and Warlike Stores. But 'tis understood, that if fince the Troops of the most Christian King enter'd Namur, any Magazine has been erected, or Stores of Artillery and Ammunition laid up in that Town and Castle, more than for their defence, they fhall be remov'd by the Of ficers of his moft Christian Majefty, in concert with those of the States General, at the time of the Evacuation; which fhall not, on this account, be retarded, but fhall be done within the time that fhall be limited: the whole on this exprefs Condition, that the Roman Catholick Religion fhall be maintain'd in all the faid Places to be deliver'd up, and in their Dependencies, in the fame manner as 'tis now establish'd there; except that the Garisons of the States may exercise their own Religion, as well in the Places yielded and made over for enlarging the Barrier, as in the Places of the Spanish Netherlands, that are to be restor❜d.

XXIV. And to the end that this Agreement may have its full effect, his moft Chriftian Majefty promifes not to caufe to be remov'd from this time, any Cannon, Artillery, or Ammunition, out of the Towns and Forts which are to be reftor'd and yielded up, by virtue of these Articles.

XXV. His Majefty fhall grant to the faid Lords the States General, in relation to their Commerce, what is ftipulated by the Treaty of Ryfwick, the Tarif (or Book of Rates) of 1664. the Suppreffion of the Tarifs made fince, the Revocation of the Edicts, Declarations, and Arrefts pofterior to them, contrary to the faid Tarif of 1664. and also the Abolition of the Tarif made between France and the faid Lords the States General, the 29th of May, 1699; fo that, with respect to them, the Tarif of the year 1664. only fhall be of force: And all Dutch Veffels trading in the Ports of France, fhall be exempted from paving the Tonnage-Duty of 50 Sols per Ton.

XXVI. At the figning of the Treaties of Peace, his Majefty fhall acknowledg the Ninth Electorate, erected in favour of his Electoral Highness of Hannover.

XXVII. The Duke of Savoy fhall be re-inftated in the poffetion of the Dutchy of Savoy, the County of Nice, and of all the other Places and Countries hereditarily belonging to him, and of which his faid Majefty fhall have poffefs'd himself by his Arms, during the Courfe of the

prefent

prefent War, without any Refervation; his Majefty confenting befides, that his Royal Highnefs fhall enjoy all the Countries, Territories and Places, which have been yielded and made over to him by the Emperor and his Allies.

XXVIII. That the King make over to the Duke of Savoy the Property and Sovereignty of the Towns of Exilles, Feneftrelles, and Chaumont, now poffefs'd by the Arms of his Royal Highness, together with the Valley of Pragelas; as alfo whatever lies on this fide the Genevre, and other Mountains: fo that from henceforward the faid Mountains may ferve for a Barrier and Limits be tween the Kingdom of France, and the Principality of Piemont.

XXIX. As to the late Electors of Cologne and Bavaria, their Demands and Pretenfions fhall be refer'd to the Negotiation of the Treaties of Peace: And the Difpofitions and Decrees of his Imperial Majefty, and the Empire, made and iffu'd during this War, fhall be maintain'd, with refpect to his Electoral Highness Palatine, who fhall remain in poffeffion of the Upper Palatinate, the County of Cham, and the Rank and Dignity with which he has been invefted by his Imperial Majesty; as also with respect to what has been done in favour of the Imperial Town of Donawert, and to several other Difpofitions of that nature. And for what relates to the Garifons which on the part of the Lords the States General may be plac'd in the Town of Huy, the Citadel of Liege, and the Town of Bon, they fhall remain there, till an Agreement otherwife be made with his Imperial Maje: fty, and the Empire.

XXX. And for removing all Doubts touching the Exe cution of the faid Articles, and furthering the Execution of them, upon which depends the Re-establishment of the general Tranquillity, and of reciprocal Confidence and Amity between the Parties:

XXXI. 'Tis agreed, That the farther Demands, which the Emperor, the Queen of Great Britain, and the faid Lords the States General may make in the Negotiation of the General Peace, as well as the moft Chriftian King, fhall not interrupt the Ceffation of Arms, which will be mention'd in a fubfequent Article,

XXXII. As for the Empire, the four Affociated Cir2 cles, the King of Portugal, the King of Pruffia, the Duke of Savoy, and other Allies, they fhall be free to make in the faid general Congrefs fuch Demands (befides what is above granted to them) as they fhall think convenient. XXXIII. The general Negotiation fhall be finish'd, if poflible, within two months, as is aforefaid.

XXXIV. And to the end the faid Negotiation may be the better terminated within the fpace of the faid two months; and that upon the Execution of the faid Articles, the Peace may immediately be made; 'tis agreed that there fhall be a Ceffation of Arms between the Armies of all the Parties who are at War, to commence every where, as foon as the Conclufion of the faid Articles fhall come to the knowledg of the faid Parties at prefent in War.

