and the Castle of Ghent. Provided likewise, that the sentiments of England be particularly conformed to, relating to Dendermonde and Ostend, as places in no wise belonging to the barrier; and which, as well as the Castle of Ghent, can only serve to make the States General masters of the Low Countries, and hinder trade with England. And as to Lierre and Hal, those who are acquainted with the country, know, that these towns cannot give any security to the States General, but can only make people believe that these places being fortified, would rather serve to block up Brussels, and the other great cities of Brabant.

Secondly, As to what is said in the seventh article of the counter-project of England, relating to the augmentation of garrisons, in the towns of the barrier, in case of an open war; this is agreeable to the opinions of the said prince and count; who think likewise, that there ought to be added to the eighth article, That no goods or merchandise should be sent into the towns where the States General shall have garrisons, nor be comprehended under the names of "such things, as the said garrisons and fortifications shall have need of: And that to this end, the said things shall be inspected in those places where they are to pass; as likewise, the quantity shall be settled that the garrisons may want.

Thirdly, As to the ninth article, relating to the governors and commanders of those towns, forts and places, where the States General shall have their garrisons, the said prince and count are of opinion, That the said governors and commanders ought to take an oath, as well to the King of Spain, as to the States General: But they may take a particular oath to the latter, That they will not admit foreign troops without their consent, and that they will depend exclusively upon the said States, in whatever regards the military power. But at the same time they ought exclusively to promise the King of Spain, That they will not intermeddle in the affairs of law, civil power, revenues, or any other matters, ecclesiastical or civil, unless at the desire of the king's officers, to assist them in the execution: In which case the said commanders should be obliged not to refuse them.

Fourthly, As to the tenth article, there is nothing to be added, unless that the States General, may repair and increase the fortifications of the towns, places and forts,

where they shall have their garrisons; but this at their own expense. Otherwise, under that pretext, they might seize all the revenues of the country.

Fifthly, As to the eleventh article, they think the States ought not to have the revenues of the chatellanies and dependencies of these towns and places which are to be their barrier against France; this being a sort of sovereignty, and very prejudicial to the ecclesiastical and civil economy of the country. But the said prince and count are of opinion, That the States General ought to have, for the maintenance of their garrisons and fortifications, a sum of money of a million and half, or two millions of florins, which they ought to receive from the king's officers, who shall be ordered to pay that sum, before any other payment.

Sixthly, And the convention which shall be made, on this affair, between his Catholic Majesty and the States General, shall be for a limited time.

These are the utmost conditions to which the said prince and count think it possible for his Catholic Majesty to be brought; and they declare at the same time, that their Imperial and Catholic Majesties will sooner abandon the Low Countries, than take upon them other conditions, which would be equally expensive, shameful, and unacceptable to them.

On the other side, the said prince and count are persuaded, That the advantages at this time yielded to the States General, may hereafter be very prejudicial to themselves, forasmuch as they may put the people of the Spanish Netherlands to some dangerous extremity, considering the antipathy between the two nations; and that extending of frontiers, is entirely contrary to the maxims of their govern

ment.

As to the upper quarter of Guelder, the said prince and count are of opinion, That the States General may be allowed the power of putting in garrisons into Venlo, Roermond, and Steevensweert, with orders to furnish the said States, with the revenues of the country, which amount to one hundred thousand florins.

As to Bonn, belonging to the Electorate of Cologne and Liège, and Huy, to the Bishopric of Liège; it is to be understood that these being imperial towns, it doth not

M

depend upon the emperor to consent, that foreign garrisons should be placed in them, upon any pretence whatsoever. But whereas the States General demand them only for their security, it is proposed, to place in those towns a garrison of imperial troops, of whom the States may be in no suspicion, as they might be of a garrison of an elector, who might possibly have views opposite to their interests: But this is proposed only in case that it shall not be thought more proper to rase one or other of the said towns.

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE ENGLISH MERCHANTS AT BRUGES, RELATING TO THE BARRIER TREATY.

