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A32875
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Choice remarks on the most observable actions performed by Lewis the XIV, present king in France
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1681
(1681)
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Wing C3919; ESTC R29217
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15,494
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22
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Choice Remarks On the most Observable ACTIONS Performed by Lewis the XIV PRESENT KING IN FRANCE LONDON Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-Head-Ally in Pater-Noster Row In the Year 1681. Choice Remarks On the most observable Actions performed by Lewis the XIV Present King in France LEwis the 13th by his last Will and Testament ordained that the Queen his Wife should have the Government and Charge of the Person of King Lewis the 14th his Son during his Minority and the Regency of the Kingdom This young Prince was not much advanced in the fifth year of his Age ere he began to triumph over his Enemies through the successful Conduct of the Duke D'Anguien at the memorable Battel of Rocroy and the gaining of Thionvillle after a Siege of twenty-two days The Duke of Orleans the Kings Uncle Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom added to his Victories the taking of Graveline where Marshal de Gassion gave most signal Proofs of his Vallor Thus Luxemburgh being taught that an Infant King might be Victorious Germany was now to learn the same Lesson The Duke of Anguien advances to the Banks of the Rhine Attacks the Bavarian Army and three times defeats them He surrounds and takes Philipsburgh for which reason Wormes would not dispute with him any longer for her Liberty no more then Mayence besides a great number of other Cities that gloried in opening their Gates to the Conquerer The retaking of Lerida in some measure counterballanc'd so many great advantages But the next year we continued the Progress of our Conquests in Lorraine by the taking La Mothe where the Sieur Magalotti who commanded for the King received his deaths wound and in Catalogna under the conduct of the Count of Harcourt who was received into Barcellona with applause and Acclamation He defeated the Spaniards at the Battel of Liorens in which the Enemy lost between five and six thousand Men. After that he took the City of Balagnier some Months after that the Count of Plessis-Praslin had also in Roussillon reduced Roses to his Majesties obedience During so many brave exploits the Duke of Orleans was was not idle in Flanders where he took by force the Cities of Pourbourk Links Lans Bethune Liters St. Venant Arenantieres Menene and other places in that Province Nor was the Duked Anguien less prosperous in Germany where that young Prince gave Battel to the Imperialists and Bavarians whom he defeated near to Nortlingen with the loss of their General Mercy who was killed with a Musket shot and their General Gleen who was taken Prisoner the all afterwards exchanged for Marshal Grammont who fell into the Enemies hands at the beginning of the Fight Insomuch that by that Victory the Imperialists and Bavarians were very much weakened and constrained to retreat out of our way for their Oecurity which gave us opportunity to take Treves and settle the Elector of that place 1645. This year concluded happily with the Marriage of Vladislaus King of Poland with the Princess Louise Maria de Gonzaga of Mantua Daughter of Charles Duke of Gonzaga Cleves Mantua and Nevers deceased So many glorious successes happening to our Nation begat in the minds of the Spaniard that Stomackful despight which was the occasion of much Division at Rome For as that City is the place where the Animosity between the French and Spaniard most publickly appears it soon fell out that a difference arose between Prince Cardinal d' Este Protector of France and the Admiral of Castile Embassador of Obedience from the most Catholick-King in that Court and this the more easily in regard that the Spanish-Faction believed it self to be the strongest both in Number and by reason of the Vicinity of Naples But the Spaniards forgat that it never was the Custome of the French to number their Enemies however that they always bring their Designs to pass when they find the Honour of their Prince concern'd So that this Dispute was gloriously decided for the French in regard the unlucky dishonour redounded to the Spaniards to have made a great noise vast preparations but to have given very little proof of their Courage 1646. This year produced Prodigies in Flanders such as were the taking of Lancy Courtroy Bergues and Mardike the retaking of which was not a little fatal to France through the loss of so many brave Gentlemen The Count of Fois was one of those Hero's that encountered the Danger being the first that entered the Trench where nothing could resist his Courage at length wearied as he was while he was Charging the Enemy a second time he was shot in the side with a Musket-Bullet of which Wound he dyed soon after Nevertheless this Consolation rested with that Generous Prince in his Misfortune that he had followed the steps of the most Illustrious of his Predecessors ending his days with a Death like that of the Famous Gaston de Fois whose Illustrious Actions he had so strictly imitated The Duke of Nemours in that Assault received a Wound in the Knee the Prince of Marcellac in the Shoulder But the Count of Rocheguion and the Chevalier de Fiesque were so unfortunate as to loose their Lives upon the spot The taking of Dunkirk recomforted the Duke of Anguien for them is fortune of his most intimate Confidents After which he understood