Articles of peace between the two crowns of France and Spain concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, the second of May, 1668 : translated out of French.

ARTCLES OF PEACE BETWEEN The two Crowns of FRANCE and SPAIN, Concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, the second of May, 1668.

I.

FIrst, It is Covenanted, and A∣greed, that for the Future, there shall be a true, firm, and in∣violable Peace, Confederacy, and perpetual Alliance and Amity, between the most Christian and Ca∣tholick Kings, their Children born, or to

be born hereafter, their Heirs, Successors, and Inheritors, their Kingdoms, States, Coun∣tryes and Subjects; and that they shall mu∣tually love one another, as kind Brethren, that the one shall promote with all his ability the Good, Honour, and Reputation of the other, really avoiding according to their Power, the prejudice of one another.

II.

In pursuance of this good Re-union, as soon as the ratification of the present Treaty shall be exchanged, the Peace between the said Kings shall be published, and from the time of the said publication, there shall be a Cessation of Arms, and all acts of Hostility, as well by Land as by Sea and fresh Waters, and generally in all places, where their Ma∣jesties Forces wage War, as well among their Companies and Armies in the Field, as in the Garrisons: and if the said Cessation be op∣posed by the taking of any place, or places, be it by assault surprize, or private Intelligence;

and in like manner, if there be any prisoners taken, or other acts of Hostility committed by any accident not foreseen, or of those that cannot prevent it contrary to the said Cessa∣tion of Arms, the departing from the Agree∣ment shall be really repaired on either side, without delay or difficulty, restoring with∣out the least diminution, that which they possessed, and setting the Prisoners at Liberty without any Ransom or Charge.

III.

In consideration of this Peace, the most Chri∣stian King shall keep, remain seized with, and effectually enjoy all Places, Forts, and Posts that he hath gained, obtained, or fortified by Armes during the last years Campagne: That is to say, the Fortress of Charleroy, the Towns of Binch and Atthe, the Places of Doway, the Fort of Scarpe being comprised, Turney, Ou∣denard, Lille, Armentieres, Courtray, Bergues and Furnes, and all their Bailiwicks, Castle∣wicks, Territories, Governments, Provost∣ships,

Appurtenancies, Dependancies and Annexations, by what name soever they be called, as far as ever they extend.

IV.

The said Places, Towns, and Places of Charle∣roy, Binch, Atthe, Doway, Fort of Scarpe, Turney, Oudenard, Lille, Armentieres, Courtray, Bergues and Furnes, their Balliwicks, Castlewicks, Go∣vernments, Provostships, Territories, Do∣mains, Seignories, Appurtenancies, Depen∣dancies and Annexations, by what name so∣ever they may be called, shall appertain by Virtue of this present Treaty of Peace, to the said Lord the Most Christian King and his suc∣cessors, having right thereunto, irrevocably and for ever, with the same rights of Sove∣rainty, Propriety, Royalty, Patronage, Gardianship, Jurisdiction, Nomination, Prerogatives and Preheminencies, over the Bishopricks, Cathedrals and other Churches, Abbies, Priories, Dignities, Cures, and all other Beneficies whatsoever, being within the

extent of the said Country, Places, and Baili∣wicks granted, of what Abby soever the said Priories hold Land, and have dependance up∣on, and all other Rights that have heretofore appertained to the Catholick King, though they be not here particularly recited, without any future trouble to his most Christian Majesty, by what pretence soever, of right, nor disturbed indeed by the said Catholick King his Succes∣sors, or any Prince of his House, or by any Person whatsoever, or upon any pretence or oc∣casion that may happen in the said Soverainty, Propriety Jurisdiction, Authority, Possessi∣on and Enjoyment of all the said Countries, Towns, Places, Castles, Lands, Seignories, Provostships, Domains, Castlewicks, and Bailiwicks, together with all the Places and other things thereunto appertaining. And to this purpose the said Catholick King, as well for himself, his Heirs and Successors, having right thereunto, renounceth, quitteth, granteth, and conveyeth, as his Plenipotentiary in his name by the present irrevocable Treaty of Peace, hath renounced, quitted, granted, and con∣veyed,

