nions of Spain, and discharged her duty with so much care, exactness, and wisdom, that she has gained all poffible confidence and confideration.

When we trufted the regency of our kingdoms of Spain to the Queen our dearest confort, that we might go and command our armies in the kingdoms and ftates of Italy, the Princess of Urfini redoubled her zeal and affiduity about her person, she has always affifted her with her care and her counfel, with equal prudence and affection, and in all times, and on all ocfions, we have experienced the happy effects of fo judicious, fo faithful, and fo valuble conduct.

Since it has pleafed God to blefs our Royal House, and to fecure the fucceffion of it by a happy iffue, she has likewife taken upon her to beftow her moft tender and effectual care on the education of our dearest and moft beloved fon the Prince of the Afturias, in whom we already obferve the benefit and progrefs of it. All these services, fo diftinguishing, and fo important to the welfare of our dominions, and to the felicity of our reign, the application with which this Princefs gives us ftill fresh proofs of an intire affection to the person of us, the Queen our deareft confort, and the Princes our children, and the good fuccefs that has attended the wholefome counfels fhe has given us, have engaged us to find out means to grant her a reward fuitable to fo many fervices, and that might ferve for the future as a certain proof of the greatnefs of our gratitude, as well as of the merit and virtues of this Princefs. This has given us occafion to think of fecuring to her not only a confiderable revenue, but also a country fhe might enjoy with the title of fovereign, which we have embraced with the greater readinefs, that this Princess being born of the Houfe of la Trimouille, one of the moft ancient and mcft illustrious of France, is not only allied to the Princes of the blood of the House of France, but likewife to feveral other fovereign Houses of Europe, and that knowing the endowments of her mind, and the wisdom of her conduct in all things, we

are

are perfuaded she will govern with juftice the country and people that shall be under her fubjection; and that this great favour will ever be looked upon as the just effect of the juftice and magnificence of the fovereigns towards those who have been so happy as to render them important fervices. Know ye therefore, that, out of our full power, mere motion, and royal and abfolute authority, we have given, yielded, and transferred, as we do give, yield, and transfer by these prefents, to our deareft and most well-beloved coufin, Mary Anne de la Trimouille, Princefs of Urfini, for herself, her heirs, fucceffors, and affigns, the dutchy, town, and castle of Limbourg, being part of the Spanish Netherlands, with the towns, boroughs, villages, caftles, houfes, lands, and other appurtenances of the faid dutchy, to enjoy the fame to herfelf the faid Princefs of Urfini, her heirs, fucceffors, or affigns, in full property and perfect fovereignty, without referving or detaining any part thereof to ourfelves and to our fucceffors the Kings of Spain, under any title whatfoever, either of refort or feodality, as alfo without return or reversion in any cafe, or at any time, whereof we have exempted the faid dutchy of Limbourg, and its dependencies comprehended in the prefent donation: to which end, fo far as is or fhould be neceffary, we have extinguished and fuppreffed, as we do extinguish and fupprefs the faid rights; willing that the faid Princefs of Urfini do exercise in her name, all the rights of fovereignty within the faid dutchy of Limbourg, the territories and jurifdictions thereto annexed, with the fame authority as we exercised and had right to exercife the fame before thefe prefents, and that the enjoy there all the revenues, fruits, profits, and emoluments whatsoever, as well ordinary as extraordinary and cafual, of what nature foever, either for the collation and patronage of the livings, the provifion and deftitution of offices, the cuftoms, entries, fubfidies, impofitions, and other rights, expreffed, and not expreffed, the defence of the country, and the tranquillity of the VOL. II.

H

people,

people, the raifing the revenues of the faid dutchy and its dependencies; all which rights and revenues the faid Princefs of Urfini fhall commence to enjoy from the day of these presents; from the reckoning of which, the agents, receivers, clerks, or others appointed to receive the faid revenues, fhall be accountable, and remit the produce into the hands of the bearers of the powers of the faid Princefs, and in fo doing they fhall be duly acquitted and difcharged thereof towards us, as by these prefents we difcharge them thereof; and confequently the faid Princefs of Urfini fhall remain unalterable proprietor of the faid dutchy of Limbourg, and its dependencies, as well for the fovereignty, as for all the revenues, as the whole belonging to her, in full, free, and intire property, with power to dispose thereof, by donation between perfons alive, or legacy to fuch person, and with fuch clauses and conditions, as fhe shall think fit, and even to treat thereof by exchange or otherwife, and the fame rights and powers fhall belong fucceffively, after her, to her nearest heir, in case she has not otherwise disposed thereof. To which end we have discharged, abfolved, and freed, as by these presents we discharge, abfolve, and free the inhabitants of the faid dutchy of Limbourg, and its dependencies, of what ftate, quality, or dignity they are, as well ecclefiaftical as fecular, political, military, and of what other ranks and conditions they are or may be, and each of them in general and in particular, of the oaths of fidelity, faith, and obedience, promifes, obligations, and duties they owed us, as their Lord and fovereign Prince : ordering and enjoining them moft exprefsly that, by virtue of these prefents, they do own and acknowledge the faid Princefs of Urfini, and after her, her heirs, fucceffors, or fuch as have a right thereto, fucceffively, for their Princes and Sovereign Lords; that they take and fwear to her the oaths of fidelity and obedience in the ufual manner, and moreover that they pay all homage, reverence, affecti n, obedience, fidelity, and fervices, as good and loyal fubjects are obliged to do to their Sovereign

