made a sudden halt faced about and retreated up the Hill again to a little Village called Dunmore about half a Mile from the Pass Our Men marching in good order came up with them at this Village when the Irish faced abont and charged with so much briskness that our Horse was forced to give ground tho' the King was with them Hereupon the King rid to the Iniskillingers and asked what they would do for him and advanced before them Their Officer telling his Men who it was and what Honour was done them At the Head of these Men the King received the Enemies Fire and then wheeling to the left that his own Men might have liberty to advance and fire they erroneously retired after him above a 100 Yards which made the King move to the Left to put himself at the Head of some Dutch Troops that were advancing while in the mean time the Iniskillingers growing sensible of their Mistake went on again to the Charge and did good Service Some of Duke Sâ—homberg's Horse were here also and behaved themselves well taking one or two of the Enemies Standards while another Party commanded by Lieutenant General Cinkle now the Renowned Earl of Athlone charge in a Lane to the Left but the Irish proved too many for them there and so they were obliged to retreat This being observed by a Party of Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons and another of Colonel Levison's the Officers ordered the Men to alight and line an Hedge as also an old House that flanked the Lane from whence they poured in their Shot upon the Enemy Lieutenant General Ginkle continued in the Rear of his Men being heartily vexed at their retreating and was in some Danger by our own Dragoons For the Enemy being close upon him they could not well distinguish However the Dragoons did a piece of excellent Service in this Place by stopping the Enemy who came up very boldly and our Horse having the Opportunity of Rallying here as they did to the Right the Enemy after near half an hours sharp Dispute were bear back again from this place and a great many of them killed On the other side Lieutenant General Hambleton finding that his Foot did not answer his Expectation he put himself at the Head of the Horse which being defeated by ours he was wounded on the Head and taken Prisoner When he was brought to the King he was pleased to ask him Whether the Irish would fight any more Yes said he an 't â—please â—your Majesty upon my Honour I believe they will for they have a good Body of Horse still When he named his Honour the King looked a little aside at him and repeated once or twice Your Honour intimating That what he assumed upon his Honour was not to be believed since he had forfeited that before by siding with the Earl of Tyrconnell And this was all the Rebuke he gave him for his breach of Trust Now you are to understand that while all this happened on this side our Men on the Right were making the best of their way over the Hedges and Bogs towards Duleek and as they advanced the Enemy drew off till they had heard what had happened at the Pass and then they mended their pace yet they could not make so much haste but that several of them were killed especially among the Foot upon whom a Party of our Horse broke in but they presently scattered among the Corn and Hedges till they got beyond a great Ditch which our Horse could not pass But tho' when they got over the Pass they drew up and fired their great Guns upon our Men who did the like on their side as being not able easily to come at them with their small Shot yet their Confusion was so great that they left a great many Arms with a Quantity of Ammunition in the Village of Duleek and indeed all the Country over Yet our Men were so â—illy as to blow up the Powder where-ever they found it and few or none of the Enemy escaped that fell into their Hands for they shot them like Hares among the Corn and in the Hedges as they found them on their March Of all the Irish Commanders none seemed to have been more active and vigilant and done better Service that day than Lieutenant General Hambleton whom at last we took Prisoner as above-noted But the Irish Foot were the first that ran while the Count de Lauzun's Horse and some Swiss which he had with him and which were the best Men in the late King's Army no way derogated from the good Opinion which was generally conceived of their Valour but stood to it till they saw themselves abandoned by the other and then retreated in very good order But the Irish made so much haste that tho' our Foot pursued them above 4 Miles beyond the place of Battel yet they could not overtake them no more than some of the Horse who continued the Pursuit till Night and then returned to the place where the Foot made an Halt and where they remained at their Arms all Night The Enemies whole Loss in this Battel was generally computed at 1500 Men and of them some considerable Persons as the Lord Dungan the Lord Carling ford and Sir Neal O Neal c. But one thing was observable that day that most of their Horsemen who charged so desperately were drunk with Brandy each Man having that Morning received half a Pint to his Share But it 's like the Foot had not so large a Proportion or at least did not deserve it so well And on our side fell near 400 which in it self was inconsiderable and not worth speaking had not the Renowned Duke Schomberg been of the Number a Person whom his very Enemies called a brave Man and a great General He was certainly a Person of the best Education in the World and knew Men and Things beyond most of his Time appearing courteous and civil to all and yet had something always that looked so great in him that commanded Respect from Men of all Stations and Qualities As to his Person he was of a middle Stature Fair-complexion'd a very sound hardy Man of his Age and sat an Horse incomparably well and as he loved always to be neat in his Cloaths so was he ever pleasant in his Conversation and tho' he was 82 Years old when he died yet when he came to be embowelled his Heart Entrails and Brain were as sound and fresh as if he had been an Youth of 20 so that it is probable he might have lived many Years longer if Divine Providence had not otherwise ordered it And as Monsieur â—allimot had followed that Great Man in all his Fortunes while alive so he did in his Death for he died of his Wounds soon after him As for the King himself he received no manner of hurt through God's Providence in the Action tho' he was in all the height of it only a Cannon-ball carried away a piece of
repulsed And yet the same Night tho' a Prisoner gave the Besieged an Account of the Confusion the Turks were in by reason of the approaching Succours they thought it convenient for all that to make another Signal to the Duke from St. Stephen's Tower and the rather since the Turks seemed still obstinate in carrying on their Attacks which they continued with no very great Advantage till the 11th of Sept. when that same Afternoon they drew all their Forces out of their Camp and marched towards the Calemburg which was a certain Sign to the Besieged that their Succours were marching that way and taking the Advantage of the Night endeavoured to get up the Hill whilst the Christian Armâ— met them in the Descent At that time the Besieged also had the Satisfaction to see the Rockets which were thrown up on the Top of the Hill as a Signal of their Approach and which they expected with so much Impatience The next Day which was the 12th of Sept. after Sun-rising the Christian Army advanced from the upper part of the Calemburg moving slowly in close Order from the Carthusian Monastery and St. Leopold's Chappel and extending it self more and more until they made their way out of the Forest when they closed their Lines and marching towards the Plain left a Space for them that followed and room for themselves to move in their Cannon playing upon the Enemy at several Intervals But the Turks were guilty of a very great Oversight in not securing the Passages of the Wood or other advantageous Posts which the Christians found difficult enough to pass tho' they met with no Opposition but perhaps the former vainly trusted to their Numbers having still an Army of an 120000 fighting Men tho' they had lost near 60000 at the Siege whereas the Christian Army without was not above 80000 and 6000 within the Town who yet did good Service upon this Occasion The Right Wing of the Army was given to the King of Poland for that he had most Horse and that the Country was open on that side the Left to the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Lorrain because they were strongest in the Foot and that the Country was inclosed on that side all along the Danube and the main Body to the Elector of Saxony and Prince Waldeck In this Disposition the Generals that Morning according to Appointment met upon the Hill to give the necessary Orders and were no sooner come together but a Body of 10000 Turks appear'd and advanced towards the Christians whereupon a Battallion was ordered to post themselves in a Vineyard that was on an Hill hard by being supported by 3 other Battallions which made the Turks stop For not enduring the Fire of those Battallions and being all Horse and in a Ground where they could not well attack the Foot they contented themselves to make one Discharge accompanied with an hideous Noise and so retired Whereupon the King of Poland and the other Princes having observed the the Disposition of the Enemy drew the Army into 3 Lines and closed without any Intervals as before mentioned and ordered them to march very slowly towards the Enemy and to stand when the Turks came to Charge them keeping themselves very close and not to fire till the Enemy had made their Discharge which was exactly performed for the Enemy advanced towards them with an horrible Cry as if they meant to break in upon them hoping thereby to make them give way or to put them into Disorder But finding the Christians stood firm and expecting them in a very close Order they durst not push any further but halted and still finding the Christians did not stir but stood expecting them they then made their Discharge and wheeled off Upon this the first Line of the Christians fired and that done the whole Army advanced slowly and so gained Ground upon the Enemy who returning came up as before the Christians thereupon made an Halt and expected them and the Turks having made their Discharge retired again which they repeated several times without adventuring to break in upon the Christians who still gained Ground driving the Turks before them like a Flock of Sheep Being come near the Enemies Camp a Body of Foot and Dragoons were detach'd to attack their Cannon which they made themselves Masters of without any great Opposition the Enemy having but a small Number of Foot to defend them and even their Horse made no great Resistance any where tho' they endeavoured on the side of the Right Wing to Charge the Christians in Flank which the King of Poland mistrusting caused part of the second Line to advance and make a Front on that side and charging the Enemy in Person with the first Line made them give way During the hottest of the Battle the Turks attackt the Town and put the Besieged so to it that Count Staremberg was forced to send to the Duke of Lorain for Assistance whereupon the Duke sent Prince Lewis of Baden with a Body of Horse Foot and Dragoons into the City with whose Help all the Turks that were in the Attack where cut to pieces In short towards Evening the Enemy began to give way and fled being pursued by the Christians beyond their Camp and there they made an Halt the Soldiers upon pain of Death being Commanded not to stir out of their Ranks and the whole Army remained all Night in Battle array as if the Enemy had been still present Next Day the Camp was Plundered half a Company going out at a time while the other half continued at their Arms and when they returned these went out in like manner All the Enemies Baggage Provision Tents 50 Pieces of Cannon 2 Horse-Tails the Grand Seignior's Standard and the Visier's own Horse were taken and most of their Foot cut in pieces being computed at about 15000 the rest having perished during the Siege and the Victory was so much the more glorious to the Christian Arms in that they lost not above a 1000 Men in all and very few Persons of Note the Duke of Croy and some others being wounded and that the Capital of the German Empire was hereby relieved which otherwise must inevitably have fallen into the Hands of the Infidels in less than 48 Hours more having already endured 9 Weeks Siege for want of Provisions and a sufficient Garrison to defend it longer their Number being diminished one half and the Turkish Mines ready to blow up the last Retrenchments they had for its Security And because it is fit the Memory of those Great Men that appeared this Day at the Head of the Christian Army and under whose Conduct this signal Victory was obtained should by all just Means be perpetnated to future Generations they were these that follow The King of Poland the Electors of Saxony and Bavaria the Duke of Lorain Prince Waldeck General of the Empire the 2. Princes of Baden the Prince of Anhalt the Duke of Croy the Prince de Salm the
his Boot but did all that the greatest of Captains could do upon this Occasion he chose the Field drew up his Army gave out his general Orders where-ever he was in Person and demeaned himself throughout with that Gallantry Resolution and Presence of Mind so peculiar to himself and was such a Poise for the Inclination of the Battel to his own side that even his very Enemies confess'd That if we changed Kings with them they would fight the Battel over again with us For the late King during most of the time stood with some Squadrons of Horse upon the Hill called Dunmore and when the Officer that commanded saw from thence how ill it went with their Friends below and as it was said moved his Master that they might go down and help them His answer was What will you leave me alone and so march'd off to Duleek and from thence in great haste to Dublin where the first News was That the English General was kill'd and the Prince of Orange as they called him taken Prisoner But of this they were quickly undeceived My Lady Tyrconnell when he got into the Castle asked him what he would have for Supper who told her what a Breakfast he had had which made him have but little Stomach for his Supper And next Morning after having told the Citizens that he was necessitated to yield to Force and some such Stuff and that they were become a Prey to the Conqueror but that he should not cease to labour their Deliverance as long as he liued he posted away for Waterford where he arrived the same day taking care to have the Bridges broken down behind him for fear of being pursued and where he went on board a Vessel called The Count de Isauzun that was ready to receive him But the Sieâ—r Foran Chief of the Squadron meeting him at Sea obliged him to go on board one of his Frigats for his quicker Passage and so he got once more into France In the mean time the English Army rested the next day after the Battel to refresh themselves while 5 Battalions of Foot and 4 Squadrons of Horse were detatch'd under the Command of Mounsieur Melonier to take in Drogheda the Governour whereof received the first Summons very indifferently but at last considering better of it and believing now the Irish Army to have been totally routed he laid hold of the Offers made him and the Garrison march'd out of the place with their Baggage only leaving their Arms behind them King James had no sooner left Dublin but the Protestants took Possession of it and the Duke of Ormâ—nd whom the King sent thither found Captain Farloâ— Governour who but two days before had been Prisoner and the King himself with his Army arrived at Finglass within 2 Miles of the City on the 5th of July from whence he went next day to St. Patrick's Church but returned after Dinner to the Camp where 2 days after he set out his Declaration to the Irish assuring all under such a Quality of his Protection and then divided the Army going himself with the greatest part of it beyond Dublin in order to march Westward sending at the same time Lieutenant General Douglass with 3 Regiments of Horse 2 of Dragoons and 10 of Foot towards Athlone which is 50 Miles N. of Dublin He having sent out a Party while on his March to get Intelligence besides a great Prey of Cattle which they brought from the Enemies Quarters they also took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one of which was to advise one Tute to defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of Value And in another which was from an Officer in Athlone to his Father in the Country There was Information given That the Earl of Tyrconnell the Duke of Berwick and several great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that their Army would be there in 2 or 3 days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he express'd it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army That the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets That Duke Schomberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too That their King was gone for France but it was no great matter said he where he was for they were better without him which shews they had no great Opinion of him And after the Letter was sealed he writ on the out-side Just now we have an Accout by a Gentleman that is come from Dubâ—in That Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again From Mullingar Douglass conntinued his March and July 17th reached Athlone Incamping within a quarter of a Mile of the Town from whence he sent a Drum to summon it But old Colonel Grace the Governour fired a Pistol at him and sent word Those were the Terms he was for The Place was strong by Nature and Art and our Force not very considerable for that Enterprise however they contrived some Batteries and planted 2 Field-pieces which did the Enemies Guns some Damageâ— and an 150 Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines And about the 19th they had a Battery of 6 Guns finish'd nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach towards the top But the Train was too small for the Enterprise However the firing continued on both sides but the Misfortune of Mr. Nelson the best Gunner being killed with a small Shot and the News that Sarssield was was advancing with 15000 Men to raise the Siege made the General to send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar and next day in the he Evening called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told the Necessity of raising the Siege especially since he had but very little Bread all the while and that there was some Reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off his Communication from Dublin So that there were Orders given to be ready to march at 12 that Night when the Baggage was sent away and at break of day the 25th the Army followed having lost about 30 Men before the Town but their number was diminished thro' other Distasters at least 3 or 400. The King in the mean time moving Westward as we informed you reach'd Kill-Kullen-Bridge July 11thâ— and being himself that Morning passing by the Ness and seeing a Soldier robbing a poor Woman he was so much inraged at it that he beat him first with his Cane and gave Orders that he and divers others guilty of the like Disobedienceâ— should be hanged the Munday following But tho' some People were so Audacious as to put an ill Construction upon this Action of the King 's yet it had so good an Effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any Violence done by the Soldiers during that whole March to
French Army was above 40000 strong Luxemberg having drawn a great Number out of the Frontier Garrisons and having been reinforced 3 days before by a Detachment of the Marquess de Boufflers consisting of 18 Batallions 45 Squadrons and the flying Camp commanded by the Count de Gournay The Prince indeed had some Notice of this Conjunction but it was very uncertain and some say the Governour of Namur gave notice of it by a Letter but that it was not to be believed upon any good Grounds However it were the Fight being resolved upon the Command of the Right Wing was assigned to the Prince of Nassau General of the Horse accompanied by Lieutenant-General d' Huby a Spaniard and the Prince of Birkenfield with his Brigadiers the Prince of Nassau Governour of Friezland and Mareschal de Camp and the Lieutenant-Generals d' Alva and Webbenum had the Charge of the Left Wing and the main Battle Some Horse also before the Fight-began were sent to line the Right Wing of the Army which lay in a good Post but whether none were sent to line the Left or that they who were commanded thither did not do their Duty they did not perceive that the Enemy slipped several Troops behind a rising-Ground and a small Wood next the Sambre who posted themselves behind the 2d Line of the Left Wing which constrained them to face about and turn their Backs to the Line whereby being much weakened some Batallions of the Right Wing were sent to secure their Flank and assist to keep their Ground Which was no sooner observed by the Duke of Luxemburg but he said to the Duke of Main who was then next him Do you see what the Enemies are doing I foretel they will be beaten In short the Left Wing was attack'd at the same time in Front Rear and Flank the 1st Line from which as has been said one Batallion was taken to reinforce the 2d after they had fought some time were forced to give Ground Whereupon the Enemy who knew how to make use of that Opportunity advanced to the 2d to fall upon their Rear Now that Line was already advanced to make head against the Cavalry which they had before them and which they had routed and drove back in disorder upon the French Infantry But the French had 3 Lines so that no sooner was one over-turned but fresh Batallions renewed the Fight and with more ease repelled the Dutch quite tired with the Brunts they had already sustained Prince Waldeck perceiving the Left Wing in that Condition and that the Horse weary of such hot Service had for the most part given Ground sent to their Relief the Horse of the 2d Line of the Right Wing from whence the Foot had been already drawn for the same Reason While this was doing on that side the 1st Line of the Right Wing was also engaged with the Enemy and had bravely routed them several times and General du Puy who charged them in Flank had gained 10 of their Cannon But the Enemy having 3 Lines on that side also and being continually relieved by fresh Numbers the Dutch Cavalry were dispersed and broke to that Degree that the whole Body could never be rallied again However the Count of Flodorp got together about a 1000 or 1200 about an hours riding from the Camp and brought them on again but then it was too late for that the Infantry were retreated But however Matters went with the Dutch Cavalry in this Action they have had the Misfortune to be esteemed ever since the worse Horse among the Confederates And certainly if they had behaved themselves as well as the Infantry did upon this Occasion I think there had been no room left to doubt of their attaining a compleat Victory For it may be truly said without any Exaggeration That never Foot performed greater Wonders for after they were forsaken by the Horse they alone sustained the Charges of the French Cavalry and Infantry both being charged in Front Flank and Rear at the same time and yet could not be broken They let the Enemies Squadrons approach within Pistol-shot of them and then let fly with such an unconcern'd and steddy Aim that the whole Squadron together seemed to sink into the Ground at once hardly 30 of the whole Number getting off and this Course they so accustomed themselves to observe that at length they laughed at their Enemies crying out Let them come on we will give them their Belly full The French on the other side were so dasht with the Execution done upon them that they fled as soon as they saw them but once present their Musquets nor durst they any more come near them but suffered them to retreat in good Order without ever offering to pursue them Which made the Duke of Luxemberg say That they had out-done the Spanish Infantry at the Battle of Rocroy Where notwithstanding the Spaniards performed Wonders Adding withal That it was for Prince Waldeck to remember the French Horse and for himself never to forget the Dutch Infantry But what-ever some have said in Justification of the Dutch Horse the Deputies of the States General when they took a View of the Army at Hawn to see the Damage they had sustained seemed to be of another Opinion for as they went from Company to Company in every Regiment they gave every Foot Soldier a Piece to the Value of 3 Franks as a Reward of their Bravery but gave the Horse nothing at all as being accused of faâ—ling in their Duty This Battle was very bloody on both sides the Dutch themselves owning they lost 4600 Men upon the Place a great many wounded and near 3000 taken Prisoners besides part of their Cannon which they needed not to have done had not the Waggoners cut their Harness to facilitate their Flight And yet of them the Garrison of Charleroy brought off 25 Pieces and 3 of the Enemies two days after The most remarkable Persons among the slain were the Prince of Saxon Masquerg the Count of Stirum one of the young Counts of Nassau the Baron de Heide and several Colonels Captains and inferiour Officers And however Prince Waldeck might have been mistaken as to his Intelligence concerning the Constitution of the French Forces before the Fight yet 't is certain he did all that could be expected from a General of his Age and so unweildy as he was during the Battel and retreated that Evening with the rest of the Army in very good Order to Nivell and next day to Bruxells as the Duke of Luxemberg did to Villain and from thence to the Place where the Prince encamped before at Pieton having put all the Country round about under Contribution which besides the Honour of a Victory was some amends for the many Men he lost in the Battel some computing them to 12000 slain wounded and made Prisoners though themselves would never own nothing near the Number But what Inequality soever there was in the strength of the Armies when they engaged
40000 strong and in Expectation of considerable Re-inforcements With this he designed to have taken some â—orts that opened a Passage into Wirtemburg a Province that had not yet been ransacked by the Army and consequently would afford abundant Subsistance for his Men But the Elector of Bavaria would not give him leisure to put that Project in Execution and therefore without losing of time he returned back with long Marches and joining the Saxons the two Electors marched directly towards the Enemy but all that ever they could do could not engage the Dauphine to fight who as industriously by hard Marches and Stratagems declined a Battle as they every way sought it And the rather in that they were superiour to him in Forces upon his sending away a Detachment of 12000 Men towards the Mosselle to oppose the Designs of the Lunenburgers and Hessians who were got near Coblentz with a purpose to pass the Rhine and so fall into the Arch-bishoprick of Treves and expell the French out of that Country Thus unactively or at least without any memorable Action ended the Campaign on the German-side and now we shall take a step into Catalonia and see whether they have shewed any more Vigour there The beginning of the Year was attended with an Insurrection in that Country that wrought no small trouble both to the Vice-Roy and the Court of Spain The Pretence was that the Spaniards kept too great a Number of Troops in that Province and gave them Reason to fear they might be invaded more and more in their Priviledges of which they were very Jealous since the usual Impositions were hardly tollerable and the manner of the Revolt was thus Two wealthy Country-men had Credit enough to draw together about a 1000 more and with that Body they stopped up all the Avenues to Barcelona where the Duke d Villa Hermâ—sa the Vice-Roy resided seized upon 4 Troops of Horse that â—ay in the Villages round about and committed some Spoil But the Duke â— ' Villa Hermosa had no sooner sent out a Party of the Garrison of Barcelona against them than they fled to the Mountains and from thence in a short time after sent to beg Pardon of the Vice-Roy which was granted them and all things thereupon were concluded to have been intirely appeased But they were greatly mistaken in the matter for the Sedition was only raked up in the Ashes the Rebels had shewed themselves too soon in regard the French who were to have seconded them were not within reach to do it So that the Catalins kept fair for a time till they had Assurance of Assistance and Protection from France when they threw of their Masks acted more daringly than before and increased in Numbers every day So that the Spaniards were obliged besides the Forces that Province had which were not sufficient to send for more out of Navarre to suppress them by which they were reduced to great Necessity that tho' the Duke de Noailles posted with all Expedition to Perpignan and used all the Industry imaginable to draw his Army together yet they had before in a manner dwindled into nothing and he found little other benefit of their Revolt than the Advantage of being before-hand with the Spaniards in the Field as he was the Year before when he took Campredon from them which spent them that whole Campaign in the retaking of it though they could not prevent the Demolishing thereof by which means he had the Opportunity to take San Juan Ahassus a small Fort 2 Leagues beyond Campredon and 6 from Gironne which incouraged him to go on and so making himself Master of divers small Castles that gave him Annoyance he advanced as far as Foulen about 4 small Leagues from Girone which he also took in and then turned his thoughts upon Gironne But finding himself not strong enough to attack the City yet being desirous to take advantage of the slowness of the Spaniards he left Gironne npon the left hand and advanced near the City of Vich maintaining his Soldiers at the expence of the Catalins and destroying all he could not make use of But I 'll warrant you you are in an amazement what was become of the Spaniards must we say they were idle all this while By no means For you must know that by the Month of Aug. they had got between 10 and 12000 Men together with which the Duke de Villa Hermosa march'd towards the Enemy to call them to an account for all the Ravage they had committed but they did not think fit at this time to abide the trial of a Battle and therefore hastned to retire by the way of Rousillon which they did effectually and with which ended that mighty Campaign The Court of Spain being more taken up with the Jollities occasioned by the King's Marriage with the Princess of Neuburg than with the Cares and Fatigues of a Campaign for which of late Years they have shewed no great Stomach And now it will be time to say something of the Affairs of Italy since the Flames of War began to kindle here this Year You have heard before how the Duke of Savoy threw off the Neutrality and closed in at length with the Confederates and that thereupon the Emperor had ordered divers Troops to succour him but there was no depending for the present upon them who were so remote and the Enemy so near And therefore the Duke making up what Force he could and joyning himself with the Milanese Troops made up an Army very near as strong as the French yet they thought it not proper after several Councils of War to go in quest of the Enemy The Duke indeed was impatient of Battle being not able to endure the Enemy in the midst of his Territories and therefore continually testified his Impatience thereof But the Count de Lovignier who commanded the Spanish Troops was continually laying before him That Mounsieur Catinat could not receive Supplies but with great difficulty and that his Army-wasted every Day by Desertion or Diseases Whereas the Duke's Army increased with new Re-inforcements every Month and wanted for nothing and therefore a little Patience would produce assured Victory Thus Matters stood when Monsieur Catinat being sensible of the Fault he had committed in removing from that place which afforded him means to repass the River Po and Forage on the other side of it used his utmost Endeavours to make himself Master of it a second time but he must have some Blows for it For when the Duke of Savoy understood his Design and that the Forces which he he had posted upon the Banks of the Po were not able to stop the Enemy he resolved to decamp with his Army to observe the Motions and Attempts of the French And therefore quitting the Neighbourhood of Turin June 17th he encamp'd at Calalarga which is over-against Montcallier not above half a League from the Enemy the Po being between both Armies Here the Duke lay for some
Prisoners notwithstanding some small Detachments sent to their Relief who could do no good against such an unequal Number and the Loss of this Regiment was not only confirmed the same Day by an Adjutant of Caprara's Regiment who made his Escape but that the Recruits of the Regiments of Hoffkirken and Caprara had fallen under the same Misfortune and that all the Baggage Women Wagons and led Horses were lost with 200 Wagon Load of Provision and 1200 Oxen that drew them In the mean time they perceived that the Enemies Army lay posted along the Danube upon rising Grounds much more advantageous than those possest by the Christians and that they were at work to fortifie them and to cut off the Christians Communication with Peter-Waradin The Prince of Baden saw plainly he had a desperate Game to play and that he must either force the Turks in their Entrenchments or perish in a Station where there were no Provisions to be had from any other place whereupon the former was resolved on and to be the next Day which was the 19th of Aug. at what time all things were ordered in the following manner Duke Christian of Holstein who was on that part of the Right Wing next the Danube with his own Regiment and that of Neuburg was to make himself Master of the rising Ground that separated the Imperial Army from the Enemy and by that means to open a way for the Body of the Army and these were to be seconded by 20 Battalions under the Command of General Souches and Camp-Mareschal Staremburg and the Army which followed in order of Battle had orders to extend it self as much as possible from the Danube to the Plain while the Left Wing had orders to march through the Plain and attack the Enemy in Flank and Rear and this was to be the principal Attack because the Turks had posted almost all their Janizaries and planted all their Cannon upon the rising Ground against the Right Wing of the Christians having nothing to secure their Flanks but only some Wagons bound together and lying almost open in the Rear It was very difficult for the Germans to approach them because of the Hills Vallies and Miry Ways which they were to cross and tho' they had decamped very early in the Morning the Attack was not begun by the Right Wing till 3 in the Afternoon and they labour'd hard to carry the Trenches But in regard the Left Wing which was to fetch a great Compass through very bad ways required a considerable time to get near the Enemy those of the Infidels who perceived it had leasure to advance with their Horse and with the same design to fall upon the Imperialists in the Rear In the mean time the 2 Battalions of the Right Wing attack'd the Entrenchments and advanced where the greatest number of Janizaries were drawn up in very good order of Battle and very strongly entrenched having a wide Moat before them defended with good Redoubts 100 Paces one from another with which the Imperialists were strangely surprized who knew how little time the Turks had to do it But however all this could not hinder them from bravely advancing to the Trenches at what time some of the Granadiers went down into the Moat crossed it and got up to the very Trenches But all this was attended with much Loss for besides the playing of the Enemies great and small Shot continually upon them the Janizaries came also 3 times out of their Trenches with their Scymeters in their Hands and fell with extraordinary Fury upon the Imperial Foot that were almost tired and suffocated with the Fire and Smoak Holstein and Newburg's Regiments of Horse and 2 or 3 others suffered very much thro' the continual Firing of the Cannon of the Janizaries And at the same time all the Left Wing of the Enemies Cavalry fell upon the Right Wing of the Christians and very rudely handled the Regiments of Caprara Serau and Beck that were the first exposed to their Fury At that time the Prince of Baden seeing them in some disorder and perceiving his Left Wing was got at some distance from the Enemy advanced with some Troops that had not yet fought and flew with that Vigor upon the Infidels that he forced them to give Ground whereby a stop was put to the Fury of the Enemies Left Wing for a while But they resuming fresh Courage fell again upon the Regiments of Caprara and Serau whom they drave upon the Battalions of Beck and Kaunisch who were by that means utterly ruined before they had time to make their first Discharge upon their Adversaries yet the Troops of the second Line that began already to totter being supported by two Regiments more took fresh Courage and all things were well again in that Wing Now the Prince of Baden whose design was only to amuse the Enemy on that side and whose principal drift was to charge them in Flank and Rear seeing all things well restored in the Right Wing hastned with other Generals to the Left and being arrived at the Turks Camp ordered the Hungarians and Rascians to the number of 5000 to break in who presently overthrew all before them making a most dreadful Slaughter of the Infidels and this was the beginning of the Turks ruin For the Hungarians and Rascians being seconded by the Regiment of Hoffkirk and 4 or 5 more that composed the Left Wing the Spahi's and Janizaries defended themselves well for a time but at last were utterly defeated the Spahi's brake thro' the Battle of the Imperialists and the 2 Lines of their Horse received the bloody effects of all their Shot But the Janizaries who stood a little longer fled some one way some another Night only putting an end to the Slaughter However they continued the pursuit next Day and the Days following and killed a great number that hid themselves in the Bogs among the Rushes and in other by-places And the immediate consequence of this Defeat was the Imperialists possessing themselves of the Field of Battle of all the Tents Cannon and all the Baggage and of all the Enemies Ammunition and Provision The Mony also for the Payment of the Soldiers fell into the Germans Hands but that proved to be no great Purchase for they found the greatest part of the Coin they made use of was Copper But for all that the Booty must certainly be very great though at the same time it cost the Christians dear For besides the advantage of their Camp it is past all doubt that the Infidels never fought with so much Obstinacy and Courage as at this time there being not a Battalion or Squadron that was not oblig'd to Fight nor an Officer that was not in the thickest of the Action and forced to discharge his Pistols several times like the meanest private Soldier The Loss on both sides is almost incredible the Conquerors themselves owning they had about 7000 killed and wounded in all and among them a great number of
Lordships on the 3d instant That the Infantry of his Royal Highness's Army marched on the 2d from before Pignerol to join the Cavalry which they did the same day at Marsiglia after having blown up the Fort of St. Bridget and set fire at Piscina to all the Bombs and Ammunition which they could not carry away The Army was presently drawn up in Battalia The Marquess de Leganez commanded the Left Wing composed of the King of Spain's Troops as well Horse as Foot and of the Regiments of Commerci Taff and Scrutenbagh commanded by the Prince de Commerci His Royal Highness and under him the Count de Caprara commanded the Right Wing which was covered by the rest of his Imperial Majesty's and his Royal Highness's Cavalry In the Right Wing and the Corps de Battaille was posted the Foot of his said Imperial Majesty of his Majesty of Great Britain and of his Royal Highness The Corps de Battaille was commanded by Prince Eugene of Savoy who had under him the Marquess de la Parelle and the Count de las Torres The Army being disposed in this order march'd on Saturday the 3d into the Neighbourhood of Orbassan from whence we perceived the Enemies Army towards the Hills between Orbassan and Piosasque The Enemy seeing us thus advanced made a shew of moving to us in order of Battel but the Night coming on the two Armies marched off to a greater distance from each other to suffer the Troops to repose themselves At Midnight we sent away all the Baggage and put our selves into a Posture to receive the Enemy who we perceived by the Ground their Army took up were much more numerous than we At break of day the Enemy advanced towards us making use of the Advantage they had in the Ground which was full of Woods and Vineyards They threw some Dragoons into the Village of Piosasque situate upon a Hill to cover their Right Wing and began to play all their Artillery upon our Left Wing which did us some Damage But our Cannon being likewise very well posted and well served did great execution among their Cavalry About half an hour after Eight they fell upon our Left Wing with about 20000 men without firing a Shot having their Bagonets at the end of their Fusils and their Swords in their Hands but they were repulsed and driven back with great vigour They renewed their Attack and took in Front and Flank the Neapolitan and Milaneze Horse who after having courageously withstood the Fury of the Enemy were at last over-powered by their Numbers and pushed upon the German Horse who being thereby put into disorder and being at the same time charged by the little Gendermerie were no longer able to keep their Ground and fell upon the Infantry which was put also into Disorder The second Line being brought on to repulse the Enemy while the first Line rallied the Horse gave way by which means the said second Line not being able to withstand the Efforts of the Enemy was obliged to give ground likewise But while things passed thus in our Left Wing the Enemy were thrice repulsed with great loss by our Corps de Battaille and our Right Wing and we had all along the Advantage on that side until the Enemies Horse which had made our Left Wing give way attack'd our Infantry behind and in Flank who had no longer any Horse to cover them on their Left and were at the same time attack'd by the Enemies Foot Our Troops resisted them with extra-ordinary Courage made their Cavalry give way by the means of our Cannon which was employed to very good purpose and repulsed them with a great Effusion of Blood This Resistance and Effort of our Horse in the Right Wing quite disheartned the Enemy but they being 10000 Men stronger than we and receiving a farther Reinforcement attacked our Troops anew So that being environed by their Cavalry and very much fatigued and without hopes of being succoured by our Horse we were obliged to retire at Four in the Afternoon leaving the place of Battle to the Enemy with 10 or 12 Field-pieces the rest being saved Orders were given for our Troops to rally at Moncalier where in the Evening most of the Foot passed the Po. Last Night and this Day a great many Soldiers came hither the Enemy did not make the least shew of pursuing us All the Troops fought very well and the Action was very sharp on both sides The Troops of his Majesty of Great Britain which were in the Corps de Battaille did particularly distinguish themselves and the Duke of Schomberg who commanded them fought on foot at the head of his own Regiment and would not take any other command The Count de las Torres desired him after the Enemies third Attack to take upon him the Command and cause a Retreat to be made by the Foot of the Corps de Battaille and the Right Wing which had not yet sustained any great damage but the Duke of Schomberg told him That it was necessary first to have his Royal Highness's Order and until it came they would bear the Enemies Fire adding That he found things were gone so far that they must now overcome or die The Valour of the said Duke is to be greatly admired he had the Misfortune to be wounded in the Thigh one of his Serants who waited upon him in his Chamber saved his Life for he seeing the Duke fall run to him and called for Quarter but before he could be heard was killed upon the Spot The Duke at the same time was taken Prisoner but Monsieur Catinat sent him back upon his Parole and he arrived here this Day I had already desired a Trumpet of his Royal Highness who came hither yesterday about 5 in the Evening to go and demand him I cannot yet exactly tell your Lordships how many are killed on our side 'T is thought that the Spanish Troops have sustained the greatest loss The Regiments of his Majesty of Great Britain have likewise suffered very much and there is not a Third of them left Of the Regiment of Schomberg 18 Officers are taken many of which are mortally wounded and of the others proportionably We have yet no News of Collonel Montauban l'Isle Marais Lieutenant-Collonel is taken Prisoner The Baron de Viskoute Lieutenant-Collonel of the Regiment of Schomberg is also taken and wounded De Loches Lieutenant-Collonel is kill'd or taken with several Captains There are 3 or 4 Captains of the Regiment of Miremont killed Collonel Monbrun has 4 dangerous Wounds his Major is killed and his Lieutenant-Collonel is killed or Prisoner Of the Troops of his Royal Highness the Marquiss de la Suse Lieutenant of his Life-Guards is killed the Count de Chalaus Collonel of the Regiment of Mondovi is likewise killed Of the Troops of his Imperial Majesty the Prince de Comerci is wounded in the Shoulder and the Son of the Count de Palfi killed The Enemies loss is at
