Földvári Books

Shaping the Colonial Future of America - A Sammelband of Treaties from the Nine Years' War

[Treaty of Ryswick] Traité de paix entre la France et l’Angleterre; Traité de suspension d’armes en Italie; Traité de paix entre la France et la Savoye; Traites de paix et de commerce, navigation et marine, entre la France et les Etats Generaux des Provinces Unies des Pays-Bas; Traité de paix entre la France et l’Espagne; Traité de paix entre l’Empereur, la France, et l’Empire.

Paris: Frederic Leonard, 1697. First editions. Six brochures bound into one volume, with some pamphlet sections restructured. In contemporary or slightly later leather binding. Tinted edges. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper. Occasional faint marginal notes. Binding rubbed. Interior clean. Overall in very good condition.

A sammelband of key treaties from the Nine Years' War, including the Treaty of Ryswick, which reshaped North American and Caribbean territories, transatlantic trade, and colonial rivalries.

This sammelband compiles key treaties, marriage contracts, and trade agreements from the conclusion of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), a conflict in which France fought against a European coalition. These documents illustrate France’s diplomatic efforts to secure favorable territorial and economic terms while reshaping European borders and influencing colonial possessions in North America and the Caribbean. The Treaty of Ryswick (1697) redefined territorial claims in Hudson Bay, Acadia, and the Caribbean, setting the stage for ongoing Anglo-French conflicts in the Americas. Agreements between France and Spain regulated maritime trade and territorial restitution, while treaties with the Dutch Republic established trade rights, navigation policies, and anti-piracy measures, reinforcing security along transatlantic routes. The treaty with the Holy Roman Empire secured navigation rights on the Rhine, indirectly shaping French commercial networks. Collectively, these agreements reflect the diplomatic landscape of the late 17th century, where military conflicts, trade interests, and colonial ambitions intertwined to shape both European power dynamics and the broader transatlantic world.

Traité de paix entre la France et l’Angleterre. Conclu à Rysvvick le 20. Septembre 1697.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–12 p.

[Including:] [Caption title:] Article signé aves les ministres de l’Empereur, pour suspension d’armes en Allemagne. A Rysvvick le vingtiéme Septembre 1697. (pp. 13–16).

The Treaty of Peace between France and England, the first part of the volume, signed at Ryswick on September 20, 1697, restored pre-war conditions in Europe and the colonies. While it did not explicitly define all territorial arrangements in the Americas, it restored trade and navigation rights and mandated the mutual restitution of territories, returning Newfoundland, Acadia, and Hudson Bay to England while France retained its Caribbean and North American holdings. Disputes remained, particularly over Hudson Bay, leading to the establishment of a commission to resolve issues such as Fort Bourbon (York Factory). The treaty also regulated privateering, nullified letters of reprisal and marque, and granted merchants six months to withdraw their ships and goods from enemy ports in the event of future war, safeguarding colonial commerce. Though the treaty temporarily stabilized transatlantic trade, it failed to fully settle territorial disputes, particularly in Hudson Bay, Acadia, and the Mississippi Valley—tensions that ultimately contributed to Queen Anne’s War (1702–1713).

Traité de suspension d’armes en Italie. Conclu à Vigevano le septiéme Octobre 1696.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–8 p.

[Bound after Traité de paix entre la France et la Savoye:] Contrat de mariage de Monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne avec Madame de Savoye.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. 19–22 p.; [2 (title page)] 23–32 p.

[Bound at the end, after Traité de paix entre l’Empereur, la France, et l’Empire.] [Caption title:] Ratification de l’Empereur d’un Article separé.

pp. 9–16 p.

The volume also includes the Treaty of Suspension of Arms in Italy, concluded at Vigevano on October 7, 1696. It appears in three distinct sections within the volume, suggesting its diplomatic importance. The first outlines the suspension of hostilities between France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and Savoy, detailing troop withdrawals and territorial arrangements. The second, a marriage contract between the Duke of Burgundy and Maria Adelaide of Savoy, formalized Savoy’s realignment with France. The third, an imperial ratification bound at the end of the volume, confirmed Habsburg neutrality in Italy and Leopold I’s approval of specific treaty clauses.

Traité de paix entre la France et la Savoye. Conclu à Turin le 29. Aoust 1696.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–15 [1] p.

Faded marginal note on p. 9,

The Treaty of Peace between France and Savoy, signed at Turin on August 29, 1696, marked the end of hostilities between Louis XIV and Victor Amadeus II, with Savoy renouncing its alliance with the Grand Alliance and aligning with France. In exchange, France demolished Pignerol’s fortifications and restored occupied territories, ensuring Italian neutrality. A key provision was the marriage alliance between the Duke of Burgundy and Maria Adelaide of Savoy, securing Savoy’s loyalty while reinforcing French influence in Italy and stabilizing regional politics.

