terrible Slaughter and put the rest to the most dreadful Flight that ever was known This Glorious Victory revivâ—d the Courage of the drooping Empire and every body coming again to themselves consider'd which way to make their best advantage of it So that Heaven continuing the blessing of success upon the Christian Arms they prosper'd to their own Wishes The King having beheld this Great Deliverance alterâ—d his Sentiments but not enduring to let his Neighbours be at rest he teizâ—d the Spaniards about the County of Alost considerable for the Extent and Revenue of it which he claim'd as a Dependance upon his Conquests and upon the King of Spains refusing it he Besiegâ—d Luxenburgh and took it in lieu of an Equivalent All people thought that then the War would have broke out again more furiously then ever But the weakness of the Emperors Forces and the Emperors desire to prosecute his Victorys in Hungary were the reason that all their differences were put an end to and laid a sleep by a General Truce concluded in the Year 1685. While these things thus pass'd on Charles the II. King of England dy'd and left the Crown to his Brother the Duke of York who tho generally ill belov'd by the People and a declarâ—d Roman Catholick was nevertheless proclaim'd without any Opposition So happy a Success and perhaps so little expected spread an Universal joy among all the Jesuits who promis'd themselves no less then the entire reducing that Kingdom under their Dominion in three or four Years at most and they had already devour'd in imagination all the Noble Bishopricks and Considerable Benefices in the Realm nor indeed were their hopes so Chimerical but that they might have reason to have some assurance of it they were absolutely Masters of the new Kings Heart and Soul who was wholly govern'd by them as being to speak properly no more then their Prime Minister of State in his own Kingdom Besides they were protected by France extremely Potent and near at hand to pour in thirty thousand men into England when ever he pleas'd 'T is true this could not have been done without a prejudice to the King whose Authority would have been not a little diminish'd thereby but what carâ—d they provided they had got their ends Now as the whole company in general had great reason to be over joy'd at such a promising Event Father la Chaise in particular had more engaging motives of Exultation and Triumph The deceas'd King Charles had willingly listen'd to his Councils and had done several things in complacence to his advice but at the bottom he was a prudent Prince and one who otherwise loving his Pleasures and his Ease did not always do that which was desir'd of him nor was he of a humour to hazard the whole for nothing like his Brother who not having all the foresight imaginable but perswading himself in imitation of Lewis the Great that there needed no more for him to do but to attempt and Prosper blindly and erroniously deliver'd himself up to Evil Counsels Upon which Foundation la Chaise erected his project to set all Europe in a Conflagration of War the most violent that ere was known and hugg'd himself in his design which he lookt upon then as infallible Some prosperous successes as the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth and his Death renderâ—d K. James so vain that he never thought England able to withstand him So that from that time forward he began hardly to observe any Measures wherefore in a short time the Kingdom was full of Monks of all Orders and particularly Jesuits who were become such favourites at Court that there was nothing to be there obtain'd but by application made to them And upon theirs and Father Peters â—s recommendation it was that Tyrconnel was made Deputy of Ireland where he committed extremities of Cruelty against the Protestants of whom he put a great number to Death This Tyrconnel was an Irish-man by Birth and low in Fortune he came young into England where he serv'd as a kind of Page for above ten Years at the end of which time he met with a Catholick who prefer'd him to the Duke of York in the quality of a better sort of Gentle man This was the Rise of his Fortune But to return to King James He receiv'd a Nuncio from the Pope into London which had not been known for above an Age before this was the Abbot Dada since made a Cardinal Some few days after his arrival he was consecrated Bishop of Amasia in St. James's Chapel by the titular Archbishop of Armagh and two other Bishops and in the Afternoon coming to pay his Respects to their Majesties they fell upon their Knees before him to receive his Benediction Hitherto the Nuncio had only appear'd incognito which not satisfying the King who pretended to do nothing in Hugger Mugger he resolv'd that he should make his publick Entry and chose Windsor for the Place To this purpose he orderd the Duke of Somerset first Gentleman of his Chamber to go the next day to waite upon the Prelate at his Lodgings and conduct him to his Audience The Duke would fain have shifted off the Employment by telling the King that it was absolutely contrary to all the Acts of Parliament that had been made upon that Subject but then the King casting an Angry look upon him Do said he as you are commanded I ask not your Advice Nevertheless the Duke continu'd his Excuses declaring to the King that there were several others who would obey his Orders with less Reluctancy and therefore besought his Majesty to lay his Commands upon them rather then upon him Very Good reply'd the King I shall do it but it shall cost you your Employment of First Gentleman and so turning to the Duke of Grafton who was then in the Chamber Duke of Grafton said he go to morrow and fetch Monsieur the Nuncio in my own Coaches of State and be you henceforward first Gentleman instead of the Duke of Somerset Nor did the Kings Wrath against the Duke of Somerset end there he took from him his Regiment of Dragoons and cast him quite out of his Favour The next day the Nuncio made his Entrance in the view of all the People in a Violet Habit his Rochet and * Habit of a Purple Colour resembling a Captains Gorget worn by a Pontifical Bishop above his Rochet and reaching down to the bending of his Arms. Camail All this was done at the instigation of Father Peters who was something more in England then la Chaise was in France And this latter seeing to his great satisfaction King James's weak side is reference to Peters resolv'd to make him serviceable to advance his own Grandeur That ambitious Jesuit la Chaise had been a long time aspiring to a Cardinals Cap but in regard that since the Pontificate of Innocent XI the Holy See had never had a more implacable Enemy then himself he justly question'd whether the Pope
THE HISTORY OF Father La Chaise Iesuite and Confessor TO LEWIS XIV Present King of France Discovering The Secret Intreagues by him carried on as well in the Court of England as in all the Courts of Europe to advance the Great Designs of the King his Master Made English from the French Original LONDON Printed by J. Wilde for H. Rhodes at the Star the corner of Bride-lane Fleet-street 1693. THE PREFACE TO THE READER I Will not trouble my self kind Reader to make a Bustle for your Suffrage in favour of my Book It will speak for it self and if the Reasons which it offers are not of sufficient Force 't would be in vain for me to alledge mine Excuse me therefore for producing any more then only this That there is great Reason the World should know what a Saint the King of France has got to teach him the Way to Heaven However I cannot forbear to tell you That you ought in some measure to return me Thanks for the Present that I make you not so much for the value of it as for the danger to which I expose my self for your sake I attack not only the most revengeful Man that ever the Sun shone upon but a whole Society that never pardons any Injury and from whose remorseless Hatred there is no Asylum can secure me For suppose that I had drawn upon me the displeasure of my native Sovereign the King of France and should retire to London under the declar'd Protection of King William which one would think were sufficient to guard me from the Menaces of the most puissant Monarch in Europe yet early or late this cabaâ—ling