totally defeated that they have never since been able to recover their loss But without robbing that Prince of any part of his Glory we may say That this success was owing to none but God for had he not taken your Majesty into his Protection the Enemy might have advanced to the head of a narrow Way through which the General must have past in their presence They might also have fallen upon him when by the inconvenience of the Ways he was oblig'd to divide his Army But beside all these Difficulties there was an apparent danger in giving Battel for had it been lost the Enemy might have march'd to the very Gates of Paris But 't is sometimes God's Will that neither Party shall think of doing that which they should do and then he leads those step by step whom he hath resolv'd to protect The happy success of this Battel of Rocroy was follow'd with a Joy that was the more sincere because your Subjects had a tender Love for your Majesty and the Queen your Mother The Persecution she had suffer'd as well as Mary de Medicis during Cardinal Richelieu's Ministry procur'd your Mother a great deal of pity and as Pity is usually accompany'd with Esteem the more unhappy she had been the more People resolv'd to follow her Fortune However it ought to be observ'd it was otherwise with Mary de Medicis for all People saw her departure out of the Kingdom with dry eyes no body was concern'd but her own particular Servants and Domesticks Upon which may be made this very good Reflection That Princes soon lose the Love of their best Subjects by their ill Government She had shewn too much Favour to Mareschal d'Ancre and his Wife both of her own Country to be pity'd by the People And as in France as well as in other Places they do not love to obey Strangers the Grandees murmur'd at it and left the Court because the Queen little regarged their Complaints The King your Father also grew jealous of their Power which caus'd the Assassination of the Mareschal and the tragical end of his Wife However it was very ill digested and God be thanked we have not seen your Majesty's Reign stain'd with any thing like it A King never doth well to dip his Hands in the Blood of his Subjects When they deserve Punishment they ought to be legally prosecuted in a Court of Justice which perhaps sometimes cannot be safely done when a Subject becomes so great that his Master hath just cause to be afraid of him Wallestein was such a one and therefore the Emperour Ferdinand III. was excusable for commanding he should be kill'd Henry III. had the same reason to rid himself of the Duke of Guise when he was upon the point of usurping his Kingdom and shutting him up in a Monastery But except in such cases a Criminal is to be put into the hands of Justice not only for the Prince's own sake but because it is necessary the People should know that the Person is guilty Henry IV. took this course with Mareschal Biron for tho' he fear'd that if Biron perceiv'd his Designs were discover'd he might raise Troubles in the Kingdom yet that did not hinder the King from having a greater regard to what he ought to do for his own sake than for what might thappen The Queen your Mother SIR had done well had she taken example by that which befel Mary de Medicis she had not then brought the State as she did within so near being lost by the choice she made of Cardinal Mazarin to succeed Cardinal Richelieu His being a Stranger made all your Subjects forget the Obedience that was due to their Soveraign It was to no purpose to tell them He had already done great Services to the Crown and was still able to do greater because he understood foreign Affairs better than any other Person which indeed is absolutely necessary for a Publick Minister But they fancy'd these Reasons not so good as their own nor could they be beaten out of their Opinion That he being born a Subject of the King of Spain was never to be trusted And accusing the Queen-Mother of being more a Spaniard than a French-Woman they seem'd to repent the Pity they had had for her which appear'd in their confessing Cardinal Richelieu had reason to persecute her tho' all the Sufferings she had endur'd had no other foundation than a pretended private Intelligence she kept with the King of Spain her Brother But so People might satisfie their Passion they car'd not at what Price they did it I have reason to call all that Passion which was done a little after the Death of the King your Father since it is certain that your Subjects do not alway call Reason to their Aid If they had they would have seen that the Queen your Mother was not so much to be blam'd as they thought seeing she had preferr'd before others a Man that was able to keep up the Reputation the Crown had gotten in foreign Countries and knew what course was to be taken to meet there with success 'T is that which all the World doth not know tho' it be a thing of very great Consequence My Brother whom your Majesty Honour'd with making him Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs took the liberty many times to represent it to your Majesty but the Marquess Louvoy who hath Maxims very contrary to those Great Men's who have preceeded him in the Administration of the Kingdom destroy'd in a moment all that he strove to do But I know not whether the Marquess will always have Reason on his side because he makes use of the Strength only of your own Subjects which Cardinal Richelieu who knows as much as he did not do when he carried the War into Germany made Catalonia and Portugal revolt and led the way to the low'ring of the House of Austria Indeed tho' your Kingdom be very powerful and your Majesty hath a third part at least increas'd its Strength by your Conquests yet 't is contrary to good Sense to exhaust all its Forces Your Majesty will be better able to maintain the War by arming other Princes in your Favour But to do that you must treat them like Soveraigns as they are and not pretend as Monsieur Louvoy doth because they are your Majesty's Inferiours they ought to look upon themselves as Slaves Your Majesty perhaps knows not what Answer he made to the Elector Palatine's Envoy who complaining at the beginning of the Holland War That his Master was no better treated than those who were actually in Arms against you the Marquess told him That it did not become such a petty Prince as his Master to make so great a Noise about so small a Matter That your Majesty was not bound to give an account to any Man of your Actions And That the Elector's standing so much on his Points was the way to lose the Honour of your Friendship Such great Words SIR may
than at first for he was not only beaten but received a wound of which in ten days after he dyed at Syracuse After these two Victories your Majesty could desire nothing more to compleat your Glory and continue your Protection to the Messineses than to have had the like happy end of all your Enterprises in Germany But the Duke of Luxembourg met with so many difficulties there that having tryed a hundred ways in vain to relieve Phillipsbourg he quite abandon'd the design So that after a Siege of more than three Months the Prince of Lorrain who had never yet commanded in chief had the pleasure of reducing so strong a place But he was like to have met his Death in the midst of his Triumph for the Bridge by which he was to enter into the Town as he was passing over it fell under him Which Report says was contriv'd by some of the Greatest Persons in the Emperor's Court who seeing him in so much Favour had resolv'd to destroy him The Swedes continued the War but unfortunately lost Elsembourg Lanscron Christianstat and some other places And tho' they had an advantage over Major General Duncan and a Victory at Lunden yet were they never the better for it Fortune was constant to none but your Majesty The City of Valenciennes fell into your Hands the next Campaign tho' it was one of the strongest in all Flanders and defended by a good Garrison If you would have taken the advantage you might have put all to the Sword but your Clemency became an Advocate for those poor unhappy People and you freely gave 'em both their Lives and Goods when they did not expect to have saved either After this you attack'd Cambray and St. Omer at a time which oblig'd you to divide your Forces so that the Prince of Orange thought now or never was his time to do somewhat He advanc'd as far as Cassel where he was defeated by Monsieur your Brother After which Cambray and St. Omer did not long hold out your Majesty having done all this before the time other Generals use to take the Field your Reputation which was already very great throughout all Europe was now exalted to so high a degree of Glory that you were look'd upon as the greatest Man in the Universe The Prince of Lorrain whose great and generous Soul did rather emulate than envy your brave Exploits redoubled his Courage and came to your Frontiers at the Head of a gallant Army Having taken Mouzon a Place of no defence he sent a Detachment over the Meuse which put the Province of Champagne into a Fright but did them no great harm For this Detachment durst not go far from their Army nor their Army follow the Detachment Mareschal Crequi being advanc'd in order to observe ' em But 't is not so easy a thing to enter into an Enemy's Country for a General must consider whether he can go out again when he pleases especially when he hath no Places near to retreat to nor Neighbours from whom he can expect any assistance However the Prince of Lorrain did not despair of entring again into his own Country to which he now pretended a greater right than before by the Death of his Uncle which happen'd a little after the taking of Treves But since this depended upon the Prince of Orange who had promis'd to march into France he waited for the Effects of that Promise to regulate accordingly his own Attempts The Prince of Orange's hope was grounded upon your Majesty's way of prosecuting