Pity and Mercy On the other side the Devil engag'd himself I. To favour him in all his Designs II. To make him win all the Battles he should fight III. To keep him always in the Love and Favour of his King IV. To cause him to have when he would all manner of Favours of the fairest Ladies V. To make hâ—m Invulnerable And VI. That he should live to the Age of Seventy Five Years But you will say where was Monsieur de Luxemburgh before the Battle of Flerus which made him live again and drew him as we say from the Grave of Silence and Forgetfulness where he had been shut up since the Wars of Holland Nothing was less believ'd than that he was yet in the World and the Opinions were so divided thâ—reupon that wâ— knew not what to believe Some thâ—ught him in â—câ—tland at the Head of the Highlaâ—d Rebels others believ'd him with a Turbet on in â—he Ottoman Army and turn'd into a Grand Vizier and tâ—uly one would have judg'd that the little Genius tâ—ey had the good Fortune and Progress which follow'd the first Campaign that the Infidels made in Hungary was but an effect of his Negromancy it was fear'd also that he had already taught them the greatest Cunning of his Art and Knowledge But others better instructed in the History of his Life and wiser in the Affairs of the times undoubtedly believ'd That the Court of Fraâ—ce or â—ather the Council of the King had thought fit to deliver him to the mercy of Justice to make him an Example as they had donâ— of Bâ—inviliiers as well to appease the People and the Clergy as to satisfie his Majesty's Council of Conâ—cience The Reverend Father la Chaize decâ—ar'd himself a Party against him and fought his death with as much fierceness as one of the ing's Attornies doth that of a Criminal for High Treason So they began already to sacrifice him and all the World thought him just going to finiâ—h his days upon a Scaffold with as much Infamy as his unhappy Father had done before him The Crime then which he was accus'd of had something in it the mâ—st aggâ—avaâ—ing the most crying and the most enormous in the World since they had join'd Poison to Magick Besides the death of the pâ—or Count de Sâ—issons with which he was charg'd cryed aloud to Heaven for Vengeance Others believ'd that the King as angry as â—e seem'd to be against him having made some Reflections on the services that this General had formerly done him in his former Wars was at last pleased to change his sentence of Death into that of Banishment or perpetual Imprisonment There was also a semblance that this last way of punishment was most likely to prevail with him that which his Inquisitors and his Jâ—dges had chose and which they push'd on to the last according to the utmost rigour of Law and practice Be it as it will it is certain and it is the judgment of those who are perfectly acquainted with his History as having always beeen near his Person in the greatest time of his disgrace and who have very wiâ—â—ingly Communicated to us the Memorials which are reported in this small Treatise It is I say certain that Monsieur the Marques de Louvois took his business so strongly to Heart that we may say Monsieur de Luxemburgh doth not only owe him his Liberty but also his Life as well as the new favours which his Majâ—sty Honours him with at present by the Câ—mmand of his Armies which he e'en trusts him with Monsieur de Louvois seeing then that his business was done and that the poor Duke was irreparably lost as he was a wise Minister and penetrating what might hereafter happen he thought that France might yet have occasion of him considering that all the old Generals that were of any Esteem and Reputation began to fail them and that the Duke of Luxemburgh as being the youngest was the only one who remain'd truly Monsieur de Turenne the Prince of Conde and in the last place the Duke of Schomberg had been ravished from the King those by Death and this by the disorders of Religion so very judiciously reflecting that the loss the King lately had of these three Captains was irreparable and that besides France was just a going into such a condition in all likelyhood that she stands in need of all Assistances and Instruments he was throughly convinced that all imaginable Obstacles ought to be remov'd to preserve him He went then to find out his Majesty and told him Sir this is not all your Majesty sees your self at the very point of having all Europe upon your hands and the War which is a going to be kindled will perhaps be the bloodiest that France ever yet felt not only in this Reign but those that preceeded and as your Majesty will have many Enemies to fight with so you will be obliged to have several Armies But Sir that which causes not the least of my disturbances is to see that you have not one General left who has understanding enough and is capable to Command It is true you have yet Lieutenant Genera's enough