[Page] [Page] PROPOSITION Of the Ambassadour PECKIVS.
In the Congregation of the General States. WITH THE ANSVVER Of the sayd General States, the XXV. of March, 1621.
TRANSLATED, Out of Dutch, according to the Copy, printed by AERT MEURS, Bookseller in the HAGUE.
A COPIE Of the Letters of Credence.
LOvinge Freends, vvee send thither Sr. Pieter Peckius, Lord Knight of Bouchout, &c. Counseler of our Counsel of State, and Chanceler of Brabant bringher of this, to handle with you of certayne cause that hee shall declare unto you: And therefore this shal serve to require, not onely to give him good audience, but also to give him full credit in that hee shall declare unto you from our Part. Lovinge Freends vvee commende you in the mercifull Protection of the Almighty God. In Brussel the 16 of March, 1621.
PROPOSITION Of the Ambassadour PECKIVS. In the Congregation of the General States.
NOBLE & MIGHTY LORDS, These latter dayes of the Truce of twelf years of the Lowe Countreys / our common Fatherland / do set before our eyes the lamentable mutation commonly following after such temporall Agreements / and whereof the preparations on both sides are promooved and advaunced already. But the Archidukes looking with a pittifull eye upon the extreame and most deplorable Inconveniences and miseries / wherein this Lands thorough / this mutation should come to falle / could not choose to bring into great consideration the meanes fit / expedient and required to the preventing and averting of them / specially beeinge mooved to this healthfull and salutary sentence / thorough their naturall inclination to Peace / and thorough their zeale and affection to the commune wealth / which likewise hath beene the cheefest and principal motives / that their Highnesses have resolved [Page] to the sayd Truce / as a beginning of the whole desired tranquillitie and rest / and of the Quenching of the Flame of warre / wherein at their cominge they found these Lands / thinking that within the time of the same Truce / there actions have klearly and manifestly testified and declared the surety of their good intention / and for this future time their Highnesses have nothing more carefully beharted / then to procure the greatest advantage of these Lands in Generall / which seemes to consiste therein that all the Parts and Members of the Low Countreys should gather in one body and under one head / beeing apparent / that as they where before the troubles in peaceable union and quiet prosperitie / they should yet more use and enioye the same if the Provinces of this side / would consent to a good / and firme Agreement with acknowledge of their Natural Princes. This is the Poinct that their Highnesses have charged mee to declare unto your Mightinesses and freendly to present / supposing that it was their duety and required office of good Princes before all breaches of warre / seeking and beharting your owne continuall welfare and prosperitie / and that consideration should be taken of it / with a fruitfull resolution / by which all sheading of blood / exceeding chardges and other lamentable miseries (whereunto this Low Countreys have beene subiect so many yeares) once might be avoyded: And if your Mightinesses would come / upon this condition [Page] to a communication of Agreement / their Highnesses shall incline to such reosonnable conditions and capitulations / that the same your High Mightinesses shall have full reason of good contentement / and see not onely the affections of the good will of their Highnesses / but eke the equitie and sinceritie / which alwayes they have had in sundry recommendation / and manifestly declared hitherto by the punctuel and religious keeping of all their actions and promises / as that same sufficiently may bee trusted unto them: Assuring your High Mightinesses likewise of the like good and sincere intention of the Catholike Maiestie / and that the same shall have for good / firme and acceptable / what their Highnesses concerning this cause shal do and conclude.
ANSVVER Vpon the sayd Proposition / of the sayd High / Mighty Lords the States of the Vnited Lowe Countreys.
THe General States of the Vnited Lowe Countreys having heard and througly examined the Proposition from the Part of the Archidukes / in the Congregation of their High Mightinesses / first verbolly done / and thereafter delivered in writing by the Lord Petro Peckio Knight of Bouchoute / Canceler of Brabant / by power of Lettres of Credencie of the sayd Archidukes / dated in Brussel the 16 of this Moneth. Declare that the Highnesse and Souveraigntie of the Vnited Lowe Countries is sure / and with out any contraversy by their High Mightinesses / and by the States of the Respective Provinces / that they have maintained alwayes religiously the same / against al those that would bring it in doubt / or to undertake any thing against the same / or appropriate it to any other Princes / and consequently that they never would come to any treatises or agreemēts / wheere by the same should have beene brought in any doubt / whereof they have given expres declaration to the Emperour / Electours and Princes / and other Potentates / and likewise to the sayd Archidukes / that the State of their High Mightinesses is holden Souverain / and their Lands for free Lands acknowledged and accepted by the greatest Monarches / Kings / Potentates and Republiques / who all / in the same qualitie / have made with their High. Migh. sundry treatises / and Confederations / having likewise maintained it so farre / that their High Mightinesses / nor with the sayde Archiduke / nor with the King of Spaine / would not undertake any Agreement / before the same had given an acte of Declaration of it / that they did handle with the same their High Mightinesses / as with free Lands and Provinces whereupon they had nothing to pretende: And because that same is as kleare as the Noonedaye / and manifestly knowen to all the world / therefore their High Mightinesses hold very straunge the Proposition of the Lord Chanceler PECKIO, declaringe that the greatest advantage of these Lands should consiste therein / that all the Parts and membres of the Lowe [Page] Countreys should gather in one body and under one Head / and that they would consent to a good and Firme Agreement with acknow: of theyr natural Princes / if the same lands upon this condition would come to a communicatiō of Agreement / that theyr Hignesses should incline to reasonnable conditions: Because the same Condition could not serve to preventinge and aboydinge of the extreame inconveniences / wherein the Lands thorough the warres againe should come to falle / whereunto the Proposition seemes to stretche / but rather shall kindle the fyer of warre / because it goes directly against the sayd confessed souveraigntie and Highnesse of the Lands / which theyr High Might: hitherto so laudably / and with so difficile warres have maintained / and further / with the helpe of God / are resolved to maintaine with goods and blood. And likewise that the sayde Proposition is replenished with errours and not tollerable in theyr state / drawinge in dispute the same souveraigntie against the Fondementale Lawes of this State. And therefore theyr High Might: kan not allowe such an uniust / anlooked / and unneygbourly Proposition nor approove the same / as implikinge an intollerable atrocite against theyr state / and to great dishonour of al Monarches / Kings / Potentates / and Republiques / who haue handled with them as with a Souveraine State. But must and necessarely declare / that all they / which by any Propositions or other meanes / presume to drawe into dispute the Souverayne Right of these lands / or to impugne the same / or to appropriate it to any other Princes / or any thinge that favoured of it / shall bee holden and keept as inhabil to bee admitted by theyr High. Might: to any Treatise. And this they give the sayde Lord Peckio for answer / onely adding / that the sayd Archidukes / by the manifold complainctes done unto them / and whereupō no satisfaction is done / knowe sufficiently / how theyr High. Mightines understande that the Treatise of Truce poinctly and regiliously by them and the Kinge of Spaine should be keept. Actum in the congregation of the sayd General States in the Hague the 25. of March. 1621. And was paragraphed.