Society would find a way to sacrifice me to the Resentment of my offended Prince Nor should I be the first who had fallen into their Snares Have they not whirlwinded several out of Amsterdam that at this very Day lie Rotting in the Dungeons of Mount St. Michel Others have been assassinated in the very Court of Hanouer And the same Father La Chaise that illustrious Impostor against whom I write did he not enforce the Geneveses to deliver into his hands an unfortunate Person that had written something against him tho' he had not made out any thing that was very Essential and was extreamly mistaken in some of his Conjectures What would become of me then should he come to discover who I am and who I may be Nothing could save me from his Fury But as good Luck would have it tho' I have had the Opportunity to know him Intus in cute yet I believe he has no reason to be more suspicious of me then another He sees and is seen by so many People of all Sorts and Conditions of which the greatest Number curse his Infidelities and Treacheries experienc'd by them selves that his Suspitions would be lâ—st in the Throng Besides it may be well imagin'd that 't was not from himself that I learnt the following Particulars of his Life He is not a Man to trust every body with his Secrets Yet in regard no man can be Vicious alone and that there must be the passive as well as the active Part in all manner of Luxury 't is no less certain that Father La Chaise must all a-long have had his Intimates and Socios Voluptatum among whom it was impossible for Father La Chaise to choose so well but that there might be now and then a Judas Never ask me then through what Channel these Curosities were convey'd to my Knowledge For 't is a Question to which it becomes me not to give a positive Answer and that upon good grounds All that I can say to it is this That I was none of those who had the fewest Intriegues with the Society for several Years together besides that I had sundry particular Friends who were perfectly acquainted with this Metropolitan Jesuit from the time that he was first admitted into the Order by whose means I had the Opportunity not only to hear several Stories confirm'd by Tradition but also in Private and as it were by Stealth to read his Memoirs themselves Now in regard the following Relation comprehends as well the Incontinencies and Gallantries of his Youth as the ungodly Practices the Treacheries and Villanies of his riper Years and more crafty Age As to the First there 's no body can have any reason to deny but that Tradition might be a very faithful Assistant to me For there is no cause to believe him more a Saint when he was a young Man then now he is the King of France's Confessor The Fox has only chang'd his Skin but not his Conditions And I should take him to be very incredulous that should give Credit to the Frailties of St. Augustin's Youth and yet scruple to believe the Follies of La Chaise's As for the deep Exploits of his riper Years and the venomous Effects of his more mature Meditation there needs no more then the Complaints of Two Popes the Bishop of Pamiers Cardinal Camus and others to convince yee of a great deal in regard that all his Actions of which they complain are no other then what is purely natual and consonant to the Humour the Genius and Morals of that Society of which he is the Head and Directour and for many of the rest the dire Proceedings of his Penitent the French Monarch so much guided by his Counsels are such Evidences to the World of his being the Man I mean that no one can well question the truth of my Relations 'T is true I cannot expect that this poor Book of mine should be approv'd of in all places for how is it possible it should be so for I can neither disguise nor betray my Sentiments I utter things sincerely as I think and this is not the Mode at this time Perhaps it may be read and that is all that I desire However should it ne'er be lookt upon this would be my Consolation that I make no trade of writing and if I have lash'd out a little 't was meerly the Instigation of my Zeal for the Publick which I could not suffer to be so long impos'd upon while the Impostor triumph'd without some kind of Punishment Reader If you stand too nice upon the Punctilioes of a History mine will not please yee I know that to present a History drest up in form 't is requisite the Author should tye himself solely to his subjâ—ct and never lose sight of it by wandring and throwing himself impertinently into Contemporary Affairs I confess ingeniously you will not find that strictness in mine In that respect I have given my self a great Liberty For in regard the Person whose Actions I trace is a kind of an Ubiquitarian here and there and every where I was forc'd to follow him where-ever his Projects lead me and as he chang'd his Scenes to vary mine which caus'd a Division of the Continuum that could not be avoided The French Bookseller to the READER I Would willingly Reader
his Crown he begg'd her of the King of France and his Sister who could not deny him so small a Favour Presently the King sent a Yatch and a Frigate to Brest to bring her from thence into England Where her Wit and her Beauty and her medling with State-Affairs rais'd her a great number of Enemies some in the Parliament some among the People and others among the Court-Ladies among whom there were few that equall'd her in Beauty But for all this the Love which she had for the King or her own Good Fortune which was the most likely enabl'd her to surmount all these Difficulties with an extraordinary Courage The chief Maxim of her Politicks was to keep in with the Duke of York and side with France and by that means she so well order'd her Business that she held on a Ruling Favourite till the Death of King Charles II and should I say till the Advancement of King WILLIAM I should not tell an Untruth She is moderately Tall well-Shap'd having the Air Gate of a Queen She has the loveliest Mouth and Teeth in the world and her Smiles penetrate to the bottom of the Heart When she has a mind to be Complaisant she is altogether lovely but the mischief is that she will not be Complaisant to All. And this is that which has procur'd her such a world of Envy and Ill-will She has a Wit so piercing that 't is impossible to disguize any thing from her Her prevailing Passion or rather her Idol is Ambition to which she sacrifices her Repose her Pleasures her Honour and all things in the World Now in regard she pants after nothing but Honour and that for several Years she has made a Considerable Figure in the World she has assum'd such an Air of Grandeur and Business which she will never leave off as long as she lives There is no Woman living so Proud as this Woman but the last Revolution in England by which she lost above Fifty thousand Crowns a Year caus'd a great Alteration in her Affairs However she put a good Face upon the Matter in hopes the Times would change again or else that the King of France would give her a Considerable Pension for the Service she did him But that sort of Gratitude is no longer in Fashion the Partridge must be plum'd while you have her in your Hands for if once you let her go 't is in vain to expect she will ever return The Dutchess of Portsmouth is a fair Example of this She defy'd all England to serve her French King and Countrey and for that reason was thrown out of all Since that she has been reduc'd to that necessity as to sell her Coaches Horses Moveables and to turn off three fourth Parts of her Servants no body offering her so much as a Pension of a Thousand Pistoles So that when all her Hopes fail'd her and that there was no likelihood of King James's Return she sent her Son into England where he became a Protestant and marry'd the Lord Bellasis's Widow with whom he had a great Fortune By which means he is upon as sure Grounds as before and I think he has done very well But leaving this Digression the Dutchess of Portsmouth was so over-joy'd that she was become so necessarily Instrumental to the Designs of a Great Monarch that in the Evening she return'd this Answer to the King SIR THE Honour which Your Majesty do's me surpasses far my Hopes and my Ambition I shall have henceforward some good Opinion of my self since my King has