même but: Promettant, fur notre foi et parole Impériale, d'avoir pour agréable, et accomplit fidèlement, tout ce qui, en vertu du préfent plein-pouvoir, aura été fait, arrété, promis et figné, par les dits Prince Bariatinfkoy et Sieur Marcoff, comme auffi d'en faire expédier nos ratifications au terme convenu. En foi de quoi, nous avons figné les prefentes de notre propre main, et les avons fait revêtir de notre Grand Sceau de l'empire. Donné en notre réfidence de St. Petersburg, le douze Mars, l'an de grace 1783, et de notre Règne le vingt unième année. CATHERINE.

Comte Jean d'Oftermann.

TRANSLATION.

The definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship, between his Britannick Majefty, and the Moft Chriftian King; figned at Verfailles, the 3d of September, 1783.

In the name of the Moft Holy and Undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. So be it.

B

É it known to all thofe whom it may in any manner concern. The Moft Serene and Moft Potent Prince George the Third, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenbourg, Arch Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, &c. and the Moft Serene and Most Potent Prince Lewis the Sixteenth, by the grace of God, Most Christian King, being equally defirous to put an end to the war, which for feveral years paft afflicted their refpective dominions, accepted the offer which their Majefties the Emperor of the Romans, and the Empress of all the Ruffias, made to them of their interpofition and of their mediation: but their Britannick and Moft Chriftian Majefties, animated with a mutual defire of accelerating the re-establishment of peace, communicated to each other their laudable intention; which Heaven fo far blessed, that they proceeded to lay the foundations of peace, by figning preliminary articles at Verfailles the 20th of January, in the prefent year. Their faid Majefties the King of Great Britain, and the Moft

Chrif

Christian King, thinking it incumbent upon them to give their Imperial Majefties a fignal proof of their gratitude for the generous offer of their mediation, invited them, in concert, to concur in the completion of the great and falutary work of peace, by taking part, as mediators, in the definitive treaty to be concluded between their Britannick and Moft Chriftian Majefties. Their faid Impe-. rial Majefties having readily accepted that invitation, they have named, as their reprefentatives, viz. His Majefty the Emperor of the Romans, the Moft Illuftrious and Moft Excellent Lord Florimond, Count Mercy-Argenteau, Viscount of Loo, Baron of Crichegnee, Knight of the Golden Fleece, Chamberlain, actual Privy Counfellor of State to his Imperial and Royal Apoftolick Majefty, and his Ambaffador to his Most Christian Majesty; and her Majefty the Empress of all the Ruffias, the Moft Illuftrious and Moft Excellent Lord, Prince Iwan Bariatinfkoy, Lieutenant General of the forces of her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, Knight of the orders of St. Anne, and of the Swedish Sword, and her Minifter Plenipotentiary to his Moft Chriftian Majefty, and the Lord Arcadi de Marcoff, Counfellor of State to her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, and her Minifter Plenipotentiary to his Moft Chriftian Majefty. In confequence, their faid Majefties the King of Great Britain, and the Moft Chriftian King, have named and conftituted for their Plenipotentiaries, charged with the concluding and figning of the definitive treaty of peace, viz. the King of Great Britain, the Moft Illuftrious and Moft Excellent Lord George, Duke and Earl of Manchefter, Viscount Mandeville, Baron of Kimbolton, Lord Lieutenant and Cuftos Rotulorum of the county of Huntingdon, actual Privy Counsellor to his Britannick Majefty, and his Ambaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to his Moft Christian Majefty; and the Most Christian King, the Moft Illuftrious and Moft Excellent Lord Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, Baron of Welferding, &c. the King's Counsellor in all his Councils, Commander in his Orders, Prefident of the Royal Council of Finances, Counsellor of State Military, Minifter and Secretary of State, and of his Commands and Finances: who, after

having exchanged their refpective full powers, have agreed upon the following articles:

Article I. There fhall be a chriftian, univerfal, and perpetual peace, as well by fea as by land, and a fincere and conftant friendfhip fhall be re-eftablifhed between their Britannick and Moft Chriftian Majefties, and between their heirs and fucceffors, kingdoms, dominions, provinces, countries, fubjects, and vaffals of what quality or condition foever they be, without exception either of places or perfons; fo that the high contracting par tins fhall give the greateft attention to the maintaining between themselves, and their faid dominions and fubjects, this reciprocal friendship and intercourfe, without permitting hereafter, on either part, any kind of hoftilities to be committed, either by fea or by land, for any caufe or under any pretence whatsoever and they fhall carefully avoid, for the future, every thing which might prejudice the union happily re-established, endeavouring, on the contrary, to procure reciprocally for each other, on every occafion, whatever may contribute to their mutual glory, interefts, and advantage, without giving any affiftance or protection, directly or indirectly, to thofe who would do any injury to either of the high contracting parties. There fhall be a general oblivion and amnefty of every thing which may have been done or committed before or fince the commencement of the war which is juft ended.