Traité de commerce, navigation et marine, entre la France et les Etats Generaux des Provinces Unies des Pays-Bas. Conclu à Rysvvick le 21. Septembre 1697.

pp. 25–46 [2 (blank)] (pp. 31–32 misbound, after p. 26)

[Bound after:] Traites de paix et de commerce, navigation et marine, entre la France et les Etats Generaux des Provinces Unies des Pays-Bas. Conclus à Rysvvick le 21. Septembre 1697.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–24 p.

Among the commercial agreements included in the volume is the Treaty of Commerce, Navigation, and Marine between France and the United Provinces, concluded at Ryswick on September 21, 1697. This treaty reestablished trade privileges and navigation rights, guaranteeing Dutch merchants protection in France while exempting them from the droit d’aubaine and securing fair commercial treatment. Though it does not explicitly reference colonial territories, its maritime provisions regulated transatlantic commerce, including protections for shipwrecked goods and a ban on harboring pirates, strengthening trade security along Caribbean routes. The fragmented binding of this treaty suggests that the compiler may have deliberately separated its diplomatic and commercial aspects. The absence of text beyond page 46 (Article separé accordé à la Hollande, Rysvvick, le 9 octobre 1697) indicates that administrative clauses or ratifications were likely omitted as they were deemed less relevant.

Traité de paix entre la France et l’Espagne, Conclu à Rysvvick le 20. Septembre 1697.

A Paris: De Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, ruë Saint Jacque, à l’Ecu de Venize, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–16 p.

Marginal notes on pp. 5–6.

The Treaty of Peace between France and Spain, signed at Ryswick on September 20, 1697, restored pre-war territorial boundaries, with France returning Catalonia and parts of the Spanish Netherlands while retaining Alsace. Beyond its European settlements, the treaty’s maritime and commercial provisions influenced transatlantic trade and colonial administration. Article XV granted French and Spanish subjects the right to trade and reside in each other’s territories, while Article IX mandated the mutual restitution of occupied territories, potentially affecting colonial holdings. Article XXV, regulating the capture of enemy ships and goods, had significant implications for privateering and maritime trade in the Caribbean.

Although Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola) was not explicitly mentioned, later historians have regarded the treaty as an implicit recognition of French control over western Hispaniola—a misconception reinforced by 19th-century sources and inaccurate maps (see Rodríguez Demorizi, Revista Clio, 1954). While temporarily stabilizing Franco-Spanish relations, the treaty left unresolved tensions over colonial trade and territorial claims, contributing to future conflicts such as the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714

Traité de paix entre l’Empereur, la France, et l’Empire. Conclu à Rysvvick le trentiéme Octobre 1697.

A Paris: De l’Imprimerie de Frederic Leonard, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy, M. DC. XCVII. [1697]. [2] 3–52 p.

Printed in two columns for French and Latin text. Marginal notes throughout the first half of the document.

The Treaty of Peace between the Emperor, France, and the Holy Roman Empire, concluded at Ryswick on October 30, 1697, ended the war between France and the Holy Roman Empire, ensuring peace and securing territorial rights for rulers such as the Electors of Cologne, Brandenburg, and Bavaria. France retained Strasbourg and parts of Alsace but returned Fribourg and Breisach. The treaty reaffirmed the Treaties of Westphalia and Nijmegen and addressed religious freedoms, navigation rights on the Rhine, and the restoration of ecclesiastical properties.

The sequence of these treaties within the volume suggests an intentional arrangement, likely reflecting the priorities or interests of its compiler. Throughout the volume, marginal annotations—especially in the treaties with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire—suggest active engagement with the texts, possibly for legal, military, or political reference.

The volume bears the ownership inscription of Louis Henry de Tourneton du Plessis, dated September 18, 1730, though he may not have been its original owner. A Scot in French service, Tourneton du Plessis’ possession suggests a connection to Franco-Scottish relations, particularly as the Treaty of Ryswick marked the disbandment of the Scots Guards, a regiment central to Franco-Scottish military history.

As a whole, this sammelband provides valuable insight into late 17th-century diplomacy, illustrating the complexities of treaty negotiations at the conclusion of Louis XIV’s expansionist wars. Beyond European territorial settlements, these treaties contained important maritime and colonial provisions. The Franco-English treaty settled key disputes in Hudson Bay, Acadia, and the Caribbean, while the Franco-Spanish treaty regulated maritime trade and territorial restitution. The Dutch treaty reinforced commercial and shipping protections, including a ban on harboring pirates and regulations on shipwrecked goods, and the Holy Roman Empire treaty secured navigation rights on the Rhine, indirectly shaping French commercial networks.

Together, these agreements reflect the diplomatic landscape of 1697, where military conflicts, trade interests, and colonial ambitions shaped European and transatlantic affairs.

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Price: €12,000.00