the prejudice of my Son according to all Laws the Fathers have no right to alienate the Estates of their Children whilst they are Minors and when these Estates are Maternal But says Luxemburgh the Marriage was only concluded upon this condition so that the renunciation your Majesty made upon all the present and future Right that you might have upon Spain or upon the depending States was consider'd as the Ground of Marriage without which the Ministers of Spain would have been guilty of a great deal of Folly on their side to have consented to an Allyance which would have produc'd nâ—w causes of Wars and Divisions instead of a Firm and Stable Peace whiâ—h was their chief design I add to all these proofs that the Circumstance of the Oath that your Majesty was obliged to take in swearing solemnly upon the Holy Evangelists that you would keep your Royal World that you then gave was as the Seal of all the promises of the engagements and of the good Faith of your Majesty In your opinion says the King I am then very ill grounded in my pretensions and I have no right according to the Civil Law No without doubt says Luxemburgh but a hundred thousand Men a hundred pieces of Cannon and a hundred Millions will make the Ballance incline much more to your side It was a custom to represent Justice blindfolded holding a Balance in one Hand but if the other had not been arm'd with a Sword and had a Lion plac'd by her side which is the badge of Force and Might she would have been but a ridiculous Maygame expos'd to the violence and rashness of Men. So we may say he that has the power in his Hand is the Master of Justice and whether she will or no must of necessity betake her self to his side and fight under his Standards against the weakest and this is your Majesty's Right But says his Majesty since things are in this condition and that I see my self Master of Force and of Justice shall I not do well to push my good fortune to the end and to render my self by my Armies always victorious and triumphant over all the States which shall be at my discretion and serve for my convenience having placed my self safe from the opposition of mine Enemies Very well says Luxemburgh there is no other obstacle which is capable to stop your Majesty but the Faith of Treaties But that is another Gospel for your Majesty for which you care but very little We say of King John the First one of your Ancestors descended from the first Branch of Valois that that Prince was so great an observer of his Word that they gave him the Title of Good He was accustomed to say that when Fidelity and good Faith should be banished the World they ought to be found in the person of a Prince This Prince answer'd his Majesty did not know Machiavel and you should have added at the same time that he was very unhappy during his Reign and I do not doubt but his too great Goodness was in part the cause of his Misfortunes For having lost the Battle of Poictiers against the English who were commanded by the Prince of Wales a great Captain the King was taken and carried Prisoner to London from whence he came not out but by the treaty of Bretigny by which he quitted the Sovereignty of some Provinces in France in f vour of the King of England But all these faults of John the First were gloriously repaired by Charles the Fifth his Successor who acquir'd to him self the name of Wife Sir answer'd Luxemburgh since your Majesty Laughs so at the good Faith of Treaties which other Princes look upon as Inviolable and adore as an Idol I am not surpriz'd that you have heap'd up Conquest upon Conquest There is never a little Prince in the World but may be in a condition to make himself great by this means and at last become the terror of his Enemies but it is not to be wished that such a like disorder should happen for if every Soveraign should do the like we should see a great number of Scepters overthrown to the ground become the Prey of the strongest But says his Majesty since it is not permitted to make ones self great what 's the reason that the Prince of Orange is Mounted even in our Days upon the Throne of his Father-in-Law Is not that an Usurpation Sir says Luxemburgh that is not singular Histories are full of such like instances and we see that Childerick the Third last King of the first Race was Dethron'd by Pepin the Short who before was but Mayor of the Palace which was a place almost like that of Grand Visirs and his deposing was also done by the Assembly of the States after the Pope had declar'd that the French were dispens'd with from owning that Prince So that the poor Dethroned Childerick had no other part to take but to shave himself and put himself into a Monastery And as this disgrace happen'd to him by reasons of State which would be too long to report so the Prince of Orange is not mounted upon the Throne but by the consent of the People which call'd him to it And the Parliament it self which being in England very near to what the States were formerly in France Crown'd him and confirm'd him nemine contradicente so the coming of the Prince of Orange to the Crown ought to be call'd an Acceptance and not an Vsurpation According to this sense says his Mâ—jesty you are then of opinion that the Prince of Orange is well grounded and that the poor King James has no shorter Course to take in the midst of his disgraces than to imitate Childeric that is to say to make a rennuciation of the Crown shave himself and so put himself into a Convent Sir answer'd Luxemburgh I abuse perhaps the liberty your Majesty allows me speaking open hearted my Mind and what I think of the misfortune of this Prince But as in the beginning of this Conference your Majesty was pleased to say you put a great deal of Confidence in me I desire you also to give me leave to abstain from the language of certain Parasites who applaud your Majesty in every thing No Luxemburgh says his Majesty you do me a kindness to tell me the things as you think tâ—em that does not surprise me because I have always given you more liberty to speak your thoughts than any of my Courtiers and Counsellors Sir says Luxemburgh since your Majesty gives me leave to speak what I think of King James and of the War which has been kindled in Europe upon his occasion I do not now speak of a secret itching desire that your Majesty had from your Cradle to surpass your Ancestors in enlarging your Dominions and pushing on youâ— Conquests beyond the Rhine the Sambre and Meuse I speak not neither of the Rights of the deceased Queen I pass also in silence the Right of
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