But for a General in Chief who is a Man of Conduct who has experience and cunning and has been in Battles whether he has won or lost it is no matter which of them for experience makes them Masters I know no Body belongs to your Majesty except Luxemburgh He is the only one who in my opinion seems fit to become a great Captain if he is not so already and consequently in a condition to do you great service I advise then your Majesty to pass over all his faults of which he is accus'd to satisfie nevertheless as much as you can your Councel of Conscience in leaving the Criminal at the Bastile and causing his Tryal under-hand to be delay'd which will flatter the hopes of his Judges and at the same time appease the most inveterate against him who not being able to divine the true cause will tire themselves with talking about it and your Majesty will preserve thereby a Subject who may be serviceable to you in business when it shall be a fit time After this Discourse Monsieur de Louvois observing that his Majesty appear'd half shaken thought that Madam de Maintenon would be of great help to him to push on the business effectually He went then to speak with heâ— and represented to her as he had done to the King the necessity there was to save this General which was lost without recovery if he should be left fifteen days more in the hands of his Judges who would by all extremity mâ—ke him an Example He added that there was no time to be lost that France would one day owe him great Obligations if she would save a Subject who was so dear and so necessary for her which besides the great services he had already render'd the Crown gave yet great hopes for the future
That he was the only one left of so many brave Captains who had Commanded in the former Wars and who having serv'd under Turenne and Conde had learnt by these great Men many fine qualities necessary for the Government and Conduct of an Army which will not be found in the Person of another General Madam de Maintenon who is a true Siren near the King and who sees her self Mistress of the Heart and Will of this Monarch by her flattering Amours was so lively perswaded by the Discourse of Monsieur de Lovois that she immediately espoused the cause and the interest of Monsieur de Luxemburgh and promis'd the Marquis de Louvois to speak to the King the very first visit she made adding withal that she did not doubt but she should obtain the pardon of this unhappy Man and draw him out of his disgrace unless that the Instances and the Intrigues of Father La Chaize and of the Arch-Bishop of Paris should prevail over hers that for him who was the chief of the Clergy of France she had the means in her Hands to appease him but that Father La Chaize would give her a great deal more trouble because this good Father was an Enemy to be fear'd and it was by no means good to have him a party against one that she would endeavour nevertheless to perswade both the one and the other which she also did and Monsieur de Luxemburgh was no less beholding for his liberty to Madam de Maintenon than to Monsieur de Louvois since they equally labour'd for his preservation The King having been thus prepossess'd and the Storm rais'd against him entirely appeas'd the Duke began to hope in Prison to have some more Liberty and to tast some comfort He was no more kept so close up and his Guards began to become more negligent in observing him He was nevertheless kept in the Bastille a long time afâ—erwards by which the Court thought to become Guiltless in the Eyes of the World to the end it might not seem altogether a Connivance and an Authorizing of the Crime by granting liberty to a Criminal whom all the Laws condemn'd to death This was done only to dispose by degrees the People and his Inquisitors to receive with less noise the news of his Release The time being then come that France had occasion for him as the Marquess de Louvois had foretold and the King having experienc'd the first Campaign which was that of 1689. that his Armies were ill govern'd and that they did not Act conformab y to his intention and as he had well enough laid the Scheam that if on the other side his Arms had not had success that year it was not for want of Forces and being seconded and supported by great Armies but rather the fault of the General who was neither undertaking enough nor cunning enough His Majesty having caus'd the Duke of Luemburgh to be call'd would in granting him grace and pardon take occasion from thence to engage him by new favours to be more mindful than ever of his Interests and make that his acknowledment should be a potent inducement to this General to excel above all what he had done well and glorious for the service of his Prince in the former Wars and particularly in that of Holland where he had signaliz'd himself by his Cruelties And as the matter in hand was to give him the Command of