Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	french_a	great_a	king_n	16,597	5	4.3459	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23896	An Abstract of the consultations and debates, between the French king and his council, concerning the new coyn and coynage that is intended to be made in England. Wherein is contain'd, the political designs, and great hopes, the French king and his council have to ruin the English nation, in divesting and draining them of their new coyn as soon as coyn'd. / Privately sent by a friend of the confederates from the French court, to his brother at Brussels, &c.	Louis XIV, King of France, 1638-1715.; France. Conseil d'Etat.	1695 (1695)	Wing A130; ESTC R5977	8,286	17

AN ABSTRACT OF THE Consultations and Debates Between the French King AND HIS COUNCIL Concerning the NEW Coyn and Coynage That is Intended to be Made in ENGLAND Wherein is CONTAIN'D The Political Designs and Great Hopes the French King and His Council have to Ruin the ENGLISH NATION in Divesting and Draining them of their New COYN as soon as Coyn'd Privately sent by a Friend of the Confederates from the French Court to his Brother at Brussels c. LONDON Printed Anno Dom. MDCXCV An Abstract of the Consultations and Debates between the French KING and His Council concerning the New Coyn and Coynage that is intended to be Made in ENGLAND Privately sent by a Friend of the Confederates from the French Court to his Brother at Brussels c. Paris Decemb. 12th 1695. Dear Brother HERE is a most Horrid Design laid which contains the greatest piece of Policy that ever was contriv'd in Europe which if it go on and be executed will certainly Ruin the English People before they perceive it for if this Design takes effect it will inevitably bring them to Disorder and Destruction in a little time and I cannot foresee how the People of England can possibly subsist or preserve their Government Three Years longer without being subject to the Power of France if this Design be accomplish'd And if the English go down all the rest of the Confederacy must tamely submit to the French Yoke and leave the French King to Triumph as he Pleaseth who will certainly trample upon all the Princes of Europe if he be not prevented in this Design so that You and I with all the Families of our Relations shall certainly he B●●n●d as well as the rest Therefore I desire You with all the 〈◊〉 that may be to transmit this Abstract of the Debates and Consultations of the French King and His Council by the First Post to England and cause it to be Publish'd there with all the Expedition that may be to give the Parliament and People of England sufficient Notice thereof whereby they may take such Methods concerning their Coyn as may prevent this Design now laid by the French King and His Ministers of State which is as followeth French King My Lords I Have just now Received a Letter of Advice from King James by which it appears The Parliament of England are very Busie about the Alteration of their Coyn concerning which You know We have had many Debates in Council for Three Months past to try if any Project could be fram'd or a Feasible way found to drain the English of their Money as fast as it shall be New Coyned for as I have often told some of You if this be possible to be done then I doubt not but to Conquer them and the rest of my Enemies without Fighting either by Land or Sea And in regard You have had sufficient Time to consider upon this Project since our last Debate of this Affair I desire to hear what Methods You have to propose and how it may be effected First Minister of State May it please Your Majesty We have had many Conferences upon this Subject and by the Progress we have made we find it is practicable and easie to be done and with a very reasonable Charge to Your Majesty therefore we have digested and framed the Methods and Ways of doing it and doubt not but Your Majesty will approve thereof being so contriv'd that if the Parliament of England pass a Vote for Coyning their New Money of the same Weight and Fineness if formerly was and pass for no more than their Mill'd Money did viz. 464 Grains or a Crown Piece of that Weight for Five Shillings as it did of late Then we can and do assure Your Majesty That if the English Coyn Six Millions of New Money we can easily make You Master of Five Millions of it in Fifteen Months accounted from that time they begin to Coyn it French King Oh Heavens Is this possible Second Minister of State Your Majesty may assure Your Self It is possible and the most easie to effect of all Projects that have been undertaken by any of Your Ministers since the War began There is nothing can prevent Us from Bringing their Money from England as fast as they Coyn it provided this Parliament pass a Vote for Coyning it of the same Weight and Purity and Order their Shillings Half-Crowns and Crowns to pass as they formerly did Your Majesty may then rely upon it if they Coyn Ten Millions of such Money from their Clipp'd Money and Plate we have found and contriv'd infallible Ways and Means to bring Nine Millions of it away from thence in Two Years Time French King pointing at the Fourth Minister of State If this be possible to be done I 'll spare no Cost to effect it for since he first mentioned it I have often thought some Lucky Method might be found to do me more Service this way than all my Forces can by Sea or Land Third Minister of State 'T is very true and Our Advice is That Your Majesty will admit us to Imploy to the Value of 250000 in English Money in such Ways as we have contriv'd for the Bringing over of their Coyn whereby we 'll engage totally to strip and divest them of it and that Your Majesty will spare the Value thereof in the Publick Charge of Your Army and Marine Affairs