a Joy and Concourse of the People which appeared free and unconstrained and all the Bells in the City were rung and Bonfires made in every Street The King continued at Rochester till Dec. 23. and then about 1 or 2 in the Morning he privately withdrew himself and taking only with him Mr. Ra. Sheldon and Mr. Delabady he went towards Dover and embarked in a Vessel laid ready for his Transportation to France The Queen who went hence the 10th arrived at Calais on the 11th and was in great pain not knowing what had happen'd in England for the King whom she expected every Tide But the King before he withdrew the second time wrote and left behind him the following Letter which was afterwards printed by his Order in London His Majesty's Reasons for withdrawing himself from Rochester writ with his own Hand and â—ordered by him to be Published THE World cannot wonder at my withdrawing my Self now this second time I might have expected somewhat better Usage after what I writ to the Prince of Orange by my Lord Feversham and the Instructions I gave him But instead of an Answer such as I might have hoped for what was I to expect after the Usage I received by the making the said Earl a Prisoner against the Practice and Law of Nations The sending his own Guards at 11 at Night to take Possession of the Posts at Whitehall without advertising me in the least manner of it The sending to me at One of the Clock at Mid-night when I was in Bed a kind of Order by three Lords to be gone out of my Palace before Twelve the same Morning After all this How could I hope to be safe so long as I was in the Power of one who had not only done this to me and invaded my Kingdoms without any just Occasion given him for it but that did by his own Declaration lay the greatest Aspersion on me that Malice could invent in that Clause of it which concerns my Son I appeal to all that know me nay even to himself that in their Consciences neither he nor they can believe me in the least capable of so unnatural a Villany nor of so little common Sense to be imposed on in a Thing of such a Nature as that What had I then to expect from one who by all Arts hath taken such pains to make me appear as Black as Hell to my own People as well as to all the World besides What Effect that hath had at home all Mankind hath seen by so general a Defection in my Army as well as in the Nation amongst all sorts of People I was born free and desire to continue so And tho' I have ventured my Life very frankly on several Occasions for the Good and Honour of my Country and am as free to do it again and which I hope I shall yet do as old as I am to redeem it from the Slavery it is like to fall under yet I think it not convenient to expose my self to be so secured as not to be at liberty to effect it and for that Reason to withdraw but so as to be within Call whensoever the Nation 's Eyes shall be opened so as to see how they have been imposed upon by the specious Pretences of Liberty and Property I hope it will please GOD to touch their Hearts out of his infinite Mercy and to make them sensible of the ill Condition they are in and bring them to such a Temper that a Legal Parliament may be called and that amongst other things which may be necessary to be done they will agree to Liberty of Conscience for all Protestant-Dissenters and that those of my own Persuasion may be so far considered and have such a Share of it as they may live peaceably and quietly as English Men and Christians ought to do and not be obliged to transplant themselves which would be very grievous especially to such who love their Country And I appeal to all Men who are considering Men and have had Experience whether any thing can make this Nation so great and flourishing as Liberty of Conscience Some of our Neighbours dread it I could add much more to confirm what I have said but now is not the proper Time Rochester Dec. 22. 1688. The Prince being come to London the Common-Council met and in the Name of the City returned him Thanks and congratulated him upon his great and glorious Expedition Then was there an Association signed at St. James's by near 60 Peers And at the Princes Request the Lords met at Westminster who desired him to take the Publick Administration upon him and agreed a â—onvention should meet on the 22d of January The Prince also put out the following Paper WHereas the Necessity of Affairs does require speedy Advice We do desire all such Persons as have served as Knights Citizens or Burgesses in any of the Parliaments that were held during the Reign of the late King CHARLES the Second to meet Vs at St. James's upon Wednesday the Six and Twentieth of this Instant December by Ten of the Clock in the Morning And We do likewise desire That the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London would be present at the same time and that the Common-Council would appoint Fifty of their Number to be there likewise And hereof We desire them not to fail Given at St. James's the Three and twentieth Day of December 1688. W. H. Prince of Orange By His Highness's especial Command G. HUYGENS. The Commons attended accordingly and concurring fully with the Lords the Prince sent out his Circular Letters for the meeting of the said Convention With which we shall conclude the Affairs of this Memorable Year Only I must observe that it proved fatal to one of the most generous and bravest Princes of Europe the Elector of Brandenburgh who died May 10. in the 69th Year of his Age. year 1689 THis Year cannot be begun with any thing more memorable than with the Meeting of the Convention Parliament which was on Jan. 22d and the manner of their Proceedings Upon which Occasion the Prince of Orange directed to them the following Letter My Lords and Gentlemen I Have endeavoured to the utmost of my Power to perform what was desired from me in order to the Publick Peace and Safety and I do not know that any thing hath been omitted which might tend to the preservation of them since the Administration of Affairs was put into my Hands It now lieth upon you to lay the Foundations of a firm security for your Religion your Laws and your Liberties I do not doubt but that by such a full and free Representative of the Nation as is now met the Ends of my Declaration will be attained And since it hath pleased God hitherto to bless my good Intentions with so great success I trust in him that he will compleat his own Work by sending a Spirit of Peace and Union to influence your Counsels
of his Brother the Duke of Orleans invested St. Omers In the mean time the Dutch having received their Payments due from Spain and finding the French vigorous in the Prosecution of their Designs upon Flanders whilst the Treaty of Peace served only for an Amusement resolved to go on with the War for another Campagne being kept up to this Resolution by the Vigour and Constancy of the Prince of Orange in pressing them to the Observance of their Treaties and pursuit of their Interests in the Defence of the Spanish Netherlands The French had no sooner made a Motion this Season but the Prince prepared to do the same by that of the Dutch Troops and pressed the Spaniards to have theirs in a readiness to join him and with all imaginable Endeavours provided for the Subsistence of his Army in their March through the Spanish Territories which the other took no care of But notwithstanding all the Application that could be used he was not able to come time enough to the Relief either of Valenciennes or Cambray However not to be wanting what in him lay to save the rest he marched with the single Forces of the States and without either Troops or so much as Guides furnished him by the Spaniards directly towards St. Omer bent upon raising the Siege with the Hazard of a Battle tho' labouring under never so many Disadvantages for it which the Duke of Orleans on his part did not decline For having left a few Troops to defend the Trenches he marched with the rest of the Army to meet the Prince and in the way was reinforced by the Duke of Luxemburg with all the Troops the French King could spare out of his Army leaving only enough behind to continue the Siege of the Cittadel of Cambray which was not yet surrender'd Both Armies engaged with a great deal of Bravery at Mount Cassel where after a sharp Dispute the First Regiment of the Dutch Foot began to break and fall into Disorder but the Prince rallied them again several times and renewed the Charge yet he was at last bore down by the plain Hight of his Men whom he was forced himself to resist like Enemies and fall in among them with his Sword in Hand and cutting the first cross over the Face cried aloud Rascal I 'll set a Mark on thee at least that I may hang thee at last But all that ever he could do could not inspire any Courage into his dispirited Countrymen and therefore being forced to yield to the Stream that carried him back to the rest of his Troops which yet stood firm With them and such of the rest as he could gather together he made a Retreat that wanted little of the Honour of a Victory However the natural Consequence of this Battle was the Surrender of St. Omer and the Cittadel of Cambray which happened about the 20th of Apr. and a more eager Desire in the Dutch Provinces after the Conclusion of a Peace seeing they had been left alone by the Spaniards in this Brunt and that they conceived no great Hopes of the Conference that had been held at Wesel between the Elector of Brandenburg the Danish Embassador Pensionary Fagel Admiral Van Trump the Envoys of the Electors of Cologn Treves Palatine of the Princes of Brunswick and Bishop of Munster besides the Duke of Newbourg who was there in Person concerning the Operations of the Campagne on the German side However France observing every Motion both of her Friends and Enemies and more particularly the Temper of the English Parliament who were mightily allarm'd with the Progress of her Arms and had Addressed the King to concert Measures for the Preservation of Flanders had so much regard to the Jealousies raised both in England and Holland of their designing an entire Conquest of the rest of Flanders that the King after having gained those three important Frontier Towns so early in the Spring and dispersed his Army into Quarters of Refreshment went to Dunkirk from whence he sent the Duke of Câ—equi to Compliment Charles II. and to carry him a Letter containing in substance That tho' his willingness to come to a Peace did not at all promote the Conclusion thereof yet he was ready amidst the Prosperities wherewith Heaven was pleased to favour him to agree to a General Truce for some Years as the surest means of restoring Tranquility to Europe in case his Ally the King of Sweden was of the same Mind And seeing he could have no free Correspondence with that King he pray'd his Britannick Majesty to inform himself of his Intentions not doubting but he was sufficiently perswaded 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 a General Peace tho' he might have Ground to expect considerable Advantages from his Armies There were various Constructions made of this Letter and it was generally believed to have been a Politick Fetch of the French King to put the King of England upon waving the Declaration which his Parliament so urgently sollicited and Monsieur Beverning the Dutch Plenipotentiary who was the most forward of any for a Peace yet resented it to that degree that he said openly the French were to be commended who never neglected any thing of Importance nor so much as Amusement That France had given her Blow and would now hinder the Allies to give theirs That the Reserve of Sweden's Consent would be always a sure Pretence of staving off the Propositions of a Truce if the Allies should accept it That this it self could not be done because Flanders would be left so open as to be easily swallowed up by the next Invasion having now no Frontier on either side That the Towns now possess'd by France would in the time of a Truce grow absolutely French and so be the harder to be restored by a Peace or a War That for his part he desired to see the Peace concluded contrary to the Politicks of Monsieur Van Benningham and the other Ministers of the Allies in England affirming always That notwithstanding all their Intelligences and Intrigues there he was well assured That the King of England would not enter into the War to save the last Town in Flanders In pursuance of this Confidence of his he made all the Paces imaginable to compleat the Work and such as were thought by some to be forwarder than his Commission and very ill concerted with those of his Allies So that about the beginning of the Month of July all Points were adjusted between the French and Dutch and Monsieur Beverning began to play the part of something more than a Mediator pressing on his Allies towards a Peace in a somewhat rough manner tho' but with very small effect for there was little more done of any moment towards it the rest of this Summer save the Messages that were carried to and fro about the Business of the Duke of Lorrain
induce him to continue in Possession of Lorrain is willing that Prince Charles be restored to it upon one of these two Alternatives of which he gives him his Choice First That he be restored according to the Articles expressed in the Pyrenaean Treaty without any Change or Alteration in any of them Or Secondly That he be restored generally to his whole Estate except the Town of Nancy which his Majesty will retain with Plenary Right of Sovereignty and excepting such a Way as was agreed upon at the Treaty of 1661 to pass from the Frontiers of France into Alsatia and all such Ways as shall be necessary to pass from France to Nancy and from France to Metz Brisac and Franche Compte upon Condition nevertheless that to make him some Compensation for the Town of Nancy his Majesty shall restore to him that of Toul considerable for its Extent and Situation and much more in respect for its Bishoprick His Majesty demands likewise That Long-Wic and its Provostship be quitted to him but offereth withal to recompense the Prince of Lorrain with another Provostship of equal Value of one of three Bishopricks And whereas Marsal having been quitted to his Majesty by a particular Treaty is not at present any part of Lorrain so it is not to be understood to be comprised in this Restitution These are the Terms which may and ought to make the Platform of a General Peace and upon which his Majesty hath long ago declared himself to the King of Great Britain His Majesty desires they may be imparted to the Assembly at Nimeguen and that his own Plenipotentiaries propose them to the Consideration of the rest as containing the lowest Conditions he can admit and upon which his Enemies may make Choice either of War or Peace Given at St. Germains the 9th of Apr. 1678. The Imperialists of all others seemed the least inclinable to yield to the foregoing Conditions and the Strain of requiring full Satisfaction to Sweden was insupportable to the Northern Princes yea the Spaniards and other Confederates looked upon them so hard that they said They would hazard all rather than accept of them Tho' after all those Articles that concerned Holland and Spain having been before privately agreed upon with some Leaders of the principal Towns they proved the Plan of the Peace both for Holland and all the other Confederates engaged in the War Yet when the French Embassadors carried these Conditions to Sir Lionel Jenkins then sole Mediator in order to be communicated by him to the Confederates he made Answer He could not do it as a Mediator but that he would atquaint the Parties with them in Discourse as a matter to which he promised no Answer and this he did because of the other Terms that had been agreed on between England and Holland for forcing of France to a Compliance on the 10th of Jan. foregoing which tho' they proved to be of little use in the Course of this Peace yet they had one good Effect upon the Affairs of Spain and this was That notwithstanding all the French Intriguing in England and Holland the Fears they had that the King at length might be in earnest and punctually perform the Conditions of this League and well knowing that if it came to that they should have occasion for all the Force they could make and perhaps find all little enough they abandoned Messina and all their Conquests in Sicily and that at a time when every body thought the Mareschal de Fevillade had been sent into that Kingdom with fresh Forces upon the Design of some new Enterprize Whereas indeed he went thither to fetch off the French Troops that were there which he did after he had first declared to the Senate the King's Orders and the present Necessity of them and with whom a vast Number of the Messines who dreaded the certain Revenge of the Spaniards took also the Opportunity to retire But that the French might stave off the Blow from England if possible they at length bethought themselves of a Srratagem that had more charming Obligations in it than any other made with the Prince of Orange when in England or with the States-General afterwards and that was an Offer of Money For you must know Mr. Montague the King's Embassador at Paris after a long Conference with M. Louvois by his Master's Orders wherein the Latter represented to him the Measures that had been already concerted for a Peace upon the French Terms in Holland and that since they were agreed there it was hoped his Britannick Majesty would not be against it but that however he had Orders to make him a Tender of a great Sum of Money for his Consent tho' a thing already accepted by the Dutch and wherein his Majesty consequently was not concerned was desired to give the then Lord Treasurer of England an Account hereof by a Packet which Offer tho' very relishing at any time with the Humour of our Court yet the violent Dispositions of the Dutch to run into the Peace at this time whatever came of it and such a fatal and mutual Distrust as there was both in Court and Parliament that it was very difficult to fall into any sound Measures between them made the King look upon it as a very profitable Proposal saying That since the Dutch would have a Peace upon the French Terms and that France offered him Money for his Approbation of that he could not help he knew no Reason why he might not get the Money and so required Sir William Temple to treat with the French Embassador about it But that Gentleman had more Honour and Honesty than to engage in so dishonourable a Thing and did thereupon retire from Court You have heard before that the 10th of May was the time limited by the French Project of Peace for the Allies to accept of the Terms or no and to which they appeared positively engaged but there being a Necessity of somewhat a greater Confidence between the Dutch and French upon this Occasion least such a Sâ—iffneâ—s might produce that Alteration in the Pace of Affairs at the Expiration of the Term that might prove a Disadvantage to one or the other side the Heer Beverning sent secretly to acquaint the French Embassadors That the States did accept of the King's Offer However that he might not by such a Pace allarm the Allies he gave the Count d' Avaux also notice That he was very desirous to discourse with him in private and for that end would fetch a Walk alone upon the Ramparts of the Town about 7 in the Morning where they met accordingly and between whom all Matters were in a manner fully concluded The Consequence thereof was the granting of Ten Days longer for the Dutch to endeavour to perswade their Allies to accept of the Conditions proposed as themselves had done In this time the Estates received a Letter from the French King from his Camp at Deinse wherein he made some further Concessions
and invited them to send Deputies to him at Ghent But because the Reader will be better pleased to peruse the Letter it self I shall here insert it DEINSE the 18th of May 1678. Most dear great Friends Allies and Confederates OVT of the sincere Affection which we have always born to the the promoting the Peace of Europe we are very much satisfied to understand by our Plenipotentiaries at Nimeguen the Account given unto them in your Name by one of your Ambassadors concerning your Thoughts upon the Conclusion of so great a Work which you had imparted to them by one of your Embassadors We are glad to understand that the Terms which we proposed at that Assembly appear to you to be reasonable and that you are fully perswaded of the Sincerity of our Mind in a matter of so great Importance And it is with the greater Satisfaction to our selves that we confirm the same unto you by this Letter that notwithstanding those Advantages which we have already acquir'd by our Arms and may justly hope for by the Prosecution of the War yet we place our chiefest Glory in making all the Steps we can towards a Peace But because it appears by the Discourses that have been made to our Plenipotentiaries by your Order that how desirous soever you are to conclude the Peace yet there remains some Scruple with you concerning the 7th Article of the Treaty of Commerce which has been debated at Nimeguen between our Embassadors and yours and Trouble of Mind lest we should make an entire Conquest of the Low-Countries in case Spain should reject the Terms we have offered we are willing to impart our Thoughts unto you upon these two Points We cannot do it more favourably as to the 1st of them than by granting that the 7th Article should be as your selves desire it and in taking such Measures with you upon the 24 Point as may ease you of the Fear you express for the Loss of Flanders And this we will then do when Spain having refused to consent to the Peace there shall be a Treaty concluded between us and you upon such Terms as have been already propos'd with relation to your selves and that you shall have returned to our Alliance and shall oblige your selves to continue Neuters during the War We shall be always reddy for your sake to grant to Spain the same Terms with relation to Flanders which they are at liberty now to accept And we are further willing to assure you that in all that time we will not Attack any one Place in all those Provinces Thus ye shall always find us reddily inclined not only to form that Barrier which you think so necessary for your own Safety but to secure it and to let you enjoy together with the Re-establishment of Commerce whatever other Advantages you can expect from our Friendship And if for the Prosecuting this Negotiation you shall think it necessary to send Deputies to us they will find us near Ghent till the 27th of this Month and in the same Dispositions we have declared to you in this Letter In the mean time we pray God to take you most great dear Friends Allies and Confederates into his Holy Protection Your good Friend Ally and Confederate LOVIS Underneath was Signed Arnauld The States after 4 Days Consultation did on the 25th of the same Month send a Letter in Answer to the King 's by a Trumpeter of their own to his Camp and after having complimented him upon the Honour he had done them by writing to them and rejoiced at the sincere Desire they conceived to be in his Majesty for the Peace of Europe They pray'd he would be pleased to give Credit to the Heer Van Beverning their Extraordinary Embassador whom they would send to him to inform him how desirous they were on their part to give him fresh Assurances of their sincere Intentions also for Peace Beverning attended upon the French King accordingly and concerted Measures so well that he obtained a Cessation of Arms for 6 Weeks in Flanders to the end the Dutch might endeavour to get the Spaniards to enter into the Peace upon the Terms they proposed for them which Truce extended it self to the 15th of Aug. following and upon his return he told his Masters whether really or designedly is a Question That he found the French King as well informed of the Condition of his Enemies and of the Places he might attack as he was of his own Affairs England in the mean time was grown pretty indifferent in the Matter of the Peace and Spain seemed well inclined to accept her part of it But the Emperor King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenburg fell into the highest Declarations and Reproaches against the States that could well be invented ripping up all they had ventured and suffered in a War wherein they had engaged for the sole Preservation of Holland But that now they were abandoned by them under a Pretence of concluding a Peace and that upon imperious and arbitrary Terms for them without then Consent That they were not backward to treat with France and make a Peace upon any safe and equitable Conditions but would never endure to have them imposed as from an absolute Conqueror and would rather venture and expose all than accept them especially those for the Duke of Lorrdin whose Case was the worst treated tho' seemingly the most favoured by the Confederates and the least contested by France Yet for all these Storms from their Allies the States were little moved but held on their Course having little Regard to the Satisfaction of any other than Spain in what concerned the Safety of Flanders and the Necessities of that Crown made them easie tho' as little pleased as the rest Wherefore on June 22. they sent their Embassadors Orders to Sign the Peace with France before the End of the Month And the very same Day wrote to the French King by the Sieur Lanoy one of their Officers who passed thro' the Camp and delivered a Letter from them to the Mareschal de Luxemburg whereby they acquainted him That they had given the foresaid Orders to their Embassadors at Nimeguen about Signing the Peace and at the same time communicated to him the Sence of the Letter they wrote to his Majesty But notwithstanding all this Tendency both in Spain and Holland to give the finishing Stroke yet an unforeseen Accident fell out which had like to have overturned the whole Fabrick and renew the War with greater Vigour and more equal Forces by engaging England in a Share of it in Favour of the Confederates which they had been long practising without any Success and were quite out of Hopes thereof For in the Conditions which the Dutch had made for the French restoring the 6 Towns in Flanders to the Spaniard there was no particular Mention made of the Time of that Restitution the Dutch understanding as well as the Spaniards that it was to be upon
Princes that France shall give up to them all that she has taken from them at present and that the rest remain as it was before the War That Lorrain be restored to the Duke of that Name in the State it is in now or if that cannot be done in the State it was when seized by France his Majesty and the States mutually and really obliging themselves to the Observation of this Point I. His said Majesty and the Lords the States-General promise to do their utmost and if it may be to use all sorts of Means to constrain the most Christian King to give Satisfaction in these Terms without being at Liberty to make a Peace with him if he do not give his Consent to them or to some others as shall be agreed on between his Majesty and the States according to the Success of the War II. His Majesty and the States-General do engage themselves further for the obliging France to consent to these Conditions or to such as the Princes concerned shall find convenient and in short for bringing of that Crown to comply with it that his Majesty shall furnish One Third more by Sea and a Third less by Land in the Low-Countries than the Lords the States all by a Provisionary Way till it be otherwise provided by the Allies III. It is also stipulated That if his Majesty of Great Britain and the most Christian King make War upon one another one of the Confederates cannot separate from the other by any particular Treaty without that other's Consent IV. But if the Negotiation of the Peace which is held at Nimeguen comes to be broke up and that the Parties should agree upon any other Place to treat of it or of a Truce that cannot be done without the Consent or Agreement of the other Allies and without at the same time one of the Parties in the Confederacy procure also to the other the necessary Pasports to pass freely and without Danger to the Place appointed for the Treaty where he ought also to communicate to him all that passeth in that Negotiation And in the mean time they shall not have Power to consent to any Peace or Truâ—e but according to the Conditions stipulated by the 1st Article or such other as they shall agree upon and without his Aâ—y be re-established in the full and entire Possession of all the Lands Towns Places and Immunities which he enjoyed at the Signing of this Treaty in Europe if it be not otherwise agreed on between his Majesty and the States V. But if the Peace in Hand terminate happily between the most Christian King on the one Hand and his Catholick Majesty and the States General on the other whether by the Propositions which France hath made her self or by such other as they can agree to his Britannick Majesty and the States will not only be Guarrantee in the best and surest Form that may be but also its free for other Kings and neighbouring Princes who shall have any Interest in the Repose of Christendom and the immutable Tranquility of the Low-Countries to be so 'T is with this View that his said Majesty and the States would agree upon the Troops and Means that are necessary to bring the Party who shall violate the Peace to make Satisfaction for the Damages he shall do another any manner of way VI. These Articles and the full Contents of them are to be Signed and Ratified within 3 Weeks or sooner if it may be and the Ratifications exchanged at the same time Given at the Hague the 26 th of July 1678. Signed W. Van Henkelom de Van Wiugaerden Fagel D. Van Heyden Van Leewen J. de Maregnault Jean Baron de Reed A. ter Borght Temple After the Treaty had been thus concluded and signified to France all the Artifice that could be was used on that side to elude it by drawing the matter into a Treaty or at least a greater length which had succeeded so well in England that they offered to treat upon it at St. Quintin then at Ghent where the French King himself proposed to meet such Embassadors as the Dutch should send into either of them Towns But the States were stanch not to recede from their late Treaty and continued in that Mood till about 5 Days before the Expiration of the time then came one De Cross from England with a Packet for Sir William Temple commanding him to go forth with to Nimeguen and there to endeavour from the King to perswade the Swedish Embassadors to let the French know That for the Repose of Christendom they did not any longer desire the French King to insist upon the Detention of the Towns and consequently hinder the Peace upon the sole Regard and Interest of the Crown of Sweden and to assure them that after the Conclusion of the Peace the King would employ all his Endeavours that the Towns and Countries which their Master had lost in the War should be restored unto them How this Dispatch of Du Cross was gained was never known but 't is sufficient to believe that France had the greatest Hand in it since 't was transacted all one Morning in Portsmouth's Apartment by the intervention and pursuit of Barillon the French Embassador Yet for all this when Sir William Temple arrived at Nimeguen which was but 3 Days before the Expiration of the Term fix'd by the late Treaty between our King and the States either for the French to evacuate the Towns or for carrying on the War conjointly against France there was but little Disposition that the Peace would be Signed but rather the quite contrary appeared by the Stiffness shewed on both sides to adhere firmly to their respective Demands And the Dutch Embassadors remained peremptory That there could be no Deputation for the securing of the future Satisfaction of Sweden as the French demanded before the Term expired and no other Remedy upon that but that the War must go on With this View and Expectation all the Parties seemed to be when the fatal Day came wherein either a suddain Peace or a long and bloody War was to be reckoned on in Christendom on the Morning whereof Monsieur Boreel who had been sent from Amsterdam to the Dutch Embassadors at Nimeguen went to the French Embassadors and after some Conference with them they immediately went to those of Holland and declared they had received Orders from their Master to consent to the Evacuation of the Towns and thereupon to Sign the Peace but that it must be done that Morning At this the Dutch seemed to be surprized but immediately entred into a Conference with them thereupon which lasted for 5 Hours and ended in an Agreement upon all Points both of Peace and Commerce between France and Holland It was certainly thought the French Embassadors had received no Power to Sign the Peace and 't was said Sir William Temple himself did advise those of Holland to press them to it out of a real Belief as well as the
