fresh and important ground for entertaining just doubts as to the sincerity of the assurances which the Emperor Napoleon had more than once publicly expressed of his disposition to peace, although several of his expressions at that particular period afforded just reason to believe that a maritime peace was the object of his most anxious solicitude.

During that interval, their Majesties the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia had nominated their plenipotentiaries to the Congress, and had furnished them with very decisive instructions. On the 12th of July they both arrived at Prague, as well as his Majesty's minister, charged with the concerns of the mediation.

The negociations were not to be protracted beyond the 10th of August, except in the event of their assuming such a character as to induce a confident hope of a favourable result. To that day the armistice had been extended through the mediation of Austria: the political and military situation of the Allied Sovereigns, the condition of the countries they occupied, and their anxious wish to terminate an irksome period of uncertainty, prevented any further extension of it. With all these circumstances the Emperor Napoleon was acquainted: he well knew that the period of the negociations was necessarily defined by that of the armistice; and he could not, moreover, conceal from himself how much his own determinations would influence the happy abridgment, and successful result, of the pending negociations.

It was therefore with real sorrow that his Majesty soon per

ceived, not only that no serious step was taken by France to acce lerate this great work; but, on the contrary, it appeared as if a procrastination of the negociations, and evasion of a favourable issue had been decidedly intended. There was, indeed, a French minister at the place of Congress, but without any orders to proceed to business, until the appearance of the first plenipotentiary.

The arrival of that plenipoten tiary was in vain expected from day to day. Nor was it until the 21st of July that it was ascertained, that a demur which took place on settling the renewal of the armistice between the French and Russian and Prussian commissioners, an obstruction of very subordinate importance, having no influence whatever upon the Congress, and which might have been very easily and speedily removed by the interference of Austria,was made use of as the justification of this extraordinary delay. And when this last pretext was removed, it was not until the 28th of July, sixteen days after that appointed for the opening of the Congress, that the first French plenipoteutiary arrived.

Even in the very first days after this minister's arrival, no doubt remained as to the fate of the Congress. The form in which the full powers were to be delivered, and the mutual explanations should be conducted, a point which had already been treated by all parties, became the object of a discussion which rendered all the endeavours of the mediating power abortive. The apparent insufficiency of the powers intrusted to the French negociator occasioned a silence of

several

several days. Nor was it until the 6th of August that the minister gave in a new declaration, by which the difficulties with respect to forms were by no means te moved, nor the negociation by one step brought nearer to its object. After an useless exchange of notes upon every preliminary question, the 10th of August arrived. The Prussian and Russian negociators could not exceed this term: the Congress was at an end, and the resolution which Austria had to form was previously determined, by the progress of this negociation, by the actual conviction of the impossibility of peace, by the no longer doubtful point of view in which his Majesty examined the great question in dispute, by the principles and intentions of the allies, wherein the Emperor recognised his own, and, finally, by the former positive declarations, which left no room for misconception.

Not without sincere affliction, and alone consoled by the certainty that every means to avoid the war had been exhausted, does the Emperor now find himself compelled to action. For three years has his Majesty laboured with un. ceasing perseverance to effect, by mild and conciliatory measures, real and durable peace for Austria and for Europe. All his endeavours have failed: there is now no remedy, no recourse to be had but to arms. The Emperor takes them up without any personal animosity, from a painful necessity, from an irresistible duty, upon grounds which any faithful citizen of his realm, which the world, which the Emperor Napoleon himself, in a moment of tranquillity and reason, will acknowledge and justify. The Vol. LV.

necessity of the war is engraven in the heart of every Austrian, of every European, under whatso-"" ever dominion he may live, in such legible characters, that no art is necessary to distinguish them. The nation and the army will do their duty. An union established by common necessity, and by the mutual interest of every power that is in arms for its independence, will give due weight to our exer tions, and the result, with the assistance of Heaven, will be such as must fulfil the just expectations of every friend of order and of peace.

Treaty of Amity, and of Defensive Alliance, between the Courts of Vienna and St. Petersburgh, concluded at Toeplitz, the 9th of September (August 28), 1813.

We, Francis I. by Divine Clemency, Emperor of Austria; King of Jerusalem, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Sclavonia, Gallicia, and Lodomiria; Archduke of Austria; Duke of Lorraine, Wurtzburg, and Franconia; Great Prince of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia; Duke of Styria, Carinthia, Upper and Lower Silesia; Count of Hapsburg, &c.

Make known to all and singular who are interested therein, by these presents;

That since nothing is more anxiously desired by us, and the most Serene and Potent Emperor. of all the Russias, than to promote by a stable peace the welfare of Europe, so long overwhelmed by the calamities of war, and towards that object having mutually joined our counsels to provide for 2 F

that

that wished-for order of things, which, we firmly trust, will arise from our reciprocal efforts to attain the end; a treaty, of which the following is the tenour, has been entered into by each of the contracting parties:

In the name of the most Holy and undivided Trinity:

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, equally animated by a desire to put an end to the calamities of Europe, and to secure its future repose by the establishment of a just equilibrium between the powers, have resolved to prosecute the war in which they are engaged for that salutary object, with the whole of the forces which Providence has placed at their disposal. Wi-hing, at the same time, to extend the effects of a concert so beneficial, to the period when the present war, having obtained its full success, their mutual interest shall imperiously require the maintenance of the order of things which shall be the happy result thereof, they have appointed to draw up the articles of a treaty of amity and defensive alliance, the following plenipotentiaries furnished with their instructions:

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the Sieur Clement Wenceslas Lothaire, Count de Metternich Winnebourg-Ochsenhausen, Knight of of the Golden Fleece, Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St. Stephen, Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Joseph of Wurtzburg, Knight of St. John of Jerusalem, Chancellor of the

Military Order of Maria Theresa, Curator of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts; Chamberlain, Privy Counsellor, Minister of State, of Conferences, and of Foreign Af fairs, of his Imperial, Royal, and Apostolic Majesty;

And his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, the Sieur Charles Robert, Count de Nesselrode, Privy Counsellor, Secretary of State, Chamberlain, and Knight of the Order of St. Wolodimir of the Third Class; who, having exchanged their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles

Article I. There shall be amity, sincere and constant union, between his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, their heirs and successors. The high contracting parties shall, in consequence, pay the greatest attention to the maintaining between them reciprocal amity and correspondence, by avoiding every thing that might subvert the union and good understanding happily subsisting between them.

Art. II. His Majesty the Emperor of Austria guarantees to his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias the possession of all his states, provinces, and dominions.

On the other hand, his Imperial Majesty of all the Russias guaran tees to his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, the possession of the states, provinces, and dominions, belong. ing to the crown of his Imperial, Royal, and Apostolic Majesty.

Art. III. As a consequence of this reciprocal guarantee, the high contracting parties will constantly

labour

labour in concert on the measures which shall appear to them most proper for the maintenance of peace in Europe; and in case the states of either of them shall be menaced by an invasion, they will employ their most effectual good offices for the prevention thereof.

Art. IV. As the good offices, however, which they promise each other, may not have the desired effect, their Imperial Majesties bind themselves henceforward to assist each other with a corps of 60,000 men, in the event of either of them being attacked.

Art. V. This army shall be composed of 50,000 infantry, and 10,000 cavalry. It shall be provided with a corps of field-artillery, with ammunition, and every other necessary; the whole proportioned to the number of troops above stipulated. The auxiliary army shall arrive at the frontiers of the power who shall be attacked or menaced by an invasion of his possessions, two months at the farthest after the requisition has been made.

Art. VI. The auxiliary army shall be under the immediate command of the general in chief of the army of the power requiring it; it shall be conducted by a general of its own, and employed in all the military operations according to the rules of war. The pay of the auxiliary army shall be at the charge of the power required; the rations and portions of provisions, forage, &c. as well as the quarters, shall be furnished by the power requiring, as soon as the auxiliary army shall have passed its own frontiers, and that on the same footing as the latter supplies or shall supply its own troops in the field and in quarters.

Art. VII. The order and internal military economy of these troops shall solely depend on their own proper chief. The trophies and the booty which shall be taken from the enemy, shall belong to the troops which shall have taken them.

Art. VIII. In the event that the stipulated succour shall be insufficient for that one of the two high contracting parties who shall have been attacked, his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungury and Bohemia, and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, reserve to themselves, to come to a mutual understanding, without loss of time, on the furnishing of more considerable aids, according to the exigency of the

case.

Art. IX. The high contracting parties reciprocally promise each other, that in the event that either of the two shall be compelled to take up arms, he will not conclude either peace or truce, without therein including his ally, in order that the latter may not himself be attacked in resentment of the succour which he shall have furnished.

Art. X. Orders shall be transmitted to the ambassadørs and ministers of the high contracting parties at foreign courts, to afford each other reciprocally their good offices, and to act in perfect concert in all occurrences in which the interests of their masters shall be involved.

Art. XI. As the two high contracting parties, in forming this treaty of amity and alliance purely defensive, have no other object but that of reciprocally guarantee. ing to each other their possessions, and of securing, as far as depends 2 F2

upon

upon them, the general tranquillity, they not only do not mean thereby to invalidate in the least the prior and particular engage ments, alike defensive, which they have contracted with their respective allies, but they even mutually reserve to themselves the liberty of concluding, in future, other treaties with other powers, which, far from causing by their union any detriment or hinderance to the present, may communicate thereto still more force and effect; promising, however, at the same time, not to contract any engagements contrary to the present treaty, and wishing rather, by common consent, to invite, and admit into it, other courts which shall have the same sentiments.

Art. XII. The present treaty shall be ratified by his Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, and by his Imperial Majesty of all the Russias; and the ratifications shall be exchanged within the space of a fortnight, reckoning from the day of the signature, or sooner, if possible.

In testimony whereof, we the undersigned plenipotentiaries have signed, in virtue of our full powers, the present treaty of amity and defensive alliance, and have caused to be affixed thereto the seal of our arms.

Done at Toeplitz, Sept. 9, (the 2St of August) in the year of our Lord 1813.

CLEMENT WENCESLAS LOTHAIRE, Count of METTERNICH WINNEBURG OCHSENHAUSEN. (L. S.) CHARLES ROBERT, NESSELRODE. (L. S.) We therefore, having attentively weighed all and singular the arti

Count

cles of this treaty, have ratified and held them agreeable in all respects; and by these presents do declare and profess them to be ratified and agreeable, promising and engaging on our Royal Cæsarean word, that we will faithfully perform all that is therein contained, in testimony whereof we have signed the present letters of ratification with our own hands, and caused our Royal Cæsarean Seal to be appended to the same.

Given at Toeplitz, in Bobemia, this 20th of September, and 22d year of our reign.

(Signed) (Countersigned)

FRANCIS.

CLEM. WENC. LOTHAIRE, Count METTERNICH.

By order,