with no small Joy that the defeat of the Garrison of Bassee was the Act of the Marshal de Melleray who was ordered by his Majesty to pass into Piedmont to joyn with the Marshal de Pressis-Praslin Those two Generals after they had recruited our Naval-Forces took soon after Piombino and Porto Longone and by such noble Exploits they made us easily forget the misfortune of the Siege of Orbitello We were also thereby the less sensible of the loss of Armentier and Landrecies of which Arch-Duke Leopold made himself Master in the year 1647. Which was a year remarkable for variety of Accidents The Spanish Navy was defeated by the French upon the Sea of Genoa in sight of Naples and the Duke of Breze who commanded the Fleet was killed with a Cannon-Shot The Duke of Anguien now Prince of Conde by the decease of Lewis of Bourbon his Father was constrained to raise the Siege of Lerida The Marshal de Gassion was slain before the City of Lens But the revolt of the Kingdom of Naples was a more then ordinary Prank of Fortune Nevertheless the Duke of Guese did not meet with those advantages there with which he flattered himself by reason that through the Treachery of certain Neapolitans he fell unforrtunately into the hands of the Spaniayds If at the beginning of the year 1648. the French as well as the Sweads had all the advantages they could desire in Germany by reason of the defeat of the Imperialists and Bavarians of which there were slain and taken Prisoners about nine or ten thousand of which number also was their General Melander our affairs went on with no less successful prosperity in Catalogna
and the Progress of the Kings Arms engaged those Republicans to forget the many Benefits which they had received from France and to labour their own Ruine with two much heat and passion To which purpose they sollicited all the Soveraign Princes to joyn with them in Leagues and Treaties against France The Vertue and Merit of the Bishop Duke of Laon advanced him to the Cardinal Dignity The Ministers of Spain opposed his advancement and the Nomination of the Queen of Portugal which his most Christian Majesty very stifly defended And indeed this Promotion was very honourable for France especially done to favour a Queen whose interest is much more profitable to the Kingdom The second Mariage of his Royal-Highness with the Daughter of the Elector Palatine was concluded and the Articles signed the 6th of November 1671. and the Marshall du Plessis had the charge of the Procuration for the Ceremony of the Espousals at Mets the 16th of the same Month. France and England by the succors which they gave the United Provinces made of that Rebellious People a Puissant Democracie But at last the two Kings disdaining their ingratitude joyned their Forces to chastize their Crime The forbidding of Commerce and the Injunctions laid upon their Subjects to exercise all Acts of Hostility against them was published the 7th of April and the King at the Head of an hundred and fifty thousand men caused them to tremble He presently took from them Orsoy Wesel Burie and Rhineberg Rets Emmerick and Groll The Count of Guiche passed the Rhine Swimming with two thousand Horse To which danger the Chevalier of Vendosme was the only Prince that exposed himself besides his General He so behaved himself that at his first setting foot in the Betau he gained an Ensign and a Standard which he presented to the King and flew with the Prince to the Skirmish wherein the Duke of Longueville was killed The passage over this River caused the Prince of Orange to quit the Banks of the Issel at which time Vicount Turenne caused a detachment of six hundred Men to be made by the Duke of Vendosme which has always served at the Head of his Regiment and particularly to open the Trenches of Arnheime They would have also shewed their Valour at Nimmeghen but that great General stopped their Fury and besought the King to retain them about his person The Forts of Schenk Doesburgh Zutphen and many other Ramparts of Holland were taken in so small a time that there were reckoned up near fifty in two Months Vtreck refused Relief on purpose to surrender it self to the King Creveceur Coarden Grave and Bomel were taken and the Campaign ended with the taking of Bodengrave Survanmerdam and Niverberg To requite these Losses the Prince of Orange with six thousand Spaniards sent him by Montery under the Conduct of Marcin besieged Charleroy but the Count of Montal having got into the Town made him retreat with shame not only to himself but the Spaniards In the year 1675. The Hollanders having drawn to their side the House of Austria and the most part of the Princes of Germany proposed strange Chimera's to themselves But Vicount Turenne constrained the Marquiss of Brandenburgh to fly and took from him the County of Mark with several places Whereupon Cologne was chosen for the place of Treaty The King having caused Maestricht to be Invested the Trenches were opened by Night the 18th of June And that place of such importance so well fortified so well defended was forced to surrender at the end of the Month a thing almost incredible In short the United Provinces were so roughly handled both by Sea and Land that they acknowledg it to this hour confessing that the Arms of Kings are long and ponderous and that it was ill done to draw upon them the Indignation of two great Monarchs of which their Allies are not a little sensible their Countries still suffering for it At the beginning of the Winter Vicount Turenne marched into Alsatia there to fight the Enemy The Princes of Vendosme took Post to be in the Action but the Knight of Vendosme near to Mets broke his Arm by the fall of his Horse that stumbled under him The Campaign began betimes in Burgundy 1674 Gray Wesoul