of Dueling for it having been judged absolutely necessary for the publick safety that all manner of Duels should be forbidden under pain of Death by the King he look'd upon any Act of Grace in this kind as prejudicial to the Royal Authority and an unseasonable lenity as derogatory from the respect due to the Law which made him take a firm resolution to maintain its Force by inflicting severe punishments upon the Transgressors Neither was it long before the happy effects of the King 's firm Resolution and Zeal for the impartial distribution of Justice appear'd to the Eyes of all the World his Subjects being thereby insensibly brought into a habit of doing well and performing their Duty in their several stations Hence it was that every one enjoy'd the benefit of a Sweet and Charming Tranquillity under the protection of the Laws free from all fear and the avarice of corrupted Judges and the oppressions of the Great ones who if they offered any Violences were sure to come to Condign Punishment The surest way to prevent Factions in a Kingdom is certainly when the Prince by his Authority keeps all the several Orders that compose it within their bounds for the People being thereby engaged to respect no other Authority so much as his own this removes all occasion and danger of Revolts What shall I say as to the most useful Arts and Sciences which without contradiction The King gives Encouragement to all manner of Arts. flourish'd more than ever under a Prince who as he had a true relish of Things so it was his greatest delight to heap Riches and Honours upon Persons of extraordinary merits knowing that nothing turns more to the Honour of the Prince and benefit of the State than to give due encouragement to liberal Arts he drew by his great Liberality into France the most Excellent in all Professions from all parts of Europe with these Foreigners as well as Natives he fill'd up the several Academies erected by his Order for the improvement of all manner of Sciences of Painting Carving Architecture and Musick where these Great Masters and their Scholars strove by a Praise-worthy Emulation to out-vie one another and in their several Stations to bring their Pieces to the heighth of perfection The King to improve the Talent of so many Excellent Masters employed them in making those rich Furnitures and other pieces the like of which are not to be met with in any other part whether for the design or the curiosity of the Workmanship he erected Noble Structures in several parts but especially made use of their skill in the Louvre the Front of which is accounted one of the finest pieces of Architecture in the World The Subjects encouraged by the Example of their Prince began every where to apply themselves to Building especially in the City of Paris which encreased every day by the Additions of many goodly Structures so that in a few Years the Streets of the City of Paris were made broader than before the Cross-ways were adorned with noble Fountains the Channels and River side faced with Free-stone and there was not a Street so mean but there were to be seen some neat Houses built after a manner far different from what they had appear'd before Vast numbers of Strangers and other curious Persons came flocking from all parts to partake of the charming Enjoyments of Peace and Tranquillity in a City where there was great plenty of every thing requisite for the pleasure and necessity of Human Life even at the time of a general scarcity the King having by his own liberality and care supply'd their want and reduced the price of all Things to a reasonable rate But the City of Paris was not the only place that enjoy'd the benefits of his happy Reign He caused Wheat to be distrâ—â—ted at tâ— Louvre 1662. the other Provinces of France had also their share in the publick Felicity the King by affording all imaginable encouragement to Commerce made the whole Country overflow with Riches It is beyond all question that the French could not be ignorant what prodigious advantages must needs accrue by Commerce to such a Country as France which being water'd both by the Ocean and Mediterranean and irrigated by so many fair Rivers seems to be the most conveniently situated for Traffick of any in Europe notwithstanding which it was observable that all manner of Commerce had been neglected for a considerable time either because the Genius of the French Nation is more enclinable to Warlike Exploits than Traffick or because the Civil and Foreign Wars in which the Kingdom had been entangl'd for so many Years together had robed them of these advantages But the King was not sparing in any thing which he believed might contribute to the re-establishment of Trade in the Sea-Ports he made considerable abatements in his Customs most of those that were paid in the Rivers he took off he gave all imaginable encouragement to the Manufacturies of the Kingdom he at his own proper cost and charge employ'd a great number of Workmen to joyn the two Seas by a Canal as well as several Great Rivers and to render many lesser Rivers Navigable he established a certain Council of Commerce to be held in his Presence by whose Advice he created several Companies who trafficking in all parts of the World render'd the Great Name of their Prince Glorious in far distant Countries Besides that he granted them many Privileges they were provided both with Money and Ships by the King to carry on the design and never wanted necessary Convoys to conduct them safely to the place whither they were bound It was upon the score of Commerce that an Expedition was undertaken against the Coast of Barbary The enterprise against Gigery July 19 1664. it being certain that it was not out of a motive of extending his Conquests the King sent thither his Forces but chiefly for the conveniency of a Harbour from whence to annoy and bridle those Insolent Pyrates that are continually disturbing the Trade on those Coasts The success was at first answerable to the design they having made themselves Masters of Gigery and notwithstanding they were ill provided with Provision and Ammunition maintain'd themselves in the place three whole Months But the number of the Enemies encreasing daily and the Plague and Famine which at that time October 31 1664. made great havock on the Coast of Provence having retarded the Convoys designed for their succour they were at last forced to abandon the place and to return into France This Expedition proved thus unfortunate in the end having been undertaken not without great charges besides that we lost some of our best Troops and received some disgrace But this misfortune was abundantly recompensed by the Honour the French had acquir'd two or three Months before The Turks and Tartars having made a most powerful Eruption in Hungary The King sent succour to the Emperor and the German Emperour
Employment consists in pillaging and plundering several of their Ships were sunk the Sieur Du Quesne burnt eight more in the Port of Chio in the Year 1681 and the Marshal de Estree Vice-Admiral of France Tripoli Bombarded in 1685. Bombarded Tripoli four Years after till at last at the Intercession of the Grand Seignior the King was pleased to grant them a Peace a second time The Algerines the most famous of all the Pyrates on the Coast of Barbary for having in the last Age out-braved the power of that great Monarch Charles V. were so presumptuous as to declare War against France To chastise their Insolence the City of Algier was Bombarded three several times In the Year 1682 1683 1684. after the second Bombardment they were forced to release six hundred French Slaves without Ransom and in the third they received so much damage that notwithstanding the Offers of the Genoueses and Spaniards to assist them against us they sent their Deputies into France to sue for Peace The Genoueses had also given great occasion of Displeasure to our King They were accused of having fomented and encouraged a Conspiracy which was laid to burn the King's Ships and Gallies in the Ports of Marseilles and Thoulon they had lately embraced the Interest and Protection of Spain and had built four new Gallies in order to joyn them with the Spanish Squadron To make them sensible of their errour the King ordered the City of Genoua to be Bombarded Thirteen Thousand Bombs were thrown into the City with good Success and the proud City of Genoua would certainly have been laid quite in Ashes by a second Bombardment Genoua Bombarded if by the Intercession of the Pope and their timely repentance they had not prevented their own ruine The King of Spain had at that time among other Titles taken upon him that of the Protector of the Republick of Genoua but could not prevail with our King that the said Commonwealth should be comprehended in the Truce which was about the same time concluded betwixt these two Crowns but to extirpate their former Miscarriages they were forced to send in the Year 1685. in May their Doge with four Senators to make their Submission to the King in the Name of the whole Republick to implore his Mercy and to receive such Conditions as he was pleased to grant them But we have detain'd our selves too long in relating these Trifles there are so many things of greater consequence to be taken notice of in the glorious Reign of so great a King that these frivolous Matters ought only to be touch'd upon en passant that we may have the more leisure to pursue the Thread of our History in relation to other Affairs of moment By Vertue of the Treaty of Nimeguen the whole Upper and Lower Alsace being granted to the King with an absolute Soveraignty over it and all its Dependencies the King sent the next following Year his Summons to all the Princes Cities and other Vassals depending on the said Province to give their appearance to do Homage and Swear Fealty to him Some obeyed but the most refused to appear Upon their Refusal the King erected a certain Chamber of Re-union at Brisack who adjudged their Lands and Fiefs forfeited to the King according to the Laws of Fiefs which enjoyn the forfeiture of the Estate of a Vassal who either neglects or refuses to pay the Homage due to his Lord. At the same time the Chamber of Re-union establish'd by the King's Order at Brisac Chambers of Re-union at Brisac and Metz. took the same Method in respect of those Fiefs which had formerly belonged to and were since dismembred from the three Bishopricks of Metz Toul and Verdun As these Re-unions extended over a vast Tract of Ground so the Neighbouring Princes taking the alarm made their complaints to the Dyet at Ratisbonne solliciting for aid to stop the further progress of these Proceedings They were not wanting on their side to represent to the Dyet the pressing necessity of applying a speedy remedy but they were very slow in their Debates and much slower in their Resolutions These Re-unions being look'd upon by some of the Princes of the Empire as an infraction of the Peace whilst they pretended to evince them to be no more than the natural consequences of the Treaty of Nimeguen the first were for taking up Arms for the Defence of the Empire the others representing the danger of coming to these extremities in so critical a juncture Whilst they thus spent their time in contests Strasburgh Surrenders without coming to any final resolution the City of Strasbourg the Capital of the Lower Alsace and one of the most considerable in all Germany submitted to the King in September in the Year 1681 before the King's Forces that were on their March from all the circumjacent Ports in order to Besiege it came in sight of the Place They enter'd the City on the same Day that some of the King's Troops took possession of the Citadel of Casal in Italy Casal Surrender'd which the King had bought from the Duke of Mantua As the King set out on his Journey to Strasburgh before he had receiv'd the News of its Surrender he pretended to take a Progress to one of his Country Houses but turning short took the Road towards Germany Before he came to the Frontiers he was advertis'd that his Troops were already receiv'd within the City but this did not hinder him from pursuing his Journey thither where he receiv'd the Oath of Fidelity from his new Subjects The taking of this City which was of vast consequence serv'd only to augment the divisions among the Members of the Empire at the Dyet of Ratisbonne the more because the King propos'd to adjust all those Differences if they pleas'd in an irreconcilable way The Ministers of the House of Austria at first rejected these Propositions but dreading an Invasion from the Turks they gave their consent so that Plenipotentiaries were appointed on both sides to meet at Frankfort upon the Main for setling the limits betwixt the Empire and France But a whole twelve Months being spent before the Conferences were open'd by reason of some contests about Titles and Precedency betwixt the Deputies of the Emperor and those of the Empire the King thought fit to recall his Plenipotentiaries and to remove all occasions of further delay declared by his Minister Lewis Verjus Count of Creci then residing at the Dyet of Ratisbonne that he was willing to renounce for ever to all the other Dependencies of Alsace and the three above-mention'd Bishopricks notwithstanding that his Pretensions comprehended a vast tract of Ground provided the Emperor and the Empire would within a limitted time oblige themselves to resign to him the City of Strasbourg with all its Territories and those Lands which he was possessed off by vertue of the Re-union before the meeting of the Assembly at Frankfort These Propositions were advantageous
enough forasmuch as thereby the limits of the Empire and France might be settl'd upon a sure Foot and a firm Peace establish'd betwixt these two Potent Neighbours The Electoral College were of opinion to accept of the Conditions but most of the Princes being of a contrary sentiment two years past without coming to a final Resolution the King having from time to time prolong'd the prefix'd time out of a pure motive to generosity finding in most of the Members of the Dyet a favourable Disposition for a Peace at a time when they dreaded an Invasion from the Turks It was not long before the Ottoman Army like an impetuous Torrent over-run all Hungary and carrying all before them marched up to the Gates of Vienna which was Besieged by above an hundred thousand Turks Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Siege continued two Months and the place was reduc'd to the last extremity when upon the approach of the Imperial Army and the Auxiliaries of the Empire in conjunction with the Poles commanded by John Sobieski their King who with great Bravery attacked the Enemy in their Lines The Visier was forc'd to raise the Siege The Ministers of the House of Austria puff'd up with their late good success press'd the Dyet more than ever not to conclude either a Peace or Truce with France But as such vast Empires have many ways to recover their losses the Turks notwithstanding their late defeat appear'd again so formidable that the Emperor and Empire the better to enable themselves to resist them or to extend their Conquests accepted of the King's offers and about ten Months after concluded and Sign'd a Truce betwixt the Empire and France for twenty Years Spain also agreed to a Truce upon the same conditions Truee for twenty Years to put an end to the differences for that time arisen betwixt the King and them about the limits in Flanders After the Ratification of the Treaty of Nimeguen the King made reiterated instances to the Spaniards to send certain Commissioners to adjust matters concerning the Dependencies of such Provinces and Cities as were granted to him by vertue of the late Peace But the opening of these Conferences was delay'd for some time till the King of Spain had sent his full Power and Instructions which when they were produc'd it was found that amongst his Titles that of Count and Duke of Burgundy was left out The next Year the Commissioners appointed by both Kings met again at Courtray but the Ministers of Spain intended nothing less than to terminate these differences but in lieu of it left no Stone unturn'd to create new Jealousies as much as in them lay betwixt our King and the Hollanders The City of Alost furnish'd them with a fair opportunity to accomplish their design which place being accounted to be among the dependencies belonging to France the States-General began to be extreamly allarm'd at this Pretension They alledg'd they had in vain bestow'd so much labour and cost to fix a certain Barrier betwixt the King and them if this place so near to their Frontiers whose Territories reach'd to the Gates of Antwerp should be put into his possession The King to calm their minds and deliver them from what they dreaded so much offer'd to be contented with an equivalent and the Council of Spain endeavouring to gain time by various Intrigues he order'd the Bloccade of Luxemburgh but having receiv'd intelligence of the great Preparations made by the Turks to invade Hungary he sent his Orders to him who commanded in Chief to raise the said Blocade Spain was so far from being satisfied with this retreat Courtray and Dixmuyden taken that in a little while after they began to commit open Hostilties Whereupon the French besieg'd Courtray in November in the Year 1683 both the City and Citadel Surrender'd in five Days Dixmuyden without striking one stroke The Spaniards tho' without Money or Troops or any other hopes of relief but what they expected from their Allies whom they suppos'd would not leave them destitute upon so necessitous an occasion declar'd in a Month after War against France But it was not long before they paid dear for their folly the King's Troops having over-run during the whole Winter all Flanders to the very Gates of Brussels pillaging and exacting Contributions from the flat Country and towards the end of April in the Year 1684 a strong Body was sent to form the Siege of Luxemburgh This Place is very strong both by Nature and Art it being situate upon a Rock Luxemburgh taken 1684. surrounded on all sides by a River The King order'd a good Army to advance betwixt Conde and Valenciennes to cover the Siege The Emperor was not wanting in his sollicitations to the Dyet and the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands as well as the Prince of Orange made use of all their Interest to engage the Hollanders to endeavour the relief of a Place which was of such consequence But all in vain for no succours appearing the Place was forc'd to Surrender after a brave defence of seven and twenty Days after opening the Trenches This done the King offer'd to restore Dixmuyden and Courtray and to renounce all his pretensions provided the Spaniards would put him in quiet possession of Beaumont Bovines and Chimay three small places without any strength betwixt the Sambre and the Meuse and would resign all their pretensions to Luxemburgh which was to be the King 's for ever with the fifteen Villages belonging to it The Spaniards refus'd at first to hearken to these Propositions but the Dutch who made serious Reflections upon the present condition of the Empire the heavy War wherein the Emperor was engag'd with the Turks and the little hopes there was of receiving aid from England partly by reason of the misunderstanding that was at that time betwixt King Charles II. and his Parliament partly because they were too well acquainted with the Inclinations of that King who prefer'd Peace and his Pleasures before a War oblig'd them to accept of these conditions Thus in the Year 1684 a general Truce was concluded for twenty Years the Emperor Spain and the Empire having Sign'd the Treaty within four days one after another But in the mean while that our King was applying his thoughts to re-establish Peace in Christendom with good success Differences with the Pope the differences arisen betwixt our Court and that of Rome encreased more and more every Day the Pope being so far from hearkning to those gentle means that were propos'd for an accommodation that on the contrary his whole behaviour sufficiently testify'd to the World that he was resolv'd to carry things to the utmost extremity The occasion of the Quarrel was given by the Regale which is a certain prerogative belonging to the Sovereign by vertue of which they enjoy the benefit of the Revenues of the Bishopricks and the right of bestowing all Dignities and Prebends during the vacancies of the Episcopal
