A Letter from Pope Innocent the XII. to the Emperor, wherein He Endeavours to persuade Him to a Peace; With His Imperial Majesty's answer. To which is subjoined the Resolutions of the Confederates in the present Conjuncture.  
Done out of French.  

MOST Beloved Son in Jesus Christ; We greet you with Health and our Apostolical Benediction.  
When from this sublime post, exalted almost to Heaven, in which as unworthy as we were of it, we are placed, We cast our eyes upon so many faithful People that are committed to Our Pastoral Care; We are almost ready to expire with the excessive Grief and Melancholy we are affected with, at the view of all those great calamities, to which they are exposed by this Cruel War, which at present afflicts almost all Christendom. And therefore being deeply concerned at the great and piercing clamours of so many Persons thereby exposed to Destruction; And being so very well assured of your Majesty's pious inclinations, and of the great desire you have, to promote the advantage of the Christian Commonwealth, We have resolved to employ with your Majesty, the same Prayer we continually, without ceasing, address to the Father of Mercies, That it would please him to dissipate those dreadful Storms from whence so many Evils proceed, and to make them give place to a succeeding Calm of Peace so much desired.  
We l●●●e that taking into your Consideration, the greatness of our Sorrow, and having a careful regard to the Miseries of so many poor People, and the dying groans of those that are daily slain in the War, you will be the more confirmed in the Inclination you have for peace, and that you labour to augment it. And certainly when you shall have made a serious Reflection upon the ungovernable Licentiousness of Soldiers, and upon the contempt that sort of Men have for Sacred things, and upon the loss of so many Souls as we have just occasion to fear. Considerations which wound us to the heart with grief, We cannot doubt; but suffering you to be swayed by the motion of your natural Piety, you will readily form a Design for the procuring the repose of so many ruined People, the Re-establishment of God's Service, and the Salvation of Souls: Most sure it is you can in no juster or fit manner acknowledge those benefits, which the Author of all Good has so abundantly bestowed upon your Majesty's Sacred Person, than by Re-establishing the Hereitage which the Lord Jesus Christ left by his Testament to his Church, before he ascended into Heaven.  
Wherefore employ your whole endeavours, as far as in you lies, Most Beloved Son in Jesus Christ, towards the easing of the Christian Commonwealth from those miseries with which it is now afflicted; And propose for your aim, the Glory which they shall receive; who by procuring the Peace of that Common wealth, shall benefit it with an unexpressible felicity, and the Applauses of the People thereby Resettled, who will never cease to proclaim the just prizes of the Authors of their tranquillity.  
As for Us, We will put in practice all that we can think of to facilitate to Your Majesty, and to all the rest of the Christian Princes, the means of putting in execution a Work so useful and so advantageous.  
In this Expectation, We most hearty give you our Apostolical Benediction, as an assured earnest of our good will.  
Given at Rome, at the Church of St. Marry Major, under the Seal of the Fisher, the 8 th'. of February, 1691. And in the first year of our Pontificat. MARIUS' SPINOLA.   

The Emperor's Answer to the Pope.  
Most Holy Father,  
YOUR Holinesses Letter dated the 8th. of last Month, has sufficiently informed Us of the cruel disturbances you are affected with, at the view of those many Evils which the Christian People is overwhelmed with by the War at present enkindled almost every where, and of your Holinesses care to moderate and calm the animosities raging between the several irritated Princes, and to dispose them to Peace and Concord. And indeed the calamities which the Christian Commonwealth suffers by this War so unjustly enterprised, together with those it is farther threatened with thereby, no less afflict Us than them do your Holiness.  
But our comfort is, That God and our Conscience bear Us Witness, that the fault cannot be imputed to Us, since We took not up Arms, but when there was a necessity so to do, for the Defence of the Empire, and of the People committed to our Protection, against those who attacked them. The most inward thoughts of our Heart are so well known to your Holiness, by the long acquaintance and converse you have had formerly with Us, That you will easily believe, there could happen nothing more displeasing to Us, than to see the Love We naturally are biased with for the Peace, and tranquillity of the Public, to be continually disobliged, and forcibly turned towards the contrary extreem, by fresh injuries daily perpetrated against Us, and above all things by the Ambition and Malicious envy of France.  
