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Foreign News
May 16, 1751
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
At The Hague on November 30, 1750, Chiquet delivered a farewell memorial from Abbe de la Ville on behalf of King Louis XV to the States General, expressing esteem for the Dutch Republic, recalling their historical alliance, and affirming France's commitment to peace and European tranquility. The memorial, dated November 15, 1750, from Fontainebleau, emphasizes preventing war and maintaining balance of power.
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THE HAGUE, November 30.
CHIQUET, who since the Departure of the Abbe de la Ville, has been charged with the Affairs of France here, delivered a few Days ago to the President of the Assembly of the States General the following remarkable Memorial, whereby the said Abbe takes his Leave of their High Mightinesses.
High and Mighty Lords,
The King having thought fit to terminate the Mission he had honoured me with to your High Mightinesses, his Majesty has ordered me to end the Letter he writes to you on that Occasion. If the indispensable Duties of the Post the King has been pleased to confer on me since my Return from Holland, deprive me of the Satisfaction of discharging in Person this last Function of my Ministry, I have at least the Consolation of being once more the Interpreter of his Majesty's Sentiments of Esteem and Affection for your High Mightinesses, and giving you again the strongest Assurances thereof.
You are sensible, High and Mighty Lords, that my Zeal and Application in executing the Orders with which the King honoured me during my Residence at the Hague, never had any other Tendency than to prevent, or extinguish, the War that had unhappily set Europe in a Blaze, and to maintain between his Majesty and you, that perfect Understanding which he has made a constant Maxim of his Government ever since his Accession to the Throne.
The first Knots of your intimate Union with the Crown of France were the Epoch of the Birth of your Republick: And your Annals have taught me, that the most flourishing Age of the United Provinces, was the Days in which this Alliance had not yet suffered any Alteration.
It was with great Concern his Majesty beheld the Circumstances that seemed to have weakened a Correspondence so ancient and so natural But the King is persuaded, that your High Mightinesses will preserve the Remembrance of the Events that occasioned a transient Difference of Sentiments and Measures between his Majesty and your Republick, only in order to make you more sensible of the Advantages of a Connection which his Majesty sincerely desires to perpetuate.
All that the King has done to restore the publick Tranquility, and the Pains his Majesty still takes to prevent new Troubles, must have convinced the whole World, that he has no other Ambition than to render the Peace as inviolable as the Spirit of Moderation and Generosity that induced him to admit the Conditions thereof.
The King will not be afraid of engaging in a new War, whenever he shall be forced to it by the superior Considerations of his Glory, the Support of his Allies, and the Faith of Engagements; but the Object of his Wishes will always be, that he may have no Occasion to make use of his Power, nor of the Influence which, in the Management of Publick Concerns, belongs to the Antiquity and Dignity of his Crown, but in order to secure the Repose of all Nations, and the Happiness of his own People.
These the King's Sentiments, still more respectable than the Majesty of his Throne, are one of the best Securities that Europe can have for the Conservation of her Liberties, and the Balance of Power, which it is essential to maintain by Sea as [by] Land. --[As they have thus given such fair Warning to England, We may venture, in Return, to put them in Mind of a Sentence of a wiser King than any this Day in the World. Pride goeth before Destruction, and a haughty Spirit before a Fall.]
His Majesty doubts not that these so equitable Principles are as conformable to your High Mightinesses Way of Thinking, as to your true Interest; and the King expects, from the Light and Wisdom of your Government, that your Republick will make it a Duty and a Pleasure to concur, with his Majesty in establishing generally and inviolably this System of Justice and Humanity.
Having thus set forth the King's Sentiments on the general Good of Europe, and your Republick in particular, I have nothing more to add, High and Mighty Lords, than most humbly to beseech your High Mightinesses to receive kindly the Homage of my profound Respect, and the Gratitude with which I preciously conserve the Testimonies of Favour and Benevolence you constantly honoured me with.
I look upon the Ministry I have exercised at the Hague as one of the most agreeable Epochs of my Life: And tho' I have no longer the Advantage of serving the King under your Eyes, I shall not cease to wish for Occasions to court your Favour, and shall ever interest myself with the same Fervour in the Glory and Prosperity of your Republick.
Done at Fontainebleau,
Signed,
Nov. 15, 1750.
The Abbe De LA VILLE.
CHIQUET, who since the Departure of the Abbe de la Ville, has been charged with the Affairs of France here, delivered a few Days ago to the President of the Assembly of the States General the following remarkable Memorial, whereby the said Abbe takes his Leave of their High Mightinesses.
