Hollanders fighting like Lions we took one of their Ships of sixty Guns another was sunk and a third burnt besides there were twelve more of their best Ships so much disabled in their Masts and Riggings that not being able to carry them off they were forc'd to sink and to burn them The Count de Tourville pursu'd them for two days after and would in all probability have destroy'd their whole Fleet if the Wind had not turn'd against him which gave the Enemy opportunity to bring the rest of their Ships into a place of security This disgrace put the Enemies into no small consternation forasmuch as they had flatter'd themselves that they were much superiour to us at Sea and that no body hitherto had been bold enough to dispute with them the Sovereignty of the Sea The Prince of Orange King Willian III. laying the cause of this disaster to the mismanagement of the English Admiral he was tryed and acquitted of what was laid to his charge But whilst the English and Dutch made heavy complaints on both sides laying the loss of the Battle at one anothers Doors the French obtain'd another signal Victory about five Weeks after being the eighteenth Day of August For the Spanish Auxiliaries Defeat of the Duke of Savoy with a good Body of Imperial Troops having joyn'd the Duke of Savoy he took the Field and after several marches and counter-marches encamped boldly within sight of the French Army being cover'd on the Right by a large Wood on the Left by boggy Grounds and having in the Front a small Rivulet Both the Armies were near equal in number that of the Allies being Commanded under the Duke of Savoy by some of their best Officers The Sieur de Catinat Commander in Chief of the French in those parts appear'd the first time in this Campaign at the Head of a great Army He was descended from a Family that ow'd its Off-spring to the Gown but by his many Services render'd himself not inferiour to any of our age that have rais'd their Families by the Sword This wise General having taken a view of and found a passage thro' the Boggs attack'd the Enemy on that side with incredible bravery that their left Wing was brought immediately into confusion the right Wing held it out for some time after but being likewise broken at last a great slaughter ensued most of their Infantry being cut to pieces and their Cavalry sav'd themselves by repassing the River Po leaving the Field and their whole Artillery except one piece of Cannon which was thrown into the River with I all their Ammunition and many Colours and Standards to the mercy of the Enemy Four thousand of them were kill'd upon the spot whereas on our side we had not above an hundred and fifty dead and four hundred wounded Men. The Conquest of Savoy which with some part of Piedmont submitted immediately after to our King was the first Fruit of this Victory For Saluzzas open'd its Gates the very next Day after the Battle The Town and Castle of Suza surrender'd soon after so that we remained Masters of the Field and all the flat Country till the time of withdrawing our Forces for the conveniency of our Winter-Quarters As we had been successful even beyond hopes near the Alps so there pass'd nothing of moment near the Rhine the Germans being very careful in avoiding an Engagement For no sooner had they receiv'd intelligence that the Dauphin had passed the Rhine but they intrench'd themselves so strongly on the other side the River Neckar that it was impossible to force them in their Post or to bring them to an Engagement Thus this Campaign would have prov'd as successful as any since the beginning of the War if the French Troops in Ireland under the Command of the King of England had met with the same success on that side For after the Prince of Orange King William III. Battle fought in Ireland near the Boyne in July had taken a resolution to pass over into that Island in Person to reduce it to his Obedience he gave Battle to the Irish within twenty Days after his arrival near the River Boyne Seven thousand French seconded by the Irish Horse who behav'd themselves very well sustain'd for some time the whole power of the Enemy but the Irish Foot being immediately brought into confusion the rest were entirely routed The loss of this battle put the whole Kingdom into such a consternation that the King of England not thinking himself secure there immediately repass'd the Seas and arriv'd safely at Brest The Marshal and Duke of Schomberg who had acquir'd immortal Glory whilst he was in our King's Service was kill'd in the Engagement His obstinate perseverance in the Calvinism had oblig'd him to quit France and to engage himself in the Service of the Prince of Orange King William III. who also receiv'd a slight hurt About five Weeks after the Battle he besieg'd Limerick The Garrison of the Town consisted of near six thousand French under the Command of Monsieur de Boisleleau Captain of our King's Guards who had after the last Engagement thrown themselves into the Place The Siege was carried on with the utmost Vigour but by the bravery of the Garrison and the help of fresh Supplies brought into the Place together with the scarcity of Forage continual Rains and sickness that had infected the Camp the Prince of Orange King William III. was oblig'd to raise the Siege After his return into England he appli'd all his care to make the necessary preparations for sending a considerable Body of his Troops into Flanders Campaign in 1691. and to appear at the Head of them in Person for fear least some of the Allies might in his absence enter upon a separate Treaty with France He was met at the Hague by the Electors of Bavaria and Brandenburgh by the Landtgraves of Hesse three Dukes of the House of Brunswick Congress at the Hague besides thirty other Princes by the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands the Emperor's Envoy those of Spain and several other Electors and of the Duke of Savoy and all the General Officers who were at this Council of War to concert measures concerning the operations of the next Campaign But whilst they spent their time in debates they receiv'd the unexpected News that the City of Mons had been invested by the French on the fifteenth of March and that the King was expected in the Camp by the twentieth or one and twentieth of the same Month. This sudden News like a Thunderclap dispers'd the whole Congress Most of the Princes there present return'd straightways into their respective Countries either because they did not think it convenient to be Spectators of the taking of the Place or to hasten their Troops to march to the relief of it The City of Mons is situate upon a rising ground surrounded with Boggs and consequently strong both by Art and Nature It is a very large
passable by the Bridges made by the dead Carcasses of Men and Horses This vast Army was dispersed in such a manner that they could not get together in a Body again till six days after when being reinforced with fresh Troops and especially with the Detachment commanded by the Prince of Wirtembergh they appear'd again in the Field It is to be taken notice of here that since the beginning of this War our King had ordered certain Lines or Entrenchments to be made from Mabeuge to the Sea-side to serve as a Barricado to cover his Conquests on that side The Duke of Wirtembergh having been detached from the main Army with a Body three times stronger than the French that guarded these Lines to attack them had forced these Entrenchments and was just then preparing to ravage the Country when receiving the News of this Defeat he was forced to turn back in order to join with all speed the Prince of Orange King William III. Within two Months after Victory of Marsaglia the 4 October the Marshal de Catinat obtained another no less compleat but less bloody Victory over the Confederate Army in Italy under the Command of the Duke of Savoy The said Marshal's Army had hitherto been much inferior in Number to the Allies which was the Reason that he had not undertaken any thing of moment but only to observe the Enemies Motions and to harress them with Marches and Countermarches The Duke and Spaniards willing to improve this Opportunity resolved to besiege Pignerol but being discouraged by the Resistance they met with in the Taking of St. Brigitt which being built but a Year before at some distance from the Town commanded the chief Avenues leading to it and had held out fifteen days before it was taken they altered their Resolutions contenting themselves with throwing a vast number of Bombs and red hot Bullets into the Place Whilst they were flattering themselves with the hopes of either reducing or destroying the City of Pignerol by Fire Messengers after Messengers came to bring the sad News to the Duke of Savoy that not only the French had burnt one of his Country Houses but that also the Marshal de Catinat having received a Considerable Reinforcement had made himself Master of the Plains The Duke immediately directing his March towards those Plains he was met by the Marshal The Battle began about nine a Clock in the Forenoon the right Wing of the Enemy was brought into confusion at the first Encounter the left follow'd not long after the Example of the right Wing yet they Rallyed and return'd to the Charge twice or thrice but without any great Effect for their Cavalry being entirely routed the rest were cut to pieces except those who saved themselves by flight and to fly with the less Inconveniency threw away their Arms enough to Arm sixteen thousand Men. The flying Enemy were pursued to the very Gates of Turin the whole Plain being covered with dead Carcasses and in some places with entire Battallions especially of the Spaniards and Hugonots The Enemies lost nine thousand Men in this Engagement besides two thousand taken Prisoners a hundred Colours forty five Standards and thirty four pieces of Cannon We had twelve or fifteen hundred killed and wounded on our side The Gens d'Arms behaved themselves to a miracle Our Infantry fought with their Bayonets in their Fuszees and Sword in hand After the Loss of this Battle the Duke being reinforced with the German Troops that block'd up Casal yet durst not appear in the Field so that the Marshal de Catinat without opposition over-run all the flat Country and carried away a prodigious quantity of Provision The King received the News of this Victory and of the Surrender of Charleroy in one day This place is situate betwixt Mons and Namur and was besieged in November when the Prince of Orange K. William III. was just ready to pass over into England Siege of Charleroy but upon the News of this Siege return'd into Flanders and advanced with an Army as far as Brussels but did not attempt the Relief of the Place which tho' considerable for its strength was forced to surrender in six and twenty days About the end of the same Month English Expedition against St. Malo an English Squadron was sent towards St. Malo to attempt the destruction of that Place not so much by their Bombs as a certain Engine by which they hoped to blow up that City or to lay it in Ashes This Engine was a three Deck'd-Ship of about four hundred Tuns lined and vaulted within with Brick-Work Betwixt each of these Decks there were placed many Barrels with Gun-powder mixt with a certain Composition of Tarr Pitch and Rosin a great number of Bombs Carcasses and other Casks fill'd with all sorts of Combustible Matter It was a fair and clear Night very calm and Spring-tide when this infernal Engine came swimming up with the Tide but by good Fortune was forced upon a Rock within Pistol-shot of the Walls of the City The Engineer who had the management of this Vessel perceiving that she took Water was so over-hasty in setting her on Fire that both He and his Attendants were blown up in the same moment before they had time to get out of reach The springing of this Engine made a most dreadful Noise and shook all the circumjacent Ground for three or four Leagues The whole City felt a most violent Confusion and in a moment all the Streets were covered with Slates and Tyles which like a Shower of Hail powred down from the tops of the Houses This was the whole Loss sustained by this dreadful Engine which carried along with it more Terror than Damage there being not one House in the whole City that receiv'd any further Damage neither was there one single Person kill'd or wounded For the Powder having taken vent and being besides that spoil'd by the Water did not answer the pretended Effect in throwing the Bombs and Barrels full of Combustible Matter into the Air. At low Water near seven hundred Bombs were taken up from the Sands and abundance of Powder out of the Wrack of the Vessel We could scarce have wish'd for a more prosperous Campaign on our side than the last Campaign in 1694. but as there is no human Felicity without some mixture of Adversity so when the State suffers within all its outward Prosperity appears to be but superficial I say we could not have wished for a more glorious Campaign if a general Scarcity had not almost ruined several Provinces in the Kingdom but especially the City of Paris with the circumjacent Parts France is a very fertile Country abounding especially in Wheat so as to be able to furnish its Neighbours with a considerable Quantity of this useful Commodity which for several years before had been so cheap that the common People liv'd easie enough tho' by reason of the long War and the decay of Trade there was but slender Gain
against the King's Forces who were not above nine or ten thousand strong This seem'd to be a very slender Force and little suitable to the greatness of the Enterprise but the King by his Presence Vigilancy and Example did animate his Soldiers to that degree that redoubling their Courage and Activity they in spite of the continual Fire and frequent Sallies of the Besieged carried all the Out-Works in nine or ten Days time Our Cannon having soon after made a Breach in one of the Bastions of the Place large enough for thirty Men to mount a-Breast the Governour despairing of being able to hold out the Assault demanded a Capitulation It would have been no difficult matter for the King to have oblig'd him to surrender at discretion but being free to shew Mercy to one that had behav'd himself so Gallantly The Citadel of Cambray surrender'd he agreed to certain Articles to serve him as a comfort in his present affliction pursuant to which the Garrison marched out at the Breach with Drums beating Colours Flying and two pieces of Cannon The Conquest of these three important places and the Battle of Cassel put the Affairs of the Confederacy into such a confusision that it was a considerable time before they could recollect themselves For it was not till three Months after that they held a Congress at Wesel to deliberate concerning some Enterprize of moment by which they might in some measure recover their former Reputation and Hopes The Elector of Brandenburgh the Duke of Nieuburgh who had lately declared against France the Ambassador of the King of Denmark the Pensionary of Holland Admiral Trump and the Envoys of the King of Spain and several other Electors were present at this Conference where the Siege of Charleroy was resolved upon and the execution thereof committed to the Management of the Prince of Orange No sooner was the Place invested with threescore thousand Men but the King's Army posted themselves betwixt the Enemy and those Cities of Flanders from whence they must draw their Provisions so that their Convoys being intercepted they were in a manner block'd up and began to want Provisions in two Days time There was no other remedy left than either to fight us or to quit the Siege but the Confederates not judging it for their purpose to hazard a second Battle they decamped not without some Confusion before eight Days were expired laying the fault upon one another and consuming what Forage they could meet with in the Country without shewing any great inclination to oppose the King's Forces who ravaged the Country and exacted great Contributions The King's Arms were attended with the same success in other parts Victory in Catalonia Philip de Montaut Duke de Nouailles had ravaged the whole Lampourdan and defeated ten Thousand Spaniards as they were repassing the Pyrenean Mountains there were three Thousand five Hundred of the Enemies killed upon the place and eight Hundred made Prisoners with the loss of only two Hundred Men on our side In Germany the Troops of the neighbouring Circles commanded by a Duke of Saxony In Germany had been worsted in several Encounters and were at last forced to seek for shelter in one of the Islands of the Rhine But what they intended for their Preservation had very near proved their total Destruction being in eminent danger of perishing either by Famine or the Enemies Sword if upon the intercession of the Magistrate of Strasburgh the King had not granted them a Passport to retreat from thence in security under condition that they should not bear Arms against the King the same Campaign The Passport being signed by the Marshal de Crequy who commanded at that time on the Rhine the abovementioned Forces with their Saxon General were marching homeward being conducted by a strong Guard their main security against their Enemies when Prince Charles of Lorrain came in timely to their Assistance to deliver them from so ignominious a Retreat But it was not long before he paid dearly for the Glory of having rescued the Germans for within few Days after the Cavalry of his Right Wing was totally routed and cut to pieces This Prince was Heir and Nephew to the old Duke of Lorrain who died in the Year 1675. After his Death the Emperour to bring him over to his Interest made him General over his Army on the Rhine promising to give to him in Marriage his Sister the Queen Dowager of Poland and to make use of all his Power and Interest to put him into the Possession of Lorrain which belonged to him by right of Succession His projected design succeeded but ill in the Year 1676. But at the beginning of the Campaign in the Year 1677 he thought himself so sure that he puts this Motto upon his Standards Maintenant ou jamais that is Now or Never Full of these fair hopes he passed the Saar and advanced as far as Mouson but the Marshal de Crequy followed him so closely upon the Heels that he scarce ever miss'd any opportunity to intercept his Convoys and thereby to cut off his necessary Supplies of Provisions he kept his Army in continual Alarm and by his Marches and Counter-marches harrass'd them to that degree that he broke all the Duke's Measures who was at last forced to repass the Rhine without having been able to do any thing of moment all that Campaign The Germans had no sooner repass'd the Rhine Friburgh taken but the Marshal de Crequy invested Friburgh the Capital City of Brisgau This City is of a considerable bigness and its Citadel very strong both by its Situation and several good Works notwithstanding which the Marshal attack'd it so briskly that he became Master of it in less than eight Days time before Prince Charles of Lorrain could come to its relief About a Month after St. Gillian besieged and taken the King caused St. Gillian to be Besieged this Place is situate in the midst of the Province of Heinault of very good strength and well provided with every thing necessary for its defence The Soldiers were not only to fight against the Enemy but also against the cold Season it being in the Month of December notwithstanding all these Difficulties they carried the place in nine Days a convincing Instance that the King's Troops were used to outbrave all the Rigours of the Season These frequent Losses and continual Disappointments made the People of Holland wish as much for a Peace as the Prince of Orange had reason to oppose it For it being the Interest of that Prince to keep in his Hands as long as possibly he could that great power wherewith he was invested as long as he was supream Commander both over their Sea and Land Forces he left no Stone unturn'd to prevent the States from making either a general or particular Peace with France But this small and troublesome War which had already lasted four Years having exhausted all the Parties concerned both of Men