For the Respect which is universally granted to be due to the Public Faith, and to Solemn Treaties, has not hitherto been of any force to bridle that Crown from violating them as often as they have been sworn to. And to pass under silence several other things, the Christian World with sighs beholds, and posterity with horror will hear related, that it has been possible for a King Most Christian, to fix upon a resolution to stop the Rapid Course of our Victories over the Infidels, to break those Bands of Amity We had but a little before renewed with him, and to make a fresh War upon Us, just at the moment when trusting in the Faith of those Treaties so lately made with him, We lived in all manner of security, and to fill all places with Murders, Rapines, and Burn, before he was pleased to inform Us for what Reason he Renewed the War, and what just pretence We had given him for it. Certainly it must needs have been done upon this principal, That it was much more eligible to trample under foot all things both Divine and Humane, than for France to have lost the opportunity to extend her Limits to the Rine-ward, and to leave to Us and the rest of Christendom, the leisure necessary successfully to finish the War with the Turks, and to secure our Frontiers on that side.  
And therefore the August Dignity with which We are invested, obliged us to make the best Alliances We could, to defend ourselves and People against the Arms of the Most Christian King, and at the same time against the Enemies of the Christian Name, who by a shameful union Act in consort again Us. 'Tis true the principal Condition of the Alliance by which we are engaged to our Confedrates, is, that we shall not have power to hearken to any separate Treaty of Peace, without first consulting of it conjointly with them; but as we can very well answer for them, that they no less desire than We, to see Peace Re-established in the Christian World, by the Reinforcement of the Articles of Pacification concluded at the Pyrenean and Westphalian Treaties, which have been violated by France. It will be necessary above all things, for your Holiness to employ all your best offices and that with the utmost efficacy you can. to induce the King of France to restore things to the State required by the Articles of those two Treaties, as he himself testifies to be inclined to do.  
If Your Holiness can obtain from that Prince a thing so just, We will not be wanting on our side, to use Our utmost endeavours, that the Pious Intentions of your Holiness for the good of Christendom, and the offer of your Paternal Care and good Offices for the advancement of Peace, which are to Us most acceptable, may be embraced by Our Allies, and produce their desired effect. This is what We thought Our duty to Answer to your Holinesses Letter, which was so pleasing to Us, and which We have accordingly done, with all due respect to Your Holiness; Whom We pray God long to preserve both for the good of the Church in General, and Our own in Particular.  
At Vienna, the 20th of March. 1691.   

The Resolution taken by the Confederate Princes, and other Allied Powers, in Relation to France.  
HAVING Resolved to make this Year, a Descent into France, that by so attacking Our Common Enemy where Our efforts may be most sensibly felt, We may the more easily Reduce him to Reason: In order thereunto, We first, all Solemnly Swear, and Protest before God, That We will make no Peace with Lewis the Fourteenth, but upon the conditions Stipulated by the Articles of the Pyrenean, and Westphalian Treaties which have been violated by France, and upon those other agreements which We have hereunto Subjoined, which tho' they be partly the Fundamental Rights of the French Nation, and partly privileges confirmed by the most solemn Edicts have been with no less violence and injustice infringed.  
I Till the General Estates of the Kingdom be restored to their Ancient Liberties, Power, and Share in the Legislative and suprem Power; and till both the Clergy, Nobility, and Third Estate be Reinstated in all their former Legal privileges; And till there be good provision made, that all Kings of France in time to come, shall be obliged to convoke the said Estates, when they shall need money for any Public concerns, and shall have no power, in any manner, or upon any pretence whatsoever, to raise any Taxes, or any sort of Imposts without their Consent.  
II. Till the several Courts of Parliament in the Kingdom be reinstated into that sufficient and Legal authority with which they were primarily invested, That so without being awed by any check from an arbitrary Power, or being obstructed by the corruptions ordinarily arising from undue and illegal promotions to those high Posts of Judicature, they may be both able, and well inclined to do justice indifferently to all Parties.  
