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ed and confirmed, by another act, made for the greater fecurity of her Majefty's person and government, and the fucceffion to the crown of Great-Britain, &c. in the line of the most serene houfe of Hanover, and in the perfon of the princefs Sophia, and of her heirs, fucceffors, and defcendents, male and female, already born, or to be born: and, although no power hath any right to oppose the laws made upon this fubject, by the crown and parliament of Great-Britain; if it fhall happen, nevertheless, that, under any pretence, or by any caufe whatever, any perfon, or any power or state, may pretend to difpute the eftablishment which the parliament hath made of the aforefaid fucceffion, in the most ferene house of Hanover, to oppofe the faid fucceffion, to affift or favour those who may oppofe it, whether directly or indirectly, by open war, or by fomenting feditions and confpiracies, againft her or him to whom the crown of Great-Britain fhall defcend, according to the acts aforefaid; the States-General engage and promise, to affift and maintain in the faid fucceffion, her or him to whom it shall belong, by virtue of the faid acts of parliament, to affist them in taking poffeffion, if they fhould not be in actual poffeffion, and to oppose those who would disturb them in the taking fuch poffeffion, or in the actual poffeffion of the aforefaid fucceffion.

ART. III. Her faid Majesty and the States-General, in confequence of the fifth article of the alfiance concluded between the Emperor, the late

King of Great-Britain, and the States-General, the 7th of September 1701, will employ all their force to recover the rest of the Spanish Low Countries.

ART. IV. And further, they will endeavour to conquer as many towns and forts as they can, in order to their being a barrier and fecurity to the faid States.

ART. V. And whereas, according to the ninth article of the faid alliance, it is to be agreed, amongst other matters, how and in what manner the States fhall be made fafe, by means of this barrier, the Queen of Great-Britain will ufe her endeavours to procure, that, in the treaty of peace, it may be agreed, that all the Spanish Low Countries, and what elfe may be found neceffary, whether conquered or unconquered places, fhall ferve as a barrier to the States.

ART. VI. That, to this end, their High Mightineffes fhall have the liberty, to put and keep garrifon, to change, augment, and diminish it, as they fhall judge proper, in the places following: namely, Newport, Furnes, with the fort of Knocke, Ypres, Menin, the town and citadel of Lifle, Tournay and its citadel, Conde, Valenciennes; and the places which fhall, from henceforward, be conquered from France, Maubeuge, Charleroy, Namur and its citadel, Lier, Halle, to fortify the ports of Perle, Philippe, Damme, the caftle of Gand, and Dendermonde. The fort of St. Donas, being joined to the fortification of the Sluice, and being entirely incorporated with it, fhall remain and be

yielded

yielded in property to the States. The fort of Rodenhuysen, on this side Gand, shall be demolished.

ART. VII. The faid States-General may, in cafe of an apparent attack, or war, put as many troops as they shall think neceffary, in all the towns, places, and forts, in the Spanish Low-Countries, where the reafon of war fhall require it.

ART. VIII. They may likewife fend into the towns, forts, and places, where they fhall have their garrisons, without any hindrance, and without paying any duties, provifions, ammunitions of war, arms, and artillery, materials for the fortifi cations, and all that fhall be found convenient and neceffary, for the faid garrifons and fortifications.

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ART. IX. The faid States-General fhall alfo have liberty to appoint in the towns, forts, and places of their barrier, mentioned in the foregoing fixth article, where they may have garrifons, fuch governors and commanders, majors, and other officers as they fhall find proper, who fhall not be fubject to any other orders, whatsoever they may be, or from whencefoever they may come, relating to the fecurity and military government of the faid places, but only to those of their High Mightineffes (exclufive of all others ;) ftill preserving the rights and privileges, as well ecclefiaftical as political, of King Charles III.

ART X. That, befides, the States shall have liberty to fortify the faid towns, places, and forts, which belong to them, and repair the fortifications of them, in fuch manner as they shall judge ne

ceffary ;

ceffary; and further to do whatever fhall be useful for their defence.

ART. XI. It is agreed, that the States-Genefal fhall have all the revenues of the towns, places, jurifdictions, and their dependencies, which they fhall have for their barrier from France, which were not in the poffeffion of the crown of Spain, at the time of the death of the late K. Charles II. and, besides, a million of livres shall be settled, for the payment of one hundred thousand crowns, every three months, out of the cleareft revenues of the Spanish Low Countries, which the said King was then in poffeffion of; both which are for maintaining the garrifons of the States, and for fupplying the fortifications, as alfo the magazines, and other neceffary expences, in the towns and places above-mentioned. And, that the faid revenues may be fufficient to fupport these expences, endeavours fhall be used, for enlarging the dependencies and jurifdictions aforefaid, as much as poffible; and, particularly, for including with the jurifdfction of Ypres, that of Caffel, and the foreft of Niepe; and with the jurisdiction of Lifle, the jurifdiction of Douay, both having been fo joined before the present war.

ART. XII. That no town, fort, place, or country of the Spanish Low Countries, fhall be granted, transferred, or given, or defcend to the crown of France, or any of the line of France, neither by virtue of any gift, fale, exchange, marriage, agreement, inheritance, fucceffion by will, or

through

through want of will, from no title whatsoever, nor in any other manner whatsoever, nor be put into the power, or under the authority of the Moft Christian King, or any one of the line of France.

ART. XIII. And whereas the faid States-General, in confequence of the ninth article of the faid alliance, are to make a convention or treaty with King Charles III. for putting the States in a condition of fafety, by means of the said barrier, the Queen of Great-Britain will do what depends upon her, that all the foregoing particulars, relating to the barrier of the States, may be inferted in the aforefaid treaty or convention: and that her faid Majefty will continue her good offices, until the above-mentioned convention, between the States and the faid King Charles III. be concluded, agreeably to what is before-mentioned; and that her Majesty will be guarantee of the faid treaty or convention.

ART. XIV. And, that the said States may enjoy, from henceforward, as much as poffible, a barrier from the Spanish Low Countries, they fhall be permitted to put their garrifons in the towns already taken, and which may hereafter be fo, before the peace be concluded and ratified. And, in the mean time, the faid King Charles III. fhall not be allowed to enter into poffeffion of the faid Spanish Low Countries, neither entirely nor in part and, during that time, the Queen fhall affift their High Mightineffes, to maintain them in the enjoyment of the revenues, and to find the million of livres a-year, above-mentioned.

ART.

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