in a little while after he saw them marching with Drums beating and their Officers at the head of them towards the Palace which they invested on all sides putting Corps de Guards on all the Avenues leading to it and not contented with this they committed other most enormous outrages discharging their Fusees charg'd with Ball for an Hour together at the Gates and Windows of the Palace not sparing even the Ambassadour's Person who came out into a Balcony to see what passed among them He was no sooner oblig'd to retire from thence but they attack'd the Ambassadrice who being ignorant of what had passed near her Palace was returning home in her Coach She was in no small danger of having been assassinated by several Musquet Bullets that passed near her but she had the good Fortune to escape without any other hurt than what was occasioned by the fright one of her Pages being kill'd just by her Coach side and one of the Footmen sorely wounded At the same time the Shirri's who never make use of Fire-Armes followed closely the Footsteeps of the Soldiers knocking down all the French Men they met with in the Streets of Rome and in all likelihood this Tragedy would have ended in a General Massacre of the French if the People of Rome had not testified their aversion to such barbarous Actions and made loud exclamations against the Author as well as the Executioners of this bloody Tragedy If the Government had not been concerned in this Action of the Souldiery it had been but a piece both of Justice and Prudence to have given some publick and real Demonstrations of their dislike by inflicting a prompt and most rigorous punishment upon these Insolent Offenders but so far were they from calling them to a severe acceunt that they gave opportunity to the Ring-leaders and such others as were known to have been most concerned in the slaughter of the French to slip away eight or nine days being passed before they made an enquiry after those Assassins To heap injuries upon injuries the Cardinal Imperiale Governour of Rome some time after block'd up a fresh the Palace of Farnese under pretext that it had been taken notice of that the Ambassadour ever since the last affront was offer'd did appear abroad with a more numorous Attendance than he had been used to do before so that the Duke seeing himself treated with so much Indignity left Rome and retired to a place belonging to the Great Duke of Tuscany The News of a thing so exterordinary being communicated to most Courts of Europe there were very few who could perswade themselves that the Court of Rome could be so much overseen as to come to those extremities without great provocation given on the Ambassadour's side But all what could be laid to his Charge amounted to no more than that he had delay'd for some days to pay the first Visit to some of the Pope's Kindred who were not of the Ecclesiastical Order the Duke being willing to receive first the King's Instructions concerning a Punctilio which hitherto remained undecided For the rest they pretended to have great cause of complaint against the Duke who as they alledged peing of a haughty temper had dissuaded the King from allowing yearly pensions to these new Princes And this being questionless the main cause of their hatred was also the true occasion of the quarrel for it was easie to be perceived that upon all occasions they show'd much Indifferency not only to the Ambassadour but also to the French Nation in general which at last broke out into an open Enmity For considerable time there had scarce pass'd a day but some sparks of that devouring Fire which lay couch'd under the Ashes did appear which at last broke out in a Flame with the more noise and violence The Offence if any had been given was scarce worth taking notice of but supposing it had been much greater the Revenge appear'd so Cruel in the Eyes of all the World that notwithstanding all the endeavours used by the Pope to engage the Crown of Spain in the quarrel neither that King nor any other Prince shew'd the least Inclination to espouse it unless it were to dispose the Pope to give absolute satisfaction to the King Spain had indeed no reason to assist the Pope's Kindred it was rather for the Interest of that Crown to clip a little their Wings and to make them shew more respect to their more Potent Neighbours besides it concerned them very nearly to avoid all occasions of drawing the French Arms into Italy Another advantage which that Crown proposed to its self by abandoning the Pope's Interest at this time and consequently to put him under a necessity of giving due satisfaction to the King was that they did not question thereby to kindle an irreconcilable hatred betwixt them which being continued in the Family of the Chigi's would in all probability prove as mischievous to the French Interest as it would be profitable to them in the next Conclave It is true they could not but look with a jealous Eye upon the Glory which the King was likely to reap from the said satisfaction but considering on the other Hand that this augmentation of his Power