groaned under followed blindfold the inclinations of their Leaders Add to this the want of Courage in the Chief Minister which induced him to lay hold of that most destructive Maxim of State To prefer only such as he dreaded most This fatal concourse of different Interests and Passions proved the source of such divisions and intestine Commotions as shook the very foundation of the French Monarchy Whilst the Kingdom was involved in these Troubles the King's Education was in a manner neglected by those to who 's Tuition it was committed who made it their chiefest care to carry the young King from one Province to another to shew him to his People in hopes to restore by this last effort the decay'd and languishing Authority of the Government and by his Royal Prefence to keep them in Obedience Notwithstanding all these Obstacles Happy presages of his Youth the King began to give most evident proofs of his great and generous Inclinations for when he was scarce twelve years of Age such was his happy Genius that there appeared a discretion and reservedness in all his Actions much above what could be expected from so tender an Age shewing not the least inclination to those things which are the ordinary diversions of Children but an uncommon eagerness to be instructed in all manner of Exercises and a singular delight in hearing the relations of great and memorable Exploits These were the chief Entertainments of his Youth and it was always observed that if any thing happened to be related to him that was either above the common rate in its undertaking or surprising in its event there appear'd such a sprightliness in his Eves and whole Countenance as sufficiently testified his desire of signalizing himself by some memorable Action Is a Spectator of the Battle of St. Anthony July 2 1652. Full of this Noble Idea he waited with impatience for the time which might furnish him with an opportunity of giving real demonstrations of his great Inclinations and he was not quite 14 years of Age when knowing that his Army was ready to engage the Prince of Conde he entreated and pressed them so earnestly that to satisfie his most glorious desire they were obliged to place him on a certain Eminence where he could be a Spectator at least of a great part of the Engagement Lewis of Bourbon II Prince of Conde The Prince of Conde had for the last six years past been the Hero and chief Supporter of the Royal Party It was he that had gain'd the Battles of Rocroy Fribourg Nortlingen and Lentz And it was also the same Prince of Conde who at the beginning of the intestine commotions was so fortunate or rather dextrous as to block up the City of Paris with 7 or 8000 Men. 1649. There was something great and sublime above the rest of Mankind in this Prince He was endowed with a Courage undaunted in the midst of all Dangers His skill in Martial affairs was beyond what can be imagined or express'd On the day of Battle nothing was comparable to his Conduct either in choosing the advantage of the Ground or ordering and disposing his Troops in order of Battle or retiring and sustaining them with fresh Forces no body beyond him in pushing on an Attack with the utmost Vigour and in the heat of the Engagement to possess himself of an advantageous Post and to change the disposition of his Troops according to the various accidents and revolutions of the Battle a happy conjunction of many extraordinary Qualities if those great Souls elevated above the common Sphere were also capable of moderation His aspiring Genius nourished by evil Counsels prompted him to take up Arms against the King and having assembled a Body of Troops after several marches and counter-marches he at last posted himself near St. Cloue trusting to the nearness of the Bridge which might serve him for a safe retreat to avoid an engagement in case he should be attack'd by his Enemies who were superiour in number to him The two Marshals de Turenne and de la Ferte commanded two separate Bodies who to make sure work intended to inclose him betwixt their two Armies which the Prince having soon taken notice of he broke up from St. Cloue with an intention to march to Charenton and to entrench himself near that Bridge where by the nearness of the two Rivers Seyne and Marne it would be impossible to force his Camp The shortest way was to march thro' Paris but fearing least his Army should be considerably diminish'd by desertion in his march thro' the City or that the Citizens might deny him a Passage he changed his resolution and ordered his Troops to march round about as near the Suburbs as possibly could be He marched with all possible speed and precaution notwithstanding which Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne Vicount of en ne the Viscount of Turenne having got timely notice of it followed him so closely that after some hours march he attack'd him in the Rear and obliged him to come to an Engagement It was a happy chance for the Prince to meet with some old Retrenchments formerly cast up at the entrance of the Suburbs of St. Anthony behind which he posted his Troops to make head against the approaching Enemy He had scarce had leifure to put them in order of Battle when the King's Army animated by his Royal Presence attack'd his Entrenchments with incredible bravery As the King was at that time not much above 13 years of Age those that were about him could not sufficiently admire with what greatness of Courage and without shewing the least symptoms of fear he was an Eye-witness of the Engagement It was the greatest pleasure in the World to observe the various changes in his Countenance the effects of the different transports and motions of his Soul sometimes leaping for joy when he saw his Victorious Troops beat back those of the Prince sometimes blushing not so much for indignation as shame when the Prince forced the Royalists to retreat As in Civil Wars both parties are most incensed with mutual animosities so the bravest of both the Armies signalized themselves by some remarkable Action or other every one being prodigal of his Life to purchase Honour in this first encounter and to snatch the Victory out of his Enemy's Hands which thus remained uncertain for some time till after a bloody Combat of two hours fortune declared for the King whose Troops having made themselves Masters of the Entrenchments marched in good Order thro' the great Street of the Suburbs without any opposition from the Prince But scarce had they advanced half way towards the City when on a sudden they saw the Prince again appear at the head of his bravest Volunteers and other chosen Troops who charged them so vigorously that they forced them to retreat and to seek for shelter in the same Retrenchments from whence they had so lately forced their Enemies This varions chance of
at last it began to be discoursed at Court that the King was to Marry the Princess of Savoy whose Picture being presented to him he took such liking to it that he resolv'd to take a journey to Lyons to see her in Person The Queen was overjoy'd at this Journey in hopes that her Brother would once more consider of the matter and when he found himself in danger of missing this opportunity to shew henceforward as much inclination for the match as he had been opposite to it before Neither did she find her self frustrated in her hopes her wish being accomplished when she expected it least The Spaniards had during this War which lasted four and twenty Years sustained great losses they had been vanquished in six Field Fights and three Sea Engagements besides that they had lost above fifty places of note and the whole Kingdom of Portugal not to mention our Conquests in Germany and those of our Allies together with the many Encounters in most of which they had been miserably beaten By these so terrible and frequent misfortunes the Spanish Monarchy was reduced to so low an ebb that to recover its strength it stood in absolute need of a Peace and the People of Spain being quite exhausted cry'd aloud for it and in terms so pressing that the Council of Spain being cured of its former Repugnancy He Marries the Infanta Maria Theresia Eldest Daughter to Philip IV. King of Spain thought it most advisable to send an Ambassador to offer the Infanta in Marriage to the King It must be confess'd that none of these Obstacles which had hitherto retarded the Marriage were remov'd but it seems the present Exigency was judged more urgent than the danger that was to come or perhaps the Spaniards had raised these difficulties only with an Intention to try whether thereby they might obtain the better conditions of Peace The Queen was so desirous of this Match that it was easie to read the satisfaction she received by the Arrival of the Spanish Ambassador Pimentel with the Propositions in her Face the Articles were very near the same which had been proposed by our Court and every thing being thus agreed to the mutual satisfaction of both Parties it was judged convenient that the Cardinal and Don Lewis de Haro the Chief Ministers of State of both Crowns should have an interview upon the Frontiers to put the finishing stroak to this great Work The Treaties being signed on both sides Interview of the French and Spanish Courts the French Court took a Progress to St. John de Luz to meet the Infanta The King her Father had conducted her thither in Person partly to pay the more respect to our King and partly to take this opportunity to see the Queen his Sister Nothing can be imagined more magnificent than this interview Where-ever you turn'd your Eyes June 6 1660. there was nothing to be seen but the Pomp and Lustre of Precious Stones Gold and Silver every one there present striving to out-do the other in richness and magnificent Apparel with this remarkable difference however that the behaviour of the Spaniards appear'd far short from what was to be observed in our Court. The Politicians who are not so soon dazled with the outward Lustre of Things which are only invented to blind the Eyes of the Common People made certain Remarks at that time upon the appearance of these two Courts from whence they drew certain Presages and erected the Horoscope of both the Empires Our King was then about one and twenty years of Age of a vigorous Constitution Active Vigilant all his Designs tending to Glorious Actions whose principal care was to be always engaged in Affairs of State his Court was composed of Men of the first Rank not inferiour to any in Europe either at the head of an Army or to manage the secrets of the Cabinet besides which there was among all these Princes and other Persons of Quality not one but what made it his chief Ambition to serve him to the utmost of his Power and to sacrifice his Life for the Glory of his King and the welfare of his Country This Noble Emulation was the happy fore-runner of all the brave Actions performed afterwards under the Conduct of so great a King the more because France being a Kingdom abounding in Riches and all other Things Two Years Peace seem'd to be sufficient to repair its losses and to make it more flourishing than before On the contrary in the Spanish Court there was not the same appearance of Prosperity but only the slender remainders of a State that once when in its Splendour had made so great a noise in the World Their King was advanced in Years minding nothing so much as his rest Most of the Grandees had scarce been without the compass of the City of Madrid and were so fond of their own Interests as to look with a very indifferent Eye upon that of the Publick His Treasury was exhausted and the Kingdom destitute both of good Troops and expert Generals at least they had very few who had acquir'd any great Reputation abroad since the Prince of Conde who by his Valour and Conduct had for seven or eight Years upheld the tottering Fortune of that Crown was return'd to his Duty and came into France with all those brave French Volunteers of his Party Without calling to aid the assistance of the Stars it was no very difficult task to foretel in making a due comparison betwixt these two Crowns that one in all likelihood would lay the foundation of her greatness upon the ruins of the other After the Marriage of the King with the Infanta At St. John de Luz June 9th 1660. every thing was prepairing for our return to Paris All along the Road she was received by the King's Order with all the demonstrations of Honour and Respect but the Triumphs in the Provinces thro' which they passed were only the fore-runners of what they were to see in the City of Paris where every thing was prepar'd with an incredible Magnificence for the reception of their new Queen thereby to raise in her at the beginning of her Reign a high esteem of the Power and Riches of a Kingdom which a Foreign War of thirty Years and the Intestine broils of six Years had not been able to drain of its Wealth The King and Queen make their Entry in Paris Aug. 26 1660. Since the first beginning of this Monarchy there never appear'd a more glorious day in France The Streets thro' which they passed were covered with rich Tapestries the Gates adorned with Greens and Flowers the Windows and Balconies on both sides with the finest Carpets in the Squares and Market-places were erected Triumphal Arches beautified with Statues and Paintings not inferiour to what the old Rome could have produced when at the highest pitch of its Glory Besides this there was an incredible number of people flock'd hither from all parts of Europe
together by Interest The Hollanders offered to one of the Elector's Sons all the Dignities belonging to the Prince of Orange in Holland if that Family should happen to be extinct the Prince of Orange was of a weak Constitution and Unmarried at that time who exposed his Person unto the hazard of War upon a thousand occasions These glorious Hopes tho very remote a good Sum of ready Money and the Glory of being the first that had so much Courage as to oppose the Victorious Arms of our King and consequently to prove the Deliverer of so great and famous a Commonwealth all these Considerations I say joyn'd together induced the Elector to declare against France The number of his Forces was very considerable in comparison of ours at a time when the King having been obliged to disperse most of his Troops in his late Conquests which amounted to fifty or threescore strong places there was but a slender share left to keep the Field So soon as we received Intelligence that the Elector's Army was ready to march the Viscount de Turenne was ordered to march with all speed to meet him on the other side of the Rhing with his small Army consisting only of twelve Thousand Men the Elector's Army by several Reinforcements was near thirty five thousand But if the Elector was stronger in number of Men the Viscount was superiour in Officers and such as were all true Soldiers who being all chosen Men and flush'd with their late good Success did breath after nothing so much as fresh opportunity of acquiring new Glory No sooner had the Elector been advertised of our March but he first made a Halt and perceiving that the Viscount intended to expect his coming he retreated and repassed the River Weser if it was a Surprize to all the World to see the Elector fly from an Army much inferiour in number to his it was the more astonishing to see the French pursue him over the Weser with an incredible Swiftness to force all the Places that durst oppose them to ravage the flat Country and to take up their Winter-Quarters in his Territories In the mean while the Prince of Orange having got together an Army of near fourscore Thousand Men Siege of Charleroy was advanced towards Mastrick with an intention to free in some measure his own Country from the Burthen of the War by carrying it into another for which purpose after several Marches and Countermarches seeming to threaten sometimes Tongres sometimes Mastrick he at last Besieged Charleroy a place situate upon the Sambre and of no small consequence to us by reason of its most convenient situation to conduct our Convoys and Recruits into Holland The Spaniards tho they had very lately given the King fresh assurances of their sincere Intentions and that they desired nothing so much as to cultivate a good Understanding with him nevertheless had furnished ten Thousand Men for the better carrying on of this Enterprize The Place was at that time unprovided with a sufficient Garrison to make a vigorous Defence the Governour was absent and the French had no Army ready at hand to relieve it so that every thing seem'd to concur for the advantage of the Prince of Orange who it was believ'd would be Master of the place in eight Days But our King in the same moment he received the News of the Siege dispatch'd his Orders into Flanders to assemble his Troops with all possible speed he himself left Versailles in a few Days after to hasten their March and to put himself at the Head of them in order to relieve the Place The Rumour of the King's Departure being soon spread in the Enemies Camp Siege of Charleroy raised struck such a Terrour among them that without more ado they raised the Siege This was a killing stroak to the Elector of Brandenburgh who being in hopes that by so powerful a Diversion the face of Affairs would soon change for the better on his side and that the French would be obliged to recal their Troops out of his Territories in order to succour Charleroy but finding himself absolutely disappointed in his Expectation he took other Measures and sued for Peace The King to make him sensible of his Errour kept him in suspense for two or three Months in the mean while that his Troops consumed all what was left in the Countries of Marck and Ravensbergh This obliged the Elector to be more pressing than ever for a Peace which he at last obtain'd from the King who in consideration of his Submission granted him more than he could have expected to have got by the War and his own Courage For the King promised to restore to him within a certain time limitted all the Places belonging to him in the Dutchy of Cleves which was executed accordingly in the next following Year but the Treaty was but little observed on the Elector's side who was no sooner got into possession of these Places but took up Arms again and declared against France After the Conclusion of this Treaty the King having now laid aside his design of Conquering Holland nevertheless had taken a Resolution to make himself Master of Mastricht at the beginning of this Campaign knowing it to be one of the main Bull-works of the Dutch This City has been famous ever since the last Age when it was first surrounded with a good Fortification by the Duke of Alva afterwards taken by the Forces of the States and retaken by Storm by the Duke of Parma and in the Year 1632. once more taken by the Dutch after a Siege of two Months It s situation is one of the most convenient in the World being built on purpose to keep the whole Province of Brabant the Bishoprick of Liege the Country of Limburgh Cleves and Gueldres in awe which together with the Fertility of the adjacent Country Description of Mastricht its Traffick Number and Industry of the Inhabitants has made it at all times to be considered as the Key and Bullwork of all the circumjaceat Provinces which has been the reason the Dutch have not been sparing in any thing which might add to its strength It is situate upon the Meuse which separates it from the Suburbs called the Wick very well fortify'd and joyn'd to the City by a Stone-Bridge The Body of the Place to the Land-side is fortify'd with the finest and most regular Fortifications that are to be seen in all Flanders with Ravelins Demilines and many Hornworks all secured with deep Ditches Their Magazines were at that time well provided with all things necessary to sustain a Siege There was in the Place without counting the Inhabitants that were capable of bearing Arms a Garrison of six or seven thousand Men of their best Troops under the Command of an old Officer whose Name was Fariaux a Man no less Brave than expert in all Matters relating to the Defence of a Place of such importance and the States seem'd to be resolved to Sacrifice every
