THE Siege and Surrender OF MONS A Tragi-Comedy Exposing the Villany of the PRIESTS and the Intrigues of the FRENCH Licensed April 23. 1691. LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin 1691. Persons Represented The Prince de Bergue Governour of Mons. Count Fontagne Count Ravellido Collonels of Horse Brigadier Fagel Marshal Spinosa Collonel Brannacio Collonel Harcourt Major Pedro the Chief Engineer Abbot Grimchi Abbot Vaneuf Pensioners to France Durand Ternon Foquet 3 Inhabitants of Mons but Pensioners to the French The King of France The Dauphin The Prince of Conde Monsieur Lovis The Duke of Luxemburgh The Duke de Chartres The Marquess de Bouffleers The Marshal de Duras Fevillade Monsieur Vauban Chief Engineer Megrim another Engineer VVomen Priests Burghers Deserters Scouts Spies Soldiers Rabble c. The Scene MONS And the French Camp Advertisement of New Books THe Folly of Love an Essay upon Satyr against VVoman Priâ— Six pence The Search after Claret or a Visitation of the Vintners A Poem Price 6. d. A farther Search after Claret or a Second Visitation of the Vintners Price 6. d. The Last Search after Claret in Southwark or a Visitation of the Vintners in the Mint with the Debates of a Committee of that Profession fled to avoid the Cruel Peasecution of their Vnmerciful Creditors Price 4. d. The Search after VVit or Visitation of the Authors A Poem Pr. 6. d. The Pleasures of Love and Marriage A Poem in Praise of the Fair Sex â—n requital of the Folly of Love and some other late Satyrs on Woman THE Siege and Surrender OF MONS ACT I. SCENE I. The Curtain drawn discovers the Prince de Bergue with the Counts Fontagne and Ravillido Brigadier Fagel Marshal Spinosa and other Officers in Council at the Stadt-Huys or Town-Hall of Mons examining a Scout whom they had sent to observe the Motions of the French Prince B. BUT does the Army march directly hither Scout They seem my Lord to have no other aim For from the Hills I saw their Cavalry Descend in so much order with their Trumpets Haut-bois and Drums in warlike Consort playing As if instead of fighting they intended A solemn Triumph in the Plains of Hainault Prince 'T is yet preposterous tho to let such Joys Soften their Souldiers Minds before Engagement Know you the Strength and Number of their Force Scout Reports my Lord are Various yet 't is thought That Fifty thousand Men compose their Army Prince Let Fifty thousand swell to Fifty Millions As daring as their General Luxemberg And cruel as the Marquess de Bouffleers Yet Mons shall stand against their mighty Force My Lords your thoughts of this bold Undertaking C. Ravillido 'T is what we feared what did I say we fear'd it Forgive the word we know not what it means This friendly Visit we have long expected But yet we hope with int'rest to repay it 'T is kindly done to let us know their coming That we get things ready for their welcome And not as once in the Disguise of Merchants Seize on our Gates and let the Foes come in Myn Heer speaking to Fagel you best the Towns Condition know Fagel If Art and Nature ever yet contriv'd A place to bear the worst attacks of Fortune 'T is surely Mons can make the justest claim If Horn-works Bastions Counterscarps Redoubts ' With the united Force of Germans Dutch Walloones and Spaniards both of Foot and Horse Bred in the Art of War and Blood since Infancy Speak a place strong then Mons will try their Valour Prince B. Fagel The Genius of a Martial Soul Dictates your thoughts yet Caution is a Vertue For were our Bulwarks strong as walls of Brass And Ramparts which to time might bid defiance Yet were the Souldiers treacherous or disloyal The place would quickly yield to Gallick Force Fagel The Souldiers false avert the thought kind Heaven My Lord so very brave and stout the' appear As if one gallant and Heroick Soul Did actuate of Men so great a Body â—he Burghers too have seem'd to lay aside â—ll thoughts of getting Wealth and heaping Riches â—aily they leave their Shops to handle Arms â—nd exercise with so much art and skill â—s Nature seem'd to have design'd 'em Souldiers Prince B. Fagel you chear my Soul with the Relation â—ut we have now no time for long Deâ—â—tes â—is Action now must make us Formidable â—y Lords Fontagne and Ravillido you â—ith your respective Troops take care to guard â—e Magazines Spinosa 't is your Post Upon the VValls to manage all the Canon To Harcourt I've already given a Charge Fagel 'T is known you no Instructions want Nor does your God-like Vertue need Directions Let every Man of us altho remember No common Cause we wear upon Swords Let each but think that on his single Valour Depends the Glory or the Fall of Mons Eternal Honour or perpetual Slav'ry If helps to Valour we should stand in need Let us reflect upon the breach of Oaths Truces and Edicts sign'd by treacherous French Let 's think of Phillipsburg Spire Worms and other Once famous Towns now heaps of Dirt and Ruines Let this within our minds form such impressions Of French