared in their favours they made no more doubt of it after this Marriage And therefore all the Ministers of the Confederates complimented thereupon Ambassador Jenkins and my Lady Temple also who remained at Nimueguen after the departure of her Husband of which no man doubted but that the Marriage of the Prince of Orange was the cause whereof till then they were ignorant The affairs of the North went daily worse and worse for the Suedes especially in Pomerania Stetin was besieged from the beginning of Summer and was extreamly straitned The Danes had taken the Isle of Rugen And though Count Koningsmark routed them there and beat them wholly out of it yet the Town of Stetin deprived of all kind of relief and out of hopes of receiving any was at length forced to render to the Elector of Brandenbourg having given demonstrations of great Lovalty to Sueden and left to posterity an extraordinary instance of constancy and resolution Affairs were wholly at a stand at Nimueguen there was no meeting but for Play Dancing and Collations at the houses of the Ambassadors of France Spain Sueden and Denmark but the League which was signed at the Hague the tenth of Jan. 1677 8 betwixt England and the States-General to oblige the French King to make Peace on the terms they had agreed upon made all the Confederates hope that the countenance of affairs would quickly change to their advantage and that France would be at length forced to stoop or be overpowred by the multitude of enemies England in effect seemed inclined to an open declaration and the King thought it not sit any longer to reject the sollicitations of his Parliament wherefore he made a Speech to them in a quite different strain from that which was mentioned before he acquainted the two Houses with the League that he had made with the States-General for the preservation of Flanders and obliging those to a Peace who would not accept of the conditions that they had judged reasonable He laid before them the necessity of money for compassing those great designs He gave them some account of the moneys which he had received for the building and equipping of Ships and consented that the Supplies which the Parliament did give upon this occasion should be laid out by such persons as they should nominate But of all things his Majesty put them in mind of the advantages which England had reaped and still did reap from the peace it enjoyed whilst all Europe besides were in actual War For preserving so much happy success it was necessary that the French should be still prosperous and that by breaking the measures of the Confederates they might make their Ambassadors change their tone The taking of the Isle of Tobago of all the Vessels that were in that Port and the Ammunition which was in the fort the death of Binkes Admiral of Zealand and the utter ruin of that Colony were sensible blows to the States-General as the taking of St. Guillain during the rigor of Frost and Snow had terrified the Low-countries By these means the French King thought he might overthrow the projects of his Enemies Febr. 167 8 Monsieur de Somnitz Ambassador and Plenipotentiary from the Elector of Brandenbourg on February 25. died at Nimueguen in the sixty and
sixth year of his age He was a fat man of great judgment and had done his Master very good service in several imployments Mr. de Blaspiel his Colleague remained sole Ambassador at Nimueguen he is as honest and civil a man as lives and loves company and good cheer but his best quality is that he perfectly understands the interests of the Elector his Master and is wholly devoted thereunto The Elector of Brandenbourg having defrayed the charges of his Ambassadors by a Steward of the Embassie which for the first year amounted to forty thousand Crowns their allowances were regulated for the future In the mean time the French King began the Campagn with his whole Houshold which never appeared in better order nor richer Equipage but the better to cover the design which he intended he carried with him the Queen and all the Ladies of Court as far as Metz whilst several bodies of his Armies kept at the same time Luxembourg Namur Charlemont Mâ—ns and Ypres the best provided places of the Low-countries as it were blocked up in so much that the Confederate-forces being divided for the preservation of these Towns were in no condition to bring relief to any of them March 1677 8 the French themselves were no less surprized than all the Confederates were when the King leaving the Queen crossed so many Countrys in so great haste that on the fourth of March he came before Ghent which by orders from him was invested the first of that month The besieged to no purpose cut their Dikes and drowned part of the Country for the King lodged his forces and pressed so vigorously the siege that in a few days the Town and Cittadel were both carried It is hard to be expressed what trouble the taking of Ghent put all Holland into They saw to their astonishment that the French who were remote on the one side approached on the other At London all the Confederates exaggerated the importance of that loss that they might excite England to a speedy and open declaration whilst the French King pursuing his conquests caused Ypres to be besieged on the 15 of March and in a few days took it though the Garison made a brave resistance The Treaty was now more than ever damped at Nimueguen so great prosperities stopt the mouths of all the Confederates Ambassadors though the French seemed nothing elevated thereby The same prosperities had great impressions on Holland the people tired out with the War and alarmed by the conquests that were made on their frontiers minded nothing but peace They reflected on the flourishing condition that the United Provinces were in before the War they saw their Treasure exhausted and the inhabitants unable any longer to support the great Impositions and Taxes of the Two hundred peny which had been raised seven times in one year And therefore the Heer Beverning pressingly urged the Ambassadors of the Confederates being vexed to see them still flatter themselves with vain hopes when the only refuge they now had was the declaration of England and indeed that was the thing they wholly applied themselves to without advancing one step towards the peace Mr. Oliver Krantz who the year before went into Suedeland to receive new Instructions from the King his Master with whom the Danes hindered the commerce of Letters was come back to Nimueguen where he found affairs as backward as when he parted from thence and besides a great driness betwixt his Colleague and the French Ambassadors by reason of a difference that had happened between the Countess of Oxenstierne and Madam Colbert the Countess after her Lving-in having been pleased to render her first visit to the Ambassador of Spain's Lady That procedure offended Madam Colbert who twice afterward refused the visit of my Lady Oxenstierne upon pretext of feigned indispositions which hinder'd her not at the same time to receive the visits of several other Ladies This published the ground of the difference which might easily have been adjusted had it happened between persons of other humours of whom the gravity of the one and the frank humour of the other would hardly agree together And that was the reason that the difference of those two Ladies and the driness betwixt the French Ambassadors and the first Ambassador of Sueden lasted even till the end of the Treaty The Tragical death of the Ambassador of Denmark's Ladies brother was also the cause that that Lady visited my Lady Oxenstierne no more Her brother had a Settlement in Schoâ—en where he was accused of keeping inteâ—â—igence with the Danes against the service oâ— Sueden he was brought before a Council of War and there sentenced to be shot to death by four Ensigns The King of Sueden offered him a pardon if he would have acknowledged himself guilty of Treason but the poor Gentleman chose rather to dye and with extraordinary generosity caused fifty Ducats a piece to be given to the four Ensigns that shot him to death The news of that did so afflict the Ambassadors Lady that afterwards she could not so much as endure the sight of a Suede The Baron of Platen Envoy from the Duke of Osnabrug arrived on the 30th at Nimueguen but seeing the House of Lunenbourg had not obtained the title and rank of Ambassador for their Ministers Baron Platen thought that taking the title of Plenipotentiary Minister he might obtain an equality with the Ambassadors of the Powers that came after Crowned heads But he succeeded not in his pretensions though by a liberal expence he did his Master credit April 1678. At the time when there was no tâ—lk at Nimueguen but of the disposition that was in England of openly favouring the Confederates and reducing France to receive the Law it may be said that the French King at the same time gave it to all Europe by the Propositions that he made the 9th of April wherein he declared the conditions on which he was willing to make peace with all those with whom he was engaged in War and whereupon his Majesty fixed as the last point he would condescend to and upon which his Enemies might chuse Peace or War provided they did it before the tenth of May beyond which time he would not be engaged to stand to those conditions I will not here insert a particular relation of these conditions neither of the Memoirs of the Treaty nor of the Treaties that were concluded because they have been already published I shall only say that the Propositions of the 9th of April were the beginning of the Negotiation of peace and the scantling according to which all the Treaties have been concluded and signed though at first nothing appeared more remote from it nor yet afterward until the day that the conditions were in general accepted The Imperialists of all others seemed the least inclined to yeild to those conditions The first which required full satisfaction to be made to Sueden was insupportable to the Northern Princes The Spaniards and other Confederates found
particularly informed of his Majesties intentions That Ambassador would willingly have excused himself but the States Order being renewed on the 29th he set out from Nimueguen in Laid-coaches The reluctancy of the Heer Beverning was attributed to the fear he had of disobliging the Prince of Orange whose Interests did not admit of the Peace till that time this Ambassador was reputed a very good Republican but afterward he was thought wedded to the concerns of the Prince of Orange though it could not be affirmed whether fear or inclination were the cause of that engagement He is a man of a penetrating wit who knows what is good and always pursues it by just means He is assiduous and painful and hath been employed by the States in many Embassies and in all the Treaties that have been made since the year 1650 but he loves retirement and it was not without trouble that he left his Country-house near Leyden to come to Nimueguen The Heer Haren his Colleague is a Gentleman of Friesland of much credit in that Province and addicted to the interests of the Prince of Nassan Governour and Hereditary State-holder of the Provinces of Friesland and Groninguen The Heer Beverning arrived on the 30th at Antwerp and there found a Trumpeter who stayed for him to conduct him to the French Camp where having seen Monsieur de Pompone he had Audience of his Most Christian Majesty He found him so sincere in his intentions towards the Peace and so favourably inclined towards the States-General that on the first of June he left the Camp but in the account that he gave his Superiors of his Negotiation he told them that he found the French King as well informed of the condition of his enemies and of the places that he might attack as he was of his own affairs About the same time the Marquess de la Fuente gave notice of his arrival to the French Ambassadors but seeing he had already visited those of the Emperour in publick without giving the same declaration that his Colleagues had given to the Mediators to whom all the Ambassadors gave the precedency the French Ambassadors ordered a Gentleman to tell the person that came from him that they could not see him unless he first performed what was due to the English as Mediators By that the French Ambassadors obliged Ambassador Jenkins to whom they had given their promise constantly to maintain the