the Army in Flanders because it was there where he had the best succeeded if we except the Battle of St. Denis the King wisely thought that he would not fail to make himself quickly talk'd of the Spaniards and the Hollanders to feel new marks of his inhumanity which France wanted above all things to oblige yet tottering Fortune to declare her self for her Arms. It was resolv'd upon utterly to ruin the rest of Spanish Netherlands to the end that he might become Master of them with more ease thereby to force the Hollanders to hearken to new propositions of Peace which is the aim of his Majesty and the design of the Court. Experience shews us then at this day that the Marquess de Lovois was in the right For Monsieur de Luxemburgh strives on his side fully to answer all the expectations of his Benefactor and the hopes he had conceiv'd of him by the signal Services which he renders his Majesty not only in helping him to support the heavy burden of the present War but also in discovering to him a short and abridg'd way to come quickly to a glorious Peace and as he is a Man that abounds in malice and knows sufficiently what is Good and Evil yet he strives to forget that little of Humanity and Christianity which is left him goes on in a full Career with his Sword in his Hand into that Cabal which seeks how to find out Kings and then to assassinate them Here is enough for Monsieur de Luxemburgh let us finish his Chapter and bid him adieu for altogether with putting him in mind that 't is high time for him to set about his Conversion unless he will dye as he has liv'd Let us go on to Monsieur de Chanlais Fourth Actor of this Cabal he keeps himself behind the Hangings feigning as if he had hid himself He does like those that throw a Stone and hide their Arm. But methinks he would do better to acquit himself well of the Charge which he possess in the Army that would be more honourable and more glorious for him than to make here the sorrowful Figure of the Valet of a Hangman in lending his hand to the Assassinates Behold Monsieur Rabenac who walks a pace let us see what he will have to say to justifie himself for having had also a part in so black of an Action He will not fail to say that the overgreat Zeal he had for the Interests of the King his Master did engage him therein What slavery is this That a Minister should engage to commit a detestable Crime before God and Men for nothing but to please his Prince But it may be he will perform his Repentance whilst he is at Rome and ask pardon of God and of the Holy Father for so great a Sin For Messieurs Bidal and Paparal we will put them together to make the balance even because they are truly of the same Metal and the same Weight And if for curiosity one should weigh their malice I do not believe they would either of them want many Scruples to make the Scale even So it is no very strange thing that they have plaid the same part in this Tragedy Good God then have mercy on them As to Mr. Parker an English Offiâ—er we may justly say he follow'd the Councils of his Prince King James who engag'd him to the Party by fair promises of advancing his Fortunes and we may say of him that the Man was not better than the Master so let God give him Peace as the rest But hold
in the World whereas others that are in the Service of other Princes find themselves with all their Ingenuity bauk'd and stopt sometimes in the midst of their Carreer when they are upon a great design by the defect and want of means which should contribute the most to make them succeed But however it be Monsieur de Vauban and de Megrini had orders to be at Versailles to assist at the finishing of this design Monsieur de Megrini who made his ordinary abode at Tournay of which he was Governour departed in all haste to place himself where his Majesties orders had call'd him and arriv'd almost at the same time as Monsieur Catinat did who had taken Post immediately after the taking of Montmellian All was now ready for the opening of the Council and all the Generals his Majesty had pleas'd to call were arriv'd The number yet was but very small the King being in what regards his Council and his Secrets a Prince as circumspect as ever was which is the cause that his Majesty confides in so few persons and that he ordinarily admits none but such as are extremely reserv'd so we we may say it is one of the principal Wheels upon which his great designs and his good fortune moves and that he is come to so many Conquests only by this means and if we say of Mony that it is the Sinew of War we may say also that Silence is the Soul and that by consequence they are both indispensably and absolutely necessary since they make Armies move and march where they think fit making them Victorious and Masters of the most Important Forts of Provinces and also of whole Kingdoms as we have experienc'd in the last Revolution that happen'd