be allow'd to fend fome of his Minifters to Holland, or that the Allies would be pleas'd to fend fome Minifters on their part to France.

Upon this the Allies being always ready to come into a Peace, chofe Monfieur Pettecum, the Minifter of HolsteinGottorp, and fent him to France, to hear what Expedient the French King would propofe, with relation to the 4th and 37th Preliminaries; but inftead of that, he only brought back an Answer from the Marquifs de Torcy, that the King of France difown'd all the Preliminaries, and demanded a formal Negotiation, or a General Congress for Peace with all the Confederate Minifters. This Demand being fo contrary to the French King's Promifes, and the Expectation of the High Allies, who had always look'd upon that Propofal to be ex-v tremely dangerous, and had therefore rejected it oftner than once; the States General were fill'd with fo juft an Indignation againft it, that they publish'd a Proclamation, in fubftance as follows:

"That they could infer nothing from this way of acting, "but that the Enemy was not yet serious in their Pretences "to come to a good and fecure Peace: That there was no "trufting to the Proteftations of their good Intentions, fince "the Effects did not answer them, and that their only Defign was to raise Jealoufies and Discord among the Allies "and in their Republick, if poffible. In the mean time,

fince the French feem refolv'd to continue the War (as ap " pear'd by all publick and private Advices, and by the Prese parations which they made every where with more Zeal "and Diligence than ever) it neceffarily follow'd, that it "would be very unbecoming the Wisdom and Prudence of "the State to fuffer themselves to be feduc'd by the Ene"mies loofe Affurances of their Inclinations to a Peace, or "by the weak Appearances of it; and that they ought in no wife to fuffer themselves to be diverted from proτσ viding what was neceffary to continue and push on the "War, in hopes that God would continue his Bleffing on the " Confederate Arms: That now was the time when the Al

lies more than ever ought to ftrengthen one another's "hands, and concur in the Profecution of a War, wherein "God Almighty had blefs'd the Arms of the State and their "High Allies, with fuch wonderful Succefs: That to con"clude this War to the Glory of the Confederates, and the "Welfare of all Europe, they muft not lose any of the Ad"vantages which they had acquir'd with fo much Danger, "Expence and Blood. And that for this end it was neceffary the Allies fhould exert their utmoft Efforts without any Delay, and lofe no time in their Preparations to begin

••

"the

the Campaign early before the Enemy, and to push them te with Vigour.

As foon as France was inform'd of this Proclamation, the Marquifs de Torcy wrote to Monfieur Pettecum, as follows:

"That they very well forefaw that those who did not de"fire Peace, would not fail, as ufual, to accufe France of In"fincerity, and to throw the breaking off the Negotiation cr upon her. That to answer the Objection fo often re"peated, would make his Letter as tedious as useless: That "unfortunately the time was too fhort to be spent in need"lefs Arguments; therefore to abridg the matter, he fent "him in a separate Memorial, the Conditions on which the "King was willing to treat, and those which his Majefty "could not accept in the manner they were demanded of "him, because the Execution of them was not in his power; "and that it would not be the way to make Peace, for his Ma"jefty to engage himself to what he could not perform: "That he pray'd Monfieur Pettecum to communicate the "faid Memorial to the Penfionary, and to demand an An"fwer to it, and that he was of Opinion an Affair of this "Confequence did very well deferve a Conference; and "that they should admit fomebody to come from the King

to treat of this Matter in Holland, which he defir'd Mon"fieur Pettecum likewife to demand: That they had printed "at the Hague the Answer of the Marquifs de Torcy to Mon"fieur Pettecum, when he left Paris, of which he had receiv'd 66 a Copy, and that he knew not why they had added at the

end of it the Propofal, which was made him to return, and "adjuft the Formalities about the manner of a Congress: "That he had likewise seen some Letters from Holland, which "alledg'd Monfieur Pettecum to have faid, That he was

charg'd, at his Return to the Hague, to propofe in the "name of the King, fome Partition for the King of Spain; "but that he did not believe this, because no fuch Commif"fion was given him: yet he was of Opinion that this per "haps might be the fureft Method to remove the Difficulties "as to those Articles which the King could not agree to: "But that after all, this Affair could not be well treated of, "till fecret or publick Conferences were agreed on for a "Peace. He concluded with a Wish, that the New Year, "which was then at hand, might be the happy time when "God would infpire Men with more pacifick Thoughts than "they had entertain'd in the preceding years."

The Memorial which the Marquifs de Torcy defir'd Monfieur Pettecum to communicate to the Penfionary, and to demand his Answer, was as follows:

"Firft,

"Firft, That as to Spain, the King would give an authentick Promife to own, immediately after figning the "Peace, the Archduke Charles of Auftria to be King of Spain, and in general of all the Dominions depending on "that Monarchy, both in the Old and New World, except. "only the Dominions and Countries which were ftipulated "to be difmember'd from it, for the King of Portugal and "the Duke of Savoy, by virtue of the Treaties which they "had made with the Emperor and the Allies; and also except fuch Places as the Archduke had ingag'd to give to "the States General of the United Netherlands.

"The King would likewife promife not only to with"draw all the Succours which he had been able to give to the "King his Grandfon, but also that henceforward he would "fend him no Affiftance, directly or indirectly, to maintain "him on the Throne.

"And as a Security for the Effect of this Promife, his "Majefty would willingly truft the States General with four "of his Places in Flanders, which he himfelf should name, "to be kept by them till the Affairs of Spain were deter"min'd, as an Hoftage or Security for the Performance of "his Promife, not to concern himself directly or indirectly "with the Affairs of that Monarchy.

