they offer to do all friendly offices for his Accommodation and certainly such endeavours cannot be made with greater likelihood of success any where else than at Nimeguen where all the Ministers of the Confederates are There we may labour to dispose them with hopes of success there we may be informed of what-ever may be necessary to promote the common good and may use all manner of endeavours which cannot be so successful either at St. Quintin or at Ghent The States General conceive the less hopes from such a Deputation because the Ambassadors of France did not instance as to what Expedients in particular their Deputies should come instructed and they think his Majesty may propose what he would have and do what-ever is to be done sooner and more readily at Nimeguen than either at St Quintin or any other Place They desire with all their hearts that his Majesty would propose some Expedients to further the Peace and themselves will at the same time make appear how affectionately they desire to help forward as much as in them lies the perfecting this great work and they earnestly desire that the time may be well husbanded for that as yet they find themselves in a condition able to conclude a Peace upon the terms that have been proposed though they have been involv'd in a great deal of trouble and been put upon a necessity of entring into new Engagements by their manner of acting whose expectations are not answered by the Peace and who represented the Evacuation of the Places to their Hi. and Mi. as a thing to be despaired of though they made those Engagements with such caution and regard to his Majesty that they can be of no effect unless the matter should fall out so unfortunately as that his Most Christian Majesty should set such a value upon the King of Sweden's Satisfaction and not to resolve to Evacuate the Places but upon those terms though the Exchange of the Ratifications ensued upon it The States General do instantly desire his Majesty to conclude the Treaties and not to suffer the finishing them to stick at the King of Sweden's Satisfaction and to make them so happy as to give them some assurance as soon as may be by taking up a favourable resolution which is the thing they so greatly desire The third Memorial of the Ambassadors of France given in to the Ambassadors of the States General of the United Provinces the 6th of August 1678. THe Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries of France to make appear more and more his Majesties sincere desire to give quiet to all Christendom by the care that his Majesty continues to take for the removing such obstacles as hinder the accomplishing so great a work declare to the Ambassadors of the States General that as his Majesty design'd to retain those Places till the King of Sweden were entirely satisfied onely because the Ambassadors of that Crown thought it necessary for the King their Master so he is now willing to desist if those Ambassadors will consent that he forbear to stand upon it It is evident that his Majesty doth not incline to any Party but out of his desire to finish the affair of the Peace as soon as may be and out of the confidence that he reposeth in the word of the States General he hath always desired that they would send their Deputies either to himself or to Ghent both to concert what will be necessary for the warranting to his Majesty the Engagement that Spain is to enter into of not assisting his Enemies nor those of his Allies and to agree upon such means as his Majesty should propose to them for the more easie restoring of Sweden without obliging them to enter into a War in order to it And one of the first effects that would ensue upon these Conferences would be that of taking measures to supersede all Acts of Hostility and of providing for the subsisting of Mons while the Conferences should last The said Ambassadors cannot doubt but that such an overture will remove those difficulties that have hindred the States General and that as the signing their Treaty and that of Spain was delayed onely by his Majesties pretending to retain all the Places so his desisting from that will enable them to sign the Peace They conceive likewise that the said States General will be sensible of his Majesties offers to surcease all acts of War and assure the subsistance of Mons which would perfectly be restored if the Peace were concluded with their Deputies so as there is ground of assurance that it will A Memorial given by the Ambassadors of Sweden to the Ambassadors of France this 9th of August 1678. THe Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden being informed that the Ambassadors of the States General at a conference with the Ambassadors of his Most Christian Majesty held the 28th of July would have imputed to Sweden the delay that was hapned to the conclusion of the Peace that is making up betwixt the King their Master and the States General conceive it is their duty to acquaint the Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries of his Most Christian Majesty how they have acted throughout this affair by which it will appear not