Nederlandse historische bronnen 10

3

Hague, 15th June 1728 NS

My Lord, I have been honoured in due time with your Lordship's letters of the 22 May and 2d Inst. - I should have acknowledged the first sooner, had I not been deprived of that satisfaction by a malignant feaver, which confined me to my bed for several days, and though I am now - almost recovered, yet I am still under a necessity of taking remedies, and particularly the bark, to free myself from any

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return of that distemper. Your Lordship may be sure, that nothing else could have interrupted me in the punctuality, which I am desirous to observe in corresponding with your Lordship tho' in the mean time I shall avoid being troublesome to you, except when something offers, that may possibly have any relation to your transactions, or deserve your being informed of.

Upon that account I take the liberty of transmitting to you the enclosed copy of the resolution of the States General of the 25th past, concerning the sequestration of some towns in Oostfrize by the imperial commissarys, and of acquainting your Lordship, that having by the desire of the States, communicated this resolution to His Majesty, I have been directed to let them know that His Majesty will without delay employ his offices, where it may be proper, for removing their uneasiness on this account, and I am apt to believe that your Lordship will receive some directions about it from England³.

This proceeding of the Court of Vienna as well as that in the affair of Mecklemburg⁴ by altering the commission about it in so partial a manner, seem to be very different from the protestations that Court is continually making of their intentions of promoting a general peace and maintaining the publick tranquillity⁵, since they cannot but expect that the steps they have taken in both those affairs must create allarms and jealousies and lay foundations for new troubles in the Empire if not in Europe; I have received the copy of the aulick decree with several other papers concerning that of Mecklemburg, from England with directions to communicate them to the States, which I have done. I take it for granted that your Lordship is fully informed of those pieces, so that it will be unnecessary for me to mention anything further in this matter.

I am obliged to your Lordship for what you are pleased to acquaint me with, in the last paragraph in cypher of your letter of the 2d Inst. and I don't question but that in time good use may be made of it.

3 East-Friesland - Oost-Friesland - was affected by a civil war in which the Dutch, with their garrison in Embden, supported the forces opposed to the Prince. The Prince was usually supported by the Imperial jurisdictional authorities. Contesting claims to the succession of the Duchy, advanced by Prussia and Hanover, confused the situation. Britain intervened, both in support of her Dutch ally, and to further George II's Hanoverian interests. Hughes, ‘Imperial supreme judicial authority’; undated memorandum on differences between the Prince and Estates of East-Friesland, Paris, Quai d'Orsay, Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères (AE), Mémoires et documents (MD), Hollande, num. 60, f. 65-124.

4 On 11 May 1728 the Aulic Council, the imperial Court based in Vienna, issued a decree which challenged the position in the Duchy of Mecklenburg of Hanoverian troops. There is a copy of the decree in PRO, num. 100/15 and of ‘Reflections on the imperial resolution about Mecklenburg’; Hughes, ‘Imperial supreme judicial authority’, 380-381; Goslinga, Slingelandt's efforts, 242; Dureng, Mission de Théodore Chevignard de Chavigny, 67-72; Naumann, Österreich, England und das Reich, 140; Chesterfield to Viscount Townshend (1674-1738), Secretary of State for the Northern Department, 8 June, Townshend to Chesterfield, 31 May 1728 OS, PRO, num. 84/300; Black, Britain in the age of Walpole, 168.

5 Horatio Walpole (1678-1757), ambassador extraordinary in Paris, to the Duke of Newcastle (1693-1768), Secretary of State for the Southern Department, 20, 23 Mar. 1728, British Library, Additional Manuscripts (BL, Add.), num. 32754, f. 459-460, 480.

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Mons. Goslinga one of the plenipotentaries of this Republick has been gone since the beginning of this month for the Congress. Mons. Hop another plenipotentiary of this State set our last Friday, and mr. Hurgronje the third plenipotentiary will soon follow⁶.

Two days since an account came from Amsterdam with the news of the arrival of fourteen Dutch ships from the East Indies. I am with the greatest truth and respect - - -

P.S.

We suppose that the Congress was opened yesterday, Count Sinzendorf⁷ being returned thither from Brussels and the D. de Bournonville⁸ being also arrived.

6 The Congress of Soissons first met on 14 June 1728.

7 Count Philip Louis Sinzendorff (1671-1742), Austrian Chancellor, represented Austria at Soissons in 1728.

8 Joseph Michel, Duke of Bournonville, Spanish ambassador in Vienna, 1727-1728, plenipotentiary at Soissons.