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Sabbatini (saggi)_5 14/12/18 09:32 Pagina 563

Una repubblica tra due re: la Declaration di Giacomo Stuart 563

conscience, let him examine his interest[,] and his glory, nayhis very ambition
will advise him to descend from a throne, which must be always Shaking, to
mount another where his feat will be firm and secure.
We conjure all Christian Princes and States to be ayding and assisting to
us in this our just and amicable proposal, whereby without effusion of blood,
or any national or publick disturbance, justice may be done to an injur’d
Prince, and an Equivalent provided sufficient to content an aspiring one.
[3] As a farther inducement to all Christian Powers to enter more seriously
and deliberately into this important proposition, we offer our-self to make good
on our part all such allyances as have been already contracted with our
Kingdoms, conducive to the peace and tranquility of Europe, and to enter into
any new ones, that may be judged necessary for the farther strengthning and
securing thereof.
That there may likewise remain no objection from the fears and
apprehensions of any one man in our own dominions, conscious of having
offended against us, we promise a full, free, and universal pardon to all persons
of whatever degree or condition within our Realms, without any exception, who
Shall in any reasonable time return to their allegiance, or by any act and deed,
advice or otherwise effectually contribute to Such a happy accommodation as
may put a period to all our private and publick misfortunes: that every English
man may hereafter live quietly under his own Shade, enjoy his conscience
undisturbed, and rest upon his pillow in peace.
We protest solemnly before God, and man that nothing can be proposed to us
to make our Kingdoms happy and flourishing, and to quiet the minds of all men,
but we will Strive with the most zealous to promote.
Our desire is to embrace the whole body of our people without any
distinction or reserve, to root up the very seeds of prejudice and division, That
all notes of discord, separation, or difference of partys, and all reproachfull
denominations may be for ever extinguish’d, and that the King and his people
may have but one mind, one heart and one interest.
That humanity, that love of our Country, and that good will to all men
which we make the rule of our actions, prompt and incline us in first place to
the ways of mercy and peace.
It is therefore that waving all present application to foreign powers, who
considering how much in reality our cause is their own, might reasonably be
induced to aid us in vindicating that majesty which they behold opprest and
[4] affronted in our person, and sacrificing all resentment, passion, or desire
of Revenge, to the publick good, we now seek and condescend to shake hands,
even with those who have most injur’d us.
Given at our Court at Lucca this present tenth of September 1722 and in
the twenty first year of our Reign.
POST SCRIPT
JAMES REX
Since we first proposed to publish this our Declaration to the world, it is
come to our knowledge that divers of our Subjects continue dayly to be
question’d and imprison’d upon pretence of intelligence with us: That
informers, spy’s, and false wittnesses are become so numerous and are so
openly caress’d and encourag’d, that no innocence is safe: That the terrour of
these arbitrary and violent proceedings, is become dreadfull to all men, nor

n.44 Mediterranea - ricerche storiche - Anno XV - Dicembre 2018
ISSN 1824-3010 (stampa) ISSN 1828-230X (online)