in England which we may say was the only time that the French King was deceiv'd for that ordinarily he has so many precautions and also so great a number of Emissaries well paid in all Courts that he keeps in his Pocket so to speak the Key of their Counsels and most secret Resolutions But we may say that the affair of England was miraculous for how else could King William encompass'd round with French Spies as he was in such a place as the Hague where they were seen to walk openly in Troops and with as much confidence and fierceness as if they had been in the midst of Rome or Paris find nevertheless means to hide so great an undertaking to carry it on a whole year and to trust but two Ministers of State with it to wit Pensionary Fagel of happy memory and Monsieur Dickvelt to make all the Preparations and at last to make them appear by the Reduction of three Kingdoms and to save by an undertaking as bold as successfull Europe from Slavery and that in the sight of two mighty Kings his Enemies well Arm'd who stood waiting for him without ever stirring treated him with fool-hardiness and flatter'd themselves with hopes to see him swallow'd up in his enterprize with as much shame and Confusion as the unfortunate Duke of Monmouth was Finally that I may return to my subject the great Council of War which was to be held at Versailles being assembled and all the Generals being there present his Majesty would according to his custom have a particular Conference with each General and for this reason order'd they should enter in order one after another into his Chamber Monsieur Luxemburgh was first call'd as being the greatest Favourite and him in whom his Majesty most confided looking upon him as his greatest support and him who would maintain at present the Honour of the Nation and the Glory of France It will not be alltogether foreign to our purpose before we go any farther to speak a word of the Person of this General We will say then that Monsieur Luxemburgh so much made of and so much esteem'd as now he is ought not to boast to be descended from the Illustrious and ancient House of Luxemburgh which has given so many Emperors to Germany and so many Kings to Hungary and Bohemia neither is he of the posterity of those titular Dukes of Luxemburgh and Piney Princes of Tingry but a Posthumous Son of Francis Lord of Bouteville of the House of Montmoranci who was beheaded at Paris the 21. of June 1627. for having kill'd in cold Blood in a Duel several persons of Quality This happen'd under the Ministry of the Cardinal Richelieu The present Duke of Luxemburgh was then but in the Cradle and the Countess of Bouteville his Mother retir'd her self after this disgrace to one of her Country Houses where she liv'd a Melancholy life till such time as her only Son whom she very tenderly belov'd arriv'd at the seventh year of his age an age in which it was fit to take him from the Hands of Women and put him under the care of Governors capable to give him Education suitable for a Person of Quality By this time Madam de Bouteville judg'd that the Mothers House was a place very unfit for the Education of the young Count and besides being not dissatisfied to find an occasion to shew a part of her Resentment of the shameful Death of her Husband she resolv'd to carry her Son to Court and present him to the King She set out then for Paris without much Equipage and being arriv'd she went the next day to St. Germain and demanded Audience of the King who was then with the Prince and some Lords of the Court They were mightily surpriz'd at the arrival of this Lady who for many years had not appear'd in the World and every one strove to find out the reason of it when she enter'd into the Chamber having her Son in her Hand whom she carried straight to the King saying Sir here is the last of the Montmoranci's which I present to your Majestty to do with as you think fit The King would have reply'd something to her but Madam de Bouteville not desiring to engage in any further discourse retir'd after having perform'd her obeisance and left the young Count in the Kings Chamber The Prince of Conde who was naturally very generous was so affected at the condition of this poor Gentleman that he told the King that he having been formerly a very good friend of his Fathers and of Monsieur de Montmoranci he would do him a very great favour to let him bring up this last cast-away of a Family which had been dear to him the King consented and the Prince carried him home caus'd him to be instructed and brought up with all imaginable care particularly in the exercises of a Gentleman suâ—h as Riding the Great Horse and Fencing and as to that give me leave to tell you what an old Officer brought up from his infancy in the Lord Bouteville's House did assure me that Monsieur Luxemburgh was born straight and of a good shape and that he appear'd so to the Eyes of the World till he was ten years of age that the