Hopes he had they could not indeed do it But the Length of the Conference did so alarm the Confederates that they were in a Commotion before it was ended and yet-more sensibly touched when they came to know the Peace was concluded on and that it was to be Signed that very Day And what gave them a greater Uneasiness was That they â—ound England now acting in their Favours in the same manner as they had long desired However not to be wanting to themselves thâ— Embassadors of Denmark Brandenburg and Munster that very Day gave in a Protestation to those of the States wherein they represented That finding them the Embassadors of the States-General inclined that Day to Sign a Separate Treaty of Peace with the French King by the Confession now even of one of themselves tho' they had given them no Intimations whereof as they should have done according to their Treaties they were obliged to lay before them how disagreeable this manner of Procedure was to the Solemn Alliances the Staâ—es had contracted with their Masters wherein they had engaged never to enter into a Separate Treaty with their Common Enemy who was ready to destroy their Republick and from whose Hand they could never have escaped had it not been for their Assistances and the Diversion they had given his Arms in several parts of Europe in their Favour They conjured them by all that was solemn and engaging not to precipitate the Treaty but to give them leasure to acquaint their Principals with it which could be no Prejudice to either Party That they could not but promise themselves so much at their Hands especially since there was no apparent Necessity to oblige their High and Mightinesses to Resolutions so contrary to all that had been concerted before after they had exhorted their Allies afresh to the Observation and Execution of their Treaties and after that their Masters had taken vigorous Resolutions thereupon and agreeable to the Desires of the States in sending vast numbers of Troops into the Spanish Netherlands for the Relief of Mons which by the Arms of France was reduced to Extremity and for seconding and putting in Execution other Designs which Spain and the States should resolve upon under the Conduct of his Highness the Prince of Orange for the common Security of the Low-Countries in particular To say nothing of the great Bodies that were on their March towards the Meuse to be employed to the same purpose from whence with the Assistance of God there was room to hope for a good Success in so just a Cause But that in case the Lords the States found themselves under an indispensible Necessity which yet did not appear to them of proceeding with so much Precipitation to a particular Peace with France they did declare hereby That their Masters were ready at the same time to enter upon the said Treaty and in Conjunction with the States to conclude the same with the French King upon just and equitable Conditions which in a short time might be agreed and whereunto they on their part would shew all the Facility imaginable That they could not but promise to themselves the Compliance of the States in this particular and that they could not think they had entertained the least Design of abandoning their good and faithful Friends Neighbours and Allies who had hazarded all that was dear unto them to deliver them from the impending Storm wherewith they had been threatned and for their re-establishment in their ancient Splendor and Liberty at leastwise they hoped for so much from their Justice and Sincerity that they would conclude upon nothing without comprehending the Interest of their Allies which was in a manner their own in it and not concur in the Oppression and Ruine of those who had faithfully assisted them against so powerful an Enemy who with one Hand made all the Semblance imaginable of the sincere Desire he had to give Repose to Christendom but with the other refused to accept the Means that were proper to effect it They added further That such an hasty and precipitate Conduct in them was unworthy of a State that had always governed it self with Reason and Justice and that such an extraordinary Step would be an everlasting Blot upon the Honour and Reputation of the States-General But that if notwithstanding all they were resolved to proceed and enter into a Neutrality so contrary to their Solemn Engagements they protested against that Separate Treaty in the best Form they could and not only so but also against all the Calamities that Christendom in general and the Princes their Masters in particular might suffer by that Separation But notwithstanding the Reasonableness and Solemnity of this Protestation and the Irresolution of Monsieur Van Haren one of the Dutch Plenipotentiaries who did not seem to be so clear in the Point of their Orders yet Directions were presently given to have all-fair writ over with the greatest haste imaginable so as the Treaty might be Signed that Night which was done accordingly between 11 and 12 without the Intervention of the English Mediators who refused to Sign the same or to have their Names made use of as such saying Their Instructions were to mediate a General Peace and therefore by their Orders could not Sign a Particular One. The Treaty follows NIMEGUEN Aug. 10. 1678. LEwis by the Grace of God King of France and Navar to all that shall see these Presents Greeting Since our most dear and well-beloved Cousin the Sieur Comte d'Estrades Mareschal of France and Knight of our Order our faithful and well-beloved the Sieur Colbert Marquis of Croissi Counsellor in Ordinary in our Council of State and our faithful and well-beloved the Sieur De Mesmes Comte d'Avaux Counsellor also in our Councils our Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries by vertue of the Plenary Powers which We had given them have Concluded Agreed and Signed the 10th of this Month at Nimeguen with the Heer Hierosm Van Beverning Baron of Teylingen Curator of the University of Leyden late Counsellor and Treasurer General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries the Heer Willem Van Nassaw Heer Van Odyke Cortgene and first Noble and Representative of the Nobility in the States and Council of Zealand and the Heer Willem Van Haren Griedtman Van Bildt Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries of our most Dear and Great Friends the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries instructed likewise with full Power the Treaty of Peace according to the Tenour ensuing In the Name of God the Creator To all present and to come be it known that as during the Course of the War that has been stirr'd for some Years betwixt the most High most Excellent and most mighty Prince Lewis XIV by the Grace of God most Christian King of France and Navar and the Lords the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces his Majesty always maintain'd a sincere Desire to give back to the said States his principal Friendship and they
embarking his Forces on several Ships and being himself present at their landing he managed his Matters with such a prudent and happy Conduct that in less than a Days space he rendered himself Master of the whole Island and without losing time went and laid Siege to Stralsond which after 2 Days Battery he got surrendred up to him But the French Forces having marched into the County of Juliers and possest themselves of Aix la Chapelle undoubtedly lessened the Conforts of the Elector's Success in the North where we leave him at present and observe that the great Preparations the French made to attack the Empire under Pretence of forcing them to conform to the Terms of the Peace did so alarm the Princes of the Rhine that the Electors of Mentz and Triers with the Duke of Neuburg sent away in great haste to the States to desire they might be included by them in the Peace they had made by Virtue of an Article therein which gave them Liberty within 6 Weeks to declare and include such as they should name for their Allies But this was opposed by France and refused to any particular Prince of the Empire and allowed only to the Emperor and the Empire if they should joyntly desire to be declared and included in the Peace tho' the Dutch assured them that the Emperor himself would e're long accept of the Peace and insisted upon it as a Matter that was just and conformable to the Article of their Treaty About the same time the Duke of Lorraiâ— seeing all Things go to wreck and that every one minded his own particular interest accepted his part of the Peace as France had carved it out for him and chose that Alternative offered by that Crown whereby Nancy was to remain to France tho' this afterwards came to nothing The Treaty between the Emperor and France was still in agitation tho' it went but slowly on the main Difference being about the free Passage of the French Troops through the Empire whenever they sound it necessary for the Execution of the Treaties of Westphalia But for the Spaniards who would still act in Concert with the Emperor and therefore let not only he Term expire for the Ratification of their late Treaty with France and even the Prolongation of it agreed to by that Crown they were at length moved out of their slow pace by the Outcries and Calamities of their Subjects in Flanders which suffered such cruel Ravages from the French Troops in this time that it was a question whether the Spanish Netherlands were not more ruined between the Signing of the Peace and the Exchange of the Ratifications than they had been in so much time during the whole Course of the War and the Ratifications came from Spain about the beginning of Dec. but were not exchanged till the 15th the last Term given by France There were divers other Difficulties started between the Empire and France in the Course of this Negotiation which spun out the greatest part of the Winter one the Affairs of the House of Funstemburg the Emperor insisting those Princes should by their Submissions crave Pardon of him and make him publick Satisfaction for having espoused contrary Interests and another France would have the Result of the Diet of Ratishone mentioned in the Treaty by which it might appear that the Embassadors of the Empire were sufficiently Authorized to stipulate in the Name of the Empire but at last when all Things seemed to have been agreed on the Embassadors on both sides fell into such Heats and Contests about the Right of the Dutchy of Bouillon the only Point now in Controversie that the Conference ended in a total Rupture and with so much Animosity on both sides that those who formerly desired the Peace had cause to fear the Treaty would hardly be set on foot again This made the Embassadors of Denmark and Brandenburg nick the Opportunity that Evening which was Feb. â—st about Eleven a Clock to make a long and smart Remonstrance to the Imperial Embassadors without taking any notice of the Rupture That their Proceedings with the common Enemy so much the more alarmed them as that in the Place where they were shut up they could not come as much as to the Speech of them that they might represent to them how sensibly they were affected to see they made such Mysteries of that which the Enemy scrupled not to make publick That they intreated them to consider the Faith of their Leagues the Decrees of the Empire and the Injuries they would do to the Princes their Masters if they restored Sweden to the Benefit of the Treaties of Westphalia contrary to the solemn Conclusions that declared they had forfeited the same â—hat above all they desired them to give away nothing that belonged to them and not to suffer under the Name of a Peace that the War might be carried into those Parts of the Empire unto which the Enemies Forces were never yet able to advance Adding withal that if the Imperialists abandoned them to the Discretion of their Enemies they must not take it in ill part if they made use of their own Misfortunes for obtaining some Reparation from those who would sacrifice them and their Interest in that manner and in fine adjuring them by the Majesty of the Sacred Roman Empire that they would conclude nothing contrary to the Rights of their Masters seeing they were ready on their Part to make Peace conjointly with them upon equitable Conditions or otherwise to take all necessary Measures for a vigorous Resistance But notwithstanding all this Remonstrance and the Seasonableness of the Conjuncture the Zeal and Conduct of Sir Lionel Jenkins the English Mediator brought Matters so to bear that the next Day which was the 2d of the Month the Conferences were renewed again And the Pope's Nuncio who all along had been covertly very active to accommodate the Differences of the Catholick Princes and particularly in the present Negotiation fearing least this single Difficulty might obstruct the Fruit of so long and tedious a Work bestirred himself so much and brought Matters to that pass that the Sieurs Charun and Vomderveck Envoys from the Prince and Chapter of Liege declared That since nothing but the Pretension which their Master had to the Dutchy of Bouillon obstructed the Peace they consented that upon the Account of that particular Interest the Welfare and Repose of the Empire should be no longer retarded So that now all Things were adjusted and in the same Conference which lasted till Midnight the Embassadors agreed to Sign the Peace which was done on the 5th without the English Mediators whom the Imperial Embassadors would by no means allow to Sign first and therefore they declined doing it at all unless as Mediators in which Case they ought to have the Precedency And tho' a French Gentleman is pleased to droll upon Sir William Temple hereupon saying He said true when he protested a long time before that
Sweden two Days after The Danish Embassador was so enraged at this Peace that he scrupled not the Day after to express his Discontent publickly at the House of the Mareschal de Estrades saying and several times repeating the same That if the French King pleased he had sufficient Authority to conclude a League with him and to get it ratified by his Danish Majesty who would oblige himself to make War against the Emperor in what Manner and for as long a Time as his most Christian Majesty should desire him But this Heat blowing over and finding there was no reliance upon the Disputes that happened and Doubts that did arise between the Imperial and French Embassadors between the Signing and Ratifying the Treaty so as to hinder the Effect of the latter they began to think of another Way Wherefore M. de Meyeâ—kron the Danish Envoy at the Hague had upon a View and Foresight how Things were like to go some Time since made some distant Overtures to the French Minister there for an Accomodation but now he seemed to quicken his Pace and to appear very willing to have managed a Negotiation with the Count d' Avaux yet the Offers were still so general that they gave but little Ground for a positive Answer at leastwise the French Embassador would have it so And therefore he made Answer in the same Manner as the other French Embassadors had done at Nimeguen that in order to a more favourable Hearing the King of Denmark must begin by releasing the Swedish Soldiers who since the Time they were Shipwrack'd upon the Isle of Barnholm were not only detained Prisoners contrary to the Priviledges of the Passports which they had but likewise exposed to Violence which they daily suffered on Design to make them engage in the Danish Service or at leastwise forsake that of Sweden That the King of Denmark should by so doing purge himself of that Shipwrack which the French King was nevertheless inclined to attribute rather to Chance and the mistake of the Pilots than any premeditated Design but that in the mean time the Inhumane Manner of detaining and using those Forces could not but be thought very strange The Duke of Brandenburg also on his part being willing to neglect nothing that might procure him the desired Satisfaction had sometime since got leave for Mr Meinders his Envoy to go into France to 〈◊〉 what could be done on that side to bring things to an amicable Composure and somewhat in his Favour But finding Matters did not answer his Expectation he now endeavours to imbroil the Affairs of the Empire in the Treaty with France and Sweden by Virtue only of the Conclusion of the Diet at Ratisbon 13th May 1677 The Embassador of Brandenburg produced a Copy of it at Nimeguen with a new Protestation alledging That that Conclusion of the Empire was not conform to the Sense that was put upon it in the 36th Article of the Emperor's Treaty with France and in the 12th of that of the Emperor 's with Sweden and that the Imperial Embassadors were so far from having by that means any sufficient Authority to Treat in the Name of the whole Empire that on the contrary the Emperor himself was thereby required to conclude nothing at Nimeguen without first submitting the same to the Deliberation of the Diet and that the Embassadors of his Imperial Majesty by adding in these Articles That all or any Protestations that might be made in the Empire against that Peace were to be void and of none effect had in so doing committed the greatest Violation and manifestly contravented the Golden Bull the Imperial Capitulations Constitutions of the Empire and the very Treaties of Westphalia on which they now pretended to settle the Peace of the Empire But this did no good neither yet the Disappointment thereof was nothing near so surprizing to the Elector as the French King by his Embassadors declaring on the 24th of Feb. to Sir Lionel Jenkins the English Mediator That if within the Month of March the King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenburg did not give full Satisfaction to Sweden his Majesty should be free then to demand new Conditions which would be That Leipstadt should be restored to the Elector of Cologne and that both those Princes should pay to his Majesty all the Charges of the War and that at a time too when his Arms had been very successful as having just then forced the Swedish Troops to quit Prusia and with Precipitation to retreat into Livonia much harrassed with Sicknesses and long Marches as well as Losses in several Skirmishes with Parties of the Elector's Forces which made the demanded Restitutions for Sweden still the harder to go down with the Elector and his Ally the King of Denmark And partly from these Considerations most of the Powers at Nimeguen and even the Mediators themselves openly declared That the entire Restitution of all that the Swedes had lost during the War would be an insuperable Obstacle to the Peace To this it was further added That it was not to be expected that Sweden would make too much haste to put an end to the War since the 800000 Crowns Subsidy which that King had allowed him by France were better to him than the Revenues of Pomerania and all that he possess'd in Germany and that if the French King did not by his Interest and Authority make the Peace of Sweden that Crown would never make the least Advance towards it especially so long as it was so well supported by the Men and Money of France Insomuch that the Mediator and the Embassadors of all the other Princes who had made Peace perceiving that the Month of March which the French King had set as the longest Delay to the Elector of Brandenburg was drilled on in Debates and Disputes in Writing without any serious Application to the promoting of the Peace They could think of no better Expedient for the present than to procure a Cessation of Arms during all the following Month not doubting but in that time all the Difficulties which obstructed the Conclusion of the General Peace might be removed This Motion was agreed to by the French provided the Embassadors of Denmark and Brandenburg accepted of it without Delay To which they said It was neither the Fault of them nor their Allies that that Truce was not granted at the Time that they Signed the Peace with the Emperor according to the Offers that were then made them But another Circumstance added by the French Embassadors to their Declaration viz. Of the Instances which they said were made to them by the Bishop of Gurk one of the Imperial Embassadors in the Name of the Embassadors of Denmark and Brandenburg for a Suspension of Arms made these two latter think themselves so sensibly touched in their Honour that they took a great deal of Pains to make the contrary appear affirming They had never either desired or rejected the Cessation of Arms but nevertheless that they
Occasion and that most truly to in their own Justification That they had bore alone the Burthen of the War by keeping of great Fleets and numerous Land-Forces which they had set out at their own Charge for the common Good and notwithstanding so many States and Princes of the Empire they had paid almost alone the Expences of the War all along the Rhine And that Trade not having its ordinary Course all this bore very hard upon them To this may be added the advantageous Conditions of Peace granted them and first to begin with that of the English for whom and himself no Man surely in his Wits will deny but King William made as honourable Terms as could in Reason under the Circumstances of things be expected But a better View hereof will be had by the Articles themselves which follow I. That there be an Universal Perpetual Peace and a Truce and Sincere Friendship between the Most Serene and Mighty Prince William the Third King of Great Britain and the most Serene and Mighty Prince Lewis the Fourteenth the most Christian King their Heirs and Successors and between the Kingdoms States and Subjects of Both and that the same be so Sincerely and Inviolably observed and kept that the one shall promote the Interest Honour and Advantage of the other and that on both sides a faithful Neighbourhood and true Observation of Peace and Friendship may daily Flourish and Encrease II. That all Enmities Hostilities Discords and Wars between the said King of Great Britain and the most Christian King and their Subjects cease and be abolished so that on both sides they forbear and abstain hereafter from all Plundring Depredation Harm-doing Injuries and Infestation whatsoever as well by Land as by Sea and on fresh Waters every where and especially throughout all the Kingdoms Territories Dominions and Places belonging to each other of what Condition soever they be III. That all Offences Injuries Damages which the said King of Great Britain and his Subjects or the said most Christian King and â—his Subjects have suffered from each other during this War shall be forgotten so that neither on Account of them or for any other Cause or Pretence neither Party or the Subjects of either shall hereafter do cause or suffer to be done any Hostility Enmity Molestation or Hindrance to the other by himself or others Secretly or Openly Directly or Indirectly by Colour of Right or Way of Fact IV. And since the most Christian King was never more desirous of any thing than that the Peace be firm and inviolable the said King Promises and Agrees for himself and his Successors That he will on no account whatsoever disturb the said King of Great Britain in the free Possession of the Kingdoms Countries Lands or Dominions which he now Enjoys and therefore Engages his Honour upon the Faith and Word of a King that he will not give or afford any Assistance directly or indirectly to any Enemy or Enemies of the said King of Great Britain And that he will in no manner whatsoever favour the Conspiraces or Plots which any Rebels or ill disposed Persons may in any place Excite or Contrive against the said King And for that end Promises and Engages That he will not assist with Arms Ships Ammunition Provisions or Money or in any other way by Sea or by Land any Person or Persons who shall hereafter under any pretence whatsoever Disturb or Molest the said King of Great Britain in the free and full Possession of his Kingdoms Countries Lands and Dominions The King of Great Britain likewise Promises and Engages for himself and Successors Kings of Great Britain That he will inviolably do and perform the same towards the said most Christian King his Kingdoms Countries Lands and Dominions V. That there be a free use of Navigation and Commerce between the Subjects of both the said Kings as was formerly in the time of Peace and before the Declaration of the late War so that every of them may freely come into the Kingdoms Marts Ports and Rivers of either of the said Kings with their Merchandizes and may there continue and Trade without any Molestation and shall use and enjoy all Liberties Immunities and Priviledges granted by solemn Treaties and ancient Custom VI. That the ordinary Administration of Justice shall be restored and sâ—t open throughout the Kingdoms and Dominions of both Kings so that it shall be free for all the Subjects of either to claim and obtain their Rights Pretensions and Actions according to the Laws Constitutions and Statutes of each Kingdom VII The most Christian King shall Restore to the said King of Great Britain all Countries Islands Forts and Colonies wheresoever Situated which the English did possess before the Declaration of this present War And in like manner the King of Great Britain shall restore to the most Christian King all Countries Islands Forts and Colonies wheresoever Situated which the French did Possess before the said Declaration of War And this Restitution shall be made on both Sides within the Space of Six Months or sooner if it can be done And to that end immediately after the Ratification of this Treaty each of the said Kings shall Deliver or cause to be Delivered to the other or to Commissioners Authorized in his Name for that Purpose all Acts of Concession Instruments and necessary Orders duly made and in proper Form so that they may have their Effect VIII Commissioners shall be appointed on both sides to Examine and Determine the Rights and Pretensions which either of the said Kings hath to the places Situated in Hudsons-Bay But the Possession of those Places which were taken by the French during the Peace that preceded this present War and were retaken by the English during this War shall be left to the French by virtue of the foregoing Article The Capitulation made by the English on the 5th of September 1696. shall be Observed according to its Form and Tenor The Merchandises therein mentioned shall be restored The Governour of the Fort taken there shall be set at Liberty if it be not already done The Differences arisen concerning the Execution of the said Capitulation and the value of the Goods there lost shall be adjudged and determined by the said Commissioners who immediately after the Ratification of the present Treaty shall be Invested with sufficient Authority for settling the Limits and Confines of the Lands to be restored on either side by virtue of the foregoing Article and likewise for exchanging of Lands as may conduce to the mutual Interest and Advantage of both Kings And to this end the Commissioners so appointed shall within the space of 3 Months from the time of the Ratification of the present Treaty meet in the City of London and within six Months to be reckoned from their first Meeting shall Determine all Differences and Disputes which may arise concerning this matter After which the Articles the said Commissioners shall agree to shall be Ratified
by both Kings and shall have the same Force and Vigour as if they were inserted Word for Word in the present Treaty IX All Letters as well of Reprisal as of Marque and Counter-Marque which hitherto have for any cause been granted on either side shall be and remain null and void Nor shall any the like Letters be hereafter granted by either of the said Kings against the Subjects of the other unless it be first made manifest that Right hath been denied And it shall not be taken for a denial of Right unless the Petition of the Person who desires Letters of Reprisal to be granted to him be first shewn to the Minister residing there on the part of the King against whose Subjects those Letters are desired That within the space of 4 Months or sooner he may inquire into the contrary or procure that satisfaction be made with all speed from the Party offending to the Complainant But if the King against whose Subjects Reprisals are demanded have no Minister residing there Letters of Reprisal shall not be granted till after the space of 4 Months to be reckoned from the Day on which his Petition was made and presented to the King against whose Subjects Reprisals are desired or to his Privy Council X. For cutting off all matter of Dispute and Contention which may arise concerning the Restitution of Ships Merchandises and other moveable Goods which either Party may complain to be taken and detained from the other in Countries and on Coasts far distant after the Peace is concluded and before it be notified there All Ships Merchandises and other moveable Goods which shall be taken by either side after the Signing and Publication of the present Treaty within the space of Twelve Days in the British and North Seas as far as the Cape St. Vincent Within the space of Ten Weeks beyond the said Cape and on this side of the Equinoctial Line or Equator as well in the Ocean and Mediterranean Sea as elsewhere Lastly within the space of six Months beyond the said Line throughout the whole World shall belong and remain unto the Possessors without any Exception or further Distinction of Time or Place or any consideration to be had of Restitution or Compensation XI But if it happens through Inadvertency or Imprudence or any other Cause whatever that any Subject of either of the said two Kings shall do or commit any thing by Land or Sea or on fresh Water any where contrary to the present Treaty or that any Particular Article thereof is not fulfilled this Peace and good Correspondence between the said two Kings shall not on that account be Interrupted or Infringed but shall remain in its former Force Strength and Vigour and the said Subject only shall answer for his own Fact and undergo the Punishment to be Inflicted according to the Custom and Law of Nations XII But if which God forbid the Differences now Composed between the said Kings should at any time be renewed and break out into open War the Ships Merchandises and all kind of moveable Goods of either Party which shall be found to be and remain in the Ports and Dominions of the adverse Party shall not be Confiscated or brought under any Inconveniency but the whole space of six Months shall be allowed to the Subject of both of the said Kings that they may carry away and transport the aforesaid Goods and any thing else that is theirs whither they shall think fit without any Molestation XIII For what concerns the Principality of Orange and other Lands and Dominions belonging to the said King of Great Britain the separate Article of the Treaty of Nimeguen concluded between the most Christian King and the States General of the United Provinces the 10th Day of August 1678. shall according to its Form and Tenor have full effect and all things that have been Innovated and Altered shall be restored as they were before All Decrees Edicts and other Acts of what kind soever they be without Exception which are in a manner contrary to the said Treaty or were made after the conclusion thereof shall be held to be null and void without any revival or consequence for the future And all things shall be restored to the said King in the same state and in the same manner as he held and enjoyed them before he was dispossessed thereof in the time of the War which was ended by the said Treaty of Nimeguen or which he ought to have held and enjoyed according to the said Treaty And that an end may be put to all Trouble Differences Processes and Questions which may arise concerning the same both the said Kings will name Commissioners who with full and summary Power may compose and settle all these matters And forasmuch as by the Authority of the most Christian King the King of Great Britain was hindred from enjoying the Revenues Rights and Profits as well of his Principality of Orange as of other his Dominions which after the conclusion of the Treaty of Nimeguen until the Declaration of the present War were under the power of the said most Christian King the said most Christian King will restore and cause to be restored in reality with Effect and with the Interest due all those Revenues Rights and Profits according to the Declarations and Verifications that shall be made before the said Commissioners XIV That Treaty of Peace concluded between the most Christian King and the late Elector of Brandenburg at St. Germains in Laye the 29 June 1679. shall be restored in its Articles and remain in its former Vigour between his Sacred Most Christian Majesty and his Electoral Highness of Brandenburg XV. Whereas 't will greatly conduce to the publick Tranquility that the Treaty be observed which was concluded between his Sacred most Christian Majesty and his Royal Highness of Savoy on the Ninth of Aug. 1696. 't is agreed that the said Treaty shall be confirmed by this Article XVI Under this present Treaty of Peace shall be comprehended those who shall be named by either Party with common consent before the Exchange of Ratifications or within six Months after But in the mean time the most Serene and Mighty Prince William King of Great Britain and the most Serene and Mighty Prince â—ewis the most Christian King gratefully acknowledging the sincere Offices and Indefatigable Endeavours which have been employed by the most Serene and Mighty Prince Charles King of Sweden by the inter position of his Mediation in bringing this happy work of the Peace with the Divine Assistance to the desired Conclusion and to shew the like Affection to him 't is by consent of all Parties stipulated and agreed That his said Sacred Royal Majesty of Sweden shall with all his Kingdoms Countries Provinces and Rights be included in this Treaty and comprehended in the best manner in the present Pacification XVII Lastly The Solemn Ratifications of this present agreement and alliance made in due Form shall be delivered on
