England I saw it upon several posts in Paris a severe Prohibition so much as to mention such a War but if they can drive it off with these reports by disuniting the King and his Subjects they are lucky people and safe enough and if they can make a Peace under hand tho they give as much money for it as would almost maintain the War yet they have their aim Well said the Captain I doubt nothing I am assured from a good hand that before I get to London some resolution will be taken I told you some Stories of the French but I have more of their pranks to acquaint the people with Honest Captain and fellow Traveller said I God send you good luck I dare say you will bestow your Skill upon the French with a good will but Cousin said I pray what 's the matter Sir replied he they were wise that could tell you and for my part I have little curiosity and less acquaintance with State affairs but some people I find are displeased But prithee what 's that to us let us drink and be merry and let the world go which way it will By your favour Sir said the Captain there are some people that are displeased because they resolved before hand to be so with every thing but I presume that you and every Englishman are so far concern'd that if you do not look about you the French will e're long spoil both your Mirth and Drinking what mean you answer'd the other I hope they will not spoil our Drinking by Cutting our Throats as they say the Danes did which brought in the Custome of Pledging or being Pledge when one drunk Sir said the Captain you may Live and Drink and be Merry in that Hope but for my part I do not intend to trust them I had rather Cut some of theirs fairly for I hate to have my Weason slit unless it be in the Field Well honest brave Captain said I your ill usage makes you in a rage against the French and you think the Quarrel moves too slow but Sir you must consider this is an Affair of great weight and it is not good to make more haste then speed Sir said he the greater weight should make the motion more quick you do not seem to understand the worth of time nor the brisk humour of the French and therefore I have nothing to say to you but I hope other People do and will consider it Come come say's my Cousin what have we to do with these matters it was never well since there were so many little States-men and polit Polititians I believe most people are satisfied of the necessity of a War to reduce the World to the Old Ballance and FRANCE amongst the rest that so she may be easie to her Neighbours and they safe from her and what would any body desire more 'T is true there have been some Jealousies which have clogg'd the Wheels of this great Affair but I can assure you when I came out of Town it was generally hoped that a little time would bring all people to a good understanding Councils to Unity and the Affair to a happy Period Sir said the Captain this is a word of Comfort for I dare assure you that the great hopes of FRANCE are grounded upon our Divisions which they are not so ill Husbands but they know how to improve I heard one of them the other day say that he thought that of the great Turk Solyman might be applyed to the English who will be of one mind as he said the Christian Princes would when all the fingers of his Hand were United into one Come Captain said I Unity Secrecy and Expedition added to our Courage and Power may do much and I doubt not but the necessity which seems to be upon us will make them all meet the Cause is good for it is not for Soveraignity but for Safety not for Glory but Security and to preserve the Protestant Religion our Lives Liberties and Estates from the Rapine and Ambition of the French and he is no true Englishman who will not heartily venture his Life and Fortune in such a lawful War Upon which Supper came in and we having talk'd our selves into a good opinion of eating we gratifi'd our Pallates as well as the place would afford and not long after every one retir'd to his Appartment where I believe the Captain dream't of Drums and Trumpets and Cannons and Granado's Storms and Battels for he made a horrible noise in his sleep lying in the next Room to me for my part like a person not much concern'd I slept as heartily as the Souldier would permit me who gave me several Alarms and I can no more tell what I dream't then I can tell certainly what all men long so much to know that we shall have a War with FRANCE or such a Peace as shall be Safe and Honourable for ENGLAND and all Christendome FINIS
THE Pacquet-Boat Advice OR A DISCOURSE Concerning the WAR WITH FRANCE Between some English Gentlemen and a French-Man betwixt Calis and Dover Omnis fabula fundatur in veritate LONDON Printed for Jonathan Edwin at the three Roses in Ludgate-Street 1678. THE PACQUET-BOAT ADVICE c. HAVING received Advice from some of my Friends in England that there was a little cloud of discontent arising by reason of the Jealousies of the growing greatness of the French their many great and unexpected Conquests which they seemed not only obstinately resolved to keep themselves possessed of but by the progress of their Arms to enlarge and extend ran guessing that in all probability these storms would not be allay'd without some showers of Blood I began to unfix my self from my residence at Mompellier whether my Curiosity and the Course of my Studies had carried me and my intentions were to have spent some time and then to have passed over the Alps to see Italy the Garden of the World But receiving Letters of fresh date giving an account of his Highness the Prince of Orange's Marriage with the Lady Mary and His Majesties calling of the Parliament sooner than the General expectation I began then to think that there was something at the bottom of the flying Rumours being not willing to run the hazard of being ill treated in France where I had not so perfectly made my self Master of the Language as to pass for a Native and considering that I had no way to support my self but by Bills of Exchange or begging