XXXV. The moft Chriftian King, to give proofs of his Defire and Inclination to put a fpeedy End to this Bloody War, promifes, immediately after the Conclufion and Ratification of the faid Articles, to evacuate, as is abovefaid, in the Netherlands, the Towns of Namur, Mons, and Charleroy, before the 15th of June next; Luxemburgh, Conde, Tournay, and Maubeuge, within fifteen days after; and before the 15th of July, the Towns of Newport, Furnes, with Fort Knocque and Ipres; and before the Expiration of thofe two Months, to raze and fill up (as is above ftipulated) the Fortifications and Harbour of Dunkirk, the delivering up of Strasburgh, and the Fort of Kehl, being refer'd to the Stipulation of the eighth Article.

XXXVI. His moft Chriftian Majefty promifes likewife, from the time of the faid Conclufion, and before the Expiration of the two Months after it, to execute all that has been formerly ftipulated, with refpect to the

other Allies.

XXXVII. And in cafe the King of France executes all that is above-mention'd, and that the whole Monarchy of Spain be deliver'd up, and yielded to King Charles III. as is ftipulated by these Articles, within the limited Term; 'tis agreed, That the Ceffation of Arms, between the Parties in War, fhall continue till the Conclufion and Ratification of the Treaties of Peace which are to be made.

XXXVIII;

XXXVIII. All this fhall ferve for the Bafis and Foundation of the Treaties of Peace to be made, which fhall be drawn up in the most ample Forms that have ufually been obferv'd in Treaties of Peace, with respect to Ceffions, Succeffions, Renunciations, Dependencies, and Appendages, Evacuation of Cannon, Artillery, and Stores of War, Galleys, Crews ferving in Galleys, without Coft and Charges, and the like Things.

XXXIX. The Ratification of the Preliminary Articles, above-fpecify'd, fhall be furnish'd and exchang'd, on the part of the moft Chriftian King, the Queen of GreatBritain, and the Lords the States General, before the 15th of June next; on the part of the Emperor, by the 1ft of July following, and of the Empire as foon as poffible: And upon the Delivery of the faid Ratifications of the Queen of Great Britain, and the Lords the States General, the Execution of what is ftipulated touching the Evacuation of the Places which his moft Chriftian Majefty is to reftore and yield up in the Netherlands, as alfo touching the Demolition of the Town of Dunkirk, and the filling up of its Harbour, and every thing granted to the faid Potentates, fhall immediately be fet about, and perform'd out of hand: The like Execution fhall take place, with refpect to what is ftipulated in favour of the Emperor, and King Charles III. after his Imperial Majefty's Ratification, and all that relates to the Empire fhall be executed, after the Ratification of the faid Empire fhall be exchang'd. As to the other Allies, the Articles that concern them fhall, be executed, after they have acquiefc'd with, fign'd, and ratify'd the faid Ar

ticles.

XL. And to haften the Conclufion of the Treaties of a General Peace, 'tis agreed, that on the 15th of June next, the Congrefs fhall begin in this Place of the Hague: And all Kings, Princes, and States in the Alliance, and others, fhall be invited to fend hither their Minifters Plenipotentiaries. And to prevent all Difficulties and Dif putes about the Ceremonial, and to forward as much as poffible the Conclufion of the General Peace, thofe of the faid Minifters who fhall have the Character of Ambaffadors, fhall not declare it, till the Day of figning the Treaties of the faid Peace.

Done, concluded, and fign'd, by the Plenipotentiaries of his faid Imperial Majefty, of her Majefty the Queen of Great Britain, and of the Lords the States General of the United Provinces, with the Minifters Plenipotentiaries of his moft Chriftian Majefty, in the Hague, the 28th of May, 1709. Eugene of Savoy, Philip Lewis Count de Sinzendorf, the Prince and Duke of Marlborough, Townend, Welderen, A. Heinfius, Bonima, Baron de Reed van Renswoude, Goslinga, Iterfum, Wichers, Wil. Buys, Van Duffen.

A Letter from the French Minifters to the Great Penfionary, dated from Gertruydenberg the 20th of July 1710.

SIR,

Y

OU know we agreed to all that Meffieurs the Deputies had propos'd to us, and none can fay we have vary'd upon any Point whatsoever, much less that we have retracted the Offers we had made by order of the King our Mafter, with Intention to procure Peace, fo neceffary to all Europe.

Meffieurs the Deputies have taken the matter otherwife. You have not forgotten what has pafs'd between them and us from the beginning of the Negotiation: Give us leave, Sir, to lay before you the Propofitions newly invented, unjuft, and impoffible to be executed, which those Gentlemen, for a final Answer to ours, made to us in the laft Conference: They told us,

That the Refolution of their Mafters and their Allies was to reject abfolutely all Offers of Mony on the part of the King to help them to maintain the War in Spain, whatever might be the Sum, and whatever Security his Majefty would give for the Payment.

That the State and its Allies would oblige the King our Mafter to make war singly against the King his Grandfon, to compel him to renounce his Crown; and that without uniting their Forces to thofe of his Majefty, they would