not thought me unworthy to do him the utmost of my most humble Services upon an Occasion of so high Importance But I dare be bold to say That Your Majesty did me ample Justice when you thought that my Zeal and my Fâ—delity would be inviolable Though I am remov'd into a Foreign Countrey yet I have not forgot the Advantage I enjoy to be bâ—â—â— your Subject nor that my Mother my Brother and all my Relations are still in your Kingdom And lastly That I am beholding to you for my good Fortune since it was your Majesty your self that gave me to the King by whom I have the Honour to be belov'd Thâ—â— Love Sir however it may Charm me dis never as yet render me so Glorious as now that it has procur'd me the Means to be serviceable to your Majesty and that you wâ—â— find by my extraordinary Diligence in performing your Commands But in regard the King has not hitherto appear'd to me so we inclin'd I beg your Majesty to give me a little Time and to afford me Leisure to take my Opportunities 'T is certain That many good Designs are ruin'd by too much Precipitation that might have been brought to a good Conclusion by Temporising a little And I am apt to think Sir that this is a Design of the same nature Should I open the Business to the King at an unseasonable minute and he should absolutely forbid me never to speak of it more to him should I not fall into a Misfortune to be unprofitable to your Majesty Which would be a Grief past Consolation to me Not but that I believe he will be brought to Reason But your Majesty your self acknowledges That the deceas'd Madam of Glorious Memory fail'd in her Attempt And therefore if you please to give me leave I will proceed gently in this Affair which by the Blessing of God will have a happy Issue at least I will not be sparing of my Endeavours to bring it about I am with a most profound Respect SIR Your Majesty's most humble c. London Decemb. 14. 1670. Afterwards she wrote the following Letter to Father La Chaise Most Reverend Father NEver complain more of the slender Occasions which have made me take the liberty to beg Favours of you That which you have now done me in perswading his Majesty to honour me with his Commands is so great that I shall be oblig'd to you as long as I live And it would be a violent Trouble to me not to be able to discharge the Obligations you have laid upon me did I not know that 't is alway your desire I should be beholding to you upon that account I consent then since it must be so but know Most Reverend Father That if it were in my power to repay you as great Services as that which you have now done me by an extreme Acknowledgment or an earnest Desire to do my Utmost for them from wheâ— I have receiv'd 'em I should owe you nothing There is no need Most Reverend Father of proposing me magnificent Rewards to engage me to do my Duty in the Negotiation wherewith you have entrusted me You will faâ— by the exact Account which I shall give you of all my Proceedings that I shall leave nothing omitted to bring it to a good Issue upon no other Motive then my Obedience to the King and to do him faithful Service But in regard this Affair requires a
great deal of Precaution I think it the best way to proceed slowly and dexterously to lay hold of Time and Opportunity This is the Course that I have resolv'd to take till I receive new Orders London Decemb. 14. 1670. I am c. These Dispatches finish'd she sent away a Courier immediately giving him other Letters for the Pretence of his Journey but sow'd up her Answers with her own Hand within the Lining of his Coat under his Badge In the mean time she sounded every day the King's Inclinations to the Proposal she had made him and not finding him so averse as she thought he would have been she expected with Impatience an Opportunity to speak to him in plain English Nor was it long before she met with one for the King having demanded a Summ of Money of the Parlament which they would not grant him the King complain'd of this Refusal and told the Duke of Buckingham That they us'd him like a Boy whose Parents deny'd to give him Money for fear he should mis-spend it But this was nothing to an Affront which he receiv'd a few Days after There is a Custom at London which has been time out of mind and which tho' abusive and insolent is very much in use among the Vulgar Sort. This is a certain Liberty the People take to abuse all those that go by Water let their Condition or Quality be what it will not excepting the King and Queen themselves who are often forc'd to hear themselves miscall'd and abus'd without being able to help themselves But this is only in Sport and lasts no longer then they are upon the Water for as soon as they land those Injuries cease and every body has that Respect given 'em which belongs to ' em This is a thing so delightful to the English that many times the Court Ladies and Lords will go by Water in an Eveing to provoke the Water-men and Basket-people to call 'em all to naught and so return back again as content as Queens Now it happen'd one Evening that the King went in his Barge with the Dutchess of Portsmouth Presently the Canaille having espy'd her cry'd out A Whore A Whore and ask'd 'em whether they were coming from a Bawdy-house or going to one and whether they were not the Persons that they saw Dressing at such a Surgeons All this the King lik'd well enough But when they came to ask the King how much Money the Parlament had given him to build his Palace and where he intended to erect it whether at London or at Windsor with a thousand other Impertinencies of the same nature he could no longer contain his Passion Par-bleu said he Would any but an unhappy King as I am endure these Insolencies I could find in my heart to put 'em all to the Sword Then the Dutchess put in seasonably and told him That he was not to exert his Anger against those pitiful Scoundrels but against the Parlament that were the Occasion of all this and who visibly went about to keep him under Pupillage She repeated the same thing to him when she came home At what time the King answer'd her That 't was true and that he began to be sensible of it and that he would take another Course He told her farther That he intended to Dissolve the Parlament and Call another that should better understand their Duty Sir said the Dutchess Your Majesty seems not to have rightly consider'd the Greatness of the Evil since you go about to apply such Feeble Remedies All England of which the Parlament makes but one part is animated with the same Spirit that will prevail no less in another Parlament when you have Call'd it then in this But you must go to the Bottom of the Mischief and pull it up by the Root otherwise you do nothing Afterwards she laid it before him That so long as the Parlament found themselves supported by the Hollanders they would be still playing the Masters more and more till they had confin'd his Authority within such narrow Bounds that when he would it should not be in his power to help himself The King who was then in the lucky Minute of Perswasion jump'd with the Dutchess in her Sentiments and told her He was very much afraid it would come to that at length and that he was very sorry he did not heark'n to the Proposals that were made him by the King of France Certain it is answer'd the Dutchess that he is the Prince of the World whose Alliance would be most advantagious for your Majesty He loves you and is much concern'd for your Honour He is Potent and the only Prince in a Condition to bring down and sink the Hollanders into Perdition upon whom you are to look as the only Obstacles of your Majesty's Grandeur The King gave ear to the Dutchess in such a manner as to make her think that he was no way displeas'd with her Discourse So that the Dutchess after a great deal more to the same Tune and still finding he took all patiently told him at length That Father De Carnè who was arriv'd in the Kingdom in the Quality of a Missionary had declar'd to her That the King his Master was extreme sorry that his Majesty would not accept of his Alliance That he foresaw to his great Grief the unavoidable Mischiefs which this Refusal would draw upon him and that the said Father had Orders to engage her to speak of it to his Majesty but that for fear