THE Historical Register, An Impartial RELATION Containing WITH A Chronological Diary. OF ALL'AM The remarkable OCCURRENCES, VOLUME XII. For the Year 1727. LONDON, no Printed and fold by R. NUTT in the Old Baily, near Ludgate, where compleat Sets and fingle Parts may be N. B. This Title is defign'd for fuch Perfons as think fit to bind the four Regifters already printed, in one Volume. And for the fame Reafon a Table is also added, at the End of the fourth Regifter, of the Principal Matters contain'd in that and the three other. English THE Historical Register. T ******************************** ******************************** NUMBER XLV. HIS Regifter, being the First for the Year 17272 fhall begin with a fhort Recapitulation of the most material Events that happen'd during the Courfe of the Year 1726. A Recapitulation of the chief Events of 1726. It Fever Alliances were made in this World prepara. tory to a Rupture, fuch may thofe be call'd that have been made within a fhort Time past. The Parties therein concern'd, declar'd, They had no other View but to maintain the Peace; and yet, look where we would, we fcarce faw any Thing but Preparations for War. The Year 1725 left us in total Sufpenfe what all thofe Preparations would come to; but the Year that is now expired, has almoft let us into the Secret, and would infallibly have made us Master of it, if a King, who from his own Cabinet, views what is doing in the Cabinets of other Kings, had not taken proper Meafures in Time to prevent the Effect. Therefore the General Tranquillity was in Danger, while repeated Affurances were given, there was no other Defign on foot but to preferve it. The Language was the fame every where, and all Alliances feem'd to have one and the fame View. Mean time, while there was fo great a clashing of Interefts, it could not be otherwife, but while fome were fincere, others must be deceitful. This could only be judged of by the Event, and this, the Year 1726, has difcover'd to us, " A I. The I. The Treaties of Vienna and Hanover, concluded as it were out of an Emulation the Year before, gave Motion to all the others, and form'd two Parties continu ally watching one another: Each Side thought itself under an Obligation to fortify itself by particular Alliances, and vy'd which fhould make the most advantageous, or the moft fpecious Offers to draw in more Powers to its Party. For this end, the Emperor, as the Primum Mobile, fends Minifters into Ruffia, Sweden, and Denmark. He prevents the two firft Powers, by acceding of his own Accord to the Treaty of Peace concluded between them in 1722, and to their particular Alliance made at Stockholm in 1724. All Europe is watchful of the Confequences of a Step fo little expected. Sweden wonders what could be the Motives of this fudden Acceflion of the Court of Vienna, after the had fo long defired it in vain. She ponders with herfelf, whether he is oblig'd for it to the Sense which that Court has of its own State, or to the Invitation made to Sweden by the contracting Powers engag'd in the Treaty of Hanover; and to this Uncertainty 'tis owing that we ftill wait for the Swedes Refolution. Denmark has not made a formal Acceffion, but makes no Scruple to act in Concert with the Allies of Hanover. Ruffia, after having remain'd a long Time undetermin'd, or defigning rather to leave the World in doubt of its League with the Court of Vienna, did not declare itself 'till the Month of Auguft, by a Treaty fign'd on the 6th of that Month; the View of which, as is therein expreffed, is, That the Peace happily establish'd in Europe may be prefer'd and maintain'd. 'Tis therein declar'd, that the King of Spain will accede to this Treaty, and 'tis agreed to invite the King and Republick of Poland into it. A reciprocal Guaranty is therein promifed of all the Dominions and Provinces poffeffed by the contracting Parties. The mutual Succours to be furnished in due Time and Place are therein ftipulated, and there's an Engagement to act in Concert against thofe who shall moleft the Parties in their Poffeffions. So far the Cafe is much the fame, and the Treaty of Hanover is drawn up almoft in the fame Terms. II. But upon what Footing do the Courts of Vienna and Ruffia engage to maintain the Peace happily established in Europe? Let us judge of it by the Sequel of the faid Treaty: 'Tis by obliging themfelves to do what 'the Duke of Slefwick Holftein defires, and by executing a particular Convention made thereupon between the contracting Powers, which fhall be deemed as inferted in the prefent Treaty.' This Paffage is explained by the Secret Article of the Treaty of Stockholm, which concerns the Reftitution of Slefwick to the Duke of Holftein. Now, if we follow the Plan formed a long Time fince in Ruffia in favour of this Prince, whom the late Emperor had united to his Blood, we fhall fee that the Emprefs acts upon the fame Princi ples. This is what the declared even before her Acceffion to the Treaty of Vienna, by her Anfwers to the Letter from the King of Great Britain, and to the King of Denmark's Memorial on the Subject of her Armament, viz. That according to the Example of the late Em 6 peror her Husband, the was refolved to put herself in a Capacity to give her Allies the neceffary SucC cours, and to perform the Engagements into which fhe was entered with them.' From hence that Armament of a formidable Fleet which feemed to threaten all the neighbouring Countries in the Baltick. So much for what relates to Ruffia. III. On what Footing does the Emperor propofe to maintain the Peace fo happily eftablished in Europe? Why, on the foot of preferving a Trading Company, whofe Establishment itfelf is a Violation of the moft folemn Treaties of Peace; on the footing of certain Stipulations which proclaim the most extenfive Views to draw this Commerce into the Auftrian Netherlands; on the foot of affifting other Powers to revive obfolete Pretenfions, to renew Rights which have paffed into other Hands, and to diveft other Rights, the Poffeffion of which is guaranty'd to them by pofterior Treaties; on the footing, to fpeak more clearly, of procuring to the Duke of Holftein the Recovery of a Dutchy poffeffed by the King of Denmark, and to the King of Spain, Gibraltar and Port Mahon, poffeffed by the King of Great Britain. For this purpose, as many Princes and States as poffible are drawn into his Party. All the Electors of the Empire are follicited to come into it: And not content with engaging the Powers of the fame Communion in it, Attempts are made to draw in thofe of a different Communion. No Offers are wanting to dazzle the Eyes of Sweden, nor is any Complaifance fpared to |