The acts and negotiations, together with the particular articles at large of the general peace, concluded at Ryswick, by the most illustrious confederates with the French king to which is premised, the negotiations and articles of the peace, concluded at Turin, between the same prince and the Duke of Savoy / translated from the original publish'd at the Hague.

Answer to Article III, IV, V.

The former part of the Third Article has been already discussed in the Second. What follows is part of the Restitution to be made by the ensuing Peace. In conse∣quence whereof all Decrees of Union and Re-union are to be Cancell'd and Abolish'd, some of which have been printed at Paris, Cum Privilegio, and consequently by the King's Authority; among the rest Two, whose Ti∣tles run thus, A Decree of the Soveraign Council of Al∣sace sitting at Brisac, importing that the King shall be put into Possession of the Soveraignty of the Lower Alsace, it bears date March 22. 1680. The other is entituled, A Decree of the Soveraign Council of Alsace, sitting at Brisac, importing that the King shall be put into Possession of the Soveraignty of the Lower Alsace, and of other Territories and Seigniories situated in the Upper Alsace; this is dated August 9. 1680. Especi∣ally since these Expressions, and others to be met with in

the whole Body of the Decree, concerning the detaining and possessing of other Territories at that time acknow∣ledg'd, do sufficiently manifest the state of things by the then Treaty of Nimeguen, and the time ensuing. This likewise was evident, and particularly in the Right pre∣tended to Strasburgh, Landau, and Cronweissem∣berg, by receding from performance of the Peace of Ni∣meguen, the first Article whereof was drawn up in these Terms.

The Emperor shall forthwith cause his Forces and Troops to withdraw from all the Provinces of the Em∣pire, which do not by an Hereditary Right belong to the House of Austria, namely from the Circle of Suabia and Franconia, as well as from the Electoral Circle of the Rhine, and from that of the Upper Rhine, and from the Towns and Forts situated thereon, From Bon, Strasburgh, Offenberg, Hockberg, Landau, Cron∣weissemberg, and in general from all such places, as neither by the Treaty of Munster, nor by that of Nime∣guen belong'd to his Imperial Majesty, so that immedi∣ately before the Tenth of August, the said Forces shall be drawn into Bohemia, and into other of his Patri∣monial States.

Therefore 'tis evident that Bon, Strasburgh, Offen∣berg, Landau, Cronweissemberg, and all the other Places of the Empire, which were not look'd upon as be∣longing by an Hereditary Right to the House of Austria, neither by the Treaty of Munster, nor that of Nime∣guen, were yet consider'd and absolutely esteem'd to be part of the Empire, and comprehended in its Circles and Dependencies. From whence it plainly follows, that by the Articles propos'd by the French Ambassadors, all these Places are to be restor'd and re-establish'd. Since the Case stands thus, and these Places are the Chief of what ought to be restor'd, the Emperor's Ambassadors, and those of the Electors, Princes, and other States here pre∣sent,

do reasonably hope that there will be less difficulty about the other Articles to be agreed upon for the speedy Re-establishment of a firm and lasting Peace, and there∣fore they desire that an immediate Consent may be given to the two following Articles, as the Foundation and Ge∣neral Rule of the present Peace.

1. The Treaty of Westphalia, together with that of Nimeguen, shall be the Basis and Foundation of the present Peace, which shall be executed with respect both to Church and State, immediately after the Ratifications shall be exchang'd; and for ever after maintain'd in its full force, unless in such things as shall be otherwise pro∣vided for by the present Treaty. Therefore whatever after the said Peace of Munster, and the Treaty of its Execution made at Nuremberg, has been to this pre∣sent in the Possession of his most Christian Majesty, un∣der pretence of Right, or by open Force, or in any other manner whatever, and which was before possess'd by the Emperor, or by the Empire and the States depending thereon, including the Three Nobless, with their Imme∣diate Dependants and Vassals, such Cities, Towns, Bur∣roughs, Citadels, Castles, Forts, Villages, Houses, Ter∣ritories, Mountains, Hills, Forests, Meadows, Mines, Quarries, Lakes, Rivers, Islands, Bridges, Ri∣vulets, Jurisdictions, and Rights, proper and in Fee∣simple, till'd and untill'd, shall be faithfully restor'd to their Ancient Proprietors, without demolishing the For∣tifications, or any Publick or Private Houses, without rendring them in a worse state than they are at present, or exacting any thing for the Charges they have been at upon them, without exacting any Contributions by the Army, or in their behalf: And this Restitution shall be made without any delay, within Ten days at farthest after the Ratifications be exchang'd, or sooner if possible, together with all the Artillery, Ammunitions and Pro∣visions, as well such as were in the Places when taken,