honour of the Mediation It was alledged that it was to no purpose for the Marquess de la Fuente to give that particular declaration since that instead of one which might suffice for the three Ambassadors of Spain they had already given two But the French Ambassadors maintained that for the same reason they ought to have a third and that no consideration should hinder the Marquess de la Fuente from following the example of his Colleagues in that matter that on the contrary they had great cause to wonder that by such a refusal he would in some measure seem to condemn their conduct so that for want of that declaration the French Ambassadors saw not the Marquess de la Fuente during the whole course of the Treaty unless at the meetings of the Ladies where he used to come as the other Ambassadors did The news from England were at that time very tumultuary they advised that the King of Great Britain had Prorogued the Parliament to the third of June promising at that time to give them good news of the Peace Seeing a Prorogation of it self cuts off all that hath been proposed and treated in preceding Sessions without being concluded and confirmed this Prorogation put a stop to some pert Addresses which the House of Commons had made to his Majesty of Great Britain such as that whereby they desired the King would declare who they were that had counselled his Majesty to give the answers which he made in the mouth of May the year before and in the Month of January of the present June 1678 The Marquess de la Fuente who had not as yet communicated his plenary Commission caused on the first of June a copy thereof to be given which was collationed by the Nuncio's Auditor The French Ambassadors found it not to be in the form that it ought to be because all the four Ambassadors of Spain being named therein and being Posteriour in date to that of the three Ambassadors who were approved it seemed that by that means the Spaniards might disown when they should please all that they had done till then since that that new plenary commission might annul the former And therefore the French Ambassadors refused to accept of it and pretended that the Marquess de la Fuente should have one apart or that this last should be of the same date with the former without which they declared that they would not acknowledg him for an Ambassador In the mean time they were in great impatience at Nimueguen to know what had been the success of the deputation of the Heer Beverning who to the trouble of the Confederates went from thence to the French Camp not doubting but that all these proceedings would at length terminate in a Peace with the Dutch They thought it a matter of so much importance to divert that blow that for that end they set all engines at work but on the fourth of June a Courier from the Camp brought the French Ambassadors a copy of the answer which that King had made to the Letter of the States-General and another of the Memoir that his Majesty had caused to be given to the Heer Beverning The King by that Letter testified the pleasure which he had to see the States-General in a disposition towards Peace that his Majesty was willing to condescend to several things in favour of their Allies and how joyful he would be by restoring to them his ancient amity to enter with them into such engagements as might for ever secure their repose and liberty It can hardly be believed what good effect the word Liberty produced in the minds of the Dutch that word was so agreeable to them and so sensibly affected them that in all the impressions that have been made of that Letter in Holland the word Repose is left out to make that of Liberty sound the louder They talked publickly that whatever secret or publick enemy they might have for the future they would not fear the loss of their Liberty in which the present War had made so great a breach By the Memoir given to the Heer Beverning the French King at the desire of the States-General granted a Truce for six weeks to begin the first of the ensuing Month which extended that Truce until the fifteenth of August to the end that the States might have all the time they wished for to perswade their Allies to consent to the Peace in consideration whereof the States should promise not to assist them in any manner during the whole course of that War if they would
the late times had interrupted The Ambassadors of Denmark and Brandenbourg who could not but with great trouble see the great disposition that appeared for the Peace of Spain made the same day a vigorous Remonstrance to the Ambassadors of that Crown They doubted not but that the glory that was to be acquired in signifying the same constancy after the unexpected signing of the Dutch Peace would render them stedfast and unshaken in the observation of their Treaties of Alliance They said that their Masters desired nothing more than the repose of Christendom but that their Enemy proposed the Law to them instead of admitting a Treaty upon the conditions which might conduce to a General Peace These Ambassadors employed afterwards all their Eloquence to divert Spain from the course they saw it taking they represented to them That the constancy of that Crown was alone capable to reclaim those who had deviated from their duty through the influence of the Cabal and the levity of some who understood not how dear faith and sincerity ought to be to a Free State That what France left to Spain by that Peace in the Netherlands was rather to exhaust its Treasures than that they intended to leave that crown in the peaceable possession thereof That they hoped Spain would not yield to the common Enemy the glory of being more constant in favours of their Allies than themselves In fine that if their Masters found themselves forsaken and abused they would have care another time how they helped to quench the fire since they saw themselves so ill rewarded for their pains On the 24. the Articles that were made betwixt the two Armies were brought to Nimueguen They were both at the same time to draw off to an equal distance from before Mons but the Troops that blocked up the place were not to retire till two days after In the mean time there were various reports of the Ratification of the States-General All the Provinces at that time held their several Assemblies to give their resolutions as to that point to the States who seemed less inclined than the Provinces to keep their word and correspond with the exactitude with which France seemed to act in execution of the signed Treaty The Heer Beverning returned to Nimueguen on the 27. where having conferred with Ambassador Jenkins who had received new instructions from England he had audience of the French Ambassadors and would have them to understand that his Masters were so far engaged to procure the peace of Spain that they would be very glad to see the difficulties that hinder'd the conclusion of it removed before they ratified the Peace which they themselves had made and that his Majesty of Great Britain had by Mr. Hyde his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary whom he had sent purposely to the Hague made very pressing instances to them on that subject in favour of Spain The truth is the expressions of the Memoir which that Ambassador gave to the States-General on the 25th agreed not with the procedure that England had hitherto held for promoting of the peace That King made known to the States that he was surprised to understand that they had signed a separate peace without including Spain and without any Guarantee for the evacuation of the places within the time limited That since the new pretensions which France formed to the County of Beaumont and the Town of Bouvignes retarded the accomplishment of the peace his Majesty thought that the condition put into the last Treaty was fallen and that he and the States-General were equally obliged to enter into a joynt War against France That if the States would refuse to ratifie what they had signed at Nimueguen his Majesty of Great Britain offers to declare actual War against France The States-General having already made great instances to the King of England that he would use his power with the French King for obtaining for them the Neutrality of the Countrey of Cleves and Juliers the Ambassador of his Majesty of Great Britain by the same Memoir assured them That the King his Master knowing it to be no less necessary to the States that their Provinces should be covered on that side than on the side of Flanders he was ready upon that account to enter with them into what measures they should judg convenient and that the obtaining of that security depended only on themselves In the mean time the Forces that were newly raised in England for the assistance of the Low-countreys passed daily over into Flanders by Ostend Some of them at Bruges upon a mistake had suffered a Riot from the Rabble upon the account of Religion and the Flemings who are Catholicks were not well pleased with Heretical succors But the Spaniards who found in their Confederates and the King of Great Britain so great a disposition of maintaining their Interests rested satisfi'd and shewed no more desire for the conclusion of the peace They found some advantage by that delay for the French Forces being now by the Treaty of Mons retired out of the Spanish Territories attempted no enterprise and France being uncertain of the issue of the Spanish peace and of the ratification of the Dutch Treaties their Forces could not march into Germany where they had already ruined the affairs of the Emperor and Empire Besides the Spaniards by the debates which they started concerning the difficulties in which they were so well supported in some manner saved the honour of their Nation and they had at least the advantage of not receiving the Law without disputes and oppositions which was so far from rendering their conditions worse that it could not on the contrary but procure for them more advantageous terms On the first of September 1678. the French Ambassadors by an Express from Court received new instructions and in the conference which they had the same day with the Dutch Ambassadors they told them That for the good of the general peace they had power to remit in their pretensions So that next day the conferences were again renewed at the house of the Dutch Ambassadors who carried the propositions and answers back and for betwixt the French and Spaniards who were in several rooms The Articles in controversie were adjusted on the mornings and forenoons meetings Next day they continued but the difficulties that were raised concerning the condition of the places which the French King was to deliver up as well in respect of Ammunition and Artillery as of the Fortifications hindered the Treaty from any great progress Those whom it most concerned to prevent the peace with Spain omitted nothing that could put a stop to it and upon a pretext that France kept not to the sole Articles of the ninth of April they made great noise in England and engaged his Majesty of Great Britain so far by many proceedings conform to their intentions that in the sequel it would not be easie for him to abandon any of their concerns One of the chief