to have attacked them successfully considering the rout of their Cavalry but therein they were prevented by the approach of Night Next Day which was the 22d the Elector sent a numerous Detachment to observe the Enemies posture who gave an account of their being strongly posted between two Morasses that secured the Wings of their Army and that they had planted several Cannon before them and that the avenues of those Morasses were almost inaccessible Whereupon it was concluded in a Council of War that the Imperialists should retreat 3000 Paces towards the Mountains in hopes to draw the Turks out of their Entrenchments which was done next Day in order of Battle On the 24th the Enemies appeared with a great part of their Army but drew a new and third line so speedily that it was finished before the Germans could fall upon them so that there was no more done that Day but Cannonading one anothers Camps On the 24th the Imperialists made some little motion and fell down into a Plain having a River behind them in hopes to draw the Enemy out of their Retrenchments yet that would not do neither But upon the 25th the Imperialists had advice upon the return of their advanced Guards that the Infidels began to appear and were fetchâ—ing a compass to fall upon the right Wing being covered by a thick Wood which was in part cut through and separated the Enemy from that right Wing about a Leagues distance It was thought at first to have been only some Detachment but the Imperial Generals coming out with some Horse upon the Discovery found it to be the whole Ottoman Army marching in a full Body towards them and this was confirmed by a Prisoner that was taken immediately after Upon this the Imperial Army was ranged in Order of Battle with a Design to go and meet the Enemy but they made so much speed that before the Germans â—uld cross the Woods the Turks had posted themselves upon one Line between the Imperialists and Temeswaer having a Wood behind them a tripple Range of Cannon in Front their-Right Wing opposite to the Imperialists Left and having a Morass upon their own Left Wing which was the Reason the Imperialists could not press so close upon them as they wished However Six Battalions were commanded out who entred the Wood about Five in the Afternoon to charge the Turâ— in Flank being seconded by two Regiments of Dragoons while the Body of the Army advanced at the same time through the Wood. The Ottomans finding themselves very much annoyed drew out their Horse and detach'd againâ—â— the Body of the Imperial Army that advanced in two Columns Twelve Thousand Senderbeegli's on Horseback being a sort of People that usually run upon the hottest of the 〈◊〉 and fight like Madmen in hopes of great Rewards which the Sultans are wont to give them after the Battle is over These Men after they had forced the Calthorps of the Imperialists broke into the first Line so that two Battalions were constrained to give way to their Fury but they were sooâ— after repulsed by some sent out for that purpose and the Line was again closed by the same Battalions In the meaâ— time the six first Battalions fell upon the Janizaries behind the Barricade of Waggons and that with so much resolute Bravery that they drove them from thence But the Jaâ—â—saries fired so thick upon them besides that they were attacked in Flank with so much Fury by the Ottomon Horse thâ— they were forced to retire The two Regiments of Drâ—goons that were to second them had at the same time begun to charge those Horse with good Success But the Jâ—nisaries coming to their Succour the Encounter was so rude that several Officers on both sides were slain and some wounded and the said two Regiments of Dragoons being constrained to retire were pursued by the Ottomans with greâ—â— Slaughter But then General Heidersheim coming up with 〈◊〉 fresh Regiment of Horse drove the Enemy within their baâ—ricado'd Waggons There that gallant Commander whâ— had been engaged in this War every Campaigne from thâ— beginning of it had the Misfortune to receive a dangerouâ— Wound which forced him to leave the Battle and of whiâ—â— he died after While both Parties were thus contending on this side thâ— Enemies Cavalry poured in upon some of the Imperial Regiments on the other and having first put them to the Rout broke in upon the Second Line but they were stopped short by the Infantry till the first Line was Closed again by some Regiments of Horse that were sent for from the other side upon which the same Regiments vigorously Repressed the Enemy but were hindred as was said from pursuing them by some unknown Order However some other Regiments of Horse pursued them with extraordinary Courage even to their Barricades Upon this there was some Foot immediately detached away not only to supply the place which the Regiments of Horse had left void in the first Line but to second them and to endeavour both together to force the Enemies Waggon-Barricades But the Janisaries fired so furiously upon the Imperialists that they obliged them to Retire and being pursued by the Turks the Retreat was so hasty that another Regiment of Horse was quite put out of order But then the Regiment of Caprara's coming in seasonably to their Relief Charged the Enemy in Flank and drove them back again to their Barricades with so much loss and confusion that the Grand Seignior who Commanded a Reserve of about 3000 Men in Person at a little distance behind the Barricades had much adoe to stop the Run-a-ways and to prevent his other Troops from forsaking the said Barricade But Night coming on it was not thought convenient to Attack them in their Barricades However the Elector kept the Army upon the Field of Battle at their Arms all Night and offered the Sultan Battle next Day which the other declined and so ended this Battle than which there has not been any one Fought with more Resolution and Bravery on both sides in this Age and it seemed to have been like a drawn Battle The Loss in all appearance was not very different for the Christians did not make the Enemies loss to exceed 4000 Men and when they themselves on the other Hand have owned their's to have been about 3000 some small Deduction for Partiallity will make it very near the same But tho neither side had any great reason to boast of its Advantage this Campaign from this Battle yet the Success Count Barthiani Governour of Croatia had in the mean time by the Taking of the strong Castle of Vranogratz and the Fort of Tuderaw altered the case in favour of the Germans For the Reduction both of the one and the other freed the Emperor's Territories from several Incursions of the Infidels that way which very much annoy'd the Inhabitants of those Parts We have but little to say of the Venetians this Year there being nothing done in the
rest were hasting to pass it All this while the Imperialists could not imagine that the Infantry could stay alone on this side the River because that the Night before they had done no more than only begun to make a second Retrenchment according to the Report of the Bassa and other Prisoners This obliged Prince Eugenius to advance with the Cavalry and some Artillery within an Hours March of Zenta receiving divers Confirmations in his March of what had been reported The Prince being come to the Place before-mentioned staid there for the Foot which being arrived he drew up the Army in Battle-Array the Right Wing was secured by the Theysse the Left was extended as far as the Men could take up any Ground the Left Flank was reinforced with a Second Line In this Order he made a Halt till 3 of the Clock and half an hour past at what time the Army marched in Battle-Array Being come near Zenta they could perceive but Two Thousand of the Enemies Horse The Van Courriers also reported That they viewed the Turks Bridge over which Troops were continually passing insomuch that there was a great deal of Confusion upon the Bridge Upon which Prince Eugenius took three Regigiments of Dragoons out of both the Wings and two more out of the second Line of the Flank with some Pieces of Cannon and putting himself at the Head of that Detachment advanced towards the Enemy with all the Speed he could giving Order for the rest of the Army to follow him in order of Battle All this while the Enemy's Horse made over the Bridge as fast as they could so that the Prince could easily perceive the Confusion that was upon the Bridge there being a World of Baggage still on this side Being thus advanced within Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Detachments the Turks began to play upon the Imperialists with their great Guns which the Christians answered while the Army still advanced and the six Regiments which had been detached were ordered to their Stations in the Army In this Order the Army advanced within half Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Entrenchments there remaining no more than two Hours of Day-light The Right Wing was then as it were lin'd by the River together with some Regiments of the Flank of the Left at what time they perceiv'd the Enemy's Horse were endeavouring to slide between them and the River and so fall upon that Wing but they found that impossible In the mean time they planted some Pieces of Cannon upon that Wing with which they plaid continually against the Bridge and the same Order was observed in the Right Wing and immediately after the Fight began on every side I have already told you that the Turkish Cavalry endeavour'd to slip between the River and the Left Wing which the Imperialists perceiving and observing that there was a Space of Ground between 30 and 40 Paces broad between the Enemy and the River from whence they might fall upon the Enemy's Rear they planted some Cannon there with all speed and ordered the Enemy to be attack'd by the Infantry of the Flank and the Left Wing some time before the main Body and the Foot of the Right Wing could do it This succeeded 〈◊〉 notwithstanding the thick Fire of the Enemy with their great Guns laden with Cartouches and the continual Vollies of their Small-shot so that the Infantry of the Left Wing broke in upon them and then the Army as well Horse as Foot fell on at the same Instant that the Enemy was already in some Disorder by reason of those who had already fallen upon their Backs There were two Entrenchments one behind another besides a Barricado of Waggons and they were so good that it is not easie to apprehend how the Foot could force them The Victors passed them both in half an Hours time during which there was nothing but Fire and Smoak on both sides The Horse also advanced at the same time with the Infantry to the Moat of the Entrenchment where they stood the Enemy's Fire and charged in the same manner as the Foot which perhaps was hardly ever seen before So soon as the Infantry of the Left Wing had broken into the Entrenchments all the Army acted together with equal Force nor was it possible to restrain the Soldiers One part of the Cavalry alighted from their Horses and passed the Moat over the slain Enemy In the mean time the Germans of the Left Wing and Flank cut off the Turks way to the Bridge whence followed a most horrible Slaughter as well within the Entrenchments as upon the Bridge and in the River into which they threw themselves to escape the Imperialists For the Soldiers were so eager after Blood that they gave Quarter to no Body neither Bassa's nor Officers tho' they promised large Ransoms Hence it came to pass that so few Prisoners were taken and those only such as were found among the Slain or in the Barks that composed the Bridge By those it was understood that all the Turkish Infantry was in the Fight there being not any on the other side of the River but about 2000 Men for the Grand Seignior's Guard Whence it may be concluded That the Foot were all destroy'd and that several Thousands were slain The Fight ended with the Day nor can we sufficiently set forth the Valour and Courage of the Generals the Officers and Soldiers from the highest to the lowest but principally the Skill and Dexterity of Prince Eugenius is to be extolled who tho' much inferiour to the Enemy knew so well how to watch his Opportunity that he made himself equal to him in some sort by falling upon him at a time that but one part of his Army could fight the other being on the other side of the River and not able to succour those that were distress'd All the Imperialists retreated out of the Trenches after two Hours within Night and spent the rest of it as well as they could However it were so order'd that the greatest Number was posted along the Theysse but it was impossible to rally them all again under their proper Colours Some were appointed to Guard the Bridge beyond which was set an advanced Guard The next day being the 12th a Camp was marked out for the Army and it was found that the Action was much more advantageous than it was thought as well for the Number of the Slain as the Number of great Guns the vast quantities of Bombs Carcasses Granadoes Ammunition and Provision besides great and small Cattle by reason of the Enemy's Camp beyond the River which was half a League wide and which the Turks had quitted The Fugitives reported That the Grand Seignior fled in great Consternation to Temeswaer In their Camp were found all their Tents with that of the Grand Seignior's himself several Camels and other Beasts heavy Artillery Bombs Carcasses and other Ammunition besides a prodigious quantity of Provision and about 6000 Waggons on both sides the River and some Men
were detach'd to go and make themselves Masters of this Booty But as it usually happens in such Hurries the Ammunition took Fire that Day beyond the Bridge as it had done the Night before on this side the Bridge so that a good part of it was consumed with a great quantity of Victuals and other Booty In the Morning a Transilvanian Commissary brought the Grand Seignior's Seal a curious Piece of Workmanship which never happened before in any Battle that had been fought during this War Which confirm'd what the Prisoners and Fugitives reported That the Grand Visier was kill'd because he is bound always to carry the Seal about his Neck In the mean time the Hussars and some other Troops of the Army pursued the Enemy for above 4 or 5 Leagues together from the Place where the Battle was fought who found store of Booty by the way and some lazy Turks whom they took Prisoners The same day Colonel Gleckelsberg was sent out in pursuit of the Infidels with 600 Horse and to pick up what Booty and Prisoners he could He pursued the flying Enemy as far as Aranga within half a Mile of Temeswaer and after his return with a considerable Booty which he met with all along the Road he confirm'd what had been reported of the Grand Seignior's Consternation and of the small number of Foot that was left him As for the Loss which the Turks sustained it augmented every day by new Relations the last of which gave an Account That besides the Grand Visier and the Aga of the Janisaries there were 27 Bassa's slain upon the Spot above 20000 Men killed and about 10 or 12000 drowned in the Theysse 6000 wounded and several taken Prisoners The Booty consisted of 6000 Waggons laden with Ammunition and Provision 6000 Camels 6000 Horses 12000 Oxen and a very great number of other Spoils with 160 Pieces of Cannon among which there were 70 of a larger Size for Artillery 500 Drums and as many Colours 74 Pair of Kettle-Drums the Grand Seignior's Tent valued at about 4000 Florins and a Coach or Chariot with Six Horses wherein were 10 Women of the Sultan's Seraglio It was said that the whole Booty amounted to several Millions This Victory was so much the more Glorious because it was gained with so little Loss to the Imperialists A loss so small that it is a rare thing to read of so great a Battle fought and wun with so little Effusion of Blood on the Victors Side some Regiments not loosing above 1 2 or 3 others not above 14 15 or 29 at most But how Glorious soever this Action was there was this unhappiness that did attend it that it was so late in the Year that the Germans could go upon no considerable Undertaking and follow the Blow So that all they did the remainder of the Campaign was to make an Incursion into Bosnia from whence they returned with a considerable Booty So we shall leave them and being so near will take a step into Poland and see how their Affairs stood there before we return to prosecute the remaining Negotiations of the Peace We have hinted before that the Elector of Saxony was chosen King of Poland as much contrary to most Men's Expectations as the Change of his Religion was thereupon And that for all this the Prince of Conti his Competitor's Expedition thither who was in like manner proclaimed King was at length undertaken However Saxony was by much before-hand with him for besides other Paces made the Baron de Fleming as early as July 13th in his Master's Name signed the Pacta Conventa the same being done also by a great Number of the Senators and Principal of the Nobility The Articles were these I. THE Kingdom of Poland shall be always preserv'd in its Right of Electing a Sovereign King so that it may never become Hereditary II. No King shall be elected who shall not be devoted to the Roman Catholick Church and who shall not take an Oath constantly to persevere in her Communion III. Liberty of Conscience shall be preserv'd inviolably in its full Strength and Vigour and as for the Greek Religion that shall be taken into Consideration after the Coronation IV. No Presents shall be taken from those who shall sue for any Offices or Starâ—sties V. The Queen not to intermeddle with Affairs of Government VI. As to the Administration of the Military Affairs the Presidents of Vladistaus IV. and John 〈◊〉 to be follow'd VII Alliances shall be renew'd VIII Endeavours shall be us'd to recover the Vkraine and to conclude a perpetual Peace with the Muscovites IX The Revenues in Money shall not be employ'd to the particular Benefit of the King nor shall any Money be Coin'd without the Consent of the Republick X. No Foreign Forces shall be brought into the Kingdom without the knowledge of the Republick XI None shall be employ'd in Embassies but Gentlemen of good Fortunes XII No body shall purchase the Right of Naturalization but such as have done the Republick important Services XIII No body shall be admitted to any Preferment in the Royal Houshold unless he have first serv'd the Crown XIV Nor shall any Person by the Connivance of the Senators enjoy any petty Revenues of the Crown without the Consent of the Republick XV. No Person shall enjoy two considerable Offices at one time such as are those of the Mareschal and General but they who now enjoy any Offices shall continue in the Exercise of 'em and enjoy the Revenues of 'em without any Defalcation XVI The accustom'd Order in the Administration of Justice shall be preserv'd without any alteration XVII The King when he has re-taken Caminiec shall cause it to be fortify'd at his own Charges but after that the Republick shall keep the said Fortifications in Repair XVIII The Court and the King's Guards shall consist of the Natives of the Kingdom XIX If the King has a desire to Marry he shall advise with the Senators about the Choice of a Wife and if he takes a Foreigner she shall not have above six Foreigners in her Service at Court XX. Only the Latin and Polish Languages shall be made use of for the King's Letters and Orders XXI The Laws call'd Pacta Henricea shall be observ'd in the Judgments call'd Postcurialia and when any Difficulty shall arise Judgment shall be given with the Counsellors Assessors XXII The Differences which are in the shall be determin'd with all speed that may be XXIII That no new Custom or Novelty shall be admitted in the Order of the King's Table but that the ancient Custom shall be exactly observ'd XXIV Places becoming vacant in the Intervals of Dyets shall be supply'd in six Weeks XXV The Militia shall be so regulated at the Dyet of the Coronation that is to come that there shall be no need of Foreign Troops and Military Discipline shall be exactly observ'd XXVI That the Salt shall be tax'd and shar'd out in all the Palatinates according to the
Points and Articles therein contained and declared have for our Selves our Heirs Successors Kingdoms Countries Lands Lordships and Subjects accepted approved ratified and confirmed and do accept approve ratifie and confirm the same and do promise upon the Word and Faith of a King to keep and observe the whole inviolably without ever acting to the Contrary directly or indirectly in any sort or kind whatsoever and thereto we oblige and mortgage all and every our Goods that are or shall be In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with our own Hand and have made our Seal to be set thereto Given at St. Germain en Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The ARTICLE concerning the Prince of Orange AS in pursuance of the War which for some Years has happened betwixt the most Christian King and the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries his Majesty caused to be seized all Things belonging to the Prince of Orange as well the Principality of Orange as other his Lands and Seignories lying in France and granted the Revenues thereof to Monsieur the Comte d' Auvergne who enjoys the same at present and since by the Grace of God a Peace is settled by the Treaty this Day concluded and so all the angry Effects of War ought to cease his Majesty hath promised to the said Prince and doth promise by this separate Act that immediately after the Ratifications exchanged his Majesty will take off the said Seisure and cause the said Prince to be restored to the Possession of the said Principality and of the Lands which belong to him in France Franche Comte Charleroy Flanders and other Countries depending upon his Majesty's Rule and to all his Rights Actions Privileges Usages and Prerogatives in such Estate and Manner as he enjoyed the same till he was dispossess'd by reason of the present War Nimeguen Aug. 10. in the Year of our Lord 1678. Marshal D'Estrades Colbert De Mesmes H. Beverning W. de Nassaw W. Haren WE well liking the separate Article aforesaid in all and and every Point thereof have by these Presents Signed with our Hand allowed approved and ratified and do allow approve and ratifie the same promising upon the Faith and Word of a King to fulfil observe and cause to be observed the same truly and faithfully without suffering any Thing to be acted directly or indirectly to the Contrary thereof for any Cause or upon any Occasion whatsoever In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with Our Hand and have caused Our Seal to be put therto Given at St. Germain in Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The Day after the Signing of this Peace came over the Ratification of the late Treaty between the King and States with Orders to Sir Will. Temple to proceed forthwith to see the Exchange of them which he did accordingly tho' after the Counter-pace made by the Dispatch sent by De Cross and the Consequences of it the same seemed now as unnecessary as it had been at first unresolved at the English Court and unexpected by the Dutch who many of them now were as unsatisfied with the Peace and especially with the Precipitation of Monsieur Beverning to Sign it upon the sudden Offer of the French Ministers to evacuate the Towns and before he had acquainted the States with it and received new Orders thereupon as the generality of that Nation were weary of the War but the Thing was done and after some Contestation the City of Amsterdam declaring her Approbation of it the rest of the Provinces came soon to acquiesce also in the same But while these Matters were transacted in the Cabinet there was a Work of another nature undertaken in the Field Mons had been straitly Blocked up for some time by the French Army under the Command of the Duke of Luxemburg who was so confident of the good Posture he was in that he sent the Mareschal d' Estrades one of the French Plenipotentiaries at Nimeguen word He was so Posted that if he had but 10000 Men and the Prince of Orange 40000 yet he was sure he could not be Forced whereas he took his Army to be stronger than that of the Prince But the Prince for all that and in spight of many Disadvantages from an Army drawn so suddenly together so hasty a March as that of the Dutch and Posts taken with so much Force and Fortified with so much Industry did upon Sunday the 17th of Aug. in the Morning Decampt with his own and the Confederate Armies from Soignes marched towards Roches and from thence resolved to advance towards the Enemy whose Right Wing was Posted at the Abby of St. Dennis and the Left at Mamoy St. Pierre with such advantage of Situation that they were almost thought unaccessible for besides the Woods there was only a Precipice led to them and that by narrow Paths About 12 the Cannon began to play upon St. Dennis and the Prince went to Dinner in the open Field just as the Duke of Monmouth arrived in the Camp when Dinner was ended the Battalions under the direction of Count Waldeck began to act on the side of the Abby and about 3 in the Afternoon made their Attack the Prince himself being there present and that with extraordinary Bravery all the Regiments of his Left Wing seconding one another in excellent Order In the mean time the Spanish Troops under the Command of the Duke de Villa Hermosa acted on the side of Chasteau being assisted by the Prince's Guards who had the Van and the English and Scots Troops Commanded by the brave Earl of Ossory The Action lasted from 3 in the Afternoon till 9 at Night during which the Prince rid toward Chasteau where the Dispute was likewise very sharp the Guards behaving themselves with extraordinary Vigour and the Earl of Ossory with his Troops doing Wonders The Prince himself was Ingaged among the foremost of the French who on such an occasion were not well to be distinguished from the Confederate Troops and Monsieur Overkirk shot a French Commander who attackt his Highness At last after a great Slaughter on both sides the Confederates remained Masters of St. Dennis Abby having thought fit to quit the Post at Chasteau by reason of the great difficulty they found to second their Attacks on that side The Duke of Luxemburg finding how things went on his side thought fit to Retire in the Night leaving his Dead many Wounded his Tents c. behind him and the Prince next Morning went to view the Camp the Enemy had Abandoned taking up his Quarters at the Abby of St. Dennis where the Duke of Luxemburg had had his the Day before But Advice of Signing of the Peace coming to the Prince next Morning from the States hindred the prosecution of this Advantage which
the Treasury John Earl of Bath Groom of the Stool Thomas Lord Viscount Falconberg George Lord Viscount Hallifax Henry Lord Bishop of London John Lord Roberts Denzil Lord Hollis William Lord Russel William Lord Cavendish Henry Coventry Esq one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State Sir Francis North Knight Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Henry Capel Knight of the Bath First Commissioner of the Admiralty Sir John Ernle Knight Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Chichely Knight Master of the Ordinance Sir William Temple Baronet Edward Seymour Esq Henry Pawle Esq But notwithstanding this Appearance of so mighty a Change in the King and the Profession of his Readiness to give way to any Law that might secure the Protestant Religion so as the Succession were not altered yet the same Temper and same sort of People still remained at Court and they were a very chargeable Crew wherefore Money was craved at that time tho' under pretence of providing a Fleet for our common Security now as Mr. Coke says in time of such a Peace as the French King had granted Christendom after King Charles had taken his Money to join in it and after he had taken the Parliament's Money to enter into an actual War against France and after the Parliament had twice given Money for Disbanding the said Army But this the Parliament however did not appear very forward to give being mightily troubled with the Prophet at the Bleating of that sort of Cattle but more that they could not have the same Answer concerning them from the King as Saul made That he reserved them for a Sacrifice and intended to deliver them up to please his People The Effects of this Procedure was at first a Prorogation of both Houses on the 27th of May to the 14th of Aug. and the Dissolving of them upon the 12th of July and so much the sooner without doubt because they had begun this Sessions to nibble at a Bill for Excluding the Duke of York from inheriting the Imperial Crown of England So that this Parliament proved to be as short-lived as the other had been durable and lasting but another was called to meet the 17th of Oct. While England was in this â—ottering and uncertain Condition Scotland was not a whit the better settled the Feuds between the Episcopal and Presbyterian Party increasing daily which at last on the 3d of May this Year brake out into a very barbarous Act by the Murdering of Dr. Sharp Archbishop of St. Andrews by a Party of Covenanters who besides the severity he used towards them since his exaltation to that Dignity made himself the more obnoxious to their Rage because that having once been a great Zealot for Presbyterian-Church-Government they esteemed him now for no other than a Perjured Apostate Prelate a Villain Persecutor of the Godly and a betrayer of Jesus Christ and his Church This was only a general Accusation but some of that Nation have farther confidently affirm'd That the King having sent down a Pardon to some Offenders and the same falling into Sharp's Hands he villanously concealed it till Execution was done upon them And that the Friends of the deceas'd having not been able to procure Satisfaction from him according to the ordinary Course of Law he by his Interest and Authority being now about it were necessitated to have Recourse to this extraordinary Method But tho' things did begin here they did not end so this Fact proving a Prelude to what followed for upon the 29th of the same Month a Party of about 80 of these Covenanters met at a place called Rugland well Mounted and Armed and when they had first Proclaimed the Covenant they burnt the following Acts viz. The Act concerning the King's Supremacy the Recessory Act whereby all the Laws made during the King's Exile were Repealed the Act for Establishing Episcopacy and the Act appointing the Anniversary of the 29 th of May. On Sunday June the 1st they rendevouz'd about 1500 Men upon Snouden-Hill their Foot being commanded by one Wyer and their Horse by Robert Hambleton one Parron with the Assistance of Balfour and Hackstock which two last were of the Number of those that had Assassinated the Archbishop From hence they proceeded and took the City of Glascow where they published Two Proclamations which were to this Effect WE the Officers of the Covenanted Army do Require and Command you the Inhabitants of the Burgh of Glascow to furnish us with 24 Carts and 60 Horses for removing our Provisions from this Place to our Camp where-ever we shall set down the Same and to abide with us for that End during our Pleasure under Pain of being reputed our Enemies and proceeded against accordingly The other was WE the Officers of the Covenanted Army do Require and Command the Magistrates of Glascow to extend and banish forth thereof all Archbishops Bishops and Curates their Wives Bearns Servants and Families and Persons concerned in the King's Army within 48 Hours after Publishing hereof under highest Pains And they published a long Declaration of their taking up Arms for a free General Assembly and a free Unlimited Parliament to redress the manifold Grievances therein enumerated and humbly requested his Majesty to restore all Things as he found them when God brought him Home to his Crown and Kingdoms In the mean time the Council at Edenburg were not idle but raised an Army and quartered it at a Place called Black-burn to prevent the Covenanters approach to Edenburg and gave the King an Account of all that passed expecting his Majesty's further Orders thereupon Whereupon the King dispatch'd away the Duke of Monmouth into Scotland who with wonderful Celerity having joyned the Army did on the 22th of June approach towards that of the Covenanters who lay in the little Park at Hamilton and thereabouts having chosen very advantageous Ground there being no Passage to it but over a Stone-Bridge called Bothwel-Bridge which they had barricadced and well-lined with Musketeers They had no notice of the Duke's March which was in very good Order and in great Silence but their Guards having at length discovered the lighted Matches they took the Alarm and thereupon put themselves in a fighting Posture Major Oglethorp with the Dragoons had Orders to post himself near the Bridge while the Duke drew up the Army upon the Hill that fronted Hamilton-Park the River being between him and the Enemy about a Mile from the Bridge The Covenanters were drawn up in Two distinct Bodies about a Mile asunder the smallest whereof lay near the Bridge and the other hard by their Camp Being in this Posture on each side the Duke was no sooner come to Oglethorp's Post but there came over to him one David Hume from the Covenanters and presented him with their Declaration together with a Petition signed by Robert Hamilton in the Name of the Covenanted Army then in Arms wherein they prayed that the Terms of their Declaration might be
to surrender But how consistent this Action was to the Correspondence held by Monsieur de Vernay the French Minister in Poland with Count Tekely or with the Frontiers of Germany's being thwack'd now with Soldiers I will not take upon me to determine though I know they have by others been sufficiently censured However to return to what I have digressed from You are to note That the Emperor had been for some Years past plagued with a discontented Party in Hungary of whom Count Tekely at last after the cutting off of Serini and others became sole Head There had been divers Expedients proposed to accommodate Matters between them which proved in the End so ineffectual that nothing would serve the Malecontents but calling in the Turk the common Enemy of Christianity which the Emperor was not so little aware of but he made all the Preparations his then Circumstances would admit of to oppose him not only by mustering up what Force he could of his own in the Hereditary Countries and inducing several Princes of the Empire to concern themselves in the Quarrel but by making a strict Alliance with the King of Poland and endeavouring to bring the Republick of Venice into the Confederacy Though this last did not actually succeed till the following Year On the 6th of May the Emperor gave the Command of his Army to Charles Duke of Lorain at a General Rendezvous near Presburg in the Plains of Kitzen from whence the Duke marched towards Raab and from thence to Gran where after he had viewed the Place he judged the Siege very unadvisable at that time for Reasons where with the Emperor remained â—atisfied who thereupon gave the Duke Orders to attempt something else that might give Reputation to the Army which had been brought so early into the Field This made the Duke with the Advice of the other Generals resolve upon the Siege of Newheusel against which the Attack was carried on with such Fury and Success that the Imperialists quickly made themselves Masters of part of the Suburbs and of a certain Building that had been formerly made use of for a Church into which Count Staremberg having ordered 50 Men and a Lieutenant and Count Herberstein by a fatal Mistake bringing up with him 150 more they filled the Church so very full that they had not room to turn themselves in it much less make use of their Arms so that being forced for their Conveniency to break down the Benches it occasioned such a Noise and Confusion that some of the Imperialists that were coming up to relieve the Party believing the Enemy to be there fited several times upon them and did some Execution before they perceived their Error However the Siege went on till the Duke of Lorain being informed that the Grand Visier was coming to Buda with a very numerous Army he resolved to abandon it and so to post his Troops as to endeavour to cover the Emperor's Territories which were menaced with a dreadful Invasion to which end he marched back towards Comorra and upon receiving further Intelligence of the Approach of the Turks he hasted through the Isle of Schut towards Raab having the Danube on the Left Hand and gave all necessary Assistance to fortifie the Place A few Days after a very great and confused Number of Turks amounting of all sorts to about 200000 Men encamped in sight of the Imperial Army in the Way that leads from Stoel-Weissemburg to Raab keeping themselves on the other side of the River of that Name and from thence skirmished with the Germans while a Body of 30000 Tartars tracing up higher towards the River's Head with the Help of some Hungarians that served as Guides passed as far as Kirment and St. Godart and so with some Difficulty having got over the little Raab they spread themselves with the cruellesâ— Devastation imaginable round about Newsiâ—â—er Lake and so on as far as Druck and the Castle of Harrack which put a Stop to their Proceeding that Way This put the People into the terribâ—est Consternation in the World And so it did indeed the main Army it self which was now as it were hemm'd in between the Turks and Tartars which made the Duke of Lorrain by the Advice of his Officers resolve upon a Retreat and to make the same as safe as he could he resolved to separate the Foot and Artillery from the Horse ordering the former to be carried over to the Isle of Shutt through which they might safely march to Vienna as they did by the Way of Presburg and Thebe on the other side of the Danube as the Duke also continued his Retreatâ— with the Cavalry by a Bridge that had been laid over the Rabeâ—itz And so the Army got safe to the Plains of Kitzen where the general Rendezvous had been held about 20 Months before and from whence understanding that the Grand Visier advanced towards him as supposing the Duke's Retreat to be a plain Flight he continued his March towards Vienna having sent Count Caprara before him to give the Emperor an Account of all his Proceedings When the Duke had passed Wolfâ—dale and Hainburg he encamped July 6. at Dutch-Altemburg from whence the Army marching very early next Day and the Baggage for its greater Security being ordered to keep before it so happened that a Body of Tartars mixt with Turks and Hungarian Guides to the Number in all of 3000 having swam the River Leitha sallied out of a little adjacent Wood and with an horrible Cry fell so upon some part of the Duke 's Left Wing which followed the Baggage at the Head of the Army that they forced them to retreat in much Disorder and by it put the Ranks behind them into Confusion which gave the Tartars Opportunity to fall hastily as their Custom is upon the Baggage and the Attendants of the Army who were put to the Sword and the Baggage and Waggons plunder'd The Duke of Sax Lawenburg the Duke of Croy and Count Caprara lost all their Plate and Horses However the Germans after they had a little recovered themselves out of the Confusion stood stoutly to it and repulsed the Enemy And upon this Occasion Lewis William Marquess of Baden gave a signal Proof of his Valour by rallying and bringing into Fight some Troops he found in Disorder and at a Distance and slew several of the Tartars who thereupon fled in great haste tho' besides the Loss already mentioned there fell also on the German side young Prince Lewis of Saxony and the young Duke of Arschot which last was cut to pieces with a Scimeter after he had received several Musket-Shots The Emperor upon the Intelligence brought him by Count Caprara of the Posture of Things withdrew from Vienna unto Lintz which together with the Waggons and Baggage of the Army coming in an ungovern'd and disorderly Manner under the Walls of the Town did so terrifie the Inhabitants that no Man was willing to stay behind all
Margrave of brandenburg Baâ—eith the Landtgrave of Hesse the Prince of Hanover the 2 Princes of Neuburg 4 Princes of the House of Saxony and 3 of Wirtemburg the Prince of Hoenzeller and some others The King of Poland next Day after the Battle and the Elector of Bavaria having visited all the Enemies Works and Approaches and with all Expressions of Kindness having taken leave of the Elector of Saxony and the Duke of Lorain entred the Town the King causing the Visier's Standard to be carried before him as he went attended by a small Retinue of his own Subjects to the Chappel of Loretto to sing Te Deum for this great and memorable Victory after which he was accompanied with his Son Prince Alexander who was cloathed in the German Habit to Count Staremberg's House where with the Elector of Bavaria and many of the Polish Nobility as also Count Statgottz who had been sent as Envoy from the Emperor to the King they were all sumptuously Entertained and the King in the Evening retired from thence to his Tent. The Emperor also on his part was no sooner informed of the good News by a Person sent on Purpose to him from the Duke of Lorain but he hasted to Vienna and arrived there on the 14th where after he had visited the Enemies Works and the Fortifications of the Town he enter'd at the Hungariâ—â— Gate between the Electors of Saxony and Bavaria He went to St. Stephen's Church where Te Deum was sung with a tripple Discharge of the Cannon When the Service of the Church was over Emerius Bishop of Vienna took Occasion to represent to the Emperor how that in 1529 when Solyman the Magnificent came in Person with an Army of 200000 Men to besiege Vienna that then at the Prayer of the Besieged he did forbear to shoot at St. Stephen's Tower as being a very artificial and beautiful Fabrick In acknowledgment of which Favour the Citizens had then by Agreement placed on the Pinacle of the Tower an Half Moon and a Star which are the Turkish Arms and they were yet remaining in the same Place But that the Turks having now in Violation of that Agreement continually fired upon that Tower and done it much Prejudice the Bishop for that Reason humbly prayed his Imperial Majesty to grant him Leave to pull down the Turkish Arms and to erect the Cross instead of it Which with the Emperor's Approbation was immediately effected After this the Emperor had an Interview with the King of Poland at the Head of his Army in his Camp and thanked him for the generous Assistance he had given him and all Christendom upon this great Occasion And the King having returned the Complement the Emperor returned to Vienna and shewed Marks of his Favour to all the Princes and Great Men that had signalized themselves in the Action But the Elector of Saxony after this returning soon Home with his Army occasioned various Interpretations The Polish and Imperial Armles having a little refreshed themselves they resolved to pursue the Victory and to that End passing by Presburg they advanced on the 9th of Oct. towards the Fort of Barkan which covers the Bridge of Granâ— the Imperialists having the Van-Guard Near this Fort there were about 14000 Turks encamped being the best Troops of their remaining Army who being encouraged with the Advantage they had a little before near the said Place over the Poles who were forced to retreat to the Body of the Imperialists not then come up They no sooner saw the Christian Army appear but they advanced with a full Speed and a most hideous Cry briskly charging the Imperialists and endeavouring to break in upon them But the Christians kept themselves very close and firm and vigorously repulsed the Enemy who then turned towards the Poles and made a very fierce Charge upon them they were likewise received by the Poles with great Bravery who being very well seconded by the Imperialists made a great Slaughter of the Enemy who seeing one of their Basha's slain and another taken fled towards Barkan being pursued very close by the Christians who fired upon them with their Cannon which the King of Poland and the Duke of Lorain caused to advance for that Purpose Some of the Enemy got over the Bridge of Gran which happily broke to the Advantage of the Christians others threw themselves into Barkan while several of them were drowned and many taken Prisoners so that of the whole Body there could not above 4000 escape This being done the Imperial Foot and Dragoons advanced and the Regiment of Castelli with some other commanded Troops attacked the Counterscarp of Barkan being led on by the Count de Staremberg and took it with their Swords in their Hands putting all the Turks that were there to the Sword but gave Quarter to 〈◊〉 Janizaries I that were in the place who surrender'd at Discretion They found 20 Pieces of Cannon in that Fortress great Quantities of Ammunition and Provisions with many fine Horses and very rich Furniture This place the Duke thought once to demolish but upon better Consideration he ordered it to be repaired and putta good Garrison into it and on Oct. 20 he passed the Danube with the Imperial Army moving towards Gran the King of Poland at the same time being reinforced with the Lithuanian Troops marched towards Agriâ— The Duke who had been before re-joined by the Elector of Bavarina who was forced to leave the Army after the Battel of Vienna by reason of his Illness with 7000 Foot near Barkan with so considerable a Reinforcement sat down before Gran and having understood by some Prisoners that were taken that the Turks who were posted in the Fort upon St. Thomas's Hâ—ll had Orders as soon as they perceived the Christians approach to attack them to retire into the Cittadel His Highness resolved to intercept them and to that purpose he commanded the Count de Scherffenberg being supported by 2 Regiments of Horse to invest the Hill and take the said Fort which was accordingly performed and of 380 Janizaries that defended the place 180 were killed and the rest made Prisoners Yet before 〈◊〉 the Turks had set fire to the Buildings in that Fort but the Christians saved most of them The Duke of Lorain became in this manner no sooner Master of the Hill but he caused a Battery to be raised upon it which did very much annoy the Turks who abandoned the Town and retired into the Cittadel this made the Christians re-double their Efforts and carry 〈◊〉 their Attack so vigorously thâ— on Oct. 27 which was but the third Day after opening of the Trenches the Turks desired to capitulate which the Duke considering the Season of the Year consented to The Articles being agreed on the Turks â—000 out to the number of 〈◊〉 Janizaries and â—000 of the Inhabitants and were conducted several Miles by an Imperial Convoy in their Way to 〈◊〉 The Conquest of Gran by the Imperial
