wounded not exceeding 400 Men The same Evening my Lord Portland being recover'd of his late Indisposition that had made him go for Brussels came back to the Camp in good Health and His Majesty was pleas'd to declare him General of Horse in his Armies The Fifth Colonels Cholmley Langston and Windham were declar'd Brigadiers of Horse at the Orders the first being made Brigadier of the Brigade of Life-Guards Colonel Coy dispos'd afterwards of his Regiment to my Lord of Arran Brother to His Grace the Duke of Ormond and Colonel Harvey Lieutenant of one of the Troops of Life-Guards got the Earl of Arran's Regiment of Horse in England This day five Battallions landed at Willemstadt from England being the second Battallion of Scots Guards Colonel Columbine's Sir Bevil Granville's Colonel Murray's and the Marquis of Puizars where they met with a Route to march forthwith to Brussels by Liere and Malines The Sixth The Troops of Brunswick and Lunenbourg under the Command of Lieutenant General Ohr consisting of eight Battallions and twelve Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons pass'd the Meuse coming from the Rhine the Foot at Maestricht and the Horse and Dragoons at Maseick and incamp'd this day near Tongres and came the Eighth to Tirlemont where they had Orders to halt the French having made yet no manner of Motion since the taking of At h and therefore 't was not yet resolv'd where to dispose of this Reinforcement as for the Hesse and Munster Troops they follow'd but did not come up till the French had brought us under the Walls of Brussels for the Safety of that place as I am now going to give an account of it only I must see first what was transacting in the Elector of Bavaria's Camp in Flanders after the loss of Ath. The greatest Advantage the French had by the taking of this place was that now they could march with their Armies in the Pays d'Alost and Forrage all the Country to the very Walls of Dendermond and the Banks of the Scheld the Rupelle and the Canal of Brussels and that in having their Armies here they made the Communication between Brabant and Flanders very difficult for the Allies who in such a case could not march any Troops from the one to the other but by the Canal of Brussels Rupelmonde and so by the Pays-de Waes behind the Scheld and if the War had lasted another Campagne we should have felt the Inconveniency of a French Army in the Pays-d'Alost yet more than we did this unless we had been much stronger in the Field than we were this Year to secure this Camp before them This Consideration that the French were now Masters of the Country to incamp where they pleas'd about Alost oblig'd the Elector to provide betimes for the Safety of Dendermond and Pays-de-Waes thereupon after the News of the Surrender of At h he commanded the Regiment of Horse of Bunau and the Liege Dragoons of Rost and Jamar with the two Battallions of the Electoral Prince of Bavaria to march towards that place for its defence and to hinder the French Parties from passing the Scheld to raise Contributions in that Countrey but the Allies having a design to make up a third Army about Brussels at this time if it could be brought together time enough to prevent the French on this side and besides Brussels being expos'd without any considerable Troops about it since the loss of At h Prince Cerclas of Tilly was order'd away for Brussels from the Elector's Army that same night being the 29th of May with the Liege Cavalry and Dragoons and took the two Regiments of Dragoons of Jamar and Rost sent to Dendermond in his way and so the Regiment of Horse of Bunau and the two Battallions of the Electoral Prince remain'd about Dendermond but Prince Cerclas of Tilly came to Brussels the beginning of June where he incamp'd before the Fort of Montery as we have said it above The Elector's Army had been in this Camp ever since our early taking of the Field except the little time it was with the King's Army at Ternath and Iseringhen which made Forrage very scarce about his Army several great Detachments were therefore made to look for Forrage between the Lys and the Scheld some towards Warreghem and Vive St. Eloy up along the Lys and others towards Nassaret and Gavre upon the Scheld one of which Detachments beat a Party of the Enemies at Cruyshoutem The third of June it was propos'd to have march'd with the Army between the Lys and the Scheld and a Camp was mark'd at Nassaret but Forrage was very scarce and the Army could subsist but very few days in this place and therefore 't was thought necessary to oblige the Country of Flanders behind the Canals to have dry Forrage ready at this time for the Subsistence of the Army The Seventh the Elector's Army made one general Forrage more about Wacken on both sides of the River Mandel which falls