THE HISTORY OF THE TREATY AT Nimueguen WITH REMARKS ON THE Interest of EVROPE In relation to that Affair Translated out of French LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey 1681. The Translator to the Reader Reader WHEN I have told you that the Author of this History is a French-man and that he hath dedicated the Original to Monsieur Colbert one of the active French Plenipotentiaries at Nimueguen I suppose without other notice you 'l expect to find in it some affectations I will not say partialities such as are usual to Authors who write of Affairs wherein their Countrey have the greatest share though to speak evenly my Author does not seem very culpable in this kind The General peace that was concluded at Nimueguen attests the truth of the most substantial matters contained in this Treatise And the respect that is due to so many great men as were present at the Negotiation makes it almost incredible that an ingenuous person such as the Author seems to be who in his Epistle to the Reader wishes that he had not been a French man that so he might have avoided the suspition of partiality would publish any falshood concerning the compliments and ceremonies which could not be spared amongst so many publick Ministers when be might so easily and with shame be by the many parties concerned convicted of the Imposture You need not then doubt but that this Book presents you with the true lineaments and features of the substantial affairs that were treated in that famous Assembly though probably the lights and air may be French and the frame which sets them off a-la-mode de Louis You know as well as I that it is usual for subjects and lovers of a victorious Prince to attribute even the most extorted and unvoluntary actions of their Master to his free choice and meer good will and pleasure and in this strain you 'l find our Author speak throughout this whole Book yet I make no doubt but that many know how much other influences besides the French Kings good inclinations to give peace to Europe and particularly the English Forces sent over into Flanders have had their effects in producing that Serenity which is at every turn attributed to his pleasure But seeing it is usual in all great atchievements wherein many are concerned that the several parties assume to themselves the glory of being the chief instruments in bringing them about I think if the dish be good you need not be much concerned at the manner of garnishing it but please your self according to your humour or skill Now Reader what advantage this Book may afford yoâ— you 'l find by the perusal of it And if your Stars have not destin'd you for such a publick person as that it may prove practically useful to you if they have at least endowed you with a love of speculation and knowledg you will therein certainly meet with somewhat that may gratifie your curiosity Farewell A Table of the Mediators Plenipotentiaries Ambassadors and Envoys mentioned in this History MEDIATORS On the Popes part SEignior Bevilaqua On the King of Great Britain's part My Lord John Berkley Laurence Hyde Sir William Temple Sir Lionel Jenkins AMBASSADORS For the Emperor The Bishop of Gurck The Count of Kinski Mr. Stratman For France The Mareshal D'Estrades Monsieur Colbert The Count D'Avaux For Spain The Marquess de los Balbases The Marquess de la Fuente Don Pedro Ronquillo Mr. Christin For Sueden The Count of Oxenstiern Mr. D'Oliver Krantz For Denmark Count Anthony of Oldembourg Mr. Heugh For the States-General The Heer Beverning The Heer Odyke The Heer Haren For the Elector of Brandenburgh Mr. De Somnitz Mr. De Blaspiel Plenipotentiary Envoys For the King of Denmark Mr. de Meyerkron Mr. Petkum For the States-General The Heer Boreel For the Elector of Brandenburgh Mr. Meinders For the Duke of Savoy The Count of Provana For the Duke of Lorrain The President Canon For the Bishop of Osnabrug The Baron of Platen For the Duke of Zell and the Princes of Brunswick Mr. Muller Mr. Schutz For the Bishop of Munster Mr. Termeulen For the Bishop of Strasbourg Mr. Duker For the Duke of Holstein Gottorp Mr. Vlkers Mr. Wetterkorp For the Elector of Mayence and Treves The Baron of Leyen For the Prince and Chapter of Liege Mr. Charneux Mr. Vanderveck For the Elector Palatine Mr. Spanheim For the Duke de la Tremouille Mr. Sanguimere For the Mareshal of Luxembourg Mr. De Villewrat THE HISTORY OF THE TREATY AT Nimueguen THE Treaty begun at Cologn in the year 1673 under the Mediation of Suedeland gave hopes that a general Peâ—ce would speedily put an end to the War that raged then in Europe when the seizure of Prince William of Furstemburg and Forty thousand Crowns taken out of the Waggons of the French Ambassadors in a Neutral City discomposed affairs in such a manner that the Negotiation so happily begun was quite broken off The violence committed on this Prince by the Emperors Ministers and the injury done to the French King gave ground to many to fear that Peace would not suddenly be restored again to Europe and that his Majesty would never consent to the renewing of the Treaty unless reparations were made for those two injuries Nevertheless at the instance of the King of England whose Mediation was generally embraced by all the Princes concerned in that War and at the solicitation of the Bishop of Strasbourg who publickly declared That he preferred the advantages of Peace before the liberty of his own Brother The King made the reasons of glory and interest stoop to the inclination which he had of contributing to the Peace of Europe And Nimueguen being pitched upon as the place of Treaty his Majesty resolved instantly to send thither his Ambassadors Plenipotentiaries and therefore on the 17 of Febr. 1675 named for that effect the Duke of Vitry Monsieur Colbert and the Count D' Avaux Seeing all the allied Princes appeared not at first to be of the same disposition as to Peace there was no advance made towards the forming of the Assembly at Nimueguen until the month of November that the King of Great Britain disposed all the Interest-powers to send with all expedition their Ambassadors to Nimueguen The French King was the first and gave order to his Plenipotentiaries before the end of December to set out for the place of Conference his Majesty having allowed them but eight days to provide their Equipage Accordingly on the 28 of December Monsieur Colbert and the Count D' Avaux parted from Paris not staying for the Duke of Vitry whose sickness would not permit him to undertake a journey in the severity of the Winter-season On the third of January they came to Charleville hoping there to find Passports from all those Princes that were concerned to give them and especially from Spain and Holland that they might come down to Nimueguen on the Meuse but the Passports
were not in such readiness as they were made believe so that one in Charleville foretold the Count D' Avaux That his stay in that Town should be as long as that of the late Count D' Avaux his Uncle who had waited there four months for his Passports when he went to Munster in the character of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the French King for the Treaty of the General Peace that was afterward concluded there The Ambassadors after two months stay perceiving that the difficulties which were started sometimes about the reciprocal liberty of sending messengers from Nimueguen upon their own single Passports and sometimes about the quality of Prince Charles who demanded of the French King the Titles of Brother and Duke of Lorrain might still detain them long at Charleville they resolved to cause their Goods which were already Embarqued to be brought ashore again and to wait for their Passports in that Town which came at length on the fourth of June bearing date the last of December in the foregoing year with an order of Court immediately to set forward accordingly they Embarked on the seventh of June The sickness of the Duke of Vitry still continued and was thought desperate which obliged the King to nominate in his place the Mareschal d' Estrade who was visited by his Colleagues in their passage at Maestricht and having staid there only a day on Sunday the 13 of June about one of the Clock aftâ—â—â—â—n they came to Moock two Leagues from Nimueguen where having instantly put ashore their Coaches and most part of their Equipage they set forward and came to Nimueguen about five of the Clock at night Though the French Ambassadors were incognito and without Train having left almost all their servants in the Boats with the rest of their Goods which did not arrive till next day yet it may be said that they made a publick entry by reason of the great concourse of people who out of curiosity and impatience to see the so much wisht-for Ambassadors flocked out of the Town upon the Ramparts into the streets and windows The vast number of Waggons laden with packs of Goods that came after and filled the whole street from the gate of the Town to the Ambassadors houses gave ground of admiration to that people who had never seen the like before The people seeing this and being perswaded of the grandeur of France believed that the Ambassadors had brought with them things of vast value and richness so that their houses were presently filled with those of the Town that crouded thither to see them and they were not only looked upon as sure pledges of Peace but also as a probable cause of the wealth of the Town All the people being falsly perswaded that the French were only to be blamed for the delay of the Treaty but now seeing they were come they concluded that in a short time Nimueguen was to be the Theater on which the greatness and magnificence of Europe was to appear Nevertheless matters advanced not so fast as people had imagined for as yet there were none at Nimueguen but Sir Lionel Jenkins one of the three Plenipotentiary Mediators from England and the Heer 's Beverning and Haren Ambassadors Plenipotentiary from the States General of the Vnited Provinces The French Ambassadors sent immedialy to acquaint my Lord Ambassador Jenkins with their arrival who rendered them the Complement and gave them next day a visit in a Coach with six Horses The Dutch Ambassadors did the like and the French rendered the Visits so soon as their Train and Equipage were in a condition to appear abroad The Mareshal d' Estrades had orders with all expedition to part from Maestricht and though his Train and Equipage were not as yet in readiness yet he arrived at Nimueguen the 28 of June whither Sir William Temple another of the Mediators from England came shortly after with my Lady Gifford his Sister my Lady Temple not coming till two months after My Lord Ambassador Temple is a person of much learning singular in his ways and opinions Some judged him partial in the Mediation and somewhat unequal in his humour he is nevertheless a person of great abilities and well acquainted with the Republican principles as appears by the remarks he hath written upon the State of the Vnited Provinces His Colleague Sir Lionel Jenkins is a civil well-bred Gentleman of great integrity and firm to his Religion a person endued with much knowledg who always shewed himself to be good Mediator These Ambassadors had aâ— 100 l. sterling a week besides an hundred and fifty pounds given them for providing their Equipage with Furniture for the Chamber of Audience and a service of the Royal Plate according to the custom of England The report that came abroad at that time that the Prince of Orange intended to besiege Maestricht seemed as unprobable as the enterprize was dangerous notwithstanding the Hollanders flattered themselves with the hopes of carrying that place in a fortnights time and it seemed they only waited for the departure of the Mareshal d' Estrades that they might accomplish their designs but the conclusion of that siege was much to the advantage of the French who that year succeeded in every thing almost that they undertook either by Sea or Land The King in four days took Condâ— and on the 25 of April obliged it to render on discretion After five days siege the Duke of Orleans carried Bouchain on the 12 of May in sight of the strongest Army that the Confederates ever had in the Low-Countries under the command of the Prince of Orange who thought it not fit to hazard a Battel with the Kings Army that lay within Canon-shot of him Aire on the last of July suffered the same fate The King laid the design and the Marquess of Louvois in the command of the Mareshal d' Humieres put it in execution The Fort of Linck was taken the 9th of August The Mareshal Duke of Vivonne was very successful in his Fights on the Sicilian Seas and in the Port of Palermo bâ—rnt part of the Spanish and Dutch Fleet. The death of de Ruyter that happened a little before by a great shot that he received on board his own Ship in an engagement against the French was an irreparable loss to the Dutch who never had an Admiral of so much merit and reputation In the mean while it was easie to be judged by what began to appear that if the Prince of Orange had taken Maestricht there was no hopes of finding the Dutch any ways inclinable to accommodation but an event so contrary to their expectation and the ruin of a great part of their Army of which most of the residue was seen to march by Nimueguen dejected them extreamly and made them think of other measures The first thing that began to be talked of was the Neutrality of the Country about Nimueguen The Mediators at the solicitation of the Dutch desired that the