our Reasons may appear both now and for the future in the Acts of the present Negotiation We the Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries whose Names are underwritten earnestly desire their Excellencies the Embassadors Mediators that this our Remonstrance may be inserted in their Protocol or Register and that they may have an Act given 'em to confirm the presenting it Protesting also at the same time that their Masters are no less Zealous for the Peace then the rest of the Princes of Europe and that it is great Grief to 'em that they cannot sign in their Master's Name by reason of a Difficulty that was no way foreseen The Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries here present have sign'd the present Declaration and thereto fix'd their Seals in the Names of the Electors Princes and States of the Sâ—cred Roman Empire of the Confession of Auspurg who sent us their Deputies to the Treaty of Peace At the Hague 15th October 4 November 1697. In the Name of the Elector of Saxony Christopher Dieteric Bose the Younger Dutchy of Deux Ponts George Frederick de Snoilsky Saxon Gota Adolph Christian Aveman Duke of Brunswick Zell E. Klinggraffe Landtgrave of Hesse-Cassel William Vultesius Elector of Brandenburgh W. de Schmettau N. E. L. B. de Dankâ—lman Duke of Sauon Coburg Henry Richard L. B. de Hagen Margrave of â—â—â—eith E. L. B. de Stein Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbutel John William de Mansberg Dutchy of Holstein Gluckstar Dethlevus Nicholus de Lewencron But to return the Conferences still continued at Ryswick and all things were agreed on by the 30th of Oct. and the Treaty Signed then being Two Days before the time limitted by France to accept of her Offers The Articles were to this purpose IN the Name of the most Holy Trinity Amen Be it known unto All and every One that a cruel War attended with the Effusion of much Christian Blood and the Devastation of several Provinces having been waged for some Years last past between the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Leopâ—ld elected Emperour of the Romans always August King of Germany Hungary Bohemia of Dalmatia Croatia and Sclavonia Archduke of Austriâ— Duke of Burgundy Brabant Stiria Carinthia and Carniola Marquiss of Moravia Duke of Luxemburg of the Upper and Lower Silesia of Wirtemberg and of Teckay Prince of Suabia Counâ— of Habâ—bourg of Tyrol Kybourg and Goritia Marquiss of the Sacred Roman Empire Burgaw of the Upper and Lower Lusatia Lord of the Sclavonian Marches of Port-Naon and Salins c. and the Sacred Roman Empire on one part and the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Lewis XIV the most Christian King of France and Navarre on the other part Now his Imperial Majesty and his most Christian Majesty having most seriously apply'd themselves to terminate and put an end as soon as possible to those Mischiefs that daily encreas'd to the Ruine of Christendom by the Divine Assistance and by the Care of the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Charles XI King of Swedeland Goths and Vandâ—ls Grand Prince of Finland Duke of Scania Esthonia Livonia of Carelia Bremen Perden of Stetin Pomerania Cassubia and Vandalia Prince of Râ—gâ—n and Lord of Ingria and Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliens Câ—â—ves and Bergues of Illustrious Memory who from the very beginning of these Commotions did not cease effectually to sollicit the Christian Princes to Peace and afterwards having been accepted as Universal Mediator never desisted gloriously to labour even to his dying Day to procure the same with all imaginable speed having to this purpose appointed and settled Conferences in the Palace of â—yswick in Holland and after his Decease the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Câ—arles XII King of Sweden Goths and Vandâ—ls Grand Prince of 〈◊〉 Duke of Scania Esthonia of Livonia Carelia Bremen of Ferden Stetin Pomerania Cassubia and of Vandalia Prince of Rugen Lord of Ingria and of Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliers Cleves and Bergues Inheriting from his Royal Father the same longing Desire and Earnestness to procure the publick Tranquility and the Treaties having been brought to their perfection by the foresaid Conferences the Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries lawfully appointed and established by both Parties being met to this effect at the aforesaid place that is to say on the Emperor's part the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Dominic Andrew Kaunitz Count of the Holy Roman Empire Hereditary Lord of Austerlitz of Hungarischbord Marischpruss and Orzechan the Great Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece intimate Councellor of State to his Sacred Imperial Majesty Chamberlain and Vice-Chancellour of the Holy Empire the Sieur Henry John Stratman Sieur de Puerbach Count of the Holy Roman Empire Lord of Oâ—th Schmiding Spatenbrun and Carlsberg Imperial Aulique Councellor Chamberlain to his Sacred Imperial Majesty and the Siuer John Frederick free and noble Baron of Seilern Imperial Aâ—lique Councellor to his Sacred Imperial Majesty and one of the Plenipotentiaries in the Imperial Diets And on the part of his Sacred most Christian Majesty the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Nicholas Augustâ—â— de Harlay Knight Lord of Boneuil Count of Cely Ordinary Councellor to the King in his Council of State The Sieur Lewis Verjus Knight Ordinary Councellor to the King in his Council of State Count de Crecy Marquiss of Freon Baron of Couvay Lord of Boulay of the two Churches of Fort-Isle and other places together with the Sieur Francis de Callieres Lord of Callieres of Rochechellay and Gigny By the Mediation and Intercession of the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Charles Bonde Count de Biornoo Lord of Hesleby Tyres Toftaholm of Graffteen Gustavusberg and of Rezitza Councellor to his Majesty the King of Sweden and President of the supreme Senate of Dorpat in Livonia and of the Sieuâ— Nicholas free Baron of Lillierooâ— Secretary of State to his Majesty the King of Sweden and Extraordinary Ambassador to their High and Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces both of them Extraordinary Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries for confirming and establishing a General Peace who have faithfully discharg'd their Duty of Mediatorship with Integrity Application and Prudence The Plenipotentiaries of the Electors Princes and deputed States of the Holy Roman Empire being Present Approving and Consenting after the Invocation of God's Holy Name and the Exchange of their full Powers made in due manner and form did agree for the Glory of God's Holy Name and the Welfare of Christendom upon Conditions of Peace and Concord the Tenor whereof is as followeth I. THere shall be a Christian Universal Perpetual Peace and a true Amity between his Sacred Imperial Majesty and his Successors the whole Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdoms and Hereditary States their Vassals and Subjects on the one part It shall be faithfully and sincerely maintain'd so that the one shall not undertake
to stay Tho' the Emperor as believing himself much stronger thought to delude Henry of his projected Proportion the other grew too cunning for him for being in expectation that Henry would have advanced and so both of them hem in the French Army on each side he sent him Word He would not stir from Bologn and Monstreville till he had made himself Master of them which made Charles recoyl and clap up a Peace then he turned all his Thoughts upon the Reduction of the Protestants and with them the Liberty of Germany wherein tho' he went a great length yet he was at last so baffled by Maurice Elector of Saxony at Inspruck that he was glad to make a Peace with them also So that now being diffident of ever attaining his Ends and wearied with the Toils of Empire and the Infirmity of his Body he resigned up the Empire to his Brother Ferdinando who having been before chosen King of the Romans would not consent it should come to his Son Philip This Philip had at the same time all his Father 's Hereditary Dominions put into his Hands and being a Prince as Politick as Powerful and withal Married to Mary Queen of England had it not been for his Father's Error in dividing the Power of the Austrian Family by separating the Imperial Crown from the Spanish Monarchy I cannot see if we speak after the Manner of Men what could have hindred this Philip II. from attaining to the Dominion of Europe in a short time But besides this other Accidents quickly intervened and as Politick as this Prince seemed to be those very Methods he took to attain still to his desired Ends of Supream Sovereignty by introducing the Inquisition and an Arbitrary Power into the Netherlands and his Attempts to reduce the Kingdom of England under his Power proved to be the very Things that ruined his Empire and gave Rise to that State that for a long time gave an helping hand to bring Spain low but since the Peace of Munster in 1648. has proved the greatest Support of that Remainder of the Monarchy still continuing in the Netherlands against her growing Neighbours of any in the World We might here assign other Reasons for the Cadency of Spain as the bloody Inquisition the Depopulating of the Country by the Discovery of the West-Indies c. But waving this at present we shall enquire a little distinctly into the French Proceedings upon the said Account and take in somewhat of other Nations as they occur to our Purpose before we come to draw the whole into a Conclusion The Ancient Gallia which was of every extensive Bounds but subdivided into divers petty Kingdoms or Dynasties as indeed the State of the Infant World seemed every-where to be so fell under the Yoak of the Roman Empire under the Conduct of Julius Caesar and continued under the said Dominion till that vast Monarchy began to totter and then was one of first of those Countries that felt the Rage of those barbarous Nations the Goths and Huns but most of all the Franks out of Germany who about the Year 424 beginning to break in upon it did by degrees make themselves Masters of the greatest part of it and withal changed the old Name of Gaul into that of France The first Race of their Kings were valiant and brave Princes but some of them being too much taken up with the prevalent Humour of those Times made such a Division of the Kingdom as they had Number of Sons to govern them But being united again this Merovingian Family now at length strangely degenerating from their ancient Valour gave way to the Rise of the Carolovinian Race in the Person of Pepin and was so called from the Famous Charles Martel Mayor of the Palace in the last King's Reign and Father to this Pepin who proved a Warlike Prince and did great Feats in Italy against the Lombards He was succeeded by his Son Charles surnamed the Great who extended the French Monarchy beyond the Bounds even of the ancient Gallia For he made himself in a Manner Lord of all Italy by the entire Conquest he made of the Kingdom of the Lombards and overcame the Saxons and subdued Germany beat the Sclavonians Danes and Huns routed the Saracens and reduced Spain as far as the River Iberus under his Obedience and at Rome was proclaimed Emperor of the West And in Truth he was the greatest Prince that ever was in this Part of the World since the Dissolution of the Roman Empire and had his Successors been as Wise and Valiant as he and pursued the Steps he took I cannot see any Thing that could have hindred them in the Revolution of a few Years from erecting an Empire as extensive and formidable as that of old Rome it self But Charles his Successors falling into the Error of their Predecessors disjoined the Empire of Germany from the Kingdom of France and part of their Dominions being invaded and possest by the Normans and the Royal Authority decaying by degrees this Race also being enfeebled with Age tho' they were not yet 240 Years old made way for Hugh Capet to ascend the Throne This Man thinking to make amends for the Badness of his Title by the Goodness of his Concessions to the Nobles of his Kingdom that had been very Instrumental in his Advancement remitted a great many of the Ancient Royal Prerogatives and gave them the Titles of Dukes and Earls of the Provinces they govern'd upon Condition they should acknowledge themselves his Vassals but yet not to be obliged to depend absolutely upon his Commands Hence arose besides the Dutchy of Normandy on which also depended that of Britany the Dutchies of Burgundy Aquitain and Gascoigny the Earldoms of Flanders Champaign and Thoulouse to which if we add that the Counties of Vienna Provence Savoy and Dauphine belonged to the Kingdom of Arelate which was part of the German Empire we shall find the French Monarchy reduced from those most extensive Bounds it had in the Days of Charlemaign to a very narrow Compass and to reunite those again has been mainly the Struggle and Endeavour of the succeeding Kings of France About some of which they had a long and terrible Contest with the English which yet the French effected in a great measure by the Time of the Reign of our K. Henry VII when Charles VIII married Anne Inheritrix of the Dutchy of Britany tho' she had been solemnly married before to Maximilian K. of the Romans and afterwards Emperor And the Suffering of this to be accomplish'd was a foul Blot in K. H's Politicks and lesned very much the Reputation he had gained of being a Prince of great Wisdom and Foresight But though France thus strengthned her Vital Parts by the Acquisition of Britany which she took Care to retain even by the Marriage of Charles's Successor Lewis XII to this Ann of Bretaigne his Relict in Expectation of Issue though without Success and that notwithstanding this Francis I. Lewis's
Nephew did not only retain that Dutchy but is generally allowed to have been a Prince that aspired not so much at being Emperor of Germany as Universal Monarch of Europe Yet neither would the Conjuncture of the Times nor the Strength of his Cotemporaries by any means admit of it in his Person And as for the succeeding Princes of the House of Valois tho' H. II. made an Attempt to unite Scotland to France by the Marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to his Son Francis the Dauphine which would have been a great Blow to England yet no Issue coming from that Match they were henceforward so far from doing any Thing memorable as to the Extent of their Dominion and Conquest that the Kingdom fell into an unhappy Civil War which though at first it had its Rise from the Humours and Passions of the Princes of the Blood and the Ministers yet it proved at length to be a Religious War between the Roman Catholicks or the League and the Huguenots which never could be extinguished till H. IV. of the House of Bourbon and by Right K. of France upon the Death of Hen. III. the last Prince of the House of Valois had renounced the Protestant Religion and thereupon was confirmed in the Supream Authority before belonging to him This Prince did anew lay the Foundation of the French Greatness which was carried on in his Son's Reign Lewis XIII tho' of himself no otherwise a wise Prince than by his Steadiness to his Ministers by the wonderful Management of Cardinal Richlieu both by Sea and Land to a very great Heighth by whose wise Conduct Spain long before languishing under a diseased Body was brought lower and lower and what the Emperor Ferdinand II. aimed at in the Reduction of Germany by the War that was begun there being no other than an absolute Sovereignty as well as the Swedes whose best Pretensions under the Brave King Gustavus Adolphus was to rescue the Religion and Liberty of it tho' in the Consequence it appeared to be no other than a Conquest of it redounded in a great Measure to the Advantage of France and the same was confirmed into her by the Westphalian Treaty in 1648. And all this done upon the Continent while we our selves were seemingly enfeebled rather than strengthned by the Conjunction of Scotland tho' in reality it must be attributed to the weak Administration of our Princes which terminated in the cruellest Intestine War that ever befel any Nation and was attended with the saddest Catastrophe And the Government it self after various Commutations of Form and subsequent Revolutions degenerated into Anarchy of which France failed not to make Advantage under the Ministry of Cardinal Mazarine But our Unsettlement at last terminating in the Restoration of our ancient Form of Government in the Person of Charles II. about which time hapned the Death of Mazarine in France who left this Legacy to his Prince That he should Govern himself and not entirely trust to any Favourite tho' Charles quickly discovered that the Remembrance of his adverse and exiled Fortune which usually makes Men wise upon a Change of Condition had been quite effaced by the prosperous State his Restoration brought him to yet Lewis never fail'd to stick close to the Advice of his Minister and what Effects it has had since upon the Affairs of Europe is better past over in silence than raked up in this place However we were weak enough to quit our entire Interest upon the Continent by the Sale of Dunkirk to the French which as it gave an Accession of Strength into that Nation to the Sea-ward as Lorain did to the Land-ward so it weakned both our own and the Spanish Hands as did also the Dutch War that succeeded between us and the Republick of Holland in 1665 neither Nation having gotten any Thing but Blows at Sea while the French by the Irruption they made into Flanders into 1667 got all by Land And tho' they were for a short time coup'd up by the Tripple Alliance of England Sweden and Holland yet they having Artifice enough to disjoin the first from the rest as that also did by the second the third was left single to be invaded by the other in 1672 and that with such a Torrent of Success that nothing but the Providence of God and the Success of the young Prince of Orange now in this Hurry and common Calamity of his Country restored to the Honours and Commands of his Ancestors could have saved that distressed State from falling under the French Dominion But tho' the Blow was suddam and almost unexpected yet the Commonness of the Danger not only awaken'd Spain the Emperor and the Empire to come out of their slow Pace to the Relief of it but the French Progress so alarmed the People of England that the King thought it high time to slink himself out of the French Alliance But instead of falling in with the Weight of the rest of the Confederacy which was the Subjects Desire and his true Interest he was contented to set up his Mediation of Peace between the Contending Parties with the Reception whereof by all that were engaged in the War we shall conclude this Introduction that brings us down to the Year 1676 from whence our present History commences its Original and comprehends a Period of about Two and Twenty Years A Compleat History OF EUROPE From the Beginning of the Treaty of Nimeguen c. year 1676 NIMEGVEN is a City of the Low-Countries seated upon the Side of an Hill which is the last of Germany and stoops upon the River Woal that washeth the lower Part of the Town and divides it from the Betow an Island lying all upon flat low Ground between the Woal and the Old Rhine which is esteemed to be the ancient Seat of those People whom the Romans called Batavians and whom for their Bravery and love of Liberty they took into their Confederacy when they had subjected all the Neighbouring Parts of Gaul and Germany It stands to the South of Arheim and is about two Leagues distant from it six from Vtretch which is on the East of it three from Cleves to the West and twenty from Cologn to the same It was in the Year 1591 taken by Prince Maurice of Orange for the States after it had endured a sharp Siege and in 1672 fell into the Hands of the French amongst the greatest part of the Dutch Towns and Provinces tho' to its Glory it must be said that it was almost the only Place in all those Provinces that fought for its Liberty Here it was this mighty Treaty was set on foot between the most Serene Confederates on the one Hand and the French Monarch on the other by the single Mediation of Charles the II King of Great Britain that of the Pope's after much Delay and many Debates being at last rejected by all the Parties concerned in the Negotiation which Treaty spun out into a great length and of which
about the latter End of Sept. surrendred up to the Imperial Army for want of Provisions having been blocked up and besieged from the Beginning of June And this indeed happened as much against the common Opinion and Expectation as the contrary Event did in the Siege of Maestricht The Affairs of Denmark and Brandenburg prospered all this while against Sweden who was in Alliance with France and that with much Advantage in most of the Sieges and Encounters that passed between them this Summer and the first part of the succeeding Winter So that the Swedes seemed to be losing apace all that they had been so long in Possession of in Germany But the Imperial Forces tho' joined with those of the several Princes upon the Vpper Rhine had for all that made but little Progress in their designed Conquests there and were forc'd to seek their old Winter-Quarters upon the German side of the River which was no less a true and indisputed Decision of the small Success of this Campagne than it was a powerful Motive to incline some of the Confederates to think more seriously of a Peace and particularly the Dutch who began now to grow very impatient after it especially in that they found France would make no great Difficulty in granting them any thing in Contest between them seeing they privately made Offers by their Emissaries especially at Amsterdam of such a Reglement of Commerce as they themselves could wish for the Restitution of Maestricht and all the Satisfaction imaginable to the Prince of Orange that he could pretend to upon the account of his Losses and their Seisure in the Course of this War year 1677 To return therefore to the Business of the Peace It was about the middle of Feb. 1677. N. S. before the Assembly was compleatly formed the King of England's single Mediation by all Parties accepted and that of the Pope's finally rejected the several Acts signed put into the Hands of the Mediators and by them exchanged among the several Parties And all these Preliminaries of the Treaty being thus dispatch'd the respective Embassadors did also by Agreement put into the same Hands their several Propositions or Pretensions which on the Emperor's part were That the King and Kingdom of France should restore to him and to the Empire and to all his Allies whatever they had taken from them during the Course of this present War make Reparation for all the Damages they had suffered and that a Peace should be established upon the best and surest Grounds that could be devised France in theirs seemed to demand little of the Empire only they said That the King having desired nothing more passionately than the Religious Observation of the Treaties of Westphalia his Majesty would gladly see Germany a second time owe the Re-establishment of its Repose to the Observation of the same Treaties and for that Effect he demanded they might be fully and entirely re-established The Spaniards insisted upon the Restitution of all the Places they had lost and Reparation for all the Damages they had sustained from France since the Year 1665 whether by Sea or Land by demolishing burning or otherwise and that the French King should give compleat Satisfaction to all the Confederates and by three different Articles demanded the same thing of the Swedes Whereas France on the other side said That their King being contrary to Justice and the Obligation of the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle attack'd by the Catholick King his Majesty had reason to pretend that in respect to that Crown all things should remain in the Condition the Fortune of War had put them without Prejudice to the King 's Rights which were to continue still in full Force and Power The Danes insisted That France should give them compleat Satisfaction and reimburse all the Charges of the War and by Four Articles required of the Swedes That betwixt the Two Kings and Two Kingdoms all Things should be restored in the same State they were in before the War that was ended between the Two Nations by the Treaties of Westphalia That the Treaties of Rochilde and Copenhagen should be abolished That all the Provinces which had been dismembred from Denmark and Norway should be restored to the Danes That all that the Swedes possess'd in the Empire should be taken from them That Wismar and the Isle of Rugen should remain in the Possession of the Danes And that for the Security of his Danish Majesty and his Kingdoms they might be allowed to put Garrisons into all the strong Places of Sweden that lay upon the Frontiers of the Two Kingdoms But France on her side proposed That seeing the King had not declared War against the King of Denmark but that his Danish Majesty running contrary to the Treaty of Copenhagen made in the Year 1660 for Performance whereof the King was Guarrantee had attack'd Sweden his most Christian Majesty was willing to desist from all Hostilities on his part provided that the foresaid Treaty and those of Westphalia were re-established As to what concerned France and the States-General tho' in truth Things were as good as agreed between them before the latter demanded that Maestricht Dalen Fangumont with all the Dependancies of the first should be restored to them A Reglement of Commerce with a Renunciation of all Pretensions each Party might have upon the other And as for the greater Damages they had sustained and whereof they might demand Reparation they were willing for the publick Tranquility to sacrifice them all provided Satisfaction might be given to their Allies To this were added Sixteen Articles concerning a full Satisfaction to be made the Prince of Orange in regard to what depended on the Crown of France and particularly the Restauration of the Fortifications of the City of Orange that were ruined in the Year 1660 and of the Castle demolished in 1663 the Rights of Toll upon Salt and other Commodities as well upon the Rhosne as through the Principality of Orange the Prerogative of Coining Money of Laick Patronage for Nomination to the Bishoprick together with the Exemptions Priviledges and other Immunities granted to the Inhabitants of the said Principality and particularly by Lewis XIII And as for Sweden they required no more but that the future Treaty might contain some Regulations for obviating the frequent Inconveniencies that happened concerning Commerce between the Two Nations To which France on her part answered That seeing the Union that had always been between the Crown of France and the States was only interrupted upon account of some Causes of Discontent which were easie in the present Posture of things to be removed and for the future prevented His Majesty was very ready to restore the States to his former Amity and to hearken favourably to all Propositions that might be made to him on their part both in respect to their Demands of Restitution Treaty of Commerce and the Re-establishment of the Prince of Orange tho' the French Embassadors occasionally opposed
Master so that the War could not break out but upon France in case of their Refusal And if an imaginary Jealousie in Holland of the Prince's Conduct since his Marriage made them very uneasie among themselves and daily more and more disposed towards a Peace the News that came at this time of the French's taking from them the Island of Tobago with all the Vessels that were in that Port as well as their Ammunition in the Fort there besides the Death of Binks Admiral of Zealand and the utter Ruine of that Colony did no less sensibly affect them But what was a more formidable Blow than all the rest was the vast Progress of the French Army this Spring in the Spanish Netherlands where they carried all before them without any Opposition in whatever they attempted For towards the end of Feb. the French King marching at the Head of his Army and carrying the Queen and Ladies to Metz seemed to threaten either Lutzemburg Namur or Mons But having drawn the Spanish Forces that way all on a sudden and to the no less Surprize of the French themselves than of the Confederates he crossed the Countries and in so much haste that by the 4th of March he sat down before Ghent which by his Orders had been invested the 1st of the same Month and notwithstanding the Besieged cut down their Dikes and drowned part of the Country yet in a few Days both Town and Cittadel too were carried and the Town of Ypre run the same Fate before the end of the Month tho' the Garrison made a gallant Resistance However tho' all the Confederates exaggerated the Importance of these Losses yet they could not excite England to any speedy and open Declaration The Affairs of the Allies being thus so much perplex'd on all hands and the French now elated with so many Prosperities and perhaps fearful least England at length would fall into the Weight of the Confederacy in the Month of Apr. made a publick Declaration of the Terms upon which they were resolved to make the Peace a Copy whereof we have here inserted and is as follows A PROJECT of CONDITIONS of PEACE HIS Majesty's inviolable Fidelity in adhering to his Alliances hath induced him never to listen any Proposals of Peace other than such as shall give a full and perfect Satisfaction to the King of Sweden which likewise having been absolutely promised to his Majesty by the King of Great Britain who was earnest to gain this Point both for him and the States-General he now likewise makes it the first Article that he insists upon and without which he cannot come to any Conclusion upon the rest And because the Interest of the Duke of Gottorp is so united to the King of Sweden that it makes a part of the Treaty of Copenhagen for the Performance of which his Majesty gave his Guarranty to that Crown his Majesty desires that he may now likewise be comprehended within this Treaty upon such Terms as shall be satisfactory to himself As for the Prince and Bishop of Strasbourg the King doth precisely insist upon the Restitution of that Prince and of all his Family to all their Estates Goods Honours and Prerogatives and particularly upon the Restitution of his Brother Prince William of Furstemburg whose Liberty must be provided for by one of the first Articles of the Peace For what concerns the Empire as his Majesty doth still continue in the same Intention which he has expressed for its Peace that he has been troubled to see it disturbed that it was with much Concern of Mind he found himself compelled to carry the War thither So he does yet adhere to those publick Declarations which he has so often made That he will insist only upon the Restoring of the Treaties of Westphalia in all their Points and to have them once more to be the Means of restoring Peace to Germany Which induces him to offer this Alternative to the Emperor either that the Emperor shall restore Philipsburg and have Fribourg restored to him or else keep Philipsburg and let his Majesty continue in the Possession of Fribourg without making any the least Alteration in the other Matters contained in the said Treaties As for what concerns Spain since its Interest appears to be the most considerable in this War and both England Holland and some Estates bordering upon Flanders have further express'd their Desire that that Crown should retain such a Frontier in the Low-Countries as might be able to make that a Bar which they judge is so very important to their Safety his Majesty has been pleased at the Instance of the King of Great Britain to agree to the Means for the Settling of it And upon this Consideration it is as his Majesty declared himself to that Prince that he has offered already and doth yet offer to restore to Spain these following Places viz. Charleroy Limburg and its Appurtenances Binch and the Provostship thereof Aeth and its Chastellany Oudenard and its Chastellany there Courtray and its Chastellany the Verge of Menin only excepted Gand and its Dependances St. Guillain but with its Fortifications rased For so many Places of Importance and which his Majesty has taken so much Care and been at so great Expence to Fortifie he requires in exchange that the King of Spain quit his Right to those Places which his Majesty hath possessed himself of in this last War All Franche Compte The Town of Valenciennes and its Dependances Conde and its Dependances Cambray and Cambresis Air St. Omers and their Dependances The Town of Ypre and its Chastellany The Places of Werwick and Werneton on the River Lis. Bavay and Maubeuge with their Dependances Poperingue Bailleul and Cassel with their Dependances In a Word that he quit his Right to all such Places and Countries as his Majesty hath now in his Possession excepting those before-mentioned which his Majesty is willing to restore to Spain the Town of Charlemont he is willing to give up or in lieu thereof the Town of Dinant and Bouvines upon Condition that he at the Choice of the King of Spain will charge himself that the Bishop of Liege shall quit his Right to Dinant and that the Emperor and Empire shall give their Assent thereunto By this means the Spanish Frontier in the Netherlands would for the future begin from the Sea to the Meuse by Newport Dixmude Courtray Oudenard Aeth Mons Charleroy and Namur As for the Articles which concern the States-General they are so very favourable that they cannot but conclude that his Majesty doth fully purpose to receive them into the former Friendship after the Peace shall be concluded His Majesty is willing to restore them Maestricht and to agree to the Treaty of Commerce in such Form as it was framed at Nimeguen with the Sieur Beverning And to the End his Majesty may give the World the utmost Testimony of his sincere Intentions for the Peace his Majesty notwithstanding any Reason that might
