Folio 72. Leopold I to the delegates to the convention of the six 'upper' circles...

Folio 72. Leopold I to the delegates to the convention of the six 'upper' circles at Frankfurt assembled. Rescript in reply to their missives of Dec 29, 1696, and Jan 3, 1697 (see ff.55 and 57). Having himself received reliable intelligence about extensive preparations by the French for an early invasion of the empire, he has not merely drawn the attention of the allies to the imminent danger, but also resolved to send all regiments returned from Italy with all their 'requisites' to the Rhine whenever necessary, and at his expense, notwithstanding their being urgently required in Hungary; hopes that their [i.e. the association's] planned defence measures will be fully effective well before the campaign and that there will be no deficiency in the strength of their forces which ought to be at least the same as it was last autumn, since he would find it difficult, in view of the tasks both on the Rhine and in Hungary, to augment it. Endorsed by Stepney.

Date and Place: 1697 Jan 18 Vienna