brother the moft Chriftian King, being perfuaded that he will highly dignify the office which we have refolved to entrust to him: Know ye therefore, that we have made, constituted, and appointed, and by these prefents do make, conftitute, and appoint him, the faid George Duke of Manchefter, our true, certain, and undoubted plenipotentiary, commiffioner, and procurator; giving and granting to him full and all manner of power and authority, as alfo our general and special command, at the court of our faid good brother the most Christian King, for us, and in our name, to meet and confer with the ambaffadors, commiffioners, deputies, and plenipotentiaries, as well of our good brother the Catholic King, as of the other Princes and States whom it may concern, being furnished with fufficient authority, whether fingly and separately, or collectively and jointly, and with them to agree, treat, confult, and conclude upon the re-establishing, as foon as may be, of a firm and lafting peace, and fincere friendship and concord; and for us, and in our name, to fign whatever may be fo agreed upon and concluded; and alfo to make, and mutually deliver and receive, a treaty or treaties, or fuch other and fo many inftruments as shall be requifite, upon the bufinefs concluded, and to tranfact all other matters, which may relate to the happily accomplishing of the aforefaid work, in as ample man- · ner and form, and with equal force and effect, as we, if we were prefent, could do and perform: engaging and promifing, on our Royal word, that we will approve, ratify, and accept, in every more perfect form, whatever may happen to be tranfacted and concluded by our faid plenipotentiary, and that we will never fuffer the fame to be violated or infringed by any one, either in the whole, or in part. In witness, and for the greater validity of all which, we have caused our great feal of Great Britain to be affixed to thefe prefents, figned with our Royal hand. Given at our court at St. James's, the twentieth day of April, in the year of VOL. II. R our our lord one thousand feven hundred and eightythree, and in the twenty-third year of our reign. His Catholic Majefty's Full Power. DON CARLOS, by the grace of God, King of Caftile, Leon, Aragon, the Two Sicilies, Jerufalem, Navarre, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Gallicia, Majorca, Seville, Sardinia, Cordova, Corfica, Murcia, Jaen, the Algarves, Algeziras, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, the East and West Indies, islands and terra firma of the ocean; Archduke of Austria; Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, and Milan; Count of Apfburg, Flanders, Tirol, and Barcelona; Lord of Biscay and Molina, &c. Whereas, preliminary articles of peace having been happily agreed upon between my kingdom of Spain and that of England, as well as between the other Powers, there will foon be occafion to affemble a general congrefs wherever it may be thought moft proper and beft adapted to the common interefts, in order to fettle and determine definitively all matters in controverfy between thofe Powers and States who have taken part in the war now drawing to a conclufion; and confidering it very probable, that the French court will be preferred, on account of its convenient fituation, and the attendance there of those plenipotentiaries who have interpofed in forming the faid preliminary articles, I have thought it neceffary and proper to again authorize a perfon in my highest efteem and confidence, endowed with knowledge and experience, to the end that, in my name, he may affift at all conferences, treat, fettle, and determine whatever may concern my interefts in the intended definitive treaty: therefore, all these requifites and qualifications concentring in you, Don Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea Ximenes d'Urrea, &c. Count of Aranda and Caftel-Florido, Marquis of Torres, Villanan, and Rupit, Viscount of Rueda and Yoch, Baron of the baronies of Gavin, Sietano, Clamofa, and others, Lord of the tenencia and honor of Alcalaten, 6 Alcalaten, &c. Rico-Hombre in Aragon by defcent, grandee of Spain of the first clafs, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and of that of the Holy Ghoft, gentleman of my bed-chamber in employment, captain-general of my forces, and my ambaffador extraordinary to his moft Christian Majefty, I have refolved to authorize you, as by these prefents I do authorize and name you, and grant to you my full power, in the most ample and extenfive form, in order that, with the other minifters duly empowered by the refpective Sovereigns, or States, whom they reprefent, you may treat, fettle, conclude, and fign all fuch points as relate to the establishment of the general peace, by means of the definitive treaty which is now in agitation; promifing, on the faith and word of a King, to approve, ratify, fulfil, and caufe to be ftrictly fulfilled, whatever articles, conditions, or