of Displeasing him she had always kept her self upon the Reserve though with a great deal of Reluctancy because she knew the thing to be of great Importance Upon that the King interrupting her ask'd her where the Father was telling her withal That he should be glad to see him The next day she sent for him and the King discours'd with him a long while She also presented him to the Duke of York who made very much of him and promis'd to do his Utmost with the King So that in short the Dutchess of Portsmouth had leave to write to the King That his Majesty was enclin'd to negotiate with him a firm and good Alliance so soon as he should send any Person to that purpose And the Treaty was concluded in the Lodgings belonging to the Dutchess of Portsmouth who had the greatest share in it The Conditions were That the King of France should defray the Expences of the Fleet of which an Accompt should be drawn up and pay down Four millions before-hand That for defraying the other Expences the King of England should begin the War by setting upon the Smyrna Fleet Homeward-bound by which he would be a Gainer several Millions and that at the same time the King of France should enter Holland at the Head of 100000 Men. The Project was put in Execution Point by Point and the Hollanders seeing the King was making great Preparations for the Sea and not doubting but it would be against them for that in
all likelihood it could not be against France yet could not fully perswade themselves of the truth till they sensibly felt the Blow They always thought that it tended either to get some Money out of 'em or else to the re-establishment of the Prince of Orange a thing which at that time was in Agitation among themselves so that without ever so much as stirring they quietly expected the whole Force of their Enemies which had like to have utterly over-whelm'd ' em They then found it too true That it is not sufficient for a Prince to think himself safe because he has given no just occasion of a War and that he ought never to repose so profoundly upon the Faith of Treaties as not to have Forces always ready to oppose his Enemy upon any sudden breach of Peace or according to the common Proverb Not to relye so much upon a Neighbour as not to keep a vigilant Eye over him But go and preach these Politicks to People that love their Ease better then their Lives and because they have renounc'd enlarging their Territories think all others of their mind and you may aswell preach to so many Statues In short this Confidence cost 'em dear For the King of England had no sooner fallen upon the Smyrna Fleet but the King of France fill'd all Holland with Terror and Dismay He took Maestricht Graves Nimeghen and pierc'd as far as Utretcht from whence he beheld but one little spot more to Subjugate 1672. In that City he exercis'd all the Prerogatives of a Sovereign Conqueror He chang'd the Magistrates coin'd Money and there receiv'd a stately Embassie from England at what time the Duke of Buckingham and the Lords Arlington and Halifax were sent from the King of England These things tickl'd La Chaise even to Triumph and Exultation insomuch that he could not forbear asking the King with an Air of Joy and Content whither he would take his Counsel another time He had also Emissaries in all the Catholick Courts more-especially with the Emperor and the King of Spain into whose Ears they continually peal'd That the King had no other Aim in this War but the Extirpation of Heresie which he was going to Attack and Combat even in the Trenches and in the very Arms of her most formidable Champions the English and Hollanders that by a visible Favour of God there was a Way found to dis-unite 'em and that they would themselves destroy one another and that the Finger of God and that Celestial Frenzy which constrain'd the Enemies of the People of God to fall upon one another was herein to be observ'd The Emperor who is a good Prince and a zealous Catholick seriously believ'd the Tales which the Jesuits told him and making it a Case of Conscience to oppose such Holy Arms remain'd in a Lethargy that surpriz'd all the World and warm'd himself at the Fire which devour'd his Nighbours House never minding the Danger of his own At length the Elector of Brandenburgh a wise and couragious Prince could no longer be a Spectator in a Quarrel that so nearly concern'd him He was the first that drew his Sword to succour poor Holland then at the last Gasp and so lively laid before the Emperor the terrible Consequences of the King's Victories that he oblig'd him to declare open War and to send a good Army to the Rhine under the Conduct of Montecuculi with Orders to join the Elector of Brandenburg and fight Turenne after he had well tyr'd his Army which would have extreamly weak'nd the King's Forces and reduc'd him to a Necessity of quitting his Conquests to defend his own Country This unexpected Resolution of the Emperor extreamly incumber'd him for La Chaise had always promis'd the contrary nor was it a small Vexation and Disappointment to the King But La Chaise bid him be of good Comfort for that he had an infallible Secret to make him break up the Campaign without fighting a stroak as he did by Counterfeiting a private Order from the Emperor to Montecuculi which forbid him positively to join the Elector whatever Commands he had receiv'd to the contrary unless they imported an Express and particular Revocation of the Order he had sent him And thus the Business was carried on During the time that La Chaise resided at Rome he had for his Companion a certain Italian Fryer whose Name was Francisco Pironni a Graver once and an Ingenious Artist in his Trade but withal the greatest Cheat and Rogue that ever the Earth bore La Chaise had made use of this Fellow upon sundry Occasions wherein he shew'd such Proofs of his Ability and Industry that he thought him able to gain him many Creatures among the Jesuits in Germany whether he sent him only upon that Design Pironni discharg'd his Trust so effectually that by means of his Intriegues La Chaise had settl'd his best Correspondencies at Vienna and it was to himself that they had recourse to counterfeit the Order which I have mention'd They had found a way to put into his Hands some old Pattent where was both his Imperial Majesty's Sign Manual and his Seal affix'd and both the one and the other were counterfeited so exactly well that the Emperor himself would have been deceiv'd So that Montecuculi who had incurr'd his Indignation by his repeated Refusals to join the Electoral Army was absolutely justified by shewing his counterfeit Orders This Villain had grav'd the Seal upon a Steel of the same Bigness and cut the Sign Manual upon a Copper-Plate which being apply'd to the Paper made the Impression so exact that it was impossible to discover the Cheat though it had been known before-hand This being done and the Order written above the Sign Manual a Courier's Habit was procur'd for Pironni and he carry'd it himself to the General and then return'd to his Convent where it was not to be thought that any body would look for him And this was the Reason that the Imperial Arms had so little Success that Year And had not the Prince of Orange been so prudent as young as he was instead of ceasing to besiege Twenty Towns one after another to march directly to Bon which he took and open'd the Pass of Flanders to the Germans whom he put into a condition to make a powerful Diversion we had the greatest Reason to expect that all the Remainder of the Seven Provinces would have fallen into the Hands of the French But this Course which the Prince took broke all their Measures in such a manner that they were forc'd to abandon all except Maestricht and Graves And as it seldom happens that one Misfortune comes alone it so fell out that the Parlament of England beholding this turn of Fortune took courage and presented so many several Addresses to the King that he was forc'd to make a Peace with the Dutch whether he would or no. However he wrote first of all to the King of France to let him know that