and since quitted and demolished by the Garrisons that were in them, and such as are in any other Places what∣ever, together with all Papers and Writings, where and however seiz'd. That whatever Alterations or Innova∣tions have been made, by his most Christian Majesty, after the said Peace, and the Treaty of Execution made at Nuremberg in Civil or Ecclesiastical Affairs, under the Name and Pretence of Suntgau, Landgrave of Al∣sace, Provincial Prefecture of Haguenau, and the Feu∣dal Union of Dependencies, Appendencies, Submissions, Surrenders, Engagements, all manner of Grants, whe∣ther Absolute or Limited, or upon any other Cause or Reason whatever, shall be cancell'd, and re-settled upon its first footing; and after it has been thus re-settled, shall remain in the perpetual possession of his Imperial Majesty, as his Property or Fief. Laws General or Spe∣cial, known or unknown, made publickly or privately by what Person whatsoever, all Edicts, Priviledges, Di∣spensations, Concessions, Donations, Investitures, Decla∣rations, Mandats, Prohibitions, Registers, Incorporati∣ons, Unions, Re-unions, Confiscations, Arrests, Decisi∣ons, Decrees, Sentences, Homages, Contracts, Transacti∣ons, though ratified by the Oaths and other Pretensions of his most Christian Majesty, the Royal Family and Kingdom of France, or of his Feudatories and Subjects, or the Oppositions of any Courts, Councils, Chambers, or States, either National or Provincial, and all other Pre∣tences whatsoever past, present, or to come, to the contrary notwithstanding: the which Laws, &c. are cancell'd and abolish'd, as far as they respect the present Case; notwithstanding likewise all that may be ever surmis'd, alledg'd or imagin'd to the contrary, and notwithstand∣ing all other Reasons whatever, which may seem to de∣serve a more special and particular mention, and to in∣timate that this present Cancelling and Annulling is void and of no effect.

2. For the farther illustrating the foregoing Article; and to cut off all occasion of future Debates, without mentioning the Reference to be made to Commissioners, Umpires, and their Decisions; it is farther agreed, That his most Christian Majesty, and the Kingdom of France shall rest satisfied with what has been granted to them by the Peace of Munster in Westphalia, namely, with the Jurisdictions of the three ancient Bishopricks of Metz, Toul and Verdun, as far as they had regard to them at the time of the said Peace; and likewise with the Rights and Priviledges of Suntgau, the Landgravate of Alsace, and of the Provincial Government, in the same manner as they were formerly possessed by the most Serene House of Austria, and which are not to be alter'd upon the Account of any Compensation to be made for Dama∣ges done, or for the sake of making the Peace more firm and lasting; and that they shall not pretend, demand, or exact from any State, Vassal or Subject of the Empire, any Oath, Obligation, or Dependence, except within the Jurisdictions of the said three Bishopricks, as far as they concern'd them at the time of the said Peace, or except within the said Rights possessed by the House of Austria, and which are not at present alter'd, under any Pretence, Reason, or Matter of Fact or Right whatever: The state of the Case, as to the Surrendring up of the Rights of the House of Austria, being the same now as for∣merly, except only the Manner of Possession; forasmuch as what the most Serene House of Austria has receiv'd in Fief from the Empire, and held under its Jurisdicti∣on, shall be held and possess'd with the Right of Sove∣raignty, by the Kingdom of France, and after the same manner as what belongs to the said three Bishop∣ricks within their Jurisdictions, is therein included and comprehended. And by Consequence all those in general which are reckon'd, and are of Right the States, Vas∣sals, and Subjects of the Empire, whether such as are

more particularly mention'd in the Treaty of the Peace of Munster, or in the Treaty of Execution made at Nuremberg, or in the Treaty of Nimeguen, all which are supposed to be repeated here, or such as were therein omitted, of what degree or place soever they be, shall from henceforward be ever exempted free from all Obli∣gation, Tye, or Trouble that may thence ensue, towards his most Christian Majesty and the Kingdom of France.