Treaty of Peace and Alliance among the Holy Roman Emperor, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Spainto this rule and order of fucceffion, if it fhould pleafe God of his
mercy to give his Imperial and Catholic Majefty iffue male, then
the eldeft of his fons, or, he being dead before, the eldeft fon’s
eldeft fon ; and in cafe there be no male iffue, on his Imperial
and Catholic Majefty’s demife, the eldeft of his daughters, the
moft ferene Archducheffes of Auftria, by the order and right of
feniority, which has always been indivifibly preferved, is to fuc-
ceed his Imperial Majefty in all his kingdoms, provinces, and
domains, in the fame manner as he now poffeffes them ; nor
fhall they at any time, upon any account, or for any reafon what-
ever, be divided or feparated in favour of him, or her, or them,
who may be of the fecond, the third, or more diftant branch.
And this fame order and indivifible right of feniority is to be
preferved in all events, and to be obferved in all ages; as well in
his Imperial Majefty’s male iffue, if God grants him any, as in his
Imperial Majefty’s female iffue, after the extinction of the male
heirs ; or, in fhort, in all cafes wherein the fucceffion of the king-
doms, provinces, and hereditary dominions of the moft ferene
Houfe of Auftria fhall be called in queftion. For this purpofe, his
Majefty of Great Britain, and the High and Mightv Lords the
States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands,
promife and engage to maintain him, or her, who ought to fuc-
ceed according to the rule and order above fet forth in the king-
doms, provinces, or domains of which his Imperial Majefty is
now actually in poffeffion ; and they engage to defend the fame
for ever againft all fuch as fhall perhaps prefume to difturb that
poffeffion in any manner whatfoever.
III. And forafmuch as it hath been often reprefented to his
Imperial and Catholic Majefty, in terms full of friendfhip, on
the part of his facred royal Majefty of Great Britain, and the
High and Might Lords the States General of the United
Provinces, that there was no furer nor more fpeedy method for
eftablifhing the public tranquillity fo long defired, than by ren-
dering the fucceffion of the Duchies of Tufcany, Parma, and Pla-
centia, defigned for the moft ferene the Infante Don Carlos, yet
more secure by the immediate introduction of 6000 Spanifh
foldiers into the ftrong places of thofe duchies, his faid facred
Imperial and Catholic Majefty, defiring to promote the pacific
views and intentions of his Britannick Majefty and the High
and Mighty States General of the United Netherlands, will by
no means oppofe the peaceable introduction of the faid 6000
Spaniards into the ftong places of the Duchies of Tufcany,
Parma, and Placentia, in purfuance of the abovementioned
engagements entered into by his faid Britannick Majefty, and by
the States General. And whereas to this end, his imperial and
Catholic Majefty judges the confent of the empire neceffary, he
promifes at the fame that he will ufe his utmoft endeavours to
obtain the faid confent, within the fpace of two months, or
fooner, if poffible. And to obviate as readily as may be the evils
which threaten the public peace, his Imperial and Catholic
Majefty moreover promifes, that immediately after the mutual
exchange of the ratifications, he will notify the confent which
he, as Head of the empire, has given to the faid peaceable intro-
duction, to the minifter of the Great Duke of Tufcany, and to
the minifter of Parma refiding at his court, or wherever elfe it
fhall be thought proper. His faid Imperial and Catholic Majefty
likewife promifes and affirms, that he is fo far from any thought
of raifing, or caufing any hinderance, directly or indirectly, to
the Spanifh garrifons being admitted into the places aforefaid,
that on the contrary he will interpofe his good offices and
authority, for removing any unexpected obftruction or diffi-
culty that may oppofe the faid introduction and confequently
that the 6000 Spainfh foldiers may be introduced quietly, and
without any delay in the manner aforefaid, into the ftrong
places as well of the Great Duchy of Tufcany, as of the Duchies
of Parma and Placentia.
IV. That therefore all the articles thus agreed to, with the
irrevocable confent of the contracting parties, be fo firmly and
reciprocally eftablifhed, and fo entirely decided, that it fhall not
be lawful for the contracting parties to deviate from them in any
wife; meaning as well thofe which are to be put in execution
without delay, and immediately after the exchange of the ratifi-
cations, as thofe which ought to remain for ever inviolable.
V. Whereas for attaining to the end which the contracting
parties in this treaty propofe to themfelves, it has been found
neceffary to pluck up every root of divifion and diffention, and
therefore that the antient friendfhip which united the faid con-
tracting parties, may not only be renewed, but knit clofer and
clofer every day, his Imperial Catholic Majefty promifes, and, by
virtue of the prefent article, binds himfelf to caufe all commerce
and navigation to the Eaft-Indies to ceafe immediately and for
ever in the Auftrian Netherlands, and in all the other countries
which in the time of Charles II. Catholic King of Spain, were
under the dominion of Spain; and that he will,bona fide,act in
fuch manner, that neither the Oftend Company, nor any other,
either in the Auftrian Netherlands, or in the countries which, as
is abovefaid, were under the dominion of Spain in the time of
the late Catholic King Charles II. fhall at any time directly or
indirectly contravene this rule eftablifhed forever. Excepting
that the Oftend Company may fend, for once only, two fhips,
which fhall fail from the faid port to the Eaft Indies,and from
thence return to Oftend, where the faid Company may, when
they think fit, expofe the merchandizes fo brought from the
Indies to fale. And his facred royal Majefty of Great Britain, and
the High and Mighty States General of the United Provinces, do
likewife promife on their part, and oblige themfeves, to make a
new treaty with his Imperial Majefty without delay, concerning
commerce and the rule of impofts, commonly call’d a Tariff, as
far as relates to the Auftrian Netherlands, and agreeable to the
intention of the 26th article of the treaty, commonly called (by
reafon of the limits therein fettled) the Barrier. And for this pur-
pofe the contracting parties fhall immediately name commif-
fioners, who fhall meet at Antwerp within the fpace of two
months, to be computed from the day of figning the prefent
treaty, to agree together upon every thing that regards the entire
enxecution of the faid Barrier treaty, which was concluded at
Antwerp the th day of November, Anno 1715, and of the con-
vention fince figned at the Hague the^1122 day of December, 1718;(^177)