if there should be a War between the two Nations I began to reflect how difficult it would be for me to secure my self of constant supplies and that if I had them possibly I might run the risque of being suspected and seised for an Intelligencer and not daring to trust to the Charity of a People who are so impoverished as generally rather to expect it from Strangers than to afford it them and where my very being an English-man would deprive me of the Charity of such as were able since they would look upon me as an Enemy and in truth fancying that I should make a very ill Begger it being a Trade I had no acquaintance with upon these considerations I thought it more advisable to take my Leave of France and to retire into my Native Country upon which resolution I departed with the first conveniency that offer'd for Paris where when I arrived the Rumor was hot amongst the English that there would be a War and that very speedily though the French were very mute and hush about it These considerations made me think of staying less time then I intended at Paris and therefore I made immediately for Callis in order to my coming over in the Pacquet-Boat for Dover We went aboard with the morning tide the day proving exceeding fair and the wind which we had scarce enough and not directly for us it made our passage something more tedious but however the Company were so Civil to themselves and one to another as to endeavour to shorten the passage by stealing some hours in entertaining themselves with variety of discourses upon sundry subjects Amongst the rest there was one Gentleman who started the discourse concerning the present Rumour of the War and desired the opinion of the Company about it whether they did believe it would prove so in good earnest or whether it was not only an overture and appearance His concern and inquisitiveness made me guilty of the same humour and rather because amongst a great variety of Entertainment all the Company had discovered themselves as to their designs and professions and some of them without any reserve even to their very Names and the places of their habitation yet I found this person not so innocent and simply liberal only he told us he was a Merchant in Paris who had some Correspondents in England and that the News of the War had perswaded him to cross over the Seas and so for London to endeavour to secure his effects there in case there should be a Rupture in good earnest and that he had considerable Bills of Exchange upon the account of several of the greatest French Merchants in England I gave him the patience of hearing but I confess no great credit to his words for me thought his Mine his Equipage and his Discourse betrayed something more in him than meer Merchant and I perceived he had been abroad upon other affairs than those of Traffique for he gave us a punctual account of the most considerable Actions of the present War in Flanders and Germany but that which gave me the greatest suspicion was his frequent mention of something more than a bare knowledge of most of the great Persons of the Court of France and particularly of Mounsieur Lovois and Mounsieur Colbert whom he call'd the great Patron of Merchants trade and industry extolling him to heaven and protesting that if his designs took effect France would certainly be the only Emporium or Market of the World This Jealousie that he did Trade with these great persons only for Diamonds having once infected my imagination I had a curiosity to drive it as far as I could with all the studied Ignorance and simplicity I was capable of and pretending great kindness to this Nation a folly too common and usually true with the English who are wont with a kind of Witchcraft to dote upon the French So that we fell smartly upon the Subject of the War and in regard I appear'd most forward in my Civility and ready to entertain his discourse he thought he had met with a right English Spaniel and therefore making his application particularly to me Mounsieur saith he you are an Englishman and though you have spent some time in France yet I doubt not but by your appearance which seems to discover you to be no common person you have good intelligence from persons of condition you will infinitely oblige the Company and my self in a most particular manner if you will honour us with your opinion whether or no you do believe that we shall fall from those good terms of Friendship and Alliance which his Majesty of Great Britain has hitherto conserved for his most Christian Majesty Sir replyed I you set too obliging a value upon the opinion of a Stranger but it is the usual effect of your generosity which I shall in some measure indeavour to merit by my obedience to your commands for I was willing to pay him with his own Coin But Sir added I your question is of too great consideration to find a resolution from my private opinion Affairs of that high nature are only transacted in the Cabinets of our great Masters and it may be it is no less a point of presumption than folly for us to concern our selves about them Mounsieur said he briskly what we say is only to divert our passage and borrow an hour or two from these slow Sails and the
