her to be confin'd within ' em Therefore she fell upon Pope Alexander VII and seiz'd upon Avignon after she had enrag'd the People of that City to mutiny against the Governour If you ask what Ground she had for her Pretensions She will answer That the Pope did not do what he would have had done for him Hence it came to pass that the order of all things was ranvers'd The eldest Son of the Church takes up the Rod to chastise the common Father of the Christians because he proves disobedient whereas 't is generally seen that Fathers correct their Children when they fail of their Duty Pepin the Son of Charles Martell the Twenty Third King of France of the second Race was the Glory of his Age and the greatest Example of Piety and Veneration towards the Popes of any among all our Kings His Zeal so eminent when he march'd into Italy to succour Pope Zachary most cruelly persecuted by the Lombards the Marks of his Friendship and Tenderness bestow'd upon Pope Stephen III. who fled for Refuge into France and his raising the Siege of Rome which Astolphus King of the Lombards was constrain'd to quit as being enforced to sue for Peace to Pepin who kept him close block'd up all these signal Services which he did the holy See acquir'd him the glorious Sir-name of Most Christian Now if we compare King Pepin's Conduct with the Behaviour of Lewis XIV toward the Popes 't will be no difficult thing to conclude that the Court of Rome never had a greater Enemy then this Prince and consequently that there is nothing which he less deserves then the Sir-name of Most Christian If you demand a Reason for all these Extravagancies you need no more then consult his Ambition that Passion will make answer That when once it got Possession of his Heart there was nothing in the World which it did not prompt him to undertake for the satisfaction of it So that 't is no wonder if the Rights of the Church and whatever is more Sacred and Augnst are become Victims to his Exorbitant Desires But what does France do further still She was oblig'd by one of the Articles to abandon the Protection of Portugal promising withal to employ her utmost Industry to persuade that Prince in Friendly Terms to compose the Differences which he had with Spain But hardly were the Ratifications exchang'd before she made a Laughing Stock of her Promises She gave out Commissions underhand and caus'd the Drums to beat up publickly at Paris in order to the Raising of Souldiers for the service of that Crown But all this is nothing Here comes another Tragical Event that makes her Mistress all of a sudden of a vast extent of Country of several Signiores Dukedoms Marquisats and Earldoms and because that was not enough to satisfy her unsatiable Avarice whole Kingdoms must become her Victim and her Prey I mean the Death of Philip IV. The loss of that Prince drew Tears from the Eyes of Spain and all Europe but France leapt for Joy That Ambitious Potentate finding the time was come to spread abroad his vast Designs and extend his Limits at the Expences of the House of Austria sacrifices whatever is most sacred in Religion and in the venerable Alliance which he had contracted Neither Honour Oaths Faith solemnly sworn nothing is capable to stop him However that he might still preserve some shadow of Justice and authorize his Conduce by some shew of Reason his Majesty public shed a Manifesto wherein he set up the Queens claim to Brabant and some other Provinces of the Low Countries This Right was otherwise called a devolved Right by vertue of which a Brother born in the second Wedlock is excluded from the Succession bâ— a Sister of the first Venter And this is the Dispute between France and Spain Charles II. being the Issue by the second Marriage The King of France therefore having demanded of the Queen Regent of Spain the Dominions devolved to him in right of Mari Teresa his Wife he would not stay till the Council of Sapin return'd him an Answer His Impatience to aggrandize himself and extend his Limits spurr'd him on to be before-hand with all the World So that without any Declaration of War he seizes upon Bergue Furnes Tournai Douay Courtray L'Isle Oudenard Alost and all the Places that lay convenient for him And to these Conquests he joins the Important Cities of Salins Besanson and Dole after which follow'd the total Reduction of Franche Conpte Nothing could stop the Rapidness of his Arms there was a necessity of altering his Bounds and he must enlarge 'em to the utmost extent of his boundless Ambition Nothing could stand in his way but the Triple Alliance nothing else could make him consent to a Treaty of Peace By which he restores back to Spain nothing but what he pleases himself while he keeps those Places which he deems of greatest Importance and most proper to savour his Enterprizes He therefore consents to a Treaty at Aix la Chapelle but with a mental Reservation as Mahonia call'd it that is to say That he promis'd Spain to lay down his Arms provided she quits to him all the Places and Towns that he had seiz'd in 1667. reserving to him self a Power to