Engagements in favour of the Pretende had a Share in the Intrigues of the Swe And as for the Phyfician Erskine, his may easily understand, that it was not p prefs, in the printed Letters, fuch Fafla him; the King having had fo ftrong R municate thofe Letters to the Parliament found, that this occafion'd the leaving odious Reflections therein contain'd ag our own Ministers. His Majefty has, of on, fufficiently fhewn his Regard to th he never caus'd any Complaint to be ma gainst the faid Physician, altho' there w cations against him; which fhews, t jefty will fee, without any Uneafine Czar paffes over in Oblivion the Affai Phylician.

It had been a great Satisfaction for have had an Interview with the Czar in through Holland; but his Czarith Majeft tion not having permitted it, the King feen and heard with Pleasure Meffieurs Tolstoy, had not they arriv'd at Vlaerding h Moment his Majefty was going to imbar he put off his Departure, by Reafon ty he was under of making Ufe of the As for the Complaints contain'd in the fa of the Steps which the King may have made in divers Courts of Germany, upon the Stay of the Rufian Troops in the En it were true, that the British Minifters had the faid Courts with Vigour, in order to withdrawing of the faid Troops out of t his Czarith Majefty ought not in the furpriz'd at it, confidering the ancient a nion which has fo long fubfifted between tain, the Emperor, and the Empire; w was laft Year knit fafter, and ftrengthen' Treaty of Alliance between the Emper King; but as thefe Complaints, as well as finuated in your Memorial, touching fom ation towards a feparate Peace between and Sweden, concerns his Majefty as Prince pire, fince Great Britain is not in War wi do not doubt but you will receive a full a ⚫ctory Answer in that refpect from his Majel

fters, who are trufted with his Affairs, in Quality of Elector and Prince of the Empire..

As for the Offers contain'd in your Memorial, relating to Alliances, his Majefty having nothing more at Heart than to live in a perfect good Understanding with his Czarith Majefty, he will ever be ready to enter into fuch Negotiations, as may more and more confirm and establish that good Intelligence, for the mutural Intereft of their Majefties and their Kingdoms. I am perfwaded that you will contribute thereto as far as lies in your Power; and, on my Part, I will endeavour the fame with all pollible Zeal; of which I defire you to be pleas'd to affure his Czarish Majesty. I am, &c.

ཙ

3. STAN HOPE

At the fame Time Monfieur Weffelowski receiv'd the following Anfwer from the Chancery of Hanover.

“!』,

SIR,

THE
HE King has order'd the following Anfwer to be
given to the Memorial deliverd to his Majesty
on the Part of the Czar of Mufcovy That the Affa-
rances which it contains, of the obliging Manner in
which the Czar interefts himself in the Discovery of
the Plot carry'd on by the Swedish Minifters, and of the
Inclination he has to live in Friendship and Confidence
with his Majefty as formerly, are highly acceptable; and
his Majefty defires M. Weffelowski to return Thanks to
the Czar, with Affurance, that his Majefty is ready,
on his Part, to answer the fame in a fatisfactory Man-

ner.

The King has not forgot the good Intentions and Affection which the Czar exprefs'd to him before and after his Acceffion to the Crown of Great Britain; but fince nothing can leffen fuch a good Underftanding, except the Continuance of the Rufian Troops in the Empire, his Majesty owns, that he caus'd Inftances to be made to the Courts of Vienna, Denmark, and Pruffia, to unite their Endeavours to difpofe the Czar to withdraw his Troops.

His Majefty was oblig'd to make Remonftrances to the Czar himself, by Virtue of his Engagements with the Emperor, by the Rank he has in the Empire, and in the Circle of Lower Saxony, and by the great Concern he has in the Tranquillity of his Neigh

bours,

1

bours. His Majefty was alfo induc'd to fideration of the Prejudice which wo the Northern Allies in general, and to particular, by the Continuance of the in the Empire; his Majefty was likewif by the fincere Defire he has to remove which overthrows the Harmony and U the Northern Allies, and which is inc that good Understanding which is bet jefty and the Czar of Mufcovy, and is fo the publick Good. His Majefty therefor the Czar will have a due Regard thereto a fpeedy withdrawing of his Troops, he fairs on fuch a Foot, that they may alw a good and mutual Amity, fince it is a the Continuance of the Ruhan Troops in is directly contrary to all Engagements Majefty and the Czar; and in regard the Rufian Troops in the Empire, intim Aim than to act against Sweden, the V but fufpect, that thofe Troops are con they are, upon Views different from tho Allies of his Majefty had, which create Jealoufies that cannot be remov d, but by ing the faid Troops.

