5. All places in Catalonia in the Kings possession which have been taken since the Treaty of Nimeguen in the state they were when taken 6. To the Bishop of Liege the Town and Castle of Dinant in the state they were at the taking of them 7. All the Reunions made since the Peace of Nimeguen 8. Lorrain according to the Conditions of the said Treaty Monsieur de Callieres having made the said declaration to the Mediatour in the presence of Monsieur Dyckvelt they went afterwards to the Sieur Boreels House who because of his indisposition could not come to the Mediatours as it had been agreed and the Mediatour having follow'd them thither Messieurs Dyckvelt and Boreel did signifie to him in Monsieur de Callieres presence that they had agreed that upon the Conclusion and Signing of the Peace the Most Christian King should Recognize the Prince of Orange for King of Great Britain without any Difficulty Restriction Condition or Reserve which Monsieur de Callieres confirm'd to the Mediatour in the name of his Most Christian Majesty all which was accordingly Enter'd and Sign'd by the Mediatour in his * A Signing Book kept by the Mediatour Protocol the 31th January 10th February 1697. Most people especially those who are Well-wishers to the Kings Person and Government expected that His Majesty should have been acknowledg'd by the French for King of Great Britain in the Preliminaries as a necessary step without which no General Treaty could be thought of wherein His Majesties Ambassadours should not be receiv'd by the French as Ambassadours from the King of Great Britain but the French Court would not yield to this Point because if the Treaty should break off yet the King would gain thereby the onely difficulty that was to be regulated between England and France the other difficulties being but inconsiderable and easily accommodated and therefore offer'd that it was sufficient seeing the case was so that His Majesty should be acknowledgd for King of Great Britain at the Conclusion and Signing of the Treaty His Majesty preferring the Peace and Quiet of Europe to what at the bottom was but a meer Formality Consented that the Negotiations should be manag'd this way being satisfied with the Guaranty of Sweden upon this point in the Preliminaries And notwithstanding that the French King did not acknowledge His Majesty till the Signing of the Peace yet the whole Treaty was so manag'd at Ryswick that our Ambassadours and Plenipotentiaries met with nothing that might derogate in the least from the Honour due to Ministers of that Character from the Crown of England However his Majesties Domestick Enemies had some hopes upon this account and they thought themselves in no ill Condition by it As for the Imperial Minister the Count de Caunitz he was not present at the Signing of the Preliminaries because the French allow'd no other Conditions in them for the Duke of Lorrain but those of Nimeguen which had been protested against in due Form by the last Duke of Lorrain and which neither the Emperour nor the present Duke could ever accept of Affairs being brought thus far towards a General Treaty as to have the Preliminaries Sign'd by the Mediatour no other difficulty remain'd to hinder the opening of the Congress but the agreeing upon the Place of Treaty Breda Maestricht or Nimeguen were sometimes propos'd by the French other people talk'd of Vtrecht the Imperialists were for having the Congress in Germany either at Cologne or Aix la Chappelle but the Emperour was very backward in explaining himself upon this Article his Minister still insisted at the Hague to have the Business of Lorrain put in a way of accommodation before the Place of Treaty was nam'd for though the French made no other overture in the Preliminaries for the Dutchy of Lorrain but the Treaty of Nimeguen yet France gave hopes of better Conditions for that Duke when-once it should come to a Treaty the Imperial Court would have had these Conditions explain'd in the Preliminaries but France would not consent to it These Contestations took up a great deal of time and prov'd a great obstacle to the agreeing upon a Place to Treat in In the mean while the French and the Dutch pitch'd upon a place of Treaty which I dare say is the most convenient that can be met with in Christendom for such a Business and that was His Majesties Royal Palace at Ryswick so situated that it has the advantage of two large and populous Towns just by it being not above an English Mile from the Hague and two from Delft where consequently the Ambassadors on both sides could Lodge themselves conveniently without being press'd for Scarcity of Lodging or impos'd upon in the Excessive Rates of Houses both which inconveniencies must have been the Consequence of having the Treaty in any one Town of Holland besides or Germany and were sufficiently felt in the Congress of Nimeguen Besides the French were to come from Delft to Ryswick one way and the Allies from the Hague another directly opposite so that no unlucky meeting of Coaches and wrangling for precedency could ever happen to interrupt the Negotiations This Palace is call'd the House of Newbourgh built aside of the Village of Ryswick about two Bowes shot to the West by Frederick Henry Prince of Orange His Majesties Grandfather and is a Fabrick of Modern Architecture onely a little too low consisting of three Pavillons or Piles of Buildings upon a Line joyn'd together by two Galleries all of Free Stone and of an equal Height the Front of the House looks to the Hague Northwards and the back with the Gardens towards Delft Southwards and therefore it afforded all the Accommodations that could possibly be desir'd for a Congress to Negotiate a Peace an Apartment in the Center for the Mediator and one upon the Right and another upon the Left for the two different Parties whereby no manner of Dispute could happen about the going out or coming in and such other accidents which it has been very difficult to Regulate in other Places Most of the Allies agreed immediately that a Palace so conveniently situated and having such Accommodations to prevent any differences about the Ceremonial should be the Place of Treaty and accordingly His Majesty order'd it forthwith to be Repaired and the States had it handsomly Furnish'd for such an occasion and certainly it could signifie no less than a good Omen to his Majesties Affairs that after so long and cruel a War wherein the French had done whatever lay in their power to dispute his possession of the British Throne yet at last they very willingly came to Treat of Peace in his own House Whilst these advances were making towards a General Treaty there were no less preparations in the Frontiers between France and the Allies than if it had been the very middle of the War and indeed 't is very necessary to be more cautious than usual in such a Conjuncture because the
Plenipotentiaries arriv'd at Delft went to pay them the first Visit at their own Houses and afterwards the French Plenipotentiaries return'd the same Complement to the Counts of Caunitz and Straatman at the Hague and paid at the same time the first Visit to the Baron of Zeilern the third Imperial Plenipotentiary being come into Holland after them and the same Method was observ'd in the Visits of the rest After the adjusting of the Ceremonial the French Ambassadours were requir'd by the Mediator to give in their Project of a General Peace with the Allies in pursuance of the Overtures already made in the Preliminaries and so to enter upon more Essential Business than had hitherto been handled in the Congress The French on their side were delaying to give it in putting of it off from Congress day to Congress day which made People generally believe they had first a mind to know the Issue of three great Undertakings which France had now in hand and of which News were daily expected with a great deal of Impatience on all sides to model their Project accordingly and that was first Monsieur de Pointy's Expedition in the West-Indies against the Galleons having sail'd from Brest the beginning of January last with a Squadron of about twelve Men of War having Troops and Transport-Ships along with him and other Necessaries for a Landing not without giving us some Jealousie in England at first especially for Ireland The second was the Election of Poland for which the Prince of Conti stood Candidate and was now so fair for the carrying of it that the Election of Marechal of the Dyet met at Warsaw to chuse a King was carry'd by the French Party which shew'd but too much the Superiority of it against any other Pretenders which gave them very great Hopes on that side The third was the Siege of Barcelona form'd by the Duke of Vendome General of the French Army in Catalonia since the beginning of this Month and which was now carrying on with a great deal of Vigour Several People thought that Pensionary Heinsius's Journey to the Camp was concerning the Retardments which the French made in giving in their Project and to concert thereupon some Methods of carrying on the War with more Vigour than we had done hitherto and oblige the French not to be so backward in giving reasonable Terms for a General Peace as they were reported to be at present others imagin'd that it regarded the Forwarding of the Negociations at Ryswick where there seem'd to be a certain Slowness among some of the Allies and especially the Imperialists These were the publick Discourses about this Journey but one may rather imagine from what follow'd that it was to make way for the Conferences that happen'd few days after between the Earl of Portland and the Marechal of Bouflers and that may be the French Plenipotentiaries had made some Overtures about it to those of the States by the French King's order because His Majesty being not yet acknowledged by the French as King of Great Britain there could be no Conferences in the Congress between the Plenipotentiaries of England and those of France But whatever was the occasion of Pensionary Heinsius his coming to the Camp these were only Conjectures and I do not pretend to dive farther into the Matter The 24th Prince Cerclas of Tilly was commanded with the Liege Horse and Dragoons and the German Cavalry lately come from the Rhine to march towards Namur where he incamp'd at Masy the German Horse was under the Command of Major General Bulau and the Prince of Tilly was joyn'd in this Camp by two Battallions of the Liege Troops the rest being to follow upon occasion for we were strong enough without them at present and the sending of them that way spar'd so much the more Forrage about Brussels where the Army was like to continue long enough to want it and besides the Marquis de Harcourt was marching back to repass the Sambre in order to incamp at Bossu upon this River with the Forces he had brought from the Moselle where at his coming he receiv'd six Field pieces from Philipville and though Harcourt was posted here upon no other account but for the Security of Convoys from the Meuse to the Sambre against the Garrison of Namur and thence to be sent to Mons for the use of the Armies yet it was necessary to have a proportionable Body near Namur to observe him especially now that the Marechal of Bouflers was incamp'd conveniently enough to march that way as soon as the Allies The 25th Pensionary Heinsius went back for Holland and in the Evening at the Orders His Majesty was pleas'd to declare the Hereditary Prince of Hesse Major General of his Forces The 26th the Princess of Vaudemont attended with most of the chief Ladies of Brussels came in the Evening to see the Camp going at the Head of the Line with a Train of about a dozen Coaches with six Horses the Electrice was near her Time and could not go abroad The 27th the Marechal of Villeroy's Army came to Forrage about Zellich and his Out guards advanc'd pretty near our Camp which gave us the Allarm His Majesty immediately rid out being follow'd by the Prince to observe the Motions of the French and Haxhausen's Brigade of Danes incamp'd upon the Height between Ganshoren and Berchom was order'd to march with the Dragoons we had in the Camp on this side of Brussels all the Cavalry receiv'd Orders to mount on Horse-back and Belcastel's Brigade at Laacken took Arms. About thirty Squadrons of Horse were commanded to attend His Majesty who rid to the Height on the other side of the Abbey of Dilleghem and it being found that the French had no other Design but to Forrage between Zellich and Asch it was not thought expedient to attempt any thing which might have ingag'd us in a General Battle without our Retrenchments but only to watch and observe their Motions and His Majesty came back to the Camp The 29th the Dragoons of Tiviot Rosse and Jedborough which at our first coming to this Ground had been posted at the Burnt-bridge upon the Canal receiv'd Orders to march and joyn the Main Body of English Horse and Dragoons incamp'd at Diegom under General Auerquerque and Scheltinga's Regiment of Anhalt's Brigade was commanded in their place to cover the Canal from thence to Willebrook as Colonel Murray's did on the other hand to Vilvorde and the Fort des trois Trous The same day was the first Interview between the Marechal of Bouflers and My Lord Portland in the open Field on this side of Halle the Marechal of Bouflers had sent a Trumpet into our Camp to attend his Lordship who went in his Coach without any other Escorte and the Marechal of Bouflers who was come to the place of Rendezvous with some Squadrons of Horse order'd them all back to his Camp when he saw My Lord come without any Guard and only the Trumpet that
The Elector left the Army to go in Relays to Antwerp this day where Prince Vandemont was to meet His Electoral Highness the day following from Brussels and the Command of the Army in Flanders fell thereby to the Count d' Arco General of the Bavarians The Seventh Prince Vaudemont came accordingly from Brussels to wait upon the Elector at Antwerp and conferr together upon the present State of Affairs the Prince went back the same day to the Army at Brussels but the Elector remain'd in that Town The Term prefix'd by the late Memorial given in by the French drawing near His Electoral Highness was more conveniently here than in any other Town of his Jurisdiction to send Expresses to or receive them from Don Bernardo de Quiros the first Plenipotentiary of Spain at the Congress of Ryswick who had receiv'd express Orders from the Court of Spain alarm'd by the Loss of Barcelona to Sign then upon the Conditions offer'd by the French Sign who will for the rest and as 't was reported had had a Reprimand for not Signing the 20th of August the Term given before in the Project which was a Tune many Notes lower than at the beginning of these Negociations when Spain as well as the Empire were so unwilling to Treat upon the Foot of the Peace of Nimeguen The Prince at his return to Brussels began to review the Army Brigade by Brigade not so much to be sati fied of the Strength of the Regiments as to see them Exercise there being little to do at present for them The Ninth Selwyn's Brigade posted at Laacken exercis'd before him and the Tenth the half Brigade of Guards of the first Line continued the same Pass-time The 11th The Prince being inform'd that the Marechal of Villeroy had advanc'd with his Army from Ste Marie Oudenhove nearer to Ghendt and was come to incamp at St. Lievens-Houthem order'd Selwyn's Brigade and the Regiments of Columbine and Granville of Fairfax's to send for their Baggage-Horses from Grass in order to march the next day being design'd for a Reinforcement to the Brandenbourg Foot incamp'd at Heusen for the Defence of the Scheld between Ghendt and Dendermonde for if the Peace had not been Sign'd the over-night of which there could be no News as yet in our Camp it was expected that the War would begin again with more Vigour and Animosity than ever and that Villeroy thereupon might have endeavour'd either to Bombard Ghendt or pass the Scheld But it pleas'd God at length to put an end to a War which for nine Years together had Harass'd and severely Chastis'd most Parts of Christendom and the Peace was Happily Sign'd the 10th at night between England Spain and Holland on one part and France on the other The Spanish Plenipotentiaries Sign'd about Midnight and after them those of the States General which being done the French were now oblig'd according to the Preliminary Articles to acknowledge His Majesty for King of Great Britain without any Restriction Condition or Reserve our Plenipotentiaries were thereupon introduc'd by the Mediatour and receiv'd by the French with all the Civility that was due to the Plenipotentiaries of the Crown of England after which the Articles were Sign'd between England and France in the presence of the Mediatour and the Plenipotentiaries on both sides embrac'd one another with all the Demonstrations of