THE REPLY Of the STATE'S GENERAL Of the UNITED PROVINCES Of the Low Countries, To the LETTER Of the KING of GREAT BRITAIN.  
Anno 1673.   

To The King of Great Britain the 9/19 of Decemb. 1673.  
SIR,  
WHat ever may have induced your Majesty to write us the Letter, which the Trumpeter we had sent you hath delivered us from your Majesty dated the 7/17 Novemb., we do think ourselves bound to return you our thanks, for the honour you have been pleased to do us; But we can't but let you know, at the same time, how much we are troubled to see your Majesty so prepossessed against us, and that those Ministers, whom you most trust, have hitherto had the skill to influence your Majesty so far as we see they have done, by persuading you to aver so many things, which they supposed were out of your Majesty's memory, and which they know in their own consciences to be contrary to all truth.  
For this reason, SIR, we do not think fit to give a particular answer to all the heads of the Letter, your Majesty hath written to us, that we may not give a new occasion to those that have so possessed your Majesty, to exasperate you further: But referring ourselves to the Deduction, which we are necessitated to set forth in answer to the Manifest, which was published in your Majesty's Name, we shall satisfy ourselves with declaring here unto your Majesty, that as we have alleged nothing in the Letter we had written to your Majesty, whereof we have not in our hands authentic and undeniable proofs, so we shall be ready at all times to produce them before your Majesty, whensoever you will be pleased to give us a fitter opportunity for it. And withal since your Majesty (supposing that what information you had received from your Ministers was more faithful,) hath complained to your Parliament of our obstinate averseness to Peace, and that the House of Commons according to their wont prudence, have been pleased to suspend their judgement therein, and to give us thereby an occasion to lay our innocence more open, and to give more public and convincing proofs of the sincerity of our intentions; We have thought it necessary to add, that to let your Majesty, and all your Kingdom see, that we do not affect to speak of Peace (as is laid to our charge) without really desiring the same, and that we are far from entrenching ourselves within general words, without coming to any particular overtures, We are ready to renew with your Majesty the Treaty which you concluded with us at Breda in the year 1667, and to explain the 19 Article concerning the Flagg, in such a manner as may prevent any further dispute for the future, and that may regulate and settle the practice thereof without any ambiguity. And being your Majesty judged the said Treaty so just and so equitable, that for some years after we received more proofs of your Majesty's friendship, and you entered with us into stricter Alliances than ever, we do propose the same as the most solid foundation of a firm and durable Peace, and we hope your Majesty will not refuse to return to your former amity with us, upon the same terms which you have heretofore approved of; the rather because the interest of the Protestant Religion, and many other respects relating to the good of both Nations, aught to be a strong argument on both sides to unite us again the sooner. Moreover because some have endeavoured to persuade your Majesty that we have violated our Treatyes, and committed several injustices for which satisfaction is demanded, we are also ready to send forthwith our Ambassadors to your Majesty, to give you a more faithful account of the truth than you have received from our Enemies, & to examine in your presence all the infractions that are laid to our charge, with a solemn promise to repair and give satisfaction, for all the wrongs or injuries, which either your Majesty or your Subjects, may have received from us or from our Officers, since the aforesaid Treaty of Breda till the beginning of this War.  
And to the end that this inquiry may not retard the conclusion of a Peace which we so earnestly desire, and which is so necessary for the good of all Christendom; We do offer to your Majesty, for a greater security, the guarantee of our Allies for the exact and punctual performance of the promise we make here, and which we are willing to have inserted in the Treaty, which shall be concluded, to make the same so much the more authentic.  
Lastly, to demonstrate to your Majesty how far we value your friendship; We do proffer you likewise, to restore the New Netherlands, with any other Place or Colony, our arms may have conquered during this War; not doubting but that your Majesty will not refuse reciprocally to engage, to restore to us what Territoryes or Forts your Majesty may have conquerred.  