the Ratifications of the Peace with Spain and Holland whether any other of the Allies on each side were included or no And the Negotiation had been managed in that manner till the very Day before the Treaty was to be Signed without any apparent Thoughts of a clear Explanation of the Points when the Marquess de les Balbases having either found or made some occasion of enquiring more particularly into the Intentions of France concerning it bethought himself of an Explanation as to the Time of the Restitution of the said Places And in order thereunto went first to the Dutch Embassadors to sound their Opinions upon that Snbject who made Answer That if the French pretended to delay the Restitution beyond the Exchange of the Ratifications it was a Thing not meant by them And thereupon going immediately to the French Embassadors to give them their Explications which they would send to the States-General by an â—xpress The latter made no Difficulty of declaring That the King their Master being obliged to see an entire Restitution made to the Swedes of all they had lost in the War could not evacuate the Towns in Flanders till those to the Swedes were likewise restored and that this Detention of Places was the only Means to induce the Princes of the North to accept of the Peace without demanding that the same Powers who only accepted the Conditions of the Peace That they might as soon as they could disingage themselves from the Misfortunes of the War should engage any other Means for procuring that Satisfaction The Dutch Embassadors having received the States Answer hereupon did June 25. declare to those of France That they could not Sign the Peace without the King did remit his Pretensions and evacuate the Towns upon the Ratifications of the Treaty But the French Embassadors on the other side were firm and said Their Orders were to insist upon the Satisfaction of the Swedes This strange Procedure of theirs made the States send to Monsieur Van Lewen at London to acquaint the King with it and to know his Resolution upon so momentous a Point who was at first hard to believe it but finding the same confirmed by the French Ambassador he was surprized and angry and thereupon sent Sir William Temple into Holland with a Commission to Sign a Treaty with the States by which they should be obliged to carry on the War and he to enter into it in case France did not consent within a certain Time limited to evacuate the Towns which Treaty after he had once fallen into the Negotiation he concluded happily in the Space of 6 Days and the Particulars whereof because I never saw them yet in English and that they may give some Light to this Affair I shall here insert HAGUE July 26. 1678. AS the States-General of the Vnited Provinces after having declared by their Letters to the most Christian King That they consented to the Conditions of Peace as far as in them lay which he had offered them and that his Catholick Majesty who was also of the same Sentiment was willing on his part so far as it regarded him to embrace the same Treaty and having upon that Head used all the Facility that could be and to that End ordered his Embassadors at Nimeguen to set their Hands to those Conditions so far as it related to them as well as the other Allies who were also willing to be comprehended therein have nevertheless understood with much Concern of Mind that the Ministers of France have opposed the same and refused the Restitution of the Places which belonged to Spain and the States without they would first and for the Satisfaction of Sweden restore also those Places which had been taken from them during the Course of the War This so unexpected a Change having obliged the States to believe That Pretensions so ill grounded were rather an Effect of the Repugnancy that might be in the Plenipotentiaries than the real Intentions of his Majesty who had otherwise explained himself and as the said States did besides inform his Majesty of Great Britain of the Essential Point that obstructed that important Negotiation praying him to support so just a Cause and to endeavour to obtain of his most Christian Majesty all that might remove the Obstacles which retarded that Work And adding withal That if his Endeavours should prove fruitless in so just a Work he would be pleased to protect and assist them with all his Forces and that his Majesty did thereupon re-assure them that the Peace was neither just nor feasible upon those Conditions and gave them his Promise That he would defend them if the most Christian King refused it under any Pretence whatsoever Upon that the States gave Orders to their Plenipotentiaries to desire those of France That without making those exorbitant Demands or insisting upon Satisfaction to Sweden they would forthwith conclude and sign the Treaty which they were also ready to do in the Name of the States if his Majesty after the Ratification and Publishing of the Peace would give up unto them all those Places without precending any Restitution to the Swedes of what they had lost since the War With this View and in order to prevent those dangerous Consequences that may arise from such Delay it is agreed between his Britannick Majesty and the States That if their Offices and Endeavours do not surmount these Remora's and if they cannot get the most Christian King to declare before the 11th of Aug. that he will really restore those Places after the Ratification and Publishing of the said Treaty without any further insisting upon these Pretensions of the Swede by a speedy Evacuation of those that ought to be restored by Virtue of that Peace It is then agreed and these Two Powers do agree to declare War against France and to compel her thereto with their joint Forces according to the Conditions stipulated underneath or such as shall be hereafter established between them or with other Princes who shall enter into this Engagement And as his most Christian Majesty hath often declared to his Britannick Majesty as a common Mediator between the Parties in Difference That he would readily embrace a Peace that could be made upon reasonable Terms yet his good Offices and Hopes have not been able to produce the Fruits wished for through the new Pretensions that have been continually raised His said Majesty and the States-General assembled July 26. 1678. believing and being perswaded that Repose cannot be given to Christendom if the Princes who are in War should accept of those Conditions and if as to what concerns Spain and France the latter do not render to the other Charleroy Aeth Audenard Courtray Tournay Conde Valenciennes St. Gistain Binch the Dutchy of Limbourg c. with their Bailywicks Chatellines Governments Provostships Appurtenances and Dependances so as to restore them and put them into the Hands of Spain And as for what concerns the Emperor the Empire and its
very probably might have been as much Glorious to him in the Consequence as it was Honourable at the present according to the Confession of a brave Enemy that was in the Battle who said That he esteemed this the only Heroick Action that had been done in the whole Course or Progress of the War The Prince sent to give the Duke of Luxemburg notice of the Peace who thereupon desired an Interview with him which was agreed to and all things past with great Civilities on both sides the French crowding about a Young Prince that had made so much noise in the World and but the Day before given Life and Vigour to such a desperate Action as all Men esteemed this Battle of St. Dennis to be yet many Reflections were made upon it both by his Friends and Enemies some saying That he knew the Peace was Signed before the Fight began but that if it were true could not Prejudice him since he was not obliged to take notice of it till he received Advice from the States and that it was too great a venture both to himself and the States and too great a Sacrifice to his own Honour since it could be to no other Advantage others laid the blame upon the Marquess de Grana That he had Intercepted or Concealed the States Packet to the Prince but this was an uncertain Report However the Prince could not have ended the War with greater Glory and with more spight to see such a mighty occasion wrested out of his Hands by the sudden and unexpected Signing of the Peace which he had assured himself the States would not have consented to without the Spaniards But the Business was done and therefore he left the Army went first to the Hague then to Dieren to Hunt as having little else to do leaving the States at liberty to pursue their own paces as to the finishing of the Treaty between France and Spain wherein their Embassadors at Nimeguen imployed themselves with great Zeal and Application and no longer as Parties and Confederates but rather as Mediators the English declining that Function as being a Matter wherein our Court would take no part The Northern Confederates were still mightily chafed at the Dutch Proceedings and tho' with all their Remonstrances they were not able to stave off the Separate Peace of Holland yet they imployed their last Effort now to prevent the Spaniards agreeing to that part of the Peace as accepted for them by the Dutch and to that end exclaimed mightily against their Breach of Honour and Interest citing the very Articles of their Treaty with them for it and said That what was left the Spaniards in Flanders by those Terms was Indefensible and would serve but to exhaust their Men and Treasure to no purpose That France had no other Design than to break the present Confederacy by such Separate Treaties and so leave the Spaniards abandoned by all their Allies upon the next occasion which they could no less than expect if Spain should use them with as little regard of their Honour and Treaties as the Dutch Embassadors seemed to design these and especially some difficulties that did arise on the part of France about giving up the Country of Beaumont and the Town of Bovines to the Spaniards as being Matters not mentioned in the Dutch Treaty with the French upon the Score of Spain before the Peace was Signed made Matters very doubtful and uncertain whether the Dutch would Ratifie their Treaty or the Spaniards Sign theirs Whilst Mens minds were busied with various Conjectures and Presages upon the present Conjuncture about the middle of Aug. Mr. Hide was suddenly dispatcht over from England to the surprize even of all in Holland and more especially of our Embassador there who had not the least Intimation of it and if the Journey was surpriâ—ing the Message was no less which is included in the following Memorial That his Majesty having understood that a Separate Treaty of Peace had been Concluded and Signed between the Most Christian King's Embassadors and those of this State he was extreamly surprized at the Manner of the Procedure of the the States Embassadors at Nimeguen and having seriously reflected thereon he hath commanded my Lord Embassador to hasten hither with all expedition in order to represent the same to the Lords the States that his Majesty cannot find there is any Declaration or Promise made by the Most Christian King for the Evacuating the Towns upon the Ratification of the Peace Signed at Nimeguen That in the next place there is no Article between the Most Christian King's Embassadors and those of this State to assure the said Evacuation Thirdly That France has retarded the said Evacuation by the new Proposals she has made to the Spaniards whereof there were no mention made in their own Propositions which had been accepted by Spain particularly by a Detention of some Places till Dinant were yielded up by the Empire and by keeping the County of Beaumont and Bovines with other Places of which there had been no mention made in the said Proposals And as it has been agreed upon in the last Treaty which was concluded and ratified between his Majesty and this State that in case his Most Christian Majesty did retard or retract from the said Evacuation whether upon account of procuring Satisfaction to the Swede or for any other Cause whatsoever that the King and this State were obliged to enter into a Conjoint War against France his Majesty does believe that the Substance of that Treaty is come to pass by the fore-mentioned Conditions and that his Majesty and this State were equally obliged to pursue the said Treaty and to give the said Embassador Orders to demand of this State the Execution of it And as his Majesty does not at all doubt but this State has the same Sentiments with himself in respect to the Mutual Obligation that lies upon them from the said Treaty he has commanded the said Embassador in his Name and on his part to assure them that if the Lords the States will refuse to Ratifie that which was Signed by their Embassadors at Nimeguen his Majesty 3 Days after such a Declaration shall be notified to him on the part of this State will declare actual War against France and punctually put in Execution all the Contents of his last Treaty with this State And his Majesty having taken into Consideration those Representations which have been made unto him on the part of this State concerning a Neutrality for Cleve and Juliers his Majesty is so sensible of the great Danger that may befal this State without a sufficient Barrier on that side as well as on that of Flanders that he has commanded the said Embassador to assure the Lords the States that he is ready to Concert with them and enter upon all the Measures that can be taken for their Security on that side as well as on the other and that it shall be their Fault if they
obtain not such Security When the Prince of Orange was made acquainted with this Procedure of England by Mr. Hyde who went on purpose to Hounslerdike to do it he was no sooner withdrawn but the Prince lift up his Hands two or three times and said to Sir William Temple then present Was ever any Thing so Hot and so Cold as this Court of yours Will the King that is so often at Sea ever learn a Word that I shall never forget since my last Passage When in a great Storm the Captain was crying out to the Man at the Helm all Night Steddy Steddy Steddy If this Dispatch had come 20 Days ago it would have changed the Face of all Things in Christendom and the War might have been carried on till France had Yielded to the Treaty of the Pyrenees and left the World in Quiet for the rest of our Lives but it is my Opinion as it comes now it will have no Effect And indeed the Event proved answerable to the Prince's Judgment It s true all Appearances for the present seemed very different from both the Proceedings of the Dutch and Spaniards too whereof many of the Deputies of the former appear'd so ill satisfied with their Embassadors having Signed the Peace that they inclined to the King's Proposals and framed severral Articles against Monsieur Beverning's Proceedings the five Principal whereof were these First That in the Preface the French King seemed to be the Protector of the States Secondly That the Neutrality to which the States-General were engaged by that Treaty was indefinite and by consequence might be extended beyond the present War Thirdly That he had exceeded his Commission in having obliged the States to warrant the Neutrality of Spain Fourthly That he had omitted an Article of Amnesty and Oblivion which ought mutually to be stipulated in all Treaties of Peace And Lastly That he had forgot to mention the Barrier which the French King granted to Spain in Consideration and for the Security of the States-General As for the Embassadors of the latter notwithstanding the French after several Debates and Conferences did demit in their Pretentions yet they raised new Scruples about the Castellany of Aeth and other Things their Confederates upon the Continent and the daily Transportation of English Forces into Flanders heightning their Stiffness as well as the Expectation they had of the States going on again with the War upon this new Turn of Things But after Matters had continued for about 3 Weeks in this uncertain State France thought the Conjuncture of too much Importance to let it hover so long and therefore first dispatch a Courier to their Embassadors at Nimeguen with leave to satisfie the States as to those Clauses in their Treaty wherein they seem'd justly to except against Beverning's Conduct And therefore to cover the Credit of that Minister who had been so affectionate an Instrument in the Progress of it and so gradually softning their Rigour as to the remaining Points contested by the Spaniards they at last dispatch'd a Courier who brought Letters to Nimeguen on the 8th of Sept. impowering their Embassadors to remit all the Differences that obstructed or retarded the Conclusion of the Treaty between that Crown and Spain to the Determination and Arbitrage of the States themselves which was a piece of Confidence towards them on the part of France that several Towns and Provinces proceeded with a general Concurrence to their Ratifications that they might lie ready in their Embassador's Hands to be exchanged when the Treaty with Spain was Signed which was done on the 17th at the Dutch Embassadors House and wherein Sir Lionel Jenkins the Kings Mediator had no part and so the Designs of the Court of England were once more Eluded and Mr. Hyde had the Mortification to return re infecta This Treaty with Spain is very long and for that Reason I had Thoughts once to leave it quite out but considering the Treatise would have been imperfect without it and that a much better Estimate may be made by it of the present Posture of the Spanish Affairs upon the late Peace than otherwise could be done I have altered my Mind and given my Reader the Particulars The TREATY of PEACE betwixt France and Spain Concluded at Nimeguen Sept. 17. 1678. IN the Name of God the Creator and of the most Holy Trinity To all present and to come be it known That whereas during the Course of the War that arose some Years since betwixt the most High most Excellent and most Mighty Prince Lewis XIV by the Grace of God most Christian King of France and Navar and his Allies on the one part and the most High most Excellent and most Mighty Prince Charles II by the Grace of God Catholick King of Spain and his Allies on the other part their Majesties have desired nothing more vehemently than to see it end in a good Peace And whereas the same desire to put a Stop as far as in them lay to the Ruine of so many Provinces the Tears of so much People and the shedding so much Christian Blood hath induced them to comply with the powerful Offices of the most High most Excellent and most Mighty Prince the King of Great Britain to send their Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries to the Town of Nimeguen So it is come to pass through an Effect of the Divine Goodness that hath been pleased to make use of the intire Confidence that their Majesties have always reposed in the Mediation of the said King of Great Britain that at length the said Embassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries to wit on the behalf of his most Christian Majesty the Sieur Count D' Estrades Marshal of France and Knight of his Majesty's Orders the Sieur Colbert Knight Marquess of Croissy Councellor in Ordinary in his Council of State and the Sieur De Mesmes Knight Count De Avaux Councellor also in his Majesty's Councils and on the behalf of his Catholick Majesty the Sieur Don Pablo Spinola Doria Marquess de les Balbases Duke of Sesto Lord of Gminossa Casalnosetta and Ponteucrone Councellor in his Council of State and chief Protonotary in his Council of Italy Don Gaspard de Tebes and Cordova Tello Guzman Count de Venazuza Marquess de la Fuente Lord of Lerena of the House of Arrucas of the Isles of Guadalupa and Matalione Perpetual Master de la Victoire Perpetual Major and Recorder of the Town of Sevil Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to his Imperial Majesty one of his chief Council of War and General of his Artillery Don Pedro Ronquillo Knight of the Order of Alcantara Councellor in his Council of Castile and of the Indies and Don John Baptisse Christin Knight Councellor in the high Council of Flanders near to his said Catholick Majesty's Person and one of his Council of State and of his Privy-Council in the Low-Countries by Virtue of Letters and Commissions which they have communicated to one another and the Copies whereof
he would never Sign the Peace whilst the Affairs of France were in such a Condition as to have it Concluded to the Advantage of that Crown yet it is so far from being any Dishonour to that brave Man that it is the greatest Eulogium that could be given him since he has discovered there in the Affection he had for the publick Tranquility of Europe as well as for the Honour and Safety of his own Native Country I shall not recite the last mentioned Treaty at large but content my self to give an Abstract of it only which follows I. THAT there shall be a firm and lasting Peace between the Empire and France and an Oblivion of all injuries II. That the Peace of Munster be the Basis and Foundation of the present Treaty III. That France renounce all Pretensions to Phillipsburg and the Emperor on his Part was to do the like by Friburg and its Dependances IV. That France was to have a free and easie Passage at all times from Brisac to Friburg and the Provisions for the last Place go unmolested and untaxed V. Commissioners in a Year after the Treaty were to determine what Dobts Friburg was to pay VI. The French King was to restore to the Emperor the Writings found in Friburg at the Time of taking of it but as for such as concerned the Town c. the fore-mentioned Commissioners were to agree upon a Place where to keep them VII That all who were minded to depart from Friburg within a Year after the Ratification of the Treaty might freely do it and either retain or dispose of their Goods at Pleasure VIII Agreed however that Friburg and its Dependences shall be restored to the Emperor for a satisfactory Equivalent IX The Duke of Lorrain to be restored to the Possession of his Dominions in the same State as in 1670 when taken by France X. That Nancy c. be for ever incorporated with France and the Duke to renounce all Right to it XI That for the Conveniency of the French Troops there be 4 Roads of half a League broad marked out by Commissioners for the March of them to their Garrisons in Alsatia Burgundy c. XII That all Villages Lands c. lying within the said Ways do remain to France and no further XIII That the City and Provostship of Longuicer remain forever to France and that the Duke his Heirs c. do lay no Claim thereunto XIV In Compensation for Nancy France was to give up the City of Thoul c. to the Duke with the same Sovereignty over it as France had with a Promise in the next Article of further Satisfaction to the Duke in case that were not a sufficient equivalent XV. The French King did renounce the Right of Presentation of a Bishop of Thoul into the Hands of the Pope to whom the Duke was to apply himself for obtaining it XVI All benefited Persons put in by the King to continue in quiet Possession of their Livings XVII All Proceedings at Law Decrees c. finish'd in the Time of the French King's Possession of Lorrain and Bar to take place XVIII The Charters Deeds c. in the Exchequer of Nancy and Bar to be forthwith restored to the Duke XIX That Prince Egon of Furstemburg his Brother Prince William and Nephew Prince Antony their Officers c. should be restored to their former State Dignities c. and Prince William forthwith upon the Ratification of the Treaty to be set at Liberty XX. All Vassals Subjects c. of either Party to be restored to their Honours Benefices Goods c. as before the War with all Rights fallen to them during it and no notice taken what Party whether of this or that Prince they have taken XXI The Duke of Holstein Gottorp to be comprehended in the present Treaty That each Party shall imploy all their Offices towards terminating the War between Sweden Denmark Brandenburg c. and the French to keep Garrison in Chastelet Hiâ—y Aix la Chapelle c. till the same be accomplished XXII That the Evacuation of Places be within a Month after the Ratification of the Treaty XXIII That the Duke of Bouillon continue in Possession of the Dutchy and Castle of that â—ame and all Differences concerning them to be composed within 3 Months after the Ratification XXIV All Acts of Hostilities to cease within 14 Days after Signing of the Treaty XXV Contributions to be levied till the Ratification and the Arrears paid tho' not forcibly demanded within 4 Months after XXVI What had been stipulated concerning Montferat and the Duke of Savoy in the Treaty of Munster should be more particularly valid here The rest being meer Matter of Form I proceed to shew that the Danish and Brandenburg Embassadors were no sooner informed that all Things were agreed on between the Emperor and France but the very next Day which was the 3d of Feb. that they might not upon any account be wanting to themselves and to omit nothing that might have any semblance if not advantage yet of resentment made their Protestations against it and complained that the Emperor's Embassadors had consented to Matters which so nearly concerned the Princes their Masters that they had not only neglected all their Interests but also that they had given their Enemies Liberty to pursue the War even into the Heart of their own Country That they had Treated about the Rights of all the States of the Empire so far as to abolish some Decrees concerning them without the Knowledge of the Princes who were most interested therein And in a Word they Solemnly insisted against that Separate Peace which ought to be reckoned null and no way prejudicial to their Leagues nor to the Decrees of the Empire And that no Formalities might be omitted which they judged necessary for maintaining the Pretensions of their Masters they did also on the 4th make a Conditional Protestation against the Peace made by the Emperor and France They said That they could the less be perswaded that the Imperial Embassadors could do such a Wrong to the Princes their Masters for that Sweden had been Treated during the War as a State and Member of the Empire guilty of breaking the Publick Peace and in that Notion cited and condemned by the Empire in the usual Form So that in what manner soever the Emperor might reconcile himself to that Crown they had Reason to Protest against the Validity of that Peace and at the same Time for all the Damages their Masters might suffer thereby The same Thing was done by the Ministers and Plenipotentiaries of the Princes of Brunswick-Lunemburg against those two Treaties in the same Terms not knowing perhaps that the Princes their Masters were concluding their particular Peace at Home with France and Sweden whilst they complained so loudly at Nimeguen against that of the Emperor However that of the Emperor and France was Signed the next Day as before noted as was the Peace between the Emperor and
