N. B. A like declaration with this, in the name, and on the part of their majefties the emprefs of all the Ruffias, the moft chriftian king, the king of Sweden, and the king of Poland elector of Saxony, has been made and figned on the fame day as this; to wit, that of the empress of Ruffia, by prince D. P. Galitzin; that of the most chriftian king, by the duke de Choifeul; that of the king of Sweden, by baron de Scheffer; and that of the king of Poland elector of Saxony, by M. de Fontenay; and they were all delivered at London at the fame time, that is to fay, on the 31st of March, by prince Galitzin.

The following counter declaration was signed at London, the 3d of April, 1761, and was delivered on the same day to princeGalitzin, envoy extraordinary from the empress of all the Russias, to be transmitted by him to Paris. COUNTER-DECLARATION. HE difpofitions of their Britannick and Pruffian majefties, for the re-establishment of the general tranquillity of Europe, having been fteady and fincere, could not have undergone any alteration, through the space of time, which has elapfed fince their declaTation of the 25th of November, 1759.

Their majefties, therefore, with fatisfaction, accept the offer of the affembling of a congrefs at Augf burg, contained in the five decla. Tations made at Paris, the 26th of March last, and delivered at London the 31ft of the fame month, in the name, and on the VOL. IV,

part of their majefties, the emprefs queen, the empress of all the Ruffias, the most chriftian king, the king of Sweden, and the king of Poland elector of Saxony.

The courts of London and Berlin equally acquiefce in the claufe of this declaration, which relates to the rule that is proposed to be laid down, in regard to the admiffion of the plenipotentiaries, who fhall have a right to be received at this congrefs.

For the reft, as their zeal for the advancement of the falutary work of a general pacification, perfectly correfponds with that which appears to animate the courts of Vienna, Petersburg, Verfailles, Stockholm, and Warfaw, their Britannick and Pruffian majefties will not delay to name inftantly their plenipotentiaries, being difpofed to concur, with one and the fame pace, in every thing that may accelerate the opening of the congrefs, which has been offered

to them.

SIRE,

TH

THEIR high mightineffes my lords and mafters have fo many motives to intereft themfelves in the fate of thefe kingdoms, that your majefty's acceffion to the crown gave them the highest pleafure; of which I am commanded to inform your majefty, and at the fame time to affure you of their refpectful and inviolable attachment to your royal perfon, and of the fincerity of their wishes for the duration and profperity of a reign which you have fo happily begun. The gracious affurance, which majefty hath already given of your friendship to the republic, excited the warmest gratitude. Nothing Could have given greater confolation under the lofs of the king your majefty's grandfather. The repubHe will always regret in him not only a faithful ally, but a true friend, whofe affection never varied, and who added to the qualities of a great prince, that integrity which would have done honour to a private man. What a high fatisfac

your

tion it is for their high mightineffes to find in your majefty's perfon all thofe qualities, which, whilft they fo Aloriously diftinguifhed your illuftrious ancestors, made their people happy, and ftrongly attached the republic to them. What great reafon have their high mightineffes to promife themfelves the moft in timate union between two nations, who are bound by fo many common interefts-to concur mutually in each other's advantage, and to defpile the foggeftions of a miltaken jealouty? As their high mightinelles are fully fensible of the value of this union, they moft ardently defire to maintain and strengthen it. Being charged by them to give

your majefty affurances of this, and filled with the fame fentiments myfelf, I fhall do my utmost to anfwer the choice they have condefcended to make of me, and to merit the continuance of that favour with which your majefty honoured me before you afcended the throne. I flatter myfelf that the gratitude with which it infpired me will appear, from the whole of my conduct, to be equal to my profound refpect for your majefty's perfon, and your eminent qualities.

The Hon. Lieut. Gen. Yorke, having been appointed, by his majesty, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to their high mightinesses the States General, and being admitted to the assem bly of their high mightinesses, his excellency made on that occasion the following speech.

