The French King's memorial to the Emperor of Germany

THE MEMORIAL Of the REASONS By which the KING is obliged to resume his Arms, and which ought to persuade all Christendom of the sincere Intentions of his Majesty for the Establishment of the Public Tranquillity.

THE MEMORIAL Of the REASONS, &c.

THose who shall examin without passion, or any other interest than that of the Public Good, the Conduct which his Majesty has taken from the beginning of the War of Hungary to the present time, will have great reason to wonder, that he having always been advertised of the design which the Em∣peror had formed of a long time, to attack France, as soon as he shall have made Peace with the Turks, he should have deferred the preventing thereof even to this hour, and being far from making use of the pretences which the Rules of good Politicks might suggest to him for putting a stop to the greatness of this Prince, he had rather for▪ the sake of Peace, even sacrifice the just occasions which have been so often given him to employ the Forces which God has put into his hands, as well for taking from the Court of Vienna all means of doing him any hurt, as for putting a stop to the unjust courses and violent Usurpations of the Elector Palatin; and to cause a restitution to Madam, the Sister in Law to his Majesty, of what in right belongs to her by succession from her Father and Brother, and timely to prevent all the Leagues, and preparations of War that have at length forced him to bring his Arms to the Banks of the Rhine, and to attack those places by which the Emperor might with most ease renew and maintain a War against France.

All the World is now satisfied, that it was the too sincere desire his Majesty had of putting a stop to what∣soever might disturb the repose of Christendom, and the convincing proofs he has given of his good intentions, that have so much contributed to all those occasions of discon∣tents, that have at last tired his patience.

It is very apparent that at the time when his Majesty might have taken advantage of the disturbance which the War of Hungary gave the Emperor, so as to have obliged the Court of Vienna, and the Empire to yield to him, by a definitive Treaty, all the Places which had been reunited to his Crown, in consequence of the Treaties of Munster and Nimmeguen: and by this means put a stop to all oc∣casions of misunderstanding between him and the Empire, his Majesty had rather acquiesce to a Treaty of Truce or Suspension, than by his Arms be the occasion of diverting the Princes and States of the Empire, from affording the Emperor those Succours he stood in need off, in order to repel the Forces of the Ottoman Empire: and that his Majesty following his pious and generous inclinations had preferred the general Interest of Christendom, before the good of his own Crown, contenting himself to obtain that provisionally, which in prudence he ought to have de∣manded for ever.

It is sufficiently known that this Treaty of Truce was hardly ratified on both sides, but his Majesty was willing to give fresh proofs of his moderation; and altho he under∣stood the Imperial Ministers employed all their diligence and endeavours in most of the Courts of Germany, to in∣cline the Princes and States of the Empire to enter into new Leagues against France. That by the Treaty made at Ausbourg, they had engaged a considerable number of the Princes and States to subscribe this Association. That in the Assembly of Nuremberg, all kinds of artifices and

suppositions were made use of, to bring all those into this League, who were with-held by the consideration of the misfortunes which might be occasioned by a new War, and the advantage which the whole Empire might find in the maintaining a good correspondence with his Majesty. And lastly, That the Ministers of the House of Austria have plainly professed on several occasions, that the War of Hungary should no sooner be at an end, than the Emperor would turn his Arms towards the Rhine, and that the Treaty of Truce should not be able to hinder his designs. Nevertheless all these pressing motives, which might immediately have obliged his Majesty rather to car∣ry the War into the Countries and Estates of this Prince, than to expect it in his own Kingdom, had yet given place to the earnest desire he has always had of doing what lay in his power for the maintaining of the Peace; and he had taken no other precautions for maintaining his Do∣minions from all the mischiefs preparing against them, than to fortifie his Frontier places, so as to put a stop to the designs of his Enemies.

So many proofs of the sincerity of his intentions had made the Court of Vienna forget, that as often as they compelled his Majesty to resume his Arms, it had pleased God to shew the justice of his Cause, by the great successes they have had, They have imagined to them∣selves that he would hereafter prefer the sweetness of re∣pose before the indispensable cares he is obliged to take for the preservation of his States; and the hopes of find∣ing great advantages by renewing a War, have caused the Court of Vienna, disdainfully to reject even the insinuati∣ons of the Popes Ministers, who with reason were of opi∣nion, that there was no way more ready, more easie, and more necessary for the establishing a good union, and un∣derstanding

between all the Princes and States of Chri∣stendom, than to make a Treaty of Peace on the same foot with the Truce, without entring again into the dif∣ficulties so often debated, and which cannot be any longer maintained without stiring up new Heats and Commoti∣ons.