so that by consequence it will Cost You nothing if Your Majesty saves as much in other Expences as shall be laid out upon this And though we may imploy to the Value of so much in English Money to effect it nevertheless we doubt not but to Return You Nine Hundred Thousand Pounds more besides your Principal and question not but to make You Master of Nine Parts in Ten of what-ever they Coyn in less than Two Years Time which being done What Army can they bring into the Field or What Fleet can they fit out to Sea Must not Your Most Christian Majesty Remain Master of Both Will not the Confederacy then be broke and leave Your Majesty to Give Laws and to Govern Europe Who or what can or shall resist You when this is done French King As I said before I 'll spare no Cost to effect it But How shall it be done My Lord I never knew a Project of Yours sail if You can make this appear I 'll gratifie Your Demands in all things and own Your Service for ever Fourth Minister of State In all Dutiful Submission I humbly inform Your most Christian Majesty That we have settled Forty Eight Correspondents Abroad All which are to Merchandize in the Places following for Us upon Your Majesty's Account Viz.     2 at Dunkirk 2 at Smirna 2 at Ostend 2 at Venice 3 at Rotterdam 2 at Legborn 4 at Amsterdam 2 at Genoa 2 at Hamborough 2 at Alicant 2 at Brechmen 2 at Maliga 4 in Norway 4 at Cadiz 4 in Denmark 4 at Lisbon 2 at Stockholm 2 at

should happen I should either think my self Accurst or imagin that some of you or those you imploy have Betray'd me I confess this is one of my great Fears for I 'm so in Love with this Project being confident if it takes effect it will enable me to do all I desire so that I 'd rather give Forty Millions of Livers than it should be Discover'd Second Minister Your Majesty's Judgment and Prudence in all things is very great and there is much Reason in what You say nevertheless I am of Opinion There is not One Man in Ten Millions of Men can think of such a Contrivance or however That it should be thus laid in the Court of France for unless he knew what 's done and acted here he must be a strange sort of Fortune-Teller that can predict and fore-tell our Designs and Proceedings in Council although I confess he that loves his King and Countrey and is of a generous Spirit will spare no Pains but Think and Write and Write and Think of all the Ways he can to serve them But the Ways and Methods of Managing this Project and also the Enterprize it self seem to me impossible to enter into any Man's Head unless he was engaged with an Enemy as Your Majesty is or else was in Councel with us Who can imagin any Man should have the fore-sight to know our Designs I think Your Majesty need not question this French King My next Doubt and the greatest of my Fears is That the Parliament of England will not Vote The Coynage of their Money of the same Fineness and Weight and Value it as it was before because they very well know it hath been lately Melted down and therefore must conclude it will be so serv'd again especially in these times when all Europe hath such Occasions for Silver My Reason is this because in all Parts of Europe except Holland Portugal Spain and Italy It is worth 20 per Cent. more now than the Price the English formerly Valued it at so that if they consider the Affairs and State of Europe they must needs know and understand there is a great Alteration and a vast Difference to what there was in Times of Peace amongst all Nations so that how the People or Parliament should be of that Opinion and take that Method in their New Coynage seems to me a Doubt they will not Vote it as afore-said Third Minister We hope there will be no Occasion for Your Majesty to doubt it having taken much Care and used all the Endeavours that possibly may be to impose upon Them and the People of England that 't is absolutely necessary to Coyn their New Money of the same Weight Value and Fineness it formerly was and we knew very well by good Advice before the Parliament met that all or most of the unthinking People were fix'd and grounded in that Belief and to confirm them and their Parliament in that Opinion we have caused several Sorts of Printed Papers to be Publish'd and spread amongst them to assert and prove the Necessity of it in which Papers our Agents have endeavoured to exert and prove First The great Loss they suffer by the Exchange of Money alleadging if they Owe they must either Pay or Break. Secondly The Destruction and Ruin it will bring upon their Trade if they should either abase their Coyn make it less or raise it in its Value Thirdly That all Foreigners will Value it according to its Weight and Fineness and will make that the Measure of their Trade with them and will Sell them their Goods and be Paid for them accordingly Fourthly That if they should Raise the Value of their New Coyn all Foreign Exchange of Money will rise proportionably Fifthly That if they should Raise the Value of their Coyn such an Alteration or Change of it will Defraud the Nobility Gentry and Landlords of their Rents Sixthly That all the Revenues of the Crown with the Revenues of the Church will be Lessened All their Eatables and Wearables will be Dearer All their Officers and Souldiers by Land and Sea their Servants Labourers and Workmens Wages with all Gifts and Publick Settlements of Charity will be Diminished These and a Multitude more of such like Arguments we have by our Agents strenuously prest upon the People which have taken that good Effect there is scarce One in a Thousand but believes them insomuch that they have and do maintain these Inferences in all common Discourse and have labour'd extreamly to perswade their Parliament into the same Opinion and Belief All which things seem rational enough to