Friendship Esteem and an intire Reconciliation and the Conversation soon fell upon the Panegyrick of the two Most Powerful Monarchs in Christendom whose great Actions must hereafter make the best part of the History of these Times the French especially spoke of the great Veneration that all Brave French-men had for so Renown'd a Prince as King William the Third and of the great Esteem and Value the King their Master had for him As for the Imperialists they still stuck out and refus'd to Sign alledging that they had not time enough given them to have Instructions from the Emperour and Empire about the Matters in Debate and especially one of such Consequence as the Dismembring of Strasbourg from the Body of the Empire was and insisted still upon the full Restitution of Lorraine without the Reservation of Saar-Louis and Longwy to the French After this second Refusal of the Emperour 's Plenipotentiaries those of England Spain and Holland Sign'd without them according to the Instructions they had receiv'd but a Separate Article was added at the end of every one of these three several Treaties in which it was stipulated between the Mediatour the Powers that had Sign'd and the French that a farther time should be allow'd to the Emperour and Empire till the 22th day of October inclusive next ensuing being six Weeks time to regulate the Affairs relating to the Empire during which time all manner of Hostilities should cease between the Germans and the French for the Performance whereof the Powers that had Sign'd ingag'd themselves as Guarrantees but if by that time the Peace was not Sign'd between the Empire and France that nevertheless the Treaty concluded at Ryswick should stand good and the Powers that had Sign'd should remain Neuter in the War between France and the Empire I will not pretend to advance that there was a Design in the refusing to Sign by the Emperour 's Plenipotentiaries both the former Term and this but this may be said for Truth that the refusing to Sign the time before put it out of the Empires Choice to take Strasbourg or the Equivalent and their refusing to Sign now left them to Treat with the French among themselves which has brought in the Fourth Article of the Treaty for the Empire so Prejudicial to the Protestant Religion in Germany and Derogatory to the Treaty of Munster in its behalf which may be look'd upon as the Fundamental Constitution of the Empire as 't is now divided between the Protestant and the Romish Religion which Article 't is very probable would not have been so easily gain'd to the Prejudice of the Protestant Interest if the Imperialists had acted and sign'd in Conjunction with the rest of the Allies I need not give an account of the three several Treaties Sign'd at Ryswick the Tenth because they are already Printed by themselves to which I shall referr the Reader only I shall mention something concerning Luxembourg and the Equivalent offer'd to Spain in lieu of it namely That the Equivalent offer'd by the French being Maubeuge Condé Menin and Ipres was much more Advantagious for the Spanish Dominions in the Low-Countries because it made them more united and gave them a better and more defensible Frontier and for the same reason was so to England but the French restoring Lorrain it was better for the Common Interest of Europe to have Luxembourg back again for a Communication between Lorrain the Empire and the Low-Countries for otherwise without it the French might still have over-aw'd the Empire upon the Lower-Rhine and have had an In-let into Holland for which reason Luxembourg
following yet the King was resolv'd not to come to the Hague till the Imperialists and the French had made an end of the Treaty depending between them and therefore still kept at Loo and Diercn where Prince Vaudemont remain'd after the Elector's going back for Brussels and His Majesty named here his Excellency the Earl of Portland for his Ambassadour Extraordinary to go to the Court of France The 22th of October being the Term allow'd in the Separate Article of the 10th of September the Peace was Sign'd between the Empire and France according to the Project given by the French Ambassadours and the Memorial of the 21th of August and by it the French quitted to the Empire all Brisgow and Alsatia on the Right side of the Rhine with the Towns of Brisach and Fribourg the Fort of Kehl opposite to Strasbourg and the Town of Philipsbourg all on the same side of the Rhine together with the Territories belonging to the Electorate of Treves and the Palatinate on the left side of the Rhine and oblig'd themselves farther to demolish all the Forts they had upon that River on the right side of it and moreover Montroyal and Traerbach upon the Moselle after which they were to be restor'd to the Elector of Treves together with the Town of Treves in the Condition it was then They likewise ingag'd to restore the Dutchy of Lorrain and Barre in the Condition wherein Charles the Fourth enjoy'd it in the Year 1670 only they reserv'd to themselves the Town of Saar-Lonis with a district of half a League about it and the Town and Provostship of Longwy upon the Frontier of Lorrain towards Luxembourg for which Towns the French promis'd to give an Equivalent of the same Extent and Value in one of the three Bishopricks as it should be agreed upon between Commissioners appointed by the French King and the Duke of Lorrain for that purpose and farther to give back the Dutchy of Deux-Ponts to the King of Sweden the County of Mont-belliard to the Dukes of Wirtemberg with all the Mannors and Feudships belonging to the said Family in the Dutchy of Burgundy and Franche-Comte the Towns and Bishopricks of Wormes and Spire the first to the Grand Master of the Teutonick Order and the latter to the Archbishop of Treves And the Elector Palatine re-entering in the Possession of all his Territories and Revenues on both sides of the Rhine by this Treaty according as they were restor'd at the Peace of Westphalia the Emperour and the French King were nam'd to be Arbitrators of the Dutchess of Orleans's Pretensions in which if they did not agree that then the Pope should decide that Matter according to the Laws and Constitutions of the Empire and in the mean while that the Elector Palatine should allow the Dutchess of Orleans a Yearly Pension of 200000 Livers French Money Lastly The French promis'd to deliver up the Town and Castle of Dinant to the Elector of Cologne as Bishop of Liege in the Condition they were at the taking of them before the Treaty of Nimeguen And in Consideration of the Equivalent given by the French the Emperour and Empire consented that Strasbourg should be dismembred for ever from the Empire and annex'd to the Most Christian King's Dominions with a Sovereign Property and Jurisdiction over it that the Bridge of Philipsbourg should be broke down and the Fort which covers it on the left side of the Rhine demolish'd that the new Town of Brisach on the same side of the Rhine should be dismantled and that hereafter the Rhine should be the common Barriere in Alsatia between France and the Empire so that France should have no Forts upon the Rhine nor right side of it nor the Empire upon the left And as a common Article that this Treaty should be Ratified by the Empire and the French King within six Weeks after But there was a Clause in the Fourth Article whereby the Roman Catholick Religion was to be maintain'd in all the Places restor'd by the French in the Condition and State it was at the Signing of it which created very hot Contestations between the Protestant and Bopish Deputies of the Empire as being expresly contrary to the Treaty of Westphalia this made all the Protestant Deputies and the Mediatour himself as Deputy for the Dutchy of Deux-Ronts in the King of Sweden's Name refuse to Sign it as Derogatory to the Treaty of Westphalia except the Deputies of the House of Wirtemberg and of the Imperial Town of Franckfort There was not the least mention made of this Clause in the General Project given in by the French nor in their new Memorial of the 20th of August but England and Holland having Sign'd before without the Empire or rather the 10th of September seeming to have been laps'd on purpose to bring this about the French and Popish Members of the Empire took hold of such an Opportunity to gain Ground upon the Protestants in Germany The Treaty being Sign'd between the Empire and France and consequently a General Peace establish'd among all the Parties concern'd the King came then to the Hague on the 29th attended by the Prince of Vaudemont where his Princess came to wait upon His Majesty to Complement him upon the Peace and take her leave before her parting for Italy with the Prince her Husband who were lodg'd together in the Oud Hoff one of the King's Palaces at the Hague All the Plenipotentiary Ambassadours and Forreign Ministers went to Complement the King upon his Arrival and the Conclusion of the Peace and among them the three French Plenipotentiaries came there the next day in a Body by the French King's order and had an Audience in Form as his Ambassadours Extraordinary to make the first Complement to His Majesty The Fourth of November being the King's Birth day was kept at the Hague with a great deal of Solemnity the Court was throng'd Nov. with Forreign Ministers upon this occasion and the French Plenipotentiaries especially made their Complement to His Majesty upon his Birth-day and in the Evening a Magnificent Ball was given by the Prince and Princess of Vaudemont at the Oud Hoff. After this the King waited only for a fair Wind to bring him over to England and went some few days after to Oranje-Polder to imbark but the Wind coming about contrary His Majesty went back to the Hague At last the Wind coming fair the King imbark'd at Oranje Polder the 13th in the Morning and happily arriv'd at Margate on Sunday the 14th of November between Ten and Eleven in the Morning and went to lay that Night at Canterbury The 15th His Majesty came to Greenwich in order to make his Publick Entry the next day in the City of London where His Majesty was then receiv'd with all the Solemnity and Magnificence that Loyalty and Affection accompanied with an Universal Joy could be capable of to see His Majesty return Safe to his Kingdom after so many Fatigues and Dangers so many
and the Allies are fallen very short of their Expectations in the last War France propos'd to it self at least to have chang'd the Twenty Years Truce into a perpetual Treaty in pursuance of the repeated Instances made by the French Ambassadour at the Dyet of Ratisbone for that purpose and nothing in the World could have prevented not only this but even the Ruin of the Protestant Religion every where and with it the Truckling of the Empire the Spanish and United Netherlands to the Power of France save the Happy Wonderful and Sudden Revolution in England when in all Humane Probability His Majesty's Expedition with so considerable a Body of the States Forces in that Kingdom must have created such Civil Wars as would have been rather Subservient to carry on the great Designs of France instead of hindering them which I think is a sufficient Argument to convince any Man unless he is byass'd by his Passions Prejudices and Interest that it was the doing of that over-ruling Providence who as the Psalmist tells us * Psal 33. Maketh the Devices of the People to be of none effect and casteth out the Counsels of Princes As for the Allies they had sufficiently felt the Effects of that Great Power which the French had come to by the Treaty of Nimeguen and whilst the Court of England was ingag'd in the Interests of France that turn'd the Scale so much that there could be no resistance for them But that powerful Kingdom having been so happily and suddenly drawn out of the Interests of France or rather deliver'd out of its Power by the late Revolution in the Government and brought over by it to the side of the Allies in whose Cause the Religion Laws Priviledges and Liberties of that Kingdom were so nearly concern'd as the Liberties of Europe were reciprocally involv'd in the Destiny of that Nation so the Allies conceiv'd very great Hopes thereupon of reducing France to much lower Conditions than the Treaty of Nimeguen and of hindering it hereafter from disturbing so often the Peace and Quiet of Christendom But several Accidents have stop'd the Progress of the Allies Affairs thus far the first has been the War of Ireland which hinder'd England from bending the Force of its Arms against France at the beginning to imploy them for the three first Campagnes to recover a Kingdom which so undoubtedly belongs to it and in which it was certainly the Interest of the French to maintain the War as long as possibly they could not to mention the persidious Malice of a Party of Men and unnatural Patriots we have at Home which has weaken'd our Efforts very much and clogg'd the Progress of our Affairs so as to make them often drive heavy The second has been the Over-sight of the Imperial Court in not making a Peace with the Grand Seignior after the Siege of Belgrade as the Turks so earnestly sollicited it at that time And the third The Obstinacy of the Turks so prejudicial at last to their true Interest in carrying on so unsuccessful a War in Hungary when by the necessity of the Emperour's Affairs whilst ingag'd in a War against France they could have made a very Advantageous Peace for themselves which they ought to have done chiefly when they found that notwithstanding the great Diversion they expected from the French upon the Rhine the Imperialists could give them an intire Rout at Salankement and take in the Campagnes following Guyla and Great-Waradin from them for which ill Policy they find at present but too much reason to repent when they see themselves left in the Lurch and to deal with a Powerful Confederacy which now that there is a General Peace in Christendom can bend all its Forces against a weaken'd and drooping Empire The first of these Obstacles being at length happily surmounted by the Reduction of Ireland France contriv'd an Invasion in the Year 1692. to make us look to our own defence at home instead of increasing the strength of the Allies abroad by which though it miscarried in the main yet it gain'd the Town of Namur And the defeat of Landen in 1693 having shew'd the necessity there was for England and the States to augment considerably their Land Forces the Scale begun to turn the Campagne following and the weight of England appear'd very considerable in the Ballance chiefly in the Campagne of 1695 by the Glorious Recovery of Namur which if it be true that France offer'd to treat upon the Foot of Nimeguen before upon the Issue of the Campagne of 1694 sufficiently justified the Conduct of the Allies in the rejecting of it when the French lost Cazal in Italy at the same time And there is a great deal of reason to think that the carrying of the War by the Allies thereafter would have been attended with many other Glorious Advantages and very Fatal to the French had it not been for the Duke of Savoy's deserting of the Common Interest in the Campagne of 1696 and what was may be in some measure the Cause of it the Money difficulties which happen'd in England at that time and oblig'd us to Reform our Coin which had been Clipp'd and Debas'd almost to nothing so that it could bear no Price abroad but must have hinder'd our Armies at last from Subsisting in Flander's and drawn the loss of the Spanish Netherlands after it without a speedy Remedy And as we could not carry on the War nor indeed our Trade without Reforming our Coin so France expected we should be reduc'd to such Extremities in the doing of it as might have put a People together by the Ears that is not us'd to want which would have made it worth its while to continue a War in which it would once more have had a fair Chance to subdue the League and Compass its great Designes by the Ruine of England This may be reckon'd the true Cause both of the inaction and weakness of the Allies for the two last Campagnes and of the continuing of the War then by the French King But though our Money difficulty's occasion'd in a great measure this prolonging of the War by the French yet our overcoming of them so happily and in so little a time which demonstrated the vast and unexpected Wealth of a Nation they reckon'd altogether impoverish'd and which was represented as such by our Domestick Enemies has made amends for it in opening the Eyes of our late Enemies and letting them see that the Continuation of the War would Ruin France before it could Beggar England which has contributed very much to facilitate and bring about that Universal Peace which Christendom now Enjoys And though the Allies have fallen short of their Expectations in the War and that France still continues in the main upon the Foot of the Treaty of Nimeguen yet England having so successfully rcover'd its Liberties and maintain'd and vindicated the Liberties of all Europe at the same time it is thereby in a Condition to ballance