given the Government of Languedoc to his keeping and that even till one of the three young Princes should be of age to fill it he was willing also to give him the command of the Army in Catalonia as well by reason of the nearness of the place as also of the knowledge which he hath of the Spanish Tongue and Manners But he had so small a number in Catalonia that it was not worth while to talk of it that at most we might reckon upon three thousand Men of eight that were there the five thousand remaining being design'd to make the Campaign and to act against the Miquelets His Majesty added that it was true that he had advice by the means of his Spies at the Court of Spain that the Catholick King caus'd a Fleet to be Arm'd of 14 or 15 Men of War which were to be jointly commanded with the Gallies by Admiral Papichini to cruise in the Medditerranean from the moment that the Count d' Estrees should be put to Sea and that they seem'd to have a mind to attempt something upon the Coast of Provence to favour the Duke of Savoy But that he gave so little Faith to all those discourses that he made no difficulty to say that since they had undertaken nothing like it the two last Campaigns it was a proof of their weakness and that he had by consequence nothing to fear on that side From the affairs of Catalonia his Majesty came to those of Germany and order'd immediately that Catinat should go out of the Chamber and that the Mareschal de Lorge should come in who commanded his Army upon the Rhine and said to him de Lorge I pray you tell me a word of the condition in which you left 〈◊〉 Troops Sir aâ—â—wer'd de Lorge your Army upon the Rhine has suffer'd much by the diseases which have Reign'd all this Campaign and also it finds its self much weaken'd by the Death of so great a number of brave Officers and Souldiers not to speak of the desertion which has been also very great notwithstanding any thing we could do to hinder it Nevertheless by the care that the Marquess d' Vxelles Monsieur de Melac and I have taken your Majesties Army is at present in an incomparable better condition than it was We have given it good Winter Quarters which has much contributed to it's refreshment and cause the Diseases to abate After that we have set our selves to work with heat and success to make the necessary recruits to render the Regiments compleat and that by the means of Mony which we are to consider in that Country as the Materia prima and the second cause which makes that it is ador'd among the Germans and that by this means your Majesty will never want Souldiers The King seeing Monsieur de Melac who followed the Mareschal de Lorge address'd himself to him and said to him Melac have you brought a List of the Villages that you have burnt in Germany and particularly in the Palatinate and along the Rhine Melac answer'd Sir I have not yet made it but if your Majesty desires it I will make one immediately His Majesty answer'd him you will do me a kindness and you must take care at the same time to mark those that remain to be burnt Afterwards his Majesty address'd himself to the Marquess d' Vxelles who had likewise follow'd the Duke de Lorge and said to him d' Vxelles I am not altogether satisfied with the way of your living and I have heard many disadvantagious things to your Reputation for I am inform'd every day that you plunge your self into the dirty Debaucheries of the Duke de Vendosme altho' on the other side I do not dislike your Services and I have given you sufficient marks by conferring upon you the charge of Lieutenant General in memory of the Siege of Mayence that you defended seven weeks together against an Army of one hundred thousand Men which had at their Head the Duke of Lorrain and all the Electors of the Empire The Marquess d' Vxelles answer'd Sir I very well see that I have great Enemies at Court But I pray your Majesty to be persuaded that all these false reports that have come to your Ears do owe their Birth only to the jealousy and misunderstanding of some Generals whom I shall name in time and place in order to clear my self when your Majesty shall please to order me His Majesty answered the time is too short to enter into such a discussion greater affairs call me into Flanders so I reserve to inform my self of all these matters at my return from the Campaign After which his Majesty turning himself towards Monsieur the Duke de Lorge said to him de Lorge I have call'd you to assist in this Council of War to reveal to you a great design I have resolv'd to march into Flanders at the Head of an Army of one hundred and fifty thousand Men the time presses and the undertaking is important so I shall have occasion for all my Forces I have already given orders to make all the regulate Troops to come that I have in Italy except nine thousand Men for according to the report that Catinat has just now made me I judge that my Enemies will undertake nothing on that side Besides that I have let the Duke de Nouailles know that my will was that he should make a Detachment of three thousand Men of his best Troops and that he should make them march apace to the end they might be in the nick of time at the Rendevouse The business in Hand then is to know the number of the Troops of my Army in Germany the Detachment that you are in a condition to make and those you have occasion for to cover my Conquests with on that side Sir answer'd the Mareschal de Lorge your Majesties Army in Germany may amount to about fifty thousand Men reckoning the Garrisons of Strasbourg of Philipsbourg and the other places so you may depend upon a Detachment of twenty or twenty five thousand Men the other twenty five thousand which remain shall be order'd for the preservation of the Country of which I can at any time form an Army of ten thousand Men which will be more than sufficient to observe the Enemy and the rest shall be distributed in the Garrisons of the Frontier places But answer'd his Majesty could not the Germans during that time make use of your weakness and undertake the Siege of Philipsbourg or Landaw or else Mont Royal that the deceased Duke of Lorrain look'd upon as the Flower of all my Fortresses and insomuch that he was resolv'd to have it at any rate Or at least can they not make some considerable ravage in the Country and oblige me to quit a great undertaking half begun As I do not march unprofitably but to gather Lawrels and that Victory may follow me wherever I go I should have an inconceivable trouble if a Reverse
with my whole Fleet and as after the joining of the Eâ—glish Fleet yâ—u will be stâ—onger by half than they I flatter my self already beforehand that you will obtain one of the mâ—st signalized Victories which has yâ—t been gain'd I recommend to you above all to be I excâ—â—ble and to destroy without Pity and without Mercy my Enemies to exterminate them and to act so that not one escape Tourville call to your remembrance the Fight of 1690. and see that that happens no more to you to let the Hollanders retire without taking one unhappy Bark from them Whilst you shall be engag'd King James shall be upon the Coast to judge of the Blows waiting for the Event and the Descent into England will follow immediately after and all that without losing time The King ask'd for John Barts who was retir'd out of the way John Barts seeing his Majesty desir'd to speak with him answered Sir I am here John Barts says his Majesty how go the Prizes Do you take many of the English and Hollanders For by what I can learn these two Nations fear you Sir answered John Barts I have resolv'd saving your Majesty's good pleasure to carry the French Piracy to so high a degree that all the Capers of France shall have reason to call me their Father their Patron and their Restorer and finally after my death those of S. Malo and Dunkirk shall cannonize me in Memory of my great Actions and my name plac'd in the Kalendar shall be named The Feast of John Barts the holy Thief In short I hope by the help of the Almighty to out-do quickly by my Tricks and my good