Civility that we may never Listen to Overtures of tame Surrender Fagel Surrender had I my Lord the least suspicion That in these Brains of mine such thoughts were lurking By Heav'n I de dash 'em out against a Mortar-piece As soon my Wife and all my little Children I de tamely hold before a Rugged Villain VVhilst he with cruel Knife ript up their Throats As yield my Country up to Monsieur's Terms Ravillido Bravely resolv'd But Fagels not alone There 's not a Man that bears Command in Mons VVho will not wish to loose the use of Hearing Before he 'l listen to such base Demand Prince My Lords I pray you let no nice Suspicions Disturb our Friendships Each Man to his Post Mean while be Orders sent to all the Convents The Monasteries and Religious Houses VVithin the City that the Holy Fathers VVith Prayers and Tears long Fastings and Processions May bribe the Saints t' assist us in our woes And turn these threatning Clouds another Day Spinosa wait upon me to the Palace Exeunt all but Fagel Fagel VVhat e're the Matter is I cannot tell I do not love these Priests for in a Siege They are as useless as their Holy-water 'T is strange their Prayers should do no more Executionâ— Then we effect with all our Bombs and Canon And for their parts they are unskill'd in Arms Yet I bely 'em for these shaven Scoundrels Know but too well the use of Carnal weapons They have more Business with their Female Penitents Then hearing them confess and then absolve them VVhile we are fighting to defend their Lives These holy Rogues are nibbling at our VVives ACT I. SCENE II. The Scene the chief Street in Mons. Enter six Burgers with Pioneers and other Rabble 1. Burger looking up You Sirrah untile that House quickly or I shall
'em Heaven be Deaf to my Prayers Aside Rabble Come come along with us along with us Exeunt ACT I. SCENE 4. SCENE The Palace Enter Prince de Bergue Discoursing with Fagel and Spinosa with other Officers Prince I 'm glad to find that gen'rous Resolution Appears in both the Soldiers and the Burghers To keep the Town even to the last extremity Fagel Never did men appear with greater Brav'ry In all the Sieges History makes mention Then this of Mons. Prince Have the French form'd their Camp Fagel They 'r very busy in pursuit of Ruin Their Horse consist of two and forty Squadrons And in fit posts they now their Foot are placing Great numbers of the Boors they have compell'd To work upon the Lines and drain the Marshes As yet their Bombs and Cannon are behind Nor have they given us one kind Salute From mouth of Gun but hourly we expect it Prince Since in Civility they are so backward Let us then first begin And you Spinosa Go quickly then and order Colonel Harcourt With a pickt number of bold daring Youths Assisted by some few Dragoons and Horsâ— That instantly they make a furious Sally Upon the Foe and Heaven succeed their Arms. Spinosa I know my Lord the Message will be welcome Their youthful Blood is ready to boil or'e With Rage against the French with half that Eagerness They would not fly to the desired embraces Of the most charming of their Mistresses As now they will to Arms. Prince No Speeches Marshal Their Truth I doubt not execute your Orders Spinosa I go my Lord. Exit Spinosa Prince If my presaging hopes are true propheticks Our Enemies will soon repent this Visit. Enter one from the French Camp Officer My Lord A Messenger from the Enemy Prince Your Business Sir Mess. 'T is from the noble Marquess de Bouffleers Who to your Highness bid me give this Summons Prince Read it Captain To an Officer Officer Reads To you the Prince and Governour of Mons My Royal Master his kind Greeting sends And in his Name commands you to surrender The Town and Citadel without delay Which just Demand if proudly you refuse Himself attended with his Son the Dauphine And all the Flower of France will force you to 't Bouffleers Prince Go tell the Marquess from the Prince Bergue The King of France affords me too much Honour â—o come himself in Person to behold â—he brave Defence we are resolv'd to make Exit Messenger â—urrender Mons my dear lov'd Native Town â—s soon I 'd sell my valued Right of Birth â—ith Arms and plenty of Provisions stor'd â—e doubt not but to tire the Force of France â—carce thirteen years are past since they attempted â—o gain the Town but then they were repulsed â—t height of Noon and beaten from their Trenches â—y the brave Valour of the great Nassau â—ow Britains Monarch at the Hague Consulting â—he fittest Methods Christendom to free â—om servile Chains and Arbitrary Sway â—hich gladly France would on all Europe lay ACT II. SCENE I. â—ene the Duke of Luxemburghs Tent in the French Camp present himself the Marquess de Boufflers the Marshal de Duras Fevillade c. â—M Bouffl A trifling Loss and scarcely worth the naming 〈◊〉 the whole Action but five hundred slain â—d we must do our Eemies that Justice â—ey sallied out like Men inur'd to Arms. Luxemb Relieve the Centrys that have watcht so long To the Officers