It is neceffary to recollect here, agreeable to the reprefentation in the opening of the memorial, what were the poffeffions acquired fince the commencement of the war between the two crowns, to the time when the negociation was entered upon, on the bafis of the Uti poffidetis.

England had conquered from France in North America, Čanada, and the Ifles Royal and St. John, fituate in the gulph of St. Lawrence: in South America, the isles of Guadaloupe and Marigalante: in Africa, Senegal, and the island of Goree in Afia, Pondicherry and the French fettlements on the coaft of Coromandel.

In Europe, the island of Belleifle, attacked fince the opening of the negociation, and fubfequent to the epochs of Statu quo, propofed by the Court of France.

The Uti poffidetis of France comprised in Afia, the Englifh fettlements on the coaft of Sumatra, and other advantages on the fide of the Mogul, of which they had yet received but imperfect accounts. In Europe, the island of Minorca, the Landgraviate of Heffe, the country of Hanau, and the town of Gottingen in the Electorate of Hanover. Laftly, France had re-established, or could have availed herself of the liberty which the infraction of the treaty of Utrecht gave her, to re-establish the port of Dunkirk.

The King offered to guaranty Canada to the English in the utmoft extent which the Court of London required.

His Majefty propofed, that the right of fishing and of drying their fifh on the coaft and on the banks of Newfoundland, fhould be confirmed to France, and on that condition fhe confented to the demolition of Dunkirk.

The King proposed to restore the island of Minorca to England, for the ceffion of Guadaloupe and Marigalante. His Majefty agreed to evacuate Heffe, the country of Hanau and Gottingen, provided that one of the two fettlements he had loft in Africa were reftored to him.

The India Companies of the two nations were to treat concerning their particular pacification, agreeable to their reciprocal interefts.

If the reduction of Belleifle fhould be acknowledged a legal conqueft, though undertaken after the propofition

of

of Uti poffidetis, France agreed, that the poffeffion of that important island should remain to England.

Who can pretend to fay, after the foregoing reprefentation, that France has not fcrupulously purfued, in all her propofitions, the principle of her memorial of the 26th of March? Can any one, at the fame time, deny that the compensations offered by the King, were not as advantageous for England as fhe could defire?

Therefore it evidently follows, that the allies of France in Germany could have been no obftacle to the peace, fince they take no part in the war which is carried on in Weftphalia, nor are affifted by the King's forces in the war maintained in Saxony, Silefia, and Pomerania. Moreover, it was proposed to England, on the part of France, that the two Courts should absolutely withdraw themfelves from the war.

It is equally demonftrable, that Spain cannot be alledged to have been an impediment to the pacification, as the King did not renew the propofitions he made to unite the accommodation of the differences of that Crown with the treaty under negociation between the Courts of Verfailles and London, and his Catholic Majefty approved of their filence in this behalf.

It is certain, that the conditions and compenfations-offered by France, for the conclufion of a feparate peace with England, are all for the advantage of the latter power; that the Court of London, had the been inclined to peace, could not make claims beyond her conquests; and that the Court plainly and clearly gave up every thing, which was not compenfated by fome reftitution on her part.

This detail neceffarily leads to the question, which the whole universe, that fuffers by the miseries of war, muft neceffarily make: What then has been the motive of the rupture of fuch an important negociation? That motive has no other principle than the pofitive averfion of the Court of London to peace: it has proved impoffible to infuse a conciliating spirit into a Court refolved to perpetuate the war, and lefs influenced by the real interefts of the kingdom and the deftruction of the human fpecies, VOL. III.

M

than

1

than inflated with the fuccefs fhe has had, and greedy of those advantages fhe has farther in view.

It is with regret, that the King finds himself obliged to continue an oppofition by force to the progrefs of the ambitious defigns of his enemies, and under an impoffibility of procuring his people that repofe, which his Majefty wished for their welfare. The King trufts, that Providence will disappoint thofe vaft projects, which England scarce endeavours to difguife, and which threaten the fecurity of every Potentate. His Majefty, invariable in his pacific difpofitions, will be always ready to concur in every expedient which may be judged proper to reeftablish the public tranquillity, and will make no diffi culty of facrificing even his own interefts to the glory and confolation of reftoring peace to his kingdom and to Europe. By order of the King,

Signed Le Duc de CHOISEUL.

Preliminary Articles of Peace, between bis Britannick Majefty, the Moft Chriftian King, and the Catholick King. Signed at Fontainbleau, the 3d Day of November, 1762. [Printed from the Copy.]

TH

In the Name of the Moft Holy Trinity.

