'As for the intire Body and Members of the Monarchy they do not agree among themselves, unless in this, that they would have me quit the Whole: And tho' they infift loudly on this Point in Favour of the House of Au ftria, which they will not acknowledge otherwife than in the Two Males now remaining of it; yet they de ftroy that Point in favour of the Duke of Savoy, of Por 'tugal, and of Holland, for whom they exprefly referve, not only what had been already ftipulated among them felves, but likewife what fhall be ftipulated hereafter: 'Infomuch that they agree, without Diffimulation or Precaution, that the Dutch fhall remain Mafters, under the Title of a Barrier, of divers and confiderable Places, which they pretend to have been yeilded to them by the King my Grand-father in the Netherlands. 'Tis fufficiently known, what confiderable Parts of the State of Milan are at prefent in the Poffeffion and under the Power of the Duke of Savoy. All thofe which the Enemy have, or hope for, in Flanders, are lefs in the Power of him, whofe Name ferves to Colour their Ufurpation, than abandon'd to the Difcretion, Poffef 'fion, and Government of them all. They have promis'd · likewife to Portugal, to give him Slips or Parcels of Eftremadura, Caftile, Gallicia, and the Indies; tho' 'tis not yet known exactly what they are. In fhort, there wan'ted but one Thing more, that no Enemy of the Spanish 'Name, and of the true Religion, might go without fome Portion of that ideal Devaftation of my Monarchy: That is, they fhould have ftipulated fomething new for the Moors: but they feem to content themselves at prefent with having facilitated by Perfidioufnefs their pof'feffing themfelves of Oran, and with having done what they could to put them in Poffeffion of Ceuta, likewife, by infiting the Moors to continue the Siege, and by hindering the Place from being Succour'd, Thefe are the 'Proofs the Enemies of my Monarchy give, of the Singe'rity of their Endeavours to preferve it intire for the 'House of Auftria. A. C. 1709. They artfully affect to fpeak in general Terms, declaring that the reft of the Monarchy, which has not been promis'd to the Duke of Savoy, to Holland, or to Portugal, fhall remain to the Houfe of Auftria, But thofe who know how much the Court of Vienna delight in 'the Provinces (which belong to Spain) in Italy, and by whom the Kingdom of Naples and the Dutchy of Milan are govern'd, will prefently fee what Dignity and what Authority would be kept there by the unfortunate 'Prince, whom the Allies pretend to confine in Banish H 2 * ment, A. C. 1709. ment, under a pompous but empty Title, in a little Corner of Spain. 'Tis eafie to comprehend, that the King of the Romans will not fail, as eldest Brother, by 'favour of his Neighbourhood, and under the ftale Pretext of unlimited Rights of the Empire, to retain for himfelfnot only the faid Provinces in Italy, which he is actually ruining, but whatever elfe his Ambition may fuggeft to him; alledging, that to fatisfie the Treaty, 'tis fuffi cient that thofe Provinces remain in the House of Auftria. By this Means he will keep what he pleases; and 'for all Amends, will leave to those who imprudently hope otherwife, the fruitlefs Regret only of having de" ceiv'd themfelves. "Not Content with the Exorbitancy of their Pretenfions, they went fo far as to propofe for a fundamental Article, that the King my Grand-father fhould joyn his Forces to theirs, to the End, that if within the Term of Two Months I did not voluntarily evacuate Spain, I fhould be compell'd by Force to do it. A rash and scandalous Propofition; but yet the only One in which they fhew'd fome Remains of their Knowledge and Efteem of my Conftancy, and of the Fidelity and Valour of my Couragious Spaniards; seeing they therein confefs'd that fo great Powers united, left uncertain the Succefs which they would make fure of. < Their Prints in Holland leave no room to doubt of this; for to prevent in fome Meafure the Execration which fuch a Propofiton would raife in the Soul of Per'fons who make any Account of Juftice, Honour, and Humanity, they affirm openly, that without this Con" dition, the most difficult and most burthenfome Part of 'the War, which is that of Spain, would remain