might remit nothing that might have any probability of tending to promote the Peace they accepted the Truce upon such Conditions as should on both sides be agreed on At length this Procedure and some little Contests ended in Signing a Treaty of Truce the last Day of March at Nimeguen to continue to the 1st of May. The Truce being thus Signed instead of advancing the Negotiation did on the contrary stop the Course thereof during the whole Time it lasted because the French Embassadors sticking immoveable to their Declarations there was no more to be said so that the two Princes who remained still in the War thought it more adviseable to Negotiate the Peace in France and gave their Envoys Mr. Meinder and Mr. de Mayerkron the last whereof had Orders to go thither from Holland without delay their Instructions accordingly but with as little Success as before either there or any where else so that the French Forces that were in the Country of Cleves and Juliers finding the Truce expired were so forward as not to slip any opportunity and therefore were ready on the 1st of May to pass the Rhine year 1679 over which they had made a Bridge at Ordinghen General Spaen who commanded the Troops of Brandenburg made a shew as if he designed to oppose their Passage with the few Soldiers and Trained-Bands he had with him on the other side of that River But finding the French Army had passed it on flying Bridges above and below Augerarts at the Confluence of the Auger and the Rhine he thought fit to Retreat and the Consequence of that was That that General and the Elector's Embassador procured a Conference with Monsieur Colbert to be held at Santhen a little Town 3 Leagues from Wesel Thither Mr. Blaspiet and General Spaen went as did also M. Colbert the 3d of the same Month the last having ordered Calvo who commanded the French Forces to be also present to the End that according to the Success of the Negotiation he might desist or pursue the Enterprize he had had in View Here it was agreed between them that the Truce should be prolonged for 15 Days more to begin the 4th of the Month which lengthened out the Cessation of Arms till the 19th but upon Condition that Wesel and Leipstadt should be put into the French King's Hands to be kept by him until the Peace betwixt his Majesty and his Allies on the one side and his Electoral Highness on the other should be Signed and Ratified which the Elector was so far from making a Difficulty to grant that he offered even to put Skinkenseance into his Power also as thinking perhaps by this extraordinary piece of Confidence to bring the King to be more easie in the Peace of the North and this not long after he also seconded by a Letter to the said Monarch written in so Excellent a Strain that not being willing to attempt to express the Force of it by way of Abstract I shall give the Reader an exact Copy of it POSTDAM May 16. 1679. My Lord IT is impossible but that your Majesty according to the Great Wisdom wherewith God has endowed you does easily perceive the Moderation and Justice of my Pretensions And it being so that you must offer Violence to that Generosity and Greatness of Soul which is natural to your Majesty in forcing me to Conditions of Peace that are not only injurious to me but ignominious also God who is Just seeing the Righteousness of my Cause hath prospered my Arms with the Conquest of all Pomerania and your Majesty makes me give back the greatest part of it which I put into your Hands that I may preserve the rest which is but a small Matter in respect of what I have gained with the Loss of my Blood and the Ruine of my Subjects Is it not just my Lord that since your Majesty obliges me to part from so great and fair Cities and so much of my Enemies Country you should likewise oblige the Swedes to leave me the rest and that your Majesty having so far concerned your self for the Party that had no Right to demand any thing should concern your self also for him who had Right to keep all but yields the greatest part meerly in Consideration of your Majesty I am informed that your Ministers object to me the Interest of your Glory and Honour and know that that is a powerful Motive to animate a Great Soul to Vndertakings But suffer me to put you in mind That Justice is the Source and Rule of Glory And that I having it on my side it is far greater and more solid Glory to Support a just and moderate Pretension than to favour one that is nothing less And could your Majesty but hear the Discourse of all Europe and weigh it with the Reasons that Interests suggest to you from my Enemies I am confident you would instantly decide in my Favour and so prevent the Judgment of disinterested Posterity Withal my Lord I am very sensible that the Match is too unequal betwixt your Majesty's Forces and mine and that I am unable to resist a King who alone hath carried the Burden of a War against the greatest Powers of Europe and hath with so much Glory and Success gone through with it But can your Majesty find any Advantage in the Ruine of a Prince who is so desirous to serve you and who being preserved may contribute to your Service more than a bare willingness Your Majesty will certainly be the first that will regret my Ruine since you cannot easily find in all the World besides one who is more really and with greater Respect and Zeal than my self Your Majesty's c. But for all this the French King seemed to be inexorable and his Forces began already to spread themselves in the Mark of Brandenburg and fresh Troops with Ammunition and Artillery came daily to Wesel to augment the Army which the Mareschal de Crequi was to command which upon the Expiration of the Truce drew near to the Neighbourhood of Minden beginning to streighten that Place where General Spaen pretended to make a vigorous Resistance Hereupon the Mareschal de Crequi ordered Monsieur Calvo to pass the Weser with a Party of Horse and Foot on a Bridge of Boats which he had caused to be made whilst he himself with a Body of Horse went to cross it at a Ford which with some Difficulty he passed over with an intent to make the Country pay the Contributions he had demanded but finding General Spaen was come out of the Town with a Body of about 3000 Men and some Field-Pieces he attack'd them vigorously and the Dispute was very sharp and ended with the loss of a great many Men on both sides and at last General Spain retired into Minden This was the 20th June 1679. and the last Action that put an end to so great a War and if the Negotiation of the Peace which was Signed at St. Germains the Day before
next Day and most part of the Night that followed But by how much the more Affectionate the Citizens and Nation appeared to be towards him the King and his Court proved to be so much the less so For all his Places of Profit and Trust were immediately taken from him Whereas the Duke of York was sent High Commissioner into Scotland where the Duke of Monmouth's Victory at Blackbourn had left a clear Field for the other to play his Game But this did not well agree with the King's Speech at the Opening of the last Parliament When he said That he had commanded his Brother to absent himself from him because he would not leave malicious Men room to say that he had not removed all Causes which could be pretended to influence him to Popish Councils and a little Time will shew it You have heard before that the King by Proclamation dissolved the Parliament upon the 12th of July and issued out Writs for the Meeting of another on the 17th of Oct. following But like the usual Methods of many other Things in this Reign when they met they were prorogued to the 26th of Jan. and from thence to the 5th of Ap. 1680. and further from thence to the 21st of Oct. when he graciously declared they should Sit and do Business These were strange doings and therefore the more sober Part of the Nation and such as had a due Regard to the publick Good bestirred themselves in the Interval of the first Prorogation to move the King in the most dutiful Manner for the Sitting of the Parliament and that you may have a true Idea of the Matter we will give you an Instance or two of the Entertainment they met with at Court upon this Occasion There came several Petitions to this end from divers Counties and Corporations and among the rest one from Wiltshire was on the 22th of Jan. presented to the King by Thomas Thynne Esq accompanied by Sir Walter St. Johns and Sir Edward Hungerford He asked them Whether they had Directions from the Grand Jury for what they did And Mr. Thynne having answered No the King replied Why say you then that you come from the Country You came from a Company of loose disaffected People What do they take me to be And what do you take your selves to be I admire Gentlemen of your Estates should animate People to Mutiny and Rebellion you would not take it well I should meddle with your Affairs and I desire you will not meddle with mine especially with a Matter that is so essential a Part of my Prerogative Another Petition of the like Nature being presented to him the Day following by Sir Gabriel Barrington Coll. Mildmay Mr. Honywood c. in the Names of themselves and others the Inhabitants of the County of Essex the Answer was That he was extreamly surprized to see them meddle with Matters that so immediately concerned the Crown and him and that against the Sense of the best and chiefest Men in the County that he believed that some of those that had Signed the Petition might mean well but that they were abused by those that did not To which he was pleased to add in my Mind a very strange Passage That he was not willing to call to mind Things past yet that he could not but remember the Act of Oblivion tho' not as some did That those who had stood in need of that Act would do well not to take such Courses as might need another and that he very well remembred 40 and so turned away And for the Berkshire Gentlemen and their Petition which was presented the same Day from their Quarter-Sessions he was pleased to droll it out saying That they would agree that Matter over a Cup of Ale when they met at Windsor tho' he wondered that his Neighbours would meddle with his Business Farther that the Nation as well as these respective Gentlemen might not be ignorant of the Court-Sentiments in these Matters these Answers were publickly inserted in the Gazzettes but without the Petitions as if they would have it suggested slily to the World that there were some audacious and very criminal Things contained in them Whereas the Abhorrers of Petitioning and consequently of Parliaments and of the Fundamental Constitution of our Government had the Honour of having their Addresses put in ample Manner into the Publick Prints which in these Times were stuffed with nothing else many of them to be Dubbed Knights and a good Soak of Wine in the King's Cellar to boot by particular Order which I know to be true on my own Knowledge The King being found to be of this Humour and there happening to be so long an Interval of Parliament by the several Prorogations that were made and the Duke doing what he pleased in Scotland there could be no very earnest Prosecution of the Popish Plot you may well imagine nay it was so far ridiculed in this Time by L'Estrange and others Pensioners of the Tory Party that indifferent Men began to doubt whether there were any such Thing or no while the Popish Faction began to trump up a new Plot upon the Whigs or Dissenters But their Designs being not laid close enough though the Devil was at the Bottom of them they failed and so I will leave Matters till the Sitting of the Parliament and see what they are doing all this while beyond the Seas King Charles finding himself weak at Home tho' I must speak my Conscience I know of no one so great an Instrument of it as himself it was high time to make some Alliances Abroad and the rather since France by the late Peace was grown so extream Powerful and in the Main had no great Reason to be satisfied with his Conduct whatever good Meen they were pleased from time to time to put upon it he sent Mr. Sidney into Holland towards the latter end of the last Year to propose to the States the making a Treaty of Guarranty for the Peace concluded at Nimeguen France did then most industriously oppose that Alliance but yet in a covert Manner at first by a Stratagem as odd as it might seem to some Extravagant There being a Letter conveyed to the States-General from an unknown Hand wherein was represented at large the ill Posture those Provinces were fallen to which was the Reason the Neighbouring Princes had not the same Regard for their Republick as formerly witness the Menaces of Spain Denmark Brandenburg c. and that the only way to restore the States into the Condition it was in formerly was to enter into a strict Alliance with France in pursuance of which the French King would maintain 50000 Men in Arms and the States need not keep above 10000 Foot and 6000 Horse and Dragoons in their Pay That by that means those Provinces would be able to defend themselves against any whomsoever that should attack them That that Alliance should be confirmed every Year by mutual Oaths by the
be adjudged to hinder the Sittings of Parliaments and be responsible therefore in Parliament Things being brought to this desperate pass between them without any visible Hopes of a better Understanding the Thoughts of the Court now began to think of a Prorogation or Dissolution and the Commons were it seems aware of it For on Monday Jan. the 10th before the Usher of the Black-Rod came into the House to command their Attendance on the King in the House of Lords they had resolved That whosoever advised the King to prorogue this Parliament to any Purpose than in order to the Passing of a Bill for the Exclusion of James Duke of York was a Betrayer of the King the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom of England a Promoter of the French Interest and a Pensioner to France Which was no sooner done but they were Prorogued to the 20th of Jan. and upon the 18th he Dissolved them And so ended this Sessions of Parliament with which having run out a few Days into the new Year we conclude the Year 1680 only we shall note first two or three Particulars On the 30th of July this Year died at Whitehall the Right and truly Honourable Thomas Earl of Ossory Son and Heir apparent to his Grace the Duke of Ormond after some few Days sickness of a violent Feaver whose Heroick Bravery and forward Zeal to serve his King and Country on all commendable Occasions was manifested by many brave and generous Actions Which as they made him be honoured and esteemed by all while living made him dying to be as generally lamented He was the Father of his Grace the present Duke of Ormond who to his great Glory has been so far from degenerating from him that he hath to the Height express'd his Vertues and Excellencies both in Peace and Way and is a Person that deserves as much and if all Circumstances be considered a great deal more of his Country than any other Nobleman whatsoever Sept. following was remarkable for the Death of Two Electors of the Empire viz. on the 2d John George Duke of Saxony dying at Friburg after a long Indisposition in the 68th Year of his Age leaving only one Son by his Wife Magdaline Sibille of Brandenburg Ansbach John George the Third of that Name who succeeded him in his Dominions and Dignities And but 5 Days after departed also this Life Charles Lovis Count Palatine of the Rhine suddenly in the Way between Manheim and Frankendal after a light Indisposition of 2 or 3 Days he was 63 Years old and left by his Wife Charlotte Daughter of William Landgrave of Hesse one Son Charles then in England and to whom an Express was immediately dispatch'd to give him advice of his Father's Death and a Daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Wife to the now Duke of Orleans And towards the middle of Nov. appeared a Comet with a prodigious Stream of Light in the West The Star from which the Blaze proceeded was but small and when first discovered seemed to be not much above the Horizon but every Night afterward it appeared higher and higher in the Beginning of the Night and consequently setting latter and latter its Magnitude and Lustre also proportionably decaying year 1681 The Nation at the Dissolution of the last Parliament upon the 18th of Jan. as already mentioned were strangely amazed and began now in general to be very doubtful of any good Issue in their common Concerns which the Court was not unaware of and therefore in some measure to allay Things the King summoned another to meet on the 21st of March following at Oxford which was no sooner publickly known but it rather heightned than alleviated the Jealousies of the more intelligent Persons that there might be some hidden Design nourished in the Court that might have dangerous Influences both upon the Nation and Parliament Whereupon several of the Nobility after mature Consideration of the Matter resolved to petition the King against the Meeting of the Parliament at the forementioned Place which Petition was delivered by the Earl of Essex with which he made a short pithy Speech and both which we have hereunto subjoined May it please your Majesty THE Lords here present together with divers others of the Peers of the Realm taking notice that by the late Proclamation Your Majesty has declared an Intention of calling a Parliament at Oxford and observing from History and Records how unfortunate many Assemblies have been when called at a Place remote from the Capital City as particularly the Congress in King Henry the II's Time at Clarendon 3 several Parliaments at Oxford in Henry the III's Time and at Coventry in Henry the VI's Time with divers others which have proved fatal to those Kings and have been followed with great Mischief on the whole Kingdom And considering the present Posture of Affairs the many Jealousies and Discontents that are among the People they have great Cause to apprehend that the Consequences of a Parliament now at Oxford may be as fatal to Your Majesty and the Nation as those others mentioned have been to them Reigning Kings And therefore we do conceive that we cannot answer it to God to Your Majesty or to the People if we being Peers of the Realm should not on so important an Occasion humbly offer our Advice to Your Majesty that if possible Your Majesty may be prevailed with to alter this as we apprehend reasonable Resolution the Grounds and Reasons of our Opinions are contained in this our Petition which we humbly present to Your Majesty TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY The Humble PETITION and ADVICE of the Lords undernamed Peers of the Realm Humbly Sheweth THAT whereas Your Majesty hath been pleased by divers Speeches and Passages to Your Houses of Parliament rightly to represent to them the Dangers that threatned Your Majesty's Person and the whole Kingdom from the mischievous and wicked Plots of the Papists and the suddain Growth of a Power unto which no Stop or Remedy could be provided unless it were by Parliament and an Union of Your Majesty's Protestant Subjects in one Mind and one Interest And the Lord-Chancellor in pursuance of your Majesty's Commands having more at large demonstrated the said Dangers to be as great as we in the midst of our Fears could imagine them and so pressing that our Liberties Religion Lives and the whole Kingdom would be certainly lost if a speedy Provision were not made against them And Your Majesty on the 21st of Apr. 1679 having called unto Your Council many Honourable and Worthy Persons and declared to them and the whole Kingdom that being sensible of the evil Effects of a Single Ministry or Private Advice or Foreign Committee for the general Direction of Your Affairs Your Majesty would for the future refer all Things unto the Council and by the constant Advice of them together with the frequent Use of Your Great Council the Parliament Your Majesty had hereafter resolved to govern the
Truth and even by the Confession of my Opposers for that OLD CAVSE in which I was from my Youth engaged and for which thou hast often and wonderfully declared thy self Yet notwithstanding all these Points gained there was something to be done before it could be be said That the King was a Despotical â—rince and would make his Will his Law For tho' the City of London was now absolutely dependant upon his Majesty in respect of the Magistracy thereof and that the naming of the other Sheriffs of all the Countles and Shires of the Kingdom belonged unto him yet there were many other Cities in England who still chose their own Sheriffs but something must have been done with these before the Constitution of the Parliament could be subverted which seemed to be the only White in the Butt they had been aiming at all this while For you are to note that the House of Commons consists of 513 Members whereof but 92 only are Knights of the Shires so that near 5 Parts in 6 are Burgesses Citizens and Barons of the Cinque-Ports and the generality of the Corporations which send these Members are poor decay'd Places and so not in a Condition as the City of London was to contest their Charters or if they should there were but little hopes to keep them now London had not been able to hold hers Yet it was considered also that it would cost the Court-Agents a great deal of time to bring Quo Warranto's against above 200 Corporations wherefore all Hands were set on work to induce these poor Inhabitants to surrender up their Rights and mighty Rewards proposed unto those who should shew themselves forward and instrumental therein But because Moneys were scarce there were Bargains made wiâ—h Multitudes of them to have Grants of Fairs for the Surrender of their Charters and those who refused must have Quo Warranto's brought against them However before these things were fully put in Execution it was thought necessary to augment the standing Forces in England who were already too many in time of Peace For some Umbrages were taken that Disturbances might arise before they could be brought to Perfection For tho' the Duke had secur'd Scotland and had 20000 Foot and 2000 Horse and a Years Pay to be assisting upon all Occasions and that greater Liberty than ever was given to the Irish yet all this was not thought enough and therefore Tangier part of Queen Catherine's hopeful Portion which cost the King her Husband above 100000 l. a Year the keeping for 20 Years together must now at last the Mould was near finished be utterly demolished and the Garrison brought over which had been a Nursery of Popish Officers and Soldiers and quartered in the most considerable parts of the Kingdom And in this pittiful State we shall leave England and see what mighty Changes have been made in the Face of Things in other Parts of Europe and more particularly in the Kingdom of Hungary where brake out the cruellest War between the Emperor and the Turks and that has been intermixt with such Variety of Actions and Fortune in the long Course of it as I think no Age nor History can parallel the exact Particulars whereof we shall endeavour to give as they shall fall out in due Series of Time and their proper Order But before we enter immediately upon that mighty Affair it will be necessary to premise somewhat in this place how things stood on this side the Empire towards France and in the Netherlands We have said something before concerning the Re-unions pretended to be made by France after the Treaty of Nimeguen But yet to be a little more particular It was not long after the Conclusion of the said Peace that that Crown possessed her self of Homhurg and Bisstel the only two Places remaining to the Duke of Lorain of all his Dutchy However tho' the Duke who had â—ut little Power of his own was forced tamely to submit to it yet it could not be thought that others would be so willing to do it And therefore First Monsieur Ravaux who had searched all the Monuments of the Parliaments of Metz and the Cities thereabouts endeavoured from thence to prove That in time of old all Alsatia Lorain the Counties of Chiney Arlon Vierton St. Armand all the Country of Luxemburg except the City of that Name divers Villages and Seigniories in Germany Flanders Brabant Hegenow and the Country of Liege did really and of just Right belong to the King of France as Dependences upon the three Bishopricks of Metz Toul and Verdun or upon other Places that had been yielded to them by the Treaty of Nimeguen In pursâ—ance hereof they erected in France 2 Tribunals of Justice or Sovereign Courts one at Metz and the other at Brisac by the Name of The Chambers of Re-unions where the Inhabitants and Lords of all the fore-mentioned Places were gravely cited to appear before the Commissioners Judges and Parties to see themselves condemned to make their Submission to the French King and to receive his Orders thereupon and in case of Refusal to be condemned for Default and Contumacy It was under such Pretensions that Strasburg was seized on by that Crown and by the same pretended Reasons Luxemburg had been blocked up in a manner ever since the Peace and that as it were by way of Reprisal because the Spaniards would not yield up to them several Places in Flanders which they laid claim to Which way of Procedure did at length alarm all the Potentates upon the Continent so that the Emperor Swedeland the States of Holland Franconia and several other Free and Imperial Cities entred into a mutual League of Defence which was called The League of Ausburg and to the Glory of the then Prince of Orange it must be said and is what his Enemies have own'd he was the greatest Instrument to bring it about of any in Europe Good God! What shall we think of England all this while But I have told you already our King had other Fish to fry and 't is very remarkable that he was by this time fallen into such an abject State in the Opinion of all the Neighbouring Princes and States that it does not appear they ever sought as much as his Concurrence in or Approbation of this League though otherwise generally speaking England was the only Kingdom that was wont to keep the Scales even between the contending Parties for many Ages together However whether it were out of the Apprehensions of the impending Storm upon Christendom from the Mahometan Quarters or out of a meer Act of Generosity this is certain that as soon as the French King came to know that the Turk was bending all his Forces against the Empire and to that End had ordered his Army to march towards Belgrade not only with a Design to possess himself of all Hungary but even to invade the Neighbouring Provinces he withdrew his Forces from before Luxemburg though almost ready
Exercise of their Religion as by Law Established and in the Quiet and full Enjoyment of all their Possessions without any Molestation on Disturbance whatsoever We do likewise declare That it is Our Royal Will and Pleasure That from henceforth the Execution of all and all manner of Penal Laws in Matters Ecclesiastical for not coming to Church or not Receiving the Sacrament or for any other Non-conformity to the Religion Established or for or by Reason of the Exercise of Religion in any manner whatsoever be immediately suspended And the further Execution of the said Penal Laws and every of them is hereby suspended And to the End that by the Liberty hereby granted the Peace and Security of Our Government in the Practice thereof may not be indangered We have thought fit and do hereby straitly Charge and Command all our Loving Subjects That as We do freely give them Leave to Meet and Serve God after their own Way and Manner be it in Private Houses or Places purposely Hired or Built for that Use so that they take especial Care that nothing be Preached or Taught amongst them which may any ways tend to Alienate the Hearts of Our People from Us or Our Government And that their Meetings and Assemblies be peaceably openly and publickly held and all Persons freely admitted to them And that they do signifie and make known to some one or more of the next Justices of the Peace what Place or Places they set apart for those Uses And that all Our Subjects may enjoy such their Religious Assemblies with greater Assurance and Protection We have thought it requisite and do hereby Command That no Disturbance of any kind be made or given unto them under Pain of Our Displeasure and to be further proceeded against with the uttermost Severity And forasmuch as We are desirous to have the Benefit of the Service of all Our loving Subjects which by the Law of Nature is inseparably annexed to and inherent in Our Royal Person And that none of Our Subjects may for the future be under any Discouragement or Disability who are otherwise well inclined and fit to serve Us by Reason of some Oaths or Tests that have been usually administred on such Occasions We do hereby further declare That it is Our Royal Will and Pleasure that the Oaths commonly called The Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance and also the several Tests and Declarations mentioned in the Acts of Parliament made in the 25th and 30th Years of the Reign of Our late Royal Brother Charles the Second shall not at any time hereafter be required to be Taken Declared or Subscribed by any Person or Persons whatsoever who is or shall be imployed in any Office or Place of Trust either Civil or Military under Us or in Our Government And We do further declare it to be Our Pleasure and Intention from time to time hereafter to Grant Our Royal Dispensations under Our Great Seal to all Our loving Subjects so to be Imployed who shall not take the said Oaths or subscribe or declare the said Tests or Declarations in the above-mentioned Acts and every of them And to the End that all Our Loving Subjects may receive and enjoy the full Benefit and Advantage of Our gracious Indulgence hereby intended and may be acquitted and discharged from all Pains Penalties Forfeitures and Disabilities by them or any of them incurred or forfeited or which they shall or may at any time hereafter be liable to for or by reason of their Non-conformity or the Exercise of their Religion and from all Suits Troubles or Disturbances for the same We do hereby give Our free and ample Pardon unto all Non-conformists Recusants and other Our Loving Subjects for all Crimes and Things by them committed or done contrary to the Penal Laws formerly made relating to Religion and the Profession or Exercise thereof Hereby declaring That this Our Royal Pardon and Indemnity shall be as good and effectual to all Intents and Purposes as if every individual Person had been therein particularly named or had particular Pardons under Our Great Seal which We do likewise declare shall from time to time be granted unto any Person or Persons desiring the same Willing and Requiring Our Judges Justices and other Officers to take Notice of and Obey Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein before declared And although the Freedom and Assurance We have hereby given in relation to Religion and Property might be sufficient to remove from the Minds of our Loving Subjects all Fears and Jealousies in relation to either yet We have thought fit further to declare That We will Maintain them in all their Properties and Possessions as well of Church and Abby-Lands as in any other their Lands and Properties whatsoever Given at Our Court at Whitehall the Fourth Day of April 1687. In the Third Year of Our Reign The Generality of Protestant Dissenters having for near 7 Years together been so severely treated by the Tory Party were as forward to congratulate the King for his Indulgence in several Addresses as the Tories were in King Charles his Time in their Addresses of Abhorrence to Petition the King to call a Parliament to settle the Grievances of the Nation However this Declaration was drawn up so in sight of every Bird that most part of the Thinking sort of Dissenters did dread and detest it But yet to make it more passable Popish Judges were made in Westminister-Hall and Popish Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants all England over while the Privy-Council was filled up with Popish Councellors nay the Savoy was laid open to instruct Youth in the Popish Religion and Popish Principles which gave Occasion to that good Man Dr. Tenison now Archbishop of Canterbury and it ought to be remembred always to his Honour to erect his Free School at St. Martins in opposition to it But this would not stop the Popish Zeal for other Schools to the same End were encouraged in London and all other Places in England and 4 Foreign Popish Bishops as Vicars Apostolical were allowed in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction all England and Wales over And because his Majesty would not be wanting to pay his Duty as well as other Catholick Princes to the common Father of them all the Pope the Earl of Castlemain was sent Embassador to Rome to tender the King's Obedience to the Holy and Apostolical See with great Hopes of extirpating the Northern pestilent Heresie In return whereof the Pope sent his Nuncio to give the King his Holy Benediction and that without sending before-hand as his Predecessors were wont to do for leave to enter the Kingdom To all this we may add that the Judges in their Circuits had their private Instructions to know how Men stood affected towards the King's Dispensing Power and those who shewed the least Dislike of it were turned out of their Offices and Employments without any more ado And that these Things might be acted with Security Tyrconnel having disbanded the English Army in