to be long of them that the Treaty is not at present ready to be perfected and Signed In the first place as the regulation of Commerce makes the principal point of the Treaty on the part of the States General the said Ambassadors of Sweden have offered all the facilities that could be desired of them in order to it It was upon the 20th of June that the Count of Oxenstierne presented an Article for referring this affair to Commissioners which not being agreed to and the Ambassadors of the States General declaring that their Principals and Masters desired to see the regulation finished before the Peace were concluded the said Count of Oxenstierne consented to enter into the particulars of the States Project of Commerce and thereupon on the 27th of June acquainted Monsieur de Beverning Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the States General that he had drawn a Counter-Project upon some Articles not yet agreed which Counter-Project having been read to the Sieur de Beverning was immediately by his advice delivered to Sieur Silvercroon Commissary of Sweden with orders to go quickly to the Hague and help to inform the States General more fully by Word of mouth of the reasons upon which the Counter-Project was grounded the said Sieur de Beverning affirming likewise that he had writ to his Principals and Masters to appoint Commissioners to confer all matters with him as soon as might be Which though the said Sieur Silvercroon immediately did and the States General received the Counter-Project yet now in seven weeks time they have not return'd their answer to it and remitted the affair hither to be adjusted and finished by the Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries of both parties in order whereunto the Ambassadors of Sweden have not failed all this
of the United Provinces of the Low Countrys The King's Answer to the Letter of the States General of the United Provinces written from St. Germain the 30th of June 1678. Most Dear Great Friends Allies and Confederates You will easily judge after all that we have done toward the Facilitating of a Peace that we were very well satisfied to understand by your Letter that before the time which we had agreed to allow for a Cessation of Arms you had sent instructions to your Plenipotentiary Ambassador at Nemiguen to Sign the Treaty of Peace before the end of this month And by the assurance which you give us that at the same time those of the Catholick King will accept of it we see your inclinations are well disposed toward the general quiet of Europe We Promise our selves likewise that it cannot be long retarded by those of your Allies that hitherto notwithstanding all the good Offices which you have done towards it refuse to joyn with you in the procuring so great a good and so universally desired In the mean time as the Peace which we doubt not but will immediately be concluded with you at Nimeguen since we have your word for it puts us into a condition of rendring you our entire affection of which we take delight in letting you feel the effects we are willing at your desire from hence forward to surcease all acts of hostility to the Low Countreys and whatever obstruction our Men of War or Privateers may give to your Commerce Common usage would require that things should continue in the same posture they now are till the Peace were fully consummated by exchange of the Ratifications and publication of Treaties but without staying till they that are now to be Signed betwixt our Plenipotentiaries Ambassadors at Nimeguen those of the Catholick King and yours shall be come to our hands out of our respect to you we will send order immediately to the Duke of Luxemburg to retire our Army from about Brussells into that part of the Country that is now under our subjection We will charge him to concert upon this subject with the Duke De Villa Hermosa and even with your Envoy there and to settle some regulation for those Officers to be under that shall command the Troops which we are obliged to leave about Mons and on what manner they may continue without any acts of hostility on either side but in a good understanding and so as the country may be open till the Ratifications are exchanged with Spain Having thus quieted all things at Land we are willing at your instance to do the same by Sea The Treaty which Our Ambassadors must Sign with Yours will ascertain the Places and Times within which what ever shall be taken on either side shall be deemed lawful Prize But for the present security of such Vessels as shall Sail out of your Ports whether for Trade or Fishing we think good to send a competent number of Passports to our Ambassadors at Nimeguen whom we will order to deliver them to Yours as there shall be occasion They shall do the same to the Ambassador of Spain But upon this condition that when the Ambassador of the Catholick King and your Ambassador shall receive them they shall be obliged at the same time to put into my Ambassadors hands such quantities of Passports as they shall demand of them We are well satisfied in not suffering more tedious forms though ordinarily