Selected quad for the lemma: country_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A62267
|
An impartial relation of all the transactions between the army of the confederates and that of the French king in their last summers campaign in Flanders, with a more particular respect to the battle of Fleury the character of the generals and the reasons of that most unhappy miscarriage : with a list of the great officers slain : also observations on the grand consultations at the Hague ... by W. Sawle ...
|
Sawle, William, b. 1654 or 5.
|
1691
(1691)
|
Wing S783; ESTC R17139
|
19,531
|
34
|
An Impartial Relation of All the Transactions BETWEEN THE Army of the Confederates And That of the French King In their Last Summers Campaign in Flanders With a more particular Respect to the Battle of Fleury The Character of the Generals and the Reasons of that most unhappy Miscarriage With a List of the Great Officers Slain Also Observations on the grand Consultations at the Hague and the New Measures that are taking for the Opening the ensuing Campaign compared with Those of the Last To which are added Brief Instructions and Encouragement to those English Gentlemen that are going over to Serve in the approaching Campaign Also A short Description of the Spanish Netherlands By W. Sawle Chaplain to One of Their Majesties Regments in Flanders Licensed JAMES FRASER And Entred LONDON Printed And are to be Sold by Randal Taylor at the Stationers-Arms 1691. The PREFACE I Never did design that these Papers of mine should be made Publick or be put into the Press They were only Written for the Private Satisfaction of a particular Friend but by his means unknown to me were almost all Printed before I came to understand it However I assure the Reader That this little Pamphlet contains nothing but what was asserted to be True by the best Officers of the Army and what may conduce to encourage the Soldiers of my Country to be Brave against the Common Enemy of the best part of Europe especially of our Nation who was never well Beaten but by the English and which Honour is still I hope reserved for Vs the next Campaign However if the Men of War may not think it worth their while to read it over yet 't is very probable it may afford some Diversion to those who love to be at Quiet at Home and settle Kingdoms over a Dish of Coffee and Beat Armies with a Whiff of Tobacco 'T is not Here in the least my Design nor yet my Capacity to lay open the Faults of the Dutch Cavalry I am almost perswaded those Troopers Man for Man would be too hard for the French And the Saying of a Great Man of War was somewhat severe upon them when he declared That if he had a mind to take a Lease of a Man's Life it should be a Dutch Troopers But I don't doubt but that the last Summers Error will give them more Courage and Skill in This which follows And their a little too hasty Retreat at Fleury will be but as a Recoyl to Rush on upon the French again with greater Violence this Campaign As for the French notwithstanding their outward Boastings and brave Pretences I am sure they are almost at their last Prayers and 't is very hard with them at Home as well as 't is in the Army And notwithstanding their Balls their Masks their Gayeties and Triumphs at Versaile yet Sir Charles Sidley's Speech will reach them There too and that with a Witness viz. That although they seem to look at Court so well in the Face yet the Kingdom in general is Sick at the Heart and though the Courtiers charge those hard Times Arm'd Cap-a-pe yet the poor Countrymen who maintain those Habiliments and can have them are Shot through and through And indeed their Deserters and Refugees which very often come to our Garrisons give a Melancholy Description of the Hardships which their Troops often suffer and would be very well contented to stay with us and take part in our Army but that they can never fashion themselves to live well at ease out of their own Country unless it be at London In a word if there was ever any probability of reducing the French Insolencies it must be now when so many Princes will push so vigorously against them with all their Force this following Campaign And without doubt the Army of Britains which this Year we shall have against them will give them the greatest concern they have met with this long time and I am confident the other Confederate Princes will follow them so close as they will find them to be truly in earnest for the time to come In the mean while let us take notice that Arms and Armies Stores and Arsenals fenced Cities and great Fleets can signifie very little unless Providence shall Bless our Endeavours and there is but one way of obtaining the Aid of the Almighty Arm and that is by Believing in Him with an Obedience to his Will and Holy Laws 'T was an excellent and brave Description which Ovid gives of the Great Hector when he supposes the whole Greek Army to be disordered at his Presence in this Verse Hector adest secumque Deos in Pratia ducit That when Hector came to Battle he had the Gods present with him And truly if so and those were True Gods he had no need to doubt of a Victory for he could not chuse but Conquer So true is that which the Warlike David knew by the best Experience and deeply to be considered by all Christian Soldiers That Blessed are the People whose God is the Lord. A True ACCOUNT of all the Transactions of the last Summers Campaign in the Spanish-Netherlands c. 'T IS none of my business at this time to write the Reasons why so many Princes should be now Armed against the French King Any one who has but little Judgment in Human Affairs or is any way concern'd for the good of his Country must needs know And indeed 't was high time for us of this Nation to take the Alarm and to look to our selves seeing the great Storm which so much threatned others if not timely provided against would fall at last more heavily on us though we seem to be at a greater distance The Emperor the Duke of Savoy the Princes Electors the Princes of Hannover and Lunenburgh the States General the Spanish King and which is more considerable than any one of the rest the King of Great Brittain I say all the Forces of these Princes by Land or Sea have as yet bin so far from making any great Impressions on that one Monarch that he seems as yet to be greater than at first and his Arms thus far have had the Advantage but the first Winners are generally the last Losers And I don't doubt but that their late Braveries and little Successes will be as so many Alarms to awake the Fury of the Confederates and prick them on to early vigorous and pressing undertakings this next Campaign The French indeed are at the beck of one They are very quick and alert for Execution and the great Fortune of their Grand Lewis both open and fraudulent for so long a Time against so many Princes their making War in their Enemies Countries the raising of vast Contributions their burning of Villages and daily Plunders have raised such a Vain-glorious Spirit in their Men of War as to think that nothing can stand before them and that they are as it were born to be Lords of Europe but I am very confident should their