French Ambassadors would extend the limits a little further And as that concession of Neutrality carried with it also an exemption from contributions under which the Garrison of Maestricht put all the Count 〈◊〉 to the Gates of Nimueguen and that 〈◊〉 sieur Calvo some Months before in 〈◊〉 Contributions in the Maaswal had 〈◊〉 and puâ— the â—â—â—ple in fear even to 〈◊〉 heart 〈…〉 the Ambassado 〈◊〉 State◠〈…〉 desiâ—ed aâ—â—â—â—â—ment 〈…〉 lerâ—◠〈…〉 The French Court was very averse from granting such an extent of Neutrality which would have freed their enemies from keeping of strong Garrisons in the Neighbouring places to cover all that Country and therefore that affair lay long undecided The pleasantness of the season invited the Ambassadors in the mean time to take the air in their Coaches without the City but the Dutch Ministers gave notice to the French that seeing there was no security for the Country against the attempts of the Garrison of Maestricht they would not answer neither for what the Garrison of Grave might do being but two leagues distant from Nimueguen and on that side where the Country is only pleasant for 〈◊〉 and taking the air The French â—â—â—â—â—â—adors therefore prohibited their serâ—◠〈◊〉 stragâ—le out of the Town though 〈◊〉 â—emseâ—â—â— did not forbear to go 〈◊〉 â—â—ll together in company being atâ—â—◠〈◊〉 a great numbâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—vants 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ck 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—â—â—e it 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Mediators to view those places that might serve for limits but finding that there belonged only three Villages to the Jurisdiction of Nimueguen of which the most remote was but a little league from the place they caused a draught to be made of all that was contained within the circuit of that extent which being sent to the King he consented to it as the Ambassadors had proposed A Counsellor of the Town and a French Gentleman named by the French Ambassadors were pitched upon to mark out the places on which were planted the limits of Neutrality the whole extent whereof made a kind of a demi-oval along the Waal comprehending nine Parishes with their dependencies Nevertheless there remained betwixt the Meuse and the Waal above a league of ground which afforded a free passage 〈◊〉 the parties that came from Maestricht 〈…〉 and raise â—â—eir contributions in the Câ—â—â—â—â—â—â—try of Maaswal which lyes betweenn 〈◊〉 Waal and thâ— Meuse The French Ambassador◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of September had 〈◊〉 to the Table of Sir Lionel Jenkins and had since that made use of the Table of Sir William Temple â—ut seeing about the end of October Sir William declared that he would go to no mans Table but his own whether that as Mediator he would thereby affect to appear impartial though that custom which was observed at the Treaty of Cologn had in it nothing that seemed contrary to the Mediation or rather that he would avoid the hurry and expence thereof that manner of living which was begun with much satisfaction was thereby interrupted and the Ambassadors met only afterward at the Lodgings of the Ambassadors Ladies where company usually came The Count of Oxenstierne and Monsieur Oliver Krantz the Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of Sweden arrived at that time at Nimueguen and gave the French Ambassadors notice of their arrival who went the same day to visit them separately at their House in a Coach with six Horses but those Ambassadors were not as yet in a condition to render their Visits with the same â—eremony The Count of Oxenstierne iâ— a person hoâ—â— aspect ansâ—vers his birth he is magâ—â—â—t 〈◊〉 the too great expence he put himself tâ—â—as the cause that his house was not always well regulated His indifferent way of carriage joined to a natural gravity made many to judg him vain-glorious His Colleague is a man of learning who writes well in Latin and French he hath the reputation to be a man fit for business he speaks neatly and loves a retired life His Train was very neat and he had fifty Crowns a day from the King his Master but the Count of Oxenstierne had a hundred The Imperialists and Spaniards were not observed as yet to make any hast in coming to Nimueguen notwithstanding the King of England urged them to it by his Ministers Philipsbourg which for want of Ammunition was surrendered in September after it had held out a siege from the beginning of June made them hope that the forces of Germany would gain considerable advantages upon the French but the Ambassadors of that Crown about the end of September received orders from the King to make known to the Mediators that his Majesty having by so many advances shewed his forwardness to procure a Peace he intended to recall them unless the Ambassadors of the chief Confederate Princes did within a month repair to Nimueguen the place of Treaty This declaration having been communicated to the Ambassadors of the States-General they gave notice of it to their Masters Their answer was That if at or before the first of November ensuing the Ministers of the Confederates did not repair to Nimueguen they would begin to treat separately for themselves But that time being elapsed they desired two days longer according to the old stile which is observed in Guelderland and several Provinces of Germany well knowing that the expiration of that term did not draw them into any engagement for if the Confederates made longer delay they could on all hazards in the reciprocal communication of their Commissions start difficulties and find out means to spin out the time as they did without falling upon business until the assembly was compleat Monsieur Hoegh the second Plenipotentiary from Denmark arrived at that time with his Lady at Nimueguen He is a handsome Gentleman of a good Family who rose to that dignity by his good discharge of the several employments he hath enjoyed He had his Lodgings in a house that was provided for him near the houses of the French Ambassadors because that being the highest place of the Town was the pleasantest also for the accommodation of strangers So soon as he had given notice of his arrival he was visited by the Mediators the Ambassadors of France and so by all the rest in Coaches of six Horses according to the Ceremony He had of his Master about five hundred pounds a month which he spent nobly like one that understood the world About the middle of November my Lord Barclay the chief of the Mediators who came from being Ambassador Extraordinary for England in France arrived with his Lady at Nimueguen and after some days being there incognito gave notice of his arrival he was visited by the other Mediators and immediately after by the three French Ambassadors successively with two Coaches of six Horses apiece The Count of Oxenstierne who with urgency demanded audience of my Lord Barclay that he might not as it was believed be prevented by the Ambassador of Denmark obtained it at three quarters after three this was to be just after
the audience of the Count d' Avaux who that he might lose no time had servants abroad in the streets to acquaint him immediately when Monsieur Colbert should come out from his Audience so that he went to it punctually at half an hour after three But hardly was he entered when my Lord Barclay had notice that the Count of Oxenstierne was below in the Court He bid answer him that he was with the Count d' Avaux and that the Count of Oxenstierne was not to have his audience till half an hour after that The Ambassador of Suedeland who saw no body come to receive him at the foot of the stair caused his Coachman to drive out gain without staying for the answer That action suffered various constructions for it was alledged that he could not be ignorant but that the Count d' Avaux was at his audience The way to the Lodgings of my Lord Barclay was by his back-gate where some of his servants were observed to be in the streets and it was not then but exactly half an hour after three that if he had been ignorant of it and had had no other design in that case he might have come back having first made a short turn in expectation of the Count d' Avaux coming out or if he pretended that his visit was actually performed as he did afterwards he ought to have sent his Colleague to Audience immediately after the Count d' Avaux Whatever the matter was whether ignorance or a laid design as many did perswade themselves it was though they could not conceive the policy of that enterprise the business was taken up by the Mediation of the French Ambassadors The Visit was held to be performed and yet my Lord Barclay never render'd it nor saw the Count of Oxenstern but accidentally as it were at Madam Colberts Lodgings The unexpected Peace concluded between Poland and the Turk the advantages that the King of Sueden began to gain upon the Danes in Schonen by the taking of Elsinbourg and the Succors put into Malmoe the vigorous resistance of the Town of Stetin from before which the Elector of Brandenbourg was at that time forced to raise the siege all that I say and besides the progress of the French Arms in Sicily made it believed that the Confederates would at length appear more tractable than hitherto they had been In the mean time the Count of Kinsdi the second of the Emperors Ambassadors continued still at Cologne detained as it was said by the Gout and Don Pedro de Ronquillo the second Ambassador from Spain coming from England where he had been but Envoy Extraordinary stayed still at the Hague expecting the rest of his Equipage from England but being at length arrived at Nimueguen he continued long incognito because having no other character but that of Plenipotentiary the French Ambassadors refused to give him the hand Monsieur Somnitz and Blaspiel the Ambassadors of the Elector of Brandenbourg who had been sometime at Nimueguen on the 29. of December gave notice of their arrival The French Ambassadors consulted together and afterwards with the Mediators because contrary to what was practised at Munster both the Plenipotentiaries of Brandenbourg demanded the hand and title of Excellence But the French Ambassadors would not give it but to him that was first named in the Commission and upon occasion of that difficulty visited them not The English Mediators made their visit but with a resolution not to give the title of Excellence save only to Mr. Somnitz nor to demand audience of Mr. Blaspiel However being both lodged in the same house the second failed not to be at the audience and the first perceiving that the Mediators addressed their discourse only to him shewed them his Colleague giving him the title of Excellence But they answered that their visit was only to him The Ambassador of Denmark stuck not at these formalities having to do with the Ministers of one of the chief of his Masters Allies But the Suedish Ambassadors followed the example of the French So that the Elector of Brandenbourgs Ministers found themselves far enough from being able to establish their pretension at Nimueguen The States General who payed great Subsidies to the Princes that were confederate with them began at that time to think of retrenching that great expence and they thought they had the greater reason that they needlesly drained their Treasury by the charge of a War which was now become wholly that of their Confederates unto which they ought to have no greater concern than in a publick and common assault What glory soever redounded to the States General in that they could reckon among their Pensioners the Emperor King of Spain King of Denmark all the Electors almost the Princes of Brunswick the Duke of Newbourg and the Bishop of Munster yet that hindered them not from acquainting them with the inability they lay under to continue those great Subsidies excepting only the Duke of Newbourg in consideration of the new Alliance that he had made with them and the Bishop of Munster of whose humour and Neighbourhood the States General have been always apprehensive They did not as yet cut off those subsidies but the Dutch Ambassadors declared to the Ministers of their Allies that they would pay none for the ensuing Campagn unless they put the French in the wrong that is if they made it not appear by their refusal of reasonable propositions that if the peace were not concluded the French were only to be blamed for it By this means the Dutch stopt their Confederates mouths they obliged them to hasten the opening of the Conferences to which no step had hitherto been made and put themselves in right of complaining of those who for their own private interests desired not to see the War so soon put to an end and therefore they thought it not enough to speak of cutting off the Subsidies but began also to hint at a separate and particular Treaty in such a manner that the Confederates took the allarm the more easily in that the excessive charges the States General had been at during this War had been exceeding burdensome to all the Provinces The Count of Kinski arrived at length at Nimueguen the third of January 1677. He is a Bohemean Gentleman never before employed in any Embassie and therefore all his actings were in the beginning full of difficulties and diffidence but it appeared afterward that he had more sincere intentions for peace than his Colleagues had with whom he clashed so as not to be reconciled again He is a valetudnary man and melancholick but of great merit and sagacity He had two thousand German Florins a month which make about three hundred and thirty pounds English Don Pedro de Ronquillo remained incognito above a month and neither he nor the other Ministers of the Confederates seemed to act with the same frankness and sincerity the French did even in the opinion of my Lord Ambassador Temple who confessed that