Doge who shall have 500 Ducats a Month and Entertainment and shall act and do as the Doge may do receiving his Revenues defraying his Charges and reserving what shall be due to him till he returns But as if Fortune had been now glutted in heaping up of her favours upon Morosini by adding to the many Victories and Conquests he had made the highest Dignity his Country could confer upon him he did nothing that was memorable this Campaign having been beyond most Mens expectations extreamly baffled in the Enterprize he undertook upon Negropont nor indeed ever after this comparatively to the great feats he had done in the preceding part of his life So that besides the taking of Chir in Dalmatia by General Cornare about the beginning of Sept. and that small Victory which the Albanians who had now put themselves under the protection of the Republick got over some thousands of Turks Commanded by the Basha of Scutari and their taking the Town of Maduna thereupon there was nothing else of any great consideration that fell out on that side And as for Poland he that can find any thing extraordinary there for the breaking up of the Diet held at Grod now this Year in Confusion and the Incursion of the Turks into the Province of Pocusia I do not take to be such let him do it and I shall pass on to somewhat of greater Moment Now it may be remembred in what uncertain state and imminent danger we left both the Civil and Religious Rights of Britain there were some concurring causes that made those of Europe appear to be little less so France by the Interval of the Peace was grown wonderfully potent and if the Altercations between the Imperial and French Ministers about the later's Fortifying of Traerback foreboded no good to the Empire the Death of the Elector of Cologn which hapned June 2d this year manifestly tended to an open Rupture The two Candidates for the Electorate were young Prince Clement of Bavaria the Elector's Brother of that Name whose interest was supported by Germany and the Cardinal de Fustemburg whose pretentions were backed by the Crown of France But though the former made a shift to carry it and that his Election was confirmed afterwards by the Pope who was at no good terms with France at this time yet the French K. concerned himself so far in the matter as to make it an occasion to begin the cruellest War that ever happn'd in this part of the world this was seconded with a Manifesto from the French K which indeed in the right course of things should have been first setting forth the Justice of his cause But I hope the world is still at liberty to believe as little of it as they please However it cost Germany this Season besides the incredible sums paid for Contribution no less than the loss of the Fortress of Phillipsbourg taken by the Dauphine in Person Manheim Spire Mentz Creusenack Baccarack Heidelburg and several other places as far as Hailbron besides Bonn secured by the Cardinal de Furstemburg towards the beginning of the dispute about the Election But before all this happened and even soon after the foresaid Elector's Death there was an interview and even a long Conference held at Minden in Westphaliâ— between the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg the Landâ—grave of Hesse Cassell the Princes of the House of Lunemburg and the P. of Orange under pretence of the Affair of Cologn as it was in part but much more about concerting methods to divert the Storm hanging over our British Isle without disjoynting of which from the French interest and securing of its Religion and Liberties there was but little likelihood of preserving the rest of Europe and confining France to the Bounds set unto it by former Stipulations and Treaties The Consequence of this Interview was the making mighty Preparations in Holland both by Sea and Land without any visible Appearance who they designed to make War upon And tho' it was said the Heer Van Citters the States Ambassador at London assured the King England had nothing to fear from it and did insinuate that France had much more Reason to be allarm'd than he the Design was penetrated into another way Mr. Skelton while Ambassador in Holland had gained some Glimmering of it by the Interception of some Letters to a certain Person in the Family of the Princess of Orange But being soon after sent in the same Quality to France he got a much clearer Light thereof from one Verace a Genevese by Birth The Story whereof is such as deserves a more particular Recital This same Person had been formerly Captain of the Guard to the Prince of Orange but happening to kill a Man in a Duel he was put out of his Master's Favour However Mr. Skelton found a Way by the Interest of the Earl of Clarendon who had bred up his Son my Lord Cornbury at Geneva and was obliged to Verace for many Services he had done him there to make his Peace again The Genevese being thus re-established in his Master's Favour he had a greater Share of it than ever and was more particularly intimate with Monsieur Bentink the Prince's Favourite I could never learn how he put himself out a second time But so it was that he withdrew and was upon his Journey to Geneva when upon the Noise of the Preparations in Holland he writ to Mr. Skelton then at Paris that he had something to communicate to the King his Master that concerned nothing less than his Crown and to let him know a Son-in-Law whom he was not mistrustful enough of But for the rest he would not explicate the Secret to any other than the King himself if he were pleased to send him Orders to come and wait upon him Upon this Mr. Skelton writ several Letters to England but did not receive an Answer suitable to the Occasion which made both himself and the French Court much concerned at it Yet when they had in a manner entirely acquiesced and left the King to take his own Measures since he seemed to reject theirs and the Assistances offered him it hapned one Day that Monsieur de Croissi being in Discourse with Mr. Skelton and interrogating of him concerning the then State of Things in England the other answered He had nothing more to do in the Matter and durst not inter meddle any farther But added That he believed if the Most Christian King would order his Ambassador to declare to the States the Part he took in the Affairs of the King his Master and to threaten to attack them in case they attempted any thing against him that he would quickly put a Stop to them and break the Measures of the Prince of Orange thereupon c. Monsieur de Croissi took the Proposal presently and he no sooner acquainted the King with it but he sent Orders to the Count d' Avaux to acquaint the States-General with his Mind And this occasioned
the following Memorial and unravelled the Mystery of Skelton's being recalled and sent Prisoner to the Tower for discovering the King's Secrets My Lords THE sincere Desire the King my Master has to maintain the Tranquility of Europe will not suffer His Majesty to see the great Preparations for War both by Sea and Land made by Your Lordships without taking the Measures that Prudence the continual Companion of all His Actions inspires Him with to prevent the Mischiefs these War-like Preparations will certainly draw after them And although the King perswaded of the Wisdom of Your Counsels would not imagine that a Free State should so easily resolve to take up Arms and to kindle a War which in the present Juncture cannot but be fatal to all Christendom Nevertheless His Majesty cannot believe Your Lordships would engage Your Selves in so great Expences both at home and abroad to entertain in Pay so many Foreign Troops to put to Sea so numerous a Fleet so late in the Year and to prepare so great Magazins if You had not a Design formed answerable to the Greatness of these Preparations All these Circumstances and many others that I may not here produce perswade the King my Master with Reason that this Arming threatens England Wherefore His Majesty hath commanded me to declare to You on His part That the Bands of Friendship and Alliance between him and the King of Great Britain will oblige Him not only to assist him but also to look on the first Act of Hostility that shall be committed by Your Troops or Your Fleet against His Majesty of Great Britain as a manifest Rupture of the Peace and a Breach with His Crown I leave it to Your Lordships Prudence to reflect on the Consequences that such Actions may have His Majesty not having ordered me to make You this Declaration on His Part without His sincere Intention to prevent as I have already had the Honour to tell You all that may trouble the Peace of Europe Given at the Hague Septemb. 9 1688. But for all this Things were in England in the utmost Disorder and Security all that ever the King or Country could do could not keep the Army within any tolerable Bounds And tho' there was so great a Storm gathering in Holland yet so stupid were the Popish Drivers that nothing would serve them but filling the Army with Irish Men who were likely still to be more disorderly and more hated But this was vigorously opposed by Lieutenant-Colonel Beaumont and other Officers in the Duke of Berwick's Regiment The former in the name of the rest making the following speech to the Duke upon the occasion Sir I am desired by these Gentlemen with whose Sense I concur to inform your Grace that we don't think it consistent with our Honours to have Foreigners imposed upon us without being complain'd of that our Companies were weak or Orders to recruit them not doubting but if such Orders had been given us We that first in very ill times raised them Hundreds could easily now have made them according to the Kings Complement We humbly Petition we may have leave to fill up our Companies with such men of our Nation we may judge most suitable for the Kings Service and to support our Honours or that we may be permitted with all imaginable Duty and Respect to lay down our Commissions Of this an Account was forthwith transmitted to the King then at Windsor who immediately ordered a Party of Horse down to Portsmouth to bring them up in Custody and a Court-Marshal was ordered to proceed against them And if the Memorial of the French Ambassador had not come in that very Morning to shew them their Danger they had in all probability lost their Lives for it but now they contented themselves with only casheering of them By this time there was certain Intelligence brought that the Preparations in Holland were designed against England And the King in his Proclamation of the 28th of Sept. gave convincing Proofs that himself believed it and so he ordered new Levies to be made and began to turn Cat in â—an by declaring in Council Octb. 2d that he would restore the Charter of the City of London And the Ministers were by this time become so sensible of their Danger that they procured a General Pardon On Wednesday October the 3d. the Archbishop of Canterbury Ì„Ì„ and the Bishops of London Winchester St. Asaph Ely Chichester Rochester Bath and Wells and Peterborough all in a Body waited upon the King when the Archbishop spoke thus to him May it please Your Sacred Majesty WHen I had lately the Honour to wait upon you you were pleased briefly to acquaint me with what had passed two days before between your Majesty and these my Reverend Brethren by which and by the Account which they themselves gave me I perceived that in truth there passed nothing but in very general Terms and Expressions of your Majesties gracious and favourable Inclinations to the Church of England and of our reciprocal Duty and Loyalty to your Majesty Both which were sufficiently understood and declared before and as one of my Brethren then told you would have been in the same state if the Bishops had not stir'd one foot out of their Diocesses Sir I found it grieved my Lords the Bishops to have come so far and to have done so little and I am assured they came then prepared to have given your Majesty some more particular Instances of their Duty and Zeal for your Service had they not apprehended from some words which fell from your Majesty That you were not then at leisure to receive them It was for this Reason that I then besought your Majesty to command us once more to attend you all together which your Majesty was pleased graciously to allow and encourage We therefore are here now before you with all Humility to beg your Permission that we may suggest to your Majesty such Advices as we think proper at this Season and conducing to your Service and so leave them to your Princely Consideration Which the King being graciously pleased to permit the Archbishop proceeded as followeth I. Our first humble Advice is That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to put the Management of your Government in the several Counties into the Hands of such of the Nobility and Gentry there as are legally qualified for it II. That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to annul your Commission for Ecclesiastical Affairs and that no such Court as that Commission sets up may be erected for the future III. That your Majesty will graciously be pleased That no Dispensation may be granted or continued by Virtue whereof any person not duly qualified by Law hath been or may be put into any Place Office or Preferment in Church or State or in the Vniversities or continued in the same especially such as have Cure of Souls annexed to them and in particular that you will be graciously pleased to restore the
for a free Parliament and the Protestant Religion York was in the hands of the associated Lords The Garison of Hull seized the Lord Langdale then Governor a Papist and the Lord Montgomery and disarmed some Popish Forces newly sent thither and then declared as New Castle had done Bristol was seized by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Sir John Guise Plymouth had long before submitted to the Prince of Orange and in short the Popish party was become so contemptible in London that on Thursday Dec. 6th there was an Hue and Cry after Father Petre publickly cried and sold in the Streets of London but this was not the worst neither for about the same time came out this following Declaration in the Name of the Prince of Orange By His Highness WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange A Third Declaration VVE have in the Course of our Life more particularly by the apparent Hazards both by Sea and Land to which we have so lately exposed our Person given to the whole World so high and undoubted Proofs of our fervent Zeal for the Protestant Religion that we are fully confident no true English Man and good Protestant can entertain the least Suspicion of our firm Resolution rather to spend our dearest Blood and perish in the Attempt than not to carry on the blessed and glorious Design which by the Favour of Heaven we have so successfully begun to rescue England Scotland and Ireland from Popery and Slavery and in a Free Parliament to Establish the Religion the Laws and the Liberties of these Kingdoms on such a sure and lasting Foundation that it shall not be in the Power of any Prince for the future to introduce Popery and Tyranny Towards the more easie compassing this great Design we have not been hitherto deceived in the just Expectation we had of the Concurrence of the Nobility Gentry and People of England with us for the Security of their Religion and the Restitution of the Laws and the Re-establishment of their Liberties and Properties Great Numbers of all Ranks and Qualities having joined themselves to us and others at great distances from us have taken up Arms and declared for us And which we cannot but particularly mention in that Army which was raised to be the Instrument of Slavery and Popery many by the special Providence of God both Officers and common Soldiers have been touched with such a feeling Sense of Religion and Honour and of true Affection to their Native Country that they have already deserted the illegal Service they were engaged in and have come over to Us and have given us full Assurance from the rest of the Army That they will certainly follow this Example as soon as with our Army we shall approach near enough to receive them without hazard of being prevented or betray'd To which end and that we may the sooner execute this just and necessary Design we are engaged in for the Publick Safety and Deliverance of these Nations We are resolved with all possible Diligence to advance forward that a Free Parliament may be forthwith called and such Preliminaries adjusted with the King and all things first settled upon such a Foot according to Law as may give us and the whole Nation just Reason to believe the King is disposed to make such necessary Condescension on his part as will give entire Satisfaction and Security to all and make both King and People once more Happy And that we may effect all this in the way most agreeable to our Designs if it be possible without the Effusion of any Blood except of those execurable Criminals who have justly forfeited their Lives for betraying the Religion and subverting the Lawes of their Native Country We do think fit to declare That as we will offer no Violence to any but in our own necessary Defence so we will not suffer any Injury to be done to the Person even of any Papist provided he be found in such Place and Condition and Circumstances at the Laws require So we are resolved and do declare That all People who shall be found in open Arms or with Arms in their Houses or about their Persons or in any Office Civil or Military upon any pretence whatsoever contrary to the known Laws of the Land shall be treated by Us and our Forces not as Soldiers and Gentlemen but as Robbers Free-Booters and Banditti they shall be incapable of Quarter and entirely delivered up to the Discretion of our Soldiers And we do further declare That all Persons who shall be found any ways aiding or assisting to them or shall march under their Command or shall join with or submit to them in the Discharge or Execution of their illegal Commission or Authority shall be looked upon as Partakers of their Crimes Enemies to the Laws and to their Country And whereas we are certainly informed That great numbers of Armed Papists have of late resorted to London and Westminster and Parts adjacent where they remain as we have reason to suspect not so much for their own Security as out of a wicked and barbarous Design to make some desperate Attempt upon the said Cities and the Inhabitants by Fire or a sudden Massacre or both or else to be the more ready to join themselves to a Body of French Troops designed if it be possible to land in England procured of the French King by the Interest and Power of the Jesuits in pursuance of the Engagements which at the Instigation of that pestilent Society his most Christian Majesty with one of his Neighbouring Princes of the same Communion has entred into for the utter Extirpation of the Protestant Religion out of Europe Though we hope we have taken suck effectual Care to prevent the onâ— and secure the other that by God's Assistance we cannot doubt but we shall defeat all their wicked Enterprises and Designs We cannot however forbear out of our great and tender Concern we have to preserve the People of England and particularly those great and populous Cities from the cruel Rage and blood Revenge of the Papists to require and expect from all the Lords Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace Lord-Mayors Mayors Sheriffs and other Magistrates and Officers Civil and Military of all Counties Cities and Towns in England especially of the County of Middlesex and Cities of London and Westminster and Parts adjacent that they do immediately disarm and secure as by Law they may and ought within their respective Counties Cities and Jurisdictions all Papists whatsover as Persons at all times but now especially most dangerous to the Peace and Safety of the Government that so not only all Power of doing Mischief may be taken from them but that the Laws which are the greatest and best Security may resume their Force and be strictly executed And we do hereby likewise declare That we will protect and defend all those who shall not be afraid to do their Duty in Obedience to these Laws And that for those Magistrates and others
Order they shall receive from Feversham This was directly a clear and full Abdication or Desertion of the Army which unavoidably necessitated them to submit to the Prince of Orange they having no Body to lead or head them against him And it is not conceivable how they could avoid entring into an Association or Oath of Allegiance to the Prince now the King had left them without exposing themselves by resisting a Foreign Army and a poisoned Nation For neither would the Nation continue long without a Prince nor would any Person who should have succeeded in that Capacity have suffered them to live within his Government without giving him Security by Oath for their Submission and Loyaly to him So that the whole Design of this Letter seems to be the Sowing Division in the Nation that when he left us we might not unite or settle our selves under the other but be divided by our Principles that so we might the more easily reduce us again into the State we are in when the Prince first designed his Expedition against England The King being gone as above-said Decem. 11. in the Morning the Principal Officers of the Army about the Town thereupon met about 10 a Clock at Whitehal and sent an Express to the Prince of Orange to acquaint him with the Departure of the King and to assure him that they would assist the Lord Mayor to keep the City quiet till his Highness came and made the Souldiery to enter into his Service Much about the same time the Lords Spiritual and Temporal about the Town came to Guildhal and sending for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen made the following Declartion The Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Aâ—â—â—mbled at Guild Hall the 14th of December 1688. VVE doubt not but the World believes that in this great and dangerous Conjuncture we are heartily and zealously concerned for the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land and the Liberties and Properties of the Subject And we did reasonably hope that the King having issued out his Proclamation and Writs for a Free Parliament we might have rested secure under the Expectation of that Meeting But His Majesty having withdrawn himself and as we apprehend in order to his Departurâ— out of this Kingdom by the pernicious Counsels of Persons ill affected to our Nation and Roligion we cannot without being wanting to our Duty be silent under those Calamities wherein the Popish Counsels which so long prevailed have miserably involved these Realms We do therefore unanimously resolve to apply our selves to his Highness the Prince of Orange who with so great Kindness to these Kingdoms so vast Expence and so much Hazard hath undertaken by endeavouring to procure a Free Parliament to rescue us with as little effusion of Christian Blood as possible from the eminent Dangers of Popery and Slavery And we do hereby declare That we will with our utmost Endeavours assist his Highness in the obtaining such a Parliament with all speed wherein our Laws our Liberties and Properties may be secured the Church of England in particular with a due Liberty to Protestant Dissenters and in general the Protestant Religion and Interest over the whole World may be supported and encouraged to the Glory of God the Happiness of the Established Government in these Kingdoms and the Advantage of all Princes and States in Christendom that may be herein concerned In the mean time we will endeavour to preserve as much as in us lies the Peace and Security of these great and popalous Cities of London and Westminster and the parts adjacent by taking care to disarm all Papists and secure all Jesuits and Romish Priests who are in or about the same And if there be any thing more to be performed by Us for promoting his Highnes's Generous Intentions for the Publick Good we shall be ready to do it as occasion requires Signed W. Cant. T. Ebor. Pembrook Dorset Mulgrave Thanet Carlisle Craven Ailesbury Burlington Sussex Berkeley Rochester Newport Weymouth P. Winchester W. Asaph F. Ely Thoâ— Roffen Tho. Petriburg P. Wharton North and Gray Chandois Montague T. Jermâ—n Vaughan Carbery Culpeper Crewe Osulston Whereas His Majesty hath privately this Morning withdrawn himself we the Lords Spiritual and Temporal whose Names are hereunto Subscribed being Assembled in Guild-Hall in London having agreed upon and signed a Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Assembled at Guildhall the 11th of Decemb. 1688. do desire the Right Honourable the Earl of Pembrook the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Weymouth the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Ely and the Right Honourable the Lord Culpeper forthwith to attend His Highness the Prince of ORANGE with the said Declaration and at the same time to acquaint his Highness with what we have further done at this Meeting Dated at Guild-Hall Decemb. 11. 1688. The same Day the Lieutenancy of London signed this following Address to the Prince of Orange at Guild-Hall and sent it by Sir Robert Clayton Kt. Sir Will. Russel Sir Basil Firebrace Kts. and Charles Duncomb Esq May it please your Highness VVE can never sufficiently express the deep Sense we have conceived and shall ever retain in our Hearts that your Highness has exposed your Person to so many Dangers by Sea and Land for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom without such unparalleled Undertaking we must probably have suffered all the Miseries that Popery and Slavery could have brought upon us We have been greatly concerned that before this Time we had not any reasonable Opportunity to give Your Highness and the World a Real Testimony That it has been our firm Resolution to venture all that is dear to us to attain those Glorious Ends which your Highness has proposed for Restoring and Settling these Distracted Nations We therefore now unanimously present to your Highness our Just and Due Acknowledgments for that happy Relief you have brought to us and that we may not be wanting in this present Conjuncture we have put our selves into such a posture that by the Blessing of GOD we may be capable to prevent all ill Designs and to preserve this City in Peace and Safety till your Highness's happy Arrival We therefore humbly desire that your Highness will please to repair to this City with what convenient speed you can for the perfecting the Great Work which your Highness has so happily begun to the general Joy and Satisfaction of us all The Prince of Orange in the mean time finding the Kings Troops now without Head to commit many Disorders put forth the following Declaration By the Prince of Orange A Declaration VVHereas We are informed That divers Regiments Troops and Companies have been incouraged to disperse themselves in an Vnusual and Vnwarrantable Manner whereby the Publick Peace is very much disturbed We have thought fit hereby
very obstinate Fight which lasted till night But though Mackay lost the Field and retreated that night to Sterling after having lost a great many Men yet the Death of Dundee who was slain in this Battel did more than compensate the other's Loss seeing he was the Life of that Party who dwindled away ever after and were worsted every where and particularly once and again at St. Johnstown in the last Conflict of which the single Regiment of the Earl of Angus under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Cleeland gave so entire a Defeat to their whole Power which amounted to near 4000 Men that they never appeared in any considerable Body ever after and many of the Chief of them thereupon made their submission though this hapned with the Death of that brave Lieutenant Colonel who if it had pleased God deserved a better Fate But how prosperous soever King William's Affairs went in Britain where still there were a little rascally Conspiracies against him they did not do so in Ireland for there Tirconnel was setting all things in order to secure that Kingdom for the late King with whom Hambleton a profest Papist who by a fatal Mistake was sent over from England to induce him to lay down the Sword traiterously joined in and so the Opportunity for the present was lost and an advantage given to the late King to endeavour that way to regain the rest of his lost Dominions since he was like to receive little Assistance from any other Prince save what the French King might do For the Emperor to whom he wrote his Complaint and whose Assistance he craved was so far from complying with his Desires that though he pittied his Condition yet he reprimanded him for his Folly as you may see by his Letter to him upon the Occasion which was to this purpose The Emperor of Germany's Account of K. James's Misgovernment in joining with the K. of France the common Enemy of Christendom in his Letter to K. James LEOPOLD c. WE have received your Majesties Letter dated from St. Germains the 6th of February last by the Earl of Carlingford the Envoy in our Court by whom we have understood the Condition your Majesty is reduced to and that you being deserted after the landing of the Prince of Orange by your Army and even by the Domestick Servants and by those you most confided in and almost by all your Subjects you have been forced by a sudden flight to provide for your own safety and to seek shelter and protection in France lastly that you desire Assistance from us for the recovering your Kingdoms We do assure your Majesty that assoon as we heard of this severe Turn of Affairs we were moved at it not only with the common sense of humanity but with much deep impressions suitable to the sincere Affection which we have always born to you and we were heartily sorry that at last that was come to pass which though we hoped for better things yet our own sad thoughts had suggested to us would ensue If your Majesty had rather given credit to the friendly Remonstrances that were made you by our late Envoy the Count De Kaunitz in our Name than the deceitful Insinuations of the French whose chief aim was by fomenting continual Divisions between you and your People to gain thereby an opportunity to insult the more securely over the rest of Christendom and if your Majesty had put a stop by Force and Authority to their many infractions of the Peace of which by the Treaty at Nimeguen you are made the Guarantee and to that end entred into Consultations with us and such others as have the like just Sentiments in this matter we are verily perswaded that by these means you should have in a great measure quieted the minds of the People who were so much exasperated through their aversion to our Religion and the publick Peace had been as well preserved in your Kingdoms as here in the Roman Empire but now we refer it even to your Majesty to judge what condition we can be in to afford you any assistance who being not only engaged in a War with the Turks but finding our selves at the same time unjustly and barbarously attack'd by the French contrary to and against the Faith of Treaties they then knowing themselves secure of England and this ought not to be concealed that the greatest Injuries which have been done to our Religion have flowed from no other than from the French themselves who not only esteem'd it lawful for them to make perfidious Vows with the sworn Enemies of the Holy Cross tending to the Destruction both of us and the whole Christian World in order to the checking our endeavours which were undertaken for the Glory of God and to stop those Successes which it hath pleased the Almighty God to give us hitherto but further have heaped one Treachery upon another even within the Empire it self The Cities of the Empire which were surrendred upon Articles signed by the Dauphin himself have been exhausted by excessive Impositions and after their being exhausted have been plundered after plundering have been burned and raced the Palaces of Princes who in all times and even in the most destructive Wars have been preserved are now burnt to the ground the Churches are robb'd and such as submitted themselves to them are in a most barbarous manner carried away as Slaves In short it is become a Diversion unto them to commit all manner of Insolence and Cruelty in many places but chiefly in Catholick Countries exceeding the Cruelties of the Turks themselves who having imposed an absolute necessity upon us to secure our selves and the holy Roman Empire by the best means we can think on and that no less against them than against the Turks we promise our selves from your Justice readily to assent to this that it ought not to be imputed to us if we endeavour to procure by a just War that security to our selves which we could not hitherto obtain by so many Treaties and that in order to the obtaining thereof we take measures for our mutual Defence of Preservation with all those who are equally concerned in the same Design with us It remains that we should beg of God that he would direct all things to his Glory and that he would grant your Majesty true and solid Comforts under this your great Calamity We embrace you with the tender affection of a Brother At Vienna the 9th of April 1689. But though his Imperial Majesty declined to give him any helping hand and that other Catholick Princes in imitation of his Example made it no difficulty to do so too yet he was so elated with an Opinion of the Bravery and Fidelity of the Irish that he embark'd at Brest and landed in that Kingdom March 12th with about 1800 Auxiliary French This pace of the French besides the English Nation 's desire the King's Obligations to his Allies and many other weighty Reasons brought