Prizes all that has been formerly most boldly done by the Mezomortes and those of Tripoly But answer'd his Majesty if it should happen that you should fall into the Hands of your Enemies I am persuaded that they would make you pass your time very ill Sir says John Barts I fear nothing so much as the Zealand Capers formerly my joint Brothers and at present my mortal Enemies because they are so angry that I have betray'd my Country and their Party to embrace that of your Majesty's that they will call me in their Language Vrede Breeker Breaker of the Peace that they would never pardon me besides they cannot indure that I should surpass them in Malice and that I should teach the French their Art of which they are jealous even to the last degree John Barts says his Majesty this is not all I have two great Designs in hand the one in Flanders and the other in England and I see my self just upon the point of Execution and to make it succeed I shall have occasion for all my Forces by Sea and Land so it is and for that end I have call'd together all my Generals to take their Advice and conduct this Enterprize with all the Prudence imaginable My design is then to go into Flanders at the Head of an Army of 150000 Men and to form the Siege of the strongest place of Europe whilst I shall be busy in the execution of it you must get together all my Capers and form a Fleet of which I make you from this time Admiral in consideration of your good Services and you must act on one side whilst the Count de Tourville shall act on the other according to the Orders I have given him and you must make your Movements and your Courses with your flying Camp of Pirates being well settled in Concert and Intelligence with Tourville As to the rest I recommend to you the Secret Assoon as the Count de Tourville and John Barts were gone out his Majesty order d That Monsieur de Pompone should come Pompone says the King I recommend to you my Kingdom I am just upon my departure the Resolutions are taken and I am to be in Flanders at the Head of 150000 Men so I leave you the Reins of Government during my absence You are the wisest of my Ministers and after the death of poor Louvois I knew not how to make choice of a worthier Subject than you Father La Chaize my Confessor is not contented and the old Quarrels that these good Fathers have had with your Uncle Monsieur Arnaud run still in their Heads Sir says Pompone the Jansenists will always flourish in your Kingdom in spight of the Reverend Fathers of the Society and of their violent Prejudices against them I know what I have suffered upon their account having try'd many Storms which had made me resolve upon a voluntary Banishment in retireing into the Country to be secure from their Persecution and their Rage Monsieur de Louvois neither was none of my best Friends he had too much correspondence with Father la Chaize not to join Forces and attempt my Ruin every way he could but without ransaking the Ashes of the dead I rejoyce to see my Innocence applauded by the confidence your Majesty reposes in me concerning the Affairs of your Kingdom As you have been says his Majesty in Ambassy in Holland and that you know perfectly the Genius and Interest of that Republick I have but one word to say to you to make you apprehend immediately what is my end in going to the Head of my Armies it is one Home-push for the Game and the only one to come to a Peace Luxemburgh made me see it as clear as the day Sir says Pompone it is high time for your Majesty to begin to set bounds to your Ambition and that you cherish your People the whole Kingdom is oppress'd and groans under the heavy Burden of Imposts and Subsidies and therefore 't is dangerous for so great a Prince as you to expose himself too much If the Presence of your Majesty is necessary in your Army it is no less so in your Kingdom where you support your Power and Sovereignty and dissipate the Plots of the Malecontents which keeps Prosperity among your People and preserves the Harmony that is necessary between him that commands and those that obey We have experienc'd in all Ages past that those Kings who have staid at home in their Closets have executed greater things than those have done whom Ambition and an insatiable desire of Glory have carried even to the extremities of the World Charles V. and Louis XI have atchiev'd greater Exploits without going out of their Palace than did Louis the Young and Philip the August in passing the Seas and in carrying their Arms into Africa we still feel the smart of what was occasioned in France by the Imprisonment of St. Louis of King John and of Francis I. Sir these are Wounds to the State and irreparable Losses when they happâ—n Pompone says his Majesty the Resolution is taken and the Dice is thrown this Campaign will be no more dangerous for my Person than that of Mons was and so many others that I have made in my Reign Fortune cherishes me too much to leave me now I am in so fair a Career
had not he perswaded me unto them In short for the quieting of my People I am glad that his death has taken this Obstacle out of their way that was a horrour to them and as we love Novelties we always flatter our selves that the last comer will be better than the former all the World conceiv'd great hopes upon the Arrival of Pontchartrain But says Luxemburgh I think that Colbert had gather'd together great Riches which he possess'd as his own and all his Children became very great It is true says his Majesty but after his Death the Water came to it's Spring and I caus'd full and good Restitution to be made I made use of a specious pretence to drain them which brought some Millions into my Coffers Sir answer'd Luxemburgh let us let all those matters alone which do not concern the War your Majesty has no time to lose the matter in hand is now to prevent your Enemies and be early in the Field so that it's time to take a firm and solid resolution Luxemburgh you have reason says his Majesty and it is also for that purpose I caus'd you to come hither together with my other Generals to hear you one after another and to have a private conference about what I ought to undertake But as you are one of those in whom I have most confidence and that on the other side my design is to make Flanders the principal Theatre of the War where I pretend that my great designs shall appear I will impart every thing to you with an open heart You are a Man of experience and the Wars of Seventy Two has given you a particular knowledg of that Country I lament extreamly the poor Prince of Conde he also knew perfectly the Genius and Interests of the Spaniards and the Hollanders Schombergh would have also been of great use to me if his infatuation to Religion had not made him perish miserably in Ireland Poor Turenne the Flower of all my Generals hac Coelum itur via merited the same Honours that the Gods formerly gave to great Hercules in memory of his Toils I mean Immortality Be it as it will I shall never forget the good service he did me in Germany and of so many brave Captains you are the only one that is left me so I desire you not to expose your self too much and to take as much care of your dear Person as my Armies For if I should come to lose you I should not know who to give the Command to having for the most part none but Lieutenant Generals