all my People both Souldiers and Slaves commanding them to be ready and at the first touch of the Boatswain's Whistle fall to their Oars amain The second Cannon shot came to our Ears presently after and then I made them row toward the shore as fast as they could and saw the Enemy spreading their Sails to prepare for attacking the Mole Being landed I immediately went to the King and acquainted him that the Enemy were hoisting Sail and that the Weather Wind and Tide were so favourable that they could not lose so fair an occasion At this news the King gave his orders throughout and afterwards went with part of the Nobility to the Battery which was at the Head of the Bay commanding me to lye under the shelter of this Battery There was nothing very remarkable in this fight except the Cannon shot of which a prodigious number was fir'd on both sides There was nothing to be heard but Peals of Thunder nor to be seen but Lightning in the midst of a dark Smoke that cover'd the whole Sea It was a fine sight to see those monstrous Vessels too that resembled great floating Castles and advancing one after another in very graceful order gave Broad-sides at our Mound of fifty or threescore Cannon shot at a time But as the English attack'd briskly they were as warmly receiv'd The Battery where the King was did wonders He made several shot himself delighting extremely in every thing that related to War and never was more liberal either of Lead to the Enemies or Gold and Silver to his Souldiers and Gunners During the whole fight I kept my self close under the Cannon of his Battery according to the orders I had receiv'd venturing out only a little now and then to pursue a Vessel when it retir'd from the Charge but being forc'd to return very quickly for fear of being snapt by some other that came on There was only one Cannon Ball fell into my Galliot with which she was much damag'd and two Slaves kill'd XIX At length the Enemy seeing Heaven declare on our side and that all their attempts were vain made a retreat fatal to Rochelle and advantageous to the King and his Arms. Then I fell to cruising again and was so happy as to meet with a favourable accident which was of great advantage towards restoring me to the King's favour Seeing a very beautiful guilded Prow floating upon the water and the Arms of England in it I made up and found it was a considerable Prize and a Present worthy the King With much ado I haled it up into my Galliot and return'd a proud man toward the Beach where after I had got it ashore I went straight to the King's Quarter As I was going Monsieur Bassompiere met me and told me Monsieur Canaples had entreated him to beg my Pardon of the King in his name by reason that his Father Mareschal Creâ—ui did as I said formerly very much condemn his behaviour and besides he knew well enough how the King stood affected which made him speak first to get the merit of a thing which hop'd might turn to his honour I told him of the good luck I had met with and he gave me all the hopes imaginable advising me to make use of this advantage to ingratiate my self with the King I then declared my design which was to let the King know that the Shot which took off this Prow came from his Battery as indeed it did and so by degrees insensibly to persuade him that his Majesty himself had made the shot He approv'd of my design telling me he thought the true way to go to work for my own interests was to advance the King's honour On I went and at my entring the King's Lodgings I compos'd my countenance the best I could without discovering the least gayety but looking very modest and dejected as became a man who had reason to apprehend the consequences of so unlucky an affair as mine I told his Majesty that one of the English Vessels was much disabled and I had found a great piece of her Prow which I thought it my duty to bring away that his Majesty if he pleased might see it I would not say any thing more at first thinking he would be apt enough of his own accord to attribute the glory of this shot to himself He told me he would go view it and askt me by the way whereabouts I had found it I answered very innocently and without spurring on too fast in such a place on the right hand which was the part expos'd to his own Battery The King who passionately desir'd it might be thought his own doing but durst not yet take it to himself without some ground was pleas'd with my answer and reply'd 't was I that made that shot at such a time I saw the Vessel fall off as soon as ever I had discharg'd and did then believe she had receiv'd some damage Upon this I began to confirm his opinion by several circumstances which was matter of great Joy to this Prince who stood much upon his being a good Marks-man and did really excel in all military matters there being perhaps scarce a man in his Kingdom that could draw up the greatest Army in Battalia so soon or so advantageously as himself He took great pride in showing this Prow and telling every one that came that I could testify it fell upon a shot of his which was as much for my satisfaction as his own for thus I was made a Judge in the case and did not question but having determined favourably for him he would not fail to do as much for me Mareschal Bassompiere loth to lose so fair an opportunity when the King was in so good a humour got his Majesty to do that at his request and for his sake which he was inclin'd enough to do of himself but that he would have seem'd to proceed more upon favour than justice I humbly beseech your Majesty said he to grant me one humble request which I have to make you The King who probably guest what he would be at he seem'd a little shy telling him he could not engage his word till he knew for what Sir reply'd Monsieur Bassompiere I can assure your Majesty the cause is good and you will have no reason to repent of the favour But tell me what it is said the King if the cause be good why are you so nice in declaring it Is it something that concerns your self or some of your Relations Sir said he the favour I would obtain neither concerns my self nor any Relation of mine but another that hath more need Oh! you are too subtle for me reply'd the King I am no Diviner to know your thoughts At last Monsieur Bassompiere told him that it was my Pardon he took the boldness to beg and did it from Monsieur Canaples too who was infinitely troubled for the misfortune he had brought upon me The King seeming mightily surpriz'd stood
superintendant of the Treasury the Battery of Messieurs de Chevreuse and de Lesdiguieres which a man might also call that of Monsieur de Schomberg he being almost continually there wrought a great effect upon the Bastion of Dumontier so that the breach was thought reasonable for an assault But being they would first be very sure of the true condition of the place an Officer was appointed to go and discover He did so but with very little exactness having seen almost nothing either peradventure because he was afraid or that he did not advance so far as was necessary to make a full discovery The distrust they had of his report made them send another who at his return gave no better account than the first The King then resolv'd upon an Assault he commanded that the Army should be drawn up in Battaile and should go on to the attack when upon the Hill of Pillis which was his Majesty's Quarter they should see him wave a Handkerchief upon the end of his Cane which was to be the Signal All things werâ— ready and they only staid expecting the Sign when Monsieur de Schomberg prompted by I know not what instinct and suspecting every thing told the King that he did not know whether it would not be proper upon this occasion where his Majesty's honour and the safety of his Army were in question to send a third time to discover the Bastion by some exact person and of whose report they could have no reason to doubt at the same time naming me thinking he did me a great deal of honour in exposing me to the utmost peril The King approv'd of the motion being of opinion that in such occasions a great many people see things but by halves by reason of the extream danger and of the little time they have to look about them I was call'd for instantly and Monsieur de Schomberg having acquainted me with the anxiety the King was in and the little certainty they had of the true estate of the place told me withal that he had thought fit to name me to his Majesty and to propose that I might be sent to discover again by reason they could not think themselves sure till I had made my report Nevertheless having a particular affection for me and knowing very well that to perform this with the exactness requir'd I could not choose but expose my self to very great danger he thought fit to tell me farther that though this affair was of the last importance to the whole Army he did not nevertheless pretend to engage me in it contrary to my own liking I return'd him the same answer that any other man would have done upon the same occasion which was That he did me wrong to doubt of the joy I was full of upon such occasions to see my self honour'd with his esteem and the good opinion he had of me that I would go prepare my self and that I hop'd to return and to bring so good an account that nothing should be found in my report that was not exactly true Having then put on a Cuirass and a Cask with a Pistol hanging at my girdle I eat a bit or two and then set out in the sight of his Majesty and the whole Army who had their eyes attentively fixt upon me Being come to the foot of the breach I there kneel'd down and pray'd behind some Stones that were tumbled down and afterwards began to mount creeping as well as I could upon my belly Being got to the top I had a mind to discover the place in the same posture I had got up that is to say lying upon my belly that I might not be too open nor too much expos'd to the Musquet shot that whisk'd round about me on every side but this posture affording me but little advantage of seeing what might be beyond the Bastion I started up on a sudden and exposing my self to a danger from which God alone was able to protect me I ran to the very brink of it from whence I discover'd the bottom which was a dreadful retrenchment and in it a Battalion that seem'd to be of above two thousand men of which the first ranks were all Pikes and the rest Musqueteers At the very instant that I discover'd my self and lookt down they made so furious a discharge upon me that I have ever since lookt upon it as a Miracle that I could escape and yet of all these great number of shots I only reciev'd two upon my arms which made but slight impressions and of which I was not so much as sensible at that time Assuring my self then that I had seen all I return'd with all the haste I could make only observing an eminence near the Kings Quarter from whence I thought I might possibly shew his Majesty himself the retrenchment of the Enemy After which I let my self fall on purpose that I might rowl down to the bottom and be more out of danger of the shot which made all the Army believe I was kill'd and Monsieur de Schomberg turn'd his back that he might not see a thing which gave him a great and real affliction accusing himself of being the cause of my death But I came off at the expence of a great giddiness only out of which being presently recoverâ—d I gave God thanks upon my knees for having preserv'd me from so great a danger After which I presently callâ—d to mind what I had seen and writ it down in my Table book being secure behind the same Stones I mention'd before and presently appear'd again when every one thought I was dead There may be peradventure some Bravo's and especially young men who will look upon it as a weakness that in so perilous an occasion I should rather have recourse to God than to give my self up to a foolish confidence that makes a man run brutishly and as it were blindfold every where where death is most terrible but in my opinion in occasions of this kind where a man hardly discovers any possible means to save both his honour and his life at once though he should forget that he was a Christian to be a man only is sufficient to make him think of him who can take away not only his Life but even Courage too from the man that fancies he has the most And having been for fifty years together in as many hazardous occasions as any man perhaps of my time I can witness this that I have seen very many who have made a vanity of no Religion as if their impiety ought to pass for a mark of their Valour whom I have often found to be rather great Braggadochio's than really brave and that if the danger was on the right hand would turn to the left and that would make use of dexterity where they ought to have staked down their persons and by their actions to have made good their vaunting words XIV After having in this manner escap'd so great a danger Monsieur