and 4 Senators to the French Court to make their humble Submissions But while the French Monarch was thus triumphing over the little republick of Genoa the Campaign was not in Hungary the general Rendesvouz of the Imperial Army was upon on the 20th of May at Schlesia upon the Waag from whence they moved and Encamped the 30th of the same Month near Schenowitz and from thence by several Marches and Halts by Monday the Fifth of June they came within â—aif a Mile of Neuheusel having as 't was thought a design to Attack the place but being informed on the 10th that the Garrisons of Pest and Budae consisted only of 8000 Men and that there was no more Force besides there save 2 or 3 Thousand Tartars that Encamped near the place and that even the whole Turkish Army between Buda and Esseck consisted of no more than 17000 Men and that there was not any Discourse of a greater Number they ordered thereupon a Bridge of Boats to be made at Cran which the Army marched over and so joined General Mercy and Collonel Heusler who had several Regiments of Horse under their Command and some Foot and the Duke on the 14th after having sent 500 Men under Count Sâ—â—rum before went directly to Vicegrade which was a Turkish Pass and a strong Mountainous Fortress on the Danube where his Artillery arrived next Day he ordered the place to be Attackt at which the Enemy put out a Red Flag for a Signal of Defiance having sent all their Women and Children before with the best of their Effects to Buda However the Infantry posted themselves immediately under the Walls of the Town against whose Walls and Pallisadoes they fired 12 pieces of Canon on the 16th all the day long and in the Evening stormed it which the Enemy not enduring were forced to flee to the Castle and adjacent Mountains but they found no security there neither For the Castle was so Bombed next day that about Noon they began to Capitulate but it happened so that the Conditions could not be agreed on that day because of a flying Report that came from Gran That Baron Halliwell had been worsted by the Enemy which made the Duke with some Horse immediately move that way But upon Confusion of Reports he thought fit to send the Prince of Baden with some Squadrons thither who upon his Arrival found the Action already over which hapned briefly thus The Turks upon their approach to Graâ— about Noon appeared and sounded an Allarm Whereupon General Halliwel who was much mistaken as to their Number went and posted himself upon the left Hand betwixt the two Mountains in a straight Pass with about 500 Horse and gave at the same time Orders to the Lieutenant Collonel of Sax Lauemburg to advance through the Passage and put himself in order Things being thus effected the General from an Hill where he had posted his Men found contrary to expectation the Enemy much stronger than he had thought drawn up in the form of an half Moon and advancing with a design to inclose him which made him think of retiring but it proved too late for he was here killed though Lieutenant Collonel Rabâ—â—â— did all he could to relieve him falling upon the Enemy with great Fury whom he drove back and pursued above 5 Miles from the Place to an advantageous Post where they rallied and in this Action came off with a greater Loss than the Christians From Vicegrade the Duke of Lorain directed his March by the Way of Gran and Barkan towards Waisen sending Colonel Hâ—uster before with 500 Horse to view the Posture of the Enemy who on Monday the 26th brought Intelligence that the Turks were advancing towards Waisen in the hollow Way Whereupon the Duke continued his March and next Day arrived in the Plains of Waisen where the Enemy being about 15000 strong appeared drawn up in Battallia Their right Wing flanked with Janizaries stood upon the Mountain but their left drew towards the City which made the Duke put himself immediately into a Posture of Defence flanking the Cavalry with the Infantry This was hardly done when the Enemy discharged 5 Pieces of Cannon they had with great Fury several times upon the Imperialists right Wing but without any Damage so that they quitted that Station and fell briskly upon the left but were soon beaten back in great Disorder and Confusion towards the right where they were so warmly plied with the German Cannon that they immediately retired the Horse towards Pest and as many of the Foot as saved themselves into the City having lost in all about 1000 and among them one Basha but with very little loss to the Germans especially since the Duke of Lorain escaped so well though so narrowly for his Horse was shot through the Neck during the Engagement The Consequence of this Success was after the firing of some Cannon the Surrender of Waisen upon Discretion From hence the Army marched towards Pest after having garrisoned the other Place with 2000 Foot 500 Curassiers and 300 Dragoons On Monday the 10th of July the whole Army got over the Danube and encamped at a Place called St. Andrew their Left Wing being secured by the Danube and their Right by an unaccessible Mountain and right against them a broad and long Marsh But for all this the Enemy not only advanced towards Noon but divided themselves into 2 Wings and leaving the great Marsh in the middle fell with great Noise and Fury upon the Germans whose Cavalry thereupon a little advanced upon their Left Wing but were immediately ordered back by the Duke's Commands In the mean time the Turks had beaten back the Christians Watch but the Prince of Salm who commanded the Rear-guard stoutly opposed them and being reinforced with a Battallion of Infantry and with some Pieces of Cannon from the Duke he utterly routed and pursued them near upon 2 Miles when the Turks rallied again and fell with great Fury upon the Right Wing tho' a continued 〈◊〉 from 20 Pieces of Cannon which the Germans had planted quickly drove them back to the Tops of the Mountains where they thought to secure themselves But 〈◊〉 Bastemburg Battallion who had before hid themselves in the Bushes of those Mountains did so â—epper them with their Shot that the foremost were constrained to quit them Saddles and the hindermost to seek for shelter among the Bushes from whence they were beaten down headlong by another Battallion into the Valley where they were again extremly gauled by the Germans Cannon and being forced to retire to their Right Wing which by this time had put themselves into some Order they fell with their whole Power upon the Christians Left who bravely opposed them and upon their retreat were intercepted by Sâ—affeâ—berg's Regiment and a Party of Dragoons who had posted themselves on the Right-hand of the Marsh and divers of them slain Upon this they fled to a Mountain where their Artillery was planted and tarried
to abandon their Mines as being filled with Water and the chief Mines of the Imperialists being discovered by the Turks they were render'd useless These Considerations and a great Army of the Infidels being by this time got together under the Serasquier occasioned the sending of the Marquess Herman of Baden into the Camp where after several Conferences it was concluded that by reason of the bad Weather and the Cavalry wanting Forage for a long time together they should raise the Siege and march off thinking that more adviseable than to ruin the whole Army And therefore on Oct. 29 the Artillery was drawn off and shipped and two Days after the whole Army marched away in good Order But somewhat to sweeten the great Loss and Disapointment of the Germans in the Siege of Buda their Arms proved much more successful in other Parts during this Campaign And first in Sclavonia where Count Lesley having laid Siege to Vitovitza the chief City of that Country on the 11th of July and carried on the same with great Conduct till towards the 20th he then understood that the Turks after having drawn together all the Forces they could between the Save and the Drave in order to succour the Place were arrived under the Command of the Basha of Maratha who had the Guard of the Bridge of Esseck near Flatina about 4 German Miles from Virovitza making in all 2500 Men but were to join the Beg of Zerneg and the Governor of Grandischa who for that purpose were with 1400 more on their March towards him Whereupon the Count immediately commanded the Regiments of Croats making about 4000 Men to march under the Command of the Count de Trantmarsdorse with Orders to prevent the Enemy's Conjunction who therefore marched all Night and about 7 in the Morning attacked the said Basha in his Camp near Flatina whom they routed and pursued with considerable Slaughter as far as Turbinat In returning from hence they happily met with the other Party commanded by the Beg who knew nothing of the other's Defeat yet they made a very weak Resistance but many of them saved themselves in the adjacent Woods This Expedition being thus happily over the Count returned with 12 Standards and 20 of the most considerable Prisoners into the Camp besides all the Provisions he took which they had designed for the Relief of that Place In pursuance of this Defeat the Garrison of Virovitza capitulated and on the 25th the Germans took possession of the Place But Count Lesley was like to have paid very dear for this Conquest and Victory for while he was encamped at the Bridge of Turannovitz on the Drave the Serasquier being reinforced with several Troops from Bosnia decamped from Walpon with an Army of about 30000 Men and thought to have overpower'd him Yet the Count having timely Notice of his Design he posted his Troops which did not make above 14000 in all advantagiously between two Morasses and fortified his Camp and there received the Turks with such Warmth and Vigour that he repulsed them with Loss but did not think fit to pursue them he esteeming it enough to have made good his Post which upon further Informations of the Enemy's Motion he fortified yet more advantagiously and towards the latter end of Sept. he went to Vienna to give the Emperor an Account more particularly of his Affairs on that side But Sclavonia was not the only Country where the Emperor's Arms succeeded this Summer Vpper Hungary had a Share therein where General Schultz commanded and who about the beginning of Sept. having received Advice that Count Tekeley had put 150 Men and 2 Pieces of Cannon into a small Place called Zeben he decamped from Tarza and attacked the Place so seasonably that he carried it by Assault having put the Hungarian and German Deserters that he found therein to the Sword From thence he sent several Spies to Count Tekeley's Army by whom being informed of the Number of his Troops and the Situation of his Camp he resolved to attack him and accordingly leaving his Baggage at Zeben he marched on the 17th in the Evening with all his Cavalry and part of his Foot which the Horse-men carried behind them and being come about 3 in the Morning near the Enemy's Camp he drew his Troops into Battalia and fell upon them before they had time to put themselves in a Posture of Defence So that all they could do in the Confusion they were in was to think of making their Escape some one way some another insomuch that in less than an Hour's space he became Master of their Camp and Artillery consisting of 5 Pieces of Cannon and of all their Ammunition Tents and Baggage and even of Tekeley's Coach and Standard who himself had much ado to escape for he was in Bed and had hardly time to put on his Cloaths and had but 2 or 3 Persons to accompany him in his Flight But what was perhaps of worse Consequence to count Teckeley was that in his Tent were not only found his Sable Wearing Apparel Plate and Money but even his Papers also To which if you add the Loss of 4000 Men slain in this Action it may be reckoned as intire a Defeat as any that hath happened in the whole Course of the War Upon this General Schâ—â—ltz immediately laid Siege to Esperies but finding a great Garrison in it and well provided he quitted it and contented himself to take in first a Place called Barthseldt four Miles from the former and a large Town upon the Frontiers of Poland and then some other smaller Places and so retired to Winter-Quarters Having now traced through this Years War in Hungary between the Turks and Germans we are next to see what has been done on the Polish side before we enter upon the Affairs of the Venetians whose first Campaign it has been to make up the tripple Confederacy It was in the middle of Aug. before the King of Poland joined the Army at a Place called Bucksacs from whence he sent Detachments to attack the Fortress of Jaslowick which after a little Contention was surrendred to him It was expected after this that his Majesty would either have besieged Caminiec or march into Moldavia or Wallachia but neither of the two happened For as to the first he contented himself to pretend at first to block it up and then to throw a few Bombs into it And as for the other he was so far from advancing into the Enemies Country that the Turks and Tartars believing he was engaged in the Siege of the said Place marched to the Relief of it This when the King was informed of he marched to Kolenzan but then it appearing that there was no more than a Detachment of the Tartars come over the Niester to observe the Polish Army he ordered his Van-guard to charge them which they did with that Bravery and Eagerness that the Enemy immediately fled leaving a great many slain behind them
and it was said the late Marquess of Hallifax should say That they had now more Reason than ever to do it since the King had been so plain with them and discovered what he would be at But it did not pass so hastily with the Commons for they debated it Paragraph by Paragraph and because the Militia had not been so serviceable as the King would have them they Voted they would take it into Consideration how to make them more useful for the future and on the 16th of Nov. Addrest the King wherein they represented to him that they had taken his Speech and particularly that part of it relating to the unqualified Officers into their Consideration That for what was past they were preparing a Bill to pass both Houses for the Royal Assent to indemnifie them from the Penalty they had incurred by Law but because the Continuance of them in their Imployments might be thought to be a dispensing Power with that Law without Act of Parliament They therefore humbly besought him that he would be pleased to give such Directions therein that no Apprehensions or Jealousies might remain in the Hearts of his good and faithful Subjects But what do you think was the Consequence of this Address 'T was no other than first a Prorogation and then the Dissolution of the Parliament and the King left at Liberty to pursue his Designs in the best Methods he could for the Introducing of Popery and Arbitrary Power and where at present we leave him It s a long Step from England to Hungary I confess but there being no considerable Affairs in Motion now nearer Home we are necessitated to look so far and here to remind you first of the ill Success of the Imperial Army before Buda last Year which after such Repulses and so many Weeks Siege they were forced to quit at last And now we are to see whether they have not made a better Progress this Campaign to which End I am to acquaint you That the Duke of Lorain arrived in the Imperial Camp between Neuheusel and Barkan June 13 where after divers Consultations it was resolved at last formally to Besiege Neuheusel which in some measure had been block'd up ever since the Winter before In pursuance thereof the Army July 4 began a slow March towards the Place which had a good Garrison in it and is a large Fort situated upon a firm Foundation though the Plain about it is full of a Morass and Fenny Grounds which made the Town almost unaccessible as its Strength was almost invincible having 6 Bastions lined with a very good Stone-Work without which there was a vast Ditch of about 10 Foot deep and 20 broad The River Neutra runs on the East not above a Pistol shot from it as the Danube is on the South about 2 Furlongs distance and the River Schit on the West The whole Imperial Army with the Auxiliary Troops of Bavaria and Lunemburg being posted with some Difficulty about the Place the Trenches were opened July 11 at Night by 3000 Foot on whom the Besieged fired all along without doing any great Execution and by the 13th they were carried on within 50 Paces of the Ditch when they had also finished a Redoubt But next Day the Enemy made a Sally with a Party of Horse upon the Bavarian Guard yet were quickly beaten back into the Town with some Loss and that â—ight the Besiegers finished another Redoubt on the Left and the Line of Communication between the Trenches in the middle whereof they began to raise a Battery of 10 Pieces of Cannon and at the same time began a false Attack on the South opposite to the true one which gave the Besieged a Diversion that way On the 15th they played upon one another briskly with their Cannon and at Night the Besiegers got to the Ditch in several places both on the Right and Left but with considerable Loss and on the 16th the Imperialists began a new Battery against the Pallisadoes before the Gate which set fire to them and forced the Turks to abandon that Place They continued also their Works next Day and prepared Things to fill the Ditch to which End the Duke of Lorain ordered the Lunemburghers on the Left to cut a Canal to let the Water out of it into the Neutra when at the same time receiving Advice that the Turkish Army was marched towards Gran he sent Colonel Heusler out towards Vicegrade with a Body of Horse to get Intelligence and 500 Dragoons under the Count of Stirum to pass one of the Bridges near Comorra and to post himself near Gran and 5 Days after upon further Advice commanded the Dragoons of Bavaria and Brunswick together with the Imperial Dragoons making in all about 5000 Thousand under the Command of the Count de Lodron to march towards Comorra to cover the Bridges which his Highness had caused to be laid there over the Danube while he in the mean time bestirred himself with wonderful Activity to push on the Siege being every Day present in the Trenches and upon the Batteries to give all necessary Orders as being very desirous to be Master of this Place But notwithstanding all his Industry and the continued Advances that were made in the Siege the Turks defended themselves so well that the Month of July spun out and the Additional Presence and Assistance of Prince Waldeck and the Elector of Bavaria who by this time were got to the Camp were little enough to keep up the drooping Spirits of the Besiegers who began to be very much dejected with the frequent Losses they had sustained by the Cannon of the Place and the frequent Sallies of the Besieged and the Duke had not his End effected before he was obliged with the greatest Part of the Army to march and fight the Enemy For on the 1st of Aug. having received certain Advice that the 500 Foot he had detached under Major Rounkell had happily got into Gran but that the same day the Serasquier Basha with an Army of between 50 and 60000 Men had begun to besiege that Place he immediately thereupon called a Council of War where many were of Opinion that the Governour of Gran being so well provided that he could easily defend the Town for two Months it were their best way vigorously to pursue the Siege of Newheusel and not to meddle withthe Turkish Army till they had something weakned themselves before Gran But the Majority concluded it most advisable to march with the greatest part of the Army to fight the Turks and to leave a sufficient Body to carry on at the same time the Siege of Newheusel Whereupon an Officer was sent to Vienna to acquaint the Emperor with the said Resolution who returned again on the 3d to the Camp with the Emperor's Approbation of what they had resolved on The Duke in the mean time having ordered several Retrenchments to be made for the greater security of those that
were to be left to continue the Siege and they being almost finished by the 5th of August he began his March that Day We shall at present follow the Duke of Lorrain in his March and give you an Account of the Issue of it and then return to Newheusell Aug. 8 he passed the Danube near Comorra and next Day reached to Dotis otherwise called Thasa from whence his Highness with the Elector of Bavaria advanced towards the Enemy with a design to Attack them in their Camp before Gran if they came not out to fight them As they approached nearer they understood how vigorously the Turks pushed on the Siege of Gran and the brave Resistance the Garrison continued to make On the 14th a Renagado Polander who had for some time served the Turks came into the Imperial Camp and inform'd the Duke of Lorrain that the Turks believing the Imperialists not above 20000 strong had resolved to Attack them Upon which Information the Duke who was encamped with the Army near a Morass which covered the Turks resolved to retire that very Night an Hours March thereby to confirm the Enemy in their Opinion of the weakness of the Christian Forces which being effected in very good Order the Turks without losing any time passed the Morass thinking to surprize the Imperialists in their Retreat But they were strangely mistaken for they found them drawn up in very good Order Yet they fell on with their usual Shouts and charged the Right Wing commanded by the Elector of Bavaria and afterwards the Left Wing where the Duke of Lorrain was in Person and likewise endeavoured to flank them but they were beaten off with the greatest Bravery imaginable With this being somewhat discouraged but much more in that they found themselves deceived in the Account they had of the Strength of the Imperialists they began to fall into great Disorder which was very much encreased by the Discharge of 30 Pieces of Cannon laden with Small-shot with which the Imperial Troops opening they fired upon them and made a great Slaughter And at the second Discharge they fled being pursued by the first Line of the Christians and a great many illustrious Voluntiers who on this Occasion gave great Proofs of their Courage While they repassed the Defiles on the side of the Morass the Imperial Troops followed them very close and cutting in pieces all that opposed them they entred their Camp and made themselves Masters of it where they took all their Tents Baggage and Artillory the latter consisting of 23 Pieces of Cannon and 4 Mortars the Enemy at the same time fleeing towards Buda while the Hungarians and Croats with a Detachment of Cuirassiers and Dragoons commanded by the Baron de Merci the Count de Stirum and Colonel Heusler were sent in pursuit of them This Victory was so much the more signal and advantageous to the Imperialists in that tho' there were 4000 Janisaries and 2000 Spahi's of the Enemy slain yet it did not cost the former above 100 Men and among them no Person of Note But Vicegrade had unhappily fallen into the Turks Hands before this for while the Serasquier was engaged in the Siege of Gran before which he lost near 3000 Men he had sâ—nt before the Duke came up a Detachment of 12000 to Attack it having then only a Garrison of 300 Christians who yet made a very brave Defence till at length the Enemy having made a Breach with their Cannon and Mines they Capitulated to march out with their Arms and Baggage to the Danube where they Embarked and were conducted by Water to the Imperial Army 5 while the Enemy thought fit to demolish the Place But this was nothing in comparison of the aforesaid Victory or the Taking of Newheusel that followed which happened after this manner The Besiegers having made their Approaches by Galleries Cannon and Mines so far that a Breach was made at one of the Bastions which was so broad that 3 Men might enter a breast General Caprara and the Duke of Croy having called a Council of War thereupon resolved to give a general Assault the next Day being Aug. 19 and sent their Commands into all Quarters to provide accordingly So that first having sprung 3 Mines about the said Bastion and Curtain which tho' they had not the desired Effect so as to ruin some Retrenchments of the Besieged yet they so far benefited the Christians as to facilitate the Assault by opening a Gap 12 Foot wide and of a pretty easie Assent Hereupon they immediately fired upon the Town from all Quarters which put the Turks within into such a Consternation that for a Time scarce a Man durst appear so that laying hold of the Opportunity whilst they played also with their Bombs and Carcasses upon the Besieged the Count of Scherffenburg was the first that entred the Place on the Right side of the Bastion The Sieur Ronimel at the same time pushing in at the new Breacheâ— a little on the Left General Dumont who commanded the Lunemburghers vigorously backing the Assault This Vigour of the Christians brought the Besieged to set up two white Flags upon their Retrenchments but the former were now so eager that there was no bridling of them so that they immediately mounted the new Retrenchments and after a little Opposition the Imperialists rushed all into the Town putting all they found to the Sword Hassan the Basha was brought desperately wounded to General Caprara and about 10 Officers more were Saved Besides the great quantity of Ammunitition and Provisions they found there they had also 75 pieces of Cannon which Cannon they had all dismounted save 6. Of this Success the Duke of Lorrain was advertised as he was upon his March from Gran with an Intention to put the finishing Hand to it himself which made him alter his Motion and go in quest of the Enemies Army who rallied about Buda and whom he could not draw to a second Engagement during the rest of the Campaign However he had done in Hungary so much already that the Serasquier thought fit towards the latter end of August to send an Aga to his Highness who after having kissed his Hands and lifted them up to his Forehead presented to him a large Letter wrapped up in a piece of Crimson Sattin of which this is an exact Translation TO Our good Friend the Duke of Lorain present Generalissimus of the Emperor of the Germans Greeting We make known as a good Friend that Achmet Deschelebi formerly Defrerdo which is as much as to say Commissary of the Timarriotes of the Fortress of Neuheusel having represented to Vâ— your Friend in case We desire a Negotiation of â—eace We ought to send Letters to which you might give Credit For this Cause these Presents have been written and sent unto You. And as We your Friend desire hereby for the Service of the Creatures of God that means may be found to restore the Tranquility of the Subjects on
by the next Morning The Town in the mean time was set on fire the Night before and a great part of it burnt down before the Fire could be quenched which yet did not apparently discourage the Turks who on the 9th made a great Sally and did considerable Damage to the Besiegers but they were at last repulsed And tho' on the 13th the Duke commanded a Lodgment to be made on the Breach yet the Enemy stood so bravely to it that it could not be effected and the Besiegers in that Attack lost near 1000 Soldiers besides Officers and 50 Voluntiers whereof were several Noblemen and among others divers English Men of Quality However they continued the Siege obstinately and made a considerable Progress therein by the 22th when the Turks sallied out upon the Bavarian Quarter and did considerable Execution nailing up a Battery of Cannon and 2 Mortars and then retired with little Loss But about an Hour after the Enemies principal Magazine blew up which stood near the Castle that looks towards Pest by which a great part of the Wall was demolished which upon the viewing of it seemed so great to many of the Generals that they were for storming the Place without delay This the Duke of Lorain did not think yet practicable but sent next Day a threatning Summons to the Governour to surrender who answered in short That he thought His Highness would justifie him that he had hitherto done like a brave Man and that he was resolved to continue so doing and that God punisheth the Vain-glorious Hereupon the Duke ordered a general Assault to be made on the 27th and after much Bravery and obstinate fighting on each side the Germans fixed their Lodgment upon the first Wall and prepared their further Approaches On the 30th they sent another Summons to surrender which was answered the Day following in a Letter to the General wherein the Besieged let him know That the Town was in the Hands of GOD and that they could not give it up but if they would receive another Place in lieu of it they would treat thereupon The Duke not satisfied herewith ordered 2 Mines to be sprung under the second Wall but they had not the desired Success However that Evening the Enemy sent two Messengers to the Elector of Bavaria who thereupon sent them 2 Hostages and the firing ceased on both sides The Basha proposing to surrender the Town if they would conclude a Peace upon it which he said he had Power to do But the Elector answering That he had no such Commission but that he would do what Service he could towards the furthering of one the Firing was renewed On the 3d of Aug. the Besiegers made a general Assault upon the second Wall but came off with considerable Loss and they were also allarmed about this time with the Noise of the Turkish Succours that were marching up which indeed proved a Reality and that before the Christians made any considerable Progress more in the Siege tho' they attempted another general Assault on the 12th For the very next Day towards Evening the Duke of Lorain received certain Intelligence that the Enemy to the Number of 90000 Men advanced towards his Camp with a resolute Design to force one of his Quarters and to put Succours into the Town Hereupon in Concert with the Elector of Bavaria he caused all the Horse and Foot to march out of the Lines except 20000 Men that were left to continue the Attacks and guard the several Posts and Avenues of the Camp and drew up the Army in order of Battel Next Day being the 14th of Aug. he being informed that the Grand Visier had detached from his Army a Body of 6000 Janizaries and 4000 Spahi's all chosen Men who descending from the Hills to the Plain which separated his Camp from the Germans had passed it without Opposition and gained the Hills which commanded the Imperialists Lines on the Right and perceiving the Grand Visier's Design was to force a Passage into the Town that way while himself drew up his Army in the Plain to attack the Christians Left Wing or in case they failed therein to retrench themselves upon the Hills and from thence to incommode the German Camp with their Cannon He kept the main Body of his Troops to oppose those of the Grand Visier and about 7 Regiments of Horse with some few Hungarians to make head against the Detachment upon the Hills who entertained the Christians with several Vollies of their Cannon and the Janizaries made so furious a Fire upon them that the Hungarians and Croats who had the Van-guard fell into disorder Upon this the Regiment of Taffe advancing came timely to their Assistance and with the Help of the other Horse forced the Enemy-headlong down the Hill with so great Fury and Slaughter that near 3000 of the Janizaries were slain upon the Spot and the rest chose rather to retire towards the Bridge of Esseck than re-join their main Army The Germans brought back with them 8 Pieces of Cannon about 30 Colours and Standards with near 300 Prisoners and perhaps a more vigorous Action was never performed by Horse alone with those Disadvantages of Ground and Number Having thus regained their first Post and shortned their Pursuit of the Enemy for that they did not know but that the main Body were engaged the Hills separating them from the Sight of what passed on the Left They found the Grand Visier had drawn up his whole Army in the Plain to which the Duke of Lorain opposed his but that they both stood at a respectful Distance from one another However now after this victorious little Body of Horse had rejoined the Right Wing of the Christians the Turks began to make several Motions which shewed more their Uneasiness and Irresolution than any Design they had to attack the Christians and having by degrees withdrawn all their Infantry to the Foot of their own Hills the Right Wing of the Imperialists received Orders to advance towards some Bodies of Horse that approached to them But proportionably as the Germans advanced the others withdrew till finding themselves at the Foot of the Hill and seeing that the Christians Right Wing had by much out-marched the rest of the Army they charged a small Body of Hungarians on the Left who yielding before them had like to have laid open the German Flank and wrought some Disorder Yet by the Firmness of the German Troops and Conduct of their Officers who immediately fronted some Squadrons that way and covered their Flank the Turks retired the Christians at the same time it being already late having Orders to withdraw and return into their Lines which they did accordingly The Grand Visier also moved towards Alba Regalis and he ordered the Basha who brought him the News of the said Defeat to be strangled for saying That they charged the Christians like Lions but that they received them again like Devils But to return again to the Siege
On the 16th it was carried on with great Vigour and at the Duke of Lorain's Attack the Pallisadoes with which the Enemy had secured the Breach were burnt but the Night following they set up new ones again and made other Works to defend the Breach while the Germans and Bavarians continued their Mines Batteries and other Preparations at their respective Attacks for a general Assault So that on the 19th all Things were again ready for a Storm but the 2 Mines which the Christians sprang not throwing down the Enemies Pallisadoes as was expected they did not then go on with it but raised a Battery of 4 Pieces of Cannon more to play upon the Enemies Pallisadoes Thus Things continued to the 20th when about 6 in the Morning 3000 chosen Janizaries and Spahi's each of which received 30 Crowns from the Grand Visier to encourage them to that Service fell upon the Christians Out-guards and forced them and the Croats who were posted in the Plain to retire into the Camp and in the Confusion occasioned thereby they put about 150 Men into the Town the rest being beaten back by the Troops which Count Caprara and General Heusser brought to the Assistance of the Croats However this Reinforcement was not so considerable as either to daunt the Germans or hearten the Turks much tho' the latter persisted still as obstinate in their Defence as the other were resolute to carry the Place before they left it a second time To which end they continued on the 21st to play with their Cannon and Bombs from the 3 Attacks they had and to fill the Ditches with that Success that on the Elector of Bavaria's side all Things were ready for an Assault But the Besieged made a Sally upon them next Day and beat them from some of their Works which the Bavarians recovered soon after and not only so but cut off the Turks they found there Not satisfied with that on the 23d they made an Assault upon the Castle the Detachment which was appointed for that Service mounted the Breach tho' defended by the Turks with great Obstinacy whose Retrenchments they forced and all their other Posts on that side and remained absolute Masters of the Castle most of the Turks that were posted there being killed and the rest retired behind the Ruines of the Houses from whence the Christians Cannon quickly chased them into the Town which was only separated from the Castle by an old Wall of no great Defence This being happily effected the Besiegers bestirred themselves in all Quarters to put the finishing Stroke to the Work and so much the more because of the near Approach of the Ottoman Army again and therefore amongst other Things on the 27th they laid a Boom cross the River with Beams to prevent any Body's swimming into the Town tho' none of the Enemy appeared either that or the next Day But on the 29th by Break of Day a Party of about 3000 Janizaries on Horse-back advanced along the side of the Danube by the Hot Baths with a Design to throw themselves into the Place by the Way of the Lower Town to which Purpose they brought along with them some Engines like Ladders made with Boards which they applied to the Wall and about 6 Turks passed who were cut off by those on the inside There were about 400 of them who rid along the Wall of the Lower Town till they got to St. Paul's Valley receiving the Fire of the Christians Lines which was there doubled upon them and a little further they met with a Squadron of Horse who cut them all off save 4 or 5 that got into the Town And indeed they were so confounded with the Christians Lines and Redoubts that they knew not which way to turn themselves so that they came off with very considerable Loss Yet this Miscarriage did not totally discourage the Grand Visier who on the 30th of Aug. attempted by 3 several Ways to put in Succours but the Troops appointed for that Service were repulsed by those which were set for the Guard of the Imperial Lines with the Loss of 500 Men Tho' to favour the Design the Grand Visier had at the same time drawn up his Army in the Plain making a Shew as if he would attack the Christians but went no farther So that the latter proceeded with all imaginable Application to fill up the second Ditch and to put every Thing in a Readiness for a general Assault to which they were the more encouraged by the Additional Re-inforcement they received on the 1st of Sept. of near 10000 Men under the Command of the Count deâ— Scherffenberg whereof 2000 of them mounted the advanced Posts at the Duke of Lorain's Attack the same Day At last the Second of Sept. came when all Things being now ready it was unanimously resolved in a Council of War to storm the Town which was done in the following Manner They begun and continued from all their Batteries to play upon the Breaches and the Flanks of the Enemies Retrenchments with Chain-shot and at the same time threw a great many Bombs and Carcasses into the Town and to amuse the Turks the Christian Troops made several Movements as if they designed to fight the Grand Visier and part of those that guarded the Works towards the Town were in the Enemies â—ight drawn from thence towards the Lines while double their Number were detach'd by cover'd Ways to supply their Places About 3 in the Afternoon the Pallisadoes that secured the Breaches being beaten down by the Besiegers Cannon 3000 Men divided into several Detachments and supported by a like Number made the Assault at the Duke of Lorain's Attack being commanded by the Duke of Newburg the Duke de Croy Count Souâ—hes and the Count de Scherffenberg At the Bavarian and Brandenburg Quarters 1500 Men were appointed in each to begin the Assault being also seconded with a Reserve of the like Number and 2000 were appointed to make two false Attacks Things being thus ordered the Detachments as soon as the Signal was given advanced and mounted the Breaches with as great Order as Courage and the Besieged at the same time defended themselves with a Resolution equal to what they had shewn upon other Occasions and with their Fougades Bombs Stones Bags filled with Powder Pikes and other Arms forced the Germans at the Duke of Lorain's Attack twice to retire But these being supported by the Duke's Presence who lead them on himself to the very Foot of the Breach going up the 3d time entred the Town with the Slaughter of 800 Janizaries that defended the Breach on that side where the Visier Basha was himself during the whole Action and gave incredible Proofs of his Bravery and would by no means quit his Post though he was wounded in the Right Arm but taking his Sabre in his Left-Hand continued still to encourage his Men till he fell among the slain which verified the Answer he first sent the Duke of Lorain upon
which was performed accordingly The Fight was obstinate and the Success doubtful for 2 Hours but at last the Turks fell into Confusion and fled leaving near 1000 slain and divers Prisoners behind them with all their Tents Cannon and Baggage there being no more than 37 killed and about 60 wounded of the Christians This good Success being attended with the blowing up of 150 of the Garrison of Navdrino and among them their Basha by a Quantity of Powder that took Fire from a Bomb occasioned the Surrendry of the Place of which the Christians took Possession June 17 and found 63 Pieces of Cannon and 13 Mortars with a great Quantity of Ammunition therein The Venetian Courage being thus heightned with a Train of Successes nothing would serve turn now but the Siege of Modon a considerable Place in the Morea on the Southern Shoar which the Captain-General resolved upon tho' he knew the Serasquier had reinforced the Garrison and provided them with all Things necessary for their Defence and having for that Purpose arrived June 22 before the Town the Men landed the same Day under General Coninsmark and the Place was invested the next and Batteries raised against it which plaid with good Success till the 27th when another Battery of 7 Mortars was finished and a Summons sent from the Captain-General to the commanding Basha to surrender to which he appeared yet stiff enough So that the Siege went on and by the 28th the Trenches were carried within 50 Paces of the Ditch notwithstanding the continual Opposition made by the Enemy with their great and small Shot who also on July the 1st made a Sally but were soon repulled and the Besiegers proceeded vigorously on with their Work At the same time they sent out Parties to discover what Posture the Serasquier was in whom they were informed had promised to bring the Turks Relief by the 6th but they could learn no News of him and on the 5th they lodged themselves on the Counterscarp and began to fill up the Ditch there being already a great Breach made in the Wall and all Things preparing for an Assault But on the 6th it was prevented by the Inhabitants who being terrified by the Execution of the Bombs that had by this time laid a great part of the Town in Ashes and the promised Succours not appearing they obliged the Basha to Capitulate and on the 7th marched out to the Number of 3000 Men leaving to the Venetians both in the Castle and Town near an 100 Pieces of Cannon of all sorts and 13 Mortars besides Ammunition and Provision whereof there was a great Quantity The Season being still most proper for Action and the Captain-General well knowing there was no way so well to heighten the Glory of his Conquests as to pursue them still and that by such Methods as should be best for the further securing of them he resolved to lay Siege to no less considerable a Place than Napoli di Romania which was the Ancient Nauplia situated upon the Eastern Shoar of the Morea and having got all his Forces both by Sea and Land in a Readiness he set sail from Modon and July 13 was got before Clara a Place about 6 Miles distant from Napoli di Romania where he ordered the Forces to Land and who the very next Day possessed themselves of the Hill Palameda within Musket-shot of the Town and began to attack the Place on that side Yet they could not prevent the Serasquier who lay with a Body of about 9000 Men not far off to reinforce 2 Days after the Garrison with 300 Men which consisted before of no less than 2000 under the Command of Mustapha Basha But this the Serasquier being not content with he advanced towards the Venetian Camp on the 6th and General Coninsmark was so far from declining a Battel that after having left Force sufficient to guard the Works about the Town he marched about 2 Miles out of his Camp to meet him and after some light Skirmishes the 2 Bodies engaged but the Turks did not hold it long For having lost about 400 Men they retired and the General soon after went back to his Camp and quickly possest himself of the Castles of Argos and Gemini and in the mean time push'd on the Siege with all imaginable Vigour till the 19th when the Serasquier having been reinforced with 3000 fresh Men approached a second time towards the Venetian Camp the Besieged at the same time making a Sally upon the Venetians who not only drove them furiously back into the Town but they gave so warm an Entertainment to the Serasquier from the Cannon they had planted upon the Hill Palameda that he was obliged to go off without making any Attempt upon their Lines This gave the Christians an Opportunity to pursue the Siege and on the 23d to lodge themselves in the Ditch of the Town and maintain their Post there but they received Information the same Day that the Serasquier having reinforced his Army to 12000 Men out of the Neighbouring Garrisons intended to make a third Attempt to relieve the Place whereupon several Detachments were ordered out to observe his March between whom and the Enemy there happened divers Skirmishes till the 29th when the Serasquier advanced again to attack their Lines the Besieged at the same time making a Sally with 1500 Men. The Enemies greatest Fury fell upon the Quarter of the Sclavonians who being over powered by their Number were forced to give way but General Coninsmark coming opportunely to their Assistance with a Detachment rallied them again and beat back the Turks At the same time the Captain-General advanced to the Hill with 3500 Men which he had caused to land out of the Ships and Gallies who chargedâ— the Mahometans with that Resolution and Bravery both in Front and Flank that they obliged them to retire in great Confusion and in the Action lost 1500 of their best Men besides 120 that were taken Prisoners the Venetians on their part coming off with about 400 killed and wounded This Success could not be more glorious to the Venetians than it was discouraging to the Basha of the beleagured Town who seeing now there was no hopes of Relief that the Breach the Christians Cannon and Mines had made in the Walls of the Town were such that there was little appearance of their being able to withstand a general Assault and that besides the Garrison was in great want of Water he hung out a White Flag and the same Day the Capitulation was agreed on which was the same in Substance with what had been granted to the Garrisons of Navarino and Modon the Basha being refused to take with him 500 Slaves which belonged to the 2 Gallies that had been disarmed in the beginning of the Siege and to have the Jews included in the Capitulation on both which he so much insisted But what Joy soever might be exprest at Venice for this Conquest and
King's Foragers which greatly perplexed him So that understanding at last that the main Body of the Tartars commanded by Sultan Nuradin was come near his Camp yet without being able precisely to learn the Place where they were he caused it to be published among the Moldavians That whoever brought him certain Intelligence of them should have the Reward of 200 Crowns Whereupon one that was well acquainted with the Country went into the Enemies Camp and having observed it returned and gave the King an Account that they lay within a Mile of his Army and that a Party of 4000 Tartars was advanced at some distance from the rest The King being thus informed of the Posture the Enemy were in detached the Court-Marshal and the Court-Treasurer about Midnight to attack those advanced Troops and followed himself with the whole Army This Detachment with the Help of the Moldavian who was their Guide came upon the Enemy before they had time to retire to their main Body and after a sharp Dispute entirely routed them taking about 300 Prisoners among whom were several Murza's and other Persons of considerable Note among the Tartars While this was doing the King also advanced and attacked the Serasquier and Sultan who not knowing of the Defeat of their advanced Troops expected they would have fallen upon the Poles in their Rear and Flank and with this Encouragement they put themselves into a Posture to oppose him However they were deceived and after a short fight were routed and forced to flee leaving a great many Slain and Prisoners behind them but not without Loss also on the Poles side there being several Officers and Persons of Quality and particularly the Palatine Podolskie among the Number of the Slain But while these Things were doing by the Polish Army abroad the Country nearer Home was cruelly ravaged by the Garrison of Caminiec who made frequent Incursions into the Polish Territories Which together with the King 's marching homeward after this last Action and demolishing the fore-mentioned Forts in his Return which he had raised as he went onwards made this Expedition to be little thought of and as little Advantage to redound to the Poles from it as they hitherto had reaped by their Alliance with the Moscovites who made a mighty Smoak this Campaign but very little Fire of whom we shall have more Occasion to talk hereafter year 1687 Now we are come to another Year and the Affairs of England fall of Course under our Consideration And as we left off with taking Notice of the King's Kindness to his Roman Catholick Subjects in a more particular Manner in the Letter he wrote to the Parliament of Scotland we are now to tell you of a more general Act of his and that was upon the 12th of February to issue out his Proclamation for a Toleration of Religion unto all Wherein by the by you are to observe that he exerted his Absolute Power which he said his Subjects ought to obey without Reserve But the Toleration he allowed his Roman Catholick Subjects in Scotland he would scarce allow to his Protestant Subjects in Ireland for Tyrconnel so did Talbot merit for reforming the Army was not only made an Earl but Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland to boot in the room of my Lord Clarendon and one Fitton an infamous Person detected for Forgery not only at Westminster but Chester too was brought out of the King 's Bench Prison in England to be Chancellor and Keeper of the King's Conscience in Ireland Sir Charles Porter being turned out to make way for him Now Talbot being thus advanced in Honour and Office began to exert his Authority and his first Proclamation towards the End of Feb. imported a Promise to defend the Laws Liberty and Established Religion but fairly left out the Preservation of the Act of Settlement and Explanation However though at first he only left them out being resolved to out the Protestants first and to let the Irish into their Forfeited Estates yet he did not stop there We told you last Year what Efforts were made to propagate the King's Power in Westminster-Hall and what Instructions the Judges had in their Circuits to dispense with the Penal Laws and Tests against Dissenters from the Church and now these Things being brought pretty well to bear upon the 25th of April out came the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience which was conceived in the following Terms His MAJEETY's Gracious DECLARATION to all His Loving Subjects for LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE JAMES R. IT having pleased Almighty God not only to bring Us to the Imperial Crown of these Kingdoms through the greatest Difficulties but to preserve Us by a more than ordinary Providence upon the Throne of Our Royal Ancestors there is nothing now that We so earnestly desire as to Establish our Government on such a Foundation as may make Our Subjects happy and unite them to Us by Inclination as well as Duty which We think can be done by no Means so effectually as by granting to them the free Exercise of their Religion for the Time to come and add that to the perfect Enjoyment of their Property which has never been in any Case invaded by Us since Our coming to the Crown Which being the Two Things Men value most shall ever be preserved in these Kingdoms during our Reign over them as the truest Methods of their Peace and Our Glory We cannot but heartily wish as it will easily be believed that all People of Our Dominions were Members of the Catholick Church yet We humbly thank Almighty God it is and hath of long time been Our constant Sense and Opinion which upon divers Occasions We have declared that Conscience ought not to be constrained nor People forced in Matters of meer Religion It has ever been directly contrary to Our Inclination as We think it is to the Interest of Government which it destroys by spoiling Trade depopulating Countries and discouraging Strangers and finally that it never obtained the End for which it was employed And in this We are the more Confirmed by the Reflections We have made upon the Conduct of the Four last Reigns For after all the frequent and pressing Endeavours that were used in each of them to reduce this Kingdom to an exact Conformity in Religion it is visible the Success has not answered the Design and that the Difficulty is invincible We therefore out of Our Princely Care and Affection unto all Our Loving Subjects that they may live at Ease and Quiet and for the Increase of Trade and Incouragement of Strangers have thought fit by Virtue of Our Royal Prerogative to issue forth this Our Declaration of Indulgence making no doubt of the Concurrence of Our Two Houses of Parliament when we shall think it convenient for them to meet In the first Place We do declare That We will Protect and Maintain Our Archâ—bishops Bishops and Clergy and all other Our Subjects of the Church of England in the free