it was not to be doubted but that the French inclined to peace and that they were like those Gamesters who having won considerably were willing to leave play if the losers obliged them not to continue In the mean time those who examined without passion the present state of affairs and the interests of most part of the Princes engaged in the War wonder'd that they would continue it with so great disadvantage upon hopes that were not too firmly grounded Holland had nothing to gain and lost much by the excessive charges of the War The Emperor saw himself raised to the real height of his greatness by the setling his Authority throughout the whole Empire but had hardly any means left of procuring Winter-quarters for the Impetial Troops and most of the Princes of Germany were so tired out and incommoded by the War that it was to be feared his Imperial Majesty might find himself abandoned in time of need The King of Spain had almost all the Powers of Europe joyned in his Interests and could never promise himself such assistance in any other juncture but what advantage had he from that seeing notwithstanding the French took the best places of the Low Countreys Cambray and Valenciennes were at that time so straitly blocked up that it was not doubted but one of those places would be lost before the beginning of the Campagn None but the Northern Confederates were inclined to the continuation of the War through the desire of preserving and even enlarging the Conquests they had made upon Sueden But a Victory obtained by the King of Sueden in Schonen made it hopeful that the Suedes renewing their courage under so great a Prince might set their affairs to rights again Though the Spaniards lost most in this War yet the Ambassadors of that Crown acted with greatest slowness as to the advancement of the peace The reason of their procedure in the manner could be attributed to nothing but the usual irresolution of the Spaniards and yet it was not very easie for them in the present juncture of affairs to determine themselves The removal of Valensuela the first Minister of State in that Court and the return of Don John to Madrid being supported by all the Nobility of the Kingdom against the Interests of the Queen-Regent made people fear some dangerous revolution insomuch that the Spaniards abandoned the fate of the Low Countreys to the protection of their Confederates However it might have been said at that time that a real Lethargy had seized mens minds and hindered them from applying themselves with care to the means of restoring a solid peace In the mean time the French were not asleep That King caused a considerable body of men to march into Flanders in the depth of Winter This struck a terror intâ— the heart of the Low Countreys and gave ground to fear that his Majesty would next Campagn carry his Conquests far if the Negotiations at Nimueguen did not put a greater stop to them than the strength of the Confederates was likely to do But the Assembly was not as yet formed neither were the preliminaries to the Peace as yet condescended on At that time the French Ambassadors had notice given them that the Count of Kinski received the visits of the Ministers of the Confederates and were surprised at that manner of conduct though it was given out that they were but private visits among friends upon occasion of the complements he made to them upon his arrival at Nimueguen However the Mediators understood that complement to be a real notification of his arrival because that the King of England desiring that the Ambassadors should make no publick entry into Nimueguen for avoiding several accidents which such Ceremonies usually produce they ought not neither to give notice or their arrival twice and therefore they sent presently to desire audience of him next day at two of the clock for it was then ten of the clock at night But when it was answered That the Ambassadors of Denmark had pitched upon the same hour thâ— Ambassadors were so surprised that they would have absolutely refused to visit him had they not been assured that the visit oâ— that Ambassador was only to be private and without ceremony the Count of Kinski protesting that he had not given notice of his arrival to any whosoever The Mediators pretended that they had received notice and fixed upon eleven in the morning instead of two in the afternoon to render their publick visit which was received as such and rendered accordingly The French Ambassadors desired to have a clear understanding as to the Emperors Ambassador his carriage in that particular but after that the Mediators had taken much pains to adjust the matter the French found in the conduct of the Count of Kinski neither sincerity enough nor sufficient security but that some Ambassadors might therefrom draw advantages to the prejudice of that precedency which they pretended to be due to France That Amâ—â—â—â—â—â—or was indeed willing to have given 〈…〉 in writing disowning the first 〈…〉 was made of his arrivâ—l 〈…〉 he should so carry himâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—bassadors of Franâ—e 〈…〉 â—â—â—ertheless they fiâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 somewhat an 〈…〉 â—im no more 〈…〉 â—f the Eleâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 Kinski 〈…〉 begun 〈…〉 gave gave notice of his arrival in the ordinary forms to all the Ambassadors excepting those of France who would not admit of it and the Mediators who had already performed that ceremony and he render'd his visits the last days of January though he was not as yet provided but of two travelling Coaches nor his servants of Liveries About the same time Master Hide Son to the Earl of Clarendon sometime Chancellor of England came to Nimueguen to assist as the second of the four Mediators of his Majesty of Great Britain A fortnight before he passed through that Town upon his return from his extraordinary Embassie in Poland but instead of a Yacht which he expected at Rotterdam to transport him to London he there received Orders from the King â—is Master to return to Ni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whâ—â— having given notice of 〈…〉 〈◊〉 was first visited by the thâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—ffâ—dors with a splendâ—â—◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 all three in th◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 d' Estrades 〈…〉 〈…〉 other 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Train 〈…〉 Thâ—se 〈…〉 â—â—â—tureâ—◠〈…〉 manâ—â—◠〈…〉 against the accidents which might happen on the like occasions The Marshal D' Estrades gave his Collegues the place in his Coach and at home except when other Ambassadors were present and that the dignity of the Ambassy obliged every one to keep his rank And as for Letters and Dispatches to Court they so ordered the matter that each of them should successively undertake it for one week and all three together sign them The King of England sent Mr. Hide to the Assembly at Nimueguen for no other reason but that he might honour him with the Character of Plenipotentiary Ambassador and have his name inserted in the Treaty of Peace which was to follow
Colbert at that time had only the character of Envoy Extraordinary for mediating the differences that were at that time betwixt the States General and the Bishop of Munster and Monsieur Colbert being in the Electors Countrey it was not his part to raise any dispute upon that head The Ambassadors of the Emperor complained also of the publick refuse which the French made of the visit of Mr. Stratman The cause of those misunderstandings was imputed to the Spaniards who finding themselves always thwarted in the equality which they so strongly pretend to with France contend not for it with other Crowns to the end they may unite them all and so oppose themselves with greater force to the precedency which France claims or at least to disturb it as much as they can in the possession of an advantage which they cannot obtain for themselves There was an innovation made at Nimueguen of what was practised at Cologn in regard of the Mediators to whom in that quality all the Powers had granted the precedency in the affairs that concerned the Mediation And the Mediators on their parts being desirous to prevent all occasions of quarrels which frequently happen upon occasion of Livery-men especially when many of different Nations meet together in one place perswaded all the Ambassadors in the first place to command their Pages and Lacqueys to wear no swords which was punctually observed And seeing most of the streets of Nimueguen are so narrow that two Coaches can hardly pass a breast the Mediators drew up a writing to be signed by all the Ambassadors by means whereof they did sufficiently obviate all the inconveniences which were to be feared during the Treaty That writing bore That in consideration of the narrowness of the streets when two Coaches going contrary ways should meet that Coach which should be least advanced into the street should put back without any consequence to be drawn therefrom or prejudice to any ones pretensions that he that should most punctually obey that order should be held to be the most inclined towards the peace the matter being thus concerted for no other end but for avoiding all occasions of quarrelling and to keep those who laboured for the restauration of the publick repose in goodintelligence together The French Ambassadors were the first who signed that writing the Swedish did the like and the Danish Ambassadors followed their example but the matter went no farther so that it was to be feared that some unhappy accident might afterwards happen amongst so many Ambassadors but the order that was made for preventing any disorder amongst servants was punctually put in execution There happened at that time long debates concerning the manner of treating about the affairs of the peace and that matter was not easily adjusted all the Confederates were for having it managed only by writing The French Ambassadors maintained that having given in their first propositions in writing the way of treating by word of mouth with the Mediators was the shortest The Confederates would not condescend to this but made very long answers in writing to the French propositions which seemed rather invectives than answers to the proposals of peace But the French waving all these disputes which produce always strife gave their answers verbally by the Mediators the Dutch were the first that approved this method and all the Confederates at length yielded to this way of treating as the most expedient for diispatching in a short time Don Pedro de Ronquillo continued still incognito at Nimueguen whither Mr. Christu arrived on the 18th of March. This Third Ambassador of Spain is a Fleming Doctor in the Laws and Counceller in the Flemish Council in Spain who hoped to have the Office of Chancellour of Brabant in recompence of his services In the mean time the News of the siege of