same and therefore as far as I was able to judge durst be responsible to his Majesty that there was not any reason to suspect their fidelity which was all I had to say according to the present condition I left them in To which the King made answer that it was enough and as much as he desir'd bidding me stay without and attend him at Dinner XI I took care to be there accordingly but there was so much Company the King could not speak to me and therefore deferr'd it till Supper where there happening to be but a few I had a convenient Audience After Supper the King took me into his Closet and Marquis Grimant only being by said thus to me I have sent for you to let you see I am mindful of you and willing to acknowledge the services you have done me and therefore I give you your choice either of a Company in the old Body or a Lieutenancy in my Guards choose which you had rather have I leave you at full liberty I confess this proposal a little surpriz'd me for to speak truth I expected something more and was of opinion that the services I had done after having refused a Company in the Regiment of Champagne deserved a higher recompence than that of a Command no better than what I had formerly refused However I was forc'd to set a good face upon the matter and acknowledge it a great thing that his Majesty had done me the honour to think of me Wherefore I made answer with all imaginable humility that since his Majesty was pleased to do so much in my favour I humbly begg'd he would make it compleat by pointing out to me himself the choice I ought to make protesting at the same time that what pleas'd his Majesty would by most acceptable to me so great was the passion I had to serve him in any Post he thought fit to assign me I thought said the King how I should find you affected and had a mind to try which of the two Commands you had a greater inclination to Whereupon Monsieur Grimaâ—t who pretty well knew the King's intention took the liberty to say to him methinks Sir you had better give him a Lieutenancy in the Guards for by that means you will be sure to have him constantly near your person That is what I desire reply'd the King and do you do so too said he speaking to me I have already told your Majesty said I that I have no other choice to make than what your Majesty directs me to and I am fixt in that resolution as I ought to be But I know your Majesty's goodness is so great that you will not be displeas'd if I put you in mind that you did me the favoâ—r to promise me a Company This was modestly to ask a Company in the Guards and the King who understood my meaning well enough presently interrupted me and said True but it was in an old Body and I am now ready to do it though I give you my word that if the Company of which I now make you Lieutenant comes to be vacant either by the death of the Captain or any other accident you shall have it I am willing too to acquaint you at first that I am desirous to restore one thing in my Guards and to begin to do it by you which is that you neither practise nor give any Orders in the Company but what come first from me In extraordinary cases I mean and not in things of course and common use and that you never go off your Guard nor out of your Quarters when 't is your turn to command This I resolve to have done that I may restore discipline in the body which at present is quite lost among them and also with a design to have you always near my Person I answer'd That as he was my Master and my Prince and had done me the particular favour to command me nearer to him I hopâ—d by my conduct to let his Majesty see that my greatest desire was to obey and serve him all my life Then he ordered Monsieur Grimant to see my Commission dispatch'd presently by which I was to be made Lieutenant to Count Saligny's Company XII But though I set a good face upon the matter as I thought my self oblig'd to do yet I return'd very little satisfy'd with my fortune and thinking very seriously of the conditions propos'd to me which appear'd very burdensom and difficult I look'd upon my self from this time forward as entring into a dreadful slavery so that I confess I could have wish'd had I dar'd to deny the King that I had not been so unseasonably complemental and had made choice rather of a Company in an old Body But I was now engag'd over head and ears and had no retreat left nor any remedy but to see my mistake and make it an useful example to other people Monsieur Saligny's Company was one of the first in the Regiment and his younger Brother was Ensign of it which I knew nothing of before Custom and Order seemâ—d to require that he should succeed as Lieutenant especially in his own Brother's Company I found my self a little perplex'd so soon as I was inform'd of this But still that inconvenience must be encounter'd too and so I resolv'd to pay all imaginable civility to Monsienr Saligny and going to wait upon him I said That had I understood sooner that his Brother was Ensign in that Company I should have begg'd the Kingâ—s excuse for accepting the Lieutenancy and being plac'd between two Brothers who by Order of War as well as Birth ought not to have been separated upon this occasion But that I but just then had come to the knowledge of it and all left in my power to do having already accepted the Commission was to express my concern This complement succeeded very well and I can say that the two Brothers did me the honour to testify so particular a Friendship for me that as oft as any little coldness happened beween them I was always the Mediator and chosen for the Umpire of their differences After having been received at the head of the Regiment it being necessary to have my self admitted by the Duke of Espernon too who was Collonel of the Infantry I resolv'd to incline his favour to me by a complement that I knew would please him very well and gratify the ambition so natural to all great men The day that I was to mount the Guard I marched at the head of the Company without a Corslet directly to his House where causing my men to halt in a corner some twenty paces from it so that they kept out of sight and going by my self I desir'd to speak with him As soon as I came into his presence after the first salutes I told him that the King having honoured me with the Command of Lieutenant to Monsieur Saligny and sealed my Commission I had been the day before receiv'd at the head of
was all his policy too to get loose from all the new intrigues form'd against him as I shall shew in some measure hereafter Mareschal Melleray still unmov'd with all the Cardinal had said sent back word that the place was actually invested and he did not question but to give a good account of it And after several other things said upon this occasion he added at the bottom of his Letter as himself was pleased to tell me that noted sentence of the Poet Audaces fortuna juvat At this Siege God preserved me after such a manner as I can never sufficiently admire by snatching me on the sudden from a Post where I was oblig'd to be and where if I had been my death had been unavoidable One day when my Regiment was to come on upon the Guard in the evening having heard that Monsieur de Rambures my particular friend was indisposed the night before I went to visit him When I came to his Tent they told me he was at the head of the Trenches I went thither to him and found him shivering like a man in an Ague-fit and told him with great tenderness that he plaid the Fool to be there when he scarce could go or stand You said I had more need be in your Bed Are the Trenches a fit place for a sick man If the Enemy should make a sally what can you do in this condition He told me his illness was nothing and for the Enemy they were not likely to make any sallies that they had been very quiet all the night before and did not seem to design any great matters I told him that according to the little experience I had I was of a quite contrary opinion and I thought there was the greater ground to fear them for the very reason why he thought there was none at all That the Enemies being so quiet lookt to me very suspiciously and could portend no good and that skilful Seamen are always jealous of a great calm While I was talking at this rate very seriously the Count de Bussy Lamet interrupted me taking me aside with a whisper which was to tell me that he had a Pasty of Red Deer sent him of a Present and desired my company at the opening of it which was to be that morning to breakfast In the mean while came the Mareschal de Melleray to whom I said with the freedom he allowed me to take Do not you make a conscience Sir of letting a sick man as Monsieur Rambures is that had an Ague all night and hath it still upon him stay here at the head of the Trenches Pray Sir command him to go to bed for he has at present a worse Enemy than the Spaniard to encounter Monsieur Rambures took me up and pretending to slight his distemper when he thought himself concern'd to be upon duty turned what I said into raillery and told us he was very well Monsieur Melleray urged him to withdraw but he would not be prevailed upon to leave his Post and by not taking our advice he became quickly after the cause of his own death Then Monsieur Melleray who had laid his design upon the Town told me I must needs oblige him in one small piece of service which was to go immediately from him to the Lieutenant of the Ordnance and bid him get four thousand Baskets of Earth ready by six in the evening exactly for he had absolute occasion for them I promis'd him to go and as he turned about to speak to some body else Monsieur Bussy Lamet told me again in my Ear that I should stay till the Mareschal was gone and then we might go and breakfast together before I executed my Commission But Monsieur Melleray who would have had me gone instantly seeing me again cryed What are not you gone yet I thought you would have flown for my