David White, and other Merchants, Her Majesty's Subjects residing at Bruges, and other Towns in Flanders, crave leave humbly to represent,

THAT whereas the cities of Lille, Tournay, Menin, Douay, and other new conquests in Flanders and Artois, taken from the French this war, by the united forces of Her Majesty and her allies, are now become entirely under the government of the States General; and that we Her Majesty's subjects may be made liable to such duties and impositions on trade, as the said States General shall think fit to impose on us: We humbly hope and conceive, That it is Her Majesty's intention and design that the trade of her dominions and subjects, which is carried on with these new conquests, may be on an equal foot with that of the subjects and dominions of the States General, and not be liable to any new duty, when transported from the Spanish Netherlands, to the said new conquests, as to our great surprise is exacted from us on the following goods, viz. butter, tallow, salmon, hides, beef, and all other product of Her Majesty's dominions, which we import at Ostend, and there pay the duty of entry to the King of Spain, and consequently ought not to be liable to any new duty, when they carry the same goods, and all others from their dominions, by a free pass or transire, to the said new conquests: And we are under apprehension that if the said new conquests be settled or given entirely into the possession of the States General for their barrier, (as we are made believe

by a treaty lately made by Her Majesty's ambassador, the Lord Viscount Townshend, at the Hague) that the said States General may also soon declare all goods and merchandises which are contraband in their provinces, to be also contraband or prohibited in these new conquests, or new barrier, by which Her Majesty's subjects will be deprived of the sale and consumption of the following products of Her Majesty's dominions, which are, and have long been, declared contraband in the United Provinces, such as English and Scotch salt, malt spirits or corn brandy, and all other sorts of distilled English spirits, whale and rape oil, &c. It is therefore humbly conceived, That Her Majesty, out of her great care and gracious concern for the benefit of her subjects and dominions, may be pleased to direct, by a treaty of commerce or some other way, that their trade may be put on an equal foot in all the Spanish Netherlands, and the new conquests or barrier, with the subjects of Holland, by paying no other duty than that of importation to the King of Spain; and by a provision, that no product of Her Majesty's dominions shall ever be declared contraband in these new conquests, except such goods as were esteemed contraband before the death of Charles II. King of Spain. And it is also humbly prayed, That the product and manufacture of the new conquests may also be exported without paying any new duty, besides that of exportation at Ostend, which was always paid to the King of Spain; it being impossible for any nation in Europe to assort an entire cargo for the Spanish West Indies, without a considerable quantity of several of the manufactures of Lille, such as caradoros, cajant, picoses, boratten, and many other goods, &c.

The chief things to be demanded of France are, To be exempted from tonnage, to have a liberty of importing herrings and all other fish to France, on the same terms as the Dutch do, and as was agreed by them at the treaty of commerce immediately after the treaty of peace at Ryswyck. The enlarging Her Majesty's plantations in America, &c. is naturally recommended.

AN

APPENDIX

TO THE

CONDUCT OF THE ALLIES;'

I

AND

REMARKS ON THE BARRIER TREATY.

"Nihil est aliud in fœdere, nisi ut pia et æterna pax sit." CICERO pro C. Balbo.

BEGIN to think, that though perhaps there may be several very exact maps of Great Britain to be had at the shops in Amsterdam or the Hague, and some shining genii in that country can, it may be, look out the most remarkable places in our island, especially those upon the sea-coast, or near it, as Portsmouth, Chatham, Torbay, and the like; yet it is highly necessary, that "Chamberlayne's Present State," " or some other good book of that sort, were carefully translated into Dutch, in usum illustrissimorum ordinum, or with any other sounding and pompous title, only signifying, that it was done for the use of our good allies, and to set them right in the nature of our government, constitution and laws; with which they do not appear to be so well acquainted as might be expected. I am sensible, that as things now stand,

"I gave the Examiner' a hint about this prorogation; and to praise the queen for her tenderness to the Dutch, in giving them still more time to submit. It suited the occasion at present."—"Journal to Stella," January 15th, 1712-1713.

This Appendix is reprinted from No. 16 of the "Examiner." T. S.] "Angliæ Notitia: or, the Present State of England." By Edward Chamberlayne, 1669. Continued by John Chamberlayne, 1704. [T. S.]