that they may freely and fecurely trade, and exercife their Commerce in the Kingdoms and Dominions of either Prince, in the fame manner as their own native Subjects do; and they fhall not fuffer them to be incommoded by any Hindrance or Obstacle.

XXII. They fhall alfo reciprocally allow their Armies and Forces to be fupply'd and affifted with Victuals and neceffary Provifions, as much as they conveniently can.

XXIII. Neither the most Christian King, nor his Succeffors fhall fuffer any Subject of the Queen of England to be put to trouble by the Inquifitors, or any other way, in Body or Eftate, on the account of the Religion now receiv'd and approv'd in England: but if any Perfon fhall endeavour or attempt to do fo by any Authority whatfoever, the forefaid King fhall by his Royal Anthority forbid, and hinder it to be done; and fhall fee that any Damage fuftain'd be made good.

In Faith and Teftimony of all and every one of which, we the Deputies, Ambaffadors and Commif fioners aforefaid have caus'd this Treaty, which is fubfcrib'd with our Hands, to be ftrengthen'd and corroborated by affixing our Seals. Done at Greenwich, the 14th Day of May, in the Year of our Lord 1596. according to the Computation of the Church of England, &c.

Sign'd,

Burghley,

G. Hunfd.

Henri de la Tour,
Cobham,

V. Buckhurst,
Ro. Cecil,

J. Fortescue,

A. de Harlay-Sancy.

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A Treaty of Alliance and League between Henry the IV. King of France, Elizabeth Queen of England, and the United Provinces of the Low-Countries, to defend themfelves against Spain. Done at the Hague, the 31st of October, 1596.

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HEREAS the most Christian King of France, and the most Serene Queen of England, in order to oppose the Attempts and ambitious Defigns of the King of Spain upon all the Princes and Potentates of Christendom, have mutually agreed, concluded and fworn a League Offenfive and Defenfive, for the Prefervation of their Kingdoms, Countries and Subjects, against the Invafion of the forefaid King of Spain their common Enemy; and on this occafion their Majefties afore-mention'd have determin'd and refolv'd to join with them in this Confederacy their dear and good Friends, the Lords the States General of the United Provinces, as having fuffer'd more Damage than all the other Sovereign Princes and States: Therefore having been inform'd thereof, they have fent their Deputies on this fide the Sea to us; and for the fame Reafon, we Henry de la Tour, Duke of Bouillon, Viscount of Turenne, Marefchal of France, with the Affiftance of the Sieur de Buzenval, Gentleman in ordinary to the faid King's Bedchamber, and his Ambaffador in ordinary to the faid United Provinces; and we George Gilpin, Counfellor on the part of the moft Serene Queen of England, introduc'd into the Council of State of the forefaid United Provinces, authoriz'd by her Majefty's Credential Letters, inferted at the end of the prefent Contract on the one part; and we the States General of the forefaid United Provinces on the other part, have made between us, in the Names of the forefaid Princes, H 4

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the following Agreement, Treaty and Convention: viz. We Duke of Bouillon, with the Affiftance of the forefaid Sieur de Buzenval, by virtue of the Power to us given by the forefaid King, which fhall also be inferted at the end of this prefent Treaty; and we George Gilpin, authoriz'd as above, have receiv'd and affociated, and do receive and affociate by thefe Prefents, in Name of the forefaid moft Chriftian King of France, and the most Serene Queen of England, and their Succeffors, the States General of the faid United Provinces, viz. Guelder and Zutphen, Holland and Weftfrizeland, Overyssel, Groningen and Omlanden, with all the Members, Towns and Inhabitants thereof; together with the Nobility and Gentry, Towns and Fortreffes of Brabant and Flanders, which are at prefent united with the faid States General; together alfo with the Country of Drent, with the Provinces, Nobility and Gentry, Members and Towns of Brabant, Luxemburg, Flanders, Artois, Haynault, and other Provinces of the faid Low-Countries, which fhall afterwards join, and give up themselves to the Body of the faid States General, within the space of two Years, reckoning from the Day and Date of these Prefents, for the forefaid League Offenfive and Defensive against the forefaid King of Spain, the common Enemy of all Perfons, Kingdoms, States, Countries and Subjects, together with all their Sovereignties, Rights, Privileges and Liberties; and this on the Claufes and Conditions of the forefaid Treaty, made between the faid King and Queen; the Tenor of which is as follows.

