Bourish for a long feries of years, if the electors, princes, and ftates, fenfible of their moral and legal obligations, and animated by a becoming public fpirit, would remain faithful to their folemn profeflions. That, therefore, his Imperial majefty, having fo often and fo lately teftified his zealous attachment to the Germanic conftitution, and the prefervation of all its parts, members, and rights, would act in open contradiction with his own actions and declarations, if he did not readily fan&tion the whole tenor of the aforefaid fecond part, which fo perfectly agreed both with his paternal affection for the empire, and his duty as chief of it.

Pursuant to thefe fentiments, thus folemnly declared by the diet, and fanctioned by his Imperial majefty, the former continued to deliberate on the imperial court decree of the 19th of May, efpecially concerning the concurrence of the ftates of the empire in the future negotiations for peace with France, and propofed for that purpose an extraordinary deputation, confifting of ten members of the Germanic body. His Imperial majefty, in order to promote the faid negotiations, was pleafed moft graciously to fanction this advice of the empire with his concurrence, trufting that the deputed ftates would remain faith. ful to the grand fundamental law of the unity of the empire and its legal infeparability from its chief, and by co-operating with patri otic German perfeverance in the important bufinefs of a peace of the empire, would conftitutionally endeavour to fupport and promote the common intereft and welfare

of the German empire. Since the 7th inftant, the diet has again been conftantly employed in deliberating on the remaining objects pointed out by the faid court decree, and especially on the important inftructions which ought fully and clearly to prescribe not only the terms of peace, but also the manner of treating.

Whilft the Germanic empire, united under its fupreme chief, endeavoured, and ftill endeavours, by conflitutional means, to obtain a general peace of the empire, private negociations for a separate peace were carried on by his ferene highnefs the Landgrave of HeffeCaffel, with a French deputy, the refult of which appears by the adjoined printed copy of a treaty of peace and amity, concluded on the 28th of Auguft, the ratification of which is to be exchanged within a month's time, or fooner.

His Imperial majetty will yet fupprefs his juft feelings, routed by an event, which, on account of the above-mentioned folemn declaration of the diet of the empire, of the 3d of July, he had fo little reafon to expect. This event, if fome reports are to be credited, may be followed by tranfactions of a fimilar nature, whereby the defence of Germany, and the attainment of the restoration of the integrity of the empire, and fafety of its conftitution, by means of a juft, reasonable, folid, and honourable peace, would be rendered more difficult, if fingle ftates have it in their power, at their own pleafure, thus to withdraw from the confederacy of the German empire, by feparate treaties of peace and fecret articles, to separate their intereft from the general intereft of

the

the empire, and to diffolve the latter into mere feparate concerns.

His Imperial majefty finds a confolation in propofing thefe very ferious confiderations and confequences, together with feveral others of the highest importance for the Germanic conftitution, to the patriotic deliberation of the diet, and he places in the electors, princes, and ftates, the fulleft paternal confidence, that they will take the faid occurrence into that ferious confideration which its importance demands, and fupply him not only with full and fatisfactory advice, concerning the light in which this treaty of amity and peace ought to be confidered, but also recommend to him the measures which it will be most adviseable to purfue, in order to maintain the German conftituion, and to affert the unity, dignity and independence of the Germanic body.

The diet cannot but be fenfible that the deputation appointed by the late conclufum of the empire, together with the inftructions to be drawn up for the deputed states, would be altogether nugatory and ufelefs, and be at beft only the honour of figning the future treaty of peace, if the exifting doubts were not previonfly removed by means of the demanded advice; and if even other flates, who experience the difafters of war, fhould follow the examples already exifting (in the fifth article of the Heffian treaty of peace, the general peace to be concluded between France and the German empire is no longer called a general peace of the empire, but a peace to be fettled by the other parties as yet concerned in the war with France.) For this reafon it becomes the more

urgent, that the advice of the empire, demanded by his Imperial majefty in his quality as chief of the empire, fhould be delivered with all poffible speed.

(Signed) PRINCE OF £OLLOREDO MANNSFELS. Vienna, September 18, 1795.

