But, that the faid fon of the Queen of Spain, appointed by this treaty to the fucceffion of the Great Duke of Tufcany, and the Duke of Parma and Placentia, may be more fully fecured against all events, and may more certainly depend on the execution of the fucceffion promifed him; and likewife that the fief, conftituted as above, may remain inviolable to the Emperor and empire; it is agreed on both fides, that garrifons, not exceeding however the number of 6,000 men, which fhall be put into the principal towns thereof, viz. Leghorn, Porto Ferraro, Parma, and Placentia, be taken from among the Swifs cantons, which cantons are for this purpose to be paid by the three contracting Powers, who have taken upon them the part of mediators. And the faid garrifons are therein to be continued till the cafe of the faid fucceffion fhall happen, when they fhall be obliged to deliver the towns to the faid Prince appointed to the fucceffion. Nevertheless, without any trouble or charge to the prefent poffeffors, and their fucceffors, being males, to whom likewife the faid garrifons are to take an oath of fidelity, and are to affume to themfelves no other authority than only the guard of the cities committed to their charge.

But whereas this beneficial work may be longer delayed than is convenient, before an agreement can be made with the Swifs Cantons about the number, pay, and manner of establishing fuch a force; his Sacred Royal Britannic Majefty, out of his fingular zeal for the faid work, and the public tranquillity, and for the earlier obtaining the end propofed, will not in the mean time refuse to lend his own forces for the use abovementioned, if the rest of the contracting Powers think good, till the forces to be raised in the Swifs Cantons can take upon them the guard and cuftody of the faid cities.

VI. His Catholic Majefty, to teftify his fincere inclination for the public tranquillity, doth confent to all things hereafter mentioned, with regard to what is

N 3

fettled

fettled about the kingdom of Sicily for the advantage of his Imperial Majefty, and doth renounce for himfelf, his heirs and fucceffors, male and female, the right of reverfion of that kingdom to the crown of Spain, which he expressly referved to himself by the inftrument of ceffion dated the 10th of June 1713. Out of love to the public good, he moreover departs from the faid act of the 10th of June, 1713, as far as is neceffary, as likewise from the fixth article of the treaty of Utrecht, betwixt himself and his Royal Highness the Duke of Savoy, as likewife in general from every thing that may oppofe the retroceffion, difpofition, and permutation of the above-mentioned kingdom of Sicily, by this present treaty established; on condition, nevertheless, that the right of reverfion of the island and kingdom of Sardinia to the faid crown may be yielded and allowed to him, as hereafter, in the fecond article of the conventions between his Sacred Imperial Majefty and the King of Sicily, is farther explained.

VII. The Emperor and the Catholic King mutually promife and bind themselves to a reciprocal defence and guaranty of all the kingdoms and provinces which they actually poffefs, or the poffeffion whereof ought to belong to them by virtue of the prefent treaty.

VIII. His Imperial Majefty and his Royal Catholic Majefty fhall, immediately after exchange of the ratifications of thefe prefent conventions, put in execution all and every the conditions therein comprehended, and that within the space of two months at the fartheft; and the inftruments of the ratifications of the faid conventions fhall be exchanged at London within the fpace of two months, to be computed from the day of figning, or fooner if poffible. Which execution of the conditions being previously performed, their minifters and plenipotentiaries, by them to be named, fhall in the place of congrefs, which they fhall agree upon, with all speed feverally fettle and determine the

other

other points of their particular peace, under the mediation of the three contracting Powers.

It is farther agreed, that in the treaty of peace particularly to be made between the Emperor and the King of Spain, a general amnefty fhall be granted to all perfons of any ftate, dignity, degree, or fex whatfoever, whether ecclefiaftical or military, political or civil, who followed the party of the one or the other Prince during the late war; in virtue whereof all and fingular the faid perfons fhall be permitted to receive, and they may receive full poffeffion and ufe of their goods, rights, privileges, honours, dignities, and immunities, and fhall ufe and enjoy the fame as freely as they did enjoy them at the beginning of the laft war, or at the time when they begun to join themselves to the one or the other party, all confifcations, arrests, and fentences made, paffed, or pronounced, during the war, to the contrary notwithstanding, which shall be held as null and of no effect. In virtue moreover of the aforefaid amnesty, it shall be lawful and free for all and fingular the faid perfons, who followed one or the other party, to return to their country, and to enjoy their goods in the fame manner as if no war had happened; and a full licence is given them to take care of the faid effects, either by themselves, if they fhould be prefent, or by their attornies, if they fhould choose rather to abfent themselves from their country, and they may either fell, or any other way, according to their pleafure, difpofe of them, entirely after the fame manner they might have done before the beginning of

the war.