First of all, former Confederacies and Treaties which have been in force till this prefent between the faid King and Queen, fhall be confirm'd, and remain in their full Virtue and Vigour; and it fhall not be thought that they are departed from in any Point, but in fo far as is derogated from them by this prefent Treaty. This Confederacy fhall be Offenfive and Defenfive between the forefaid King and Queen, their Kingdoms, Eftates and Dominions, against the King of Spain, and his Kingdoms and Countries: and all other Princes and States, who may find their account in guarding against the ambitious Contrivances and Invafions, which the King of Spain endeavours to put in practice against his Neigh bours,

bours, may be invited to the faid Treaty by the contracting Prince and Princefs, and join themfelves with them; and for that end, Envoys fhall be difpatch'd from the faid King and Queen to as many Princes and States as the Confederates fhall think proper to excite to enter into the faid Confederacy, as foon as it can be done conveniently, and as the Affairs of the faid King and Queen can permit. There fhall be an Army form'd of common Troops, as well of the forefaid King and Queen, as of the other Princes and States, who fhall come into the faid Treaty, to make an Invafion into the Kingdoms of the faid King of Spain, and all his Dominions whatfoever, and to attack him. And it fhall not be lawful for either the faid King or Queen to make any Peace or Truce with the forefaid King of Spain, his Governors or Vice-Roys, without the mutual Confent of both, declar'd by Letters fign'd by the faid King and Queen's own Hand: But because the King has already granted a Truce in the Dutchy of Bretagne, the Deputies promife, that as foon as the forefaid Truce fhall expire, and want to be renew'd, the King fhall then, as far as in him lies, take care that, fo long as the Spaniards and Bretons are ally'd, nothing be attempted against the Kingdom of England, or the Subjects of the faid Queen, by Sea or Land, during the whole time of the forefaid Treaty. And moreover, That the King fhall make no general Truce with the Provinces or Towns that are under the Obedience of the Enemy, unless with the Consent of the faid Queen; but if neceffity fhould require this to be done in hafte with the Governors of Places in the Obedience of the faid King of Spain, the forefaid Truce fhall not continue above two Months, without the exprefs Confent of the forefaid Princes. The faid King and the faid Queen together promifing reciprocally, That if either of the two fhall ftand in need of Arms, Pouder, or other Inftruments of War, it fhall be lawful for him or his Commiffaries to buy and transport them into his Kingdom; provided this can be done without Damage or Prejudice to the States of either of them which fhall be refer'd to the Confcience of the King as well as of the Queen.

They fhall reciprocally defend the Merchants, who are Subjects of the faid King and Queen, fo that they

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may be able to carry on their Commerce in the Kingdoms and Countries of both Princes, in the fame manner as their own natural Subjects do; and fhall not fuffer them to be incommoded by any Hindrance or Obftacle. They fhall likewife reciprocally allow the levying of Soldiers, and that the Armies of both fides be furnish'd with Victuals and neceffary Provifions, as much as can poffibly be done. The moft Chriftian King fhall not fuffer any of the Subjects of the Queen of England to be tormented by the Inquifitors, or any other way whatsoever, in their Bodies or Eftates, upon the account of the Religion at prefent exercis'd and approv'd in England: But in cafe any Perfon fhall do fo upon any Authority whatsoever, the faid King fhall hinder it by his Royal Authority, and fhall caufe the Damage fuftain'd to be repair'd. Which League we the forefaid States General of the United Provinces, after_mature Deliberation held in our Affembly with the moft Serene Lord, the Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, Marquifs of Tervere and Flushing, Governor and Captain General of Guelder and Zutphen, Holland and Weftfriezland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Overyffel, with the Towns and Fortreffes of Brabant and Flanders, Admiral General; together with the Council of State of the forefaid United Provinces: and finding the faid Confederacy and Alliance to be moft honourable, advantageous and neceffary for the Prefervation of the forefaid Provinces, againft the Ambition of the forefaid King of Spain, we have accepted, and do accept of the faid League with all and every Article and Convention therein contain'd; by which their forefaid Majefties, their Succeffors to the faid Kingdoms, and the forefaid Lords, the States General of the forefaid United Provinces hall be, and remain to be ablig'd refpectively to the maintaining and obferving of all the Points and Articles conain'd in the forefaid Treaty of Alliance.

We Duke of Bouillon, affifted by the forefaid Sieur de Buzenval, by virtue of our forefaid Power, promifing to deliver and furnish within the space of fix Months following, as foon as fhall be poflible for us, Letters of Ratification of the forefaid Alliance mention'd above, on the part of the forefaid King of France, in good and due form, for him and his Succeffors, into the hands of

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