perpetually, and for ever in favour, and for the advantage of the said most Christian King, his Heirs, Successors, and such as are concerned, all the Rights, Actions, Pretences, Royalty, Patronage, Gardianship, Jurisdiction, Nomination, Prerogatives and Preheminenci∣es over the Bishopricks, Cathedral Churches, and other Abbies, Priories, Dignities, Cures, and other Beneficies whatsoever, being with∣in the limits of the said Countries, Places, and Bailiwicks granted, of what Abbies soever the said Priories hold Lands, and have dependance upon, and in General, without retaining or re∣serving any thing to himself, all other Rights, that the said Catholick King, or his Heirs, and Successors, have, pretend, or can have, and pretend unto, upon what ground or reason so∣ver, over the said Countries, Places, Castles, Forts, Lands, Seignories, Domains, Castle∣wicks and Bailiwicks, and over all Places de∣pending thereupon, as is before mentioned, all the Laws, Customes, Statutes and Consti∣tutions to the contrary notwithstanding, on those confirmed by oath, in which, and in the

abrogatory Clauses of Abrogation, it to ex∣presly abolished by this present Treaty for the confirmation of the said Renunciations, and Concessions, which shall stand in Force, and take place, insomuch that the particular ex∣pression or specification shall not Disanul the General, nor the General, the Particular; Per∣petually excluding all exceptions, upon what Right, Title, Cause, or Pretence soever they can be grounded: The said Catholick King Declares, Consents, Wills, and Intends, that all Men, Vascals, and Subjects of the said Countries, Towns, and Lands, granted to the Crown of France, as before mentioned, be, and remain quit, and discharg'd for the pre∣sent, and for ever, of their Faith, Homage, Service, and Oath of Fidelity, which all and every of them might have made to him, and the Catholick Kings his Predecessors; toge∣ther with all Obedience, Subjection, and Vassalage, that by reason thereof might be due unto him, from them; the said Catho∣lick King requiring, that the said Faith, Ho∣mage, and Oath of Fidelity, be made Null and

Voyd, as if they had never been made or given.

V.

The said most Christian King immediately after the Publication of the Peace, shall with∣draw his Forces from the Garrisons of all Places, Towns, Castles, and Forts of the County of Burgundy, commonly called la-Franche-Comtè, and shall really, effectually, and bonâ fide restore to his Catholick Majesty, all the said County of Burgundy, without any retention, or reservation.

VI.

The said most Christian King shall make restitution of all the Places, Forts, Castles, and Posts, that his Forces have, or might have enjoyed, unto the day of the Publication of the Peace, in what place soever Scituated to the Catholick King, those Places, and Forts which ought to remain by this present Treaty,

with his most Christian Majesty, as hath been above specified, excepted.

And in like manner His Catholick Majesty shall make restitution of all the Places, Forts, Castles, and Posts, which his Forces could have been possessed of, to the day of the publi∣cation of this Peace, in what Place soever they be, to his Most Christian Majesty.

VII.

Their Majesties agree, that all Kings, Po∣tentates and Princes, that will freely enter in∣to the like Obligation, would give their Ma∣jesties their Promises and Engagements of Warranty, as to all the contents of this pre∣sent Treaty.

VIII.

It hath been consented to, agreed, and de∣clar'd, that hereby there is to be no revocati∣on of the Treaty of the Pyreneans (with a re∣servation as to the Portugal, with whom the

said Catholick King hath since made a Peace,) only so far as it hath been otherwayes disposed of in this Treaty, by the concession of the above said Places; so that the parties can ac∣quire no new right, nor receive any prejudice upon their respective pretences in any thing, whereof there is no express mention made in this present Treaty.

IX.

