PROPOSITION Of the Ambassador PECKIUS.  
In the Congregation of the General States. WITH THE ANSWER Of the said General States, the XXV. of March, 1621.  
TRANSLATED, Out of Dutch, according to the Copy, printed by AERT MEURS, Bookseller in the HAGUE.   

A COPY Of the Letters of Credence.  
Loving Friends, we send thither Sr. Pieter Peckius, Lord Knight of Bouchout, etc. Counseler of our Counsel of State, and chancellor of Brabant bringher of this, to handle with you of certain cause that he shall declare unto you: And therefore this shall serve to require, not only to give him good audience, but also to give him full credit in that he shall declare unto you from our Part. Loving Friends we commend you in the merciful Protection of the Almighty God. In Brussel the 16 of March, 1621.  
Subscribed Albert and Isabel. Lower. Verreycken. The Superscription, To our Loving Friends the General States of the United Provinces.   

PROPOSITION Of the Ambassador PECKIUS. In the Congregation of the General States.  
NOBLE & MIGHTY LORDS, These latter days of the Truce of eight years of the Low countries'/ our common Fatherland/ do set before our eyes the lamentable mutation commonly following after such temporal Agreements/ and whereof the preparations on both sides are promooved and advanced already. But the archdukes looking with a pitiful eye upon the extreme and most deplorable Inconveniences and miseries/ wherein this Lands through/ this mutation should come to fall/ could not choose to bring into great consideration the means fit/ expedient and required to the preventing and averting of them/ specially being moved to this healthful and salutary sentence/ through their natural inclination to Peace/ and through their zeal and affection to the common wealth/ which likewise hath been the chiefest and principal motives/ that their Highnesses have resolved to the said Truce/ as a beginning of the whole desired tranquillity and rest/ and of the Quenching of the Flame of war/ wherein at their coming 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 General/ which seems to consist therein that all the Parts and Members of the Low countries' should gather in one body and under one head/ being apparent/ that as they where before the troubles in peaceable union and quiet prosperity/ they should yet more use and enjoy the same if the Provinces of this side/ would consent to a good/ and firm Agreement with acknowledge of their Natural Princes. This is the Point that their Highnesses have charged me to declare unto your Mightinesses and friendly to present/ supposing that it was their duty and required office of good Princes before all breaches of war/ seeking and beharting your own continual welfare and prosperity/ and that consideration should be taken of it/ with a fruitful resolution/ by which all shedding of blood/ exceeding charges and other lamentable miseries (whereunto this Low Countries have been subject so many years) once might be avoided: And if your Mightinesses would come/ upon this condition to a communication of Agreement/ their Highness' shall incline to such reosonnable conditions and capitulations/ that the same your High Mightinesses shall have full reason of good contentment/ and see not only the affections of the good will of their Highness'/ but eke the equity and sincerity/ which always 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 be trusted unto them: Assuring your High Mightinesses likewise of the like good and sincere intention of the Catholic Majesty/ and that the same shall have for good/ firm and acceptable/ what their Highnesses concerning this cause shall do and conclude.  
And was subscribed P. PECKIUS.   

ANSWER Upon the said Proposition/ of the said High/ Mighty Lords the States of the United Low Countries.  
THe General States of the United Low countries' having heard and thoroughly 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 Lettreses of Credencie of the said archdukes/ dated in Brussel the 16 of this Month. Declare that the Highness and Souveraigntie of the United Low Countries is sure/ and with out any contraversy by their High Mightinesses/ and by the States of the Respective Provinces/ that they have maintained always religiously the same/ against all 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 agreements/ wheere by the same should have been brought in any doubt/ whereof they have given express declaration to the Emperor/ Electours and Princes/ and other Potentates/ and likewise to the said archdukes/ that the State of their High Mightinesses is holden Souverain/ and their Lands for free Lands acknowledged and accepted by the greatest Monarches/ King's/ Potentates and Republics/ who all/ in the same quality/ have made with their High. Might. sundry treatises/ and Confederations/ having likewise maintained it so fare/ that their High Mightinesses/ nor with the said Archiduke/ nor with the King of Spain/ would not undertake any Agreement/ before the same had given an act 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 pretend: And because that same is as kleare as the Noonedaye/ and manifestly known to all the world/ therefore their High Mightinesses hold very strange the Proposition of the Lord chancellor PECKIO, declaring that the greatest advantage of these Lands should consist therein/ that all the Parts and membres of the Low countries' should gather in one body and under one Head/ and that they would consent to a good and Firm Agreement with acknow: of their natural Prince's/ if the same lands upon this condition would come to a communication of Agreement/ that their Highness' should incline to reasonable conditions: Because the same Condition could not serve to preventing and aboydinge of the extreme inconveniences/ wherein the Lands through the wars again should come to fall/ whereunto the Proposition seems to stretch/ but rather shall kindle the fire of war/ because it goes directly against the said confessed souveraigntie and Highness of the Lands/ which their High Might: hitherto so laudably/ and with so difficile wars have maintained/ and further/ with the help of God/ are resolved to maintain with goods and blood. And likewise that the said Proposition is replenished with errors and not tolerable in their state/ drawing in dispute the same souveraigntie against the Fondementale Laws of this State. And therefore their High Might: kan not allow such an unjust/ anlooked/ and unneygbourly Proposition nor approve the same/ as implikinge an intolerable atrocite against their state/ and to great dishonour of all Monarches/ King's/ Potentates/ and Republics/ who have handled with them as with a Souveraine State. But must and necessarily declare/ that all they/ which by any Propositions or other means/ presume to draw into dispute the Souverayne Right of these lands/ or to impugn the same/ or to appropriate it to any other Princes/ or any thing that favoured of it/ shall be holden and kept as inhabil to be admitted by their High. Might: to any Treatise. And this they give the said Lord Peckio for answer/ only adding/ that the said archdukes/ by the manifold complaints done unto them/ and whereupon no satisfaction is done/ know sufficiently/ how their High. Mightiness understand that the Treatise of Truce poinctly and regiliously by them and the King of Spain should be kept. Actum in the congregation of the said General States in the Hague the 25. of March. 1621. And was paragraphed.  
Henr. ter Coulen, Vidit. Onder stoot/ By Ordinance of the Said General States. And was subscribed. C. Aerssen.