But although all these Advances had not been suffi∣cient to discover clearly to his Majesty the resolution which the Court of Vienna has taken to renew the War against France, can we any ways doubt thereof, after all the proofs it has given; as well on the subject of the Suc∣cession to the Palatinate, as upon occasion of the Postu∣lation made of the Cardinal of Furstemberg, first to the Coadjutorship, and afterwards to the Electorate of Cologn.

No body can be ignorant of the undoubted Right of Madam his Majesties Sister in Law, to the Succession of the Elector Palatine, Charles her Brother: and it is well known that all the Movables, Allodial Estates, and Here∣ditary Fiefs, of right belong to her, as the only Heir of her Father and Brother: and although his Majesty was sufficiently inclined by the Affection he has for this Prin∣cess, to give her all the Protection she might stand in need of, for the putting her in Possession both of the movable and immovable Goods of this Succession: Ne∣vertheless the same Considerations that hindred his Ma∣jesty from making any Motions that might retard the Prosperity of the Imperial Forces in Hungary, have hi∣therto obliged him to prefer the Arbitration of the Pope, although already declared partial against France, before the more certain and speedy means that were in his power towards the rendring to Madam, his Sister in Law, the Justice due to her: and although this Arbitration ought solely to be suspected by his Majesties only Brother; ne∣vertheless

he was willing to consent to it, so that it only lay upon the Elector Palatine to put an end to all these Differences, by the decision of the Pope. But although there are a world of examples of the like Contests be∣tween Princes and States of the Empire, that have been referred to the judgment of Potentates, who have no de∣pendance thereon: This Elector who has always endea∣voured to foment a War between France and the Empire, not being contented to have usurped to his House the Electorates, and Ecclesiastical Dignities, which he endea∣vours to obtain on all occasions, by ways the most vio∣lent, and most contrary to the Rules of the Church, and the Laws and Constitutions of the Empire, has rejected the Arbitration of the Pope upon this Af∣fair, and has not only seized on the Territories inseparably fixt to the Electoral Dignity; but he has likewise without any form of Justice, taken possession of all the Engage∣ments, Allodial Estates, Hereditary Fiefs, and in general of whatsoever belonged lawfully to Madam, his majesties Sister in Law, excepting only some movables, which he was willing to quit, for the better colouring his Manifest Injustice, and flattering the good Nature of his Majesties only Brother, with hopes of a more ample Restitution▪

But as he is very sensible that he cannot long maintain his unjust usurpation against the Protection which his Majesty holds himself obliged to afford to the lawful Right of Monsieur his only Brother, and Madam his Sister-in-law, he has omitted nothing that he thought ca∣pable to stir up between France and the Empire, a War which he looks upon as the only means to retain with∣out controul, during the confusion and disorder which that brings with it, the Estates which can never by Law belong to him, so long as Madam, or her posterity shall remain. And upon this account it was, that while his Ma∣jesty

took the greatest care to take away all pretences from the Court of Vienna for concluding the War of Hun∣gary, and that when the declining of the Ottoman Empire might in reason give the Emperor hopes of greater Advan∣tages, this Elector endeavoured with greater earnestness to oblige the Court of Vienna to conclude a Peace with the Turks, and to carry the War towards the Rhine. His Ma∣jesty has not been ignorant of all the Steps that have been taken for the effecting hereof, the Leagues he has form'd: and lastly the resolution which he has caused to be taken for the speedy concluding an Accommodation with the Enemy of Christendom, that so they might be able to attack France, and surprise the Vigilancy of his Ma∣jesty.