the War You had not many Troops but made use of them with that Judgment and Prudence that tho' the Enemy's forces were more numerous than yours yet every Year you added some Town to your Conquests which you did by keeping your Troops together all the Winter whereas the Enemy was oblig'd to separate theirs and quarter them in places so remote from one another that they could not come together when you open'd the Campaign Taking this course you did your Business early in the Spring and then sending a Detachment into Germany you acted the defensive Part in Flanders all the rest of the Campaign It was upon this account the Prince of Orange resolv'd so late in the Year to attempt the Siege of Charleroy I have already told your Majesty why he had such a mind to this Place But he had now another Reason he pretended if he took it he could march into France when he would tho' he was much mistaken in his account for upon notice that Mareschal Schomberg was marching directly to him and that your Majesty was preparing to follow he stay'd for it her but rais'd the Siege Upon this Check given to the Prince of Orange the Prince of Lorrain saw he could no longer depend upon him but frustrated of his hopes he quitted Mouzon and march'd back again up the Rhine Mareschal Crequi followed him and after divers Encampments on both sides they came so near together at Kokesberg that there pass'd a very hot Skirmish between ' em The Emperour's Cuirassiers handled your Majesty's light Horse very rudely but your Guards de Maison had the same advantage over them so that both Armies fled before and pursu'd the Enemy in half an Hour's time The Prince of Lorrain judging by this little Tryal that it was better to go into Winter-Quarters than to stay longer in the Field retreated farther back into Germany Mareschal Crequi made a feignt as if he would have done the like but marching back again he attack'd and took Fribourg before the Prince could come to relieve it You beat the Enemy in Catalonia and ravag'd that Country every Year The Spaniards lost there the Battel of Pouille Nor could they do any thing at Messina tho' they distributed a great deal of Money in hopes to have 'em cut the Throats of your Garrison Your finish'd this prosperous Campaign with the taking of St. Guillain which so abated the Courage of the Hollanders that tho the Prince of Orange had marry'd the Duke of York's Daughter and promis'd by that Match to make England declare for them yet the Dutch had more mind than ever to make Peace Monsieur Louvoy had serv'd your Majesty so well in all your Enterprizes and was become so great a Favourite that I was no longer able to stand against him When Chancellor Seguier died I was a Competitor with Monsieur Louvoy's Father for that Place which he did all he could to obtain for him I got my self to be made an Advocate A Qualification requir'd in the Person that hath that Office but your Majesty to reconcile us gave it to Monsieur d' Alligre Councellor of State tho' his great Age and Infirmities render'd him incapable to execute it so that his Son officiated for him But he was of so odd a Humour that no body car'd to have any thing to do with him D' Alligre dying Monsieur Tellier and I renew'd our Contest which lasted not long on my
Rain offer'd the Prince of Orange an advantage which he could not have met with in an open Plain He threw his Infantry into these Posts which hindred your Majesty from advancing But the Prince of Condé was so eager in pressing still forward that he did things which another would have thought impossible He had a great many Men kill'd and had himself Three Horses shot under him so much did he hazard his Person by his Example to give warmth to the Action But by the great resistance made by the Enemy he was still repuls'd till night came on and parted the Combatants both attributing to themselves the Victory But there was no colour for the Enemy to pretend to it because that which makes a Victory is to remain Master of the Field to have the pillaging of the Enemy taking Prisoners and several other things not necessary to be specified All this fell out on your Majesty's side but nothing of it on theirs unless perhaps the Enemy might boast that the Prince of Condé lost as many Men as they and it may be a greater number of Officers But it must be confest that the end of this Battel did not answer the beginning which could not be more to any General 's Glory But the desire he had to get all made him lose more than he imagin'd and till that very Day it could not be decided which of the Two the Prince of Condé or Viscount Turenne knew most in the Trade of War Many were prepossest in the Prince's Favour and thought the Prize due to him but others now began to be of another Mind and gave it to his Rival This Battel however spoiled the Prince of Orange's Design who now thought no more of entring into France Monsieur Louvoy who did not love the Prince of Condé was very much pleas'd with