begin the War agen so soon as the Peace should be concluded Spain is there enforc'd to quit Chatleâ—â—â— Binch At h Douay Tournay Oudenard L'Isle Armentier Courtray Bergh and Furnes with all their Dependencies Appurtenances and Jurisdictions One would have thought that after so many Advantages France would have been satisfy'd and would have let the Confederates and Spain have been at quiet at least for some Years But that was the least of her Intention For in 1671. her old insatiable Passion rous'd her again and she that had violated the Pyrenean Peace the most solemn the most sacred that France ever made sign'd by all the Nobility and Grandees of both Crowns might with much more reason infringe the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle Well then without consulting any other then her old Mistress Ambition and always when that Passion gives the word his Armies are ready to march and his Generals are in a condition to put his Designs in Execution the first Step then that France made after the Peace of Aix la Chapelle was her declaring War against Holland after she had made use of all the Artifices imaginable to break off the Engagement that united 'em with England and Sweden If you demand a Reason for this Rupture she will answer That the King had Inducements to look upon those People no otherwise then as the Enemies of his Realm and upon no other Grounds marches his Armies and in less then six Weeks takes from the Hollanders three whole Provinces of seven that compose their Common-wealth together with all the strong Fortresses upon the Banks of the Vahal and the â—ld Rhine She seizes upon Franche Conte the second â—ime and pushes on her Conquests
have made the Court of Spain tremble considering the Misfortunes that threatned the Kingdom being carry'd to Don Lewis de Haro never put so much as a Minutes stop to the Negotiation True it is that de Haro had a deep sense of it but Mazarin who had his Prospects redoubl'd his Importunities and hasten'd more then ever the Conclusion of the Treaty When the Kings of France had the Misfortune to make Alliances that were likely to prove fatal to 'em and which infallibly would have prov'd the Ruin of their Dominions what did they do to break ' em Witness the Conduct that Lewis XII observ'd upon the like Occasion He had concluded a Treaty of Confederacy with the Emperor Maximilian The second and third Article of which Treaty imported that the two Princes should engage themselves to ratify and confirm the Contract of Marriage concluded between Charles Duke of Luxemburgh Son of Arch-duke Philip and Madam Claudia of France the most Christian King's Daughter Lewis promis'd that in case he died without Issue Male that the Dutchies of Milan Genoa as also the Countries of Ast and Blois and all the other Lands and Signiories of his Demesnes should be deliver'd up after his Death and immediately after the Consummation of the Marriage of the Duke of Luxemburgh with Madam Claudia of France into the Hands of that Princess his Heiress to enjoy to Perpetuity upon condition that if she happen'd to have any Sisters she should allow 'em a Dowry in Mony proportionable to their Birth The Ministers of Lewis XII after they had seriously consider'd how disadvantagious this Marriage was to France and how powerful the House of Austria was like to grow set all their Engins at work to break it To which purpose by the King's consent there was an Assembly order'd to be summon'd which was held in the year 1506. at Plesses-Les-Tours where the King was present and by a knack of Policy as daring as well found out they order'd underhand a famous Doctor of the University of Paris to appear upon the Stage who came and made a Speech to the King beseeching him in the Name of all the States of France to match the Princess his Daughter with the Duke of Valois presumptive Heir of the Crown This Doctor with so much Eloquence set before the King the Misfortunes that suddenly threatned France if he suffer'd Madam Claudia to marry Charles of Austria or any other Foreign Prince that from that very moment the Match was brok'n off and by that manner of Proceeding Lewis XII disingag'd himself from his Word and Oath and the Treaty which was made in 1501. and confirm'd by another three Years after at Blois was declar'd null and void There 's no Question to be made but that Lewis the XII himself was the Person who order'd the Duke of Valois to be nominated to him by all the States of the Kingdom to the end that by that means he might bring himself off fairly from his Agreements with Maximilian and Philip his Son who had reckned upon the word of that Prince as upon a thing that was irrevocable This is an Example past all Contradiction besides a great number of others that might be found in History sufficient to justifie the Reasons which the Court of Spain had then has she minded her own Interests to have refus'd the Marriage of the Iufanta to Lewis XIV who was a Foreign Prince that they might have bestow'd her upon the Emperor's Son who was of the House of Austria and had demanded