Ireland qualified by the Tests to serve sent over an Army of Irish that were not qualified to encrease the English Army who by this time were grown intolerably insolent though the King by several Orders would have had their Quarters restrained to Victualling Houses Houses of Publick Entertainment and such as had Licenses to sell Wine and other Liquors The Officers too when they pleased would be exempt from the Civil Power And tho' the King had no other War upon his Hands but against the Laws and Constitutions of the Government yet he would make an obsolete Act of Parliament that made it Felony without Benefit of Clergy for any Soldier 's taking Pay in the King's Service in his Wars beyond Sea or upon the Sea or in Scotland to desert from his Officer to extend to this new-raised Army And because the worthy Recorder of London Sir John Holt would not expound that Law according to the King's Design he was put out of his Place and so was Sir Edward Herbert from being Chief Justice of the King 's Bench to make way for Sir Robert Wright to hang a poor Soldier upon the said Statute which afterwards did the Job without any further Dispute It would be an endless Thing to enumerate the disorderly Proceedings of this Year yet I doubt you will hear of no less in the next but you must stay a little and take a View of Foreign Proceedings before we shall have leisure to enter upon them And first we shall again begin with Hungary since we have nothing considerable nearer Home where the Imperial Arms to say nothing of other Advantages had prevailed wonderfully in taking of Buda the Capital of that Kingdom which so nettled the Turks that they resolved to use their utmost Efforts to retrieve their Honour this Season while the Imperialists were not idle on their part and the Scheme of the Summer's Business seemed to have been thus designed The whole Army which amounted to 62900 fighting Men besides the Troops of the Circles of Swabia and Franconia and others was to be divided into 3 Bodies the 1st being to act in Vpper Hungary under the Command of the Elector of Baâ—â—aria the 2d in Lower Hungary under that of the Duke of Lorrain and the 3d upon the Frontiers of Croatia under General Dunewald and that they might have Communication one with another there were 2 Bridges made one over the Drave near Tarnovitz and another over the Danube near Buda in the Isle of St. Marguerite and with this Disposition all the Troops rendezyoused near Barkan where the Duke of Lorrain arrived May 13 in Person from whence he sent out several Spies to discover the Number and Posture of the Enemy These reported They were stronger than the Imperial Army and were busie in repairing the Bridge of Esseck which after divers Consultations made the Duke move towards the said Place and the Croatian Army advanced also the same Way while the Elector of Bavaria with the Army under his Command seemed to threaten Erla in Vpper Hungary But other Work was cut out for them in the Lower as you 'll hear by and by For the Duke of Lorrain being advanced towards Feutar broke up June 17 from thence and continued his March towards Esseck and because the Army left Alba Regalis behind it a Body of Light-Horse were left behind to cover the Baggage and on the 18th a Bridge of Boats was laid near Tolna over which the whole Army passed by the 20th and encamped a Mile from thence and removed afterwards to Mohatz as they did their Bridge likewise that so the 2 Armies might succour each other The Duke at the same time sent an Express to the Croatian Troops to secure the Bridge that was laid over the Drave near Syclos and there erect likewise that of Boats that they carried along with them which was punctually performed From Mohatz the Duke marched on the 24th to Darda aside of the Bridge of Esseck which as soon as the Turks who were hard at work in repairing the Bridges over the Morass had Notice of they abandoned their Works and retreated towards the Bridge of Boats they had over the Drave and which they had secured with a good Fort of Earth and Wood having left some Bodies of Horse and Foot among the Moraffes to dispute the Approach of it with the Imperialists The Duke the Night following caused the Bridge and Disposition of the Enemy to be view'd and ordered the necessary Detachments to attack them by Break of Day when Word was brought him that the Enemy had taken away 2 Boats of their Bridges and that there was no appearance of them However a Detachment from the Army crossed the Morasses on the 25th and advanced towards the Enemies Bridge of Boats in good Order who when the Christians were come within an 150 Paces of them fired very furiously upon them so as that they were forced a little to retreat but being sustained with fresh Troops they charged the Turks with so much Resolution that they quitted their Post and retreated into their Fort from whence the Imperialists also drove them whom they pursued as far as the Gare of Esseck where they had like to have entred the Town Pell-mell with them The Imperialists endeavoured to preserve the Bridge but several Mills and Boats being set on float were by the Rapidity of the Stream thrown so impetuously upon it that they broke one part of it and hindred the rest from being seized on insomuch that it was now thought most advisable to set it on fire Next Day after having viewed the Ground and a Draught taken for the Building of a new Fort they began to break Ground which yet was not done without Disturbance from the Enemy but the very same Day the Christians entirely ruined the Dykes which the Turks had made upon the Morasses in the room of the Bridges that had been burnt towards the End of the last Campaign which was difficult Work And then it was resolved that a Line of Communication should be drawn from the Entrance of the Morasses as far as the Fort that so under its cover the Troops might pass that should be needful for its Defence in case the Turks were minded to attack it Things thus passed on till the 28th when the Duke of Lorain having chose out from among the Soldiers such as could Swim best he ordered them to go and fire the Boats Mills and Barges which the Turks had posted within Musket-shot of Esseck They punctually executed their Orders but the Enemy put out the Fire before it produced any Effect which with many other Considerations made the Duke call a Council of War next Day where having judged it impossible to pass the Drave at the Place where they were encamped it was resolved to break up from thence And accordingly on the 30th the Duke having left the Cavalry to guard the Pass and to ruine the Bridges of the Morass departed with the Infantry
a Regiment of Curassiers and one of Dragoons and moved up the Drave towards the Fort which the Imperialists had over that River near Siclos near unto which he arrived July 1 sending at the same time some Detachments out to scowr the Fields and discover the Posture of the Enemy of whom they could get no certain Intelligence Yet the Duke failed in his Expectation of passing the River there also which was so overflown that there was no Possibility of it So that he sent Troops up along the same to try if there was no other place where he might do it and resolved that in case it was impossible to imploy his Army in the Siege of Sigeth But the Time spun out to the 5th of the Month when General Dunwald who came from the other side of the River with between 〈◊〉 and 4000 Men Horse and Foot was ordered by the Duke to post the Heydukes upon the Hills in order to facilitate the Passage of the Troops while in the mean time 9 Bridges were finished that had been ordered to be laid over Morasses So that on the 6th some Companies of Foot and Dragoons were wasted over in Boats with Orders to incamp on the other side of the Drave and there to intrench themselves which they did with great Diligence being â—assisted therein mightily with 1200 Peasants brought thither for that Purpose And notwithstanding the variety of different Reports that were spread concerning the Enemies Army the whole Army Horse and Foot together with their Artillery and Baggage passed the Drave by the 13th when the Elector of Bavaria came into the Camp having left his Troops some Leagues of which got up towards the Evening and then a Review was taken of the Army which was found to be 55000 Men. From the foresaid Place the Army marched towards the Enemy and on their Way heard divers uncertain Reports concerning their Number Strength and Design but they moved on and the Elector of Bavaria who Commanded the Van guard did on the 17th place himself at the Head of some Squadrons and 2 Battallions with some Dragoons and 2 Field-Pieces in Battel Array as well as the Ground would admit in a Plain interlain with Wood and faced on the other side with a Morass and in this Posture found 3000 of the Enemies Horse advantageously posted at the Entrance of the Defiles whom he charged with that Bravery that they quitted their Post which 2 of his Battallions took possession of The Army at the same time moving forwards through the Defiles the Duke of Lorrain lead the Van on the 18th and after very great Difficulty from the Badness of the Ways and Firings of the Enemies Detachments who killed a great many of the Christians they were by the 20th draws up in Battel Array in the Form of an Half-Moon about half a League from the Turkish Camp The Duke of Lorrain did all that was possible to draw the Turks to a Battel and sent several Detachments to skirmish to the very Head of their Retrenchments but all to no Purpose So that the Christians perceived by the Enemies Countenance they were not disposed to fight tho' they made great use of their Ordinance all the while But it was not thought at all expedient to attack them there seeing they were so strongly intrenched and that since the coming up of the Grand Visier their Number was computed to be near 80000 Men. â—esides all which the Christians beginning to want Forage Provisions and Ammunition it was resolved after 24 Hours stay in a Council of War to decamp from thence which was done on the 21st and the Retreat made in very good Order the Turks not concerning themselves much to hinder it only they contented themselves vigorously to change a Guard that had been out off if the Elector of Bavania at the Head of a Neuburg Squadron had not succoured them so that the Army on the 23d repassed the Drave but had like to have perished first For some Traytors holding Intelligence with the Grand Visier had undertaken to cut the Cables that held the Bridges but the Design was happily discovered and one of the Officers seiz'd and immediately Empaled his wicked Accomplishes having by their Flight escaped the Punishment So that in short the Army by the 29th was got near to Mahatz where they were reinforced with the Swabian Troops amounting to 8000 Men which enabled the Duke besides a Detachment sent under Veterani to reinforce the Blockade of Agâ—ia and another towards Croatia to send a strong Body of 8000 Men under General Dunwald to cover Syclos and Five Churches while himself with the main Army designed to direct his March towards Felixmarton But that Resolution was quickly changed upon his receiving Information on the 31st That the Grand Visier had the Night before passed the Bridges near Esseck with his whole Army who spent Aug. 1 in intrenching themselves which yet did not hinder the Duke to advance towards them to engage them if possible to a Battel and to give that gallant Man his due he neglected nothing on his part that might induce them to it though with little appearance of Success Till at last being vex'd with the Loss of Time he resolved to make the Army fall back as well to get at some distance from a Wood whence the Tartars disturbed his Foragers as to induce once more the Grand Visier to quit his Camp and to follow him This Retreat was done on the 8th but without Success neither which put the Imperialists upon making a shew as if they would take away the Garrisons of Syclos and Five Churches and abandon those Places and accordingly they continued a slow March that way And thus Things continued to the 12th when the Grand Visier possibly at last presuming that the Christians declined Fighting caused the greatest part of his Troops to advance and about 2 in the Afternoon 10000 Spahi's and 5000 Janizaries were seen directly to march upon the Left Wing of the Imperialists where the Duke of Bavaria with Prince Lewis of Baden Commanded They were led on by some Bodies of Horse whose Charge General Dunwald vigorously stood the Brunt of after which he retreated upon the first Line when in a Moment after a Body of Janizaries posted themselves upon a rising Ground with some Pieces of Cannon laden with Chain-shot which fired upon the Left of the Imperialists to endeavour to put them into Disorder This and the advancing of the 10000 Spahi's made the Duke of Bavaria to order the Front of the Left Wing to be enlarged according as he perceived that of the Enemy to do which yet could not hinder Time enough the Regiments of Savoy and Commercy to be attacked both in Front and Flank with extraordinary Fury who stood as firmly to it till the Elector hasted thither to assist them where he received a slight Wound by a Bullet in his Hand But while Things passed thus on the Left the Duke of Lorain had formed
of what Condition soever they be who shall refuse to assist Us and in Obedience to the Laws to execute vigorously what we required of them and suffer themselves at this juncture to be cajoled or terrified out of their Duty we will esteem them the most Criminal and Infamous Men Betrayers of their Religion the Laws and their Native Country and shall not fail to treat them accordingly resolving to expect and require at their Hands the Life of every single Protestant that shall perish and every House that shall be burnt and destroyed by Treachery and Cowardize Given under Our Hand and Seal at Our Head-Quarters at Sherburn Castle the 28th of Novemb. 1688. WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange By His Highness's Special Command C. HUYGENS. This was the boldest Attempt that ever was made by a private Person for it 's certain the Prince knew nothing of it disowned it as soon as he heard thereof but it did him good Service and I have been told that Captain B. boldly carry'd it to my Lord Mayor and charged him with the Execution of it But before this the Marquess of Hallifax my Lord Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin had been sent by the King and Council to treat with the Prince of Orange and to adjust the Preliminaries in order to the holding of a Parliament who Decemb. 8. sent these Proposals to him Proposals sent by the King to the Prince of Orange then at Windsor SIR THE King commanded us to acquaint you That he observeth all the Differences and Causes of Complaint alledged by your Highness seem to be referred to a Free Parliament His Majesty as he hath already declared was resolved before this to call one but thought that in the present state of Affairs it was advisable to defer it till Things were more composed Yet seeing that his People still continue to desire it He hath put forth His Proclamation in order to it and hath issued his Writs for the Calling of it And to prevent any Cause of Interruption in it he will consent to every thing that can be reasonably required for the Security of all those that come to it His Majesty hath therefore sent us to attend your Highness for the adjusting of all Matters that shall be agreed to be necessary to the Freedom of Elections and the Security of Sitting and is ready to enter immediately into a Treaty in order to it His Majesty proposeth That in the mean time the respective Armies may be returned within such Limits and at such distance from London as may prevent the Apprehensions that the Parliament may be in any kind disturbed being desirous that the Meeting may be no longer delayed than it must be by the usual and necessary Forms Hungerford December 8. 1688. Hallifax Nottingham Godolphin To this His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange returned this Answer VVE with the Advice of the Lords and Gentlemen Assembled with Vs have in Answer made these following Proposals I. That all Papists and such Persons as are not qualified by Law be disarmed disbanded and removed from all Employments Civil and Military II. That all Proclamations that reflect upon Vs or at any that have come to Vs be recalled And that if any Persons for having assisted Vs have been Committed that they be forthwith set at Liberty III. That for the Security and Safety of the City of London the Custody and Government of the Tower be immediately put into the Hands of the said City IV. That if His Majesty should think fit to be in London during the Sitting of the Parliament that We may be there also with an equal number of our Guards And if His Majesty shall be pleased to be in any Place from London whatever Distance He thinks fit that We may be at the same Distance and that the respective Armies be from London Forty Miles and that no further Forces be brought into the Kingdom V. And that for the Security of the City of London and their Trade Tilbury-Fort be put into the hands of the City VI. That a sufficient part of the Publick Revenue be assigned Vs for the Support and Maintenance of our Troops until the siting of a Free Parliament VII That to prevent the Landing of the French or other Foâ—eign Troops Portsmouth may be put into such Hands as by His Majesty and Vs shall be agreed on The King was so far from being pleased with this Answer that he resolved to withdraw from London as he did privately aboard a little Smack but he and his Company were seized by the Inhabitants of Fevershâ—m and somewhat roughly handled before they came to be known whence the King came to Rochester but before this he gave the E. of Feversham Directions by Letter to disband the Army Which Letter was to this effect My Lord THings being come to that Extremity that I have been forced to send away the Queen and my Son the Prince of Wales that they might not fall into the Enemy's Hands which they must have done if they had staid I am obliged to do the same thing in hopes it will please God out of his Infinite Mercy to this unhappy Nation to touch their Hearts again with true Loyalty and Honour If I could have relied on all my Troops I might not have been put to the Extremity I now am in and would at least have had one Blow for it But though I know there are many valiant and brave Men among you both Officers and Soldiers yet you know that both you and several of the General Officers and Soldiers and Men of the Army told me It was no ways advisable for me to venture my self at their Head or to think to fight the Prince of Orange with them And now there remains only for me to thank you and all those both Officers and Soldiers who have stuck to me and been truly Loyal I hope you will still retain the same Fidelity to me And though I do not expect you should expose your selves by resisting a Foreign Army and a poisoned Nation yet I hope your former Principles are so inrooted in you that you will keep your selves free from Associations and such pernicious things Time presseth so that I can add no more JAMES Rex The Earl of Feversham presently after the Receipt of this Letter disbanded 4000 Men which was all the Army he had then with him and under his Command After which he sent this Letter to the Prince of Orange SIR HAving received this Morning a Letter from His Majesty with the Vnfortunate News of his Resolution to go out of England I thought my self obliged being at the Head of his Army and having received his Orders to make no Opposition against any Body to let Your Highness know it with the Advice of the Officers here so soon as was possible to hinder the Effusion of Blood I have ordered already to that purpose all the Troops that are under my Command which shall be the last
forth a Declaration of War against the French King which was to this purpose Their Majesties Declaration against the French King WILLIAM R. IT having pleased God to make Us the happy Instrument of Rescuing these Nations from great and imminent Dangers and to place Us upon the Throne of these Kingdoms we think our selves obliged to endeavour to the uttermost to promote the Welfare of our People which can never be effectually secured but by preventing the Miseries that threaten them from abroad When we consider the many unjust Methods the French King hath of late years taken to gratifie his Ambition that he has not only invaded the Territories of the Emperor and of the Empire now in Amity with us laying waste whole Countries and destroying the Inhabitants by his Armies but declared War against our Allies without any Provocation in manifest Violation of the Treaties confirmed by the Guaranty of the Crown of England we can do no less than joyn with our Allies in opposing the Designs of the French King as the Disturber of the Peace and the common Enemy of the Christian World And besides the Obligations we lie under by Treaties with our Allies which are a sufficient Justification of Us for taking up Arms at this time since they have called upon us so to do the many Injuries done to Us aud to our Subjects without any Reparation by the French King are such that however of late years they were not taken notice of for Reasons well known to the World nevertheless we will not pass them over without a publick and just Resentment of such Outrages It is not long since the French took Licences from the English Governour of Newfound-Land to Fish in the Seas upon that Coast and paid a Tribute for such Licences as an Acknowledgment of the sole Right of the Crown of England to that Island and yet of late the Encroachments of the French upon our said Island and our Subjects Trade and Fishery have been more like the Invasions of an Enemy than becoming Friends who enjoy'd the Advantages of that Trade only by Permission But that the French King should invade our Charibbee Islands and possess himself of our Territories of the Province of New-York and of Hudson's Bay in a hostile manner seizing our Forts burning our Subjects Houses and enriching his People with the spoil of their Goods and Merchandizes detaining some of our Subjects under the Hardship of Imprisonment causing others to be inhumanely kill'd and driving the rest to Sea in a small Vessel without Food or Necessaries to support them are Actions not becoming even an Enemy and yet he was so far from declaring himself so that at that very time he was negotiating here in England by his Ministers a Treaty of Neutrality and good Correspondence in America The Proceedings of the French King against our Subjects in Europe are so notorious that we shall not need to enlarge upon them his countenancing the Seizure of English Ships by French Privateers forbidding the Importation of a great part of the Product and Manufactures of our Kingdom and imposing exorbitant Customs upon the rest notwithstanding the vast Advantage he and the French Nation reap by their Commerce with England are sufficient Evidences of his Designs to destroy the Trade and consequently to ruin the Navigation upon which the Wealth and Safety of this Nation very much depends The Right of the Flag inherent in the Crown of England has been disputed by his Orders in Violation of our Sovereignty of the Narrow Seas which in all Ages has been asserted by our Predecessors and we are resolv'd to maintain for the Honour of our Crown and of the English Nation But that which must nearly touch us is his unchristian Prosecution of many of our English Protestant Subjects in France for Matters of Religion contrary to the Law of Nations and express Treaties forcing them to abjure their Religion by strange and unusual Cruelties and imprisoning some of the Masters and Seamen of our Merchants Ships and condemning others to the Gallies upon pretence of having on Board either some of his own miserable Protestant Subjects or their Effects And lastly As he has for some years last past endeavoured by Insinuations and Promises of Assistance to overthrow the Government of England so now by open and violent Methods and the actual Invâ—sion of Our Kingdom of Ireland in support of our Subjects in Arms and in Rebellion against Us he is promoting the utter Extirpation of our good and loyal Subjects in that our Kingdom Being therefore thus necessitated to take up Arms and relying on the help of Almighty God in our just Undertaking We have thought fit to Declare and do hereby Declare War against the French King and that We will in Conjunction with our Allies vigorously prosecute the same by Sea and Land since he hath so unrighteously begun it being assured of the hearty Concurrence and Assistance of our Subjects in support of so good a Cause hereby willing and requiring our General of our Forces our Commissioners for executing the Office of High Admiral our Lieutenants of our several Counties Governours of our Forts and Garisons and all other Officers and Soldiers under them by Sea and Land to do and execute all acts of Hostility in the Prosecution of this War against the French King his Vassals and Subjects and to oppose their Attempts Willing and Requiring all our Subjects to take notice of the same whom we henceforth strictly forbid to hold any Correspondence or Communication with the said French King or his Subjects And because there are remaining in our Kingdoms many of the Subjects of the French King We do Declare and give our Royal Word That all such of the French Nation as shall demean themselves dutifully towards us and not correspond with our Enemies shall be safe in their Persons and Estates and free from all molestation and trouble of any kind Given at our Court at Hampton-Court the 7th day of May. 1689 in the first Year of our Reign God save King William and Queen Mary I shall not meddle with the Declaration nor pretend to defend the Justice of it for I think it carries its own light with it but return to the late King who upon his Arrival in Ireland found himself not mistaken as to the Number of his Party which was indeed very strong and almost all the Country at his Devotion the greatest part of the Protestants having before upon their disappointment of Arms Ammunition Commissions and some Forces from England either deserted it or those that staid behind very unable to make any Resistance However they made some shew of forming an Army but were quickly routed by Lieutenant General Hamilton at a place called Drummore Mar. 15th which gave occasion to the late King and Tirconnel to take away the Arms and Horses of the rest of the Protestants except those that fled to Londonderry and some few that went towards Iniskilling who about
March 25th had Arms and Ammunition brought them by Captain James Hamilton and who demeaned themselves with the greatest Bravery that ever Men did under their forlorn Circumstances It would be too tedious to enter upon the Particulars of the Siege of Derry and how much they baffled the Irish Army almost in all their Encounters with them I shall only observe that Major Baker whom they chose Governour after Colonel Lundy had play'd the Rogue and was turn'd out and Mr. Walker the Minister who was entrusted with the Stores behaved themselves beyond expectation and so did Colonel Mecklenburg who succeeded Governour after Baker's Death and will with the rest of their brave Officers and Soldiers be for ever remembred by all true Englishmen with the greatest deference and respect as they themselves will have occasion while they live with indignation to think of Lundy's baseness in preventing the Relief sent them of two Regiments under Colonel Richards and Colonel Gunningham who returned back out of the Lough of Derry without doing any thing and were both broke for their pains Yet for all this misfortune neither a formidable Enemy without nor a more terrible one that had crept within their Walls viz. Famine which daily swept away multitudes of the Garison could bring them to yield but they outbraved all till the long-delay'd Succors at last under the Command of Major-General Kirk arrived in the Lough But alas they were now in worse plight than before for like Tantalus they had the sight of the desired Fruit but could not reach to eat for whether through the crossness of the Winds as was given out or for some other base ends the Ships lay at least two Months in the Lough before the Dartmouth Frigat at last forced her way and got to the Town which was followed with the raising of the Siege which happened on July 31th This was no small mortification to the Irish who met with as bad Success in another Enterprise of theirs against the Iniskillingers For but the day before about 6000 of them being upon their March under the Command of Major-General Mackarty an experienced Officer among them the Iniskillingers advanced near 20 miles to meet them and at a place called Newton Butler fought and routed them took Mackarty Prisoner and kill'd and drowned nigh 3000 of them though themselves were not above 2000 in all and lost not above 20 Men with about 50 wounded While these things were doing in Ireland the King gave out Commissions in England for raising 18 Regiments of Foot and 5 of Horse for the Irish Service with that Success that the Levies were almost all compleat in 6 weeks and in July most of them were commanded for Chester in order to be shipped off for Ireland On Thursday August 8th being about 10000 Men Horse and Foot and Duke Schomberg for their General they were embarked at Highlake but by contrary Winds were detained there till the 12th when the Wind coming fair the Bonadventure Frigat Captain Hopson Commander and Commodore fired a Gun and put his Light in the Main Top-mast Shrouds as a Signal for sailing They were about 90 Vessels in all of all sorts and were under fail by 6 in the morning steering directly toward Carrigfergus and on the 13th in the Afternoon arrived in that Bay where the Army presently landed and after the General had sent out several Parties to discover the Posture of the Enemy and to scour the Country he marched the Army to Belfast and on Wednesday May 20th and the day following senâ— several Regiments towards Carrigfergus with some Cannon and Mortars which took up their Posts about the Town Upon this the Enemy beat a Parly and sent out their Propositions which the Duke rejected and so order'd the Town to be attack'd Whereupon the Trenches were drawn and the Mortars and Cannons play'd furiously upon the Town and the Half-moon that was to the right of the Castle which made the Besieged on Friday the 23d to desire another Parley but the General would not allow them to march out with the usual Ensigns of Honour and so they broke off and the Siege was carried on with great Vigour Next day Colonel Richards the Engineer being wounded in the Trenches the night before was carried to Belfast when one Mr. Spring making his Escape out of the Town acquainted the Duke that all the Soldiers lay continually on the Walls so that the Bombs only plagued the Protestants in the Town as also that Mackarty Moor and Owen Mackarty were the only 2 that hindred the Surrender of the Town and that they resolved if he stormed the Place to retire into the Castle and had to that end laid up Stores of Provision there but that they were straitned Sunday the 25th and the day following the Siege went on and the Guns had made considerable Breaches which the Irish after other shifts had â—ailed them thought to make good by driving a great number of Cattel on the top of them and which whilst we killed them there with our firing they covered with Earth Stone and other Rubbish so that at last after the refusal of another Parley which they desired of the Duke they hung out a white Flag and sent their Proposals that were finally agreed to and they were to march out with their Arms and some Baggage and to be conducted to the next Irish Garison which was Newry Colonel Wharton at the Parley lay before the Breach with his Regiment and was ready to enter when the Duke sent to command his Men to forbear firing which with some difficulty they agreed to The Articles were scarce agreed on when Mackarty-Moor was got into the Duke's Kitchin in the Camp which made the Duke smile and forbear inviting him to Dinner saying If he had staid like a Soldier with his Men he would have sent to him but if he would go and eat with Servants in a Kitchin let him be doing Sir William Russel a Captain in Colonel Coy's Regiment who was appointed to guard the Irish Garison to Newry had much ado to secure them from the Rage of the Country People whom before they had plundered and things went so far that the Duke himself was forced to ride with his Pistol in his hand among the Irish and Scots to hinder them to murder them But when that was over he march'd the same day which was the 28th to Belfast and 2 days after his own French Regiment of Horse consisting of 500 Men joined the Army which on Saturday the last of August was muster'd being as follows Horse my Lord Devenshire's Regiment my Lord Delamere's Colonel Coy's Duke Schomberg's and Colonel Levison's Dragoons Foot one Batallion of Blew Dutch Carelsoon's White Dâ—tch Colonel Beaumont Colonel Wharton Lord Drogheda Lord Lisburn Lord Meath Lord Râ—scommon Lord Lovelace Lord Kingston Duke of Norfolk Colonel Herbert Sir Edward Deering Sir Thomas Gower Colonel Earl La Millieneir Du Cambon and La Callimot The
into one and the French Man whose Name was de S. Sanvem with his Granadiers into the other But though Colonel Lloyd went away that Night with the loss of many of his Men in his Retreat yet the French Captain having carried in some Provision and finding 3 Barrels of Powder in the Fort stood bravely to it The Nights were then dark and he fearing the Enemy might make their approaches to the Fort undiscovered got a great many Fir-deals and dipping the Ends of them in Tar they made such a light when set on fire and hung over the Wall that he discovered the Enemy coming towards them with an Engine they call a Sow but having killed the Engineer and 2 or 3 more the rest retired and he burnt the Engine Day no sooner appeared but the Enemy were forced to quit a small Field-piece they had planted in the Street they were so plied with shot from the Fort by the English who presently after made a sally and killed divers of them But at last their Provision being spent and there being little or no Water in the Fort they surrendred it upon honourable Terms and at their marching over the Bridge Colonel Sarsfield stood with a Purse of Guinea's and profered every Man that would serve the late King Horse and Arms with 5 Guinea's advance yet they all made answer They would never fight for Papists exept one who the very next day after he had got Horse Arms and the Gold brought all off with him But how disadvantageous soever the loss of the fore-mentioned Places were like to prove to the English Army they felt yet a more sensible Blow within themselves by the Death of a great many brave Officers and Soldiers Among the former was Sir Edward Deering a gallant Gentleman and much lamented in the Army by all that knew him and a Person who as he contributed more than any Man in the County of Kent towards bringing about our happy Revolution so he left a good Fortune in England purely to serve the King in this Expedition as did 3 more of his Brothers whereof one of them John Deering died since at Trangâ—dee and was a very ingenious young Gentleman Here died also soon after him Colonel Henry Wharton Brother to the now Lord Wharton a brisk bold Man and had a Regiment which would have followed him any where and being withal a comely and handsome Person he was truly much bemoaned by all that knew him and so was Sir Thomas Gower a young Gentleman of pregnant Parts and C. Hungerford a hopeful young Gentleman and of a considerable Fortune who with a great many other brave Officers were swept away by Death in this unhappy Camp And for the common Soldiers there perished in and about Dundalk at least 1700. and there were about 1970 sick Men shipp'd off at Carlingford and Dundalk to be transported to Belfast but of them not above 1100 came ashoar the rest dying at Sea Nay the Mortality was so great that several Ships had all the Men in them dead and no body to look after them whilst they lay in Carrigfergus Bay and all this besides some thousands that died in the great Hospital at Belfast that Winter So that upon a modest Computation of the whole there was nigh one half of the Army that was transported over lost We will at present leave the surviving part in their Winter Quarters whither they marched the beginning of Nov. and see how the Campaigns have passed abroad of which we were unwilling to take any notice hitherto that they might not interfere with the more immediate Affairs of Britain whereof we have now given you the relation The Confederate Army this Year in Flanders was commanded by Prince Waldeck as that of France was by the Mareschal de Humieres between whom there passed very little of moment till about the middle of Aug. when the Prince decamping from Fountain Eveque passed the Sambre and fell into the Enemies Country and having taken up his Camp at Thit-Chateau the French encamped so near him that the Out-guards were not above half an hours march from one another The Mareschal on the 25th hearing that a great number of Dutch Horse were out a foraging attempted to surprize them to which end he made a motion with his whole Army which some days before had been reinforced with 6000 Men. The Prince had no sooner notice hereof but he fired some Pieces of Cannon to give his Foragers notice as had been agreed upon before However that did not prevent their being vigorously charged by the French who took some of them and their Van-guard advancing attack'd the Village of Forge where 800 Foot were posted to secure the Foragers being commanded by the English Colonel Hodges Lieutenant Colonel Goes and the Major of the Regiment of Hesse who for above two hours defended themselves gallantly but had been overpowered by multitude had not Râ—â— Major General of the Cavalry who was sent to bring back the Lieutenant Generals Webbenum Marleborough and d' Hubi come with their Horse timely to their succour With that reinforcement they made a retreating Fight against the main of the whole French Army that came pouring in upon them till they came to a rising Ground near Walcourt where they joined a Battalion of Lunemburgers which had been reinforced by another of Colonel Hales The French attack'd the Town with great resolution which lasted an hour and an half during which time Prince Waldeck ordered Lieutenant General Alva to march with 3 Regiments to their relief the same being also followed by the Guards of the Body and 2 English Regiments commanded by the Lord of Marleborough while Major General Slaugeburg advanced almost at the same time with some other Regiments of Foot to the other side of the Town all which Motions when the French perceived they retreated in great haste and some disorder leaving some Cannon and Ammunition with many Men slain behind them but they could not be pursued because of the hilliness of the Ground which without doubt hindred their coming to a general Battel and which in all probability would not have been to the Advantage of the French since the Dutch and other Forces were never more eager to have fought it out than at that time However they kept their Post all that night as a token of their Victory It was said the French had near 2000 killed and wounded in this Encounter though they would never acknowledge near so many among whom were reckoned a good many Officers The greatest loss on the Confederates side were some of the Foragers killed and more taken Prisoners in the first Action so that the number of the slain did not amount to above 300 but this was minced of which the chiefest were Lieutenant-Colonel Grimes of the English the Major of the Dragoons of Zell one Captain and some inferiour Officers And thus ended this Campaign in Flanders without any other memorable Action saving that the Spaniards demolished
new strength to them For on the contrary the Governor when he heard the noise of the Cannon was so surprized that he sent out to know the reason of which being well informed he could hardly believe it at first so strong was his Imagination that the Town would have held out much longer But finding it to be true and the Elector sending him word it was time to Capitulate he began to make some Overtures tho' they were so unreasonable that his Highness would not accept of them but finding Gen. Sconing now returned to the Camp he resolved to undertake the Siege vigorously and not to quit the Place till he had reduced it which now was rendred so much the more easie by a Reinforcement of 4000 Foot and 1000 Horse sent him from Mentz the Duke of Lorrain arriving also in the Camp on the 25th of Sept. Wherefore the Approaches and Batteries were hastned with all Diligence and the Trenches at length carried on to the very Foot of the Counterscarp and the Breaches being made all things were prepared ready for a general Assault And they had fallen on the 5th or 6th of Oct. had it not been for the Rains which fell two Days together Therefore Sunday the 9th was appointed for the Work To this end the Imperialists were to storm the Horn-Work while the Hollanders Brandenburgers and Munsterians attack'd the Counterscarp of the Half-Moon and Covert-Way In pursuance hereof they all fell on being resolved to vanquish or die in the Attempt and the Brandenburgers first lodged themselves upon the Counterscarp and drave the Enemy so far that had the Breach been wide enough for 4 Men abreast they had entred the City Pell-mell with the French and taken it by main force They were harder put to it on the Imperialists side but after they had been once repulsed they lodged themselves at last-upon the Horn-work tho' this Attack was not made without considerable loss However the Baron de Hasfield seeing the Out works carried with so much Bravery and fearing the Town would be taken by Storm made it his chief Business to capitulate In pursuance whereof Hostages were exchanged and after divers Disputes and Contests the Articles were agreed on and ratified the 12th of Oct. at 6 in the Afternoon whereby all the great Guns Ammunition and Provision were to remain in his Electoral Highness's disposal the Hessian Intendant Commissary of War Treasurer Commissioner and Receiver of the Contributions to continue Prisoners of War and all things that were to be found in Specie belonging to Mainard Count de Schomberg to be restored for you must know they had basely seized upon that gallant Man's Baggage some time before for the sake of the Plate and the Jewels of both which there were a considerable quantity with several other Particulars too long here to be inserted and with which we shall conclude the Campaign on the German side and see what has been doing all this while in Hungary between the Imperialists and Ottomans since the Affairs of Catalonia can give us no Interruption there being nothing memorable that passed this Season between the Armies of France and Spain on that side The Duke of Lorrain who had been all along the Emperor's General in Hungary while well being recalled to serve this Campaign in the same Quality on the Rhine of whose Actions we have already given you the Particulars his Imperial Majesty could think of no Person so fit to succeed him as Prince Lewis of Baden a worthy Choice indeed and who performed even in this first Campaign all and more than was or well could be expected from him About the 10th of June he arrived at Belgrade where he found only 13000 Germans but they were followed by a greater Number and from thence he sent Orders to Picolomini to come and join him with that Body of the Army that was under his Command designing to dispute the Passage of the Morave with the Turks or to give them Battel if they had pass'd that River already But finding the Turks were not over-hasty to meet him and understanding they were so far from any such thing that they had repass'd the Morave and were retired towards Nissa where all their Magazines lay and where they had strongly entrench'd their Camp the Prince himself pass'd that River over Bridges of Boats with his whole Army whom he ordered to take Provisions along with them for 3 Weeks and marched directly towards Nissa with a Resolution to give the Enemy Battel as being informed their Army was not above 50000 strong and that of them there was not above 10000 well disciplined Men. But two pieces of News that he received by the way caused him to suspend his March which were first That there had fallen such excessive Rains for some time that had made the Ways so bad as it would be impossible for him to march with his Army and Artillery without endangering the ruining of both And the other was That the Turks had made themselves Masters of Zwornich no strong Place in it self but was a Post that opened a Way into Sclavonia into which Country the Turks design'd to fall as the Commander in the aforesaid Place who defended it gallantly and at last surrendred it upon honourable Conditions informed the Prince who thereupon sent away to the Count de Cauriani to march forthwith towards the Save with all the Force he could draw together and hinder the Enemy from passing the River The Prince in the mean time returned with the Army to the Fort they had built near Passarowitz in order to secure the Bridges they had laid over the Morave And Aug. 27th the Foot arrived near the Bridge at Grabovez and the Horse got thither the next day And tho' the Turks were no sooner informed of these Motions and being incouraged no doubt by the Retreat of the Christians but they sent the same Day a Detachment of Horse to fall upon the Foragers they were valiantly repulsed At the same time another considerable Detachment of Cavalry was sent towards Semendria where the Imperial Magazines lay with a Design to cut off the Prince's March and hem in his Army on all sides This being discovered by the Deserters a Resolution was taken to fall first upon the first Detachment and then to turn upon the other Part of the Enemy which they had left behind and which was not above an hour and 〈◊〉 March from the Christians To this effect the Bridge being finished 500 Men under the command of two Colonels passed the River and posted themselves on the other side of the River the same Evening being followed by 500 more and in less than 3 hours had sufficiently intrench'd themselves Next Morning the Dragoons of Stirum and Serau planted themselves upon an Hill very near the Bridge and 500 Horse possess'd the 〈◊〉 between the Army and the Bridge to secure their March In the mean time the Infantry commanded by Baron Heister and the Count