more fit to Command a party of Incendiaries than an Army so considerable as that in Flanders The Prince of Orange coming every Campaign to Command himself would desire no better than to have to do with a Novice nor the fiery Elector of Bavaria who also commands with him These two Princes fly round about my Army as a Bird of Prey about a Swallow and seek nothing else but to make me lose a Battle to make way for them into France Besides Luxemburgh here is now a trick of the Prince of Orange which puts me in despair He is not contented to mount the Throne of England after poor King James his Father-in-Law and my Ally was retired to my Court but he does yet worse in respect to me for he has found out a means to drive me out of the Low-Countries endeavouring to deprive the Dauphin my Son of the Provinces fallen to his Mother my Wife the most Christian Queen by the decease of Queen Elizabeth her Mother of Prince Don Balthazar her Brother and of the Catholick King Philip the Fourth her Father The Stratagem that he has made use of is he has brought the King of Spain Charles the Second to make a gift ad vitam of the Spanish Netherlands to the Elector of Bavaria They made a shew some years ago to have play'd this trick but I made such strong Protestations and threatnings to come into Flanders with a great Army without having any regard to the Truce that they thought fit for the Peace of those Provinces and the repose of Europe to refer the matter to another time Sir answer'd Luxemburgh all this good success we owe to the taking of Mons and the good Correspondence that the good Marquis de Gastanaga had kept with us which was thereby discover'd The Prince of Orange seeing the Spanish Netherlands were sold at a great price by the covetousness of the Governours resolv'd to play a Masterpiece in causing it to be put into better hands who would make it their glory to preserve it But says his Majesty can that be done without injustice and can they dispute with my Son the Dauphin as they would have disputed with me in the time of the Wars of Paris that the most Christian Queen Maria Tieresia formerly Infanta of Spaiâ— and immediaely after the Pirenaean Peace became my Wife was brought to Bed of a Prince at Fountain Bleau on All Saints day the first of November a little before Noon in the year 1661. Sir answer'd Luxemburgh the Dauphins Birth is not the thing in Question no Body doubts but he is truly your Majesties and the Queen Maria Tieresia's Son We are well satisfied with the fruitfulness of that Princess And as to what properly concerns your Majesties Person you have thanks to God furnish'd us with Patterns taken from the Originals of the Ladâ—s de Fontanges la Valliere and la Mourtespan who have lâ—ft enough of Illustrious young Sprigs Witness the Duke de Main Madam the Princess of Conti and Madamoiselle de Blois now Dutchess of Charters As for Madam de Maintenon who succeeded them I dare not speak of because I am perswaded it is a Soil where the best Seeds-men seem to me to loose their time and trouble unless God would make her a Sarah As to Madamoiselle de Blois I must tell your Majesty by the way that they talk very much of her Marriage with Monsieur the Duke de Charters in Foreign Countries and Principally in Holland where they Criticize even upon the least Actions of Kings and Princes All the World take upon them here to talk of Politicks nay even the Women They say that your Majesty has by this Marriage and by that of the Princess de Conti unworthily and without distinction mixt the pure with the impure and that if this should continue there would not remain in France one drop of the Noble Blood of your Great Grandfathers and that we should see no other in the Royal Family but the Children of la Valliere and la Montespan But to come to my matter in Hand that which is the Question is that the Allies pretend the renunciation your Majesty made at the Pyrenaean Peace has forfeited you your Right and Pretensions which you might have had to the Succession we were speaking of But says his Majâ—sty it was not in my power to dispose of those Rights and to renounce them to
dependance which is an old quarrel that your Majesty has with the Emperour and the Princes of the Empire I will hold my Tongue also as to what regards that secret enmity which has reign'd in all Ages between the House of Austria and that of Bourbon But I will come forthwith to matter of fact and that which is now before us is that your Majesty did procure to your self a War in the year 1689. which is now four years agoe and that upon the occasion 1st Of the Universal Monarchy 2dly Because of Pope Innocent the Eleventh who oppos'd himself to all your designs 3dly Upon occasion of the Cardinal de Furstembergh 4thly To hinder the ruin of the Ottoman Empire 5thly To re-install King James in his Throne Of all these Articles I will chuse but one and with your Majesties permission will insist upon the last which is in my Opinion the most important and which I consider as an invincible obstacle to a glorious Peace which ought to be the end of your Majesties Arms and Enterprizes I say then that your Majesty finds your self at this day in a great confusion by the weight of the War which you are obliged to support which is one of the bloodiest the most pernicious and the most burthensome that France ever had And really to run through all the Reigns that have preceded this we do not see that Charles the Seventh Francis the First Charles the Eighth Charlemain and Henry the Fourth no more than Louis the Thirteenth have had so many Enemies at one time upon their Hands But that which surprizes me the most and which I look upon as a Miracle is that in the midst of so many Enemies your Majesty equally enjoys your self and gives your Orders every where with as much tranquility as if you were in a profound Peace Things being in this condition I have but one thing to know of your Majesty which I desire you to trust me with after which I will ingage my self to lay down a way which shall infallibly conduct you to a general peace in less than two Campaigns I have already told you Luxemburgh says his Majesty that I put full confidence in you and that I have chosen you as one of my best Counsellors in the condition I find my self because really I have remark'd that my Affairs have put on another Face run quite in another Channel from the very moment you took the command of my Army and I know not whether my Enemies fear you more than my other Generals or whether the Familiar Spirit as is said that you have to win Battles makes you Bolder and more undaunted Be it as it will the Battle of Fleuâ—us which you won me has been a great benefit to me It has put my tottering Affairs into a good condition and if any other but you had had the disposal of it I should have run a great hazard of losing it since that fifty thousand Men of my best Troops had a great deal of trouble to defeat twenty four thousand which compos'd the Enemies Army I add also this circumstance that the Victory being a long time Ballanc'd by the great resistance which the Enemies Foot made and which you did not expect you were also obliged to encourage my Troops which refus'd to charge again the fourth time and pulling off your Hat desir'd the Officers to put themselves in mind of the honour of France