into the Scheld at this place the Marquis de Montrevel being incamp'd with the Body under his command within the Lines near Courtray having intelligence of it march'd with a Body of Horse from this place to interrupt our Forrage between the Lys and the Mandel We had on our side three Field-pieces at the Mills of Wacken upon the River and Detachments all along as far as the Bridge of Colberg and from thence between the Mandel and the Lys all along the way to Bassevive upon this last River Montrevel had about 3 or 400 Horse and having advanc'd pretty far between these two Rivers he met with an Out-guard of ours of 30 Horse commanded by a Spanish Lieutenant which were soon oblig'd to fly for their main Body being under the Command of a Colonel these were likewise driven from their Post and forc'd to retire being pursued by the French as far as an Inn call'd the Hive where Major General Salisch who commanded the Forrage this day was posted with about 1300 Men The French did not think it safe to venture any farther but went back to Courtray having about 40 Prisoners and 30 of our Horses along with them The Tenth the Country of Flanders began to furnish the Army with dry Forrage according to the Elector's orders which could not subsist any longer at Nevel without it And the Marechal of Catinat having level'd the Lines and repair'd the Breaches of At h and being now upon his March towards the Scheld and it being uncertain as yet which way the Marechal of Villeroy would turn whither towards Brabant or Flanders a Council of War was call'd the 12th at the Elector's Camp to concert what was to be done if both the Marechals of Villeroy and Catinat should bring their Armies into Flanders either at Thilt or Rousselar it was propos'd in that case to bring the Elector's Army behind the Canal of Bruges to march in order to that upon the Right and pass the Canal at Ansbeck and observe the same Method that was
Campagnes and Voyages Battles and Sieges with the Olive-branch of a Happy and Honourable Peace in his Hand and the Lord-Mayor and Citizens of London had made it their particular Request to receive His Majesty publickly to express thereby their Affection Duty and Gratitude upon such an Occasion in a manner suitable to the Wealth and Grandeur of that Famous and Renowned City in the Particulars of which Magnificent Reception 't is not my Business to enter at present as belonging properly to the History of England I shall only add that His Majesty receiv'd afterwards Congratulatory Addresses from all Parts of his Dominions for his safe Return after having Happily terminated a most Obstinate and Expensive War carried on for so many Years by our late Enemies chiefly and on purpose to bereave him of a Throne he fills with so much Fame and Renown and to deprive us of his most Just and Equitable Government and of what has a necessary Dependence upon it all that can be Dear and Precious to a People our Religion Laws Priviledges and Liberties These are Exploits which require the utmost Gratitude of all True Patriots and Lovers of their Religion and Country which can do no less than express it self in hearty Prayers to the King of Kings that he would Bless His Majesty with a Long Happy and Prosperous Reign over us as a Just Reward of so many Glorious Atchievements for our Safety and Preservation All this while the French were not yet ready to Evacuate any of the Places they were oblig'd to restore to the King of Spain by the late Treaty of Ryswick being first by vertue of it to carry away all their own Artillery Ammunitions Provisions and Stores and leave behind them the Artillery and quantity of Stores they found in these places at the taking of them 'T is true the Evacuating of these Towns requir'd some time upon this account but 't is very probable that the French delay'd the fulfilling of this Article purposely till they saw what Success the Treaty they had Sign'd on the 22th of October with the Empire should have at Ratisbone where 't was likely to meet with a considerable Opposition from the Protestant Princes in the Ratification for if the Treaty instead of being Ratified there had been declar'd Illegal and Derogatory to the Treaty of Westphalia and to the Articles provided therein in behalf of the Protestant Religion it would not have been very convenient for the French King's Affairs that Luxembourg and other places to be restor'd by the Treaty of the Tenth of September should be in the King of Spain's hands The Plenipotentiaries of the Protestant Princes having refus'd to Sign the Treaty between the Empire and France on the 22th of October had still some Conferences with those of France to find a temper for the fourth Article so as they might Sign joyntly with the rest of the Empire but they were all to no purpose England