And for the further Confirmation of this Treaty of Peace, and of all the Clauses and Articles herein contained, the said present Treaty shall be published, ratified and re∣gistred in the Court of the Parliament of Pa∣ris, and in all other Parliaments of the King∣dom of France, and Court of Accompts of the said City of Paris; so in like manner the said Treaty shall be ratified, published and registred, as well in the Great Council and other Councils and Court of Accompts of the said most Catholick King in the Low-Countryes, as in the other Councils of the

Crowns of Arragon and Castile: The whole affair being managed according to the form of the Treaty of the Pyreneans in the year 1659. the expedition whereof shall be mutually given by each other, within three Months after the Publication of this present Treaty.

Which Clauses and Articles above named, together with the contents of every one of them, have been Treated of, agreed upon, passed and Covenanted between the above said Plenipotentiaries of the said most Christian and Catholick Kings, in the name of their Majesties, which said Plenipotentiaries by Vir∣tue of their Power, (the Copies whereof shall be annexed unto this present Treaty) have promised, and do promise upon the Obliga∣tion of all and every the Goods, and Estates, present, and for the future, of the Kings their Masters; that they shall be inviolably kept and performed by their Majesties, and to cause them to be ratified, firmly and simply without any addition, and to compleat the ratifications by authentick Letters, Sealed, where all the pre∣sent Articles shall be inserted Verbatim, on the

last day of May next ensuing inclusively. First, his most Christian Majesty at Brussels, in the hands of the Governour of Flanders, and his Catholick Majesty at Saint Germains en Laye, in the hands of the said most Chri∣stian King, and sooner, if possibly. Fur∣thermore the said Plenipotentiaries have pro∣mised, and do promise, in the said names, that the said Letters of ratification being perfect∣ed, the said most Christian King, as soon as can be, and in the presence of such person or persons, as the said Catholick King will please to Delegate, shall solemnly Swear up∣on the Cross, the Holy Evangelists, the Ca∣nons of the Mass, and upon his Honour, fully, really, and bonâ fide to observe and accomplish all the Contents of the Articles in this present Treaty, and the same shall be also performed, as soon as it can possibly, by the said Catholick King and the Queen Re∣gent his Mother, in the presence of such per∣son or persons, as it shall please the said most Christian King to depute. In witness where∣of, the said Plenipotentiaries have subscrib∣ed

the present Treaty with their names, and caused the Seal of their Arms to be set there∣unto. Dated in the Imperial City of Aix-la-Chappelle, the 28 day of May, 1668.

And in the name of his Holiness, and the said Electors and Princes of the Sacred Empire, they have also subscribed these present Ar∣ticles with their names, and caused the Seal of their Armes to be affixed thereunto, Sign∣ed Augustine Franciotti, Arch-Bishop of Tre∣bisond, Plenipotentiary to his Holiness. The Baron of Scheneborn in the name of his Elect∣oral Highness of Mayenee. Francis Egon of Furstenberg, in the name of his Electoral High∣ness of Colen; and the Chevalier Semising in the name of his Highness of Munster.

We therefore allowing of the forementioned Treaty, in all and every the Particulars and Articles therein contained, and Declared, have accepted, approved, ratified and con∣firmed, do accept, approve, ratifie and confirm the same, as well for our selves, as for our Heirs, Successors, Kingdoms, Coun∣tries,

Lands, Seignories, and Subjects, pro∣mising the performance of the contents here∣of, upon the Faith and Word of a King, and upon the Obligation and Engagement of all and every our Estates for the present and the future, to keep and observe them inviolably, without doing any thing Directly or Indi∣rectly, in any manner or kind whatsoever to the contrary. In Witness whereof, We have Signed these Presents with our Hands, and have caused our Seal to be set thereun∣to.

Given at St. Germain's en Laye the 26^th. day of May, in the year of our Lord 1668. and of our Reign the 26^th.

Signed Lewis, and underneath De Lionne.

FINIS.