Prince as we may say forcing nature in the Child did so harass him in mounting on Horse back and fencing before he was strong enough to bear these rude Exeâ—â—ises that he thereby lost one full Third of hiâ— Boâ—y In effect those that have seen him undress'd know that he is in a manner all Thighs and Leggs Nevertheless this last opinion is scarcely believ'd if we make Reflection upon his hump back which gives him so ridiculous an Air and which cannot be look'd upon otherwise than a natural defect and it is reasonable to believe he came into the World in this condition because we certainly see by experience that the exercise of Arms contributes rather to regulate and render the Body free than to cause such imperfections Let it be as it will he has improv'd it well We may say that he is at present a Man after the King 's own Heart so it is not to be wonder'd at if he leaves to him the Government of his Armies since he has been bold several times to say That he thank'd God that he had caus'd him to be born without pity and compassion to the end he might be more capable of serving the King his Master and executing his designs A very Christian like sentiment and worthy of Monsieur de Luxemburgh But as to the Hump in his Back it will not be amiss to give an account of a thought which he had the day after the Battle of Fleurns As he receiv'd the Complements of success from the Lieutenant Generals and other Officers of his Army shewing them his Hump he told them he had there a reserve of a Body of Forty Thousand Men of which his Enemies knew nothing which would always render him Victorious thereby remarking the Artifices which he made use of which without contradiction makes up a good part of the Necromancy of which he was accused and which he himself has begun to Communicate since he has been a Commander to the other French Generals The Marquess de Bouflers who was one of his principal Disciples did him most Honour for he it is that at present seems to have profited most by the Lessons of his Master So Monsieur de Luxemburgh chose him to be at the Head of this reserve of which he spoke and was very careful in all the Battles to place him so well that he was seen running up and down like a Mad-Man not to say fly upon the least signal that he gave him The King seeing him come in turn'd towards him and spoke in these Terms Luxemburgh you are the Person at this Day in whom France places her greatest hopes my People look upon you as their Turenne and I my self esteem you as my right Hand you see me engaged in an unhappy War which consumes my Treasure impoverishes my Subjects ruins the State and makes me apprehensive of unhappy Events It is a lingring Fever which undermines by little and little my Kingdom and I fear lest it should in the issue become like Spain that is to say a poor and impotent Desert Sir answer'd Luxemburgh I thank your Majesty for having forgot my pass'd faults and for honouring me with the preference of the Command of your Armies before the Marshal d' Humieres much Older and Wiser than my self I am at the same time very much Obliged to the deceased Marquess of Louvois my good Friend and to the good Madam de Maintenon who sollicited my release and employ'd all their credit with your Majesty to get me out of the Bastile where I had been shut up upon the Death of the Count de Soissons and several other small matters which I was branded withall I vow I did not expect to be received again into your Grace and Favour your Majesty having had since tâ—e War of 1672 a particular aversion to my Pâ—rson But on the other side I am glad to see that my Enemies have for their part shame and trouble by the Triumph of my Innocence after having imploy'd all their power to ruin me I shall remember all my Life time the reverend Father La Chaise and the jealous Madam de Montespan who have been the principal actors of this Tragedy and if it is natural to keep resentment I will reserve to my self a favourable occasion to let them know that I have not been either a Necromancer nor Madam Brinvilliers Disciple But answer'd his Majesty Let us not talk of pass'd Quarrels altho' what is said of you should be true and also that you had a familiar Spirit to win Battles to gain the Love of the Ladies and to please me I will in acknowledgment of the Services that you have done me in the Wars of Holland and that you may do me in the present War order the Courts of Justice to burn the Informations and the Tryal and to forbid any upon pain of Death throughout my whole Kingdom to talk directly or indirectly of it Sir answered Luxemburg I most humbly thank your Majesty for the care that you will take of my reputation and I do engage upon my word that in remembrance of so great a Favour I will do for my part all that lies in my power to ruin your Enemies and advance your