Valenciences before which the King came the first of this Month made all people very impatient to know the success of that enterprise it being known what care and circumspection had been taken for the preserving of that place but the news that came of the Trenches being opened the Ninth in the night time was quickly followed with the taking of the place on the 17th about Nine in the morning The manner of taking Valenciennes surprized all men and daunted the Spaniards The King commanded the Counter-scarp to be attacqued with two Half-moons that flanked a Crowned work and that they should lodg on the front of that work which covers another that is before the Gate of the Town But the Kings forces marching cross those Half-moons attacqued that great Crowned-work on the front and sides and entered it on all hands killed or made Prisoners all that opposed them and pursuing those that saved themselves in the Town gained the Bridg and second Work and by a Wicket where they could not pass but one after another they made themselves masters of the Town-gate so that in less than half an hour the King saw a place of that consequence taken by force April 1677 The Confederates hoped that the siege of Valenciennes begun in so bad a season would have ruined a great part of the Kings forces but that Conquest with others that were foreseen would follow much disheartened them Nevertheless the Treaty of Peace went on but very slowly for all that The Confederates grounded their hopes on the great Exploits that the German Forces were to perform in Alsatia and on the Declaration of England which they expected in their savours not doubting but that the Parliament would sollicite the King to join with them for opposing the progress of the French but the Confederates at that time found themselves much disappointed in their Expectations The two Houses of Parliament represented to the King of England the necessity of putting a stop to the progress that the French made in the Low-countries The King answered those that made him the Address from the Parliament That it was the thing he had in his thoughts and that he should take care that the French should not be in a condition of giving jealousie to his Subjects and that his Subjects should have no cause to have any His Majesty of Great Britain was afterwards informed that Don Bernardo de Salinas Envoy from Spain gave it out that his Majesty had called the Authors of that Address Rogues The procedure of that Minister so much the more offended the King of England as that in so nice a juncture it might have produced dangerous effects in his Kingdoms and therefore he sent order to Don Pedro de Salinas to keep within doors and to make ready to depart out of the Kingdom within twenty days The Ambassadors in the mean time remained at Nimueguen like Spectators and all that was done there was to consider and observe what passed in the Low countries where after the taking of Valenciennes the King made himself Master of Cambray on the third of April five days after the Trenches were opened the Governour with
the whole Garrison having retreated into the Cittadel and the Duke of Orleans who till then had only held St. Omers blocked up caused at the same time the Trenches to be opened But upon notice that the Prince of Orange marched with a great Army to the relief of St. Omer the King detached from his Army the Mareshal of Luxembourg with Eight Battalions the two Troops of his Musquetiers and some Dragoons reserving only so many of his forces as were necessary for forcing the Cittadel of Cambray This Detachment came in the nick of time to strengthen the Duke of Orleans his Army for on the eleventh the two Armies engaged near to Mont-cassel and had a sharp dispute but after a vigorous resistance made by the Dutch-Infantry the French got the day and the Dutch in that defeat lost eight thousand men that wert killed or made Prisoners many Colours eight pieces of Cannon two mortar-pieces all their gross Baggage and many Waggons laden with Arms and Ammunition for the relief of St. Omers which was the chief fruit of the Battel The news of that victory the taking of Cambray on the eighteenth and of St. Omers on the twentieth stunned the Confederates and so many Conquests in six weeks time and before the usual time of the Compagn made the Spaniards despair of being able to preserve any thing in Flanders if peace did not put a stop to those progresses but that which troubled them most was that by these Conquests tâ—ey lost all the Contributions which they raised on the Frontiers of France and which was the surest way they had to pay the small Army that they entertained in the Low-countries In the mean time the Elector of Brandenbourg being come to Wesel there was a great Conference held there concerning the Enterprises which the German forces were to undertake in three several places The Ambassadour of Denmark went thither from Nimâ—eguen the Pensioner Fagel and Admiral Van Trump were there for the States-General the Envoys of the Electors of Cologn Treves Palatine of the Princes of Brunswick and Bishop of Munster were also at that Council of War and the Duke of Newbourg was there in person But the great advantages that the French King had just then obtained diverted the designs which the Confederates had again formed upon Maestricht and Lorrain Many were perswaded that the loss which the Dutch had then sustained would incline them to treat about a separate Peace if the States-General were as desirous of it as the people and all that wished well to the publick seemed impatient to see themselves delivered from so troublesome a War They could not have a better pretext for it than the loss of the battel of Mont-cassel and the sudden return of the Heer Beverning who upon that news came presently back to Nimueguen confirm'd the conjecture that some had of a particular accommodation betwixt Holland and France That Ambassador appeared always so zealous for the real interest of his Countrey that if there was any separate Treaty to be expected it could no ways be managed but by his means and if different interests had not always divided the States-General it would not have been long before they had broken off from the Confederates whose hopes daily vanished though they could not resolve to save themselves from the misfortunes of War by a good Peace which appeared to the Dutch to be the most speedy and safe way to remedy the present Evils and prevent those wherewith they were threatned After this short but no inglorious Campagn the French King dispersed his Forces into quarters of refreshment and being at Dunkirk sent the Duke of Crequi to compliment the King of England and to carry him a Letter whereby his Majesty declared That though his willingness to come to peace did not at all promote the conclusion thereof yet he was ready amidst the prosperities wherewith Heaven was pleased to favour him to consent to a general Truce for some years as the surest means of restoring tranquility to Europe provided that the King of Sueden was of the same mind And seeing his Majesty could have no free correspondence with that Prince he prayed the King of England to inform himself of his intentions not doubting but that he was sufficiently persuaded of the sincere desire he had to second the good offices of his Mediation yea and to contribute all that in him lay for the procuring of a General Peace though he might have ground to expect considerable advantages from his Armies In the mean time it was the common discourse that the French King did but make formal demonstrations of desiring a Peace whilst he found himself so successful and so powerful as to make himself Master of all the Low-Countreys that if he did really consent to a Truce he must either think himself too weak to bear up against the efforts that were preparing to be made against him in Germany and Catalonia or that he intended some enterprise into which they could not dive Some gave out that the French King's Letter was but a politick fetch whereby he gave occasion to the King of England to wave the Declaration which his Parliament so urgently solicited and that the condition of the King of Sueden's consent would be always a sure pretext to stave off the proposition of the Truce whenever France though it convenient The same day May 1677. that that Letter was brought to Nimueguen the Dutch Ambassadors having demanded audience of the French came all to the House of the Marshal D' Estrades whither they brought the project of a Treaty of Commerce the Articles of which were extracted out of the last Treaties which they made with France But the people said publickly That that was but to amuse them to no purpose that it was much better to conclude a Treaty of Peace than a Treaty of Commerce The States General in the mean time sent three hundred thousand Crowns to the Prince of Orange to raise recruits for their Forces publishing that the loss they had sustained at Mont Cassel should not hinder them from rigging out a Fleet which they designed for the assistance of Sicily and Denmark The Confederates nevertheless began to take umbrage at the Negotiation of the Dutch the disposition they found the Sieur Beverning in to treat separately gave them the greater cause of fear in that that Minister ceased not to press them and to complain of their slow proceedings And the Duke of Zell finding himself sollicited to send five thousand men to join the Confederate Army as he had done the year before he made some difficulty and demanded of the States-General an hundred thousand Crowns and as much from the Spaniards and insisted upon this That the Emperor would cause the title and rank of Ambassadors to be given to the Ministers which the House of Brunswick should send to Nimueguen These conditions gave ground to suspect that that Prince and some others of Germany had not the same
them so hard that as they said they would hazard all rather than accept of them And when the French Ambassadors carried these conditions to my Lord Ambassador Jenkins to be by him communicated to the Confederates he made answer That he could not do it as Mediator but that he would acquaint them with them in discourse as a matter to which he promised no answer That Mediator refused to treat on these Conditions because in the League that on the 10th of January was concluded betwixt England and Holland the King his Master had made other conditions with the States-General to which they resolved to force France But he did not foresee that by refusing to present the French Kings Conditions to the Confederates which would prove the cause of as many treaties as there were Princes and States engaged in the War he excluded himself in effect from the Mediation The news came about that time that the French had abandoned Messina and all their Conquests in Sicily People were strangely â—â—rprised to see that the Mareshal de la Faâ—â—â—â—ade who was thought to have been sent into that Kingdom with fresh Forces upon design of some new enterprise was only gone thither to fetch off the Forces that the King had there The abandoning of Sicily was imputed to the suspition that the French had of England's declaring where considerable Levies were already making Some wondered that the French King should so easily abandon a Countrey the yeilding up of which might have stood him in stead in the Treaty of Peace with Spain Others on the contrary thought it more glorious for him so to recall the succour which he was pleased to give the Messineses without having had any hand in their revolt than to forsake by a Treaty people that had implored his protection It was not to be doubted but that the present juncture of affairs would oblige the King to provide against all accidents and therefore the Marshal de la Favillade having declared to the Senate his Majesties Orders grounded on the need that he stood in of all his Forces caused his Troops to embark But many of the Messineses dreading the certain revenge of the Spaniards came in so great number on board of the French Fleet that if there had been more ships there Messina had been wholly disserted The Confederates had their eyes fixed solely upon England as the only place from whence they might expect any considerable relief Hence it was that many Ambassadors left Nimueguen Don Pedro de Ronquillo went to Brussels to return no more but it was thought the reason was because he would