III. Till all the Cities of the Kingdom be restored to their old Charters and Privileges, and to the Revenues assigned for their support and the Public good of their several Corporations which have been so Inhumanly, and unjustly Ravished from Them.  
iv Till and those Swarms of Caterpillars of Monopolists, pernicious Publicans, and Farmers of the Royal Revenues, and other oppressed undertakers be Removed, and all the illegal and new invented Charges and Taxes be taken off, as in particular, the Irregular Lodging and Quartering both of Courtiers and Soldiers, the exactions for Winter quarters, the salaries of Governors, and Multitude of Shame Debts and private businesses of the Crown, unnecessarily and without authority charged upon particular Persons, Towns, or Cities, and which enter not into the State or Accounts of the public Revenues; of Extraordinary excises upon Wine, Cider, and other Liquors, the Gabelle upon Corn, and Flour, upon Hoofed Beasts, and Salt, the unreasonable and unexampled imposts upon the Marks of Paper, Money, and all Utensils, or Movables made of Metal, upon Hats, Silk-stockings, Wool, and Woollen Manufactures, Shoes, Slippers, Wooden Shoes, all sorts of Linen, and Periwigs; as also upon Tobaco, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, etc. upon all Manufactures of Silk, and upon all the Estates and Goods of Noble or Gentlemen every five Years, the Tax of the Frank Fifts, and several other oppressive exactions upon the Buyers and Sellers, or Morgagers of Lands, Houses, etc. and upon the Officers of the Courts of Judicature, and of the Treasury and Exchequer; of the Injurious, and Arbitrary Retrenchment of Wages, Raising or Lowering the value, and debasing the purity of Money and Coin. and unjust Reunion to the Crown-Lands, and possession long enjoyed by great and deserving Families, upon Dispotical pretences, and besides an infinite many other new and unheard exactions; of the strange impositions upon Marriages, Christen, Bury, and Bastards, etc. and to conclude all in a Word: Till the Revenues of the Crown be Fixed, and Reduced within such certain and moderate Bounds as shall seem most Requisite to the wisdom of the General Estates when Convened and good provission be made that no succeeding French Monarches shall ever pass those bounds.  
V Till he has Rendered to all the Protestants of his Kingdoms the Estates, Effects, and Liberties they were seized of by virtue of the Edict of Nants, and all other privileges they enjoyed thereby according to the true meaning, and to the full extent of the said Edict: And till for their future security both in their Civil, and Religious Rights and Capacities, according to the meaning of the said Edict, the said French King shall have delivered some sufficient cautionary Towns to be held and fortified by those Protestant Allies that shall be made Guardians or Conservators of the Treaty to be agreed upon.  
VI And Lastly We Declare, as in the sight of God, That in these our just attempts, We are not actuated by any hatred or animosity against the French Nation, nor by any ambitious designs to Conquer or Seize on any of the Ancient and Lawful Dominions of France, or to dismember that Monarchy of any of the Provinces justly belonging to it, but that Our ultimate aim is only to repress that exorbitant Power whereby that Crown has been enabled hitherto to oppress its own Subjects, and Threaten the Liberty of all Europe besides; And that We advance towards the Frontiers of France, with as hearty an intention to Right the wrongs of its Subjects, as those of Our own people, esteeming the reestablishment of their just and ancient Liberties, to be the best Bulwark of Our own, against Our and their Common Oppressor; And that therefore We do friendly and hearty invite them to come in to Us, and to join their Arms and other assistance with Us, towards their Deliverance, assuring them We will treat them as Our bes● friends, and will take care to preserve their Persons, Towns, Lands, and all that shall concern them as if they were our own, But at the same time, We have thought fit also to Declare to all that shall not comply with Our invitations, and assistances intended for their Common good, That We shall Distinguish them for Enemies of their Country, and of all sort of Christianity, and Humanity, and as Barbarous wretches that have abetted, and approved all the persecutions, Burn, Desolations and other Vexations which have been committed by those of their Nation both within and without France, and shall make them feel without mercy those pains which their inhuman Countrymen have made so many thousands of miserable people suffer.  
And We have thought fit to make Public this Our Declaration, that all the World might know the sincerity of Our Resolutions, and particularly those of the French Nation, which groan under the intolerable oppression of the present Government there, and who with the loss of their Liberty, have redoubled their desires of Recovering it again, that they may be informed to whom, and with what confidence and assurance. they may apply themselves, in this great opportunity offered them by the Just and Almighty God, to Regain their ancient freedom and privileges which have been so long and so cruelly extorted and detained from them.   
FINIS.   

Dublin, reprinted by Andrew Crook at their Majesty's Printing-House on Ormonde-Key.