what had happen'd because it gave him an Opportunity of doing the Prince ill offices to your Majesty So that since this Campaign he hath not been any more imploy'd and I believe never would have been again at the Head of an Army if Viscount Turenne had not been kill'd the following Campaign there being then a kind of necessity that a General of Reputation should succeed in his Place As Monsieur Louvoy knew how to do a great deal of Mischief to his Enemies so he was able to deliver his Friends out of Danger and those that were so happy to have his Protection as appears by what he did for Monsieur Bret Lieunant General of your Army in Catalonia where his Vanity and Imprudence made him commit a Fault which deserv'd exemplary Punishment Your Majesty some time ago sent him into that Country and left him there some preceding Years with the chief command of your Army because then there appear'd no considerable Enemy But the Spaniards having sent thither the Duke of St. Germain a General of Reputation with a part of their old Troops your Majesty thought fit to send against him Count Schomberg not inferior to him and who had often engag'd him when they were both in Portugal This was some mortification to a Man so Vain as Monsieur Bret who was now but a Lieutenant General which not being able to bear he did so rash a thing of his own Head that none but Marquess Louvoy could have sav'd him The Enemy after having taken Bellegard which gave them entrance into Rousillon came and encamp'd within Canon shot of your Army which so displeas'd Monsieur Bret that he gave them Battel while his General was yet in Bed and without expecting any Orders from him But he was beaten to the purpose and if Count Schomberg who wonder'd at his Boldness had not by his good Conduct repair'd his Fault your Majesty's Army had been totally defeated Your Cavalry which without viewing the Ground he had engaged among Pits and Places broken with currents of Water were many of them cut off and Rabliere who commanded them was taken Prisoner with other Officers of note Those that came off were in no condition to have made any considerable resistance all that Campaign if that which happen'd elsewhere had not oblig'd the Enemy to return again into Catalonia Messina the Capital City of the Kingdom of Sicily having a long time complain'd of the Extortion and Tyranny of their Viceroys and having often inform'd the Council of Spain thereof without receiving any redress they resolv'd one day to try whether they could shake of their Yoke and after having made themselves Masters of the Haven and one of the principal Forts of the Town they all cryed Liberty That Word tickl'd the Ears of the Multitude who against reason often think they shall better their Condition by changing their Master and made above Sixty thousand Men take Arms. The better sort of Citizens considering it was impossible to resist their Soveraign any long time unless they were supported by a Power able to assist them consulted what was best for them to do whether to address themselves to your Majesty or to have recourse to the Turk They were not long deliberating on the choice they were to make those that had a little care of their Religion declar'd that in all respects their best and most justifiable way would be to implore your Majesty's help and send Deputies to request your Protection The Offers their Deputies made you were that they would deliver themselves up to your Majesty upon Condition you would treat them better than the Spaniards had done Whereupon you assembled your Council who finding it would be of great advantage to you to lay hold of this opportunity to cut out work for the Spaniards on that side the Deputies had assurance given them that your Majesty would assist them with all your Forces But it was not thought fit you should accept of the Soveraignty which they offer'd you but that it would be better to endeavour to turn their Government into a Common-Wealth You sent back the Deputies with fair promises which at the same time you effectually perform'd by giving order to the Marquess Valavoir to take some of your Men of War and Convoy to Messina some Vessels loaden with Provisions of which they had great need and which came very seasonably to them for they began to be in extream want The rebelling of Subjects against their Soveraign is a business which should be well considered before it be attempted 't is always attended with such ill consequences that were they not bound by their birth and allegiance to be faithful to him yet their own interest should oblige them to it But as Subjects owe their Soveraign perfect obedience so the Soveraign on his part ought not to use his Subjects like Slaves nor lay heavier burdens on them than necessity of State requires Otherwise they will quite sink under their load or else like a resty Horse will kick against the Spur as it happens when we endeavour to break and tame a young Horse all at once without using him by