the Reduction of the Place The King endeavoured by all means possible to bring them to a Battle but they were as careful to avoid it not having made the least motion but remaining in their advantageous Station for two Months together whilst the King remain'd on the Frontiers But no sooner had the King left the Army Siege of Mastrich and was returning into France when the Prince of Orange with the Dutch Army in conjunction with the Spaniards and some Auxiliary Troops of several German Princes who commanded their Forces in Person laid Siege to the strong City of Mastricht The King being sufficiently assured that the present condition of the Place provided with all Necessaries for a vigorous defence together with the Bravery of the Garrison and the invincible Courage and Experience of the Deputy Governour the Count de Calva a Catalonian by Birth who commanded in the Governour 's Absence would keep the Enemy in play for some time before they should stand in need of any relief took the advantage of this opportunity and whilst the Enemy was busied in that Siege he ordred the Marshal de Humiers to sit down before Aire one of the strongest and most considerable of that Country situate on the Frontiers of the Province of Artois The Marshal having made himself Master of it in five Days he attack'd the strong Fort of Linck which being soon forced to follow the Example of Aire the whole French Army by easie Marches moved under the Command of the Marshal Duke Frederick of Schomberg towards Mastricht The Besiegers had been employed in the Siege for near seven Weeks without having been able to make themselves Masters of the Counterscarp or any Out-works they had made many and very furious Attacks but had been always repulsed with great loss and their Army being by the many Sallies and Mines of the Besieged as well as by Mortality reduc'd to one half of what it was at the beginning of the Siege they judged it most advisable to decamp Siege of Mastricht raised Aug. 26. and to quit the Siege so soon as they saw the French Army approach towards their Lines they retreated with so much Precipitation that they left behind them fifty pieces of great Cannon for Battery six Thousand Musquets all their Provision and Ammunition with a great number of sick and wounded Soldiers The-Fleet which the States-General had sent into the Mediterranean Victories obtained in Sicily to endeavour the Recovery of Messina which City two Years before had shaken off the Spanish Yoak more out of a hatred of the Spaniards than a real love of Liberty had no better success than the rest It is certain that France had not been in the least concerned in this Rebellion but the King being two wise not to lay hold of so favourable a juncture and to improve it to his own advantage he sent them some Supplies which at first were but inconsiderable but were by degrees strengthened by several Reinforcements Lewis Vivone Spaniards beaten at Sea Duke Peer and Marshal of France beat the Spanish Fleet that block'd up the Harbour of Messina and brought a good supply of Provision and Ammunition into the Place on the 11th of April in the Year 1675. and in the same Summer in the Month of August made himself Master of Agousta a Port of no less consequence and conveniency than the former The Spaniards being put under no small apprehension of losing the whole Island of Sicily solicited the Hollanders to send a Fleet to their assistance into the Mediterranean and at the same time obtained from the States that the said Fleet should be commanded by Admiral Ruyter the most famous Commander at Sea at that time in all Europe Our King gave the Command of his Fleet to another brave Seaman who tho less famous yet was not inferiour to the other in Skill and Experience in Maritime Affairs This was one called Duquesne born at Diepe who from a simple Seamen as well as Admiral Ruyter had raised himself to the Supream Command of a Fleet. Both Fleets joyn'd in Battle in January in the Year 1676. The Engagement was so terrible and furious that according to the Letter written by Admiral Ruyter himself he never faw any thing like it in all his Life before But Duquesne forced the Hollanders to retreat and to leave a free Passage for his Ships into the Port of Messina which he entred in Triumph with his whole Squadron and the Convoy In the April next following the Dutch in conjunction with the Spaniards having attack'd the Port of Agousta Duquesne forced them to quit the Enterprize This Engagement was very bloody Admiâ—al Ruyter killed Ruyter himself received three Wounds one in the Head another in the Thigh and the third in the Foot of which he died in ten Days after The Enemies being put into a great Consternation by the loss of their Admiral durst not appear any longer at Sea but retired to Palermo to refit and to expect a fresh Reinforcemont But the Marshal and Duke de Vivone resolving to give them a Visit before they could be reinforced with fresh Supplies set Sail with his Squadron towards Palermo where he arrived on the second of January following he found them riding at Anchor at the very entrance of the Port in very good order but no sooner had he sent some Fire-Ships among them which set two or three of their Ships on Fire but the rest either ran a-shoar sunk themselves or blew up in the Air some few getting into the Port. The Ennemies lost twelve of their best Ships in this occasion The Dutch Fleet burnt in the Port of Palermo six Gallies with seven hundred pieces of Cannon and above five thousand Men. The Houses odjoyning to the Port and the whole lower Town were much endamaged by the pieces of Iron Bars and the broken Cannon and Ships which by the force of the Powder were thrown into the place and crush'd all to pieces where-ever they happen'd to fall The Marshal having obtain'd this Victory which was one of the most compleat that had been obtain'd for many Years before without any considerable loss on his side made all Italy tremble especially when they saw the French within two Months after Masters of Taormine of Sealette of St. Placida and many other small places along the Sicilian Coast The Confederates took in the Month of September the strong Fortress of Philipsburgh Philipsburgh taken by the Allies which after a whole Years Blockade and a Siege of three Months had been forc'd to Capitulate but the taking of this Place was look'd upon as a slender equivalent to counterbalance the losses the Allies had sustain'd this Campaign in other places It must be confess'd that Philipsbourg is a Place of great consequence both in respect of its Fortifications and Situation as being the inlet into Alsace and a Bridle to the Palatinate but it ought also to be consider'd that this long
Siege cost the Enemy such a vast number of brave Men that a conquest bought at so dear a rate may well be judged less advantageous when attended with such fatal Consequences For the Confederate Army was reduc'd to so ill a condition after this Siege that the French who observ'd them narrowly in all their motions soon after oblig'd them as they did the Year before to seek for Winter-Quarters in their own Territories and to recruit their broken Troops The next following Year the King open'd the Campaign with the Conquest of Valenciennes Cambray and St. Omer Campaign of 1677. and a Signal Victory obtain'd over the Confederate Army in a pitch'd Battle one of the most famous Expeditions that has been undertaken for these several Ages past whether in consideration of the renown and strength of the abovementioned Places or in respect of the little time the King spent in conquering them in a Season when for want of Forage there was but small likelihood of succeeding in such an Enterprise The City of Cambray is Situate at the very entrance of Flanders where it joyn'd on our Frontiers and was consequently very incommodious to us the Garrison having often carried Fire and Flame into our Territories as far as the Isle of France from whence they used to draw great Contributions sufficient to entertain a good number of Troops who frequently play'd the Masters over us in these parts when for the rest we gave Laws to all the Spanish Netherlands The Situation of St. Omer was such as to be in a condition to make frequent Excursions into the Province of Artois and the Boulonnese Territories Valenciennes was of as great consequence to us as the other two but tho' the King was not ignorant long before of the advantage of the Conquest of these three places yet considering their strength we durst scarce flatter our selves to be able to undertake such an Expedition as to Besiege them all three at once or if we did there appear'd but little likelihood of succeeding in so great an undertaking There was in Valenciennes at that time Valenciennes besieged a Garrison of three thousand Foot and a thousand Horse besides two thousand of the Inhabitants trained up in the Exercise of Arms and a considerable number of Gentlemen who had thrown themselves into the Place to signalize themselves in its Defence The City was secured on one side by the Watery and boggy Grounds on the other by many large Out-Works surrounded with deep Ditches full of Water The Inhabitants over-confident in the strength of the Place and recalling to their Memory the disgrace which the Marshal de la Ferte receiv'd before that Place in the Year 1656 were puff'd up with so much Vanity that when the King sat down before the Place in lieu of being alarm'd at it they shew'd not the least concern in the World but pass'd their time in Feasting and other Rejoycings and gave Balls upon their Bastions But this Vain-Glory soon vanish'd and it may be said without the least contradiction to Truth that there is scarce an Example to be found where a place of such strength and so much reputation has made a more faint resistance than this In the foregoing Year the King had made himself Master of Conde and Bouchain one of which being situate above the other below Valenciennes he by posting a good Body of Horse near these two places had kept this City block'd up thegreatest part of the Winter It was Invested on the first Day of March and the King being arrived on the fourth of the same Month in the Camp the Trenches were opened betwixt the eighth and ninth and push'd on the same Night for above sixteen hundred Paces The chief Attack was carried on against a Crown-Work containing within its compass a half Moon and behind that a Ravelin call'd the Pasty Our Cannon and Bombs had done great Execution upon these Out-Works for several Days together when it was resolv'd to give the Assault on the next Morning by eight a Clock The Troops Commanded to give the Assault fell like Lions in four several places upon the Counterscarp with so much fury that the Enemy not being able to sustain them first gave way and soon after betook themselves to flight Being pursued by the French they retreated into the Crown-Work but with so much precipitation that our Men enter'd pell mell with them and attacking them in Front Rear and Flank cut eight hundred of them in pieces the rest who endeavour'd to save themselves by flight were beaten from Post to Post with such an incredible Courage that being quite frighted out of their senses they neglected to draw up the Bridge which joyn'd to the Out-work The Conquering Soldiers encourag'd as much by the opportunity as the good Success make themselves Masters of the Bridge and whilst the rest are busie in breaking open the Gates with Hatchets some got upon the top of the next Bastion by the help of Ladders turn the Cannon against the Town whilst their Comerades that were got in thro' the Gates marched into the City and barricado'd themselves in the great Street in sight of the Garrison and the City Militia who being struck with a Panick fear at the boldness of the Enterprize Valenciennes takon by Assault threw down their Arms and without any further Capitulation surrender'd at Discretion Who is so ignorant as not to be sensible what prodigious Disorders used to be committed in the ransacking of a Town taken by Assault when the enraged Soldier makes the Inhabitants without the least difference of Age Quality or Sex feel the effects of his Fury The dreadful Idea of all these Disasters their late unseasonable Bravadoes and that implacable hatred which they had shewn against the French upon many occasions made the Inhabitants not without great reason tremble at the sight of their Conquering Enemies But it was not long that they were in fear of becoming a prey and Victim to the French Soldiers a few Minutes having deliver'd them from these direful apprehensions for no sooner had the King been advertised of what had passed but he sent Messenger after Messenger to forbid the plundering of the City The Soldiers had already began with some of the adjacent Houses five or six had been forced to feel the effects of those misfortunes which happen in the pillaging of a Place taken by Assault and 't was fear'd that the unruly Soldiers would scarce be prevail'd upon to let slip so fair an opportunity of satisfying both their Avarice and Revenge and to be deaf to the Orders of their Commanders but no sooner were they forbidden in the King's Name to plunder the City but all violence ceased in an instant to the great astonishment of the whole City who could not but stand amaz'd at the submission of the Soldiery in the midst of their fury who gave such eminent marks of their Obedience to the King's pleasure by their alacrity in gaining the
and Money the Prince judged it most for his Purpose to make his application to the Court of England The English at that time overflow'd in Riches they had in a manner managed all the Traffick of Europe alone for three Years last past Their great affluence of Riches had made them jealous of our King 's growing Power and being besides this desirous of Glory and of signalizing themselves abroad they earnestly wished for a War with France which had made them more than once to sollicite King Charles II. to enter into the Confederacy This appearing a favourable juncture to the Prince of Orange's Design he undertook a Journey to London as well to engage that King in an Alliance against us as to espouse the eldest Daughter of the Duke of York The Prince of Orange being K. Charles II. his Nephew was much beloved and esteemed by him The Prince's Religion his great Capacity and Riches his Aversion to France and his great Interest in Holland had procured him great and many Friends in both Houses of Parliament It is easie to be imagined that upon this occasion he made use of all his Engines to draw his Uncle into the Confederacy for which reason he perswaded him to project certain Propositions of Peace and to declare against those that should refuse to accept of them League betwixt England and Holland France being unwilling to hearken to these Conditions great Levies were made in England and some of their Troops were transported into Flanders But neither this New League neither the English Auxiliary Troops were sufficient to stop the Progress of our King 's Victorious Arms or to hinder him from making new Conquests in the next Spring The better to cover his design Campaign in 1678. he took a Progress into Lorrain the beginning of February where he continued all that Month with the Queen and the whole Court During this Progress his Armies in Flanders in Germany and Lorrain were continually in motion so that these Marches and Countermarches did amuse the Enemy to that degree that it was impossible for them to judge which of their Places was most in danger and consequently to take any sure Measures for the security of such places as they thought most exposed for fear of leaving others unprovided in case of an Attack For the King having his Magazines well provided with every thing necessary for the carrying on four or five Sieges at a time from the Sea to the Rhine the Confederates were put under a necessity of fearing all without being able to guess whereabouts the Storm would fall Whilst they were under this perplexity the Marshal de Humiers made a faint as if he intended to Besiege Ipres which obliged the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands to send thither a great part of the Garrison of Ghent But scarce were they on their March towards Ipres when the City of Ghent it self was invested by threescore Thousand Men who were order'd thither from all the circumjacent places and at the same time Ipres Charlemont Namur Mons and Luxenburgh where the Confederates had disposed most of their best Troops were block'd up by several flying Armies Ghent has always been esteemed the largest City of the Low Countries Siege of Ghent it has a good Citadel with very fair Out-works a strong Wall surrounded with a large and deep Ditch Its Fortifications the number and Martial Inclination of its Inhabitants besides its low situation in a Marshy Ground at the Confluence of three Rivers and two Canals which serve for a Barricado against an approaching Enemy did render this Enterprise so difficult in the Eyes of all the World that after the Siege was begun the News of it scarce met with credit in the Neighbouring Countries The King had taken such measures and his Orders were obey'd with such exactness and alacrity that tho' the Place had not been Invested above three Days when he arriv'd in the Camp the Lines of