occasions however as I presume it to be pardonable for once I shall observe before I proceed any further That tho' his Imperial Majesty was without doubt much pleas'd already with his Affairs on this side yet those towards France seemed mostly at this time to take up the Thoughts of this Court which was now at Ausburg whither the Electors and other Princes of the Empire were to come The outward Appearance of things was such as if there were nothing but the Coronation of the Empress aud the Election of a King of the Romans in view But the particular Design was undoubtedly to concert Measures and agree upon what Enterprizes were to be undertaken the following Spring and to find a way to defray the extraordinary Charges of such a necessary and important War as that wherein they were engaged against France wherein how well or ill they succeeded will best appear by the sequel of this History But however France might be affected with these Proceedings and Designs of which she could not be ignorant she had some sort of satisfaction about this time to get rid of one turbulent tho' inconsiderable Enemy in respect to others and that was the Algerine who now made a Peace with her upon these Terms That all Prizes that were taken on both sides till the 24th of September which was the day of the Ratification of the Treaty should be good but that all that were taken on either side since the Ratification should be restored The Algerines engaged themselves to come into the Ocean with forty Sail to Pyrate upon the English and Dutch and were to be admitted into all the Ports of France and especially Brest and should be further furnished with all things necessary for their Money but what Vessels they took upon the Ocean were to belong to the French King tho' the Lading was to be theirs And finally whereas his most Christian Majesty was unwilling they should make any Slaves they engaged to let him have the Prisoners delivered to him at so much a Head But to return from whence I have lately diâ—gressed to the Emperor's Arms in Servia The Prince of Baden understanding the Turks after the fore-mentioned Defeat were so far from having any further thoughts or indeed from being in a condition to enter Sclavonia as before they had intended that they had quitted the Enterprize of Seback and not only so but forsaken Zwornich after having first plundered and burnt it because they did not conceive it tenable and were retired towards Nissa and being willing to improve the present Consternation of the Enemy and take the opportunity of the fair Weather resolved with the Imperial Army consisting of about 16 or 17000 Men to advance towards Nissa where he happily arrived after several long Marches on the 23d of Sept. and ranged them in order of Battel that very day The Turkish Army day encamped before the place from Nissa to the top of the Hill that secured it he found them intrenched in their Camp much more regularly than the Turks were wont to do which made it to be believed that some Christian had been their Director Besides this they were invironed with a deep Moat well pallisado'd and the River that ran through the City and which was very rapid secured then on the other side so that there was no possibility of attacking them any way but behind where their Camp was only accessible Nothing passed that day save some petty Skirmishes between the Volunteers of the Imperial Camp and some Troops of the Infidels but the next day the Imperialists decamped an hour before day the left Wing followed by the Baggage took their way to the left side of a Mountain over which they were to march and where they made an Halt until the right Wing commanded by the Duke of Croy had joined them then the whole Army descended into a Valley in Battel-array at what time the Enemy showed themselves upon another little Hill over which the Christians were also to pass before they came in sight of the Infidel's Camp making a shew as if they intended to come down and to charge the Imperialists who no sooner perceived them than that they boldly advanced to meet them But the Turks not thinking it convenient to tarry the Christians advanced to the top of the Hill without any opposition where they found themselves near the Enemy's Intrenchments and perceived it was impossible to force them on that side with an Army not half so numerous as the Enemy Whereupon it was concluded they should seek out a more accessible place and to that purpose they marched along a Valley coasting the Enemy that lay on the right side with a design to fall upon them in the Rear But because they were not well acquainted with the Ways Count Cziaki was sent out with a Party of Hussars to view the Avenues on that side In the mean time several slight Skirmishes passed betvveen Parties of both Armies which however did not hinder the Imperialists from keeping on their Way expecting Count Cziaki who returned at length and assured them they might march on without any danger the which was also confirmed by a Prisoner taken at the same time who added withal that behind the Hills which the Army had in view before it there were two Villages upon the left and to the right a spacious Plain large enough to embattle the Army and where they might attack the Enemy's Rear When the Turks perceived the Christians Designs they began to intrench that part of the Camp which they had neglected before not dreaming of being attack'd that way The Flower of the Janizaries were ordered to guard the Hills which they saw the right Wing of the Christians going to possess themselves of and sent out 4000 Horse to charge the Rear of the left Wing commanded by Picolomini who sending out a Detachment of 3 Squadrons of Noirkermer's Regiment they charged the Enemy so briskly that they were repulsed and pursued above 300 Paces In the mean time the right Wing was engaged with the Janizaries who made a stout resistance and cost the life of the brave Major-General Vellon but the Christians rather animated than born down with the resistance they met with redoubled their Fury and after they had beaten off the Janizaries gained the Hill whither they brought their Cannon and played briskly upon the Enemy who were retired into a bottom from whence they also fired continually upon the Christians And now the Spahi's who had been beaten by a Detachment of the left Wing returned again to the Charge endeavouring still all they could to flank the Christians and fell on with much greater Fury than before as if the Ignominy of their flight had given life anew to their Courage This on-set was firmly sustained by Palâ—i's Regiment of Heydukes who being seconded by others put the whole Ottoman Cavalry into disorder and drove them even upon the Janizaries who seeing the Cowardize of the Spahi's fired
upon them which being done also by the Turks posted on the other side of the River this manner of Treatment forced the Fugitives to renew the Charge But alas that served only to augment the Confusion that was already very great in the Ottoman Army For the Christians taking advantage of the disorders flew upon the Enemy from all parts who then betook themselves to their Heels not knowing whither to fly So that only Night protected them from the fury of the Victors But several of them in seeking to save their Lives in the Dark not being able because of that to find the way to the Bridge adventured in hopes to pass the River to escape by swimming but the stream was so rapid that most of them were drowned insomuch that of all the Turkish Cavalry there were but very few that escaped In their Camp the Imperialists found great store of Utensils for Pioneers 30 Pieces of Cannon of an extraordinary bigness of which some were four square a great Number of Carcasses Glass Granadoes Bisquet Barley Rice Meal Oats Tobacco Camels and other things but of all the Plunder the Prince of Baden reserved only for himself the Serasquier's Tent which was very magnificent and which had been sent him by the Grand-visier in regard he had lost his own in the former Battel After the Army had pillaged the Camp they entred Nissa without opposition where they found Provisions enough for the Subsistence of the whole Army for 5 or 6 Weeks and took above 3000 Horses and Mules and what still made this Victory the more considerable was the smallness of the Imperialists loss there being not above 300 killed and not many more wounded whereas the Turks were computed to have been worse for this Battle by 8000 Men. The Prince still to pursue this great advantage dispatcht away the very next day 3000 Horse under the Command of Picolomini to look after the fugitive Turks with orders to advance as far as Sophia and view the Country who returned the 13th of Sept. without having been able to meet with any of the Enemy but reported the Countrey was very good having suffered but little by the War that he had put Garrisons into Pio and Mussa Pafora which the Turks had quitted upon his Approach and that he understood by some Prisoners he had taken that the Infidels were retired to Sophia where they endeavoured to rally their broken Troops This Intelligence moved the Prince to fortifie Nissa and so much the rather because the Country People who came in great Numbers to implore his Protection assured him that the Country was good and â—ertile and if preserved sufficient to furnish an Army with all necessary Provisions and when he had done he made Count Pic lomini Commander of the Place and the adjacent Country depending on it and soon after Couâ—t Tekeley who had some time before possessed himself of Orsâ—wa thought convenient to quit it but he first set the Town on fire and then retired to Silistria Mean while the Prince of Baden not willing to conclude this glorious Campaign with this last Action set forward Oct. 6th with his Army for Widin another important Place with a good Castle upon the Danube and upon the 11th arrived at Breslau where he staid one Day in expectation of the Baggage and from thence sent a Detachment of Germans and Hungarians to view the Country and to get some intelligence of the Enemy These returned next Day with some Prisoners and reported that the two Bassa's were retired near Widin with their Forces and that Tekeley had taken the Road to Sophia Hereupon the Prince re-sumed his March and on the 14th by 10 in the Morning got to the Plains of Widin when the Enemy who knew nothing of the Army's March were strangely surprized to see the Imperial Foragers foraging very near their Camp and their Consternation was so great that before they could recover themselves the Prince his right Wing had passed the great stone Bridges that were built upon the Moras and was drawn up in Battle-array expecting the coming up of the left Wing which passed immediately after Neither did the Enemy endeavour to hinder them which gave the right Wing an opportunity to take up their Posts very near the City and to secure themselves with the Danube The Turks seemed at first very couragious but they were charged with so much bravery by the right Wing where the Prince of Baden was in Person that they were driven to an Intrenchment they had made about the Town upon whom however the Imperial Cavalry advanced receiving the Fire of the Janizaries which killed some Horse-men and made the rest recoil Yet they presently rallied again behind a rising Ground and advanced within 40 Paces of the Enemy's Moats where they stood their Ground till the rest of the right Wing had planted themselves near a Church-yard that was there In the mean time General Veterani who commanded the left Wing ordered 200 Dragoons to alight and attack the Enemâ—'s Intrenchments which they did so well that they entred in a short time the City pell-mell and were soon seconded by the Cavalry and the rest of the Forces killing in the whole of this Action near 2000 Turks with the loss of 400 of their own Men. Those of the Turks that could not save themselves on the Barks that lay upon the Danube or with that part of the Cavalry that fled to Sophia retired to the Castle of Widin where they resolved to hold out a formal Siege which made the Prince send to Semendria for his great Cannon In the mean time he ordered his Men to begin to open the Trenches that all might be ready upon their Arrival for widening a Breach and storming the Place But the besieged upon better Thoughts would not stay for the Cannon and therefore upon the 18th of Oct. they capitulated to march out of the Place with Arms and Baggage and were conducted by Water to Nicopolis with which the Prince of Baden concluded this long and most glorious Campaign distributing his Army into Winter-quarters in Transilvania and Vallachia sore against the Will of the Hospodar who could not help it and then he returned to Vienna But while these things were transacted in the Field the Ottoman Embassadors at Vienna for some part of the time pressed very much the Negotiations of Peace wherein they found the Emperour but little disposed Yet having at length received some dispatches from the Grand-Seignior they themselves grew much more remiss in their instances The reason whereof the Emperour and his Allies could not well penetrate into And therefore to sound them the more it was thought fit the Pretensions of the Allies should have been imparted to them to see whether they had any orders to conclude upon those Conditions which Proposals were 1. That the Kingdom of Hungarry should be restored with all its Dependances and the Principality of Bosnia in such a manner that the
so indeed it proved For our Forces now lying so near them and two Detachments being kept there against their Wills made every thing so very scarce that they were reduced to great straits And no hopes of relief appearing the Governour upon the 12th of May having leave from the Officer commanding without and a Guard for them sent a Lieutenant Collonel and a Captain with Terms of Surrender to the Duke which with some Alterations were agreed to For the Duke had an Account that the Place was very strong and therefore he chose rather to give them Terms than to spend much time about it since there were greater matters in agitation The Articles were no sooner signed and a Truce published but the General sent Robert Alloway Esq Commissary of the Train to take an account of the Stores in the Garrison which marched out at the time appointed and then drew up before the Gate 4 Companies of Collonel Babington's marched in and most of the English Regiments thereabouts were drawn up as the Irish march'd along towards Armagh and being all well clothed and armed it made the Irish a little out of Countenance to see it who were otherwise which made the Collonel of the Brandenburg Regiment seem very much concerned that he should go to Fight against such Scoundrels as the Irish seemed to be The General himself went that Morning from Legacory to see the Castle of Charlemont and after the Irish had march'd about half a Mile from it they drew up in 2 Battalions about 400 Men in each and there stood till the General came to see them Old Teague was mounted upon an old ston'd Horse and he very lame with the Scratches Spavin Ring-bones and other Infirmities but withal so vitious that he would fall a kicking and squeeling if any Body came near him Teague himself had a great Bunch upon his Back a plain red Coat an old weather-beaten Wig hanging down at full length a little narrow white Beaver cocked up a yellow Cravat-string but all of one side his Boots with 1000 Wrinles in them and though it was a very hot Day yet he had a great Muff hanging before him and to Crown all was almost tipsie with Brandy Thus mounted and equipp'd he drew near the Duke with a Complement but his Horse would not allow him to make it a long one for he fell to work preâ—ently and the Duke had scarce time to make him a â—civil return but smiled afterwards and said Teague's Horse was very mad and himself very drunk The General then view'd the Irish Battalions who all both Officers and Soldiers after they had made him a great many Legs stared upon him as if they knew not whether he was a Man or some other strange Creature For the Irish were generally wont to ask one another What is that sham-bear that all this talk is of The Duke seeing so many Women and Children among them ask'd the reason of keeping such a Number in the Garrison which no doubt destroy'd their Provisions He was answered that the Irish were naturally very hospitable and that they all fared alike But the greatest reason was the Soldiers would not stay in the Garrison without their Wives and Mistresses The Duke reply'd there was more Love than Policy in it and in a little while return'd to the Castle Where my Author says himself saw in Teague's own Room several Papers and among the rest a Copy of a Letter writ formerly by some Persons about King James giving an Account of the State of the Garrison and withall a very true relation of the English proceedings in several things which was an Argument they did not want intelligence Among others there were two Priests in the Garrison and there happened a very pleasant Adventure between one of them and a Dragoon of Collonel Heaford's Regiment as they were guarding the Irish towards Armagh For falling into Discourse about Religion at last they fixed upon a Topick and what should it be but Transubstantiation The Dragoon being a pleasant witty Fellow drolled upon the Priest and put him so to it that he had little to say for himself upon which he grew so angry that he struck the Dragoon who being not used tamely to submit to Blows it came to a Combat and he thrash'd his Fatherhood very severely Upon this complaint being made to Teague as he sat at Dinner with the English Officers at Armagh all that he said was That he was very glad on 't What the Deel had he to do to dispute Religion with a Dragoon Thus matters stood in Ireland when the King went over who landed as you have been told before at Carrigfergus on the 14th of June being attended by Prince George the Duke of Ormond Earâ—s of Oxford Scarborough and Manchester the honourable Mr. Boyl and many other Persons of Quality and went in Duke Schomberg's Coach to Belfast that Evening and next Day being Sunday Dr. Royce preached before him on Heb. 6. 11. Through Faith they subdued Kingdoms and some days after he went to Lisburn and dined with the General The King from thence passed to Hilsburough where he set out an Order on the 20th forbidding the pressing of Horses from the Country People But finding things did not go on so fast as he desired he exprest some dissatisfaction saying He did not come there to let Grass grow under his Feet and he made his words good For the whole Army now received Orders to march into the Field and encamped at a Place called Loughbritland where the King arrived on the 22d having given Orders before his coming for removing the Camp from the S. side to the N. W. of the Town that he might take a view of the Regiments as they march'd and though the Weather was very dry and windy and the Dust exceeding troublesome Yet the King was no sooner come up but he was within the Throng of them and afterwards view'd every Regiment very Critically which pleased the Soldiers mightily and every one was ready to give all possible Demonstration of their Courage and Duty From hence they march'd to Newry and on the 27th to Dundalk where the whole Army English Dutch Danes Germans and French joyned making in all 36000 Men as well provided in all respects for the Number of Men as any Kingdom of the World ever had one and from whence they marched to Ardee which the Enemy had abandoned The King being ever upon Action and observing the Country as he rid along said It was worth fighting for and on the last Day of June understanding that all the Irish Army were passed over the Boyne the Night before he ordered the whole Army to move in 3 lines toward that River which was about 3 Miles distant from them The Enemy being near our advanced Guards of Horse commanded by Sir John Lanier made their approaches very regularly and by 9 they had got within 2 Miles of Drogheda The King was in the Front of them who observing
there was an Hill to the E. of the Enemy's Camp and N. from the Town he went thither to view their Camp which he found to be all along the River in two lines and where he had a long Discourse with the Prince Duke Scomberg Duke of Ormond Count Solms Major General Scravenmoor my Lord Sidney and other great Officers who were all curious in making their observations upon the Enemy and Scravenmoor said they were Vne pettite Armee for they could not reckon above 46 Regiments that lay incamped but the King answered that they might have a great many Men in the Town that there was also an Hill to the S. W. beyond which part of their Army might lie incamped and that possibly they did not shew all their Numbers however he said he was resolved to see very soon what they were From hence the King rid on to the Pass at the old Bridge and stood upon the side of the Bank within Musket-shot of the Ford there to make his further observations on the Enemy's Posture and Camp and in some time after rid about 200 Paces up the River nigh the West of all the Enemy's Camp Whilst his Army was marching in he alighted and sat him down upon a rising Ground where he refreshed himself for about an hour during which time some of the Irish with long Guns came down and shot at our Dragoons who went down to the River to drink and some of our went down to return the Complement to the former And 't was farther observed that a Party of about 40 Horse advancing very slowly stood upon a plowed Field over-against the King for near half an Hour and brought 2 Field-pieces with them which they dropt by an Hedge on the said Ground as was afterwards known though our Men did not then discover them and one of which when the King was mounted they fired It killed 2 Horses and a Man about a 100 Yards above where the King was which was no sooner done but immediately came a 2d which had almost been fatal to one of the greatest Lives upon Earth for the Ball having first grazed on the Bank of the River did in its first rising slant upon the King's Right-shoulder took out a Piece of his Coat and tore the Skin and Flesh and afterwards broke the Head of a Gentleman's Pistol My Lord Conningsby no sooner saw his Majesty struck but he rid up and clapt his Handkerchief upon the Place but the King himself took little notice and kept on his pace saying only There was no necessity the Bullet should have come nearer though the Enemy continued firing who when they saw their shot somewhat disturb our Horse they set up a most prodigious shout all over the Camp as if the King 's whole Army had been ruin'd and drew down several Squadrons of their Horse upon a Plain towards the River but in such a Place as they knew it was not possible for the English to come at them Yet when our Guns came up which was about 3 that Afternoon and begun to play they withdrew their Squadrons into their Camp The King about 9 at Night having called a Council of War declared he was resolved to pass the River next Day which Duke Scomberg at first opposed but finding the King positive he advised that part of the Army should be sent that Night about 12 towards Slane-bridge and to pass the River thereabouts and so get between the Enemy and the Pass at Duleek but this Advice was not taken Then they fell into a Debate about getting good and trusty Guides when my Lord George Hamilton who was by immediately brought 4 or 5 of his Irish Iniskilling Officers who knew the Fords very well and took upon them to guide the Army next day and here it was concluded how the Army should march and who should command at the different Posts which were ordered in this manner Lieutenant General Douglas was to command the right Wing of Foot and Count Sâ—homberg the Horse who were to march on early toward Slane-bridge and other Fords up the River to flank the Enemy or get between the Enemy's Camp and Drogheda whilst in the mean time a body of Foot forced their way at the Pass at Old-bridge But while this was doing on our side the Enemy were not idâ—e for they also called a Council of War wherein Lieutenant General Hambleton advised to send a Party of Dragoons to a Ford that was below the Town of Drogheda which the English either knew not of or else did not regard and all the rest being 8 Regiments with their whole left Line towards the Bridge of Slane but King James said he would send 50 Dragoons up the River which put Hamilton into a great Amazement considering the Importance of the Place to be defended Towards the close of the Evening the Cannon ceased on both sides and the King gave Orders that every Soldier should be provided with a good Stock of Ammunition and all to be ready at break of day to march at a minute's Warning with every Man a green Bough or Sprig in his Hat to distinguish him from the Enemy who wore pieces of Paper on their Hats The Word that Night being Westminster he rid in Person about 12 at Night with Torches quite through the Army At last Tuesday the 1st of July came which proved to be a very clear Day as if the Sun it self had a mind to see what the Event would be when about 6 in the Morning Lieutenant General Douglas march'd towards the Right with the Foot and Count Scomberg with the Horse which being observed by the Enemy they drew out their Horse and Foot towards the left to oppose us The Right Wing at first were ordered to pass all at Slane but upon better Information several Regiments were ordered to go over at other Fords between the Camp and that place When the Horse approach'd the River they found a Regiment of the Enemies Dragoons posted on the other side who fired upon them and then thought to have retreated to their main Body but before they could do that they were flanked in a Lane and about 70 of their Number slain which was almost all the Opposition they meâ— with in passing the River that way But when they advanced forwards they found the Enemy drawn up in 2 Lines Whereupon the English drew up in 2 Lines also being 24 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and but six Batallions of â—oot which being too few Douâ—las sent for more and in the mean time according to my Lord Portland's Advice the Horse and Foot were mix'd Squadron with Batallion for their greater Security However more Foot coming up this Figure was altered and all the Horse drawn to the Right by which they out-flanked the Enemy considerably They found the Ground very difficult to pass by reason of a great Bog and some Ditches that were in the way but the Horse moving to the Right and the Foot taking
Commalin Castle-Durmont and so beyond Carlow from whence he sent forward a Party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take Possession of Kill-kenny and so to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants of the adjacent Countries from being plundered by the Enemy for by this time some of them begun to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not Time nor Conveniency to carry of at first From Carlow the Army passed on to Kells thence to Loughland-bridge and so to Bennet's Bridge 3 Miles to the N. E. of Killkenny and upon the 19th of July His Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Killkenny which had the good Luck to have been preserved by Count Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellar well stored with what they had not time to drink at their going off Munday the 21st the Army encamped at Carruck from whence Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse were sent towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow When he came before the Place he sent to summon the Town by a Trumpet who at first refused to surrender there being 2 Regiments then in Garrison However their Refusal was in such civil Terms that their Inclinations were easily understood for soon after they sent out to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogâ—eda But not liking those they proposed some of their own which were rejected and the heavy Cannon drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march When the Irish understood this they agreed to march out with Arms and Baggage on the 25th and were conducted to Mallow The Fort Dunâ—annon a strong and regular Place and well fortified with Guns was also surrendred into his Majesty's Hands upon the same Terms with Waterford which last place was view'd by the King the day it was given up who took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods and here the Lord Dovâ—t was admitted into a more particular Protection from his Majesty as having formerly applied himself when the King was at Hillsborough by Major General Kirk's means to desire a Pass for himself and Family to Flanders July the 27th the King left the Camp at Carrick and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Speculations and some fears that the Affairs of this Kingdom were in no pleasing Posture He left the Command of the Army to Count Solms lay that Night at Carlow and upon some Advice from England exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on to Chappell Izard and spent there some time to hear divers Complaints and redress several Grievances He publish'd a second Declaration to confirm the former and ordered a weekly Fast But having a further Account from England that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented the loss at Sea not so considerable and that the French had only burnt one small Village in the West of England and so gone off again he resolved to retuâ—â— to the Army which he did on the 22d of Aug. at Golden-bridge and by the 27th â—eached Carrigallis where Lieutenant General Douglas joined him next day and on which in the Morning early my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stewart were sent towards Limerick with 700 Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon-shot of the Town with little Opposition from the Enemy and before whose return the King himself accompanied by the Prince my Lord Overkirk Lieutenant General 〈◊〉 and divers other great Officers with about 300 Horse went very near the Town and drove in a Party of the Enemy's Horse who made a shew of opposing them On the 9th the whole Army made its approach in excellent Order For no sooner had the Pioneers cut the Hedges that were in the way but the Men advanced which made the Enemy draw backwards till they came to a narrow Pass between a Bogs within half a Mile of the Town which was not above 150 Yards and this full of Hedges and other Incumbrances Herein however there were Lanes that led to the Town the middlemost being the broadest where stood the Irish Horse To the right and left of which the Hedges were lined all with â—â—â—squeteers of whom the English Foot were now got within less than 200 Yards The detacht Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Center The Horse a little to the right of them the Danes to the left And the blew Dutch with several English Regiments upon the right And all this in such Decorum that though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet the Front kept all in a Line except the advanced Party who went always some distance before Whilst these things were going on thus the King ordered 2 Field-pieces to be planted towards the left where they could bear upon the Enemy's Horse and fired from thence with so good Success that the Enemy soon quitted that Post And it is very remarkable our English Foot were so little concerned that tho' they knew the Enemy to be in the next Hedges yet whilst the Pioneers were at work they would sit down and ask one another whether they thought they should have any Bread that day for they began to want their Breakfasts tho' some few of them went into the other World for it while the Danes to the left stood with all the Care and Circumspection in the World and some of them observing the Posture of our Men and hearing what they said they thought they had no mind to fight But they were quickly convinced to the contrary for the Hedges were no sooner down and one Front advancing in a narrow Field and that the Irish fired a whole Volley upon them from the neighbouring Hedges but some of the English cried out aloud Ah you Toads are you there We will be with you presently and so they ran without any more ado along the Field directly towards the Hedges where the Irish were planted who thereupon quitted one Hedge after another So as that the Danes advancing on the left and the blew Dutch with the English on the right and the Horse coming on in the Center the Irish in less than half an hour after the Volley were driven under their very Walls and not a dozen Men lost on our side in all the Action which if the Irish had managed their business well would have cost us a great many more But as soon as they got under their Walls they plyed our Forces with their great Guns that killed several as they marched in which the whole Army did before 5 in the Afternoon and most of them incamp'd within Cannon-short Orders were given forthwith to draw 4 Field-pieces to Cromwell alias Iâ—eton's Fort to play upon the Town and Out-works The Danes according to their Post encamped to the left where
they found an old Fort built by their Ancestors which they were very proud of and from thence they fired 3 or 4 Field-pieces upon the Irish that lay intrenched between them and the Town As soon as the Army was posted the King ordered a Trumpet to be sent with a Summons to the Town where as was understood since a great many of the Garrison were for Capitulating But Monsieur Boisâ—leau the Governours the Duke of Berwick and Colonel Sarsfiâ—â—d opposed it with a great deal of heat saying There were great Divisions and Insurrections in England that the Dauphin was landed there with 50000 Men and that the Prince of Orange would quickly be obliged to withdraw his Forces thither Hereupon Monsieur Boiselau sent the Trumpeter back with a Letter directed to Sir Robert Southwelâ— Secretary of State for he would not as 't is supposed send directly to the King because of avoiding to give him the Title of Majesty importing That he was surprized at the Summons and that he thought the best way to gain the Prince of Orange ' s good Opinion was by a vigorous Defence of the Town which his Master had entrusted him withal And so the Cannon plaid on from both sides and next Morning early which was Aug. 13th the King sent 8 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and 3 Regiments of Foot over the River which they passed though it was very rapid and dangerous and some of them encamped beyond the Ford the rest was ordered thus The King's Camp was on the Right in the 2d Line next him the Horse-guards and blew Duâ—ch then some English and Duâ—ch Regiments then the French and Danes and behind all the Horse tho' after some time they encamped rather conveniently than regularly Neither were the Irish idle but they fell to build Forts between the Besiegers and the Irish Town one to the Sâ—â—gate and the other towards the 〈◊〉 which proved serviceable to them But not so much a disadvantage to us as the surprizing of the Train that was upon the Road to join the Army It was reported a French-man and one of the Gunners ran away the Day before from the Army and got into Limerick and gave the Enemy an account where the English Train lay as also of those Guns and other things that were coming up where the King's Tent stood and divers other things that might be material for them to know and therefore they plaid very briskly upon the Train as also towards the King's Tent which he was prevailed with at last to remove but this was not all For though on Munday one Manus O Brian a substantial Country Gentleman came to the Camp and gave notice that Sarsfield with a Body of Horse had passed the River in the Night and designed something extraordinary yet he was so far from being taken notice of at first that most People looked upon what he said as a Dream and though a great Officer called him aside as though he designed to have some more particular information yet his main business was to interrogate him concerning a Prey of Cattle in such a Place which the Gentleman complained of afterward saying He was sorry to see General Officers mind Cattle more than the King's Honour But after he had met with some acquaintance he was brought to the King who to prevent the worst gave orders that 500 Horse-should be made ready and march to meet the Guns But where-ever the fault lay it was certainly 1 or 2 in the Morning before the Party marched which they did very softly till after they saw a great light in the Air and heard a strange rumbling Noise which some conjectured to be the Train blown up as it really was For our Train having on Munday marched beyond Cullen to a little old ruinous Castle called Ballenedy not 7 Miles from the Camp Sarsfield lurked all that day in the Mountains and having notice where and how our Men lay he had those that guided him through By-ways to the very spot where he fell in among them before they were aware and cut several of them to pieces with a great many of the Waggoners and some Country People that were carrying Provisions to the Camp The Officer commanding in chief when he saw how it was commanded to sound to Horse but those that endeavoured to fetch them up were killed as they went out or else saw it was too late to return The Officers and others made what resistance they could but they were every Man at length obliged to shift for themselves so that there were in all about 60 Persons killed but it did not end here For the Irish got up what Horses they could meet withall belonging either to the Troops or Train some broke the Boats and others drew all the Carriages and Waggons with the Bread Ammunition and as many of the Guns as they could get in so short a time into one heap they filled the Guns with Powder and put their Mouths into the Ground that they might thereby certainly split What they could pick up in an hurry they took away with them and then laid a Train to the rest which being fired at their going off blew up all with an astonishing Noise but for all that 2 of the Guns received no damage The Irish took no Prisoners on this occasion only a Lieutenant of Colonel Earl's being sick in a House hard-by was stript and brought to Sarsfield who used him very civilly and told him if he had not succeeded in that Enterprize he would have gone for France The party of Horse that was sent from the Camp came up after the business was over in sight of the Enemy's Rear But wheeling towards the left to endeavour to intercept the Enemy's Passage over the Shannon they unhappily went another way The News of this Adventure was very unwelcome in the Camp and even the very private Men shewed their concern at it However the Siege went on and the Trenches were opened the 17th and a Battery raised below the Fort to the Right of the Trenches which dismounted some of the Enemy's Cannon and the day following his Majesty himself was in great danger For while the Enemy fired very thick he rid softly up towards Cromwell's Port and as his Horse was directly entring the Gap he was staid by a Gentleman who came to speak to him when in the veâ—â— moment there struck a 24 Pounder in the very Place which would have struck the King and his Horse too to pieces if his usual good Angel had not defended him It struck the Dust all about him however though he took little notice of it but alighting came and laid himself down on the Fort among all the Dust It will be an endless thing to trace every particular of the Attacks and Defences and therefore I shall only observe that on Wednesday the 27th of Aug. after a Breach had been made nigh St. John's Gate over the black Battery of about 12 Yards in length and
On the other side the Abbot Grimani in the Name of the Emperor and Empire promises 1. NOT to enter into any Treaty of Peace or Truce with France unless his Royal Highness be therein comprized 2. That the Emperor shall take such Order that the Governour of Milan shall employ all the Forces of that State for the Preservation of his Royal Highness's Territories and that the Spanish Fleet shall take care to secure the City and Country of Nice 3. That his Imperial Majesty shall forthwith send 6000 of his choicest Men to join his Highness's Forces which his Imperial Majesty engages to pay without their pretending to any Winter Quarters in Piedmont 4. That his Imperial Majesty shall endeavour to the utmost of his Power that the Vaudois the French Exiles and the 8000 Men which the Marquess of Rorgomainero Ambassadour of Spain has promised shall be sent into Piedmont shall altogether join the Troops of his Royal Highness the Emperor leaving to him the Care of Employing all those Forces jointly with the Governour of Milan as they shall find most convenient 5. That the Emperor and the Confederates shall endeavour the Restauration of Pignerol into the Hands of his Royal Highness either by Force of Arms or by a Treaty without laying any claim to Montferrat which his Imperial Majesty renounces notwithstanding the Ancient Treaties 6. Lastly His Imperial Majesty shall lay no claim to any thing that may happen to be won from France on that side but leaves his Royal Highness and the Governour of Milan to agree that Point together The Imperial Troops in pursuance to this Treaty were ordered forthwith to march into Italy but they met with many Difficulties in their Passages however we shall hear more of them hereafter and think it more proper in this Place to give you the other Articles with Spain for the Reasons above-mentioned and they were these that follow IN regard there is a French Army come into Italy with a Design to act openly against the State of Milan and for that the said Army is quartered in the Territories of his Royal Highness of Savoy in revenge of the Affection which he bears to his Imperial Majesty and to constrain the said Duke to surrender into the Hands of the King of France two of his strongest Garrisons and a part of his Forces that the said King may be the better in a Condition to invade Milan c. Therefore for the common Defence of both Territories the Count of Fuensalida in the Name of the King his Master and the Count of Brandisso on the behalf of Savoy have reciprocally agreed and concluded 1. THat between his Catholick Majesty Charles II. King of Spain c. and his Royal Highness Victor Amadeus Duke of Savoy there shall be a real and strict defensive Alliance to be observ'd inviolably till both Parties shall happen to male Peace by common Consent nor shall either Party make any Treaty of Peace Truce or any other Alliance with France without the joint Consent of both And his Catholick Majesty shall cause his Royal Highness of Savoy so far as concerns him to be comprehended in the Alliances with his Imperial Majesty his Britanniâ—â— Majesty King William the States-General and all his other Allies without any Exception 2. That there shall neither Peace nor Truce be made unless what may have been Conquer'd or Vsurp'd by the Enemy within the State of Milan or the Territories of Savoy either by open Force or otherwise be effectually restored in its first Condition into the Hands of those from whom it was taken away 3. Both Parties mutually oblige themselves to assist each other with the Forces they already have or may have for the Defence of the Territories of his Royal Highness as if it were the Defence of each one's proper Right 4. For the Execution of what is above concluded the Count of Fuensalida shall cause his Army to march forthwith consisting of 8000 Horse and between 8 and 9000 Foot during this present War which Army shall enter Piemont by the way of Verceil under the Count of Lovignie c. 5. That the said Army shall have 12 Pieces of Cannon with all necessary Ammunition at the Expence of his Catholick Majesty 6. That so soon as the Army shall be encamp'd under the Cannon of Verceil his Royal Highness shall join it with 4 Regiments of Infantry and 2 of Dragoons 7. When the Forces are joined they shall march towards Turin part by the way of Imbree the rest as shall be thought most convenient Also two more Regiments of Foot and 400 Horse shall join the said Army of his Royal Highness unless the said City shall happen to be besieged taken or blocked up and so being Friends they shall be still ready where Action calls them and his Royal Highness shall think fit to command them 8. In case Turin or any other Garrison of his Royal Highness shall happen to be besieged taken or blocked up the Army of his Majesty shall be obliged to relieve it in conjunction with his Royal Highness 9. In case the Enemy shall march to meet our Army his Royal Highness shall cause his Troops to march either to join the said Army if it be possible or else to Attack the Enemy's Rear 10. If the Enemy's Army shall march towards the State of Milan his Royal Highness shall forthwith send away his Troops to join the Army of the Allies and jointly to Attack the Enemy for the Defence of the State of Milan the said Troops being obliged to observe a constant Amity for the common Defence upon all Occasions when requir'd unless they shall consent to divide them 11. His Excellency shall take care to furnish his Army with Bread when it is to march into Piedmont and for so long time as it shall there remain But when the Army shall march farther than Verceil and that there shall be need of more Waggons for Munitions and Provisions his Royal Highness shall furnish the Army with ready Money at a reasonable Price and the same thing shall be done in the State of Milan to serve the Troops of Savoy 12. And for the better furnishing his Catholick Majesty's Army in Piemont with Bread his Excellency shall cause Meal and Wheat to be carried to Verceil and if by reason of the Enemy or any other Accident the Corn cannot be carried to the Place where his Catholick Majesty's Army lies his Royal Highness shall furnish him and shall be re-imbursed his Charges and that Mony shall be allowed to the Troops of his Royal Highness coming into the State of Milan if they cannot be furnished with Corn as has been said 13. The same thing shall be observed in reference to the Warlike Ammunition for the Service of the Troops while the Artillery shall be at the Charges of his Catholick Majesty 14. Forage or the use of Hay and Grass in the Field shall be taken indifferently on both sides in the place where the
