Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A35796
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The Detestable designs of France expos'd, or, The true sentiments of the Spanish Netherlanders representing the injustice of the King of France by his declaration of war against His Catholick Majesty, and the justice of the counter-declaration of the Marquess of Gastannaga his Governour General of the Low-Countries.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing D1212; ESTC R5366
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20,170
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32
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can France say to This But to say no more of the pretended Usurpation of England who has told France that the Catholick King has join'd with a Usurper He has united with the Emperor his Kinsman and Ally He has join'd with the Pope the Head of the Church Against whom Against the common Enemy of the Empire against the general Enemy of Europe against the declar'd Enemy of the Holy Empire Where is the Scandal The Prince of Orange lawful Elected King of England by the Three Estates of the Kingdom is upon his March the same way What sort of Morals has the Court of France found out to prove that it is not lawful for the Catholick King to make an Alliance with him in defence of the Common Liberty of Europe Is it for us to dispute the Rights of the People and Kings of England We should take it very ill that the English should intermeddle with the Government of Castile or Arragon If there be any wrong done 't is done by all the Nation Now I cannot find that the whole Body of a Nation is answerable for its Conduct to any other than God himself If King James have any right on his side we will not take it ill that he defend his Title But this is a Quarrel to be disputed between the People and Him wherein no body has to do to concern himself much less the Catholick King who never receiv'd any Kindness but all the dammage that might be from the late Kings of England as being always in League with France to the ruine of the House of Austria This is the first time for these two hundred years past that the House of Austria has found England in a condition to be advantageous to their Interests and France is mighty unwilling that they should lay hold of the Lucky Conjuncture 'T is very unjust and the Accusation which the most Christian King raises thereupon is a Pretence without any ground After all what would be the benefit of that plausible Alliance into which his most Christian Majesty tells us that he has labour'd so much to persuade the Catholick King for the restoring King James It would produce a bloudy War. England environ'd with the Sea united to Holland and in Alliance with other Protestant Princes is able to maintain a War against all the other Princes of Europe And in this War Spain would be a loser the Empire would get nothing and France would win all For when the Allies were weaken'd by extravagant Expences and a tedious War with England then would France fall upon them and level all before him This is a true Prospect of the Designs of France so Religious so Catholick so Zealous for the Rights of lawful Sovereigns And now has not the Marquess of Gastannaga just reason to publish That the most Christian King's Declaration is injurious to his Catholick Majesty while it labours to render all his Alliances with the Princes and States his Neighbours scandalous to all the World whose glorious Aim is onely the repose of Christendom and the reciprocal Grandeur of each others Dominions The Scandal then being wip'd away as it is clear there is none in this case it is as apparent that his Catholick Majesty cannot dispence with his entring into an Alliance with all the Enemies of France let them be of what Religion they will. For this Union tends to the glorious End which is the safety and repose of Europe of which the most Christian King has been the Disturber for several years His Ambition is boundless nor will it admit of any Limits and therefore it is requisite that Bounds should be set him in spite of his teeth it being necessary as the Marquess of Gastannaga says for the reciprocal Grandeur of each others Dominions Not that the Emperour or the King of Spain or their Allies have any design of Conquest upon those Princes that acknowledge and worship Jesus Christ That Honour is left for the most Christian King to pillage and devour the Children of the Church The Emperour is contented with conquering the Countries of the Christians out of the hands of Infidels And as for his Catholick Majesty all that he desires is but to regain what has been so unjustly ravish'd from him Nor does it appear that the Protestant States the English and Hollanders either have or can have any prospect of Conquest nor any other Interest than that of the publick safety and the preservation of the Liberty of Europe But to be an Enemy of France to go about to stop the Career of her Fury is to declare War against Heaven if you will believe the Ministers and Council of Versailles His Majesty was inform'd at the same time that the Spanish Embassadonr in England was continually with the Prince of Orange And thus for the future the Court of France it seems will take upon her to regulate the Visits and motions of Forreign Embassadours in Foreign Courts so that they shall not dare to pay common Civilities without her permission Wherefore should the Catholick King forbear holding that good Correspondence with the Prince of Orange which he had always observ'd while he was at the Hague Had the Prince of Orange given the King any occasion to order his Ministers not to see him any more 'T is very true the behaviour of the Prince was quite different toward Monsieur Barillon the most Christian King's Embassadour for he sent him away packing with ignominy and he had good reason so to do For that Embassadour was sent into England for nothing else but to engage King James in a Conduct entirely opposite to the Interests of Europe and the publick peace 'T was his business to cheat England and to tie he Hands that she might not oppose the Ambitious designs of the most Christian King and aster the flight of King James he staid behind for nothing else but to be a Spy and a Firebrand of Sedition But the Spanish Embassadour was there to engage England to do her duty by suppressing the Attempts of France The Prince of Orange comes into England and by the flight of King James becomes Master of Affairs and turns the Tide so that the Revolution proves altogether favourable to the Interests of his Catholick Majesty and of all Europe What reason has the most Christian King to take it ill that we should lay hold of such a lucky Circumstance for the restoring Christendom to peace and that flourishing Condition which it formerly enjoy'd One of the King of France's Reasons for declaring War against the Catholick King is That the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands we very busie in raising new Forces Is not this very fine that the King of France shall cover Land and Sea with Armies and Fleets shall declare War against the Pope and the Emperor threaten the Universe make preparations as if he were to conquer all the East and that he Princes of Christendom and their Governours must not dare to make moderate Levies
