Page images
PDF
EPUB

Done at Westminster, the 10th day of the month of

July 1654.

[blocks in formation]

[The following is printed from the copy in the Board of Trade." Entries relating to Portugal," · P. 144.]

Articles of Marriage between his Majesty and the
Lady Infanta of Portugal, 1661.

IT being upon mature deliberation mutually and fully agreed between their Majefties, Charles, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. and Alphonfo, by the fame grace of God, King of Portugal and Algarve, &c. that the King of Great Britain fhall, with all poffible speed as fuch an affair can be tranfacted in, marry and take to wife the moft Excellent Princefs Doña Catherina Infanta of Portugal; for a more firm and durable peace and alliance betwen the two Crowns, and for the good of both nations, which are henceforward to take each other's intereft to heart no less than their own, it is mutually confented and agreed as followeth :

I. That all treaties made between Great Britain and Portugal fince 1641, until this very time, fhall be ratified and confirmed in all points and to all intents, and shall receive as full force and ratification by this treaty, as if they were herein particularly mentioned and inferted word by word.

II. The King of Portugal, by and with the advice of his council, doth give, transfer, grant, and by these prefents confirm unto the King of Great Britain, his heirs and fucceffors for ever, the city and caftle of

Tangier,

Tangier, with all its rights, territories, profits, and appurtenances whatsoever, and alfo as well the profits and revenue, as the direct, full, and abfolute dominion and fovereignty of the fame city and castle and territories aforefaid, with their royalties, freely, fully, entirely, and abfolutely. He doth alfo covenant and grant, that the full and peaceable poffeffion of the aforefaid city and caftle, and other the premiffes, be freely and effectually delivered unto the King of Great Britain, and for his ufe, with as much speed as the fame can be difpatched in: and it is agreed, that as foon as this treaty fhall be figned by the King of Great Britain, and the matrimonial contract between his Majesty and the Lady Infanta per verba de prefenti falta, the faid King of Great Britain fhall fend five frigates (or as many as he fhall think fit) to Lifbon, there to receive orders to go and lie before Tangier, as well for the tranfportation of the garrifon as the fecurity of the place. And as foon as notice is given by the governor of that place, that he hath put in execution the King of Portugal's orders concerning the delivery of the faid places, the treaty being confirmed and ratified by his Majefty of Portugal, notice thereof fhall with all speed be given to his Majefty of Great Britain, who fhall thereupon immediately send away his fleet of twelve men of war for the port of Lisbon, which, within four or five days after their arrival there, fhall have orders to go and take poffeffion of the city and caftle of Tangier, with other the premiffes, for the ufe of the King of Great Britain, and effectually to receive the fame. Which city with the caftle and territories, and other the premiffes (as well for the dominion and abfolute fovereignty, as for the poffeffion thereof) fhall be and remain to the King of Great Britain, his heirs and fucceffors, for ever, annexed unto the Imperial crown.

III. That all foldiers and other inhabitants whatfoever of the faid city and caftle of Tangier, who fhall

defire

defire to continue and refide there, fhall be very kindly treated, and have the free exercife of the Roman Catholic religion, and in all civil affairs fhall be governed under the King of Great Britain, and as his fubjects, by the fame laws and customs which have been hitherto used and approved in the faid city and castle; and all fuch of the foldiers and inhabitants thereof, who shall defire to return into Portugal, fhall have free liberty to fell and difpofe of all that belongs to them, and shall be transported into Portugal whenfoever they defire it (fo alfo fhall the ordnance, as much as can be fpared from the fortifications of Tangier) by the fleet or fhips of the King of Great Britain.

IV. As foon as the city of Tangier, with the caftle and territories thereof (in performance of this treaty and grant concerning the transferring of the fovereignty and abfolute dominion thereof to the King of Great Britain) fhall be effectually delivered to the use and poffeffion of his faid Majefty of Great Britain, the fleet fhall return to Lisbon, and her the Lady Infanta shall be received on board with fuch figns of joy, and fuch other ceremonies, as may befit the excellency and quality of her person.