Wind which uses not at this time of the Year to be so sluggish But in my opinion there are several reasons which may be alledged to perswade the World that this will not come to blows Sir said a good blunt Gentleman with a Scar of honour in his face who lay all along in the Boat and had not spoken till then it may be you are not so well acquainted with the English as I am for my part I am not much concern'd cern'd in affairs of State nor am I acquainted with the Counsels of Princes but let me assure you by what I have heard and know that if it were put to the Vote of the People whether a War or no War with FRANCE I believe not one in a thousand but would be for a War Mounsieur said the Frenchmam a little fired at his discourse no wonder at that the people are like the Element which now carries us full of flouds and ebbs and it may be they will to morrow be as forward for a Peace as to day they are for a War you English love to talk of Wars but you hate to part with your money to desray the charge of it Sir said the Gentleman raising himself a little I know not whether we can part with our money but we will part with our blood freely 't is said indeed you part with yours and shoot golden Bullets and make use of Keys of the same metal which will open a breach or a Gate into the strongest Fortifications but Sir we have been used to do it with Steel and Iron and yet give me leave to tell you I hope we shall be so wise rather to part with our money than to keep it till the French comes with arm'd Troops to collect it as they do in their own Country and I hope yet before I die to help to open some of the Gates of Paris with that hard metal and to hear the drums beat the heavy English march through the Streets again which once spoil'd a Jest of one of your Kings Mounsieur said the French Merchant as he call'd himself biting the nails of his thumb by which I knew he was angry Jerne Diabile you will find something to do before you come there the King of FRANCE has two hundred thousand gens d'arms who will bid all Europe stand and 100 Sale of Ships who will speak Thunder and Lightening and make bold to stop your passage Messires interposed I not willing to have these heats spoil our conversation be so obliging not to transport your selves into a heat about an affair which was only started for our divertisement there is no War yet and I hope none there will be Sir answered the English Gentleman fiercely there is not but I hope there will be and that quickly too This Gentleman as I understood after our Landing was an English Captain a Souldier of fortune who was taken Prisoner going wounded from Maestritcht and not having wherewith to ransome himself according to the rate set upon him had been a long time very ill used amongst the French but having made friends to procure a small ransome which they were willing to take rather than none at all having got his Liberty was coming over to look for some imploy wherewith he might at once satisfie both his necessity and revenge I gave him a little sign which he understood and being unwilling to hinder the prosecution of the discourse he laid himself down again upon which I took up the former argument of my French Merchant and desired him to favour us with the reasons that moved him to believe there would be no War Mounsieur said he can the English Nation possibly live more happily than at present they do whilest enjoying peace they have the Commerce and Traffique of the whole World without paying any Gabels Taxes I think you call them and would it not be a strange thing for them to put their finger into their Neighbours fire when there is no necessity when they have all the assurances of his most Christian Majesty that he has all the Honour and Esteem for them imaginable and that he would be ready to do them all the good Offices as his Majesty did in the late War with Holland in 1665. when the Count D'Estrees was sent with a Squadron of gallant Ships to your assistance against the Dutch Mounsieur said I people speak variously of that assistance and I have heard some persons affirm that Mounsieur D'Estrees did the English more prejudice than kindness and I remember I saw a Letter which affirmed that the not coming in of the French Squadron ravish'd an assured victory from the English Upon which the Steersman of the Vessel would put in his oar into the Boat marry said he I was then aboard the London under Sir John Harman and I saw never a Ship of the French strike a stroak but how do you call him Mounsieur Martin he fought like a gallant man board and board with the Dutch but they say when he came home he was clapt up in the Tower of Paris for his pains Friend said I to him you mean Mounsieur Martel and that he was made a prisoner in the Bastile but it was not for fighting but for disobeying the order of his Admiral Mounsieur added the French Merchant it was for some Language which he gave the Count D'Estrees which did not become him to give nor the other to receive but what signifies one idle talking Captain who was justly punished for his insolence but Mounsieur said he turning himself to me if it were not the advantage of Trade which you do and may enjoy upon keeping up a good understanding with the French yet the Puissence of his Arms which is so glorious beyond all that ever were before him attended with a thousand victories a thousand successes might perswade you not to be so hasty to enter into a war with a Nation so great so Potent so Fortunate and who is not without hopes still of greater assistances and alliances and possibly e're long you may hear that some other Princes have declared in favour of FRANCE Sir said I to him the Argument which you use to perswade to peace is that which generally I suppose in England is accounted the greatest motive of the War the wealth and puissance the Victories and Conquests of the French is that which makes them look't upon as too great and dangerous a Neighbour both in Peace and War in peace because they will certainly they affirm diminish their trade and treasure as they find by experience and in War there is no doubt but their greatness must needs make them sensible of their danger and they esteem it therefore a point of prudence to endeavour if possible to arrest the course of their designs before they break all the banks and ancient limits which were the boundaries of their Ancestors and overflowing these parts of the World with a dominion the name of which