sake I told him I durst not go before him and only waited his motions Whereupon he answered That since I was not gone we would walk both together as far as the end of the Trench and then take Horse and go both about our business Thus I lost my Breakfast of which I had need enough but by a particular good providence I miss'd an accident too which must undoubtedly have cost me my life as you will see presently As soon as I had parted with Mareschal Melleray who went to overlook the Works I made haste to the Lieutenant of the Ordinance's Quarter By that time I was got six or seven hundred paces I heard a great noise of abundance of Guns I turn'd about and saw all the Trench and the Curtain on fire and fancied it was a great skirmiâ—h and that the Enemy had charged us in our Trenches Just then was I in greater confusion than can be exprest On one side my friendship for Monsieur Rambures call'd me to the Trenches on the other the fear of offending Mareschal Melleray put me upon obeying his orders At last I resolv'd if it were possible to satisfy both obligations Then riding full speed as soon as ever I met with the Lieutenant I told him without more ado that Monsieur Melleray had sent me to order in his name four thousand Baskets of Earth to be ready at half an hour after five in the evening and for fear he should not understand me right I repeated it over again to him He made answer that the Mareschal commanded an impossibility I repeated it a third time without staying to reason the case with him that he must do what he could but my orders were to bespeak four thousand at half an hour past five in the evening and so I left him galloping back again full speed to the Trench But all was over All was broke and in disorder and by the way I met poor Monsieur Rambures with his Thigh broke and carrying back to his Tent. The first words he said were Ah Sir poor Bussy is killed and so are all the rest that you saw with me at the head of the Trenches The Guards let themselves be surprized and that hath lost us all What you told me is come upon me and I had been wiser if I had believed you I was then quite transported with grief seeing one of my friends lost another so dangerously wounded and so terrible a slaughter in so very short a time But this was no time to talk and Monsieur Rambures himself begg'd me to run to the Trench and see if they did not want me and whether it was not necessary to draw down my Regiment to beat back the Enemy I ran immediately to put them into a posture of fighting and Mareschal Mâ—lleray meeting me there said in great concern What Monsieur Pontis have not you been where I sent you I told him the thing was done and I had told the Lieutenant and repeated it thrice over that the Lieutenant thought it could hardly be done but he would endeavour to satisfy him the best he could Then
after his leaving the world as never to account himself any better than an old sinner to whom silence and solitude and a life that shut him up from Conversation were given as his portion and therefore I shall so far comply with his disposition in this pâ—rticular as to add only one thing which he would often say to an intimate friend of his That the thing he most dreaded in the service he endeavoured to pay Almighty God was lest he should insensibly grow fond and take up with this life and not sufficiently contemplate the greatness of Him he had the honour to serve And these apprehensions were the more reasonable in him because upon continual remembrances of that extraordinary zeal shewn in all his long hard service to his Master the late King he might find some ground to suspect himself less zealous where yet the service was infinitely better and the Master incomparably greater He lived about eighteen or twenty years after his Retirement and at last fell into a very weak and languishing condition and Nature was so far decayed that after his first voluntary retreat from the Court and company he fell into a more strict one the two last years of his life being lost to all conversation with men by his extreme deafness and so finding himself under some necessity of entertaining himself chiefly with Almighty God He dyed in the year of our Lord 1670 and of his own age the ninety second when Nature could last no longer but was forced to sink under so many years and so many hardships and shocks which he had undergone in several Wars for a long time together I cannot suffer my self to doubt but upon the perusal of these Memoirs and considering the many dangers the cross accidents and uncommon events which he was exercised with every body will be of opinion that there are some things very surprizing and wonderful and the marks of a particular providence with regard to him and that the publishing this account may be of great use since so many things are contained in it capable of doing good to those that are about engaging in the affairs of the world to them that are already engaged and to them too who have disengaged themselves from it For all these may learn from this Example of a Souldier one that had long experience of all the different conditions that could happen to him both in the Court and in the Camp that nothing was ever more true than that observation of the wisest Prince that ever lived Vanity of vanities all is vanity except the fear of God and the keeping of his Commandments FINIS BOOKS Sold by James Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard THE Memoirs of Monsieur de Pontis who served in the French Army 56 years under Henry IV. Lewis XIII and Lewis XIV Kings of France containing many remarkable Passages relating to the War the Court and the Government of those Princes Faithfully englished at the Request of his Grace the Duke of Ormond By Charles Cotton Esq Fol. Lord Bacon's Essays Octavo Scrivener's Directions to a holy Life Oct. Dr. Barrow of Contentment c. Oct. Sir William Temple's Memoirs of what past in Christendom from the War in 1672. to the Peace concluded 1679. Octavo Second Edition His Observations upon Holland His Miscellanies Two Parts Dr. Tillotson's Sermons Three Volumes Four Sermons against the Socinians The Unreasonableness of Mens Contentions for the present Enjoyments in a Poem on Ecclesiastes The History of the Inquisition as it is exercis'd at Goa Written by Mr. Dellon who labour'd five years under its Severities with an account of his deliverance Quadraenium Jacobi or the History of the Reign of King James II. from his coming to the Crown to his Desertion The second Edition Twelves Plutarch's Lives Translated by several Hands 5 Vol. His Morals 5 Vol. The Life of the Emperour Theodosâ—â—â— Done into English from the French of Monsieur Flechier by Fr. Manning Octav. Kilburn's Presidents Twelves Seneca's Morals By Sir R. L'Estrange Norris's Discourses 3 Vol. Reform'd Devotions Caesar in usum Delphini Processus integri in Morbis fere omnibus curandis a Do. Tho. Sydenham conscripti A learned Treatise of the Situation of the Terrestrial Paradise Written in French by Huetius and translated into English by direction of Dr. Gale Cole's English and Latin Dictionary Robertson's or the Cambridge Phrase being the best and largest Phrase-Book extant Scarron's Novels The Governour of Cyprus The wanton Fryar Two Parts Victoriae Anglicanae or an Account of several Victories obtain'd by the English against the French POETRY and PLAYS BEN Johnson's Works newly reprinted Sir Robert Howard's Plays Milton's Paradise lost with Cuts Dryden's Juvenal Miscellany Poems Three Parts Ovid's Epistles By several Hands Waller's Poems Oldham's Poems Cleveland's Poems Dennis's Poems Hudibras Three Parts compleat Mr. Dryden's Plays bound or single viz. 1 Dramatick Essay 1 Wild Gallant 3 Rival Ladies 4 Indian Emperour 5 Maiden Queen 6 Sir Martin Marr-all 7 Tempest 8 Mock-Astrologer 9 Tyrannick Love 10 Conq. of Granada 11 Marriage Alam 12 Love in a Nunn 13 Amboyna 14 State of Innocen 15 Aurang-Zebe 16 All for Love 17 Limberham 18 Oedipus 19 Troilus and Cressida 20 Spanish Fryar 21 Duke of Guise 22 Albion Albanius 23 Don Sebastian 24 Amphytrion 25 King Arthur 26 Cleomenes Mr. Shadwell's Plays bound or single viz. 1 Sullen Lovers 2 Humourist 3 Royal Shepherdess 4 Virtuoso 5 Psycho 6 Libertine 7 Epsom Wells 8 Timon of Athens 9 Miser 10 True Widow 11 Lancashire Witch 12 Woman Captain 13 Squire of Alsatia 14 Bury Fair 15 Amorous Biggot 16 Scowrers 17 Volunteers Also his Odes to the King and Queen Mr. Lee's Tragedies bound or single viz. 1 Sophonisba 2 Nero 3 Gloriana 4 Alexand. the Great 5 Mithridates 6 Theodosius 7 Caesar Borgia 8 Lucius Junius Brutus 9 Constantine 10 Oedipus 11 Duke of Guise 12 Massacre of Paris 13 Princess of Cleve Mr. Otways Plays bound or single viz. 1 Alcibiades 2 Friendsh in fash 3 Orphan 4 Souldiers Fortune 5 Second Part of the Souldiers Fortune 6 Titus and Berenice 7 Venice preser'vd 8 Don Carlos 9 Caius Marius 10 Windsor Castle a Poem Also these and most other Modern Plays Mr. Anthony Abdelazer Bellamira Country Wit Circe Chances Cambyses Country Wife Cheats City Politiques Destruct of Jerusalem Duke and no Duke Devil of a Wife Distressed Innocence Empress of Morocco Earl of Essex English Monarch English Fryar Edward the third Emper. of the Moon Fond Husband Feign'd Courtizans Forc't Marriage Female Virtuoso Gentlem. danc Mast. Henry V. and Mustaph. Heir of Morocco Fortune Hunters Ibrahim Island Princess Ingratit of a Commonwealth Julius Caesar Injur'd Lovers Innocent Impostor Innocent Usurper King and No King King Lear Love in a Tub London Cuckolds Love for Money Man of Mode Mulberry Garden Macbeâ—h Madam Fickle Maids Tragedy Marriage-Hâ—ter Maids last Prayer Othello Old Batchelor Plain-Dealer Philaster Pope Joan Regulus Rehearsal Richmond Heiress Scornful Lady She woud if she coud Siege of Babylon Sir Solomon Squire Oldsap Successful Strangers Sir Courtly Nice Sir Patient Fancy Triumphant Widow Titus Andronicus Treacherous Broth. Traytor Vertuous Wife Very good Wife Widow Ranter Woman's Conquest Woman Bully Wife's Excuse FINIS