and of the glory of their Prince which so strongly animated them that coming to the Charge they oblig'd the Victory to declare it self for my Arms. I believe if poor d' Humieres had been there to command as he was the Campaign before the good Man would have been in a great deal of trouble But I much doubt Luxemburgh if the Prince of Orange had been at the Head of that Army whether you would have come off so cheap as you did with Prince Waldeck Sir says Luxemburgh when I shall command against the Prince of Orange I will content my self to play the cunning part but when Prince Waldeck shall Command I pretend to go eat his Bread and to Encamp in his Country and to lead him up and down where I please the reason of it is that the Prince of Orange is stirring and spares not his own Person presenting himself every where in a Battle contemning danger enjoying himself and giving Orders without confusion But says his Majesty How did you do at the business of Leusse for he was at the Head of that Army all the Campaign Sir answer'd Luxemburgh I took care not to attack his Army at that time but I just took the occasion of his departure and with difficulty came to understand by Six of my best Spies that he was Arrived at Breda when I made the Horse march To deceive the Enemies by a Stratagem pleasant enough I took with me Messieurs the Dukes de Charters and du Main and we went all three to Tournay with a design to see there a Play We arriv'd there about Six of the Clock in the Afternoon it was just the Eve of the Action which was to pass the next day about 8 or 9 of the Clock in the Morning as we had contriv'd The Spies of Prince Waldeck with which he was not the best provided did not fail to give him an account we were at the Play as it was true but I had before given Orders to the Sieur de Roze to Messieurs the Counts d' Auvergne and de Villeroy countenanced by the Prince de Soubise and the Marquess de Congis to advance very slowly with about Sixty or Eighty Squadrons divided into several parties The Comedy which they Play'd was The Physician in Spight of himself which being ended one of the Players invited the Company the next day to another call'd The Citizen turn'd Gentleman Drawing near Monsieur the Duke du Maine I whisper'd him softly in the Ear by my faith we shall have another Comedy to morrow not to say Tragedy for it seems to me as if it would not be very bloody That being done we got on Horseback about Nine of the Clock and return'd by the obscurity of the Night near to your Majesties Troops And by good Fortune there arose a thick Fog which begun about one of the Clock in the morning which favour'd our march so well that we arriv'd at Eight of the Clock in the Morning in sight of the Enemy who were suprized at our coming and taking advantage of their disorder I Charg'd them with the Troops of your House which I led my self to the Battle Now I think on 't Luxemburgh says his Majesty I understood that there was one of the Prince of Orange's Guards who came headlong with his Sword in his hand with a design to kill you Sir says Luxemburgh it is true and I escap'd a stroke from him so narrowly that he had undoubtedly taken my Head off if I had been tall But as you may when I am on Horseback
take me for Monsieur Scarron I easily put by that blow in crying out with a full Throat Fire upon that bold Fellow But says his Majesty you dearly then bought the glory that you had to keep the Field about half an hour by the death of my best Officers and of a great number of brave persons of my House Sir says Luxemburgh your Majesty has long since used your self to lose a great mâ—ny Men when you would have the advantage over your Enemies As it is my Maxime to attack them ordinarily three against one and that the Enemies who see themselves almost always inferiour and more feeble in number by half fight also like Madmen that 's the reason your Majesty loses more men than they but still you have the Glory on your side But says his Majesty if these losses are frequent and that the War should last four or five Campaigns as in all appearance it will I run a risque to see my self without Officers and Souldiers Sir says Luxemburgh your Majesty must buâ— a Peace at any rate should it cost even half your Subâ—ects But answers his Majesty I had then rather hazard a general Battle and come orderly into an open Campaign in the Face of my Enâ—mies I am perswaded that they would not refuse it and that would be infinitely more glorious and worthier of the name of Great that I bear imitating in that Charles Martel who acquir'd that name by reason of his martial humour and of the great actions he did at the Battle of Tours where the French kill'd a hundred and seventy five thousand Moors that lay dead on the Spot It seems to me that an Action like that would be incomparably better than all the Tricks and Wiles that I have made use of till now which are no more after all than small Rencounters which decide nothing and only lengthen the War No Sir says Luxemburgh that is not the way by which I pretend to conduct your Majesty your Enemies would desire no better The Prince of Orange and the Elector of Bavaria would Triumph with joy and your Majesty cannot do them a greater favour than to come as you say into an open field There wants but only one such like Resolution to annihilate in an instant all those Prodigies of glory and to lose so many brave Conquests heap'd up one upon the other which hast cost so many Men and so much Blood and I am persuaded that your Majesty has not yet forgot what it cost Francis the First and St. Louis for having expos'd themselves a little too much How then says his Majesty do you understand it for we must take the shortest way my People begin to be able to do no more and Mony becomes scarce in my Kingdom and as we say foresight is the Mother of Wisdom I know what it cost me in 1672 for having staid a little too long Sir says Luxemburgh doth your Majesty absolutely wish to have a peace I have already pray'd you several times to discover to me your most secret intentions You know says his Majesty that I wish it passionately But I reserve to my self the glory to grant it to my Enemies and I fight only at present to constrain them to come and demand it of me Sir answer'd Luxemburgh since it is so that your Majesty is absolutely resolved to have a peace that you wish it and seek after it this is the way to come quickly to it Your Majesty must then at present make Flanders the Seat of War you must gather together your greatest force and you must reckon to have three Armies this Campaign to act in concert and mutually to assist one another Each of these Armies must be at the least fifty thousand Men. For this purpose your Majesty must give Orders to Monsieur Voisin Intendant of the Low Countries to make with the Commissaries of Provisions an exact computation of Provisions necessary for the maintenance of so many Troops and to furnish the Magazines of which the Principle ones shall be at Mons Maubeuge Philipville and Dinant The great Master of the Ordinance must also give order that the Ammunitions of War as well as the great Artillery be transported early to the nearest frontier places The Count de Guiscard Governour of Dinant must take care to assemble and get ready a good number of Boats Monsieur de