Religion they knew very well that if England and Holland had been left ingag'd in a War with the French King all the advantages he would have had by it would onely have made more firm and lasting Fetters for themselves and 't is therefore probable that the Emperour and King of Spain joyn'd in this Peace of Italy at the Popes most earnest Sollicitations who though his Mediation signified little on the other side of the Alpes yet was very desirous of seeing Peace at his own doors and us'd consequently all his Industry and Interest to bring it about And if such were the vain and groundless hopes of the Popish Bigots abroad our Jacobites were no less elevated at home upon this separate Treaty of Savoy and the consequent Treaty for the Peace of Italy they could imagine no less than that the French King would force every one of the Allies in the Continent of Europe one after another to make up an accommodation and thus that nothing would remain for him but to deal with England and bend all his Forces upon it for the reestablishment of the late King But they both have been very much deceiv'd in the event which does now convince the World that the French King aim'd particularly at coming by this means the sooner to a General Peace with all the Allyes and to have so much the better Terms for himself And indeed at that very time that these things were Transacting in Italy so much to the prejudice of the General Interest of the Allyes the French King had an Agent in Holland to make overtures of a General Peace and the Duke of Savoy made use of this very pretext to excuse the Treaty he had made apart with France in his Letter to the Elector of Brandenbourgh he was jealous or rather pretended to be so of the States having receiv'd an Agent from France to treat with them and therefore he thought that he might very well treat for himself Monsieur de Callieres as we have said it in our precedent History had come to Holland with a passe from the States at the very opening of the Campagne and resided privately at Delft the whole Summer to negotiate Affairs with some of the States Ministers in order to come to a General Treaty this occasion'd so many Journeys which Monsieur Dyckvelt made between Holland and the Camp in Brabant to give an account to the King and receive His Majesty's instructions But whether the uncertain state of the King of Spain's Health who had a most dangerous fit of sickness the latter end of the Summer made the French delay and spin away time in their Offers or that the Imperialists and Spaniards were unwilling to hear of reducing things no farther than the Treaty of Nimeguen the King of Swedens Mediation was not accepted in due Form by the French King and the Congress of the Allies at the Hague till the Campagne was over or rather till the beginning of the Winter upon which the Baron de Lillienroot the Swedish Minister at the Hague receiv'd full powers from Stockholme to manage the Mediatour's part in the Congress that should be held for the concluding of a General Peace between France and the Allies Things being brought thus far towards a Treaty the several Princes concern'd begun to appoint Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries for it of which I shall onely mention the Principal On the Emperours side were nam'd the Count de Caunitz his Ambassadour and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague Count Straatman and the Baron de Zeilern On his Majesty of Great Britains the Earl of Pembrook my Lord Viscount Villiers now E. of Jersey His Majesty's Ambassador to the States and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague and Sir Jos Williamson to whom was joyn'd afterwards in Commission as third Plenipotentiary Ambassador my L. Lexinton His Majesties Ambassador at Vienna as 't were provisionally for during the whole Congress he did not leave the Imperial Court. On the French Kings behalf were nam'd M. de Harlay Boneuil Monsieur de Courtin who not being able to attend upon this great imployment by reason of his great age and a blindness that seiz'd him immediately after his Nomination Count de Crecy Verjus was appointed in his stead as second and the third Monsieur de Calliere before hand in Holland as his Most Christian Majesty's Agent to make the Overtures of a Treaty On the behalf of Spain were nam'd Don Barnardo de Quiros the King of Spain's Ambassadour to the States General and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague and the Count de Tirimont to whom the Elector of Bavaria joyn'd the Baron de Preylmeyer to take care of his own particular Interest For the States General were nam'd Messieurs Boreel Dyckvelt and Van Haren all these had the Character of Ambassadours Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries as well as the Mediatour The rest I shall leave to those who write particularly the Account of the Negotiations of this Peace to account for After the accepting the Mediation of Sweden and the naming of Plenipotentiary Ambassadours by the Chief Powers concern'd Monsieur de Callieres who hitherto had kept up very privately in Holland and mostly at Delft took upon him the publick Character of the French Kings Minister and had very frequent Conferences with the Ministers of the States in the presence of the Mediatour or particularly among themselves to settle the Preliminaries in order to come to a place of Treaty Monsieur d'Avaux the French Ambassadour at Stockholm had made several offers to the Court of Sweden in order to open the way to a General Treaty by the Mediation of that Crown not onely during the Campagne of 1696. but also in the Winter 1694. which the Allies pretended to have been more advantagious than those given by Monsieur de Callieres at the Hague This created some contest about settling the Preliminaries and therefore retarded that Business for some time however the French Court having insisted upon Monsieur de Callieres offers as the onely authentick ones the Preliminaries were at last agreed upon and sign'd by the Mediatour in presence of Monsieur de Callieres and Messieurs Boreel and Dyckvelt the 31th of January old Style of which this was the Substance Monsieur de Callieres having communicated his full power from the French King for this purpose to the Mediatour did declare in the French King his Masters Name that in order to a General Treaty of Peace his Most Christian Majesty Consented and Agreed 1. That the Treaties of Westphalia and Nimoguen should be the Basis and Foundation of the Treaty to be made with the Allies 2. To Restore to the Empire the Town of Strasbourg in the Condition it was when taken by his Majesty 3. To Restore to the King of Spain the Town of Luxembourgh in the state 't is now in 4. The Towns of Mons and Charloroy as they are at present
time the Ports and Harbours on all sides for a free Trade and Commerce as before the War These are the Terms according to publick Reports upon which the French propos'd a Truce during the Treaty which the Allies would willingly consent to in relation to the suspension of Armes but not to the opening of an immediate Trade thereupon because the French Ports would soon have fill'd with the Allies Ships whereas few of theirs would have come for Trade in the Allies Ports the French Commerce being very small in proportion to England and Holland and therefore if the Treaty had broke off the French King could then have Seiz'd all the Allies Ships in his Harbours for his own use or having so many of them in his power he might for that very reason have stood upon so much the higher Terms in the Treaty this oblig'd the Allies not to consent to a Cessation of Arms as it was propos'd by the French and the French on their side would not consent to it without this last Condition when they had all the advantages of the Campagne These were the publick Discourses about a Truce and I do not pretend to say anything about this matter of any farther Authority however these Discourses grounded upon the silence of the French before At h soon ceas'd in our Camp when we heard the Batteries of the Besiegers Cannon which they work'd upon as soon as they had finish'd the parallel we have now spoken of The 16th in the Evening the Marquis de Gassion Lieutenant-General and the Marquis of Biron Brigadier had the Trenches on the Right with two Battallions of Maulevrier and one of Nice and the Marquis de Hautesort Major General on the Left with three Battallions of Surbeck the Besiegers work'd very hard this Night to finish five Batteries of Cannon they had begun just before the parallel now mention'd in order to have them ready the next Morning and accordingly the 17th in the Morning the French Cannon began to Roar against At h and fir'd the whole day without intermission and so much to the purpose that before Night they dismounted all the Cannon but two pieces upon the attacqu'd Bastions And may be the reason why the French defer'd to fire their Cannon till this time was because At h being commanded by the Height of the Ground on this side of the Dender to the very Palissades and the Bastions being consequently sunk their Battaries could not be brought to bear against them unless they made them so near as this to the Body of the place The Noise of the Besiegers Artillery press'd the Allies so much the more to endeavour the Relief of At h and it was concluded by the King and the Elector that both Armies should march in the same order as they were now the Electors upon the Right and the Kings upon the Left to come up close to the French and see what could be done for the succour of the place In pursuance of this Resolution Major General Dopft Quarter-Master General of the States Armies was order'd by the King to go and view the ways from our Camp to Enghien under an Ecorte of 600 Horse and Dragoons and 200 Foot commanded by Brigadier Lumley and make them ready for our March Brigadier Lumley met early in the Morning near Enghien with a Detachment of the French commanded by the Colonel of the Hussars consisting of 100 Carabiniers 50 Dragoons and 50 Hussars which he defeated the French being decoy'd into the Body of our Party that lay in Ambuscade by the Vanguard where commanded Sir William Russel of Colonel Coy's Regiment according to the orders he had receiv'd upon this occasion and the Colonel of the Hussars with two Lieutenants a Cornet and 40 Troopers were made Prisoners about as many Horses taken and ten or twelve of the French kill'd upon the spot and the rest fled as well as they could without any loss on our side worth mentioning The Colonel of the Hussars Monsieur de Mortagne by Name and the three Officers were treated very civilly and sent prisoners to Brussels in General Auerquerque's Coach At the same time that Major General Dopst was commanded from our Army to view the Countrey and repair the ways towards Enghien Monsieur Ivoy Quarter-Master General to the Prince of Nassau Sarbruck was sent upon the same design for the Electros Army towards the Wood of Lessines and a great Council of War being held a disposition was made for the two Armies to march the next day the Kings to the Camp of Enghien with the Right at the Village of Marck and the Left behind this place where the Kings Quarter was appointed and the Elector's between the Wood of Lessines upon the Right and the Village of Marck upon the Left and orders were given to march the next day But that very Night it began to Rain in such abundance that our workmen for the repairing of the ways had much ado to get home and the Rain continuing all the dayfollowing which by that time had spoil'd all the ways in this deep Countrey the Order was countermanded and the Armies were forc'd to continue where they were The 17th in the Evening Monsieur de Vauban Lieutenant General and the Count de Mornay Brigadier reliev'd the Trenches upon the Right with two Battallions of Surlanbe and the Regiment of Hautefort Major General Greder upon the Left with a Battallion of Lorrain and two of Tessé the Besiegers work'd this Night upon three Batteries of Mortars one upon the Right and a second upon the Left of Twelve Mortars each carrying Bombs of 150 weight to fire them into the attacqu'd Works for the Marechal of Catinat had given orders to do as little damage to the Town as was possible and the third in the Center which consisted of 3 large Mortars carrying Bombs of 500 weight to throw them upon the Batardeau or Damme that held up the Water in the Ditch in order to destroy it being a very good and strong Stone Work for the Besieged had so stop't up the Water by the help of this Damme that they had Eight Foot of Water in the Fossé and the Meadows on both sides the upper Dender near the Town were all overflow'd The 15th all these Mortars began to fire very violently which with the Batteries of Cannon augmented very much the Noise and Thunder of the Besiegers at Night Monsieur de Bachevilliers Lieutenant General had the Trenches on the Right with the Duke de Humieres Brigadier and the Regiments of Boulenois Xaintonge and Mouchy Monsieur de Sailly Major General on the left with the Regiments of Angoumois d'Enonville and Choisinet the Besiegers fir'd their Bombs without intermission this night and the day following their Cannon play'd very hard to ruin the Defences of the Besieged and silence their Cannon which by this time were almost all dismounted so that they fir'd very seldom but in the Night and that with small Shot The French brought
what relates to the main drift of the Campagne The 27th of May His Majesty had an account of the Capitulating of At h whereupon Major General de Bay was commanded out the next day towards Binch and Herlaymont-Capelle with seven Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons to get intelligence of the Marechal of Bouflers Motions who upon the taking of At h might have march'd towards Pieton or the Sambre Colonel Lloyd of the Queens Dragoons commanded the Vanguard of this Detachment with which he defeated a party of Carabiniers of Boufler's Army took Seventeen Prisoners several Horses and one or two Subaltern Officers the rest were put to flight The 29th Brigadier Maitland was commanded to go to Brussels with his Regiment and that of Denhoff where he was joyn'd with the Danish Battallion of Prince Charles that had been there since the march from Bois-Seigneur-Isaac to Iseringhen to post himself between this place and Vilvorde for the defence of the Canal and especially the Fort des trois Trous The same day Captain Hunter Major of the first Brigade of Dragoons lost his Horses by the Perfidy of his Servants who brought a French Party to take them whilst they were grazing but Prince Vaudemont having inform'd the Marechal of Bouflers of the Truth of the Matter he very freely sent them back again although some of them were already Sold adding That he hop'd the same Justice would be observ'd on our side to prevent the Villany of Servants The 31th the Army having Forag'd upon the Left along the Dyle towards Wavre and the King being present His Majesty at his return to the Camp gave the Royal Regiment of Dragoons vacant by the Death of Brigadier Matthews to my Lord Raby and the Regiment of Foot vacant by the Death of Colonel Aeneas Mackay to Colonel Robert Murray Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment of Scotch Guards Brigadier Matthew's and Colonel Mackay being dead some days before in London That Evening the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst came to the Camp at Promelles where he gave His Majesty an account of the Siege of At h having Commanded the Dutch Forces in Garrison in this place during the Siege June the 2d Prince Cerclas of Tilly came to Brussels from the Electors June Army with the Liege Horse and Dragoons the four Battallions of Foot that were design'd to have acted in the Electors Army being still in the Liege Garrisons upon the Meuse for the Marquis de Harcourt was now upon his March towards this Countrey having left Montroyal the 31th of May after he had detach'd the Marquis de Lomaria Major General with ten Battallions and nine Squadrons to reinforce the Marechal of Choiseul upon the Rhine to march himself with six Battallions and eight Squadrons through the Countrey of Luxembourg towards the Meuse and the Sambre The French being now Masters of At h we did seem to design a third Army about Brussels to put our selves in a condition to cover the Countrey between this place and the Scheld where if our Troops appointed to form it had come sooner we could have kept the Field between Brussels and Alost and secur'd the Forage of that Countrey to our selves which the French have all consum'd in the sequel of the Campagne or if the Marechal of Bouflers had march'd towards Namur the King's Army could have taken the