"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 then replied, that it ought not to seem strange, for that the King of Spain retained the title of King of Jerusalem; the King of France that of King of Navarre, and the King of England retained the arms and title of France. "On the 11th of February, 1608, they met again; the Deputies of the States presented to the others an article, which they had drawn up, by which the 'Provinces were declared to be free, and that the King of Spain and the Archdukes relinquished all their pretensions to the sovereignty of the said Provinces, &c. as well for themselves as for their successors and heirs, _with the name and arms_.'