Vertillac Governour of Mons must likewise take care to get together all the Waggons and Carts which can be found in the Country of Hainault He must make at the same time as well as the other Governours a list of the Pioneers that we can have the number of which cannot be less than Twenty thousand and to the end that all the Troops may be there at the time of the general Rendevouse which shall be at Mons your Majesty must presently dispatch Orders to make them march I add also that care must be taken to have good intelligence to stir them up and maintain them cost what it will because it is the primum mobile without which we shall build upon a Quicksand All these Resolutions being taken there will want nothing but a Head to move so great a Body And as the presence of Kings and Princes is the Soul and strength of their Army and that a Prince which commands in person his Armies aspires to an immortal glory so there is not a Souldier who fighting in the sight of his Prince doth not employ all his valour and being animated with a desire of glory and hopâ—s to be liberally recompens'd doth not present himself with joy to the greatest and most dangerous perils I advise then your Majesty to make this Campaign as you did that of Mons your Majesty took notice that this important place was surrendred in less than fifteen Days after the opening of the Trenches in the sight of an Enemies Army and in a time where the rigours of the Season oppos'd you After such a blow your Majesty may undertake what you please That 's very well says his Majesty but where do you judge it will be necessary to open the Campâ—ign shall it be by the Siege of At h or Charleroy as these places are nearest it seems that we must begin there No Sir says Luxemburgh you must attack your Enemies in a more sensible part At h and Charleroy are places which will fall of themselves into your Majesties Hands What must be done then says his Majesty shall we go to Bombard Brussels No Sir says Luxemburgh that is not worth while it must be a more shining enterprize it is not reasonable your Majesty should put your self at the head of your Armieâ— for so small a matter What then says his Majesty shall we Attack Ostend by Sea and by Land this loss will be very sensible to my Enemies because that is the place where all the English Troops come to Land and from thence we may penetrate into the Heart of the County of Flanders No Sir
advantage of the distance of the German Troops which were found dispers'd here and there in several Countries and to lay Siege to Montmelian and secure by this important Fort the Conquests with which it had pleas'd God to bless your Arms in Savoy I undertook then this Siege in a time when the rigors of the Season making us feel the utmost extremity not to speak of a great number of other unhappy obstacles which seem'd to oppose so great an undertaking I found my self several times oblig'd to quit it but as your Majesty had expresly order'd me to hazard all I at last made it submit to your obedience in less time than I had propos'd to my self Catinat answer me I pray you says the King to what I shall ask you I have a great design in Flanders that I pretend to execute some weeks hence and for this purpose I shall have occasion for an Army of one hundred and fifty thousand Men. As the Troops that I have in Brabant and Germany are not sufficient to make this number may I well dispose of fifteen or sixteen thousand Men of the Tâ—oops which are under your command in Savoy As you are the only one of all my Generals who knows the Map of Italy best the designs of the Duke of Savoy and the Genius of the Italian Nation having travel'd in the habit of a Carmelite thro' all those Countries according to the order I had given you in hopes that you would be one day more proper to do me important Services on that side and it was you who had the care of the buying of the City of Cazal having received the Sum which I had agreed with the Duke of Mantoua to pay unto him for it Answer me I pray you do you believe me to be in a condition safe enough to withdraw my Troops and could you well make head against the Germans if I only leave you an Army of nine thousand Men Sir answer'd Catinat your Province of Dauphine which was the most expos'd of all your Kingdom and into which your Enemies have often flatter'd themselves to enter with a great Army need to fear nothing further since the taking of Monmelian This place as well as Pignerol Susa and Nice of the side of Provence are more than sufficient to cover it and to put all into a profound security But let us turn the Scale says his Majesty If the Duke of Savoy making advantage of your weakness and of the small number you will have there should happen on a sudden to take a Resolution of forcing the Passages and of entring into my Kingdom and that jointly with Schombergh who commands the Hugonots and the old return'd Refugees they should come to enter into Dauphiâ—e and put all that Province under Contribution for without flatteriâ—g my self I fear the old return'd Refugees and my new Converts coming once to form themselves into Troops and to joyn them would mâ—ke a formidable Army for they would procure me a great deal of trouble and might in time make this Province to rise which is already but too much disaffected because it is that part of my Kingdom that I have always the least minded and which has been the most oppress'd by the great Taxes that it pays me and lately by the passage of the Souldiers and the Winter Quarters which has almost made them desolate That if once this Barrier come to be forc'd my Enemies might from Dauphine enter into the Country of Lyons Forests and Boucollois all being open on that side and do me more hurt in one Campaign than I have done to them since the War was declar'd Sir answers Catinat rest satisfied in this and let not your Majesty for this stop the course of your great undertakings I will take care of Dauphine give me only the charge of it as you have done for the time pass'd and confide entirely in me But says the King you may be mistaken Catirat Do not you know that Men alter as well as their Opinions and that such a Resolution is quickly taken Sir answers Catinat that your Majesty may not trouble you self I engage you my word upon the Faith of an honest Man that your Enemies shall undertake nothing on that side and that the disunion amongst them will always be the ruin of their undertakings I wish it might be so says his Majesty for if I were assured of the contrary I would chuse rather to remain all the Campaign upon the defensive waiting for the Winter to make a Siege than to suffer that my Enemies should give me on that side any blemish to my glory and that a Duke of Savoy whom I formerly treated as one of my Pages should boast to have encamp'd at the Gates of Grenoble I believe I should dye with grief if that should come to my Ears For what shame would not that be to receive Law from a Prince to whom I gave it all the course of my Reign Sir answer'd Catinat I add for Conclusion that your Majesty needs not to fear any thing from the Duke of Savoy nor from the old return'd Refugees Your Majesty has given me with the Command of your Army a golden Key which has the secret to open the Hearts and as the head of Medusa to convert Men into Rocks and make them