But because your Majesty seemeth above all to complain, that we do highly offend you, by proposing to your Majesty to leave your Allies, to whom you have promised not to treat separately, whilst we do establish it for a fundamental point, that we can't break the word we have given ours, without wronging our honour, as if your Majesty was to value yours less; We beseech your Majesty to consider, there is a vast difference between your engagements & ours, as well as in the carriage of those we are respectively allied with: And your Majesty may with as much Justice as glory quench a fire, which hath already spread itself much further than you did think at first; whereas we could not forsake our Allies, without being guilty of the greatest ingratitude, and without destroying Europe by destroying ourselves. When your Majesty did at first join with our Enemies, you did seem to intend only to bring our Commonwealth low; But now the War is grown a general one; and the Spanish Netherlands for the preservation of which your Majesty hath always appeared so zealous, are no less concerned in it than ourselves, as well as the greatest part of the Empire.  
Besides, your Majesty hath so much the less reason to continue in your former Alliance, since your Allies themselves have altered the nature of this War, and have forced our friends to declare so much the sooner in our behalf, whilst neither his Imperial Majesty nor the most Serene King of Spain, could bear no longer with the hostilityes the French committed every day in all the Low Countries, and in several Provinces of the Empire, where they had already mastered an Electoral Town. But not to enter into these particulars, and laying aside several other arguments of the same kind, your Majesty, SIR, hath but to much cause to forsake an Ally that hath sought nothing in this War but his own private advantage, and who in the most important occasions hath taken care of nothing less than of your Majesties concerns, not to say worse: And if your Majesty do still doubt the truth of it, let not your Majesty rely upon what those that are Friends to France do tell you; But be pleased duly to examine what passed at Utrecht the last year between the French Ministers and our Deputies, and you'll see plainly how upright the carriage of your Allies hath been. To be convinced of it, it is even sufficient to read the Proposals which France made then to us, wherein there is not the least word relating to your Majesty; and whilst our other Deputies were kept at Hampton-court without granting them any Audience, we were pressed hard at Utrecht to agree upon, and conclude a Treaty without your Majesty's participation: And to quicken us the more, we were told that unless we granted within five days what was then demanded of us, they would afterwards raise their demands higher. We might add to this several other overtures which have since been made to us, wherein as little care was taken of your Majesty: But by reason these have been less public how real soever they were, we shall not insist upon them, and will only for a final proof of the obligations your Allies have laid upon your Majesty, put you in mind of what hath passed in the Sea-fights; whereof we'll have no other witnesses, and appeal to no other Judges, but those that have had the command of your Majesty's Fleets, with the rest of the Officers and Seamen. But as for us, seeing our Allies have carried themselves in a manner so different; that they have laid upon us such Obligations as we cannot sufficiently express; that withal we are entered with them into this Alliance out of an unavoidable necessity, & for the good of all Europe; And lastly (as we have said it before) that we cannot leave them without undoing ourselves, and exposing to an eminent danger the safety of Christendom; Your Majesty ought not to wonder if we cannot consent to break our word to them, nor take it ill, if we endeavour to persuade your Majesty to follow your true interest, and to take a resolution which would be as generous and as just, as it would prove beneficial to your Kingdoms, and to your Majesty's Neighbours.  
To which we may add, that a separate Treaty is so much the more necessary and warrantable, by reason of the absolute stop which is put to the Conferences at Collen, by the obstinate denial the French have made, some months since, to grant the necessary Passes to the Ministers of the Duke of Lorraine (one of our Allies) and to admit him a Principal in 〈◊〉 Negotiation of Peace.  
This, SIR, is what we have thought fit both to represent, and to offer unto your Majesty, in answer to what was most essential in your Letter. And we conceive hopes that if your Majesty will never so little reflect upon the same, you will own, that nothing more can in justice be demanded of us; Neither can we persuade ourselves that your Majesty will without need, as well as without advantage, countenance any longer the arms of the French not only against us, but also against some other of your ancientest Allies, who are engaged to run the same fortune with us; And to endanger still both all Europe and the Protestant Religion. We'll expect with great impatience your Majesty's resolution, upon which the rest and the prosperity of so many Nations doth depend. In the mean time we pray God,  
SIR, To crown your Majesty's Reign with felicity, and to bless your Royal Person with health and long life. At the Hague the 19 of December 1673. Your Majesty's most humble Servants, The State's General of the United Provinces of the Low Countries, GASP. FAGEL. By Command of the abovesaid, H. FAGEL.   

