Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	ambassador_n	great_a	king_n	1,652	5	3.6391	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35780	The Designs of France against England and Holland discovered, or, The intrigues of that crown for the utter ruine of both those nations, laid open.		1686 (1686)	Wing D1177; ESTC R197	13,358	14

any likelihood of engaging therein with safety and being seconded upon occasion of which indeed there is but little probability as long as affairs shall continue in the condition wherein they are at present This indeed is the thing which of all others France would be very loth to see because the hearty Union of these two Governments would in all probability put a stop to the French Kings undertakings overturn all his designs and put him into an utter incapacity of attempting any thing against the Peace of Nimeguen or the Truce with the Emperor But France carries a watchful eye to prevent this Capital inconvenience and that by an assiduous fomenting and cherishing feuds and animosities between those two Nations and improving every occurrence to this purpose of which we have a fresh instance in the business of Bantam which had been long ago made up but that France who finds it best fishing in troubled waters thinks it more for his Interest that it should remain undertermin'd which is the very reason why it was never made an end of but kept as a reserve for a quarrel upon occasion That there can be nothing so evidently destructive of the French Designs as this Union between England and Holland is very apparent England can when it pleases overturn the projects of France against the Spanish Netherlands neither could that King ever have taken Luxemburg if the late King of England had had the least inclination to oppose him in that attempt but the French King so well knew to take him by the blind side that he did not perceive the mischief till the City was taken It was a Capital Error for England to part with Dunkirk a place that open'd a passage for them to France and the Low Countries but it would make the matter much worse if all those Countries should be fain to submit to the Tyranny of Lewis the Great and he by this means should join Newport and Ostend to Dunkirk for then would Flushing follow by Consequence and that King be put into a condition to dispute the Soveraignty of the Sea with his British Majesty and destroy the Navigation and Commerce of this flourishing Kingdom Having got thus far he would proceed to an entire conquest of the Vnited Provinces which point being once gain'd by him England would have but little reason to flatter it self with the hopes of a better Lot Renowned Queen Elizabeth of happy Memory was so sensible of what is here alledged that she told Monsieur de Sully the French Kings Ambassadour at her Majesties Court that neither France nor England nor any other Prince or State whatsoever ought to lay any claim to the Low Countries and that she would never suffer the King his Master to make the least attempt that way Upon which Monsieur de Sully sent word to his Master Henry the Fourth that notwithstanding the opposite sentiments of the Queen his Majesty might by means of great forces keep his friends within their own bounds and possess himself of such Territories and Cities in the Low Countries as should be necessary to joyn France and the United Provinces wholly and inseparably together which was said he the only way to restore France to its Primitive Grandure and glory and pitch it above the rest of Christendome for if by any means the Provinces of Luxemburg Juliers Mark Mons Aix and Cleves were once Vnited to France there was no doubt but the rest of the Country would be forc'd to follow their example being deprived of all communication and correspondence with the rest of the world Sure it is France has always inclin'd this way since they have observed that they could not compass their design by Italy as the Romans of old which Conquest tho it be the interest of all Princes of Europe to prevent as much as in them lies yet it is evident that these two States who are nearer at hand and can better do it are the most of all concern'd to put a stop to the Progress of the French in the Low Countries which would not fail to be attended with dismal consequences to them as before mention'd As for Spain it is a Body deprived of the use of its Limbs and to which nothing remains but that of its Tongue viz. To pray and entreat its good Friends and Allies not to forsake it But none can do more than England towards the Preservation of the Low Countries and if his British Majesty had not promised to stand still Luxemburg would still be in the State wherein it was formerly and a Bone for France to pick. The French King is so well aware of this that he takes all the care he can to keep the King of England on his side or at least to remain Neuter in case he will not declare himself for him To which purpose he spares nothing neither Presents Pensions nor Arts to keep all safe on that side But alas this Money and those Presents of France are like a Snake hid under Rose-leaves This is a Smiling Lip which hereafter will prove a deadly Sting They are Iron Chains gilded o're to deceive the Eyes of those who now admires what hereafter they will have occasion to lament if they do not betimes discover the Cheat of him who designs to enslave them England subsists by ballancing the Crown of France and Spain and keeping them in equal poise wherefore it must needs be the Interest of that Kingdom by all means possible