gnaw and grate your Subjects and I will maintain they cost your People every Year above Two Hundred Millions I will think what course may be taken to remedy so great a Mischief but I cannot pass by other Leeches no less decryed than these I have mention'd tho' somewhat more serviceable and useful to the Publick I mean the Gens d'Affaires that is the Bankers whom the People think to be the Instruments of all their Misery And indeed in so thinking they are not altogether deceiv'd I confess this Abuse may be more easily reform'd than the other but cannot be totally supprest I will say more of it but must first speak of those things wich ought to precede it The Tradesmen as well as Husbandmen and Labourers are included in that which is call'd the Third Estate but indeed they should be separated and have a Place by themselves since 't is not just that they who take so much Pains to preserve the Kingdom should be mingled with a company of Pettifoggers whose business it is to destroy it I know your Majesty is too Prudent not to protect and in all things concur with them to make Trade and Tillage flourish Were I not oblig'd to observe order in my Discourse I would here more largely shew what Advantages your Majesty may procure them But seeing I must not go before those of whom I have first spoken I return again to the Clergy who take Place of all the other Orders of the Kingdom CHAP. XI Of the Clergy PIety is so absolutely necessary to an Ecclesiastick that your Majesty hath all the Reason in the World not to bestow Benefices but on such as appear to be good and virtuous Men. But seeing People know how to dissemble when 't is for their Interest and Advantage we should not always judge by Appearances but strictly examin and enquire into their Lives and Conversations The Universities and Seminaries establish'd for this purpose are of very great Use and Benefit for tho' many come to them with dissolute and worldly Minds yet they are in a fair way to be reform'd by good Example which they have daily before their Eyes But I think there should be a certain time limited for Peoples staying in those Seminaries to which all Persons of Quality as well as others should be subject and none by any Priviledge exempted For 't is not by long living in Universities but by coming abroad and conversing in the World that many things are learn'd necessary for a Clergy Man to know and which he can never so well learn any where else Pluralities are now grown common But still condemn'd by tender Consciences Those that are scrupulous question whether the going from one Church to another ought to be suffer'd Because as a Lay Man is forbidden to change his Wife or to have more than one at a time so a Clergy Man ought not to have two Livings or to commute that which hath been given to him The Covetousness of Church-men and of other Persons of Consideration join'd with that necessity which hath often oblig'd your Majesty and your Predecessors to reward their good Services first introduc'd this abuse of Pluralities But your Majesty will do well to consider what ill Consequences attend it against which a timely Remedy must be provided Ecclesiasticks well born and bred high are seldom sit Persons to edifie the People for having liv'd in very great abundance and kept the great Men company they must needs retain some of their Vices Their Tables and their Stables consume the Patrimony of the Poor and if in the midst of their Plenty they chance to cast their Eyes on a poor Wretch they command he should be taken out of their sight instead of taking pity on him Were Church-mens Possessions proportion'd to their Character they would live more frugally and give less Scandal Great Riches often ruin Men and if what the Gospel says be true that whatever a Clergy-man's Revenue be yet he ought to take no more of it to his own use than necessity requires how dangerous then must it be to have a Hundred or Fourscore Thousand Livers Yearly Rent which we see many Church men do enjoy Did they bear any part of the Burthen of the State your Majesty would be oblig'd God's Portion set apart to reward their good services but as they are in that respect unprofitable Members of the Kingdom so being priviledg'd by their Character they load others with paying Tythes and other Duties While with great care they free themselves from the Burthen which in justice they ought to bear Your Majesty in so large a Kingdom as yours hath need of a great number of good Servants and you would have wherewith all to reward 'em if you divided among many what you sometimes give but to one and yet not content him You should above all things consider that the Service of God and the Salvation of an infinite number of Souls are brought into danger Riches are a Rock upon which many a Man hath been wreck'd and rich Churchmen for the most part make an ill use of their wealth and become a Scandal to their Diocess whereas if a Bishop had but a competent Revenue he would