groaned under followed blindfold the inclinations of their Leaders Add to this the want of Courage in the Chief Minister which induced him to lay hold of that most destructive Maxim of State To prefer only such as he dreaded most This fatal concourse of different Interests and Passions proved the source of such divisions and intestine Commotions as shook the very foundation of the French Monarchy Whilst the Kingdom was involved in these Troubles the King's Education was in a manner neglected by those to who 's Tuition it was committed who made it their chiefest care to carry the young King from one Province to another to shew him to his People in hopes to restore by this last effort the decay'd and languishing Authority of the Government and by his Royal Prefence to keep them in Obedience Notwithstanding all these Obstacles Happy presages of his Youth the King began to give most evident proofs of his great and generous Inclinations for when he was scarce twelve years of Age such was his happy Genius that there appeared a discretion and reservedness in all his Actions much above what could be expected from so tender an Age shewing not the least inclination to those things which are the ordinary diversions of Children but an uncommon eagerness to be instructed in all manner of Exercises and a singular delight in hearing the relations of great and memorable Exploits These were the chief Entertainments of his Youth and it was always observed that if any thing happened to be related to him that was either above the common rate in its undertaking or surprising in its event there appear'd such a sprightliness in his Eves and whole Countenance as sufficiently testified his desire of signalizing himself by some memorable Action Is a Spectator of the Battle of St. Anthony July 2 1652. Full of this Noble Idea he waited with impatience for the time which might furnish him with an opportunity of giving real demonstrations of his great Inclinations and he was not quite 14 years of Age when knowing that his Army was ready to engage the Prince of Conde he entreated and pressed them so earnestly that to satisfie his most glorious desire they were obliged to place him on a certain Eminence where he could be a Spectator at least of a great part of the Engagement Lewis of Bourbon II Prince of Conde The Prince of Conde had for the last six years past been the Hero and chief Supporter of the Royal Party It was he that had gain'd the Battles of Rocroy Fribourg Nortlingen and Lentz And it was also the same Prince of Conde who at the beginning of the intestine commotions was so fortunate or rather dextrous as to block up the City of Paris with 7 or 8000 Men. 1649. There was something great and sublime above the rest of Mankind in this Prince He was endowed with a Courage undaunted in the midst of all Dangers His skill in Martial affairs was beyond what can be imagined or express'd On the day of Battle nothing was comparable to his Conduct either in choosing the advantage of the Ground or ordering and disposing his Troops in order of Battle or retiring and sustaining them with fresh Forces no body beyond him in pushing on an Attack with the utmost Vigour and in the heat of the Engagement to possess himself of an advantageous Post and to change the disposition of his Troops according to the various accidents and revolutions of the Battle a happy conjunction of many extraordinary Qualities if those great Souls elevated above the common Sphere were also capable of moderation His aspiring Genius nourished by evil Counsels prompted him to take up Arms against the King and having assembled a Body of Troops after several marches and counter-marches he at last posted himself near St. Cloue trusting to the nearness of the Bridge which might serve him for a safe retreat to avoid an engagement in case he should be attack'd by his Enemies who were superiour in number to him The two Marshals de Turenne and de la Ferte commanded two separate Bodies who to make sure work intended to inclose him betwixt their two Armies which the Prince having soon taken notice of he broke up from St. Cloue with an intention to march to Charenton and to entrench himself near that Bridge where by the nearness of the two Rivers Seyne and Marne it would be impossible to force his Camp The shortest way was to march thro' Paris but fearing least his Army should be considerably diminish'd by desertion in his march thro' the City or that the Citizens might deny him a Passage he changed his resolution and ordered his Troops to march round about as near the Suburbs as possibly could be He marched with all possible speed and precaution notwithstanding which Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne Vicount of en ne the Viscount of Turenne having got timely notice of it followed him so closely that after some hours march he attack'd him in the Rear and obliged him to come to an Engagement It was a happy chance for the Prince to meet with some old Retrenchments formerly cast up at the entrance of the Suburbs of St. Anthony behind which he posted his Troops to make head against the approaching Enemy He had scarce had leifure to put them in order of Battle when the King's Army animated by his Royal Presence attack'd his Entrenchments with incredible bravery As the King was at that time not much above 13 years of Age those that were about him could not sufficiently admire with what greatness of Courage and without shewing the least symptoms of fear he was an Eye-witness of the Engagement It was the greatest pleasure in the World to observe the various changes in his Countenance the effects of the different transports and motions of his Soul sometimes leaping for joy when he saw his Victorious Troops beat back those of the Prince sometimes blushing not so much for indignation as shame when the Prince forced the Royalists to retreat As in Civil Wars both parties are most incensed with mutual animosities so the bravest of both the Armies signalized themselves by some remarkable Action or other every one being prodigal of his Life to purchase Honour in this first encounter and to snatch the Victory out of his Enemy's Hands which thus remained uncertain for some time till after a bloody Combat of two hours fortune declared for the King whose Troops having made themselves Masters of the Entrenchments marched in good Order thro' the great Street of the Suburbs without any opposition from the Prince But scarce had they advanced half way towards the City when on a sudden they saw the Prince again appear at the head of his bravest Volunteers and other chosen Troops who charged them so vigorously that they forced them to retreat and to seek for shelter in the same Retrenchments from whence they had so lately forced their Enemies This varions chance of
Fortune changed the whole face of the Battle and it was very difficult to judge on which side Victory would encline both parties fighting with an equal animosity and bravery till the Viscount of Turenne being reinforced with some fresh Troops who had forced their way thro' some other Streets into the Suburbs enclosed the Prince on all sides who must have been Sacrificed with his whole Army to the fury of his Enemies if the City of Paris had not opened its Gates for his Reception and by the help of the great Artillery from the Bastile forced the King's Troops out of the Suburbs The Prince of Conde had upon many other occasions given most signal proofs of his Valour and Conduct but according to the judgment of the most expert Masters of the Art of War this day was accounted the most remarkable and most glorious of his Life if it may be allowed that true Glory is to be acquired in bearing Arms against his Sovereign it being unquestionable that he appear'd and encounter'd his Enemies in all places where the danger was most pressing and that he shew'd as much Prudence and Conduct in his Command as Vigour in the execution of them The Victorious Viscount of Turenne himself seem'd to be envious of the extraordinary Conduct and Courage of his vanquish'd Enemies and the King having received an exact relation of what had passed could not forbear to speak highly in praise of the Prince and for 2 or 3 days after his Valour was the only subject of his discourse an evident sign that from his infancy he had a most passionate inclination for Glory and a most fervent desire of making himself remarkable by generous Actions He goes to the Camp This noble Fire daily encreasing in his Soul it was in vain for his Friends to represent to him on one side the fatigues which attend the Camp and on the other side the absolute necessity there was to manage a health so precious as his to the best advantage all these arguments were not prevailing enough to keep him at home but maugre all their perswasions to the contrary he appear'd every Year in the Campaign at the head of his Armies and there was scarce any memorable Siege in Flanders till the Pyrenean Peace where he did not encourage his Troops by his Presence It was observable that whilst he was in the Camp he show'd more gaiety in his Countenance and all his Actions than he did in any other place He used to rise very early every Morning exposing himself to the injuries of all Seasons His Soldiers found him always in action sometimes in taking an account of the number and condition of his Souldiery as well as of the posture of the Enemy to be short he took upon him the same care and trouble which might have been expected from the most watchful General being never satisfied unless he received a most exact account of every thing of moment that belonged to the Camp His presence wrought marvellous effects among the French Soldiers who being before in great disorder for want of good Discipline now encouraged by the good Example and Vigilancy of their Prince began to improve every day to the great satisfaction of the King A convincing instance that when Subjects Love and Honour their Prince his Example has more influence over them than the most severe Laws and Chastisements These extraordinary Actions having acquired him the Esteem and Admiration of all Europe She was twice in France in 1656 and 1657 and returned in 1658. Queen Christina of Sueden who was at that time at the Court of Rome undertook a journey into France to be an Eye-witness whether Fame had not flattered this young Prince in those matters that had been related concerning him abroad so much to his advantage This Heroine Her Father died in 1632 but she did not Reign above 7 or 8 Years the only Daughter of Gustavus Adolphus the Famous King of Sueden who in two Years time Conquer'd above 200 Leagues and made himself by his Victorious Arms the terror of his Enemies as by his great Genius he purchased the esteem and was accounted the darling of his Friends This Princess I say had sway'd the Scepter for 7 or 8 Years with an extraordinary success being endowed with all the noble Qualities which are requisite to make a Great Queen she had a most piercing Wit a Soul elevated above the common Rank and a great share of Courage As she was a great Patroness of Learning and all manner of Sciences so she had made her self Mistress of most Languages used in Europe to that perfection as to be able to entertain each Foreigner in his Native Tongue with a great deal of Eloquence These advantages joyn'd to the great ability of her Ministers of State The Chancellour Oxenstirn and Count Magnes de la Garde gave her all imaginable hopes of being always belov'd by her People of being feared by her Enemies and esteemed by all the World so that she seemed not to stand in need of any thing that could compleat her satisfaction notwithstanding all these advantages she chose rather to maintain an eminent rank among the Learned of our Age than among the greatest Kings of Europe It is the rarest thing in the World and perhaps without parallel in History to meet in a Person of her Sex so many excellencies which the greatest Princes have always been ambitious of to render themselves famous to Posterity Weary of Commanding she had quitted the Crown not out of a fickle or froward humour as it has been spread abroad by her Enemies or because the Swedish Senate would have obliged her to Marry a Prince for whom she had no inclination but because she preferred her own liberty before the toils of a Crown and that she might not want the opportunity of taking a view of Europe to receive the tribute of Praises and Admiration which as she had all the reason in the World to believe the more polite sort of mankind would be ready to pay to such extraordinary merits After her Abdication she travelled out of Sueden into Flanders She comes into France to give the King a Visit from thence into Germany and so to Rome from whence the great reputation of our young King had brought her into France where she was received with all the imaginable demonstrations of Respect the King thinking no Honour too great for so excellent a Princess There was nothing to be seen at Court but Balls and Feasting every one striving to out-vie the other in magnificence in which as well as in his Person the King surpassed all the rest He was then betwixt nineteen and twenty Years of Age large of Stature his Mien and Physiognomy carrying along with it something extraordinary and great with all the true marks of Honour and Vertue there appearing in his Countenance a most agreeable mixture of Majesty and Sweetness The first time the Queen of Sueden came in
Lisle alone held out a Siege of eleven days after opening of the Trenches It is a large City very well Fortified and accounted the most Populous of any in the Spanish Netherlands There were at that time within the City no less than thirty thousand Inhabitants capable of bearing Arms besides four thousand Soldiers and a great number of good Officers and Volunteers who had thrown themselves into the Place to signalize themselves upon this occasion under one of the best and most experienc'd Commanders in the Spanish Service The King having received Advice that the Count de Marcin General of the Spanish Army was on his march to relieve the Place he detach'd the Marshal de Crequi who had joyn'd him before with his Flying Camp to possess himself of all the Avenues thro' which the Count de Marcin must needs approach the place The City being in the mean while forced to Capitulate the King resolved to march streight to the Enemy But the Marshal de Crequi on one and Bernard de Gigant de Bellefons likewise Marshal of France on the other side had saved the King this trouble they having before routed the Spaniards of whom they killed five hundred upon the spot took from them several Standards and Kettle-Drums and three hundred Prisoners among whom were many Colonels and some of their General Officers Count Marcin who was not insensible that the whole fortune of Flanders depended on his Army thought it most advisable to make a safe retreat and to throw his Troops into such places as were most exposed to the Victorious Enemy This prodigious progress of the King's Arms did alarm all the Neighbouring Princes who did not without great reason fear that the next Campaign he would like a torrent over-run all the rest of the Spanish Netherlands There had for many Years last past been an implacable hatred between the Spaniards and Dutch but as Love and Hatred among Sovereigns are swayed by Interest these two Nations setting aside all former Animosities were soon reconciled when the last being terrified by the late success of our Arms found their own security to depend on the preservation of the first to stop the Progress of the King's Conquests and to preserve Flanders from falling into his Hands the Hollanders enter'd into a League with England and Sueden by virtue of which Jan. 23. 1668. these three engaged themselves to furnish each of them fifteen thousand Men besides their quota at Sea for the defence of Flanders This League was called the Tripple Alliance But as their chief aim was rather to terrifie both Parties into a compliance than to enter into an open War they offer'd their Mediation with this Solemn Declaration that they were ready to take up Arms against either of these two Crowns which they should find averse to the Peace The King tho' in the midst of the Career of his Victories yet was not unwilling to hearken to their Propositions and notwithstanding what he had taken from the Spaniards did fall far short from what his just Pretensions were on the Queen's account yet he offer'd to rest contented with his Conquests A Treaty was therefore agreed on to be set on Foot at Aix la Chapelle to compose these differences But the Spanish Ambassadours only endeavouring to gain time by delays the King to oblige them to a more ready compliance and not to let slip any opportunity of pursuing his Right Fel 1668. conquer'd the Franche Compte in the very heart of the Winter Neither the Frosts nor Snow neither the overflowing of the Rivers nor badness of the Ways were able to stay him at home nor to prevent his march but with an eagerness suitable to the greatness of his design he appear'd at the Head of his Army with such success that the whole Province submitted within the space of eight days A Conquest so sudden did not only surprize the Spaniards but also the Mediators to that degree that without any further tergiversations they offer'd to grant the King 's former demands provided he would restore the Franche Compte The King was unwilling to part with so fair a Province extreamly convenient for its situation but the Love of Peace prevailing over his Interest he resolv'd rather to abandon that Province than to continue the War at a time when the Allies being more powerful at Sea than the French might in all probability have made an attempt upon our Coasts or at least have ruin'd our Trade at Sea A Peace was therefore concluded at Aix la Chapelle on the Second of May in the Year 1668. by Virtue of which our King restor'd to the Spaniards the Franche Compte all their Fortifications demolish'd and these resign'd to the King all the places they had Conquer'd in Flanders with their dependencies This Peace was soon follow'd by the re-establishment of an union in the Church Jansenism suppress'd in France which for these fifteen or twenty Years last past had been interrupted by some disputes about the true nature of Grace and were risen to that pitch as to threaten the Church and State with great Commotions if by the prudent Care of the King the Tempest had not been laid and a perfect Calm introduc'd The most surprising thing in the World That Religion which should be the strictest tye of Charity among Men proves two frequently the scource of Contests and Divisions What is more frequent than to see Mankind follow blindfold the opinion of their Leaders with so much Zeal as to involve the State in a Civil War a Prince therefore who truly understands his Interest can never be too watchful to keep a strict Hand over those who sow the first Seeds of these Discords and when he has nipp'd them in the bud to take effectual care to prevent them from growing again and taking root among his Subjects As it is beyond question that Mankind are not capable of performing any good Works meriting Eternal Salvation without God's Grace so it is very difficult to determine in what manner this Grace operates in us This is one of those Mystery's which are not to be attempted without great hazard the scrutiny proving frequently dangerous to the Undertaker who flatters himself to exhaust their meaning rather by subtilities than a plain interpretation Into what gross errors are we not apt to fall when flattering our selves to be more quick-sighted than others we bid farewel to true Humility and Submission Under Pope Clement VIII this point first began to be call'd in question betwixt two Religious Orders who in order to take cognisance of the matter appointed a Congregation composed of Cardinals and the most Learned Divines in Rome Pope Paul V. reviv'd the said Congregation with an intention to give a final decision in the matter but the differences arisen betwixt him and the Venetians having diverted his thoughts another way all these great preparations produc'd no other effect but only a Decree from the Court of Inquisition forbiding all
Capitulate After the taking of Besancon the King laid Siege to Dole the Fortifications of which place being not quite brought to perfection it did hold out not above nine Days Salins defended it self seven Days and the strong Castle of St. Anne which was hitherto esteemed inaccessible beat a Parly as soon as a Battery erected upon vast Wooden-Piles began to thunder against it Thus the King conquered the whole Franche Compte in four or five Weeks After the Conquest of this Province he divided his Army one part being sent into Germany to reinforce the Viscount of Turenne and the greatest part into Flanders to joyn the Army commanded by the Prince of Conde Then he returned into France to suppress by his Presence some Cabals which it was suspected had been set on foot by the Allies in some of the Maritime Provinces The Kingdom was at that time threatned on all sides it was in no small danger of being Invaded on the German side The Allies had three Armies in the Field in Flanders and Spain another in Catalonia and to make sure Work the Dutch threatned either to make a Descent upon us or at least to Bombard some of our Seaport-Towns But all these vast Designs vanished into Smoak for our Frontiers remained unattempted all this Campaign and the King had taken such sure Measures that the Allies had nothing else to boast of but of their own Disgrace having been defeated by the King's Troops much inferiour in number to theirs They were no less than threescore Thousand effective Men in Flanders all select and old well-disciplin'd Troops whereas the King's Army commanded by the Prince of Conde Battle of Seneff did consist only of forty Thousand Men. The Enemy advanced towards him but he was so advantageously posted that they did not judge it advisable to attack him thus failing in their aim they decamped The Germans cammanded by the General de Souches had the Van-guard the main Battle was made up out of the Dutch Forces under the Command of the Prince of Orange the Spaniards Commanded by the Count de Monterey Governour of the Spanish Netherlands had the Inner Guard being covered in their March by a Body of five Thousand Horse detach'd from the several Bodies of the three Nations The Prince of Conde who was advised that in their March they were obliged to pass several Lanes judged not without reason that as they pass'd through these Defiles they must march at such a distance as not to be able to second one another timely enough in case of an Attack Looking therefore upon it as a most favourable opportunity to fall in with them he was resolved not to let it slip out of his Hands Having therefore suffered the Imperialists and Hollanders to pass the Defiles unmolested he charged the Spaniards so furiously that he absolutely routed them taking many Standards and Colours and a great many Prisoners among whom were several of Quality This first Victory did not cost the King above an Hundred or an Hundred and fifty Men whereas the Enemy lost above three Thousand a happy Days Work if the Prince could have been contented with his good Success But having afterwards Attack'd the main Body and likewise brought them in Confusion matters seem'd to tend to a total Rout if the Imperialists had not found means to come to their relief The Flying Enemy having got leisure in the mean while to Rally and the three Generals to put their several Bodies in order of Battel upon an Eminency being cover'd with Bushes Hedges and Ditches and Cannon planted on all the Avenues the face of Affairs began to change and the Fight was renewed with more obstinacy and fury than before The Enemies were posted in such a manner that it was impossible to come to Handy Blows with them without sustaining the Fire of their whole Infantry but the greater the Danger the greater the Honour all this it seems was not sufficient to startle the Invincible Courage of the Prince of Conde nor to terrifie his Soldiers flush'd with Success but being resolved to compleat this Days Work by a third Victory they fell on with incredible Bravery As Despair is the most powerful Motive to inspire Courage even in the Faint-hearted so the Enemy defended themselves with great Obstinacy the Engagement lasted from Noon till Night and the Slaughter did not cease on both sides till Moon-light about Ten or Eleven a Clock at Night The Enemy took few of ours Prisoners and among them scarce any Body of note but we lost abundance of brave Men and Officers seven or eight Standards and had about five or six Thousand killed and wounded The loss of the Enemy amounted to above seven or eight Thousand we took near five Thousand Prisoners among whom were four Princes of the Empire a great number of other Persons of Quality many of their Colonels and two Hundred Officers an Hundred and seven Standards and Colours three Field-pieces two Mortars several Kettle-Drums Pontons three Thousand Waggons with all their Ammunition and three hundred Thousand Crowns in ready Money design'd for the Payment of their Armies About a Month after Siege of Oudenarde they laid Siege to Oudenarde but no sooner had they got notice that the Prince of Conde was marching to its relief but they quitted the Siege with so much Precipitation that they left behind them in their Trenches part of their Baggage and Ammunition besides most of their Utensils used in carrying on of the Trenches Another Army composed of the Dutch Forces Siege of Grave and joyn'd by some Brandenburgh Troops were for two Months together busied in the Siege of Grave The City of Grave is considerable for its strength and was at that time very well provided with Ammunition a good Artillery and a numerous Garrison but the Besiegers being surrounded on all sides by their own Country had great plenty of every thing in their Camp and the place being but small there was little appearance it should hold out long the Place being given over for lost by the French without the least hopes of being able to relieve it The Dutch had made many Attacks upon their out-works but with so little success that they were repulsed without being able to maintain themselves in any of these Posts The Besieged made continual Sallies nail'd up their Cannon fill'd up their Trenches kill'd abundance of their Men and carried a great many Prisoners into the Town Their bravery and resolution in undergoing with undaunted constancy all the Fatigues of War the continual thundring of their Cannon and their frequent Mines which for the most part did great execution had struck such a terror among the Besiegers that they Deserted by whole Troops and got into the Town To revive in some measure the drooping Courage of the rest the Prince of Orange marched to their assistance with a Body of ten thousand fresh Men who being also repulsed in several Attacks it was the general Opinion that
