High and Mighty Lords, Efides, what you have just heard, in the King my B. Maffer's Letter, I have Orders from his Majefty, now that I am taking my Leave of your High-Mightinesses, to repeat the Affurances of his firm and inviolable Friendhip for this Republick, which he gave you himself as he pafs'd thro' this Country, and which I have had an Opportunity of repeating to you more than once, fince the Death of that moft excellent, moft pious, and most glorious Princefs, the late Queen. The King my Mafter is fo fenfible of the Proofs your High-Mightineffes have given him of your Affection and Attachment to his Intereft, that his Majefty will never be wanting in Point of a juft Acknowledgment. His Majefty's illuftrious and thining Qualities joined to his Power, will ferve you as a Security, that having once that Prince's Good Will and Royal Word, your Republick may rely upon it, as upon the moft folid Support. It is not of this Day, but from the very firft of my Embaffy to your High-Mightineffes, that I have endea vour'd to confirm you in the Opinion, that a strict Union with the Crown of Great Britain, could not but be very advantageous, and even neceffary to you. Your Republick has too often reap'd the good Effects thereof, to leave any Room to doubt of this Truth. Your High-Mightineffes will eafily perceive,. that after about thirteen Years employ'd in Embaffies, which I began in the Reign of the late King William of glorious Memory, it must be a great Pleasure to me (having always met with the entire Approbation of my Sovereigns) that I can now return home, and enjoy the prefent Happiness of my Country. But I return with fo much the more Satisfaction, because I have that of feeing the fuccessful Iffue of my Negociations, It is true, there yet remains the Signing of the Peace between Spain and Portugal, to make the Peace altogether compleat; which obliges me to inform your High Mightineffes, that it is brought fo near, that in a Conference lately held at my Houfe, between the Plenipotentiaries of both thofe Crowns, there was no other Difference than of about 1300000 Crowns, without which that Treaty had been then fign'd; which it certainly will be, upon the Return of the Expreffes, which thofe Minifters then thought themselves oblig❜d to fend about it to their respective Courts; for the Sum is too inconfiderable to give any confiderable Delay to an Affair of fo much much Importance; the rather, because the most Christian King is pleas'd to interpofe. It was my Duty alfo, as you very well know, pursuant to my Instructions from the late Queen, (in order to ren der this Peace lafting) to reconcile the Differences between the Emperor, and this Republick, touching the Barrier; and likewife to renew our Treaties of Alliance, and to fettle mutual Guarantees between the Powers interested in the Balance and Tranquillity of Europe; with which it has fince pleas'd the King my Mafter, principally to entrust one of his Secretaries of State, who, among other Advantages, enjoying that of a perfonal Acquaintance with the Emperor, will not fail, I hope, of fettling them, very fpeedily, to the Satisfaction of all Parties. Mean while, I fee with Pleasure, that your State begins already to feel the good Effects of the Peace: And that it is entirely fafe, and free from the Apprehenfions wherein I found it, upon my Arrival here, of the Events of a long, a bloody, and a burthenfome War. As I have always very fincerely wifh'd the Profperity and Safety of this Republick, I cannot filently pafs over the Satisfaction I reap, from the many Opportunities I have had, during the Courfe of my Negociations, of giving very effential Proofs thereof, and of having done this Republick very confiderable Services; which is more particularly known to fome worthy Members of this State, who have honour'd me with their Friendship, and will not be backward in doing me Juftice upon that Score, I have nothing more to do, only to thank your HighMightineffes for the Favour you have fhewn me, during my Stay here; and to affure you, that I fhall always retain a very grateful Remembrance of it; and never fail, when I am in my own Country, as I have ever done elfewhere, to do all that lies in my Power to cherish the good Harmony and Union between our two Nations, which I look upon as the beft and firmeft Support of the Balance and Liberty of Europe, as well as of the Proteftant Religion. To this Speech the President return'd a very civil Anfwer; after which the Earl was conducted back to his own Palace with the fame Ceremonies; and fome Days afterwards, having receiv'd'the ufual Prefent of a Gold Chain and Medal, valu'd at 6000 Gilders, and his Secretary another worth 600, his Lordship embark'd at Rotterdam, and arriv'd in England on the laft Day of the Year. Soon G4 afte after his Arrival, the King thought fit to have his Papers relating to his publick Negotiations laid before the Council, and therefore fent the Lord Viscount Townshend with a Meffage to his Lordship's House to demand the fame. The Earl having made fome Difficulty to comply with that Demand, unless he had an exprefs Order from the Council in Writing, his Lordship was fummon'd before the Council, and after he had been examin'd, his Majefty was pleafed to make the following Order : At the Court of St. James's, the 11th Day of January, 1714. IT PRESE N T The King's most excellent Majefty in Council. T was this Day thought fit, and accordingly ordered by his Majefty in Council, that the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Townshend, and James Stanhope, Efq; Principal Secretaries of State, do forthwith repair to the Right Honourable the Earl of Strafford, and receive from his Lordship the Original Instructions and Orders, and all Letters which he has receiv'd from any Minister of the late Queen, or