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 do's appear wholly groundless. (viz.) That the Catholick 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 Catholick 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 wholy 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 Citties, Villages and Towns, But not sparing the Seat of Justice it self; he seized upon Spire, the Imperial Cham­ber, and caused the Publick 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 Teritories, both as he is the [Page 2] Minister of his declar'd Enemy, & as he has in an Eminent Degree, found him to have labor'd nothing more then 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 Domesticks, 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, tho 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.

Order'd and Sign'd 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, [Page 2] & seminandis inter Imperii Status diffidentiis, eis 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.
Ʋt 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 perswaded him to dismiss Monsieur the Count of Lu­signan Envoy of France to the Court at Vienna; As also Mounsieur the Count de Cr [...]sy 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 Passe-port, 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 Marquess 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 faire 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 passeport, par lequel on luy a marque 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

signe a Ratisbonne le qua­torizieme Decembre, 1688.
L. S.
Herman Marquess de Baden.

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

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