Conditions of the Treaty to be concluded between bis Imperial Majefty and the King of Sicily.

I. Whereas the ceffion of Sicily, by the treaties of Utrecht, to the Houfe of Savoy, being folely made for rendering that peace folid, and not on the account of any right the King of Sicily had thereto, has been fo far from bringing about the end propofed, that, as N 4

all

all Europe can witnefs, it has rather proved the great obftacle which hindered the Emperor from acceding to the faid treaties, inasmuch as the feparation of the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, fo long used to remain under the fame dominion, and to be called by the name of Both the Sicilies, has not only been found oppofite to the common interefts and mutual prefervation of both kingdoms, but likewife to the repofe of all Italy, being conftantly productive of new commotions, while neither the ancient intercourfe and mutual relation between the two nations can be destroyed, nor the interefts of the different Princes can be eafily reconciled: for this reason it is that the Princes, who firft made the Utrecht treaties, have thought it lawful for them, even without the confent of the parties concerned, to abrogate that one article of thofe treaties which regards the kingdom of Sicily, and is not any principal part of the faid treaty, founding themfelves chiefly upon thefe reafons; that the prefent treaty will receive its increase and completion from the Emperor's renunciation; and that by the exchange of Sicily for Sardinia, the wars which threaten Italy may be prevented, inafinuch as the Emperor might rightfully attack Sicily, which he never yet renounced, and which, fince the infraction of the neutrality of Italy by the feizure of Sardinia, he may rightfully recover by force of arms: befides that the King of Sicily may become poffeffed of a certain and durable dominion by the benefit of fo folemn a treaty with his Imperial Majesty, and guarantied by the chief Princes of Europe. Being moved therefore by fo great reafons, they have agreed that the King of Sicily fhall reftore to his Imperial Majefty the ifland and kingdom of Sicily, with all its dependencies and appendages, in the ftate wherein they now are, immediately, or in two months at the fartheft from the exchange of the ratifications of the prefent treaty. And he fhall, in favour of the Emperor, his heirs and fucceffors, of both fexes, renounce all rights and pretenfions whatsoever

to

to the faid kingdom, as well for himself as his heirs. and fucceffors, male and female; the reverfion thereof to the crown of Spain being entirely taken away.

II. In return, his Imperial Majefty fhall yield to the King of Sicily the island and kingdom of Sardinia, in the fame condition wherein he fhall receive it from the Catholic King, and shall renounce all rights and interefts in the faid kingdom, for himself, his heirs and fucceffors, of both fexes, in favour of the King of Sicily, his heirs and fucceffors, that he may hereafter perpetually poffefs the fame with the title of a kingdom, and all other honours annexed to the royal dignity, in the fame manner as he poffeffed the kingdom of Sicily; on condition, nevertheless, that the reversion of the faid kingdom of Sardinia fhall be referved to the crown of Spain, whenever it may happen that the King of Sicily fhall be without heirs male, and all the House of Savoy fhall likewife be deftitute of heirs male; but in the fame manner altogether as the faid reverfion was fettled and ordained for the kingdom of Sicily by the treaties of Utrecht, and by the act of ceffion in pursuance thereof made by the King of Spain.

III. His Imperial Majefty fhall confirm to the King of Sicily all the ceffions made to him by the treaty figned at Turin, the 8th day of November 1703, as well of that part of the dutchy of Montferrat, as of the provinces, cities, towns, caftles, lands, places, rights, and revenues of the state of Milan, which he now doth poffefs, in the manner wherein he actually doth poffefs them; and he will ftipulate for himself, his defcendants, and fucceffors, that he never will difturb him, his heirs or fucceffors, in the poffeffion aforefaid; on condition, nevertheless, that all other claims and pretenfions which he may poffibly make in virtue of the said treaty shall be and remain void.

IV. His Imperial Majefty fhall acknowledge the right of the King of Sicily, and his Houfe, to fucceed

immediately