 
EXTRACT, Uyt 't Register der Resolutien vande Hoogh Mogende Heeren Staten Generael der Vereenighde Nederlanden.  
Mercurij den 24 julij. 1658.  
SYnde ter Vergaderinge overwoogen den innehouden vande Brieven vande Directeurs over den Levantschen handle/ end navigatie inde Middelantsche Zee/ higher bevoorens onefangen/ ●nder anderen raeckende de c●mportementen vande Consuls vande Nederlantsche Natie in 't generael/ Ce weten in alle de plaetsen van Spaignen/ Vranckrijck/ Italienn/ enaen de gheheele Middelantsche Zee (vytgesondere alleen het Turcx ghebiet) residerende/ end de Reglementen dienthalven gheprojecteert. Is naer deliberatie goet ghevonden end verstaen/ mits desen te arresteren end vast te stellen/ de higher naervolgende poincten end Articulen/ am te dienen voor een generael Reglement/ naer den inhout van 't welcke hun de Consuls inde voor-verhaelde plaetsen in Christenrijck sullen hebben te gedragen/ so ten regard vande rechten by de self te genieten/ als andersints/ Teweten:  
Eerstelijck/ Dat alle de Consulaet Rechten vande voorsz Consuls/ in alle de plaetsen voornoemt/ end alomme gereguleert sullen werden open Realen van Achten/ zijnde de self door de gantsche Middelandtsche Zee ganghbaer/ end over den prijs end valeur van de welcke geen disputen konnen vallen.  
Ten tweeden/ Dat de Consuls niet mere voor haer recht en sullen mogen trecken/ gelijck hun well expresselick verboden wert mits desen/ als vier/ oft ten hoochsten vijf Realen van achten/ naer advenant de groote van yeder Schip/ in hun respecriué districten komende te arriveren/ mitsgaders last te breecken/ oft aldaer lading in te nemen/ sunder dat de Schepen alleenlick daer komende am water te halen/ oft andersints ergens in gehouden sullen wesen.  
Ten derden/ Dat de gheseyde Consuls haer geen authoriteyt/ oft eenige Jurisdictie sullen hebben aen te matigen/ oft poogen t'exerceren/ over de persoonen vande Coopluyden/ oft der selver effecten.  
End ten vierden/ In cas haet mochte ghebeurens that de Consuls hun door de Schippers lieren gebruycken/ end emploperen in eenige extraordinaris besoignes/ ' tzy in haet bevorderen end beleyden van eenige Processen/ beslissen van eenige differenten/ dat syluyden in soodanige ghelegentheyt/ voor hun salaris den Schippers niet meerder sullen vermogen te done betalen/ als volgens d'arbitragie van d'aenwesende Nederlantsche Coopluyden/ geoordeelt sal werden hun te competeren. Welck Reglement copielick toegesonden sal word aen alle hare Ho: Mo: Consuls inde boven-verhaelde quartieren residerende/ met last end ordre vanden inhouden van dien precise end punctuelick naer te komen/ mitsgaders door den druck ghemeen gemaeckt/ op that e'en yeder/ de self behoevende/ daer van kennisse mach bekomen. Gelijck oock Extract van dese Resolutie gesonden sal werden aende respective Collegien ter Admiraliteyt/ midtsgaders aen de voornoemde Directeurs vanden Levantschen handle/ end navigatie inde Middelantsche Zee/ om te strecken tot der selver narichtinge. Was geparapheert/ Joan vander Beecke, ut.  
Accordeert met ' tvoorsz Register. End geteeckent/ N. Ruysch.   

IN ' sGRAVEN-HAGE, By de Weduwe, end Erfgenamen van wylen Hillebrandt Jacobsz van Wouw, Ordinaris Druckers vande Hoogh Mog: Heeren Staten Generael der Vereenighde Nederlanden. Anno 1658.