and Holland had bor'n the Burden of a long and very Expensive War and their Trade and Commerce the very Springs of all their Wealth had been considerably impaird and therefore were not able to meddle at present in that Affair and vindicate the Interest of the Protestant Religion in Germany against these Incroachments upon it so contrary to the Westphalian Treaty so that the Protestant Princes wanting Power for this Reason to maintain and carry on their Opposition against the Treaty lately concluded between the Empire and France the Ratification was Sign'd in the Imperial Dyet at Ratisbone without any Alteration to the Fourth Article by which the Popish Religion is to continue in several Towns and Places of the Palatinate according as it was Establish'd by the French King whilst in his Possession where before the War were none but Protestant Churches to the great Oppression of the Protestants and the Violation of the Treaty of Munster in their behalf and France has gain'd this Advantage over the Empire as to Sow the Seeds of such Divisions in this Treaty between the Protestant and Popish States as may in time be very Fatal to Germany and increase very much the Greatness and Power of the Most-Christian Kings which for several Years last past has been found so Prejudicial to the Peace and Quiet of Europe The Treaty between France and the Empire being Ratified within the Term prefix'd in the Articles it was thereupon exchang'd at Ryswick the beginning of December and the French having secur'd this Point restor'd immediately after the Towns of Mons At h Charleroy and Courtray in the Low-Countries and Barcelona Gironne Roses and Belver in Catalonia to the Spaniards but they did not quit the Dutchy of Luxembourg till the Month of January following when la Roche and Arlon little Fortresses upon the Frontier towards the Pays de Liege were deliver'd up to Spanish Garrisons on the 17th and the 19th they took Possession of the Town of Luxembourg whereof the Count d'Autel General of the Palatine Troops had been appointed Governour by the King of Spain through the Queen's Interest being the Elector Palatine's Sister By this time all or most of His Majesty's National Forces Horse and Foot had left Flanders and were pass'd the Seas and got over into England Scotland or Ireland except six Scots Regiments of Foot which the States have taken into their Pay and Service being those of Lauder Murray Walter Collier Ferguson Strathnaver and George Hamilton and the three French Battallions of Refugies of la Meloniere Belcastel and Marton My Lord Gallway's Horse and the Marquis de Mirmont's Dragoons which are still kept in His Majesty's Service in Flanders And the French were then working to demolish the Works on the Rhine and elsewhere which are to be Raz'd by the Treaty and to evacuate those which they are to restore to the Empire but as yet have not perform'd it however we need not doubt but they will and News are daily expected of their having begun with Philipsbourg and deliver'd it up to an Imperial Garrison but these Affairs do not come directly within the compass of this History and therefore I need not speak any more about them lest that should swell this Account to too great a Bulk which is long enough already and longer than I would have made it if it could have been done conveniently without omitting some Material Passages I have no more to add but some few short Reflexions upon the Peace lately agreed upon at Ryswick which brings this History to a most happy Period and to it s wish'd for Conclusion the Negociations whereof have been carried on with more Calmness Tranquility and Expedition than any General Treaty we can read of before notwithstanding several Occasions which have offer'd themselves seasonably enough to take hold of them thereby to disturb or prolong this great Work We have seen the King of Sweden Charles the Eleventh who by his Mediation had so wisely manag'd Affairs as to bring the Plenipotentiaries of the
Nassau-Saarbruck left the Camp to go to the Baths of Aix la Chappelle for his Health and Count d'Arco General of the Bavarians was left Commander in Chief of the Army Upon this going of the Prince of Nassau's to Aix la Chappelle My Lord of Athlone had once Orders to go and Command the Army in Flanders and was preparing to leave the Prince's Army for that purpose but how this came to be alter'd is what brings me to speak of the Affairs of our Army in Brabant The Marechals of Bouflers and Villeroy being now separated and march'd from the Neighbourhood of the Canal of Brussels a great deal of our Cavalry could be spar'd out of our Camp where there was hardly any Forrage to be had at present to go and subsist more conveniently some where else and therefore all the Cavalry upon English Pay being first joyn'd