The articles of the Counter-project, which were struck out, or altered, by the Dutch in the Barrier treaty; with fome Remarks.

то

ARTICLE VI.

O this end their mightineffes fhall have power to put and keep garrisons in the following places, viz. Newport, Knocke, Menin, the citadel of Lifle, Tournay, Conde, Valenciennes, Namur, and its citadel, Lier, Halle, to fortify the fort of Perle, Damme, and the caftle of Gand.

REMARK S.

In the Barrier treaty, the States added the following places to thofe mentioned in this article, viz. Furnes, Ypres, towns of Life, Maubeuge, Charleroy, Philippe, fort of St. Donas (which is to be in property to the States), and the fort of Rhodenhuysen to be demolished. To fay nothing of the other places, Dendermonde is the key of all Brabant ; and the demolishing of the fort of Rhodenhuysen, fituate between Gand and Sas vas Gand, can only serve to defraud the king of Spain of the duties upon goods imported and exported there.

ARTICLE VII.

The faid States may put into the said towns, forts, and places, and, in cafe of open war with France, into all the other towns, places, and forts, whatever troops the reafon of war fhall require.

REMARK S.

But, in the Barrier treaty, it is faid: In case of an apparént attack, or war, without specifying against France: neither is the number of troops limited to what the reason of war fhall require, but what the States fhall think necessary.

ARTICLE IX.

Befides fome fmaller differences, ends with a falvo, not only for the ecclesiastical and civil rights of the king of Spain, but likewise for his revenues in the faid towns; which revenues, in the Barrier treaty, are all given to the States.

The revenues of the chatellanies and dependencies of the towns and places, which the States fhall have for their barrier against France, and which were not in the poffeffion of the crown of Spain at the late king of Spain's death, fhall be fettled to be a fund for maintaining garrisons, and providing for the fortifications and magazines, and other neceffary charges, of the said towns of the barrier.

REMARK S.

I defire the reader to compare this with the eleventh article of the Barrier treaty, where he will fee how prodigiously it is enlarged.

ARTICLE XIV.

All this to be without prejudice to fuch other treaties and conventions as the QUEEN of Great Britain, and their high mightineffes may think fit to make for the future with the faid king Charles III, relating to the said Spanish Netherlands, or to the faid barrier..

And to the end, that the faid States may enjoy at prefent, as much as it is poffible, a barrier in the Spanish Netherlands, they fhall be permitted to put their garrisons in the chief towns already taken, or that may be taken before a peace be made.

REMARK S.

These two articles are not in the barrier treaty, but two others in their stead; to which I refer the reader. And indeed it was highly neceffary for the Dutch to ftrike out the former of these articles, when so great a part of the treaty is so highly and manifeftly prejudicial to Great Britain, as well as to the king of Spain; especially in the two articles inferted in the place of thefe, which I defire the reader will examine.

ARTICLE XX.

And whereas, by the fifth and ninth articles fo the alliance between the Emperor, the late king of Great Britain, and the States-general, concluded the

feventh

feventh of September 1701, it is agreed and stipulated, that the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, with all the dependencies of the crown of Spain in Italy, fhall be recovered from the poffeffion of France, as being of the last consequence to the trade of both nations, as well as the Spanish Netherlands for a barrier for the States-general; therefore the faidQUEEN of Great Britain and the States-general agree and oblige themselves not to enter into any negotiation or treaty of peace with France, before the reftitution of the said kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, with alil the dependencies of the crown of Spain in Italy, as well as the Spanish Low-countries, with the other towns and places in the poffeffion of France abovementioned in this treaty; and also after the manner specified in this treaty; as likewise all the reft of the entire monarchy of Spain be yielded by France as a preliminary.

And whereas experience hath fhewn of what importance it is to Great Britain and the United provinces, that the fortress and port of Dunkirk should not be in the poffeffion of France in the condition they are at prefent; the fubjects of both nations having undergone fuch great loffes, and fuffered fo much in their trade, by the prizes taken from them by privateers fet out from that port; infomuch that France, by her unmeasurable ambition, may be always tempted to make some enterprizes upon territories of the QUEEN of Great Britain and their

the

high mightineffes, and interrupt the public repofe and tranquillity; for the prefervation of which, and the balance of Europe against the exorbitant power of France, the allies engaged themselves in this long and burthenfome war; therefore the faid QNEEN of Great Britain and their high mightinesfes agree and oblige themselves not to enter into any negotiation or treaty of peace with France, before it fhall be yielded and ftipulated by France as a preliminary, that all the fortifications of the faid town of Dunkirk, and the forts that depend upon it, be entirely demolished and razed, and that the port be entirely ruined and rendered impracticable.

REMARK S.

Thefe two articles are likewife omitted in the Barrier treaty; whereof the first regards particularly the interest of the house of Auftria; and the other, about demolishing Dunkirk, those of Great Britain. It is something ftrange, that the late ministry, whose advocates raise fuch a clamour about the neceffity of recovering Spain from the house of Bourbon, fhould fuffer the Dutch to ftrike out this article, which, I think, clearly fhews the reason why the States never troubled themselves with the thoughts of reducing Spain or even recovering Milan, Naples, and Sicily, to the Emperor; but were wholly fixed upon the conqueft of Flanders, because they had determined thofe provinces as a property for themfelves.

As