GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Arch­Treasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, &c. To all and singular to whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas, in order to perfect the peace, between us and our good brother the most Faithful King, on the one part, and our good brothers the most Christian and Catholick Kings, on the other, which has been happily begun by the preliminary articles already signed at Fontainebleau the 3d of this month, and to bring the same to the desired end, we have thought pro­per to invest some sit person with full authority, on our part; Know ye, that we, having most entire confidence in the fidelity, judgment, skill, and ability in managing affairs of the greatest consequence, of Our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Cousin and Counsellor, John Duke and Earl of Bedford, Marquess of Tavistock, Baron Russel of Cheneys, Baron Russel of Thornhaugh, and Baron Howland of Streatham, Lieutenant-General of our Forces, Keeper of our Privy Seal, Lieutenant and C [...]os Rotulorom of the counties of Bedford and Devon, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and Our Ambassadour Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Our good brother the Most Christian King, have no­minated, made, constituted and appointed, as by these presents, we do nominate, make, constitute, and ap­point him, our true, certain, and undoubted minister, commissary, deputy, procurator, and plenipotentiary giving to him all, and all manner of, power, faculty and authority, as well as our general and special com­mand (yet so as that the general do not derogate from the special, or on the contrary) for us and in our name, to meet and confer, as well singly and separately, as jointly and in a body, with the ambassadours, commis­saries, deputies and plenipotentiaries of the princes whom it may concern, vested with sufficient power and authority for that purpose, and with them to agree upon, treat, consult, and conclude concerning the re establish­ing, as soon as may be, a firm and lasting peace, and sincere friendship and concord; and whatever shall be so agreed and concluded, for us and in our name, to sign, and to make a treaty or treaties, on what shall have been so agreed and concluded, and to transact every thing else that may belong to the happy comple­tion of the aforesaid work, in as ample a manner and form, and with the same force and effect, as we ourselves, if we were present, could do and perform, engaging and promising, on our Royal word, that we will approve, ratify, and accept, in the best manner, whatever shall happen to be transacted and concluded by our said plenipotentiary, and that we will never suf­fer any person to infringe or act contrary to the same, either in the whole or in part. In witness and con­firmation whereof, we have caused our great seal of Great-Britain to be affixed to these presents, signed with our Royal hand. Given at our palace at St. James's the 12th day of November 1762, in the third year of our reign.

LEWIS, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, to all who shall see these presents, greet­ing. Whereas the preliminaries, signed at Fontaine­bleau the 3d of November of the last year, laid the foundation of the peace re-established between us and our most dear and most beloved good brother and cousin the king of Spain, on the one part, and our most dear and most beloved good brother the king of Great-Bri­tain, and our dear and most beloved good brother and cousin the king of Portugal, on the other, we have had nothing more at heart, since that happy epoch, than to consolidate and strengthen, in the most lasting manner, so salutary and so important a work, by a solemn and definitive treaty between us and the said powers. For these causes, and other good considerations, us there­unto moving, we trusting entirely in the capacity and experience, zeal and fidelity for our service, of our most dear and well-beloved cousin, Caesar Gabriel de Choi­seul, duke of Praslin, p [...]er of France, knight of our orders, lieutenant-general of our forces and of the pro­vince of Britany, counsellor in all our councils, minister and secretary of state, and of our commands and finances, we have named, appointed, and deputed him, and by these presents, signed with our hand, do name, ap­point, and depute him, our minister plenipotentiary, giving him full and absolute power to act in that qua­lity, and to confer, negotiate, treat, and agree, jointly with the minister plenipotentiary of our most dear and most beloved good brother the king of Great-Britain, the minister plenipotentiary of our most dear and most beloved good brother and cousin the king of Spain, and the minister plenipotentiary of our most dear and most beloved good brother and cousin the king of Portugal, vested with full powers, in good form, to agree, con­clude, and sign, such articles, conditions, conventions, declarations, definitive treaty, accessions, and other acts whatsoever, that he shall judge proper for securing and strengthening the great work of peace, the whole with the same latitude and authority that we ourselves might do, if we were there in person, even though there should be something which might require a more special order than what is contained in these presents, promising, on the faith and word of a king, to approve, keep firm and stable for ever, to fulfil and execute punctually, all that our said cousin, the duke of Praslin, shall have stipulated, promised, and signed in virtue of the present full power, without ever acting contrary thereto, or permitting any thing contrary thereto, for any cause, or under any pretence whatsoever, as also to cause our letters of ratification to be expedited in good form, and [Page 11]to cause them to be delivered, in order to be exchanged within the time that shall be agreed upon. For such is our ple [...]e. In witness whereof, we have caused our seal to be p [...]t to these presents. Given at Versailles the the 7th day of the month of February, in the year of grac [...] 1763, and of our reign the forty-eighth. Signed Lewis, and on the fold, By the King, the duke of Choi­seul. Sealed with the great seal of yellow wax.