Sovereign Lord, and as they have done hitherto to the Kings our predeceffors, and to us. And farther, our intention being that the faid dutchy of Limbourg and its dependencies fhould produce at least the effectual and real revenue yearly to the profit of the faid Princefs of Urfini, her heirs, fucceffors, and affigns, thirty thoufand crowns, each crown of eight filver reals, old double money of Caftille, deduction being made of local employments, maintenance of places, and officers, that used to be paid and maintained out of the revenues of the faid dutchy. Our will and pleasure is, that during the first year of enjoyment by the faid Princess of Urfini, after her having taken poffeffion of the faid dutchy of Limbourg, and after the publication of the peace, a ftate be made of the revenues and employments of the dutchy of Limbourg and its dependencies, in the prefence of perfons appointed for that purpose, as well on our part, as on that of the faid Princefs of Urfini, and in cafe, after deduction is made for the faid employments, the revenues for the neat remainder to the profit of the faid Princess of Urfini do not amount to the faid thirty thoufand crowns per annum, whether by reason of the alienations that might have been made of fome part of that dutchy, or whether because any the said rights, revenues, and appurtenances fhould have been fold, engaged, or charged with fome rents, even fome debts for fums taken by loan, or anticipation, in this cafe we ordain, and our will and pleasure is, that the whole be redeemed and difengaged, and the purchasers, mortgagers, tenants, and other creditors, reimbursed, paid, and fatisfied out of the produce of the most liquid revenues of the other provinces of the Spanish Netherlands, fo as that the faid Princefs enjoy, fully, really, and without any charge, the faid thirty thoufand crowns yearly; to which end, and until the full reimbursement for the redeeming the faid alienations or engagements, conftitutions of rents, anticipa tions, or other loans whatever they may be, the purchafers of the funds alienated, or mortgagers, tenants,

H 2

of

and

and all other creditors, fhall be and remain affigned, as from this time we affign them to receive their arrears or interests of their capitals out of the faid revenues of the other provinces of the Spanish Netherlands; and confequently we have from this time yielded and transferred, as we do yield and transfer all and fuch of our revenues as fhall be requifite to the mortgagers' and creditors, and until the concurrence of what is due to them for principal interefts, to take, have, and receive out of the moft liquid and effective part of the faid revenues of the faid Spanish Netherlands, except thofe of the faid dutchy of Limbourg, to enjoy the fame themselves, until they fhall be fully reimbursed. And if it should happen, that notwithstanding the faid redemption and reimbursement being made or affigned, the revenue of the faid dutchy of Limbourg fhould not amount to the faid fum of thirty thousand crowns yearly, all charges deducted, we will, that there be difmembered, as from this time we difmember, from the other countries belonging to us, adjacent or lying convenient to the faid dutchy of Limbourg, fuch other. towns, boroughs, villages, and territories, as fhall be requifite to make up, by their yearly produce and revenue, what shall be wanting of the faid thirty thousand crowns yearly in the dutchy of Limbourg, which towns, boroughs, villages, and territories, together with the revenue and appurtenances, fhall remain difmembered from our other lordships, and shall be united and joined for the future, and for ever, to the faid dutchy of Limbourg, to be poffeffed by the faid Princefs of Urfini, with the fame title of fovereignty, jurifdiction, and prerogative before mentioned, and as making part of the faid dutchy of Limbourg. And whereas, by the feveral proposals that are from time to time made to ús, to attain the peace fo much defired by us, and other princes. and ftates of Europe engaged in the prefent war, fome of them tend to certain difmemberings of the faid Spanish Netherlands from the other dominions that make up our monarchy; we declare, that our intention is, that

thefe