iv INTRODUCTION. they have acted upon the ftipulations it contains, and have fet the declaration at Pilnitz totally afide. Did not the Emperor take poffeffion of all the towns in the French Netherlands, in his own name, agreeably to the treaty of Pavia, and not in the name of the King of France, as he was bound to do by the declaration at Pilnitz? Did not General Wurmfer, when fuccefsful on the Rhine, exprefs his wishes that the Alfacians would reunite themselves to their German brethren? (fee Vol. I. p. 134.) Has not the Empress invaded Poland? And has not the King of Pruffia obtained poffeffion of Dantzick and Thorn? Every proceeding of the allies ftrengthens the opinion that the substance of the treaty of Pavia is authentic; and as it not only was fupported by fuch a combination of circumftances, but was in general circulation, and had obtained confiderable credit throughout Europe, infomuch that it had been inferted in many of the most refpectable works, without a doubt of its being genuine, the Editor thought it his duty to give it a place; convinced that those who contended for its authenticity, would have much more cause of complaint at its omiffion, than they who afferted it to be a forgery, would have by its infertion. The other papers which it has been faid fhould not have appeared in the collection, are the two letters from M. Maret to Mr. Miles. These have been objected to for two reasons, first, that Mr. Miles proves in his pamphlet M. Maret had no official commiffion to the Government of this country, and fecondly, that it was improper to dignify the private letters of one friend to another with the title of State Papers. The first of these objections is miftakenly made. M. Maret was not indeed fent as a formal ambassador or minifter plenipotentiary, but he was an agent appointed by the French Government to negotiate for the prefervation of peace, and as fuch was received and treated with by Mr. Pitt. The National Convention after it declared war, published "An Expofition of the Conduct of the French "Nation towards the English People," in which Maret's papers are inferted with thofe of Chauvelin. The French confidered him, in fact, as an agent of the highest importance, and therefore the two letters-to Mr. Miles were judged to be very material. It is not alone the official memorials of Minif ters INTRODUCTION. ters that always explain their real views. A private communi- cation is frequently much more explicit : and whenever we are fo fortunate as to obtain any letters of the confidential agents of a government, which throw light on interefting matters of ftate, we fhall confider them to be, in the beft fenfe of the Having now answered the only objections made to the first volume of this work, it is necessary to state, that, in compil- ing the fecond, a confiderable number of French reports and decrees have been inferted, because they beft defcribe the inter- nal fituation of the country, the principles which actuate the people, and the difpofition of the government ;-circumftances now declared by the British miniftry, to be the principal if not the only reason for continuing hoftilities, and therefore it is ex- pedient to give them a place, as the object of this collection is to bring together all papers explanatory of the causes of the prefent war, and the fentiments of the different powers engaged Under the title of "Correfpondence," it has been thought expedient to place fome papers not exactly of that defcription. The Editor trufts, the Public will perceive in this volume the fame unwearied exertion to deferve a continuance of that diftinguished patronage with which the former was honoured. The English and foreign publications have been carefully col- lated to complete the Collection, feveral of the articles have never before appeared in English, and others are now first pub- lifhed from the original MSS.-Regretting the inconvenience arising to many noblemen and gentlemen from the unavoidable delay of the Publication, the Editor engages, by flightly altering STATE PAPERS. Treaties. Convention for the common Defence of the Liberty and Safety of the Danish and Swedish Commerce and Navigation, between his Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, &c. and his Majefty, the King of Sweden, &c. concluded at Copenhagen, March 27, 1794. H IS Majefty the King of Denmark and Norway, and his Majefty the King of Sweden, having confidered how much it imports the fubjects of their realms to enjoy, in fafety and tranquillity, the advantages attached to a perfect neutrality, and founded on acknowledged treaties, impreffed with a deep sense of their duties to their fubjects, and unable to diffemble the inevitable embarrassments of their fituation in a war which rages in the greater part of Europe, have agreed and do agree to unite their measures and their interests in this respect, and to give to their nations, after the example of their predeceffors, all the protection which they have a right to expect from their paternal care; defiring, moreover, to draw closer the bonds of the amity which fo happily fubfifts between them, have nominated to that effect-his Danish Majefty, his minifter of state and foreign affairs, the Sieur André Pierre Count de Bernstorf, knight of the order of the Elephant, &c.—and his Majefty the King of Sweden, the Sieur Eric Magnus, Baron Stael de Holftein, chamberlain to her Majesty the Queen Dowager of Sweden, and knight of the order of the Sword, who, after having exchanged their full powers, have agreed on the following articles: I. Their Majefties declare folemnly, that they will maintain the most perfect neutrality in the courfe of the prefent war; avoid as much as on them depends, whatever may embroil them with the powers their friends and allies; and continue to mark, as they have conftantly done, in circumftances fometimes difficult, all the attention, and even all the amicable deference, confiftent with their own dignity. II. They declare moreover, that they claim no advantage which is not clearly and unexceptionably founded on their refpective treaties with the powers at war. III. They 111. They engage alfo reciprocally, and before all Europe, that they will not claim, in cafes not specified in their treaties, any advantage which is not founded on the univerfal law of nations, hitherto acknowledged and refpected by all the powers, and by all the fovereigns of Europe, and from which they can as little fuppofe that any of them will depart, as they are incapable of departing from it themselves. IV. Founding on a basis so just the claim and the maintenance of their indifputable rights, they will give to the innocent navigation of their fubjects, which is entirely within the rule of, and conformable to the fubfifting treaties, without extending it to fuch as may depart from the rule, all the protection which it deferves against all those who, contrary to their expectation and their hopes, would difturb the legal exercife of fanctioned rights, the enjoyments of which cannot be denied to neutral and independent nations. V. For attaining the propofed object, their Majefties engage reciprocally to equip, as foon as the feafon will permit, each a fquadron of eight fhips of the line, with a proportionate number of frigates, and to provide them with all neceffaries. VI. Thefe fquadrons (hall unite or feparate, as fhall be judged beft for the common intereft, which fhall be interpreted on both fides with the amity that fo happily fubfifts between the powers. VIII. No diftinction whatsoever fhall be made between the interefts and the flags of the two nations, except fuch as different fubfifting treaties with other nations may require. Moreover, in all cafes of defence, convoy or others, without any exception, the Danish fhips fhall defend the Swedifh fhips and flag, as if they were their own nation, and the fame on the other part. VIII. For the order of command, in all cafes it is agreed to adopt the tenor of the Articles VI. and VII. in the Convention of the 12th of July, 1756. IX. The German States, both of Denmark and Sweden, are reciprocally and entirely excepted from this Convention. X. The Baltic being always to be confidered as a fea fhut and inacceffible to the armed fhips of diftant powers at war, is declared fo a-new by the contracting parties, who are refolved to maintain in it the most perfect tranquillity. XI. Their Majefties engage to make a joint communication of this Convention to all the powers at war, adding the most folemn affurances of their fincere defire to preferve with them the most perfect harmony, and to cement, rather than wound it, by this measure, which tends only to fecure rights maintained and afferted by thofe powers themfelves, in all cafes where they were neutral and at peace, without Denmark and Sweden having ever dreamt of interrupting them, XII. But |