â—ture must have repose this stubborn Town â—l vexes me yet were our num'rous Army 〈◊〉 great as e're was chronicled in Story 〈◊〉 should be slain ev'n to a single Man â—re the Kings Pretentions should be lost Enter a Messenger Messeng. My Lord another Sally has been made 〈◊〉 Enemy attempting to demolish â—ind-mill to the Counterscarp adjoyning 〈◊〉 in the Action kill two hundred Men. â—uxemb Let them go on and surfeit with their Glory Fortune with these Successes does but flatter 'em Like Gamesters they at first have Lucky throws This tempts them on to venture deeper still Till they at last by one unlucky Chance Loose all their flatt'ring hopes and store of gain Boufflers Never was better tim'd this City's Siege Secure they liv'd not Dream'd of such Attacques The Governour of all the Spanish Netherlands Is at the Hague consulting how to form The Model of this present Summers War His presence wanting to inform their Actions Like men just rows'd from sleep they talk and act But 't is with such Confusion that they hardly Know whether that they act or speak at all Enter a Second Messenger Messenger My Lords his Majesty is with his Highness The Dauphin Conde and the Duke de Chartres Together with the chiefest of the Nobles Just now arrived in Person in the Camp And your immediate Conference commands Luxemb We go This Boufflers is the Soul of Courage When our great Monarch does himself appear At head of all his Numerous Troops in person This no small Comforts to our hopes does bring Cowards will Fight when headed by a King ACT II. SCENE II. A great Noise of Shooting is heard for some time after which the Scene changes to the City of Mons. Enter Fagel with several Officers Fagel Secure the Horn-VVorks mount the Canon higher And Fire so fast upon 'em that the Enemy May loose themselves in Clouds of Fire and Smoak I hate to Fight in Jest How fare the Troops to the Officers That you command are they all brave and lusty 1 Officer Like Soldiers in the most exalted sence They Fight and if of any fault they 'r guilty 'T is they expose themselves too near to Danger Fagel A Messenger is 〈◊〉 arrived in Town From our Chief Head thâ— Marquess Castanaga T' inform the Burghers if they still persist To keep the Town till timely Succours come They shall be free from Taxes Twenty years Had you but seen with what Excess of Joy The Message they receiv'd you would have smil'd Fighting tho not agreeing with their Temper Yet to be freed from Tribute are Valiant For they hate Taxes worser than the French Enter Collonel Brannacio embracing him Welcome thou Soul of VVar what sort of News From Brussels does the Lov'd Brannacio bring Col. Brannacio News is a Drug for all Discourse and Talk Is laid aside excepting Mons Beleaguer'd Of this the very Children learn to prattle And it is taken and reliev'd each hour 'T was by Disguise my self and some few more Got into the Town Fagel And how appears the Army Branac Dreadful enough in sight and apprehension â—o those who want true Courage to defy â—he Force of such a Formidable Foe â—met a Gentleman upon the Road Going in hast to the Marquess Castanaga â—inform him of the Present State of Mons â—nd press for speedy Succours for our Aid Fagel Tho Plenty never was esteem'd a Burthen â—t present we no Helps nor Aids require â—ovisions we have got so great a Stock â—o last four Months without the least Recruits â—ur Men are hearty and
unanimous â—ch striving who his Fellow shall out-do â—acts of Valour nay the very Burghers â—e Soâ—diers too and hourly on the Walls 〈◊〉 Random Bullets do their Breasts expose Brannacio The Prince just now receiv'd a haughty Message From Monsieur Lovis That for ev'ry day They stubbornly held out since their great Monarch Was in the Camp they should for such offence Pay numerous Crowns for each delaying Morning Bravado's Let them first defend the Claim They make before they seize upon our Purses A Trumpet heard But hark some Signal Each Man to his Post Bravely we must defend or Mons is lost Exeunt Enter several Burghers and Souldiers running cross the Stage with Buckets in their hands crying out Quench the Fire quench the Fire The Scene closes ACT II. Scene 3. The Scene The French Kings Tent in the â—â—ench Camp in which appears Lewis the XIV The Dauphin The Prince of Conde Monsieur Lovis The Duke d'Chartres Monsieur Vauban and other Officers K. of France When will my thirst of Glory find a Period Since I have aim'd at Universal Monarchy A restless thought still raging in my Breast Makes my Days irksom and my Nights unquiet Whole Provinces already I 've laid desolate And where so e're I stretcht my Conquering Arms In Blood and Ruins I make good my Title Lovis By this great Sir your Empire you enlarge K. F. 