'Tis true, that the Archbishoprick of Cologne, remain∣ing in the power of a Prince, whose intentions were so sin∣cere as those of the late Elector, for the maintaining the publick tranquillity, there needed only to take away so great an obstacle to any new Troubles; the only Expedient was by fair means, or by foul, to set up a Coadjutor entirely devoted to the interest of the House of Austria, and there could not be found any one that could be so certainly re∣ly'd on for the execution of this Design, and the aggrandi∣zing that House, as one of the Princes of the same. And it may also be affirm'd, that there is nothing which he has not put in practice for the effecting hereof. But as his Of∣fers and Promises supported by the Presence of the Duke of Juliers, have not had the desired effect, the Threatnings which he made use of against the Canons, and against the Elector himself, have been so violent and outrageous, that they have drawn upon him the indignation of both one and the other, and of four and twenty Votes of which the Chapter is compos'd, they have determin'd nineteen to

postulate the Cardinal of Furstemberg to the Coadjutor∣ship of the Archbishoprick of Cologne, as judging him with good reason so much the more capable to govern well, that besides the experience he has acquired during the long Administration the late Elector entrusted him with, his Dignity of Dean, his Age, his excellent perso∣nal Qualities have procured him the esteem and love of all those of the Chapter, who are not obliged to sacrifice their inclinations to other Interests than that of their Church.

In the mean time this so Canonical Postulation has not been capable to alter the Projects of the Elector Palatine. The too manifest partiality of the Pope for the House of Austria, has given him fresh hopes; and the impossibility of obtaining success for one of his Sons, has made him contrive a Design of much greater advantage for his House. He thought it not fit to expect, till the Cardi∣nal of Furstemberg being come to the Archbishoprick, and following the motions of his inclination for the House of Bavaria, could make the Chapter accept of Prince Cle∣ment for his Coadjutor, when he should be at the Age in∣dispensably required by the Canons. Nothing was more contrary to the Interests of this Elector, and he could not endure that the Elector of Bavaria should be beholding to the recommendation of his Majesty, and the kindness of the Cardinal for the Return of this Electorate to his House. But to break all these Measures, and secure for his Children, either the Electorate of Cologne, or that of Bavaria, he judg'd there was no better means, than to make use of the ill inclination of the Pope towards his Majesty, and his strong affection to the House of Au∣stria. In the first place to hinder his Confirmation of the Postulation of the said Cardinal of Furstemberg to the

Coadjutorship, which would not have receiv'd the least difficulty under any Pontificate less prejudiced against France. And in the second place to set up as Competi∣tor, this same Prince whom the said Cardinal had de∣sign'd so sensibly to oblige.

'Tis true, that there is no reasonable person, instructed in the Principles of the Roman Catholick and Apostolick Religion, who could have imagined, that maugre all that the Oecumenical Councils, and in the last place the Council of Trent, have determined concerning the Age, Learning, and the other requisite and necessary Qualifi∣cations for a Bishop, the Pope who has shewn hereto∣fore so much aversion to all particular favors, could be brought to declare a young Prince, but seventeen years old, and who is not yet a Canon, to be capable of be∣ing elected to the Archbishoprick of Cologne. But it must be confess'd, that this overturning of the Ecclesiastical Di∣scipline is not near so advantageous to the H. of Bavaria, as to that of Austria, and the Elector Palatine; for if this Project should succeed in favour of Prince Clement, he would either be but the Depository of the Electorate of Cologne, that so it might be derived to a Prince of New∣bourg, or if he should keep it for himself, before it pleased God to bestow any Children on his Brother the Elector, and in a time that he so often exposes his life for the Ser∣vice of the Emperor, he would secure to the Elector Pa∣latine the Succession to the States of Bavaria; and to the Court of Vienna the extinction of a House which has gi∣ven it always a great jealousie, and which the Merit of the Elector now reigning will not all diminish.

This then is the true Motive of this Breve concerted between the Pope, the Ministers of the House of Austria, and those of the Elector Palatine: And whereas they have well concluded, that his Majesty would not endure, that

the Cardinal of Furstemberg, being Canonically postulated to the Archbishoprick of Cologne, should be deprived thereof, out of hatred of the earnest application he has always made for the maintaining a good intelligence be∣tween his Majesty and the Empire, nor that the most considerable part of the Chapter that has given him their Suffrages should be deprived of their Rights by force and violence; they have at last determined to make peace with the Turk, and to break at the same time with France.