Conquests You know answer'd his Majesty That the first Campaign which was that of 1689. I gave the Command of my Army to the Marshal d' Humieres and that this General who is a good Man did really do me good service For it was him that I sent Ambassador to the Court of England immediately after the Death of King Charles and he executed my Orders very punctually For King James who came to be Crown'd King of three Kingdoms received him with open Arms and very generously accepted all the offers of Alliance and Friendship that Humieres made him on my behalf But this unfortunate Prince afterwards not having followed my Orders found himself all of a sudden overwhelm'd with great troubles and has engag'd me in a War which has Arm'd all Europe against me But to come to my purpose Having then chose him to Command in Flanders against Prince Waldeck a General of good Conduct and well instructed in what concern'd the Order that an Army in her Marches and Incampments ought to be kept in but on the other hand very unlucky to hazard a Battle I remark'd that in this first year the Marshal d' Humieres suffer'd himself to be Coop'd up as we say by Prince Waldeck and that he had during the whole Campaign the disadvantage I remember also very well the Battle of Walcourt which was on the Great St. Louis day Patron and Protector of my Kingdom where all my House-hold was Cut in pieces but I pardon him with all my heart because he did it with a good intention and belief of doing me Service that day The little Genius of d' Humieres was not only the cause of this check but we may also say that he favour'd by the little motion he made the Enterprizes
should happen to me and that that should fall out for having fail'd of good Intelligence Sir reply'd the Mareschal de Lorge the Germans go not so fast in business your Majesty makes them gain at this time more Conquests than they will make in three Campaigns They are too great Friends to their Ease and good Cheer to forsake their Winter Quarters in the Month of May. Now I think on't de Lorge says his Majesty How did you Govern your self the last Campaign which was that of 1691. for I hear that their Army was strong Sir answer'd de Lorge this Campaign was pass'd like the rest that is to say in disputing the Ground But as the Confederate Army commanded by the late Elector of Saxony came very late into the Field which is the Original Sin of the Germans that of your Majesty had two Months sooner the Enemies Country at her discretion After having caus'd the Forrage to be consum'd on the Right and Left as I had Orders from your Majesty to keep my self upon the Defensive I repass'd the Rhine upon the Arrival of the Enemies Army The Duke of Saxony pretended to follow me but as he wanted more necessaries than I to make a Bridg so I was on the other side before he was ready and made my self first Master of the best Posts The Marquiss d Vxelles made on his side with a Flying Camp all the necessary Marches and Counter-marches as well to cover the Place as to give false Alarms to the Enemies Monsieur de Melac open'd the Campaign by thirty Villages that he Burnt with a very good Grace As he is the ablest Incendiary of Europe so he has reason to hope for a Mareschals Staff for recompence But says his Majesty How did then the Designs of the Elector of Saxony end Sir answer'd de Lorge this Elector was a good Prince made much of by the God Mars but a lover of Joy of Pleasure and of good Chear Brave otherwise as the Sword he wore But as he was not absolute in the Army and that I had the secret to divide them I knew always beforehand by the means of my Spies and my Intelligence all the Resolutions taken in their Council Besides I do not know a Nation more lyable to be Corrupted than the Brabancons at the sight of a Golden Calf they all Humble and Prostrate themselves St. Louis was a great Saint in Germany as well as in Flanders I speak as to particulars because as to the general each People have their Scaevola who had rather Dye a Thousand times than betray their Country To come back to my Subject the Division began and the Sickness accomplish'd the ruin of their Army which coming to want Provisions by the defect of the Magazines saw themselves reduc'd to the brink of falling into great extremities The Elector himself having felt in his own Person part of the Evils which began to afflict his Army went out of the Camp and caus'd himself to be carryed Sick of the Bloody Flux to Frankfort Sometime after I heard of his Death which made an end of the Expeditions of the Campaign of the Germans for the Year 1691. But answer'd the King that does not follow and does not prove that it will be the same this year The Germans may come again to themselves make just reflections and enter into their true Interests and as they have a mighty Spur which is the Prince of Orange and have on the other side from Forty