upon 'their Hands, "Thefe are the pernicious and proud Designs of our Enemies, who taking from us the Hopes of Peace, have thrown us back into War. But tho' the Injury done to my Perfon, and to the Honour of my Kingdoms, fufficiently incite me to profecute it with the greateft Vigour, yet this is not the Principal Motive that animates me. What touches me the most fenfibly, and what ought to inflame us all with a holy Rage, is the Intereft of the Catholick Religion, attack'd and prejudic'd by our Enemies; in which they find themselves encourag'd by the Difpofition of their Affairs, and by the Authority they have acquired by the Two Marragies, of the King of the Romans and of the Arch-duke his Brother, with Princess born and brought up in the Bofom of Herefie: Alliances by which they have procur'd in in the Course of this War, the deplorable Advantages A. C. which all the World knows. From this Cause, and for thefe Reasons it is, that the Difpofition of the holy Altars is left to the Hereticks; hence it is, that the first Thing we learn when the Allies take any Place in Flanders, is that they are to have Churches in them for the "Exercife of their falfe Doctrine; and the Preaching of it is ftipulated in the very Articles propos'd for Preliminaries, even with the fubtile Refervation of extending them further by a future Agreement with the Archduke. 'Who being beholden to them for all his Royalty both "Name and Thing, they well know, and they take good 'Order about it, will not be in a Condition to refufe 'them any Thing. This is the true and principal Motive which urges me to return into the Fire of the War, ftedfaitly refolv'd to share all the Dangers of it with my Subjects, and always to be the Foremost, fighting at their Head, in firm Confidence that God will protect the Juftice of my 'Caufe, and bless their couragious Efforts. And if my Sins are fuch, that the Divine Benediction fhall be withheld from me, at leaft I will fight to the laft drop of my Blood, with which may this most beloved Spanish Ground be dy'd in the Sight of my Subjects: Contented, if the Wrath of Heaven being appeas'd by my ChaIftifements, the Princes my Children, born in the Arms ' of my faithful Subjects, may enjoy a firm and quiet 'Throne, and if in Breathing my laft, I may flatter my felf with having blunted the Shafts of adverfe Fortune fo that thofe Royal Innocents, by whom God has been pleas'd to establish and Comfort my Monarchy, may at laft reap the fweet Fruits of Peace. For this Purpose, 'tis neceflary that my Subjects contribute to my Design, with their natural and renown'd 'Fidelity; and with their generous Efforts; that they unite with each other by fincere Chriftian Charity and mutual Affection; and that we have recourse to God, and to the holy Virgin Mary, the particular Protectress of Me and of my Kingdoms, by fervent and continual Prayers; applying ourselves to the rooting out of our "Minds all Vices, which often stop the Effects of the Divine Mercy. And thus being all well united, we will fight for our Honour, and for our Native Country, under the Influence of the Eternal Decrees of Divine Providence, against the blafphemous Pride of thofe who rafhly arrogate to themselves a Power to divide Empires, to difpofe of them, and to transfer them from H3 A.C. 'from one Nation to another. To which End &c. (1709. Differences The Treaty concluded at Rome, on the 15th of January between the 1709. N. S. between Cardinal Paulucci, and the Marquis Courts of de Prie, which for fome time was kept fecret, having at Rome and laft been made publick, was fo much refented in Spain, Madrid. that King Philip thought fit to give folemn Marks of his Difpleasure to the Pope, and thereunto order'd the Seat of his Nuncio to be taken away from the Chappel Royal, That Minifter endeavour'd, in a long Memorial, to juftifie his Master's Proceedings, which he afcrib'd to unavoidable Neceffity: But the Court of Madrid not being fatisfied with his Reafons, he was on the 5th of April, N. S. order'd to depart Spain, on which occafion the Duke of Medina Sidonia deliver'd to him a Letter to this Effect. SIR, The Duke of Bein Letter this Day, That the Accomodati Y the King's Order, the Marquefs de Mejorada tells