Table of contents

1712.1224.Fa

Paris 24 Dec:^r NS: 1712

My Lord¹

After a longer stay in England than
I could haue foreseen I arrived here
some days since, and had an audience
of his Maj^ty in w^ch I repeated the
sincere desire w^ch the Queen had
to see the great busineſs of the
Peace soon perfected, and the Methods
She had taken to oblige the States
Gen:^al to enter into her measures
I hoped by this time to haue been
able to assure yo:^r Excell:^cy that
those Methods had found their
Effect, and that the Cession of Tour­
­nay had determined that Repub:^~
as to every thing else w^ch they
may expect: as I went charged w^th
that Proposal, and brought it to
a point that was not only glorious
but advantageous to her
Maj:^ty so we every day expect
to hear from Utrecht the final resolu­
­tion w^ch they will take vpon it:
the proposal is that the Queen of
G: B: will warrant they shall haue
Tournay, provided that vpon accepting
that offer they are ready to sign
the Peace w^th her Maj:^ty yo:^r
Lordsp sees that it is to 1555^understand2 the
1045^four 185^Especes 240^— 168^— 115^— will be taken
ad referend̃u, if so, I may say it is
absolutely 962^refused 182.^— w:^ch thô we could
not well haue desired, is certainly
better for our Trade: but of
this I say we dayly expect to
hear fro^~ Utrecht, and in this
incertitude I haue not writ to
Eng:^~ since I came, nor should haue
writ to yo:^r Excell:^ce but to pay you
my great respects till I may be
able to tell you that this great
part of the Negociation is adjusted
as I hope it will be as We desire,
and as may best contribute to ren­
­dring the Peace almost vniversal
at our signing:

I had orders to cutt off all objections
with mons:^r Torcy concerning the abso­
­lute Cession of Sicily, and it's re­
­maining no way feudatory to
Spain; he grants that Point in
the Manner in w^ch her Maj^ty
requires it, and says mons^r Mont­
­eleon has orders to satisfy the
Ministers in Eng:^~ vpon it, w^thout
entering into any Negociation
w^ch I told mons:^~ Torcy the Queen
would not allow: I am glad to tell
your Lordsp this, as what I
think you will be satisfied w:^th

I dayly expect the Duke of Shrews
­bury here, and vpon his coming
We shall go on to the Execution
of the great points of renoncia­
­tion vpon the Ground work
w^ch yo:^~ Lordsp has laid for
Us;

I hope Gillingham clears in the
mean time our points of Com­
­merce in Spain, w:^ch ought to
be adjusted that the cheif of³
them may be incerted⁴ in our
treaty of Peace w^th Spain, as
what may render the Sence of
them more clear and the Execution
of them more easy:

I am ever
with great truth and respect
My Lord yo:^r Excell:^ces most ob^t
humble Ser^t

MPrior

2.

Endorsed:
M^r Prior 27^th5 Dec.^r 1712.
rd^~ 7^th Jan:

Notes
1.
The letterbook copy is addressed "Lord Lexington at Madrid."
2.
The original manuscript includes an interlinear deciphering of the code. The letterbook copy does not use the code.
3.
Much of the f of "of" has faded away.
4.
The c is awkwardly formed, and Prior may have tried to revise it to an s. Note, though, that the c spelling was still current in his time.
5.
The date "27" in the endorsement is a misreading of the "24" in the dateline of the original manuscript. The letterbook copy clearly gives the date as "24".

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