But if his Majesty have many Subjects of Complaint against a procedure so contrary to the fair dealing which he has always used, during the great Successes of the Imperial Arms in Hungary, and to the care he has taken, that no∣thing in all Europe should oppose it self to the hinde∣rance of the same. There can be no Man, let him be as prejudiced as he can against France, but he must acknow∣ledge, that what has been done as well by the Imperial Ministers, as by those of the Elector Palatine, since the obtaining of the Breve of Eligibility, has been enough to tire the patience of his Majesty, and to leave him no rea∣son to doubt of the firm resolution the Emperor has taken to declare immediate War against him.

In order hereunto the Court of Vienna look not upon themselves to be obliged by any measures, and though by the German Concordat, the Imperial Constitutions, and the Treaty of Munster, the Liberty of Elections in the several Chapters of Germany ought to be preserved inviolable; and that by the three and twentieth Article of the Treaty of Nimeguen, a cessation ought to have been put to all Injuries and Invectives of the Ministers of the Court at Vienna against the Cardinal of Furstemberg. Nevertheless the Count De Kaunitz, seeing that neither

Promises nor Threats could move the most considerable party of the Chapter of Cologne, to make any opposition to the Promotion of the Cardinal of Furstemberg, and that he had none that would concur with his Postula∣tion, but such as by their Offices and Employments were indispensably obliged to follow the Motions of the Court at Vienna; all the rest being fully perswaded, that they could not make a more worthy Choice, than of the Per∣son of the aforesaid Cardinal, not only for the Good and Advantage of the Arch-Bishoprick, but also for the Esta∣blishment of the Repose of the Empire; there have been no Wrongs, nor Invectives, nor Calumnies which have not been put upon the said Cardinal by the said Minister, till he had given him a formal Exclusion on the part of the Emperor, and threatened the Chapter with the loss of their Privileges. In fine, it may be said, that a manifest dis∣regard to, and infraction of the Treaties of Peace have appeared as clearly in the Discourse address'd to the Chapter of Cologne by the Count De Kaunitz, as did the Moderation of the said Cardinal, and his zeal for the maintenance of the publick Tranquillity in the Answer which he made.

But all these Violences of the Ministers of the House of Austria, not having been able to hinder the greatest and most considerable part of the Chapter of Cologne, but that they continued inseparably united to the Cardinal of Fur∣stemberg, joyntly with him to maintain the Rights and Liberties of their Church; the Court at Vienna made great haste to assemble the Forces of the most part of the Protestant Princes, who border'd upon this Arch-Bishoprick, in order to execute in conjunction with them those Breves they perswaded themselves they should procure from the Court of Rome, contrary to the purport of the Canons, the Treaties and the Constitutions of the Empire; herein

not having any regard, though the Arch-Bishoprick of Cologne were rendered wholly desolate, and the Catholick Religion oppressed in all the places depending thereupon, provided they might find means and opportunities to at∣tack France, to carry on a War against his Majesty at the Charge of the Electors, Princes and Estates of the Em∣pire, to constrain the great Men to chuse the King of Hungary to be King of the Romans before the Age indi∣spensably required by the Laws and Constitutions thereto relating; and in short, to subject all Germany to the de∣spotick Authority of the House of Austria, by leaving those persons destitute of the Alliance and Friendship of the King, who were most like to be the firmest Defenders of the Rights and Liberties of their Country.

These were Truths well known to his Majesty, and there could not be a Man of good understanding, and who was well inform'd of what passed in Europe, who can bring in doubt the least circumstance of what is ad∣vanced in this Memorial. It would also be to no purpose, to make publick all those other Proofs which his Maje∣sty has had of the Resolution taken by the House of Au∣stria, to declare War immediately against him. He is throughly perswaded, that after all these Instances he has given of the very great desire he has always had to secure the publick Tranquillity, all the World will allow, that it were to be wish'd, for the common good of Christendom, that those who hope to find advantage by stirring up new Troubles had not had so good an opinion of the Sinceri∣ty of his Majesties Intentions, and that it is upon them alone that the blame is to be laid, that he is set under a necessity of marching his Troops, as well to besiege Phi∣lipsbourg (being a place fit to render to his Enemies an easie entrance into his Estates) as to possess himself of

Keisserslouter▪ till the Elector Palatine has restored to Madam, his Sister-in-law, that which belongs to her by Succession to the Electors, her Father and Brother.