Camp of Fleury to cover it without hazarding of Brussels But now as our affairs were the Kings Army could not stir from the Camp of Promelles and Genap neither one way nor t'other not towards the Plain of Fleury or Corbais for fear of leaving Brussels open nor back towards Halle and St. Quintin for fear of leaving Namur expos'd to a Siege and thus we were oblig'd to continue in this Camp and wait for the motions of the French after the reduction of At h and to guide ours accordingly either for the cover of Brussels or Namur But to return to the Prince of Tilly he had been detach'd from the Elector's Army after the News of the taking of At h because now both Villeroy and Bouflers could joyn their Forces together and march towards Brussels and therefore a reinforcement was necessary here for our Brabant Army Prince Cerclas of Tilly being come to this place posted himself upon the height within the retrenchment made when the French Bombarded Brussels before the Fort of Monterey The 3d Lieutenant General Cohorne was sent to Brussels with several Ingeniers to trace out a Line before the Flanders Porte to cover Brussels from Anderlecht to the Canal Eight Battallions were expected hourly at this time from England and the Lunenbourg Munster and Hesse Troops from the Rhine but not having as yet any competent number of Forces about this Town nothing was made of this Line at present more than the Plan for want of Men to work about it which if it had been put forthwith in any tolerable posture of defence would have given the King's Army a great deal more liberty of marching for the conveniency of Camps and Forrage And indeed we have had about the middle of the Campagne a sufficient number of Troops to have put not onely Namur and Brussels but the whole Countrey in a posture of defence if they could have been brought into the Countrey at the beginning We have had 17 Battallions from the Rhine Eight from England and Three from Bavaria and these if they had been ready in the Countrey at the beginning to take the Camp of Mazy near Namur could have then been reinforc'd by seven or eight Battallions of this Garrison which could have been spar'd over and above those that came to the King's Army from thence and four Battallions of the Elector of Cologne's Forces which the Meuse being secur'd by this Army could have march'd out of the Liege Garrisons By which Computation this Army would have consisted of about 40 Battallions besides all the German Horse and what could have been detach'd from the Brabant Army where we were stronger in Horse than the French In this case Prince Vaudemont could then have march'd from Bois-Seigneur-Isaac to Ghislenghien and cover'd both At h and Audenarde too but 't is to be presum'd that the Necessity of our Affairs in relation to Money was not only the cause of the late coming of our Reinforcement from England but likewise in some measure of that of the Lunenbourg Munster and Hesse Troops and the French had the time both to take At h and to pen us up under the Walls of Brussels whilst they had the whole Country between the Canal and the Scheld to range freely in and Forrage at their pleasure as it shall appear in the Sequel of this History The Third a French Ingenier deserted over to us that had serv'd in the Siege of At h pretending to have fought a Duel which oblig'd him to fly for his Life he gave an account of the little loss there had been in this Siege the whole on both sides of kill'd and
have a great deal of Honour allow'd them upon this account 'T is true that they ransack'd all the Forts and Garrisons in Languedor and Provence whereby they got a Reinforcement of six or seven thousand Men to repair their Losses and were by this means almost as strong at the end of the Siege as at the beginning of it but if the number of Burghers that were in Barcelona who no doubt had a hand in the Defence of it be consider'd this will not very much lessen the Glory of taking of it I do not know the Situation of Barcelona yet it can hardly be imagin'd but if the Spaniards having no other place to defend to put a stop to the Progress of the French Conquests in a Country where they could not subsist with great Armies had made by times a good and strong Retrenchment on one side of Barcelona for to cover their Army and at the same time good Fortifications and Out-works on the other that if the French had besieg'd it in such a Posture of Defence Barcelona could have taken by them and even as Barcelona was if Spain had transported the Troops they had to spare in Italy since the Peace on that side it would have been an Attempt above their Power As to this last the Spaniards say that the Duke of Savoy kept still the Forces on foot he had during the War and therefore that they could not leave the Milane's open and expos'd to an arm'd Neighbour if it was so the Duke of Savoy has done in that a signal piece of Service to the French King as to the first the Spaniards pretend that the English and Dutch were to send a good Squadron to their Assistance and then that Barcelona would have been in no Danger for the French Army before this place could not subsist but by the Communication it had by Sea with Provence and Languedoc and the Sea-ports they were Masters of in Catalonia and if we had sent a Fleet in the Mediterranean at that time the French must not only have rais'd the Siege but the Army could not have got off but with very great difficulty Whatever reason the Spaniards might have to expect a Fleet from England and the States yet no Man can say that this does excuse them from acting their part in providing for the Safety of the Place and putting of it in a good Posture of Defence chiefly considering that we had already a Squadron of about twenty Men of War in the West-Indies to watch Pointy's Motions and protect the Galleons which must otherwise have fallen into the hands of the French and may be this was as much as England could do at that time considering our late Money Difficulties Notwithstanding the great Advantages which the French had over the Allies by this great Conquest and that the French Plenipotentiaries had given in their Project the Tenth of the foregoing Month in the very middle of this Siege and that no Relief could be expected for the Place but purely from the vigorous Defence of the Besieged yet this did not seem to hasten the Negociations amongst them at Ryswick Copies of this Project had been given to the Plenipotentiaries of the Empire Spain and Holland according to the Tenour of it and the Project as well as full Powers of the French being directed to treat with the Emperor and Empire the Empire had therefore in the Dyet at Ratisbonne made a Solemn Deputation to treat on the behalf of all the States and Princes of Germany with the French King in which among the Ecclesiastical Electors that of Mentz the Secular those of Bavaria Saxony and Brandenbourg and out of the College of Princes for the Catholicks the Arch bishop of Saltsburg the Great Master of the Teutonick Order the Bishops of Wortzburg Spire Constance Hildersheim Liege and Munster the Princes of the House of Austria Palatine and Newbourg c. and for the Protestants Brandenbourg for the Dutchy of Magdebourg Sweden for the Dutchies of Bremen and Deuxponts Saxen-Cobourg Saxen-Gotha Brandenbourg-Cullenbach Brunswick-Zell Brunswick-Wolfembuttle Hesse-Cassel Wirtemberg Holstein Anhalt and the Counts of Wetteravia out of the Imperial Towns for the Catholicks Cologne and Augsburg and for the Protestants Francfort and Nuremberg were appointed by their Plenipotentiaries at Ryswick to represent the whole Body of the German Empire and to treat in its Name with the French King's Ambassadors These having a Copy of the Project laid before them gave in their Answer to it wherein they insisted upon the full and entire Restitution of every thing as it had been establish'd in the Treaty of Westphalia reserving a Power to the Emperour and Empire of keeping a Garrison in the Town of Straisbourg for which they could not accept of an Equivalent neither could they allow the French King to keep Saar-Louis with the pretended District about it in the Dutchy or Lorrain but that the whole must be restor'd to that Duke This was the chief Substance of their Answer when at this time the French were pressing the Siege of Barcelona very hard that they had taken At h in Flanders and that Prince Lewis of Baden was still on the other side of the Rhine notwithstanding the Weakness of the French that way This Answer seem'd to raise great Obstacles to the forwarding of the Treaty if the Empire would insist upon it to the last and yet notwithstanding these Difficulties 't was about this time * The first Conference August the Sixth that they began to treat personally at Ryswick in the Mediatour's Chamber whereas hitherto the Conferences had been carried on in Writing by the Mediatour the Allies and the French keeping to their respective Apartments The Term given by the French in their Project was now drawing near but in the mean while 't is fit to see what the Armies were doing in the Field The two French Armies commanded by the Marechals of Villeroy and Bouflers were now advanc'd a great way from any of their Frontier Towns which made Convoys tedious and every thing but Forrage very scarce in their Camps and had it not been for the Conveniency of Water carriage from Tournay to Renay upon the Scheld and from Grammont to Alost by the Dender no Land carriage remaining but from the Scheld to Grammont and from Alost to the Armies which were just by it had been impossible for them to have subsisted where they were and the great Rains that fell about this time so broke the ways that the little Land-carriage they had became extreamly difficult and the Boats could hardly for the same reason be drawn by Horses If this made Provisions scarce and dear in the French Armies it created no less an Inconveniency for the bringing in of Forrage and they were forc'd at this time to cut down vast Quantities of Fascines for the repairing of the Ways and the making of Bridges over the Ditches being all fill'd with Water by the excessive Rains The 12th the two Brigades of Foot
THE HISTORY OF THE Campagne IN FLANDERS For the Year 1697. Together with a Journal of the Siege of At h and a Summary Account of the Negotiations of the General Peace at Ryswick By EDWARD D'AUVERGNE M. A. Then Chaplain to His Majesties Regiment of Scots Guards LONDON Printed for Matt. Wotton at the Three Daggers and John Newton at the Three Pigeons in Fleetstreet 1698. Where are Sold the Histories for the Years 1692 1693 1694 1695 and 1696. Written by the same Author TO His EXCELLENCY THE Earl of Portland His Majesty's Ambassadour Extraordinary in France Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter c. My LORD I Humbly beg leave to offer the following History to your EXCELLENCY to which among other Considerations a Principle of Gratitude has determin'd me to express in some measure the Sence I have of the present Blessings we all enjoy and which bring my Labours of this kind to a most Happy Conclusion by a Glorious Peace in the Management whereof your EXCELLENCY has been so much concern'd My LORD This is a Work which will make your Name Great and Happy in the Memory of all Succeeding Generations as it ingrafts it at present in the Hearts and Affections of all Men in England that value their Religion Rights and Liberties which they find establish'd upon a stable and solid Foundation in the perfection of so Great a Work But this My LORD is not the only Title you have to our Thanks and Praise the great hand you had in bringing about the happy Revolution and the Share you have had in almost all the Actions of our great Monarch ever since are what ought to make you ever dear to England and almost all the rest of Europe My LORD I will not pretend to enter upon your EXCELLENCY's Panegyrick in this Epistle it is indeed more than can be compriz'd in it as well as a Subject above the Power of my Pen You were dedicated even in your Youth to His Majesty's Service at which time you gave such uncommon Demonstrations of Zeal Fidelity and Affection as have justly fix'd you in His Royal Favours And as might well be expected from such beginnings you have been ever since ingag'd in the Great Atchievements of Glory and Renown In Warre you have been a constant Partaker of all those Dangers to which our Great Monarch has so often and so wonderfully expos'd Himself in the Bloody and Hazardous Fields of Mars you have still been with Him in so many Battles and Sieges you have shar'd in all the Fatigues of so many Campagnes and have been a considerable Actor in His most Happy and Successful Enterprizes In Peace Your EXCELLENCY has had the Ministry of the most Important Affairs of Europe 〈…〉 equal Integrity Wisdom and Faithfulness and 〈…〉 for His Majesty's Advantage as your own Honour and Reputation Such Rare and Extraordinary Qualities have induc'd the King to make Choice of Your EXCELLENCY for his Ambassadour Extraordinary in a Court where especially in the present Conjuncture of Affairs they are more than ever requisite In the discharge of which most Noble Function you have justified the Choice that has been made of your Person by answering in all things the Greatness of Your Master and the Credit Wealth and Renown of a Nation you have always had a particular Ambition to be a Member of and whose Welfare Happiness and Prosperity you aim at in all your Proceedings But My LORD all this would be but Vanity were there not a better Foundation for the Glory of another World by a true Sence of Piety and an uprightness of Conscience for which your Life is so Exemplary And may your EXCELLENCY go on daily more and more in doing good especially in this respect both by your Authority and good Example that Vice Irreligion and Profaneness meeting with all Discouragements from so eminent a Person we may see Vertue Justice and Godliness which is like to be our best Security for the continuance of the present Peace flourish under so good an Influence These are the Hearty Wishes and Prayers of My LORD Your EXCELLENCY ' s Most Humble and most Obedient Servant E. D'Auvergne TO THE READER THE onely occasion I have for a Preface is to give the Reader some Satisfaction for the coming out of this History so late and the Reason in few words is that I could not get the several Lines of Battle of the French Armies in Flanders the last Year soon enough having receiv'd them from France but in the Christmas Holidays besides several Memoirs from Holland particularly about the Electors Motions the last Campagne which I got about the same time and which were absolutely necessary for the compiling of this Work And when I have told the Reader that I have Compos'd it since the beginning of January I believe he will be satisfied that I have made some dispatch in the Publishing of it I must desire the Reader to observe that whereas I have intimated in the Body of this Account that Pensionary Heinsius his Journey from the Hague to the Camp the last Campagne might have been to open a way for the Conferences between the Earl of Portland and the Marechal of Bouflers because they happen'd two or three dayes after upon good information I find that the first overture was made by one Monsieur de Gy Brother or near Relation to Prince Vaudemont's Master of the Horse who passing through the Marechal de Boufler's Camp the Marechal desir'd him to make his Compliments to My Lord Portland and to let him know that he was very desirous to Embrace him which Monsieur de * He is since made Town Major of Mons for this Service Gy signified to his Lordship at his coming to Brussels and My Lord having return'd the Compliment That he would be very glad to meet him half way for that Purpose the Marechal sent an Express of it to the French Court and having Receiv'd an Answer he dispatcht a Trumpet in our Camp for the first Meeting I have no more to desire of the Reader but to take Notice that this History as well as all the former goes by the old or Julian Account observ'd in England and to Correct the few Errours of the Press he may meet with the most unpardonable being inserted here below ERRATA PAge 42. Line 17. Vlbray Lege Vibray p. 48. l. Antopen and the Dender near the Denmonde at Wiese Le and the Dender between Dendermonde and Wiese p. 85. l. 7. ti◠'t was in the Night Le. till 't was late in the Night p. 86. l. 2. Major of the Day Le. Major-General of the Day p. 89. l. 36. Malenbec Le. Mulenbeck THE HISTORY OF THE Campagne IN FLANDERS For the Year 1697. HAving given the Publick an Account of several of the former Campagnes in which the Reader could find but little pleasure besides the satisfaction of knowing the Truth of several Matters of Fact in the Tragical Scenes of the most