Grand-Seignior should never more claim any right therein 2. That Moldavia Walachia and the Republick of Ragusa which had put themselves under the Emperor's Protection should be comprized in the Treaty of Peace and not to be disturbed by the Turks in any manner whatsoever 3. That all the Tartars should depart the Countries 4. That the Port should pay 6000000 towards the Expences of the War immediately after the Conclusion of the Peace and 2000000 every Year for free Passage to Constantinople 5. That all the Christians that had been taken during the War which were above 1000000 should be set at liberty lastly that Tekeley and all his Adherents should be delivered up to the Emperor The King of Poland demanded the restitution of Caminiec and 4000000 in Silver And for the Venetians they required 1. The restitution of all the Islands that formerly belonged to them and particularly the Island of Negrâ—pont 2. The restitution of the Dukedom of Athens 3. The Exchange of Lepanto for Tragusa 4. The restitution of Dulâ—igno and Mahona 5. A Regulation of the Limits of the conquered Cities and Countries And lastly that the Grand-Seignior should pay to the Republick 400000 Ducats But these Propositions seemed so unreasonable to the Embassadors that they tore their Beards upon it However they delivered a Letter to the Imperial Commissioners which the Grand-Seignior had written to the Emperour Within which it was thought some Offers and Proposals tending to a Peace might be met with But they were surprized to find nothing but Complements and the Imperial Court was so incensed at it that they sent Orders for the Ottoman Embassadors to be gone but while they were preparing for their departure word was sent them that they might stay till the Return of the Couriers from Poland and Venice to know the final Resolutions of those two Republicks At last depart they did but stopped at Commorra and after a long stay there got leave at length to return leaving the Peace that way desperate and the War to be prosecuted with as great fury as ever But how high soever the Demands of the Venetians were in their Proposals of Peace they must have proceeded from another Motive whatever it were than the Operations of this Compagne which proved very unsuccessful to them as the last had done For the Siege of Napoli di Malvasia a City in the Morea which their Forces undertook did not go forward with that Success that was desired their Army being only worn out before it and a great Number of brave Officers lost And therefore being reduced to this bad plight and the Garrison obstinately refusing to hearken to a Surrender tho' the Place was very much ruined by the Bombs they resolved at length to change the Siege into a Blockade To this end they put 2000 Men in Garrison into the two Forts which they had raised on the Land-side and left some Frigates at Sea to endeavour the prevention of any Relief that way Which being effected they drew off the rest of the Army to Napoli di Romania to take up their Winter-Quarters Neither did their Affairs in Dalmatia meet with any better Success than those in the Morea For Seignior Mclino Proveditor-General of that Countrey having advanced towards Narenta to make himself Master of la Gabella and some other Posts met the Turkish Horse near the Bridge that leads to that Place The Vanguard composed of Morlaques was charged so vigorously that they were forced to give Ground However Molino stood firm with 600 Horse and his Infantry but finding the Turks were reinforced he was not willing to engage in a Fight the Success whereof was so much the more doubtful by how much his Men had been somewhat discouraged by the Defeat of the Morlaques wherefore he retreated in good Order and with the Loss of no great number of Soldiers The rest of Italy was hitherto pretty quiet save for the Troubles of the poor Vaudois whose Persecution is now at an end and with which doth a Cloud gather that in a little time shall overcast a great part of this Countrey But of this we shall have occasion to speak in the succeeding Years and take notice here that this as it hath been remarkable upon many other Accounts so upon that of the Death of one of the greatest Popes that lived since Gregory the Great 's Days the famous and renowned Odeschalchi by Name and Innocenâ— XI upon his Assumpsion of the Papacy who departed this Life upon the 12th of Aug. between 3 and 4 in the Afternoon He was born at Como in Italy in the State of Milan was made Clerk of the Chamber under the Pontificate of Vrban VIII and of Innocent X. by whom he was made a Cardinal in 1645. after which he was preferred to be Legate of Bologna and Bishop of Novarra and Clement X. dying the 22d of July 1676. he was advanced to the Pontifical Chair the 22d of Sept. following Some have called him the Protestant Pope for what Reason I know not unless it be that when France was exercising her Severities upon her Reformed Subjects they were highly opposed by him at the same time upon another Account and that some said that he in one of his Letters exprest a Dislike not only at the one but the other of their Proceedings at least-wise as to the manner of it But be it as it will he was certainly a very great Man for all the Satyrs that were made upon him in France and it cannot be taken ill by the Publick if with a judicious Person I encounter all their Calumnies with what an Impartial Author wrote of him when he was yet but a Cardinal saying Odeschalchi is most certainly a very great Man and a Person of Worth and Integrity not to be corrupted Exemplary Charitable Disinterested Disingaged from the World without Pride without Vanity without Pomp Zealous with Moderation Austere only to himself His Kindred are Persons of Worth his Brother died at Como some Years since Canonized by the People for his signal Works of Piety and Charity there is nothing to be blamed in his Conduct and of all the Colledge he is the most fit to be Pope for his Honesty and Vertue But whether the vacant See was supplied with a Person worthy to succeed so great a Man may appear hereafter we shall only here note That Peter Ottoboni a Venetian by Birth and Bishop of Porro was on the 6th of Oct. following promoted to the Papal Dignity being aged 80 Years within a few Months year 1690 The Affairs abroad being terminated as we have above related for the Year 1689. we shall enter upon this with the Affairs of Britain The Parliament of England happily ended their most important Affairs towards the beginning of it and in regard they had found the Aim and Drift of the preceding Reigns to have been absolutely to annihilate the Authority of Parliaments and that King James in particular had gone a great
leading Men to Slaughter declaring that he would no longer act under him but return home with all his Forces 5thly Because that while the Ottomans held the Imperialists and the Fortress of Waradin in a manner besieged they had lost above 15000 Men partly killed and partly dead of several Diseases 6thly Because that the Arnauts seeing the Tartars ready to march off began to talk of returning home in like manner 7thly Because that several of their Galleys and Saickicks were ruined by the Batteries of the Imperialists 8thly Because the Grand Visier for the Reasons already alledged and finding his Trenches so incommoded by the wet Weather saw no possibility of succeeding in his Design of forcing the Imperial Camp of destroying the Danubian Fleet or winning the Fortress of Peter-Waradin the Key or Bulwark not only of all the Imperial Conquests but of all Christendom We have nothing to add farther as to the Hungarian Affairs save that the Turks made a fruitless Attempt upon Titull and so both sides betook themselves to their Winter-Quarters But tho' the Turks in respect to the Germans were no Losers this Campaign it being well enough that the latter could stand their Ground yet it was not so in reference to the Venetians who tho' they lost towards the beginning of the Year their Captain-General and Doge Morosini departing this Life on the 6th of Jan. at Napoli di Romania yet they seemed as forward as ever in their Warlike Preparations having made Choice of Signior Zeno for Captain-General while General Steinau commanded their Land-Forces in the Levant But the first Progress of their Arms was in Dalmatia where about the beginning of June General Delfino having drawn together 12000 Foot and 1000 Horse partly Militia and partly Regular Troops and embarking his Infantry with Ammunition and Artillery necessary for his Expedition he landed the 15th within a Mile of Ciclut upon the River Narenta and having raised 2 Batteries and played upon the 2 Towers that secured the Bridge they were presently surrender'd to him And on the 17th being joined by the Horse he attacked the Town it self with much Fury and by the 21st was in full Possession of it Wherein he found 1700 Barrels of Gun-Powder and 18 Pieces of Cannon and one very large one with this Inscription Caâ—olus Archidux Graeciae The Turks were so mad at this Loss that quickly after they besieged it with 1â—000 Men but the Garrison whom Signior Delphino took care to re-inforce made such an obstinate Defence that the Turks after the Loss of above 2000 Men were constrained to raise the Siege But tho' Delphine to this Conquest of Cicult not long after added that of Cobluch seated in Erzegovina two Davs Journey from Castel-Nuoâ—â— which was obtained after a Siege of 9 Days which the Intelligence that the Chevalier Bolizzo held in the Place did not a little facilitate yet this was nothing to the Conquest of the Island of Scio where the Venetians landed on the 7th of Sept. under the Command of General Steinau without any great Opposition and often having made themselves Masters of all the Posts within a Mile round the Place upon the 9th they seized upon the Suburbs nigh the Castle containing about 2000 Inhabitants Next Day they began to batter the Castle with 4 Pieces of Cannon and 4 Mortars with that Success that the Place was set on fire in several parts and having the same Day seized upon the Fortress that secures the Haven and took the Arsenal not far off together with three Galleys commanded by the Bey of Rhodes with divers Merchant-ships that lay in the Harbour they spent the next two Days in carrving on their Approaches and succeeded so well that on the 14th they sprung a Mine designing to blow up the Counterscarp which tho' it wrought not that Effect that was expected Yet the hideous Noise it made and the terrible Havock which the Bombs occasioned in the Place brought the Garrison to capitulate wherein it was agreed they should be transported to Lesser Asia which on the 18th together with a great Number of Turks making in all 4000 embarked accordingly And tho' the Ottoman Fleet appeared the next Day near Cape de Calaberno yet understanding how things went they declined sighting and retired But after all this important Conquest of the Republick was not long-liv'd as you will hear in the next Year But before we end this we are to see whether it has produced any thing memorable in Poland I do not positively know whether it was the ill Consequence of the Jarrs that seemed to arise between His Polish Majesty and the Emperor the preceding Year that the former sent an Envoy to Adriâ—nople who early this Year gave his Master an Account that the Cham of Tartary had made him new Proposals for a separate Peace But however it were the Answer given was That the King of Poland would never break his Alliance with the Emperor and the Republick of Venice and that it would be much more for the Advantage of both Parties to make a general Peace And though some farther Overtures were then made or rather indeed talked of towards a General one it came to nothing And so the War went on on all sides as we have already shewed in a great measure and shall now only instance That the Poles seemed still to be the faintest of the Allies and they could not find themselves strong enough this Campaign to prevent the Enemy's relieving Caminieâ— with a numerous Convoy of 300 Waggons laden with all manner of Ammunition and Provisions and guarded by 20000 Tartanian Horse most part of which carried a Sack of Corn behind them But when they had so done and were about to make a terrible Ravage in the adjacent Provinces the Poles to defend their own stood stoutly to it and fell with such Fury upon them eager of Prey that they drove them back with the Loss of near 3000 of their Number whereas theirs did not amount to above 300. I With this Success or rather Deliverance the Poles were so satisfied that we heard no more of them all the rest of the Summer tho' this happen'd towards the beginning of it But before I conclude 〈◊〉 must observe that this Year was fatal to the Elector of Saxony a young Prince and in the full Vigour of his Age who died of the Small Pox at Dresden on the 7th of May towards Evening when it was thought he was out of Danger and that he had that very Morning found himself so well as to walk about his Chamber But I am about to present you with a more melancholy Scene than this For tho' His Majesty upon his returning safe from Flanders told his Parliament in his Speech to them on the 20th of Nov. that their Affairs were and Truth it was in a much better posture both by Sea and Land than when they parted last yet something quickly happen'd that reduced our Advantages so contemptibly
Marquisate of Suza and Barcellonet into Pignerol and its Dependencies in order to Regulate his Interests Rights and Revenues and to settle his Customs and Excises upon Salt and other things And the said deputed Persons shall be admitted and authorised in their Offices immediately after the Ratification of this present Treaty after which the said Duties shall belong to his Royal Highness without Exception or Contradiction XIII That if the Neutrality for Italy be accepted or that a General Peace be Concluded as in such Cases a great many Troops would become altogether Useless and Chargeable to his Royal Highness and that besides the excessive Charges requisite for the maintaining of them they commonly become an occasion of creating a mis-understanding among Princes when more Troops are kept on Foot than are necessary in a State either for its own Conservation or for the maintaining of the Dignity of a Sovereign Prince his Royal Highness doth therefore oblige himself not to keep in times of Neutrality any more than Six thousand Foot on this side the Alpes and One thousand five hundred on the other side of the Mountains for the Garrisons of Savoy and of the County of Nice and One thousand five hundred Horse or Dragoons and this Obligation is to continue only till the General Peace be Concluded We the above-mentioned Plenipotentiaries have agreed upon and signed these present Articles and we do promise and engage to procure them to be ratified and confirmed by his Majesty and by his Royal Highness promising likewise that they shall be kept secret till the end of September next and if at that time new Articles are made to the same Sense and purpose then these shall be suppressed Dated at Turin the Twenty Ninth of August 1696. Rhene de Froullay and Saint Thomas And because some may be curious to see the French King's Act of Surrender of the Country of Savoy to the Duke it was conceived in these Terms BE it known to all Persons whatsoever That in pursuance of a Treaty of Peace made and signed between his most Christian Majesty Lewis XIV King of France and Navarre on the one part and his Royal Highness Victor Amadeus II. Duke of Savoy Prince of Piedmont King of Cyprus c. on the other Part That his most Christian Majesty hath given Orders to Monsieur Anthony Balthasar Marquiss de Thoy Major General of the Armies of France and Governour of Savoy to restore entirely to his Royal Highness all the Countries Places Castles and Fortresses of all Savoy except Montmilian and to draw out all the Troops that are there pursuant to his Majesty's Letters Patents To this end his Royal Highness hath sent the Marquiss of Thana Captain of his Life Guards Major General of his Army and Governour of Savoy with a Power to receive in his Royal Highness's Name all the said Estates and Places The said Marquiss de Thoy having therefore personally appeared in the Council-Chamber of the Town-Hall of Chambery and having there assembled the Nobility the Syndics and Counsellors of the said City and the said Marquiss of Thana there likewise appearing did then and there receive from the said Marquiss de Thoy an absolute and full Surrender in the Name of his most Christian Majesty of all the Countries and of all the Places of the Dutchy of Savoy Montmelian only excepted according to the Treaty of Peace The said Marquiss de Thoy expressing the same in these following Words viz. My Lord Marquess de Thana in Pursuance of an Order from the King my Master and according to the Power you have also received from his Royal Highness I do hereby make an entire Surrender and Restitution to his Royal Highness in your Person of all the Countries and Places and of all the Dependencies of the Estate of Savoy Montmelian excepted and his Royal Highness may accordingly dispose of the same in like manner as he had done before those Estates were conquered by the King 's Arms. To which the Marquiss of Thana answered That he received in his Royal Highness's Name the aforesaid Countries Places and Dependencies This done the Marquiss de Thoy repeated once more the Words of the said Surrender and then went out of the Town House Of all the aforesaid Transactions both the said Marquesses de Thoy and Thana caused an Act to be made before Publick Notaries which was signed Thoy de Pisâ—en Marquiss de Thana As Witnesses Syndics Favre de Charmettes Perin Cugnet Tonce Syndics I Jasper Chambet Notary and Burgess of Chambery have receiv'd and passed the present Act as required Signed G. Chambet Not. When the News of this procedure came our King was Encamped at Gemblours where Monsieur de la Tour the Duke of Savoy's Envoy notified to him the separate Peace which his Master had made with the French King and that the Forces of the Allies were to depart his Country within such a limitted time or be forced to it by his own Troops in Conjunction with those of France But that it was in the power of the Confederates to make a Neutrality which should include all Italy within the same time I could never learn what Answer his Majesty gave the Envoy but perhaps he was more concerned that the Duke by Letter should excuse the matter to the Emperor King of Spain and Electors of Bavaria and Brandenburg and yet not a line to him than at the thing it self and this procedure of the Dukes makes that Harange of his Envoy the Marquess de Govon to the late King James in Sept. this Year to be the more to be believed the which because so Diametrically opposite to that we have given you in the preceding part of this Book which was made to his present Majesty and our late Queen Mary of Happy Memory and that it is a strange instance of the unconstancy of sublunary things take as follows SIR HIS Royal Highness is at length happily reconciled to his mâ—st Christian Majesty against whom he had rashly taken up Arms tho' he has all along receiv'd sincere Proofs of His Majesty's Protection The strict Leagues his noble Ancestors have heretofore had with France and the more exact Alliance his Royal Highness has contracted by his Marriage have but the more disjoyn'd him from the Interest of that Kingdom This Vnion which ought to have been the most inviolable we have lately seen interrupted by the Artifices of his most Christian Majesty's and your Majesty's Enemies to whom his Royal Highness has been hitherto so weak as to give ear His Royal Highness therefore humbly begs Your Majesty would please to pardon his past Conduct so very contrary to his sincere Desires to re-establish your Majesty upon your Throne The Injustice and Oppression of your Enemies Sir have caused his most Christian Majesty to engage in this War God Almighty has hitherto favour'd his Attempts because they are just and 't is also to be hoped he will lend the like Attention to your Majesty's Petition
Lawful Sovereign King James the Queen and Prince of Wales and Restore him and his Posterity to this Throne again for the Peace and Prosperity of this Nation which is impossible to prosper till the Government is settled upon a right Foot And now O God I do with all Humble Devotion Commâ—â—â— my Soul into thy Hands the great Maker and Preserver of Meâ— and Lover of Souls beseeching thee That it may be always 〈◊〉 and precious in thy Sight through the Merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ Amen J. FENWICK But to leave this ungrateful Subject the Parliament besides the passing of the usual Land-Tax made an Act â—o Granting to His Majesty several Duties upon Parchment Papâ— and Vellum to encourage the Bringing of Plate and Hammer'â— Mony into the Mint to be Coined As there was also another Act To encourage the Bringing in of Wrought Plate to be Coineâ— There was also Divers Impositions upon Goods and Merchandizâ—â— continued The Deficiencies of Funds made good The Capâ—â— Stock of the Bank of England enlarged And For Raising the Publick Credit Besides which there were Impositions laid upon Leather and Malt A farther Subsidy of Tonnage and Pounâ—age granted and an Act made For Licensing Hawkers 〈◊〉 Pediars But before these Things were compleated in England the Preliminaries of the Peace were agreed on in Holland and signed the 10th of February And they are these that foâ—â—low I. THE French King doth consent and agree that the Treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen shall be the Basis and Foundation of the Negotiation of the General Peace to be made with all the Allies II. That the City of Strasburgh be restored to the Empire in the State it was when taken by His Majesty III. That the City of Luxemburgh shall be restored to the King of Spain in the Condition it is now But here you are to observe that France made an Offer to the Allies by way of Equivalent for the said Cities IV. The Towns of Mons and Charleroy shall be given up in the Condition they are at present V. That those Places in Catalonia which are in the French King's Hands and which he hath taken since the Peace of Nimeguen shall be restored in the same State as they were taken VI. That the Town and Castle of Dinant shall be given up to the Bishop and Prince of Liege in the State they were taken VII That all the Re-unions which have been made since the Treaty of Nimeguen shall be void VIII Lorrain shall be restored according to the Conditions of the said Treaty But here it was agreed That in case the Concessions made in respect to Lorrain did not please this Article should be referred to the General Treaty with Promises that greater Offers should then be made and that it should be the first Point treated on in the Negotiation It was also farther agreed That upon the Conclusion of the Peace the Most Christian King should acknowledge the Prince of Orange for King of Great Britain without any manner of Difficulty Restriction Condition or Reserve That as for other Princes whether in the Confederacy or not their Pretensions should be reserved to the General Negotiation under the Mediation of the King of Sweden IX The Dutchy of Duux-Ponts to be restored to the King of Sweden with all its Dependancies X. Philipsburgh to be restored to the Bishop of Spire XI The Fort of Kehl and other Fortifications made on the Rhine to be rased XII As also Fort Louis and Hunninghen XIII That Trarbach and Mont-Royal should be given up but first dismantled upon Condition they should never be fortified again XIV The French King agreed to give up to the Elector Palatin not only all the Electorate but also the Dutchies of Simmeren and Lauthern with the Earldom of Shanheim as also all other Places whereof he had been dispossessed to this present Time XV. That Madam the Dutchess of Orleans was to do nothing upon Account of her Pretensions Via Facti but might bring her Action according to the Law in relation to the Electors XVI That the Castle and County of Veldens be restored to their lawful Owner XVII Bisweiler to the Count of Hanau XVIII The Seigniories of March Marmosy and Dagstein and the Counties of Louningue and Dagsbourgh should be delivered up to the Count of Overstein XIX That the Seigniories of Salms and Valkenstein should be given up to the Prince of Salms or to their Proprietors seeing that the same is still in question XX. The Seigniories of Latzensteim and Altheim to their Proprietors XXI Otweiler to the House of Nassau XXII That the City and County of Mompelgard Harcourt Blainont and Chatelette should be put into the Possession of the House of Wirtemburgh XXIII That Germersheim should be also given up to the Elector Palatin notwithstanding any former Treaties to the contrary XXIV That Stadeck and Landsbergue be given to the Count of Veldentz XXV That the Principality of Orange be given up to its Sovereign But for all this some of the Ministers of the Allies after having consulted their Masters hereupon Declared That as to what concerned the first Article they fully agreed to it But for Strasburg they further insisted it should be restored with its Fortifications and Dependances and that no equivalent should be accepted for it They accepted of the Third Fourth and Fifth Articles only they insisted that not only the City but the County of Luxemburg and that of Chinay should be given up As they did that the City and Castle of Dinant should be yielded together with the Dutchy of Bovillion in the same state they were They Declared themselves satisfied as to the Seventh Article touching the Re-unions but not so with the agreement made about Lorrain which they would have restored to the Duke its Sovereign without any manner of restriction In pursuance to the said Preliminaries and Reswick as the Place of Treaty being after many Difficulties and Scruples fully agreed to by all parties concerned The Conferences began about the 9th of May and were not carried on to any considerable length before there was a work of another Nature done in the Field Where the French as having made a Peace with Savoy as we have told you last Year and as being their last Effort were very powerful this Year especially in Flanders and Catalonia In the first whereof they had still the advantage over the Confederates from the remoteness of the German Troops and the slowness of their march and who hardly came into the Camp this Year â—ill the French had done their work in the Reduction of Aeth which tho' it gave some farther Reputation to their Arms and Cause yet it came far short of the Boasts they had made all the Spring of attacking a no less considerable place than Namur But their grand design upon 〈◊〉 His Majesty by his great Prudence Courage and Celerity utterly Disappointed so that their intentions to become sole Masters of the Peace and
and give in a clearer Project For they would not allow of Mental Reservations nor obscure or equivocal Terms But for all this the French in the beginning of July required the Mediator to Exhort the Allies to admit of no delay and apply themselves effectually to the Terminating of this tedious Work To whom the Mediator made answer That he did not see how the Allies Retarded the removing of those Points that were undecided but that it behoved the French to look to that for all their Complaints and added further that the Allies had for a long time declared the sincere Intentions they had towards it but that the French had not done answerable thereto and that they had sent those Points to Paris in order to Consult the King thereupon That the sincere Intention of the Allies was manifested from their having desired other Extraordinary Days should be appointed to hold their Conferences which the French on their part had declined That the Allies were not ignorant therein of the Designs of the French Court who had nothing in view save the Peace of Nimeguen and if that failed endeavoured to delay things till such time as the Allies had found out a Mean that was not altogether contrary to the said Treaty tho' there might be some accidental Differences in it As soon as the Mediator had given an account of all this to the Allies they resolved to Confer with one another Daily in order to find out a way to shorten their Business and in the first Conference it was concluded the French should answer to every Point in Difference as proposed by the Allies which when the other came to know they desired to be informed according to what manner the Allies were willing to decide the first Point to the end that having once seen the beginning of the Treaty they might be able to Conjecture whether they had Power enough to Treat and Conclude without any further Order from their King But the French at the next Meeting had still somewhat of the old haunt and insisted that in order to add a greater Weight to the Business nothing was more likely to do it than to Treat according to the Peace of Nimeguen and to change some Articles therein according to the desire of the Allies But the Mediator at the Request of the Allies reply'd That they were not to Treat alone according to the Treaty of Nimeguen but also according to that of Westphalia as being them two together that had been reciprocally Proposed and Accepted of in the Preliminaries as the Basis of this Negotiation and that consequently the Allies required that the French should Form a Project according to those two Treaties to the which the Imperialists would promise a quick Answer The Answer of the French was that this requir'd time to deliberate upon it which while they were doing the Imperial Embassadors promised to those of the Electors that they would soon Communicate to them all the Articles they should put forwards to the end all Differences between them might be removed The French after divers Consultations declared They had not sufficient Power to answer to the different Proposals of the Imperialists but that they would give in a Project to the Spaniards if they would accept of it which the Mediator acquainted the Allies with as also that the French said they had no other Power to Treat than according to the Treaty of Nimeguen But the Allies astonish'd thereat came in a particular Conference to an unanimous Resolution never to consent to it the same Treaty being contrary to the Interests of almost all the Allies And tho' they would not entirely Reject the said Treaty yet they had rather that a Project should be Formed according to it and that of Westphalia In the mean time the Electoral Ministers could not well digest this Proposal of the Imperialists that in Dignities and Cessions there should be no regard had to any other save the Embassadors of the highest Characters for they insisted that they ought to be Treated with upon an equal Foot with the rest Hereupon the French declared they would use the Elector's Embassadors in the same manner as the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries did and that they would Honour the rest in all Publick Acts in such a manner as should give no occasion of Complaint But to the main of the Treaty the Spaniards did at last consent that the French should give in their Project to which they would make an Answer which they were brought to do upon an Assurance from the Mediator that the same should be made up of the Treaty of Westphalia and Nimeguen But the Mediator at the same time put the French in mind that they ought to propose their Articles in such a manner as to leave no Repugnancy between them and the Plenipotentaries and to be regulated according to those two Treaties upon Default whereof there would be no Advance made therein And now it was given out at least and I believe there was something in it that the King of Sweden and Denmark had both declared to the French That they should be constrained to declare War against them without they went more seriously on with the Business and cut short all unnecessary Difficulties And here the Mediator represented to the French Plenipotentiaries as his last Advice because he found them as it were Deaf to the last Proposal what he had said to them before in relation to the Spaniards and assured them the others would accept of such a Project But the French said That they had given the Spaniards Time enough to deliberate And for the same Reason they required the same for themselves Upon which the Mediator reply'd That their Courier was already returned from Paris and that without him they had sufficient Orders from their King to treat However some Days elapsed before they were brought to it In the Interim the Elector of Brandenburgh's Minister was very earnest to have the French Ambassadors to get a full Power to treat with him in particular since his Master had formally declared War against France And the Deputies of the Circles of Suabia and Franconia required That Satisfaction should be made by France to the said Circles for the Damages they had sustained during the War But all this was to little purpose At length on the 20th of July the French gave in their Project of Peace founded upon the fore-mentioned Treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen It would be too tedious to give the Particulars of it in this place but in short the main of it as to the Empire was An Offer to make void several Re-unions made of â—ands on that side by the Chamberâ— of Metz and Bezanson and the Sovereign Council of Brisaâ— since the Treaty of Nimeguen To restore the City of Straâ—burg or to give an Equivalent for it of the City and Castle of Friburg and the Town of Brisac To demolish the Fortifications of Hunninghen on the other side of the Rhine â—o restore