Egg broken into a pale of Water which you shall hear if you have patience Messieurs I'ay receu vostre Lettre 23 du mois passe c. but because Sir said he you understand and speak English so well as to make you pass for any thing if you can but leave your Shrug and your Jernies and Bongres I will not trouble the Company with a Language I do Love as little as it may be they understand and therefore I will endeavour to teach the Marquess to speak English for he is a Civil obliging complaisant person Messieurs I have reciev'd your Letter of the 23 d. of the last past by which I have seen all the reasons which you represent to make me understand that the City and Province of Vtrecht are not in a condition to satisfie the Demands which Mounsieur Robert hath made I do easily Judge that you cannot do it without great trouble but since necessity has no Law and that the Armies of the King must be maintained you ought to accommodate your selves to the said Sieur Robert so as to furnish what he demands otherwayes it is impossible but you must fall into a most grand desolation and to mend the matter the honest Sieur Robert tells them in short that since they made such an impossibility to raise the mony demanded he would cause fire to be set to the four quarters of the City and he would light it in the middle himself a fin de reduire en Cendre une ville qui u ' estoit qui a charge inutile au Roy men Maistre to the end I may reduce a City into ashes which is unprofitable and a charge to the King my Master Is this true or not Sir Mounsieur said the Frenchman but what is all this to the English Sir answered the Captain I think it is a fair warning to the English to stand upon their guard and to endeavour to put themselves out of the danger of coming under the power of the French and if possible to put the French out of the power of putting them in danger Why Sir replyed the other the French have no designs upon you but onely as your own fears and apprehensions perswade you What cryed the Captain the French without designs you shall as soon find a Monkey without tricks From the Onyon Porridge-man to the Mareschal you are all Politicians and designers You have you say an hundred Sail of Ships and two hundred thousand Men and you have no designs nor ever had I warrant you to make yourselves Masters of Flanders Germany Holland and England at last But by your favour Sir you must pass through fire as well as water before it comes to that Well Mounsieur said the French-man I hope for all this that there will be a Peace and it may be I have some reason for my conjecture I assure you we Merchants are in hopes that you will not enter upon a War which must be so great a hazard and charge to the Nation Sir said the Captain you offer fair but I cannot imagine why you should be so troubled for the charge of the War tho I hope it will come to your share at last to defray it unless you are afraid we should so impoverish our selves by a War that when you come to visit us we should not be worth the Plundring and London would be good for nothing but a second Fire as Robert said of Vtrecht and for my own particular and I hope all true English hearts are of the same tough old metal you shall first try how you can digest our Steel and Iron before you taste of our gold and silver I found my two Gentlemen were running into a heat and therefore I thought it better to make a tack as the Boat then did to some other discourse which we presently did and so past the time till we came to Dover Peer As we parted the Mounsieur bid us adieu and with the grace of a shrug particular to his Nation he told me he should be obliged infinitely if he had the good fortune and honor to meet me upon the Exchange Farewel said the Captain and have a care I do not meet you scattering your Bills of Exchange in the wrong place and taking up News to send into France in lieu of which you will return us suspicious of your own making to set us together by the ears at home that so you may be secured from us broad The French-man gave him a look full of indignation and away he went to take post immediately for London I was extreamly pleased with the rugged honest conversation of this Captain and therefore desired if his affairs would permit that we might be Companions for that night at Dover where I had some little affair he willingly consented to my proposition and so together we went to an Inn where we had no sooner taken a Room but in come two Gentlemen of my Relations who had promised to meet me there I was very much pleased at their arrival and after mutual civilities pass'd and that we had like English men made some provision for Supper without ever asking what we should pay for it and got a bottle of good Canary for my Captain would drink no French Wine we presently fell to chat The first question you may be sure was What News and the Captain was in great haste what shall we have a War with France Sir answered one of my Friends Mens opinions are various as their Interests but here is his Majesties Speech which it may be is news to you and if you please to read it you may make your conjecture Cousin said I you mistake if you think it news or if in less than a weeks time we do not see in Paris every thing of moment that passes at London The French trade in Aleppo Pigeons nay if we will believe them they would perswade us that they can tell beforehand what will be done That is an excellent way of intelligence said the other Gentleman but for my part I look upon it as a French artifice and I am confident that that trick of pretending to know every thing amongst us has done them considerable service for certainly it has given occasion for those jealousies which now break out amongst us as if there were a secret intreague betwixt the French and us in order to some strange design and nothing will beat it out of some Peoples heads but that this War is only for a colour Sir said the Captain here came over with us one of their Whisperers Pistol-droppers News-Makers and away he is posted for London to fill some peoples heads with Proclamations of Peace Popery Arbitrary Government c. and others pockets with French money to swear it is true they have Letters from France that confirm it Cousin said I if the French can accomplish this either way they have done their business I assure you there is nothing they dread like a War with