As for the reft, his Majefty has not the le that the Czar has enter'd into any Engage our of the Pretender, or was any way the pernicious Projects of the Swedish M for the Phyfician Erskine, the Czar may that it was impoffible, in the printed Pa the Paffages which concern him, because t weighty Reafons to impart to the Parliame ters entire, and as they were found a Reafon feveral odious Reflections against i own Minifters were likewife not left out jefty has, on this Occafion, fufficiently' de his Efteem for the Czar, fince he has not to the Czar against his Phyfician, though ftrong Prefumptions against him; from wh pears that his Majefty will not be co the Czar will bury in Oblivion the Affair o fician.

It would have been to his Majefty's great on, to have had an Interview with the C pais'd thro' Holland; Eut because the Czar

fition would not permit it, the King thould have been glad to have feen M. Kurakin and M. Tolstoy, if they had not come to Vlaerdingen the fame Hour that his Majefty went on Board, and his Departure admitted of no Delay, as being under a Neceffity to make use of the Opportunity of a favourable Wind.

His Majefty declares, That he has not made the leaft Step towards a particular Peace with Sweden; and if there has been any Rumour of that Nature, it is to be imputed to the Artifice of the Swedish Minifters, as plainly appears by the Letter of Count Gyllenborg to Baron Gortz, dated December 9, 1916, in which he frankly owns, That he had charg'd the Gentleman whom he had fent to the Czar's Court, to infinuate, That King George would make all poffible Offers to obtain Bremen from the King of Sweden, at the Coft of the Czar, who was to be the Sacrifice for it.

As to what Count Gyllenborg fays in one of his Letters concerning a Treaty for a particular Peace between the Czar of Muscovy and the King of Sweden, it is plain, as is fet forth in the Memorial, That the Count fuggefted it with an Intention to create Diffidence between the King and the Czar; because the Count did not write thofe Letters with a View that they thould be read by no Body but Baron Gortz. Laftly, his Majefty has always been convinc'd, and is fo ftill, that a Prince fo prudent as the Czar, is not capable of being cajol'd and hoodwink'd by the Artifices of this Baron, or by Propofals of a particular Peace, if he had made any: Such a Peace would have prov'd prejudicial to the Czar, who has all along given fo many Proofs of his Adherence and Firmnefs to the Northern Alliance, that the King never troubled himself about it; and for this Reafon his Majefry never fuggefted to the Czar, that he had ever entertain❜d the leaft Sufpicion of it.

As to the Propofals contain'd in the Memorial, with refpect of Alliances which the Czar offers to make with his Majefty, the fame fhall be well receiv'd at all Times; and the King will fo anfwer them, that the Czar fhall have Reafon to be fatisfy'd, provided the Obstacles of the Continuance of the Ruffian Troops in the Empire be remov'd. Done at London, March 31, N. S. 1717.

Аа

SCOTLAND.

TH HE General Affembly of the Kirk of this Part of the united Kingdom of Great Britain, being by their Annual Appointment to meet on the zd of May, the King ade the Earl of Rothes his Commiffioner to hold the Affembly. Accordingly his Lordthip went on that Day with the ufual Ceremony to the Hall of the Affembly in Edinburgh; from whence they proceeded in a Body, to the great Kirk, where, according to Cuftom, the Moderator of the former Affembly, Mr. Hamilton, Profeffor of Divinity in the College of Edinburgh, and the King's Almoner in Scotland, preach'da Sermon before the Affembly; who, returning afterwards to the Hall, chofe for their Moderator, Mr. William Mitchel, a Minifter in Edinburgh, and Chaplain in Ordinary to the King in Scotland: After which his Majefty's Commiffion' to the Earl of Rothes was read, and order'd to be regifter'd in the Books of the Affembly, This done, the Lord Commiffioner deliver'd the King's Letter, and at the fame Time made a Speech to them, as ufual; which the Moderator having anfwer'd with the accuftom'd Civility, Committees were appointed; one to draw up an Anfwer to his Majefty's Letter, and others for Kirk-Affairs, peculiar to themfelves. The Lord Commiffioner's and the Moderator's Speeches being merely Matter of Form and Compliment, we omit them, to fave Room; but the King's Letter and the Affembly's Anfwer being of more Importance, and effential to the Hiftory of this Tranfaction, we think fit to infert them. The King's Letter is as follows.

George R.

Reverend Wellbeloved

well. The conftant Zeal and Affection of the Church of Scotland to our Perfon and Government, which neither the Forces and Violence of our open Enemies, nor the artful Contrivances of Factious and ill-defigning Men, has been able to alter, give us great Satisfaction; and as we expect from you renew'd Proofs of the fame good Difpofition, we willingly countenance your General Affembly, and give you

freth