Treaty of peace, Good Correspondence & Neutrality in America, Between the most Serene and Mighty Prince James II. By the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the faith, &c. And the most Serene and Mighty Prince Lewis XIV. The Most Christian King: Concluded the 6/16th Day of Novemb. 1686. Published by His Majesties Command
THE BIRTH OF AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY
Savoy: Thomas Newcomb, 1686. First edition.
Small quarto (7 5/16” x 5 ½”, 186mm x 140mm): binder’s blank, A–B4 C2, binder’s blank[$half signed; –A1]. 10 leaves, pp. 1–2 3–19 [1] (advertisement).
Bound in modern calf with a triple gilt fillet to the boards and gilt dentelles. On the spine, 5 raised bands. “Treaty of Peace in America” gilt to a red morocco lettering piece in the second panel. All edges of the text-block gilt.
Dampstaining to the boards. Cracked along the joint, loss to the heel of the backstrip. Loss to the fore-edge of the title leaf, not affecting the text. Skilled repairs to the lower corner for B2 and C2. Graphite cataloging notes to the front and rear pastedowns.
The Treaty of Whitehall was signed between Louis XIV of France and James II of England on 16 November 1686 (other sources cite the 26th of November). The two powers agreed that a European conflict would not disrupt peace and neutrality in New France and New England and declared that “though the two Countries might be at war in Europe their Colonies in America should continue in peace and Neutrality.” The treaty specifically prohibited each nation from fishing or trading in the other’s territory and each power from aiding Indian tribes who might be at war with the other — “neither shall they give any assistance…to the barbarous or wild Indians, with whom the most Christian King shall have a war.” The treaty was short-lived, as King William’s War — the first in the series of French and Indian Wars — broke out in 1689 with the Mohicans and Iroquois aiding England, and the Algonquin tribe allied with France. Nevertheless, the Treaty of Whitehall established the American colonies as possessing a distinct geopolitical identity soverign from Europe and burgeoning continental neutrality foreshadowed the independent diplomacy to come in the XVIIIc.
The Treaty is exceedingly rare, with only two other examples coming to market in the last century. OCLC records only 12 examples in English held in libraries worldwide. A similarly rare Latin edition was published the same year.
ESTC R477000; Sabin 96532
Cataloged by G.R. Murdock
Item #GRM0097
Price: $7,250