Circumvallation which contain'd eight Leagues in compass were very near brought to perfection notwithstanding the rainy Season and the many difficulties which were to be surmounted in these marshy Grounds It was extreamly bad Weather when he set out from Stenay notwithstanding which he travelled above sixty large Leagues in less than three Days and arrived in the Camp before Ghent on the 4th of March when without dismounting from his Horse or taking the least refreshment or repose he took in Person a view of the Place and all the Works the Governour of Ghent having the same Day open'd the Sluices the King order'd so many Dikes and Ditches for the draining of the Ground to be made that his Forces received no considerable damage by the Water and were preserv'd in so good a condition as to make themselves Masters the next Day of the Counterscarp and some Out-Works Nevertheless this great City defended it self for some time longer till the Inhabitants being made sensible of the effects of our Bombs Carcasses and fiery Bullets which flew as thick as Hail-stones and destroy'd their Houses they beat a Parley The next day after the Citadel was besieg'd by Noon-day Ghent taken which being defended by four good Bastions and a Garrison of a thousand Men yet was forc'd to surrender on the third Day after opening of the Trenches After the taking of Ghent Ypress besieged the King without loosing any time marched directly to Ipress a well Fortified City and conveniently situated for the King to keep correspondence with and secure his other Conquests thereabouts The Spaniards had lately drawn out of the place two Battallions of their best Men whom they sent to Bruges to reinforce that Garrison nevertheless there was at the beginning of the Siege a Garrison consisting of three thousand effective Men old and well disciplin'd Troops besides a great number of brave Officers and Voluntiers who by their Example encouraged the Soldiers to make a vigorous Defence But by the bravery of our Troops the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis and Counterscarp and after a bloody Engagement taken with Sword in Hand so the City and Citadel being without any hopes of relief Capitulated at the same time The Siege cost us abundance of Men tho' it lasted not above nine Days after the opening of the Trenches by reason that the French were not only to overcome the obstinacy of the Besieged who defended themselves very valiantly but also the rigour of the cold Season and the inconveniencies of continual Rains The King's Arms being thus every where crown'd with Success it seem'd that nothing was able to resist his Power those Princes that were enter'd into a League against him having for four Years together rais'd no other advantage by the Confederacy than to add new Lustre to his Glory and Power He had at that time two great Fleets at Sea and five Armies on Land which together with his Garrisons consisted of sixty thousand Horse and two hundred and forty thousand Foot all
the loss of only two or three hundred Men on our side The Enemies had betwixt four or five thousand kill'd and wounded and we took above three thousand Prisoners all their Baggage Provision Ammunition and sixteen Colours Immediately after the gaining of the Battle Siege of Palamos the Marshal de Noailles besieged Palamos a small Maritime Town but well fortified There was a Garrison of three thousand Men in the place which did defend themselves only five days after the Place began to be Batter'd by our Cannon both by Sea and Land For whilst the Marshal attack'd it by Land a French Squadron of Men of War batter'd it by Sea After we had made our selves Masters of the Counterscarp there were two Breaches in the Wall but so narrow that not above one Man could mount it at a time in Front Some Soldiers having taken notice of it shew'd it to their Officers who approving of their Design they mounted the Breach entred the City and taking advantage of the general Consternation this unexpected Sight of the Enemy upon the Ramparts had put them into they soon made themselves Masters of the City on the 7th of June The Fort or Castle being forced to Surrender at Discretion within three days after the Marshal without loosing time sat down before Gironne This Place was so considerable for its Strength that in the Year 1684 Gironne taken it obliged the French Army to raise the Siege But our late Victory near the River Ter the taking of Palamos the furious discharges of our Batteries and the vast number of our Bombs which did great Execution and set the Town on fire besides the little hopes there was of being relieved obliged the Inhabitants and Garrison to Capitulate in five days We made our selves Masters of several other places betwixt Gironne and Barcelona and all the Country round was seised with such a Consternation that their Capital City it self would scarce have been able to hold out a Week against our victorious Arms if the Heats had not been so excessive as to prevent us from undertaking the Siege and the Confederate Fleet was so seasonably to their Assistance and had supply'd them both with Ammunition and Men. This was the only Fruit they reap'd from the Equipment of so numerous a Fleet it being fear'd otherwise that the Spaniards might have concluded a separate Peace with us if they had not come to their Relief It was also supposed that at the Sollicitations of the Duke of Savoy this Fleet was to endeavour the regaining of Villa Franca It was composed of one hundred and thirty Sail among which were threescore and fifteen for the Line of Battle It was given out that they were to Retake Nice to Bombard Thoulon and to lay Marseilles in Ashes There were also some who pretended that they were to chastise Genove for refusing to join with the Confederacy But all these Projects vanished into Smoak they being disenabled for want of Provisions and by the many Distempers that reigned among the Seamen to undertake any thing of moment they kept the Sea for some time after till the approaching Winter Season forced them to seek for a safe Retreat in the Spanish Ports Their Fleet in the Ocean made more Noise but did not much more Damage Descent in Camaret Bay They made an attempe upon Camaret-Bay at the neck of a Land which juts into the Sea near Forest Of eight or nine hundred Men who Landed by the help of their Chaloops betwixt three and four hundred were killed the rest made Prisoners The rest of their Forces that were to second the Attack being deterr'd by the ill Success of their Comrades and the continual Fire from our Entrenchments upon the Sea-shoar did not judge it advisable to attempt any further Descent but under the Protection of some of their Frigats return'd to their Ships On the 22th day of July Diepe Bombarded they Bombarded Diepe which was laid in Ashes most of the Houses of this City being of Wood and closely built the Inhabitants fled from their Habitations with their best Moveables the Fire consumed the whole City there being no body to stop its Fury But the Enemies were great Gainers by this Bargain it having been computed that this Expedition cost them more than the re-building of the whole City could amount to On the 20th of July they appear'd before Havre de Grace which they likewise Bombarded for some time as well as Calais but without doing any considerable Damage the Fire having been soon extinguished by the Care of the Inhabitants This done they made an attempt upon the Forts which guard the Entrance of the Port of Dunkirk two Engines not unlike to that they had made use of at St. Malo's advanced towards the said Forts with an Intention to blow them up but by the help of the Cannon mounted upon several Batteries along the Sea-shoar these two Vessels were blown up into the Air at about a thousand yards distance from the Mole The little Success of this Campaign on the Confederates side Campaign 1695. did in some measure abate the Heat of the English and Dutch who for these seven years last past had bore the greatest Share in the vast Expences of the War In Holland the common People cry'd out aloud for Peace in London tho' they did not do it so publickly yet they were very desirous of it The Parliament took an Account of the Supplies granted for the use of the War and what Share each of the Allies ought to have in the Expences pursuant to the Treaty's concluded for that purpose They excluded the Speaker of the House of Commons from their House and imprison'd several of their Members They also Summon'd the Earl of Danby Duke of Leeds President of the Privy Council but these Proceedings ceased with the Session of Parliament There were some who look'd upon this Affront put upon one of the Prince of Orange's Favourites K. William III. as a Spark of Fire which being couch'd for some time under the Ashes might in time break out into a Flame And their Conjectures seem'd not ill grounded considering that since the Death of the Princess of Orange Queen Mary eldest Daughter to the King of England who died on the 18th of December in the Year 1694. Queen of Englands Death King James's Party began to appear more formidable than before and that the Differences betwixt the Court and the Princess of Denmark only Sister of the deceased Princess Q. Mary might furnish them with an opportunity to Foment the intestine Divisions in that Kingdom or that perhaps some of the Confederates discouraged by the change of Affairs in England might not prosecute the War with the same Vigour as before But it was not long before these Hopes were frustrated in the end For the Prince K. William III. either by his good Fortune or Conduct prevented all these Dangers there being not the least appearance of any Commotion On the
Bishops of that Assembly p. 187 Is made Arbitrator by the King of the Succession in the Palatinate p. 195 Abolishes the Franchises of Quarters p. 190 Gives his Dispensation to Prince Clement of Bavaria p. 201 Interview of the French and Spanish Court p. 18 Invalides the Royal Hospital built near Paris p. 169 Ipres taken by the King p. 156 Ireland the King sends Succours into that Kingdom p. 214 L'Isle besieged by and surrendred to the King p. 66 K. Kayserswert taken by the Elector of Brandenburgh p. 215 Knock Fort the Allies lose above two thousand Men before it p. 269 L. Ladeburgh the Imperialists defeated by Tuâ—rene near this Place p. 124 Lagos about eighty Vessels were taken and burnt betwixt this place and Cadiz p. 245 246 Lavardin Marquiss of French Ambassadour at Rome p. 197 The Pope refuses him Audience p. 198 League against France betwixt the Emperour Spain and Denmark Holland and all the Princes of Germany except the Dukes of Bavaria and Hannover p. 107 111 League betwixt England and Holland against France p. 153 League of Ausburgh p. 193 League betwixt the Empire Spain England Holland and Savoy against France p. 207 p. 209 Leopold Ignatius Emperour of Germany desires Succours from the King p. 57 Enters in a League against France p. 107 Makes Peace with France p. 165 Makes a Truce with the King p. 177 Enters in another Alliance against him p. 193 Declares for the Election of Prince Clement of Bavaria p. 200 Makes Peace with France p. 308 Leuze Engagement near Leuze 229 Lewis XIII seises Lorrain p. 80 His War with the Hugonots p. 188 Lewis XIV sirnamed the Great his Birth p. 1 Troubles under his Minority p. 2 Is present at the Battle of St. Anthony p. 5 Falls dangerously ill at Calais p. 13 Marries the Infanta of Portugal p. 17 Enters Paris in Triumph p. 20 Lewis the Great his Divertisements p. 25 Obliges Spain to allow him the Precedency p. 37 Receives Satisfaction for the Affront put upon his Ambassadour at the Court of Rome p. 45 Causes a new Codex or Lambock to be compiled p. 52 Restores the decayed Commerce p. 56 Sends Succours to the Emperour p. 57 And to the Dutch p. 58 Lewis the Great besieges and takes Listle p. 66 Conquers the French Comte in eight days p. 68 Suppresles Jansinism p. 69 Builds Versailles p. 77 And takes Possession of Lorrain p. 81 LEWIS the Great declares War against Holland p. 85 His first Conquests p. 87 seq New Conquests p. 92 Draws the King of England from his Alliance with the Dutch p. 95 Besieges and takes Mastrick p. 103 seq Besieges and takes Besanson p. 114 Makes himself Master of the whole French Comte in one Months time p. 117 LEWIS the Great takes Conde p. 134 Sends Succours to Messina p. 136 Takes Valenciennes p. 142 The Town and Cittadel of Cambray p. 148 Ghent p. 156 Ipres p. ibid. Restores Peace to Europe p. 162 Erects the Academies for the Cadees p. 168 Builds the Hospital of the Invalides p. 169 Founds the Community of St. Cyr. p. ib. LEWIS the Great Chastises the Corsairs of Barbary p. 171 172 Genoeses p. ibid. Summons all his Vassals in Alsace to do him Homage p. 174 Goes to Strasburgh to receive in Person the Oath of Fidelity p. 175 Makes a Truce with the Emperour for twenty years p. 177 LEWIS the Great obliges the King of Spain to resign the Title of Duke of Burgundy p. 177 Causes Luxenburgh to be block'd up p. 178 Covers the Siege of Luxenburgh p. 179 Makes a Truce with Spain for twenty Years p. 180 Differences betwixt him and the Court of Rome p. ibid. He suppresses Calvinism in France p. 187 The whole Kingdom makes Vows for his Recovery p. 192 The Motives that obliged him to have recourse to Arms. p. 202 Takes Philipsburgh and the whole Palatinate p. 203 204 LEWIS the Great receives the King and Queen of England with an unparallell'd Generosity p. 213 Sends Succours into Ireland p. ib. Besieges and takes Mons. p. 228 The City and Cittadel of Namur p. 233 Being troubled with the Gout is carried in a Chair to all Places where his Presence was most necessary p. 236 The Prince of Conty Elected King of Poland by his Encouragement and Protection p. 299 Restores Peace to Europe p. 307 Limburgh taken by Henry Julius Prince of Conde p. 128 Limerick in Ireland bravely defended by the French p. 225 The English obliged to raise the Siege ibid. Limits see Differences Lines what they are p. 249 New Lines drawn from the Shelde to the Lis and from Courtray to the Sea-side p. 268 Longueville Duke of kill'd p. 98 Longe Alphonse de Durasford Duke de Lorges Marshal of France makes good his Retreat against the Imperialists after the Death of Turenne p. 132 Takes Heidelbergh p. 246 Louvois see Tellier Luxenburgh block'd up p. 178 Besieged p. 179 Taken p. ib. Luxenburgh Francis Henry de Montmorancy Duke de Pency Luxenburgh Peer and Marshal of France takes Groll Deventer and all the Places in the Province of Over-Yssle p. 93 Obliges the Prince of Orange to raise the Siege of Voerden p. 97 Repulses the Dutch at St. Denis p. 163 Beats the Allies at Flerus p. 219 Leuze p. 229 Steenkirk p. 239 At Neerwinden p. 248 His Death p. 270 M. Machin or Engine made use of by the English against St. Malo p. 252 Maine Lewis Augustus Duke de Maine Commands the French Cavalry at the Battle of Steenkirk p. 239 Signalizes himself at Neerwinden p. 248 St. Malo see Bombardment Manheim a strong Place in the Palatinate p. 204 Marcin Count de Marcin General of the Spanish Forces marches to the Relief of L' Isle p. 66 Is Routed p. ibid. Mardick a Fort. p. 13 Maria Theresia Queen of France see Austria Maria Adelhida Dutches of Burgundy see Savoy Marsal granted to the King p. 80 Mastrick besieged by the King p. 103 Taken p. 106 Besieged by the Prince of Orange p. 135 Mayence besieged p. 215 Taken p. 217 Mazarine Julius Cardinal Premier Minister under the Regency of the Queen Mother p. 2 His Conference with Don Lewis de Haro p. 18 His Death p. 22 Mehaigne a small River near Namur p. 235 Messina shakes off the Spanish Yoke p. 136 Metz Chamber of Re-union established at Metz. p. 174 Mirc-Court the ordinary Place of Residence of Charles IV. Duke of Lorrain p. 81 Missionaries preach among the Calvinists p. 189 Mons besieged and taken by the King p. 228 Montausier Charles Duke of Peer of France Governour to Lewis Dauphine p. 170 Montmelian taken p. 231 Montecuculi Count of his Character p. 129 Munster Bernhard-van Galen Bishop of invades Holland p. 58 Joyns his Troops with the French in the Dutch War p. 93 Declares against France p. 111 N. Namur besieged by the King and taken p. 233. Besieged by the Allies p. 271 Nancy fortified by the King p. 107 Naerden a small Place in Holland
the King's Houshold threw themselves into the River with an unparallell'd Resolution relying more upon their own Courage than the use of their Arms. The Rhine tho of a considerable breadth in this place yet runs with a Current so swift and violent as if it were forced through a very streight Channel Besides this it having blown a Storm the Night before the high Winds tossed dreadful Waves against the Shore which well might have terrified the Soldiers from attempting the Passage at that time but being by their King's Presence inspired with a Courage to despise all Danger neither the swiftness of the Current nor the dreadful appearance of the high Waves nor the sight of their Enemies who lay entrench'd on the other side ready to receive them nothing of all this could daunt their Courage or stop their Progress there were but a few lost in this Passage who being carried away from the rest by the violence of the Stream were swallowed up by the Waves or perished in the Whirlpools As they began to approach the other side of the Shoar they were vigorously attack'd by three Squadrons of the Enemy who being entred the River killed and wounded some of our Men but finding our Troops to advance without being daunted they after their first Charge retreated and betook themselves to their Heels Then it was that the French Horse encouraging one another by their joyful Acclamations reach'd the Bank of the River and tho they were all dropping wet pursued the Flying Enemy for above a League At the same time the Prince of Conde attack'd some Dutch Battallions that lay entrench'd at the Entrance of a Wood they were so terrified at the very sight of the French that in lieu of making good the Pass they threw down their Arms. The Prince promised them Quarter severely forbidding any Body to attack them but his Nephew the Duke of Longueville being ignorant of it committed an act of imprudence in firing one of his Pistols just near their Entrenchments which cost him his Life for the Enemy believing that they were advancing to cut them to pieces betook themselves again to their Arms and at their first Discharge killed the Duke with five more Persons of Quality and wounded a considerable number amongst whom was Armand du Cambout Duke of Cosselin a Peer of France and the Prince of Conde who was drawn thither by the noise and discharging of the Fire Arms was wounded by a Pistol-shot in his Wrist The French being exasperated at the loss of their Officers and Comerades cut most of the Enemy in pieces except some who saved themselves by flight The King in the mean while saw the other Regiments of Horse pass the River one after another Squadron by Squadron with less danger than before the great number of Horse that swam close together breaking in a great measure the violence of the Waves and swiftness of the Current The next Day following the Bridge being got ready all the Infantry pass over it with the whole Train of Artillery It is not to be express'd what a noise this Action so bravely undertaken and so prudently manag'd did make in