with the Dragoons that had been posted behind the Canal march'd on the 18th from Diegom to Wavre upon the Dyle for the Conveniency of Forrage but the Dutch Horse being left in this Camp were furnish'd with dry Forrage from the States Magazines in the Town Upon this March of our English Cavalry to Wavre the Prince of Tilly left Masy and pass'd the Meuse at Namur to incamp within the Retrenchment upon the Height of Ste Barbe there to subsist in the Condros and spare the Forrage on this side for our Cavalry The both the Duke of Ormond and the Prince of Hesse left the Army the first to go for England and thence to Ireland for his Domestick Affairs and the last into Germany and this day being the Term given in the French Project there was no other Discourse in the Camp but of Peace but how this came to fail is what I have given an account of just now The 24th the Prince gave Orders for all the Artillery and Baggage-Horses to be sent for from Grazing and for the Army to be ready to march upon Information that Bouflérs Army was upon the March towards the Plain of Fleury the said Marechal having left the Camp of Stanberg and the Neighbourhood of Grammont on the 22th to come to Enghien whereupon Count Tillard was left at Grammont with 18 Battallions and as many Squadrons for the Guard of the Convoys between the Scheld and Villeroy's Camp and of the Bread which was Bak'd in this Town for the use of the Armies The 23d the Marechal of Bouflers continu'd to march upon the Right and came to incamp at Soignies where he was joyn'd by the Marquis de Courtebonne and the ten Battallions under his Command which had been posted about Mons since Bouflers March towards Dendermond The French being got so far towards the Sambre alarm'd the Prince who as we have now said order'd all the Horses to be sent for from Grazing but did not get into the Camp till the 25th and the Artillery and heavy Baggage could not march till the next day towards Louvain Major General Stewart with Tiffin's Brigade was now upon his March from the Pays de Waes back to the Canal of Brussels who with the Body commanded by the Count de Noyelles upon this Canal was to joyn the Prince's Army at Louvain Our English Cavalry and Dragoons at Wavre were to march towards Namur who with the Prince of Tilly and the Garrison we had in the place might have cover'd it till the coming up of the Prince's Army The 26th the Artillery and heavy Baggage began to File off towards Louvain under the Escorte of a Colonel with 1000 Foot and the Army had Orders to follow the same way the next day to march thence towards the Mchaigne But Count Nassau Lieutenant General and Major General Erle were to be left at Brussels with 15 Battallions English and Dutch to incamp within the new Line which was now almost finish'd there to cover the Town The Prince had sent an Express to Loo to give His Majesty an account of the Marechal de Boufler's Motions and of his Resolutions thereupon but Namur being at present an Attempt not to be made by the French considering the Strength of the place with that of its Garrison and the Forces we had about it and the Backwardness of the Season and that besides it would put the Army to great Difficulties to march that way without any pressing Occasion and Boufler's Army being halted at Soignies where it was now Hutted and in no likelihood to stir from thence it was therefore thought convenient to countermand this March and it was accordingly countermanded the 27th for the English Infantry could not stir but with great Difficulty because they wanted Horses to carry their Baggage two Waggons had been allow'd each Battallion till the coming up to this Camp which had been hir'd by the King the beginning of the Campagne to supply the present Necessity but having been dismiss'd at the coming to this Ground only one could be had at present and if the Army had been oblig'd to march most of the Officers must have left all their Baggage behind them for very few had Horses to carry it and therefore not to put them to such a Hardship it was thought more Expedient to let the Foot remain where it was and that it would be sufficient to send the Dutch Cavalry and Dragoons being still in this Camp under the Command of the Earl of Athlone towards the Mehaigne These Agitations had stopt his Design to go and command the Army in Flanders in the absence of the Prince of Nassau Saarbruck and that thought was now quite laid aside to go and command the Army we were going to form towards the Mehaigne where besides all the Dutch Horse and Dragoons My Lord was to have Tiffin's Brigade from the Pays de Waes and the two Brigades of Belcastel and Oxensterne from the Canal making together sixteen Battallions which now could be spar'd from thence upon the Marching off of Villeroy towards Audenarde