observed in Treaties of Peace to impair the benefit that ought to accrew to your people by this and in letting them tast the sweetness of Peace from this very time and in procuring the same ease to those of the Catholick King for your Sakes You may see by this new testimony of our Friendship that we retain the same good disposition towards your Common-Wealth which our Predecessors have had who did so much toward the Raising of it and which we hope will help to render it more happy and flourishing for the future We pray God to take you Most Dear Great Friends Allies and Confederates into his Holy Protection Written at St. Germain in Laye the 30th of June 1678. Your Good Friend Allie and Confederate LOUIS Underneath was Signed Arnauld Extract of the Resolution of their Lordships the States of Holland and Friesland at their meeting on the 11th of July 1678. THe Pensionary Fagel has shown to the Assembly a Letter of the 10th of this instant from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Treaty of Peace at Nimeguen written to himself importing that the Ambassadours of France have declared to them that the King their Master is not minded to Evacuate Mastricht nor the other places of the Bar till a compleat satisfaction be made to the King of Sweden Where upon deliberation we have thought fit that this matter be put in as from the States aforesaid to the States General to the end that answer may be returned to the Ambassadors of the States that it could not be believed nor expected that his Most Christian Majesty would have made the least difficulty in the Evacuation of those places after the Peace Signed concluded and ratified betwixt his Most Christian Majesty and Spain and this State and that the States could not foresee that there would arise any new obstructions or difficulties on his Most Christian Majesti's part after he had given them himself and by his Ministers so many assurances of his unfeigned inclinations not only to a general Peace but particularly to a Peace with this State It is very true that when his Mejesty compos'd a general platform for us to take our measures by it was put down in the first Article that his Majesty would never listen to any Terms of Peace other than such as should give the King of Sweden full and compleat satisfaction and his Majesty might with good reason insrst upon it and take care to have it effected if we had been able to dispose the Confederates to accept the conditions of that Project But since the Confederates did not think it their interests to make Peace upon those terms as the States foresaw at first they would not and that his Catholick Majesty would make some scruple as the Ambassadors of the State intimated to those of France desiring them to let them know what places the King their Master intended should make the Bar in the Spanish Netherlands and his Most Christian Majesty was pleased to assure the States by a Letter of the 18th of May written from his Camp in case his Catholick Majesty should refuse the Peace upon the said Terms and that the States would conclude their Treaty and oblige themselves to remain neuters that then his Majesty would always be willing to grant to Spain the conditions of the Project and promised not to lay Siege to any place in the Spanish Netherlands during the whole War without making any mention of Sweden or the rest of the Confederates Whereupon their Lordships the States
of the Towns cannot be imputed to them it being so prejudicial to the Interest of their Affairs that they can never be able to consent to it They farther declare that they will joyntly use their utmost endeavours for the accomodation of the Northern Powers who are now at War and who in effect Conform themselves to the Expedient which the French Ambassadors have proposed but if their Reflection be applied by way of Force and Constraint it cannot be in their opinion and expedient but a thing never heard of that by the Treaty of Peace instead of disengaging themselves from the War they should be constrained to turn it against their Allies They do not at all doubt that his Majesty has a Design to procure the Quiet of Europe and they will voluntarily Contribute on their part all they can possibly but they cannot by any means expect from his Majesties Justice that he would oblige them to it after so prejudicial a manner as the Retention of the Places will prove and upon so vexatious a Condition as that of waging War against their Allies their Mighty Lordships as they are wholly bent upon the Contribution of all friendly Offices for the accommodation of the said Affairs in the North. So also they promise themselves farther that his Majesty will be willing to issue out necessary Orders for the Conclusion and Signing of the Peace upon the Conditions profer'd and that he will furnish them with Expedients to Contribute also on their part to the Repose of Christendom This is that which the Lords the States General of the United Provinces have thought good to give in answer to the Memorial of the French Ambassadors at the same time Ordering their own Ambassadors to appear forward