HE King of Great Britain, and the Most Christian King, animated with the reciprocal defire to reestablish union and good understanding between them, as well for the good of mankind in general, as for that of their respective kingdoms, ftates, and fubjects, having reflected, foon after the rupture between Great Britain and Spain, on the state of the negociation of last year, (which unhappily had not the defired effect) as well as on the points in difpute between the Crowns of Great Britain and Spain; their Britannick and Most Christian Majefties began a correfpondence to endeavour to find means to adjust the differences fubfifting between their faid Majefties. At the fame time, the Moft Chriftian King, having communicated to the King of Spain these

happy

happy difpofitions, his Catholick Majefty was animated with the fame zeal for the good of mankind, and that of his fubjects, and refolved to extend and multiply the fruits of peace by his concurrence in fuch laudable intentions. Their Britannick, Moft Chriftian, and Catho lick Majefties, having, in confequence, maturely con fidered all the above points, as well as the different events which have happened during the course of the present negociation, have, by mutual confent, agreed on the. following articles, which fhall ferve as a bafis to the future treaty of peace. For which purpose, his Britannick Majesty has named and authorised, John Duke and Earl of Bedford, Marquis of Tavistock, &c. Minister of state of the King of Great Britain, Lieutenant General of his Forces, Keeper of his Privy Seal, Knight of the Moft Noble Order of the Garter, and his Britannick Majesty's Minifter Plenipotentiary to his Moft Chriftian Majefty; his Moft Chriftian Majefty, Cæfar Gabriel de Choifeul, Duke of Praflin, Peer of France, Knight of the Most Chriftian King's Orders, Lieutenant General of his Forces, Counsellor in all his Councils, and Minifter and Secretary of State, of his Commands and Finances; and his Catholick Majefty has likewife named and authorised, Don Jerome Grimaldi, Marquis de Grimaldi, Knight of the Moft Chriftian King's Orders, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to his Catholick Majefty in Employment, and his Ambassador Extraordinary to his Moft Chriftian Majefty; who, after having duly communicated to each other their full powers in good form, have agreed on the following articles.

Article I. As foon as the Preliminaries fhall be figned and ratified, fincere friendship fhall be re-established between his Britannick Majefty and his Most Christian Majefty, and between his faid Britannick Majefty and his Catholick Majefty, their kingdoms, flates, and fubjects, by fea and by land, in all parts of the world. Orders fhall be fent to the armies and fquadrons, as well as to the fubjects of the three powers, to ftop all hoftilities, and to live in the moft perfect union, forgetting what has paffed, of which their Sovereigns give them the order and example: And, for the execution of this article, fea

M z

paffes

paffes fhall be given, on each fide, for the fhips which Thall be dispatched to carry the news of it to the refpective poffeffions of the three powers.

II. His Moft Chriftian Majefty renounces all pretenfions, which he has hereto formed, or might have formed, to Nova Scotia, or Acadia, in all its parts, and guaranties the whole of it, with all its dependencies, to the King of Great Britain: Moreover, his Moft Chriftian Majeftycedes and guaranties to his faid Britannick Majefty, in full right, Canada, with all its dependencies, as well as the island of Cape Breton, and all the other islands in the gulph and river of St. Lawrence, without restriction, and without any liberty to depart from this ceffion and guaranty, under any pretence, or to trouble Great Britain in the poffeffions above mentioned. His Britannick Majefty, on his fide, agrees to grant to the inhabitants of Canada the liberty of the Catholick religion: He will, in confequence, give the most exact and the moft effectual orders, that his new Roman Catholick fubjects may profefs the worship of their religion, according to the rites of the Roman Church, as far as the laws of Great Britain permit. His Britannick Majefty farther agrees, that the French inhabitants, or others who would have been fubjects of the Moft Chriftian King in Canada, may retire, in all fafety and freedom, wherever they pleafe; and may fell their eftates, provided it be to his Britannick Majefty's fubjects, and tranfport their effects, as well as their perfons, without being reftrained in their emigration, under any pretence whatsoever, except debts, or criminal profecutions: The term limited for this emigration, being fixed to the space of eighteen months, to be computed from the day of the ratification of the definitive treaty.

III. The fubjects of France fhall have the liberty of fishing and drying, on a part of the coafts of the island of Newfoundland, fuch as it is fpecified in the XIIIth article of the treaty of Utrecht; which article fhall be confirmed and renewed by the approaching definitive treaty (except what regards the island of Cape Breton, as well as the other islands in the mouth and in the gulph of St. Lawrence) And his Britannick Majefty confents to leave to

the