prudence, and dexterity, is worthy of my confidence: whereas thefe feveral qualities concur in Martin de Mello de Caftro, of my Council, and my Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the court of London; and as from the experience I have, that he has always ferved me to my fatisfaction, in every thing I have charged him with, relying, that I fhall, from henceforward, have fresh caufe for the confidence I have placed in him, I nominate and conftitute him my Ambaffador and Plenipotentiary, in order that he may, as fuch, affift, in my name, at any congreffes, affemblies, or conferences, as well public as private, in which the bufinefs of pacification may be treated: negotiating and agreeing with the Ambaffadors and Plenipotentiaries of the faid belligerent Powers, whatever may relate to the faid peace; and concluding what he fhall negotiate between me and any belligerent Kings and Princes, under the conditions he fhall ftipulate in my Royal name: therefore, for the above purposes, I grant him all the full powers and authority, general and fpecial, which may be neceffary, and I promife, upon the faith and word of a King, that I will acknowledge to be firm and valid, and will ratify within the time agreed upon, whatever shall be contracted and ftipulated by my faid Ambaffador and Plenipotentiary, with the aforefaid Ambaffadors and Minifters of the belligerent Kings and Princes, who fhall be furnished by them with equal powers. In witness whereof, I have ordered these presents to be made out, figned by myfelf, fealed with the feal of my arms thereunto affixed, and counterfigned, by my Secretary and Minifter of State for foreign Affairs and War. Given at the palace of our Lady of Ajuda, the eighteenth day of September, of the year from the birth of our Lord Jefus Chrift 1762. Locus pendentis. The KING. Don Lewis da Cunha. Letters Letters patent whereby your Majefty is pleased to nominate Martin de Mello de Caftro to be your Ambaffador and Plenipotentiary for the negotiation and conclufion of peace, in the form above fet forth. For your Majefty's infpection. Declaration of his moft Faithful Majefty's Ambaffader and Minifter Plenipotentiary, with regard to Alternating with Great Britain and France. WHEREAS, on the conclufion of the negotiation of the definitive treaty, figned at Paris this 10th day of February, a difficulty arofe as to the order of figning, which might have retarded the conclufion of the faid treaty, we the under-written, Ambaffador and Minifter Plenipotentiary of his moft Faithful Majefty, declare, that the alternative observed, on the part of the King of Great Britain, and the most Christian King, with the most Faithful King, in the act of acceffion of the court of Portugal, was granted, by their Britannic and most Christian Majefties, folely with a view to accelerate the conclufion of the definitive treaty, and by that means the more fpeedily to confolidate fo important and fo falutary a work; and that this complaifance of their Britannic and moft Chriftian Majefties fhall not be made any precedent of for the future; the court of Portugal fhall not alledge it as an example in their favour; fhall derive therefrom no right, title, or pretenfion, for any cause, or under any pretence whatsoever. In witness whereof, we, Ambaffador and Minifter Plenipotentiary of his moft Faithful Majefty, duly authorized for this purpofe, have figned the prefent declaration, and have caufed the feal of our arms to be put thereto. Done at Paris, the 10th of February, 1763. Martin de Mello et Caftro. (L. S.) [The [The treaty of VERSAILLES, 1783, is printed from the copy which was published by authority, in 1783.] The Definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship, between bis Britannic Majefty, and the most Christian King; figned at Verfailles, the 3d of September, 1783. In the name of the most Holy and Undivided Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. So be it. BE it known to all thofe whom it fhall or may in any manner concern. The most Serene and most Potent Prince, George the Third, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Duke of Brunfwic and Lunenburg, Arch-treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, &c. and the moft Serene and most Potent Prince, Lewis the Sixteenth, by the grace of God, moft Chriftian King. being equally defirous to put an end to the war which for feveral years paft afflicted their refpective dominions, accepted the offer which their Majefties the Emperor of the Romans, and the Empress of all the Ruffias, made to them of their interpofition, and of their mediation: but their Britannic and most Christian Majefties, animated with a mutual defire of accelerating the re-establishment of peace, communicated to each other their laudable intention; which Heaven fo far