be weary of those dilatory proceedings and that he might save his money by this means was deaf to all propositions made in my behalf and absolutely refus'd any terms of accommodation One day as I and some other friends were walking in Monsieur Deffiat the Superintendant of the Treasury's Hall I saw my adversary come in and without employing any other Mediators went to discourse him my self where I told him freely thus Sir I know you do not love me but for my part I bear no ill will to you I ask you nothing but what the King has given me and is it not a shame for a rich man as you are to refuse that little you owe me and slight the Rules of Court obtain'd against you I am naturally so averse to Suits that I had rather submit peaceably to the Judgment of any Arbitrator you will name so we may but put an end to this business Since you open your heart to me reply'd he it is but fair that I deal as openly with you I have only one thing to say which is that I have at this very time seven and twenty Causes depending and I have Money enough to maintain them seven and twenty years So that you had best consider whether it will be for your purpose to engage in a Suit with me This knavish answer and ridiculous boast was what I least expected and made me really angry Give me your hand said I to him I promise you upon the faith of a Gentleman and a man of Honour that since you resolve to stand Suit I will ply you so close that the Kingdom shall be too hot for one of us From that time forward I began to sollicit my Judges with all my might and main and sparing neither pains nor money obtain'd at length another Decree against him and a Writ to seize his Body This forc'd him to leave Paris and flee to Lions I pursu'd him thither but he seeing himself prest stopt the proceedings by a fresh Injunction so that we were to begin all again Both of us return'd to Paris and about this time I found a way to humble the insolence of a Serjeant after a very pleasant manner I had some new Citation brought me every day either to command my appearance or the producing some paper or other and the Serjeants took a pride to serve these Citations because they were under protection At last growing weary of this sort of Officers who are not very acceptable Guests to men of our way in ones own house I resolv'd to make use not of force but cunning to rid my self fairly of the inconvenience I suffer'd by them To this purpose I invented a Trap at the entrance into my Chamber as wide as the door so that when the Bolt was drawn none could go in or out but they must needs fall into it Then I had a great Sack nailed to the roof of the room below wide open just under the Trap that whoever slipt into the hole might fall into the Sack and hang in the air In regard I had often company with me they thought â—â—t to choose out one of the stoutest Serjeants to serve these Citations One of which having boasted that he fear'd me not and being very jolly upon the account of some Pistoles that were promis'd as his reward came to my House and enter'd my Chamber with a Citation in his hand As bold as he pâ—etended to be he appear'd to me not much assur'd and told me that being oblig'd to bring me a Citation yet he would ask my leave and not serve it unless I were willing he should I answer'd that he very little understood how to be civil to men of honour and that he ought not to mock me by asking my consent to bring what I saw him hold in his hand He seeing me angry had recourse to submissions and excuses but at last I began to raise my voice and then fearing if he did not get out of the Room that I should reward him with a Cudgel he began to retire and shift towards the door In the mean while my man had drawn back the Bolt that staid the Trap and so my brave Serjeant that thought of nothing but making his escape vanisht in an instant being fallen through the Trap-door into the Sack which clos'd at the top with the weight of his body as did the Trap also returning in a moment to its former posture There was my Gentleman dangling between Heaven and Earth in an astonishment so great that he scarce knew whither he was dead or alive I gave him leisure to come to himself and let him hang about a quarter of an hour After I had order'd him to be drawn out he begg'd of me as the greatest favour I could do him not to divulge a thing which would disgrace him for ever which I promis'd being sufficiently satisfied that I had so innocently humbled the pride of a Serjeant But he would ever after put me in mind of the Sack and laugh heartily at the jest In the mean while I prest my Commissioner as close and vigorously as I could and made him know that if he had better knowledge in Craft and Quirks of Law yet I had the better Cause and credit enough to defend it At last seeing his business in an ill condition he resolv'd to gain the Judges by great Presents and found a way to surprize the Superintendant entreating the assistance of his credit against a Gentleman of Provence that perplex'd him with a Suit of Law Monsieur Deffiat being thus caught sent the Marquess his Son to sollicite all the Judges in his name against me without knowing all this while that I was the party concern'd My Advocate gave me notice of it and tho I had much ado to belive this of a person who had always giv'n me great testimonies of his good will yet I entreated the King to speak to him about it Next morning putting on my Corâ—let and taking three or four of the bravest Cadets of my Company along with me I went to wait on the Superintendant just as he was at Dinner I stay'd till he rose from Table and coming up to him while he was washing his mouth I told him in his Ear I am come hither Sir to present you a Request whether it be a civil one or no I can't tell but I 'm sure however it is just Am not I very unhappy Sir I who have ever had the honour to be your Servant to pass all on the sudden for a Criminal in your opinion and to draw your displeasure upon me without knowing how I have done it You must needs think me guilty of some great fault sure Sir since after having honour'd me with your favour and affection you now sollicit against me in so just a cause and where the execution of the King's pleasure is the only thing in dispute Monsieur Deffiat much surpriz'd at such a complement said interrupting me I sollicit against
remember the Letter you did me the favour to write in my behalf to Monsieur Canaples wherein you blam'd him for presuming to suspend me when the King and you were present in the Army and commanded him from the King to let me alone in the free discharge of my Command When after this he went about to dishonour me against the Kings and your Lordships express Order I conceiv'd that both the King and you your self my Lord had put the Sword in my hand to repell the injury that was offer'd to the Kings authority and at the same time to defend my self from the affront they would have put upon me These reasons were of force to work upon Monsieur Espernon whose honour and authority seem'd to be engaged in my quarrel but he not being then at leisure to consider of it and possest too by what Monsieur Canaples had told him and in regard my action appear'd really very foul and odious in it self when all the circumstances were laid aside that might make it appear more excusable I plainly perceiv'd that he was very ill dispos'd toward me and that I ought to take my leave And withal thinking my self not very safe I resolv'd to withdraw to Mareschal Schomberg who hath ever done me the honour to love me and to protect me with extraordinary kindness and favour XII Then it was that I began to reflect on the inconstancy of mens fortune I sigh'd heartily to see that after serving the world so faithfully so many years I should be so ill rewarded by it that after exposing my life a thousand times in the service of my Prince I was now like to lose it ignominiously by the rigour of publick Justice or at least to pass the remainder of it in exile and oblivion I represented to my self the misery of a fugitive and a vagabond who fears every thing hath nothing to hope looks upon all Creatures as combin'd against him to render him unhappy and one that can only expect from death the end of all his miseries and misfortunes And indeed I never wisht to dye but that day for then I thought death the greatest good fortune that could have befallen me fearing above all things the hand of Justice and almost as much as that to live wretchedly out of the Court and my native Country Such were the thoughts meeâ—ly humane and the low considerations that wholly possest my mind I was not then sensible that it is a happiness for a man who hath liv'd long in Courts and Armies to be oblig'd to leave them and driven to think of something more serious to dedicate the remainder of his life at least to God when the World will have no more to do with him But God was pleased thus at a distance and by degrees to prepare me for renouncing the world by giving me a taste of its bitterness and tho I did not then apprehend it yet the various afflictions he try'd me with were so many earnests of his mercy to me While I was thus intent upon my self with regard to the outward consequences of this extremity to which I was then reduc'd God was pleased to look upon me and inspire me with a thought of begging his assistance This made me with deep sighs say Lord thou knowest my misery and I know thy mercy take upon thee my defence for I have no defender My prayer was short but my devotion was ardent and sincere But my grief and disquiet were so excessive that within a few days I was so chang'd as hardly to be known my very hair turn'd grey in that short time and I am sure none who have not experimentally known what it is for a man of Honour and Courage to see himself reduc'd to fear the hand of a common Executioner can be a competent Judge of the condition I was in XIII When I had withdrawn to Mareschal Schomberg's house they began to examine my business The usual informations were made and the Drum beat throughout all the Quarters to cite me to a personal appearance but I chusing rather to pass for a Criminal when at Liberty than to surrender my self up a Prisoner and be expos'd to all the violent designs of my Enemies was interdicted and cashiered and all Souldies and Officers of the Regiment were forbid to own me for an Officer The Proceedings when concluded were carry'd to Monsieur Espernon as Collonel of the Infantry and so the principal Judge He spoke of it to the King who not being able utterly to cast off the extraordinary goodness he had ever had for me and designing to save my Life had a mind not to oppose Justice publickly but to spin the Cause out as long as he could that so when time had qualify'd mens Spirits he might the more easily grant my Pardon without being blamed by the principal Officers of the Army whose authority seem'd to be concern'd for my punishment The King therefore answer'd the Duke of Espernon that they were to have the opinion of the Mareschals of France and the principal Officers of the Army and so the business was ended But that which made very much for my Justification was the extraordinary generosity of Mareschal Creâ—uy Monsieur Canaples his Father who as soon as ever he heard of our quarrel declar'd highly in my favour against his own Son He condemn'd Monsieur Canaples publickly as a person that broke his word and commended what I had done as an argument of my Courage and repelling an extraordinary injury by an extraordinary action This declaration from Mareschal Crequy who thus renounc'd his natural inclination for the sake of Justice was of very great weight in my Cause for it could not easily be imagin'd that a Father would pronounce against his own Son if he could have found any Justice on his side Nevertheless my business was examinâ—d in the Council In the mean while Mareschal Schomberg wrought privately with the King to have compassion upon an Officer who had serv'd him all along with so great fidelity and zeal and to incline him to order it so that all things might be composed The King as I said was pretty well inclined to this of his own accord and had often spoken of it to several people but every body answer'd cautiously fearing on one side to offend his Majesty and doubting on the other lest they should offend Monsieur Canaples who was a person of great Interest and Power There was one however that spoke his thoughts freely to the King upon this subject But this mans opinion was as base and unworthy as Mareschal Crequy's my adversary's Father was generous He had formerly been my Captain under Henry the Great when I was a young Cadet in the Regiment of Guards And the King being pleas'd one day to do him the honor to unbosom himself to him upon my concern said You have known Pontis longer than any body He seems to me to be patient tho he be a little hot and provencal doubtless