the Dutch would in all likelihood have been forced to quit the Enterprise if the Governour the Marquiss of Chamilly had not received Orders from our King to Capitulate who after he had given a thousand Proofs of his Conduct and Courage surrendred upon such Conditions as he himself thought fit to propose the Prince of Orange being willing enough to grant him any thing partly in consideration of his Bravery partly for fear lest the Siege by the obstinate Defence of the Besieged should protract till Winter when the Season would oblige them to raise it The Garrison was extreamly diminished not so much by the Enemies Swords as by Sickness and tho' they were streightned for Provisions yet were they resolved to have endured all the extremities and bury themselves under the Ruins of the Place if the King who would not suffer that so many brave Men should Sacrifice themselves for the defence of a Place which he judged of no great consequence to his Affairs had not sent them his Orders to Capitulate The King had at the beginning of the War made himself Master of this Place without the loss of one single Man but the Dutch did not take it till after a Siege of three Months with a prodigious Charge and the loss of twelve thousand Men besides they run no small hazard of coming off with disgrace But they were less successful in their Expedition at Sea this Year they had near an hundred and fifty Men of War and after the Peace with England were become absolute Masters of the Ocean the King having sent most of his great Ships into the Mediterranean One part of this great Fleet was sent to endeavour the Conquest of the French Plantations in the West-Indies the rest were to be employed in making a Descent upon our Coast but the best concerted measures prove not always infallible For Admiral Ruiter did not succeed in his Enterprise against the Isle of Martinico and Admiral Trump who for four or five Months threatned our Coasts with a desent did no other feats but to Land in a small Island from whence he carried away some Cattel and plunder'd a certain Abby The ill success of the Allies in this Campaign seem'd to be very ill presages to the League especially if it be taken into consideration that the King's Arms were Crown'd with the same success in several other places for Frederick Duke of Schomberg had beaten the Spaniards in the Plains of Russilion as the Vicount of Turenne had been Victorious over the Germans in three or four several Encounters For after he had prevented the Duke of Lorrain from passing the Rhine and consequently secur'd the King's Conquests on that side he receiv'd Orders to hinder if possible the conjunction of the Duke with a Body of Imperialists commanded by the Imperial General the Count of Caprara Pursuant to these Orders he marched three Days and Nights without intermission and on the fourth came within sight of the Enemy whom he found so advantageously posted that it seem'd impossible to attack them without the greatest hazard in the World For they were drawn up in order of Battle upon a rising Ground being secured in the Front by a small Town with a deep Rivulet and many Hedges and Ditches all which must be pass'd before they could be attack'd But what is so strong or inaccessible to a Man who has an equal share of Conduct and Courage To be short the Town was taken in less than two Hours and the Enemies Infantry which defended it either cut in pieces or taken Prisoners But this was only the Introduction to the rest our Troops were extreamly fatigued with so long a March and the heat of the Season besides that the Enemy having the advantage of the Wind they were incommoded with the Smoak and Dust which almost choak'd them as they advanc'd towards the Enemy where the Enemy stood ready to receive them Notwithstanding all these disadvantages they were resolute in attacking them the Viscount of Turenne's Army consisted of nine or ten thousand Men and that of the Duke of Loerain was near equal in number to his with this difference only that the last had more Horse the other exceeded in Foot The first attack was made with equal bravery on both sides there being not a Squadron but what charged four or five times and the Dukes Forces rallied and return'd to their charge seven or eight times neither were they put to the rout till after a bloody and obstinate Fight of eight Hours About three Weeks after the Prince of Bourneville General of the Imperial Forces being with a Body of seven or eight thousand Men joyn'd to the broken remainders of the Confederate Army July 6th The Viscount of Turenne passed the River Neckar at Ladenburgh in sight of them and followed them so closely that he fell in with their Rear which he put to the rout forcing their Infantry to seek for shelter among the neighbouring Woods and Mountains but their Horse being briskly pursued by the French did not face about till they came to Franckfort twenty Leagues from thence where being cover'd by the River Maine the Viscount could not pursue them any further but they were scatter'd to that degree that they were not in a condition to appear again in the Field till being reinforced with fresh Supplies and Troops from the Emperor from the Elector Palatin the Elector of Cologne Bishop of Munster Duke of Wolfenbuttel and all the neighbouring Circles they made up an Army of thirty five or thirty six thousand Effiective Men. But this great Body was commanded by five Generals independant from one another who being swayed by so many different Interests did not agree in what measures to take one being for the attempting the recovery of the Dukedom of Lorrain another for the Siege of Treves or Philipsburgh another for attacking the Viscount of Turenne with their joynt Forces thereby to retrieve their former disgrace The French Army was at that time not above fifteen thousand strong but the renown of their General and their late Victories had made them so dreadful to the Enemy that they durst not attempt to attack them With this small Army he kept them in play for two Months together in the Lower Alsace till having at last receiv'd a reinforcement of some Regiments he march'd directly against the Allies to give them Battle before they could be joyn'd by the Elector of Brandenburgh's Forces and those of the Duke of Brunswick The Name of the Viscount of Turenne famous by so many Victories was become so terrible to the Enemy that most were of opinion they would scarce care to face him but beyond all expectation they receiv'd him with all imaginable bravery so that the fight was very obstinate and dubious for some time till at last Victory of Entsheim Octob. 4. having brought them into confusion they were forc'd to quit the Field with the loss of three thousand Men ten pieces of Cannon
and thirty Colours and Standards The French were so eager in the pursuit that the Enemies to fly with the more conveniency threw away their Cuirasses and Arms of which there was a great quantity found all round about the Field of Battel This Action as brave as it was yet was not the most glorious of this Campaign For the Allies having been joyn'd by the Troops of Brandenburgh and Brunswick Zell about the middle of October were near threescore and ten Thousand strong in the Field an Army so numerous it was fear'd would like a Deluge over-run all our Conquests on that side but that the King with an incredible resolution without being in the least surprized at their number knew by his Prudence so to manage the Matter that all their Designs turn'd to their own disgrace For immediately after the raising of the Siege of Oudenarde he had ordred a considerable Detachment from Flanders into Germany to join with all possible speed the Viscount of Turenne at the same time he dispatch'd his Orders to him to keep upon the Defensive and as much as possibly could be to provide for the security of those Places which were of most consequence The King wisely foresaw that this vast Multitude would soon be forced to disperse by reason of the Divisions that were among the Generals for want of sufficient Magazines and the Incommodities of the Season which must needs occasion many Diseases among the Souldiers or that at last whenever they should come to separate themselves there could not be wanting an opportunity to engage and vanquish them Accordingly the Viscount of Turenne quitted his Camp to secure a certain Port so convenient and commodious for its situation that with his small Army he conquered both Haugenan and Saverne The Allies who did not judge it adviseable to attack him in this advantageous Post marched directly into the Upper Alsace with an intention to take up their Winter-Quarters in this Province and so to march in the Spring directly either into Lorrain or the Franche Compte thus they lived at discretion for the space of two Months over secure in their own strength till the Viscount of Turenne beat up their Quarters and sent them back to the other side of the Rhine After he had received the abovementioned Reinforcement from Flanders his Army consisted of scarce five and twenty Thousand Men and tho he was sufficiently informed of the strength of the Allies who had near three to one against him he marched in the Month of December taking a great compass about as if he were retiring from before them and shunning to come to an Engagement Thus in lieu of taking the direct Road he marched through Lorrain and having traversed the Mountains without any other Obstacle but what proceeded from the natural situation of these Hills Dec. 29. and the inconveniencies of a far advanced Season he entred the Plains where he found the Enemies scattered up and down in a fatal Security without the least Apprehension of danger from an approaching Enemy at the sight of whom they were struck with such terrour that they were above half vanquish'd before they were attack'd fourteen French Squadrons a thing incredible if it were not unquestionable that when an Army is seized with a sudden and general Consternation they have no leisure to reflect upon the number of the approaching Enemy having passed the River Illin a place which they found fordable put their whole Cavalry to Flight Being recovered from their first Consternation Victory of Turkheim 5th Jan. 1675. they resolved to stand the Brunt at a place call'd Turkheim but with no better success than before they being routed a second time and forced to retreat in great confusion to the Rhine which they repass'd on the 11th of January in the Year 1675. there being not above twenty thousand left of that vast Army the rest were either taken Prisoners or perished by the Sword Famine Debaucheries and Distempers All these Victories as they were the happy Products of the King's Vigilancy Campaign of 1675. and the Bravery of his Soldiers so they struck such a Terrour among his Enemies that they were resolved to try their utmost the next following Campaign The King finding their Preparations suitable to their Designs set out early in the Spring for the Army and having ordred the Seige of Dinant and Huy after the Reduction of these two Places the first by the Marshal de Crequy the second by Henry Lewis Dalenny de Rochfort likewise Marshal of France the City of Limburgh famous for its strength and being the Capital of the Province of the same Name was immediately Besieged by Henry Julius Duke of Enguen since Prince of Conde which was forced to surrender within eight Days after It is true the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands in conjunction with the Prince of Orange marched to its Relief with an Army consisting of fifty Thousand effective Men but finding at their approach that the place was surrendred they retreated without doing any thing further that Campaign than to consume all the Forage in Brabant and to ruine their own Territories But Germany was the Theater of War where the most glorious Actions were performed during this Campaign Fortuneseeming to keep an equal Balance betwixt Us and the Allies on that side The Enemies Army upon the Rhine appearing more numerous in the Field than it had done any time since the beginning of this War The last Campaign there had been so many Factions as there were Generals among them that to speak impartially they were without a Head to Command them But now things appear'd with quite another Face the whole Army being Commanded by the Count of Montecuculi the same who two Years before had the chief Command of the Imperial Army upon the Rhine He was an old and experienced General very well versed in the whole Art and all the Stratagems of War always upon his Guard whose Ambition was not so much to gain any particular advantage upon his Enemy as to bring a whole Campaign to a happy Conclusion The Viscount of Turenne General of the King's Army on the Rhine was not inferiour to him either in Experience or any other Qualification belonging to a Great General and it may be said without Flattery that his Name was more famous and his Reputation better established by an infinite number of glorious Actions in all which he had given most ample demonstrations to the World that never any General was comparable to or at least never surpassed him in the Art of War Among the most Renowned Heroes in former Ages who by their great Actions and Conquests have rendred their Names so famous to Posterity there are few who can boast of the same Skill wherewith this Great General used to Discipline his Troops to provide them with all Necessaries and to make use of all Advantages to thwart the Designs of his Enemies It was without all question a thing worth the notice and
attention of all Europe to see these two great Captains to use their utmost Endeavours to outvie one another in their swift Marches in their Encampments and to make use of all the most refined Stratagems to prevent one another from gairing the least advantage The Viscount de Turenne had nevertheless the good Fortune to pass the Rhine almost in sight of the Confederate Army which done he possess'd himself of so advantageous a Post that without the least fear of being forced in his Entrenchments he might cut off the necessary Convoys from the Enemy An Action so Glorious which had broken all the Measures of his Rival at one stroke was look'd upon by all Europe to be equivalent to a Victory But the Viscount de Turenne not satisfied with this Advantage unless he had also routed the Confederate Army had enclosed them so narrowly on all sides that it was impossible for them to march off without coming to handy Blows In order to this he went out of his Camp on the 27th of July to view a certain place where he intended to raise a Battery the better to annoy the Enemy where he was unfortunately slain by a Cannon-shot The Death of the Marshal de Turenne which struck against his Breast and laid him dead upon the Ground Never was any General more universally lamented neither did ever any one deserve it better He was a Person of extraordinary Merit a Great Captain and excellent Politician a Man equally modest and agreeable in Conversation who despised Riches and was an Enemy to Pride who was never backward in doing all the good he could and never known to do harm to any Body all his Passion being directed to glorious Actions It is not to be express'd how sensibly the King was touch'd with the loss of so great a Man he heap'd Honours and Riches upon his Family The Viscount dyed without Children and to give the most ample Testimonies of the Value he put upon his pass'd Services and to Crown the Vertues of so great a Man with due Rewards he caused most magnificent Obsequies to be made in the Church of Paris and order'd his Corps to be deposited in the Abbey of St. Denys the ordinary Burying place of the Kings of France But the greatest ornament of the whole Funeral Pomp was the inexpressible sorrow which appear'd in the Countenance of all the Chief Men of the Kingdom and the everlasting Memory of his great and Glorious Actions But to return to the Rhine the Viscount de Turenne having not communicated his design to any of his Lieutenant-Generals the Count de Lorge his Nephew afterwards made Duke Peer and Marshal of France took upon him the Command of the Army and immediately after his Death repass'd the Rhine and intrench'd himself on the other side till further Orders from the King The Enemy during his Retreat Attack'd him in the Rear but were so vigorously received by the French that they lost above four thousand Men upon this occasion nevertheless the Count de Lorge was not strong enough to prevent Montecuculi from passing the Rhine and marching into the Lower Alsace The French Army was at that time in a very ill Condition in want of Provision and Forage much diminish'd by Sickness and Mortality and so dejected by the loss of their General that it was feared they would have been quite dispersed if the Prince of Conde who by the King's Orders posted in all haste thither from Flanders had not found means to raise their drooping Courage by his Presence Notwithstanding which the Count of Montecuculi laid Siege to the City of Hagenau in August and in the Month of September following fat down before Saverne but upon intelligence that the Prince was marching to their Relief he quitted both these Enterprizes At last towards the latter end of the Campaign the Imperialists were obliged to repass the Rhine and to take up their Winter-Quarters in the Confederate Territories But the Dukes of Zell and Lorrain had much better Success in the Siege of Treves Siege of Treves For these Princes being advertized that the Marshal de Crequy at the Head of an Army was marching to the Relief of the Place left a good Body for the guard of their Trenches and other Works and march'd with a Body of near twenty Thousand Men to meet the Enemy The Marshal had not above nine or ten Thousand Men with him notwithstanding this inequality of their Number he resolved to try his Fortune There are certain happy Moments when we have known a handful of brave resolute Fellows to have driven before them and cut in pieces a whole Army but these Fortunate Moments are so rare that it is more expedient to relie upon the number and equality of our Troops than upon these Accidents To be short Defeat of the Marshal de Crequy this Day proved unfortunate to the Marshal de Crequy for his Infantry being ill seconded by the Cavalry he was entirely defeated and his small Army put to the Rout and dispersed in such a manner that he himself with only three more was forced to shelter themselves in an adjacent Wood from whence he found means to get into Treves He defended the place for three Weeks after with incredible Bravery against his Victorious Enemy and would not-hearken to any Propositions of Surrender tho all the Out-works were taken and that there were several large Breaches in the Walls of the Place The Garrison headed by some mutinous Officers were so exasperated at this desperate Resolution that they resolved to capitulate without him and accordingly surrendred him and many other of the French Officers to the Allies This being the first Campaign which since the beginning of this War had proved prosperous to the Confederates they were so puffed up with their late Success that forgetting their former Misfortunes and the many Advantages we had over them they began to boast that in the next Spring they intended to put their so long projected great design in execution But it was not long before the King made them sufficiently sensible that by the loss of a Place and four or five Thousand Men he was not become less powerful than before For after having Besieged and Taken the City of Conde by assault Conde taken April the 26th towards the latter end of April he ordred the Duke of Orleans to Besiege Bouchain whilst he himself with the head Army covered the Siege to make head against the Enemy in case they should come to its relief The Governour of the Spanish Netherlands and the Prince of Orange brought together a good Army in order as it was believed to attempt the Relief of the Place but judging it not advisable to attack the King they entrenched themselves under the Cannon of Valenciennes in hopes to meet with a favourable opportunity to throw some Supplies of Men and Provisions into Bouchain but they reap'd no other advantage by it than to be Eye-Witnesses of