employ it in things profitable and tending to Edification To put things into this State there is no necessity to take away the Revenue belonging to Bishopricks and Abbies but to oblige those that are worth more than Ten thousand Livers Rent to maintain a Vicar or School-master in Parishes which have none but where one is very necessary For when People are poor and not able to bear a new Charge without being over-burthen'd their Children will want instruction and Ten thousand Livres a year are more than a sufficient maintenance for a Bishop or an Abbot the Service of God doth not require their having such rich and sumptuous Equipages nor such Magnificent and Dainty Tables In the time of the Primitive Church Luxury did not raign so much among 'em and then there were more Saints than Bishops or Court-Abbots Another good effect that would be wrought by lessning the Revenue of the Clergy is that Persons of Quality who enter into Orders upon no other score but to have part of the Wealth that belongs to the Church would not take upon them the Priesthood unless they were truly call'd to it So that for the future there would be none in the Church but Men of great Zeal and Piety whose Example only would be sufficient to invite others to the same life for nothing more prevails on Men than to see what good Lives those lead who are their Superiours CHAP. XII Of the Nobility or Gentry THE Gentry were heretofore very considerable in France and Your Majesty's Enemies so dreaded their Valour that when they were known to be in your Armies the Enemy was still unwilling to come to a Battle but of late the Gentry have lost much of their Lustre and are fallen into so great Poverty that 't is
certain that Ambiton was not the sole cause of this Voyage and that Love had a great part in it For he had given up his Heart to the Dutchess of Chatillon and the desire he had to see her made him lose the Advantage he might have drawn from this Victory This was a Fault which many great Princes commit and 't is a Miracle if they conquer their Passion The Prince of Condé is not the only Person that hath been faulty in this kind and your Majesty knows that there is a Prince beside him whose Reputation is much greater than his that is fallen into the same Fault A Man may be in Love and yet do his Duty for tho' it be dificult yet 't is but to remember that every one hath his Eyes upon what he doth and nothing can stop their observation A Prince who hath care of his Honour will never suffer such hold to be taken of him he will rather conquer himself for a time than give the least Stain to his Reputation Beside an Opportunity once lost is not easily retriev'd whence we are to conclude that when a thing can be done it never ought to be put off till to Morrow The Prince of Condé's Absence gave your Majesty an Opportunity to recruit your Army with ease so that in some time after it was again in a Condition to be fear'd The Duke of Orleans who had wholly declar'd himself against your Majesty fearing to be run down sent to his Brother-in-Law the Duke of Lorrain for his Assistance and the Spaniards who every Year hir'd his Troops consented to it He enter'd France and march'd toward Estampes which Viscount Turenne had besieg'd The Place of it self was not considerable but being defended by a good Garrison it held out longer than People thought it wou'd so that the Duke of Lorrain might have come time enough to have reliev'd it which much troubled your Majesty but according to his ordinary Practice being more us'd to Plunder than to Fight he made such little Marches that the Place was taken before he came to it Viscount Turenne in perfect spite march'd against him and forc'd him to repass the Seine he encamp'd at Villaneue St. Georges where without great disadvantage he could not be forc'd to fight he pillag'd all Brie as well as the plain Country about Paris for which he had the Curses of the Parisiens who flatter'd themselves he was come to relieve and not to Plunder 'em But all their Complaints were to no purpose your Majesty who was as much concern'd as they seeing they cou'd not be ruin'd without your being sensible of it endeavour'd to gain the Duke of Lorrain that he might cease pillaging the Country there was some appearance of prevailing with him your Majesty having wherewith to tempt him for you were possest of his Country which you offer'd to restore upon reasonable Conditions But he lov'd ready Money better than Offers so advantagious to him your Majesty having granted him a Pass he went out of the Kingdom to their great astonishment who called him in Your Majesty was likewise much surpris'd not believing a Prince of his Birth cou'd act in such a manner upon so base an Account But Kindness to his Children which he had by the Princess de Cantecroix made him think of nothing but getting Money seeing he cou'd not settle the Country of Lorrain upon 'em for two Reasons the one was because it was his Wife's Inheritance the other