Folio 127. Ratification und Monita by the princes and [other] estates of the circle...

Folio 127. Ratification und Monita by the princes and [other] estates of the circle of Upper Rhine of the 'Association recess' lately passed by the six 'upper' circles. The assembly of the estates forming the circle attest their accession to the association with the following reservations: 1. Placing of the circle forces under the supreme command of margrave Louis William of Baden-Baden, lieut-gen, only for campaign operations, otherwise troops and [war] chest remain under control of the estates. 2. Princes and other estates may recall their contingents from the main army in the event of their territories being under attack from enemy forces; after the end of the campaign, contingents may not be detained by the main army but are to be led back to their home base(s). 3. Assessment based upon the rate of 200 'Roman months' may neither directly nor indirectly be exceeded. 4. Troops not being part of the circle forces not to be posted to, or quartered or encamped within, the circle territories without prior agreement of the estates concerned. 5. If, however, the ratio belli [i.e. intensity of warfare] prevents such considered agreement with the estates, the decision is to rest with the convening prince(s). 6. The estates approve of the plan of a permanent militia of 40,000 men as long as the cost of their contingent can be defrayed on the basis of 60 or 70 'Roman months'; if a higher assessment is required, they will not withdraw their approval, but it will have to be subject to the decision 'super modo' of a circle assembly. 7. Extraneous troops in the sense of § 8 of the main recess shall continue to be treated as extraneous. 8. Heavy artillery shall be provided by the circle only in the event of a siege. 9. Regarding marches, retreats and 'estapes' [i.e. étapes, = halting places, bases, stations], reference is made to a memorandum containing certain suggestions for the regulation thereof, q.s.

Date and Place: 1697 Mar 2 Frankfurt