he could not avoid concluding the Peace by reason of the Importunitie of his Subjects I could produce several Copies of the Letters written upon this occasion but because I would not be Prolix this shall suffice from the Dutchess of Portsmouth to Father La Chaise Reverend Father 'T IS but some few Days agoe That the King of England was constrain'd to Sign a Peace full sore against his Will I cannot tell what his Majesty of France may think of it but I cannot forbear telling you That in truth he has no Reason to take it Ill considering how long it was before he came to a final Resolution He stav'd it off to the very last and without doubt had never consented had he not had certain Intelligence that the Prince of Orange finding Holland free and quitted began to listen to the Proposals of the Parlament who as your Reverence knows had invited him into the Kingdom We were perswaded till now That his youthful Years which seem'd not to be ripe for great Enterprizes together with his natural moderation and averseness to Broils and Quarrels would not have permitted him to give ear on that side but since we understand That if he were not fully resolv'd yet his Wavering was enough to continue the King's Jealousies and that the States did no way disapprove his making a Descent which indeed would be the most advantagious Course they could take The News therefore of his Hesitation put the King of England upon coming to an absolute Determination who could not in prudence venture the Invading of his Kingdom by the only Enemy that he had most reason to fear A Revolution like that would have engag'd the King to a Diversion that must have been much to his Prejudice whereas now he may interpose as a Mediator and procure his Majesty an advantagious Peace if he thinks it convenient or if not he may be in a condition to do him all possible Services under-hand and of this your Reverence may assure his Majesty His Britannick Majesty having order'd me to send you word that notwithstanding the forc'd Peace which he has made he will never depart from that Alliance which he has contracted with him nâ— from his Interests which he looks upon as his own He has given a convincing Proof of his Constancy in rejecting the Addresses that were made him to repeal the Act which was made sometime since at your Request in favour of the Nonconformists under which Pretence he also protects the Catholicks and their Meetings He will do it for the future as much as he can of which your Reverence may be confidently assur'd I am c. The King who could not have had a more favourable Mediator then his Britannick Majesty willingly consented to referr his Interests to him and Sir William Temple was sent to the States to propose his Mediation which they presently accepted Spain and the Empire were more Nice and the Prince of Orange who had no kindness for a Treacherous Peace started all the Difficulties that could be thought of which was the Reason that the Thing was procrastinated for some time Afterwards he fought that famous Battel of Seneff against the Prince of Condè whom he had challeng'd to a fair Field for Fifteen Days together while Condè somewhat Inferiour in number kept himself within his Trenches till at length the Prince of Orange seeing it was impossible to follow him Decamp'd Condè who well knew that the ways were very narrow through which he was to pass let him go till he thought his Van-guard and main Body were out of reach and then came out of his Hole fell upon the Rear-guard and utterly defeated it and had he been so much Master of himself to have stopt there the Honour of the Victory had been solely his But he had too long withstood that martial Heat that importun'd him to be doing and as a Torrent stopt for a few Days by some certain Mound becomes more terrible and violent when once it makes way so Condè's Warlike Ardour that had been bounded by his Prudence for Fifteen Days was no sooner at Liberty but bearing now predominant Sway it made him lose the greatest part of the Advantage which he had won before For having pass'd the narrow Lanes and being got into the Plain he found the whole Dutch Army drawn up in good order which receiv'd him so coâ—ragiously that he lost about 15000 Men and was constrain'd to retire in great Danger to have been pursu'd but that Night coming on secur'd him The next Year Turenne was kill'd at a time that he thought he had had Montecuculi so fast that he could not have escap'd him Condè left the Army in Flanders to supply his room leaving the Command of the Army to Luxemburgh who so well order'd his Business that the Prince of Orange could not force him to a Battel only he took Binch and demolish'd it Toward the end of the Year 1676. the Commissioners met at Nimeghen to negotiate the Treaty of Peace Thither came the Plenipotentiaries from the Emperor from the Electors from the Duke of Lorrain from Hanover from Sweden from Danemark from France and Holland and England was Mediatrix which made one of the most noble Assemblies that had been known Nevertheless whole Years were spent in regulating the Preliminaries all which time the War was carry'd on vigorously and always to the King's Advantage For he took Condè Bouchain Valenciennes Cambrai and won the Battel of Cassel which was attended with the Taking of St. Omer This prosperous Success alarm'd the Parlament of England and forc'd 'em to desire his Brittanick Majesty to enter into a War and that with so much Importunity as gave him to understand that he must resolve upon it To that purpose they presented Two Addresses to him laying before him the Necessity of opposing such a Torrent of Victory more especially in Flanders beseeching him to make an offensive League with the Hollanders 1677. These Importunities very much displeas'd the King who fear'd nothing so much as that he should be constrain'd to it But at last the Marriage of the Prince of Orange with his Niece being consummated there was a Necessity for him to make a fair shew the best he could so that after long Conferences with him concerning the Peace he consented to the Addresses of his Parlament and promis'd to declare War against France if she stood too high upon her Terms Thereupon Commissions were given out for the raising of 20000 Men and Soldiers came in so fast that in Six Weeks the Levies were compleat so eager were the English for a War with France In the mean time the Dutchess of Portsmouth gave a punctual Account of all things to Father La Chaise who not knowing what other Remedy to apply told the King That now was the time if ever to set his Exchequer at work 1678. in regard his dazling Louidores had a strange Operation upon the King of England
of having an Elector at his Devotion The second in obstinately insisting to have Furstenburgh made Bishop of Liege and refusing the Election of the Cardinal Bouillon to which the Chapter had so many times endeavourâ—d to gain his consent So that he could not forbear manifesting his displeasure against la Chaise by whose advice he had been guided more then by any other mans In so much that he told him in very harsh language that never any business that was manag'd by a Jesuit came to good And that it would be better for em to mind their Paedagoging in their Schools then to meddle with State Affairs After which he was above a month before he would so much as speak to him again so that the Father thought himself lost forever He came to Madam Maintenon all in an Alarum importunately beseeching her to speak to the King in his behalf who went about to make him answerable for the ill success of his Affiairs And yet Madam said he you can bear me witness that there is no man more purely zealous for his Majesty then my self and that for these twenty years I have labour'd day and night in his Service without taking any rest You know it Madam you have seen with your eyes the greatest part of what I have done Nevertheless as the reward of all my labours the King forsakes me quite forlorn and treats me as if I had betrayâ—d him and his Kingdom and all this because the business of Cardinal Furstenburgh wherein God knows I took a world of pains has not succeeded to his wish Tell me reply'd Madam Maintenon whatâ—s the reason you have thus engag'd him in a War the consequences of which are enough to be fear'd could you be ignorant that the advancement of Cardinal Furstenburgh to the Bishoprick of the Deceas'd Elector of Cologne might have secur'd us