Forces of his Catholick Majesty and his Royal Highness shall be joyned together both submitting to Military Discipline without committing any Disorders And both Allies shall give Orders to their Victuallers to repair to the Army and sell their Provisions at a moderate Price 15. And because the present Alliance is only defensive 't is declared That when the Army of France shall begin to commit Hostility either in the Territories of Milan or those of his Royal Highness it shall be then changed into an Offensive Alliance And in case that Pignerol and Casal shall be taken from the French the first shall be remitted into the Hands of his Royal Highness the other shall belong to his Catholick Majesty by Right of Conquest yet so as no way to prejudice the Right and Possession which his Royal Highness has taken of Monferrat by Vertue of the Treaty of Chierasco And in case there shall be any thing won from the Enemy in any Place where his Royal Highness has any particular Right it shall be parted in Halves by reason of the great Damages which his Royal Highness suffers from the Enemies Army that lies in his Countrey having put off the March which they had designed to make an Invasion into Milan to which the Territories of his Highness serves as a Bulwark being nevertheless burthen'd by an unexpressible Charge of the French Army And in regard the Count of Fuensalida takes Charge of his Catholick Majesties Army which is kept in Pay for the Delivery and Defence of Milan he is also obliged to assign Winter-Quarters in the Territories of Milan to the Troops of his Royal Highness and to put them into such a Condition that they may be fit for Service the next Campaign The Manner and Form being concerted between his Royal Highness and his Eminence in Person or between their Ministers as also the Number of well-disciplined Men his Excellency having all the while Power to agree for Money for the Winter-Quarters except Forage The Ratification on both sides to be made by the Count of Fuensalida in two Months and by the Count of Brandisso in six Weeks Concluded at Milan June 3d. 1690. Sign'd the Count of Fuensalida Count Charles Emanuel de Brandisso I shall not now enter upon the particular Consequences of these Alliances as having some things nearer home first to observe And here I cannot but note That as the Enemies of France increased so she seemed equally or rather more to increase in Power being very formidable this Year by Sea of which we have already instanced the Particulars and no whitinferior by Land as will manifestly appear in the Course of this Discourse and of which the Confederates especially on Flanders and the Lower Rhine-side seemed to be sensible And therefore they concerted their matters thus That the Army of the States should oppose in Flanders that of France commanded by the Duke of Luxemburg while the Elector of Brandenburg should upon the Banks of the Moselle withstand the Forces commanded by the Marquess de Boufflers But the French according to their usual forwardness having taken the Field betimes the States Troops were constrain'd to draw out of their Garrisons to attend the Enemy before those of Brandenburg were come to the Posts assigned them which gave Boufflers an opportunity to encamp between the Sambre and the Meuse from whence he could joyn the Duke of Luxemburg whenever there was occasion for it The Dutch Generals under these Circumstances were obliged to encamp at the Pieton the most advantageous Post of all Flanders and there to stay till the brandenburg-Brandenburg-Army took the Field and thereby cause the Enemy to divide their Forces But while they lay at Pieton they understood that the Duke of Luxemberg drew near the Sambre with a Design to cross that River between Namur and Charleroy in order to waste the Spanish Countries and put them under Contribution Which News so allarm'd the Spaniards that tho' they could do little of themselves yet they pressed the Dutch extreamly to oppose the French Intentions wherein they the more easily prevailed since Prince Waldeck was of himself disposed to it out of the Consideration he had of what Importance it was to keep the French beyond the Sambre and therefore he decamped from the Pieton June 3d N. S. and detatch'd the Count of Berlo the same day with a Detachment of 1500 Horse to observe whether the Enemy endeavour'd to pass the Sambre or no who was followed by the Count of Flodorp with 4 or 5 Regiments of Cavalry to assist him or make good his Retreat the Count of Webennum being also posted on this side a narrow Lane which was to be passed thro' before they could come at the Enemy Berlo being advanced as far as the Village of Fleuri found that a good part of the French Army had already passed the Sambre and posted themselves against the Village which they kept to their Backs of all which Prince Waldeck who was posted between Mellin and Fleuri was instantly informed Now the Enemy having notice of Berlo's Approach marched directly towards him while the Duke of Luxemberg presently dispatch'd away several Troops privately thro' By-ways to fall upon him in the Rear which made Berlo send for more Succours and chiefly of Foot but instead of sending him more Force they gave him Orders to retreat Yet he receiving not those Orders till he was almost environed on every side he was obliged to put himself in a Condition to defend a narrow Lane which he had possess'd before by his Dragoons The Enemy charged him very vigorously and there he lost his life as did also Major Castleman and some other Officers The Count of Flodorp was also advanced too far to retreat without fighting and the Cavalry indeed stood stoutly to it but being oppress'd with Numbers they were forced to retreat to Monsieur Webbenum who commanded the 3d Detachment and was posted on the other side of an Hedge Some Squadrons of the Enemy that pursued Flodorp ventured thro' the Hedge after him but they were so vigorously repulsed that they were constrained to make more haste back again When this was done all this Body of Horse joyned the Army which was drawn up in Battel-aray not far off And thus ended the Work of that Day The whole Army stood in order of Battle all that Night and the next Morning they understood by a Deserter that the Duke of Luxemburg was resolved to fight But 2 Spies that made it their Trade to be double ones reported presently after that Luxemburgh was repassing the Sambre And in this uncertainty Prince Waldeck continued till 8 in the Morning when the French were drawn up in Battle-aray that there was a necessity of engaging The States Army consisted of about 25000 Men in regard the Spanish Forces and others who should have reinforced them were not yet come up so that the Prince could not make above 2 Lines that extended from Fleuri to St. Arnaud The
or their Losses thereupon the States recruited theirs with admirable Celerity by several Detachments drawn out of their Garrisons and otherwise and Count Tilly General of the Troops of Liege joined them on the 22d of July with near 10000 Men of that Bishoprick and Brandenburgers and some Hollanders Prince Waldeck therefore finding himself so numerously re-inforced decamped from Diephen where he had been ever since the Battel And having advanced as far as Walswavre he was there joined by the Elector of Brandenburg with all his Forces by which Conjunction the Army being deemed to be near 55000 strong they moved on to Genappe and so to Bois Seignior Isaac The Duke of Luxemberg re-inforced his Army also on his side and yet not trusting to his Numbers took care to fortifie his Camp so as not to be forced to fight So that there was no farther Action on Flanders-side this Campaign and therefore we will see how things have gone in Germany Though the Emperor towards the latter end of the last Year was very urgent with the Protestant Electors to meet at Ausburg and not only sent Envoys to importune them but writ to them with his own Hand yet he could not bring them to However the Electoral Colledge met together with the Envoys of those that were absent to whom the Emperor delivered himself in a most excellent Speech upon the Occasion for which they were Assembled which consisted of 3 Principal Heads The first was the Security of the Empire against the Designs of France Then the Necessity there was of choosing a King of the Romans And lastly he earnestly recommended unto them to cast their Eyes upon Arch-Duke Joseph his Son and King of Hungary for advancing him to that Dignity In short what care soever was taken to provide for the Security of the first they proved pretty unanimous in the Choice of the last as supposing and no doubt it was so there could be no one better method to be taken for obviating the Designs of France upon the Empire than to invest a Prince of the Austrian Family with that Dignity which was always given out the Dauphin gaped after or his Father for him And therefore Arch-Duke Joseph was chosen King of the Romans Jan. 24th and crowned the 25th following to the no small Satisfaction of the Emperor and most of the Empire as it was a Disappointment to France who has still more Enemies coming upon her For the Memoir which the Duke of Lorrain presented to the Diet at Ratisbone towards the close of the preceding Year about his being restored to his Dutchy was now attended by a Manifesto from the same Prince where he declared War against France and set down his Reasons for it Declaring how unjust it was in Lewis XIV to detain his Territories from him under vain Pretences Promised to himself to enter Lorrain the following Summer at the Head of 40000 Men and exhorted all his Subjects to shake off the Yoke of France and all the Gentry to come and join with him and assist him to regain his ancient Patrimony under the Penalty of being degraded of their Nobility and deprived of all their Priviledges But alas brave Man he never lived to attempt what he might propose to himself to effect the following Campaign For as he was upon the Road to Vienna he was seized with a Quinzy in a small Village named Wells about 4 Miles from Lintz which took from him the Use of his Lungs and his speech in a short time so that he was forced to write down part of his Confession And perceiving himself near his End he wrote a Letter to the Emperor wherein after he had testified his Sorrow for not being longer able to serve him he recommended his Wife and all his Family to his Imperial Care Then wrote another to the Queen his Lady to comfort her for her Loss Which two Letters he gave to his Confessor with Orders to deliver them immediately after his Death After this the Imposthume that was in his Throat bursting within-side stifled him so that he expired in the Arms of his Confessor the 18th of April in the Evening The Death of this great Man could not but allay two different Passions in the Courts of Vienna and Versailles since the one had alike Reason to be sorrowful as the other had to rejoyce before the News came for there were mighty Jollities in the Imperial Court at this time for the Marriage of the Princess Dorothea Sophia of Neuburg with the Prince of Parma Whereas in France they were putting on their mournful Weeds for the Death of the Dauphiness who departed this Life within a Day or two of the Duke of Lorrain but that did not retard the Dauphine her Husband's Journey into Germany for he set out the 17th of the next Month from Versailles after he had been shut up with the King for several Hours in his Closet and received his Instructions on the 28th arrived at Strasburg and from thence went to Landau where the French Army lay that was to act on that side The Command of the Imperial Army on the other hand was given now the Duke of Lorrain is dead to the Elector of Bavaria with whom at last joined a good Body of Saxons headed by the Elector himself with his two Sons who held a Conference at Eppinghen together with the Field-Mareschalls Caprara and Serini after which there were very great Expectations the principal Part of the Army would have fallen upon Hunningen which perhaps might take its rise from a Story whether true or false I know not of General Souches who commanded part of the Army on Hunningen-side his going to attend the Duke of Bavaria at this time and from him Incognito to Basil where he would not suffer the Magistrates to pay him the Honours due to his Character because he would not have his Journey make a noise in the World And that in his Passage he had viewed and examined the Fortress of Hunninghen of which he took a Draught and from thence privately returned to the Army But however it was there was nothing put in Execution on that side nor indeed any where else of any moment For the Imperial Army having encamped for some time in the Marquisate of Baden-Durlack all Men were surprized that instead of continuing their March towards the upper Rhine they fell down of a sudden towards Mentz the Elector of Saxony at the same time being posted near Phillipsburg and General Dunwall Commanding the flying Army toward the Garrison of Fort Lovis and General Zouches at his former Post Of which motions the Dauphine was no sooner informed but he passed the Rhine at Fort Lovis to maintain his Army in the Enemy's Country and that in Battle-array as expecting some Opposition in his March though he had none Aug. 16th he encamped in the Plain of Strotbeffon having the Mountains on one side the Rhine on the other and a large Morass before him being
days and after several Councils of War it was at last resolved to attack the Enemies Rear thereby to hinder their Communication with Pignerol from whence they had their Provision in case they staid at Mons where they then lay encamp'd Wherefore the Duke July 17th decam'd from Catalarga and encamped about 3 quarters of a League from the Enemy And the next day the French decamped also by break of day and by 9 appear'd a Body of 400 Horse about a quarter of a League from the Army which obliged the Duke to draw up his Army in Battel-aray But Monsieur Catinat had no other Design in making his Horse advance than to secure the March of the rest of his Forces which moved on to encamp on the River Pitana yet he sent in the mean time a considerable Party to make themselves Masters of Carignan but by accident there was a Party of the piedmont-Piedmont-Army posted there which being seconded by the Vaudois and the Country People prevented the Enemy from coming into the Town The Duke of Savoy also on his part considering the Advantageousness of the Post and being fearful lest the French should make a second Attempt next Morning he sent 3 Regiments of Foot and 5 Squadrons of Horse to re-inforce the Town commanded by the Marquiss of Pianezze who arrived there the next Morning an hour before day and he had hardly possess'd all the Posts with his Men before a Detachment which he ordered to post themselves upon a Bridge close by Carignan over which the Enemy was to pass met the Van-guard of the French consisting of 3000 Foot and 2000 Horse who were advancing in order to make themselves Masters of Carignan and who charged the Piedmontois with such a vigorous Resolution that the Marquess de Pianezze was forced to sustain the Party with fresh Supplies In the mean time the Duke who foresaw what would come to pass had ordered 2 Batallians of Foot of the Left Wing of his Army and nearest to Carignan to go to the Relief of the Marquess of Pianezze with the Count de Louvigniez and the Marquess of Parelle at the Head of them who by the time that they were come within a Mile of Carignan found the Fight was begun Whereupon the Marquiss de la Parelle entred the Town with one of the Batallions while the Count de Louvigniez posted the other in an advantageous Place The Duke in the mean time had drawn up his Army in Battalia and was advancing towards Carignan with an Intention to give the Enemy Battel in case they continued their Resolutions to make themselves Masters of the Post The Marquess of Parelle had arrived just in the nick of time as the Piedmontois had quitted the Bridge but finding themselves re-inforced they resumed Courage again which when the French perceived the whole Army coming down upon them made them retire in some Confusion after they had lost Monsieur de Savon a very good Officer with a considerable number of Soldiers The Fight being thus ended there were all the necessary Orders given for the Preservation and Fortifying of that Post and then the Duke encamped very near the Enemy This Repulse of the French at Carignan was followed by a more considerable Blow on the side of the Vallies of Piedmont where the Vaudois joining with the French Exiles were resolved to beat the Enemy out of the Vallies and the City of Lucern of which they had at the beginning made themselves Masters To this purpose having on the 18th of Aug. joined themselves with the Marquess de Parelle the Duke of Savoy's Lieutenant-General who had about 3000 of the Piedmont-Militia with him at the Place called Babian they resolved upon the Enterprize tho' de Parelle was called away to the Duke of Savoy's Army presently and most of the Militia disbanded Wherefore Monsieur de Loches after having viewed the Posture of the Enemy whom he found to be above 3000 Foot and 6 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons commanded by Monsieur de Feuquieres and were encamped within the Walls of Lucern which they had demolished Breast-high and had posted 400 Men in the â—ort of St. Michael that was hard by he detached 200 Vaudois under 3 Captains that had with them 3â— Granadiers who passed by Lucern over the old Bridge and joined the Troops of Monsieur Arnauld the Minister that lay at Bad commanded by the Chevalier Verulli sent to them by the Duke of Savoy But upon the appearance of the Enemies Cavalry on the side of Babian Monsieur de Loâ—hes retired as fast as he could after he had given Orders to Arâ—â—uld to give notice of what had passed In the mean time while the Vaudois appeared almost at the same time under a rising-Ground having the Enemy in Front ready to receive them and Verulli being re-inforced with 200 Men more they set upon the Enemy altogether and after half an hours Dispute carried St. Michael's Fort after they had been once beaten out of it and not contenting themselves with that Advantage they pursued the Enemy within Carbine-shot of Lucern and then retreated into the Wood which put the Enemy into a Non-plus that they durst not attack that handful of Men for fear of an Ambuscade In the mean time a Messenger was dispatch'd to the Marquess of Parelle who coming next Morning to Babian with 800 of the Milita he advanced towards Lucern which the Enemy had quitted after they had burnt some Houses But the Marquess met their main Body at the joining of the two ways that came from Lucern and put the Militia at first to Skirmish with them but they were soon scared with seeing some of their number fall and fled as far as the Bridge yet the Vaudois coming up fell briskly upon the Enemy and forced them to retire in Disorder having killed several both Officers and Soldiers and pursued them with a great deal of Fury tho' they made several Halts till they came to Briqueras where putting their Horse and Dragoons to cover the Town and lodging their Infantry in the Castle they made a stand But the Vaudois attacking the Town in 3 several Places and the Castle in 5 they killed a great number of French Officers that obstinately defended the Place and at last carried both Town and Castle and pursued the Enemy as far as Mission and all this with the Loss only of 48 Soldiers and about 9 Officers but that of the French amounted to at least 1200 and among them several considerable Officers besides the wounded which were carried on 17 Waggons to Pignerol However the Duke of Savoy or his Vaudois might be elated with this Success Monsieur Catinat gave them quickly Occasion to change their Note For after he had taken Cavours a small Town upon the left of Pignerol he advanced Aug. 17th towards the City of Salusses of whose march when when the Duke of Savoy was informed he passed the Po with his Army as well to secure the Place
that day Here after he had given the necessary Orders for the Security of his new Conquests he re-imbark'd the Army with a design to make himself Master of Durazzo but falling sick by the way and the Winds proving contrary he returned again on the 29th of Sept. to Vallona where after 9 days Sickness that brave Man died on the first of Oct. which the Council of Venice was no sooner informed of but they appointed Seignior Mocenigo to succeed him The Venetians did not only prove Victorious by Land this Campaign but they had considerable Success also by Sea For General Delphino having Orders to Convoy the Garrison of Napoli di Malvasia to Cande with the Squadron which was under his Command did upon the 18th of Aug. join with Captain Contarini who had 12 Men of War and 2 Fire-ships with him and on the 29th of the same Month being arrived not far from Andros he understood that the Admiral Basha who had with him 27 Gallies 32 Ships and 6 Galleons was resolved to attack him wherefore he put out to Sea and being on the 7th of Sept. got near to Cape St. Mary he had sight of the Ottoman Fleet which was about 20 Miles from thence In the Night he got the Weather-gage of the Enemy and the next day being the 8th bore directly upon the Enemy who on their part also endeavoured to gain the Wind and to come close up to him Delphino took the Van-guard himself and gave the Rear-guard to Contarini and he was hardly come up in his single Ship with 12 Turks Men of War but they were becalm'd Whereupon the Turkish Gallies fell into the Rear and the Captains of Constantinople Algier Tunis and Tripoli bore up the Van and seemed as if they intended to board the Christians But the Venetian Gallies fired so thick upon them that several of the Enemies Vessels were shot through and through General Delphino had his Hand shot off in the Action which yet did not hinder him to keep in his Station till the Fight was over two other Vessels bearing up at the same time to relieve him The Turks hereupon would needs fall upon the Rear-guard but were so warmly received by Contarini there also that they were forced to fly much damnified to Metelin from whence they made all the sail they could to Focis which General Delphino seeing and being not able to overtake them he steered away for the Morea now entirely conquered by the Venetian Arms and which they took all the Care imaginable the remainder of this Season to secure by fortifying the Isthmus of Corinth the only way there was left to attack them Having run through the several Actions of this Season and in the close of the preceding one told you of the Death of one Pope and the Election of another we are now briefly to acquaint you That the differences about the Franchises and other things done by the French Clergy as was esteemed in Prejudice of the Holy See were this Year amicably composed between the two Courts of France and Rome The French King making in a manner all the Concessions on his Part to effect it and the old Dad to make him some Recompence for it laid a Design to reconcile the Emperor and France The Republick of Venice as well for their own Interest as to please his Holiness joyfully as was said concurring with is Holiness in his pious Project But all his Endeavours could never bring the Emperor to relinquish the Alliances he had so solemnly entred into as well for his own as the rest of Europe's Security And so his Project fell to the Ground And therefore I have no more to do now than to recapitulate with a learned Pen and in his own Words and Order the several Remarkables or at least the most notable of them that have happened within this annual Revolution The preceding Year says he was remarkable for five Considerable Battels fought as it were in a huddle in every one of which there was something worth particular Observation The first in Transilvania where Treachery contributed as much to the Victory as Valour One in Flanders wherein Surprize had a great Share One upon the Sea where only Number got the Advantage One in Ireland where Fortune declared in Favour of true Merit and Prowess And one in Savoy where want of good Intelligence and the small Experience of the Vanquished gave the Fortune of the day to the Victors We are not here to forget the Death of the Elector Palatine in a good old Age nor of the Princess of Portugal of a lingring Sickness which in all probability terminated some Disputes that in time might have arisen concerning the Succession of the Crown of that Kingdom The beginning of this Year is remarkable for the famous Congress of the Confederates that was held at the Hague where besides a greater Number of illustrious Persons that appear'd there more than upon any other Occasion they were adorned with the Presence not only of two Electors and other Foreign Princes of Germany but that of William III. King of England whom the Rigour of the Season and the great Dangers of a tempestuous Sea but a more dangerous Icy Shoar could not hinder from going thither to further the great Deliverance of Europe that he had so gloriously begun and already so far carried on as we have in some measure traced in our foregoing Discourse and where he represented to the Congress That the Imminent Dangers they found themselves in sufficiently discovered the Errors that had been committed so as there was no other Admonition than that necessary for their taking more just and better Measures That it was not a time to deliberate but to act in the Circumstances they were in That the Enemy was Master of all the chief Fortnesses that were the Barrier of the common Liberty And that he would very quickly possess himself of the rest if a Spirit of Division Slowness and particular Interest continued among them That every one ought to remain perswaded that their respective particular Interests were comprized in the general One That the Enemies Forces were very strong and that they would carry things like a Torrent before them And that it was in vain to oppose Complaints and fruitless Clamours or unprofitable Protestations against Vnjustice That it was neither the Resolutions of a Barren Dyet nor the Hopes of some Men of Fortune arising from frivolous Foundations but Soldiers strong Armies and a prompt and sincere Vnion between all the Forces of the Allies that must do and these too must be brought to oppose them without any delay if they would put a stop to the Enemies Conquests and snatch out of his Hands the Liberty of Europe which was already held by him under a heavy Yoke That as for himself he protested to them That he would neither spare his Credit Forces nor Person to concur with them in so just and necessary a Design And
in perswading the Citizens to be quiet all would not do but capitulate he must and in pursuance of the Agreement the Garrison march'd out on the 10th of Apr. and left the French in an intire Possession of that important Fortress and the Confederates to look about and consider where this would terminate But at present we shall leave them and tell you that King William hereupon re-passing the Seas gave all the necessary Orders imaginable for having all things ready for the intire Reduction of Ireland which was left to the Management of Lieutenant General Ginkle while His Majesty himself was to return again into Flanders to head the Confederate Armies and try the Issue of the Campaign whether it would be carried on and ended on that side as it began but of this more by and by we being resolved at present to prosecute the Irish Wars even to the final Event of them After both Armies in that Country had gone into their Winter-Quarters as we have already related in the preceding Year they remained on either side pretty quiet for 〈◊〉 time but tho' several Designs were brewing by each Party against the other there hapned nothing of any great moment between them and the most considerable Mischief done to the English was by the wicked Rapperies of the Country and the Native Irish not in Arms both which the other were first or last sufficiently quit with yet there was not such forwardness in either to take the Field but that the Month of June came first when the initiating Work of the English proved to be the Siege of Baltymore which was surrendred on the 9th of the said Month and from whence after some days stay there the Army march'd towards Athlone and on the 19th very early in the Morning the Van-guard marched from Ballyburn and beat the Enemy from several out-Ditches within the Walls of the English Town of Athlone on this side the Shannon and lodged themselves in the said Ditches On the next day a Battery was raised and a Council of War held wherein it was resolved to storm the English Town that the Irish pretended to defend which was done accordingly for tho' the Irish made considerable Resistance yet the English went on and kept firing till they got to the Breach that was made which a French Lieutenant first mounted throwing in his Granado and firing his Piece and ordering his Men to do the same and with great Bravery incouraged his Party tho' he lost his Life in the Action and so the Town was taken and abundance of the Enemy both killed and drowned in endeavouring to Escape Then Batteries were planted against the Irish Town which by the 22d in the Morning were finished and the Cannon and Mortars began to play very briskly on the N. E. side of the Castle where it was weakest and continued to do so next day when the Tin-boats came up and that a Prisoner who was taken gave an account that 64 Men were in a Mill upon the Bridge which being fired by the English Granadoes and those within not being able to quench it nor get thence they were all burnt to death except the Prisoner and one more who leaped into the Water the 24th was spent in raising more Batteries one below and another above the Bridge while a 3d was erected without the Town-wall by the River-side opposite to a Bastion the Irish had made on the other side of the River And at the same time they were contriving Methods to pass the River but all this while the Irish were not idle in raising Batteries and making other necessary Preparations for their Defence which did but heighten the Courage of the English who by the 26th fired from 7 Batteries upon the Enemies Works and did great Execution and the Design they once had of passing the Shannon at a Ford towards Lanesborough being frustrate the General resolved to try what he could in forcing a way through Athlone and therefore laboured hard to gain the Bridge but found this to be very difficult Work However on the 27th in the Evening the English burnt the Breast-work the Irish had made on the other side of the broken Arch with throwing in their Granadoes which being made of Wood presently set them on fire and the next Morning which was the 28th the English had laid their Beams over and partly planked them which a Party of the Enemy attempting to ruine were every Man slain But all this did not discourage another Party of 10 Men to set about the same Work which they bravely effected by throwing down the Planks and Beams maugre all the firing and Skill of the English but they all also perished except 2 which made the General resolve to carry on the Work by a close Gallery on the Bridge and designed to pass the Shannon next day but they met with such Opposition and especially by having their Gallery burnt by the Irish that the further Prosecution of the Attack was deferred for that day which was the 29th But on the 30th a Council of War being held it was stifly debated whether it were more adviseable to make another Attempt or to draw off And though there appeared very great Reasons for the latter yet the Duke of Wirtemburg the Major-Generals Mackay Talmash Ruvigny and Teautau urged That no brave Action could be attempted without Hazzard That the Attempt was probable and profered themselves to be the first that should attempt to force the Enemies Works in their own Persons particularly Talmash which they happily performed accordingly For the Detatchment drawn out the day before was ordered still to be in a readiness And the General gave command they should be all brought down by 6 the usual time of relieving the Guards that the Enemy might not suspect the Design which indeed they did not by the Information given the General by 2 Officers that Morning that deserted from the Enemy So that all things being now ready the Conjuncture favourable and the Signal given Captain Sandys and two Lieutenants lead the first Party of 60 Granadiers all in Armour and 20 a-brest seconded by another good Body with an amazing Resolution and took the Ford that was a little to the left of the Bridge against a Bastion of the Enemies the Stream thereof being very rapid and deep At which time also the English great and small Shot began to play from their Batteries and Works upon those of the Irish on the other side who fired as thick as possibly they could upon our Men passing the River that yet gallantly forced their-way through the Fire and Smoak and having gained the other Bank the rest laid Planks over the broken part of the Bridge while others were laying the Bridge of Boats whereby the English passed over so fast that in less than half an Hour they were Masters of the Town and of all the Trenches besides one beyond the Town For the Irish being amazed at the suddenness of the
thing and Resolution of the English quickly gave Ground and retired towards their Camp Tho' a great many of them were killed in their Works yet it was observable that the English when they saw themselves really Masters of the Place were not at all forward to kill those at their Mercy tho' it was in a manner in the heat of Action But the Rubbish and Stuff beaten down by their Cannon was more difficult to climb over than a great part of the Enemies Works which made the Soldiers curse and swear even among the Bullets and gave occasion to that brave Man and right Christian Soldier Major-General Mackay to tell them That they had more Reason to fall upon their Knees and thank God for the Victory and that they were brave Men and the best of Men if they would swear less The English were no sooner entred the River but an Express was sent from the Town to Monsieur St. Ruth that commanded the Irish Army and French Auxiliaries who upon the News said It was impossible for the English to pretend to take a Town and he so near with an Army to succour it But being very soon assured that the English were in actual Possession of the Place he greatly lamented his Misfortune and ordered several Detachments to beat them out again but then he was sensible of a former Over-sight in not demolishing those Fortifications of Athlone that were next his Camp for now the English possess'd their own Works entirely against themselves So that the more adviseable way he had now was to decamp with his Army which he did that very Night and of whose Motion and Resolution General Ginkle had various Reports However he continued at Athlone till the 10th of July when finding the Town now pretty well cleared and Works raised for its necessary Defence he march'd on with the Army and the next day being the 11th reach'd Balshanoe encamping along the River Suck upon Roscommon-side which is a very good Pass and where the Irish might have given him a great deal of Trouble in gaining it But they had found out a better Place as will appear by this Posture for they lay on the other side of Aghrim-Castle three Miles beyond Balshanoe and were extended from the Church of Kilcommodon on their Right to a Place called Gourtnapori about 2 Miles in length on their Left ran a small Brook having steep Hills and little Boggs on each side next to which was a large Red Bogg almost a Mile over in the end whereof stood the Castle of Aghrim commanding the way that lead to their Camp passable for Horse no where but just at the Castle by reason of a small River which running through a moist Ground made the whole a Morass which extended it self along to the Enemies Right where there was another Pass at Vrachree having a rising-Ground on either side thereof the Irish Camp lying along the Ridge of an Hill on the side of which stood 2 Danish Forts about half a Mile's Distance from the Bogg below and this cut into a great many small inclosures which the Irish had managed so as that they made a Communication from one to another and lined all those very thick with small Shot And in a word the Enemy were so posted that they could not possibly have a better which General Ginkle upon viewing their Posture and the Map given him of the Ground was very sensible of However he ordered the Army to march towards them the next day which Monsieur St. Ruth observing and supposing by their Countenance they were resolved to attack him he gave his Men all the Incouragement imaginable ordering Prayers and Masses to be said in all Parts of the Army and the Report went that the Irish were obliged by their Priests to give no Quarter to any Soul living but to pursue every Man to Destruction they being assured of a most glorious Victory and St. Ruth himself was said to have made a Speech to the Irish the day before the Battle it being found afterwards among his Secretary's Papers who was killed in the Field and containing in Substance How successful and fortunate he had been in suppressing Heresie in France and bringing over a vast Number of deluded Souls into the Bosom of the Mother-Church that for that reason his Master had made choice of him before others to establish the Church in Ireland on such a Foundation that it should not thence-after be in the power of Hell or Hereticks to disturb it and that the Dependance of all good Catholicks was on their Courage to effect it He confessed things did not entirely answer his Expectations since he came among them but that still they were retrievable That he was informed the Prince of Orange's Heretical Army was resolved to give them Battle That now or never was the time then for them to recover the lost Honours Priviledges and Estates of their Ancestors urging to them they were no Mercenary Soldiers their All lying at stake and their work besides to restore a pious King to his Throne and more especially to propagate the Holy Faith and extirpate Heresie and lastly to hearten them to stand firmly to it he assured them of King James his loving and rewarding them of Louis the Great his protecting them of himself to lead them on of the Church to pray for them of Saints and Angels to caress them and in short of their being made all Saints and Holy Mary to lay them in her Bosom And now give me leave to be a little more particular in the Relation of this Battle of Aghrim whereof we are just now going to speak and the rather because it was beyond Contradiction one of the sharpest Fights that hapned during the whole Course of this War and wherein the English Valour was exerted to the greatest degree of Glory imaginable Sunday the 12th of July being come the English Army was commanded to advance upon the Enemy But the Morning proving foggy they moved not till it was about 12 a Clock which was then done in as good Order as the Ground would admit The General at the same time going out with a Party to view the Enemy who perceiving some of their Scouts upon the Hills he ordered a Party to beat them off which they did the Enemy retiring within half a Mile of their own Camp and this gave the General an opportunity from an high Hill to the Right of the Enemy to view their whole Army posted as before described and from thence he saw a necessity of gaining the Pass of Vrachree to the Right of the Irish and where they had some Men posted To this end he sent a Danish Captain with 16 Troopers to force it but they did not succeed so that the General ordered 200 of Cunningham's Dragoons to march to certain Ditches nigh the Ford to keep the Enemy from coming over and in the mean time the English Army march'd forward By this time it was two of
the Clock and the General finding it necessary to have that Ford and the other ways that lead to the Right of the Irish Army as the most proper means to attack them ordered Cunningham's Dragoons at the Ditch to advance toward a Party of the Enemy posted on the other side who thereupon with another Body that sustained them all retired behind a Hill nearer their Camp where was posted a greater Body who being assisted with other fresh Parties obliged the English Dragoons to retreat So that the General ordered Eppinger's Dragoons to get between those Bodies and their Camp but this was discovered by the Enemy who had the Advantage in pouring in so many Men upon the English that they would still have been too hard for the Dragoons had they not been seconded by the Earl of Portland's Horse who behaved themselves here with great Bravery tho' not without considerable Loss But what was at first only a Skirmish had by this time engaged a considerable Body on both sides yet the Enemy in a while retired and this brought the Generals together to deliberate whether it were not best to defer the Battle till next Morning which was agreed on so far that their Tents were ordered to be sent for but when they perceived the Enemy to be in some Disorder by what had already hapned they resolved not to delay the Attack least the Enemy should march off in the Night and so afford no more Opportunities Wherefore by the Advice of Major-General Mackay a Person of great Judgment and long Experience in the Art of War it was agreed to prosecute the Battle on the Enemy's Right thereby proposing to draw part of their Strength from Aghrim Castle near unto which their main Body was posted that so the Right Wing of the English might have the easier Passage over to attack their Left and then the whole English Army might have the Opportunity to engage which was otherwise impossible and this Advice had its desired end About half an Hour after 4 in the Afternoon a Party of the English Left Wing moved towards the Enemy and by 5 the Battle began afresh The Ditches were strongly guarded by Irish Musketeers and their Horse advantageously posted to sustain them And here the Irish behaved themselves like Men of another Nation defending their Posts with great Obstinacy for they would not stir from one side till the English put their Pieces over at the other and then having Lines of Communication from one Ditch to another they would presently post themselves and flank the English which occasion'd a great firing on both sides and continued on the Left almost an Hour and an half before the Right Wing of the Army and the Center bega◠to engage except with their Cannon which play'd all this while on both sides In the mean time the English Army advanced in as good Order as they could And now Major-General Mackay and the rest observing the Enemy draw of several Bodies of Horse and Foot from the Left and move towards their Right where our Men pressed them very hard They laid hold of that Advantage and ordered the Foot 〈◊〉 march over the Bog which fronted the Enemy's main Battle The Regiments of Earl Herbert Creighton and Brewer going over at the narrowest Place where the Hedges on the Enemy's side ran furthest into the Bog they had Orders to marc◠to the lowest of the Ditches adjoyning to the side of the Bog and there to post themselves till the Horse could come abou◠by Aghrim Castle and sustain them and till the other Foot had marched over the Bog below where it was broader and were sustained by Foulk's and Brigadier Stewart's Regiments Earl's and the other 3 Regiments advanced over the Bog most of them passing up to the middle in Mud and Water and upon their near Approach to the Ditches received th◠Enemy's Fire but that did not hinder them to march on 〈◊〉 the Enemy's lowest Hedge and to beat the Irish from thence who however did not retreat far but posted themselves i◠the next Ditches which the English seeing and disdaining to suffer their Lodging so near them they beat them from thenc◠also and so from Hedge to Hedge till they were got very near their main Body But the Irish had so well order'd th◠matter that they had made an easie Passage for their Horse among all those Hedges and Ditches by which means they poured in great Numbers both of Horse and Foot upon the English which Colonel Earl observing he encouraged his Men by advancing before them and saying There was no way to come off but to be Brave Yet now being both flanked and fronted besides being exposed to all the Enemy's Shot from the adjacent Ditches the English were forced to quit their Ground and retire to the Bog again with the loss of a great many Men and among others the brave Colonels Earl and Herbert the former after twice taking and retaking got free at last tho' not without being wounded but the latter as was said was barbarously murthered after Quarter given by the Irish when they saw he was also like to be rescued While this was doing here Colonel St. Johns Colonel Tiffin the Lord George Hambleton the French in English Service and several other Regiments were marching over below upon the Bog while the Irish lay so close in their Ditches that several were doubtful whether they had any Men at that Place or no But no sooner were the French and the rest got within about 20 Yards of the Ditches but the Irish fired most furiously upon them which the other sustained with intrepidy and still pressed forwards tho' they could scarce see one another for Smoak And now the Battle seemed so doubtful for some time that a By-stander would rather have given it on the Irish side for they had driven the English Foot in the Center so far back that they were almost got into a Line with the great Guns planted near the Bog which the English had no benefit of in that Conjuncture because of the Mixture of the Irish with their own Men. You hear little all this while of Horse but now we are to tell you that Major-General Ruvigni's Regiment of French and Sir John Lanier's being both posted on the Right were afterwards part of them drawn to the Left where they did very good Service and the Right Wing of English Horse were in the mean time making the best of their way to succour the Foot For they saw their Danger and that indeed all was at hazard because of the difficulty of the Pass in pressing and tumbling over a very dangerous Place and that among Showers of Bullets from a Body of the Enemy's Dragoons and Foot that were posted conveniently under a Covert-place by the Irish to obstruct the others Passage However the Horse bravely surmounting all these Difficulties lodged themselves at last in a dry Ditch in the Throng of the Enemy's Shot from Aghrim Castle and some old