immoveable so that when the Skin of the Lion shall fail me I shall always have that of the Fox and that will be more than sufficient to stop all the undertakings of the Savoyards and Germans if so be they should seem to undertake more than the last Campaign I add to all these Reflections that they being used to come into the Field after that the Troops of your Majesty have done their business if occasion should require it it would always be time enough to form an Army of Detachments that we shall have to oppose them in all their designs Besides I will manage so well the nine thousand that your Majesty shall leave me and I will cause Monsieur de la Rai de Bache Villiers and de Vins to go to their Posts who shall cover the Province so advantageously that we shall have nothing to fear The King being sufficiently inform'd of the affairs of Piedmont pass'd to those of Cattalonia and said in presence of Monsieur de Catinat that he had not judg'd it fit to call Monsieur de Nouailles to this Council of War because that having nothing to apprehend from the part of the Spaniards but some feeble Rodomontades and that the Duke de Villa Hermosa their General having more care to say his Prayers by his great Pater Noster Beads which he carries hanging at the Guard of his Sword than of the Stratagems of War he had also made choice of a General fitter to regulate the Affairs of the House of the deceased Poor Madam de Fontange of which he had the charge whilst she liv'd than to have commanded an Army any thing considerable that having besides
A King is never Great nor Illustrious who has not carried his Arms among Strangers to make them know his Strength and to make them feel the sweetness and equity of his Commands I had all my Life an aversion for those slothful Kings of the first Race who did not govern their Countries but suffer'd themselves to be govern'd by the Grandees nothing is more pernicious to a Prince than Luxury and too much Repose Nero whose first years were so admirable and so great eclips'd the lustre of them by his Debauâ—hes and his Cruelties which were but the fatal consequence or Idleness Sir answer'd Pompone if your Majesty has so concâ—uded and that you think it fit for the way to a Peace I wish you all Prosperity and a happy Campaign The time of my departure draws near saâ—â— his Majesty I recommend to you above all to have an Eye upon the new Catholicks whom I look upon in my Absence as Enemies most to be fear'd You know what care I have taken to bring them back to the bosom of the Church anâ— how I have bâ—en forc'd to use them to pluck up this cursed Tare which has mix'd it self with the good Corn. Sir answer'd Pompâ—ne I do not know if your Majesty had all the reason in the World to deliver them so mercilesâ—y to the resentment of their Enemies for my paâ—ticular I felt a part of their Misfortunes and Father la Chaizâ— gave me no better Quarters than them Your Illustrious Predecessâ—rs witness the Grandfather of your Majesty Hâ—n y IV. came to the Crown only by their aâ—sistance They did hâ—m so great Services when he saw himself overwhelm'd by the Cathâ—lâ—â—ks wâ—o 〈◊〉 maâ—e a considerable Party ca â—'d Tâ—e League that he woulâ— have undoubtedly sunk withâ—ut their Assiâ—tance so in memory of their Fidelity he graâ—ted them the Edict of Naâ—â—s So that your Majâ—sty ought to consiâ—er that if you have at this day the Crown upon yâ—ur Head as a most worthy Successor of that Great Henry you are no â—ess beholding to them than your Grandfather Pompone says his Majesty let us talk of other things It suffices to tell you That the G â—â—â—es of â—…y Consâ—â—ence having so order'â— it it was no longer in my Power to oppose it In short I am going anâ— therefore recommend to you aboâ—e all my Kingdom my new Converts I recommend to you the Qâ—een of Great Bâ—itain the Prince of Wales aâ—â— the Infant of Eâ— land visit them often and comfort them in their â— sgrace teâ—â— them from me Tâ—â—t I go where Glory calls me to heap up Lawrels anâ— to accompâ—â—sh their re-estabâ—â—shment I recâ—mmenâ— aâ—so to you my Sâ—â— the Dâ—uphiâ—… take care above all to represent to â—â—m the Inj ry he does to his Reputation to love rather the Pleasures of Diana and the Hunting of the Wolf than the noble Works of Mars I recommend to you also the three young Princes my Grand-children entertain them above all with the great Actions of their Grand-father I recommend to you chiefly the Eldest the Duke of Burgundy whom I us'd to call the Prince of Coâ—de because that truly we see as it were rebâ—rn in hâ—m all the shining Qualities of that Prince I recommend to you in short all the Intelligences that I have in Foreign Courts have a care of them receive the Letters that shall be writ to me and cause the Sums design'd for the Pensions I pay them to be return'd I also very carefully recommend to you my Treasury assist Ponchartâ—aine with your good Advice and lend him your Hand in working jointly for settling a Fund for the next Campaign Mony is the Sinew of War without it I should be a Kâ—ng wâ—thout Power and all my great Designs would evaporate intâ—â—moak Sir says Pompone they report of Dagâ—bert that he was so jâ—st and free towards the Churches That he caus'd the Church of St. Dennis to be covered with Silver But your Majesty makes another use of Mony you have a quite different Pity and Justice from that Prince You imitate rather him who finding the 12 Apostles of Massy Silver in a Church caus'd them to be taken from the Altar and having made them into Mony told them That they should go Preach throughout the whole World according to the order that Jesus Christ had given them Monsieur de Pompone being gone out the King order'd that Messieurs de Barbesieux and de Chanlais should come in in all haste Barbesieux says his Majesty the Resolutions are taken I have a great Design in hand Silence we are now at the point to bring great things to Light the Campaign of Mons had nothing like it Ha! what then Sir says Barbesieux I am a going says his Majesty into Flanders at the Head of an Army of 150000 Men to form the Siege of the Key of all the Low Countries Luxemburgh has shou'd it me as clear as the Sun at Noon Sir says Chanlais your Majesty must make haste for I hear that the Prince of Orange will come a Month sooner into the Field than he did last year It is no matter says his Majesty I shall have near 80000 Men more than he and I shall be covered by three potent Armies besides I will make Boufflers go before and possess himself of the Passages Luxemburgh has assur'd me that I have no more cause to fear than if I were at Versailles Sir answer'd Barbesieux if that be so your Majesty will have a good Bargain for all you shall undertake whilst that the Prince of Orange fatigues and exposes himself to the most eminent Dangers Sir says Chanlais Gold and Treason are at this day two great double Keys to your Majesty besides that they open all Gates they operate more in a moment than great Armies do in a Summer's Expedition Both the one and the other must be had says his Majesty I have found out the means to tame the Lion and the Fox which were heretofore incompatible and I only march now to take Possession of what I have bought before Sir says Barbesieux that is not all your Majesty must seek the shortest way to come quickly to a Peace the want of every thing is a dangerous Disease which begins to be felt throughout your Kingdom Barbesieux you speak home says his Majesty and all the advantage I propose to my self by this Expedition is to come to the way of a Peace Sir says Barbesieux I have yet a shorter way and more abridg'd than that to come to a Peace Ha! what says his Majesty It is to put in execution the Project that my deceased Father the Marquiss de Louvois had begun the rough draught of and which he left in his Cabinet after his death that is the White that is the Center whereto all your Majesty's Enterprizes should tend What must be done then says his Majesty Sir the Business in hand is to send the Prince of Orange Chief of the League ad Patres if your
