A General Collection of Treatys

VERY Man, who is vers'd in publick Affairs, will readily own, that the Knowledg of Treaties is one of the beft Helps to General Hiftory, and one of the fureft Guides to direct us in our Judgment of the true Interefts of Princes and States, as well as to discover the Juftice or Injuftice of the Pretensions upon which they make War with one another.

The First Part of this Collection was very well receiv'd by the Publick on that account, because it was the compleateft of its kind that had appear'd in the English Tongue, and contain'd fuch Pieces as were not eafily to be met with, except in the large Collections of Treaties publifh'd in France and Holland, which were neither eafily to be come at, nor like to be purchas'd, but by those of plentiful Fortunes. It was therefore thought neceffary to make this fecond Collection, to fupply what was wanting in the firft, and that Gentlemen and others might, with as fmall Expence of Time and Mony as poffible, be capable of informing themselves of the moft remarkable Treaties which have been made in Europe fince the year 1495. and especially of those wherein Great Britain has been one way or other concern'd.

We shall not here trouble the Reader with a Catalogue of the Treaties, and other publick Pieces contain'd in the following Collection; for that may eafily be feen by the running Titles over the Pages, or by the preceding Table.

The firft that appears here, is that between Henry VII. of England, and the Duke of Burgundy, concluded in 1495. 'twas then call'd the Magnus Concurfus, and is the Concern of every Englishman to know, because it laid the Foundation of our Commerce with the Netherlands, and is therefore neceffary for understanding the prefent Debates that have happen'd be twixt us and the Dutch on that head.

The next Treaties which follow in Order, are those betwixt Henry VIII. of England, and Francis I. of France; and betwixt Queen Elizabeth, and the French Kings Henry II. and Charles IX. Thefe are neceffary to be underfood, that we

may fee how thofe Great Princes treated the French, and were far either from receiving Laws at their hands, or being influenc'd by their Counfels, to the prejudice of their own Dominions. We have particularly an Account of the Treaty between Henry II. of France and Queen Elizabeth, about reftoring the Town of Calais with its Dependencies to that Princess, within eight years after the Conclufion of the faid Treaty, or to pay her or her Succeffors 500000 Golden Crowns of the Sun, if the Reftitution was not made in the faid time. As this Treaty is not commonly known, it may perhaps be worth the Inquiry of our Government fome time or other how it has been perform'd. It appears by Camden's Hiftory of Queen Elizabeth, that when the demanded Calais, according to this Treaty, the receiv'd nothing but an illusive and chicaning Anfwer: But we leave this Point to be confider'd by our Statefmen, when a convenient Opportunity offers.

The Treaties which follow in courfe of time next after thefe with France, relate to Holland and Spain, and are sufficient to prove, that it was then the Sense of the English Nation, that Holland was to be fupported and not deftroy'd, according to the late Maxim of fome raw Politicians, who have had Popery and Tyranny at Home and Abroad in view, and there. fore thought it neceffary that the Dutch Republick should be taken out of the way, because it is a Barrier against both. These Treaties do at the fame time make it evident, that our then Statesmen thought it no difficulty to find a Medium betwixt deftroying the Dutch, and hindering them from incroaching upon us in point of Trade, or otherwife. But above all 'tis plain, that had they liv'd in our time, they wou'd have been as much for.fupporting that Republick againft the exorbitant Power of France, as they were then for maintaining it against the formidable Power of Spain, for which even James I. made a Treaty with Henry IV. of France, as his Glorious Predeceffor Queen Elizabeth had done before him. And he did actually enter into a Treaty of Guaranty with the Dutch, for obliging the Archduke and Archdutchess Albert and Isabella to keep to their Agreements with them, tho he was under no fuch neceffity of making fuch a Treaty with that Republick, for the Security of the Proteftant Succeffion to the Crown of Great Britain, as we are now. Nor are we to wonder at this, fince it was an eftablifh'd Maxim amongst our Ancestors, that the Preservation of the Netherlands was neceffary for us to fecure a Barrier to our felves, againft either of the Houses of Aujlria or Bourbon, who have fo long contended for the Uni verfal Monarchy.

Nay

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A General Collection of Treatys, Bind 2