us here your person may be in danger since part of your Army is gone to the Isle of Rhe and we are but a few left here I conjure your Majesty retire to Surgeres The King answered without any conceâ—n I wiâ—l â—ot stir from this place but will fight at the head of my Foot in person Bring me my Arms presently In earnest this generous stout answer from the King gave me a joy not to be exprest which made me fall down at his feet and in a great transport say to him Sir when we have our King at the head of us every single man will be as good as twenty and each Company as good as a Regiment no body will presume to spare himself upon such an occasion but we will all serve you with the last drop of blood in our veins The King then armed and gave out necessary orders for sustaining an Assault in case the Enemy should attack him in his Quarter But while every one was preparing to engage the Souldiers I had sent to the Trenches came and assured us that instead of making a Sally the Rochellers had been terribly frighted with a mischance that had befallen them by their Magazine of Powder taking fire which caused that great noise we heard The King received this news as he had done the other without any great concern or discovering any more joy to see himself in safety than he had done fear at the expectation of danger Then Mareschal Brezay made this reflection to me Look you said he if the King had followed the advice that was given him to retreat to Surgeres he would have had us all three tost into the Sea when once he found a false Alarm had made him run away I was of the same opinion too and whatever might have happened I could never have prevailed upon my self to have given him counsel which though it might be for his safety could never have been for the honour of so great a Prince But unexpected accidents do not always leave us the liberty of thinking and the wisest men in such cases may sometimes be mistaken I remember too while every one was in trouble about the King's person which we thought too much expos'd an Officer consulting perhaps his Majesty's safety more than his own after debate what might be the cause of this great noise let this word slip by chance I hope 't is nothing in grace of God Whereupon all that were by and little used to such language fell to rallying him as one who betraid his fear by that expression And tho I was no better than the rest yet I could not choose but be offended at those kinds of Jefts which seem'd to me so ill grounded For is it not brutish to imagine that to appear brave a man must forget that he is a Christian and doubtless if that Officer had called upon the Devil instead of God they would have thought better of him and not have reproved him So little do we know what a man of courage is when men think being impious is enough to make them thought brave In the mean while the affronts there were perpetually put upon this Officer were so severe that not enduring to be the constant jest of all the Hectors and young Bullies he was forc'd a little after to beg a dismission and withdraw from out of the Army Next morning all the General Officers came to pay the King their respects accompanied with great praises his Majesty had ordered me to be about his person and indeed I made my Court that day after a very pleasant manner For the King did me the honour to call upon me every now and then and said Ask Pontis how it was choosing rather to have it told by another than himself And accordingly I represented this action of his Majesty 's with all imaginable advantage and zeal nor was it any hard matter to succeed that way for upon this occasion a man might be a good Courtier without any flattery and there needed only a relation of what I had seen to give the King his due commendation XXIV One day going to relieve the Guard and being to pass through a little Valley that lay expos'd and commanded by a Hill where four or five pieces of the Enemy's Cannon were planted as I rode at the Head of four hundred men marching very leisurely and talking with a Corporal called de la Croix I laid my Leg upon my Horse-neck as men do sometimes to ease themselves though indeed it was no proper time to do it but rather to mend my pace Just then came a Cannon Bullet which exactly took off the Stitrup out of which I had taken my Foot and battered it to pieces The force of the blow beat down my Horse but he got up again presently and attempting to recover my Stirrup I found it was clear gone Then I acknowledged the good providence of God that had thus saved my Leg and probably my Life too fearing nothing more than to be maim'd and out of a capacity to serve the King They made a jest of it to the King and told him I had one of my Legs taken off by a Cannon ball but his Majesty hearing afterward that I had only lost my Stirrup turn'd it into mirth and laught at the oddness of the accident The English had blockt up the passes by Sea so effectually that we could put no provisions into the Isle of Rhe. But the King resolv'd to thrust in twenty light flat-bottom'd Boats and order'd me to go along with Monsieur d' Esplandes who was to conduct them that I might bring him back an account of the expedition When all things were ready and the Wind favourable we embark'd by night and in a short time came very happily ashore in the Island through all the fire and ball that was liberally bestowâ—d upon us and in spight of six great English Ships that made after us but could not come up to us for want of Water The Bullets lighting upon the Grabel of the Beach beat great heaps of Stones into our Skiffs and kill'd us a great many men and sometimes one of them would take off a Sack of Flour from a Souldiers shoulder as they were unlading Monsieur d' Esplandes and I sat down to rest our selves and a Cannon Bullet hit a Portmantua upon which I sat carried away part of the things within it without doing me any other harm than throwing me some fifteen paces off And as Monsieur d' Esplandes urged me to sit down again upon a Free Stone hard by him divining as it were that this was no safe place and better to stand up just in that nick of time which is almost incredible a shot struck this Stone and shatter'd it to pieces There was but little pleasure in being so familiar with great Guns which made me think of hastening back with my report to the King And so going aboard a small Boat with only one Waterman I got
Man of my word For having laid a secret design against the place he desired of me that I would supply him out of hand with two hundred Musqueteers such as he had ask'd me for and I did so His Attempt was discovered and prevented but he profest himself as well satisfied as if it had taken effect I cannot recollect any thing very remarkable that happen'd in this Siege Only the Cardinal Infant was bravely repuls'd who came with his Army to the Relief of the Besieged for there was an Agreement before between the French and Dutch that they should carry on the Siege and the French should only concern themselves with keeping off the Enemy which they acquitted themselves of very bravely and forced them to retire without doing any thing to purpose When Winter came on the French Army went into Quarters in the Canton assign'd them and the Prince of Orange left Count William of Nassan to carry on the Siege who took the Fort by Capitulation about the end of April the next Spring that is after about some eight Months Siege in all Our Regiment was distributed among four several Towns and in each of those I had Quarters but I spent most part of the Winter with the Prince of Orange at the Hague III. The King mean while was graciously pleased to think of me though I was at a distance from him and gave me a Command of Captain in the Guards The truth is after having been so long in his service I had some title to expect such a reward I saw abundance of other people 〈…〉 than I had been who yet made very great fortunes by it And I for my own part stuck â—ust where I was the unalterable devotion I had ever shewn for the King's person and service being in 〈◊〉 so far from helping that it hindred my advancement I do not speak this so much to complain of ill usage as to shew what lamentable circumstances my Prince was in who tho he was possest of a great Kingdom had it yet infinitely less in his power to make those whom he took for his faithfullest servants some tolerable amends than his 〈◊〉 had to make his creatures great The King straight 〈◊〉 a Mâ—ndate under his Privy Seal to me to return into France Monsieur â—oulogne my particular good friend whom I have had occasion to mention several times before writ to me at the same time to make all the haste I could to Paris but took no notice what the particular business was that requir'd it only in general terms that it was a matter that might be of some importance to me Monsieur de Ch. the Kings Embassadour in Holland having receiv'd the Pacquet from Court and as he us'd to do open'd the Letters when he saw the King had bestow'd this Command upon me dealt very unfaithfully with me He was desirous to take this opportunity of advancing his own Nephew and to keep me in Holland upon preâ—ence of some great design against Guelderland so he very basely kept the Kings Letter for me to himself and dispatcht his Nephew to Court that he might discourse Cardinal Richelieu upon those designs of his and get the Command the King had laid out for me for his pains But his Nephew lost his labour for the King answer'd them with more resolution than was common to him that he had dispos'd of that Command beforeâ— Still I labour'd hard to be dismist for Monsieur Boulogne's Letter made me very eager of returning to France and besides all that Money began to grow low with me But whether through some private opposition from the Cardinâ—l or some underhand correspondence between the Ambassadour and our Generals to obstruct my return I could never get leave to go and was forc'd sore against my will and contrary to the Kings express command to stay in that Country all winter So the King not having if I may so say authority enough to procure my return tho he heartily desir'd it dispos'd of that Command to another person after having staid for me several months IV. About the beginning of Spring the next year 1636 we took Shipping and when I waited on the Prince of Orange to take my leave of him he exprest some concern that I refus'd to stay with him after so many kind offers as he had made me But knowing that that very constancy he esteem'd me for was the thing that hindred it he profest himself well pleas'd with my conduct And if you would have me said he I will write to the King in your behalf and signifie your good services to him I answer'd him great respect That being the French Kings natural Subject I was engag'd to attend his service but nothing could ever make me forget the many marks of grace and kindness that I had receiv'd from his Highness that I had a more grateful sense of the honour he had done me in approving my service than was possible for me to express and that if he would condescend to honour me yet more with his recommendation to the King this would be an exceeding addition to all his former favours V. When we were come into France our Army quartered for some time in Normandy but shortly we received fresh orders to joyn the Count de Soissons and Mareschal Brezay at la Fere. Thither I went with our Regiment and being extremely harrass'd I went into a Granary and there laid me down to sleep which happened very luckily upon a double account for by that means I not only refresht my self but escap'd a great danger The Enemies lying in that Country with a powerful Army of forty thousand men under the Command of Prince Thomas and the two famous Generals Piccolomini and John of Werth plunder'd and seiz'd several Towns and all fell before them There had not been known so general a consternation in France of a long time and the power of Spain had then got such a mighty ascendant over us that it lookt like fool-hardiness to pretend to oppose it We apprehended they had a design to besiege Catâ—lâ—t and the Count de Soissons intending to send me thither made great enquiry after me Mareschal Brezay who knew well enough where I was shew'd great tenderness for my safety upon this occasion and being of opinion that to send me to a place which could not possibly hold out against so great a force was manifestly to expose me he would not own that he knew any thing of me And there in all probability I must have been lost for not being of a temper to surrender tamely I should have been likely enough to expose the place to have been taken by storm When great search had been made for me to no purpose another was sent thither in my stead And the Enemy sitting down before the place in July 1636 quickly made themselves Masters of it VI. From la Fere our Army moved to Bray to prevent the Enemies crossing the River Every one fortify'd himself in his