1678. with a great deal of Ease just in the very midst of the Negotiations for the Peace at Nimeguen to save the Restoring of Ipres which the Spaniards insisted very much upon by the taking of this Place It is said that the French King had then promis'd King Charles who was Mediatour of that Peace the English being very jealous of the French Progresses so near them and the Parliament pressing the King to declare War against France that he would not push his Conquests any farther on that side and when the Spanish Ambassadour acquainted the King with the Siege of Ghendt his Majesty relied so much upon this Promise that he could not at first believe it however the Allies were surpriz'd by this Siege may be relying too much upon the Considerations which the French should have had for England in such a Conjuncture and thus neglected to provide for the Defence of the Countrey hereabouts more than they would otherwise have done to have a better Army in Brabant But to return from this short Digression Ghendt with this Inundation and Line before St. Peters and the Courtray Portes and the Line of Marykirk would have been cover'd on all sides from either Siege or Bombarding except between the Canal of Bruges and the Seheld where there was no great danger But this Design went no farther than the Inundation and the project of the Line was laid aside And may be 't was undertaken onely to give the Elector a plausible pretext to come to Ghendt in order to Execute our Designs upon the Camp of Deinse without giving any Jealousie to the French as I am now going to relate it The First of April the Elector of Bavaria lest Brussels and came April to Ghendt in order as 't was given out to see the Inundation made about it and to visit the other Frontiers of Flanders The Second his Highness took a view of the Waters which now overflow'd the flat Countrey all about Ghendt and the Third Major General Dopst Quarter-Master General of the States came there to confer with his Electoral Highness about the taking of the Field and dispositions were made for the securing of the Camp of Deinse the 10th in the mean while the Elector design'd to go to Bruges and Newport but on the 4th being inform'd that a great Patrouille of the French had been hovering about Deinse as if they had a design upon that Camp it was resolv'd immediately to secure it without any further delay and a Council of War being held thereupon orders were sent that very Night to all the Infantry in Quarters in Ghendt Bruges Ostend Damme and behind the Canals to March the next day Monsieur de Ribeaucourt was commanded out at the shutting of the Gates with 200 Spanish Horse to post himself at Petegem on the other side of the Lys opposite to Deinse at Midnight Major General la Meloniere with a Detachment of 3800 Foot of the Garrison of Ghendt march'd out of post himself in the Town of Deinse and secure that place a Bridge of Boats was likewise order'd to be made at Marykirk and another at Bellem for the passage of the Troops behind the Canal On the 5th the Electors Baggage march'd by times towards Bruges as if His Highness would follow soon after because the day before he had given out his Journey for Newport upon this day which if it had been Countermanded upon the marching out of the Spanish Detachement of Horse and of Major General la Meloniere with that of the Foot would have discover'd the Design upon Deinse whereas now it pass'd only for an Escorte to cover the Canal and hinder the French from coming near it during the Elector's Journey His Highness having notice very early in the Morning that the Posts about Deinse and Nevel were secur'd order'd his Baggage to go no farther than Marykirk only for a Blind and so to come back again and got on Horseback himself about Seven not to go Bruges but Deinse and Nevel where his Baggage follow'd and all the English Cavalry had orders to march that way immediately without Baggage under the Command of Monsieur Auerquerque only with two or three dayes Forrage The 16 Battallions in Ghendt march'd the same day and incamp'd about half a League of the Town behind the Canal within the Retrenchment of Marykirk and the 12 Battallions of Bruges with that of Damme according to the Orders they had over Night came this Day and incamp'd at Bellem being joyn'd by the Battallions of the Queen of Denmark Zeland and young Holstein which had Quarter'd upon the Countrey behind the Canal of Bruges The same day the Three Battallions in Garrison at Ostend and the Three Quarter'd in the Pays de Nort came to incamp between Bruges and Steinbrughe upon the Canal The 6th the Infantry incamp'd at Marykirk and Bellem pass'd the Canal upon the Bridges made at these two Places and came to form the Camp between Deinse and Nevel being in all 32 Battallions and the Six incamp'd at Steinbrughe march'd to Bellem and came to the Camp the 7th which was now form'd of 38 Battallions with the Right at Nevel where the Elector had his Quarter and the Left upon the Lys at the Church of Bachtem between Deinse in the Front and the Castle of Oydonck in the Rear And because the Cavalry could not yet incamp in this Season all the Battallions to fill up the Ground between Nevel and the Lys incamp'd with the Companies in half depths by which means every Battallion took up the space of two from Right to Left and this Method was observ'd in the Elector's Army most part of the Campagne following The English Cavalry having march'd out of Ghendt the 5th to secure this Camp till the coming up of the Foot went back on the 7th into the Town but all the Foreign Horse upon English pay Quarter'd at Bruges the Dutch Cavalry Quarter'd upon the Canal and the English Dragoons Quarter'd between Ghendt and the Sas and about Bruges had orders to come and Cantoon in the Villages in the Rear of the Electors Army between Deinse Nevel Ghendt and the Canal from whence they were to furnish 500 Horse and Dragoons daily for the Out Guards of the Army The 8th the Prince of Nassau Sarbruck Velt Mareschal General of the States Army arriv'd at Ghendt being to Command the Army under the Elector and came the 10th to the Camp where he took his Quarter at the Castle of Oydonck The 12th the Elector with a detachment of 1200 Horse and Dragoons went to view all the Approaches to his Camp from the Pays Conquis as far as Denterghem Wouterghem Gothem Arseel Canneghem and Thilt The 11th all the Horse and Dragoons Quarter'd upon the Canal of Bruges being come to Cantoon behind the Electors Army the Battallions of Fagel and Reinardt had orders to post themselves upon this Canal between Ansbeck and Bruges and the Elector had now
40 Battallions in his Army 18 Squadrons of Horse and 33 of Dragoons Cantoon'd just in his Rear besides 24 Squadrons of English Horse in Garrison at Ghendt ready to joyn him upon occasion being according to this disposition 22000 Foot 6300 Horse and 3300 Dragoons strong in all 31600 Men for the defence of Flanders which by the Securing of this Camp put us now in a Condition to subsist on the French side of the Canal without being pen'd up behind it as we were the last year and subsisting upon dry Forage at the Charges of the Pays de Waes and Free of Bruges by the Enemies being before-hand with us at this Camp of Deinse Flanders being thus very well secur'd by the Elector's having the Camp of Deinse it was necessary to take the same Care for the Countrey between the Scheldt and the Meuse where we were resolv'd to be before hand with the French as well as in Flanders but which could not be so effectually put in a posture of defence the last being cover'd by a good Canal from Ghendt to Newport but this very weak because At h and Audenarde were now too far advanc'd and in a manner within the very Barriere of the French since they had Mons Charleroy and Courtray The most that could be propos'd to be done on this side was to secure Namur and Brussels which by our taking the Field first we could very well pretend to and therefore in order to it the Count de Noyelles Lieutenant General had orders from the Prince to march out of Brussels on the 12th with the four Battallions commanded by Brigadier Fairfax and 8 Dutch from the same Garrison to post himself at Waterlo just without the Bois de Sogne towards the plain of Braine la Leu and Bois Seigneur Isaac and to intrench himself there with the Wood upon the Right Left and Rear a little space being left here where was the Village of Waterlo as 't were on purpose for such a design The same day Count Nassau Lieutenant General and Major General Ramsay with the Troops Cantoon'd under their Command had orders to come and incamp at the Fauxbourg of Ixelles between the Namur-porte at Brussels and the Bois de Sogne where they were follow'd the next day by the Six Regiments commanded by the Marquess de Mirmont making in all 17 Battallions the Prince left Brussels at the same time and took his Quarter in the Fauxbourg of Ixelles in order to command them All the Infantry of Brandenbourg and most of the Horse being now come to the Meuse from Winter-quarters pass'd it about this time at Maestricht and went to Cantoon about Arschot and Diest in the Villages along the River Rupelle the Garrisons of Malines and Louvain and all the Dutch Foot Cantoon'd upon the Frontier hereabouts continued in their Quarters in order to take the Field upon the first Command By this disposition we were in a readiness to secure either the Camps of Masy or Bois Seigneur Isaac as there should be occasion for our own Affairs or as it should be necessary according to the Motions of the French to take the Field on this side and although 't was yet very early for the Cavalry to move out of Winter-quarters by reason there was yet no manner of Forrage upon the Ground yet all the Cavalry of the States Quarter'd in Holland had Orders to march part to Cantoon towards Flanders and part about Hasselt Tongres and St. Tron towards Brabant according as it was design'd to serve the Campagne following The rest being in Quarters upon the very Frontier was near enough at hand to be in a readiness upon occasion But the Foot upon English pay did suffer something in the Camps of Waterlo and Ixelles in being so early in the field because the Cloathing was not yet come from England which several Regiments wanted extreamly neither was this the only Misfortune but they also came to want pay occasion'd by an obstinate Easterly Wind which lasted about five Weeks till the King came over and hinder'd any Pacquets from coming from England whereby Mr. Hill was reduc'd to the last week at our taking of the Field which he was forc'd to divide into half pay for a Fortnight This was but a bad beginning of the Campagne for the Soldiers which caus'd some Desertion amongst them but nothing answerable to that mighty noise made about it in the Paris Gazette to Counterpoize the advantage we had gain'd in taking the Field first and Care was taken in England to dispatch the Centurion to Ostend with Bills for the Army where he got time enough notwithstanding the contrary Winds to set every thing to rights and prevent any farther want of pay in the Army During these Transactions in Brabant the Elector was taking all the care possible to put his Camp in a posture of defence in Flanders the Foot at the first taking of this Camp had been imploy'd in Fortifying of it with good Retrenchments between Nevel and the Lys but this not being thought sufficient it was propos'd to Fortifie Deinse for which reason a Council of War was held the 13th and the day following the Ingeniers were sent to trace an Exagone about it in order to maintain this Post being design'd only for this purpose and not for a standing Fortification according to the Agreement made when the French demolish'd this place and Dixmuyde in the Year 1695. The 17th the Elector dispatch'd Patents for the forming of the Detach'd Companies left in Quarters into Battallions and disposing of them into the Frontier Garrisons of Flanders Twelve Scots Companies were sent to Newport under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Davison another Battallion of ten Companies of the same Nation under Lieutenant Colonel Murray of Walter Collier's Regiment four Companies of Hanover cmmanded by Lieutenant Colonel Vittingehoffe of Hulsen and a Dutch Battallion of eight Companies commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Maurenault of Zoutland's Regiment in all four Battallions in Newport at Oslende ten English Companies commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Foxe of Collingwood eight Companies of the same at Bruges under the Command of Lieutenant Colonel Lucy eight Companies at Ghendt and seventeen in Audenarde divided in two Battallions besides the Dutch Regiment of Losecoct left here with several Italian and Walloon Regiments for the Security of this place Of the Detach'd Companies in these two last places those in Ghendt were all English and those in Audenarde all Forreigners but two Companies of the Fusiliers and two of Colonel Frederick Hamilton's Regiment all the Detach'd Companies of the Dutch were posted at Louvain Brussels Maestricht Liege Huy and Namur in the last of which places a special care was taken to have a strong Garrison The 19th Major General Dopft came again from Brussels to the Elector's Camp to concert the Methods that should be taken in case the French should bend the chief of their Forces upon Flanders either to attack Newport or to come to
Convoy and as if all the Ministers concern'd in this great Congress had onely waired for His Majesty's coming to begin their Conferences the first was held at Ryswick the 29th being the I hursday following the Emperour having at last consented to Treat in this place without insisting any longer to have the Business of Lorrain agreed upon in the Preliminaries and the Palace of Ryswick made up very Commodious for the Congress There was before but one Gate upon the Center of the Court towards the Hague which was appointed for the Mediatour leading up to the great Stairs of the House in the middle Pavillon or Apartment but to prevent disputes in the going out or coming in there was a Gate made at each end That at the West being appointed for the French and that the East for the Allies which is the Right according to the facing of the Palace North towards the Hague The States appointed a Guard to be kept here upon Congress days with an equal number of Sentinels upon each Apartment where the Allies were receiv'd and introduc'd in this first Congress by a Gentleman Commission'd thereto from the States and the French by another having cast Lots for their Post to prevent any manner of distinction in this matter The Conferences were contriv'd by the Mediatour and not Personally there being large Antichambers on each side of the Mediatours Room where the Plenipotentiaries came the Allies on one side and the French on the other and the Mediatour communicated the Writings and Memorials from one side to another In this first Conference the Ambassadours produc'd their full Powers which were reciprocally communicated and authentick Copies deliver'd The full Powers of the French directed them to Treat with the Emperor and Empire the King of Spain and the States of Holland and their Allies which caus'd some Contestation because the Elector of Brandenbourg's Ministers alledg'd that the Elector their Master had declar'd War personally against the French King and therefore that it was necessary the French Plenipotentiaries should be directed in their full Powers to Treat with his Electoral Highness by Name The English Plenipotentiaries made no Objection against it because the King not being to be acknowledg'd by the French till the Concluding and Signing of the Peace it was not necessary they should produce full Powers to Treat with England till then which they accordingly did before the Ratification This Affair took up some of the first Conferences and afterwards the Congress proceeded to regulate the Ceremonial which I shall not meddle withall resolving to say nothing more of those Negociations than what relates to the Operations of War or the Forwarding of the Peace The King having assisted at the Assembly of the States General and Council of State at the Hague to conferr upon the present State of May. Affairs intended to have gone the first of May for Loo but His Majesty having met with an Indisposition the over-night was oblig'd to deferr it and to be Let-blood the next Morning which had so good an effect that the King rid that very Evening in his Coach about the Voorhout the third His Majesty being recover'd set out from the Hague for Loo and came this day to Zuylenstein beyond Vtrecht it prov'd an extraordinary hot day and for about nine or ten days together about this time the Weather was as hot and settled as it has been the whole Summer this made the King hot and restless in the Night but was again pretry well the next Day however His Majesty thought it convenient to tarry some Days in this place where the Herons afforded very good