them that take the Circumstances of Europe to be the same now they were in Times of Peace and especially such as know not nor think nothing of the Design we have to drain them of their Money and how easily it may be done And therefore I doubt not but Your Majesty will hear very speedily that Parliament hath Voted it accordingly and the next thing will be to fall a Coyning French King That would be the Welcomest News that ever came at Paris Marli or Versailles since these Wars began when I hear such a Vote is past in England as I said before I shall have some Hopes to see another Revolution and a further Conquest in EUROPE than I have yet made for ever since this Project of Draining them of their Money was first mov'd I have always thought the Parliament of England could never serve Me more nor Themselves and the People less than in this thing of the Value of their Coyn which when done and Establish'd at the Price their Mill'd Money formerly was at will leave me sufficient room to cut 'em out New Work Fourth Minister Of all the Projects Your Majesty hath Enterpriz'd either by Land or Sea since the Wars began in my Opinion there are none of 'em to be compar'd with This for Sinking Your Enemies Speedily Secretly and Certainly And though You drain all the Ware-Houses in France and empty every particular Province of its Goods to bring Silver and Gold in great Plenty into Your Kingdom nevertheless if it be at high Rates the doing thereof will Impoverish and Weaken Your Enemies and will add very much to Strengthen and Enrich You for when they 're divested of their Silver though they 'd give Eight Shillings an Ounce for it they cannot have it again And considering how we have order'd and contriv'd the Management of this Enterprize the most that ever Your Majesty will disburse to effect it will not exceed 250000 Pounds I mean so much for a Principal or Stock to accomplish it And if there was no Advantage nor any Profits to be made by Imploying so much Money in Importing and Exporting Goods to and from England nevertheless all the Sallaries Your Majesty hath to Pay to 116 Agents at 500 Pounds a Man to go through and effect this Design comes but to 58000 Pounds of which the Profits inwards and outwards of 240000 Pounds imploy'd as aforesaid cannot make less than one Third of the 58000 Pounds which is 19333 Pounds 6 Shillings and 8 Pence So that Your Majesty's Charges will be reduc'd to 38666 Pounds 13 Shillings and 4 Pence which will be all the Cost You will be at totally to drain and divest the English of their New Coyn'd Money by carrying on of this Design But then if Your Majesty pleaseth to consider as You signifi'd before the Difference there is in France and most Parts of Europe between the Prices of Silver of their Standard at 5 Shillings and 3 Pence an Ounce admitting one of their Crowns pass but for 5 Shillings will be at least 12 Pence an Ounce for the Difference so that the Question will be this If by this Project in 12 Months time after their Money is New Coyned You drain them of 5 Millions What Advantage will that make Your Majesty over and above all Your Cost and Charges allowing every Ounce of their Money to afford You 12 Pence Profit Answer 929075 Pounds 4 Shillings and 8 Pence clear of all Charges together with the Principal Stock return'd again And this You may conclude for infallible Truth When You have got the Commanding Purse You must and will have the Commanding Sword and how easie it is to make Your Self Master of that Purse by Executing this Design now laid I think there wants no further Proof nor Demonstration French King My Lords I approve extreamly well of what hath been said and done in this Affair I have nothing more to say at present but to recommend it to your Care and shall daily desire to hear of a Vote past by the Parliament of England for Coyning their New Money of the Standard Weight and Value their Mill'd Money formerly was which being done I have nothing more to add But then Have at All. Brussels Decemb. 15th 1695. Brother I Received the Abstract you sent me of the Consultations and Debates between the French King and His Council concerning the New Coyn and Coynage that is intended to be made in England and according to your Desire have transmitted it to England in Order to be Printed for the Information of the People and Parliament there so that I have great Reason to hope they will govern Themselves in this Affair and take such Methods in Valuing their New Coyn as to prevent all the Designs their Enemies have upon them concerning it which appears by the foregoing Abstract to be so laid and contriv'd for the Ruin and Destruction of the English People that unless great Care be taken to annihilate their Designs in this Project not only the English but most of Europe will be great Sufferers if not Dragoon'd by the French Arms Which God of His Mercy prevent FINIS

O Porto 1 at Arch-Angel 22   26   Who are to Receive such Goods from England as shall be sent from thence by our Agents there to each and every of these respective Places and to Return such Goods back for England by the same Ships as we shall direct We have also taken Care to provide Forty Four Correspondents in the following Places of England which will be all fix'd in their several Stations before the New Coyned Money comes forth viz. Two Merchants with One Melter at New-Castle and Durham One Merchant and a Melter at Stockton and Tarm Four Merchants at Hull and York with One Melter One Merchant at Boston One at Yarmouth and a Melter Twelve Merchants in London and Five Melters Two Merchants at Exeter One at Topsham One at Barustable and Biddiford with One Melter One Merchant at Plimouth One at Truro One at Falmouth One for Saint Ives and Padstow with One Melter at Bristol Three Merchants