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A52961
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The new politicks of the court of France Under the reign of Levvis XIV. Wherein are to be seen all his intreagues, and his present manner of acting, in respect of all the potentates of Europe, to satisfie his ambition and grandeur. Made English from the original printed at Cologne, 1694.
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1695
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Wing N715A; ESTC R224183
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77,082
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145
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therefore the Policy of the Court of France very sillily believ'd that the Persecution of the Huguenots would draw all the Catholicks into her Snares which she had thus baited with her Pretended Zeal But the same Catholicks being more discreet and wary and well acquainted with the Tricks and Finesses of France compar'd the French Zeal to Crocodiles Tears that weep to drill Passengers within their reach and then darting themselves upon their Prey seize and devour it Nay the Pope himself smelt out the Cheat and did all that lay in his Power to oppose it as was apparently seen by the Business of Furstenberg But tho' the Event has shew'd us that France was mistaken in her Calculation yet she still goes on with her Prosecutions of the Protestants tho' less at one time then another in regard that 't is the best way for Princes to go through with Follies begun and for that the King's meaning was to make all Europe believe that he had no other End then to make Proselytes and to propagate the Catholick Religion which is a thing that most prudent and moderate Persons of the same Religion could never perceive by what is past nor discover in any Prospect of Futurity Nor has the King of France procur'd the least Advantage to the Roman Church by his Oppressions within his Kingdom or by his persuading and inveigling the Duke of Savoy to persecute the Vaudois with the same Severity quite contrary to the Sentiments of Innocent XI who openly disapprov'd Violence in Matters of Religion and who could not forbear saying That at the same time that the French Embassadour made Bonfires at Rome and rejoyc'd for the Destruction of the French Huguenots That his Heart bled Tears of Blood foreseeing that all those Forc'd Conversions would one day prove extreamly Prejudicial to the Church and that the King of France did but dispoil himself of the Lovely Robe of Primitive Charity to put on the Old Rags of Paganism dy'd with the Blood of so many Martyrs Moreover these abominable Proceedings of France have only serv'd to render the Catholicks suspected to the Protestants and to beget a Scorn and Hatred of 'em in Places where before they liv'd together in Brotherly Love and good Correspondence But what is more Considerable and for which Rome and all the Catholicks will have just Reason eternally to reproach France and complain of her Monarch Lewis XIV is this That he preferr'd the Advancement of Mahometism before the Support and Preservation of the Catholick Religion in England quite ruin'd by the Dethroning of King James whom he forsook in his Greatest Necessity more-especially seeing that unfortunate Prince had never fallen into such â—n Abyss of Misery had he not follow'd the Pernicious Counsels of his Confederate who incens'd him to persecute his Subjects in England as he had done his own in France and to alter the Religion and Laws of his Realm to serve the Interests and Designs of France But the English more Prudent and Circumspect then the French foreseeing the Tempest that began to gather already over their Heads and of which the Consequences could not but produce a Shipwrack like to that which had swallow'd up the Protestants of France seeing that the Dragoons began already to cross over out of France into England where there was a Father Peters animated with the same preposterous Zeal as Father La Chaise and a Chancellor Jefferies no less wicked and bloody then Tellier or Louvois the English I say beholding the Scaffolds erected and the Fires just ready to be kindl'd withdrew themselves in time from the Yoke that France was preparing for their Necks and by that Resolution for ever dash'd the vain-glorious Hopes of all the English Catholicks In short the King of France has great Reason to repent of Two Things his Persecution of the Protestants of his Kingdom and his last Siege of Philipsburgh For that those two Things were the Original Cause of the War and the Basis of all the Calamities with which France is at present overwhelm'd and which daily augment beyond any Help or Remedy which all the Policy of that Court all the Wiles the Artifices and Knavery of her Ministers and all the Bigotry of her Male and Female Hypocrites can apply to stop their spreading or prevent the same Destiny from befalling the Reign of Lewis the Great as befell Antiochus sirnam'd Epiphanes or The Illustrious there being so great a Uniformity in their Manner of Acting the Beginning and Progress of their Atchievements that we have great Reason to hope that their Exits will be the same FINIS
