be fulfilled, and fincerely and punctually executed, fo as it may not be obftructed by any pretence, caufe, or motive whatsoever; for which purpose his majesty is to dif penfe, (as he does hereby difpenfe) with all laws, ordinances, proclamations, privileges, eftablishments, ufages and customs, contrary hereunto, wherever the fame be may fubfifting in any of the ports, places, and provinces of America, belonging to his majefty, for the term of thirty years, during which this Affiento is to continue, and the three years farther, which are allowed to the Affientists, for the getting in their effects, and balancing their accounts, as has been already mentioned; which laws, &c. are, however, to continue in all their force and vigour, in all other cafes that do not relate to this contract, and in all time coming, after the expiration of the thirty three years thereof.

XLII. And finally, his majefty grants to the faid Affientists, their agents, factors, minifters, officers civil and military, as well at fea as at land, all the favours, freedoms, privileges and exemptions, that have ever been granted to any former Affientifts, without any reftriction or limitation, so far as they are not contrary to what is agreed and expreffed in the foregoing articles; which the Affientifts do likewife oblige themselves to accomplish and execute entirely and punctually.

B

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

Efides the foregoing articles ftipulated on behalf of the English company, his Catholick Majefty, confidering the loffes which former Affientifts have fuftained, and upon this exprefs condition, that the faid company fall not carry on, nor attempt any unlawful trade, directly nor indirectly, under any pretence what foever; and to manifeft to her Britannick majefty, how much he defires to pleasure her, and to confirm more and more a strict and good correspondence, has been pleased, by his royal decree of the 12th of March, in this prefent year, to allow to the company of this Affiento, a fhip of five hundred tons yearly, during the thirty years of its continuance, to trade therewith to the Indies, in which his Catholick Majefly is to partake a fourth part of the gain, as in the Af

fiento;

fiento; befides which fourth, his Catholick Majefty is to receive five per cent. out of the neat gain of the other three parts which belong to England, upon this exprefs condition, that they may not fell the goods and merchandizes, which each of thofe fhips fhall carry, but only at the time of the fair; and if any of these ships fhall arrive in the Indies, before the flotas and galeons, the factors of the Affiento fhall be obliged to land the goods and merchandize (with which they fhall be laden) and put them into warehouses that fhall be locked with two keys, one of which to remain with the royal officers, and the other with the factors of the company, to the end the faid goods and merchandize may be fold during the continuance of the faid fair only; and they are to be free of all duties in the Indies.

CONCLUSION.

And whereas my will and pleasure is, that all that is contained in each of the articles and conditions (expreffed in the above draught herein inferted) and that which is the laft of all (being added thereto of my own free will) fhould have its full effect, I do by these presents approve and ratify the fame, and command that it be observed, fulfilled and executed, literally, in the whole and throughout, according to the contents of it, and of every article thereof, and what is therein declared, and that nothing be done or acted, or be any ways fuffered to be done or acted, contrary to the tenor and form thereof, difpenfing (as I do for this time difpenfe) with all laws and prohibitions that may be contrary thereunto; and I promise and affure, upon my faith and royal word, that provided the company of England perform this contract on their part, fo far as concerns them, and as they are obliged, I will perform it on my part in witness whereof I have granted to the lord Lexington, her majefty of Great Britain's minifter in this court, the prefent writing and acceptance of this contract, correfponding with its entire performance and validity; which, in purfuance of my royal command, has been made out by the regifter's office of the chamber of my council of the Indies, the 26th day of this present month and year; and I will, that for the execution of all that is mentioned in this Affiento, all the cedulas, dispatches and

orders,

orders, required for the entire effect and fulfilling thereof, be iffued in their proper time: and the comptrollers of accounts, who attend my faid council, are to take notice of thefe prefents. Given at Madrid the twenty fixth day of March, one thousand feven hundred and thirteen.

By the command of our lord the king,

I THE KING.

Don Bernardo Tinaguero de la Efcalera.

Your majefty does hereby approve and ratify the Affiento adjusted with the company of England, for the importation of Negro Slaves into the Indies, for the term of thirty years, in the manner mentioned in the articles aboveinferted.

Treaty of peace and friendship between the most ferene and most potent princess Anne, by the grace of God, Queen of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, and the most ferene and most potent prince Lewis XIV. the Moft Chriftian King, concluded at Utrecht the 31 day of March

April

1713. Reprinted from the copy published by the Queen's fpecial command.

I. HAT there be an univerfal perpetual peace, and a ITHA true and fincere friendship, between the moft ferene and most potent princefs Anne, queen of Great Britain, and the moft ferene and most potent prince Lewis XIV. the most Christian King, and their heirs and fucceffors, as also the kingdoms, states, and fubjects of both, as well without as within Europe; and that the fame be fo fincerely and inviolably preferved and cultivated, that the one do promote the intereft, honour, and advantage of the other, and that a faithful neighbourhood on all fides, and a fecure cultivating of peace and friendship, do daily flourish again and encrease.