DON Carlos, by the Grace of God, king of Castille, of Leon, of Arragon, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Toledo, of Va­lencia, of Galicia, of Majorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordova, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Jaen, of the Al­garve, of Alg [...]ci [...]a, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Islands, of the East and West Indies, islands and continent, of the ocean, arch duke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, of Brabant and Milan, count of Hapsburg, of Fl [...]nders, of Tirol and Barcelona; Lord of Biscay and of Molino, &c. Whereas preliminaries of a solid and lasting peace between this crown, and that of France on the one part, and that of England and Portugal on the other, were concluded and signed in the royal residence of Fontainebleau, the 3d of November of the present year, and the respective [...]a [...]sications thereof exchanged on the 22d of the same month, by ministers authorized for that purpose, wherein it is promised, that a definitive treaty should be forthwith entered upon, having established and regulated the chief points upon which it is to turn: And whereas in the same manner as I granted to you, Don Jerome Grimaldi, ma quis de Grimaldi, knight of the or­der of the Holy Ghost, gentleman of my bedchamber with employment, and my ambassadour extraordinary to the most Christian king, my full power to treat, adjust, and sign the before-mentioned preliminaries, it is necessary to grant the same to you, or to some other, to treat, adjust, and sign the promised definitive treaty of peace as aforesaid: Therefore, as you the said Don Jerome Grimaldi, mar­quis de Grimaldi, are at the convenient place, and as I have every day fresh motives, from your approved fidelity and zeal, capacity and prudence, to entrust to you this, and other like concens of my crown, I have appointed you my minister plenipotentiary, and granted to you my full power, to the end that, in my name, and re­presenting my person, you may treat, regulate, settle and sign the said definitive treaty of peace between my crown, and that of France on the one part, that of Eng­land, and that of Portugal on the other, with the ministers who shall be equally and specially authorized by their re­spective sovereigns for the same purpose; acknowledging, as I do from this time acknowledge, as accepted and ra­tified, whatever you shall so treat, conclude and sign; promising on my royal word, that I will observe and fulfil the same, will cause it to be observed and fulfilled, as if it had been treated, concluded and signed by my­self. In witness whereof, I have caused these presents to be dispatched, signed by my hand, sealed with my privy seal, and counte [...] sig [...]ed by my underwritten coun­sellor of state, and first secretary for the department of state and of war. Buen Retire, the tenth of December, 1762.

DON Joseph, by the grace of God, King of Por­tagal, and of the Algarves, on this side the sea, and on that side in A [...]ica, Lord of Guinea, and of the conquest, navigation, commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India, &c. I make known to those who shall see these my letters-patent, that desiring nothing more than to see the flame of war, which has raged so many years in all Europe, extinguished, and to co-ope­rate (as far as depends upon me) towards its being suc­ceeded by a just peace, established upon solid principles: And being informed, that great part of the belligerent powers entertain the same pacifick dispositions, I am to nominate a person to assist, in my name, at the assem­blies and conferences to be holden upon this important business, who, by his nobility, prudence and dexterity, is worthy of my confidence: Whereas these several qua­lities concur in Martin de Mello de Castro, of my coun­cil, and my envoy extraordinary plenipotentiary to the court of London; and as from the experience I have, that he has always served me to my satisfaction, in every thing I have charged him with, relying, that I shall, from henceforward, have fresh cause for the confidence I have placed in him, I nominate and constitute him my ambassadour and plenipotentiary, in order that he may, as such, assist, in my name, at any congresses, assem­blies, or conferences, as well publick, as private, in which the business of pacification may be treated: Ne­gotiating and agreeing with the ambassadours and pleni­potentiaries of the said belligerent powers, whatever may relate to the said peace; and concluding what he shall negociate between me and any belligerent kings and [...], under the conditions he shall stipulate in my [Page 13]royal name: Therefore, for the above purposes, I grant [...] all the full powers and authority, ge [...]e [...]al and special, which may be necessary; and I promise, upon the said [...]nd word of a king, that I will acknowledge to be [...] and valid, and will ratify within the time agreed [...], whatever shall be contracted and stipulated [...] ambassadour and plenipotentiary, with the afores;aid ambassadours and ministers of the belligerent [...]ings and pri [...]ces, who shall be furnished by them with equal powers:

Letters patent whereby your majesty is pleased to no­minate Martin de Mello de Castro to be your ambassa­dour and plenipotentiary for the negotiation and con­clusion of peace, in the form above set forth.

For your majesty's inspection.