and a Melter And for the In-land Towns and Trading Countries we have appointed Twenty Four other Correspondents to remain there till this Business is dispatch'd to whom our Agents in London will remit Guinneas from thence at the Currant Price they go for there let that be more or less as Opportunity offers to every County of England by the Carriers of those Countries where our Agents are to Change the Guinneas for New Coyn'd Money and as each of them gathers up One Hundred Two Hundred Three Hundred Four Hundred or Five Hundred Pounds a Week more or less in every County of the New Coyn they are to send it by the same Carriers pack'd up in some of that County Goods to their respective Correspondents in London where it is to be Melted down with the rest Collected there and thereabouts And such Silver as is to be pack'd up in any sorts of Bale Goods is ordered to be Cast into broad and thin Ingots and then beaten out to the Thickness of half an Inch for the Conveniency of Packing and for what Goods are Shipp'd from London or any of the before-mentioned Places in Cask the same may be done in thicker Ingots or Bars of Bullion whereby we Propose from all Places of England one reckoned with another to pick up and Melt down near One Hundred Thousand Pounds a Week which is much more than they can Coyn Weekly so that it will be time enough to begin this Trade Two or Three Months after the English have begun their Coynage against which time nothing shall be Wanting on Your Majesty's Part. French King I have heard this Discourse with all the Delight that can be imagin'd and never did more pleasing Patience possess my Mind I confess the Project and the Methods of it seems a very feasible Enterprize nor can I foresee how it should miscarry if your Correspondents in England be so prudent to keep all things secret then I question not but to meet with Success First Minister of State Your Majesty may depend on 't we have taken effectual Care of that for if Your Majesty approve of the Project and will be at the Charge we doubt not their Secrecy and Faithful Service First Here are Forty Eight Correspondents settled in various Places Abroad who know nothing one of another nor of our Designs so that there is no doubt to be made of their Discovering or Writing any thing to England to prevent it if Furnish'd as followeth We propose to supply each and every of these Forty Eight Correspondents Abroad with Five Thousand Pounds a piece to Trade to and from England all the Places before-mentioned being in Peace with the English which Forty Eight Correspondents so supply'd will take up Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds the Value of which when sent in Goods from the several Places where they reside to our Agents in England we have contracted for to be done on these Terms and Conditions viz. All and every of them are to have One Third Part of the Profits their Goods make in England our Agents or Merchants in England another Third and Your Majesty the Remainder We have also agreed They shall have the same Proportion of the Profits made of such Goods as shall be sent them from England Bullion only excepted And if their Parts of the Profits inward and outward do not arise to Five Hundred Pounds a Man per Annum Your Majesty is to make it up so much to all and every of them as well to those in England as to those in other Places Abroad for which they are to deliver up a fair and true Account together with the Principal Stock and Your Majesty's Proportion of the Profits when demanded and are to keep all Secrets we shall entrust them with And as it hath been already mentioned we have contriv'd the Business so that none of our Correspondents Abroad nor in England knows one of another but only those that are to deal directly together and they know not the bottom of this Design neither shall the Agents that are to be concerned in the several Counties of England know one of another each being to keep to the particular Person he is to deal with from thence to London so that we look upon the Five Hundred Pounds per Annum to be a sufficient Obligation to oblige all Persons that shall be concerned to Secresie and Industry whereby we doubt not but to strip the English of their Coyn as soon as 't is well Coyned for which we have given our Correspondents their positive Orders to pack up Four Hundred Pounds Worth of Bullion in every Hundred Pounds Worth of other Goods they shall Ship from thence so that by one Return of Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds we shall draw away Nine Hundred and Sixty Thousand Pounds Five or Six of which Draughts will effectually do our Business Besides Your Majesty may conclude That by the Working Silver-Smiths and the Exporters of Bullion there will be above a Million of their Coyn Melted down in Twelve Months Time after it comes forth French King My Lords If this Project takes effect you may live to hear of another Revolution for though they over-witted me in That I may chance to over-Reach them in This especially if they carry on their Coynage so as to leave an Opportunity to Impower me But one of my great Fears is That either amongst that Parliament or the People there may be some such Thinking Men whose fore-sight may lead them to consider the Circumstances and State of Europe and especially the Stratagems and Inclinations of the Court of France at this time who cannot but imagin we shall be ready to Contrive and Engage in any Project which seems rational to Wound our Enemies having so many of them And amongst other Thoughts may unluckily light of such Notions as these the Probability and Possibility of which being Discovered and made Publick to the English People and Parliament may thereby prevent us from putting this Design in Practice and if this