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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29339	A breviate of the proceedings of France, from the Pyrenaean Treaty to this time as also I. The speech of Monsieur Zierowsky, the Emperor's Embassador to the King of Poland, II. A memorial presented by the said Embassador to the King of Poland, III. A letter from Monsieur Du Vernay to Count Tekeley, IV. A letter from Count Tekeley to Monsieur Du Vernay, V. A letter from Monsieur Peter Jaigel, Governour of Cassovia, to Monsieur De Vernay.		1684 (1684)	Wing B4414; ESTC R22585	46,143	194

discovered in Switzerland But being so cunning as to carry their business private and to surprize the Person as he passed from one City to another they carry'd him into France where he was broken alive upon the Wheel after he had endeavour'd to escape the Torments of his Execution by an Action more resolute than Christian-like For having found in the hole of the Prison where he lay a piece of Glass he cut off his Privy Members and hid them under the Bed that the Jaylor might not know what he had done but in regard he could not stanch the blood so well but that some drops would fall from the wound besides that his Colour plainly shewed that something more than ordinary ailed him the Jaylor would see whence the Blood came So that after a short search having found what was hidden under the Bed all in a puddle of Blood he went and gave the Judges notice of it who being resolv'd to make him a publick Example hasten'd to give Sentence Thereupon they condemn'd him to be broken upon the Wheel and fearing he might not have strength enough to be carry'd to the common place of Execution or that he might dye if they delay'd till the Afternoon Order was given for the immediate Erecting of a Scaffold before the Prison-door and for his speedy Execution The Triple Alliance which France did not foresee astonish'd her so that altho she had promis'd her self the Conquest of the greatest Part of all Flanders she was oblig'd nevertheless to lay down her Arms not but then she had an Army on foot of above a Hundred Thousand Men but in regard that England and Holland made great Preparations by Sea and that she had no Fleet was able to resist two such potent Enemies she was afraid least the English and Hollanders while her Forces were imployed in Flanders might land either in Normandy or Britainy and strike a panick Terror into the heart of his Kingdom France having thus made a Peace as it were by Constraint she plotted nothing more than to revenge her self upon those who had contributed most effectually toward it Now it being apparent that the United Provinces had been most active upon that occasion and that all Europe owed the Peace which it enjoy'd to Them it was their Lot to feel the weight of his Fury yet was she careful to watch her Opportunity before she brake forth into an open Blaze of Revenge For Holland being as yet in League with England and Swedland therefore there must be a way found out to divide her from two such Potent Friends who being United were still sufficiently powerful to disappoint all the French Designs Which as France had still watch'd to bring to pass it was not long before an Opportunity offer'd it self by reason of an unhappy difference between the English and Dutch about Trade Nor did France then take any care as she had formerly done to offer her Mediation to close up the breach between the Two Nations but on the contrary used all means to incense the King of England yet underhand set on foot a Treaty with the Hollanders least they should have any thoughts of making Peace with Great Britain The Hollanders who had often prov'd the good Effects of the French Succours when they had any quarrel with England believ'd they would be still as effectual depending upon the King of France who ceased not to amuse 'em with daily hopes But while they were thus as they thought upon a conclusion with Him to oppose the King of England who was making powerful Preparations against 'em by Sea they were not a little surpriz'd to find that the two Princes were joyn'd both together and that while the English attack'd 'em by Sea the French were to fall upon them by Land and that with a Force so numerous and dreadful that the Memory of History had not Parallel'd the like out of France in a long time And then it was that the United Provinces found themselves in a strange Disorder for tho they wanted neither Ships nor Money yet had they not an Army sufficient to oppose the King of France who had brought his Forces already into the Country about Cologne from whence he intended to make the Attack In the midst of these Troubles to levy Men in Holland was look'd upon as a Remedy that would but little avail when Peace enjoy'd for so many years had render'd the People more fit for Trade than War raw Souldiers not being proper to make resistance against inur'd and hardy veterans Therefore the Hollanders sent into Germany to raise Forces and to treat with those Princes from whom they expected aid but all Europe was so astonish'd at the prodigious Army and Preparations of France that every one kept his own Force at home out of a Jealousie least France under a pretence of assailing the Low Countries should break into Germany The Hollanders at that time had no more than Five and Twenty Thousand Men for tho they had given out Commissions to all that proffered their Service yet they could reckon upon none but those that were drawn down to the general Rendevouze But that which yet enfeebl'd their Condition the more was that De Wit the Pensionary of Holland had always kept the Prince of Orange at a distance from the Management of Affairs and therefore being a better Politician than Souldier yet one who would have a hand in every thing the main business was carried with much Disorder and Confusion There was also one thing more which very much contributed to the Ruin of the State tho at that time not discovered which was that the King of France had Intelligence of every thing that was acted in the Country by means of Mombas then in the Service of the Republic which had given him a considerable Command in the Army He was a Frenchman born so that he was easily gain'd to the King by the Industry of Des Roches Captain of the Prince of Conde's Guards and his near Relation and who had prevail'd with him to take a Journey into France the Winter before where he had been discoursed with by Monsieur the Prince This Conjuncture of Accidents had been sufficient to have utterly ruined the State according to humane probability had not God determin'd the contrary At what time the King of France being ready to enter the Country the States assembled together to consider of the best way for the Defence of their Dominions Monsieur the Prince of Orange who maugre all the shuffling and juggling of De Wit was chosen Captain General for the States advis'd the quitting of all the Places above the Rhine to put in Ten Thousand Souldiers into Maestrick and to encamp with the rest at Bodegrave as being a most advantageous Post to secure Holland Monsieur D' Opdam and Celidrek who spake in the behalf of the Nobility were of the same Opinion but the rest being of a contrary Judgmeni it was resolved that they should hold all