says Luxemburgh this Conquest is not important enough to imploy a King with an Army of one hundred and fifty thousand Men. What shall be done then says his Majesty shall we enter into the Country of Liege to force the Prince of that Diocess to lay down his Arms and to submit himself to my clemency No says Luxemburgh that expedition is more proper for Boufflers than your Majesty it is not glorious enough for a Prince who marches only to attack invincible places Ha! What then says his Majesty Thus Sir says Luxemburgh your Majesty must come at the Head of one hundred and fifty thousand Men divided into three Bodies the first of which shall be commanded by your Majesty having under you the Mareschall d' Humieres The the second shall be under the Command of the Marquess de Bâ—ufflers and the third shall be remitted to my Conduct The Army being thus divided the Marquess de Boufflers shall take the Van with a Body of fifteen thousand Horse and possess the passages and avenues The main Body of the Army being arriv'd your Majesty shall form the Siege of Namur and by the taking of that important place you will render your self Master of a whole County which is without contradiction the finest of the Low Countries Luxemburgh says his Majesty this enterprise is great and this place seems to me Impregnable by it Situation besides the building of a certain Fort which is called Fort William built within this little while renders it almost inaccessible Sir says Luxemburgh Art and Inteltelligence must favour force and as we say sow the Tail of the Fox to the Skin of the Lyon I know an expedient by which half of these difficulties will be overcome and thus it is as I understand it There is in the Cittadel a certain Baron de Berse which is a Major a Man fit to do any thing a high spender and much given to his pleasures I understand that this Berse calls himself Kinsman of Madam de Maintenon and that 's what we want But says his Majesty who has told you that this Berse will be a fit Man to hold correspondence Sir answer'd Luxemburgh it is sufficient that he is given to Debauchery Your Majesty must charge Madam de Maintenon with all this business and whilst we shall be preparing Bombs and Carcasses she on her side must attack the strongest part of the place by fair and good guilded Letters which will do more in one day than an Army of one hundred and fifty thousand Men in six weeks Ho! says his Majesty if matters be so my good and dear Maintenon will do that well enough to do me a kindness But what is it she must promise him in order to engage him Sir says Luxemburgh she must promise him one hundred thousand Livers for reward and after the reduction of the place a Lieutenant Generals Post I am persuaded that he will accept the proposition and that in less than eight days your Majesty will have convincing proofs thereof Ha! Well says his Majesty suppose then for example that he accepts the offers that Maintenon shall make him in your opinion what method must he take to favour the enterprize Sir says Luxemburgh it is this he must in the first place make an exact Register of all the Provisions and Ammunitions of War which shall be found in the Cittadel he must also make a very regular draught of the strength and weakness both of the Cittadel the Devils House Fort William â—e must oppose in quality of Major of thc Cittadel to all that shall be undertaken on the behalf of the Prince of Barbancon who he must also endeavour to engage if that can be done He must inform your Majesty or some of your Generals of all the designs marches and countermarches of your Enemies he must at the same time seem to do nothing but to keep himself in the Cittadel and at his ordinary Post just till you give him notice that the Mine is to be sprung Which being done Madam de Maintenon must write to him some time before to pretend to come out in a Party and suffer himself to be taken Prisoner as if it had happen'd by imprudence The Invention is not bad says his Majesty Sir says Luxemburgh being thus made Master of a Man who will inform you at bottom of the least Circumstances you ought to assure your self that from this time forth the place is surrendred If that be so says his Majesty we shall have as good a Bargain as that of Mons. But the Prince of Orange is about to repass the Sea in order to be present here early and by what I can learn here may put himself into the Field as soon as I and having a great Army and being accompany'd with the Elector of Bavaria they may well dispute this Conquest with me these two Princes are of a little hot temper so that this attacking them by so sensible an enterprise will so infâ—ame them that they will not fail to get together all their Forces to oppose me I do not doubt says Luxemburgh that whilst this Opera shall be playing in Flanders we must prepare a Tragedy in England for the Prince of Orange Your Majesty told me confidently the last time that King James had receiv'd Letters almost from all the Nobility and great ones of the Kingdom besides that there was a great number of Quakers and Faâ—aticks that had all unanimously espoused the Interest and Cause of this Prince to re-establish him upon the Throne if your Majesty would only favour and support their enterprize by Eighteen or Twenty Thousand Men which would make a Descent into the Isle of Wight It is true says his Majesty and I have my self read the Letters A Person of Quality says in express terms that his British Majesty has nothing to do but to come that he cannot believe with how much impatience and earnestness the Grandees of the Kingdom aâ—d the People wait for him that all the World generally is concern'd for his re-establishment upon the Throne That in short they begin to make proivsions of Arms and Horses which they gather together the most secretly theâ— can without forgetting good Summs of Mony which they keep ready to pay the Troops to be raised in the Kingdom which shall consist only of persons discontented with the present Government Sir says Luxemburgh if the thing be so that will be a great stroke the Prince of Orange must of all necessity repass the Sea in all hast to go to the succor of his three Kingdoms and in the mean time your Majesty may do your business without opposition and without resistance Your Majesty must give Orders without losing of time to the Count de Tourville to have the Fleet ready to Sail and that a great number of Transport Ships be got together in great diligence for the Embarquing of the Troops But says his Majesty I shall not be very well pleased that Tourville