the World the Prince of Orange for fear of being surprised thought it his best way to quit his Intrenchments and by long Marches retreated deeper into the Country The generality of the People being fill'd with Consternation put all the hopes of their Safety in the Mercy of their Conqueror which they endeavoured to purchase from his Hands by striving as it may be said who should be the first that should put themselves under his Protection The Soldiers got an incredible Booty wallowing for two Months together in Plenty and Riches Doesburg and Arnheim did not hold out above four and twenty Hours after opening of the Trenches The Fort of Skink Shencken Skans so famous both for its Strength and Situation and the long and vigorous Attacks it has so bravely sustained at other times surrendred before the opening of the Trenches The Forts of Woeren and St. Andrew did the same The City of Utrecht tho secured by several Places of good Strength sent the Keys of their Gates to the Victorious Enemy at a good distance All Places in the Betaw followed their Example and there were very few Cities upon the Rhine the Meuse the Wahle and Yssel but what readily opened their Gates and received Safeguards In the Province of Holland the Cities of Oudewater Voerden and Narden were also taken by the King's Forces and Amsterdam it self that proud and potent City was upon the point of Capitulating and notwithstanding all the brave Efforts of some of the Magistrates would have been forced to submit to the King's Conquering Arms if the Officer who commanded in our most advanced Quarters had not been careless in intrenching himself immediately in a small place called Muyden from whence we might have batter'd all their Ships going to Amsterdam a fatal Neglect which preserved the whole Province from falling into our hands Empires as well as other things have their certain Periods and Critical Minutes which if known and dexterously managed prove commonly fatal to them In the mean time Francis Henry de Montmorency Duke of Luxemburgh having with a considerable Body of Troops and many experienced Officers joined the Forces of the Bishop of Munster and of the Archbishop of Cologne who being dissatisfied with the Hollanders were re-entred into a League with the King against them had Conquered a third Province The Duke after having put Safeguards into seven or eight small places Besieged in conjunction with the Bishop of Munster the City of Groll This strong place having surrendred without making any resistance the Archbishop's Forces being joined with the rest they Besieged the City of Deventer which being soon forced to come to a Capitulation those of Zwoll and Campen and generally all the other Places of the Province of Overyssel followed their Example To make due reflection upon these surprising Events they appear so extraordinary and prodigious as to be almost past belief for it is scarce possible to imagin that so many brave Cities which hitherto had past for impregnable should without making any Defence have surrender'd at discretion especially if it be consider'd that most of them being provided with good Garrisons and that in a Country which for a considerable time had been accounted the School of War in Europe scarce any of their strong holds to have defended themselves above four and twenty hours except Zutphen and Nimeguen the first of which held out four and the last nine days But when People after the Fatigues of a tedious War enjoy the fruits of a glorious Peace they begin to abandon themselves to their pleasures which renders them careless of their own security and of improving Martial Discipline one of the Pillars of the State A Nation being thus inveigled and dazled with their present good Fortune are soon brought into confusion at the least mischance The Hollanders being reduced to
thousand Men which he ordered to march towards the Rhine At their approach the Viscount of Turenne who was General of the King's Army on that side met them as far as in Franconia in hopes to draw them to a Battle but they being careful in avoiding an Engagement the Viscount could not prevent them from passing the Rhine in conjunction with the Prince of Orange and besieging Bonn. This place was without a Ditch its Fortifications being not quite brought to perfection notwithstanding which the French Governor with his Garrison consisting only of fifteen hundred Men defended himself so valiantly against so powerful an Army composed of three several Nations that they did not become Masters of it till after a fourteen Nights Siege As the Conquest of this City as well as that of Naerden Siege of Bonn. a small but well Fortified Place in Holland taken from us in the foregoing Month of September by the Prince of Orange seem'd to be the happy Fore-runners of the good success of this Alliance so the Emperor and Spain flatter'd themselves with the hopes of all those Advantages which the Dutch Ministers had put them in hopes of when they enter'd into the League The Emperor enter'd into the Alliance not only upon that score as having in view thereby to put a stop to the greatness of France which if it should over-run Holland and the Low-Countries would like an impetuous Torrent spread all over Germany but as looking upon this as a favourable juncture to encrease his Authority in the Empire It is very well known that for a considerable time past it has been the main design of the House of Austria to make themselves absolute in Germany by reducing these Princes under their Obedience This seem'd to be the most Critical juncture that could be to put this so long projected design in execution the Kings Conquests in Holland and his taking the City of Treves were the most plausible pretences in the World to bring a good Army into Germany without giving any suspicion to these Princes whom they hop'd to ruin one after another by drawing them into the Quarrel under the glorious pretext of taking up Arms for the defence of the Empire As for what concern'd the Spaniards they were cajol'd into a League by the fair promises of the Dutch who offer'd no less than the Restitution of Maestrick after it should be retaken and engaged themselves not to make either Peace or Truce with us before the French King should have surrender'd to them all what he had taken from them since the Pyrenean Peace A meer Tinsey wherewith to dazzle the Eyes of the Spaniards their intention being to keep no further to their promises than they should find it suitable to their own Interest as it sufficiently appear'd at the Treaty of Nimeguen when they oblig'd the Spaniards to accept of the same Propositions as they were projected by our King The Alliance of so many powerful Princes seem'd to foretel something extraordinary against France but thinking themselves not in a condition to undertake any thing of moment unless strengthen'd by the Power of England they left no stone unturn'd all that Winter to bring that King over to their side But all their great offers and fair promises would have proved fruitless upon this King who stood immoveable in his Resolution of adhering to our Interest if at last some of the Parliament Men who being perhaps overcome with the charms of the Dutch Gold Peace betwixt England and Holland had not pressed so hard upon that King that being no longer able to resist their importunities he made Peace with the Hollanders without declaring against France Our King was no considerable loser by the conclusion of this Peace his chiefest loss consisting in the recalling of a few English Troops for what had been concerted betwixt these two Kings about a Descent to be made upon the Dutch Coast had been found impracticable they having been sufficiently convinced by Experience that nothing of great moment ought to be expected from Sea Engagements as to the decision of the Fate of a War witness those three several Sea fights betwixt the Fleets of the two Kings and that of the Dutch in all which the ballance appear'd so little different that it was no easie matter to determine which of them ought with Justice carry away the Honour of the Victory there having been scarce any other advantage obtained on either side but to make a great noise without doing any considerable hurt Thus the Hollanders imagined that being now Masters at Sea they could not want an opportunity of ravaging our Coasts and to make themselves Masters of some places in France but they have been sufficiently convinc'd by their ill Success that unless an Enemy be assured of a good Port it is a very difficult task to make a Descent and cannot be undertaken without vast Charges which scarce ever quit cost However the Peace betwixt England and Holland appear'd to be the Signal to all the other Princes of Germany who now began to throw off the mask one after another and declar'd against us except the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Hanover who continued stedfast in their Neutrality For the Electors of Saxony Mayence of Treves and the Elector Palatin Germany and Denmark enters into a League as well as the Landtgraves of Hesse and Princes of Baden with most of the Circles of Germany did immediately take up Arms in favour of the Alliance The Elector of Cologne and Bishop of Munster left our Party to embrace that of the Allies and tho' the King of Denmark the Dukes of Brunswick and the Elector of Brandenburgh did not immediately declare against France yet did they engage in the Alliance from that time and promised to put themselves in a posture of assisting and promoting the common cause Now it was that the Hollanders had all the reason in the World to rejoyce at their good Success seeing they had by their good Management transferred the Burthen of the War from their own into their Neighbours Countries the King surrounded on all sides by his Enemies which the Dutch had raised against him having been obliged to abandon all his Conquests in the United Provinces except Grave and Mastricht which served to bridle them to make use of these Garrisons against the numerous Armies of the Allies Notwithstanding all these Advantages the States desired nothing so much as Peace considering that having now recovered what they had lost it would be very hard for them to maintain at their own Charge a War where now they had no further Interest but what they had in common with their Allies After a whole Twelve Months Debate about a Peace all Parties concern'd having at last accepted the Mediation of the King of Sweden sent their Plenipotentiaries to Cologne the place appointed for the carrying on of the Treaty The Conferences were frequently interrupted by several Accidents and new Difficulties which
attention of all Europe to see these two great Captains to use their utmost Endeavours to outvie one another in their swift Marches in their Encampments and to make use of all the most refined Stratagems to prevent one another from gairing the least advantage The Viscount de Turenne had nevertheless the good Fortune to pass the Rhine almost in sight of the Confederate Army which done he possess'd himself of so advantageous a Post that without the least fear of being forced in his Entrenchments he might cut off the necessary Convoys from the Enemy An Action so Glorious which had broken all the Measures of his Rival at one stroke was look'd upon by all Europe to be equivalent to a Victory But the Viscount de Turenne not satisfied with this Advantage unless he had also routed the Confederate Army had enclosed them so narrowly on all sides that it was impossible for them to march off without coming to handy Blows In order to this he went out of his Camp on the 27th of July to view a certain place where he intended to raise a Battery the better to annoy the Enemy where he was unfortunately slain by a Cannon-shot The Death of the Marshal de Turenne which struck against his Breast and laid him dead upon the Ground Never was any General more universally lamented neither did ever any one deserve it better He was a Person of extraordinary Merit a Great Captain and excellent Politician a Man equally modest and agreeable in Conversation who despised Riches and was an Enemy to Pride who was never backward in doing all the good he could and never known to do harm to any Body all his Passion being directed to glorious Actions It is not to be express'd how sensibly the King was touch'd with the loss of so great a Man he heap'd Honours and Riches upon his Family The Viscount dyed without Children and to give the most ample Testimonies of the Value he put upon his pass'd Services and to Crown the Vertues of so great a Man with due Rewards he caused most magnificent Obsequies to be made in the Church of Paris and order'd his Corps to be deposited in the Abbey of St. Denys the ordinary Burying place of the Kings of France But the greatest ornament of the whole Funeral Pomp was the inexpressible sorrow which appear'd in the Countenance of all the Chief Men of the Kingdom and the everlasting Memory of his great and Glorious Actions But to return to the Rhine the Viscount de Turenne having not communicated his design to any of his Lieutenant-Generals the Count de Lorge his Nephew afterwards made Duke Peer and Marshal of France took upon him the Command of the Army and immediately after his Death repass'd the Rhine and intrench'd himself on the other side till further Orders from the King The Enemy during his Retreat Attack'd him in the Rear but were so vigorously received by the French that they lost above four thousand Men upon this occasion nevertheless the Count de Lorge was not strong enough to prevent Montecuculi from passing the Rhine and marching into the Lower Alsace The French Army was at that time in a very ill Condition in want of Provision and Forage much diminish'd by Sickness and Mortality and so dejected by the loss of their General that it was feared they would have been quite dispersed if the Prince of Conde who by the King's Orders posted in all haste thither from Flanders had not found means to raise their drooping Courage by his Presence Notwithstanding which the Count of Montecuculi laid Siege to the City of Hagenau in August and in the Month of September following fat down before Saverne but upon intelligence that the Prince was marching to their Relief he quitted both these Enterprizes At last towards the latter end of the Campaign the Imperialists were obliged to repass the Rhine and to take up their Winter-Quarters in the Confederate Territories But the Dukes of Zell and Lorrain had much better Success in the Siege of Treves Siege of Treves For these Princes being advertized that the Marshal de Crequy at the Head of an Army was marching to the Relief of the Place left a good Body for the guard of their Trenches and other Works and march'd with a Body of near twenty Thousand Men to meet the Enemy The Marshal had not above nine or ten Thousand Men with him notwithstanding this inequality of their Number he resolved to try his Fortune There are certain happy Moments when we have known a handful of brave resolute Fellows to have driven before them and cut in pieces a whole Army but these Fortunate Moments are so rare that it is more expedient to relie upon the number and equality of our Troops than upon these Accidents To be short Defeat of the Marshal de Crequy this Day proved unfortunate to the Marshal de Crequy for his Infantry being ill seconded by the Cavalry he was entirely defeated and his small Army put to the Rout and dispersed in such a manner that he himself with only three more was forced to shelter themselves in an adjacent Wood from whence he found means to get into Treves He defended the place for three Weeks after with incredible Bravery against his Victorious Enemy and would not-hearken to any Propositions of Surrender tho all the Out-works were taken and that there were several large Breaches in the Walls of the Place The Garrison headed by some mutinous Officers were so exasperated at this desperate Resolution that they resolved to capitulate without him and accordingly surrendred him and many other of the French Officers to the Allies This being the first Campaign which since the beginning of this War had proved prosperous to the Confederates they were so puffed up with their late Success that forgetting their former Misfortunes and the many Advantages we had over them they began to boast that in the next Spring they intended to put their so long projected great design in execution But it was not long before the King made them sufficiently sensible that by the loss of a Place and four or five Thousand Men he was not become less powerful than before For after having Besieged and Taken the City of Conde by assault Conde taken April the 26th towards the latter end of April he ordred the Duke of Orleans to Besiege Bouchain whilst he himself with the head Army covered the Siege to make head against the Enemy in case they should come to its relief The Governour of the Spanish Netherlands and the Prince of Orange brought together a good Army in order as it was believed to attempt the Relief of the Place but judging it not advisable to attack the King they entrenched themselves under the Cannon of Valenciennes in hopes to meet with a favourable opportunity to throw some Supplies of Men and Provisions into Bouchain but they reap'd no other advantage by it than to be Eye-Witnesses of