small hopes of saving the Town VIII The next day about ten in the morning we saw seven and fifty Squadrons of Horse who came up in full expectation to carry the place At the same time Monsieur d' Alais who had withdrawn thither and had a small Squadron of Horse with him sallied out and I followed him with our whole Regiment divided into several Battalions The rest of the Garrison were posted upon the Ramparts and as many Inhabitans as were in a condition to bear arms were ordered to shew themselves there too so that nothing was seen but Souldiers resolv'd to hold it out to the last Several Vollies of Cannon and Musquet shot were given from the Town rather to make the Enemy believe that they wanted no Ammunition than out of any prospect of doing them any hurt The Enemy debated for two hours what course they should take and in the mean while ten or twelve of the Count d' Alais Trumpets sounded several Alarms to signify that if they came on we were ready to receive them At last thinking this might put a stop to their conquests if they attempted a City so well garrison'd they weâ—t off to carry their victorious arms another way IX I staid at Abbeville with Mareschal Brezay's Regiment about a year for we were under continual apprehensions of some attempt upon us because the Enemy had Garrisons in several Towns near us Some days after my coming thither the Officer that would have got my command from me which the King intended me in the Guards came thither too with the Marquis of Brezay's Regiment of which he was Major Monsieur de P. one of the stoutest men of his time followed him close having a quarrel against him upon the account of a Box on the Ear which this Officer was said to have given him All their acquaintance on both sides were concern'd to make up the business Monsieur M. protested he never gave the blow but Monsieur de P. not brooking that the world should think he had received it resolv'd to revenge it whatever came on 't Monsieur M. who pretended great kindness to me notwithstanding the dirty Trick he had play'd me which I then knew nothing of beg'd that I would interpose in the Case and proffer'd to refer himself to the judgment of any persons they would chuse and make any satisfaction they thought â—it for him I was desirous to reconcile the Quarrel by fair means and used my utmost endeavour to persuade Monsieur de P. to it I walked with him several times to this purpose and told him I neither knew the ground of their difference nor desir'd to know it But let the Affront be what it would it could not be so great as not to admit of an honourable Accommodation without coming to the Extremities he aimed at I advis'd to put it to the judgment of Friends and told him all that long Experience had qualify'd me to say upon such an occasion to incline him to terms of Reconciliation and undeceive him of his Notion that no way but fighting could save his Honour He continued deaf to all I said or if he gave me the hearing yet which was as bad he was still inflexible and resolv'd to pursue his design And about ten or twelve days after he did so and fought Monsieur M. without the Town whom he wounded mortally in five places and was wounded in two places himself X. Monsieur M. being thus hurt I had him brought to my Lodging and took all imaginable câ—re of him till his death which happen'd about three Weeks after I spared neither trouble nor charge to do him service and had as tender a regard to his Soul as his Body keeping a Monk constantly in my house all the time of his illness who never stirred from him The most surprizing Circumstance was that Providence should so order the matter that I should ignorantly oblige a Man so highly who had disobliged me extremely and utterly ruined my Fortunes by designing to get the Command designed me by the King out of my hands and being the principal occasion of his Majesty's giving it away to another person This poor Man feeling his Conscience burdeâ—'d with this Fault and the more so in proportion as he receiv'd fresh kindnesses from the person to whom he had done such ill offices resolv'd at lâ—st to be plain with me upon the business Some days before heâ—died I observ'd him all in tears and after a great struggle with himself he spoke to me after this manner Ah! Sir my dear Friend I can no longer conceal my greatest pain from you I must I must at last own to you the Remorse I feel for having injur'd you in a matter of which you could never have the least Jealousie I have sought a thousand opportunities to mention it to you and ask you as many Pardons for it I conjure you therefore dear Sir to forgive a Man who needs nothing else to make him unhappy than having been instrumental in ruining your Fortunes I in perfect amazement at this Discourse and not able to guess what all this meant answer'd him with an innocent sincerity That I believed he loved me too well to be guilty of what he accus'd himself But my Answer adding more to his Sighs and Tears he reply'd Alas that is the very Consideration that cuts me to the heart that I who had so much reason to love you should yet suffer my self to endeavour my own Advancement at your Expence But if you do not forgive me before I tell you the Story I shall run mad since the wrong I have done you is so great that if you do not forgive me now I am going to give an account to God I shall have reason to fear he will not forgive me neither There was little room for deliberation in the sad circumstances and great disorder he theâ— lay so that I told him instantly with great compassion That I assur'd him and solemnly protested I would never resent the thing and that if he had really done me any Injury I forgave it him with all my Soul Upon this assurance which I gave after the best manner I could he discover'd the whole Matter in these words It was I said he dear Sir that obstructed your Preferment It was I that hindred you from being now Captain in the Guards It was I that contrived you should be detained in Holland and by my Vncles means kâ—pt the King's Letter from your hands which orderâ—d you to come to Court and take possession of that Command I must own this astonisht me strangely But my Concern to see him in this condition stisted my Passion and I again assur'd him That I forgave him heartily and instead of loving him less upon this account should love him more for declaring himself so freely to me because this was an Argument he knew me and entertained the opinion of me that I could wish he should And I can say with great truth
ruine might very probably have been the consequence of it And now after having refused a long time to engage my Parole for the reason I mentioned before I and my Comrades resolved to do it last not being able to endure the slavery and constraint of Guards any longer But before we engaged I argu'd with them very earnestly that they ought rather to dye than not be true to it and that it was a most unbecoming thing for men of honour as we pretended to be to engage for any thing except they are fully resolv'd to make it good One of them afterwards had a mind to make his escape and it was in my power to do it as well as he but I opposed him in his intentions and would by no means give way that he should be guilty of so much baseness Nay as a further discouragement I told him upon this occasion a story that I shall always remember which was that my Master the late King cashier'd an Officer that made his escape after his Parole was past and declar'd a man that had been false to his own honour was not fit for his service Assoon then as our Parole was given and we at liberty I began to see company and frequent the Duke of Bavaria's Court. I got acquainted with several great persons and particularly the Count de Coeurse a favourite of the Prince The Duke of Bavaria himself to whom I was a little known receiv'd me very graciously and being informed that I was the man who commanded in the business of Meninghen he would several times have perswaded me to stay at his Court telling me often You see no body thinks of you in France I am confident they will let you dye â—ere and never exchange you for any Officer of mine Therefore if you will take my advice even set up your rest here I will put you into such an Employ as shall please you nay you your self shall be your own chooses Nothing could be kinder and more engaging than my usage from this Prince and the importunate offers he made me to enter into his service But whatever resentments I either had or had cause to have against the Court of France where in truth I was quickly and perfectly forgotten yet I could not prevail with my self to stick to a Court life nor relish any proposal of that nature how much soever it might turn to my advantage Besides I lived in hopes still that my friends would do something for me And it is most certain if Mareschal Vitry had not unfortunately died about the time we were made Prisoners he would have used his interest very vigorously for me and would have taken care that the action of Meninghen should have had its due character and value But my misfortune was that the Mareschal being dead Monsieur R who knew not how to answer it to himself that he should be so shamefully suprized when Monsieur Vitry and I shewed so much resolution and conduct in holding out against three Armies with a handful of men did all he could to diminish and stifle this action and so by robbing others of the honour due to them hoped in some measure to conceal his own shame XXI At last finding my self utterly forsaken and forgotten by all my friends I resolved to send away a Courier to France at my own charge and write to Monsieur Servien and Monsieur d' Avaux to beg that they would speak to the Queen in my behalf and contrive