against the League of Auspurg which is now pouring down upon Us like a flight of Vultures For in short when once the Hollanders Arm it is a signal to all the rest Oh! Madam reply'd the Father they were well beaten in the preceding War tho England did not take our side what may we not then assure our selves now England and we are joyn'd together The King of England reply'd Madam de Maintenon has need of his Forces at home and believe me he is in no condition to succour his Neighbours Let it be never so little reply'd the Father it will be always something After all the King is in a condition to prevent his Enemies by a strong Invasion of the Rhine and by renewing his Alliance with the Turks will find 'em work enough But suppose nothing of all this were true or probable must I bear the blame of a misfortune which in good Policy could not be prevented I do not say so replyâ—d Madam Maintenon interupting him but that his Majesty ought to have regard to the integrity of your intentions and the services which you have done him and should restore you to his favour I promise you to do my utmost and I make no question but easily to bring it to pass for the King is a person of too much reason not to consider the Fatality of the Thing Never then torment your self so much but assure your self this storm will soon blow over You are not accustom'd to Disgraces No indeed Madam answerâ—d the Father and I must confess 't is a very hard case to see my self thus ill treated by a Prince to whose Interestâ—d have without the least scruple of Conscience sacrific'd the Church the Holy See my own Order and my self to â—oâ—t and so saying the Tears dropt froâ— his Eyes as big as Pearls such was his Greif and Anguish of mind But Madam de Mâ—iâ—â—â—â—â— spoke to the King in his behalf and within a few days he was admitted and his Oracular Counsel as much consulted as ever The K. sent to Rome the Sieur de Chauh to deliver a Letter to his Holiness touching the differences that were between 'em but the Pope refus'd to receive it so that Cardinal d' Estree was constrainâ—d to Print it In the mean while the King seizâ—d Avignon and threaten'd to enter Italy He also forbid Cardinal Ranonci to stir out of Paris and told him he should have the same usage as his Ambassador met with And in regard the King was afraid least the Pope should come to excommunicate him together with all the rest of his Subjects to prevent that blow he appeal'd to a future Council in reference to all whatever the Pope might do against him and confirm'd his Appeal by a Decree of Parlament In the mean time great Preparations were made for the War on every side The Hollanders more especially set forth a potent Fleet which gave great jealousie to the Kings of France and England who were both perswaded that these preparations concern'd Them Their Ambassadors therefore presented Memoirs to the States to represent their just suspitions upon their setting forth such a Fleet and at a season when others began to lay up their Ships and therefore they desir'd their High and Mightinesses to let 'em know to what end all these preparations tended The French Ambassador added that he made no question but that their Fleet was design'd against England but if it were his Master declarâ—d that the strict Alliance and Obligations that were between that Prince and Him would not permit him to suffer such an Innovation without succouring him with all his Forces of which he was willing to give 'em notice before it came to open War to the end they might not plead ignrance He told 'em more over that the King was resolvâ—d to uphold the Cardinal of Furstenburgh and the Chapter of Cologne in the full and free enjoyment of their Rights and Priviledges against all that should give 'em any disturbance And in regard he was inform'd of new motions and new Cabals to their prejudice he was no less desirous to let 'em understand his Sentiments in that particular This was the Declaration of the French Ambassador by which it may be seen that the King was not absolutely ignorant of the Hollanders design at least that his suspitions were conformable to the truth Nevertheless through a Fatality which I apprehend so much the less because it is not usual for that Prince to be guilty of such failings he heard the Thunder grumble and saw the Arm just lifted up to strike without taking any just measures to ward off the Blow and upon this occasion where there was no need of any more then following the Light of common Sence to guard himself from the danger that threaten'd him it seem'd as if he had been well pleasâ—d to have it fall upon him In short if instead of sending the Dauphin with an Army to the Rhine had he march'd directly to Mastricht or had enterâ—d Holland by the way of Bon of which the Cardinal of Furstenburgh was then Master as he did in the year 72 or
had got ready his own Fleet as the Hollanders advanc'd in their Marisine Preparations is it not true that the Hollanders being obligâ—d to look after their own defence would never have permitted the sending away their Army by Sea For t is in vain to object that the King of Sweden had lent 'em Men and that the Elector of Brandenburgh had a considerable force ready to march Fifteen or Twenty thousand Men would never have been sufficient to stop the Army of France the sole approach of which would have utterly disappointed the great and brave design which they had upon England and which was so fortunately accomplish'd But instead of this the King allurd by the certain hopes of taking two or three Places not able to make any resistance snapt at that Bait and sent away the Dauphin with a mighty Preparation to conquer a pitiful Nook of Land while on the other side the Prince of Orange call'd in by the English and assisted by the Hollanders made sure of three powerful Kingdoms the preservation of which was of such vast importance to his Majesty and King James his Confederate In the name of God was ever such a sottish clumsie mistake committed or was the like ever seen or heard of since Kings first reign'd and wagâ—d War one upon another For my my part I must in this acknowledge the effects of an unknown and superiour Providence By what I have said 't is apparent that the end of that year was fatal to two Kings nevertheless when the Dauphin return'd to Court he was overwhelm'd with Congratulations All men cry'd out Victory Victory the Soveraign Courts The Magistracy of the City harangu'd him the Poets squeezâ—d their Braines for Panegyricks and the King himself spoke his Elogy several times in publick before all the World and he mist but little of having a Tryumph design'd him For my own part who was an eye-witness of all this and knew what it behov'd me to think of it I sighâ—d in private to behold the weakness of men that oftimes Laugh and Feast and Daunce when they have much more cause to Weep I could not think they had so much reason to be merry for winning three Towns the on side and loosing three Kingdoms on the other But the French are of this Humour they look upon all things through prospective Glasses and those things that are to their disadvantage they behold with that end which lessens the Objects but those things that please 'em they view through the other end that magnifies whatever they see and brings it close to the sight However it were the Prince of Orange embark'd his men and set Sail. 