would also serve for fuel to kindle jealousie in the rest of the Princes of Europe the Council of Spain judged it most for their Interest to stand Neuter and to endeavour by all means to perswade the Pope to put an end to the difference without coming to an open rupture But Pope Alexander VII was Deaf to their Counsels Before his Elevation to the Papal Dignity he had led a very Austere Life shewing not the least inclination for his Kindred or any other Worldly Pleasures for which reason he used always to have a Coffin set in his Bed-Chamber to put him in mind of Mortality but being by his Elevation arrived to the highest pitch of his hopes he appear'd quite different from what he had been before he affected an extraordinary magnificence of his Apparrel his Furnitures and Equipages were very sumptuous no body more nice and delicate in his Table than himself and he shew'd so much tenderness for his Kindred that he heap'd upon them prodigious Riches So true it is that when those who have led an Austere Life are once made sensible of the Pleasures and Vanities of the World they are sure to make themselves amends for what they have lost before The false Idea the Pope had conceived of his own Power and Strength the strong Inclination he had for his Family and the Antipathy he bore to France made him resolve at last either to refuse the demanded satisfaction to France or at least to put it off by various delays as long as possible could be done in hopes that by some favourable juncture or other the Face of Affairs might be changed in Europe It is unquestionable that the King had all the reason in the World to be dissatisfied with the Pope and
to his own Credit and Interest as to our King's Protection and the prudent Management of the then Bishop of Marseilles Coll. Johnson and the King's Ambassadour in Poland a great Politician and one of those extraordinary Persons who by their singular Merits become honourable to their Age and Highly Serviceable to the Church and State This King acquir'd immortal Glory about nine Years after when he left his Kingdom and marched in the year 1683 to the relief of Viena But ever since that time he had altred his measures and in lieu of prosecuting the War with vigour against the Infidels had given himself over to Idleness his main Care being to heap up such Treasures for his Children as to put them in a Condition either to obtain the Crown after his Death John Sobieski K. of Poland or at least to put them beyond the want of it whereas the best Treasure he could have left to his Children would have been to bless them with the Love of the People But these gave such evident demonstrations of the little esteem they had for his Family by pillaging his Estate during the Interregnum that it sufficiently appear'd to the World that his memory was become odious to them After the Death of this Prince a general Diet was call'd together in order to chuse a Successor to the Crown At this critical Conjuncture when most Princes of Europe were engaged in a War it was no wonder if each Party pretended to maintain their Interest at this Election The Election of a King of Poland inclining either to the Interest of France or the Confederacy being look'd upon at this juncture of time of such Consequence as to carry along with it no small Influence towards the raising or diminishing the Hopes of the Confederate Princes each Party therefore were not sparing in making Intrigues for or against the Interest of such a Person as they either wish'd to be elevated or excluded from the Throne of Poland Among the rest that pretended to the Crown was the present Czar of Muscovy His Empire is of a very vast extent Candidates for the Crown of Poland Czar of Muscovy reaching from the Boristhenes to the utmost Confines of the North and on the other side from the Frontiers of Sweden to the River Tanais It was represented to the Poles how glorious 't would be to their Nation to chuse a King who Commanded over so vast a Country but they wisely consider'd that their Liberty would be in no small danger under so Potent a Master who was able to bring them under Subjection by the Force of his own Arms. Duke of Lorrian The young Prince of Lorrain eldest Son to the late Prince Charles entred also the List of the Candidates not so much in hopes of succeeding in it as out of an Ambition of being put in the same Rank with the rest in his younger Years There was also much Discourse of Prince Lewis of Baden Prince Lewis of Baden This Prince was a great Master of the Art of War and had had great Success against the Infidels in Hungary whom he had vanquish'd at several times The Emperour in acknowledgment of his Services and the Prince of Orange K. William III. out of a particular Respect for his person would without all question have espoused his Interest if by joynt-consent of the Confederates it had not been judged more advisable to support the Faction of Prince James Sobieski Pr. James of Poland Brother-in-Law both to the Emperour and the Elector of Bavaria Every thing seem'd to concur for his Advantage He was