V. The King of Portugal doth promife and oblige himself, by thefe prefents, to give unto the King of Great Britain, for a portion or dowry with the faid Lady Infanta his fifter, two millions, i. e. 2,000,000 of crowns Portuguefe; and that one moiety thereof fhall be really put on board the faid fleet before the Infanta herself embarks; and the faid money, or fo much thereof as confifts of money, fhall be immediately delivered upon account to fuch perfons as his Majefty of Great Britain fhall appoint to receive the fame, for his proper ufe: but fo much of the faid moiety as fhall be put on board in jewels, fugar, or merchandize, fhall not be taken upon the account of his Majefty of Great Britain, but shall be transported into the river of Thames, for the use of fuch perfons who shall be au

thorized

thorized by the King of Portugal to receive the fame; and those perfons fhall be bound (the King of Portugal obliging himself alfo for fuch payment to be really made by fuch perfons) within two months after the delivery of the fame to them, effectually to fatisfy and pay the full and clear value thereof in English money (as hath been agreed) unto the King of Great Britain and for the other moiety of the faid portion, amounting to one million, i. e. 1,000,000 of crowns Portuguese, the King of Portugal doth oblige himself to pay the fame within the space of one year after the arrival of the Infanta in England, by two payments; the one within fix months next following, the other within the year, both to be made in the city. of London, tranfporting as abovefaid the jewels and merchandize in the King of Great Britain's fhips, and fo much of this latter moiety as confifts of jewels or merchan-. dize, fhall be tranfported into England for the ufe of fuch perfons as the King of Portugal fhall appoint to receive the fame, and thofe perfons fhall be bound (aş abovefaid) effectually to fatisfy and pay the full and clear value thereof, in English money, to the King of Great Britain, within the faid terms.

VI. From the time that the Lady Infanta is embarked on his Majefty's fleet, fhe and her whole train fhall be transported upon the account and at the charge of his Majefty of Great Britain; who will, as foon as he fhall receive the longed-for news of her Majesty's arrival, make all poffible haste to receive her, which he will do with all thofe expreffions and demonstrations of affection as fhall be agreeable to her dignity, and answerable to her Majefty's expectation; when the inftrument of matrimony fhall be publicly read, whereunto as well the King of Great Britain, as the Lady Infanta, fhall perfonally give their confents, and all other acts for the further folemnization thereof fhall be performed, which fhall be defired on the be half of the King of Portugal.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

VII. It is also agreed, that her Majesty and whole family fhall enjoy the free exercise of the Roman Catholic religion, and to that purpofe fhall have a chapel, or fome other place fet apart for the exercise thereof, in all the royal palaces where the fhall at any time refide, in as full a manner, to all intents and purposes, as the Queen mother now living enjoyed the fame, and fhall have fuch chaplains and ecclefiaftical perfons in number and quality about her, as the faid Queen mother hath had, with the fame privileges and immunities. And the King of Great Britain promifeth not to difquiet or disturb, nor permit that any others fhould difquiet or disturb, the faid Lady Infanta his wife, in any thing appertaining to religion and confcience.

VIII. That the King of Great Britain fhall, within one year after the arrival of her Majefty in England, fettle upon her a jointure of £. 30,000 of English money by the year, together with at least one fuch palace or houfe as her Majefty may make her ordinary refidence in, which fhall be fo furnished as may befit her dignity; all which her Majefty fhall enjoy during her life, if fhe furvive his Majefty.

IX. That her Majesty's household, from the time of her arrival in England, fhall be formed and compofed of fuch a number of officers and fervants as are agreeable to her dignity, and in the fame manner as the Queen mother enjoyed the fame.

X. If her Majefty fhall furvive the King of Great Britain, and fhall then defire to return to Portugal, or any other country, fhe fhall have the liberty fo to do, and to carry with her all her jewels, goods, and moveables; and the King of Great Britain doth hereby oblige his heirs and fucceffors to take care for the fafe and honourable transportation of her Majefty, in fuch a manner as is agreeable to the greatness of her perfon, and at his and their proper cofts and charges: moreover, he obligeth his faid heirs and fucceffors. to pay the aforefaid fum of £30,000 yearly unto her

« PreviousContinue »