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
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
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
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