blessed, that they proceeded to lay the foundations of peace, by figning preliminary articles at Verfailles, the 20th of January, in the prefent year. Their faid Majefties the King of Great Britain, and the most Christian King, thinking it incumbent upon them to give their Imperial Majefties a fignal proof of their gratitude for the generous offer of their mediation, invited them, in concert, to concur in the completion of the great and falutary work of peace, by taking part, as mediators, in the definitive treaty to be concluded between their Britannic and moft Chriftian Majefties. Their faid Imperial Majefties having readily accepted that invitation, they have named as their reprefentatives, viz. His Majefty the Emperor of the Romans, the moft illuftrious and most excellent Lord Florimond, Count Mercy-Argenteau, Viscount of Loo, Baron of Crichegnée, Knight of the Golden Fleece, Chamberlain, actual Privy Counsellor of State to his Imperial and Royal Apoftolic Majefty, and his Ambaffador to his moft Chriftian Majefty; and her, Majefty the Empress of all the Ruffias, the moft illuftrious and most excellent Lord, Prince Iwan Bariatinfkoy, Lieutenant General of the forces of her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, Knight of the Orders of St. Anne, and of the Swedish Sword, and her Minifter Plenipotentiary to his most Christian Majefty, and the Lord Arcadi de Marcoff, Counsellor of State to her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, and her Minifter Plenipotentiary to his most Christian Majefty. In confequence, their faid Majefties the King of Great Britain, and the most Christian King, have named and conftituted for their Plenipotentiaries, charged with the concluding and figning of the definitive treaty of peace, viz. the King of Great Britain, the most illuftrious and most excellent Lord, George Duke and Earl of Manchester, Viscount Mandeville, Baron of Kimbolton, Lord Lieutenant and Cuftos Rotulorum of the county of Huntingdon, actual Privy Counsellor to his Britannic Majefty, and his Ambaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to his moft Chriftian Majefty; and the moft Chriftian King, the most illuftrious and most excellent Lord, Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, Baron of Welferding, &c. the King's Counsellor in all his Councils, Commander in his Orders, Prefident of the Royal Council of Finances, Counsellor of State Military, Minifter and Secretary of State, and of his Commands and Finances: who, after having exchanged their respective full powers, have agreed upon the following articles: I. There shall be a Chriftian, univerfal, and perpetual peace, as well by fea as by land, and a fincere and conftant friendship fhall be re-established between their Britannic and most Christian Majefties, and between their heirs and fucceffors, kingdoms, dominions, provinces, countries, fubjects, and vaffals, of what quality or condition foever they be, without exception either of places or perfons; fo that the high contracting parties fhall give the greatest attention to the maintaining between themselves, and their faid dominions. and fubjects, this reciprocal friendship and intercourse, without permitting hereafter, on either part, any kind of hoftilities to be committed, either by fea or by land, for any cause, or under any pretence whatsoever; and they shall carefully avoid, for the future, every thing which might prejudice the union happily re-established, endeavouring, on the contrary, to procure reciprocally for each other, on every occafion, whatever may contribute to their mutual glory, interests, and advantage, without giving any affiftance or protection, directly or indirectly, to thofe who would do any injury to either of the high contracting parties. There fhail be a general oblivion and amnefty of every thing which may have been done or committed before or since the commencement of the war which is juft ended. II. The treaties of Weftphalia of 1648; the treaties of peace of Nimeguen of 1678 and 1679; of Ryfwick of 1697; thofe of peace and of commerce of Utrecht of 1713; that of Baden of 1714; that of the triple alliance of the Hague of 1717; that of the quadruple alliance of London of 1718; the treaty of peace of Vienna of 1738; the definitive treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748; and that of Paris of 1763, ferve as a basis and foundation to the peace, and to the present treaty; and, for this purpose, they are all renewed and confirmed in the best form, as well as all the treaties in general which fubfifted between the high contracting parties before the war, as if they were herein inferted word for word; fo that they are to be exactly obferved for the future in their full tenor, and religiously executed by both parties, in all the points VOL. I. which Kk |