to Fifty Thousand Men if they should come all of a sudden to pass the Rhine and force you I am perswaded that you would be in a great confusion having but Ten Thousand Men to oppose them So that coming to lose a Battle I should lose the Fairest Flower of my Crown and my good Fortune which has promis'd not to quit me but in the Grave would bid me eternally Farewel Besides that the Turk my Ally whom I have till now strove to raise up in his hopes by the consideration of the Progress that I have made upon the Rhine would turn his Back upon me and making his separate Peace with the Emperour our common Enemy I should find my self in a very ill condition Sir answer'd de Lorge do not forge unto your self Monsters for fighting them The Picture that your Majesty now makes of the present State of Germany is nothing less than such To be fully perswaded therein we need reflect only upon what has been done on that side since the beginning of the War till now Three Campaigns are pass'd without having gaind one Inch of Ground upon your Majesty and if the Deceased Duke of Lorrain whom we might have call'd with Justice the Turenne of Germany had not by his Vigilance and his Bravery stir'd up and animated the Electors to take the Reins in their Hands and Unite all together to raise again the Glory of the Empire to work for her preservation and to set themselves in opposition to the Violence of the Common Enemy that same would not have been compassed So that in the Campaign which was of 1689. we saw them bestir themselves and minding their business heartily they form'd the Siege of Maâ—â—ence of Bon and of Keiserswert of which they made themselves Masters But this great Zeal which had so â—â—rongly animated them cool'd by little and little and was wholly stifled by the Death of him who had first rais'd it Besâ—des if your Majesty wishes to have a more sensible proof of what your Enemies are in a condition to undertake on that side you have only to follow the course of the Rhiâ—e in beginning by the Palatinate so to Colegâ—â— and then to consider the condition which most of the Members of the Empire have been reduc'd to since the Rupture of the Truce Let us begin with the Palatinate I do not think that your Majesty has any thing to fear on that side since it is only a Melancholy remainder of what escap'd the Fury of the Soldiers and the Barbarity of the Incendiaries and by consequence worthier of pity and compassion than to be fear'd As for the Elector Palatine he is a brave Prince and who might be fear'd if he had Power in his Hands Let us go on to the Elector of Mayence neither will he put himself at the Head of the Imperial Army to Command it because on the other side it is not his business I am perswaded that he will be very sorry to have chang'd his Cross for a Marshal's Staff and he ought long ago to have remember'd the Allyance of your Majesty and to have more than he did hearken'd to the French Sirens which obstinacy hath made him become a Prince without Land an Arch-bishop without a Diocess and a Shephard without a â—lock and he would have been still in the same condition if the Deceased Dâ—ke of Lorrain and the Allies had not taken up Arms in his Favour to recover him a part of his Country as for the rest the
Charge of the War hath Eat it up and his Countries have been in so great a desolation that they have still need of Succour from the Emperor to preserve them whereupon your Majesty has nothing to fear on that side Let us speak one word of the Elector of Treves neither is War his business and his Sword seems to me never to have done hurt to any body That does not hinder him to be one of the Bravest Princes of the Empire but also one of the most unhappy by the entire Desolation of his Countries which have felt the first Fury of the War and saw themselves expos'd to the Violence of the Soldiers the Walls of his Capital City layd even with the Ground the Castle of his residence Batter'd with Cannon Shot and Coblens overwhelm'd under a Shower of Bombs which have been thrown in at several times As for the Bishop of Munster he is so extreamly chang'd since the two first Campaigns that the Aâ—â—ies have no reason to depend upoâ— him nor upon his Troops so that youâ— Majesty has no reason neither to fear any thing from him or that he for his part will come to trouble your undertakings As to what regards the Electorat of Cologne we may put them into the number of those who have greatly suffered having been the Seat of War all the time that the dispute between the Cardinal de Furestemburgh and Prince Joseph Clement remain'd undecided and which was at last ended only by force of Arms which had like to have overturn'd that State and utterly to have ruin'd it So that that Diocess will need many years quiet to repair her lost forces and recover her ancient liberty Be it as it will the Prince Joseph Clement is brave