Victory and their entire submission in relinquishing the Fruits of their Bravery The whole Garrison which consisted still of two thousand eight hundred Men were made Prisoners of War but the Citizens had their chiefest Privileges confirm'd to them In the Afternoon every thing appear'd as quiet in the City as if they had not chang'd their Master A most remarkable Victory where a handful of Men in half an hours time carried several strong Works by Assault passed four or five Ditches and made themselves Masters of one of the strongest and most populous Cities in all Flanders and that with the loss only of Forty Men on our side The taking of Valenciennes did like a dreadful Thunderclap make the whole Country round about tremble for fear there being scarce one City tho' never so strong in those parts which did not dread to undergo the same Fate To raise their drooping Courage the Prince of Orange march'd at the Head of an Army of thirty thousand Men composed of the Dutch Forces to endeavour the relief either of Cambray or St. Omer which were besieg'd both at the same time the first by the King in Person the other by the Duke of Orleans his Majesty's only Brother Cambray being of such a strength and advantageous Situation that it was reported the Spaniards made more account upon it than all the rest of Flanders it was generally believ'd the storm would fall that way but beyond all expectation the Enemy rather chose to relieve St. Omer than Cambray partly because they might with less difficulty possess themselves of some advantageous Posts near St. Omer partly because they had flatter'd themselves with this Opinion that without much resistance they might force our Quarters on one side where they were not very well secur'd The Enemies march was so far from causing the least disturbance among our Soldiers that both Sieges were carried on with the same Vigour as before there being such an Emulation among the Soldiery that one strove to out-do the other in performing their duties the more because they were plentifully provided with every thing necessary for their subsistence For it is to be observ'd that the King took always this sure Maxim to have his Magazins every Year very well provided during the Winter with all manner of Provisions to be in a condition to prevent his Enemies designs and to appear as early in the Field as he judg'd it convenient Cambray was so furiously attack'd by the King Cambray surrender'd April 5. that the City was forc'd to Capitulate within six days after opening of the Trenches the next following Day the King order'd a Detachment of nine Battallions to march with all possible diligence to joyn the Duke of Orleans before the Enemy could force his Lines or engage him This Prince had in the mean while advanc'd so briskly in the Siege of St. Omer that at that very time he had made himself Master of the most considerable Fort near the Place and on which depended hitherto the whole safety of the Town It was at that very instant he received certain intelligence that the Enemy were advanced within six or seven Leagues in order to relieve the Place His Troops were much harass'd and less numerous than the Prince of Orange's but having receiv'd the King's Orders to march against them he marched out of the Lines and having left only a Body of Militia with some regular Troops to guard the Trenches and Works directed his march towards Cassel being confident that the King had taken his measures so surely as that the expected reinforcement would come time enough to his assistance neither did he find himself in the least mistaken in his hopes the above-mention'd Battallions having joyn'd him at the very nick of time as he expected and so a propos that if they had come sooner they would have been less useful The Duke of Orleans strengthen'd by this reinforcement and finding himself not inferiour in number to the Enemy sought only for an opportunity to execute the King's Commands in order to which with a generous resolution he passed the next Day with his Army a small Brook which separated the two Armies and attack'd the Enemy with great fury Battli of Cassel April 11. The first Encounter was the most terrible that had been seen in the memory of Man both sides fighting with an equal bravery so that the success remain'd doubtful for some Hours just as if Fortune had taken a particular delight to see so many brave Men dispute Victory to the utmost of their power But after the Enemy had stood their ground bravely for three Hours they were at last forc'd to give way and soon after being broken on all sides to seek for their safety in their Heels leaving as a pledge of their defeat to the mercy of our Soldiers all their Ammunition and Baggage seventeen Standards four and forty Colours thirteen pieces of Cannon three thousand Prisoners and the Field all cover'd with dead and wounded Men Six thousand of them were counted to be fallen upon the spot the rest sav'd themselves under the favour of the Hedges and Defiles the approaching Night and the vast number of small Channels in which the Country abounds serving them for a safeguard against their Enemies who durst not pursue them but with a great deal of caution The Duke of Orleans acquir'd immortal Glory in this Action having shewn himself as great a General in the disposition of his Army as he behav'd himself a brave Soldier during the whole Engagement having receiv'd two Shot in his Armour as he was rallying some Battallions and leading them on again to Charge the Enemy he continued with his Army for 2 Days after near the Field of Battle the better to give his Orders for the pursuit of the Enemy and to see whether perhaps they might be in a condition to try their Fortune and attempt the relief of the Place a second time but having received certain intelligence that they were retreated far into the Country he return'd with his Troops to the Lines to continue the Siege of St. Omer without any further interruption In two Days after his new Batteries began to Play against the Body of the Place and the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis The Counterscarp being taken St. Omer taken a wide Breach was made the Ditch fill'd up in Order to give a General Assault the Town Capitulated after having defended it self with a great deal of Gallantry and Resolution Three days before the Citadel of Cambray had likewise been forc'd to a Surrender by the King The Garrison was composed of seven old Regiments whereof two were Spaniards two Lorrainers and three Walloons under a Governor who had an equal share of bravery and skill in Martial Affairs The Place was well provided with every thing for its Defence and of such a strength that its Fortifications were look'd upon as impregnable Every thing seem'd to concur for a Vigorous Defence
and Money the Prince judged it most for his Purpose to make his application to the Court of England The English at that time overflow'd in Riches they had in a manner managed all the Traffick of Europe alone for three Years last past Their great affluence of Riches had made them jealous of our King 's growing Power and being besides this desirous of Glory and of signalizing themselves abroad they earnestly wished for a War with France which had made them more than once to sollicite King Charles II. to enter into the Confederacy This appearing a favourable juncture to the Prince of Orange's Design he undertook a Journey to London as well to engage that King in an Alliance against us as to espouse the eldest Daughter of the Duke of York The Prince of Orange being K. Charles II. his Nephew was much beloved and esteemed by him The Prince's Religion his great Capacity and Riches his Aversion to France and his great Interest in Holland had procured him great and many Friends in both Houses of Parliament It is easie to be imagined that upon this occasion he made use of all his Engines to draw his Uncle into the Confederacy for which reason he perswaded him to project certain Propositions of Peace and to declare against those that should refuse to accept of them League betwixt England and Holland France being unwilling to hearken to these Conditions great Levies were made in England and some of their Troops were transported into Flanders But neither this New League neither the English Auxiliary Troops were sufficient to stop the Progress of our King 's Victorious Arms or to hinder him from making new Conquests in the next Spring The better to cover his design Campaign in 1678. he took a Progress into Lorrain the beginning of February where he continued all that Month with the Queen and the whole Court During this Progress his Armies in Flanders in Germany and Lorrain were continually in motion so that these Marches and Countermarches did amuse the Enemy to that degree that it was impossible for them to judge which of their Places was most in danger and consequently to take any sure Measures for the security of such places as they thought most exposed for fear of leaving others unprovided in case of an Attack For the King having his Magazines well provided with every thing necessary for the carrying on four or five Sieges at a time from the Sea to the Rhine the Confederates were put under a necessity of fearing all without being able to guess whereabouts the Storm would fall Whilst they were under this perplexity the Marshal de Humiers made a faint as if he intended to Besiege Ipres which obliged the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands to send thither a great part of the Garrison of Ghent But scarce were they on their March towards Ipres when the City of Ghent it self was invested by threescore Thousand Men who were order'd thither from all the circumjacent places and at the same time Ipres Charlemont Namur Mons and Luxenburgh where the Confederates had disposed most of their best Troops were block'd up by several flying Armies Ghent has always been esteemed the largest City of the Low Countries Siege of Ghent it has a good Citadel with very fair Out-works a strong Wall surrounded with a large and deep Ditch Its Fortifications the number and Martial Inclination of its Inhabitants besides its low situation in a Marshy Ground at the Confluence of three Rivers and two Canals which serve for a Barricado against an approaching Enemy did render this Enterprise so difficult in the Eyes of all the World that after the Siege was begun the News of it scarce met with credit in the Neighbouring Countries The King had taken such measures and his Orders were obey'd with such exactness and alacrity that tho' the Place had not been Invested above three Days when he arriv'd in the Camp the Lines of Circumvallation which contain'd eight Leagues in compass were very near brought to perfection notwithstanding the rainy Season and the many difficulties which were to be surmounted in these marshy Grounds It was extreamly bad Weather when he set out from Stenay notwithstanding which he travelled above sixty large Leagues in less than three Days and arrived in the Camp before Ghent on the 4th of March when without dismounting from his Horse or taking the least refreshment or repose he took in Person a view of the Place and all the Works the Governour of Ghent having the same Day open'd the Sluices the King order'd so many Dikes and Ditches for the draining of the Ground to be made that his Forces received no considerable damage by the Water and were preserv'd in so good a condition as to make themselves Masters the next Day of the Counterscarp and some Out-Works Nevertheless this great City defended it self for some time longer till the Inhabitants being made sensible of the effects of our Bombs Carcasses and fiery Bullets which flew as thick as Hail-stones and destroy'd their Houses they beat a Parley The next day after the Citadel was besieg'd by Noon-day Ghent taken which being defended by four good Bastions and a Garrison of a thousand Men yet was forc'd to surrender on the third Day after opening of the Trenches After the taking of Ghent Ypress besieged the King without loosing any time marched directly to Ipress a well Fortified City and conveniently situated for the King to keep correspondence with and secure his other Conquests thereabouts The Spaniards had lately drawn out of the place two Battallions of their best Men whom they sent to Bruges to reinforce that Garrison nevertheless there was at the beginning of the Siege a Garrison consisting of three thousand effective Men old and well disciplin'd Troops besides a great number of brave Officers and Voluntiers who by their Example encouraged the Soldiers to make a vigorous Defence But by the bravery of our Troops the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis and Counterscarp and after a bloody Engagement taken with Sword in Hand so the City and Citadel being without any hopes of relief Capitulated at the same time The Siege cost us abundance of Men tho' it lasted not above nine Days after the opening of the Trenches by reason that the French were not only to overcome the obstinacy of the Besieged who defended themselves very valiantly but also the rigour of the cold Season and the inconveniencies of continual Rains The King's Arms being thus every where crown'd with Success it seem'd that nothing was able to resist his Power those Princes that were enter'd into a League against him having for four Years together rais'd no other advantage by the Confederacy than to add new Lustre to his Glory and Power He had at that time two great Fleets at Sea and five Armies on Land which together with his Garrisons consisted of sixty thousand Horse and two hundred and forty thousand Foot all
enough forasmuch as thereby the limits of the Empire and France might be settl'd upon a sure Foot and a firm Peace establish'd betwixt these two Potent Neighbours The Electoral College were of opinion to accept of the Conditions but most of the Princes being of a contrary sentiment two years past without coming to a final Resolution the King having from time to time prolong'd the prefix'd time out of a pure motive to generosity finding in most of the Members of the Dyet a favourable Disposition for a Peace at a time when they dreaded an Invasion from the Turks It was not long before the Ottoman Army like an impetuous Torrent over-run all Hungary and carrying all before them marched up to the Gates of Vienna which was Besieged by above an hundred thousand Turks Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Siege continued two Months and the place was reduc'd to the last extremity when upon the approach of the Imperial Army and the Auxiliaries of the Empire in conjunction with the Poles commanded by John Sobieski their King who with great Bravery attacked the Enemy in their Lines The Visier was forc'd to raise the Siege The Ministers of the House of Austria puff'd up with their late good success press'd the Dyet more than ever not to conclude either a Peace or Truce with France But as such vast Empires have many ways to recover their losses the Turks notwithstanding their late defeat appear'd again so formidable that the Emperor and Empire the better to enable themselves to resist them or to extend their Conquests accepted of the King's offers and about ten Months after concluded and Sign'd a Truce betwixt the Empire and France for twenty Years Spain also agreed to a Truce upon the same conditions Truee for twenty Years to put an end to the differences for that time arisen betwixt the King and them about the limits in Flanders After the Ratification of the Treaty of Nimeguen the King made reiterated instances to the Spaniards to send certain Commissioners to adjust matters concerning the Dependencies of such Provinces and Cities as were granted to him by vertue of the late Peace But the opening of these Conferences was delay'd for some time till the King of Spain had sent his full Power and Instructions which when they were produc'd it was found that amongst his Titles that of Count and Duke of Burgundy was left out The next Year the Commissioners appointed by both Kings met again at Courtray but the Ministers of Spain intended nothing less than to terminate these differences but in lieu of it left no Stone unturn'd to create new Jealousies as much as in them lay betwixt our King and the Hollanders The City of Alost furnish'd them with a fair opportunity to accomplish their design which place being accounted to be among the dependencies belonging to France the States-General began to be extreamly allarm'd at this Pretension They alledg'd they had in vain bestow'd so much labour and cost to fix a certain Barrier betwixt the King and them if this place so near to their Frontiers whose Territories reach'd to the Gates of Antwerp should be put into his possession The King to calm their minds and deliver them from what they dreaded so much offer'd to be contented with an equivalent and the Council of Spain endeavouring to gain time by various Intrigues he order'd the Bloccade of Luxemburgh but having receiv'd intelligence of the great Preparations made by the Turks to invade Hungary he sent his Orders to him who commanded in Chief to raise the said Blocade Spain was so far from being satisfied with this retreat Courtray and Dixmuyden taken that in a little while after they began to commit open Hostilties Whereupon the French besieg'd Courtray in November in the Year 1683 both the City and Citadel Surrender'd in five Days Dixmuyden without striking one stroke The Spaniards tho' without Money or Troops or any other hopes of relief but what they expected from their Allies whom they suppos'd would not leave them destitute upon so necessitous an occasion declar'd in a Month after War against France But it was not long before they paid dear for their folly the King's Troops having over-run during the whole Winter all Flanders to the very Gates of Brussels pillaging and exacting Contributions from the flat Country and towards the end of April in the Year 1684 a strong Body was sent to form the Siege of Luxemburgh This Place is very strong both by Nature and Art it being situate upon a Rock Luxemburgh taken 1684. surrounded on all sides by a River The King order'd a good Army to advance betwixt Conde and Valenciennes to cover the Siege The Emperor was not wanting in his sollicitations to the Dyet and the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands as well as the Prince of Orange made use of all their Interest to engage the Hollanders to endeavour the relief of a Place which was of such consequence But all in vain for no succours appearing the Place was forc'd to Surrender after a brave defence of seven and twenty Days after opening the Trenches This done the King offer'd to restore Dixmuyden and Courtray and to renounce all his pretensions provided the Spaniards would put him in quiet possession of Beaumont Bovines and Chimay three small places without any strength betwixt the Sambre and the Meuse and would resign all their pretensions to Luxemburgh which was to be the King 's for ever with the fifteen Villages belonging to it The Spaniards refus'd at first to hearken to these Propositions but the Dutch who made serious Reflections upon the present condition of the Empire the heavy War wherein the Emperor was engag'd with the Turks and the little hopes there was of receiving aid from England partly by reason of the misunderstanding that was at that time betwixt King Charles II. and his Parliament partly because they were too well acquainted with the Inclinations of that King who prefer'd Peace and his Pleasures before a War oblig'd them to accept of these conditions Thus in the Year 1684 a general Truce was concluded for twenty Years the Emperor Spain and the Empire having Sign'd the Treaty within four days one after another But in the mean while that our King was applying his thoughts to re-establish Peace in Christendom with good success Differences with the Pope the differences arisen betwixt our Court and that of Rome encreased more and more every Day the Pope being so far from hearkning to those gentle means that were propos'd for an accommodation that on the contrary his whole behaviour sufficiently testify'd to the World that he was resolv'd to carry things to the utmost extremity The occasion of the Quarrel was given by the Regale which is a certain prerogative belonging to the Sovereign by vertue of which they enjoy the benefit of the Revenues of the Bishopricks and the right of bestowing all Dignities and Prebends during the vacancies of the Episcopal
