A. C.

1711.

Count of Count

Gallas's be

ANNALS

About this time, it was whisper'd about, that a Foreign Minister, who with extream Vigilance and Penetration had early attended the fteps of A true Ac- the British Ministers towards a Peace; and who had either warmly expoftulated about it; or, by ing forbid the his Letters, (which were betray'd by one of his Under-Secretaries) awaken'd the Jealoufie of his Mafter, was not agreeable to our Court, and that Endeavours were used to have him recall'd; Nor was this Report groundless: For on Friday, the 26th of October, Count Gallas, Envoy Extraordinary from the New Emperor, Charles VI. defigning to difpatch an Express to his Imperial Majefty, fent to Mr. Secretary St. John's Office for a Pafs, upon his Certificate, as ufual; but one of the Under Secretaries, or Clerks, having anfwer'd, That they could not grant the faid Pals, without the Queen's Orders, the Exprefs was not fent away. The next Day, upon the Return of his Excellency's Gentleman of the Horfe, whom he had difpatch'd to the Emperor at Milan, with an earnest Desire that he might have Leave to go Home, Count Gallas wrote a Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth, Principal Secretary of State, acquainting him, That he had receiv'd his Imperial Majefty's Commands to repair to Frankfort; and defiring to know, when he might go to Hampton Court, to take his Leave of the Queen, and receive Her Majefty's Orders. The Earl of Dartmouth anfwer'd, He was forry that Letter came too late, having already receiv'd Orders from the Queen not to have any further Correfpondence with his Excellency; which Mr. Secretary St. John was order'd to notifie to him more at large. Accordingly, on Sunday Morning, the 28th, Sir Clement Cotterel, Mafter of the Ceremonies, waited upon his Excellency, and acquainted him, from Mr. Secretary St. John, and by the Queen's Command, That he should no more come to Court, his Behaviour, of late not being agreeable to Her Majefty, but that whatever should for the future, be prefented to Her from his Imperial Majefty, by the Hands of another Minifter, Should be very well receiv'd. Hereupon Count

Gallas

Gallas delired to know the Reafon of Her Ma jefty's Difpleafure, that he might acquaint his Mafter with it, but being anfwer'd, That the Queen would give his Imperial Majefty the Reafons he had for fo doing, He acquiefc'd. However being defirous to know what Answer he was to expect, as to his Departure, he fent to Mr. Secretary St. John about it, who return'd him an Anfwer, That he might go away when he thought fit: Which his Excellency prepar'd to do, as foon as - he had receiv'd an Anfwer to the Dispatches he fent away the 29th by an Exprefs. This Affair, which was the next Day noised abroad, occafion'd various Reasonings and Speculations: But I fhall only take notice here, That, abstracting from the Reasons that rendred Count Gallas's late Behaviour not agreeable to our Court, no Minifter that ever refided here, had a better and fairer Character; or was more efteem'd and beloved by all who had the Honour of his Perfonal Acquaintance. Nor was his Probity and Punctuality lefs commended by all the Perfons concern'd in the Silefian Loan, which was procured by his Excellency; than his Magnificent Way of Living, and regular Pay, way extoll'd by all Tradefmen, and Artificers, fo that his Departure was attended with general Regret.

Upon the Receipt of the Preliminaries fign'd by Monfieur Mefnager, which Count Gallas fent by an Express to the New Emperor at Milan, his Imperial Majefty wrote a Circular Letter to the Electors, and other Princes of the Empire, dated the 7th of November N. S. That to the Elector Palatine, contain'd in Substance, what follows,

uiz.

A. C. 1711.

cular Letters

THAT his Majefty made no doubt his E- The New Em•lectoral Highness had been already inform-peror's Cir ed of the Preliminaries of Peace propofed into the Elefors England on the Part of France, (a Copy of and Princes of which his Majefty fubjoyned;) and was no lefs the Empire, " concerned than his Majefty, that at a Time when about the • God had fo liberally bestowed his Bleffings on liminaries. the Arms of the Allies, and when there was ground to hope the Enemy might foon be re

