Folio 55. The delegates to the convention of the six 'upper' circles at Frankfurt...

Folio 55. The delegates to the convention of the six 'upper' circles at Frankfurt assembled, to Leopold I. Refer to daily and conformable reports from various places and provinces, but particularly from Switzerland and Alsace, as well as from the Saar and Moselle,about 'indiscribable' concentrations of French forces at the frontiers of the empire; according to a reliable message, the enemy has, in Alsace, the Franche Comté, Lorraine, and at the Saar and Moselle, 112,000 men, including 100 ready battalions and a new, i.e. additional supply depôt containing 55,000 centner [hundredweights] flour and 80,000 sacks of oats; these figures are confirmed by intelligence advice from Switzerland to the elector dated Dec 15 and based upon the payment lists of the trésorier genéral at Strasbourg of which they enclose a copy [not copied here]; [with regard to the effective strength of the enemy, it is known that the French army does not tolerate passe volants [i.e. false muster, or dummy soldiers]; conclude that such preparations only prove a 'grand design' of the French, to be translated into action either during the winter or in the spring and, thus, that an attack upon the 'upper' territories of the empire as well as an early assault upon Mayence and Frankfurt are imminent; since the enemy brags about the great advantages of his peace achieved in Italy [concluded July 29, 1696, thereby detaching duke Victor Amadeus of Savoy from the Grand Alliance] and about further breaches he may engineer among the allies, they entreat the Emperor in the name of their principals to have, for the defence of the empire, all regiments returning from Italy, with all their arms and equipment, transferred as soon as possible to Rhine; they further ask him to interpose his authority with the other allies inter et extra imperium, particularly with England, for their contribution of auxiliary troops, to serve, if possible, under an 'undivided' command. Endorsed by Stepney.

Date and Place: 1696 Dec 17/27 Frankfurt