High and Mighty Lords,
The King having thought fit to terminate the Mission he had honoured me with to your High Mightinesses, his Majesty has ordered me to end the Letter he writes to you on that Occasion. If the indispensable Duties of the Post the King has been pleased to confer on me since my Return from Holland, deprive me of the Satisfaction of discharging in Person this last Function of my Ministry, I have at least the Consolation of being once more the Interpreter of his Majesty's Sentiments of Esteem and Affection for your High Mightinesses, and giving you again the strongest Assurances thereof.
You are sensible, High and Mighty Lords, that my Zeal and Application in executing the Orders with which the King honoured me during my Residence at the Hague, never had any other Tendency than to prevent, or extinguish, the War that had unhappily set Europe in a Blaze, and to maintain between his Majesty and you, that perfect Understanding which he has made a constant Maxim of his Government ever since his Accession to the Throne.
The first Knots of your intimate Union with the Crown of France were the Epoch of the Birth of your Republick: And your Annals have taught me, that the most flourishing Age of the United Provinces, was the Days in which this Alliance had not yet suffered any Alteration.
It was with great Concern his Majesty beheld the Circumstances that seemed to have weakened a Correspondence so ancient and so natural But the King is persuaded, that your High Mightinesses will preserve the Remembrance of the Events that occasioned a transient Difference of Sentiments and Measures between his Majesty and your Republick, only in order to make you more sensible of the Advantages of a Connection which his Majesty sincerely desires to perpetuate.
All that the King has done to restore the publick Tranquility, and the Pains his Majesty still takes to prevent new Troubles, must have convinced the whole World, that he has no other Ambition than to render the Peace as inviolable as the Spirit of Moderation and Generosity that induced him to admit the Conditions thereof.
The King will not be afraid of engaging in a new War, whenever he shall be forced to it by the superior Considerations of his Glory, the Support of his Allies, and the Faith of Engagements; but the Object of his Wishes will always be, that he may have no Occasion to make use of his Power, nor of the Influence which, in the Management of Publick Concerns, belongs to the Antiquity and Dignity of his Crown, but in order to secure the Repose of all Nations, and the Happiness of his own People.
These the King's Sentiments, still more respectable than the Majesty of his Throne, are one of the best Securities that Europe can have for the Conservation of her Liberties, and the Balance of Power, which it is essential to maintain by Sea as [by] Land. --[As they have thus given such fair Warning to England, We may venture, in Return, to put them in Mind of a Sentence of a wiser King than any this Day in the World. Pride goeth before Destruction, and a haughty Spirit before a Fall.]
His Majesty doubts not that these so equitable Principles are as conformable to your High Mightinesses Way of Thinking, as to your true Interest; and the King expects, from the Light and Wisdom of your Government, that your Republick will make it a Duty and a Pleasure to concur, with his Majesty in establishing generally and inviolably this System of Justice and Humanity.
Having thus set forth the King's Sentiments on the general Good of Europe, and your Republick in particular, I have nothing more to add, High and Mighty Lords, than most humbly to beseech your High Mightinesses to receive kindly the Homage of my profound Respect, and the Gratitude with which I preciously conserve the Testimonies of Favour and Benevolence you constantly honoured me with.
I look upon the Ministry I have exercised at the Hague as one of the most agreeable Epochs of my Life: And tho' I have no longer the Advantage of serving the King under your Eyes, I shall not cease to wish for Occasions to court your Favour, and shall ever interest myself with the same Fervour in the Glory and Prosperity of your Republick.
Done at Fontainebleau,
Signed,
Nov. 15, 1750.
The Abbe De LA VILLE.
What sub-type of article is it?
Diplomatic
What keywords are associated?
Abbe De La Ville
French Diplomatic Memorial
States General
France Dutch Alliance
European Peace
Balance Of Power
What entities or persons were involved?
Abbe De La Ville
Chiquet
King Of France
Where did it happen?
The Hague
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
The Hague
Event Date
Nov. 15, 1750
Key Persons
Abbe De La Ville
Chiquet
King Of France
Outcome
termination of abbe de la ville's diplomatic mission to the states general; assurances of continued esteem and alliance between france and the dutch republic
Event Details
Chiquet delivered a memorial from Abbe de la Ville to the President of the States General, ending his mission on behalf of the King of France. The memorial expresses the King's sentiments of esteem for the States General, recalls the historical alliance between France and the Dutch Republic, laments past differences due to war, and affirms commitment to peace, moderation, and the balance of power in Europe.