in the Concluding and Signing the Peace and most carnestly beseech the said French Ambassadors to Concur with them in that Business But if the Completing of so beneficial a Work and so universally desired be delayed upon the account of retaining the Places the said Ambassadors of the Lords the States General are obliged to protest in the name and behalf of the Lords their Masters that their High and Mighty Lordships do no ways obstruct the Peace from being brought to a happy Issue A Memorial delivered to the Plenipotentiaries of France by the Plenipotentiaries of Sweden July the 27th 1678. THe Declaration of his Most Christian Majesty that the Places should not be Surrendered to Spain and the States General before the Swedes should receive satisfaction is so Just and Generous that his Most Christian Majesty cannot but thereby come off with Honour and the King our Master with great Satisfaction We could wish that that Declaration might have reduced our Common Enemies to Reason but since it hath met with great opposition as appears by the Memorial of the Holland Ambassadors his Most Christian Majesty will without doubt Examine if to arrive at the end proposed thereby in consideration of the Re-establishment of Sweden it will be more proper to defer the Restitution of the Places with the prospect of making a general Peace of else agree to it as the States General desire to the end there may be procur'd a Compleat particular Peace with Spain and States General as well for France as Sweden On our part we are not sufficiently informed what thoughts the King our Master may have upon this Affair but as our Orders in general are that we ought to Conform our selves to the pleasure of France in the like Case that we have good proof of the Intentions and Care of his Most Christian Majesty and that we have not the Liberty to Correspond with the King our Master to understand his Orders We can assure you that the King our Master will remain satisfied with what his Most Christian Majesty shall judge sit to Resolve upon the account of the said Restitution of Places as we do also put our whole confidence in his Majesties Royal prudence who one way or other will furnish him with such means as may tend to his own Glory together with the absolute Re-establishment of his Ally This is all we have Order to say but if besides this we must explain our mind more particularly we are apt to believe that in this present juncture of Affairs the Compleating a particular Peace by the French and Swede with the Spaniard and Hollander would prove advantageous to the common Interest and withall Glorious to his Most Christian Majesty For it is for the advancement of the common Interest 1. To disengage themselves from 2 Enemies that are so much the more Considerable because they support others by their Aids 2. To avoid the new Rupture wherewith we are threatned which being over we cannot see how the Swedes will be able to make opposition if you consider only their Commerce 3. To divert the Engagements that are made against France and Sweden 4. To frustrate their Design who endeavour strictly to League together all the States of the Empire 5. To be able to reduce to Peace the other Allies who continue still in War and so procure a General one for which there is some probability since that upon the Rumor of Accommodation between France and Holland we see they were troubled and begin to yield 6. To be able to act Victoriously by force of Arms against the said Confederates in case that they refuse an Accommodation the War being to be carried on against them with greater ease when they are separated from those that have assorded them the greatest Supplies Besides it will be very Honorable for his Most Christian Majesty 1. To be able once more to restore Peace to Christendom 2. To break all the Intreagues of his Enemies 3. To Establish his Interests in what we have said before 4. To shew that he hath other ways for the Re-establishment of the Swedes besides that now in Question 5. To take occasion to make them sensible of the effects of his just Resentments towards them who in these present Intreagues have stood in opposition both to his good Designs and to his Glory 6. To disabuse them who by the Inductions of those that are evil inclined have questioned the sincerity of his Majesties Intentions in this Negotiation 7. To let the World know that the intentions of others have been in effect to oppose the general Peace since without that Impediment it might have been obtained These are the Reasons of our particular Sentiments which we beseech your Excellencies to take into your Consideration but for the remainder to testify to his Most Christian Majesty that we have no other Order from the King our Master but to depend upon his Care for our Security as hath been before Specified The second Memorial of the Ambassadors of France given into the Ambassadors of the States General the 29th of July 1678. THe Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries of France not thinking fit to give an answer at present to the Memorial of the Ambassadors of the States General