to have me exchanged for some other Prisoner Monsieur Servien I suppose either because he was taken up with business of greater consequence or because he had no good news to send me never answered my Letter Monsieur d' Avaux did me the favour to write back to me and sent me word he had written to Court in my favour but there were so very many Prisoners and every thing at present in such confusion that he very much questioned whether he should be able to do me the service he desired but however he would endeavour it heartily Still I lived in expectation and could not believe it possible that an Officer who had spent all his life in the Army and whose services were well known to all the Court not to say any thing of this last which I thought might deserve some sort of reward should be neglected and forgotten But the event taught me by sad experience that I reckoned without my Host and as much as I had seen of the world I was not then sufficiently convinc'd that imprisonment or death for the honour of one's Prince and the good of their Countrv is too often lookt upon as a recompence sufficient for all the services a man hath done them While I lived in hopes of good news from Court I went to visit several places in Germany particularly Munick where his Highness of Bavaria usually makes his residence I had the honour to discourse with his Highness pretty often and very freely upon several occasions that offered themselves Monsieur de Fouques and I were talking one day before him of several fine Horses rare Birds and many other Curiosities which the King of Spain had presented to the King of France and Monsieur Fouques was saying that though these two Kings made war upon one another yet there was no hatred between them and adding afterwards that he could not believe the King of France had any design upon Germany I took him up there because I thought such discourse was not for the honour of the Kings pretensions and answer'd him boldly before his Highness For my part Sir said I it is my opinion that the King my Master hath still a great ambition to recover that Throne at one time or other upon which his Ancestors have sat heretofore The Duke of Bavaria presently turned this into raillery and said He was not at all surpriz'd at my answer for in truth he expected no other from me that I was a true Frenchman upon all occasions and continued so still tho driven into Germany and he perceived I had a mind to take some sort of revenge upon them that had made me Prisoner And indeed I never stood much upon ceremony where the honour of France and the Arms of the King were concerned For how just provocation soever I might have at that time not to speak any thing to the advantage of the French Court yet I could never devest my self of that natural inclination and tenderness for my Country which always disposed me to vindicate its honour upon such occasions where the character of a good Frenchman depends upon having a less regard to ones own private interests than those of ones Prince and Nation XXII At last I grew quite weary of this sort of life in a strange Country and finding we were no more any body's care in France than if we had been dead and understanding too that we were to be sent to the lower end of all Germany to bear Arms there I
with us when the men sent by me met him cryed out that they offered violence to a man in his Office and the better to carry on the jest very formally made a verbal Summons upon the place This however deferred the proceedings a while which was all we propos'd to our selves by it And Richard fill'd the Country with his noise and railing at this violence and our being guilty of so great a tontempt and affront as he call'd it to the authority of the Parliament Monsieur Lesdiguieres had receiv'd a very partial and false account of our first quarrel and writ me word he was extremely surpriz'd to hear such reports of me that the violences I had committed in the Country were in every bodies mouth and all the world cry'd shame of them that he indeed could scarce believe them because he had always had a good opinion of me But if those rumours were true and I went on at that rate he should be forced to make use of that power the King had given him as Governour of the Province It is easie to conceive how much I was astonished to find so just so innocent an action warranted by all the Laws of Nature and Nations for indeed it was no more than my own necessary defence when my life was attempted so much run down by all the world as if I had done some very heinous thing But to disabuâ—e Monsieur Lesdiguieres and prevent the ill consequences thas Richard caballing and unjust sollicitations might bring upon me I wrote a very respectful but at the same time a very vehement answer in my own defence acquainting him That I perceived my Enemies had traduced me to him and instead of giving him a true relation of the matter had disguised it with lyes and possest him against me by several false insinuations That I had the confidence to hope a person of so much honour and justice as I knew him to be would be so far from condemning that he would commend me for what I had done when he was more truly informed Then I related the fact with all its circumstances at large and all that had past between us before this encounter and closed my Letter with expressions to this purpose And now my Lord I beg your leave to say that I must have behaved my self just thus upon such circumstances and such provocations to the best Nobleman in the Land and never a man in the Kingdom could have forced me to take other measures The King is my Master And it is my duty to preserve my honour and my life for his service If I had acted any otherwise than as I did upon this occasion I should deserve to be used like a Coward and a pitiful Fellow both by the King and by your self My Lord to whom I have the honour to be the most humble of all your Servants c. My Letter was as successful as I could with for it undeceived Monsieur Lesdiguieres perfectly so that he sent me a very kind and civil answer telling me he was very well pleased to know the truth of the matter and now he did so he assured me that this accident would only contribute to the increasing that regard and good opinion which he had always had of me and my conduct XVIII This I thought was my time to drive Richard to his last shifts and take him down in the midst of all his triumphs and therefore I entered my action against him and knowing he had been guilty of great ravage in the Country I brought all them in whom he had oppressed or any way wronged After all their complaints had been attested and informations publickly given in according to form of Law I had them all presented to the Parliament and the witnesses to them In the mean time Monsieur Calignon Madam Poligny and several other friends of ours employed themselves very vigorously and successfully in my behalf and brought the Cause into a readiness for being heard Then the wretch seeing no hopes of eluding the matter and that all his applications and shifts could not signify any thing in arrest of judgment but the Gallows must be the reward of his wickedness thought the wisest part he had left to play was once more to throw himself at my feet and ask forgiveness and submit to any other conditions though never so hard provided I would but spare his life At first I was extremely provoked because of his falshood and baseness in breaking his promise to me before and the insupportable insolence of his behaviour since I could not prevail with my self to hearken to any terms of accommodation whatsoever and thought that both a regard to justice and the quiet of the Country made the hanging of such a fellow absolutely necessary But at last his continued importunities and the desperate condition he was in giving me some little grounds to hope still that this would be a warning and mend him for the future I began to be softned and think of taking some milder course and shew him some mercy I told him therefore that though he had lost all his credit by the breach of those promises he made when he came to me at Paris upon this very account of saving him once before I was yet content to grant what he could have no just pretence to expect but in the first place he must resolve upon three things First That he would absolutely and for ever quit that Country Secondly That his Estate should be sold and then in the third place That all the fees and other charges of the Tryal should be paid out of the money that rose upon that sale Richard who though he was hard put to it yet thought however he had better 〈◊〉 his life at the expence of his estate than be hanged with a Purse about his neck 〈…〉 He was resolved to submit and ready to do all this upon condition his life 〈…〉 And this was the full and final conclusion of all this troublesom business His Lands were all sold the Charges of Suit were paid with part of the money He asked Madam Poligny's pardon left the Country presently and hath never been seen there since And in truth considering what a wretch I had to deal with I stood in need of a great deal of good management resolution and perseverance to bring him to and get a head over that insolence of his that nothing was able to daunt or subdue His rage his heat of temper and his despair working upon a busy and designing head made him fit for all sorts of wickedness and extravagance And it was a signal instance of the Divine Justice that this haughty this bloody-minded wretch should at last be brought to stoop and glad to submit to the pleasure of that very man whom he would have been best pleased to destroy and whom of all the world he hated most The End of the Seventh Book BOOK VIII The Sieur de Pontis comes to Paris The sudden