his Attorney-General to bring in an Appeal to the next General Council against all the injustices receiv'd or which for the future might be to be fear'd from the Pope's partiality This kind of Appeal when founded upon just reasons making void and ineffectual all the Church Censures intended against this Act the King could not have pitch'd upon a more Prudent and Commodious expedient to prevent the Popes future resolutions of hurting him or at least to take away the means of puting them in Execution He publish'd at the same time a Manifesto In Sept. 1688. containing the reasons which had oblig'd him to take up Arms once more and as his chief design was rather to be upon the defensive than to act offensively against his Enemies the said Manifesto had much more resemblance to a new project of Peace than to a Declaration of War For the King proposed To put an end to the differences in Hand by an amicable composition in reference to the Succession in dispute concerning the Fiefs in the Palatinate He offer'd to demolish Friburgh and Philipsbourg after he should become Master of the last provided the Emperor and Empire would agree on their side to convert the twenty Years Truce into a Peace and would leave the Cardinal of Furstemburgh in the quiet possession of the Archbishoprick and the Chapter of Cologne in the enjoyment of their Rights and Privileges To back these pretensions by the force of his Arms Philipsburgh taken in 1688 he order'd a good Army to advance towards Philipsburgh which was besieged by the Dauphin on the sixth of October This being the first time that the Prince appear'd at the head of an Army in the Field he gave such eminent proofs both of his Valour and Conduct in this Campaign which lasted not above six Weeks that thereby he gain'd the esteem of the whole French Army There were many difficulties to be surmounted in this Siege the far advanc'd Season continual Rains and situation of the Place which was surrounded with marshy Grounds and the resolution of the Governor who defended himself with great bravery were such obstacles as seem'd to render the success of this Enterprise very doubtful But the Place being destitute of all hopes of relief and not in a condition to resist any longer the fury of our Bombs and vigorous Attacks was forc'd to Capitulate on the twenty ninth of October and the Dauphin celebrated his Birth-day three Days after being the first of November by his Solemn Entry into the Place During the Siege of Philipsburgh the King reiterated his former instances for the conclusion of a Peace in hopes that these lightnings being the fore-runners of those thunder-claps that threatned the adjacent Countries might serve as a warning to the Confederates But finding all his endeavours in vain and fore-seeing he must prepare himself to sustain a long War he order'd the Dauphin to make himself Master of the whole Palatinate The Conquest of the Palatinate in 1688. by the Conquest of the strong Fortresses of Manheim and Frankendal and at the same time sent several flying Armies towards Spires Mayence Treves and Wormes to take possession of these places by which means he did not question but to oblige the Enemies either to accept of a Peace or at least to put them under a necessity of regaining these places with vast charges and great loss of their Men which had only cost him the trouble of being seiz'd upon by his Troops AN ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF LEWIS the GREAT LIB V. THE whole German Empire was extreamly alarm'd at these Conquests made by our King's Forces but they were so far from being cast down at their loss that on the contrary they seem'd to have assum'd new Courage each Circle in particular dreading the neighbourhood of so potent a Prince strove to out-vye the other in making new Levies with great expedition without entring upon the dispute as they us'd to do formerly about the Quota each of them was to furnish for the defence of the Empire All the Electors and Princes of Germany not excepting even the Elector of Bavaria declar'd unanimously against France notwithstanding the Sister of the last was Married to the Dauphin He had signaliz'd himself upon several occasions in Hungary and was now resolv'd to maintain his Brother in the Archbishoprick of Cologne besides that he was flatter'd with the hopes of Succession in Spain These Obligations were so prevailing with this Prince that contrary to the Maxim practis'd in the House of Bavaria for many Years past to balance the power of the House of Austria he became one of the Heads and the most passionate adherents to the Confederacy It is scarce possible to be conceiv'd that so many Sovereigns as compose the German Empire should be sway'd by the same interest The whole Empire declares against France and be all of the same opinion the more since History can scarce furnish us with an instance for many Ages past when they have been thus united in one League especially in espousing the Emperor's Quarrel it being look'd upon as one of the fundamental Maxims to maintain the Liberty of the Empire rather to diminish than to favour the designs and growing power of their Emperors It appear'd to most Politicians a thing the most improbable in the World to see these Princes so forward in running themselves in a War the benefit whereof would only redound to the Emperor whilst they in the mean while disinabled themselves to resist his power when at any time hereafter he should meet with a favourable juncture to fall upon them Notwithstanding the conjunction of the forces of Germany the Emperor and Empire scarce thinking themselves strong enough to resist the King 's Victorious Arms without further supplies they made their applications to all the Princes of Europe even the King of Poland and to the other Northern Princes who by their vast distance feem'd to have but little concerns in the affairs of those parts of Europe The Swiss Cantons were more than once sollicited to enter into the Confederacy or at least to grant a free passage to their Troops But as they did not fear their threats so they rejected all their advantageous offers persisting in their resolution to keep an exact neutrality according to the examples of their Ancestors who thereby drew the Money of the neighbouring Countries into their Country and made themselves to be esteemed and courted by the most powerful Princes of Europe among all the Princes of Italy tho' there were very few but what were glad to see a check put to the King's power yet not one declar'd against us except Victor Amadeus II. the present Duke of Savoy The Glorious Name of being Generalissimo over a great Army which the Confederates had promis'd to send to his assistance the fair prospect of enriching himself by the great subsidies from England and Holland the hopes of having a share in the Conquests
level with the Ground by the Bombs notwithstanding which the Besieg'd defended themselves with a great deal of resolution endeavouring to out-vye the Garrison of Mayence in the defence of this Place they were very successful in their Sallies in one of which they miss'd but narrowly of the Elector himself who being left by his Guards was in great danger of having been carried Prisoner into the Town After the taking of Mayence the Prince of Lorrain march'd with a considerable reinforcement to Besiege the Place in due form but could not make himself Master of it till a Month after the brave Governour Bidal Baron of Asfelt refusing to hearken to a Capitulation till all the Out-works were taken and that he had neither Provision nor Ammunition left nay not so much as room enough to make new Entrenchments behind the ruin'd Bastions These two Sieges cost the Enemies near twenty thousand Men and the remainders of their Army were so harass'd by these continual Fatigues that they were forc'd to seek for Winter-quarters in October following in their own Territories The bravery the French had shewn in the vigorous defence of these places made such a noise in the World Campaign of 1690. that most People began to alter their opinion concerning the success of the Confederacy who had been forc'd to buy their Conquests at so excessive a rate But all the World stood amaz'd when they saw the King's Arms Crown'd with Victories on all sides in the next following Campaign The Confederate Army in Flanders consisted at that time of forty thousand Men under the Command of the Count of Waldeck an old General and in great esteem among them The Duke of Luxemburgh General of the King's Army at the same time in Flanders Commanded a Body not inferiour in number to the Confederates and being come within sight of them prepar'd to Attack them according to the King's Orders at Noon-day being the first of July Victory of Fleurus The Enemy having posted themselves as advantageously as the time and ground would give them leave with their Infantry in the Center cover'd on both sides by their Horse they fir'd prodigiously on us for a whole Hour their Cannon charg'd with Cartruches making most terrible havock among our Troops as they were advancing against them but this was their main effort For their right Wing being broken at the first Onset the left did not hold out long the Cavalry soon gave way but their Infantry charg'd three times with a great deal of Bravery till they were put to the rout in the fourth when what escap'd the Sword retir'd and shelter'd themselves in the adjacent Woods The loss of the Enemy amounted to six thousand kill'd upon the spot and five thousand wounded and near eight thousand that were made Prisoners of War among whom were nine hundred Officers We took from them forty nine pieces of Cannon fourscore and twelve Standards eight pair of Kettle Drums and an hundred and fifty Waggons loaden with Ammunition We had on our side three thousand killed or wounded among whom were many Persons of note who were much lamented After the loss of this Battle the Elector of Brandenburgh came with a strong reinforcement to joyn the broken remainders of this Army but they did nothing further this Campaign than to pillage Flanders Victory at Sea which after this Battle became a prey both to Friends and Foes Scarce ten Days were expir'd after this Victory when the King's Arms were bless'd with another at Sea over the Confederate Fleet of the English and Dutch In the Reign of Henry IV. there was not one Galley or Man of War in all the Ports of France King Lewis XIII was the first who began to settle our Maritime affairs which yet he left but in a very indifferent condition The present King immediately after his accession to the Crown spar'd no costs to draw into France from the Neighbouring Countries as many able Seamen and good Officers as he could notwithstanding which his Naval strength was for a considerable time much inferiour to the English or Dutch till in the Year 1681 he gave such effectual Encouragement to the Seamen that in the same Year threescore thousand of them were Registred of whom twenty thousand are in their turns employ'd in the King's Service and the other forty thousand in Merchant-Men His next care was to encourage the building Men of War to keep his Ports in such a condition as to be able to contain a good number of stout Ships and to erect Magazins in convenient places with all sorts of Naval Stores in all which he succeeded so well that without reckoning thirty Galleys which he always maintain'd in the Mediterranean he had a Fleet of an hundred Men of War for the line of Battle in the Year 1690 in the Ocean so well equip'd and provided with every thing that there were some who affirm'd that one of ours was equivalent to three of the Enemies The King had no sooner receiv'd intelligence that the English and Dutch Fleets were joyn'd in the Channel but he immediately dispatch'd his Orders to the Count of Tourville Vice-Admiral in the Levant to fight them The Count de Tourville is a younger brother of a Family in Normandy a Man of Fortune The Count de Tourville but who in lieu of an Estate had all the Qualities belonging to a great Commander so that even in his younger days he gave all the imaginable hopes of becoming one Day one of the best Sea Commanders this Age has produc'd since the Death of de Ruiter and Duquesne and his gallant Actions have been most evident demonstrations to the World that if he did not surpass them he alone did not fall short of them both The Enemies Fleet consisted of thirty Fire-ships as many Frigats and fourscore Men of War The French Fleet was not above threescore and fifteen Men of War for the Line of Battle besides twenty Fireships six Frigats and twenty other Ships loaden with Provisions and other necessaries The Enemies had the Wind of us for seven days together but shew'd no inclination to come to an Engagement but not being able to avoid it at last Engagement at Sea with the English and Dutch they made towards us being favour'd by the Tide They were receiv'd by the French with an unparallell'd bravery the Count de Tourville and all the rest of the Sea-Commanders shewing upon this occasion their utmost skill in the management of a Sea-Engagement which lasted seven hours and did not cease till the Enemies bore away towards their own Coast The loss on our side was very inconsiderable one of their Bombs carried away the Stern of one of the King's Ships the rest receiv'd very little damage There being not one among them that had lost her Masts The Enemies had at least four thousand Men kill'd in this Action The English bearing away in good time came off without much loss on their side but the
Town provided with good Out-Works having three several Ditches which are always full of Water by means of some Sluyces built for that purpose There was within the Place a very good Artillery the Inhabitants were train'd up in all sorts of Military Exercises and the Garrison consisted of five or six thousand Men all well disciplin'd Troops But the time of the Winter-Quarters being not expir'd most of the Officers were absent from their Commands and the Lines of circumvallation were so well guarded that notwithstanding all their endeavours not one of them got into the place The Lines being brought to perfection the Cannon began to play from the Batteries with incredible fury one battery seconding the other without intermission and with so much dispatch that by the confession of the most expert Engineers never any Artillery did greater execution Siege of Mons. Four and twenty Mortars and sixty pieces of great Cannon were continually employ'd against the Place there was above a million of Powder laid up in the Camp for the supply of them so that where-ever you turn'd your Eyes you saw nothing but Bombs and hot Bullets flying in the Air which set the whole City on Fire so that you might behold the Flames rise beyond the tops of the highest Steeples The King was Day and Night in motion there passed not a Day but that he visited the Trenches once or twice encouraging by his presence every one in his station to do his Duty with such success that both the Officers and Soldiers shewed so much eagerness in out-braving one another that the King to moderate their heat saw himself oblig'd to forbid them not to work uncover'd and to carry their Fascins as they did frequently at Noon day in spite of the continual fire of the Garrison to the Trenches for they seem'd to have put their chief hopes in their Artillery they having not made one Salley during the whole Siege The only place which was defended with much gallantry was a Horn-Work which the French making their way thro' the Granadoes and Carcasses of the Enemy which fell as thick as Hall among them carried with Sword in Hand The Citizens of Mons were all along in hopes that the Prince of Orange King William III. would come to their relief and in effect he march'd with an Army of forty thousand Men as far as Hall within six Leagues of Mons but finding himself not strong enough to Attack our King he remain'd in thar post till after the Surrender of the Place which finding it self not in a condition to sustain a General Assault came to a Capitulation after a Siege of sixteen Days After the taking of Mons the Troops on both sides return'd to their Winter-Quarters and the following Campaign was spent in marches and counter marches without any remarkable Action The Confederates had boasted ever since the beginning of this Summer that they would Besiege some Place or other in Flanders they Attack'd Beaumont a small Place without defence the Garrison consisting only of one hundred and fifty Men. This done the Prince of Orange King William III. leaving the Army in Flanders to the Conduct of his General Officers went to the Hague in order to his return into England but at the same time that he imagin'd the Campaign to be over he receiv'd the unwelcome News of the defeat of his Cavalry The Marshal of Luxemburgh had so narrowly observ'd the motions of the Confederate Army for some time Engagement near Leuze that on the eighteenth of September he found an opportunity to fall in their Rear He advanc'd with eighteen Squadrons at the head of whom were the Troops of the King's Houshold towards the Enemy who with threescore and fifteen Squadrons posted in three Lines covered with a deep Ditch and a Rivulet on each side received us very briskly But the Troops of the King's Houshold advancing without fireing receiv'd the Enemies first discharge at twelve paces distant when breaking in upon them only with Swords in Hand they attacked them so furiously that the first Squadrons were immediately brought into confusion after they had returned four several times to the Charge The Enemies loss amounted to fifteen hundred besides which we took three hundred Prisoners and forty Standards Their whole Cavalry was engaged in this Action except five or six Squadrons which being posted too near their Infantry we durst not attack them This brave Action was perform'd only with the loss of four hundred Men killed and wounded on our side In all other places the King's Arms were Crown'd with the same success The Duke of Noailles had Conquer'd the whole County of Sardagne The Marshal de Lorges had ravag'd the German Territories and had by continual marches so harassed the Confederate Army on that side commanded by the Duke of Saxony that without striking one stroke they were ruined for want of Forage and Provisions The Marshal de Catinat I call him so at present tho' he was not invested with that Dignity till two Years after had since the Month of March taken Villa Franca in less than fifteen Hours the Town and Castle of Nice in five Days after opening of the Trenches Villa Franca is a very good Port and the only one in Piedmont The Castle of Nice is one of the strongest in Europe built upon a Rock surrounded on all sides with precipices But both their Magazins being blown up with Bombs and five hundred of their Men kill'd the Governor was forc'd to Capitulate After the taking of Nice Carmagnole and Veillane surrender'd at the first Summons Coni was likewise besieg'd to open our way to Turin but he that commanded in Chief being terrified raised the Siege with much precipitation before he could be reinforc'd with necessary Supplies But the Duke of Savoy had no better success before Suza for tho' he receiv'd a considerable reinforcement of Brandenburghers yet he was forc'd to quit the Enterprise at the approach of our Army The Marshal de Catinat to put a glorious end to this Fortunate Campaign and to make himself Master of the Chief and only remaining Key both of Savoy and Piedmont besieged Montmelian about the middle of November This so famous Fortress defended it self very courageously but the French in spite of the bravery of their Enemies and the rigour and inconveniencies of a far advanced Season forc'd the Garrison to a surrender after a Months Siege All these most glorious Conquests were look'd upon as inconsiderable in respect of the hopes we had conceiv'd of the restauration of the King of England Gampaign in 1692. But we found our selves frustrated in our expectation The hour of this Prince was as it seems not yet come and all the efforts made on our side in order to assist him in his design serv'd for nothing else but to give us new proofs of the aversion of his People towards him and that his ill Stars were as powerful as ever to render him unfortunate He had lately
lost the Kingdom of Ireland which was Conquer'd by one of the Prince of Orange's King William III. Generals who had taken Limerick and oblig'd the French Forces to return into France In recompense of this loss he was buoyed up the next following Spring of being suddenly restor'd to his Throne There were many of his Adherents and Creatures left in England besides a good many of his old Servants who being employ'd in bringing over the Officers of the English Army and Fleet to their side perswaded themselves to have managed matters with so much dexterity that it was impossible to fail in the Enterprise Full of these hopes this Prince craved assistance from our King who granted him a good Fleet and a sufficient number of Land-Forces to be transported into England Then he marched with his Troops into Normandy expecting the success of our Fleet which under the Command of the Count de Tourville Vice-Admiral of France was gone to Sea in quest of the Enemy But we found our selves soon mistaken in our fond expectations for the English were so far from running before us or to declare for the King of England as we had been perswaded they would that they gave Tourville a very warm reception Loss of fifteen Fr. Men of War in May. The French Fleet was much inferiour in number to the Enemies consisting only of forty four Men of War for the Line of Battle whereas the Confederate Fleet was fourscore and ten strong Notwithstanding this great inequality the French Attack'd them so briskly that for three hours together they had the advantage over the Enemies who were extreamly damnified in their Masts and Rigging lost one of their Ships which was sunk and most of their Fireships whereas we lost not one Ship during the whole Engagement Both Fleets being separated by a thick Fog and the Night Tourville fearing not without reason that considering the inequality of their Forces he should not be in a condition to cope with the Confederate Fleet a second time thought it most advisable to take this opportunity of making the best of his way towards the French Coast But his Fleet being separated by the darkness of the Night one and twenty of his biggest Ships gain'd the Port of St. Malo where they were sufficiently secur'd against any attempt of the Enemy But fifteen others not being able to steer the same course by reason of the contrary Winds were so closely pursued that being in danger of being taken they run a-shoar and after having taken out all their Cannon and most of their Rigging the French set fire to them rather than to leave them a prey to the English and Dutch Nothing is more common in the World than to lay the ill success of an Enterprise at the Door of him who has had the supream Direction and Management of it most People looking upon a disaster of this nature to proceed chiefly from the ill Conduct of the General whereas they attribute the happy success of a Battle merely to Fortune But it must be confess'd that Tourville had the satisfaction to hear his Enemies give him this Character That he had acquitted himself upon this Occasion as a great Commander But the taking of Namur did surprise the Confederacy and all Europe in such a manner Siege of Namur by the French that our success in Flanders soon effaced the remembrance of the disgrace received at Sea Namur is situated at the confluence of two Rivers the City lies in a Plain the Castle is built upon a Rock both are very regularly fortified this being one of the most considerable places in all Flanders for its Situation and of such consequence that in the last Age this being the only Place in the Netherlands remaining in the Spaniards Hands they by the help of it recover'd all the rest of the Low-Countries which have been in their possession since The several Works belonging to the Castle were like so many Citadels each of them being provided with its Out-Works Ditch a particular Garrison and Commander In the Fort William alone was a Garrison of two thousand Men and a train of Artillery sufficient to defend a great City These Forts being built upon an assent which reaches up to the body of the Castle command one another And defend the avenues leading to it At the time when it was besieged by the King the Place was provided with a Garrison of eight or nine thousand Men with great store of Ammunition and Provision of all sorts under the bravest and most expert Officers among the Confederates The Prince of Orange King William III. was at that time in Flanders and the Confederates were so numerous on that side that they could bring together an Army of an hundred thousand Men. But all these obstacles were not capable of altering the King's resolution who after every thing was in a readiness for the carrying on of so great an Enterprise ordered two separate Armies to take the Field in Flanders the less numerous of the two was employed in the Siege the other to cover it against any attempt of the Enemy These two Armies consumed every Day two hundred and fifty thousand Rations of Bread and thirty thousand French bushels of Oats allowing half a bushel for each Horse a Day And the King had taken such sure measures as to all the necessary Supplies that as long as the Siege lasted there was always in both Camps no less than for fifteen Days Provision Twenty thousand Pioneers were employed in making the Lines of circumvallation and contravallation and the Trenches were opened in three Days after The City made at first a vigorous Defence but capitulated on the eighth Day finding it self not in a condition to sustain a general Assault The surrender of the City made the Enemy fear that the Castle tho' accounted impregnable might follow the example of the City for which reason the Prince of Orange King William III. Count Waldeck General of the Dutch Forces and the Elector of Bavaria who had lately been made Governour of the remaining part of the Spanish Netherlands advanced and posted themselves near the Banks of the River Meheigne These three Bodies made together an Army of near an hundred thousand Men which was continually in motion to intercept our Convoys or to endeavour to force our Quarters if they should find an opportunity The Marshal de Luxemburgh not inferiour in number to the Confederates being encamped on rising Ground on the other side the Meheigne at about half a Leagues distance from the River expected them in good order there being a large Plain betwixt them and the Enemy But the Prince of Orange King William III. had either no inclination to hazard a Battle or else could not meet with a favourable opportunity to put his design in execution for he caused five or six several times Bridges to be laid over the River but they were immediately broken down again Thus these two great Armies encamped within sight