'T is true he was a little delay'd by a Tempest that did him some damage but that being soon repaird he set sail again and fortunately continu'd his voyage The news of it arriv'd in France and according to custom the general report was that the greatest part 〈◊〉 the Ships were cast away and tha the Prince of Orange was drown'd and this rumour was supported by the following Staâ—â—a of Nostredamus which then made a great noise En mil six cent Octante huit Albion sera deliveree D'une Emprise mal digeree Qui ne produira aucun fruit Et par un Accident estrange Poissons se nourriro'nt d' Orange In thousand one six hunder'd eighty Eight Endangerâ—d Albion shall deliverâ—d be From a Contrivance layâ—d but sillilee The fruit of which shall blasted be by Fate And through an accident by Heav'n decreed The hungry Fishes shall on an Orange feed This was shewn me by an Advocate in a most Triumphant manner who told me that I was no longer to complain of the Fortune of France for whose prosperity all the Elements fought I knew not what answer to give him for I had never studyâ—d Nostredamus but the next day I went to visit my old Friend Cousinet a Counseller in the Parliament of Bretagne a person of Learning and good Sence to whom I shewâ—d my Prophesie In answer to which my worthy friend said he I have read the Centuries of this Astrologer several times from one end to the other and I assure you this Stanza is not there 't is a piece made at random and with that he told me a Story how that in the time of Mazarin's troubles he being engagâ—d in the contrary Party and the Cardinal doing all he could to ruin him he made a Stanza which he inserted among the rest and had 'em reprinted on purpose He repeated it to me but I have forgot all but the last Line which I remember concluded thus Les Rouges Rouges le Rouge assommeront The Red Red the Red shall knock oth Head By the Red Red he meant the Parliament and by the Red the Cardinal Nevertheless it prov'd as false as that of the Prince of Orange After which I suspected all the Centuries that were produc'd upon the present Affairs So soon as the Prince was ready to set Sail he put forth a Declaration wherein he declar'd that being several times earnestly solicited by a great many Lords both Spiritual and Temporal and by many Gentlemen of the English Nation to deliver 'em from a Despotick Power under which they were ready to be subjected to the destruction of their Priviledges and the Laws of the Realm and at the same time to free the Church of England from the Persecution which it suffer'd mov'd therefore with the misfortunes and the seveâ—â— Captivity which both Religion and the State were likely to fall under he could not refuse 'em the Succour which they desir'd That his intentions were not to invâ—â—â— the Crown as his Enemies gave out 〈◊〉 to make any alteration in the Legitimâ—â—â— order of the Succession but on the other side that he came to facilitate and procure the Meeting of a Free Parliament wherin every Member might speak his own Sentiments without Constraint and all together labour the restoration of the Laws and Libertie of the Kingdom to their Primitive vigor and the nesetling Religion in a flourishing condition as it was before the Kings unjust Attempts which tended only to the entire Destruction of it That the King of Englands Designs were sufficiently visiâ—â—â— by his strict Alliance with the Most Christian King and the intimate Vnion the was between 'em tho the King of France had long profest himself the declar'd Enemy of the Kingdom England the United Provinces and particularly of the Protestant Religion which he persecuted even to Rage and Frenzie That it was clear that King James was govern'd wholly by his Counsels that his Politicks were regulated by his and that he aim'd at the same ends And therefore seeing it was the interest of the People of England not to endure any longer such terrible Innovations he hop'd they would receive him as a Friend who only came to succour and protect 'em and concur with 'em in restoring Peace to the Church and Repose and Freedom to every Private Person This Manifesto
no sooner appoar'd in England but he undid in one day all that he had done before He restor'd the Bishops to their Diocesses vacated his High-Commission Court shut up the College of Jesuits and all the Chapels where Mass was publickly said restor'd the expell'd Fellows in Oxford and Cambridge and surrender'd back to the City their Charter and their Franchises Which done he put himself at the Head of his Army where he stay'd not long his heart failing him and tho he had promis'd the King of France that he would either beat the Prince of Orange or dye upon the Spot yet he forsook his Men and retir'd to London where he said and did many things so unworthy a great and Couragious Prince such as till then he was thought to be as surpasses imagination and when he was alone wept and lamented himself like a man in a kind of desperation At last for an accumulation to all the rest he poorly betook himself to flight and retir'd into France and so verifi'd the Proverb He that quits his Country loses it As for the Prince of Orange 't is evident that he never ambition'd the Crown and I believe that his intentions were really the same as he declar'd in his Manifesto For first it is certain he is a Prince the most stedfast to his Religion of any Prince in the World and that Religion was the Primum Mobile that caus'd him first to act Besides 't is notoriously known that in the War of 72 he constantly refus'd the offers that were made him both by France and England to make him Soveraign of the Low Countries and that in his answer to those that made the proposal he us'd these noble expressions that will remain a Glorious Testimony to future Ages of his Moderation and Justice God forbid said he that I should ever think of raising my Fortune and my Grandeur upon the ruin of my dear Country The same thing also appearâ—d at Vâ—recht in the year 75 at what time the Province of Guelders being quite broken and overlay'd by the excessive expences they had been at and not knowing which way to raise new supplyes willingly offer'd to obey him as her Soveraign But the Generous Prince who saw that what the People did was out of pure necessity returnâ—d 'em thanks and told 'em withall that he would be always their Friend but never their Master These are stroaks that will appear lovely in the History of this Prince nor do I well remember where we may meet the like In the mean time King James the Queen his Wife and the suppos'd Prince of Wales arriv'd in France where there reception was as great as if they had come the raigning King and Queen upon a Visit The King gave 'em the Castle of St. Germains magnificently furnish'd and order'd 'em to be serv'd by the Officers of his Household He assign'd 'em also a hunder'd thousand Crowns a Month for their expences and apâ—ointed the Guards of his own Body to attend 'em besides that his Court was no less throngâ—d than that of Veâ—â—â—illes In short he was almost as much K. at St. Germains as he had been at White-Hall and had it lasted I should have thought him very happy in his misfortunes But I know not how the Courtiers who saw there was nothing to be got there slunk away by degrees the Exchequer was not so flush as it was before so that the Castle became at length such a forlorn Desert that the King and Queen have been often constrain'd for want of Company to play by themselves at Chess for three or four hours together to pass away their tiâ—e Nor did the misfortunes of this Prince render the Pope a jot the more tractable He denyâ—d his Ambassador twice the Cardinals Cap which he requested for Father Peters and thought he did him a great favour in promising to afford him a place of shelter The little indulgence which his Holiness had for King James proceeded from his intimate Union with the King of France for the Quarrel between the two Courts began to fester every day more and more and it was come to that that the King fearing least his Holiness should take up some sinister resolutions against Lavardin had causâ—d Cardinal Ranonci to be seiz'd in the Convent of St. Lazarus caus'd him to be guarded in sight by the Sieur de St. Olon Gentleman of the Chamber in Ordinary who was put upon him under pretence of keeping him Company and he stay'd with him till the Kings Ambassador was got safe out of the Territories of the Church He left Rome in April after he had given notice of his departure to his Holiness by Cardinal d' Estree who declar'd to him that since his Holiness had constrain'd his Majesty to recall his Ambassador he could no longer hope for any accommodation or of entring into any farther Negotiation his Majesty having revoak'd all the Power which he had given him till that time However he departed with the same Pomp that he enter'd being accompany'd by the Cardinal d' Dâ—stree and Maldachini and attended by above five hunder'd Gentlemen Some few days after the Marquiss of Cogolludo the Spanish Embassador made his publick Entry never standing upon his priviledge of Franchises The next Month there happend great