alledg'd fhould be infufficient, the feveral Interefts, fome of which I have mention'd already, oblige the Potentates of Europe to procuré the Reftitution of Transylvania, thereby to limit a Power, which may in a thort Time bé in a Condition to overturn the Liberties of the Empire, and confequently of all Eu rope.

For the Houfe of Auftria coming by the enfuing Treaty of Peace, to be more Potent by the Addition of the Dominions of the Spanish Monarchy, and of thofe in Italy, and elfewhere, which fo greatly augments its Power, by the intire Reduction of Hungary and Tranfylvania, that the ancient Maxims of Government being alter'd at the Court of Vienna, by the Application of his Imperial Majefty to the Affairs of State, and by the frugal Oeconomy propos'd to be eftablish'd there, that Houfe may, by Means of the Wealth of the conquer'd Countries, and those they are to have by the enfuing Treaty, have on Foot a very numerous Army, by which 'twill be eafy for them in a fhort Time,to expel the Turks, and reunite to the Crown of Hungary, what formerly appertain ed to it, and thereby be enabl'd to joyn on the other Side, the faid Territories to thofe in Italy, and thus be intirely in Poffeffion of a Kingdom, which, when it flourish'd anciently, made all Europe Tremble. It will be eafy to infer what the Emperor will be capa ble of doing, in that Cafe, on the Side of the Empire, the Rhine, &c,

Thofe who are acquainted with the Interests of Eu rope, and of each Potentate therein, will eafily comprehend the Danger, the Liberties of Europe would be in from fo exorbitant a Power: They will be better able to judge of it, than I, not only from Examples in Hiftory; but alfo from their profound Experience and confummate Knowledge in what regards the Welfare of their Dominions, and the Interefts of Europe.

"Tis to be hop'd, that they will be convinc'd, that all I have advanc'd, is grounded on Reafon and Experience of what is already pafs'd; and that the Stability of the enfuing Peace depends, in fome Meafure, on the Reftitution of Transylvania.

"Twill not be difficult to terminate that Affair, Prince Ragotski being near enough to remove the Difficulties, which may arife upon the Ceffion, and taking Poffeffion of Transylvania, if the Potentates ar War will make it a Condition of Peace; and if the Ministry at Vienna, confider the few Words of our Saviour, Give unto Cæfar, the Things that belong to Cæfar, and to God, what belongs to God, to whom they have fworn fo many Oaths; and in whofe Name they have made folemn Alliances and Treaties.

MEMORIAL of the Minifters Plenipotentiary of the Proteftant Powers affem bled in the Congress at Utrecht, in Favour of the French Proteftants, prefented to Meffieurs the Plenipotentiaries of his moft Chriftian Majefty, April 11. 1713. by Meffieurs the Plenipotentiaries of Her Majefty, the Queen of Great Britain.

TH

HE Allies, who profefs the Proteftant Reli gion, making Reflection on the Calamities, which a great Part of the Subjects of his moft Chri ftian Majefty, who profefs the fame Religion with them, have fuffer'd and continue ftill to fuffer on the fole Account of their ferving God according to the Dictates of their Confcience: a Liberty which those afflicted People expected to enjoy by Vertue of the Divine Law, of the Precepts of Charity, and particularly from the Laws of the Kingdom of France, confirm'd by his molt Chriftian Majefty, the Benefit of which they ought to have enjoy'd, as good and loyal Subjects, who in all Times have obferved the Rules of Duty and Obedience towards their Sovereign,

The faid Allies being touch'd by thefe Motives of Juftice and Compaflion, intereft themselves fo much the more for these poor People, because, if the Miferies they fuffer, continue after the Peace is reftor'd,

they

they may be imputed to his moft Chriftian Majefty's Averfion to Proteftants in general; which would be a great Grief to the Potentates of that Religion, who hope, by the Peace, to renew their Amity and good Understanding with his moft Christian Majefty. For this Reafon, the faid Allies cannot but concern themfelves alfo for great Numbers of the aforefaid Subjects of France, who have been oblig❜d to leave their Country, and take Sanctuary in the Dominions of the faid Proteftant Allies, in order to animate them to return home after the Conclufion of the Peace.

Wherefore the Plenipotentiaries of the faid Allies, being furnished with Powers for concluding a Gene ral Peace, find themfelves oblig'd, purfuant to the exprefs Orders from their Sovereigns, to require with the utmoft Earneftnefs, Meffieurs the Plenipotentiaries of his moft Ghriftian Majefty, to reprefent to the King their Mafter, That the Relief,the French Proteftants have fo long groan'd for, may be granted them; and that they may be te-eftablifh'd in their religious Rights and Privileges, and enjoy an intire Liberty of Confcience; and that fuch of 'em as are in Prifons, and Gallies, and otherwife confin'd, may be inlarg'd and fet at Liberty, to the end that thofe afflicted People may have a Share in the Peace, which Europe, in all Appearance, is going to enjoy.