to prevent the Low Countries from becoming an occasion to the overweight of France lest by this means it should be incapacitated to maintain the Balance of Europe for time to come For if ever by ill Fortune the French King should make himself Master of all the 17 Provinces as 't is his great Aim and may easily be brought to pass if the States be not seconded what condition will England then be in France will be stronger than they at Sea and in the Indies and consequently interrupt their Commerce and Navigation by keeping a great Fleet abroad especially in the Channel so that nothing shall be able to stir out of the English Havens but by their leave and upon the least occasion the total Conquest of England must needs ensue and that without Remedy there being no body in a condition to stave off their final Ruin Moreover the true Interest of England is to keep France low as well to preserve the Dominion of the Sea as to find a favourable occasion to recover those ancient Dominions the French King keeps from them as are the Dukedoms of Britany and Normandy Poictou Languedoc nay France it self for of the Marriage of the King of England with Margaret Daughter to Philip the Fair was born Henry the Fifth King of England who had the same Right to France as the Dauphin has to Spain The Three Sons of King Philip the Fair viz. Lewis Hutin Philip the Tall and Charles the Fair died all without Issue Male And it was not

nothing to prevent it and will do so still as often as the States shall go about to Arm themselves because that would stop the Great Lewis in the full Career of his Conquests and make his Designs to prove abortive I say again that it is the great Concern of Holland not to suffer the Spanish Netherlands to be lost except they desire at the same time to become a prey to the Usurper For how easily will he find an occasion of quarrel with them and if all else fail he will make out his Pretensions and Right to those Provinces for that they formerly belonged to Mary of Burgundy Philip the First Charles the Fift and afterwards to Philip the Second who were without Contest the lawful Possessors thereof and that afterwards rebelling they obtained by force an acknowledgment of their being a free State He will proffer to maintain them in all their Liberties and Priviledges and the free Exercise of their Religion in case they willingly submit to him which if they should hearken to he will by little and little clip their Franchises and remove all Protestants from places of Trust as he has done at home and if they yield not willingly he will attack them with an armed hand as he did in 1672 being sure the Roman Catholick Princes will not oppose him because he has blinded their Eyes with the false pretence of Religion But if the House of Austria be not aware betimes of the Snares he lays for them under these specious Pretexts they will find themselves deceiv'd when it is too late to recall their Inadvertency To return to the Vnited Provinces I say they ought next to God not to rely upon any thing so much as their own Forces and having nothing so much to fear as France they ought to provide and strengthen themselves against his Power chiefly who has for this great while been plotting and contriving their final Overthrow or at least the bringing of them so low as to be forced to depend solely upon and truckle under him It has some time since been observ'd that France has had a strong desire to make Holland listen to the Proposal and Treaty which the Wolf in the Fable made with the Sheep Put away from you said the Wolf to those harmless Creatures your Shepherd and Dog and we will make an Alliance and live in Love and Amity together In like manner says Lewis the Great Dismiss your General and Disband your Old Troops for to what purpose these unnecessary Charges in a time of Peace especially being so well assur'd of our Friendship by the Truce I am engaged in and the word of a King which you may safely rely on that we will live in all Amity and good Correspondence with you But what says the Italian Trust not if thou wouldst not be cheated So that it is still safest for Holland to rely wholly on its own strength and to have always a good Fleet at Sea to serve for Convoy and Cruising besides a Reserve in readiness to join with them in case of need A good Navy may well be call'd the Right hand of that Government being of great use in dispelling many Clouds and ill Designs which France hatcheth against his Neighbours And if ever the States should come to a Resolution continually to keep in Pay a certain Number of Seamen to be ready to be put aboard their Men of War at any time this would produce a double good Effect The first is that the States would always have Men ready at hand upon occasion without the Expence of Trouble and Time in raising them who by their continual Employment would be trained up and well used to the Sea and Naval Conflicts The second is that by this means they would not fail to draw a great number of Seamen from the Neighbouring Coasts continual Pay being no small Encouragement to Mariners to betake themselves to the Service of those that offer it but more especially the States Subjects in Foreign Service would not fail to return to their own Country to enjoy the benefit of being maintain'd all the year round To effect which the States need only to publish a Placaet strictly enjoining all Seamen their Subjects in Foreign Service to return home True indeed it is that the Navy of France will but be little the better for it for I dare affirm they can fit