Walls and Hedges adjoyning and it is reported that St. Ruth seeing the English Horse draw that way and beginning to scramble over a place where two could only go a Breast and that not without great Difficulty asked what they meant by it and being answered That they would certainly endeavour to pass there and attack them on the Left he was said to reply with an Oath They are brave Fellows it is pity they should be so exposed However the Horse made good the Pass and my Lord of Oxford's Ruvigni's Langston's and Bierly's Regiments together with Levison's Dragoons repulsed and beat the Enemy several times making their Party good on that side tho' not without Loss But the English Foot all this while laboured under very great Disadvantage in the Center which being observed by the brave Major-General Talmash he hasted to their Relief with some fresh Men and gave Orders to the broken Regiments to halt and face about which they did immediately and bravely charged the Irish who had advanced upon them to the Center of the Bog killed above 300 of them before they could retreat out of it and then marched boldly up to their old Ground again from whence they had been lately beaten Major-General Mackay had at the same time fallen upon the Enemy with a good Body of Horse on their Left while Major-General Ruvigni went along the side of the Bog with another Party of Horse who did very great Service and bore all down before them but then the Horse and Foot of the English Right and the Irish Left being mixed there was nothing but a continued Fire and a very hot Dispute all along the Line the Irish doing all they could to defend their Ditches and the English to beat them out from thence But the thing was not doubtful much longer for tho' Monsieur St. Ruth when he saw the English Foot in the Center repulsed in a great Extacy told them about him That he would now beat the English Army to the Gates of Dublin yet seeing the Horse press over towards the Castle he ordered a Brigade of his own Horse to march up then riding to one of his Batteries and giving Orders to the Gunners where to fire as he was marching toward the place where he saw the English endeavour to go over he was killed with a great Shot from one of their Batteries as he rid down the Hill of Kilcomodon the place where the main stress of the Battle was fought being just under the Irish Camp When the General fell one of his Retinue threw a Cloak over his Corps and soon after removed him behind the Hill his Guard going off at the same time which the Irish Horse perceiving a great many of them drew off also and in a short time their Army was driven to the Top of Killcomodon Hill where their Camp had laid which being levelled and exposed to the English Shot more openly they began now to run down-right the Foot towards a great Bog behind them on their Left and the Horse on the high way towards Loughreah But during all this Action in the Right Wing and Center of the Army those towards the Left that first engaged kept their Ground and little hapned on that side for near 2 Hours and neither did the Danish Horse and Foot that were on the Left of all disturb the Enemy as yet but stood opposite to several Bodies of Horse and Foot that faced them on the other side of the small Brook But then perceiving Mackay's Battalions to drive the Enemy before them least these Bodies that faced them should fall back to the relief of the flying Party they engaged them and for about half an Hour it was hot work But the Irish being then upon the decline they all fled out of the Field their Foot being miserably slaugter'd by the English Horse and Dragoons and their Horse pursued nigh 3 Miles yet the Night coming on with a thick Misty Rain prevented the English from getting between them and a very advantageous Pass near Loughreagh which gave many of them an opportunity to escape However it was computed there were no less than 7000 of them slain upon the Spot and of the English 600 Soldiers killed besides 73 Officers and 960 wounded to which number if we add Officers they will amount to near 1100 in all which still makes this Battle to be the more considerable since the English Army did not make up above 17000 Horse and Foot and the Irish about 20000 Foot and 5000 Horse and Dragoons The English Army lay upon their Arms all that Night but then taking some days of Refreshment the General having received divers Informations concerning the State of Galloway the most considerable place now left in the Hands of the Irish next to Limerick resolved to direct his March thither when he had posted his Troops he sent in a Trumpet to summon the Garrison who was answered by the Lord Dillon the Governour that Monsieur d' Vssone who commanded in chief was of the same opinion with himself and the rest of the Officers that they were resolved to defend the place to the last But for all this Resolution when the English had passed part of the Army over the River and taken the Fort the Irish were building they beat a Parley and Hostages were exchanged But the Irish demurring upon the manner of Surrendry made the General impatient who sent once or twice to hasten their Resolutions and at last Lieutenant Colonel Burk one of the Hostages was permitted to go in whom Major-General Talmash being as was believed inclined to lay the Treaty aside desired When they were ready to begin again to give the English a sign by firing a Gun into the Air but the other replied That they would not fire from within till the other provoked them to it from without And so after some time the Articles were agreed on and the Town surrendred on the 20th of July into the hands of the English the consequence whereof was the Submission of Baldarick O Donnel who had a considerable number of Men under his Command and in some time after the marching of the English Army towards Limerick with a full intention by the Conquest of that place to compleat that of Ireland There they arrived on the 25th of Aug. where my Lord Tyrconnell died some Days before and that same day possess'd themselves of Ireton's and Cromwel's Forts which were now ordered to be called Mackay's and Nassau's because gained under those Commanders Two days after Castle-Connell and another called Carruk a Gunnel standing upon the River 3 Miles below the Town were attacked by Detachments from the Army and the Garrisons of both made Prisoners of War and at the same time the English Ships came up the River and fired some Shots into the Irish Horse Camp that was then near the River which put the Irish out of Countenance who till then were made to believe that either the English
this time the German Succours to the number of 8000 good Soldiers with the Elector of Bavaria at the Head of them were come which made Catinat who before pretended no less than to besiege Turin it self to repass the Po with his Army and send Expresses to Court to send him some Re-inforcement while the Marquess de Hoquincourt in the mean time besieged and took the Town of Montmelian the Duke of Savoy thinking to relieve it in vain But the Castle required a greater Strength to master it yet of this by and by We shall now see what the Duke of Savoy did after so great a Re-inforcement from Germany They laboured all they could to engage Catinat to a Battel but he as industriously declined it So that at last the Confederates finding it would not do they passed the Po near Carde and on the 27th of Sept. Prince Eugine of Savoy invested Carmagnola and by the 3d of Oct. the Trenches were opened and 26 great Cannon and 8 Mortars arrived from Turin Three several Attacks being raised the same day between which were Lines of Communication made on the 4th from thence to the 7th the Siege was carried vigorously on when they began to throw Bombs into the Town and at the same time received Advice That Catinat after having quitted Fossano Savillana and Saluces was retreated towards Pignerol but on the 8th the Garrison beat a Parley and the Capitulation was signed the next Morning upon honourable Terms I have given an account before how the French possest themselves of this Place but I did not mention that the Articles upon which it was given up to them were not performed with the Fidelity they ought to have been for the French took from the Vaudois that were in Garrison their Cannon Arms and Baggage and threatned to detain them Prisoners if they did not give up what was demanded of them without Resistance But for this the other resolved to be now revenged upon them and therefore they way-laid the French upon the Road and assailed them with extraordinary Courage taking away their Arms and a good part of their Baggage which the Germans observing they thought it much better to be doing also than looking on and so they compleatly gleaned the poor French of what the Vaudois had left them Of this tho' Monsieur Catinat made heavy Complaint yet all the Answer given him was That they were truly sorry it should so happen but that he himself had set them the first Example however that for the future they would take care to prevent any such Disorders All this together with the Vaudois the very next day after the Surrender of Carmagnala beating 3000 of the French that were detached to do Mischief into the Vallies and killing about 500 of his Men made the French General very uneasie However this did not hinder the Council of France from resolving upon the Reduction of the Fortrâ—ss of Montmelian whether Monsieur Catinat was ordered to repair to take the Command of the Army upon him which arrived before the Place on the 16th of Nov. and after a most vigorous Siege wherein they were to Conflict as well with the Rigour of the Season as the desperate Defence of the Garrison it was at last surrendred to them upon the 22d of Dec. upon honourable Terms and by it they became now entire Masters of all the Dutchy of Savoy the French King all this while being caressing the States of Italy by his Embassador the Count of Rebenac for fear the Apprehensions of the Danger they might be in because of the success of his Arms might move them to close in with the Confederates and thereby encrease the number of his Enemies who as they stood might prove too many for him Now 't is time for us to leave Italy and see what has been doing in Hungary The 2 last Years were as different in Success to the two contending Parties as perhaps ever was known and the Turks no doubt were now big with Expectations and possibly had hopes to regain all their Losses by another Campaign for which they had made very great Preparations neither was the Emperor on his part backward therein but engaging the Prince of Baden to Command the Army he pretty late in the Summer joined the same near Peter-Waradin from whence he decamped with a Resolution to march towards the Enemy who lay about Semlin on this side the Save and whose Cavalry on the 10th of Aug. shewed themselves in the Morning drawn up in a Line a little from the Imperial Army But this was only an Amusement they having no intention to fight For tho' the Prince came very near the Turkish Camp on the 12th and did all he could to provoke them they would not stir out of it but he did not at all think it adviseable to attack them there since they were invironed with a broad deep Moat defended with good Redoubts and a 150 Pieces of Cannon mounted upon Batteries and therefore he retreated a little to tempt them to come forth and so much the rather because they were forced to go as far as Salankemen for the Provisions that were sent to the Army which could not come any further by Water because the Turks were more numerous in Saicks upon the River from that place than the Christians were And in effect the Prince was not mistaken in his Conceptions for the Turks thinking the Christians were fled sent some Troops to fall upon the Rear which they did all the while the Army march'd who still continued in motion on the 17th tho' it was so misty that they could hardly discern one another But as soon as it cleared up they heard the Turkish Drums and found their whole Army was marching towards them yet because the winding of the Danube hindered the sight of the Enemy in that part only in the flank the Christians made a motion to secure the Saicks that lay at Salankemen and to have them to that purpose in Front and tho' the Army was posted well yet upon the 18th Orders were given to retire into a more advantageous Post and to possess all the rising Ground about Salankemen But while this was doing and by that time that it was day they discovered upon the right hand a considerable Body of Turks marching in order of Battle upon the right Road to Peter-Waradin with a design to prevent the Christians from making themselves Masters of the first Hillocks near Salankemen and their Vessels and Saicks at the same time near unto those of the Christians with a design to seize them and 3 or 4000 Horse engaged with the Left Wing along the Danube skirmishing all day but still retiring when the Christians made any shew of resistance while Buquo's Regiment of Dragoons that in the mean time was detach'd to convoy 200 Wagons that came from Peter-Waradin was surrounded by a considerable Body of the Enemy and after long resistance were almost all cut in Pieces and made
being at Steenkirk and his Left at Enghein he took his Quarters at Hove According to Orders the 6 Battalions paraded at the Head of Prince Waldeck's Regiment and the Detachment of 17 Men per Battalion of Churchil's Brigade and received the Command of Prince Wirtemberg and very early in the Morning the whole Army followed them makign their way to the Enemies Camp thro' nothing but Defiles being close Ground all the way and no other way but such as was made by our Detachment for that purpose the Baggage being left behind by order at the Camp at Hall About 9 or 10 in the Morning our Van-guard came to the advanced Posts of the Enemy the Mareschal of Luxemburg as the Paris Account gives it having been informed of our Design by Monsieur Tracey who commanded a Detachment of Horse that Night between the Enemies Camp and Ours had taken care to possess himself of the most considerable Posts in the Defiles But notwithstanding this our Van-guard oblig'd the Enemy to retreat from them all till they came to a little Wood just upon the Right of the Enemies Camp except a small Guard in a Village upon the Left of our Columns almost a League from the Enemies Camp who upon the march of our Army were all made Prisoners of War their number being about 30 Men and an Officer Between 10 and 11 in the Morning our advanc'd Guards under the Command of the Prince of Wirtemberg lodged themselves in the Wood that fronted the Right of the Enemies Army the Danes and the Battalion of Guards taking their Post upon the Left in the Wood and Sir Robert Douglas Fitz-patrick's and O Farrel's upon the Right of them On the other side of the Wood was the Enemies Camp a little Valley remaining between and a great many Hedges which the Enemy resolved to maintain with all Vigour possible tho' they yielded so easily their advanced Posts Prince Wirtemberg planted upon a little Rising on the Left of the Wood a Battery of Cannon which began to play about 11 and another upon the Right by Sir Robert Douglas his Battalion Captain Macrackan of the same Regiment who afterwards was killed pointed a Cannon from his Battery so successfully that it put a whole Battalion of the Enemies in disorder sweeping almost an entire Rank before it Whilst Prince Wirtemberg was playing upon the Enemy with these Batteries of Cannon the Army marched up to the Head of the Defile about half an English Mile from the Wood where it opened in a little Plain upon our Right not above half a League over which terminated upon the Right of the Wood where our Van-guard was and at the Right of our Army upon several Rows of high Trees which seemed planted in great order as if 't was the Avenue of some Person of Quality's House which being towards Enghein makes my Author suppose that they might belong to the Duke of Arschot's House where those famous Gardens be as are said to be the Pattern of Versailles Thro' these strait before us on the other side of the Plain they could see the French Infantry drawn up in two Lines and making towards their Right to defend the Post upon the Wood. Upon the Right of this Plain not far from these Groves and Rows of Trees there was a pretty considerable Farm which soon after the Engagement was set on fire by the Enemy to cover as 't is said several of their Battalions by the Smoak who were ordered this way and was afterwards engag'd with Fagâ—l's Brigade between this House and the Wood where our advanc'd Guard was posted From the Head of our Defile upon the Left of the Plain there went for almost half a Mile in length a deep hallow way with high Trees and Hedges upon the Banks of it which reach'd as far as the Wood where the Van-guard was posted and where it branched it self in 2 other deep ways one going thro' the Wood upon the Left to the Danes Attack and to that of the Guards one almost streight forwards and the other upon the right going along the out-side of the Wood between these two last was the Place where Sir Robert Douglas Col. Fitz-patrick's and O Farrel's Regiments were posted On the other side of the deep Way as went from the Head of our Defile to the Post where was our Van-guard went several narrow Fields which lay between it all along and a part of the Wood which reach'd as far as our advanc'd Guards to our Defiles When the Army was come up to the Head of these Defiles and just entring into the small Plains they were ordered to halt except the English Life-guards and Horse and Dragoons which were commanded upon the Right Skirts of the Wood where was our Van-guard and my Lord Cutts's Lieutenant-General Mackay's Sir Charles Graham's and Earl of Angus's Regiments which being interlin'd with the English Horse were commanded at the same time to the out-side of the Wood on this side of that way as branch'd upon the Right which made the Figure of the Arch of a Circle as the Skirts of the Wood did here before us These 4 Regiments were posted here to be ready to second the Attack of our Van-guard Prince of Hesse's Col. Louder's and Earl of Leven's Regiments who were also interlin'd with the Left Wing of Horse were likewise posted upon the side of the Wood. Things being thus dispos'd and our Army continuing in their Halt Prince Wirtemberg after he had connonaded for above 2 Hours begun the Attack with the Danes upon the Right which was immediately follow'd by the other 4 English Regiments as compos'd our Van-guard and seconded by Cutts Mackay Angus Graham Lauder the Prince of Hesse and Leven's Regiments Certainly never was a more dreadful and at the same time bolder firing heard which for the space of 2 Hours seem'd to be a continued Thunder and equalled the noise even of the loudest Claps our Van-guard behaved themselves in this Engagement to such wonder and admiration that tho' they received the Charge of several Battalions of the Enemies one after another yet they made them retreat almost into their very Camp so far that the second Battalion of the first Regiment of Guards possess'd themselves of a Battery of the Enemies Cannon which the Enemy were oblig'd to quit by the Vigour of our Charge and Colonel Wacup who commanded the Battalion and who behav'd himself extreamly well on this Occasion plac'd a Serjeant and Guard upon it but the French having cut off the Traces and taken away the Horses we could not bring them off but were obliged afterwards to leave them Sir R. Douglas with his first Battalion charg'd several of the Enemies and beat them from 3 several Hedges and had made himself Master of the 4th where going thro' a Gap to get on the other side he was unfortunately killed upon the Spot all the other Regiments performing equal Wonder and behaved themselves with the same Bravery and beating the
Enemies from the Hedges so far that in this Hedge-fighting their firing was generally Muzzle to Muzzle we on the one side and the Enemy on the other But to return to our Army As soon as they were come to the Head of the Defile it was order'd to halt particularly our Left Wing of Horse that the Foot that were interlin'd with them which were most English and Scotch and which I have before mentioned might march up thro' the Horse they were obliged to this Halt tho' it was the loss of the day because the Ground was so streight and the Enemy had such Hedges Copses and little Woods to cover them that there was nothing to do for the Horse So that when the Van-guard began to engage they had none but part of the Infantry interlined with the Left Wing of Horse to second them the Body of the Infantry being almost a Mile in the Rear However as soon as the Action began the King made all diligence possible to get the Infantry up ordering a Brigade to march up to the Wood and forming a Line of Battel in the Plain with that Infantry as could come up The Soldiers shewed such eagerness to come to the Enemy that they ran to the Relief of those that were engaged even so fast that they put themselves into some disorder which was the Reason that they took more time to form their Battalions than was at that time convenient This was the Case of those Battalions that were sent to the Wood to the Relief of our Van-guard so that when they came up our Van-guard and Infantry of the Left Wing being over-powered by the vast many Battalions of the Enemy as charged them successively one after another and lastly by the survening of Boufflers's fresh Troops they were forced to retreat in great Disorder and to leave the Wood in which they had lodged themselves entirely to the Enemies Possession The Baron of Pibrack's Regiment of Lunemburgers being in great Disorder in the Skirt of the Wood and the Baron their Colonel lying dangerously wounded upon the Place which he got in rallying of his Regiment the Earl of Bath's one of the Regiments that was commanded towards the Wood the other English being Brigadier Churchil's was ordered by Prince Casimir of Nassau to their Relief two Sergeants of this Regiment rescued the Colonel who lay wounded almost in the Enemies Hand and brought him off in spite of their Fire Upon these Orders of Prince Casimir of Nassau Sir Bevil Granville who commanded the Earl of Bath's Regiment march'd up to the Relief of this Lunemburg Regiment bearing the Enemies Fire before he suffered any Plattoon of his Battalion to discharge once by which Method the Regiment lodg'd it self in the Trench or deep Way that lay upon the Skirt of the Wood which it maintain'd till it was commanded off again by the said Prince of Nassau The King having formed a Line of as many Battalions as could come up in this little Plain the Enemy upon their Right and our Left of the Wood as we fac'd planted a Battery of about 10 Pieces of Cannon to put them in disorder by their Fire we at the same time brought another against it and thus continued firing one upon another a considerable time What Mischief our Men did to the Enemy by our Cannon then I cannot tell but theirs killed several of our Soldiers some in the Regiment of Fuzileers and some in the Battalion of the second Regiment of Guards but the most considerable Loss we sustained by it was Col. Hodges who was shot with a Cannon-ball at the Head of his Regiment of which he soon after died There was likewise a Skirmish between some of the French and some of our Battalions between the Wood and that Farm which was fired by the Enemy but it did not last long what Regiments they were I cannot tell but 't is supposed they were some of the Dutch interlined in the Left Wing of Horse commanded by Brigadier Fagel The Van-guard being thus disordered for want of a timely Relief which was occasioned by the narrowness of the Ground and consequently beaten out of their Post in the Wood Luxemburg being likewise join'd by the Marquess of Boufflers's fresh Troops who came â—ime enough to compleat the Defeat of our Van-guard with his Dragoons and besides the Night drawing on the King ordered his Army to retreat which was done with admirable Order for tho' the French did follow â—us for some time yet they did not fire a Shot such was the Order of our Retreat that they did not dare venture upon it The English Granadiers brought up the Rear and when-ever the French moved towards us they fac'd to the Right about and presented themselves to the Enemy then the Enemy would halt and so our Rear-guard marched on This halting and facing and then marching continued for some time till the Night put an end to the Enemies farther Motion And thus the Army came back to Hall on Monday Morning about Three We lost in this Action several Pieces of Cannon some taken by the Enemy and some we could not bring off the Horses being tired we likewise blew up some of our Powder-Waggons in the Retreat which we could not bring off some having their Carriages broken and others their Horses tired The English lost two Colours and the Dutch likewise some We had about 2000 Men killed and about 3000 wounded in which number we comprehend the Prisoners taken by the French disabled by their Wounds to come off being about 8 or 900. Here it was that brave General Mackay Sir John Lanier and divers other gallant Officers lost their Lives and surely the French notwithstanding their Te Deum for this pretended Victory had nothing to boast of since their Loss according to the Confession of divers of their Officers rather exceeded that of the Confederates and they had not come of so cheap neither had it not been for the Chevalier de Millevoix one of the Elector's Domesticks his having given and endeavoured to give further Intelligence to the Mareschal de Luxemburg of the King's Motion and Designs for which he was fairly hanged upon a Tree on the Right Wing of Horse And now this Business is over it is time we should come to the Particulars of Granvalle's forementioned Conspiracy as published in that time by Authority and it was briefly thus Upon the 11th of Aug. the Sieur de Granvale was brought to his Tryal before a Court Martial at Lembeck for the horrid Conspiracy by him entred into against the Life of his Majesty of Great Britain Where it appeared by Informations intercepted Letters and other Authentick Pieces that some of the greatest Ministers in the French Court had laid a Design to assassinate his Majesty of Great Britain and made Choice of Bartholomew Liniere Sieur de Granvale for their Instrument to manage the Enterprize and find out fit Persons to assist him To this purpose Granvale understanding that one Anthony
into Faro St. Lucar or Cadiz That about 6 in the Evening of the same Day the French Admiral and Vice-Admiral of the Blue came up with the Leeward and Sternmost of the Fleet which were 2 or 3 Dutch Men of War who as we understood afterwards fought first 11 and then 7 French Men of War but were forced at last to yield and the Captains being carried Aboard the French Admiral he asked Schrycer who was one of them and fought most desperately whether he was a Man or a Devil and treated them both very civilly This made the Dutch Merchant-men that were there tack for the Shore and the Enemy after them which gave a fair Opportunity to the Ships to Windward and a head to make sail of And this tacking after the Dutch saved most of the Fleet and the French accounts have exaggerated the loss we sustained mightily which indeed was too much But however it hapned with M. Tourville in the Management of this Affair I am sure if an English Admiral had had such an opportunity over the French and made no better use of it the Nation would never have forgiven him for the loss in the utmost extent of it was not reckoned above 32 Merchant-men taken and 27 burnt and some of the former belong'd to Neutral Princes and the greatest Loss that befel the English was the sinking of 4 of the greatest Merchant-men in the Bay of Gibraltar where it was hoped they were safe whereas the Danes Dutch c. that put in there for shelter came off unhurt and I have heard the occasion was that when a French Squadron came thither to bomb them and one of the first Bombs that was shot fell into one of these English Ships this tho' it did no considerable Damage ye◠it so terrified the Commanders that they could think of no way to save their Effects but by losing them as I have told you tho' nothing is more apparent than that the French might have shot a Thousand Bombs and not one more alighted in a Ship Sir George Rook upon this Disaster with the Men of War and some Merchant-men made the best of his way for Ireland where he safely arrived to the great Satisfaction of the Nation that things were no worse But I must say that Mens Tongues I believe were never looser against the State-ministry than now but where the Blame particularly lay has been left in the dark to this Day Having thus briefly passed over this ugly business we shall now step into Flanders and see what is doing there The French this Year were prodigious strong on that side and by Computation of the Forces on each side they exceeded the Confederates almost by one half at the beginning of the Campaign but the King's Diligence to possess himself 〈◊〉 the Camp at Park entirely broke the French King's Design upon Brabant which made the latter send a strong Detachment under the Command of the Dauphine and the Mareschal de Boufflers into Germany and return himself to Versailles without any manner of Attempt which was matter 〈◊〉 much Discourse both in France and elsewhere The French all this while were encamped at Meldert whose Convo◠were much molested by the Garrison of Charleroy yet 〈◊〉 seemed a Trial of Skill between both Armies who should continue longest in their Posts which at length on the 28th of July the French were forced to quit marching to Heylissem in their way towards the Meuse which gave the King an opportunity to send a strong Detachment under the Command of the Duke of Wirtemberg to force the French Lines in Flanders While he was putting this in Execution with very good Success and that Count Tilly General of the Troops of Leige was marching with a Re-inforcement to join the King Luxemburg being advertised of it immediately posted away some Troops to hinder that Conjunction who used that Celerity that they in a manner surprized the Count in the hollow ways thro' which he was marching and briskly charged such of his Troops as they could come at but the Count making a Vertue of Necessity ordered his Men not to engage but to retreat as fast as they could the French pursuing them as far almost as Maestrich to whom they did no considerable Damage save the taking of their Baggage However this Success incouraged Monsieur Luxemburg to lay siege to Huy which was invested on July 9th and this made the King move nearer the Country of Liege But when he came to Tongres he was surprized to hear the Castle of Huy had capitulated which made him also upon further Information that Monsieur Luxemburg was drawn nearer Liege send 10 Battalions thither who with very great Difficulty got at length into the Place that now absolutely rejected the Neutrality Luxemburg offered the Mareschal thereupon made as if he designed to attack it but in reality concluded to attack the King now encamped at Neerhespen so much weakened thro' the several Detachments he made to cover the places that seemed most in Danger that it was generally computed the French at the time of the Engagement exceeded the Confederates at least 35000 Men. The King to know the certainty of the Enemies Designs before he went further off from the Meuse sent out daily some Parties of Horse to get Intelligence of the Enemy one of which returned and gave him an Account they could not go beyond Waren because they met there with a great Party of French Horse which indeed was the Left Wing of their Army upon the March which made the King the Elector and other great Officers immediately to get on Horseback to inform themselves better And in short it was the King's own Observation by the Enemies Countenance that 't was the Vanguard of the whole French Army that was coming up to attack him in his own Camp which made him immediately draw up the Army in Battali◠to expect the Enemy As soon as the Enemy drew up by our Camp the King ordered Brigadier Ransey with his Brigade then composed of 5 Battalions viz. Offerrel Mackay Lauder Leven and Monroe to the Right of all before our Right Wing of Horse to guard some Hedges and hallow Ways which there covered our Right just upon the Right of the Village of Laer. The Brandenburg Battalions were posted at this Village and to the Left of it and more to the Left the Infantry of Hanover Prince Charles of Brandenburg as Major-General commanded the 6 Battalions of Brandenburg and Lieutenant-General du Mont the Hanover with whom he was to defend the Village of Neerwinden that cover'd part of our Camp between the Right Wing of Horse and our main Body These were afterwards reinforc'd by the first Battalion of the first Regiment of Guards and the second Battalion of Scotch Guards Upon the Left at Neerlanden his Majesty order'd the first Battalion of the Royal Regiment Churchill's Selwyn's and Trelawney's Prince Frederick's Battalion of Danes and Fagel's to possess this Village that
Majesty's real design was to Besiege Namur for the Elector of Bavaria had Orders to Detach the Earl of Athlone with 40 Squadrons of Horse towards Lovain and in lieu thereof the King reinforced the Elector with some other Brigades which being done the King's Army marched from Arseel to Becelar On the 3d of June in the Evening His Majesty went to view the Enemies Lines where he found the main Body of their Army incamped within them standing to their Arms as expecting to be Attacked But though there was no probability of Success in forcing of their Lines yet it was convenient for the Confederates to further their Designs to get the French to bring all their Forces for the defence of them and therefore the Elector of Bavaria likewise decamped on the 4th of June from Ninove and incamped on the 6th between the Lys and the Soheld near the Lines also but was quickly fronted here by the Marshal dâ— Boufflers So that things being in this disposition and that the King could have easily bombarded Ipres yet he thought it better if possible to take in the Fort of Kenock and to that end the Duke of Wirtemburg was sent with a Detachment to Attack it This though it was done with very great Application and Vigour and with the loss of a pretty many Men and that he had possessed himself after a long resistance of the Redoubt Pintele and lodged himself in the Intrenchment of a little Bridge upon the Canal over against the Fort yet finding at length it was impossible to hinder the communication of the Fort with the Body under Montal who lay so posted that he could supply it with Men and Provisions as he pleased it was judged unadvisable to lose any further time which might be improved to better advantages And therefore the King and his Generals finding that Villeroy would not stir out of his fastnesses fully concluded upon the siege of Namur and in order thereunto the Army marched on the 19th to Rosalaer where the King left them under the Prince de Vaudemont and on that Day early in the Morning went towards the Meuse in order to this great Work There had been all this time vast preparations making at Maestricht of Artillery Mortars Bombs and all manner of Ammunition and all the Boats of the Meuse were detained at Liege Maestricht and Huy for the service of the States And tho' all this threatned Namur yet the French had brought all their Forces within their Lines without keeping any Body to guard the Passages of the Sambre But however this came about the King who as we have said was moving towards the Meuse sent in the mean time Orders to my Lord of Athlone encamped at Tilmont and to the Brandenburg and Liege Forces now come as far as Falise upno the Mehaigne to invest Namur My Lord of Athlone accordingly marched on the 17th Old Stile with the body of Horse under his command and incamped between Malevre and Perwys on the 18th between la Falise and Templonee where being joyned by the Brandenburg Troops he left a good Body of Horse next day at la Falise and with the rest of the Troops marched towards Charleroy This motion put the French in suspence whether the Confederates designed to Attack Namur or Charleroy and made the Marquess of Harcourt who had passed the Meuse near Dinant to reinforce the Garrison of Charleroy with a Body of Dragoons But my Lord of Athlone having passed the Sambre at Chasselet below Charleroy marched again down the Sambre towards Namur and pressed all the Boats upon the River to make a Bridge of Communication which were brought down to the Abby of Floref upon the Sambre 2 Leagues from Namur so that the Earl took all the â—osts from the Sambre to the Meuse of the Town-side about la Falise But all the other side of the Meuse lay open for want of Troops enough to do it at once which gave the Marshal de Boufflers an opportunity with 8 Regiments of the best Dragoons in the Army to throw himself into the place but he sent back most of the Dragoons Horses But while this was doing the Elector of Bavaria's Army which was nearest marched with wonderful Celerity to carry on this famous Siege so that all the Posts were taken about Namur by the 23d of June the King being come up the Day before to it It is from this Day forward that we must reckon the investing of it and here before we go any further we are to observe that the place had very much changed Conditions since it fell into the French Hands who spared no Charges to put their Frontier Garrisons into the best Defence they could For the Town at the time of their taking it was but weak being absolutely commanded by a steep Hill that hangs just over it from the Port de Fer to that of St. Nicholas near the Meuse so that they had the liberty to bring down their Batteries at first to the descent of that Hill and to open their Trenches at the foot of it near the Meuse so that it did not then hold out above 5 or 6 Days But now to add a very considerable strength to this weak part of the Town the French had made a detacht Eastion upon the ascent of the Hill before St. Nicholas Gate all of Stone Work with a Casemotte upon it Bomb proof the Counter-scarp of the French Fasse of Free Stone and the covered way the same which pointed just upon the top of the Hill So that no Cannon from the Plain could bear upon this Work upon the Hill but the Confederates were necessitated to batter it in reverse from the other side of the Meuse from the Brandenburg-Batteries which required some Time before they coâ—ld bring them to the Water-side But this was not all for upon the Right towards the Port de Fer they had made 2 or 3 detached â—astions of the same Work just upon the Brow of the Hill and at the Foot of the same before the Port de Fer and between the Hill and the Brook of Werderin they had a 4th which hinder'd the Avenues between the Hills to this Gate The Plain upon these Hills was fortified with a double Covered Way Pallisadoed to defend these detached Bastions towards the Village of Bouge And when the Confederates were Attacking the place they were working at a 3d nearer to the brow of the Hill just before these Works so that the Town which before was but weak was now by these additional Works exceeding strong and held out longer than the Castle Again the French attack'd the Castle and Cohorn-Fort upon the top of the Hill between the Sambre and the Meuse and this they took care to fortifie afterwards so as to leave it almost unattackable the same way they took it before Cohorn or William's Fort fell into their Hands by driving their Trenches round the Work along the bottom between it and the Terra Nova
or Upper Castle which Work being embraced and all manner of Communication cut off was forced to Surrender But the French to prevent such a Method of proceeding another time built a strong Stone Redoubt just upon the top of the Hill between the Cohorn and Terra Nova with a Case-mott upon it Bomb-proof and this Work commands all this Bottom unto the Sambre before which Work they had also made a very good Covered Way pallisadoed from the Angle of the Gorge of the Cohorn to the Brink of the Hill upon the Meuse Add to this a very good Half-moon they had made upon the Curtain of the Horn-work of the Terra Nova besides their fortifying of the Devil's House which flanks the sides of the Cohorn towards the Meuse with a strong Stone Redoubt which place when the Spaniards had it had but a simple Retrenchment about it and yet it held out 4 or 5 Days From the upper part of the Cohorn which is towards the Meuse they had made a very good Covered Way that goes about before the forementioned Redoubt to the Edge of the Hill upon the Meuse they had undertaken a prodigious Line cut into a Rock all along the top of the Hill near an English Mile in length terminating upon the Edge of the Hill towards the Sambre and the same Hill towards the Meuse with two Redoubts at each end The Line was finished and the Redoubt towards the Meuse very forward but that toward the Sambre was but just begun which they made up with Fascines upon the Arrival of the Confederates before the Place And in short the Castle was so strongly fortify'd upon the top of the Hill with all these Outworks that it would have been a very tedious piece of Work for the Confederates to have attack'd it this way But the weak side of the Castle and Cohorn was towards the Sambre and the Town and the French had not provided for an Attack on that side so that all those prodigious Works fell into the Confederates Hands in less time than the French had taken this Place before tho' then far inferiour to what it is now in Strength and Fortifications To which if you add the Strength of the Garrison being computed at near 14000 Men and most of them the best Troops of France headed by a Mareschal of France and assisted by Major General de Megrigny one of the ablest Engineers in Europe it would look little less than a Wonder that the Confederates should carry it But now its time to come to some Particulars After the Place had been invested the King ordered the Earl of Athlone with most of the Cavalry to the Plains of Flerus and so to the Pieton to consume the Forage that was there and a good Reinforcement from the Army under Prince Vaudemont to march towards Namur where on the 27th of June the Besiegers began to work on the Lines of Circumvallation traceing the Ruines of that which the French had made when they besieged the place but for want of their Cannon coming up they did not open their Trenches till the first of July which was done without considerable Disturbance from the French But by the 3d their Cannon began to play from a Battery of 3 Pieces of Cannon from the de Bouge against the Old Tower and from the Edge of the Height of St. Barbe On the 4th a Detachment was sent to reinforce the Prince de Vaudemont upon an Information that the Duke de Villeroy designed to attack him who to that end had made his Army as strong as possible and passing the Lys advanced to St. Barbon of whose Motion the Prince being aware he made a Movement of his Camp at Woutergaem to bring his Right more to the Reer to take up the rising Ground of Arseel which he judged more defensible and then ordered Retrenchments to be made upon the Left towards the Lys and Walken as they also fortified all the rising Grounds upon the right of Arseel The Prince had then with him about 50 Battalions of Foot and 51 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and with these Forces he was then resolved to expect the Mareschal de Villeroy though the latter had near double the number with which he was marching upon the 4th of July towards him and came up early enough to have attacked him But whether it was that he found the Prince's Camp so strongly fortifyed or that he would not then hazard a Battle or that he had Orders to stay till Montal had taken his Post in the Reer of the Prince's Right Wing between Arseel and Wirk to attack him there he remained in sight of them that Evening expecting to have fallen upon the Prince very early in the Morning and in a manner to have caught him in a Net by invironing him on the Right But the Prince being informed of Montal's Motion and finding he had already passed the Thielt wisely changed his Resolution of Fighting and though the time was very urgent and pressing he immediately with a most admirable Judgment resolved upon and contrived a Retreat and as he is a Person of very great foresight he had wisely provided for such an Accident in the Morning by ordering all the Baggage to load immediately and to March by the way of Deinse to Ghent that it might not embarrass the motion of the Army First the Prince ordered the Cannon to be drawn off of the Batteries and to March towards Deinse which was done with that Secrecy that the Enemy did not perceive it for he had cunningly ordered the Artillery to be moving from the Batteries all the Afternoon so that when it went clear off the Enemy thought it had been but the ordinary Motion Then marched the two Lines of Foot upon the Left along the Retrenchment to cover which the Prince ordered a Body of Horse to go and post themselves in the Retrenchment as it was quitted by the Foot the Foot at the same time marching out with their Pikes and Colours trailing to conceal their going off Neither did the Enemy perceive this Motion till the Cavalry mounted again and abandoned the Retrenchment By which time the Infantry was got into the Bottom between Arseel and Wouterghem marching towards Deynse But while the Foot were filing off from the Retrenchment the Prince ordered Monsieur Overkirke with the Right Wing of the Horse interlined with Collier's Brigade of Foot to make a Line falling towards Caneghem extending himself from the Wind-mill of Arseel towards Wink And this Motion was in order to make Montal believe that this Line was designed to oppose his Attempt upon the Rear of the Prince's Right but his secret Orders were to march off by Wink to Nivelle and so to Ghent At the same time that the Foot marched by Wouterghem and Deynse the Earl of Rochford who was posted with the Left Wing of Horse and two Battalions towards the Lys made the Rear-Guard towards the Left with a Line of Foot upon the one
side and 3 Squadrons of Eâ—pinger's Horse upon the other All this was so contrived by the Prince from the Right to the Left that the Army disappeared all at once just as if it had vanished out of the Enemy's sight The Prince and the Duke of Wirtemberg with other Generals kept to the Retrenchments till all were marched off forming with their own Domesticks and Attendants a little Body of Horse still to impose upon the French and followed the Army as soon as it was all got off The Enemy finding themselves thus so strangely amused did what they could to overtake the Confederates and fall upon their Rear And particularly Montal endeavoured to attack that Body which was commanded by my Lord Overkirke whom he overtook with some Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons but the Defiles were good and Brigadeer Collier had ordered all the Grenadiers of his Brigade to the Rear of all to face the Enemy from time to time as they advanced in their Defiles which was so well contrived that the Grenadiers with their Fire kept the French at a Distance and made good the Retreat They attempted the same thing upon the Rear of the Body of Foot commanded by the Count de Noyelles with the like ill Success However two Squadrons of their Dragoons putting green Bows in their Hats which was the Confederates Signal of Battle and speaking some French some English as if they had been some of their own Rear-Guard did by that means towards Evening come up close to their Rear and marched along with them a little way till they came to a convenient place when they fired upon them first and then fell in with their Swords which put the first Battalion into some Disorder But the other facing about immediately constrained them to retire after they had killed a few Men which was inconsiderable in Comparison of this great and renowned Retreat which was as fine a piece of Art of War as can be read in History and can hardly be parallell'd in it and which shewed more the Art Conduct and Prudence of a General than if the Prince had gained a considerable Victory And this was the Sense His Majesty was pleased to express of it in a Letter he writ to Prince Vaudemont on this Occasion which is the same that follows COUSIN YOU cannot believe how much your Letter of Yesterday-Noon which I received this Morning by Break of Day disturbed me On the other side how joyful I was upon the Receipt of the other Letter dated from Marykirk near Ghent this Day at 3 in the Morning I am much obliged to you for in this Retreat you have given greater Marks of a General consummate in the Art of War than if you had won a Battle I absolutely approve your Conduct upon this Occasion and hope it will hinder the Enemy from undertaking any more of the same nature Nevertheless I shall be impatient till I hear which Way they bend their March since this Blow has failed them I remain always c. The Prince having made his Retreat in this Order and the Army being posted at Deynse where a Garrison was left under Brigadeer O Farrell as Dixmude was with a good Number of Men committed to the Care of Major-General Ellenburg and got as far as Nivelle in his Way to Ghent there were Orders given to halt and rest there that Night But the Prince as he himself afterwards said remembring a Maxim of that great General Charles the Fourth Duke of Lorrain his Father That when an Army is upon the Retreat it must be sure to retreat out of the Enemy's Reach they were ordered to decamp again and the whole Army by 2 next Morning were got to Marykirk under the Walls of Ghent from whence the Prince sent a Reinforcement for the Security of Newport And here at present we leave him as we do the French Army at Roselaer to see what is done at Namuâ— which we shall now prosecute in as concise a manner as we can with little or no Intervention of other Actions till the Surrender of the Town The Besiegers as it has been said having already invested the Place and begun to raise their Lines of Circum vallation this Work because of the great Circuit of Ground it took up kept the Soldiers and Pioneers employed from the 3d of July to the 10th so that on the 11th at Night the Trenches were opened against the Town in two Attacks the one along the Meuse and the other upon the adjacent Rising Grounds the Enemy at the same time making a Sally but they were repulsed with Loss Next Night the Trenches were carried on considerably with no Loss and so on to the 15th when their Batteries were raised And next Day the Trenches next the Meuse were advanced from one side to the other and the Day following they advanced 300 Paces farther at what time the Besieged fired very furiously and made a Sally and after some Resistance retired But upon the 18th they made another Sally about 3 in the Afternoon with 1200 Horse and 4 Squadrons of Dragoons and crossing the Meuse they fell upon the Trenches on the Right Hand of the Bridge belonging to that River took a Re-doubt that was unfinished and only stuffed with Sacks of Wool and fell with great Fury both in Front and Flank upon the Besiegers who were forced at first to give way But resuming fresh Courage they were beaten back with the Loss of 300 of their Men Yet the Combat was also bloody to the Besiegers However the King finding that very Day that the Trenches were advanced within Fuzil-shot of the Counterscarp he ordered the same to be stormed that Evening an Hour before Sun-set which was done by 5 Battalions of the Foot-Guards commanded by Major-General Ramsey seconded by 9 Battalions more of English and Scotch and on the Left by 8 Dutch and other Regiments under the Command of Major-General Salish The Attack was made with extraordinary Bravery and such Success that the French after a Dispute of near 2 Hours were beaten out of their Works The King according to his usual manner remained upon the Place during the whole Action and had divers Persons slain about him and particularly Mr. Godfrey Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England who was come into the Camp to wait upon His Majesty about Mony for the Payment of the Army The Confederates Loss was not very great considering the Resistance the French made but it was too much the Killed and Wounded amounting to near 800 Men. But this did not in the least daunt their Courage so that their Trenches were on 19th advanced to the Village of Bouge towards St. Nicholas Gate The same thing being done also on that side next the Meuse as well above as below with a Design to draw two Parallels along the River on that side next the Suburbs of Jambe and opposite to the Castle-Bridge which made the French who were apprehensive of the Design to set