II. That all enmities, hoftilities, difcords, and wars, between the faid queen of Great Britain, and the faid moft Chriftian King, and their fubjects, do ceafe and be abolished, so that on both fides they do wholly refrain and defift from all plundering, depredation, harm-doing, inju

ries, and annoyance whatsoever, as well by land, as by fea and fresh water, in all parts of the world, and chiefly through all tracts, dominions, and places, of what kind foever, of the kingdoms, countries, and territories of either fide.

III. All offences, injuries, harms, and damages, which the aforefaid queen of Great Britain, and her fubjects, or the aforefaid moft Chriftian King, and his fubjects, have fuffered the one from the other, during this war, fhall be buried in oblivion. fo that neither on account, or under pretence thereof or of any other thing, fhall either hereafter, or the subjects of either, do, or give, caufe, or fuffer to be done or given to the other, any hoftility, enmity, moleftation, or hindrance, by themfelves or by others, fecretly or openly, directly or indirectly, under colour of right, or by way of fact.

IV. Furthermore, for adding a greater ftrength to the peace which is reftored, and to the faithful friendship which is never to be violated, and for cutting off all occafions of diftruft, which might at any time arife from the established right and order of the hereditary fucceffion to the crown of Great Britain, and the limitation thereof by the laws of Great Britain, (made and enacted in the reigns of the late king William III. of glorious memory, and of the prefent queen) to the issue of the a bovefaid queen, and in default thereof, to the most ferene princefs Sophia, dowager of Brunfwick-Hanover, and her heirs, in the proteftant line of Hanover. That therefore the faid fucceffion may remain fafe and fecure, the most Chriftian King fincerely and folemnly acknowledges the abovefaid limitation of the fucceffion to the kingdom of Great Britain, and on the faith and word of a king, on the pledge of his own and his fucceffors honour, he does dèclare and engage, that he accepts and approves the fame, and that his heirs and fucceffors do and fhall accept and approve the fame for ever. And under the fame obligation of the word and honour of a king, the most Christian King promifes, that no one befides the queen herself, and her fucceflors, according to the feries of the faid limitation, fhall ever by him, or by his heirs or fucceffors, be acknowledged, or reputed to be king or queen of Great Britain.

V.

Britain. And for adding more ample credit to the faid acknowledgment and promifes, the moft Chriftian King does engage, that whereas the person who, in the life-time of the late king James II. did take upon him the title of prince of Wales, and fince his deceafe, that of king of Great Britain, is lately gone, of his own accord, out of the kingdom of France, to refide in some other place, he the aforefaid moft Chriftian King, his heirs and fucceffors, will take all poffible care, that he fhall not at any time hereafter, or under any pretence whatfoever, return into the kingdom of France, or any the dominions thereof.

Moreover, the most Christian King promises, as well in his own name, as in that of his heirs and fucceffors, that they will at no time whatever difturb, or give any molestation to the queen of Great Britain, her heirs and fucceffors, defcended from the aforefaid proteftant line, who poffefs the crown of Great Britain, and the dominions belonging thereunto. Neither will the aforefaid moft Chriftian King, or any one of his heirs, give at any time any aid, fuccour, favour, or council, directly or indirectly, by land or by fea, in money, arms, ammunition, warlike provifion, ships, foldiers, feamen, or any other way, to any perfon or perfons, whofoever they be, who for any caufe, or under any pretext whatsoever, fhould hereafter endeavour to oppose the faid fucceffion, either by open war, or by fomenting feditions, and forming confpiracies againft fuch prince or princes who are in poffeffion of the throne of Great Britain, by virtue of the acts of parliament aforementioned, or against that prince or princefs, to whom the fucceffion of the crown of Great Britain fhall be open, according to the faid acts of parliament.

VI. Whereas the moft deftructive flame of war, which is to be extinguifhed by this peace, arofe chiefly from thence, that the fecurity and liberties of Europe could by no means bear the union of the kingdoms of France and Spain under one and the fame king; and whereas it has at length been brought to pass, by the affiftance of the divine power, upon the moit carneft inftances of her facred royal majefty of Great Britain, and with the confent both of the Moft Chriftian, and of the Catholick King, that this evil fhould in all times to come be obviated, by means of

re