II. The treaties of Weftphalia of 1648; the treaties of peace of Nimeguen of 1678, and 1679; of Ryfwick of 1697; thofe of peace and of commerce of Utrecht of 1713; that of Baden of 1714; that of the triple alliance of the Hague of 1717; that of the quadruple alliance of London of 1718; the treaty of peace of Vienna of 1738; the definitive treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748; and that of Paris of 1763, ferve as a bafis and foundation to the peace, and to the prefent treaty; and for this purpose, they are all renewed and confirmed in the best form, as well as all the treaties in general which fubfifted between the high contracting parties before the war, as if they were herein inferted word for word; fo that they are to be exactly obferved for the future in their

their full tenor, and religiously executed by both parties in all the points which fhall not be derogated from by the prefent treaty of peace.

III. All the prifoners taken on either fide, as well by land as by fea, and the hoftages carried away or given during the war, and to this day, fhall be restored, without ranfom, in fix weeks at lateft, to be computed from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the prefent treaty; each Crown refpectively difcharging the advances which fhall have been made for the fubfiftence and maintenance of their prifoners by the Sovereign of the country where they fhall have been detained, according to the receipts and attefted accounts, and other authentic vouchers, which fhall be furnished on each fide and fureties fhall be reciprocally given for the payment of the debts which the prifoners may have contracted in the countries where they may have been detained, until their entire release. And all fhips, as well men of war as mer-, chant fhips, which may have been taken fince the expiration of the terms agreed upon for the ceffation of hoftilities by fea, fhall likewife be reftored, bonâ fide, with all their crews and cargoes. And the execution of this ar-, ticle fhall be proceeded upon immediately after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty..

IV. His Majesty the King of Great Britain is maintained in his right to the island of Newfoundland, and to the adjacent iflands, as the whole were affured to him by the thirteenth article of the treaty of Utrecht; excepting the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which are ceded in full right by the prefent treaty to his Moft Chriftian Majefty.

V. His Majefty the Moft Chriftian King, in order to, prevent the quarrels which have hitherto arifen between the two nations of England and France, consents to renounce the right of fifhing, which belongs to him in virtue of the aforefaid article of the treaty of Utrecht, from Cape Bonavifta to Cape St. John, fituated on the eastern coast of Newfoundland, in fifty degrees North la-. titude; and his Majefty the King of Great Britain confents, on his part, that the fifhery affigned to the fubjects of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, beginning at the faid Cape

St.

St. John, paffing to the north, and defcending by the western coaft of the island of Newfoundland, fhall extend to the place called Cape Raye, fituated in forty-feven degrees, fifty minutes latitude: The French fishermen fhall enjoy the fishery which is affigned to them by the prefent article, as they had the fight to enjoy that which was affigned to them by the treaty of Utrecht.

VI. With regard to the fishery in the gulph of St. Lawrence, the French fhall continue to exercife it conformably to the fifth article of the treaty of Paris. .

VII. The King of Great Britain reftores to France the ifland of St. Lucia, in the condition it was in when it was conquered by the British arms and his Britannick Majefty cedes and guaranties to his Moft Chriftian Majefty the island of Tobago. The Proteftant inhabitants of the faid ifland, as well as thofe of the fame religion who shall have fettled at St. Lucia whilft that ifland was occupied by the British arms, fhall not be molested in the exercise of their worship: and the British inhabitants, or others who may have been fubjects of the King of Great Britain in the aforefaid iflands, fhall retain their poffeffions upon the fame titles and conditions by which they have acquired them; or else they may retire in full fecurity and liberty where they shall think fit, and fhall have the power of felling their eftates, provided it be to fubjects of his Most Christian Majefty, and of removing their effects, as well as their perfons, without being reftrained in their emigration, under any pretence whatfoever, except on account of debts or of criminal profecutions. The term limited for this emigration is fixed to the space of eighteen months, to be computed from the day of the exchange of the ratifications of the prefenttreaty. And for the better fecuring the poffeffions of the inhabitants of the aforefaid ifland of Tobago, the Most Chriftian King fhall iffue letters patent, containing an abolition of the Droit d'Aubaine in the faid ifland.

VIII. The Most Christian King reftores to Great Britain the islands of Grenada and the Grenadines, St. Vincent's, Dominica, St. Chriftopher's, Nevis, and Montferat; and the fortreffes.of thefe iflands fhall be deliyered up in the condition they were in when the conqueft

of