and Bouflers to Soignies and only one Battallion was left thereupon for the Guard of the Canal The 28th all these Regiments joyn'd together near Louvain under the Command of the Count de Noyelles Lieutenant General and Major General Stewart and incamp'd behind the Dyle about a League above the Town with the Left at Corbeck and the Right extending it self towards Neer-Ische but that of Colonel Saunderson was commanded to incamp with the Artillery at Louvain without Brussels-porte and the Detachment of the Prince's Army that cover'd it was order'd back to the Camp The 30th all the Horses belonging to the Infautry incamp'd at Cockelberg were remanded to Graze as before along the Dyle between Louvain and Malines and a Colonel with a Detachment of 1000 Foot was sent to Louvain to bring the Artillery back again to our Camp The same day My Lord Portland came from the Hague to Brussels in order to have another Conference with the Marechal of Bouflers as 't was suppos'd upon what had happen'd at Ryswick the 20th Instant and
has been preferr'd to the Equivalent and the French who to be sure expected that it would be so and therefore were aware of it resolv'd to retain Saar-Louis and Longwy to have still a Bridle upon the Empire and Luxembourg and also for a Defence to France it self in case of such another Alliance against it as the last Immediately after the Signing of the Peace at Ryswick the 10th or rather 11th of September Expresses were dispatch'd to all the Courts in Christendom to give notice of it and our Plenipotentiaries at the Hague thought it convenient to send one to Prince Vaudemont at Brussels who commanded all His Majesty's Forces and Armies in Chief in the Low Countries the Express pass'd by Antwerp at Nine of the Clock at Night and Mr. Hill His Majesty's Envoy at the Court of Brussels who was then at his Pay-Office at Antwerp had the first News of it before the Elector about Twelve the Express came to the Prince at the Camp and the good News were all over the Army next Morning our Express was follow'd by two Spanish Couriers going to Madrid the first with the News of the Signing and the second with the Treaty in due Form to be Ratified who both receiv'd the Elector's Orders at Antwerp in their way And as if Providence had design'd this to be mark'd for a Happy day in the Calender the Elector receiv'd soon after the passing of the first Spanish Courier an Express from the Emperour with the News of the Great and Glorious Defeat which Prince Eugene of Savoy had given the Turks at Zanta near the Theysse in Hungary on the First of September which as it appears by the Accounts of it was as compleat and entire a Victory as has been gain'd for many Ages and so much the more Welcome that it was gain'd in a time when Men were very apprehensive for the Emperour's Affairs in Hungary the Grand Seignior having a much more powerful Army with which he had already driven the Imperialists from Titul and was now passing the Theysse to march towards Peter-Waradin when his Army being imprudently divided by the River either for want of Boats to make several Bridges or Conduct Prince Eugene attack'd that part which had pass'd under the Command of the Grand Visier and gave it an entire Rout and in the Pursuit over the Bridge which occasion'd the loss of most of the Infidels put that part which was commanded by the Grand Seignior on the other side into no less Confusion and Disorder The Elector having receiv'd this joyful News by the Express dispatch'd immediately the Count de Milan to the Electrice and Prince Vaudemont at Brussels with the Letter he had receiv'd from the Emperour upon this occasion Several People wish'd that this Victory had happen'd a little sooner for the sake of the Allies who if the Turks had been brought to make a Peace which would have been much more Honourable than what they at present can expect could then have given the Law in the Congress of Ryswick and oblig'd the French to much greater Restitutions or else have carried on a War that must have been Fatal to them but the French Court has known so well how to manage the Turks upon this Point in all the Misfortunes they have had for these seven or eight Years last past that there was no more reason to expect the Turks would seek for a Peace after this Defeat than after that of Salankement or the Losses of Guyla and Great-Waradin The 12th in the Evening the Elector follow'd the good News and came to Brussels and the next day he sent the Marquis d'Vsiés a Serjeant General de Battaille in the Spanish Troops to the Marechal of Villeroy and Baron Simeoni to the Marechal of Bouflers to give them an account of the Signing of the Peace on the Tenth at Night and to know what Orders they had from the French Court about their Armies between this and the Ratification