of one another for a whole Month exactly observing and following one another's motions frequently saluting one another with their Cannon without coming to handy-blows In the mean while the Siege was carried on with all imaginable vigour the King not only giving his Directions upon all occasions of moment but also seeing them put in execution Being seiz'd with the Gout when they were just ready to attack a covert way he caused himself to be carried in a Chair to a certain Place from whence he could see all what passed and give the necessary Orders as occasion should require Here it was that Lewis Alexander Count of Tholouse was wounded by his side It was observable that there did not appear the least change in this young Prince's Countenance at this mishap a happy presage of those many courageous Actions he has since that time given such eminent proofs of in the following Campaigns The King's Forces being animated by his Presence and Example never behaved themselves so well in any Siege whatever giving every Day innumerable demonstrations of their Courage and Patience for the besieged fired without intermission The weather was extreamly bad during the whole Siege the Soldiers being continually fatigu'd by the Rains and Tempests besides which they met with so many Rocks in the carrying on of the Trenches that they could advance but slowly and with a great deal of difficulty they being forc'd to carry them round about several great Hills and large Valleys which took up a vast compass But all these obstacles served only to augment the Patience and Courage of our Soldiers It was next to a prodigy to see some of them crawl up boldly to the Breaches and to endeavour to keep their Post only with their Swords in Hand against a vast number of Enemies who powered whole showers of small-shot at them whilst they return'd them as many Hand-Granadoes as they were able to throw The first and the bravest Action that happened in the whole Siege was near a certain Eminency where the Enemy having strongly Entrenched themselves we were forc'd to drive them from that Post before we could open our Trenches before the Castle The King's Troops attack'd them with Sword in Hand and Bayonetts in their Fusees They fired very briskly from their Entrenchments which our Troops having sustained with great bravery the Enemy at their approach quitted the Post after they had lost two or three hundred Men. Within six Days after we forc'd their retrenchments and redoubts of the Hermitage The Fort William defended it self ten Days On the tenth we carried the Covert-way not without great slaughter on both sides when the Dutch Garrison came immediately to a Capitulation This done there was remaining as yet the Castle with all its Out-works This was the most difficult task but by the King's presence the Works were carried on so vigorously that in five Days time we made an Assault upon the Counterscarp The Besieged defended themselves with all the courage imaginable but were at last forced to way to the numbers of the Besiegers who were from time to time seconded with fresh Troops soon after all their Cannon being dismounted one of their chief Magazins blown up by two of our Bombs and another being fallen into the great Cistern which furnished the Castle with Water and our Mines ready to spring under one of the Bastions of the Horn-work what with hunger and thirst what with fear of not being able to sustain a General Assault for want of Sleep occasioned by the continual throwing in of Bombs they were necessitated to hearken to a Capitulation notwithstanding that the body of the Castle was entire and that they had as yet a Horn-work left which would have cost us no small trouble to take Out of eight or nine thousand Men of which the Garrison of Namur consisted at the beginning of the Siege there were but twelve hundred left in the Fort William and two thousand five hundred in the Castle when they marched out The rest perished either by sickness or were killed by our Bombs or in the several Attacks and Sallies The taking of Namur in the sight of an Army of an hundred thousand Men put all the Spanish Netherlands under a most terrible consternation the common people being extreamly dissatisfied that the relief of a place of such consequence had not as much as been attempted by the Confederate Army affronted nay assaulted the Dutch at Brussels and several other places and did not stick to grumble at the Prince of Orange King William III. who to appease them and to raise their drooping Courage resolved within a Month after to give us Battle Every thing seem'd to conspire for his advantage Battle of Stenkerk Aug. 3. He was now thirty thousand Men stronger in Insantry than the Duke of Luxemburgh who labour'd also under another inconveniency that his Cannon was left behind his Artillery not arriving till the Night before the Engagement The Grounds on that side where the Enemy intended at Attack us being full of small Bogs and Rivulets with very thick Hedges and large Ditches was only fit for the Infantry to Engage in Here it was that the Troops of the King's Houshold were posted who being cover'd by one single Brigade the rest of the French Infantry were at least a League 's distance from thence the Prince of Orange King William III. did not in the least question but they would soon be over-powered by the whole English Infantry that were to begin the Attack all the circumstances appearing so favourable on his side that he thought himself assured of Victory To amuse the Enemies Spies he issued out his Orders the Night before the Engagement that they should go a Foraging the next Day which done he kept all the General Officers of the Army with him in his Tent till ten a Clock at Night when having sent them back to their respective Posts the march was begun about half an hour after to be within sight of the French Camp at break of Day There appear'd so much satisfaction and joy both in his Countenance and Words that when they arriv'd at the appointed place without being discovered by the French he spoke out a loud to his Soldiers that they were going to an assured Victory not to fight but to cut to pieces their Enemies tho' many were of Opinion that this assurance he gave to his Soldiers of an undoubted Victory was rather done with an intention to enflame their Courage than to express his own sentiments it being unquestionable that it was always consider'd as one of the chiefest qualifications belonging to a General to know how to inspire his Soldiers with a seasonable assurance of Victory It is more than probable that if at that instant he had led his Army towards the Enemy his design would have succeeded but whilst he stayed for the coming up of the Elector of Bavaria and Count Waldeck who stayed above an Hour longer than was expected the French
had leisure given them to put themselves in a posture to receive them It is in vain to chose ones time unless it be improved to the best advantage For in the mean time the Duke of Luxemburgh order'd his best Battallions to advance with all speed who being posted where the Enemy must Attack us sustained by the Troops of the King's Houshold and these again by several other Bodies of Horse The Pass was so narrow that not being able to extend our Lines in Front we were forced to double them For the first two hours they fir'd most terribly on both Sides the Battallions advancing so near that they discharged their Musquets cross one another The Enemy fir'd more briskly than we for some time they got Ground of us and made themselves Masters of four of our Pieces of Cannon but the French perceiving that their Musquets were not likely to do the Work threw them down and being led only by their Officers but esspecially by the Princes the Duke of Chartres the Duke of Bourbon the Prince of Conty Duke de Maine and others charged the Enemy with their Swords in hand so furiously that they forced them to retreat many of whom were cut in pieces the rest saving themselves in an adjacent Wood. They were pursued for an hour after and the Field of Battle for a League together was covered all over with dead Carcasses which in some places lay six Foot high upon one another This Victory cost us two or three Thousand of our best Men among whom were many Persons of Merit and Quality especially the Prince of Turenue eldest Son to the Duke of Bovillon who died the day after the Battle of his Wounds The loss of the Enemy amounted to nine Thousand kill'd upon the spot and as many wounded We took nine Colours and ten pieces of Cannon but only thirteen hundred Prisoners the English refusing to ask Quarter It was much about the same time that the Duke of Savoy made an Irruption into the higher Dauphine The Duke of Savoy invades France in August where he lost abundance of his Men without striking a stroke The Confederates had for a considerable time before formed a Project of entring Dauphine and Provence flattering themselves with hopes that the new Converts would revolt and join them from all Parts of France To put their so long projected Design in execution the Governour of Milan and the Imperial General Caprara joined with their Troops the Duke of Savoy They carried along with them Arms for thirty Thousand Men and were provided with Ministers who in all places through which they passed endeavoured in their Sermons to sow the Seed of Rebellion and Calvinism among the People But they found themselves entirely mistaken in their Expectation the new Catholicks being so far from shewing the least Inclination for a Revolt that they were the most forward upon all Occasions to do what Mischief they could to the Enemy by drawing them into Ambushes and killing without Mercy all such as they met with stragling or otherwise detach'd from their main Body This was the Reason why the Confederates made but little Progress and their proposed Conquest turn'd to a very slender Account They took Guillestre in three days Ambrun held out six Gap being only provided with ten Men to keep the Gates receiv'd them without the least Resistance Guillestre is at present no more than a Country Town without any other Defence but two old ruin'd Bastions Ambrun is indeed a small City but defended only by a single Wall But the Besieged supplying the defect of their Fortifications by their own Courage defended the Place so well that the Enemies nemies were not Masters of it but with the Loss of above fisteen hundred Men. Thus ended this Expedition of the Duke of Savoy who being faln ill and finding his Army considerably diminished by Sickness and Fatigues repassed the Alpes carrying no other Spoils along with him but the Bells of Ambrun and Gap In the same Month the Marshal de Lorge obtained a Victory over six thousand German Horse in the Country of Wirtembergh if the Pursuit of a flying Enemy vanquish'd without effusion of Blood may be dignified with that Name For no sooner did the German Horse perceive the Vant. Guard of the King's Army but they betook themselves to flight The Germans routed near Phortzheim towards the latter end of August nine hundred of them were kill'd in the pursuit and six hundred taken Prisoners among the last was the Duke of Wirtembergh who commanded this Body in Chief The City Phortsheim was taken the next day by our Forces where they had laid up all their Provisions for the rest of the Compaign The Landgrave of Hesse was at that time taken up with the Siege of Eberenburgh a small Place fortified by the French for the conveniency of their Magazines but as soon as he received the News of this Defeat and the approach of the Marshal de Lorge in order to relieve the place he raised the Siege with so much precipitation that they left behind them some of the Cannon with all their Ammunition and all other Necessaries belonging to a Siege Most people were of Opinion that these frequent Distasters would have both exhausted the Strength and Hatred of the Confederates but flattering themselves with these vain hopes Campaign of 1692. that these Conquests would at last turn to the destruction of France they resolved to abate nothing of their Resolution in vigourously prosecuting the War and remaining steadfast in the Confederacy especially since the Prince of Orange K. William III. did not cease to insinuate to them by his Ministers that this was the only way left for their mutual Preservation since if they were not able when joyn'd together to ballance the Power and Success of our King's Arms it would be no difficult Task for him to vanquish them singly whenever he should take a Resolution to dispossess them of their Estates after the breaking of the League Both sides therefore made all imaginable Preparations to prosecute the War with more vigour than ever The Confederates to defend themselves against the Power of France our King to attack them afresh in the next Campaign This Campaign was opened in Flanders in the Month of January Furnes taken by the taking of Furnes its Garrison consisted of four thousand English and the Elector of Bavaria made all the necessary Preparations to Relieve it but it was surrendred in fifteen Hours being a Place of great Consequence to us to cover our Frontiers and to disappoint the Confederates in their Design of Besieging Dunkirk The Prince of Orange K. William III. had at several times promised the Allies to make a Descent in France which he now being resolved to put in Execution ordered a Fleet to be Equipp'd for that purpose provided with a good number of Flat-bottom'd Vessels for the Conveniency of Landing his Forces which were drawn together near the Sea-side opposite to
the French shoar The King being not ignorant of this Design to encourage his Subjects and take all necessary Precautions the King ordered a good Army to serve as a Guard of his Sea-Costs under the Command of his only Brother the Duke of Orleance The precaution as it was founded upon a sure Maxim of Prudence so it prov'd useless in its Consequence For all these vast Preparations and Threats vanished into Smoak the Troops design'd for this pretended Expedition being sent into Flanders which was only made use of to oblige our King to remove part of his Forces from the Frontiers to defend his own Coasts But this Amusement which was not carried on without vast Expences turn'd but to a very slender Account on the Enemies side without reaping any other Advantage by it than to Alarm our Sea-Coasts with the danger of an Invasion which being soon vanished the People took fresh Courage and were prepared to encounter it with less Surprize for the future For the King was so far from shewing the least Fear upon this Occasion that he attack'd the Enemies with new Vigour on all sides The Marshal de Noailles besieged Roses in Catalonia which place Roses taken tho' considerable for its Strength he took in eight days after opening of the Trenches to wit on the 29th of July Smyrna Fleet intercepted by Tourville The Marshal de Tourville was ordered towards the Streights to intercept the Smyrna Fleet of the English and Dutch of which he on the 29th of June betwixt Cadiz and the Bay of Lagos took burnt and sunk above fourscore Merchant men The rest were dispersed and the Squadron of Men of War which serv'd for a Convoy made the best of their Way towards the English Coast For many Years before neither of these two Nations had received such a Check in their Trade their Loss being esteem'd at thirty Millions of Livres In the beginning of this Spring our King appearing in Person in Flanders it was the general Rumour that he aim'd at Liege but after having given his final Orders concerning the Operation of the Campaign and detach'd near thirty thousand Men under the Command of the Dauphin to reinforce his Army near the Rhine he return'd into France The Mashal de Lorge had in the Month of May Heidelbergh taken and rased by the French made himself Master of Heidelbergh the Capital City of the whole Palatinate before the Enemy could march to its Relief and after having rased the Fortifications both of the City and Castle was marched directly against the Prince of Baden who Commanded the Confederate Army on that side and at the approach of the Marshal retreated before him but after the arrival of the Dauphin with the beforementioned Detachment he entrenched himself strongly at a Pass which he knew impossible to be forced chusing rather to undergo the Inconveniencies of Famine and many Distempers which afflicted his Troops in these inaccessible Places than to hazard a Battle or to decamp before the Dauphin for fear he should force him to come to an Engagement The Prince of Orange K. William III. did not entrench himself but kept the open Field in Flanders yet so as to avoid all Occasions of Fighting The Duke of Luxenburgh who had positive Orders from the King to engage him fained to march towards Liege to attack the Lines and Redoubts which surround that great City This succeeded according to expectation for the Confederate Army advancing near to the Duke to be ready to succour the City the Duke marched directly towards them and arrived in sight of their Camp about six or seven a Clock at Night The Prince of Orange K. William III. was not a little surprised at the suddenness of his March but finding himself under a Necessity to stand an Engagement the next Day he improv'd those few Hours he had to his best Advantage in putting his Troops in Order of Battle raising Batteries in convenient Places in fixing Pallisadoes at the Avenues leading to his Camp he caused two Villages which covered his Right and Left to be Fortified and lin'd the Houses and circumjacent Hedges with his best Infantry and strengthned his Front which reached to and took up all the Ground betwixt these two Villages He employed a great number of Pioneers all the Night long in making a Ditch six Foot broad and three quarters of a League long strengthned without with good Pallisadoes and defended within by a good Line and Redoubts upon which were mounted near a hundred pieces of Cannon The main Body stood behind this Entrenchment sustained by the Cavalry which was posted behind them in two Lines They were the finest Troops that could be seen On the other hand is it possible to imagine that our Soldiers could be so courageous or rather Fool-hardy enough to attempt the attacking of sixty thousand brave Men guarded by such strong Entrenchments The great Artillery began to play at break of Day Battle of Neerwinden 29. July on both sides without intermission till four a Clock in the Afternoon That of the Enemies did great Execution among us being placed upon an Eminency which commanded the Plain The oldest Officers did acknowledge never to have seen Cannon to play with so much Fury and at so little a distance for so long a time together which at a distance resembled more a Sea-Engagement than a Field-Battle The Enemies fired more frequently than we and their Artillery did much more Execution so that this Victory must be meerly ascribed to the invincible Courage of our Soldiery and it must be acknowledged that Philip Duke de Chartres the Duke of Bourbon and de Maine the Prince of Conty and the Count de Thoulouse had a great share in the Success of this Day There was not a Battallion in both the Army 's but what was Engaged in the Battle but the chief Attack was at a Village call'd Neerwinden which covered the Right Wing This Village was taken and retaken twice with great Slaughter till at last our Troops having maintained and strengthned themselves in this Post they entred the Plain and attacked the Enemy both in Front and Flank who received us very Courageously especially the English in the main Body who Charged six times with incredible Bravery but their Cavalry being brought into Confusion and drove into a River the whole Army begun to disperse and to quit the Field by whole Troops and Companies leaving the Victorious Enemy Master of the Field with threescore and sixteen pieces of Cannon eight Mortars nine Patteroons twelve pair of Kettle-Drums abundance of Arms threescore Standards two and twenty Colours and above two thousand Prisoners among whom were two hundred Officers The French lost above three thousand Men killed and four thousand wounded The Loss of the Enemy amounted to near twenty thousand Men both in the Engagement and Flight there being a great number drown'd in endeavouring to Ford the River which for a considerable time after was rendred