was he had those Children not by his Wife and therefore being incapable of succeeding him he resolv'd to give them Portions in Money for their Maintenance The King of England the unfortunate Son of a more unhappy Father who was come to seek Refuge and Relief from your Majesty serv'd you perfectly well in this Treaty which troubled you very much till it was ended For if the Duke of Lorrain wou'd he might have put Viscount Turenne hard to it whom you thought for some time in great danger because he was come too near his Camp but he happily got out of the Briars by his admirable Conduct which gain'd him a great deal of Reputation as well with the Enemy as among his own Souldiers Your Majesty having made a good end of so difficult an Affair gave no leisure to the Rebels and by your Presence so encourag'd your Army that the Prince of Condé saw himself and his Troops ready to fall into your Hands For you pursued him so hotly that he was forced to possess himself of the Bridge of St. Cloud by which he thought to avoid a Battel but your Majesty having laid a Bridge over the Seine he saw himself ready to be attaqu'd in Front and Rear he then got under the Walls of Paris and march'd round it to get to Charenton Viscount Turenne who observ'd it follow'd him so close that he begun to charge his Reer near Port du Temple and Port St. Martin which oblig'd him to hasten his March and being come to the height of the Fauxbourg St. Antoin he made use of some Retrenchments which Chance afforded him they having been made to secure the Citizens against the Thievery of the Duke of Lorrain's Troops There he lodg'd his Foot in better Order than the shortness of the time seem'd to permit and drew in his Cavalry he sent the Duke of Beaufort into the City to perswade the Citizens to let in and secure his Baggage and declare for the Prince But the Fear the Parisiens had to be pillag'd made them shut and place Guards at their Gates The Prince of Condé when he saw this rang'd all his Baggage along the Ditch and caus'd Holes to be made through the Houses where he saw your Forces advance Your Majesty was posted at Menill to see this Attack which would have rejoyc'd your great Heart had it been to fight with your Enemies and not against your Subjects The Onset was furious and your Troops having forc'd the Retrenchments Vicount Turenne brought up his Canon to a Place call'd the Throne because one had been there erected to receive your Majesty when after your Marriage you made your entrance into the City The Prince of Condé did all he cou'd to sustain your Peoples Efforts who encourag'd by your Presence did Wonders and God who would not suffer the Rebellion to continue gave your Majesty an entire Victory so that the Prince of Condé had been utterly lost if Paris had not open'd its Gates to him where he sav'd his remaining Troops Mademoiselle Montpensier did the Prince this Service and caus'd the Canon to be discharg'd upon your Majesty and your Minister who was very near you This Victory astonish'd the Parisiens and those who were of the Prince of Condé's Party your Majesty having some faithful Subjects in this great City who made People sensible how much they had fail'd in their Duty to your Majesty so that they were a long time in suspence before they agree'd to give the Prince that Assistance he
of his doing somewhat to the purpose he slept upon his good Fortune which occasion'd many Plots and Conspiracies against him however 't was his good Luck to be deliver'd from 'em all Viscount Turenne being come to his Army found it in a very good Condition by what Marquess Vaubrun had done for since the taking of Dachsteim they had plenty of all Provisions and being eager to Signalize themselves he pass'd the Rhine and offer'd Montecueuli Battel which he refused He could not force him to fight because he was so Advantageously Posted but having tryed all ways he at last reduced him to so great a scarcity of Victuals and Forage that Montecuculi must have certainly been forced to decamp first and then Turenne would have fall'n upon him but advancing to the top of a Hill to take a view of the Imperial Army he was unfortunately kill'd with a Canon Bullet This sad Accident chang'd all things in an instant so true it is that an Army without a General is like a Body without a Soul Montecuculi who was making the best of his way when he knew in what a Consternation your Forces were by the Death of Monsieur Turenne returns again to charge ' em The Lieutenant Generals who Commanded thought of nothing but repassing the Rhine While they were consulting what course to take a Souldier said a very pleasant thing General Turenne crys the Fellow aloud us'd to Ride upon a Pied Horse take the Bridle and but lay it on his neck he will know better than our Commanders where we should go But Count de Lorge conducted the Army safe over the Rhine after having given the Enemy Battel who thought to have made a much better hand of it The Merit of this