Chap, II. The Hiflory &e. of the I m penal- Company at Often!. 969 
A'uguft 1723, by which all the Subjedls of the Crown of 
France were forbid to -intereft themfelves in any manner 
whatever in the Capital of the Ojiend Company, under 
pain of forfeiting three thoufand Livres for every Adt of 
Offence, befides incurring the Confifcation of whatever 
they fhould fabfcribe into the Capital of the faid Company, 
and in cafe of a fecond Offence, the fame Fine and For- 
feiture, together with Banifhment for three Years. By 
the fecond Article of this Declaration, his mod Chriftian 
Majefty diredted, that in cafe the Effedls his Subjedls 
might acquire by interefting themfelves in the Stock of 
this new Company, could not be reached, fo as to make 
them liable to the Confifcation before mentioned, then their 
Effedls and Fortunes in France , fhould be liable to the like 
Seizures and Forfeitures, until the Sums in which they 
were fo concerned in the Aujirian Company fhould be 
raifed and levied, and all this in the fhort, fummary, and 
extraordinary Method defcribed by the Royal Ordinance 
of 1670. By the third Article all Seamen, Manufacturers, 
Tradefmen, and in general all the Subjects of his mod 
Chriftian Majefty were ftridlly prohibited and forbid to en- 
ter, in any Manner or Quality, into the Service of the faid 
Ojiend Company, on Pain of Imprifonment and Forfei- 
ture of all their Effedls. By the fourth Article, all Per- 
fons whatever were prohibited from inviting, inlifting, 
inrolling, or otherwife entering into the Service of the 
faid Company, any of the Subjedls of his Moft Chriftian 
Majefty, in Quality of Officers, Soldiers, Seamen, or in any 
other Quality or Manner j as alfo to fell, or buy, or lend, or 
equip any Veffel for the Service of the faid Company, on 
pain of the Pillory for the firft Offence, and of being 
font to the Gallies for the fecond, befides the Confifcation 
of all that fhould be thus bought or fold, and a Fine of 
Three thoufand Livres each on both the Buyer and 
Seller. 
His Catholick Majefty likewife joined heartily with the 
Maritime Powers in this Affair, as appears plainly from a 
Reprefentation prefented to his Britanick Majefty by the 
Spanijh Minifter on the 26th of April , 1724, conceived 
in the cleared and moft exprefs Terms, and demonftrating 
fully the Injuftice and Illegality of this new Eftabliftiment, 
by proving it utterly inconfiftent with the Treaty of Mun- 
Jler , by which the Crown of Spain engaged not to difturb 
the Navigation of the Dutch to their Eajl- Indies , in Con- 
lideration of a reciprocal Engagement on their Side, not 
to difturb the Commerce of the Subjedls of the Crown of 
Spain in that Part of the World. It was by thefe recipro- 
cal Stipulations, that the Subjedls of the Crown of Spain 
in the Low-Countries , were reftrained from trading to the 
Eaji-Indies : And it was under thefe Reftridlions, that the 
Spanip Low-Countries were yielded to the Elebtor of Ba- 
varia •, and by France , with his Confent, to the Houfe of 
Aujiria , upon exprefs Condition, that this Houfe fhould 
hold them in the lame Manner, and under the fame Reftric- 
tions as they had been held by the Crown of Spain ; for 
which their High Mightineffes likewife engaged : So that 
if the Ojiend Company might be legally eftablifhed, it 
would turn as much to the Detriment of Spain as to that 
of the States - General, contrary to the plain Mean- 
ing and Intention of all thefe foveral Treaties and Allian- 
ces made, as is moft apparent for eftablifhing and fecuring 
the Tranquillity of Europe ; but, by this Conftrudlion, if it 
could be put upon them, rendered hurtful and ruinous to 
all Parties (lave the Emperor alone) and deftrudlive of 
themfelves. 
Such was the Reprefentation of the Marquis de Pozzo 
Bueno at the Court of London •, and fo clearly was his Ca- 
tholick Majefty convinced, that the Eftabliftiment of the 
Ojiend Company was utterly inconfiftent with his own 
particular Intereft, and with the general Syftem of the 
Affairs of Europe . 