Crown chiefly under John the First to free himself out of the hands of the English and afterwards under Francis the First to deliver himself out of the hands of the Spaniards had Authority given them to verify Treaties of Peace to prevent the Distipation of the Crown Revenues But their Authority is yet greater when it shall be a Law received in France that the Parliament may vacate Treaties which are not verifyed that is to say if the Treaties were not made in due Form or were found prejudicial to the People But it cannot be said that France receiv'd any prejudice by the Pyrenaean Treaty or that the Treaty was not concluded with all the usual Formalities In respect of Formalities there were so many observ'd as took up much more time than was necessary for the Repose of the People who after so tedious a War thirsted after nothing so much as Peace nor was it enough that De Lionne and Pimentell set their hands to the Treaty but to render it more solemn Cardinal Mazarine and Lewis de Haro the Principal Ministers of both Crowns were oblig'd to sign it also so that we may say that it was the most Authentick Treaty that had been concluded in a long time before Besides they had observ'd all the Circumstances imaginable insomuch that the place appointed for the Conferences was neither in France nor in Spain which nevertheless is very remarkable For that then they were willing that Spain should go cheek by jowle with France yet afterwards they would not allow that the Treaty had been ratify'd But that which seemed to put the Treaty not only out of the King 's but out of the reach of all France to do it Injury was that the chiefest of the Clergy and Nobility had sign'd the Contract of Marriage between the King and the Infanta wherein the aforesaid Renunciation was contain'd So that it was an idle thing to say that the Parliament which at most does but represent the Orders or Estates of the Kingdom would not approve a Treaty which was already approv'd by the King the Clergy and the Nobility Now that this Treaty brought no prejudice to France is as easie to prove For though France at that time had a great advantage over Spain we must consider nevertheless that this advantage might one day turn against it self as being oblig'd to share it's Conquests with England then in Alliance with her Now not to mention in the least what are the dangerous Consequences that I could draw from such a Partition it shall suffice to say That the Interest of France was not to let the English get Footing in Flanders who were an Enemy much more dangerous than the Spaniard Besides France by that Treaty had made sure of the greatest part of Her Conquests and had changed into a certain Right the Right of Nations which was a Right subject to several Chances of Fortune and then to object that the Dauphin had not ratify'd the Queens Renunciation is an Objection so weak that it does not deserve an Answer For I wouln fain know whether a Father and a Mother do not bind their Issue when they sign a Contract And whether the Dauphin had more right to question that which the King and Queen had sign'd than they who live under the same Laws and the same Monarchy All these Considerations give us plainly to see that whatever of Right belonging to the Queen was in the Treaty was only to amuse the Common People and particularly those of Flanders who being perswaded that the Queen had a Right to the Netherlands were in a capacity to foment a Rebellion to which they might be provok'd by the ill Usage of the Spanish Soldiery who for want of Pay commit many Violences and Disorders It being therefore a great piece of Prudence to prevent all Trouble that might arise from thence the Baron of Isola one of the Ministers of the House of Austria put Pen to Paper to shew the Vanity of the Consequences which the pretended Author of the Treatise drew from the Right of the Queen Of which a great number of Copies were sent into Flanders Germany and the Neighbouring Parts some were also conveyed into France but the Court resolving that the People should make it's Ambition an Article of their Faith made such an exact Enquiry after the Publishers that two or three were committed to the Bastile and were in great danger of their Lives For as it was not lawful in that Kingdom to write Truth either in Religion or Politicks neither was it permitted to be spoken or taught to any one whatsoever And therefore as well they who bought the Book as they who published these Books were oblig'd to keep out of the way as if they had been Malefactors But the more they thought to restrain the Peoples Wills the more the People endeavour'd to set their minds at Liberty so that many honest Folks made it their business to content their Curiosity in spight of all the publick Prohibitions By vertue of these Imaginary Pretensions the King fail'd not to send to the Governour of the Netherlands to surrender into his hands those places which as he pretended belong'd to the Queen And because he could not choose but know that the Governour would no way answer his Expectations he follow'd the Messenger with a puissant Army to make himself the Master of them by force thereupon having received the Governors Answer that the King his Master would fairly part with nothing he enter'd Flanders took Charleroy Aeth Courtray Audenard and Lisle while the Marshal D'Aumont with another Army attack'd the Cities and Towns that lay nearer the Sea These Conquests carried on with such a rapid Success astonish'd the Neighbouring States who thought it their Interest to stop these violent Proceedings especially the Low Countries who by no means liked the near Approach of so formidable and ambitious a Neighbour Therefore they engaged the King of England to enter into a League wherein the King of Swedeland also joyn'd by which they obliged themselves all three to make the French and Spaniard lay down their Arms with a Resolution to declare a War against the obstinate Refuser This League was call'd the Triple Alliance afterwards so fatal to Holland as I shall relate in due Place that it may be thought they had reason enough to repent their Negotiation They say it was a Person of Rochel who laid the first Foundations of it after he had made those Powerful Princes deeply sensible how little the Ambition of France was to be trusted however it were France who seldom easily pardons those that have once offended her well knowing that the same Person was in Switzerland labouring to insinuate the same Opinion among the Cantons sent thither the two Platells of which the Eldest was a Captain of Horse the other Esquire to Monsieur Turenne to apprehend him It had been a knotty Enterprize and of dangerous consequence for the Platells had their Errand been