Divertisement in this set of fine Weather But in the mean time the French began to be very busie upon our Frontier and were like to allow His Majesty but a short stay here the French and Swiss Guards had been come to Tournay ever since the 22d of April where the Marechal of Bouflers being Colonel of the French Guards came from Lisle to re-view them all the other Troops were come by the beginning of May to their general Rendezvous upon the Sambre Tournay and about Courtray and wanted only the Presence of the Marechals of Villeroy and Catinat who were expected at this time from Paris with the last Resolutions of the Court concerning the Operations of the Campagne to march and take the Field as for the Marechal of Bouflers his Government of the French Flanders kept him upon the Frontier We have shew'd above that our being in the Field before the French quite broke their Measures which as we have given very good Presumptions for were laid against Namur else why must our being first in the Field bring the Marechal of Catinat from his Department assign'd upon the Moselle and the Lower Rhine clear to the Lys as for the Germans they were still in their Winter-Quarters and not likely yet to take the Field and therefore there was as good a Prospect on that side for the Marechal of Catinat as when the French King appointed him to command an Army there But the Marechal of Catinat was thought necessary for Flanders whatever reason there was for this Change though France had onely At h and Audenarde left open to feel the Efforts of its Arms and indeed they have been so most part of the War since the French have broke in upon the Barriere given to the Spanish Territories on this side in the Treaty of Nimeguen by the taking of Mons and Charleroy their having secur'd and fortify'd Courtray and made a Line from thence to the Scheld which has brought these two Towns especially the first in the very Line of their Conquests for this reason we have been forc'd to leave them expos'd almost every Campagne without being able to cover them and yet the French themselves have seemd to neglect them having incamp'd and march'd backward and forwards about At h several Campagnes for in Truth the taking of At h or Audenaerde could not extend their Contributions an inch farther which since the taking of Mons they have rais'd every where between the Scheld and the Canal of Brussels and by their having Courtray all the Countrey between the Scheld and the Lys and Ghend and Bruges has been brought under Contribution and therefore Audenarde could not give them a farther advantage upon this account Neither could At h and Audenarde do much mischief in raising Contribution upon them because onely a small and inconsiderable dependance of Tournay Conde and Mons remain'd expos'd on this side of the Scheld and the Haisne and all the rest was cover'd by these two Rivers as for the Countrey between the Scheld and the Lys it was cover'd with a strong Line from the one River to the other From whence it appears that in relation to Contributions and advantage of the Countrey neither At h nor Audenarde could do them much harm whilst in the Hands of the Allies nor much good by their taking of them However the French
by the Ears in which 't is to be fear'd they meet but with too much Encouragement from the People on both sides The Second The Marechal of Villeroy sent a Trumpet to the Prince of Vaudemont to notifie to him that a Courier had pass'd through the Marechal of Catinat's Army the day before going to the French King with an Account of the Prince of Conti's Election to the Crown of Poland and that he had been proclaim'd King by the Cardinal Primate before the Courier came away from Warsaw The same day all our Artillery was drawn off from the Batteries upon the Retrenchment and paraded upon the Height near the Wind-mill of Ganshoren the Post where it had been before at our first coming to this Camp it was at first suppos'd that this bringing of the Artillery together was for a Feu de joye for the Duke of Saxony's Election to the Crown of Poland but it was brought from thence to incamp in the Rear of the Second Line two or three days after The Fourth in the Evening all the Artillery in the Marechals of Villeroy and Boufler's Armies being drawn up together in a Line upon a Height between them both toward Brussels it was thrice fir'd with as many rounds of Small-shot in both Armies for the News of the Prince of Conti's Election to be King of Poland and the same thing was done in all the other Armies of France by the King's Order The Fifth My Lord Portland went to the second Conference with the Marechal of Bouflers privately as before and it was held in the same place in the open Field several General Officers and others waited upon the Marechal of Bouflers to the place of Conference and the Marechal told My Lord Portland that if his Lordship would come attended with the Generals and other principal Officers of our Army they should be very Welcome Orders were given this Evening for all the Horses to Graze in the day-time thereby to spare Forrage which began now to grow very scarce about our Army The Horses belonging to the Infantry graz'd accordingly the next day before our Camp towards Zellich Releghem and Wemmel having a good Detachment to cover them of which the Marechal of Bouflers having Intelligence he came with about 30 Squadrons to disturb them and all our Graziers were forc'd to come back into the Camp without any considerable Loss but upon first notice on our side the Earl of Athlone was commanded out with about 20 Squadrons of Horse with orders not to ingage himself in any Action only to observe the French and shelter the Retreat of our Graziers Several Squadrons of the French Horse and ours came very near one another and drew up in Opposition a deep hollow way remaining between them and fac'd one another for a while the Trumpets and Kettle-drums making a very good Entertainment at the same time on both sides without any Disturbance but at last one of our Troopers or some body else fir'd a Shot or two from behind a Hedge which alarm'd the French and some of them fir'd again and kill'd two of our Troopers which broke up this kind of an Interview the French drew off and went their way and so did we The Tenth was held the third Conference between My Lord Portland and the Marechal of Bouflers in the open Field as before My Lord went attended this time by about twenty Persons of note from our Camp among whom were the Earl of Rivers Lieutenant General and the Earl of Essex Mr. Hill His Majesty's Envoy at Brussels and Treasurer of the Army and Mr. Stepney the King's Envoy to several Princes of Germany lately arriv'd from thence and several others The Marechal of Bouflers receiv'd them very kindly being presented to him by My Lord Portland and desir'd the Dukes of Roquelaure Luxembourg and Guiche-Grammont to entertain them in Conversation whilst he and My Lord should go aside to talk of Business The French Plenipotentiaries gave in at last their Project of a General Peace with the Allies this day the Affairs of Poland had not succeeded according to the Desires and Expectations of the French Court Monsieur de Pointy's Expedition had produc'd nothing remarkable but the Sacking of Carthagena and the Galleons were safe but Pointy himself seem'd not to be so now and the French were very apprehensive of his meeting with Admiral Nevil that had been sent from England to the West-Indies with a strong Squadron to observe him and there were several Reports at present in Europe which were not at all favourable to Pointy and the Parties concern'd were very much afraid that they should have no great Share in the Booty made at Carthagena and though Pointy should escape Nevil yet he had another Risk to run and that was his getting into Bresl As for the Siege of Barcelona this place was very obstinately defended by the Spaniards who had all the Forces they were Masters of Catalonia concern'd in the Defence by a Communication between the Town and the Army by the Fort of Monjouy and which within and without amounted to about 17000 Men whereas the French were not above 27 or 28000 strong and too weak to take up the Posts all about the Town but were forc'd to leave the Quarter of Monjouy open which serv'd for a Communication between the Besieged and the Spanish Army without where they had not then above six or seven thousand Men commanded by the Vice roy of Catalonia this made the Siege of Barcelona doubtful and there was no likelihood of taking the place as yet The French did not therefore think it convenient to delay the giving in of their Project any longer and it was deliver'd in this day in Congress to the Mediator consisting of three Heads according to the Tenour of the full Powers which the French Plenipotentiaries had of Treating with the Emperor and Empire the King of Spain the States General and their Allies and 37 Articles The French King by this Project offer'd chiefly in relation to the Empire either to restore Strasbourg in the Condition it was when taken or to give in exchange all the places he had in Brisgow and Alsatia on the right side of the Rhine as Brisack Fribourg c. and the Fort of Kell on the same side of the Rhine opposite to Strasbourg and likewise to restore Philipsbourg and all other places taken in the Palatinate or elsewhere in the Empire since the Treaty of Nimeguen and in case the Emperor and Empire accepted of the Equivalent for Strasbourg that then the Rhine should serve as a common Limit to Germany and France all above Philipsbourg and thereupon that the Emperor and Empire should have no Forts nor Fortifications from thence upon the left side of the Rhine nor the French upon the right side of it according to which Propositions if agreed to the New Town of Brisack on the left side of the Rhine the Bridge of Philipsbourg and the Work that covers it on the
that had been commanded to Grammont were order'd to return to the two Armies and the 11 Battallious detach'd from Montrevel came back from Helchin to their former Post because the Brandenbourg Troops had not march'd to Rousselar with the Elector but continu'd in the Pays de Waes and therefore the Marechal of Catinat did not want Assistance for the defence of the Lines But the French having consum'd by this time all the Forrage hereabouts and being oblig'd to Forrage the last time on the other side of the Dender towards Ghendt began to think of retreating with their Armies and coming nearer to their Frontiers and thereupon order'd this day 8000 Men to go and cut Fascines under the cover of a Brigade of Swissers and some other Battallions for the Reparation of the Ways and making Bridges over the Dender which were carried to the places appointed by the Horse and Dragoons for the Weather was so bad at this time that we thought the French could not stir at present because they as some suppos'd could not carry off their Artillery but by the help of vast quantities of Fascines and of Trees cut down and laid a-cross under them in the most dangerous places they compass'd this Difficulty The Marquis de Harcourt who had left Bossu to come and incamp at Solre lower upon the Sambre was driven by the Rains from the Banks of this River to incamp between Walcourt and Florennes The 14th The French having repair'd the Ways and finish'd the Bridges over the Dender the Artillery and heavy Baggage was commanded away out of both Armies that of the Marechal of Villeroy pass'd the Dender and that of Bouflers kept on the right side of it The 15th The Marechal of Villeroy's Army march'd upon the Left to pass the Dender and Prince Vaudemont who had Information of their Design and of the March of their Artillery the overnight order'd then a Detachment of 1500 Horse and 1000 Foot to be ready the next Morning with which he went betimes to observe the Marching off of the French and see if any Attempt could be made upon their Rear-guard having advanc'd for this end between Zellich and Asche but the French march'd off in such order that no advantage could be taken and no other Action happen'd but that of some Pickeering of our Hussars amongst them and thus pass'd the Dender upon several Bridges at and about Alost and incamp'd with the Right near this Town and the Left at Denderleuwe where the Marechal of Villeroy had his Quarter The same day the Marechal of Bouflers march'd upon the Right to change Post again with Villeroy and came to incamp at Alost the Dender remaining between them and 16 Boats came down that River this day from Grammont to Alost laden with Bisket for the use of the Armies which wanted it very much at present The 16th the Artillery and heavy Baggage march'd on before because of the badness of the Ways having a strong Escorte of several Squadrons and Battallions commanded by the Marquis de Crequi Lieutenant General The Marechal of Villeroy's Army halted this day but that of Bouflers march'd from Alost up the Dender which River was upon the right Colomn of the March and came to incamp at Ninove keeping still on the same side of the Dender The 17th The Marechal of Villeroy's Army march'd on upon the Left towards Audenarde and the Scheld and came to incamp with the Right beyond Esche the Left at Ste Marie-Oudenhove and General Quarter at Steinhuys to destroy the Forrage and subsist between the Scheld the Dender and Ghendt where the Armies had not yet incamp'd this Year but Bouflers Army halted this day and march'd on the 18th upon the Right higher up the Dender towards Grammont where it incamp'd for the Conveniency of Forrage on both sides of the River with the Right at Stanberg towards Gamerage and the Left on the other side towards the Scheld The 19th the Marechal of Villeroy remov'd his Quarter from Steinhuys to Ste Marie-Oudenhove upon the Left where the French and Swisse Guards and the Dragoons of Fimareon had Orders to come and incamp to cover his Quarter The Marechal of Bouflers Army being now posted near Grammont Monfiour de Montrevel was order'd to incamp at Helchin with the Body under his command consisting of 16 Battallions and 20 Squadrons These Motions of the French seem'd to threaten Audenarde and we were apprehensive of it for the Marechal of Villeroy had gone at his first coming to this Ground to view all the Posts and Avenues about this place and the Banks of the Scheld both above and below with a strong Detachment of the King's House Light-Horse and Dragoons as if he design'd to Invest it and the Siege of Audenarde was discours'd of very hotly upon this occasion in case the Peace was not Sign'd by the 20th Iustant according to the Time prefix'd by the French in their Project and it being now just upon the time every Body long'd to know the Event of that day at Ryswick The Affairs relating to the Differences between France England and Holland were adjusted and the Treaty ready to be Sign'd Spain had just now lost all Catalonia in the loss of Barcelona and therefore had no reason to stand upon very high Terms and the Empire had as little Prospect of bringing the French to the Treaty of Westphalia this made most People expect that a General Peace would be Sign'd that day but when it came to the very nick of time the Imperialists pretended to have a longer time for their Instructions which they could not have time enough to Sign at present and insisted upon having better Terms than those offer'd by the French which in several cases derogated from the Treaty of Westphalia and thereupon refus'd to Sign Our Plenipotentiaries and those of Spain and Holland having no Instructions to Sign separately from the rest of the Allies were therefore oblig'd to stand out too The French who had their Measures ready as if they expected this from the Imperialists gave in a Memorial to the Mediator the very next day in which they laid out the great Advantages their Master had gain'd over the Allies in the whole Course of the Campagne and especially by the taking of Barcelona which could not do otherwise than give him great Hopes of gaining considerably by the farther Prosecution of the War and although the Allies had let the Term given in their late Project pass and consequently that they had a Right to enter upon new Propositions yet the French King to shew his great Moderation to the World and that in the midst of his Conquests he sincerely desir'd the Peace and Repose of Christendom was contented notwithstanding all his Advantages to change and alter nothing in the said Project but in relation to Strasbourg which he did now pretend to keep to himself and that the Emperour and Empire should be oblig'd to take the Equivalent without any farther liberty of