8. But, in much Iefs than a Year, the whole Face of 
Affairs was changed ; his Cathoiock Majefty faw, or was 
perfuaded by his Minifters to think he faw, his Interefts in 
another Light *, and he no fooner took this in his Head, 
than the general Syftem of Affairs in Europe muft change 
likewife, and every State and Power therein, alter not on- 
ly their Notions and Maxims, but their Politicks and 
Conduct, To explain this, w'e muft obforve, that for 
Numb. 66, 
twenty-five Years together France had been frruggling 
to for Philip V, on the Throne of Spain, and the Indies \ 
notwithftanding the Pretepfions of the Houfe of Aujiria 5 
in maintaining which, almoft all the reft of Europe was 
engaged, and even at this very Time a Congrefs was fit- 
ting in the Low-Countries , and endeavouring to adjuft and 
fettle amicably the Difputes between his late Imperial Ma- 
jefty Charles VI. and this fame Prince Philip V. in whofe 
Quarrels fo many Prince's and States had almoft ruined 
and exhaufted their Subjedls. 
Yet fuch was the Obftinacy of both thefe Princes, that 
all the Methods their beft Friends could employ, proved 
ineffectual for procuring a Reconciliation ^ when, of a Hid- 
den, they took a furprizing Refolution, not only of re- 
conciling themfelves, but of doing it at the Expence of 
their Friends ; and as fuch violent and unnatural Motions 
generally exert themfelves with extraordinary, not to fay 
extravagant Force, fo they not only concluded a Peace, 
but likewife a Treaty of Commerce, dated at Vienna the 
Firft of May> 172 5; by which his Catholick Majefty fa- 
crificed the Intereft of France , to whom he owed his 
Crown ; and his Imperial Majefty thofe of his Allies, to 
whom he was under fo many, and fo great Obligations, that 
they were fcarce to be enumerated or computed. It was 
one great Defign of this new and amazing Treaty of 
Commerce, to fix and eftablifh the Eaji-India Com- 
pany at Ojiend *, not only by his Imperial Majefty’s Au- 
thority, whofe Intereft vifibly led him thereto^ but aifo 
by that of his Catholick Majefty s to whofe Intereft it was 
diredtly repugnant, and, that as appears by the foregoing 
Declaration in his own Senfo and judgment, expreffed in 
the cleared and moft diredt Terms, 
This fhews how weak and ridiculous a Thing it is, at 
leaft for free Governments, where it is always underftood, 
that Power is to be folely exerted for the common Benefit 
of their Subjedls in general, to intereft themfelves in the 
Support of any particular Syftem which muft always de- 
pend on the Wills and Inclinations of many arbitrary Prin- 
ces, who, without any Regard to the Principles upon 
which fuch Syftems are founded, or to the Obligation 
they are under to fuch free States as nfque the Wealth 
and Well-being of their Subjedls for the eftabliffiing and 
maintaining fuch Syftems, think themfelves at Liberty, 
not only to alter and change, but to fubvert and overturn 
them whenever they fee, or imagine they foe, that 
greater Advantages are to be obtained by fuch Actions, 
how unjuft or unworthy foever, than by fteadily adhering 
to their Allies. Such ever has been, and fuch ever will 
be the Fate of thefe Kind of Engagements,, fatal to thofo 
who, from Principles of Probity and good Faith, con- 
ftantly and juftly obforve them, and profitable only to 
thofe who keep their Promifos, and obforve their Treaties 
no longer, than till they can have their own Price for break- 
ing them. 
A Leffon this, that Reafon has always, and Experience 
often taught us, though we have moft unaccountably ne- 
glected to learn, or, at leaft, to pradtife it ; but a Leffon 
never didlated to us in ftronger Terms than by this fingular 
Treaty of Vienna , by which two Princes, , who owed their 
Power and Territories to the Friendfbip and Faith of 
others, gave, up their Benefadiors from a Profpedl, and, as 
it proved a falfe Profpedt too of particular Advantages to 
themfelves. However, upon the Conclufion of this Trea- 
ty, the Oftend Company feemed to be fixed upon fo firm 
and folid a Foundation, that both Enemies and Friends 
concluded, that they were not to be moved or fhaketij, 
much lefs ruined and diffolved by any thing lefs than a 
general War : A Thing hard and difficult of Digeftion to 
the Maritime Powers, who were very unwilling to pull down 
the Work of their own Hands, and to deftroy that BuN 
v/ark which with fo much Difficulty, and fuch vaft Expen-* 
ce of Blood and Treafure, they had eredled for their own 
Security. 
As, on the other Hand, they were no lefts an willing to 
foe the Commerce of their Subjedls torn away by the Vio- 
lence of a Prince who had never been yn veiled with this 
Power of mining them, but by the Pains they had taken 
foft his Prefer vation. But, to return from, thgle Refiedlionsj 
which s however, are very well worthy the Notice and At- 
. tendon. 