High and mighty lords,

BEING commiflioned to de

liver to your high migh tineffes the letter of the king my mafter, by which his majefty hath been pleafed to honour me with the character of his ambaffador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to you; he at the fame time exprefsly commands me to renew to your high mightineffes, in his name, the affurances of his particular efteem, and invariable friendship for you.

The king, fince his acceffion to the crown, having received marks of your high mightineffes attention to his perfon, commands me to return you his thanks, and to renew to you, this day, by an extraordinary embaffy, the moft folemn af furances of the fincerity of thofe

fentiments

fentiments with which I have already had the honour to acquaint

you.

His majefty does not content himfelf with giving your high mightineffes bare affurances of his friendship; in the midft of the fucceffes with which it hath pleafed providence to blefs his arms, he forgetteth not the general welfare of Europe, and much lefs the interests of his good friends and allies.

He commands me to affure your high mightineffes, that he will ways give the greatest attention to every thing that relates to the effential interefts, the fecurity and welfare of the republic.

I am very happy, high and mighty lords, to be made choice of by his majefty in a manner fo honourable for me, to be the interpreter of his fentiments; which, ever fince the beginning of his reign, have difcovered him to be a monarch who inherits the virtues of his ancestors; giving, like them, his principal attention to the fupport of true religion, and public liberty.

The king ftill cherishes, in the bofom of your republic, the illuftrious offspring of the houfe of Orange, intrufted to his tutelage, and to yours: an object which forms an additional tie between him and the republic.

I prefume to flatter myfelf, high and mighty lords, that after a nine years refidence here, the fincerity of my defire for a difinterefted and indiffoluble union between the two ftates is fufficiently known to your high mightineffes.

The events which have followed one another, in fuch quick fucceffion for fome years, fufficiently prove, how defirable this union is: I fhall execute, with the moft ardent

Britannick majefty, in the character of his amballador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

Their high mightineffes are particularly penetrated with gratitude, on account of his majefty's having declared that he will,or all occafions, have at heart the interefts, the fafety, and the welfare of this republic.

Thefe affurances cannot but engage their high mightineffes to a refpectful and inviolable attachment to his royal perfon, and to offer up their moft fincere prayers for the length and profperity of his reign.

Their high mightineffes have a moft lively fenfe of the neceffity of maintaining the union which has fo happily fubfifted for fuch a number of years between Great Britain and their republic. Their utmost endeavours will be conftantly exerted to strengthen the ties of this union.

They are perfuaded that the prince of Orange, who is fo dear to all the inhabitants of thefe provinces, will moft readily give his affifiance towards this end, when he fhall enter upon the functions of his posts,

In the mean time, it is a great fatisfaction to their high mightineffes [7] 2

to'

to fee the friendship and attention to his majefty concur with thofe of his ferene highnefs the duke of Brunswick, for their hereditary ftadtholder.

Let me add, Sir, that their high mightineffes can affure your excellency, that the king your mafter could not have chofen any perfon for this extraordinary embaffy, who could have been more agreeable to them, as they have had the fatisfaction for fo many years of feeing you refide with them, on the part of his majefty, with fuch diftinguifhed approbation.

They will continue to give you proofs of their efteem and regard upon all occafions.

Declaration of the most Christian king, delivered to the diet of the empire by his minister the baron de Machau.

THE

HE king, my mafter, having been required, at the beginning of this war, by feveral princes of the empire, to take upon himfelf, in conjunction with the king of Sweden, the execution of the guaranty of the treaties of Weftphalia, notiFed to the states affembled at Ratifben, in the month of April 1757, what were his motives, and what conduct he propofed to hold when, he took that charge upon him, of the weight of which he was very fenfible.

The prefervation of the three religions eftablished in Germany, the fupport of the Germanic laws and conftitution, and the reftoring peace on a folid and equitable footing, were the objects to obtain which is majefty was willing to make the greateft efforts and very confiderable facrifices.