sincerity on our part for his Majestie 's greater satisfaction we have ordered our Ambassadors at Nimeguen to conclude and sign the Treaty of Peace with his Majestie 's Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries before the end of this Month with such of the Allies as shall be disposed to come into it In the meán time being assured that his Catholick Majesty will joyn with us in accepting the Peace we entreated his Majesty that he would be pleased from hence-forward to give necessary Orders to surcease all acts of Hostility by Land and to cause such of his Forces as are in his Country to retire about the end of this Month. Sir This is what we thought we ought to acquaint you with his Majesty having in a Letter to us express'd his desire to have it so The Hague 22 of June 1678. A Memorial presented to his Majesty of Great Britain at London by M. de Borgomanero c. the 5th of June 1678. SIR THE state of Affairs being now so urgent and the welfare or misery of all Christendom depending upon the safety of the Low-Countries I conceive it is my duty to represent to your Majesty how necessary it is for your Majesty who alone can put a stop to the King of France ' s progress in these Parts to maintain Forces by Sea and Land and cause them to draw as near Flanders as may be that they may serve as a Bridle to the common Enemy and your Majesty be in a condition to protect and defend Christendom from the utter ruine and oppression that the Most Christian King threatens it with In like manner I represent to your Majesty for the same Reasons that it is altogether necessary that your Majesty make an Alliance Offensive and Defensive with the King my Master and the Emperour who will be constant Allies and ready to run what-ever fortune your Majesty shall hazard for the common Cause not questioning but those other Princes that are now in league with the King my Master will immediately enter into such Alliance as your Majesty shall make and by this means Christendom will be secured against the oppression of France London the 5th of June 1678. A Remonstrance of the Ambassadors of the Elector of Brandenburg to the Ambassadors of the Lords the States General concerning the present Affairs of the Treaties of Peace Given at Nimeguen this 31. of July 1678. THE Ambassador of his Electoral Serenity of Brandenburg for the Treaties of Peace at Nimeguen having seen the Memorial of the Lords Ambassadors of France of the 17th of July wherein they endeavour to take away the Jealousies that might arise of the sincerity of his Most Christian Majesty's Intentions and of his faithfulness to his Word concerning the evacuation of the Places which he promised to restore to Spain and to their Hi. and Mi. the Lords the States General of the United Provinces thinks it fit and according to his duty to represent to the Lords the Ambassadors of the States General who communicated to him the said Memorial That as it is full of almost nothing else in every passage but great Designs of the Most Christian King against his Electoral Serenity his Master and other Princes that have made some Conquests upon Sweden so his Electoral Serenity promiseth himself as well from the friendship of the Lords the States and their fidelity of Word as from their justice and exactness in performing the terms of the Alliance that they will not help forward such perniclous Designs nor suffer them to be put in execution against one of their ancientest and most faithful Friend Neighbour and Ally and that has been no less concern'd for the preservation and re-establishment of their Common-wealth than of his own Inheritances and has not stuck at exposing what-ever is most dear and precious to him in the whole World for their sakes It is evident with what care his Electoral Serenity hath governed all his Actions so as not to give the least ground of discontent to Sweden and the sincerity with which he has renew'd former Alliances with that Crown is no less apparent by his applying them even to the present Conjunctures for the avoiding all manner of mis-understanding and rupture which yet happened by the violent Invasion made by the Army of Sweden towards the end of the year 1674. upon Marchia and Pomerania directly against those for whom such solemn Stipulations had been and contrary to the liberty which each Party had reserv'd to themselves in the said Alliance Which Invasion was the more unjust inasmuch as it was made at a time when his Electoral Serenity relying on the publick Faith had sent his Forces so far off that he was busie with them in Alsatia The Lords the States condemn'd and disliked this Proceeding no less than all other Christian Potentates throughout Europe did and God has made appear to all the World by what has ensued and by our marvellous success that his powerful Hand is able to protect the innocent and punish those that make so slight of Religion Alliances and Promises that have had the sanction of the publick Faith Their Hi. and Mi. and all others without doubt will agree that it were an unheard of piece of cruelty to deal with his Electoral Serenity as he is threatned