not be inferior to the Marquess de la Fuentes who came as it were only accidentally to Nimueguen Don Pedro de Ronquillo who passed for one of the sharpest sighted men that was in all that famous Assembly could not forbear to tell a French Gentleman upon occasion of the conditions of Peace which the French King had proposed That he admired the prudence of that great Prince and that the success of his conduct would well appear by the necessity they were like to be brought to either of making peace or of maintaining the War alone The Baron of Platen Envoy of the Prince of Osnabrug went likewise to Brussels Mr. Spanheim on the 27th of April set out for England with the quality of Envoy Extraordinary from the Elector Palatine The Count of Oxenstiern a few days after embarked on the same design Mr. Oliver Krantz soon after did the same Which made some think that the Suedes intended to take other measures fearing lest France in the sequel might not be powerful enough to buoy up Sueden from the low condition into which it was sunk Thus from all parts came bellows to blow the fire that was kindling in England and which already threatned France In the mean time the Parliament that was then sitting was prorogued until the 9th of May and in the Assembly of the States of Holland which were at that time met the Towns were divided as to the continuation of the War The propositions which the French King made to the States-General seemed so reasonable that notwithstanding the powerful faction of the ill affected Amsterdam Leyden Harlem and all North-Holland were absolutely for peace May 1678. The Province of Holland being the most considerable of all the rest always turns the balance of deliberations so that Deputies were sent to London and Brussels to represent the impossibility that the States-General were in of continuing the War And it appears by the three printed Memoirs of the Heer 's Boreel and Weede the Extraordinary Deputies of the States to the Duke of Villa Hermosa Governour of the Spanish Netherlands of the 8.14 and 27. of May that the reasons of that impossibility were no less founded on the power and strength of France than on the weakness of the Dutch and Spaniards and the unprofitableness of all their efforts At that time there began to be some hopes of Peace what aversion soever all the Ambassadors of the Confederates seemed to have to it The time prefixed by the King was near at hand and on the fifth of May the French Ambassadors received orders to declare that his Majesty required that the Messineses who were come for refuge into France should by the Treaty of Peace with Spain be restored to and maintained in the possession of their Estates and that they might dispose of them at their pleasure The Ambassadors were enjoined to insist upon that point as a matter that his Majesty concerned himself much in but that demand being made after that the conditions were proposed it could not create an obstacle sufficient to hinder the conclusion of the Peace Nevertheless it afterward produced a very considerable difficulty seeing it lasted long after the signing of the Treaty and was one of the causes that were alledged of the long delay that Spain made in exchanging the ratifications Though it was no new thing to hear of the success of the French forces nevertheless men were strangely surprized at the news which a Courier brought from Maestricht that on the sixth of May a Detachment of that Garison commanded by the Sieur de la Breteche had surprized the fort of Leew situated in a Marsh with a double Ditch well pallisado'd The barrels of Wax-cloth which were prepared at Maestricht for the Execution of that Enterprize had not the success that was expected but forty swimmers joining valour to stratagem had the greatest share in that fortunate exploit in so much that in an hours time the French were masters of a very strong place and very easie to be maintained The States-General in the mean time began seriously to reflect on the advantage of making Peace upon the conditions which the French King had offered them The Town of Amsterdam which has the same esteem amongst the Towns of Holland that Province has among the other six was of that opinion and backt it vigorously that Town hath always
been more inclined to peace than any other not only because it suffered more by the interruption of commerce but also because it hath been more tender of its liberty having Magistrates disinterested and zealous for the Commonwealth Rotterdam had its advantage by the continuation of the War because there being but little or no Trade at that time in Holland but what came by means of the English all was brought to that Port as to the center of the Province and the most convenient place for them Nevertheless one of the most considerable Magistrates of Rotterdam so powerfully assisted those that were well affected towards the Peace that they gained almost all the voices of Holland The rest of the Provinces have found it always to be so much their interest to follow the example of that Province in matters of greatest importance that they still acknowledg that they owe their last preservation to its prudent conduct The Provinces of Guelderland Vtricht and Overyssel in which the Prince of Orange has acquired a great authority since the French King forsook his Conquests there durst not openly declare for peace because it evidently appeared to be contrary to the interests of that Prince but they referred themselves to what Holland should think fit to be done concerning that great affair The effect of all these Declarations was That the Hier Beverning received orders from the States-General secretly to acquaint the French Ambassadors that they accepted the conditions which that King was pleased to grant to them This Ambassador that he might act according to the intention of his Superiors who would not allarm their Allies gave the Count d' Avaux notice that he earnestly desired to discourse with him in private and that for that end he would fetch a walk alone upon the Rampart of the Town about seven a Clock in the morning because at that time no body would be there The Count d' Avaux failed not to be there and had an hours conference with him after which he gave his Colleagues an account of the result of that discourse which gave occasion to the Dispatches whereby the King was informed of the good disposition of the States General in consideration whereof his Majesty granted them ten days longer than the tenth of May as they had desired that during that time they might endeavour to perswade their Allies to accept of the conditions proposed as themselves had done The Marquess of Fuentes arrived at Nimueguen the sixth of May he is Son to the Ambassador of the same name who was in France after the Kings Marriage he came from Venice where he had resided Ambassador thirteen years and the Court of Spain called him thence that they might employ him in England but it was believed that the nature of those important affairs which were then treating at London was the cause why the Duke of Villa Hermosa detained him at Brussels that he might send him to Nimueguen there to fill the place of second Ambassador The Peace began to be so certain in Holland that the joy of the people appeared in all places who at the Hague expressed the same by shouting God save the States-General and the Prince of Orange the Peace is concluded It was not so at Nimueguen where the Confederates were troubled because they saw the effect which the conditions offered by the French King were like to produce They declared to the Mediators That it was impossible an affair of so great importance as that of the Peace could be resolved and concluded in so short a time as the French King had prefixed On the 20 of May a Courier brought to Nimueguen a copy of the Letter which the French King wrote to the States-General from the Camp at St. Denis The 18th the King acquainted them that with pleasure he was informed that they had sentiments conform to the sincere desire which he had of contributing all that could conduce to the establishing of Peace whilst he enjoyed the advantages that his Arms had procured to him and which he might still expect in the sequel of the War By the same Letter the King granted to the States-General the seventh Article of the Treaty of Commerce about which the Ambassadors had not agreed at Nimueguen and that he might fully remove the apprehensions they were in of the loss of Flanders his Majesty promised That so soon as by a Treaty concluded upon the conditions proposed they should return to his ancient Alliance and oblige themselves to be Neutral during the course of the War he would still in consideration of them grant the same conditions to Spain and that in the mean time he should not attack any place in the Low-countries but that he should always be ready to grant them that Barriere which they judged so necessary for their repose That if they thought fit to send Deputies unto him they should find him in the Neighbourhood of Ghent until the twenty-seventh of that Month. So soon as that Letter came to Nimueguen the Count d' Avaux went with two Coaches and all his Retinue to give the Dutch Ambassadors notice of the same The noise of this Letter and that publick visit which much rejoiced the people gave an alarm to the Ministers of the Confederates Every one of them dispatched Couriers the same day clearly perceiving that the conduct of the French would infallibly produce the effect which his Majesty expected from the States-General This beginning of Negotiation gave so large a subject to the conferences of the Confederates that the meetings which for a long time they had held were at that time doubled That Letter of the French Kings was the same day brought to the States-General by a Trumpeter whom his Majesty sent to the Hague and was there received with all the demonstrations of joy The States after four days consultation on the 25th sent their Answer by one of their Trumpeters whom the Kings Trumpeter conducted to the Camp They expressed in few words the profound respect wherewith they had received the Letter which his Majesty had done them the honour to write to them and testified the exceeding joy which they conceived from the sincere desire that his Majesty had of contributing to the peace of Europe humbly beseeching him to give credit to the Hier Beverning their Extraordinary Ambassador whom they would send to his Majesty to inform him how desirous they were of giving him fresh assurances of their sincere intentions for the Peace The Dutch Ambassadors having on the 26th received a copy of the answer of the States-General gave it to the French Ambassadors who sent it to the King by the same Courier who brought the copy of his Majesties Letter to Nimueguen his Majesty was well satisfied to find therein that the States-General fully corresponded with the inclination that he had for the Peace At the same time the Heer Beverning received orders to go within a few days and wait upon the King that he might be more