His majefty, in concert with his

Swedish majefty, hath fince employ ed every method to attain to this falutary end; but he deplored the calamities under which Germany groaned; and if he was under a neceffity of taking up arms for its defence, he thinks it no lefs proper to lay them down when he has performed all that could be required in juftice from a zeal fo difinterested.

It was with this falutary view that his majefty, jointly with the king of Sweden and the other powers his allies, propofed to the courts of London and Berlin to pave the way, by common confent, to a peace, by opening a congrefs, for which the city of Augfourg was. thought moft convenient: and as their Britannick and Prufian majef. ties agree to a propofal fo conformable to humanity and his majefty's pacific views, he thinks himself obliged to notify it to the states of the German empire, agreeably to what was done when he found himfelf. under a neceffity of executing the guaranty.

He at the fame time declares,. that during the courfe of the nego tiation he will not lofe fight of the motives which determined him to take part in the war. The princes and ftates of the empire may depend on the formal affurances which his majefty hath already given, and which he now repeats; and he defires that the emperor and the cmpire would concur with him in reftoring the public tranquillity.

Ratisbon, June 22, 1761.

Since this declaration was delivered, the Germanic body confider themfelves as invited to the congrefs; which they afcribe to the court of Versailles. The fame day a declaration of the very fame import was delivered to the diet by the Swedih minifter. Declarations

Declarations of marshal Broglio to the inhabitants of Brunswic and Hanover, on his late irruption into that country.

WHER

HEREAS a great number of civil officers from the regency, and principal inhabitants of Brunfwic and Hanover, have abandoned the ufual place of their abode upon the entrance of his majefty's forces, not through fear of being ill treated or pillaged, fince it is known to all Germany the exact difcipline which they obferve, but through an evil defign, and in order to avoid the obedience they owe to our commands; and it being our duty to remedy fuch pernicious conduct as is wholly repugnant to the laws of war, we have thought proper to publish this declaration, that no perfon may plead ignorance thereof, but attribute to themselves the penalties they fhall incur in de fault of a due obedience.

I. Be it ordered to the officers on the regency, and in general to all the inhabitants of Hanover and Brunfwic, that they remain in their towns, villages, houfes, and other places of abode, keeping their effects and cattle with them; or if any of them fhould be already departed, to return to their habitations within eight days of the prefent publication.

II. Be it known to all officers aforefaid, who fhall difobey this order, that their houfes fhall be pillaged and levelled to the ground; and if they are hereafter taken, they fhall be punifhed in their perfons according to the exigency of

the cafe.

III. As to the other inhabitants who fhall leave their habitations, or that tray their horfes and cattle, as is ufual to do in the woods to pre

vent their being made ufe of in his moft Chriftian majefty's army, they fhall be corporally punished as foon as taken; and the penalty of a certain fum fhall be laid upon the diftrict where they belong, in proportion to the number of beafts they thall fo remove, which penalty fhall daily increase till they are returned.

IV. And that the inhabitants fhall have no petence to refufe to provide fuch a number of carriages as fhall be demanded of them by the proper officers of his moft Chriftian majefty, be it ordered, that for the future, each diftri&t fhall have in readiness fifteen carriages, to be drawn by four able horfes, or oxen; which number fhall be fixed upon every hundred houses throughout the country; and all perfons difobeying fhall be feverely punished.

V. It is well known that the inhabitants of this country are ordered by the regency to apprize the enemy of our approach, and for that purpofe, conceal themfelves in woods and paffes, place themselves upon eminences, and make an alarm with bells when they fee us arrive; abufe and pillage futlers and carriages that they find without defence, and in general hold a correfpondence with the enemy, ferving them as fpies and guides to our prejudice. The duty of the emplay with which his moft Chriftian majefty has been pleafed to honou us, requires, that to prevent and punish fuch eno mous conduct, we ufe the utmoft rigour and feverity of the laws of war; it is therefore ordered to the regency of Hanover and Brunfwic, to give notice to their respective dftricts and divifions, that every perfon on whom a letter is found directed to the ene my, any ways relative to the ope[7]3

rations