Folio 153. The Deputies of the writ office of the circle of Upper Rhine to the deputies...

Folio 153. The Deputies of the writ office of the circle of Upper Rhine to the deputies of some of the Protestant princes and other estates of the circle. Refute the allegations made by the few Protestant estates persisting in their absence from the circle convention in their note of 'Protestation' of Feb 11/21 (see f.149], asserting that the signatories' principals must have been thoroughly misinformed. State that the sole purpose of the convention was to deal, as a matter of urgency, with the serious crisis prevailing throughout the circle which was in a 'miserable and desperate' condition; the assembly's aim was to organize an effective 'defence work'; it was attended by a substantial majority of those invited by the directorate who acted with absolute impartiality and its decisions and conclusions were thus binding. Reject their arguments against contingents to be furnished and the appointment of a general officer commanding the combined circle forces as an attempt to create dissension among the estates. [Inscribed [?Dict.] Frankfurth den 7 Mart. st. n.1697].

Date and Place: 1697 Feb 27 Frankfurt