in that Memorial for having made so vigorous and glorious an opposition to so unjust and forcible an Invasion The said Ambassador does not intend to lay open the weakness of the reasonings in the said Memorial of the Ambassadors of France assuring himself that their Hi. and Mi. will not fail to expose it to the World for the refutation of those that for want of solid Reasons have been forced to betake themselves to such weak and groundless Arguments since it appears that therein they contradict and directly thwart what the Most Christian King has avow'd and positively promised by the Letters and Resolutions which his Majesty has caused to be dispatched and delivered to their Hi. and Mi. and to their Ministers He will only represent what wrong would be done to his Electoral Serenity his Master if their Hi. and Mi. should give ear to such Conditions as conduce to no other end but that of serving the Interest of a declared Enemy by deserting a faithful Friend and Ally and at the same time exposing their own Common-wealth to the most dangerous hazard in the World which they have endeavoured out of their great prudence and with so much care to secure and shelter by means of a Bar in Flanders which the Most Christian King himself thought necessary for maintaining their repose but which will stand them in no stead if such another Bar be not likewise settled upon the Rhine Certainly there needs more then an ordinary assurance to undertake the perswading a whole Common-wealth consisting of so many wise and illustrious Members to renounce whatever the Faith of their Alliances and the true Interest of their own Common-wealth requires of them and submit
and his Enemies then were every body will easily believe that onely the desire of giving Peace to Europe was capable of making him loose so favourable a Conjuncture And it is from the same desire that he is still disposed to admit of Propositions that may secure the entire satisfaction of Sweden and procure the Tranquility which Christendom expects from this Assembly A Memorial delivered to the Plenipotentiaries of France by the Plenipotentiaries of Holland July the 26th 1678. THe Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries of their Lordships the States General of the United Provinces having received from the hands of the Lords Ambassadors of France the 11th instant a Memorial whereby they pretend to justifie the particular of the Retension of the Places the Restitution whereof were promised by his most Christian Majesty and wherein at the same time they invite their Lordships to enter into some way with his Majesty whereby they might draw and assure a perfect Satisfaction to the King of Swedes are obliged by express order from their Lords and Masters to represent to their Excellencies That their Lordships making a due reflection upon the method of his Majesties proceedings to terminate the present War and upon the advantagious expressions whereby he has particularly declared himself upon their account they cannot entertain so much as a thought that he would at present delay the accomplishment and conclusion by the said Retension being fully perswaded that such kind of obstructions cannot proceed from so generous a Soul as his Majesties but rather from the perswasion of those who are averse to a Peace They strongly possess themselves with this perswaasion that they cannot lay a more solid Basis for their justification than to give an ingenuous account of the beginning and progress of this Affair T is notorious that the Lords the States General have done their utmost endeavours without intermission to determine this present War by a General Peace wherein all Parties Interested might have had that satisfaction which they have so passionately desired as might have disposed all Persons whatsoever thereunto But such was their misfortune that the pretences of the other Allies being far different and very far from it and his most Christian Majesty having caused his Ambassadors at Nimeguen to propose those Conditions which might and ought to serve as a Platform to a general Peace and upon that consideration explaining himself that it was the last point that he could possibly dispence with and hereupon his Enemies might make choice either of Peace or War without being obliged after the 10th of this present May. And the Lords the States General taking into their consideration that the major part of the said proposed Conditions did concern their puissant Allies did carefully explain themselves that they might find out some Expedients and have endeavoured to dispose of Affairs so as that they might enter upon a Negotiation according to the said Platform to see what the Parties concerned at design'd but to their great regret they have been inform'd That it was not at all his Majesties intention to cause a Treaty or to admit any debate upon the Conditions proposed but that the Potent Parties that were at War ought simply to declare themselves before the Term of the 10th of May was expired whether or no they would subscribe the said Conditions Whereupon their Lordships have laboured