Lorrain to the Duke of that Name in the same manner as it was offered in the Treaty of Nimeguen and the City of Nancy upon certain Conditions With the demolishing of divers Places such as Mont-Royal Trarbacâ— c. As for the Spaniards they offered to give up to them the City and County of Luxemburg and the County of Chinay or in lieu of them some other Places hereafter to be named for which there was at present a Blank left in the Project As to the Re-unions made the same Tender was offered as was to the Empire The City and Castle of â—â—inant to be delivered to the Bishop of Lieggeâ— And for all other Places taken either from the one or the other during the War the same likewise were 〈…〉 restored The Spaniards seemed in the main to have been pretty well satisfied with the French Concessions But the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries made a long and as some thought a some-what extravagant Answer to the Project which the others did not seem to regard so much their main Business being to make up with the rest upon what Terms they were willing to give to them and to save somewhat if possible of their great and long Acquisitions towards the Rhine since there was so little Prospect of saâ—ing any thing elsewhere Wherefore the French King finding much Time spent to little purpose by carrying on the Treaty in Writing and not knowing what Accidents might happen he ordered his Plenipotentiaries to receive no Pretensions nor Answers from the Allies in Writing but to treat viva voce with them And tho' the 10th of Sept. was the utmost Time the French would give to accept of their Offers yet it was observed that they began about this time to demit some-what of their accustomed Rigour Aug. the 16th was the first Day that an extraordinary Congress was held at Reswick which lasted almost the whole Day And next Day the Plenipotentiaries of the Allies were together for the first time in the great Hall of the Royal Palace Not long after this came the News of the Taking of Barcelona by the French after one of the most vigorous Sieges that had happen'd almost in any Age whatever This made the Spaniards very uneasie and very pressing to have the Peace signed upon the Conditions offered by France and more especially since by the Memorial given in to the Mediator on the first Day of Sept. there had been an Offer made of giving up this Place also to them upon a slight Consideration of a few Villages belonging to the Castelline of Aeth to be surrender'd to the French for the Conveniency of the Trade of the Inhabitants of Tournay But by how much the more easie the French seemed to be with the Spaniards they made so much the more bold with the Empire and now insisted positively upon the Detension of Strasburg and that the Emperor should rest contented with the Equivalent which they said would be more considerable to him since he would have the entire Sovereignty of those Towns France quitted whereas Strasburg it restored must have been set at its own Liberty as a Free Imperial City And if the Empire was startled at this new Pace they were not a whit less at the Definite Time fixed by France for their Answer which was the 20th of Sept. after which time they would be no longer obliged to those Offers And this was still the more mortifying since they began now to be superiour in Force to the French there and to act Offensively And to this that the Imperialists began also by this time to be a a little Jealous lest some of the Allies should sign a Separate Peace and leave them out and this occasioned some Heats between the Confederates which terminated in Conferences about the Subject Matter lying before them And tho' the Silence of the Allies concerning the Treaty did about this amaze the French Plenipotentiaries yet the Interview between my Lord Portland and the Mareschal de Boufflers at the Request of the latter occasioned various Speculations and was as a Dagger to the Hearts of our Jacks in England who still poor Fools flattered themselves against all common Sense and Reason that tho' a Treaty of Peace was held at the King 's own Palace yet he must be left out of it And if this and the succeeding Interviews that were between those two great Favourites of their Masters was so surprizing to most Men in general my Lord Portland who went from thence to the Hague his declaring by the King's Order to the Congress That as for what concerned His Majesty and his Kingdoms he was well satisfied that all Matters were so adjusted with France that his Concerns would occasion no delay in the General Peace and therefore he earnestly pressed the other Allies and particularly the Emperor to contribute all that in them lay towards concluding so great a Work was no less so At last the 20th of September came when either an happy Peace or a long and bloody War was like to determine the Fate of Europe when the English Spanish and Dutch Plenipotentiaries after a long Conference with those of France and having adjusted all Matters remaining in Difference between any of them mutually signed the Peace a â—ittle after Midnight and then complemented each other upon the finishing of that important Negotiation The Emperor and the Empire 's Plenipotentiaries were in the Hall the greatest part if not all the Time but they did not give their Consent to what was done nor in the least assisted iâ— bringing the Matter to a Period But on the contrary some of the Ministers of the Electors and other Princes of the Empire that were present required the Mediator to enter 〈◊〉 Protestation That this was the second time that a Separate Peace had been concluded with France meaning that of Nimeguen for one wherein the Emperor and Empire had been excluded And that the States of the Empire who as they said had been cheated through an Over-credulity would not for the future be so easily brought to make Alliances But the Spanish Plenipotentiaries and especially Don Beâ—nardo de Quiros excusing themselves replied That he haâ— for a long time been made acquainted with his Prince's Pleasure and that he had Orders for delaying the matter 〈◊〉 longer but to sign the Treaty which had been agreed on before And that if he had signed the same some time sooner according to his Master's Orders the French would not have taken Barcelona But that having been over-perswaded to it by the Imperial Ministers he had deferred the Execution of it and thereby not a little lessen'd his Master's Favour towards him I believe also the Spaniards perceived that the English and Dutch could have saved Barcelona this Year if they had pleased but that they rather declined it with an Intention to bring the Spaniards the more readily to comply with the Offers of the French and so much the rather since they said upon this
shall remain in the quiet Possession of the Ecclesiastical Estates and Rents belonging to 'em and that they shall not be molested by any Process of Law upon that Occasion as more especially to the Peace of Westphalia which ought to be look'd upon as the Basis and Foundation of this Treaty For that the express Words of that Treaty are That the sole and only Foundation of the Restitution and of the performance which ought to follow it by reason of the Ecclesiastical Affairs ought to be the Year 1624. and respectively in the Palatinate before the Commotions in Bohemia till the Controversies about Religion shall be amicably terminated II. To the Capitulations of the Emperor and the King of the Romans whereby the Conclusion of the said Peace of Religion and of the Peace of Westphalia that follow'd it are confirm'd III. To the Instruction given to the Deputies of the Empire at the present Treaty of Peace which prescribes both to the One and the Other as well Catholicks as Evangelicks after what manner they ought to Act. And for as much as the same Instruction was confirm'd by his Imperial Majesty the Tenor of that Instruction is That all things as well Ecclesiastical as Political of which any Alteration may have been made shall be restor'd to their first Condition according to the Regulation of the Peace of Westphalia IV. Moreover that Clause is contrary to the particular Instruction which the Deputies of the Confession of Ausburg have receiv'd from the Evangelick Body V. To the particular Orders of their Masters tending to the same end VI. To the Guarranty of the Peace of Westphalia with which the Most Christian King is intrusted VII To the Preliminaries of that Peace which were the Foundation of the Treaties that follow'd VIII To the Project and Declaration which their Excellencies the Embassadors of France deliver'd the 20th of July and 1st of September wherein no mention is made of any such dangerous Alteration in the Peace of Westphalia And when the said Embassie some days before the Peace was sign'd gave the Imperial Embassie their Choice to sign the Project and Declaration upon the Subject of the Peace it appear'd by those two Pieces as they are worded and the same appear'd afterwards that the Most Christian King had not then given any Order in reference to that Clause IX That Clause is also opposite to the preceding Article of the Peace of Ryswick according to which the Treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen are look'd upon as the Basis and Foundation of the present Peace and because it is also added immediately after the Ratifications the said Treaties 〈◊〉 be duly put in Execution in respect of Spiritual and Temporal and shall be inviolably observ'd for the future For as to the Clause which is added if it shall not be expresly derogated from it by the present Treaty Certain it is that it was only to be understood of the Temporal and not of the Spiritual as may be manifestly inferr'd from the Passage already cited and by many others of the Westphalian Treaty For it was there concluded and more-especially in the Vth Article Paragraph 9. of the Treaty of the Peace of Osnabrug That they of the Confession of Ausburg should not be molested for the time to come in any manner whatever in the Possession of such Estates of the Church which they enjoy'd but that they should be for ever secure from all Prosecutions of Law and Violence till the Contests about Religion should be determin'd X. This Clause that has been already several times alledg'd is also contrary to the Separate Articles of the Treaties past with the King of Great Britain and the States-General of the United Provinces by which His Sacred Imperial Majesty and the Empire were left at liberty to conclude or not conclude the Peace by a time prefix'd in the Conditions which had been stipulated in the Project and Declaration of France XI Moreover such a Clause gives too great a Shog to the Union and Tye of Concord that reigns in all the States of the Empire XII And since his Imperial Majesty's Embassie has refus'd to take notice of the General Remonstrance of the Evangelicks concerning the Execution only of the III. Article of the Peace because the said Execution in the Empire no way concerns France but only the Emperor and the Empire XIII Seeing also that the Embassie of his Imperial Majesty has not only refus'd to take any Cognizance of the particular Remonstrances of some of the Evangelicks by which they desire to provide for the Re-establishment of their Religion in the Provinces which are to be restor'd to the Roman Empire looking upon those Remonstrances as superfluous seeing they no way concern'd the Most Christian King and as being already compriz'd under the Regulation of the III Article Besides that they rejected a General Remonstrance of the Evangelicks for the Preservation of the Evangelick Religion in the Cities of Strasburgh and Alsatia upon the Stipulations of the Peace of Westphalia there is no reason that the Embassie of France should pretend the Admittance of this Clause or that the Emperor's Embassie should admit it and make an Alteration so contrary to the said Peace in the Territories of the Empire in reference to Ecclesiastical Affairs XIV The said Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries here present cannot give their Consent to the Clause so often mention'd contrary to their Orders and their Consciences without doing some notable Prejudice both to their Masters and all the rest who uphold the Peace of Westphalia and who are oblig'd to defend it more-especially perceiving upon reading the Treaty of Ryswick after it was sign'd that certain Things were inserted not only in this Article but in several other Places without their Knowledge and at the same time omitted other things which do not slightly concern the Evangelicks and of which Report will be made to the States of the Empire XV. And tho' it was propos'd by way of Expedient that the Evangelicks should sign the Treaty of Peace in hopes the Affair would be accommodated there were but Three who did it having particular Reasons for so doing the rest of the Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries refusing their Consent as already has been said because their Instructions expresly enjoyn'd 'em the contrary the Dispute being aboâ—t a Change of State in regard of Ecclesiastick Affairs within the Territories of the Empire And they thought they might the better do it because the Embassies of France had very often excus'd themselves during the course of the Negotiation because they had not his most Christian Majesty's Orders in Things of less Importance XVI Thus after mature Deliberation another Expedient was propounded which was to defer signing the Treaty till our Sovereigns should be inform'd of all things and should declare themselves upon this Affair either at Ratisbonne or at the Time of the Pacification Now to the end that in an Affair of so much Delicacy and of so high Importance
Arbitrators shall adjudge to her in case they do adjudge any thing at all but if so be they adjudge nothing or less than the said Sum then there shall be a restitution and this compensation allowance or restitution as also the fund and charges of the Process shall be regulated by the Sentence of the Arbitrators But if Madam the Dutchess of Orleans do not give satisfaction to the form of the Compromise either in the Instruction of the Process or in the Answer that shall be produced by the Elector Palatine or if she delays it the course of the said yearly payment shall be interrupted only during that same time the Process going on still according to the form of the Compromise Done at the Palace of Ryswick the 30th of October 1697. 'T is not my Business to answer the foolish Objections some ill-willed Persons have made against the stability of this Peace However I shall observe That tho this Peace with the Empire was not so advantageous to it and the Restitution of Lorrain not in so ample a manner as could have been wished for yet if it be considered that France has given up very considerably on this side and some places she had long been possessed off particularly Brisac which hath appertained to that Crown for very near 60 Years That by the Taking of Casal and the Peace with Savoy she is entirely precluded out of Italy that the same Barrier is left in Catalonia as before And that there is a stronger Frontier in the Low Countries by her Restitution of all she took since the beginning of the War with the Addition of Dinant and Luxemburg If these be put together it 's not likely that Crown will begin another War in hast whatsoever our Male-contents at home or any Enemies we have abroad may â—atter themselves with especially considering the inward weakness of that Kingdom and the strong Union there is between the Crown of England and the Republick of Holland whose Naval Powers are so Formidable and Interests so great in all the Parts of the World Over and above all this we are to note His Most Christian Majesty is now in an advanced Age which is usually attended with an ill Habit of Body and too wise a Prince easily to be brought to engage himself in the Toils and Uncertainties of another War especially in that there was so little gained or I should have rather said so much lost by this To say nothing of that Regard he will undoubtedly have to the Interests of his Posterity as well as his Dominions whose Affairs at his Death he will be very unwilling to leave embroiled with those of their Neighbours It remains therefore now that I take notice that his Majesty King William staid in Holland till all was over and after having very Honourably paid off all the Forreign Troops who by this time were Marching to their respective Homes after the Toyls of this long War He returned to England and upon the 16th of November at the Citizens request made His Publick Entry thro' London being attended by all the Men of Quality in very great State and never I am sure in one Day saw so many People and all of them His own Subjects in all His Life-time and in whose Affections He Triumphed as much as ever he had done at any time over His Enemies and may He always do the first and never have occasion for the second but may we long live under the Benign Influence of His Reign who hath Rescued our Religion and Liberties out of the Jaws of Hell and Destruction so intrepidly â—ought our Battles for us and now at length restored unto us the Comforts and Blessing of a Firm and Honourable Peace Having now run thro' all the Transactions both of War and Peace that fell out within the revolution of this Year we shall draw towards a closure of it with the meeting of the English Parliament December the 3d And see how his Majesty was pleased to deliver himself to them upon this Conjuncture and this he did in these Terms My Lords and Gentlemen THE War which I Entred into by the Advice of my People is by the Blessing of God and their Zealous and Affectionate Assistance brought to the End We all proposed an Honourable Peace which I was willing to Conclude not so much to Ease My Self from any Trouble or Hazard as to free the Kingdom from the Continuing Burden of an Expensive War I am heartily sorry My Subjects will not at first find all thâ— Relief from the Peace which I could wish and they may expect but the Funds intended for the last Year's Service have fallen short of Answering the Sums for which they were given so that there remain considerable Deficiencies to be Provided for There 's a Debt upon the Account of the Fleet and the Army The Revenues of the Crown have been anticipated by My Consent for Publick Vses so that I am wholly destitute of means 〈◊〉 support the Civil List and I can never distrust you 'll suffer thâ— to turn to My Disadvantage but will provide for Me during my Life in such a manner as may be for my Honour and for the Honour of the Government Our Naval Force being increased to near double what it was at My Accession to the Crown the Charge of maintaining it wilâ— be proportionably augmented and it is certainly necessary for the Interest and Reputation of England to have always a great Strength at Sea The Circumstances of Affairs Abroad are such that I think My Self obliged to tell you My Opinion that for the present England cannot be safe without a Land Force and I hope We shall not give those who mean us ill the Opportunity of Effecting that under the Notion of a Peace which they could not bring to pass by a War I doubt not but you Gentlemen of the House of Commons wil take these Particulars into your Consideration in such a manner 〈◊〉 to provide the necessary Supplies which I do very earnestly Recoâ—mend to you My Lords and Gentlemen That which I most delight to think of and am best pleased 〈◊〉 own is That I have all the Proofs of My People's Affection th◠〈◊〉 Prince can desire and I take this Occasion to give them the 〈◊〉 Solemn Assurance That as I never had so I never will nor 〈◊〉 have any Interest separate from theirs I Esteem it one of the greatest Advantages of the Peace that I shall now have leisure to rectifie such Corruptions or Abuses as may have crept into any part of the Administration during the Wâ— and effectually to discourage Prophaness and Immorality and I shall employ My Thoughts in Promoting Trade and Advancing 〈◊〉 Happiness and Flourishing Estate of the Kingdom I shall conclude with telling you That as I have with the Hazard of every thing Rescued your Religion Laws and Liberties when they were in the Extreamest Danger so I shall place the Glory of My Reign in preserving them
enters into the Confederacy c. 387 c. His Articles with the Emp. 389 c. with the King of Spain 390 c. invades the Dauphinate 472. His Sickness and recovery 473 c. His Letter to the States of Holland 533. Makes a separate Peace 563. His Envoy's Harangue to the late King James 574 c. Saxony the Elector of his death 96. Another General of the Confederates on the Rhine dies 457. Another's death 507. Fights the Turks 577. Chosen King of Poland 594. His Letter to the Polish Republick 638. His Declaration to his Saxon Subjects 639 c. Schultz General successful in Vpper Hungary 160. Defeats Count Teckley ibid. Schomberg Duke of lands in Ireland 324. Scinta a Battle there 215. Scio taken by the Venetians 506. quitted 536. Scotland an Insurrection there 77. Covenanters murder the Archb. of St. Andrews ib. Their Proclamations 78. Proposals to Monmouth ib. are routed 79. Segedin besieg'd by the Imperialists 214. surrendred 215. Serasquier his Letter to the Duke of Lorrain 189. Shaftsbury the Earl of committed to the Tower 111. Sidney Mr. his Embassy into Holland and for what 83. His Memorial to the States 84. Makes a defensive League with 'em 86. Sidney Col. his Trial 124. Execution and Papers to the Sheriff 125 c. Sign besieged by the Venetians and taken by storm 220. Besieg'd by the Turks and relieved by the Venetians 238. Skelton Mr. discovers the Pr. of Orange's Intention 258. Solyman made Em. of the Turks 238. Spaniards sign the Peace with France 41. Their Ambassador resents the States Answer about Maestricht 70. Prevail in Catalonia 531 c. Staremberg Count Governour of Vienna prepares for its Defence 135. His Letter to the Duke of Lorrain 139. His other Letter to the Duke of Lorrain 141 c. States General their answer to the French King's Letter 20. displease the Confederates ib. Order their Embassador to sign the Peace 21. Exclaimed against by the Northern Confederates 38. their Answer to the Elector of Brandenburgh's demands 68. To the Spaniards for Maestricht 69. A Letter from an unknown hand to them 83. Their resolution as to the Invasion of England 283. Steenkirk the Battle there 462 c. Stetin taken by the Brandenburghers 12. Strasburg how possest by the French 112. Sunderland Earl of his Letter to a Friend 264 c. Syclos taken by the Imperialists 213. T. TAlbot Col. disbands the Protestant Army in Ireland 182 c. Tartars attack the Germans Baggage 133. ravage Poland 415. Teckley Count makes himself P. of Transilvania 409. Themeswaer besieg'd by the Imperialists 576. Tyrconnel Earl of made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 223. His Proceedings ibid. dies at Limmerick 434. Toleration of Religion to Papists in Scotland 205. in England 223. Tour the President de la his Speech to King VVilliam 407. Transilvania revolts from the Emperor 233. reduced 234. Truce signed between France Denmark and Brandenburg 63. expired 64. between France and Spain c. for 20 Years 150 c. Turks advance to Austria 132. waste the Frontiers of Hungary and Austria 134. besiege Vienna 135. beaten from before Vienna 145 c. routed at Barkan 147. beaten at Gran 187. routed at Scinta 215. beaten at Chialafa by the Venetians 216. defeated at Navarino 217. Reasons of their not succeeding against the Germans 504. Turkey the Revolution there 253 c. V. VAlentia besieg'd by the French and Savoyards 575. Vallona besieg'd by the Venetians 418. deserted by the Turks 419. Vaudemont Prince his gallant Retreat 515. Vaudois persecuted 397. rout the French 356. Venetians make Incursions into the Turkish Territories 162. take the Isle of Narenta c. 164. possess themselves of the whole Province of Mayna 195. rout the Turks 241. their Letter to the new Doge and Instructions 255 c. beat the Turks at Sea 419. defeat the Turks at Argos 537. beat the Turks by Sea 580. Verace discovers the P. of Orange's Designs upon England 258. Vicegrade besieged and taken by the Imperialists 154. taken by the Turks 187. Vienna in great Consternation 133. besieged by the Turks 135. a Journal of the Siege 136 c. it siege continued 142 c. relieved 145. Villeroy Marshal de his Letter to the Governour of Brussels 521. fails to relieve Namur 529. Virovitz taken by the Imperialists 159. Vrgel taken by the French 448. W. VVAisen surrendred to the Imperialists 155. Walcour the Action there 329. Waterford surrendred to the English 377. Weesell a Conference there between the Allies 10. Wheeler Sir Francis cast away in a Storm 492. Whitchal burnt 673 c. Widin surrendred to the Imperialists 354. surrendred to the Turks 411. William III. King his Speech to the Parliament 358. lands in Ireland 366. wounded 368. Victorious over the Irish Army at the Boyn 370 c. his Proceedings in Ireland 378 c. goes for England 383. his Speech to the Congress 421. his Speech to the Parliament 457 c. his Speech to the Parliament 491. signs several Bills 493 his Letter to Prince Vaudemont 514 c. his Speech to the Parliament 538 c his Speech in Parliament concerning the Assassination 550. another Speech to the Parliament 582 c. his Speech at the Conclusion of the Peace 670 c. another Speech 674. goes for Holland 675. Y. YOrk Duke of withdraws to Flanders 75. returns 81. sent High Commissioner into Scotland ib. his cruelty to the Earl of Argyle 111. Z. ZEnta the great Battle there 633. FINIS July 1676. Maestricht besieg'd by the Prince of Orange Siege raised Philipsburg surrender'd to the Imperial Army The Demands of the several Princes Valenciennes besieg'd The Battle of Mount-Cassel The Fr. K.'s Letter to K. C. 11. Ghent besieg'd and taken K. Charles II. tempted with Moncy by France The States Answer The Confederates angry with the States The Dutch order their Embassadors to Sign the Peace The Peace obstructed The Treaty of Alliance between England and Holland Du Cross's Message The Peace between France and Holland Signed The Battle of Mons. Mr. Hyde's Memorial to the States Prince of Orange's Censure of the English Court. Articles against Mons Beverning The Conferences renewed Rugen taken Denmark and Brandenburg's Remonstrance to the Imperial Embassadors The Imperial and French Embassadors agree to Sign the Peace The Abstract of the Imperial Articles of Peace The Elector of Brandenburg's Demands of the States The Spaniards demand Maestricht of the Dutch The States Answer The Spaniard rejoinâ— The Spanish Ambassador resents it Popish Plot discovered Godfrey murdered K. Charles II's Letter to the Duke of York K. Charles II chooses a new Council Insurrection in Scotland The Scotch Rebels Proclamation Their Second Proclamation They make Proposals to the Duke of Monmouth The Duke of Monmouth fights and routs the Covenanters The Story of the black Box. K. Charles II. disclaims any Marriage with the Duke of Monmouth's Mother K. Charles II. sick and the Consequence of it Duke of Monmouth
had been a little more hastned the News of it had come in time to have saved a great many brave Mens Lives by preventing that Engagement The main Purport of this Peace was The Re-establishment of the Treaties of Westphailia without any Derogation from them except in a few Particulars and that for avoiding those Differences which commonly arise among Princes about the Confusion of Limits But the Reader will be better pleased to have the distinct Particulars and they are these that follow I. THAT there shall be a firm and lasting Peace between them and free Commerce by Land and Water II. All Hostilities to cease within 10 Days after the Exchange of the Ratification III. A general Oblivion of all that is past IV. The Treaties of Munster and Osnuburg to remain in full Force V. The Elector to restore to Sweden all he has taken in Pomerin during this War as Stetin Straelsond c. VI. But that the Lands on the other side the River Oder shall remain in Sovereignty to the Elector VII That Golnow shall at present remain in the Hands of the Elector he paying 50000 Crowns to the King of Sweden who upon payment of that Sum shall have the same restored to him VIII The King of Sweden quits the Toll which he received at Colberg and other Places in Pomerania pursuant to the Treaty made at Stetin 1653. IX Quits likewise all Rights and Revenues of the Lands on the other side of the Oder which remains by this Peace to the Elector X. Frees the Inhabitants of the Oath of Allegiance by them taken to him XI The River Oder to remain in Sovereignty to Sweden and the Elector is not to build any Forts or strong Holds on it as far as the Territory of Sweden reaches XII The most Christian King shall presently after the Exchange of the Ratification draw his Forces out of the Countries and Places of the Elector except 1000 Horse who are to remain in Wesel and Lipstadt till the Peace be entirely concluded XIII That the Elector shall draw his Forces out of the Field but because the King of Sweden wants Troops the Elector shall keep Garisons in the Places in Pomeren viz. 2000 Men at Straelsond 1200 or 1000 in Stetin and so in other Places proportionable till such time as Sweden sends over Men to receive them XIV That the Elector may take away the Cannon and Ammunition he hath brought into those Places but must leave what he found there XV. That all Endeavours shall be used to make the Peace with Denmark and that in the mean time the Elector shall not give that Crown any Assistance XVI The most Christian King obliges himself to procure the Crown of Sweden's Ratifications of this Treaty in 3 Months and as long as it is wanting the Elector is not obliged to restore the Places above-mentioned The Ratification between France and the Elector to be exchanged in a Month. But France somewhat to sweeten these hard Conditions put upon this Gallant Prince the Elector of Brandenburg in parting with such large Conquests as he had made in the Course of this War upon the Swede promised by a Separate Article to pay or cause to be paid unto him the Sum of 300000 Crowns towards the re-imbursing in some manner the vast Charges he had been at in making and prosecuting the said Conquests The Elector had no sooner made up Matters upon these hard Terms with his Enemies but he bethinks himself of trying whether his forsaken Friends who were the main Occasions to bring him to it would at all consider him And therefore he writes a Letter to the States-General wherein he did set forth That in the deplorable Condition his Country's Interests in Westphalia were in at that present it might be easily judged whether he had more Reason to complain of those who as Enemies had thus fallen upon him or of those for whose sake All that had happened to him who instead of giving him the Assistance required by their Treaties had neglected them and made a Separate Peace thereby as well abandoning his as their own Affairs and laying upon him the whole Burden of the War in which he should have had no part had it not been for his Desire to help his Friends in their Misfortunes as if it had been a Consolation to their High and Mightinesses to see him who had endeavoured with all his Might to save them from utter Destruction as a Recompence totally ruined That he did not think it necessary to set before them more Particulars of what he had suffered for his assisting them and how his Countries of Cleves Mark Ravensberg and Minden in sight of their Armies had been quite ruined and desolated which they had already understood from his Ministers according to the Orders he had given them That he had expected they would have returned him an Answer to the Letter in which he advised them of the Dangers that threatned him and desired their Assistance that so at least he might have had the Comfort to see the Concern they had for his Misfortunes which he had the more Reason to expect for that it could not but be yet fresh in their High and Mightinesses Memory how in their greatest Necessity he had hazarded all for them and preferred their Friendship before the most advantagious Conditions that were offered him That their High and Mightinesses would according to their great Wisdom comprehend that he ought not to bear these inestimable Damages for their sake without Compensation and that according to all Right he ought to expect the same and his Indemnity from those who might and ought to have prevented them That therefore he wrote to their High and Mightinesses that Letter that they might not think that he had swallowed their unjust Proceedings or quitted the Obligations his Alliance with them laid upon them But that as he on his part had always performed his Promises and Engagements and done even more than they required so he expected the like from them or in Default thereof Satisfaction for the same and reserved to himself and to his Posterity all the Right belonging thereunto That he prayed God to preserve them from all Misfortunes and hostile Invasions for the future that so they might not to their great Prejudice come to know the Consequence of forsaking faithful Friends The States who had once before failed in that respect that was due to the Elector by not answering his former Letter would not offend further in that Particular by turning a deaf Ear to this also tho' in Substance the Elector had as good as have received no Reply at all However they acknowledged in the first place the great Services the Elector had rendred their State and particularly in the late War assuring him That they would always keep the same fresh in Memory and make all suitable Returns as it should be in their Power Then they let him see how that they themselves had not been wanting