<duced

French Pre

A. C. 1711.

duced within juft Bounds for the re-establishment of the Quiet of Europe, that Crown fhould offer fuch Propofitions, which had not only been hearkened to at London, but had likewife 'been communicated in form the 9th of October to Count Gallas, his Majefty's Minifter, by a "Secretary of State, and propofed in Holland as fit to be accepted, with preffing Inftances for entring into a Negociation thereupon. That as yet his Imperial Majefty was unwilling to look upon that Precipitation as a departing from the Intention of the Grand Alliance, feeing the Obligation the Allies are under not to enter into any feparate Negociation of Peace, is fuf ficiently known by all the World, according to the Treaty of Alliance: But chofe rather to fuppofe, that too eafie Relief had been given to the Enemy's captious Propofitions, though they were not fo plaufible as others had been; for 'twas obvious to every one, at first Sight, that hardly any thing in them was plainly expreffed, and that the Defign of the Enemy was to gain Time by a long Negociation, as well for re,cruiting their own Force, as for dividing the Allies, which they have long been endeavouring. That 'twas not difficult to foresee the Confequences of it, provided Men would only confider that fince, with fo great Effufion of Blood and fuch ineonceivable Expence, the Confederate Forces, while united, have not yet been able to obtain the principal End of this War, namely the common Security and Quiet of Europe, what can be expected from a fepas rate Treaty, or its Performance, more than from the folemn Oaths and Renunciation at the Pyrenees, and other Engagements, which were to have been perpetual; efpecially when France fhall be Mafter of Spain, the Indies, and all • Commerce?

·

As for Us (continues the Emperor) We hope the contrary, and are intirely perfwaded that you will be of the fame Opinion, infomuch that you will not only oppofe these Designs fo pernicious to the Common Caufe, agreeably

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to your eminent Zeal for our native Country; A. C. • but will likewife powerfully use your great 1711 ⚫ Credit with the other Electors and States of the Empire, and alfo with the States General of the United Provinces, and the other Allies, as We affectionately defire of you by the near Tie of the Blood that is between us, to the End they may unanimously perfift in the Engagements of the Alliance, and in the Union neceffary for procuring an advantageous and lafting Peace, and that They in England, following this laudable Example, may defife from fuch • Thoughts as are contrary, and entertain fuch as are conformable thereunto.

In the mean while, We have taken an irrevocable Refolution, to undergo whatever may come of it, and to exert all our Efforts for the • Good of the Common Caufe, exposing even our own Perfon, rather than confent to the ⚫fending of any one in our Name to aflift at a par'tial Negociation, which is abfolutely destructive of our dear Native Country and the Liberty of all Europe, and which we could not answer to our Archducal House.

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We have judged it proper to reprefent these Things to you without delay, as to an Elector and an Ally fo particularly interested in this War, to the end you may affift us with your Counsel and Endeavours, to strengthen the • Grand Alliance, for which We and our Arch• ducal House will bear eternal Gratitude, &c.

At the fame time his Imperial Majefty wrote the following Letter to the States General of the United Provinces:

High and Mighty Lords,

the New Pre

Y Letters that are newly come to us from The Emperor's the Hague, we have received Advice that Letter to the the Ambaffador of England is returned into States Geneyour Provinces, and has brought with him al against fome new Preliminary Articles of Peace pro liminaries. pofed by the King of France, drawn up with great Artifice, and altogether fuch as might be expected from an Enemy. For they contain nothing but what is dubious and equivocal; and

A. C.if one takes the Pains to examine thoroughly the Sence they import, inftead of indefinite 1711. • Terms which at firft View offer themselves,

one fees clearly the Lofs which can never be fufficiently deplored of the Spanish Monarchy; for which only, and for preferving it in our Imperial Family, and at the fame time for maintaining the Peace of Europe, this War was un⚫dertaken; Ten Years have been spent in fighting, and fo much Blood fpilt; fo that nothing more grievous and more fatal could happen in the World.

For who does not perfectly understand, that if this great Augmentation of Power be left in Addition to that of the Enemy, all thofe in general who are confederated in this War, and each of them in particular, can expect nothing but a most shameful Slavery, from which hi'therto we have been able to fave our Necks? That he thereby renders himfelf Master of our Liberty; and that he is endeavouring with infupportable Arrogance, to impofe on us, in his Turn the Laws he was lately obliged to receive? Whereas, fhould the War continue in fuch a • Manner that this Enemy, already enervated by his ill Succeffes, fhould come to fall upon us as a Victor, ftill it would not be pardonable to confent to fuch unjuft Preliminaries,

"But at prefent,when he cannot stand the View • of the Armies of the Allies; when he is not fe cure any where, neither in the Field nor in his Fortified Towns; when having loft Part of his. • Forces and of his Places, he is afraid that very fuddenly the War will be carried into the Heart • of his Kingdom; can one help being juftly irritated against those who having been fo often deceived by the Illufions of the French, will venture to try once more the Good Faith which they always promife, but never keep; give affiftance to thofe Enemies, abandon their Allies; ⚫ renounce their Alliances; and in a Word make ufe of their own Victories to prepare a Yoke for their own Pofterity.

Certainly,