Victory and their entire submission in relinquishing the Fruits of their Bravery The whole Garrison which consisted still of two thousand eight hundred Men were made Prisoners of War but the Citizens had their chiefest Privileges confirm'd to them In the Afternoon every thing appear'd as quiet in the City as if they had not chang'd their Master A most remarkable Victory where a handful of Men in half an hours time carried several strong Works by Assault passed four or five Ditches and made themselves Masters of one of the strongest and most populous Cities in all Flanders and that with the loss only of Forty Men on our side The taking of Valenciennes did like a dreadful Thunderclap make the whole Country round about tremble for fear there being scarce one City tho' never so strong in those parts which did not dread to undergo the same Fate To raise their drooping Courage the Prince of Orange march'd at the Head of an Army of thirty thousand Men composed of the Dutch Forces to endeavour the relief either of Cambray or St. Omer which were besieg'd both at the same time the first by the King in Person the other by the Duke of Orleans his Majesty's only Brother Cambray being of such a strength and advantageous Situation that it was reported the Spaniards made more account upon it than all the rest of Flanders it was generally believ'd the storm would fall that way but beyond all expectation the Enemy rather chose to relieve St. Omer than Cambray partly because they might with less difficulty possess themselves of some advantageous Posts near St. Omer partly because they had flatter'd themselves with this Opinion that without much resistance they might force our Quarters on one side where they were not very well secur'd The Enemies march was so far from causing the least disturbance among our Soldiers that both Sieges were carried on with the same Vigour as before there being such an Emulation among the Soldiery that one strove to out-do the other in performing their duties the more because they were plentifully provided with every thing necessary for their subsistence For it is to be observ'd that the King took always this sure Maxim to have his Magazins every Year very well provided during the Winter with all manner of Provisions to be in a condition to prevent his Enemies designs and to appear as early in the Field as he judg'd it convenient Cambray was so furiously attack'd by the King Cambray surrender'd April 5. that the City was forc'd to Capitulate within six days after opening of the Trenches the next following Day the King order'd a Detachment of nine Battallions to march with all possible diligence to joyn the Duke of Orleans before the Enemy could force his Lines or engage him This Prince had in the mean while advanc'd so briskly in the Siege of St. Omer that at that very time he had made himself Master of the most considerable Fort near the Place and on which depended hitherto the whole safety of the Town It was at that very instant he received certain intelligence that the Enemy were advanced within six or seven Leagues in order to relieve the Place His Troops were much harass'd and less numerous than the Prince of Orange's but having receiv'd the King's Orders to march against them he marched out of the Lines and having left only a Body of Militia with some regular Troops to guard the Trenches and Works directed his march towards Cassel being confident that the King had taken his measures so surely as that the expected reinforcement would come time enough to his assistance neither did he find himself in the least mistaken in his hopes the above-mention'd Battallions having joyn'd him at the very nick of time as he expected and so a propos that if they had come sooner they would have been less useful The Duke of Orleans strengthen'd by this reinforcement and finding himself not inferiour in number to the Enemy sought only for an opportunity to execute the King's Commands in order to which with a generous resolution he passed the next Day with his Army a small Brook which separated the two Armies and attack'd the Enemy with great fury Battli of Cassel April 11. The first Encounter was the most terrible that had been seen in the memory of Man both sides fighting with an equal bravery so that the success remain'd doubtful for some Hours just as if Fortune had taken a particular delight to see so many brave Men dispute Victory to the utmost of their power But after the Enemy had stood their ground bravely for three Hours they were at last forc'd to give way and soon after being broken on all sides to seek for their safety in their Heels leaving as a pledge of their defeat to the mercy of our Soldiers all their Ammunition and Baggage seventeen Standards four and forty Colours thirteen pieces of Cannon three thousand Prisoners and the Field all cover'd with dead and wounded Men Six thousand of them were counted to be fallen upon the spot the rest sav'd themselves under the favour of the Hedges and Defiles the approaching Night and the vast number of small Channels in which the Country abounds serving them for a safeguard against their Enemies who durst not pursue them but with a great deal of caution The Duke of Orleans acquir'd immortal Glory in this Action having shewn himself as great a General in the disposition of his Army as he behav'd himself a brave Soldier during the whole Engagement having receiv'd two Shot in his Armour as he was rallying some Battallions and leading them on again to Charge the Enemy he continued with his Army for 2 Days after near the Field of Battle the better to give his Orders for the pursuit of the Enemy and to see whether perhaps they might be in a condition to try their Fortune and attempt the relief of the Place a second time but having received certain intelligence that they were retreated far into the Country he return'd with his Troops to the Lines to continue the Siege of St. Omer without any further interruption In two Days after his new Batteries began to Play against the Body of the Place and the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis The Counterscarp being taken St. Omer taken a wide Breach was made the Ditch fill'd up in Order to give a General Assault the Town Capitulated after having defended it self with a great deal of Gallantry and Resolution Three days before the Citadel of Cambray had likewise been forc'd to a Surrender by the King The Garrison was composed of seven old Regiments whereof two were Spaniards two Lorrainers and three Walloons under a Governor who had an equal share of bravery and skill in Martial Affairs The Place was well provided with every thing for its Defence and of such a strength that its Fortifications were look'd upon as impregnable Every thing seem'd to concur for a Vigorous Defence
against the King's Forces who were not above nine or ten thousand strong This seem'd to be a very slender Force and little suitable to the greatness of the Enterprise but the King by his Presence Vigilancy and Example did animate his Soldiers to that degree that redoubling their Courage and Activity they in spite of the continual Fire and frequent Sallies of the Besieged carried all the Out-Works in nine or ten Days time Our Cannon having soon after made a Breach in one of the Bastions of the Place large enough for thirty Men to mount a-Breast the Governour despairing of being able to hold out the Assault demanded a Capitulation It would have been no difficult matter for the King to have oblig'd him to surrender at discretion but being free to shew Mercy to one that had behav'd himself so Gallantly The Citadel of Cambray surrender'd he agreed to certain Articles to serve him as a comfort in his present affliction pursuant to which the Garrison marched out at the Breach with Drums beating Colours Flying and two pieces of Cannon The Conquest of these three important places and the Battle of Cassel put the Affairs of the Confederacy into such a confusision that it was a considerable time before they could recollect themselves For it was not till three Months after that they held a Congress at Wesel to deliberate concerning some Enterprize of moment by which they might in some measure recover their former Reputation and Hopes The Elector of Brandenburgh the Duke of Nieuburgh who had lately declared against France the Ambassador of the King of Denmark the Pensionary of Holland Admiral Trump and the Envoys of the King of Spain and several other Electors were present at this Conference where the Siege of Charleroy was resolved upon and the execution thereof committed to the Management of the Prince of Orange No sooner was the Place invested with threescore thousand Men but the King's Army posted themselves betwixt the Enemy and those Cities of Flanders from whence they must draw their Provisions so that their Convoys being intercepted they were in a manner block'd up and began to want Provisions in two Days time There was no other remedy left than either to fight us or to quit the Siege but the Confederates not judging it for their purpose to hazard a second Battle they decamped not without some Confusion before eight Days were expired laying the fault upon one another and consuming what Forage they could meet with in the Country without shewing any great inclination to oppose the King's Forces who ravaged the Country and exacted great Contributions The King's Arms were attended with the same success in other parts Victory in Catalonia Philip de Montaut Duke de Nouailles had ravaged the whole Lampourdan and defeated ten Thousand Spaniards as they were repassing the Pyrenean Mountains there were three Thousand five Hundred of the Enemies killed upon the place and eight Hundred made Prisoners with the loss of only two Hundred Men on our side In Germany the Troops of the neighbouring Circles commanded by a Duke of Saxony In Germany had been worsted in several Encounters and were at last forced to seek for shelter in one of the Islands of the Rhine But what they intended for their Preservation had very near proved their total Destruction being in eminent danger of perishing either by Famine or the Enemies Sword if upon the intercession of the Magistrate of Strasburgh the King had not granted them a Passport to retreat from thence in security under condition that they should not bear Arms against the King the same Campaign The Passport being signed by the Marshal de Crequy who commanded at that time on the Rhine the abovementioned Forces with their Saxon General were marching homeward being conducted by a strong Guard their main security against their Enemies when Prince Charles of Lorrain came in timely to their Assistance to deliver them from so ignominious a Retreat But it was not long before he paid dearly for the Glory of having rescued the Germans for within few Days after the Cavalry of his Right Wing was totally routed and cut to pieces This Prince was Heir and Nephew to the old Duke of Lorrain who died in the Year 1675. After his Death the Emperour to bring him over to his Interest made him General over his Army on the Rhine promising to give to him in Marriage his Sister the Queen Dowager of Poland and to make use of all his Power and Interest to put him into the Possession of Lorrain which belonged to him by right of Succession His projected design succeeded but ill in the Year 1676. But at the beginning of the Campaign in the Year 1677 he thought himself so sure that he puts this Motto upon his Standards Maintenant ou jamais that is Now or Never Full of these fair hopes he passed the Saar and advanced as far as Mouson but the Marshal de Crequy followed him so closely upon the Heels that he scarce ever miss'd any opportunity to intercept his Convoys and thereby to cut off his necessary Supplies of Provisions he kept his Army in continual Alarm and by his Marches and Counter-marches harrass'd them to that degree that he broke all the Duke's Measures who was at last forced to repass the Rhine without having been able to do any thing of moment all that Campaign The Germans had no sooner repass'd the Rhine Friburgh taken but the Marshal de Crequy invested Friburgh the Capital City of Brisgau This City is of a considerable bigness and its Citadel very strong both by its Situation and several good Works notwithstanding which the Marshal attack'd it so briskly that he became Master of it in less than eight Days time before Prince Charles of Lorrain could come to its relief About a Month after St. Gillian besieged and taken the King caused St. Gillian to be Besieged this Place is situate in the midst of the Province of Heinault of very good strength and well provided with every thing necessary for its defence The Soldiers were not only to fight against the Enemy but also against the cold Season it being in the Month of December notwithstanding all these Difficulties they carried the place in nine Days a convincing Instance that the King's Troops were used to outbrave all the Rigours of the Season These frequent Losses and continual Disappointments made the People of Holland wish as much for a Peace as the Prince of Orange had reason to oppose it For it being the Interest of that Prince to keep in his Hands as long as possibly he could that great power wherewith he was invested as long as he was supream Commander both over their Sea and Land Forces he left no Stone unturn'd to prevent the States from making either a general or particular Peace with France But this small and troublesome War which had already lasted four Years having exhausted all the Parties concerned both of Men
the occasion of rekindling the Flames and renewing the War with more Vigour and Animosity than before the Emperour and Spain not being wanting to lay hold of this Opportunity to revive the Jealousies and to perswade the Hollanders that the King had no real Inclination for Peace his only design being by withdrawing them from the Confederacy to surprize them hereafter with the more ease Our King had given most evident Proofs of his sincere Intentions for the Peace to promote which he had recall'd his Forces out of Sicily under the Command of Francis de Aubusson la Feuillade Duke Peer and Marshal of France he had at the Intercession of the Hollanders The French leave Sicily prolonged the Term which he had fixed to the Allies for the accepting the Propositions of Peace and tho he had within the last Month extended his Conquests both in Flanders and Catalonia by the taking of two considerable places yet was he so far from taking any advantage of his good Fortune that on the other hand he offered to restore them without any equivalent But notwithstanding all these Demonstrations of his most fervent Inclinations for Peace Matters hung in suspense for some time neither could the Treaty be brought to a Conclusion till the King of Sweden declared by his Ambassadors That he not only consented but also prayed His Most Christian Majesty to restore the above mentioned Places to Spain and not to delay any longer to give Peace to Europe on account of the particular Interest of the Crown of Sweden This grand Obstacle being removed the Peace was signed betwixt the King and the States the 10th Day of August in the Year 1678. Within four Days after the Prince of Orange attack'd the Duke of Luxemburgh who whilst they were contesting at Nimeguen kept Mons block'd up with an Army of forty Thousand Men. Peace of Nimeâ—uen The Prince of Orange had in view no less than the breaking off of the whole Treaty or at least to obtain some more advantageous Conditions if he happened to succeed in this Enterprize The Duke of Luxemburgh could not in the least suspect his Intention as having received fresh Assurances that the Peace was signed Engagement near St. Denis but by his brave Resolution he diverted the danger that he had put himself into by his being too confident of his own Security by the Peace The Action was very bloody which was ended at Night without any considerable Advantage on either side unless that the Enemy retired in some Confusion and were pursued to their Camp The next Day there was a Cessation of all Hostilities the Peace was proclaimed the same Day in the Camp and ratified within a Month after After the Conclusion of this Treaty with the Dutch the Spaniards found themselves under an indispensible necessity to accept of those Conditions the Hollanders had procured for them It was in vain for the rest of the Confederates to make use of all their Perswasions and Intrigues to prevent the Spaniards from accepting of them who signed the Peace on the seventeenth of September following This done the King without losing any further time order'd his Troops towards the Rhine with an Intention to attack the Emperour and Empire with the utmost vigour before the Winter some of the German Princes dreading the Storm that threatned them began to withdraw from the rest and to make their Applications to the Spaniards and States-General to be comprehended in the Treaty But Spain pursuant to asecret Agreement as it was supposed betwixt those two Branches of the House of Austria made several Delays in the Ratification of the Peace so that the time prefixed for the said Ratification notwithstanding it had been twice prolonged at the Request of the Dutch was very near expired In the mean while the French Forces made frequent Excursions into the very Heart of Flanders not sparing even those places that had hitherto escaped from being visited by them they exacted such vast Sums from all the circumjacent Country and pillaged all such as refused to pay them Contributions that according to the computation and confession of the Enemies themselves the flat Country suffered more from the time of the signing till the Ratification of the Treaty than it had done in the heat of the War The Cries and Lamentations of the People did at last overcome the Resolution of the Spanish Council who in spite of all the opposition made by the rest of the Allies caused the Peace to be ratified in December in the Year 1678. Immediately after the King order'd his Ambassadors at Nimeguen to declare to the Emperour's Ministers that in case their Master did not think fit to accept of the same Conditions as they had been proposed in the Project of the General Peace within a limited time that after that there should be no further talk of Peace This Declaration and the fear they were in of the King's Forces that were approaching the Rhine made the Emperour and Empire at last resolve rather to chuse the Harbour than to expose themselves in the open Sea to so dreadful a Tempest as threatned their Destruction Thus a Peace was concluded betwixt the Emperour and our King in the Month of February in the Year 1679. upon condition that the Peace of Munster should remain in its full force and that the Emperour should resign all his Right and Soveraignty over the City of Friburgh and the whole Alsace to our King During the Treaty at Nimeguen the King at the Intercession of the Emperour and the rest of the Confederates had left it to the choice of Prince Charles of Lorrain whether he would accept of the Possession of the Dutchy of Lorrain without that of Bar pursuant to the Pyrenean Treaty or whether he would be satisfied if the King restored him to the Possession of both those Dutchies reserving only to himself the City of Nancy and all the Grounds and Highways by which the King's Armies were to march into Germany The Prince at first chose the last of these two but soon after repenting his Choice refused to accept either But tho the Peace was signed betwixt the Emperour and the King the King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenburgh protested against it continuing to make vast Preparations to maintain themselves in their Conquests taken from the Swedes in Germany But when the French Troops began to approach the Frontiers of Brandenburgh these Princes were foon brought to a compliance and shew'd as much eagerness for the Peace as they had shewn aversion against it before The King of Sweden received full satisfaction they being obliged to restore all that had been taken from that Crown without any other Equivalent but a good Sum of Money which was paid them by our King It will without all question appear surprizing and perhaps past belief to Posterity how France should have been strong enough to withstand so many Enemies at one time and that after they had been vanquish'd
