peace
or truce in contemplation should take place.

"To this condition the States made strong objections.

"On the 2d of November, 1607, the States made various remarks on the
ratification. They _absolutely refused to accept, and protested
against the condition_ contained in it, but offered to proceed on the
footing of the declaration, _provided_ the States should be firmly
assured that nothing would be proposed either on the part of the
Archduke or of the King _contrary to the same_, or prejudicial to the
State or government of the United Provinces, and provided also, that
the Archduke did send his Deputies to the Hague fully authorised, &c.
within ten days after the receipt of that answer.

"On the 10th of November, the States-General adjourned to take the
sense of their constituents on the subject of the ratification, and
agreed to meet again on the 10th of December.

"On the 24th of December, 1607, they wrote to the Archduke, that under
the _protest and declaration_ contained in the answer of the 2d of
November, they were content to enter into conferences with his
Deputies at the Hague, and proposed to prolong the truce a month or
six weeks.

"On the 7th of January, the answer of the Archduke arrived, in which
he calls the States, '_tres chers et bons amis_.' He observed, that he
had learnt from their letter of the 24th of December, the resolution
they had taken to enter into conferences with his Deputies about
peace, and, in the meantime, to prolong the truce for a month or six
weeks.

"That as to the first point, he had appointed for the said conferences
the same persons whom he had before employed, and that they should set
out the 15th of January, and that as to the truce, he was content to
prolong it for six weeks.

"On the 6th of February, 1608, the Deputies of the States, and those
of the Archduke, had their first meeting to exhibit their respective
credentials. The Deputies of the Archduke produced two, one from him,
and the other from the King of Spain.

"On the 8th of February, 1608, the Deputies of both parties had their
second meeting. Those of the States asked the others if they were
fully instructed (_encharges_) _to acknowledge the United Provinces to
be free Provinces and countries, and to treat with them in that
capacity_, to which they explicitly (_rondement_) answered, _yes_. The
Dutch Deputies thereupon asked, why then the Archduke retained the
arms and name of the said Provinces? They