GENERAL HISTORY. 



[121 



"Done at Rome at Saint Peter, 

 the 16th of April, in the 

 year of the Incarnation of 

 our Saviour, 1817, and of 

 our Pontificate the 18th." 



aUEEN OF ETRURIA. 



It had been mentioned in our 

 historical report of the year befoi e 

 last, that certain reclamations had 

 been made on the allied powers 

 relative to the claims of the Queen 

 of Etruria, and her son the infant 

 Don Carlos Louis, in respect to 

 the duchies of Parma, Placentia, 

 and Guastalla. King Ferdinand 

 was now enabled to settle this im- 

 portant affair, and at the same 

 time to announce the incorporation 

 of Spain to the grand European alli- 

 ance,by the following official article. 



" The King, on being restored to 

 the throne of his ancestors, could 

 not fail to take the deepest interest 

 in the glory of a ctown which 

 Providence had preserved for him, 

 in reward of the generous efforts 

 and heroicconstancy of his subjects. 

 His cares were constantly directed 

 to the rc-establishment of order, 

 and for the ])urposc of repaiiing 

 the evils of a devastating war. 

 Nevertheless his Majesty could not 

 be satisfied unless he fully co- 

 operated with the other Powers of 

 pAirope in fixing the basis of a 

 general peace, destined henceforth 

 to secure their repose, and tlie sa- 

 cred immunity of their rights. 

 This great work, which was in- 

 tended to be the result of the la- 

 bours of the congress united for 

 that purpose, presented, however, 

 in its executictn those obstacles 

 which were the immediate effect of 

 the general confusion into which 

 tyraRny and power had thrown the 

 interests of the different nations ; 

 and the fate of the Infama, the 



Queen of Etruria, was connected 

 with these interests. The King, 

 her august brother, therefore, 

 could not regard with indifference 

 an object so essential and so wor- 

 thy of his policy. 



" Don Pedro Gomez de Labra- 

 dor, his Majesty's Plenipotentiary 

 to the Congress, conformably to 

 his instructions, endeavoured to fix 

 the lot of the Queen of Etruria, 

 and to legulate other points con- 

 nected with the rights of her Ma- 

 jesty, exerting for that object his 

 talents and information in so far 

 as circumstances permitted. Fi- 

 nally, the Duke of Casa Fernan 

 Niniez, his Majesty's Ambassador 

 at Paris, having been charged to 

 continue this in^portaiit negoti- 

 ation, has succeeded in bringing 

 it to a happy termination. His 

 activity and zeal for the honoiu* 

 of the King have procured his 

 Majesty the satisfaction of seeing 

 this affair concluded by solemn 

 treaties entered into with the said 

 great Powers, and signed at Paris 

 on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th of 

 last June. By one of these trea- 

 ties, his Majesty accedes to the acts 

 of the celebrated congress at Vi- 

 enna, and Spain is incorporated 

 with the great Euroi;ean confe- 

 deracy. Another treaty sanctions 

 the reversion of the Dufhies of 

 Parma, Placentia, and Guastalla, 

 in favour of his Serene Highness 

 the Infant Don Carlos Louis ; and 

 the surrender of the states of Lucca, 

 with the stipulated assignments, 

 until the said reversion takes jilace, 

 in favour of her Majesty the Serene 

 Infanta of Spain, Queen of Etruria, 

 and mother of the Infant Don 

 Carlos Louis. 



Thus is terminated an affair 

 equally complicated and essential 

 to the high policy of his Majesty, 



and 