'T is my Ambition Lovis to be great Men of my rank do seldom think of dying But 't is methinks a kind of satisfaction When after Ages seeing Towns destroy'd Shall say that Lewis made that Desolation Does Mons yet still persist in Obstinacy Dauphin 'T is the old stubborn Town it ever was They nothing want to make a brisk Defence K. F. Vauban you nicely have survey'd the place Where lyes it's chiefest strength and where it 's weakness M. Vauban Great Sir I must confess their Forts are built By the strict rules of modern Architecture Their Bastions strong their Horn-works regular Their Ramparts good and the deep Moats and Ditches Add no small strength to the distressed Town Four Days your Royal Troops have Mons beleagur'd And if my skill in War does not deceive me Before the Sun six times goes round the Globe The place will yield to your victorious Arms. K. F. It shall the mighty Lewis says it shall If force compel not then I use my Gold No triffling Sum I 've brought to give the Souldiers Who shall be taken notice of in Battel To give the best assurance of their Valour Besides some greater Sum for private Service I have my Friends in Mons as well as Philip. Lovis here take thâ—â— Gold gives a Purse and send it quickly By some bold lusty Officer of yours In a Deserters habit to the Town And to the Abbotts Grimchi and Vaneufe Commend my Love and tell 'em I'm their Friend Let this old Gold express my secret meaning The best the Language of my Presents know Lovis I fly dread Sir to execute your Pleasure Exit Lovis Enter Luxemburgh Bouffleers c. F. K. How goes the Siege my Lords You seem concern'd I read some strange confusion in your Faces Luxem Think not great Sir that fear or Cowardize Makes us thus wear this sadness on our looks To both we 're strangers 'T is the great concern We bear to your Majestick Reputation Which we suspect will find some Diminution In the Attempts upon the stubborn Mons. F. K. Have I selected out from all my Troops The choicest Men and brought my houshold Guards Gens d'Arms Light-horse and such a Train of Cannon T' oppose one stubborn Town and am I baffl'd By all the Saints our holy Church adores I swear that no expence of Men or Mony Shall e're be wanting to reduce the Place Bouffl Great Sir the Souldiers in your Royal Army Behave themselves with an uncommon Brav'ry But there is no defence against our Fate F. K. Talk not of Fate to me my Lord I tell you I over-rule her closest laid Designs And have her at my beck nay more command her And notwithstanding these cross Accidents Am certain that before few days are ended This Town of Mons will own me for her Master To you Rubenton speaking to him our old trusty Servant We give the Government of this Conquer'd City When e're it falls into Our Royal Hands Mean while you Luxemburgh Bouffleers and all My Officers relating to the Siege Open the Trenches use your utmost force To make the Town comply but if it still Resists my Arms by all the Gods I swear Within their streets I 'le lay a Scene of Blood Shall make their Dwellings horrible to Nature I will my Lords St. Guislan is my Quarters Where I with ease refresh my self still waiting When the glad News arrives that Mons is taken Then with a Grandeur like my self I enter As did my Predecessor Julius Caesar Along the streets of Rome for 't is resolv'd Mons shall submit and own my Regal Power Or sudden ruine shall the Globe devour Exit with his Train Manent Luxemburgh and Bouffleers Luxemb It shall submit for so our Sovereign swears I wish it may but when I make Reflections With what true Courage they defend the Town I know not what to think Bouffl Besides my Lord The Prince of Orange at the Hague is raising A numerous Army of pickt chosen Souldiers To raise the Siege or else to give us Battel Luxemb All actions when t'extremity reduc'd Require our nicest prudence we no time For long set-Speeches and Debates can spare It must be Action terminates the War Exeunt Ambo ACT. II. Scene 4. The Scene changes to the Fort upon Windmill-hill Engineer Pedro Spinosa and other Officers and Souldiers appear Pedro. To see the various effects of Fortune Thrice has this place been in the Enemies hands And thrice they have been beaten out again With more then Roman Bravery by the Souldiers Spinosa Major If any thing of War I know I think it is not safe to keep the place In our own Power indeed 't must be confest To take it they have now already lost In their Attaques about Two thousand Men. A pretty Sum for such a trifling Post. Pedro. Your Advice What must be done My orders from the Prince are independent He giving me a large and full Commission To act as I should judge most proper for the safety Of Mons distrest now Sir with low submission To your grave Judgment I esteem it fittest That instantly we blow the Wind-mill up Spinosa No flattery Pedro I resign my self And thoughts entirely to your wise directions Souldier speaking to one how stands the Enemy abroad 1. Souldier My Lord they 're very busie in working upon the Trenches little thinking poor Curs they are digging their own Graves Pedro. Is the Coast free from any straggling Troops 2. Souldier Yes my Lord only half a Dozen or so together a louzing themselves in the Sun I wonder what quarters the poor Vermin