has been preferr'd to the Equivalent and the French who to be sure expected that it would be so and therefore were aware of it resolv'd to retain Saar-Louis and Longwy to have still a Bridle upon the Empire and Luxembourg and also for a Defence to France it self in case of such another Alliance against it as the last Immediately after the Signing of the Peace at Ryswick the 10th or rather 11th of September Expresses were dispatch'd to all the Courts in Christendom to give notice of it and our Plenipotentiaries at the Hague thought it convenient to send one to Prince Vaudemont at Brussels who commanded all His Majesty's Forces and Armies in Chief in the Low Countries the Express pass'd by Antwerp at Nine of the Clock at Night and Mr. Hill His Majesty's Envoy at the Court of Brussels who was then at his Pay-Office at Antwerp had the first News of it before the Elector about Twelve the Express came to the Prince at the Camp and the good News were all over the Army next Morning our Express was follow'd by two Spanish Couriers going to Madrid the first with the News of the Signing and the second with the Treaty in due Form to be Ratified who both receiv'd the Elector's Orders at Antwerp in their way And as if Providence had design'd this to be mark'd for a Happy day in the Calender the Elector receiv'd soon after the passing of the first Spanish Courier an Express from the Emperour with the News of the Great and Glorious Defeat which Prince Eugene of Savoy had given the Turks at Zanta near the Theysse in Hungary on the First of September which as it appears by the Accounts of it was as compleat and entire a Victory as has been gain'd for many Ages and so much the more Welcome that it was gain'd in a time when Men were very apprehensive for the Emperour's Affairs in Hungary the Grand Seignior having a much more powerful Army with which he had already driven the Imperialists from Titul and was now passing the Theysse to march towards Peter-Waradin when his Army being imprudently divided by the River either for want of Boats to make several Bridges or Conduct Prince Eugene attack'd that part which had pass'd under the Command of the Grand Visier and gave it an entire Rout and in the Pursuit over the Bridge which occasion'd the loss of most of the Infidels put that part which was commanded by the Grand Seignior on the other side into no less Confusion and Disorder The Elector having receiv'd this joyful News by the Express dispatch'd immediately the Count de Milan to the Electrice and Prince Vaudemont at Brussels with the Letter he had receiv'd from the Emperour upon this occasion Several People wish'd that this Victory had happen'd a little sooner for the sake of the Allies who if the Turks had been brought to make a Peace which would have been much more Honourable than what they at present can expect could then have given the Law in the Congress of Ryswick and oblig'd the French to much greater Restitutions or else have carried on a War that must have been Fatal to them but the French Court has known so well how to manage the Turks upon this Point in all the Misfortunes they have had for these seven or eight Years last past that there was no more reason to expect the Turks would seek for a Peace after this Defeat than after that of Salankement or the Losses of Guyla and Great-Waradin The 12th in the Evening the Elector follow'd the good News and came to Brussels and the next day he sent the Marquis d'Vsiés a Serjeant General de Battaille in the Spanish Troops to the Marechal of Villeroy and Baron Simeoni to the Marechal of Bouflers to give them an account of the Signing of the Peace on the Tenth at Night and to know what Orders they had from the French Court about their Armies between this and the Ratification which was to be made within three Weeks after Count Monasterol was sent at the same time by Count d'Arco from the Army near Bruges to the Marechal of Catinat upon the same account they were receiv'd with great Civilities in the French Camps and nobly entertain'd but return'd with this Answer That no Orders were yet come from Court to them upon the Signing of the Peace but that as soon as they did receive any they would give an account of it to His Electoral Highness thereby to regulate Affairs on both sides accordingly The 14th all the Artillery was drawn out before the Camp upon the Height uear the Wind mill of Ganshoren and all the Army drew out in the Evening to fire three Volleys for the great Victory obtain'd over the Turks by Prince Eugene of Savoy but it fell a Raining very hard and all the Troops were dismiss'd to their Tents and the Artillery commanded back to its former Post which may be was not the true Reason but rather it was not thought convenient to have any publick Rejoycing about it the Peace being Sign'd between England and France which made England to have no Interest in the Emperour's Affairs that way For I do not remember that there were any publick Rejoycings in England for the raising the Siege of Vienna in King Charles the Second's Reign or even for the taking of Buda in King James's though a Popish Prince But Te Deum was Sung this Evening in the Elector's Chappel and all the Cannon fir'd thrice round the Ramparts of Brussels with abundance of Illuminations and Fire-works and Count d'Arco the Bavarian General who commanded at present the Army of Flanders in Chief had Te Deum Sung in his Quarter by the Chaplains of the Spanish and Bavarian Troops and the Army and Artillery being drawn out fir'd three rounds for this Victory The 17th Prince Vaudemont left the Camp to go and wait upon His Majesty at Loo not only to regulate the Marching of the English Troops out of the Country but chiefly to Thank His Majesty for the great Honours he had receiv'd in commanding of his Armies in Flanders the three last Campagnes and to pass as much time as he could with the King before His Majesty went for England now that the parting would be for some time the Prince being appointed by the King of Spain for Governour of Milan in the Room of the Marquis de Leganés where we may expect from so Brave and Wise a Prince that he will manage Affairs so as to conserve the Peace and Repose of Italy and contribate thereby to maintain that of Christendom in General The Prince being now gone to Loo the Duke of Wirtemberg became in course General in Chief of the Army near Brussels The 19th the Marechal of Bouflers sent Monsieur de Pracontal a Merechal de Camp or Major General of his Army to the Elector of Bavaria at Brussels to give His Highness an account that the French King had sent Orders for his Armies
incamp'd as before the Infantry of the Brabant Army at Cockelberg the English Horse and Dragoons at Wavre under General Auerquerque the Dutch with Tiffin's Belcastel's and Oxenstern's Brigades of Foot at Judoigne under the command of the Earl of Athlone and our Flanders Army in the Retrenchments of Bruges where it was commanded by the Count d'Arco till the coming back of the Prince of Nassau-Sarbruck from the Baths of Aix la Chappelle which was on the 23d when he arriv'd at Bruges and took his Quarter as it had been mark'd at the coming of the Army to this ground in the Abbey of St. André The 25th all the Bavarian Cuirassiers and Dragoons left the Camp to march towards the Rhine and Winter in Bavaria being design'd for the Emperors Service in Hungary the next Campagne but the Foot march'd into the Spanish Guelderland to Quarter in that Countrey till the evacuation of Luxembourg where they were appointed by the Elector to Garrison in this and other places of that Dutchy as La Roche and Arlon and went this day by water from Bruges to Ghendt Count d'Arco left the Camp at the same time and went to Brussells with all the Spanish Court and Generals The 27th all the Brandenbourg Cavalry and Dragoons left the same Camp to go and joyn General Heyden and the Brandenbourg Foot in the Pays de Waes in order to march from thence towards the Meuse and the lower Rhine The 29th the Prince of Nassau's Adjutant General came from Loo with the Patents for the March of all the States Troops in Flanders to go and Garrison some in the States Brabant and Flanders and others to go from the Sas of Ghendt by Water into Holland Guelderland Zutphen Friseland c. but 15 or 16 Battallions of them were order'd to continue in Flanders under the command of Major General Lindeboom being to enter in the King of Spain's Service for the Garrison of the Spanish Frontiers in that Countrey towards France On the First of October being the time specified by the Treaties October Sign'd at Ryswick the 10th of September between England Spain and Holland on one part and France on the other the said Treaty was Ratified and Exchang'd in due form between France and Holland that of England under the Broad Seal could not come over time enough by reason of the contrary Winds and therefore was ratified under the Kings Signet in the Interim and the Instruments were to remain in the hands of the Mediatour but the Ratification under the Broad Seal coming over that very day the Treaties between England and France were exchang'd some few days after As for the Ratification of the Spanish Treaty from Madrid it could not come time enough but the French were satisfied to stay for it which was not long After this the Marechals of Villeroy and Catinat went to Court and the French Armies in the Netherlands were distributed into Quarters only the Marechal of Bouflers remain'd in his Government at Lisle some time after to forward the Evacuation of those Towns which were to be restor'd by the French to the King of Spain The Confederate Armies in this Countrey begun to separate at the same time all the Troops we had receiv'd this Campagne from the Rhine march'd off the first to go back into Germany and the Infantry incamp'd at Cockelberg decamp'd Brigade by Brigade the English went all into Flanders there to be in a readiness to imbark and were quarter'd in Ghendt Bruges Newport and Ostend which for this reason were at the beginning more crowded with Troops than ever The English and Dutch Guards came to Ostend in order to imbark the first for England and all the Foot were to go there on Board of such Men of War as should be appointed to carry them over All the English Horse and Dragoons left Wavre after the Ratification and were sent to Quarters the first to Ghendt and the 2d to Bruges in order to march from thence to Willemstadt one after another as Transport Ships could be got ready to bring them into England and the Life-Guards being the first to go over march'd directly to this place The Dutch Infantry incamp'd at Cockelberg separated to go into Quarters in the Frontiers of Holland as Maestricht Boisleduc Breda and Bergen-op-Zoom except 7 or 8 Battallions which with those of the Flanders Army above-mention'd were to go into Spanish Garrisons The Danes were Quarter'd at Dendermonde Alost and Ninove where they remain'd till their accounts were made up and clear'd out of His Majesty's Service in order to march from thence overland by the Meuse and the Rhine and so through Germany into Denmark The four Battallions of Hanover in the Flanders Army left the Camp near Bruges on the 5th and were to be joyn'd in their march by the Regiments of Wolfembuttle Guards and Hering then in Garrison at Audenarde to go into their own Countrey and those of Nassau and Brandenbourg out of the Brabant Army and Willekens out of that of Flanders which had been upon English pay all this War march'd into Holland and were taken back in the States Service All the Dutch Troops began to break up at the same time on all sides the Cavalry under the command of Lieutenant General Opdam march'd towards Ghendt on the outside of the Canal in order to march into the States Dominions The English and Dutch Guards and some other English Battallions came down the Canal in Bilanders the 6th from Ghendt to Bruges and the 7th all the Dutch Foot that was to march to Garrison in the Frontiers of Holland were sent to Ghendt by Water in the same Bilanders that brought the English to Bruges being the Regiment of Nassau Walloon to go to Boisleduc Marquet and Willekens to Heusden and Bommel Nassau-Friseland consisting of two Battallions were to imbark at the Sas of Ghendt to be carried by Water through Holland and over the Zuyder Sea to Leewarden c. Keppel being the Regiment which lately was Lieutenant General Tettau's was to go to Zutphen the two Battallions of Cappol and one of Lochman and the Regiment of young Holstein to Maestricht and that of Fagel to the Grave The 9th the Prince of Nassau Saarbruck went to Holland and left the Command of the Forces remaining about Bruges to Major General Lindeboom or in his absence to the Duke of Holstein-Norbourg consisting of 17 Battallions which were all to enter into the King of Spain's Service except two or three that were to Quarter in the Holland-Flanders as Sluys the Sas of Ghendt Hulst and the Fort of Lillo of these 17 Battallions Four were incamp'd at Plassendale being those of Weed Rantsaw Obergen and Schack Four at Newport viz. Soutlandt St. Amand Beyma and Swansbeck Six in the Retrenchments of Bruges being the Regiments of Lindeboom Holstein-Norbourg Dedem the two Battallions of Swerin and that of Carles and Three more incamp'd behind the Canal of Bruges viz. the Regiments of
Harsolt Dona and La Mothe All these Regiments were soon after dispers'd to Cantoon up and down in the Neighbourhood of the Towns that were to be restor'd by the French in order to Garrison there except those two or three Regiments which were to Quarter in the Holland Flanders My Lord of Athlone's Camp at Judoigne was the last to break up either to subsist the Dutch Cavalry upon the Countrey hereabouts as long as was possible or else to provide for the security of the Meuse whilst Harcourt was on the other side with a considerable Army to Forrage the Pays de Liege and did not go into Quarters but between the middle and latter end of October when Tiffin's and Belcastel's Brigades were order'd to march into Flanders to quarter in Ghendt and Bruges with the rest of our English Forces The Elector continued all this while with His Majesty at Loo and Dieren sometimes at the one and sometimes at the other where among their Divertisements they settled the Routes and Marches of the Allies out of the Spanish Netherlands and his Highness did not come back to Brussells till the 13th of October by which time all the Confederate Forces had clear'd the Countrey except His Majesties National Troops which were to pass over into England Scotland or Ireland with as much expedition as the Season would permit and the Danes which did not begin their March homewards till the November following But the King still remain'd sometimes at Loo and sometimes at Dieren where His Majesty had pass'd the time in Hunting and such other Countrey Divertisements from his first leaving of the Army to this time except two or three dayes that His Majesty went to Soestdyke to have an Interview with the Czar of Muscovy at Vtrecht which was on the first of September His Majesty coming to the Czars Lodgings was first Harangu'd by the Muscovite Embassy to express the great Esteem and Value their Master had for his Person and how much he admir d the great reputation of his Government the fame whereof had fill'd all Russia and Muscovy and had brought the powerful Monarch of those vast Countreys to visit a Prince so renown'd for his undaunted Valour and Courage joyn'd with a most profound and consummated Prudence and who has gone through so many Dangers and expos'd himself to the greatest hazards for the Defence and Liberties of all Europe which none but himself could keep and secure from becoming a Prey to an overgrown formidable Power And to convince the King that all these Protestations of the Czars Esteem and Admiration of so great a Monarch were no formal Complements they acquainted His Majesty that the Czar their Master was in the next Room himself having come so far out of his Dominions to assure His Majesty of it in Person After which they introduc'd the King into the Czar's Chamber where they were together above an Hour His Majesty being attended by the Earls of Albemarle and Jersey and Three or Four more Persons of Quality but the Czar who Travell'd Incognito in the Retinue of his own Embassy could not accept of the Invitation to dine with the King but went back after the Interview to Amsterdam The Czar had contriv'd this way of Travelling in the Train of his own Embassy as a private Person on purpose to see England and Holland the most flourishing and wealthy Countreys in the World and the most famous for Trade and Navigation being very desirous to improve his own Subjects that way especially now that being Master of Afoff upon the Mouth of the Tanais he had a very good Harbour open to the Black Sea by which if he could gain any Strength on those Seas he may not onely increase very much the Trade and Wealth of Muscovy but cut himself a way at the same time to the Greek Empire and become Master of Constantinople These are thoughts worthy of so great a Prince and to put himself thereupon in the best way