and several other Losses began a second time the Conquest of that Country That which hastned his Majesties March was the surprizal of the Prince of Fustenburgh the Elector of Cologne's Plenipotentiary An attempt in time of Peace contrary to the publick Faith For the committing of which Action in regard the Emperor gave Order against the Right of Nations it will be an Eternal Reproach both to him and his The King therefore compleated the Conquest of Franche Conte by the taking the City and Citadel of Bezanson Dole Salins and all the rest of the Country which he subdued to his Obedience and is a safeguard to six Provinces of his Kingdom The Duke of Lorrain and Count Caprara in vain attempted to Relieve it For Vicount Turenne with a far lesser strength gave them a stop beyond the Rhine where that great Captain did wonders during the whole Campaign having fought and won several Battels and performed famous exploits in War The Knight of Vendosme was always near him and still so desperately engaged the Enemy that he brake and disordered the Duke of Lorrain at the Battel of Seiren All this while in Holland the Prince of Conde sustained the Forces of the Empire Spain and the Low Countries That Powerful Army thought to have carried all things before them and to have taken up their Winter Quarters in Picardie and Champaigne and there to have quaffed the good Wines of Rhetmes But the Battel of Seneff which he won from so many Enemies was the most remarkable exploit of that exquisite Captain He thought to have vanquished them at Oudenard but they shamefully quitted the Siege The Duke of Vendosme who had signaliz'd himself in Burgundy took post to be an Eye-witness of so great an Action 1675. The Embassies of Marshall d' Estrees were very honourable and very bold That of the Duke his Son was maintained with the same Vigour He knew well how to let the Pope understand that he was obliged not only to give audience to the Ministers of his most Christian Majesty but also to hear their just Complaints which is a prerogative that his Holiness cannot refuse to the first King in the World The most important Cities of the Enemy were apprehensive of being besieged at what time the King attacked Limburgh and made himself Master of that Dutchie which is one of the seventeen Provinces of the Low-Countries which was adjoyned to the Government of Marshal d' Estrades After this Conquest his Majesty delivered up the Charge of the Army to Monsieur the Prince who endeavoured all he could to Fight the Enemy But the Intentions of the Spaniards did not correspond with the Designs of the Princes of Conde and Orange Montecuculi with all the Force of the Empire promised to himself that he would pass the Rhine which he did over the Bridg of Spire But Marshal Turenne marching to meet him he repass'd it the Imperialists being very much surprised to see him so near them The French were eager to give them Battel although encamped among Rivers and Woods which caused them to follow the retreating Enemy who to secure his March planted two pieces of Cannon upon a Hill to favour his Retreat And from thence it was that the Marshal-General going to take a View of the Enemies encampment was killed with a great Shot He had designed the Chevalier of Vendosme to command the Cavalrie However the young Duke of Beaufort was the person at that time who commanded fifteen thousand Horse and was present at the retaking of Corbi That young Prince after six Campaigns has been so unfortunate that he could never find an opportunity to fight with Honour and serve the King with Renown Upon the difference between the Count d' L' Orge and the Marquiss de Vaubrun the Army desired to be Commanded by the Duke of Vendosme But the two Generals being reconciled they retreated through Wilstelt to Althnem where was fought a famous and memorable Battel Upon the Intelligence which Montecuculi received that our Baggage marched into Alsatia he pretended to send certain Troops thorow Strasburgh to Plunder it but the Marquiss de Vaubrun passed the Rhine with seven Battalions and twenty-two Squadrons And indeed he had been lost without this Stratagem He flattered himself that not having to do with any more than one Brigade it would be easie for him to be cut in pieces with a powerful Army They fought there near ten hours The Duke of Vendosme at the Head of his Battalion which appeared weak because it was not so numerous as the rest was more exposed to the Attacks yet as vigorusly sustained the force of the Enemy The Enemy understood not that there was a Prince at the head of it with the Officers of the Guards and that it was the Regiment of Vendosme which has ever been Victorious That young Mars outdid himself in a time and upon an occasion of so much danger and hazard He received a slight wound cross the Thigh which did not at all hinder his Fighting nor his winning of Honour The Prince of Conde had Orders to take Charge of that Army and leave his own to the Duke of Luxemburgh So that although Montecuculi besieged Lovern and Haguenau that great General constrained him to quit the Sieges and repass the Rhine The defeat of Marshal Crequi was the occasion of the Loss of Treves the first City which the Franks took from the Gauls The City of Conde and Bouchain were taken by the King the 4th and 12th of May 1676. The King agreed to the Mediation of England for Peace and made suitable returns for the Zeal which his Majesty of Britain had shewen for the Repose of Christendome Thereupon Pasports were agreed and sent where they were required and the Duke of Vitry and the Embassadors Colbert and d' Avaux were ordered Plenipotentiaries for France and sent for Nimeghen in Order to that Affair which was the conclusion of Peace so important and earnestly desired FINIS