which was to be made within three Weeks after Count Monasterol was sent at the same time by Count d'Arco from the Army near Bruges to the Marechal of Catinat upon the same account they were receiv'd with great Civilities in the French Camps and nobly entertain'd but return'd with this Answer That no Orders were yet come from Court to them upon the Signing of the Peace but that as soon as they did receive any they would give an account of it to His Electoral Highness thereby to regulate Affairs on both sides accordingly The 14th all the Artillery was drawn out before the Camp upon the Height uear the Wind mill of Ganshoren and all the Army drew out in the Evening to fire three Volleys for the great Victory obtain'd over the Turks by Prince Eugene of Savoy but it fell a Raining very hard and all the Troops were dismiss'd to their Tents and the Artillery commanded back to its former Post which may be was not the true Reason but rather it was not thought convenient to have any publick Rejoycing about it the Peace being Sign'd between England and France which made England to have no Interest in the Emperour's Affairs that way For I do not remember that there were any publick Rejoycings in England for the raising the Siege of Vienna in King Charles the Second's Reign or even for the taking of Buda in King James's though a Popish Prince But Te Deum was Sung this Evening in the Elector's Chappel and all the Cannon fir'd thrice round the Ramparts of Brussels with abundance of Illuminations and Fire-works and Count d'Arco the Bavarian General who commanded at present the Army of Flanders in Chief had Te Deum Sung in his Quarter by the Chaplains of the Spanish and Bavarian Troops and the Army and Artillery being drawn out fir'd three rounds for this Victory The 17th Prince Vaudemont left the Camp to go and wait upon His Majesty at Loo not only to regulate the Marching of the English Troops out of the Country but chiefly to Thank His Majesty for the great Honours he had receiv'd in commanding of his Armies in Flanders the three last Campagnes and to pass as much time as he could with the King before His Majesty went for England now that the parting would be for some time the Prince being appointed by the King of Spain for Governour of Milan in the Room of the Marquis de Leganés where we may expect from so Brave and Wise a Prince that he will manage Affairs so as to conserve the Peace and Repose of Italy and contribate thereby to maintain that of Christendom in General The Prince being now gone to Loo the Duke of Wirtemberg became in course General in Chief of the Army near Brussels The 19th the Marechal of Bouflers sent Monsieur de Pracontal a Merechal de Camp or Major General of his Army to the Elector of Bavaria at Brussels to give His Highness an account that the French King had sent Orders for his Armies
and the Allies are fallen very short of their Expectations in the last War France propos'd to it self at least to have chang'd the Twenty Years Truce into a perpetual Treaty in pursuance of the repeated Instances made by the French Ambassadour at the Dyet of Ratisbone for that purpose and nothing in the World could have prevented not only this but even the Ruin of the Protestant Religion every where and with it the Truckling of the Empire the Spanish and United Netherlands to the Power of France save the Happy Wonderful and Sudden Revolution in England when in all Humane Probability His Majesty's Expedition with so considerable a Body of the States Forces in that Kingdom must have created such Civil Wars as would have been rather Subservient to carry on the great Designs of France instead of hindering them which I think is a sufficient Argument to convince any Man unless he is byass'd by his Passions Prejudices and Interest that it was the doing of that over-ruling Providence who as the Psalmist tells us * Psal 33. Maketh the Devices of the People to be of none effect and casteth out the Counsels of Princes As for the Allies they had sufficiently felt the Effects of that Great Power which the French had come to by the Treaty of Nimeguen and whilst the Court of England was ingag'd in the Interests of France that turn'd the Scale so much that there could be no resistance for them But that powerful Kingdom having been so happily and suddenly drawn out of the Interests of France or rather deliver'd out of its Power by the late Revolution in the Government and brought over by it to the side of the Allies in whose Cause the Religion Laws Priviledges and Liberties of that Kingdom were so nearly concern'd as the Liberties of Europe were reciprocally involv'd in the Destiny of that Nation so the Allies conceiv'd very great Hopes thereupon of reducing France to much lower Conditions than the Treaty of Nimeguen and of