of compassing such great ends he came with his Embassy to the Baltick Shore about the beginning of the last Summer where he imbark'd to come to Coningsberg the Capital City of the Ducal Prussia belonging to the Elector of Brandenbourg where his Electoral Highness was then with all his Court to be near Warsaw during the time of the Election for the Crown of Poland The Czar and his Embassy were nobly entertain'd here and pursued their Travels over-land afterwards through Prussia Pomerania Brandenbourg Westphalia c. to come to the Rhine and Embark there for Holland and after a considerable stay in Amsterdam the greatest Town for Trade and Navigation in the World unless this mighty Character be most deservedly due to London his Czarish Majesty is at length come himself privately to England to see our Shipping and Docks where the most stately curious and perfect Models for Building of Ships in the World are to be seen and to instruct himself in Navigation and Maritime Affairs now that he has the Sea open to him in a milder Climate than Archangel whereby he may at once make his Subjects considerable for their Trade and become a Terrour to the Turkish Empire which may one day be subdued by his power on the Black Seas and Visit the greatest and the most wealthy City in Christendom and Imperial Seat of a Great Monarch who has all the Power which the Purses of the wealthiest Nations of the World can afford without any Arts of Tyranny Oppression or Arbitrariness to have them who has had Vast Fleets at Sea and Numerous Armies in the Field and the People not oppress'd by those heavy Burdens which always attend an Absolute Power and without which even Arbitrary Power it self can never be great and who Rules the most Flourishing States in the Universe so happily and with such Justice Equity Gentleness and Wisdom that notwithstanding the vast difference of Governments one may find in the Commonwealth all the duty and respect of Subjects without any derogation to its Liberties and in the Monarchy all the Liberty of a Free People consistent with the Fealty and Allegiance due to a Sovereign These are Master peices of Government altogether peculiar to our great Monarch and which were there no other reason must raise his Name above all Princes that have Reign'd before him This Voyage of the Czar's to Holland England will make so considerable a Figure in History hereafter that I could not well pass it over without omitting one of the Chiesest Ornaments of this Account After this Interview the King went back to Loo where the D of Holstein Gottorp came to wait upon His Majesty and the Prince Vaudemont from Brussells being follow'd about a Week after by the Elector of Bavaria But notwithstanding that the Three Treaties Sign'd on the 10th of September were Ratified and Exchang'd and that the Peace had been proclaim'd upon it first at the Hague then at Paris the 13th of October and at London the 19th
several Princes and States ingag'd in the War together in order to open their Conferences * April 5. 1697. dye as 't were upon the very Threshold of the Congress and yet the Treaty not delay'd at all by so Fatal an Accident The Regency under his Successor Charles the Twelfth who was then a Minor carried on the Mediation without any Intermission by dispatching new full Powers to the Swedish Minister at the Hague and both the Allies and France receiv'd it without any Wrangling or Hesitation which as on the one hand it redounded very much to the Glory and Honour of the Crown of Sweden so on the other it demonstrated plainly the Sincerity of the most Powerful Parties concern'd in the War and that they desir'd in earnest the Peace and Quiet of their own Dominions and the General Repose of Christendom We have seen France gain considerable Advantages over the Allies both in Land and Sea Expeditions the last Campagne and yet not stand upon much higher Terms for it in the Treaty unless it was the keeping of Strasbourg and the giving an Equivalent for it which if duly consider'd was as much for the Advantage of the Empire as Strasbourg was for that of France for Strasbourg an Imperial Town would have made but a very weak Barriere to the Empire but as it is now that the Empire has the Fort of Kehl opposite to Strasbourg and all the Forts and strong Places on the right side of the Rhine it seems to be in a better Condition to hinder the French from passing of the Rhine than in the State 't was left by the Treaty of Nimeguen And indeed 't was well for the Peace and Quiet of Europe that those met with most Success the last Campagne who wanted Peace the most else a General Peace could not have been negociated with so much Expedition and so few Difficulties to overcome And for this reason we find no Losers in the Treaty but it seems at once Advantagious for all the Parties concern'd Spain has reduc'd the French by its strict Union with the Allies more than by any Efforts of its own within the Bounds and Limits of the precedent Treaty notwithstanding that the French were Masters of the whole Dutchy of Luxembourg before the War whereas before in all the precedent Treaties since that of Vervins the Spaniards were always giving up considerable Towns and Provinces to France and especially in those of the Pyrenees Aix la Chappelle and Nimeguen The Empire has a much stronger Frontier by this Treaty than by that of Nimeguen considering the better Conditions given at present to the Duke of Lorraine and that France has quitted all the Country Towns and strong places it had on the other side of the Rhine before by vertue of the Westphalian Treaty and that of Nimeguen and although the Empire has quitted Strasbourg and deliver'd it up to the French in lieu of Brisach Fribourg and all that France had beyond the Rhine yet having the Fort of Kehl by vertue of this Treaty on the opposite side of the Rhine to Strasbourg it will always be a Curb and a Bridle upon the French and will hinder them from Subsisting beyond the Rhine with an Army as long as this Place is in the hands of an Imperial Garrison which Strasbourg of it self could not have done if it had been restor'd to the Empire in the Condition wherein 't was taken by the French The States General have plainly gain'd their Cause about the Electorate of Cologne which was one of the Articles upon which France declar'd War against Holland and by regaining with it the Dutchy of Luxembourg to Spain in the late Treaty they have remov'd the French altogether from their Frontier especially from the Rhine whereby they made that Fatal Irruption upon them in the Year 1672. They have likewise Parried a Mortal Stroke to their Religion Commerce and Liberties by the Happy and Miraculous Turn of Affairs in England just at the beginning of the Wars which in a great Measure was due to their Assistance and their Liberty laying upon the same Stake with ours and the Protestant Interest all over Christendom but especially in the United Provinces being imbark'd upon the same Bottom with the Fate of the Church of England we may say that they have been together with us deliver'd from Popery and Slavery As for the Advantages of France in this Peace notwithstanding that it has lost all Footing in Italy by the Separate Treaty with Savoy by giving back Pignerol after a Possession of above Sixty Years to obtain it that Lorrain is restor'd upon much better Terms for that Duke and the Empire than those agreed upon in the Treaty of Nimeguen and notwithstanding the great and prodigious Expences to which the French King has been oblig'd to carry on so long and tedious a War which in truth he began himself against so many Confederates and yet that he is still reduc'd to the Bounds and Limits of the precedent Peace which for this reason looks like so much Blood shed and Treasure spent to no purpose that Cazal has been taken by the Allies Lorrain and Dinant restor'd both which were in his Possession even at the Treaty of Nimeguen and Luxembourg given back to the Spaniards all which Places were in the hands of the French before the beginning of the War and that he has been oblig'd to evacnate all the Towns and Fortresses he has taken since at the Expence of so much Blood and Money and all the Country he was Master of beyond the Rhine in Exchange for Strasbourg Yet it must be own'd that the French King has manag'd the whole War with abundance of Art and Wisdom that he has gain'd very great Advantages over the Allies that he has brought them to make a Peace upon his own Terms and extricated himself very gloriously thereby out of all the Difficulties which a Powerful Confederacy had brought his Kingdom to not so much by the Vigour of their Efforts as by the Necessity of his own Affairs the Consequence of a Burdensome and Expensive War carried on by himself against so many Potent Enemies which had reduc'd most of the Provinces of France to an Universal Poverty and Misery and at last he remains Master of Strasbourg in Alsatia Longwy and Saar-Louis in Lorrain much more to his Advantage than the Equivalents he gives being thereby in a Condition to hinder Lorrain though restor'd from being troublesome to France and still to keep the Rhine and the Empire in awe and has Power enough left by it to be still formidable to the rest of Europe and to disturb the Peace and Quiet of Christendom as soon as his Coffers are replenish'd unless his Adherence to the Publick Faith and Sacredness of Treaties constrains him more than the Apprehension of the Power and Greatness of any of his Neighbours Yet notwithstanding these Advantages on both sides in the Treaty of Ryswick it is certain that both France
Affairs enough to keep France quiet and to make it observe the Terms of the last Treaty unless it would run the Risk of an Alliance which hereafter would be more fatal to it than ever My last Reflexion shall be about the Advantages which England has gain'd by the present Peace As for the King he has rais'd an Eternal Monument of Fame and Glory to himself by it in bringing of a War in which he had already gain'd an Endless Renown in exposing his Person so freely to all the Dangers and Fatigues of it every Campagne to so happy a Period in spight of all the difficulties which seem'd rather to intail it upon himself and his Dominions in steering all along so justly and nicely among all the different Parties Nations Religions and Interests that made up the Body of the Allies as to bring them to joyn and Center together in effecting his Peaceable and quiet Settlement upon the Throne of these Realms even notwithstanding too many ill Successes in the Course of the War both for his and their Affairs and by this Union among the Chief Powers of the League so strictly carried on and so happily manag'd of which the French themselves when Enemies gave the * Father la Rue his Funeral Oration upon the Marechal of Luxembourg Applause to our Great Prince to compass an Honourable Peace for his Allies as well as for himself But the Glory of Kings does not alwayes make the Happiness of Subjects this would not amount to so much for us if the welfare of England was not joyn'd with it and here it is that we must take a view of the Advantages which England reaps at present by that Peace it owes to the Wisdom and Valour of our Good and Gracious as well as Great Sovereign in which case it would be enough to say that England has gain'd its cause by it and compass'd the great and noble design it did chiefly aim at in the War of recovering under His Majesty's Government its Rights Priviledges and Liberties which had been so notoriously violated before and of securing thereby the Protestant Religion not onely amongst us but in the rest of Christendom which was then in so manifest and apparent a danger by the violent Irruptions of a Popish Government so as for the future we might intail both our Religion and Liberties to Posterity upon a surer and more solid Foundation then they could have when in the reach of Tyranny and Arbitrary Power But over and above which indeed is but a necessary consequence of the former England is again re instated in its prerogative of holding the Ballance of Europe and keeping a due aequilibrium among the contending Powers of Christendom as it is its true interest for Popery nor Arbitrary Power can hardly be introduc'd amongst us but by a pernicious Adherence or rather Servility to one side or t'other to render it formidable thereby to the rest of the World by this means to compass such Tyrannical designs under the shelter of it and I think we have had but too much experience already to vouch for the Truth of this Assertion And as England has so gloriously recover'd itself and is reinstated in the Umpireship of the Affairs of Europe by gaining of our Cause in the happy Conclusion of a War in which we were so necessarily ingag'd so consequently is it in our Power to make the present Peace Solid Lasting and Durable for neither side will think it their advantage to be troublesome whilst a powerful Umpire is resolv'd to maintain the Ballance of Affairs Whilst England is in this Condition it is in its true Posture and as it should be but in order to keep and maintain our selves in it these two things seem to be absolutely necessary The first is a Careful regard to the State of Affairs abroad not to look upon them with an indifferency because we are in an Island happily divided from the rest of the World which frees us from a great many of its Commotions and Disturbances but whenever this point of the Umpireship in which our own Safety as well as Glory is so nearly concern'd lies at Stake then to ingage heartily and freely for the Liberty of Europe for otherwise we must at length become a Prey our selves or be involv'd in a War at last which will then cost us more Millions than in taking things at the beginning it would have cost us Hundred Thousands of Pounds for the Truth of which I need but appeal to the vast Expences of the late War The Second is Peace and Unity among our selves for besides that this Umpireship of the Affairs of Christendom wholly depends upon it which will always shelter us from Enemies abroad at the same time that it makes us great in the World it is the onely bottom that the present Government and with it our Religion Priviledges and Liberties can stand upon for their Fate is at present inseparable and I may boldly venture to say that as Affairs are now in Europe if our unhappy Divisions should work to that height as to produce a Change which God forbid no Revolution can happen in England from the present Government but for Popery and Tyranny without a very great Miracle to prevent it which is a Risk no wise Protestant can expose the Common Interest of all that call themselves Reformed to And therefore whatever Designes too many people amongst us may directly propose to themselves in carrying off of Factions and Divisions to work a Change of Affairs either in Church or State to their own Advantage of what side soever they may be yet in effect they onely work for their own Destruction and must of Course be involv'd in the Ruines of that very Fabrick which they endeavour to pull down and thus open the only remaining Inlet to Popery and Slavery And I pray God that all that call themselves Protestants may lay these things seriously to their Hearts that so our own Divisions may not one day effect what all the Power of France prompted and incouraged by the Treacherous and base Contrivances of an Unnatural Party of Men at home has not been able to perform and to this End may the God of Peace guide our judgements in all things and endow our Hearts with a healing Christian Charity among our selves which is the onely Bond of Peace so that though we cannot bring Matters to an exact Uniformity of Sentiments in Matters of Religion yet thereby we may at least be hinder'd from biting and devouring one another which cannot end otherwise but in a Common Ruin and united in the Methods of a mutual defence as we have at present more than over an Unity of Interest against the Common Adversary FINIS Books printed for Matthew Wotton at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street Numb 7. Shewing the Usefulness of Humane-Learning in Matters of Religion Numb 8. Shewing the Necessity of such a Christian Discipline as is Consistent with Civil Power in Opposition to the Extreams on both sides Books printed for John Newton at the Three Pigeons in Fleet-street THE Honourable Hugh Hare Esq has Charge at the General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace for the County of Surrey held at Darking The Second Edition Corrected Dr. Falle's Account of the Isle of Jersey with a new Map dedicated to the King His Three Sermons on several Occasions Sir Francis Bacon's Essays A Discourse of Natural and Revealed Religion in several Essays Or The Light of Nature a Guide to Divine Truth By Mr. Tim. Nurse The Anatomy of the Earth By Thomas Robinson Rector of Baâ—by in Cumberland