Quadruple Alliance of 1718
claims upon the kingdom of Spain, on condition that neither
the emperor, nor any of his defcendents, fhall ever fucceed to
the faid kingdom; his Imperial Majefty doth acknowledge
Philip V. to be lawful king of Spain and of the Indies, and doth
promife to give him the titles and prerogatives belonging to his
dignity and his kingdoms ; and moreover, he will allow him, his
defcendents, heirs and fucceffors, male and female, peaceably to
enjoy all thofe dominions of the Spanifh monarchy in Europe,
the Indies, and elfewhere ; the poffeffion whereof was allowed to
him by the treaties of Utrecht, nor will he directly or indirectly
difturb him in the faid poffeffion at any time, nor will he claim
to himfelf any right to the faid kingdoms and provinces.
IV. In return for the renunciation and acknowledgment
made by his Imperial Majefty in the two foregoing articles, the
Catholick King as well in his own, as in the name of his heirs,
defcendents, and fucceffors, male and female, doth renounce in
favour of his Imperial Majefty, his fucceffors, heirs and defcen-
dents male and female, all rights and claims whatfoever, none in
the leaft being excepted, upon all and every the kingdoms,
provinces, and dominions, which his Imperial Majefty doth
poffefs in Italy or the Netherlands, or may accrue to him by
virtue of this prefent treaty ; and he doth wholly abdicate all
rights, kingdoms, and provinces in Italy, which heretofore
belonged to the Spanifh monarchy, among which the marquifat
of Final yielded by his Imperial Majefty to the republick of
Genoa in the year 1713, is underftood to be exprefsly compre-
hended, and he will caufe to be made out accordingly folemn
acts of renunciation in due form, which he will caufe to be pub-
lifhed and regiftered in the proper courts, and promifes that he
will exhibit the ufual inftruments thereupon to his Imperial
Majefty and the contracting powers. His Catholick Majefty doth
in like manner renounce the right of reverfion of the kingdom
of Sicily to the crown of Spain, which he had referved to him-
felf, and all other claims and pretenfions under pretext whereof
he might difturb his Imperial Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors,
directly or indirectly, as well in the aforefaid kingdoms and
provinces, as in all other dominions, which he actually poffeffes
in the Netherlands or elfewhere.
V. Whereas in cafe the grand duke of Tufcany, or the duke of
Parma and Placentia, or their fucceffors, fhould die without
male iffue, the pretenfions of fucceffion to the dominions, poff-
effed by them might kindle a new war in Italy, on account of the
different rights of fucceffion, whereby, after the deceafe of the
next heirs before her, the prefent queen of Spain born dutchefs
of Parma, claims the faid dukedoms to herfelf on the one part,
and the emperor and empire on the other part. To the end that
the great difputes, and the evils arifing from them, may be
timely obviated; it is agreed that the ftates and dutchies at
prefent poffeffed by the grand duke of Tufcany, and duke of
Parma and Placentia aforefaid, fhall in time to come be held and
acknowledged by all the contracting powers as undoubted male
fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire. His Imperial Majefty on his
part doth confent by himfelf as head of the empire, that when-
ever it fhall happen that the faid dutchies fhall lie open for want
of heirs male, the firft-born fon of the faid queen of Spain, and
his defcendents, being males, born in lawful matrimony ; and in
default of them the fecond born, or other the younger fons of
the faid queen, if any fhall be born, together with their male def-
cendents, born in lawful marriage, fhall in like manner fuccced
to all the provinces aforefaid. To which end it being neceffary
that the confent of the empire be alfo given, his Imperial Majefty
will ufe all his endeavours to obtain it ; and having obtained it,
he will caufe the letters of expectative, containing the eventual
inveftiture for the fon of the faid queen, or her fons, and their
legitimate male defcendents, to be expedited in due form ; and
he will caufe the faid letters to be delivered to the Catholick King
immediately, or at leaft after two months from the exchange of
the ratifications : without any damage neverthelefs, or prejudice,
to the princes who now have poffeffion of the faid dutchies,
which poffeffion is to remain entirely fafe to them.
It is farther agreed, between his facred Imperial Majefty,
and the Catholick King, that the town of Leghorne may, and
ought, perpetually to remain a free port, in the fame manner as
it now is.
By virtue of the renunciation made by the king of Spain, of
all the dominions, kingdoms and provinces in Italy, which
heretofore belonged to the kings of Spain, that king fhall yield
to the aforefaid prince his fon, the town of Porto-Longone,
together with that part of the ifland Elba, which he actually pof-
feffes therein ; and fhall deliver the fame up to him, as foon as
that prince, on the extinction of the male pofterity of the grand
duke of Tufcany, fhall be admitted into the actual poffeffion of
his territories.
It is moreover agreed to, and provided by folemn contract,
that none of the aforefaid dutchies or dominions, at any time,
or in any cafe, may or ought to be poffeft by a prince, who at the
fame time holds the kingdom of Spain; and that no king of
Spain can ever take upon him the guardianfhip of that prince,
or may be allowed to exercife the fame.
Laftly it is agreed, and thereto all and fingular the parties
contracting have equally bound themfelves, that it never fhall be
allowed, during the lives of the prefent poffeffors of the dutchies
of Tufcany and Parma, or of their male fucceffors, that any
forces of any country whatfoever, whether their own or hired,
fhall either by the emperor, the king of Spain and France, or
even by the prince appointed, as above, to the fucceffion, be
introduced into the provinces and lands of the faid dutchies ;
nor fhall any of them place any garrifon in the cities, ports,
towns, or fortreffes therein fituated.
But that the faid fon of the queen of Spain, appointed by this
treaty to the fucceffion of the great duke of Tufcany and the
duke of Parma and Placentia, may be more fully fecured againft
all events, and may more certainly depend on the execution of
the fucceffion promifed him : and likewife that the fief, confti-
tuted as above, may remain inviolable to the emperor and
empire ; it is agreed on both fides, that garrifons, not exceeding
however the number of 6,000 men, which fhall be put into the
principal towns