Treaty of defenfive alliance between his Britannic Majefty and the Emperor of Germany, figned at Vienna, May 29, 1795.·

HIS majefty the emperor, and his majefty the king of Great Britain, being defirous to renew and to cement the ancient relations of friendship and intimacy between their crowns and their refpective dominions, as well as to provide in a folid and permanent manner for their future fafety, and for the general tranquillity, of Europe, have determined, in confequence of thefe falutary views, to proceed to the conclufion of a new treaty of alliance: and they have nominated for that purpose, viz. his majesty the emperor, his actual privy counfellor and minifter for foreign affairs, baron de Thugut, and his majefty the king of Great Britain, Sir Morton Eden, one of his majefty's privy countellors, knight of the bath, envoy extraotdinary, and minifter plenipotentiary of his faid majesty, at the court of Vienna; who, after having communicated, to each other their respective full powers, have agreed upon the following articles :

Art. 1. There fhall be between his Imperial majefty and his Britannic imajefty, their heirs and fucceffors, and between all the refpective dominions, provinces, and sub

jects,

jects of their faid majefties, a perfect and fincere good underftanding, friendship and defenfive alliance. The high contracting parties fhall ufe all their endeavours for the maintenance of their common interefts, and fhall employ all the means in their power to defend and guarantee each other mutually against every hoftile aggreffion.

2. The high contracting parties fhall act in perfect concert in every thing which relates to the re-establishment and to the maintenance of general peace; and they fhall employ all their efforts to prevent, by the means of friendly negociation, the attacks with which they may be threatened, either fefeparately or conjointly.

3. In cafe either of the high contracting parties fhould be attacked, molefted, or difturbed in the poffeffion of its dominions, territories, or cities whatfoever, or in the exercife of its rights, liberties, or franchises wherefoever, and without any exception, the other will exert all its endeavours to fuccour its ally without delay, and in the manner hereinafter mentioned. 4. Their Imperial and Britannic majefties reciprocally guarantee to each other, and in the moft express manner, all their dominions, territories, cities, rights, liberties, and franchises whatsoever, fuch as they at prefent poffefs, and fuch as they fhall poffefs, at the conclufion of a general peace, made by their common agreement and confent, in conformity to their mutual engagements in that refpect, in the convention of the 30th of Auguft, 1793.-And the cafe of this defenfive alliance fhall exift from the moment whenever either of the high contracting parties fhall

be difturbed,, molefted, or difquieted in the peaceable enjoyment of its dominions, territories, cities, rights, liberties, or franchifes whatfoever, according to the state of actual poffeffion, and according to the ftate of poffeflion which fhall exift at the above-mentioned epoch.

5. The fuccours to be mutually furnished, in virtue of this treaty, fhall confift in 20,000 infantry, and 6000 cavalry, which fhall be furnifhed in the fpace of two months after requifition made by the party attacked, and fhall continue to be at its difpofition during the whole courfe of the war in which it fhall be engaged. The fuccours shall be paid and maintained by the power required, wherever its ally fhall employ them; but the power requiring thall provide them with the neceflary bread and forage, upon the fame footing with its own troops.

If the party requiring prefers, it may demand the fuccours to be furnished in money; and in that cafe the fuccours fhall be computed at the following rate, that is to fay, 10,000 Dutch florins per month for every thousand infantry, and 30,000 Dutch florins per month for every thousand cavalry. And this money fhall be paid monthly, in equal portions, throughout thewhole year,

If thefe fuccours fhould not fuffice for the defence of the power requiring, the other party fhall augment them according as the occafion fhall require, and fhall even fuccour its ally with its whole forces, if the circumftances fhould render it neceffary.

6. It is agreed that, in confideration of the intimate alliance eftablished by this treaty between

the two crowns, neither the one or the other of the high contracting parties thall permit the veffels of merchandize belonging to its ally, or to the people or fubjects of its ally, and which shall have been taken at fea by any fhips of war or privateers whatfoever, belonging to enemies or rebels, to be brought into its harbours; nor any thip of war or privateer to be therein armed, in any cafe or under any pretext whatsoever, in order to cruise against the ships and property of fuch ally, or of his fub jects; nor that there be conveyed by its fubjects, or in their fhips, to the enemies of its ally, any provifions, or military or naval ftores, for these ends, as often as it fhall be required by either of the allies, the other shall be bound to renew exprefs prohibitions, ordering all perfons to conform themfelves to this article, upon pain of exemplary punishment, in addition to the full reftitution and fatisfaction to be made to the injured parties.

