diators an ultimatum, importing that he adhered to the treaties
of Westphalia and Nimeguen, and accepted of Strasbourg with its
appurtenances; that he insisted upon the restitution of Lorraine to the
prince of that name; and demanded that the church and chapter of Liege
should be re-established in the possession of their incontestable
rights. Next day the French plenipotentiaries declared that the month of
August being now expired, all their offers were vacated; that therefore
the king of France would reserve Strasbourg, and unite it with its
dependencies to his crown for ever; that in other respects he would
adhere to the project, and restore Barcelona to the crown of Spain; but
that these terms must be accepted in twenty days, otherwise he should
think himself at liberty to recede. The ministers of the electors and
princes of the empire joined in a written remonstrance to the Spanish
plenipotentiaries, representing the inconveniencies and dangers that
would accrue to the Germanic body from France being in possession of
Luxembourg, and exhorting them in the strongest terms to reject all
offers of an equivalent for that province. They likewise presented
another to the states-general, requiring them to continue the war
according to their engagements, until France should have complied
with the preliminaries. No regard however was paid to either of these
addresses. Then the Imperial ambassadors demanded the good offices of
the mediator on certain articles; but all that he could obtain of France
was, that the term for adjusting the peace between her and the emperor
should be prolonged till the first day of November, and in the meantime
an armistice be punctually observed. Yet even these concessions were
made on condition that the treaty with England, Spain, and Holland,
should be signed on that day, even though the emperor and empire should
not concur.

THE AMBASSADORS SIGN THE TREATY.

Accordingly on the twentieth day of September, the articles were
subscribed by the Dutch, English, Spanish, and French ambassadors, while
the Imperial ministers protested against the transaction, observing
this was the second time that a separate peace had been concluded with
France; and that the states of the empire, who had been imposed upon
through their own credulity, would not for the future be so easily
persuaded to engage in confederacies. In certain preparatory articles
settled between England and France, king William promised