That by Him the Confederate Princes might expect Justice against the Grand Tyrant and by His means a Firm and Happy Peace would be established over all Europe But among the other Blessings which we His Subjects shall enjoy from Him this is not one of the least That as He is a Valiant and Warlike Monarch so he will raise again among us the Ancient Genius of true Brittish Valour which was so very much decay'd to our great Dishonour under the Luxury and Easiness of the Two last Reigns For the Plenty Riches and Fertility of a Kingdom conduce very little to its Security and Honour unless 't is also well stocked with skilful Men of War and a good Soldiery And that Nation hath the best pretence to Riches good Traffique an easie and free Commerce and the most obliging Respects of Forreign States who have the best Swords Now these Two Years of War which we have had in Ireland and Flanders have considerably stocked us with able Officers and have so hardned and emboldned the ordinary Soldiers that they are now pretty well fitted for any difficult or brave Undertaking who first when they were drawn into the Field were fitter to have Nurses to attend them than Officers to Command them And notwithstanding at present the publick Taxes of the Kingdom and the Expences for carrying on the War by Sea and Land are burdensome and heavy to the Subject which indeed are nothing to the Troubles of other Subjects beyond the Sea yet I doubt not but in a short time we shall confine the French King to his proper Bounds force him to seek Terms of Peace at our Will and Discretion have our Religion and Properties firmly and truly settled at Home and a free Trade and Commerce over all the World I come now to give a brief and cursory Description of the Lower Flanders not in a Geographical Sense but as 't is the Seat of War and a Place convenient for the good Living and Subsistance of Soldiers so that those of my Nation who have not yet been Abroad and by the KING are Commanded to serve there in His Army the Next Campaign may not be disheartned or affrighted by the impertinent Tales of unexperienced People concerning the condition of a low-Low-Country Soldier that so they may be encouraged chearfully to go and learn to be Skilful to be Brave and to Conquer in that Place which is the Nursery of Men of War and where Wealth Honour and Glory may be gotten by the Valiant and Victorious The Countries of Brabant of Heynolt of Namur of Flanders are so Pleasant so Fertile so abounding in Corn in Flax in all sorts of Provisions as Beef Mutton Bacon all sorts of Fowls and plenty of Cheese Butter and the like all sorts of good Beer and good cheap Wine that a Man cannot propose to live better or at an easier Rate in the cheapest or fattest County in England than he can in any of those Places so that I may say of it what once the Famous Marschal d' Turene Merrily promised to a Brigade of English who had behaved themselves well in the Army which he Commanded That he would March them to their Winter Quarters through such a Country where they should have fresh Cocks and Hens every day Our Camp can scarce ever be above seven or eight Mile from some fine City or great Town where you may be furnished with all Conveniences that you can honestly desire Where the People are thick well Dressed and well Bred and look so unconcerned as if the noise of War had never come nigh them The Air indeed in the Winter though it lies nigher to the Sun than England is sharp piercing and cold though far drier than ours but this may be born with whil'st we have all Necessaries in a good Garrison But in the Spring and Summer the Season is so Refreshing the Temperature of the Heavens so convenient and wholsome for lying in the Field that bating the hazzard and danger of Battle 't is more pleasant lying in the Camp than in any City Very few Places in those Parts are Rocky or Stony The Soil is of such a Fat and Fertile Nature that it needs no Care or Pains of the Boors to force or to dress it In that Place which by a long Camp is made Desart you shall see the next Year all sorts of Grain in such a flourishing condition as if it had bin kept up by the greatest Art Skill and Industry of the Husbandman When the Season comes they but just turn up the Earth with a Plough and cast in the Seed and they don't doubt of a plentiful Harvest if we don't prevent them And whoever sees this Country and knows it well must needs confess That Providence in some measure is Merciful to the Inhabitants in permiting it to be the Seat of War for else they must needs wallow in too great a Plenty and become the most Wanton and Luxurious of any People under Heaven They confess themselves that if they could have but Three Years Peace out of Seven Years War they should substantially Recruit and be well enough contented And indeed where-ever we March or where-ever we Encamp we have so great a Plenty of Flesh Bread Wine Beer and Fruits or what is desired by the nicest Palate brought after us in such Method and Order and at such Reasonable Prizes that I am sure there could be no such cheap living in King James's Camp on Hounslow-Heath nor Eating or Drinking more wholsome and plentiful 'T is true in this Country every where are abundance of Apples Cherries Green-Peas and the like which our unmanag'd and foolish Soldiers the first Campaign eating greedily and unseasonably were severely punished with Fluxes and Calentures by which a great many of them miserably Perished But now all Officers are obliged by a strict Care to forbid them the Eating of Raw-Fruits and to lay out their Money in good Flesh and Broaths and to warn them daily of the sad Consequences of Intemperate Living So that last Summer our Men held out Brisk Healthy and Vigorous to the last and do live as well if they please with as much Plenty of good Meat and Drink as they can wish or reasonably desire to have in their own Country Moreover in these Countries in Times of War there are often opportunities in which a Soldier may raise himself to a considerable Fortune He that takes care of his Health that lives Neat and Clean that studies his Imployment and is diligent in his Duty lives always easie under his Officers and has their Love and Commendation And if he happens in Service to Survive a Battle or a Siege besides part of the Spoils and Plunder of the Field which may happen to his share he may often have his turn and tower of Spoiling and Moroding in the Country of his Enemy in exacting of Contributions and burning of Villages by which he may often get Purchases Rich and Valuable as is allowed him