and Revenues must needs decrease in Strength France during the Reign of Lewis XIII and the Minority of Lewis XIV had great cause to fear the Strength of Spain but very little to be afraid of the Strength of Portugal tho' separated from Spain Quite the contrary Portugal might well make use of France to molest Spain which visibly decreas'd and perhaps will never be in a Condition again to pull that Thorn out of her Foot and to reduce Portugal under her Obedience For after that Revolution which follow'd that of the Low-Countries Spain languish'd away by degrees and Portugal encreas'd both in Strength and Riches and is become so Potent that alone by her self she can make head against Spain which at this day resembles a strong Man consum'd and wasted by Inward Sickness and Distempers and easily overturn'd by the puny strength of a Child The Portuguezes therefore who are good Politicians understanding their own Interest leagu'd themselves with the Greatest Enemies of the Spaniards that is to say the English and French who in a time of necessity might openly declare for 'em if Spain should happen to be in a Condition to attack ' em But now Portugal has no need of Assistance against Spain much rather she ought to fortifie her self against France which in this Reign has look'd with a Covetous Eye upon the Wealth that arrives at Lisbon from the East and and West Indies and I am perswaded that the Court of Portugal is truly convinc'd of it Which was the reason that enduc'd 'em to the no small Vexation of France to seek the Friendship and Alliance of the House of Austria by the Marriage of Don Pedro to the Princess of Nieuburg However the Policy of France that understands without all doubt the Design of the Portuguezes is careful at present to embrace the Friendship of the King of Portugal to the end that during the War she may have the free use of his Ports to fetch Provisions and Necessaries which she can have no where else And we have seen not long since that the French Men of War wanting Seamen and fearing to be attack'd by the English and Hollanders supply'd themselves from the Coasts of Portugal So that considering the Need which the French have of the Portuguezes would Don Pedro and his Council make the best of so favourable an Opportunity there is no doubt but the House of Austria would grant him very Advantageous Conditions in case the Portuguezes would joyn with the Confederates and declare War against France And her Interest advises her to it for that if the Dauphin after the death of the Catholick King should get the upper hand in Spain there 's no question to be made but he would revive the Pretensions of Alâ—honso King of Arragon and Philip II. King of Spain for by the same reason that formerly the Policy of France requir'd her to support Portugal it would be then her Interest to ruine make her self Master of it 'T were well that all the other Courts of Europe would do as France does who foresees things at a Great Distance and continually builds Designs upon a Basis of Probable Futurity and for fear of being deceiv'd usually forms three or four Contrivances which way to bring about one and the same Thing so that if one fail another may hold This is a Piece of Human Prudence that not only prevents Surprize but shews the way to undertake several Enterprizes which else a Man would never have thought of 'T is a Maxim to be observ'd by all Sovereigns to mistrust even their nearest Allies and so to act as if they were just ready to come to a Rupture more especially they that border upon France that never observes Peace or Treaty any longer then she finds it for her Convenience The City of Paris abounds in Persons full of Curiosity and Invention Among the rest there are a Great Number of old Practitioners who employ their Wits to get Money in searching for Claims and Rights in Old Parchments a good part of which has serv'd to feed the Rats and Mice and to invent and set up Titles so that if they are but largely pay'd they will prove their Benefactors Descent from the Royal Race tho' before that he could hardly reckon a Groom among all his Predecessors These Antiquaries tell yee that Portugal is deriv'd from Poâ—tus Galloâ—um Thus you you see a Foundation lay'd for the French to pretend that Portugal belongs to France Moreover there are still to be seen among the Archives certain Ancient Registers or if they are not there they can find 'em elsewhere containing the Expences that France was at some Ages since in assisting the Portuguezes against the Moors of Castile and Andalusia in the Reign of King Henry who was of the House of Lorrain and marry'd the Natural Daughter of Alphonso King of Arragon who gave him an Army to conquer Portugal or Lusitania from the Moors Now there would not need so much were this Affair once brought before the Tribunal of Metz which is the Soveraign and Irrevocable Court of Judicature to determine the Right of the Dependences and Appendences of France However the Germans would have the first Right in regard it was to the assistance of that War-like Nation that Henry was beholding for the Conquest of Lâ—sitania as also of Algarva which is the reason that the Germans enjoy such Privileges all over Portugal But here 's the Mischief of it that if the Case should come to be argu'd before the Despotick Tribunal of Meâ—z between the Germans and France that Court would never do the Germans Justice As for the Switzers they are compos'd of Thirteen Cantons which are as it were so many Separate Provinces free and independent one from another These Cantons having withdrawn themselves from their Subjection to the Emperour by reason of the hard usage which they suffer'd under the German Governours bethought themselves of a Democratick Government which they have upheld till this present time after they had sustain'd several tedious Wars and fought a great number of Battels always Victorious protected by Heaven and by that means becoming so powerful as to be sought to by the Emperour and the Neighbouring Princes Thâ—y very rarely sent Embassadours to the Potentates their Confederates unless it were to renew an Alliance or upon some Extraordinary Occasion However the same Princes have generally their Ministers residing among them but more-especially France whose Embassadour keeps his Station at Soleurre tho' it be one of the meanest Cantons and that Berne be one of the most powerful and the largest for which we shall give the Reason in due Place Any Prince who desires the Assembling of a Dyet in Switzerland must request it by his Embassadour or Minister there residing but he must pay for it and therefore they never refuse it to those that desire the Meeting which would not else be summon'd and consequently there would be no notice taken of the Business there