eldest Son to the late King he wanted not Riches to purchase the Voices and Protection of the Great ones The Princes of Germany had espoused his Interest as well as the Dutch the Emperour and Prince of Orange K. William III. made use of all their Credit to promote his Elevation to the Crown But all these Advantages which in all outward appearance seem'd to be the most proper means to compass his Design prov'd perhaps the true cause of his Disappointment For his near Alliance with the House of Austria had raised a Jealousy in the Polish Lords lest he should when once their King improve it to their disadvantage and be encourag'd by the Neighbourhood of the Emperour to make use of his Power to the prejudice of their Liberty The pressing Sollicitations made in his behalf by the German Princes began to be suspected by the Populace by reason of a certain Jealousy and Emulation which is always to be observed betwixt two Potent neighbouring Nations He was as Liberal in his Promises to pay the Debts of the Crown in case he was elected King as profuse in his Money to gain the Hearts of the Poles but in vain nothing being able to remove the Aversion they had conceived against him The Confederates finding the Poles thus disposed began to despair of the Success of the Prince for which Reason they raised a new Faction for the Elector of Saxony The Elector promised to turn Catholick and there were not wanting those Elector of Saxony who assured them that he had abjured the Lutheran Religion two or three Months before notwithstanding that since that time he had made publick Profession of it He offered ten Millions for the Payment of Arrears due to the Army who during the time of the Interregnum had revolted for want of Pay He promised also to maintain at his own Cost fifteen thousand Men and never to make Peace with the Turks till he had restored all what they had taken from the Poles These specious Offers would perhaps have influenced the Poles to prefer the Elector before the rest if the Eyes and Hearts of the Polish Nobility had not been guided by the real Prospect of more solid Advantages The French Ambassador the Abbot Malehoor de Polygnack recommended to them Francis Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Conty Prince of Conty the eleventh Prince of the Royal Blood of France who promised to pay their Troops all their Arrears in ready Money and to retake Caminieck without the least Expence to the Commonwealth The Prince of Conty had gained the Esteem of all Europe not only by his Courage but also by many great and generous Actions and his unparallell'd Moderation He had Signaliz'd himself in the War in Hungary and since his Return had given many Demonstrations of his Valour to the World At Steenkirk and in the Battle of Neerwinden he had shew'd himself both an expert General and a brave Soldier These great Qualifications which made very favourable Impressions in the hearts of a War-like People received a new Lustre by our King's Recommendation to the Chief Men of Poland But this Negotiation met with no small Difficulties as being opposed by almost all the rest of the Princes of Europe The Ministers of these Princes insinuated without intermission to the Poles that to chuse a French Prince would be to put all
Expences bestowed in the carrying on of this Siege lost twenty Thousand Men the Flower of their whole Army The Confederates being flush'd with this Success Campaign 1666. boasted every where of this Conquest but the wiser sort among them were not much overjoyed at this Advantage as looking upon it as a means to retard the conclusion of a Peace For the People being exhausted with Taxes wished very earnestly for a Peace as the only means to free them from those heavy Impositions Their Commerce was considerably diminished our Privateers who continually infested their Coasts taking some of them every Day it having been Computed that the English alone have since the beginning of this War lost four Thousand two Hundred Merchant Men valued by themselves at thirty Millions of Sterling But there appeared in England many other Causes of Intestine Divisions and Confusion For the Money began to be very scarce and was so much Clipp'd of late Years that its intrinsick value did not amount to two thirds sometimes not to one half of what it ought to be As nothing is more pernicious and destructive to Commerce than the adulteration of Money so these Disorders made many grumble against the Government it being a customary thing for the Common People to impute any publick Disaster to the mis-management of those at the Helm which was also improved by a Party who insinuated into the People that great store of the English Coin was Transported into Holland The Agents of the King of England believing the present juncture very favourable to their Design set all their Engines at work for his Restauration They brought over many to their side some out of Novelty others being moved by a seasonable Repentance others out of Affection to their King joined in the Design of restoring him to the Throne They could