contentions and scufflings among the Jesuits at Rome For Father Goswin Nichel their tenth General being dead hot canvasings ensu'd about election of his Successor The French who had never had a General of their Nation stood all for Father la Chaise and alledgâ—d in favour of him not only his great merit his long experience in Affairs and his credit with the King but the important services he had done the Church both against the Calvinists and the Jansenists and by the infinite number of Conversions which he had procur'd as well in France as in England and even as far as Siam Others objected that what ever he had done upon those occasions was not out of any kindness for Religion but meerly out of self love or else because his own or the Princes interest to which he was entirely devoted enclin'd him to it All which was visible by his having so violently supported and by his still supporting the interest of the Regale and by his connivence or to say more truly by the share which he had in the the injurious and rash proceedings of France against the Holy See which if nothing else was sufficient to exclude him forever from the Dignity of General These contests lasted above two years during which time both Parties did all they could to strengthen their own interests La Chaise us'd all his utmost endeavours to engage the Prelates that adher'd to France For tho he did not look upon this Preferment as the bounds of his ambitious desires he consider'd however that it was always one step to the Purple and that tho he should miss of a Cardinalship the Dignity of General being for Life it would be no bad Post
The Dutchess therefore had her part given her smartly to lay before the King the Reasons that with-held him from declaring War against the King of France his good Friend and his only Friend that could stand by him in a case of Necessity That it was but a bad piece of Policy to break absolutely with him notwithstanding his repeated Promises meerly to comply with his Parliament that was in no condition to hurt him That he was going the way to ruin all that he had been labouring with so much Trouble for so many Years for his own and the Interest of Religion not considering the Honour he would lose of being a Mediator and Umpire of one of the most Important Wars that had been known of a long time and leave that Advantage to some petty Prince whose Favour he would be afterwards oblig'd to sue for under-hand The Dutchess also had Orders when she had said as much as she could say to offer him Twelve Millions to give the more weight and Force to her Arguments Now in regard this Contrivance was well lay'd it had its Effect The King suffer'd himself to be perswaded and told the Dutchess withal that she was the only Woman of the World that had the right Notion of things and spoke the most to the purpose in whatever she discours'd upon And now the Design of the War was to be quite broken off whatever it cost and the way to bring it about was to gain some Members of the Lower-House who when the King desir'd Money for the Payment of his Men propos'd that there might be none granted him till he had given 'em Satisfaction about the Affairs of Religion The King made a shew of being very much incens'd at this Resolution then which there could be nothing more welcome to his Soul in regard it was the fairest Pretence in the World that he could make use of to put off his making Waâ— with France Add to this That the King of France who was afraid least the King should be constrain'd to enter into a War against him whether he would or no as it was very probable 1679. considering that he could not avoid making an authentick Treaty with the Dutch resolv'd to conclude a particular Peace with Holland not questioning but that when Holland was once separated from the League the rest would be easily brought to Reason By this Treaty the King oblig'd himself to restore Six Places in Flanders to the Spaniards and to quit 'em within Fourteen Days after it was Sign'd The Emperor and the Confederates loudly complain'd of Holland for quitting 'em in that manner they who had enter'd into the War meerly in Respect to her and for her sake Which oblig'd the King of France to send Luxemberg before Mons to frighten the States and hinder 'em from altering their Resolutions And at the same time he gave 'em to understand That he would not quit the Places before they had engag'd the Elector of Brandenburgh to give Satisfaction to the King of Sweden his Confederate But that was no more then a false foin to procure the Peace with more Security For when the Day came that he was to abandon the Places the King's Embassadors told those of the States that they would consent to it So that the Embassadors not having time to write either to the Provinces or the States for new Instructions preferr'd Peace in that pressing Conjuncture be fore War For the King's Ministers gave 'em no more then a Days time to determine After which they declar'd They would retire and enter no farther into any Negotiation The Peace then was concluded and the Six Places in pursuance of it were quitted according to Agreement The League being thus divided all the Confederates were oblig'd to come to a Treaty by themselves and every body made the best of their Market which was passably cheap Only the poor Elector of Brandenburgh who had so generously thrust himself into the War was the last and left alone to bear the whole weight of the King 's Arms. But in regard there was no equality between the Parties he was glad to treat likewise and to surrender to the Swede all that he had taken from him Thus ended the War that had been kindl'd and fomented by the Instigations of Father La Chaise who no sooner saw Europe in Tranquility on that side but he labour'd to the utmost of his Power to disturb the Repose of it in another part So true it is that this busie Bonâ—efeu finds no rest but in the ruin of other Mens Quiet no Pleasures but in their Calamities Never was he so jocund and blithe as when he had kindl'd a Flame in all the Four Corners of the World and could say to himself Hoc est Opus Meum This is my Work This being then the Humour of the Man we must not wonder at the Misfortunes and Divisions that have hitherto Reign'd in the several States of Europe and which we must expect will never be at an end so long as he lives Till the Year 1673. he confin'd his Disturbances of Soveraign States to the Persecutions of the Huguenots the Jansenists and several other Persons of Worth and Honour But these petty Crimes not appearing Glorious enough for an ungracious Wretch so signally distinguish'd as himself he resolv'd to attack the Holy Father and the Church it self as being resolv'd to make 'em sensible That he was destin'd to be the Plague of Mankind I omit for this time the black Attempts and Tragical Revolutions which he medicated in his mind from that time forward and which blaz'd out a little after I shall speak of 'em in their Order At present the Series of time engages me to say something of the Regale which he erected at length upon the Ruine of so many fair and ancient Churches without being mov'd in the least at the deplorable Misfortunes which it trail'd after it But how should such things move him who made those Misfortunes the only Mark at which he aim'd The Regale is the Right which the Kings of France have of nominating to vacant Benefices and to enjoy the Revenues of 'em during their vacancy 'T is pretended That this Right is grounded upon Custome and that in the first Ages of Christianity the Kings of France made choice of their Bishops at their own Pleasure But however it were this is certain That the Councils of Constance and Basle from whence the Pragmatic Sanction was drawn otherwise ordain'd the manner of providing for 'em and decreed That for the time to come the Clergy and the People should elect their Pastors and their Bishops and that they should be also Consecrated and Ordain'd by the Metropolitan and the rest of the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province without having any need of going to Rome after which they should dispose of the Inferiour Benefices within the Extent of their Diocess or Parish Now in regard this Pragmatic was equally burdensome as well to the