agreements you may conclude and fign. In witnefs whereof, I have ordered these prefents to be dispatched, figned by my hand, fealed with my privy feal, and counterfigned by my underwritten counsellor, and firft fecretary of state and of the difpatches. Pardo, the eighth of February, one thoufand feven hundred and eighty-three. (L. S.) I the KING. The Emperor's Full Power. Jofeph Monino. WE Jofeph the Second, by the Divine favour, Emperor elect of the Romans, always Auguft; King of Germany, Jerufalem, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, and Lodomeria; Archduke of Auftria; Duke of Burgundy, Lorrain, Stiria, Carinthia, and Carniolia; Great Duke of Tufcany; Great Prince of Tranfilvania; Marquis of Moravia; Duke of Brabant, Limburg, Luxemburg, and Gueldres, Wirtemberg, Upper and Lower Silefia, Milan, Mantua, Parma, Placentia and Guaftalla, Ofvecinia and Zatoria, Calabria, Barri, Montferat, and Tefchin; Prince of Suevia R 2 Suevia and Carolopolis; Count of Hapfburg, Flanders, Tyrol, Hainault, Kiburg, Goritia, and Gradisca; Marquis of the Holy Roman Empire, of Burgovia, Upper and Lower Lufatia, Muffopont, and Nomeny; Count of Namur, Provence, Vaudemont, Albimont, Zutphen, Sarwar, Salm, and Falkenftein; Lord of Marchpurg, Slavonia, and Mechlin; By the tenor of these presents, make known and teftify to all and fingular, whom it doth or may in any manner concern. During the time that the late extenfive war overspread almost the whole world, we, and her Majesty the Emprefs and fole Monarch of all the Ruffias, animated with an equal defire of putting an end as foon as poffible to the calamities of the war, did not omit frequently to manifeft our earnest inclination that by the interpofition of our respective and mutual friendly offices, a reconciliation of the belligerent parties might be promoted, and the former peace and fincere concord between them be restored. It was very agreeable to us to understand that our common endeavours had not failed of the defired effect; for, a more pacific difpofition afterwards prevailing in the minds of the Princes engaged in the war, and the bufinefs being already fo far happily advanced, that previous conditions of peace, or preliminary articles, were agreed upon between them, on which the general work of pacification might be founded, the aforefaid moft Serene and moft Potent Princes defired, in a friendly manner, that, in concert with her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, we would apply our joint attention to this falutary business, and interpofe our friendly offices for establishing the peace, of which the foundations. were happily laid by the above-mentioned previous conditions, in order that by the united efforts of the mediators, the great work of peace might, on every fide, be the more certainly accomplished. We, ever intent upon that object, perceived with the greater fatisfaction the fentiments of the above-mentioned Princes, Princes, and having previously concerted measures with her Majefty the Emprefs of all the Ruffias, did not hesitate to confirm the expectations they had conceived on our part, by accepting, with a willing and chearful mind, the truft committed to us. For which end we have made choice of the illuftrious and noble, our faithful and beloved Florimond Count de MercyArgenteau, knight of the Golden Fleece, our actual privy counsellor, and our ambassador refiding at the court of the moft Serene and moft Potent King of France and Navarre, a perfon of fingular fidelity, integrity, and experience in the proper conduct of affairs, and have appointed, and hereby given him full power to take upon him, in our name, the office of mediator, conjointly with fuch perfon or perfons who fhall be appointed, and furnished with equal full power, as well on the part of her Majesty the Emprefs of all the Ruffias, as co-mediatrix, as on the part of the other Princes who may be interested therein, and to contribute his counsel and affiftance for concluding, by the interpofition of friendly offices and united efforts, fuch treaties, conventions, or regulations whatsoever, as may appear to be neceffary for completing the work of peace; all which he fhall fubfcribe and fign, and fhall also deliver fuch inftrument or inftruments, on his part, as may be proper and required of him for perfecting the bufinefs; promifing, on our Imperial, Royal, and Archducal word, that we will ratify, accept, and faithfully fulfil all fuch things as our faid ambaffador fhall have concluded, promised, and figned, by virtue of these prefents, and that we will order letters of ratification to be expedited at the time agreed upon. In witness, and for the greater validity whereof, we have figned this inftrument of full power with our hand, and have ordered it to be confirmed with our Imperial, Royal, and Archducal feal affixed thereto. Given in our city of Vienna, the 16th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, in the twen R 3 tieth, |