inhabited by the last and that a good number of Prudent and Zealous Missionaries should be sent among them who by their Instructions and good Examples might bring back these lost Sheep to the Sheep-fold To back their Zeal and Endeavours by his Royal Authority he promised ample Rewards Honours and Privileges to such of his Subjects as would return into the bosom of the Church and to punish those that remain'd obstinate he not only excluded them from his Household and all other employments of Honour or Profit but order'd also that Soldiers should be quarter'd in their Houses till such time that they might be prevail'd upon to change their Opinion In such a case as this it is not sufficient to give good and wholesome Instructions there being a certain benummedness as it may be said in Mankind which oweing its Off-spring to a long Custom makes them look with too much indifferency after the means of their Salvation unless they be spurr'd on by fear Most Men are so prepossessed with prejudices especially if degenerated into a habit of carelesness that they think it scarce ever worth their while to make a due search after Truth unless they be forc'd thereunto by the apprehensions of danger and the desire of living in quiet The King order'd all the Courts of Justice erected by vertue of the Edict of Nantes to be abolish'd and in lieu of them made several Laws in favour of the Catholick Religion which debarr'd them from that pernicious liberty of abjuring the true Religion and those of the Protestants who had embrac'd it to return to their former Errors and Heresie under severe punishments to shut up all such Churches as receive them and to forbid the Ministerial Function to their Preachers But these were too fond of maintaining and encouraging their Faction to give ear to the King's Commands who to punish their disobedience order'd many of their Churches to be pull'd down and laid level with the ground especially in such places where the had exercis'd their Divine Worship contrary even to those Edicts which were made in their behalf It is in this place that with all the reason in the World may be apply'd this saying That there are certain Truths which appear so little probable that they resemble more a Fable than Truth it self Will it not appear incredible to Posterity when they shall read that we have seen in our times so strong a Faction dwindle away to nothing without any violence or commotion For in four or five Years time whole Cities were re-united to the Obedience of the Church who had this comfort to see by the conduct of her eldest Son Two Millions of her Children return into her Bosom Thus the King in the Year 1685 on the 22th of October annull'd the Edicts of Nantes and Nismes their Churches were all laid level with the Ground their Ministers banish'd the Kingdom and Calvinism was entirely rooted out without the least commotion As by these so many and great Actions the love which the People bore to the King encreased more and more every Day so it is scarce to be express'd with what a general consternation the whole Kingdom was seiz'd when about a Year after his Life was in danger For seven or eighth Months before In Decem. 1678. he had been much out of order having at several times been seized either with a Fever or some other Distemper till at last it breaking out into an Ulcer an incision was judg'd the only remedy against the Evil which being applied accordingly prov'd so dangerous that he could not possibly have escaped with his Life if the Fever had return'd But the cause of it is attributed by many to the excess of fear which seizes the faint hearted Patient in such an operation so the King having born it without the least commotion he scarce found any alteration having receiv'd the visits of many the same Day appear'd in Council the next and during the whole time he was afflicted with this Evil which lasted above five Weeks he manag'd all State-Affairs and dispatch'd his Orders with the same activity as he was us'd to do before As long as he was judg'd to be in danger the whole Kingdom offer'd up their Vows for his recovery Nothing was more frequent than to see the Handycrafts Men leave their Employments and to run in prodigious numbers to the Churches which were always full from Morning till Night the People flocking in vast numbers to Pray for the King's Health But as they had given most evident proofs of their sorrow and grief hitherto so they strove to out-do one another in their demonstrations of Joy at his Recovery the rejoycings made upon this Occasion being risen to that degree of extravagancy that it was judged convenient to put a stop to them by publick Authority But if his recovery fill'd all his Subjects with joy and satisfaction his Enemies jealous of his greatness were the more surprised when they found themselves deceiv'd in their expectation It was above a Year since the Prince of Orange the Ministers of the Emperor and the Duke of Neuburgh had fomented the jealousie which the other Princes of Europe had conceived at our King's Prosperity The Duke of Neuburgh especially being a very active Prince and a great Politician who never miss'd the least opportunity of promoting his own Interests had made many Cabals against France especially in Germany and Spain where by his perswasions he animated these Princes to enter into a League against us insinuating to them the danger that threatned them smâ—e the conclusion of the Truce made at Ratisbonne in the Year 1684 which he represented to them more disgraceful than the Peace it self made at Nimeguen and that therefore it would be more for their Interest to take up Arms for the recovery of their Losses and Reputation an open War being less dangerous than to suffer France to bid defiance to them in the midst of Peace that they could scarce hope for a more favourable juncture than this the present greatness of France being owing to their King whose health being now impaired to that degree as not to be able to get on Horseback and to animate his Subjects by his Presence These insinuations and intrigues were at last so prevailing that in the Year 1686 in July an Alliance was concluded at Augsburgh against France betwixt the Emperor the King of Spain the States-General of the United Provinces the Elector Palatin and the Electors of Brandenburgh and Saxony many Catholick and generally all the Protestant Princes of Germany After the taking of Luxemburgh and the conclusion of the Truce the King had shewn more inclinâ—… than ever to maintain the Peace of Christendom he had let the Emperor gain several Battles and Conquer a whole Kingdom without any opposition or making the least Diversion which might in all probability have prevented the Imperialists from extending their Conquests and ruining the Ottoman Empire which seem'd at that time to
the reputation and strength of the whole Confederacy that the same appear'd terrible in the Eyes of all the World except to our King who was so far from being terrify'd by this unhappy conjuncture that by his indefatigable care and activity he surmounted all these difficulties which afterwards serv'd only as an Augmentation of his Glory He receiv'd the King of England with all the imaginable testimonies of generosity and demonstrations of honour and respect alloting both to the King and the Queen his Spouse a sufficient allowance to keep a most magnificent Court and shewing a great readiness upon all occasions to satisfie them in any thing they could desire and to find out means to afford tâ—em seasonable comfort in their affliction A great part of the Kingdom of Ireland remaining as yet stedfast in the Interest of their King our King without any delay French Forces sent into Ireland sent thither a good number of Troops in the Year 1689 with a sufficient quantity of Arms Ammunition and other necessaries The King of England having put himself at the head of these Troops in conjunction with the Irish Forces that had taken up Arms for him he advanc'd against the Enemy with indifferent success there happening nothing of moment all that Campaign as there was no great action in other parts the Prince of Orange King William III. judging it more for his advantage at that time to establish himself in England by his Presence and our King having taken a resolution to be upon the defensive this Campaign the better to enable himself to send more powerful Supplies into Ireland and to try whether perhaps by some means or other the Confederacy would not dissolve it self against the next Campaign It is easie to be imagin'd that among Princes of so many different Inclinations and Interests the War is generally not carry'd on with the same Vigour as it is undertaken there being frequent Examples that the strictest Alliances have been broken with as much ease as they were made For near the Alps there scarce appear'd any Armies in the Field The Duke of Noailles took Campredon in Catalonia which was demolish'd quickly after The Armies in Flanders did nothing but look upon one another there having been scarce any Action there abouts all that Summer but the Assault made upon Wall-Court This being a place of small defence the Marshal d'Humiers thought to have carri'd it by Storm without making a Breach but the Euemies who were retir'd before the Marshal having posted themselves upon some eminencies behind the Town so as to keep a communication with one of the Gates they sent from time to time as many fresh Forces as were requisite to defend the Place so that the Marshal was repuls'd with the loss of five hundred Men killed and wounded among whom were thirty or forty Officers and many brave Volunteers who paid with their lives for the mistake of the Marshal who had been misguided by his Spies The Allies Forces near the Rhine consisted of threescore and ten thousand Men divided into three several Bodies under the Command of Prince Charles of Lorrain and the Electors of Bavaria Saxony and Brandenburgh To prevent the Enemies taking up Winter-Quarters too near our Frontiers we were oblig'd to ravage all the Country of Wirtemberg and the whole Palatinate and to lay all desolate as far as Strasburgh The Cities of Spires and Worms were laid in ashes and all the other Places thereabouts of which we had taken possession the Year before were demolish'd except Mayence Bonn Philipsburgh and Keyserwaerth the last of which being a small Town of little strength upon the Rhine was by Frederic II. Elector of Brandenburgh Son to the Famous Frederic William who died in May in the Year 1688 taken in four or five Days The City of Mayence was Besieg'd by the Imperialists Siege of Mayence under the Command of Prince Charles of Lorrain the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony who joyn'd their Forces with the others This Place was the Year before when the Elector of the same name receiv'd a French Garrison into the Town so inconsiderable in its Fortifications that tho' a great number of Workmen were employ'd all the Winter long to put them in a state of defence they could scarce bring the Out-works to perfection It s chiefest strength at that time consisted in a good Garrison of nine or ten thousand Men all resolute brave fellows who unanimously resolv'd to hold it out to the last extremity If it was Attack'd with all imaginable Vigour there has not been a Place in the memory of Men defended with more bravery In forty eight days after opening of the Trenches the Besiegers had only made one Lodgment upon the utmost point of the Counterscarp The Besieg'd made frequent Sallies at Noon-day with their Colours flying and Drums beating sometimes three or four times in one Day within two hours of one another They marched out sometimes with a Body of two or three thousand Men in order of Battel engag'd the Enemy cut in pieces those that guarded the Trenches nail'd up their Cannons fill'd up their Works and once drove the Enemies back at such a distance from the Place that their main Horse-guard took Post at the very Head of their Trenches The Confederates having often felt the effects of the desperate resolution of the Besieg'd resolv'd to Attack and carry the Counterscarp let it cost what it would Pursuant to this resolution all their Batteries play'd most furiously by break of Day and thus continu'd till by the throwing of certain Bombs the Signal was given for the Assault In a few moments you might have seen the Ground cover'd with dead Carcasses the Cannon of the Besieg'd their Hand-Grenadoes and Bombs their Fire-Arms but especially their Swords made such havock among the Enemy as is rather to be conceiv'd than to be express'd The Assault lasted five Hours when the Besieg'dbeing at last over-power'd by the great number of their Enemies who without intermission seconded their Men with fresh Troops were forc'd to give way and to leave them Masters of the Counterscarp but with the loss of four thousand Men on the Confederate side The Besieg'd having besides this lost during the Assault all their Ammunition by a Bomb which blew up their Magazin they offer'd to try the next Day to regain the Counterscarp with their Swords in Hand but the Marquis d'Uxelles their Governor being unwilling to Sacrifice so many brave Fellows in the attempt beat a Parley and the Allies being not backward in granting him very Honourable Conditions the Garrison march'd out of the Place with their Colours flying and six pieces of Cannon Whilst they were busied in the Siege of Mayence the Elector of Brandenburgh Siege of Bonn. who commanded a separate Body Invested Bonn. The Place was batter'd for two Months together with an Artillery of an hundred pieces of Cannon and most of their Houses and some of their Out-Works were laid
had leisure given them to put themselves in a posture to receive them It is in vain to chose ones time unless it be improved to the best advantage For in the mean time the Duke of Luxemburgh order'd his best Battallions to advance with all speed who being posted where the Enemy must Attack us sustained by the Troops of the King's Houshold and these again by several other Bodies of Horse The Pass was so narrow that not being able to extend our Lines in Front we were forced to double them For the first two hours they fir'd most terribly on both Sides the Battallions advancing so near that they discharged their Musquets cross one another The Enemy fir'd more briskly than we for some time they got Ground of us and made themselves Masters of four of our Pieces of Cannon but the French perceiving that their Musquets were not likely to do the Work threw them down and being led only by their Officers but esspecially by the Princes the Duke of Chartres the Duke of Bourbon the Prince of Conty Duke de Maine and others charged the Enemy with their Swords in hand so furiously that they forced them to retreat many of whom were cut in pieces the rest saving themselves in an adjacent Wood. They were pursued for an hour after and the Field of Battle for a League together was covered all over with dead Carcasses which in some places lay six Foot high upon one another This Victory cost us two or three Thousand of our best Men among whom were many Persons of Merit and Quality especially the Prince of Turenue eldest Son to the Duke of Bovillon who died the day after the Battle of his Wounds The loss of the Enemy amounted to nine Thousand kill'd upon the spot and as many wounded We took nine Colours and ten pieces of Cannon but only thirteen hundred Prisoners the English refusing to ask Quarter It was much about the same time that the Duke of Savoy made an Irruption into the higher Dauphine The Duke of Savoy invades France in August where he lost abundance of his Men without striking a stroke The Confederates had for a considerable time before formed a Project of entring Dauphine and Provence flattering themselves with hopes that the new Converts would revolt and join them from all Parts of France To put their so long projected Design in execution the Governour of Milan and the Imperial General Caprara joined with their Troops the Duke of Savoy They carried along with them Arms for thirty Thousand Men and were provided with Ministers who in all places through which they passed endeavoured in their Sermons to sow the Seed of Rebellion and Calvinism among the People But they found themselves entirely mistaken in their Expectation the new Catholicks being so far from shewing the least Inclination for a Revolt that they were the most forward upon all Occasions to do what Mischief they could to the Enemy by drawing them into Ambushes and killing without Mercy all such as they met with stragling or otherwise detach'd from their main Body This was the Reason why the Confederates made but little Progress and their proposed Conquest turn'd to a very slender Account They took Guillestre in three days Ambrun held out six Gap being only provided with ten Men to keep the Gates receiv'd them without the least Resistance Guillestre is at present no more than a Country Town without any other Defence but two old ruin'd Bastions Ambrun is indeed a small City but defended only by a single Wall But the Besieged supplying the defect of their Fortifications by their own Courage defended the Place so well that the Enemies nemies were not Masters of it but with the Loss of above fisteen hundred Men. Thus ended this Expedition of the Duke of Savoy who being faln ill and finding his Army considerably diminished by Sickness and Fatigues repassed the Alpes carrying no other Spoils along with him but the Bells of Ambrun and Gap In the same Month the Marshal de Lorge obtained a Victory over six thousand German Horse in the Country of Wirtembergh if the Pursuit of a flying Enemy vanquish'd without effusion of Blood may be dignified with that Name For no sooner did the German Horse perceive the Vant. Guard of the King's Army but they betook themselves to flight The Germans routed near Phortzheim towards the latter end of August nine hundred of them were kill'd in the pursuit and six hundred taken Prisoners among the last was the Duke of Wirtembergh who commanded this Body in Chief The City Phortsheim was taken the next day by our Forces where they had laid up all their Provisions for the rest of the Compaign The Landgrave of Hesse was at that time taken up with the Siege of Eberenburgh a small Place fortified by the French for the conveniency of their Magazines but as soon as he received the News of this Defeat and the approach of the Marshal de Lorge in order to relieve the place he raised the Siege with so much precipitation that they left behind them some of the Cannon with all their Ammunition and all other Necessaries belonging to a Siege Most people were of Opinion that these frequent Distasters would have both exhausted the Strength and Hatred of the Confederates but flattering themselves with these vain hopes Campaign of 1692. that these Conquests would at last turn to the destruction of France they resolved to abate nothing of their Resolution in vigourously prosecuting the War and remaining steadfast in the Confederacy especially since the Prince of Orange K. William III. did not cease to insinuate to them by his Ministers that this was the only way left for their mutual Preservation since if they were not able when joyn'd together to ballance the Power and Success of our King's Arms it would be no difficult Task for him to vanquish them singly whenever he should take a Resolution to dispossess them of their Estates after the breaking of the League Both sides therefore made all imaginable Preparations to prosecute the War with more vigour than ever The Confederates to defend themselves against the Power of France our King to attack them afresh in the next Campaign This Campaign was opened in Flanders in the Month of January Furnes taken by the taking of Furnes its Garrison consisted of four thousand English and the Elector of Bavaria made all the necessary Preparations to Relieve it but it was surrendred in fifteen Hours being a Place of great Consequence to us to cover our Frontiers and to disappoint the Confederates in their Design of Besieging Dunkirk The Prince of Orange K. William III. had at several times promised the Allies to make a Descent in France which he now being resolved to put in Execution ordered a Fleet to be Equipp'd for that purpose provided with a good number of Flat-bottom'd Vessels for the Conveniency of Landing his Forces which were drawn together near the Sea-side opposite to