any foreign Prince, or Minister, and Copies of all Inftructions of which he has not the Originals, and alfo of all Letters writ by him to any Perfon whatfoever, relating to his Negotiations, from the Time of his first being at the Hague, feal'd up with his Lordship's Seal, and to tranfmit them the Council Office, to be there fafely kept, and feal'd up by the Lord Prefident's Seal. In Cafe the faid Papers fhould be too numerous to be now brought away, then they are to be feal'd up by the faid Secretaries of State in a proper Box, till they can be conveniently deliver'd to the faid Secretaries in Manner aforefaid. Christopher Musgrave. And accordingly, the two Secretaries abovemention'd went immediately to the Earl of Strafford's House, and received from him two Trunks, faid by him to contain what was requir❜d. At the fame Time, Orders were fent for fealing up his Lordship's Papers that were yet on Shipboard, or at the Custom-houfe, coming from Holland; which being fomewhat unusual, occafion'd much Talk, and various Reflections. On the 5th of January, the King in Council, a Proclamation for diffolving the prefent Parliament, and declaring the fpeedy calling another, was fign'd, as fcllows: GEORGE GEORGE R. HEREAS we have thought fit by and with the W Advice of our Privy-Council, to diffolve this pre fent Parliament which now ftands prorogu'd to Thursday the 13th Day of this Inftant January; we do for that End publish this our Royal Proclamation, and do hereby diffolve the faid Parliament accordingly: And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes, and Commiflioners for Shires and Burgs, of the Houfe of Commons, are discharg'd from their Meeting on Thursday the faid 13th Day of this Inftant January. And we being refolved to meet our People, and have their Advice in Parliament, do hereby make known to all our loving Subjects, that we will speedily call a new Parlia ment. Given at our Court at St. James's, the Fifth Day of At the fame Time, the King order'd a Proclamation to be publish'd, for the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue, and for the preventing and punishing of Vice, Prophanenefs, and immorality, as follows: GEORGE R. WE 7E moft feriously and religiously confidering, that it is an indifpenfible Duty on us, to be careful, above all other Things to preferve and advance the Honour and Service of Almighty God, and to difcourage and fupprefs all Vice, Prophanenefs, Debauchery, and Immorality, which are fo highly difpleafing to God, fo great a Reproach to our Religion and Government, and (by Means of the frequent ill Examples of the Practices thereof) have fo fatal a Tendency to the Corruption of many of our loving Subjects, otherwife religiously and· virtuously difpos'd, and which (if not timely remedy'd) may justly draw down the Divine Vengeance on us and our Kingdoms: We alfo humbly acknowledging, that we cannot expect the Blefling and Good nefs of Almighty God (by whom Kings reign, and on which we entirely rely) to make our Reign happy and profperous to our felf. and our People, without a religious Obfervance of God's holy Laws To the Intent therefore, that Religion, Piety, and Good Manners may (according to our moft hearty Defire) flourish and increafe under our Adminiftration and Government, we have thought fit, by the Advice of cur Pri vy vy Council, to iffue this our Royal Proclamation, and d hereby declare our Royal Purpofe and Refolution, to di countenance and punish all Manner of Vice, Prophanenel and Immorality, in all Perfons, of whatfoever Degree Quality, within this our Realm, and particularly in fuc as are employ'd near our Royal Perfon; and that, for th greater Encouragement of Religion and Morality, we wi upon all Occafions, diftinguish Perfons of Piety and Vi tue by Marks of our Royal Favour. And we do expe and require, that all Perfons of Honour, or in Place Authority, will give good Example by their own Virt and Piety, and to their utmost contribute to the difcou tenancing Perfons of diffolute and debauch'd Lives; th they being by that Means reduced to Shame and Contemp for their loofe and evil Actions and Behaviour, mayb thereby alfo enforced the fooner to reform their ill Habi and Practices, and that the visible Difpleasure of goo. Men towards them, may (as far as is poffible) fuppl what the Laws (probably) cannot altogether prevent And we do hereby ftrictly enjoin and prohibit all our lo ving Subjects, of what Degree or Quality foever, from playing on the Lord's Day, at Dice, Cards, or any othe Game whatfoever, either in publick or private Houses, o other Place or Places what foever; and do hereby requir and command them and every of them, decently and re verently to attend the Worship of God on every Lord Day, on Pain of our highest Displeasure, and of being proceeded againft with the utmoft Rigour that may be by Law. And for the more effectual reforming of all fuch Perfons, who by reafon of their diffolute Lives and Con verfations, are a Scandal to our Kingdom, our furche Pleasure is, and we do hereby ftrictly charge and com mand all our Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Juftices of the Peace, and all other our Officers and Minifters, both Eccle fiaftical and Civil, and all other our Subjects, whom i may concern, to be very vigilant and ftrict in the Difco very and the effectual Profecution and Punishment of al Perfons who shall be guilty of exceffive Drinking, Blaf phemy, prophane Swearing and Curfing, Lewdness, Prophanation of the Lord's Day, or other diffolute, immoral, or diforderly Practices; and that they take Care alfo ef fectually to fupprefs. all publick Gaming-Houfes and Places, and other leud and disorderly Houfes, and to put in Execution the Statute made in the nine and twentieth Year of the Reign of the late King Charles the Second, en |