the Treaty unless our Governour Monsieur the Marquess of Gastannaga be charg'd in particular His Majesty says the Declaration has been also inform'd of the part which the Governour of the Low-Countries had in the Enterprize which the Prince of Orange undertook against England By this it appears that his most Christian Majesty had very good Eyes to see what no body else but himself could discover But I would fain understand what part the Marquess of Gastannaga had in the Enterprize of the Prince of Orange Did he righ out any of his Masters Ships to join the Holland Fleet Did he levy any Soldiers in the Netherlands or send any Forces aboard to land in England Did he lend any Money to the Prince of Orange or the Hollanders toward their getting ready their Fleet Did he sollicit the English to revolt and favour that pretended Invasion In my opinion these are the only Acts by which it may be presum'd that he had any part in the Enterprize Now it is as clear as Daylight and notorious to all Europe that the Governour of the Netherlands was never guilty of any of these Charges and that he cannot be upbraided with any false step that ever he made either directly or indirectly to the ruine of King James but I will tell ye the truth how it was Some years since there was a Tribunal erected at Versailles altogether resembling the Judgment-Seat of God where men were to answer for their Thoughts as well as their Actions In this Tribunal which understood the hearts of Men it was that they found that the Marquess of Gastannaga was at the bottom of his heart very glad that the King of England had work enough to do at home since he minded so little those Affairs abroad that most concern'd him For King James was Garrantee for the Peace of Nimeghen for the obtaining of which his Brother had been the Mediatour It behov'd him also to be Garantee for the Truce that follow'd and yet he sat still without ever concerning himself while the King of France both openly broke the Truce and invaded the Empire It is natural not to close too far with the Interests of those who do not close with ours especially when they are obliged thereto It may be that the Marque4ss of Gastannaga who is deeply engaged in the Interests of the Empire not a little perplex'd that the King of England so strangely neglected the peace of Europe was nothing at all troubl'd to see him depriv'd of that Peace himself which he would not preserve to others This was a Thing divin'd in France as it was divin'd that the Emperour would make a Peace with the Turk to make War upon the Rhine And this was the great Crime of the Governour of the Low-Countreys He was a Friend to the Prince of Orange before the enterprize of England nor has he yet abandon'd his Friendship but has always preserv'd the good Correspondence which was between the Prince and Him. This was another of his Crimes For from this time forward the World is to be inform'd that France is not onely the Arbitratour and judg of the general conclusions of Peace but she is also the Mistress of private and particular tyes and Obligations of Friendship People of honesty and Integrity are no longer to have any other Friends but those whom she will allow them Otherwise he must be a Criminal a Violator of Treaties and an Infringer of Alliances It may be that the Marquess of Gastannaga at what time there was no news in Holland of what pass'd in England gave advice to the Spanish Minister residing at the Hague of what Intelligence he had by the way of Newport and that the News was carry'd to the Princess of Orange and the States And this was having a part in the Enterprize of the Prince of Orange according to the Interpretation of France for that without this Intelligence the Prince of Orange's Enterprize could never have succeeded this was that which terrify'd King James this was that which caus'd him to abdicate his Kingdom this was that which had such an influence upon his Army that they refus'd to fight in a word this was that which did the work Thus it is that France derides and laughs at all the World and takes us all for a company of Beasts Nevertheless these specious Pretences are the Ingredients of a Delcaration of War and make up the principal Grounds and foundations of it Now let us listen to the following part of the Declaration His Majesty not being able to believe that the conduct of the Governour of the Low-Countries in this particular Affair was every by the Directions of Order of the King of Spain who by so many ties of Religion Bloud and assurance of all Kings one toward another was oblig'd to oppose a Usurpation of that nature His Majesty was in hopes that he might have been able to persuade his most Christian Majesty to a Union for the Re-establishment of the lawful King in England and the preservation of the Catholick Religion against the Protestant League c. His Majesty was inform'd at the same time that the Spanish Ambassadour in England was every day with the Prince of Orange c. And bad Counsels prevailing his Majesty had intelligence that a resolution was taken to favour the Usurper of England and to join with the Protestant Prince Behold another most pious and most Catholick Article of the Declaration and now after this who can ever accuse the King of France of not behaving himself answerable to his Title of Most Christian It is clear from hence that the King of Spain is no longer to be accounted Catholick since he is become a Friend and favourer of the Protestants He refuses to succour a Catholick Prince dispossess'd by an Usurper he joins his Forces with those of the Enemies of the Church Nevertheless the Marquess of Gastannaga does not relish this specious Article And therefore he finds himself oblig'd to tell the VVorld in his Counter Declaration That that same piece of the most Christian King is injurious to the Devotion and Piety of his Master as being labour'd with all the Art imaginable to render his Alliances wih the Princes and States his Neighbours scandalous to the World. In the Declaration of the most Christian King of which we have already repeated the words it appears that his Majesty seems to have a peculiar abhorrence of Usurpers and would by no means be thought a friend to Usurpations but altogether a Zealot for the Rights and Priviledges of lawful Sovereigns For he calls the Prince of Orange a Vsurper and would have all the World to be his Enemy King James he calls the Lawful King of England and would have all the World to succour him But it is an easie thing to look through all these feigned shews of his good Nature for if they be real 't is to be hop'd that the consideration of these things will bring him to look