scarce have wish'd for a more favourable Opportunity the Prince of Orange King William III. having left the Kingdom destitute of Troops and without a Fleet to guard the Coasts All his Troops were transported to Flanders the grand Fleet was at Cadiz and a good Squadron of his best Ships lately gone out of the Downs to join those in the Streights The King of England encourag'd by these hopes of Success came to Calais with a Body of Sixteen Thousand Men of old Troops under the Command of several experienc'd Generals who were ready to Embark at an hours warning But the Winds proving contrary for some time the whole Design was discover'd and we lost at once both the time and hopes of putting it in Execution For no sooner had the Dutch received Intelligence of this intended descent but they put to Sea with a Squadron of twelve stout Ships which cruised before Calais The Prince of Orange K. William III. without shewing the least Concern at the greatness of the Danger soon found means to disperse these Clouds He secured many suspected Persons recalled his Fleets and some of his Troops out of Flanders and secur'd the Sea-Coasts on that side which was most exposed to danger with a good Body of the Militia A Plot when once discover'd seldom takes effectâ— and in lieu of proving destructive to those against whom it was intended prroves generally the chief means of their Establishment Both the Houses of Parliament gave upon this occasion new Demonstrations of their Zeal and firm Adherence to the Interest of the Prince of Orange King William III. by entring into an Association not only to maintain his Interest against all Pretenders but also to revenge his Death if he should happen to be snatch'd away by some sinister Attempt against his Life Having received these fresh Assurances of their Zeal for his Person and Interest he took such sure measures to prevent all future Danger of this kind that without any further delay he passed over into Flanders At his Arrival in Flanders he found the King's Armies in the Field before him and in the Spanish Territories The King having taken a Resolution to be upon the defensive and sent his Orders to the Marshal de Villeroy who was to Command the French Army in the Lower Flanders to possess himself at the beginning of the Campaign of some advantageous Post from whence he might both observe the Enemies Motions and prevent their Designs and subsist in their Territories till the end of the Campaign The Army near the Meuse was Commanded by the Marshal de Bouflers who pursuant to the King's Orders had divided his Army into four several Bodies at such a convenient distance as to be able to join upon any occasion and at the same time to cover the French Conquests All the measures taken by the Confederates being broken by these seasonable Precautions they were forced to consume their own Territories all the Summer long without being able to undertake a Siege or come to an Engagement though they appear'd more formidable now than ever Their Fleet consisted of an Hundred and Thirty Sail but did no other feats but to burn a few Houses at Calais near the Sands of Cologne and at St. Martins They had three Armies in the Low-Countries one consisting of five and twenty or thirty Thousand Men under the Command of the Prince of Vaudemont in the Lower Flanders which however was not strong enough to Encounter the Marshal de Villeroy who Forraged to the very Gates of Ghent and exacted Contributions from all the circumjacent Countries Their Grand Army at least half as strong again threatned sometimes one sometimes another Place with a Siege but could not meet with a favourable opportunity to put it in Execution A third Army of eighteen or twenty Thousand Men all Germans advanced towards the side of Namur under the Command of the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassal They remain'd in that Post for about a Month when for want of Pay or opportunity of being employed in Flanders they returned towards the Rhine Neither did the Confederates act with much better Success on the German side The Prince of Baden keeping close within his Lines till the latter end of August not thinking it adviseable to meet the Marshal de Choiseul who had passed the Rhine with the French Army and stayed on this side near six Weeks After the return of the Landgrave of Hesse the Prince of Baden passed the Rhine and in Conjunction with the rest Marched towards Philipsbourgh without attempting any thing against the Place They afterwards advanced nearer the Marshal but spent the rest of their time in Cannonading one anothers Camp without coming to an Engagement The Duke of Vendosme had but a small Army in Catalonia more considerable for the goodness of his Troops than their Number Yet he remained Master of the Field all that Campaign being belov'd and esteem'd by the Inhabitants of the Country and dreaded by the Spaniards He defeated the Body of their Cavalry much Superiour in number of Squadrons to his He demolish'd many of their Castles which served them for places of Retreat He observed so closely