continually with the Ministers of their Allies to understand their Sentiments But they excusing themselves upon the small time allotted for this great Affair and want of Order from their Masters wherewith they could not possibly be instructed before the Expiration of the term therefore their Highnesses not being able to assure themselves of the intentions of their powerful Allies especially the King of Spain in regard of the Acceptation or Refusal of the said Conditions And considering that the Stop proposed by his most Christian Majesty must also give them particular satisfaction have applied their farther endeavours to inform themselves how this stop should be considered in case the King of Spain should refuse to accept the said Conditions and thereupon his Most Christian Majesty hath been so kind as to honour them with a Letter written from his Camp May the 18th and to acquaint them that if the King of Spain denied to accept of the Peace and they judged it proper to conclude a Peace with him on the Conditions proposed upon their account and that they would engage to remain Neuter during the whole course of this War His Majesty in such Cases would upon their consideration grant the said King of Spain the same Conditions which he was at liberty to accept of at this present and that during that time he would not attack any place in the Low Countreys and if my Lords the States General in order to the advancement of this Negotiation should find it convenient to send Deputies to him that they would find his Majesty in the neighbourhood of Ghent till the 25th of the said month and under the same dispositions Farthermore the Lords of the States General having declared before the 30th of May to the Lords Ambassadors of France that for their parts they were resolved to conclude a Peace with his Majesty upon the Conditions proposed on their account and having desired a convenient time to the end that they might dispose their Allies to the same Peace and after the Receipt of the aforesaid Letter from his Majesty having determined to send to him the Sieur Beverning their Ambassador Extraordinary to represent unto him how earnestly they desired a general Peace that they did accept of the Conditions offered and that they desired his Majesty to grant them a Cessation of Arms for Six weeks that they might have time to discourse with their Allies upon the affairs of Peace and to gain their consent for the conclusion of so great a Work His Majesty was Graciously pleas'd to declare by his answer the first of June dated in his Camp at Wetteren that he did condescend to that Cessation for the space of six weeks as it was desired to commence from the first of July and the same according to the stipulation between France and Spain Anno Dom. 1668. With this proviso they should promise his Majesty that in case during the said Cessation of Arms they could not prevail with their Allies to accept of the Conditions offered they would neither directly nor indirectly assist them against his Majesty or his Allies during the continuance of this War And upon this consideration his Majesty was willing to Render by way of exchange the same engagements that he had obliged himself unto with them in his said Letter of the 18th of May as well in regard of the same Conditions which he would be always inclinable to grant to Spain as for the security of the Places in the Low Countreys And to give them a larger Testimony thereof his Majesty hath charged the Duke of Luxemburg General of his Forces to
when his Provinces were attack'd by the Arms of the King of France and they assure themselves that your Excellence is perswaded of it since your Excellence sees how much their Hi. and Mi. do to this day contribute to the preservation of his Majestie 's Country And notwithstanding this War has been continued many years and at an infinite expence yet the effects have been so unfortunate that the King of France being puff'd up with his Victories and Conquests will not come out of it but upon the Conditions that have been delivered at Nimeguen to the Mediators which your Excellence knows what they are Which Conditions considered in themselves are indeed too hard and of such a nature as they ought to be rejected which also their Hi. and Mi. would do in regard of their Allies and chiefly in regard of his Catholick Majesty as concerning the Low-Countries in the preservation whereof they find themselves so deeply interessed But when their Hi. and Mi. reflect upon the Power of the King of France which hitherto and during this War has been such that he has not only made Head against the Armies of his Catholick Majesty and those of the United Provinces and their Allies but has made great Conquests in divers Parts they conceive a just apprehension that these Conditions how hard soever ought yet to be prefer'd considering the present state of Affairs to a continuance of the War which in all probability would prove very fatal Which makes our Masters the States General of the Low-Countries incline to look upon these Conditions as receivable if they should have the happiness to find their