Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	king_n	1,466	5	3.5201	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48266	Letters written by a French gentleman, giving a faithful and particular account of the transactions at the court of France, relating to the publick interest of Europe with historical and political reflexions on the ancient and present state of that kingdom / communicated by Monsieur Vassor.	Le Vassor, Michel, 1646-1718.	1695 (1695)	Wing L1795; ESTC R12280	36,438	62

Customs and Liberties of France before it was enslav'd by the pernicious Maxims of Mazarin le Tellier Colbert Lowvois and the rest of that base and mercenary Gang who have sacrific'd the Honour and Priviledges of their Country to their private Interest and Ambition But we have at least the Comfort to see that their Children and Heirs begin to detest such damnable Politicks since the Families of these subtle Ministers are ruin'd in pursuance of those very Counsels which were first given by themselves I have alaeady said that Philip de Cominees was too well acquainted with the Priviledges both of the People and Princes of Europe to condemn the Members of the Confederacy that was set on foot against Lewis the XIth as Rebels against their lawful Sovereign For it must not be imagin'd that the Custom of entering into Association against Tyrannical Princes was peculiar to France It was universally claim'd as their undoubted Right by all those States that were founded by the Northern Nations on the Ruins of the Roman Empire The Princes Bishops and free Cities of Germany have always retain'd and do to this very Day continue to retain their undoubted Priviledge to make Leagues against the Emperor in defence of their Rights and Liberties The same Custom was also observ'd by the ancient English and even own'd by their King 's For when they agreed on certain Articles with the Peers of the Kingdom it was concluded on both sides that the Nobility had a right to maintain their Prerogatives by force of Arms in case the King should attempt to violate them And it is no less certain that the Grandees Bishops and principal Cities of Spain have assum'd the same Priviledge when they judg'd it necessary for the good of their Countrey It were easy to prove this by many and clear instances but I shall content my self with putting you in mind of the League which they made under the Reign of Charles the V call'd la Junta Samta to deliver themselves from the Tyranny of the Flemings to whom that Prince had entrusted the Government of his Spanish Dominions The Grandees of that Kingdom do still maintain their Prerogatives without suffering them to be violated and shall we be the only Slaves in Europe Shall our Nobility so fam'd of old for their Bravery and that Warlike and undaunted Spirit which distinguished them with so much advantage in the World or rather shall their degenerated Posterity instead of attempting to regain their ancient Liberty tamely suffer themselves to be kill'd and Dayly offer'd up as ignoble Victims to support that Arbitrary Power that oppresses them 'T is true a Duke and Peer of France may enter into the Louvre in his Coach and sit for fashion's sake on the Flower-de-luces in the Grand-chamber and has also the pleasure to see a stool presented to his Lady when she comes to attend the Queen And are not these mighty Priviledges or rather the Poor remainders of all that Honour and Authority that adorn'd the prime Dignities of so great a Kingdom But perhaps the Parliament of Paris are better Judges of the true Interest of the Nation I do not at all doubt but that there are some intelligent and well affected Magistrates in that numerous body who understand perfectly the Rights both of the People and of the Prince who bewail our Miseries and desire nothing more ardently than to be able to contribute somewhat more than bare wishes to regain our ancient Liberties but they dare not discover their true sentiments I am confident you will not think your time ill-employ'd in Reading an Account of that Assembly for which I am oblig'd to one of my Friends who is a President Our Parliament said he is now no more than a Company of wrangling Practitioners in Law who study nothing but Customs Edicts and Proceedings of Courts It was at first instituted to represent the States General of the Kingdom It was a Body composed of the six chief Peers of France the six Ecclesiastical Peers the Chancellor Principal Officers of the Crown and some other Persons of Note who had a Right to sit in the States-General when the Necessity of Affairs required their Meeting They maintain'd the Interests of the People against the Usurpations of the Prince shared the Sovereign Authority with him when the States were not assembled For 't is beyond Controversie certain that the Parliament used to judge even the Peers and greatest Persons in the Kingdom that they tender'd the Oath of Fidelity to the Officers of the Crown and that the King's Edicts were never reputed to have the Force of Laws nor could be put in execution till they had been first receiv'd and register'd in that Assembly And are not these the most certain and uncontested Marks of Sovereignty You know continued the President by what dexterous Methods and under what specious pretexts our King 's have made such great Alterations in a Company that ey'd them too near and often troubled them 'T is true indeed that 't is long since the Parliament began to be wholly taken up in hearing and determining Civil and Criminal Causes but they still enjoy'd that Priviledge undisputed which authorised them to examine the Edicts that the King intended to Publish they Registred such of them as they thought useful and necessary and if at any time they met with some difficulties they offer'd their Reasons to the King who never us'd to neglect them but when he had a mind to proceed to violent Methods I confess the Court has sometimes compell'd 'em to Register its Edicts but then they never fail'd to enter a Protestation that such instances should not be made use of to justify future Violences but where are all our Priviledges now The King indeed sends his Edicts to us but we are obliged to register them as soon as they are sent and even such of them that appear to our Consciences to be highly unjust and pernicious without daring to offer the least Remonstrance to his Majesty We have no more Power than simple Countrey Judges and the Edict for the Poll-Tax will pass at all Adventures All that you have said is certainly true reply'd I to the Magistrate but will you not show the least sign of Life in a Case of such vast Importance And must we never expect that you will be moved to make at least one glorious Effort to deliver your Countrey from Tyranny and Oppression Most willingly cry'd my generous Friend with Tears in his Eyes But are you acquainted with the King's Humour The Times are chang'd answered I and we are undone Remember the Illustrious example of the first President la Vacquerie Lewis XI sent an unjust Edict to the Parliament which they generously refus'd to enroll he renew'd his Orders but without shaking their Constancy At last the incenst Prince fell into a Fury and threatned to put to Death not only the President but all the Councellors if they persisted in their Obstinacy La Vacquerie