A MEMORIAL touching the Reformed Churches of France, prefented to their Excellencies, the Plenipotentiaries of the Proteftant Princes and States, fent to the Conferences held for the Peace.

THE Zeal which all the Proteftant Princes

and States have at all Times fhewn for Religion, and the Concern they have been under for the Relief of thofe who have been profecuted for the, Truth, has particularly appear'd by the Manner of their being touch'd with the Ruin of the Reformed

Churches

Churches of France; by the Charity exercis'd by them, towards thofe, whom the Tempeft caft into the Dominions under their Obedience; and by the Inftructions given by them to their Minifters, in all the Negotiations enter'd into with France, fince the Revocation of the Edict of Nantz, charging them to take all imaginable Care, in any thing that might procure any Relief to thofe defolate Churches.

This is what at prefent encourages thofe, who have hitherto labour'd in Affairs of that Nature; and infpires them with Refolution to addrefs themfelves to the Plenipotentiaries of the faid Princes and States, nominated for the Conferences, in which a Peace is treating between the Allies and France; and to fupplicate them, that it may please them to give Attention to the Memorial now prefented to them, to the End they may obferve what kind of Evils are neceffary to be redrefs'd, if potible; and what Re medies are proper to be apply'd to them, for the Deliverance of thofe, who are groaning under them.

This Memorial fhall not be fill'd with Reafons and Motives for perfuading the Sovereigns, and the Lords their Plenipotentiaries, and for infpiring them with Compaffion and Ardency in a Cafe fo very moving. We are fenfible, they are wanting in nothing, with Regard to that Affair: We fhall only reprefent to them, in a few Words, two Things, as worthy of their wife Reflection.

The firft is, the deplorable Condition of the Churches of France in general, and of all the Fami lies in particular, of which they formerly confifted. Above 700 Churches, fome of which amounted to above 10000 Communicants, were ruin'd one af af ter another, in the Space of 30 Years, by meer Tricking, and at laft utterly extirpated by the ReVocation of the moft folemn Edict, that was ever publifh'd, and which included in itfelt a Promife and Affurance of being perpetual and irrevocable.

By this Revocation, above a Million of Perfons have not only been depriv'd of all Manner of Exercife of Religion, of Inftruction in their younger Years, of Advice in the Perplexities they caft them

V

into,

into, of Comfort in their Sickness; but befides thefe Calamities, the greatest Part of them have been compell'd to promife and fubfcribe to adhere to the Worship and Errors of the Church of Rome: Others have abandon'd their native Land, or were expell'd thence, without any Subfiftence or Comfort, except what they found in the Charitable Reception given them by foreign Proteftants.

Moft of thofe, who at firft yielded to Violence, endeavouring to rife again after their Fall, were fome of them tranfported to Slavery in the French Colonies in America; others were thruft into Convents and Prifons, where there are at prefent many Hundreds of both Sexes: Others have been condemn'd to the Gallies, without the leaft Regard either to the Age or Quality of the Perfons: And tho' a great Number of thofe who were condemn'd to that Punifhment, are dead, many of whom never went nor engag'd to go to Maffe; yet the Number continues ftill to be very great; other Perfons being daily fent to the faid Gallies, under divers Pretexts, to make People believe they are guilty of fome other Crime, than refufing to live in the Roman Communion.

As to thofe, whom Fear or Weaknefs hinder from giving undoubted Proofs of their Repentance, they continue to treat them as fufpected Perlons; and reckoning them Proteftants in their Hearts, they vex them by a Thousand Artifices: Sometimes they conftrain them by Menaces or Punishments to go to Maffe: Sometimes their Children are taken from them, for fear they fhould inftruct them in the Proteftant Religion; and they are put into Houfes exprefly appointed for receiving the faid Children; and thofe Houfes are maintain'd at the Charge of fuch Fathers or Mothers, as are able to pay good Salaries; for the Children of the Poor are not receiv'd there: But their Parents are, by all kind of Rigours, compell'd to fend them to be catechis'd, or other wife exercis'd by the Popish Priests.

Thofe poor perfecuted People are conftrain'd, thro' Fear of Punishment, to carry their Children to be baptiz'd by the Roman Priests; to receive the Nuptial Benediction by their Miniftry; to fuffer

Pricfts