Medina Si donias's Letter to Signi or Zanzera di,the Pope's Nuncio ordering bim, to depart Spain. on, which his Holiness has enter'd into, and which his Holinefs has declar'd with his own Mouth, in the Hear ing of the Ambassadors and Minifters of the two Crowns, is fo far unbecoming his Holiness and the See of Rome, as it has concern'd, and does itill, to his great Grief, concern his Majesty, who is a devoted and obedient Son, of the Church, and zealous for its Glory and Profperity, As to the Articles agreed upon in Favour of the Arch Duke, they are Injurious, Scandalous, and Incompatible with the Perfon and Dignity of the King and the whole Monarchy, the Nullity and Illegality of thofe Proceed ings are fo felf-evident, that his Holiness's Judgment and the Expreffions he himself made ufe of against them, are fufficient to fhew, That they are repugnant both to Reafon and Confcience. Thele Things being done, with Freedom and Premeditation, by one Prince againft andther, are fo prejudicial, that the Diffembling thereof would amount to no lefs than the Renouncing of the Obligation which God lays upon Princes, at the fame Time that he gives them the Crown; namely, to labour hard in the Setting forth his Honour and Glory, the Extirpating of Vice, and advancement of Perfection; which, without incurring the Guilt of injuftice, and rendring one's felf unworthy the World cannot be neglected. ff it is pretended, That thefe Facts were done against the Will and exorted by Military Execution, contrary to his Holiness's own Judgment; and that Tyranny alone requir'd the Submission of one under Oppreffion: And if if this Fear takes from the Malignity of the Inftruments which do the Injury, yet the Sufferer has ftill the fame Reafon and Obligation to revenge it. Be that as it will, whether his Holiness's Actions be look'd upon as done freely, and with Defign, or attributed to the indifpeníable Neceffity he lay under of striking to the Superior 'Power and Will of his Enemies, the King, reflecting upon his Glory and Security, and being fenfible of the Scandal he fhould bring upon his Duty, his Confcience, and his Honour, if he fhould connive at fuch Proceed ings, which can neither be justify'd in the fight of God, nor good Men, has the fame Right, and lies under the fame Obligation, to do his utmost to preferve his Rights and Dignity. The King being a devoted, obedient, and 'dutiful Son of the Church, and loving, honouring and efteeming his Holiness's Perfon, tho' highly fenfible of their pernicious Drift, will not look upon thefe Wrongs and Injuries as the Effect of his Holiness's Free-will; but, as an obedient Son, he defires to find such Reasons, in the Oppreffion of the Holy Father, as may render his Proceedings lefs Injurious. Moreover as a Proof of his Obedience, and for the Honour of his Prudence, he believes, That his Holinefs is fenfible (as, except he equivocated, he has e'er now declar'd) that he is oppref fed, That he is even become a Slave; That he ack'nowledges what he has done, to the Prejudice of the Two Crowns, who have render'd moft Service to the Church, to be null and unjuft, and owing purely to the Violence of the Two Princes, who have done him and his Territories moft Differvice, and fet at nought his Spiritual and Temporal Jurifdiction, forgetting how much he favour'd 'em in their unjuft War in Italy, against the Intereft of histwo faithful and fuffering Sons: and God knows their Repentance upon this Score, This is what the King, as his Holiness's dutiful Son, endeavours to perfuade himfelf; and he hopes, that he 'fhall hereafter receive the Satisfaction, which is his Due, 'Nevertheless, he thinks it neceffary to provide for his own Security, by preventing domeftick Troubles and foreign Tyranny, And fince 'tis not convenient to treat with a Prince, who, to flattter another, muft endeavour to clear himself, by faying, That he acts with Free dom, and at the fame Time, ftoop to the Commands of the most Barbarous and reprobate Men, (as his Holinefs calls fuch as make him a Subject) and fince his Majefty has order'd his Ambassador and Minifters to leave Rome; it is convenient, that your Highness fhould 'alfo depart thefe Kingdoms: For there is no Treating . H 4 with |