among them But the Harvest in the Year 1693 both for quantity and quality of the Corn prov'd so excessive bad that it was sold for four times the Price than before In this unhappy Conjuncture the King sent a great number of Ships both to the North and the Coast of Barbary Dearth in France to supply our Wants he obliged the Corn-Merchants to carry their Stores to Market to furnish the Country with Seed for the next following Year he caused a great quantity of Bread to be destributed to the poorer Sort at half the price it cost him and gave every Week a good Sum for the Sustenance of the Poor of each Parish To these Supplies and human Aids he join'd the Prayers of the Church and God was pleased so to bless his Endeavours that his Subjects were soon Reliev'd and freed from their present Misfortunes the next Harvest proving so plentiful that within five Weeks time the Price of Corn fell to such a degree that it was sold at the same rate as before the time of the Dearth This general Scarcity however the constant fore-runner of a great Mortality was a sufficient In ducement to perswade the Prince of Orange K. William III. that this was the most seasonable Juncture that could offer to Invade the Kingdom of France The Confederates encouraged by the hopes of Success augmented their Forces on all sides with fresh Troops and the English who ever since the beginning of this War had not been sparing of their Money being now more liberal than ever in granting new Supplies he Equipp'd two Fleets to back his Design But the Success was in no wise answerable to these vast Preparations For in Piedmont the Campaign passed without any Siege or Action of Moment In Germany the Confederate Army had passed the Rhine in order to ravage the Lower Alsace but no sooner did the Marshal de Lorge march against them but they re-pass'd the said River without any further Action The Dauphin Commanded at that time in Flanders attended by the Flower of all the French Nobility his Army was composed of the best Troops but did not exceed fifty thousand Men. The Confederate Army consisted of fourscore thousand Men under the Command of the Prince of Orange K. William III. and the Elector of Bavaria and it was given out that they intended to Besiege Namur and Dunkirk but notwithstanding the inequality of their Number there passed not any thing of Moment all this Campaign Towards the latter end of the Month of August the Confederate Army decamped from about Liege directing their March towards our Lines in hopes to force them and to put our Conquests under Contribution and to open the way for some Enterprize of more moment To put the Design in Execution they advanced towards the Shelde in hopes to be able to lay their Bridges over that River without much opposition there being not above seven or eight thousand Men as they imagined to guard our Lines But their Astonishment was such as is pass'd all Expression when they saw on the other side of the River several Batteries mounted with Cannon and the Dauphin's Army ranged in Battle-Array ready to receive them It was a good while before they could believe their own Eyes thinking it impossible that whereas they had got two days march before the Dauphin and the Road they had taken was by one half shorter they should be prevented by the French Army which had many Defiles and four Rivers to pass For no sooner had the Dauphin receiv'd Intelligence of their March but he immediately dispatch'd his Orders to get every thing in readiness upon the Road which might conduce towards the hasty March of his Army to prevent if possible the Enemies Design His Orders were so strictly observed that in all places through which they passed they found Forrage Provisions and all other Refreshments in abundance many Bridges were laid ready over the Rivers great Numbers of Waggons and Boats attended every where to carry the Soldiers that were unable to follow the rest or to convey these with more Expedition who were intended to be the first that should join these Forces that kept the Guard of the Lines Never were any Solders seen to March with more Alacrity Neither the Weight of their Arms nor the Heat of the Season nor the Fatigues of so long and Expeditious a March did abate the least of their Vigour and Activity they strove on the contrary to out-viegh one another in their March aiding and encouraging those who staid a little behind This generral Emulation prov'd so successful that the whole Army with their Cannon and Baggage march'd forty large Leagues in less than four days time The Confederate Army was so much surprised at this unexpected Sight that they retired immediately without attempting any thing further that Campaign But before they went into Winter quarters they sent a strong Detatchment towards Liege which in conjunction with the Forces of that Bishoprick took the Town and Castle of Huy in six days a small place and one of those that commonly fall to the share of those who are Masters of the Field Threescore pieces of Cannon and thirty Mortars were made use of in this Siege an Expence suitable to a much greater Enterprize but scarce worth the taking of a Place of so little Consequence The Conquest of Huy seem'd to be but a slender Recompence to the Allies for the disappointments of this Compaign which had passed without any Action of moment and for the loss of a Battle and four considerable Places in Catalonia For the Marshal de Noailles having immediately after his arrival in those Parts received the King's Orders to find out and fight the Enemy he found them entrenched to the number of sixteen or seventeen thousand on the opposite shoar of the River Ter which is pretty broad but fordable in many places The French Army was not inferior to that of the Enemy Battle near Ter. 27 May. consisting of twelve thousand regulated Troops the rest of the Militia Several Squadrons of Granadiers and of the Carabiniers having thrown themselves with break of day into the River some with only their Swords in hand the rest with their Fuscees and Bayonets the Enemy fired very furiously upon them notwithstanding which they advanced with an undaunted Courage and attack'd them with so much Bravery that they entring Pall-mall with them in their Camp forced them to quit their Entrenchments In the mean while the best of the whole Army having passed the River advanced in good Order to give them Battle The Spanish Horse received them with an extraordinary Courage whereby their Infantry got leisure to retire The Cavalry was brought several times into confusion and Rally'd as often till at last being quite broken most of them were cut to pieces they being pursued for three Hours together to the Defiles A good part of the Infantry underwent the same Fate so that we obtained a compleat Victory with
contrary he shew'd such an unparallell'd Resolution in the whole management of his Affairs at that time that he seem'd to bid Defiance to all Dangers and inspite of all the Intrigues and the Hazard of quitting the Helm at so critical a Juncture he passed over into Flanders in the next Spring to encourage and promote by his Presence the Zeal of the Confederate Princes who having augmented their Forces made all imaginable Preparations to attack us with more Vigour than ever According to the measures concerted betwixt the Confederates they were to undertake three several Sieges at once one in Flanders another in Italy and a third in Catalonia whilst two good Fleets were to Alarm our Coasts and to destroy our Sea-Port Towns It must be confess'd that the Confederates were at present in a much better Condition than ever since the beginning of the War to undertake something of Moment to raise the drooping Courage of their Subjects and it must also be allow'd that they were more successful this Campaign than before tho' at the same time they succeeded but in one of these three For the Germans were not in a capacity to act offensively having been much diminished by several large Detachments sent to reinforce their Army 's in Flanders The Spaniards besieged Castle Follit in Catalonia but at the approach of the Duke of Vendosme who Commanded instead of the Marshal de Noailles who was faln sick at the opening of the Campaign they quitted the Siege Towards the end of the Summer they sat down before Palamos but with no better success for after five days of opening the Trenches they raised the Siege upon notice that the Duke was marching against them For these two years past the Emperour and Spain had press'd the Duke of Savoy to lay Siege to Casal a Place situate upon the River Po and so considerable for its advantageous Situation betwixt Savoy and the Milaneze the Petty Principalities of Mantua Modena and Parma The Spaniards who within fifty or sixty years have besieged this Place five several times have for a considerable time been very ambitious of becoming Masters of this Place which for its convenient Situation would open to them the way to the Conquest of all Italy The Emperour's Design being founded upon the same Maxim the Duke of Savoy for fear of endangering his own Liberty had hitherto refused to join with them in the Siege of this Place But the Council at Viena having at last found Means to remove all Jealousy perswaded the Duke to consent to it Accordingly they made prodigious Preparations for the carrying on of this Siege and that with so much Expedition Siege of Casal that the Lines and Batteries were finished in the Month of April But the first Attempt prov'd fruitless the Snows and cold Season having obliged the Confederate Army to return to their Winter Quarters so that the Siege was not renew'd till five Weeks after The neighbouring Italian Princes finding them to persist in their Resolution were extreamly Alarm'd at it being sensible that the Emperour who had already under the Pretext of providing his Forces with Winter Quarters got a footing in Italy would by the Conquest of a Place of such Consequence open himself a way into Italy To ward this Blow these Princes took a Resolution either to endeavour to oblige the Allies to desist from this Attempt or else to intercede with our King to restore the said Place to the Duke of Mantua with its Fortifications rased under Condition that he should be reimbursed what this Place had cost him for which the said Princes engaged themselves to be Guarantees The King had bought this place for five Millions of Livres and it had cost him three more since without reaping any other Advantage by it than to be ready at hand to succour the Princes of Italy whereas we were obliged to maintain in it a constant Garrison of our best Troops who might be better employed elsewhere The King having well weighed the Matter and that our Army in Piedmont was at that time not strong enough to engage the Enemy or to oblige them to raise the Siege rather accepted their Propositions to rase the Fortifications of the Place than to sacrifise four or five thousand Men in the defence of it The Swiss Cantons and the Venetians having prevail'd with the Duke of Savoy to consent to this Treaty the Emperour and Spain were obliged to accept of the same Terms Casal Surrendred Accordingly Casal was surrendred on the tenth of July when the Enemies were not as yet Masters of any of the Outworks after thirteen days of opening of the Trenches Whilst the Confederates were before Casal the Grand Confederate Fleet which had been this Winter in the Spanish Ports appear'd continually upon the Cost of Provence to oblige our King to employ part of his Forces for the defence of his Sea-Coasts on that side and consequently prevent the sending of relief to Casal The Fleet was but in an indifferent Condition by reason of the great Mortality among the Seamen occasioned by the want of fresh Provisions and many other Necessaries which they could not be furnished withal but from England yet they appear'd so formidable that it was given out they intended to Bombard Thoulon and Marseilles but knowing us to be ready to give them a warm Reception they did not think fit to attempt it They were cruising the rest of the Summer in the Gulph of Lyons in the Seas of Cardaigne and Liguria and having been over-taken by a most violent Storm in which they lost five of their great Ships they came to an Anchor before Palamos Having received Intelligence that we began to equip at Thoulon they chose the open Sea cruising from one Place to another without any other Design than to pick up now and then some of our Privateers and to disturb our Commerce The Second Fleet of the Confederates in the Ocean consisted of Thirty great Ships St Malo bombarded Twenty Bomb-Vessels and many other Ships loaden with Ammunition and other Necessaries This Squadron bombarded St. Malo but did no further damage than to burn Ten Houses and to endamage several others the whole Loss being computed at One hundred thousand Livres But Dunkirk being the Place which the Enemy aim'd at they were so well prepared for their Reception that they appear'd rather like Men with hopes of a Victory than discourag'd with fear at the Approach of an Enemy the entrance of the Harbour being well provided with Batteries with Chains and a good number of Chaloops full of armed Men commanded by our best Marine Officers Attempt upon Dunkirk The first Bombs of the Enemies falling above two hundred yards distance from the Town the Inhabitants even to the Children got on the top of the Houses and upon the Bastions to be Spectators of this Bombardment Four Fireships approached the wooden Forts that defend the Mole but were met by the Chaloops who blew them up
into the Air in the open Sea in the Sight of the People the same Chaloops also boarded and took one of their great Ships which they set on Fire They threw in all betwixt eleven and twelve Hundred Bombs which did so little damage that it might be all repair'd for thirty Pistols In hopes of better Success Calais Bombarded the same Fleet Bombarded Calais twice in the Month of August But the loss sustain'd by both these Bombardments did scarce amount to ten thousand Crowns Another convincing Instance of what we said before that their Enterprizes at Sea succeed but seldom and that they rarely prove answerable to the vastness of their Expences The main effort of this Campaign as well as of most of the others was made on the side of Flanders The Armies Encamped very numerous in the Field on both sides and thirty Thousand brave Fellows lost their Lives without coming to a Field Battle For these three years last past the Confederates had formed a Design to attack our Lines to ravage our Conquests and to besiege Dunkirk To prevent their Design the King ordered new Lines to be made from the Schelde to the Lis and from Courtray to the Sea-side Twenty Thousand Pioneers made a Ditch of fourteen Thousand Foot long fifteen Foot broad and twelve Foot deep with an Entrenchment behind it of ten Foot high in less than eight days time These Lines being a fresh Obstacle to the design of the Prince of Orange King William III. he assembled the Confederate Army with all possible diligence near Ipres to endeavour to obstruct the Perfecting of this Work the Lines on that side being not quite brought to Perfection Our Army was above five and twenty Thousand Men inferiour in number to theirs and much harassed by a long March of twice four and twenty hours and consequently not in a condition without taking some repose to make any considerable resistance besides that not above one half of their Train of Artillery was arrived in the Camp The Confederate Army consisted of above an Hundred Thousand Men all fresh Troops provided with a prodigious Train of Artillery so that every thing seemed to concurr to their advantage but they let slip the opportunity of attacking us at the right nick of time for in a few hours after our Cannon arrived in the Camp and our Troops having refreshed themselves a little the Lines were brought to Perfection the next following Night Thus having miss'd their aim they made an attempt upon Fort Knock Attack of Fort Knock. which they attacked three several times and were as often repulsed with the loss of two Thousand Men so that in eight days time they had not got an Inch of Ground But a little time convinc'd the World that a much greater Design was carrying on under the pretence of this Attack For in the mean while the Prince of Orange King William III. had sent some of his best Troops towards the Mesue and so soon as he had received advice that the Troops of Liege and Brandenburgh had invested Namur he and the Elector of Bavaria followed in Person with the rest of the Army to assist at the Siege leaving only thirty Thousand Men under the Command of the Prince of Vaudemont in the Lower Flanders Namur was so well provided with every thing necessary for its defence that it was not questioned but it would make a long and vigorous resistance Lewis Francis Marshal of Bouflers had thrown himself into the place the same day it was Invested There was a Garrison in it of ten Thousand eight hundred Men many good Officers and a great number of brave Volunteers and Ammunition more than was requisite for its defence all which advantages appeared to be such obstacles to the Enemies that most were of Opinion they would be too many for them to surmount and that they would be forced to quit this Enterprize The Marshal de Luxenburgh died in the beginning of January of a Pleurisie Death of the Marshal de Luxenburgh which proved a considerable loss to the King there being not a General left who surpassed him in Experience and Conduct by which he had made his Name glorious to the World and dreadful to the Enemy The King having received news of the Siege sent his Orders to Francis de Neuville Villeroy Marshal of France who suceeded the Duke of Luxenburgh in the Command of the Grand Army in Flanders to enter the Lower Flanders and if possible to fight the Prince of Vaudemont Retreat of prince Vaudemont Pursuant to these Orders he advanced towards the Enemy who would infallibly have been put to the rout if the Prince pursuant to his Orders of avoiding any Engagement had not found means to make a safe Retreat so that in lieu of routing the whole Army of which in all humane appearance but few could have escaped we were forced to be contented with the defeat of two of their Regiments who were most of them cut to pieces in the Pursuit The most Fortunate Retreat that ever was made for if the Princes Army had been routed the Confederates must of necessity have raised the Siege of Namur Ten days after this retreat the Duke de Villeroy Besieged Dixmuyden The taking of Deinse and Dixmuyden which place surrendered in four and twenty hours Deinse opened its Gates at the approach of our Forces There were above eight thousand Men of well disciplin'd Troops in these two places who were all made Prisoners of War besides which we found the Magazine as full of all sorts of Ammunition and this part of the Country having been preserved on purpose by the Confederates our Soldiers got an incredible Booty By the Conquest of the two Places our Forces having open'd themselves the waytowards Ghent and Antwerp the Flemmings as well as the Hollanders were extreamly allarm'd at it especially when they saw them advance but slowly in the Siege of Namur tho' they were plentifully provided with every thing for a vigorous Attack and that they had the advantage of very fair Weather whereas at the time when we besieged it our Forces were not only to fight against the bravery of the Garrison but also against the Inconveniencies of a Rainy and Stormy Season They had raised before it thirty Batteries upon which were mounted an Hundred and thirty pieces of Cannon Siege of Namur by the Allies and Fourscore Mortars This dreadful Artillery play'd without Intermission against the Place as long as the Siege lasted in which they consumed three Millions of Powder Their Army was very formidable and constantly reinforc'd with fresh Troops what Place is able to hold out against such an Attack Notwithstanding all these Advantages the Confederates could not be Masters of the whole till after a Siege of two Months the Besieged like brave Soldiers disputing with them every Inch of Ground Of this we saw an Instance at the taking of the Entrenchments which were made only in haste at some
distance from the Town to hinder the sudden approach of an Enemy Monsieur de Regnac who commanded them in Chief made so many Sallies as fill'd up their Trenches threw up whole Battallions by the springing of his Mines into the Air that it cost the Enemy eight days time before they could make themselves Masters of them after they had been repulsed in the first Assault and that the French had been reduc'd to these streights as not to have room enough left to make new Entrenchments The Trenches opened before Namur betwixt the 11th and 12th of July The City did not Capitulate till after four and twenty days of opening of the Trenches all their covert ways and other Outworks being so entirely ruin'd by the Enemies great Artillery that without the utmost hazard they could not pretend to sustain a third Assault The first assault was the most terrible that had been seen in the Memory of Man it being no less obstinate than bloody It was a most dreadful Sight to behold the dead Carcasses lying in great Heaps and to hear the doleful Groans and Cries of the dying and wounded Soldiers The Allies renew'd the Attack four several times without being able to lodge themselves within either of the Trenches though all the same time these were seconded by a shower of Carcasses Bombs The City of Namur taken and red hot Bullets which were shot within the Works of the Town This brave Resistance giving us all imaginable hopes that the Castle would be able to defend it self much longer the Marshal de Villeroy advanc'd with his Army towards Brussels to Bombard that Place unless the Confederades would agree not to Bombard any place for the future without a formal Siege Never was any Enterprize more advantageously undertaken and more dexteously manag'd than this Bombardment For within the place was a very strong Garrison Brussels Bombarded and the Prince of Vaudemont with his Army was Encamp'd under the Walls besides that another flying Body of at least Twelve Thousand Men was continually in Motion to observe us and one side of the Town was laid under Water At the end of a great Causey the only way by which we could approach the Town the Enemies had made an Entrenchment of twenty Foot high having before it a low way which served for a Ditch But all these Obstacles were not sufficient to hinder the Marshal de Villeroy from opening his Trenches and raising his Batteries in spite of all their Entrenchments neither the Garrison or of Prince Vaudemont's Army which laid Entrenched on the backside of the Town making the least Motion either at our Arrival before or at our Marching off from before the Place All the Batteries being ready to Play the Marshal de Villeroy sent his Propositions of not Bombarding any Place for the future without a formal Siege But the Elector of Bavaria whose Intention was to gain time being come to Brussels the Marshal threw four Thousand Bombs in three Nights time into the Place 'T is impossible to express the Confusion and Terrour occasioned by the fury of our Bombs in so populous a City The best and strongest Edifices being destroyed and two thirds of the whole City either Burnt or laid Level to the Ground From hence our Army Marched towards Namur The Prince of Orange King William III having received Intelligence of their Approach and being joined by the Prince of Vaudemont and another Re-inforcement drew up his whole Army behind his Lines leaving only Twenty Thousand Men to guard the Trenches with a Resolution to avoid Fighting as long as possible he could and to keep on the Defensive being covered on all sides by unpassable Boggs thick Wood and Hedges and defended by double Entrenchments at all the Avenues The Marshal de Villeroy left nothing unattempted upon this Occasion he himself went in Person to take a View of the Woods and Defiles to see whether by some way or other it were not possible to force the Enemies Quarters without too much exposing the Soldiers to the Slaughter but found all the Avenues so well secur'd that it was impossible to attack the Enemy All the hopes of Relief being cut off by the Retreat of the French Army The Confederates attack'd the Castle with new Vigour Their great Artillery had done such terrible Execution against the Castle that all the Out-works appear'd no otherwise than like so many heaps of Stone or Rubbish the poor Soldiers being for the most part forced to shelter themselves in the Vaults against the Fury of the Bombs and Bullets which made Breaches every where each of which was big enough for a whole Battallion to Mount in Front The Marshal de Boufleurs having refused to hearken to the Summons sent him by the Confederates they prepared for a general Assault which was made in eleven several places at once The day appointed for this Bloody Action being come the Besieged saw about ten a Clock in the Morning the Enemies Infantry appear in two Columns above the Trenches advancing in good order towards the Breaches Three Thousand of their best Men at the Head of whom were the English Granadiers did out-brave all the rest in attempting to mount the Breach made in the Body of the Castle There was at least six Hundred Yards distance betwixt the head of the Trenches and the said Breach defended on both sides with several Out works well provided with a sufficient number of Soldiers But those brave Fellows made their way thro' all these Obstacles and advanced so briskly in spight of the Enemies Fire which galled them so in Front and Flank that the first Battallion planted their Colours on the top of the Breach This Battallion being brought into Confusion by the irresistible Bravery of the Besieged the second took their place till being quite broken as well as the former the flying Soldiers pressing upon one another brought the rest that were to Second them likewise in Coufusion who thereupon retreated in great disorder All the other Assaults were made and repulsed with the same Bravery notwithstanding the Garrison was quite exhausted of Strength by the continual Fatigues and for want of Rest but being animated by the Example of the Marshal and the rest of the Officers who also remonstrated to them that the Honour of the Nation laid at Stake and that their safety depended only on the points of their Swords they gave such Signal Proofs of their Bravery that the Enemies were repulsed in all their Attacks with great Slaughter which lasted till five a Clock in the Afternoon This was a most glorious day for the Besieged but they had lost so many of their Men in this occasion that finding themselves not in a Capacity to sustain another Assault the Marshal de Bouflers was forc'd to Capitulate The Castle of Namur surrender'd and to surrender the Castle on the first day of November Namur was purchased at a very dear rate by the Confederates who beside the immense