not incline them to embrace the conditions offered by the King it being unjust that his Majesty in the condition that his forces were in should lose the occasions of action and should engage himself of new as he had already done by the Letter of the 18th of the foregoing Month. But to evidence the sincerity of his intentions his Majesty at the same time gave orders to the Mareshal of Luxembourg General of his Army not to attack any place during all that time and to stay for the answer of the States in the Neighbourhood of Brussels The good disposition that the King of England seemed to be in at that time contributed much to the advancement of the Peace The Heer Beverning who came to the Camp from London brought word that the King of England approved all the proceedings that the Dutch had made towards the Peace And by the Harangue that his Majesty of Great Britain made to the Parliament the third of June he declared that none were to be blamed but the House of Commons if he could not engage in the War And the Chancellor told the whole Parliament that their manner of acting could not but provoke a powerful Prince who might resent it and for that reason that they ought to strengthen themselves at home and abroad for their own security against all kind of attempts In the mean time the Confederates set all Engines at work to incline the King of England to favour their interests The Marquess of Borgomanero Envoy Extraordinary from Spain at that Court on the fifth of June represented to his Majesty of Great Britain how necessary it was that he should send his Fleet and Army towards the Low-countries for a curb to the common enemy and a Guard to all Christendom against the oppression and ruin wherewith it was threatned by the most Christian King and how advantageous it would be for his Majesty to make a League offensive and defensive with the Catholick King his Master and the Emperour who would prove his constant Allies in all the concerns of the common cause The Ambassadors of the Confederates held long and frequent conferences at Nimueguen but they found it difficult to agree upon the answer that they were to give upon the communication which the Ambassadors of the States-General had made to them of the Memoir that the French King had given to the Heer Beverning and whereupon the Ambassadors urged their resolution that they might take their measures accordingly at length all of them gave their Answers in their Conference of the tenth The Imperial Ambassadors gave it in Latin and very long but the purport of all was that they expected from the candour and equity of the States-General that they would do nothing to the prejudice of the Emperour the Empire and all the Confederates who were only engaged in the present War for the preservation of the Vnited-Provinces which the States themselves knew sufficiently without being put in mind of it That they had to do with an enemy whose design was only to divide the Confederates that he might the more easily surprize them all That if there was an absolute necessity that they must make Peace the Emperour offered to concur with them in it upon fair and honest conditions but that they would not take such precipitate resolutions as were demanded by the enemy That they well perceived the design was only to throw them upon a precipice since they were not so much as allowed to treat of those matters without the decision of which no Peace could ever be had That they intreated them not to be over-hasty That the general Peace was ruined if France perceived that the States-General had a design to treat separately assuring them that when the Emperour should make Peace he would not be less careful of the needs of the Vnited Provinces and Low-countries than he had been zealous in undertaking and maintaining the War for their defence The Ambassador of Denmark made answer on the same subject That he believed that the States-General would never do any thing to the disadvantage of his Danish Majesty who had exposed his person and spent his revenues to comply with the engagements into which he had entered with them That if they were absolutely obliged to accept of Peace they expected that they would not do any thing that might force those whose affairs were in a better posture to accept of absolute conditions That it was not fit that the constancy which the French shewed to their Allies should triumph over the firmness of their Union that they ought to guard against the inconveniencies that the least precipitancy might plunge them into and that provided the King his Master found his security in a Treaty he would sacrifice all his interests to the publick weal. The Ambassador of Brandenbourg assured himself that the States-General would promise nothing to the French King that might be contrary to the League that the Elector his Master had with them since he had neither spared his Blood nor Countries to preserve their Republick from utter ruin and that far less they would conclude a Peace with France till they first procured his Master the satisfaction they had promised him by their Treaty of Alliance That as to the rest his Electoral Highness desired nothing more than a reasonable Peace for procuring whereof he should always make appear his moderation and the respect he had to the urgent reasons which the States-General pretended for concluding of Peace Whilst the Confederates made all these Remonstrances to the Ambassadors of the States-General at Nimueguen it was known that the Spaniards declared at the Hague that they accepted the conditions offered by France and as the Deputies of the States-General in their Memoirs presented to the Duke de Villa Hermosa alledged the weakness of Spain as one of the strongest reasons that disabled them longer to continue the War so upon this occasion the Spaniards failed not to do the like and to impute the necessity they were in of accepting the Peace on the inability of the States-General of supporting any longer the charge and burden of so great a War The Imperialists in the mean time and all the Ministers of the Northern Princes exclaimed against the inclination that the Spaniards and Dutch had to so disadvantageous a Peace they made their own interpretations of the French Kings condescensions saying that France laid snares for them which they could not discover until they were out of condition of avoiding them or that otherwise there must needs be some internal weakness in the forces of France how formidable soever they appeared that standing of it out would do the business and that it was too base to submit to an absolute Law whilst they were not yet out of hopes of gaining those advantages that would render their condition better The Dutch who saw evidently by the Declarations of the Ambassadors of their Confederates that their design was to give no positive answer
that the interest they had to bring things so about that by virtue of the Treaty they should not have power to dispose of their Estates was one of the chief reasons that had so long deferred the Ratification and by consequent had ruined so many private Families in Flanders The Spaniards likewise demanded That in case the Commissioners that should be appointed by the two Kings to make exchange of the Villages which they should find prejudicial to the setling of the limits could not agree amongst themselves as to the value of the exchanges the difference should be referred to the determination of the King of England But the French Ambassadors condescended to none of those unseasonable demands being resolved rather to break off than to innovate the least thing in the Articles that were agreed upon The States-General made even a Declaration to the Count D' Avaux on the 13. that they not only desisted from the inclusion which they pretended to give to the Emperor and Princes of the Empire but that they would likewise abandon the Spaniards if they ratifi'd not the Treaty within fifteen days being unwilling to importune the French King for a longer delay and that they hoped in a short time to incline the Emperor to accept the peace In effect the Imperialists on the 12. gave their counter-project wherein nevertheless they changed their mind as to the option that they had already made of Philipsbourg and added several Articles which were not conform to what was agreed unto with the Mediators They demanded that the French King should indempnifie all those of the Empire who had suffered any damage during the War That the Princes of Furstembourg should by their submissions crave pardon of and make publick satisfaction to the Emperor for having espoused contrary Interests And that the King should not have the Soveraignty over all the Ways that he demanded in Lorrain These propositions quite contrary to the project which the French Ambassadors gave to the Mediators who approved all the Articles therein contained made the sincerity of the desire and conduct of the Imperialists to be doubted of or at least they made their ordinary irresolution appear particularly touching the choice of the Alternative about which having once declared themselves they ought not to be admitted to change again But the truth was they never imagined that the French King liked Fribourg as well as Philipsbourg but that yielding to him the latter they would put his Majesty to a plunge insomuch that the desire that he would have to make them change their choice might produce some advantage for them But they were no less mistaken in that point than in their hopes of getting new Articles inserted into the Treaty for the French Ambassadors would not admit of any nor derogate in the least from the Treaties of Westphalia except in the Alternative of Fribourg for Philipsbourg The Spaniards had now spun out the time until the end of the last delay which the French King had granted to them but found no way longer to defer the exchange of the Ratifications nor any hopes that the French Ambassadors would grant them the least thing of what they remanded since the signing of the Treaty So that on the 15. they delivered their Ratification The exchange was made without any ceremony at the House of the Ambassadors of the States General whither the Secretaries went to fetch them But the French Ambassadors finding that the Ratification of Spain was not altogether in the form that it ought to have been in they declared that they accepted it no otherways than in so far as it should please the King their Master The Imperialists finding the French Ambassadors as inflexible in respect of them as they had been in regard of the Spaniards despaired of obtaining liberty to change the choice which they had already made of the Alternative so that on the 24. they declared that they stood to the Election that they had made of Philipsbourg and that they might not spend the whole Month after which the French Ambassadors had declared to them that the King would not adhere longer to the conditions of the 9th of April they entred into publick conference that they might in good earnest endeavour the conclusion of the peace These Conferences were held in the Town-house where the Ambassadors of the Emperor France and Sueden with the Mediator Jenkins had all separate rooms Tho' the Nuncio employed himself very usefully for promoting the peace yet he appeared not as publick Mediator because Rome and England could not join in one Mediation and that England was admitted by all the other Princes who were concerned in that Negotiation The Ambassadors of Denmark and Brandenbourg endeavoured presently to stop the course of those conferences and represented vigorously to the Imperialists that every step they made were so many breaches in the Treaties of Alliance which his Imperial Majesty had made with the Princes their Masters The Ambassadors of the States-General perceiving that in the few days which remained of the Month it was not possible to conclude a Treaty wherein so many difficulties appeared in the very beginning prayed the French Ambassadors to prolong the delay which that King had granted Their answer was that they had no power to do it but that nevertheless they believed that if the Treaty were in readiness to be signed his Majesty might give a new delay In the first Session of Conferences the four first Articles of the Project of the Imperialists were reduced to one the French refusing to fill the Treaties with needless Articles and such especially as only concerned those matters which France pretended to be sufficiently adjusted by the Treaties of Westphalia whereof they demanded the corroboration and accomplishment And seeing by the treaty the Emperor and all the Princes of the Empire were not only to remain neutral but were also to take from the Enemies of France and Sueden all means whereby they might make any advantage or profit by the Countreys of the Empire whilst the King might make use of them for restoring Sueden his Majesty by his Ambassadors demanded such places as he should stand in need of after the peace of the Empire for a free passage from his frontiers to the Rhine On the fifth of January 167 8 the French Ambassadors declared that the places which their King intended to reserve were Casselet Huys Verviers Aix-la-Chapelle Duren Linninch Nuys and Ordingen that was the straightest and shortest march that the French Forces could have to the Rhine and his Majesty was already possest of all those places which being open and without fortification shewed that the design of the King was only to make use of them that he might oblige to the observation of the Treaties of Westphalia those Princes who contrary to the faith of the same Treaties desired to continue the War after the peace of the Empire that they might retain the possession of the Countreys which they had