But whatsoever Success it shall please God to give to the Arms of his Majesty, he has always the same desire to contribute what on his part he can to the Establishment of the publick Peace. And to this end, he declares, that he will not hold himself bound to make this perpetual, but only to the Emperor and his Confederates; his Ma∣jesty being very willing (that so for the future all occa∣sions of misunderstanding between him and the Empire be taken away, and that no cause may be left for a Breach and renewing of the War) that a definitive Treaty of Peace be made upon the same Articles with that of the Truce concluded and signed at Ratisbonne, August 15, 1684. It being provided that his Majesty shall not be troubled, nor in any manner disturbed on occasion of the new Fortifications he has been obliged to make for the se∣curity of his Estates, as well at Hunningen, as at Fort-Lewis upon the Rhine.

And as he has not undertaken the Siege of Philipsburg, to open to himself a way to attack the Empire, but only to make secure the Entry into his Estates, from those who would raise new Troubles, so he offers moreover, in order to facilitate a Treaty of Peace, to demolish the Fortifications of the said City of Phelipsburg, as soon as shall have reduced it to his Obedience, and that he will cause it to be surrendred to the Bishop of Spire, for him to enjoy it after the same manner as his Predecessors have done, before the place was fortified, without authority to rebuild the Fortifications.

Furthermore His Majesty is willing to add to these Overtures, a more considerable and more convincing Proof of the desire which he has to reestablish a good correspondence with the Emperor and the Empire, and to render the same of a long duration; That whereas the ex∣traordinary expence he has been at to make the Town of Fribourg a place impregnable, as it is at present, might reasonably oblige him never to part with it from the Crown; Nevertheless in order to procure a happy Peace to all Christendom, and to make appear, that he designs nothing but to secure his Kingdom, and not to preserve to himself means of enlarging the same, He is also willing to cause the Fortifications of this important place to be de∣molished, and to surrender it to the Emperor with all its dependences, upon condition that he shall never fortifie it hereafter.

As for the Electorate of Cologne, his Majesty offers to withdraw his Troops from thence, as soon as the Pope, ei∣ther by his own free will, or at the request of the Em∣peror, shall have confirmed the Postulation of the Cardi∣nal of Furstemberg; and he will freely interpose his in∣terest, as soon as the said Cardinal shall be in the peaceable possession and enjoyment of the said Electorate, to cause him to join with the Chapter in such temperaments as may be proposed for the satisfaction of Prince Clement and the Elector of Bavaria, in such sort as that the re∣pose of that Arch-Bishoprick may not be disturbed, nei∣ther at the present, nor in time to come.

His Majesty is also very willing, that nothing may re∣main of what is past nor any occasion for future troubles, immediately to put an end to those differences which con∣cern the Succession in the Palatinate; and he offers on the behalf of Monsieur▪ his only Brother, and of Madam, his Sister-in-Law, a disclaim of all the Places, Territories

and Countries, as well as the Moveables, Ordnance and every other thing which ought yet to be restored, satis∣faction for the damages being made in mony, according to such estimation as shall be made, at the least within a years time, by Commissioners which shall be named to this purpose; and in case they shall not agree within the aforesaid time, his Majesty gives his consent, that what∣soever shall remain in difference, shall be determined by the Arbitrage of the King of England, and the Repub∣lique of Venice, without leaving either one or the other Party at liberty any ways to render it ineffectual.

It is upon these conditions which are much more ad∣vantageous to the Emperor and the Empire, than to his Majesty and to his Crown, that the public Tranquillity may be re-established and made sure for ever; provided that they are accepted before the end of January next, to which effect his Majesty is ready to send his Plenipoten∣tiaries immediately to Ratisbonne. But after that time, his Majesty being obliged to continue at vast expenses, he pretends not to be holden to these his Offers; and in case of a too long delay, or of a refusal to accept hereof, He charges from this present, all those mischiefs which the War may bring upon Christendom, upon those who have forced him to resume his Arms to prevent their evil designs, and who would not take the advantage of the Expedients which he proposes for the immediate assurance of a lasting Peace.

Given at Versailles, Sept. 24. 1688.

With Allowance.