out very few Men of War without putting some Dutch Mariners especially Pilots aboard them as trusting more to their Knowledge and Experience than their own who are oft at a loss in a long Voyage Which good and wholsom Resolution when ever the States shall be please to take you 'l presently see the Spirit of France strangely exasperated and disturb'd and his Ambassador running from one City to another to represent his Master's just Reasons against it But 't is hoped that as the Count d' Avaux has much laid open himself to an obvious discovery by the small Effects his Promises have had hitherto as not being scason'd with the Salt of Truth and Honesty the main thing that keeps up the Credit and Reputation of a Minister in Foreign Countries so he 'l do nothing but catch cold However I cannot deny but the French King is beholden to that Creat Minister for his having inspired a Fondness for France into the minds of several of the States Subjects which their Lordships have no reason to thank him for Besides this France receives no small service from the Jesuits and other Foreign Priests residing in the Vnited Provinces who have Pensions allow'd them to pry into and engage the Inclinations of many there These Spies are in the Prince's Court where they have Friends that serve them on occasion and have the Impudence to boast That they are informed of the very Secrets of the Cabinet How many of this sort of Cattle are there in the States Troops and Garisons who have their Correspondents at the Hague where the General Office of Intelligence is kept as being the Centre of that Government This is a thing that ought to be more narrowly lookt to these Spies being no other but the Emissaries of France who is always restless and spares nothing that may further his Designs I remember that not long since 4 Ducatoons a week were proffer'd a Servant of a Deputy of the State only to report what he heard from his Master at Table or in Conversation with others but the Servant with sharp words rejected the Proffer as became an honest Man This Instance shews that France sets upon People every way and that therefore one had need always to stand upon his Guard to avoid the Blow I have also observ'd that there are another sort of petty Spies that run up and down the chief Towns especially the Hague daily shifting their Ordinaries except they find occasion to stay longer and are in prospect of some advantage to be reap'd there of whom those who are oblig'd to frequent such Houses ought to beware Others intrude themselves into Companies or resort to the Court and go to see the Prince and Princess at Dinner and Supper to hear and see what is said or done there and as soon as they have heard or seen any thing of concern you see them run like Foot boys to the French Ambassador's who for a Reward invites them to stay and eat with him he now entertaining scarce any but such at his Table I could name a dozen of them who to my knowledge are employ'd in this way besides those that do it more secretly and go to the Offering only at Night and through the Stable door Count de Caravas one of these Spies of great Note though in my judgment of as little use was not so cautious who coming from Court would go into the Ambassador's at the Fore-door in the middle of the day to communicate to him his Collections Two persons whom I know to be Jesuits thô in the Garb of Officers resort every day to the Princes Rising Dinner and Supper and continually attend the Court where they have so many Friends or at least so much cunning as to be able to procure their Catholick Friends some Employment who are all Emissaries of France and wholly devoted to the service of that King Others have put themselves to serve even in the Kitchin where such sort of Cattle are very dangerous Therefore I conclude that both the States and Prince of Orange ought in all Respects and at all Times to be very cautious of the wicked and unchristian Maxims and Designs of France the King himself being a false and perjur'd person who under pretence of establishing the Roman Catholick Religion everywhere thô by his wicked Life and breach of Faith he denies all Religion has no other aim but to extend his Dominion to the uttermost Bounds of Europe and to that end destroy first all the Protestant Princes and then the Roman Catholick too that so he may cause himself to be proclaimed not the Emperor of the Romans only but of all Europe and certain it is that nothing can serve him as a Bridge to the Vniversal Monarchy but Holland which from his Versailles he looks upon with a most envious Eye So that the States and People of those Provinces have great reason to mind the advice of our Saviour to the Jews Watch for you know not what hour the Thief will come To which I add Be ready therefore to oppose him when he shall come to break into the House and usurp his Neighbours Territories and be sure to look upon France as a sworn Enemy to Republicks and the Plague and Scourge of all that will not yield their Liberties up to him True it is he sears the States more than he loves them care therefore must be taken to be always in such a condition as may still keep him so and to make him know himself when ever he shall so far forget himself as to meddle with what he has nothing to do All the Remonstrances made by Count d' Avaux as soon as he sees the States putting themselves into a posture of Defence must not be minded as being meerly upon design for we may be sure that Minister would not make them were it not for the promoting of his Masters Interests FINIS