"His Majefty obliges himself further to forbid his Subjects under fevere Penalties, to lift themselves in the Ser"vice of the Catholick King, or to join his Troops; and "this fhall be fo ftrictly observ'd, that none fhall dare to act contrary to the Prohibition.

σε

"That his Majefty would alfo confent, that neither the "Monarchy of Spain, nor any Part of it, fhould ever be "united to the Monarchy of France; and that no Prince of "the House of France fhould be capable to reign, or to ac"quire any thing in the Extent of the Spanish Monarchy, "by any of the Ways and Means which fhould be specify'd.

"That the Spanish indies fhould be comprehended in all "which fhould be faid with relation to the Monarchy of "Spain, as being a part of it; and that the King would "promife, that no Veffel belonging to his Subjects should go "to the faid Indies, either for Trade, or any other Pretence "whatsoever.

"Secondly, As to the Emperor and Empire, the King obliges himself to reftore the Town and Citadel of Straf "burg, in the fame Condition as at prefent: That Fort "Kehl fhall be reftor'd in the fame manner, with the Ar"tillery specify'd in the 8th Article of the Preliminaries, "and the Town of Strasburg fhould be henceforward reftor'd "to its Prerogatives and Privileges, as an Imperial City,

"and

"and enjoy the fame as it did before it came under his Majefty's Dominion.

"That he would confent likewife to reftore the Town of "Brifac to the Emperor, with its Territory, and the Artil "lery specify'd in the 9th Article of the Preliminaries.

"That his Majefty would be content with the poffeffion of Alface, according to the literal Meaning of the Trea❝ty of Weftphalia, and the 10th and 11th Articles of the Pre❝liminaries.

"That he would leave the Town of Landau to the Em "pire, with liberty to demolish its Fortifications.

That, in a word, he would difmantle all the Forts "which he has caus'd to be built on the Rhine from Basil to "Philipsburg, and which were to be all specify'd.

"That his Majefty would confent that Rhinfield fhould * be put in the hands of the Landgrave of Heffe Caffel, and "that the fourth Article of the Treaty of Refwyck should be "difcufs'd in the Conferences.

"That his Majefty would acknowledg the Elector of Brandenburg in quality of King of Pruffia, with a Promise not to difturb him in the poffeffion of Neufchattel and Vallengin; and that he would alfo own the ninth Electorate, erected in favour of the Duke of Hannover.

"Thirdly, That as to England, the King would acknow"ledg the Princess Anne in quality of Queen of Great Britain, and the Order of Succefhon to that Crown, as the fame is fettled in the Proteftant Line, according to several "Acts of Parliament.

"That his Majefty would yield the Ile of Newfoundland to that Crown, and agree about a reciprocal Reftitution of all that he poffeffes in the Indies, as well on the part of France, as on that of England, during the prefent War. "That his Majefty will caufe all the Fortifications of Dunkirk to be raz'd, and the Harbour to be fill'd up, with a Promife that they fhall never more be repair'd.

"That he would likewife confent to the Design which the King of England form'd of leaving France, as foon as the Peace fhould be concluded; provided he has an entire Liberty to retire, and go where he please, and that he enjoy a perfect Security.

"Fourthly, As to the States General of the United Pro<< vinces, That the King would yield them for a Barrier all <<the Places nominated in the 22d Article of the Prelimi

naries, viz. Furnes, Fort Knoque, Menin, Ypres, Lifle, Tournay, Conde and Maubeuge, with their Dependencies, and on the Conditions fpecify'd by the faid Article.

"As to fuch Places in the Netherlands as belong alfo to "the King of Spain, That the King would withdraw his "Troops from the faid Places, and cause them to be de"liver'd up to the Archduke immediately after figning the

"Peace.

"That his Majefty would confirm what he has offer'd "to the States General on account of their Commerce, and "that the 25th Article of the Preliminaries fhould be punc"tually executed.

"Fifthly, As to the Duke of Savoy, That the King would grant the Demands which that Prince's Allies made for him by the 27th and 28th Articles of the Preliminaries; "but that his Majefty demands, on the other hand, that "the Electors of Cologne and Bavaria fhould be reftor'd to "their Dominions and Dignities, and their Minifters ad"mitted to the Conferences of Peace, there to defend their "Interefts.

"Laftly, That fince they were treating of Peace, and "not of a Truce, the Time fet for the Performance of the "Conditions fhould be according to the common Cuftom of "Treaties, after the Exchange of the Ratifications.

"That upon this Foundation the King propos'd again to "fend Plenipotentiaries for a Treaty of Peace, and to take "the Opportunity of the Winter for that end, before the "opening of the next Campaign.

"And that if the Offers which his Majefty made were not accepted, he declar'd that he was free from all manner "of Engagements, and that there would be no reason to impute to him the Prolongation of a War, which would "fhed fo much more Chriftian Blood.'

The Allies refus'd to accept the Plan contain'd in this Memorial, because they had no other Security for it but the word of a Prince, who has made himself fo potent and fo formidable to Europe, by breaking his Word as often as he gave it; and because they faw he would have a Peace, and not a Truce, fince the former left him more at liberty to violate his Faith, and to fupport the Duke of Anjou upon every favourable occafion. Besides, they perceiv'd there was Fraud in his Propofals: For, 1. This would have continu'd the War betwixt the Allies and the Duke of Anjou. 2. That the Conditional Peace he propos'd, was rather a Truce than a Peace. And, 3. That if his Defire for Peace had been fincere, the Truce would have been of no Prejudice to him, except he had broke his Word.

If after the fettling of the Treaty of Preliminaries with the Marquifs de Torcy at the Hague, France had left things in the fame Condition they were then, had she not

evacuated