and of whom there is great hopes but on the other side he is too young to measure his Sword with your Majesty so you have no occasion to fear any thing from that Quarter From the Borders of the Rhine let us go a little farther into the Country and see if there is some new Caesar which could carry the Glory of Germany so far as did formerly that great Captain of the Romans I would say a Prince a little resolv'd who should come and put himself at the Head of the Germans to serve them for a Sting and animate them by his presence I only see the Elector of Saxony who succeeds to that Electorship vacant by the Death of the Elector his Father and who seems to be engag'd to follow the Interest of the Elector of Brandenburgh by reason of the ailyance of the Princess of Anspach his Cousin whom he has lately Married But as he is a new Married Man he will be glad to enjoy during the Summer the first sweetness of his Marriage giving nevertheless the Command of his Troops to Monsieur Schoning our good Friend heretofore in the service of the Elector of Brandenburgh and at present happily received and accepted General of the Troops of Saxony so that your Majesty has no more need to fear any thing on that side One Countermarch may be of great use But says his Majesty you say nothing of the Electors of Brandenburgh and Bavaria nor of the Princes of the Houses of Haâ—over who are notwithstanding the Right Hand of all Germany and who may when they think fit Form a Party to ballance all the Power of the Emperour and of the other less potent Princes of the Empire Sir answer'd de Lorge I do not pretend to talk off the Electors of Brandenburgh and Bavaria and mâ—ch less of the House of Hanover because these Princes having a greater share in supporting the War of Flanders than that of Germany since they have the greatest part of their Troops in that Country and that according to my judgment they are resolv'd to make very great efforts I leave the care to Monsieur de Luxemburgh to discourse it throughly being resolv'd to meddle with nothing but the affairs of the Rhine But if your Majesty desires I should speak a word by the way I will obey you willingly and add to what has been said of the Princes of the Empire that to what relates to the Duke of Bavaria we do not doubt but he is brave in his Person and perhaps one of the greatest Princes that the Empire has yet produc'd he hath given signal marks in Hungary where he has done for his Age Actions worthy to be put in Paralell with what the boldest and most glorious Captains have done I add to all that that the Campaign of 1689. in which he Commanded with the late Elector of Saxony the Army of the Confederates upon the Rhine the Dauphin to whom your Majesty had given the Command in Chief of your Army had all the trouble imaginable and was oblig'd to make use of all the tricks of War to avoid a Battle whilst that his Brother-in-Law the Duke of Bavaria made on his side great Marches and forc'd all that oppos'd his passage to come to engage so far it is true that Hatred becomes more and more irreconcileable when it is born amongst Relations or Friends But the failing of Generals by the Death of two of the greatest Captains of the Age Lorrain and Schomberg and the pressing necessities that the Allies found themselves in by the progress that your Arms had made in Flanders Savoy Catalonia and upon the Rhine was the cause that he went to Command in Italy and from thence into Flanders where he actually is It were only to be wish'd by them that his Electoral Highness would use a little more Circumspection in the choice he makes of his Domesticks and principally of his Musicians who wriggle themselves into his Chappel in the Habit of a Priest or Monk not to say of a Fox for nothing but to see what passes and discover to his Enemies his most secret undertakings which is the greatest misfortune that can happen to a General and that he ought to endeavour to avoid as a plague capable to spoil all he does to ruin his reputation to make him unhappy and baffle all his great designs But it is an Universal Malady amongst all the Allies and there are very few of their Generals who have yet found the secret to preserve themselves and this is just the defect of their Breast-Plate and by which your Majesty carries even into the Heart your most formidable Blows and that all the French Generals look upon at this day as the Seed of the Lawrels and Victories they have heap'd up one upon another Your Majesty may conclude from all that I have reported of the Elector of Bavaria that this Prince will be for the future so strongly employ'd in other places that I do not think we shall see him any more at the Head of the Armies of the Rhine But the Elector of Brandenburgh says his Majesty could not he come in Person for by what I can learn he is to make the Campaign without being able to understand where he