Allies and especially his Catholick Majesty in the same Sentiments And should very much wish That your Excellence on the behalf of his Catholick Majesty would concur with them to make them as agreeable as may be to the other Allies And in the mean time give Order to labour for a prolongation of the Term which the King of France has given by his Proposition at Nimeguen We expect your Excellencie's Answer as soon as may be upon the premisses as being the only Subject of this Commission Brussels the 8th of May 1678 Jacob Boreel De Weede Answer of the Duke de Villa Hermosa of the 9th of May to the Memorial of the Deputies Extraordinary of the States General of the United Provinces of the 8th of May. HIS Excellence having considered this Memorial and that the loss of Flanders by the hardness of the Conditions of France will be greater and more dishonourable than by the ill success of Arms must hope that the States General will not further it since his Majesty wholly for its preservation has exposed himself to the manifest hazards of War which he has suffered so much by Also the punctual and religious observance of such strict Treaties with his said Majesty to which the publick Faith obligeth them will not permit him to make a doubt of it especially since his Majesty hath and always will havè a firm desire and intention to contribute as much as possibly he can to their preservation and that in regard of the Expedient propos'd of making new Alliances for the making sure the said impracticable Conditions of France it is to be considered that the time in which precisely they must be concluded can be no other than that of the Campagne from which by means of our so late Alliance with his Majesty of Great Britain we ought to expect by a more prosperous success some redress of Affairs and it would be a breach of Faith to abandon his Forces in this Conjuncture by admitting Conditions so forlorn and at the same time failing in our Fidelity to his Imperial Majesty and the other High Allies especially since the Emperour is resolv'd to run to the defence of Flanders rather than to the reparation of his own losses and the other High Allies are upon a Treaty of joyning and imploying all their Forces against France His Excellence being able likewise to assure them That the King his Master since the reduction of Sicily is resolv'd to imploy all his Power as his Excellence likewise all his Cares for the defence and re-establishing of this Country to which his Excellence hopes the States General will concur on their part in an Occurrence which as it is urgent so it concerns the greatest good of the common Cause as being the only mean to obtain a just and lasting Peace Given at Brussels the 9th of May 1678. A Memorial of the Deputies Extraordinary of the States General c. to the Duke de Villa Hermosa c. of the 14th of May. THE Lords the States General of the United Provinces having seen and perused your Excellencie's Answer to the Memorial that we their under-written Deputies Extraordinary presented the 8th of this Moneth could have wished That your Excellence had not only considered the Conditions offered by the King of France as they are in themselves but had also made reflexion upon the present state of Affairs and considered that the King of France being become Master of all the Frontier Towns of his Catholick Majestie 's Netherlands was entred into the heart of them and had made himself Master even of the Town of Gand being very strong in the Field and at the Head of a very formidable Army ready for any enterprize and in the greatest appearance in the world of succeeding and conquering where he will Whereas the Troops of the Allies not being yet come together much less in a condition to make Head against him and oppose his designs Hence it is that their Hi. and Mi. apprehend with great reason that what remains to the King of Spain in the Low-Countries will infallibly be lost if it be not saved by accepting the Conditions of Peace that are offered and it would be a thing very sensible to their Hi. and Mi. if what his Catholick Majesty has yet left in the Low-Countries should be so lost after such infinite expences and so much blood spilt for their preservation Your Excellence knows but too well by what has lately happened what Account one has to make of the Troops of the Confederates upon occasion The Assistance which is expected from his Majesty of Great Britain is very considerable and will be of great support to our Party but it deserves your Excellencie's consideration that those Troops are but newly raised and that it will require some time to enure them to the War that as yet there are but few of them in these Parts and we are uncertain when the rest will come whereas on the other side every moment is precious and great misfortunes may happen in a short space And moreover the States as they have made it to be declared to your Excellence are not in a condition to carry on the War in such manner and with so much vigor as they have done hitherto seeing their Treasures are exhausted and their People not able to contribute so much any longer As