the French shoar The King being not ignorant of this Design to encourage his Subjects and take all necessary Precautions the King ordered a good Army to serve as a Guard of his Sea-Costs under the Command of his only Brother the Duke of Orleance The precaution as it was founded upon a sure Maxim of Prudence so it prov'd useless in its Consequence For all these vast Preparations and Threats vanished into Smoak the Troops design'd for this pretended Expedition being sent into Flanders which was only made use of to oblige our King to remove part of his Forces from the Frontiers to defend his own Coasts But this Amusement which was not carried on without vast Expences turn'd but to a very slender Account on the Enemies side without reaping any other Advantage by it than to Alarm our Sea-Coasts with the danger of an Invasion which being soon vanished the People took fresh Courage and were prepared to encounter it with less Surprize for the future For the King was so far from shewing the least Fear upon this Occasion that he attack'd the Enemies with new Vigour on all sides The Marshal de Noailles besieged Roses in Catalonia which place Roses taken tho' considerable for its Strength he took in eight days after opening of the Trenches to wit on the 29th of July Smyrna Fleet intercepted by Tourville The Marshal de Tourville was ordered towards the Streights to intercept the Smyrna Fleet of the English and Dutch of which he on the 29th of June betwixt Cadiz and the Bay of Lagos took burnt and sunk above fourscore Merchant men The rest were dispersed and the Squadron of Men of War which serv'd for a Convoy made the best of their Way towards the English Coast For many Years before neither of these two Nations had received such a Check in their Trade their Loss being esteem'd at thirty Millions of Livres In the beginning of this Spring our King appearing in Person in Flanders it was the general Rumour that he aim'd at Liege but after having given his final Orders concerning the Operation of the Campaign and detach'd near thirty thousand Men under the Command of the Dauphin to reinforce his Army near the Rhine he return'd into France The Mashal de Lorge had in the Month of May Heidelbergh taken and rased by the French made himself Master of Heidelbergh the Capital City of the whole Palatinate before the Enemy could march to its Relief and after having rased the Fortifications both of the City and Castle was marched directly against the Prince of Baden who Commanded the Confederate Army on that side and at the approach of the Marshal retreated before him but after the arrival of the Dauphin with the beforementioned Detachment he entrenched himself strongly at a Pass which he knew impossible to be forced chusing rather to undergo the Inconveniencies of Famine and many Distempers which afflicted his Troops in these inaccessible Places than to hazard a Battle or to decamp before the Dauphin for fear he should force him to come to an Engagement The Prince of Orange K. William III. did not entrench himself but kept the open Field in Flanders yet so as to avoid all Occasions of Fighting The Duke of Luxenburgh who had positive Orders from the King to engage him fained to march towards Liege to attack the Lines and Redoubts which surround that great City This succeeded according to expectation for the Confederate Army advancing near to the Duke to be ready to succour the City the Duke marched directly towards them and arrived in sight of their Camp about six or seven a Clock at Night The Prince of Orange K. William III. was not a little surprised at the suddenness of his March but finding himself under a Necessity to stand an Engagement the next Day he improv'd those few Hours he had to his best Advantage in putting his Troops in Order of Battle raising Batteries in convenient Places in fixing Pallisadoes at the Avenues leading to his Camp he caused two Villages which covered his Right and Left to be Fortified and lin'd the Houses and circumjacent Hedges with his best Infantry and strengthned his Front which reached to and took up all the Ground betwixt these two Villages He employed a great number of Pioneers all the Night long in making a Ditch six Foot broad and three quarters of a League long strengthned without with good Pallisadoes and defended within by a good Line and Redoubts upon which were mounted near a hundred pieces of Cannon The main Body stood behind this Entrenchment sustained by the Cavalry which was posted behind them in two Lines They were the finest Troops that could be seen On the other hand is it possible to imagine that our Soldiers could be so courageous or rather Fool-hardy enough to attempt the attacking of sixty thousand brave Men guarded by such strong Entrenchments The great Artillery began to play at break of Day Battle of Neerwinden 29. July on both sides without intermission till four a Clock in the Afternoon That of the Enemies did great Execution among us being placed upon an Eminency which commanded the Plain The oldest Officers did acknowledge never to have seen Cannon to play with so much Fury and at so little a distance for so long a time together which at a distance resembled more a Sea-Engagement than a Field-Battle The Enemies fired more frequently than we and their Artillery did much more Execution so that this Victory must be meerly ascribed to the invincible Courage of our Soldiery and it must be acknowledged that Philip Duke de Chartres the Duke of Bourbon and de Maine the Prince of Conty and the Count de Thoulouse had a great share in the Success of this Day There was not a Battallion in both the Army 's but what was Engaged in the Battle but the chief Attack was at a Village call'd Neerwinden which covered the Right Wing This Village was taken and retaken twice with great Slaughter till at last our Troops having maintained and strengthned themselves in this Post they entred the Plain and attacked the Enemy both in Front and Flank who received us very Courageously especially the English in the main Body who Charged six times with incredible Bravery but their Cavalry being brought into Confusion and drove into a River the whole Army begun to disperse and to quit the Field by whole Troops and Companies leaving the Victorious Enemy Master of the Field with threescore and sixteen pieces of Cannon eight Mortars nine Patteroons twelve pair of Kettle-Drums abundance of Arms threescore Standards two and twenty Colours and above two thousand Prisoners among whom were two hundred Officers The French lost above three thousand Men killed and four thousand wounded The Loss of the Enemy amounted to near twenty thousand Men both in the Engagement and Flight there being a great number drown'd in endeavouring to Ford the River which for a considerable time after was rendred
passable by the Bridges made by the dead Carcasses of Men and Horses This vast Army was dispersed in such a manner that they could not get together in a Body again till six days after when being reinforced with fresh Troops and especially with the Detachment commanded by the Prince of Wirtembergh they appear'd again in the Field It is to be taken notice of here that since the beginning of this War our King had ordered certain Lines or Entrenchments to be made from Mabeuge to the Sea-side to serve as a Barricado to cover his Conquests on that side The Duke of Wirtembergh having been detached from the main Army with a Body three times stronger than the French that guarded these Lines to attack them had forced these Entrenchments and was just then preparing to ravage the Country when receiving the News of this Defeat he was forced to turn back in order to join with all speed the Prince of Orange King William III. Within two Months after Victory of Marsaglia the 4 October the Marshal de Catinat obtained another no less compleat but less bloody Victory over the Confederate Army in Italy under the Command of the Duke of Savoy The said Marshal's Army had hitherto been much inferior in Number to the Allies which was the Reason that he had not undertaken any thing of moment but only to observe the Enemies Motions and to harress them with Marches and Countermarches The Duke and Spaniards willing to improve this Opportunity resolved to besiege Pignerol but being discouraged by the Resistance they met with in the Taking of St. Brigitt which being built but a Year before at some distance from the Town commanded the chief Avenues leading to it and had held out fifteen days before it was taken they altered their Resolutions contenting themselves with throwing a vast number of Bombs and red hot Bullets into the Place Whilst they were flattering themselves with the hopes of either reducing or destroying the City of Pignerol by Fire Messengers after Messengers came to bring the sad News to the Duke of Savoy that not only the French had burnt one of his Country Houses but that also the Marshal de Catinat having received a Considerable Reinforcement had made himself Master of the Plains The Duke immediately directing his March towards those Plains he was met by the Marshal The Battle began about nine a Clock in the Forenoon the right Wing of the Enemy was brought into confusion at the first Encounter the left follow'd not long after the Example of the right Wing yet they Rallyed and return'd to the Charge twice or thrice but without any great Effect for their Cavalry being entirely routed the rest were cut to pieces except those who saved themselves by flight and to fly with the less Inconveniency threw away their Arms enough to Arm sixteen thousand Men. The flying Enemy were pursued to the very Gates of Turin the whole Plain being covered with dead Carcasses and in some places with entire Battallions especially of the Spaniards and Hugonots The Enemies lost nine thousand Men in this Engagement besides two thousand taken Prisoners a hundred Colours forty five Standards and thirty four pieces of Cannon We had twelve or fifteen hundred killed and wounded on our side The Gens d'Arms behaved themselves to a miracle Our Infantry fought with their Bayonets in their Fuszees and Sword in hand After the Loss of this Battle the Duke being reinforced with the German Troops that block'd up Casal yet durst not appear in the Field so that the Marshal de Catinat without opposition over-run all the flat Country and carried away a prodigious quantity of Provision The King received the News of this Victory and of the Surrender of Charleroy in one day This place is situate betwixt Mons and Namur and was besieged in November when the Prince of Orange K. William III. was just ready to pass over into England Siege of Charleroy but upon the News of this Siege return'd into Flanders and advanced with an Army as far as Brussels but did not attempt the Relief of the Place which tho' considerable for its strength was forced to surrender in six and twenty days About the end of the same Month English Expedition against St. Malo an English Squadron was sent towards St. Malo to attempt the destruction of that Place not so much by their Bombs as a certain Engine by which they hoped to blow up that City or to lay it in Ashes This Engine was a three Deck'd-Ship of about four hundred Tuns lined and vaulted within with Brick-Work Betwixt each of these Decks there were placed many Barrels with Gun-powder mixt with a certain Composition of Tarr Pitch and Rosin a great number of Bombs Carcasses and other Casks fill'd with all sorts of Combustible Matter It was a fair and clear Night very calm and Spring-tide when this infernal Engine came swimming up with the Tide but by good Fortune was forced upon a Rock within Pistol-shot of the Walls of the City The Engineer who had the management of this Vessel perceiving that she took Water was so over-hasty in setting her on Fire that both He and his Attendants were blown up in the same moment before they had time to get out of reach The springing of this Engine made a most dreadful Noise and shook all the circumjacent Ground for three or four Leagues The whole City felt a most violent Confusion and in a moment all the Streets were covered with Slates and Tyles which like a Shower of Hail powred down from the tops of the Houses This was the whole Loss sustained by this dreadful Engine which carried along with it more Terror than Damage there being not one House in the whole City that receiv'd any further Damage neither was there one single Person kill'd or wounded For the Powder having taken vent and being besides that spoil'd by the Water did not answer the pretended Effect in throwing the Bombs and Barrels full of Combustible Matter into the Air. At low Water near seven hundred Bombs were taken up from the Sands and abundance of Powder out of the Wrack of the Vessel We could scarce have wish'd for a more prosperous Campaign on our side than the last Campaign in 1694. but as there is no human Felicity without some mixture of Adversity so when the State suffers within all its outward Prosperity appears to be but superficial I say we could not have wished for a more glorious Campaign if a general Scarcity had not almost ruined several Provinces in the Kingdom but especially the City of Paris with the circumjacent Parts France is a very fertile Country abounding especially in Wheat so as to be able to furnish its Neighbours with a considerable Quantity of this useful Commodity which for several years before had been so cheap that the common People liv'd easie enough tho' by reason of the long War and the decay of Trade there was but slender Gain
the rest of the Confederates to follow his Example Accordingly the Peace was Sign'd with Spain England and Holland on the twentieth day of September and with Germany about six Weeks after Among other Conditions Peace Concluded one was either did propose to the Emperour one was either to keep Strasburgh and to give an Equivalent or else to keep the Equivalent and to restore Strasburgh and that in case the Empire did not within a certain limited Time accept of the Equivalent he would be at his own Liberty to alter the whole Conditions of the Peace The Imperial Cities opposed the Session of Strasburgh and were seconded by most of the Electors who knowing that the Places offered as an Equivalent for Strasburgh must be surrendred into the Emperour's hands were not a Iâ—tâ—le Jealous of this increase of his Power The Circles of Suabia and the Vpper Rhine made their Complaints against it alledging that if our King was left in the possession of Strasburgh they would be forced to keep even in time of Peace a good number of Troops on Foot for their defence against so Potent a Neighbour Whilst these Contests were in agitation in the Empire our King at the Intercession of the Prince of Orange K. William III. granted a further delay that by the Interposition of the said Prince and the Hollanders the Germans might be prevail'd upon to grant the absolute Possession of Strasburgh to him They succeeded so well in this Negotiation that at last this Famous City which had been so long the main obstacle of the Peace was at last surrendred for ever to France Our King restored to Spain all that had been taken from them since the Conclusion of the Peace of Nimeghen The young Duke of Lorrain was restored to his Estate under certain Conditions The Elector of Treves put again into possession of his Capital City of the same Name And to remove for the future all Pretences of Contest betwixt the Empire and France it was agreed that the Rhine should be the common Boundary betwixt these two Nations That France was to remain in Possession of what they had Conquer'd on the other side of this River and to restore or demolish all Places on this side King James II. K. Will. a knowledged as King by France having several times requested our King not to delay any time to put a happy Conclusion to he General Peace of Europe in respect of his particular Interest William III. Prince of Orange was acknowledg'd King of Great Britain by the French Plenipotentiaries Let us trace the most authentick Monuments of Time Let us view the most antient Histories of all Nations to be convinced whether they can furnish us with an Example parallel to the Greatness of our King Will not Posterity stand amazed when they Read that there has been a King in France who alone for ten years together has been powerful enough to carry on a War against so many and great Enemies with such Success France never was fensible of its own Strength till now but it must be confess'd that it is owing to the Conduct of their Prince who knows how to improve it to the best Advantage FINIS ERRATA ' s. PAge 2. for of famous Victories read of two famous Victories p. 3 f. revived r. revive p. 6. f. Clove r. Clou. p. 8. f. Command r. Commands p. 22. f. real Esteem r. so real an Esteem p. 27. f. this Trust r. his Trust p. 57. f. Eruption r. Irruption p. 59. f. into to r. into f. Justice on the Just r. Justice on account of the Just. ibid. on the Dutchy r. upon the Dutchy p. 61. f. but besides the r. but the. p. 70. f. that his r. that by his ibid. f. received r. revived p. 80. f. having a disgust r. having taken a disgust p. 83. f. adjudging r. as judging p. 99. f. hazard r. hazards p. 112. inst of where r. wherein p. inst of Flanders and Spain r. Flanders in Spain p. 118. inst of the Inner Guard r. Rear-Guard p. 121. f. and buries r. and to bury p. 123. f. so strong r. too p. 124. f. to their Charge r. to the Charge p. 126. inst of Port r. Post p. 135. inst of Count Calva r. Count Calvo p. 147. f. himself a brave r. himself as a brave p. 152. f. small and troublesome r. cruel and troublesome p. 156. f. of Glacis and Counter sharp r. Glacis of the Countersharp p. 159. f. some new time r. new ones p. 171. f. Nimiguen r. Nimheguen p. 174. f. whilst they pretended r. whilst others pretended ib. f. Ports r. Parts p. 175. f. Irreconciliable r. Amicable p. 176. f. to Generosity r. of Generosity p. 180. f. to the Souvereign r. to Sovereigns p. 181. f. by King and Council r. by the King and his Council ibid. f. pointed Contests r Point in Contest p. 182. f. which is r. such is p. 187. f. Bishops the r. Bishops and when the. p. 189. f. violent must r. violent means p. 192. f. But the r. But as the. p. 295. f. of the Decision to the Pope r. to the Decision of the Pope p. 197. f. and been read r. and having been ibid. f. not forced r. not only forced ibid. f. giving r. given p. 199. f. this r. his p. 214. f. Wall-court r. Wallcour p. 249. f. Patteroons r. Pontroons p. 252. f. Confusion r. Concussion p. 260. f. was so r. was not come so p. 261. f. Genove r. Genova ib. f. Forest r. Brest p. 262. f. were great r. were no great p. 267. f. Cardaign r. Sardaign p. 268. f. Men with r. Men flush'd with ib. f. that their Enterprizes r. that Enterprizes p. 273. f. or of Prince r. or Prince p. 276. f. who also r. who at p. 279. f. Cologne r. St. Olonne p. 281. f. all common Cattle r. all the Cattle p. 284. f. all that r. at that p. 294. f. actually r. coually ibid. f. Coll. Johnson r. Cardinal Johnson p. 294 f. till he had r. till they had ibid. f. Malehoor r. Melchior p. 302. f. Forts r. Ports p. 302. f. as chiefly r. chiefly