hindering it hereafter from disturbing so often the Peace and Quiet of Christendom But several Accidents have stop'd the Progress of the Allies Affairs thus far the first has been the War of Ireland which hinder'd England from bending the Force of its Arms against France at the beginning to imploy them for the three first Campagnes to recover a Kingdom which so undoubtedly belongs to it and in which it was certainly the Interest of the French to maintain the War as long as possibly they could not to mention the persidious Malice of a Party of Men and unnatural Patriots we have at Home which has weaken'd our Efforts very much and clogg'd the Progress of our Affairs so as to make them often drive heavy The second has been the Over-sight of the Imperial Court in not making a Peace with the Grand Seignior after the Siege of Belgrade as the Turks so earnestly sollicited it at that time And the third The Obstinacy of the Turks so prejudicial at last to their true Interest in carrying on so unsuccessful a War in Hungary when by the necessity of the Emperour's Affairs whilst ingag'd in a War against France they could have made a very Advantageous Peace for themselves which they ought to have done chiefly when they found that notwithstanding the great Diversion they expected from the French upon the Rhine the Imperialists could give them an intire Rout at Salankement and take in the Campagnes following Guyla and Great-Waradin from them for which ill Policy they find at present but too much reason to repent when they see themselves left in the Lurch and to deal with a Powerful Confederacy which now that there is a General Peace in Christendom can bend all its Forces against a weaken'd and drooping Empire The first of these Obstacles being at length happily surmounted by the Reduction of Ireland France contriv'd an Invasion in the Year 1692. to make us look to our own defence at home instead of increasing the strength of the Allies abroad by which though it miscarried in the main yet it gain'd the Town of Namur And the defeat of Landen in 1693 having shew'd the necessity there was for England and the States to augment considerably their Land Forces the Scale begun to turn the Campagne following and the weight of England appear'd very considerable in the Ballance chiefly in the Campagne of 1695 by the Glorious Recovery of Namur which if it be true that France offer'd to treat upon the Foot of Nimeguen before upon the Issue of the Campagne of 1694 sufficiently justified the Conduct of the Allies in the rejecting of it when the French lost Cazal in Italy at the same time And there is a great deal of reason to think that the carrying of the War by the Allies thereafter would have been attended with many other Glorious Advantages and very Fatal to the French had it not been for the Duke of Savoy's deserting of the Common Interest in the Campagne of 1696 and what was may be in some measure the Cause of it the Money difficulties which happen'd in England at that time and oblig'd us to Reform our Coin which had been Clipp'd and Debas'd almost to nothing so that it could bear no Price abroad but must have hinder'd our Armies at last from Subsisting in Flander's and drawn the loss of the Spanish Netherlands after it without a speedy Remedy And as we could not carry on the War nor indeed our Trade without Reforming our Coin so France expected we should be reduc'd to such Extremities in the doing of it as might have put a People together by the Ears that is not us'd to want which would have made it worth its while to continue a War in which it would once more have had a fair Chance to subdue the League and Compass its great Designes by the Ruine of England This may be reckon'd the true Cause both of the inaction and weakness of the Allies for the two last Campagnes and of the continuing of the War then by the French King But though our Money difficulty's occasion'd in a great measure this prolonging of the War by the French yet our overcoming of them so happily and in so little a time which demonstrated the vast and unexpected Wealth of a Nation they reckon'd altogether impoverish'd and which was represented as such by our Domestick Enemies has made amends for it in opening the Eyes of our late Enemies and letting them see that the Continuation of the War would Ruin France before it could Beggar England which has contributed very much to facilitate and bring about that Universal Peace which Christendom now Enjoys And though the Allies have fallen short of their Expectations in the War and that France still continues in the main upon the Foot of the Treaty of Nimeguen yet England having so successfully rcover'd its Liberties and maintain'd and vindicated the Liberties of all Europe at the same time it is thereby in a Condition to ballance