Expences bestowed in the carrying on of this Siege lost twenty Thousand Men the Flower of their whole Army The Confederates being flush'd with this Success Campaign 1666. boasted every where of this Conquest but the wiser sort among them were not much overjoyed at this Advantage as looking upon it as a means to retard the conclusion of a Peace For the People being exhausted with Taxes wished very earnestly for a Peace as the only means to free them from those heavy Impositions Their Commerce was considerably diminished our Privateers who continually infested their Coasts taking some of them every Day it having been Computed that the English alone have since the beginning of this War lost four Thousand two Hundred Merchant Men valued by themselves at thirty Millions of Sterling But there appeared in England many other Causes of Intestine Divisions and Confusion For the Money began to be very scarce and was so much Clipp'd of late Years that its intrinsick value did not amount to two thirds sometimes not to one half of what it ought to be As nothing is more pernicious and destructive to Commerce than the adulteration of Money so these Disorders made many grumble against the Government it being a customary thing for the Common People to impute any publick Disaster to the mis-management of those at the Helm which was also improved by a Party who insinuated into the People that great store of the English Coin was Transported into Holland The Agents of the King of England believing the present juncture very favourable to their Design set all their Engines at work for his Restauration They brought over many to their side some out of Novelty others being moved by a seasonable Repentance others out of Affection to their King joined in the Design of restoring him to the Throne They could scarce have wish'd for a more favourable Opportunity the Prince of Orange King William III. having left the Kingdom destitute of Troops and without a Fleet to guard the Coasts All his Troops were transported to Flanders the grand Fleet was at Cadiz and a good Squadron of his best Ships lately gone out of the Downs to join those in the Streights The King of England encourag'd by these hopes of Success came to Calais with a Body of Sixteen Thousand Men of old Troops under the Command of several experienc'd Generals who were ready to Embark at an hours warning But the Winds proving contrary for some time the whole Design was discover'd and we lost at once both the time and hopes of putting it in Execution For no sooner had the Dutch received Intelligence of this intended descent but they put to Sea with a Squadron of twelve stout Ships which cruised before Calais The Prince of Orange K. William III. without shewing the least Concern at the greatness of the Danger soon found means to disperse these Clouds He secured many suspected Persons recalled his Fleets and some of his Troops out of Flanders and secur'd the Sea-Coasts on that side which was most exposed to danger with a good Body of the Militia A Plot when once discover'd seldom takes effectâ— and in lieu of proving destructive to those against whom it was intended prroves generally the chief means of their Establishment Both the Houses of Parliament gave upon this occasion new Demonstrations of their Zeal and firm Adherence to the Interest of the Prince of Orange King William III. by entring into an Association not only to maintain his Interest against all Pretenders but also to revenge his Death if he should happen to be snatch'd away by some sinister Attempt against his Life Having received these fresh Assurances of their Zeal for his Person and Interest he took such sure measures to prevent all future Danger of this kind that without any further delay he passed over into Flanders At his Arrival in Flanders he found the King's Armies in the Field before him and in the Spanish Territories The King having taken a Resolution to be upon the defensive and sent his Orders to the Marshal de Villeroy who was to Command the French Army in the Lower Flanders to possess himself at the beginning of the Campaign of some advantageous Post from whence he might both observe the Enemies Motions and prevent their Designs and subsist in their Territories till the end of the Campaign The Army near the Meuse was Commanded by the Marshal de Bouflers who pursuant to the King's Orders had divided his Army into four several Bodies at such a convenient distance as to be able to join upon any occasion and at the same time to cover the French Conquests All the measures taken by the Confederates being broken by these seasonable Precautions they were forced to consume their own Territories all the Summer long without being able to undertake a Siege or come to an Engagement though they appear'd more formidable now than ever Their Fleet consisted of an Hundred and Thirty Sail but did no other feats but to burn a few Houses at Calais near the Sands of Cologne and at St. Martins They had three Armies in the Low-Countries one consisting of five and twenty or thirty Thousand Men under the Command of the Prince of Vaudemont in the Lower Flanders which however was not strong enough to Encounter the Marshal de Villeroy who Forraged to the very Gates of Ghent and exacted Contributions from all the circumjacent Countries Their Grand Army at least half as strong again threatned sometimes one sometimes another Place with a Siege but could not meet with a favourable opportunity to put it in Execution A third Army of eighteen or twenty Thousand Men all Germans advanced towards the side of Namur under the Command of the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassal They remain'd in that Post for about a Month when for want of Pay or opportunity of being employed in Flanders they returned towards the Rhine Neither did the Confederates act with much better Success on the German side The Prince of Baden keeping close within his Lines till the latter end of August not thinking it adviseable to meet the Marshal de Choiseul who had passed the Rhine with the French Army and stayed on this side near six Weeks After the return of the Landgrave of Hesse the Prince of Baden passed the Rhine and in Conjunction with the rest Marched towards Philipsbourgh without attempting any thing against the Place They afterwards advanced nearer the Marshal but spent the rest of their time in Cannonading one anothers Camp without coming to an Engagement The Duke of Vendosme had but a small Army in Catalonia more considerable for the goodness of his Troops than their Number Yet he remained Master of the Field all that Campaign being belov'd and esteem'd by the Inhabitants of the Country and dreaded by the Spaniards He defeated the Body of their Cavalry much Superiour in number of Squadrons to his He demolish'd many of their Castles which served them for places of Retreat He observed so closely
the Motions of their Army that he enclosed them betwixt the Mountains and their Entrenchment where without striking a Stroak they lost more Men than they could have done in an Engagement In Italy the Marshal de Catinat appear'd in the Field with a very numerous Army composed of some of our best Troops the King having taken a resolution either to Conquer all the Country as yet remaining under the Obedience of the Duke of Savoy or to oblige that Prince to accept of a Peace So soon as the Enemy receiv'd Intelligence that the French were preparing to pass the Mountains they employ'd a great number of Workmen to cover the City of Turin against any Attempt by making strong Lines and Entrenchments they carried all the common Cattle into places of Security and by their Army and numerous Parties which they sent abroad every Day endeavour'd to hinder our Communication with Pignerol Our Army finding nothing else to subsist on but what they were supply'd with by our Convoys did suffer Extreamly in their March which was not very hasty we being at the same time in Treaty with the Duke of Savoy and upon the point of concluding it After the Breach of the Truce the King had in his Manifest sufficiently testified his Intention of Sacrificing all his Conquests to the re-establishment of the publick Tranquility and that he had not taken up Arms to enlarge his Frontiers but to defend himself against the Attempts of the Confederate Princes Upon the same score it was that both before the Siege of Philipsbourgh and after the reduction not only of that Place but also of the whole Palatinate he pressed the Allies to change the Truce made at Ratisbonne in the Year 1684. into a lasting Peace Upon the same account also after taking Villa Franca Nice and Montmelian he offer'd the Duke of Savoy to restore to him all the Conquests he had made on that side Casal being demolish'd since that time the Duke of Savoy's Inclinations began to bend strongly towards a Peace Peace is so desirable in it self that when offer'd ought not to be refus'd Happy is that Prince who knows how to improve such an Opportunity to his own Advantage 'T is true the Duke made some Preparations in the next Spring to Besiege Pignerol but his Intention was rather to oblige us to demolish it than to reduce it by force of Arms. He had Espoused one of the Daughters of the Duke of Orleance only Brother to our King who having no Daughters had Married the eldest of his Nieces to the King of Spain the second to the Duke of Savoy The Queen of Spain died without Issue but the Dutchess of Savoy had had three Princesses to one of these the King resolv'd to Marry the eldest of his Grandsons to renew by this Marriage the ancient Alliance betwixt France and the Duke of Savoy This Alliance and the present Advantage of removing these inconveniencies which attended the War at so great a distance made the King consent to the demolishing of Pignerol and to restore the Duke into the immediate Possession of all his Territories except Susa Nice and Montmelian which were to be left in the King's Hands till the Conclusion of the general Peace The Duke on the other Hand oblig'd himself by a separate Article Peace with the Duke of Savoy in August to propose to the Confederates a Neutrality in Italy and if they refused to accept of it to join his Forces with France to oblige them to it During the Treaty with Savoy the King had granted a Truce for one Month which afterwards was prolonged at the Request of the Pope and the rest of the Princes of Italy who were not willing to let slip this opportunity that offer'd to rid their hands of the German and other Forreign Forces But the Confederates were so far from accepting the Dukes Propositions that on the contrary they left no stone unturn'd by threats and Promises to perswade him to alter his Resolution But he stood immovable to all these Insinuations and the time of the Truce being expir'd Siege of Valenza join'd his Forces with those of our King 's who advanc'd towards the Milaneze Territories to form the Siege of Valenza The Marshal de Catinat Commanded both these Armies under the Duke of Savoy and the Trenches being opened before the Place towards the end of September we caried on our Works with such Success that the Place was just upon the point of Capitulating Neutrality for Italy when a Messenger arrived in the Camp on the ninth day of October with this agreeable News that at last the Ministers of the Emperor and Spain had accepted of the Neutrality the chiefest Conditions were That the Princes of Italy should allow a certain Sum to the Emperor to redeem the Winter-Quarters And that the German Forces should begin their March in order to return into their own Country the same day that the King's Army in Italy should return into France The King gain'd great Advantages by the Peace of Italy Thirty Thousand Men of his best Troops with a great General who had hitherto been Employed on that side might be made use of with much less Expence against the Enemy in another place which must needs oblige them then to make a Peace with us or to continue the War with more Vigour and greater Expences than before We reap'd also another Advantage by it which ought not to be pass'd by in Silence which was the Princess Maria Adalaida The Dutchess of Burgundy Eldest Daughter of Victor Amadeus II. Duke of Savoy and Anna Mariae of Orleance Spouse to the Duke of Burgundy After the Ratification of the Peace this Princess was conducted into France though the Consummation of the Marriage was deferr'd for fifteen Months longer She was all that time not quite Eleven Years of Age but shew'd such a vivacity of Wit and so much Conduct in all her Actions that she was the admiration of the whole Court the Duke of Burgundy being not then above fourteen years Maria Victoria of Bavaria Dauphine of France died in the Year 1690. in the Flower of her Age Death of the Dauphiness she was a Princess of Extraordinary Merit of a great Soul whose chiefest aim was to see the Princes her Sons Educated in the love of Vertue and glorious Actions Betwixt this Princess and Lewis Dauphin of France were begotten three Princes Lewis Duke of Burgundy born the eighth day of August in the year 1682. Philip The three sons of the Dauphin Duke of Anjou born on the 29th day of December in the Year 1683. and Charles Duke of Berry on the 31st of August in the Year 1684. Never had any Princes in the World more noble Education their generous Inclinations being improved not only by their Governour Paul Duke de Beauvilliers Saint Aignant and their Tutor Francis de Salignac Fenelon Archbishop of Cambray but also by the singular Care of the King and
the French Arms for these nine or ten Years last past had given new occasion of Jealousie to the Emperor The Continuation of the War was a plausible pretence to augment his Authority in the Empire he had all the Reason in the World to be afraid of the ill state of the King of Spain's Health and his infirm Constitution he did also imagine that after the Conclusion of the Peace the German Princes would not be very forward to assist him against the Turks all which Inducements were sufficient to diminish the Emperor's Inclinations for a Peace It was supposed that the Prince of Orange K. William III. was also rather inclined to continue the War but considering that both the English and Dutch so earnestly desir'd it there was not any reason which could oblige him to oppose this Negotiation For the several Plots which had been contrived against him since his Elevation to the Throne the decay of Commerce the vast quantity of false and clipt Money and the scarcity of good Coin had caused ' such Confusions in England as could not be better repair'd than by a speedy Peace especially since the English sustain'd such considerable Losses both by our Privateers and the heavy Taxes that many of their richest Merchants were ruin'd by the War Add to this that the People in Holland were so pressing for a Peace that for fear the States-General should be prevail'd upon to consent to a separate Peace with France the Emperor and the other Princes judged it most adviceable not to delay any longer to send their Plenipotentiaries to assist at the opening of the Conferences The King had for some time before sent Francis de Calliere a person in whom he put a singular Confidence to the Hague to adjust the main Preliminary Points with the States General of the United Provinces and to remove all Obstacles which might retard or obstruct this grand Affair he kept upon the defensive for fear of raising new Jealousies against him among the Confederates But finding that this only served for a means to retard than promote the Peace some of the Confederates being buoyed up with the vain hopes of obtaining more advantageous Conditions by these delays he took a resolution to act with more Vigour this Campaign Since the end of the last Campaign the King had ordered his Magazines upon the Rhine to be fill'd with all manner of Provisions The French Forces which hitherto had been Employ'd in Italy were put into Winter-Quarters in Alsace and other adjacent Countries and our Troops had been in Motion all the Winter the better to amuse the Enemy The Neighbouring Princes being greatly Alarm'd at these vast Preparations caused their Territories to be cover'd by strong Entrenchments defended by a vast number of Pallisadoes and Batteries with Redoubts and Forts built on all the principal Avenues as if they all were to sustain the whole Force of France the following Campaign A Rumour being also industriously spread abroad which was confirm'd by the Motions of our Forces on that side that the King intended to have two great Armies in Germany one near the Vpper Rhine to give a Diversion to the Enemy the other under the Marshal de Catinat to undertake a Siege upon the Lower-Rhine the Confederates fortified Mayence and provided this as well as other places thereabouts with fufficient Garrisons This Rumor continued till towards the end of April the King having managed the whole Design with somuch Conduct and Secrecy that the Generals who were to serve under the Marshal de Catinat were upon the Road towards Germany in expectation to make the Campaign there when they receiv'd Orders to the contrary and that they should with all speed repair to Flanders whither the said Marshal was gone to form the Siege of Aeth This Enterprize was look'd upon as the most glorious that could be undertaken Siege of Aeth the Place being strongly fortified with eight Bastions surrounded with a broad and deep Ditch full of Water It was the sixteenth day of May when the Town was Invested at which time there was a Garrison in it of three thousand seven hundred Men. Never was a place attack'd with more precaution and so much vigour at the same time the King having given express Orders to the Marshal to spare as much as possible could be his Troops but to play against the Place the more furiously with his great Artillery But the besieged made but a feeble Resistance they fired not very briskly nor made one Sally when our Men made the Assault upon the covert Way they left their Post after the first Discharge so that as soon as we had made two breaches large enough to mount them this strong Place which by reason of its many Outworks Surrender of Aeth was fear'd would cost us a great many Men surrendred by Composition the 6th day of June in thirteen days after opening of the Trenches with the loss only of a hundred Men on our Side The Confederates had at the same two great Armies in Flanders being both computed at a hundred and twenty thousand Men. Our King to disappoint the Enemies design of relieving the Place had order'd the Marshal de Villeroy to post himself on that side where there was the most appearance of danger The Marshal de Bouflers was Encamped on the other side of the Town and three other Bodies were to guard some other Avenues leading to it all which were posted at such convenient distance as to be able to second one another in case of an Attack so soon as the Enemy had been advertised of the Siege they advanced towards our Lines but whither it were that they fear'd the Desertion of many of their Soldiers who were very ill paid or that they did not think it for their Interest to hazard a Battle at this juncture of time when the Peace was so near a Conclusion for fear that if the Success should not answer their Expectation they should be forced to rest contented with the less advantageous Conditions they divided their Army into several Bodies the better to cover their other Places in Flanders without attempting the Relief of Aeth Soon after the taking of Aeth they received a fresh Reinforcement of eighteen thousand Men but notwithstanding their vast Number they Entrenched themselves in their Camp which they made impregnable by many Redoubts and Batteries The French Army's continued all this Summer in the Spanish Territories without being distubr'd by the Confederates who avoided a Battle or Engagement The remaining part of the Campaign was spent without any further Action the Allies seeming to have no other Aim than to prevent our Forces from undertaking any thing of moment and both Parties being actually inclin'd to expect the issue of the Siege of Barcelona and of the Diet Assembled in Poland for the chusing of a Successor to their lately deceased King John John Sobieski Grand Marshal of Poland ow'd his Elevation to the Throne of Poland not so much