{GEORGE III. 1795-1796}

TREATIES BETWEEN FRANCE AND PRUSSIA, ETC.

Although the King of Prussia had been the first of all the coalition to
assail republican France, yet, in the spring of this year, he concluded
a separate treaty with its democratic rulers. This treaty was settled at
Basle on the fifth of April; and by it the king ceded to France all the
Prussian territory on the left bank of the Rhine, and France restored to
Prussia the territories that her armies had overrun on the right bank of
that river. Both the contracting parties pledged themselves not to grant
a passage to the enemies of the other through their territories; and all
prisoners taken respectively since the war commenced were restored.
All the commercial communications and relations between France and the
Prussian states were re-established by this treaty on the same footing
upon which they stood before the war. At a later date, on the 17th of
May, a supplementary treaty was concluded at Basle, for the purpose of
establishing a line of demarcation and neutrality, in order to remove
the war from all the north of Germany. One link cf the chain being thus
broken, others soon snapped asunder. In the early part of this year
the French met with great success over the Spanish troops, and again
threatened to advance even to the gates of Madrid. Dismayed and
discouraged, and, moreover, urged on by a strong French party, Godoy,
the prime minister, humbly sued for peace. This was granted at the price
of that part of the island of Saint Domingo which the Spaniards had
possessed since the time of Columbus; and the proud monarchy of Spain
with its Bourbon monarch, recognised the French republic, and engaged
to a reciprocity of friendship and good understanding. As a testimony
of amity to his Catholic majesty, the French government agreed to accept
his mediation in favour of the King of Portugal, his relatives and
allies, the King of Naples, the Infanta Duke of Parma, the King of
Sardinia, and the other states of Italy; and to accept his good offices
in favour of other belligerent powers that should apply to him in order
to enter into negociations with the French government. This example
of the kings of Prussia and Spain was followed by the Grand Duke of
Tuscany; and even George III., in his quality of Elector of Hanover,
though he remained the most active member of the confederacy in his
capacity of King of Great Britain, ordered a treaty of peace to be