A True Copy of the Imperial Decree, and of the Declaration that was delivered to the Envoys of the Electors, Princes and Estates of the Empire, by Prince Herman of Baden: By which the late Insinuations of the Papists does appear wholly groundless. (viz.) That the Catholic Princes were grown jealous of his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange's Designs, and that therefore a Peace would speedily be Concluded between his Imperial Majesty and France, and a League of all the Catholic Princes ensue, for maintenance of the Romish-Religion.  

DECREE of his Imperial Majesty against the French Ministers.  
BY the Express Command, and in the Name of his most Sacred Imperial Majesty, Our most Gracious Lord; This is to give notice to the French Plenipotentiary Residing at Ratisbon, That as it is manifest to the whole Christian World, and to himself particularly, how unjustly of late, His Most Serene Majesty the King of France, has broken the Truce for twenty years, and without any Previous Declaration of War, has on a Sudden, and in an Hostile manner, set upon His Sacred Imperial Majesty, and the Electors, Princes and States of the Empire, who suspected nothing less, being wholly taken up with the Prosecution of a War against the Common Enemy of Christendom. Nor was he content partly by Force to subdue, and partly by Fire and Sword, to lay waste a great many Cities, Villages and Towns, But not sparing the Seat of Justice itself; he seized upon Spire, the Imperial Chamber, and caused the Public Deeds, Writing and Records, pertaining to all the Electors, Princes and States, of the Sacred Roman Empire, and their Innocent Subjects, to be Sealed up, and as we are given to understand, to be carried away to Strasbourgh; And further he continues to exercise all manner of Hostility against those that are within the reach of his Army. Since then by this very Fact, His Most Christian Majesty has declared himself the Capital Enemy of the whole Roman Empire, and therefore His Sacred Imperial Majesty thinks it no longer reasonabe to suffer the aforesaid French Plenitopentiary to reside in any of his Courts or Territories, both as he is the Minister of his declared Enemy, & as he has in an Eminent Degree, found him to have laboured nothing more than to create Disturbances in the Empire, and misunderstanding amongst the several Members of the same, so as to endeavour to divide them from their Supreme Head. I am therefore Commanded by these Presents, to Signify to him the said Plenipotentiary, that he depart from Ratisbon, together with his Domestics, and all that appertains to him within the space of three days, to be computed from the notification hereof; And that he retire in the space of 14 days more, out of the Borders of the whole Roman Empire; to this end His Imperial Majesty, though after so high and manifest a Violation of the Law of Nations, by the French, in carrying away the Acts and Records of the Imperial Chamber, He might justly detain him and seize his Papers, yet he has been pleased to give him Safe-conduct, and all manner of security for his Journey, but which is to cease and determine when the time before mentioned shall be expired.  
Ordered and Signed at Vienna, under the Privy Seal of His Sacred Imperial Majesty, this ninth day of December, 1688. The Seals place. Leopold William Count of Honnigreck. Combruck.   

Decretum Sacrae Cesarea Majestatis.  
SAcrae Caesareae Majestatis Domini Nostri Clementissimi jussu, Et nomine Plenipotentiario Gallico Ratisbonnae commoranti hisce significandum, ipsi non minus ac universo Christiano orbi manifestum esse, quam inique Nuper serenissimus Galliae Rex (rupto armistitii vicennalis foedere; Nulla denuntiatione praevia Sacram Cesaream Majestatem & Imperii Electoris, Principes ac Status, nihil tale suspicantes, belloque contra communem Christiani nominis hostem prosequendo intentos) Hostilibus Armis improviso adortus sit, & non tantum plures urbes, pagos & oppida tum vi subegerit, tum ferro, flammaque devestaverit, sed nec justitiae sacris parcendo spiram, Nemetum discasterii Imperialis sedem occupaverit, & acta scriptaque publica ad universos sacri Romani Imperii Electores, Principes & Status eorumdemque innocentes subditos pertinentia obsignari, & ut fama fert argentoratum abduci fecerit denique nihil non Hostilitatis in eos, quos Armis suis attingere potest exercere pergat: Cum itaque Rex Christianissimus hoc ipso suo facto se Capitalem totius sacri Romani Imperii Hostem declaarverit, & proinde sua sacra Caesarea Majestas Prefatum Plenipotentiarium Gallicum, ut pote declarati hostis Ministrum tanto minus in comitiis, terrisque Imperii diutius tolerandum Censeat quod eundem turbandae Reipublicae, & seminandis inter Imperii Status diffidentiis, eye denique a supremo suocapite alienandis unice hactenus studere compererit; hinc denique Jussiit, hisce eidem indicari ut intra triduum a die insinuationis computandum una cum suis domesticis & quidquid ad illum pertinuerit Ratisbona excedat, & spatio sequentium quatuor decim dierum extra Romani imperii fines sese recipiat, quem in finem sua Cesarea Majestas eundem apposito salvo conductu, tametsi alias post violata tam enormiter ex parte Galliae gentium sura & ablata Dicasterii imperii acta non injuria una cum scriptis suis detineri posset, denique munire, eidemque omnem in itinere sue securitatem, elapto tamen termino cessaturam  
impertiri voluit signatum Viennae sub sigillo altissimae memoratae sacrae Cesareae Majestatis secreto, nono die mensis decembris, 1688. L.S.  Leopoldus Wilhelmus. Comes in Honigreck. Combrick    


Given at Ratisbon this 15. Day of December, 1688.  
HIS Imperial Majesty has given Order to his Highness' Prince Herman of Baden, his Plenipotentiary at the Diet at Ratisbon, to make known by these presents, to the Envoys of the Electors, Princes and States of the Empire here Assembled, The weighty and important Reasons which have persuaded him to dismiss Monsieur the Count of Lusignan Envoy of France to the Court at Vienna; As also Mounsieur the Count de Crazy Plenipotentiary of his most Christian Majesty, at the Diet at Ratisbon, to which end, his imperial Majesty has given Order to furnish him with a Passport, in which, the way he is to take is appointed him, and from which, for his greater Security he is not to deviate, nor to delay his departure for any longer time, than is therein allowed him. Whereupon his above mentioned Highness remains most Affectionate to the Envoys of the Electors, Princes, and States of the Empire.  
Signed at Ratisbon, the 14. day of December, 1688. The Seals place Herman Marquis of Baden.   

Donne a Ratisbonne, le 15 jour de Decembre, 1688.  
SA Majeste Imperiale a donne ordre a son Altesse le Prince Herman de Baden, son Plenipotentiaire a la Diette de Ratisbonne, de fair scavoir par ces presentes aux Envoyes des Electeurs, Princes, & Etats de L'Empire assembles icy, Les importantes raisons, qui L'ont portee a Congedier monsieur Le Conte de Lusignan Envoye de France a Vienne, comme aussy Monsieur Le Conte de Crecy Plenipotentiare de sa Majeste tres Chretienne a la diette de Ratisbonne; pour cette fin sa Majeste imperialle luy a fait donner un passport, par lequel on luy a mark le Chemin qu'il doit tenir, duquel pour sa plus grande seurte il ne se doir ecarter, ny outre passer le terme qui luy est prescript, surquoy saditto Altesse demeure tres affectionee a messieurs les Enuoyes des Electeurs, Princes, & Etats de L'Empire  
sign a Ratisbonne le quatorizieme Decembre, 1688. L. S. Herman Marques de Baden.    

London, Printed by John Wallis, in White Friars, 1688.