repulsing the common Enemy of the Christian Religion At the same time that the Court was giving Orders to demolish the Churches of our Protestants she was labouring to find out some colourable pretext to hinder the Emperor from turning the Mosquees of Hungary into Christian Churches And what an impious piece of Villany was this At last the business of Cologne furnish'd her with the pretext that she desir'd but it was certainly a very bad one For what right had the King to interpose in the Election of an Archbishop of Cologne and because he had an itching desire to seize on the Palatinate he took the advantage of a pretended right of the Dutchess of Orleans to the Estates of the late Elector Palatine her Brother Immediately an Army was sent to invade Germany The Dauphin took Philipsbourg and the Cities of Mentz Worms Spire Manheim and Heidelberg with several other places surrendred without Resistance God usually blesses such Atttempts for he does not always work Miracles to defend us against an Enemy that breaks Truces and Treaties of Peace confirm'd with the most solemn Oaths to assault us unprepar'd When I say that God blesses such Attempts you cannot mistake my Meaning 't is plain that I speak in the Style of the Court where 't is also said in the same sense that God blest His Majesty's Arms when he broke the Peace of the Pyrenees to invade the Dominions of a Minor Prince who rely'd on the Faith of a Treaty made with Spain or when he rush'd like an impetuous Deluge upon the United Provinces who never design'd to give him the least ill satisfaction These are the glorious Exploits of Lewis the Great this is that course of Prosperity with which God has blest His Reign this is that which has excited the Envy of the Potentates of Europe and engag'd them in an unjust War against him Let us examine these last words I beseech you a little Attention will serve to discover the ridiculousness of them 'T is not my Business to draw up a Manifesto for the Allies and they are able enough to demonstrate the Justice of their Arms without my Assistance But since we have begun to examine the Preface of the King's Declaration let us proceed to enquire Whether the Author of it could say with the least shadow of Reason That the Princes of Europe are combin'd together to carry on an unjust War against France In the first place 't is certain that no Prince in Europe has invaded France since the Pyrenean Treaty But how many Irruptions has our King made into the Spanish and United Netherlands Germany and the Dominions of the Duke of Savoy And the rest of the Confederates have only put themselves in a posture of Defence or assisted their injur'd Allies So that these seems to be a prejudication in favour of the Confederates The King always begun the War but the question is whether he had ever examin'd the Justice of his Cause before God or made it appear to Judicious and dsinteressed Persons If he has done neither he stands Condemn'd before God and Men for robbing his Neighbours answerable before both for all the Desolations with which he has fill'd the Spanish Netherlands the United Provinces Germany Savoy and Catalonia and guilty of the Blood of above a Million of Men and is also convicted before the same Tribunal for placing his delight in ruining his own Kingdom and reducing his Subjects to the last extremities of Misery Does not this course of Prosperity with which Heaven has blest the Reign of Lewis the Great make you tremble when you reflect upon it and fill you with Amazement and Horror * Inferre bella finitimis ac populos sibi non molestos sola regnandi cupiditate conterere f●bdere quid aliud quam grande Latrocinium nominandum est August de civit Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. 6. He that makes War upon his Neighbours says S. Austin meerly to satisfie a Lust of Dominion and subdues Nations that never provok'd him is usually extoll'd by his flatterers as a great Conqueror but to speak sincerely he is only an Illustrious Robber * Rem tâ Jus itiâ quid sunt Regna nisi ma na Latrocinia ipsa Latrocinia quid sunt nisi parva Regna The Captain of a band of Robbers and the Commander of a Crew of Pyrates are little Conquerors and a Conqueror who follows blinldy the impetuous desires of a lawless Ambition is but a great Thief Thou Wretch said the greatest Conqueror in the World to a Pyrate that was brought before him what Reason mov'd thee to interrupt the liberty of Trade on the Sea The same my Lord answer'd the bold Corsair that moves you to disturb the quiet of the whole Earth I am a Pyrate because I am Master only of a small Vessel and you are a Conqueror because you Command a great Fleet. It is then an uncontroverted Truth and receiv'd for such by all Nations that a Prince who Attacks his Neighbours only with a design to aggrandize himself and to purchase Glory is in the sight of God and Men a Robber and a Pyrate It is not only lawful but a Duty to make Leagues against him as it is to join together to pursue a Thief or chase a Pyrate Now tell me Sir whether you could have the confidence to maintain in a company of Honest and Intelligent Persons that the King had lawfull Reasons to invade the Spanish Netherlands after the Death of the late King of Spain to enter the United Provinces with a formidable Army to send his Son to Germany to take Philipsburgh and to seize on the Palatinate and the greatest part of the Electorates of Triers Mentz and Cologne What could you alledge to justifie the first Attempt of which the two last are fatal Consequences Would you have recourse to the pretended Rights of the late Queen to Hainanlt and Brabant She had renounc'd them in the most solemn Treaty that has been seen within our Memory and the King her Husband had sworn upon the Holy Gospels to observe all the Articles If that Renunciation be not good there can be no Faith or Religion in the World and 't is a folly for Princes to treat together Let them henceforth lay down their Arms when both Parties are weary of Fighting and reserve a right to renew the War assoon as they shall be in a condition to prosecute it For such Maxims would be found to be infinitely less pernicious than the impious Politicks of those who make a mock of Religion and swear by all that is most venerable in it to observe the conditions of a Treaty which they are resolv'd to break upon the first favourable occasion But you will perhaps say that the King of Spain constrain'd his Daughter to act against her true Inrerest and treated her with the highest Injustice Constraint and Jnjustice Sir Can any Man of sense make so ridiculous a Supposition The