great Man made your Majesty very sensible of his loss which will every day appear greater by the want you will find of him But it was otherwise with Mounsieur Louvoy who when all France mourn'd for his Death he and his rejoyc'd I certainly know what I tell your Majesty is true and if he could have hinder'd his being so Honourably Buried he would have done it His Funeral Pomp was very great and I know no body but your Minister that spoke against it The Memory of those Great Things he had done is so deeply Ingraved in the Hearts of your Subjects that it is hard to say whether he was most Esteem'd or Beloved He did not only deserve to be commended for those his Military Accomplishments which are the Glory of a Hero but for all other Moral and Christian Vertues so rarely to be found in one Person The Duke of Lorrain was upon the Moselle with his own Troops and those of Lunenbourg Munster and some of the other Confederates and having heard of this Accident laid Siege to Treves where Vignori an old Souldier Commanded Of whose Experience the Prince of Condé under whom he had Served all his Life assured your Majesty He was not at all discourag'd at the Siege knowing Mareschal Crequi was marching to his Relief but while he was giving Orders on Horseback his Horse frighted with a clap of Thunder threw him headlong from a Bastion of which he dyed in a few days This fatal Accident made the Mareschal hasten his March fearing that Vignori's Death might so dishearten his Souldiers as to deliver up the Town But the Duke of Lorrain sav'd Monsieur Crequi the labour of advancing further and met him at Consarbrik where the Sarre and Moselle join The Duke past the River where the Mareschal if he pleas'd might have taken the advantage of charging part of his Army before the rest could have got over But neglecting it I know not for what Reason nor perhaps he himself he was so soundly beaten that all his Troops ran some one way and some another and he narrowly escaping with four more got into Treves where in perfect despair he resolv'd to bury himself in defence of the Place tho' it was of no great importance Indeed the resistance he made was so much greater than the Enemy expected that they offer'd him very good Terms but resolving not so much as to talk of yielding a Captain of Foot called Boisjourdan told the Garrison they had nothing to do with the Mareschal's desperation that tho' he had a mind to perish yet they were not bound to follow his Example Some were of his Opinion and told the Mareschal the Place was not in a Condition to hold out any longer but his Passion not permitting them to say any more Boisjourdan Treated with the Enemy and let 'em into the Town Mareschal Crequi saved himself in the Church where he resolved with some Officers who did not approve of what Boisjourdan had done to stand it out but seeing the Enemy preparing to force 'em they told the Mareschal your Majesty and all France would blame his desperate Resolution and at last perswaded him to yield at discretion Your Majesty in truth was not pleas'd with what he had done and would have been less satisfy'd if his desperation had carry'd him further But knowing what was done by Boisjourdan was an ill Example not to be endur'd you caused him to be seized and he and some of his Companions were Condemn'd by a Council of War to be Beheaded The Sentence was Executed at Metz in the presence of the Garrison No body pitying him because no Souldier can be a Man of Honour who is guilty of Disobedience Your Majesty after these ill Successes had reason to fear the Enemy would enter into France but your Prudence prevented it by raising a Jealousie between the Princes of the House of Brunswick and the Duke of Lorrain the Princes maugre all the Duke could say resolv'd to return to their Country 'T is the Fate of Confederates never to agree what one will the other will not and it would be a Miracle to see them hold together while they have different Interests which is the Reason their Designs so seldom prosper After the Death of Monsieur Turenne your Majesty fearing the Enemy would prevail in Alsatia you sent thither the Duke de Duras whom three days after his Uncle's Death you had made a Mareschal of France You conferr'd the same Honour on some other Officers and Monsieur Louvoy so far prevail'd with you as to let Marquess Rochefort be one of that number tho' he had done nothing more than he had before to deserve it The others were the Count d' Estrades the Duke of Navailles whom you had recalled from his Banishment Count de Schomberg the Duke de Vivonne the Duke de la Feuillade and the Duke of Luxembourg But because the Duke de Duras had not so much Experience as his Uncle you gave the Command to the Prince of Condé whose Reputation only was of great advantage to your Majesty in the present conjuncture The Enemy having past the Rhine at the Bridge of Strasbourg the second time this Town had falsify'd their Promise to you believed they should