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The States General of the United Netherlands, to all who see this or hear it read, greeting.

Be it known: Whereas various merchants and inhabitants of the chief provinces of Holland and West Friesland have informed us that they, for the carrying out and promotion of matters of weight and importance which most deeply concern them and their own (for which purpose we also, several weeks ago, granted our favorable letters of recommendation), had thought it necessary to send to Switzerland and the neighboring countries the honorable Adolph de Vrede, we have, in the manner customary here in such cases, thought it well hereby to request his Roman imperial majesty, all kingdoms, republics, princes, potentates, states and estates, also the rulers of cities and places, friends and allies of this state, or keeping neutrality with it, and especially the kings, republics, princes, potentates, and lords in the parts named above, together with all others who shall see this or to whom it shall be shown, that they will render and show, and also allow to be rendered and shown, to the aforementioned Adolph de Vrede, during this coming journey of his, in going, in stopping, and also in returning, all aid, favor and assistance for which an opportunity may present itself (which we are ready to return and acknowledge, on all occasions and opportunities, to his most high imperial majesty named above, to the said high kings, the said high republics, princes, potentates, the said noble states, estates, and rulers of cities and places, and also to their subjects and inhabitants respectively, to each according to the opportunity and the propriety of the State and Country).

Given in our assembly, under our hand and seal, and the signature of our recorder. In the Hague, on the 9th of March, 1660.

JOHAN BARON VAN REEDE, at Renswoude

By the order of the said High Lords States General, in the absence of the Recorder.

J. Spronssen.

Besides what was done by their high mightinesses for the release, or at least for the easing of the condition, of the persecuted Swiss friends in the confines of Berne and Zurich, some separate cities of the United Netherlands also, particularly in the province of Holland, who were sincerely opposed to the constraint exercised over the faith and over the practice of the dictates of conscience, reproved their coreligionists in Switzerland, especially the rulers of the city of Berne, and admonished them to gentleness; yet all this in a courteous, friendly and discreet manner.

Of this, in order not to bring forward too much of the matter, we shall not quote the whole, but only that which the burgomasters and rulers of the city of Rotterdam wrote to this end, in Latin, and sent to the rulers of Berne; which, translated into Dutch, as sufficiently expressing the sense of the whole, we will present to the well disposed.