"The States-General, on the 9th and 11th of August, 'declared these ratifications to be imperfect both in substance and in form.' The Archduke promised to procure a more complete one.
"On the 18th of September, 1607, the King of Spain made a new ratification _containing the acknowledgment in question_, but declaring that the said ratification should be void, unless the 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, '_très 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.