7. If, notwithanding the prohibitions and penalties abovementioned, any veffels of enemies or rebels fhould bring into the ports of either of the high contracting parties any prizes taken from the other, er from its fubjects, the former fhall oblige them to quit its ports in the pace of twenty-four hours after their arrival, upon pain of feizure and confifcation; and the crews and paffengers, or other prifoners, fubjects of its ally, who fhall have been brought into the faid ports, fhall immediately after their arrival be restored to their full liberty with their fhip and merchandize, without any delay or exception. And if any vetfel whatsoever, after having been

armed or equipped, wholly or partially, in the ports of either of the allies, fhould be employed in taking prizes, or in committing hoftilities against the fubjects of the other, fuch veffels, in cafe of their returning into the faid ports, fhall, at the requifition of the injured parties, be feized and confifcated for their benefit.

The high contracting parties do not intend that the ftipulations in these two articles fhould derogate from the execution of anterior treaties actually exifting with other powers; the high contracting parties not being, however, at liberty to form new engagements hereafter to the prejudice of the said stipulations.

8. Their Imperial and Britannic majefties engage to ratify the prefent treaty of alliance, and the ra tification thereof thall be exchanged in the pace of fix weeks, or fooner if it can be done.

In witnefs whereof, we the underfigned, being furnished with the full powers of their Imperial and Britannic majesties, have figned the prefent treaty in their names, and have caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto. Done at Vienna, the 20th day of May, 1795. (L. S.) LE BARON DU THUGUT, (L.S) MORTON EDEN.

Separate Article.

In cafe the establishment, in general limited, of the land forces of Great Britain thould not permit his Britannic majefty to furnish, within the term fpecified, the fuccour in men ftipulated by the 5th article of the prefent treaty of alliance, and that confequently his Imperial majetty thould be obliged

to fupply that fuccour by an equal number of other troops, to be taken into his pay, the confidence which the emperor repofes in the friendship and equity of the king of Great Britain' leaves him no room to doubt but that his Britannic majefty will readily grant him an indemnification for the difference, which, according to a juft valuation at the time, fhall exift between the expences of the taking into pay and fubfiftence of thofe troops, and the estimate in Dutch florins, which, in order to avoid every delay of difcuffion, has been adopted in the above-mentioned 5th article, in conformity to the eftimate contained in ancient treaties.

The feparate article, making part of the treaty of alliance, figned this day in the name of their Imperial and Britannic majefties, fhall have the fame force and validity as if it were inferted word for word in the faid treaty of alliance.

In witness whereof, we, the underfigned, being furnished with the full powers of their Imperial and Britannic majefties, have in their names figned the prefent feparate article, and have caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto.

Done at Vienna, the 20th of
May, 1795.
(L.S.) MORTON EDEN,
(L. S.)

LE BARON DU THUGUT.
Separate Article.

Their Imperial and Britannic majeftics thall concert together upon the invitation to be given to . her Imperial majefty of all the Ruffias, in order to form, by the nnion of the three courts, in confequence of the intimate connecfions which exift already between

them, a fyftem of triple alliance, proper for the re-establishment and maintenance in future of peace and general tranquillity in Europe.

This article fhall have the fame force as if it were inferted in the prefent treaty.

In witnefs whereof, we the underfigned, being furnished with the full powers of their Imperial and Britannic majefties, have in their names figned the prefent fe parate article, and have caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto,

Done at Vienna, the 20th of May, 1795.

(L.S.) MORTON EDEN, (L. S.) LE BARON DU THUGUT.

Treaty of defenfive alliance between bis Britannic Majefty and the Emprefs of Ruffia. Signed at St. Pe terfburgh, February 18, 1795.

IN the name of the Moft Holy Trinity. His Britannic majefty, and her majefty the empress of all the Ruffias, animated with a defire equally fincere to ftrengthen more and more the ties of friendship and good understanding which fo hap pily fubfift between them and their refpective monarchies, have thought that nothing would more effectually contribute to this falutary end than the conclufion of a treaty of defenfive alliance, concerning which they fhould occupy themfelves forthwith, and which fhould have for bafis the ftipulations of fimilar treaties which have already been heretofore concluded, and have made the objects of the most intimate union between the two empires. For this purpose their faid majefties have named for their plenipotentiaries,