ungenerously broke them by sending the Commander and Palfi's Battalion to Belgrade Prisoners and what was more Barbarous of the Basha at the same time he caused the Head of the Commander of the Rasciens an Officer of Worth that had signalized himself by several Encounters to be cut off before the Governor of Titull's Face In the mean time the Imperial Army finding the Turks chief Aim was against Transilvania divided it self and all the Infantry marched to Peter Waradin under the Command of the Count de Staremburg to observe the Motions of the Turks on that side while the Elector of Saxony advanced with the main Body of Horse to reinforce General Veterani and secure Transilvania But for all the haste he could make a Detachment of about 15000 Spahi's with Cannon which the Sultan who was now about Temeswaer had sent to join another of the like Force and to fall upon Veterani who had but 8000 Men with him and was advanced as far as Lugos in Order to facilitate his Conjunction with the Elector reached the said Place before him the Success whereof take in the following Letter bearing Date from Vienna Octob. 1st this Year CAptain Grismar is arriv'd in this City from Transilvania with the News That General Veterani advanced as far as Lugos with a Body of about 8000 Men to facilitate his joining with the Elector of Saxony which was to have been upon the 24th of September But before that he was Attacked in a very advantageous Post where he lay Encamp'd upon the 21st of the same Month by an Army of the Turks consisting of between 30 and 40000 Men. The Action began by break of Day with some Skirmishes After which the main Body of the Turks came thundering in upon our Men who maintain'd their Ground with extraordinary Courage from Eleven a Clock in the Forenoon till Four a Clock in the Afternoon General Veterani who shewed himself every where and enliven'd his Men by his Example made a great Slaughter of the Enemy but having received two Wounds in the Head with a Scimeter and two Musket-shot in his Body he remained in the Medley and Night coming on favour'd the Retreat of the rest of the Men towards Caransebes under the Command of General Truchses who afterwards marched to possess himself of the Iron Gate and those other Passes that defend the Inlets into Transilvania We know not as yet whether General Veterani be among the Slain or taken Prisoner Some Letters say That he was carry'd to Temeswaer together with the Prince of Litchtenstein Major General Pace General Stein and several other stout Officers and Soldiers the loss of whom which is said to amount to 3000 Men cost the Infidels very dear For we are assur'd that they lost in this Conflict above 6000 Men several Basha's and great Officers There were various Reports besides what this Letter mentions concerning that brave Man General Veteran's Death but the truest of all was that when he found all was lost and himself so desperately wounded 500 Horse carried him into a little Morass and put him into a Calash with a design to have carried him into Carensebes But being envelop'd by some Thousands of the Turks they quitted the General and cut their way through the midst of the Enemy in order to save themselves and so left him to be seized by the Turks who presently cut off his Head and carried it to the Grand Visier who caused his Body to be diligently sought for and took great care to have both Buried together But what Noise soever this Victory as they called it made in the Turkish Empire the Grand Seignior perhaps measuring the Strength and Bravery of the main Army of the Christians by the great Resistance this handful of Men had made and which cost him so very dear or else being not willing to tempt his Fortune any further in this his Virgin Campaign He thought of nothing now but retiring home to make Preparations for another Season and the Germans shewed themselves as forward to do the like as himself and in this disposition we shall at present leave them and see whether the Mahometans had as much reason to rejoyce at the Success of their Arms against the Venetian Republick We left the Venetians last Year exulting for Joy because of their Conquest of the Island of Scio but they had in the main no great reason for it For the Turks being intent ever since the loss of the Place to recover it again sailed early in the Spring to Attack it destroyed 3 out of 5 of the Republick Ships who fell in among them without the rest of the Fleets being able to double the Rocks of Spalmadori in order to come to a General Engagement and to their Assistance and when they had so done returned for the present to Phocis to compleat their Preparations while General Zeno coming into the Road of Scio ordered an Estimate to be taken of the Provision left in the Fortress and in the Fleet and finding as he gave an Account it could not last above 14 days he entirely abandoned the Island and returned with the whole Fleet to Napoli di Romania giving the Turks an Opportunity to possess that without striking a stroak which they valued so much and made such great Preparations to re-take and himself to be censured by all that ever heard of the Action as well as to be succeeded in his Command by that noble Venetian Alexander Molino But how pleasing soever this Repossession of Scio was to the Turks the News they received from the Morea was not near so well-come on which they had formed a considerable Design It 's true Ibrahim Serasquier of Negropont entred into that Country with an Army of about 20000 Men advanced to Argos and entrenched himself within two Miles of it while a Detachment was sent to make an Assault upon the Castle of the same Name to the end that he being Master thereof might penetrate farther into the Country But General Steinau who lay with a Body of Men not far off not only vigorously repulsed them but pursued them very near to their own Camp while General Molino who had for some time lain in the Gulph of Eugenea having Information of this Incursion of the Enemy returned forthwith to Napoli di Romania with the whole Fleet and landed not only what Men he had on Board his Ships but those of a Convoy newly arrived from Venice and having joined the Army under General Steinau upon the 20th of June he marched betimes in the Morning directly towards the Enemy at the Head of 10000 Foot and about 2000 Horse and posted himself within Cannon-shot of the Infidels Camp They plaid upon one another till 5 in the Evening when the Turks issued out of their Entrenchments and boldly advanced to Attack the Christians with a more than ordinary Fury and with hideous Crys according to their usual manner They had at the beginning some little Advantage
His Royal Highness for his part will contribute all in his Power thereunto who likewise flatters himself that this Treaty lately signed with his most Christian Majesty may be a Means to divide these Princes whose Vnion will infallibly oppose your Majesty's Return to your Dominions which may facilitate a general Peace the first Effects of which will undoubtedly be your Majesty's Re-establishment on your Throne This has been the Occasion Sir of his Royal Highness's withdrawing from the Allies and which he hopes will be thought fully to answer his promises to your Majesty's Ministers seâ—t to sollicite him in that behalf This he would have perform'd sooner but Your Majesty may be inform'd from the most Christian King what Reasons inclined him to the contrary These Sir are the sincere Protestations of his Royal Highness which he will endeavour to make appear by his continued Prayers for the Prosperity of your Sacred Majesty But to return the French King in Conformity to his Articles made a formal Resignation of all manner of pretentions to Savoy and the Dukes Territories whilst his Royal Highness upon the expiration of the Truce on the 15th of Sept. put himself at the head of the French and his own Troops to drive his Friends the Allies out of Italy or to accept of a Neutrality for it A strange Metamorphosis and such as I think cannot be parallel'd in any History Ancient or Modern that one and the same Prince who equals himself to Crown'd Heads should successively in one and the same Campaign Command the two Armies of two Enemies This was a pace none of his Ancestors ever made though they shewed themselves unconstant enough between the French and Spanish Crowns upon divers occasions But so it was that the Duke marched at the head of his Army and laid Siege to Valentia a Citty in the Dutchy of Milan belonging to the King of Spain which was carried on with much Vigour while the Treaty was agitated on both sides by the Prince of Fundi from the Emperor Marquess of Leganez on the part of the Spaniards the Lord Gallaway for the King of England and the Marquess de St. Thomas for the Duke of Savoy and many Conferences were held before they could be brought to any Conclusion But though the French and Savoyards were so eager to take Valentia they found an harder thing of it than was expected having lost above 3000 Men before it and the approach of the bad Weather and the Winter Season made the matter very Dubious at last and things on all hands were brought to this Crisis on both sides whether the French should run the hazzard and Dishonour that would accrue to them of raising the Siege or whether the Confederates would venture the losing of it and with that protract the War in Italy But all Parties having considered the advantages and disadvantages the Neutrality was agreed to and signed upon the 7th of October containing chiefly the following Articles I. That there shall be a Neutrality or Suspension of Arms in Italy till a General Peace II. That the Imperial and French Troops shall depart out of Italy and return into their own Countries III. That in lieu of Winter Quarters which the Princes of Italy were otherwise oblig'd to allow the Imperialists they should furnish them with 300000 Crowns that is to say One third before their Retreat and the remainder at a time prefix'd upon sufficient Security IV. That so soon as the Imperialists should begin to March off with some part of their Troops the French should proportionably do the like V. That the Treaty should be ratifyed within two Days by the Duke of Savoy by the Emperor within a Month and within two by the King of Spain Hereupon the Count of Thesse and Marquess de Vins were sent Hostages to Turin by the French is were also the Prince of Trivultio and the Marquess de Burgomaniero by the King of Spain and the Marquess of St. Thomas to Milan by the Duke of Savoy Things being thus concluded on in Italy in respect to that particular Peace there was a mighty Discourse all the while of a general One with the rest of the Confederates and Monsieur Dickvelt's going about the same time to the King's Camp when News came to him of the former made the same hotly Discoursed of People supposing he came to His Majesty to give an Account of his Negotiations about that important Affair And that which confirmed Men more in this Opinion was That Monsieur Dickvelt made this Journey more than once between the Camp and the Hague but this matter we shall pursue no further at present it being time we should proceed to see the Operations of the Campaign in Hungary this Year The Armies on each side were Commanded by the same Generals as the preceding Year the Grand Seignior pretty early in the Summer came to Belgrade at the head of very numerous Troops while the Elector of Saxony about the beginning of June joined the Imperial Forces whom he found to be so good that according to all the Intelligence at that time of the Enemies Numbers he might be able to fight them or if they refused to sit down before some considerable place Whereupon several Counsels of War were held according to Custom wherein it was resolved at length to Besiege Themeswaer but whether it were really designed for a formal Siege or that it was only a feint to draw the Mahometans to a Battle is uncertain However the Duke approached the place viewed it raised Batteries and in some measure made a formal Attack upon the Town while advice came in the mean time thick and three-fold that the Sultan was preparing to cross the Danube with his whole Army which made the Elector glad of the News rise from before Themeswaer and immediately to set forward to meet the Infidels But this proving to be a false Rumour the Elector returned to attack the place again though this was thought to have been done that the Turks might be more eager to follow him and indeed the Stratagem took For the Sultan to divert him from the Siege came on amain which made the Elector to make some small motion towards the Enemy to the end he might take his measures to observe their Countenance and the Scituation of their Ground So that the Imperialists continued their march when on the 21st of August by break of Day they found the Turkish Chavalry begin to appear in very great Numbers which made the Elector and General Capara to cause the Army to march in order of Battle But at the same time the Infidels came pouring down upon the Christians from several parts with extraordinary Fury But they met with such Vigorous resistance from every Quarter that after a sharp Recounter they were forced to retreat and the Germans pursued them close at their Heels with an intention to drive them upon their Infantry in hopes to have come up with them the same Day and
Quantity of Silk and Silver Stuffs So that every Soldier of the 2000 had for his Share 6 Piasters the rest being divided among the Officers and other Soldiers the Czar reserving only the Cannon and Ammunition to himself This being happily effected the Siege of Asoph was carried on with great Application which all the Endeavours of the Turks and Tartars could not relieve by Land they being routed in the Attempt and a great many of their Number slain So that it was surrender'd to the Czar upon Articles on the 28th of July in pursuance of which the Garrison consisting of 3000 Men besides Tartars marched out with their Arms and Baggage and presently the Muscovites marched in and found 90 Pieces of Cannon together with a great Quantity of Ammunition in the Town But want of Provisions hasten'd the Surrender of it The News hereof no sooner arrived at Constantinople but it occasioned a great Consternation there and more especially for fear of losing those Supplies of Provisions which usually come to that City by the Euxine Sea which the Loss of that Place opened a Gap for the Moscovites to be Masters of But now after so long a Peregrination 't is time we should return homewards and take notice That the State of Affairs in Flanders this Year being already given an Account of it gave the King an Opportunity of returning to England somewhat sooner than usual and the Parliament to meet about the middle of Octob. to whom his Majesty said That he thought it our Happiness considering the Disappointments in the Funds and other Difficulties we laboured under that Things had passed without any Disadvantage That this was a convincing Proof of the good Disposition of his Army and steady Affections of his People That the Enemy's Hopes had been hitherto frustrated in respect to the difficult Conjuncture we were in and that their unanimous Proceedings was the Way to have the same continued That the Business before them was very great and our Occasions pressing That he could not let slip the Occasion to tell them That some Overtures had been made towards setting up a Negotiation of a General Peace But that the best Way to Treat was with our Swords in our Hands and by shewing our selves prepared to make a vigorous and effectual War Wherefore he recommended earnestly to the Commons to take Care for Raising the necessary Supplies with Speed As he did also the Remedying of some Inconveniences still remaining in Relation to the State of the Coin And so he concluded as we shall also conclude the Year with leaving the Parliament to take care in the first place of this last Clause of his Majesty's Speech about the Coin and to make a strict Enquiry among other Things into the late Conspiracy which took them up much Time And of which but very briefly before we hasten to give an Account of the General Peace Yet we will observe first as we were wont to do That this Year proved fatal to Mary Anne of Austria Queen-Mother of Spain who departed this Life on the 17th of May after she had been long tormented with a Cancer in her Breast Her Death being no less considerable a Loss to the Confederacy in general than to Spain in particular considering her great Influence over the Spanish Counsels to make them take such Resolutions as were conformable to the Interests of the Common Cause For which Reason she was but little beloved in France and gave Occasion for a great Prince of that Nation as was reported to say when he heard of the dangerous Distemper which had seized that Princess That he could have wished she had died Ten Years ago year 1697 Tho' this Year produced a General Peace between the Allies and the French Monarch yet our Parliament before the Close of the last in pursuance to his Majesty's Pre-monition to them in his Speech at the first Opening of the Session proceeded vigorously to other Methods for carrying on the War But they had not been long sate when they met with a considerable Interruption therein by the Business of Sir John Fenwicke who was one of the Conspirators in the late Plot for invading the Land and taking away the King's Life and was designed to have been tried at the Common Law as the rest had been But there were some Accidents fell out which made his Case extraordinary and brought it into Parliament of which take this short Account Upon Sir John Fenwicke's Apprehension which was in Kent as he designed to have made his Escape that way beyond Sea it did appear by a Letter of his writ to his Lady thereupon and which hapned to come in the Governments Hands That he was so far sensible of his Guilt and Danger that he proposed no other way for the present to Escape than by either getting a Jury Pack'd that would be Obstinate and not bring him in Guilty or making Friends to the King for a Pardon or Reprieve at least to gain Time But after his being brought to Town Commitment to Newgate and farther Consulting with his Friends the said Methods being found not very Practicable there was another Topick resolved upon which had a much more apparent Prospect of Success and that was to set up a Counterplot by accusing a great many of the King 's best and greatest Friends to have been guilty of Conspiring against him which startled a great many People at first not knowing who and who was together And tho' the same in the dilatory Managements of it did for a time with Sir John to gain him Space to have his Tryal put off yet he could not be but sensible it would not do always and therefore there was another Game for him to Play before he could conceive himself out of Danger which was to seduce away one at least of the Evidences that had swore the Treason against him as well knowing according to the late Act one was not sufficient in Cases of High Treason And this being also effected in the Person of Cardell Goodman who privately withdrew into France the Danger seemed now to be quite over tho' they could have been glad both for his and others sake that Captain Porter also had been got to the same or a worse Place and made Overtures to him by a rascally Irish-man one Clancy by Name to that end But he proved stanch against the great Temptation and made a Discovery thereof unto the Government So that the Government thereby finding it self horribly abused by these Clandestine Proceedings and no room left to bring the Criminal by the ordinary Course of Law to a Condign Punishment The King thought fit to give leave to Admiral Rassell to acquaint the House of Commons and lay before them the several Papers which were given in by Sir John Fenwicke in the Nature of Informations against himself and several Persons of Quality and desired that the same might be read that so he might have an Opportunity to justifie himself or
granted pass'd and stipulated between the above-mention'd Plenipotentiary-Embassadors of the said Most Christian and Catholick Kings in the Name of their Majesties which Plenipotentiaries by virtue of their full Powers Copies of which shall be affix'd at the bottom of this present Treaty have promis'd and do promise under the Obligation of all and every the Territories and States present and to come of the Kings their Masters That they shall be inviolably observ'd and accomplish'd and that they will cause them to be sincerely and uprightly ratify'd without any Additions and to produce the Ratifications by Letters Authentick and seal'd wherein the whole present Treaty shall be inserted Word for Word within Six Weeks to commence from the Day and Date of the present Treaty or sooner if it may be Moreover the said Plenipotentiaries have promis'd and do promise in the said Names That the said Letters of Ratifications being produc'd the said Most Christian King as soon as may be in the Presâ—nce of such Person or Persons as the said Catholick King shall please to appoint shall solemnly swear upon the Cross Gospel Canons of the Mass and upon his Honour fully cordially and faithfully to observe and fulfil all the Articles contain'd in this present Treaty And the same thing shall likewise be done as soon as may be by the said Catholick King in the presence of such Person or Persons whom it shall please the Most Christian King to depute In Testimony of which Things the said Plenipotentiaries have subscrib'd the present Treaty with their Names and seal'd it with their Seals Given at Riswick in Holland September the 20 th 1697. Thus Sâ—gn'd in the Original L. S. N. I illieroot L. S. De Harlay Bonnueil L. S. Verjus de Crecy L. S. De Callieres But though the Imperialists seemed to be a little concern'd at these Proceedings of their Allies yet they thought it the most advisable way to agree to a Cessation of Arms which was done two Days after the Signing of this Treaty and Expresses were immediately Dispatched to the respective Armies upon the Rhine to cease from any further acts of Hostility Yet before advice could come hereof to Prince Lewis of Baden he had taken the Castle of Eberemburg and was going to lay Siege to Kirn also But what was perhaps more mortifying to the Imperial Ministers than all the rest was that advice had not come a few days sooner of the wonderful Success of the Emperors Arms in Hungary which would in all likelihood have a little cooled the eagerness of those powers that had already signed the Peace and made the French more complyant with the Emperor and Empire's Demands But though they failed herein yet certainly such an advantageous Battle has not been fought in the whole course of this Bloody War which had now lasted for 15 Years And before we go any further its fit we should give a few particulars of this memorable Action The Imperialis is true miscarried in the first Design they had concerted to begin the Campaign with the taking of Bihatz the more than ordinary Opposition they met with there and the Rebellion that brake forth in Vpper Hungary which was calculated to have begun about the time of the Election of Poland having occasioned them to draw their Troops that way But though the Head of this last Hydra was quickly cut off yet the Turks headed again by the Grand Seignior in Person seemed to come very formidable into the Field and threatned to give new Life to this Monster again or to push quite through Transylvania and thereby entirely despoil the Emperor of the Benefit of that Principality Though other Aspects of the Enemies Motion gave the Germans Umbrage that they designed to attack Peter Waradin But while Prince Eugenius of Savoy who commanded the Imperial Army lay at Belsche he received upon the 12th of Sept. the Confirmation of the Intelligence that he had had before That the Infidels had a Design to march directly to Segedin with this Addition That several Parties of Turks and Tartars were sent out to burn and plunder the Country A Captain of Zenta also Tokeli by Name reported That about Noon the Enemy was at Zenta and that they had detached a Body of Horse in order to destroy all before them For the better Assurance of the Truth of which two Parties of 60 Horses apiece were sent upon the Scout In the mean time the Army decamped before Day and marched in 12 Columns Six of Horse and Six of Foot the Artillery in the middle in which Order they continued their March till 9 in the Afternoon in which time some of the Parties sent to get Intelligence brought word That they met the Enemies Guards near Zenta Hereupon the Hussars were immediately sent away to succour and bring them off who having performed their Orders took a Bassa Prisoner and returned without the Loss of one Man The Bassa was examined and threatned to have his Head cut off if he did not tell the Truth He told them That the Grand Seignior had a real Design to march directly to Segedin and to try if he could make himself Master of it in his March because he was assured by Tekely and the Corussâ—s That it might be easily taken before the Imperial Army could overtake them and withal That the City was defenceless But understanding that the Imperialists who were decamped from Peter Waradin followed them close at the Heels and that there was a numerous Garrison in Segedin he had stopt at Zenta and had laid a Bridge over the Theysse which they had brought in Waggons and which had been built at Belgrade last Winter by the Direction of a Frenchman being a neat good commodious Invention That now the Grand Seignior had a Design to march into Transilvania and Vpper Hungary to which purpose he had already passed the Theysse in Person with some Thousands of Horse That the last Night when this Bassa was sent upon the Scout the Artillery and heavy Baggage began to pass the same River but that the rest of the Army was still on the other side with above an Hundred Pieces of Cannon nor could he tell whether those Troops would pass the River or no That in the mean time the Turks were already intreâ—ched and that they had begun to cast another Intrenchment at the Head of the Bridge The Bassa added That the Tartars Corusses and some Turks burnt all the Country before them though as he said they had received no such Orders from the Sultan which was not easie to be believed Upon this Information the Army continued their March receiving Advice every Moment by the Hussars and Spies That the Enemy was still crossing the River and that their Cavalry were stirred out of their Intrenchments according to Custom to skirmish with the Christians Two Hours after other Prisoners gave an Account That the greatest part of the Horse were already on the other side of the River and the
The Keys of the City shall remain in the Custody of the President Burgomaster who shall also give the Word 15. The Old City shall be guarded by the City Soldiers except the Burgesses Gate and the Middle Post 16. If any of the Inhabitants will remove to any other Place they shall be permitted to depart with their Families and Effects 17. All Hostilities committed on either side shall be abolish'd by an Amnesty and the Soldiers that shall be oblig'd to quit some Posts shall do it with Drums beating lighted Matches and other Marks of Military Honour granted upon the like Occasions 18. General Brandt promises to obtain a just Ratification of the Articles above-mention'd These the Elector ratified with some Variation wherein in respect to the first Head he consented that the Oath which the City had taken to the King of Poland should remain inviolable he contenting himself for the present with the Assurances which the Magistrates gave him of their â—idelity But in case of a Rupture between him and the King and that their City was to be attack'd the said Article was to be void and they were to take the same Oath of Fidelity to him The Elector was also willing to contribute all that he had promised on his part for the Preservation and Defence of the City in case it were attack'd and to satisfie the Inhabitants for any Losses they might sustain by any new Fortifications he might be obliged to raise for the Defence of the Place he is farther content that the President of the Burgomasters should have the Custody of the City-Keys and give the Word and that the Guard of the old Town c. should be entrusted with the Soldiers in their Pay except the Burgesses Port and another Post granted to the Brandenburgers so long as the City should not be attack'd But if otherwise he would have his own Soldiers employ'd in all the Posts where there should be occasion for the Security and Defence of the City The Poles have blustred mightily about this Matter and the King at least wise in outward appearance shewed a mighty concern at it So that with many of them nothing but a War upon the Elector must serve However 't is hoped things are somewhat cooled and that the Interposition of the Emperor King of Denmark and the States General may bring all things again to an amicable Composure either to bring the Poles to pay the Elector his Money or confirm Elbing to him I confess as it fell out I do not think Elbing unhappy in the Change of Masters the Elector being a Protestant Prince who is under no Obligation to disturb her in the Exercise of her Religion and withal so famous for his Prudence Moderation and other admirable Qualities that he cannot but promote the Interests of it However I cannot without some sort of Indignation think of that Liberty some Princes have assumed to themselves of Mortgaging or out-right Selling of Cities and their Subjects as Men do Horses and Cows and not only so but many times also their Religion Lives and Properties Tho' by what divine or humane Right is beyond my Capacity to understand But to leave this ungrateful Subject and return to Lithuania We told you before of Oginski's Defeat and Flight which by the Consequence thereof did not appear to be so entire as was at first represented For he quickly recovered again and most part of the Nobility joyning in with him he in his turn before the end of November with a body of 15000 Men fights and defeats the General Sapieha's Army consisting of about 8000 and slew to the number of 2000 of them But tho this Loss began to open the Eyes of several of the chief Leaders of them and that being inferiour in Number they plainly saw the Dangers they expos'd themselves too if they persisted longer to trouble the Repose of the Dutchy and that thereupon they began to lend an Ear to the Remonstrances and good Offices of the Bishop of Wilna for the Re-union of the contending Parties Yet such was the Obstinacy of Prince Sapieha that he got what Troopâ— he could together and posted himself at some distance from the City of Grodno while the other Quartered himself on the other side of the said City with the Nobility of the Country and his other Adherents who far surpassed the Prince in Strength and where they seemed to be ready to engage when General Fleming suddenly came and posted himself with 28 Saxon Companies between both Armies with Orders to fire upon those that committed the first act of Hostility This he had no sooner done but he sent Orders to Prince Sapieha in the King and Republick's Name to disband his Army upon the Place Which tho' the Prince at first made a scruple to obey yet considering the pernicious Consequences of a Refusal and the vast inequality of Force between them his Enemy being computed to be thrice his Strength he resolved to yield Obedience Upon which Commissioners were appointed on both sides in the Presence of General Fleming whom the King had appointed as Mediator and a Treaty of Accommodation was signed December the 20th Importing That Sapieha's Army which was the chief Cause of the Contest in so severe a Season should be forthwith disbanded 2620 Foot should be kept still in Pay comprehending the Regiment allow'd by the Republick That the Officers should Swear an Oath of Fidelity and engage never to Attempt any thing against the Republick and faithfully to serve the King That the Hungarian Troops should be disbanded 1140 Dragoons should be kept on foot That the Soldiers as well disbanded as otherwise should be promised free Quarters in lieu of all their Pretensions That all Hostilities committed on both sides should be obliterated by a General Amnesty That the Money which the King had promised the Army by the Pacta Conventa should be paid and that the Republick should press the Performance of the said Pacta Conventa But as for the four Quarters promised by the Republick Deputies should be sent to the next Dyet that the Money might be paid to the Respective Companies No new Levies should be made without the Dyet and that till the same met all possible care should be taken that the General of Lithuania might exactly observe the Institution of the Coaequation And whereas some Palatines had hitherto refused Winter Quarters and other Contributions Commissioners should be sent to the Dyet to demand Satisfaction That the Right of Coaequation Partition c. as also the Tribunal of Lithuania should be preserved inviolable and that all Manifesto's for that end should remain in full Force as to that particular But should be annull'd in every thing that concern'd the General of Lithuania his Family and other Persons in particular comprehended in the said Manifesto's and that all possible security should be procured for their Persons Estates and Dignities That the Government of General should subsist upon the Terms of
de Starembergh marched also to the Bridge being followed by the Baggage and encamped in a very advantageous Post where they could not well be forced by the Enemy the Cavalry of oâ—e Left Wing advanced up an Hill and those of the Right into a Plain near Rossava And that the Enemy might think their Design only was to secure the Passage of the Infantry one part of the Horse were ordered to dismount Whereas while this was doing Colonel de St Croix with some hundreds of Horse together with the Counts of Chakey Deak and Buduani with the Hungarians Rascians and Hussars getting before the Cavalry through a Valley wherein they could not be discovered flew with full speed upon the Enemy and were seconded by the Cavalry who had opportunity during the Shock to mount again The Turks retired slowly thinking to draw the Christians into a Wood behind which they had planted 10000 Men Tho' when they found themselves charged by all the Imperial Cavalry they fell into some Disorder and were pursued by the left Wing to a narrow Place where they made an Halt But when the Prince of Baden and General Veterani came up with the Regiments of the right Wing they retreated in Confusion to another Wood where they were pursued for an Hour and an half till they came into a Plain Here it was the Christians drew themselves up in good Order of Battel and fell upon the rallied Turks with that resolute Bravery that above 400 of their best Horse were defeated upon the Place and a great number of Prisoners taken among whom was the Commander of the Janisaries together with 12 Coronets and some Kettle-Drums The Hungarians and Hussars pursued them a considerable way killed a great Number and got a very large Booty because the Fliers threw away their Baggage and their Arms that they might the readier make their Escape The Cavalry returned the same day to attack the other Party of the Turks before they could join the Fugitives To this end 500 Foot were detach'd to make themselves Masters of a narrow Lanc at the Entrance of a thick Wood about an Hour and an halfs March long into which there was but one Way to enter and beyond it the Enemies Army was encamped in a large Plain They quickly beat off 3000 Janisaries and some Horse that lay concealed to hinder the Imperialists from gaining it which however was not done without some loss on both sides There they stayed till the 30th where all their Infantry came to encamp in a Plain beyond the Wood by the Favour of a thick Mist having a Wood behind them to the Right another Wood that ran out as far as the Morave and the River it self on the Left The Prince of Baden who had rejoyn'd the Foot the Evening before ordered the Horse to re-pass the River and post themselves in the same place where the Infantry had encamped the Night before leaving on the other side no more than 7 Squadrons of Hungarians and Rascians and some Horse and Dragoons a foot to guard the Baggage As soon as the Mist cleared up the Turks appeared drawn up in Battel-array and the Prince had hardly time enough to range the second Line of his Foot behind the first before the Turks both Horse and Foot advanced upon him notwithstanding whole Peals of Cannon and Showers of small Shot poured in upon them The Conflict lasted about 2 Hours during which time both sides kept continually firing but General Castelli having got out of the Wood with his Dragoons the Enemy no sooner heard the Trumpets and Kettle-Drums of the first Squadron but they began to retreat into another Wood and thereby gave the Imperialists an opportunity to plant their Horse behind their Infantry It fortunately happened at the same time that a Bavariâ—n who had been taken at the Siege of Buda having made his Escape discovered that there was another Plain behind the Wood to which the Enemy retreated where theâ— lay entrench'd Upon this Count Staremberg having first view'd the Road within the Wood and finding it broad enough and withal that it was not above 500 Paces long and that the Turks lay in their Entrenchments that were as so many Fortresses for them the Prince commanded him thither with 300 Men a Battalion of his own and one of Staremberg's and was followed by a good body of Infantry With these he bravely drave the Enemy from their 1 st Entrenchment who thereupon retreated to their second about 100 Paces further and environed with a Moat full of Water that was not accessible on that side However they continued firing from one Entrenchment unto another for above an hour and an half so that many Soldiers were lost here by the Germans together with 4 Captains and a great many men wounded While this was in agitation the first Entrenchment was levell'd for a Post for the Cavalry and then Picolomini who had the Command of the Vanguard that day advanced both with the Horse and Foot in good Order to the second Entrenchment Count Palsi in the mean time advanced cross the Woods with his Heydukes and making an hideous Noise with his Trumpets to terrifie the Enemy as if there had been some considerable Body that was coming to attack their Rear This Stratagem took so well that as soon as they heard the Noise of the Trumpets and Kettle-Drums and saw Picolomini moving towards them notwithstanding all their Vollies of small Shot they retreated athwart another thick Wood into their Camp being pursued by the Imperialists though the ways were very narrow But when they came into open ground Colonel Zand was sent with a Regiment to fall on their Rear being followed by all the Horse Regiment by Regiment Zand with his own Regiment and that of Serau drave the Infidels from the Wood and forced them into their Camp which was upon an Hill near Patochin and then staid till other Troops came up with him But a great Shower falling at that time and the Night coming on he fell upon the Enemy now under great Consternation with those 2 Regiments only put them to the Rout and forced them to quit their Camp of which the Christians became Masters and where they sound 105 Pieces of Cannon 3 Mortars several Bombs a great quantity of Ammunition Provision Waggons Camels Oxen Bufalo's Tents and other Riches Some of the Enemy escaped to Jagodin others to Krakolovez being pursu'd still by the Hungarians who kill'd divers of them and found some Pieces of Cannon and other Arms in the Mountains Though the number of the Slain was not so considerable in these Onsets yet the Advantage therein as well as in the great Booty the Imperialists got was manifestly on their side every way which will yet farther appear by the succeeding Actions of this Campaign I am loth to make any interruption in this Place in the rest of the Successes of the Imperial Arms and the rather since it has not been my Custom upon other
as to offer the Enemy Battel which the other did not decline For upon the 18th Catinat gave the Signal and by 11 in the Morning ordered the Italians to be attack'd by the way of the Morass which he had caused to be sounded before and found firm enough to bear his Men So that the Duke 's Left Wing not expecting to be attack'd in Flank the Morass being to the Left of them made not such a stout Resistance as they might have done had they been forewarned However they killed several of the Enemy but at length the Cavalry began to give way being maul'd both with the firings of a Body of Reserve and with the great Cannon that plaid directly upon them But the Right Wing stood firm till 3 in the Afternoon when being not able to bear the whole brunt of the Enemies fire they were constrained to betake themselves to flight and several of them thinking to facilitate it by taking the Po in their way were drowned The Duke himself retired with part of his Troops to Carignan to compute his Loss which the Enemy affirmed to be 4000 slain out-right 11 great Guns good store of Baggage some Colours and a considerable quantity of Ammunition taken and that themselves had not above an 150 killed and about 100 wounded This Account tho' it be not altogether probable yet the Advantage every way was the French's past all doubt and what was intended to have been saved by the Duke of Savoy in hazarding this Battle was the Consequence of Catinat's Victory who the very next day possessed himself of Salusses as he did soon after of Savillana a large City 15 Miles from the former Villa Franca and divers other Places and then march'd with his Army to Raiconoggi with a Design to set upon the Duke of Savoy's Men that were retired to Carignan after their Defeat or at least to make himself Master of Carmagnoli But the Duke not finding himself in a state to abide his coming retreated to Monclair to recruit his Army and to wait for the German Troops that were coming to his Assistance after he had put 4000 Men into Carignan and secured Carmagnola The Germans or at least part of them some time after joyned the Duke with which Reinforcement besides some Milanese Troops being near 20000 strong he decamp'd on the 16th of Sept. from Monclair and advanced towards Catinat who also having been strengthened with some Regiments from France was not at all startled at his Approach but stood his Ground while Monsieur St. Ruth was reducing Tartantasia and Morienna with all Savoy excepting Montmelian under the Obedience of the French King whose Cities swore Allegiance to him and whereof Monsieur St. Ruth for his good Services was made Governour with an annual Pension as 't was said of 40000 Livres And as the French Forces had in a manner made a compleat Conquest of the Dutchy of Savoy this Season you have already an account how far a Progress they have made in Piedmont the most valuable part of the Duke's Dominions and now you will hear of what was more afflicting to his Royal Highness than any one thing that perhaps befel him since the Rupture Suza is a City very considerable for its Situation as being that which opens a Passage out of the Dauphinate into Piedmont whenever the French should think it requisite For every time the Kings of France design'd a War in Italy they always coveted to be Masters of that Post Now Catinat had had an Eye upon it for some time and made some secret Paces towards accomplishing his Design which yet he could not carry so covertly but that the Duke had notice of it so that he did all he could to prevent the misfortune To this purpose he sent away the Count of Lovigniez with 6 Batallions of Foot and some Horse to secure the Place Of which Monsieur Catinat being advertised he did not take the ordinary Road but hasted towards the Mountains marching his Men with wonderful Application and Celerity for 6 Days together without Intermission This Motion of his when the Duke heard of he mistakingly thought the Siege of Suza had been a feign'd business but that the true Design of the French was to give him Battle and therefore sent Orders to Lovigniez to leave Suza and forthwith to joyn him with all his Forces This was no sooner done but the French immediately begirt the City where there was only 6 or 700 Men in Garrison under the Count de Lande who seeing no likelihood to defend himself in such a weak Post with such an inconsiderable Force against a numerous Army or rather being of a base and dastardly Nature made shew of putting himself first in a Posture of Resistance but presently after surrendred the City upon Terms of marching out with Arms Baggage and 3 Cannon and to be convey'd to the Gates of Turin With this Action the Campaign ended in Italy for Catinat divided his Army thereupon sending one part of them into Winter-Quarters in Savoy and the other into Provence But while the Duke of Savoy was struggling in this manner with his adverse Fortune at home without its having been in the Power of his new Allies the Germans and Spaniards hitherto to bear him up under the Weight that oppress'd him he bethinks himself of making Application to some other oâ— the Confederates and therefore first sends the Count de lâ— Tour his Envoy into Holland who was kindly received by the States and promised some Support tho' this was the first that ever came from a Duke of Savoy to them ever since they had been a State and had Orders from thence to go into England to congratulate the King and Queen's Accession to the Throne having done his main business with the King's Envoy before at the Hague and delivered himself to the King in the following Terms which I am the more inclined to takâ— notice of because of something in consequence and whereâ— you will have an Account in due place that quite contradict what in substance is contained herein SIR HIS Royal Highness congratulates Your Majesties glorious Access to the Crown due to your Birth merited by your Vertue and maintain'd by your Valour Providence ordain'd it for your sacred Head for the Accomplishment of Heavens Designs from all Eternity that Providence which after long forbearance raises up chosen Instruments at length to suppress Violence and protect Justice The wonderful beginnings of your Reign are assured Presages of the Blessings which Heaven is preparing for the Integrity of your Intentions which have no other Aim than to restore this flourishing Kingdom to that Grandeur which it anciently enjoyed and to break off those Chains under the Weight of which all Europe at present groans This magnanimous Design so worthy the Hero of our Age soon fill'd his Royal Highness with unspeakable Joy tho' he were constrain'd to keep it undisclosed for a time in the privacies of his Heart and if afterwards he