in acknowledgment of his civility to me I took care likewise to provide the Army with Meal and Bread according to my promise And the Troops decamping from thence two days after I went back to Paris shortly after not caring to engage any more in troubles of this kind but pursuing my design of retiring from the world IX This was in the time of the second Paris War when it was reported that the Prince intended to attack it with his Army and to come in at one of the Suburbs Being then at a house in that part of the Suburbs I saw every body in a terrible consternation I told them provided they would keep close in their own houses there could be no danger for the Gates were too strong to be easily forced and all they had to do was to defend their own dwellings But when the Enemy should enter the place they should satisfy themselves as the Souldiers made any hole in the Gates to clap in a Plank as their way is at Sea when a Gun hath made a breach in a Ship For as there all their care is to keep out the water and prevent the Vessels sinking so when an Army powrs in upon any place the main business is to hinder the Souldiers from getting into their houses for so long as they are in the streets the Officers allow them no leisure to do mischief because it is necessary to advance as fast as they can At last after a great many hindrances I was happy in an opportunity of shaking off business and the world and withdrawing into a religious solitude where I recollect all the accidents of my life the hazards and dangers I have got over and bless and thank God every day for the signal and unusual favour of preserving these little remains of life for the bewailing and atoning for my former miscarriages One of the greatest advantages of my retreat was the more free enjoyment of Monsieur d' Andilly's conversation and the particular friendship he honoured me with He was the fittest person that could be to take off all relish of worldly pleasure from me for no body better knew the vanity of it He was there at the same time but after a very different manner For in the midst of all that vast esteem due to his great worth he had kept a mind lifted above ambition such as would never suffer him to devote himself to any Master less than God and always shewed a generous contempt of the world even when most loved and courted by it But for my part I must own I had been a Slave to it all along had undergone real evils in hopes of an imaginary happiness had pursued a false and treacherous fortune that always fled from me and the vain satisfaction which I sought would have made me but more unhappy still in the possession of it This single pattern of Monsieur Andilly's life both past and present was a continual lesson to me I often admired his management of himself at Court and knew that having several times discoursed the King in private upon very nice points and once particularly concerning Duels he delivered his opinion to him with so much freedom and at the same time with so much prudence and caution too that his Majesty heard him with great satisfaction And after telling him that he did so commanded that when ever he had any advice of that kind to offer he should desire a private and particular audience and should be sure to have it It is with great pleasure that I call to mind so wise and good a temper in my Master the late King which though very necessary is not yet very common in Princes For they are beset with a company of people who generally make it their business only to please and flatter them And if some one by chance out of a sincere zeal and respect hath the boldness to tell honest truth it is very seldom that this advantage is made use of or the person esteemed as he really deserves I have frequently discoursed Monsieur Andilly about the excellent qualities of this Prince which he was a witness of as well as I and among others of one piece of good nature peculiar to him and that was when any Mother applyed to him in behalf of her Son or any Wife for her Husband though their passion sometimes shewed it self in their expressions and carryed them beyond the respect due to him he never took notice of it but received all they said with great sweetness and compassion And if any of those about him were offended at such disrespectful behaviour he would presently say Alas You must consider it is a Mother or a Wife that speaks and the concern of a Husband or a Child is so tender that if we cannot relieve them yet the least we can do is to hear and to pity them I am obliged to Monsieur Andilly for one thing particularly which I cannot omit mentioning in this place and I value it the more because I hope to find it a great comfort at my last hour and an earnest of Gods mercy to me in another world I had the Government of a small place in Dauphine which I had a mind to quit and could get but a very small consideration for it But a Hugonot Gentleman having advised with some of his own perswasion and considering that in case of any Civil War if they were Masters of this Town they might by vertue of that command all the Valley in which it stood which would be of great consequence too in regard of all the Country thereabouts he desired me to part with this Government to no body but him promising to give me my own price for it I should have thought seven or eight thousand Livres a pretty good bargain but upon discourse he told me at last that rather than go without it he would give fifty thousand I confess this was some temptation to me The remembrance of my past losses the years I was now grown into an age when a man is always too fond of what he hath and too fearful of losing it and too greedy of what one hath not made me of opinion that nothing could be more natural than to accept such a proposal especially when it offered it self without my seeking and was so very convenient for me As to any case of Conscience in it I was satisfy'd that if I were disposed to consult those who give rules in such matters I should find enough who would determine it in favour of my own opinion and tell me that as long as there was no present visible inconvenience in the Sale and that I lookt at nothing farther than a good valuable consideration which was freely offer'd to me I need only take care of the Money and leave the event to God without troubling my self with scruples about things which perhaps might never come to pass But upon conferring with Monsieur Andilly upon the matter I was so affected
more Learning than just so much as is necessary for a Gentleman as they are pleased to express it For since Knowledge is the best finisher of humane nature that which teaches men to reason right and to speak gracefully in publick what can be necessary if this be not to those persons whose Birth and Employments and Station in the world put them in such circumstances as have most frequent occasions to exert these accomplishments I know some are of opinion too that the conversation of vertuous and witty Ladies pollishes the mind of a young Gentlemau and gives it a finer turn than the company of a Man of Learning But I must beg leave to dissent in this particular too and dare not advise to such conversation for fear of the many mischievous consequences that often attend it and that Youth finds it self insensibly engaged in Not but that there ought a great difference to be made betwixt one who is designed to make the Gown his profession and one that is to be educated to make a Gentleman and a Souldier The former ought to make study the business of his whole Life the other need only follow it till some fifteen or sixteen years old so as to get some knowledge of Philosophy of ancient and modern History and the main rules of Politicks and so as to manage himself regularly and converse with people of several qualities as becomes him When this is over it were fit he went into the Academy to learn to ride and shoot and vault and dance these exercises will give him a genteâ—l and good behaviour they will teach him to carry his body straight to walk gracefully with a manly and noble mein to hold up his head have a steady look a pleasing countenance full of civility always obliging but without any affectation or constraint There too he will learn Mathematicks so far as may serve to qualify him for Fortification the attacking or defending of Towns the discovering where Works are defective and how they may be amended all which with the addition of your help may be learnt sufficiently in two or three years time In my opinion their failings in these exercises that are of less consequence should be left to the correction of the Master whose business it is to teach them But if they contract any ill habit besides you will do well to make them sensible of it in private For by dealing thus tenderly with them their love and respect for you will be the better preserved and increased After they leave the Academy I should advise their going abroad into forreign Kingdoms to learn their Languages observe their different Customs and Governments and entertain themselves with a sight of the most remarkable Curiosities to be met with abroad and as a help to their memory in all these things it were fit they made a Diary of their Travels But pray be sure you never entertain them with any thing but what is becoming a man of honour and a Christian that you may excite in them strong desires to practice and imitate such actions as these and may create an irreconcileable aversion to every thing that is base and low and dishonourable But the main point of all is to make them sensible that the truest and best way of securing honour to one's self is the paying Almighty God the honour dâ—e to him who always distributes his mercies largely to those that live in his fear and love To preserve this opinion in them you must use great dexterity in keeping them from all kinds of bad company but especially from the conversation of lewd and profane wretchâ—s who are the bane of young men that are setting up for some credit in the world But this is a very nice and tender and will require a great deal of good management so as at once to gain your point and yet to lose no ground in their kindness and esteem for you You must take special care never to check their passions by authority and too magisterial a way nor by correcting them too sharply but be sure to shew the reasons why you reprove them chide them with modesty and civility and satisfie your self with soft methods to bring them into temper For you are to consider that some passions are not faulty nay some are convenient for a man of Quality such is Ambition in particular when it puts them forward to follow the Example of my Lord Marcschal their Grand-father a person that signalized himself upon so many eminent occasions and brave exploits while he was General to the Kings Armies for many years both at home and abroad that the King had so high a value for him and the world so great an opinian of his Courage that he hath at this very time among most forreigners the general reputation of one of the greatest and best Commanders of this age Some other passions there are so furious and violent that it is impossible to compose them in a trice as we see in the case of Anger and sudden sallies of the Soul But these are a sort of madness for the time too strong to last long and all that can be done in such cases is to calm and cool them by degrees For oppoâ—â—tion does not abate but increase their fury and inclines men to be perâ—mptory and restiff which by degrees would lessen your credit with them and lose all the regard they have for you You must find a mean for them between a bold indifference and a timorous bâ—sâ—fulness and teach them the just differences both between persons and things what respects are due to persons of quality and worth and how they ought to be addressed to a formal excessive Complement being no less ridiculous an extreme on the one hand than a Clownish roughness is offensive on the other If any sudden misfortune bring them into the inconveniences and hazards so common to Gentlemen now adays your wisdom must shew it self in taking up the â—uarrel speedily by endeavouring to reconcile them through the mediation of Friends and fetching them honourably off from the ill consequences that attend such quarrels Your care and good management upon such occasions as these will above any thing in the world secure you a great deal of honour and reputation both from my Lord their Father and all the Families to whom they are related Sir I could enlarge yet more were I not sensible that by this time I must needs have convinced you by what I have taken the liberty to say already that it is not possible for me to advise any thing which you do not know much better your self However I beg you would look upon this Letter as a proof of the inclination I have to serve you and my wishes that I were capable of doing it and of my readiness to express to you that I am most sincerely Yours c. I do not pretend here to any Encomium of the Sieur de Pontis his piety who was so modest