her at the same time However it were Mazarin in this particular acted the part of a great Politician and not to mention other Important Services which he did the French Monarch it may be said that tho' he had done nothing else during the whole course of his Ministry this alone was a thing that never ought to be forgot by France So that he made no scruple to write to Monsieur le Tellier immediately after the signing of the Treaty That there was great Reason to hope a long continuation of the Treaty in regard that both Parties were equally satisfy'd But that in his Opinion the King had reason to be more contented because that all the advantage was on his side And besides that there was also this farther Benefit that Don Lewis believing he had don his Business admirably well would never dream of laying hold upon Opportunities for the furture should they present themselves to repair the great Prejudices that Spain had receiv'd by the Conclusion of that Peace However had France stook to this Treaty how disadvantagious soever it was for Spain and had not transgress'd the Limits that were prescrib'd him we should not have now beheld all Eurpoe in Arms and the Princes of the August League unanimously resolv'd not to surcease the War till France has restor'd to every one what she has wrested from 'em since the Conclusion of that Treaty Her want of Faith and Sincerity not only transported her to declare her self the Irreconcileable Enemy of the House of Austria by vertue of those Rights which she pretends to claim as yielded up to her by vertue of that Peace but has openly invaded the Dominions of other Sovereigns of Europe and without any other Right and Title then the Challenges of her Ambition and Power she has run her self into those Excesses that now make her lookt upon with Detestation and Abhorrency We have shew'd ye the Fault never to be repair'd that the Court of Spain committed in consenting to the Marriage of the Infanta with Lewis XIV and to a Treaty of Peace so disadvantagious to her Interests Now let us see the fatal Event that attended 'em and begin with the Bounds that were prescrib'd to France by the Treaty which done we will examin the Conduct which she observ'd to extend those Limits as far as we see 'em now extended And lastly we shall conclude with representing to the Princes of the League the necessity of being inexorable to the Importunities of France for Peace unless extreamly to their Advantage Their Interest to keep inviolably united together and never to listen to the Proposals of France unless she makes Restitution of all that she has usurp'd since the Pyrenean Peace All the World knows that the main thing that obstructed the Pyrenean Treaty was the Accommodation of the Prince of Conde We shall not therefore trouble our selves to recite all the Particulars that pass'd in the great number of Conferences between the Ministers of the two Crowns upon this Subject as being otherwhere to be met with 'T is sufficient to say that Mazarin had the Honour of the Triumph and that he obtain'd of Don Lewis all that he could expect So true it is that the Right and Justice of a good Cause are not battry proof against the Artifices of a Crafty Minister and that Honesty and Sincerity frequently become the Cullies of wily Cunning. Don Lewis demanded that the Prince in consideration
as far as â—t was possible for her to do with Orders to â—her Forces to commit all the Ravages imaginable allowing no Bounds to her vast Designs then such as the opposition of a greater Force was able to prescribe her So soon as she had obtain'd her Ends and saw her Affairs in a thriving condition by the great Advantages which her victorious Arms had acquir'd she observ'd the same Conduct as she observes at this day that is to say she offer'd Propositions of Peace to the Confederates rather to disunite 'em then out of any Compassion to the Calamities of Europe as she gave out occasion'd by the most bloody and cruel War that ever was known Never was France more eager after Peace then at that time there was never a petty Prince or State that was comprehended in the League to whom she did not make advantagious Offers with a Design that if she could bring off any one they who last laid down their Arms should become Victims to her Resentment and their Territories and their Countries be abandon'd to the Plunder and Fury of his Souldiers I cannot here forbear to recite what the Marquiss of Louvois said one day to the King upon this occasion Sir said he if your Majesty can but once disunite the Princes of the League France will have reason to admire her Happinessâ— and to boast of never having concluded so advantageous a Peace To which purpose 't is requisite that she stoop to considerable Condescentions and that she offer to make Restitution of Places that may form a good Barrier in Flanders for which she may make her self amends by retaking 'em after the Conclusion of the Peace Charles V. having a design to enthral all Germany finding himself so far from succeeding in his Enterprises that he perceiv'd the liberty of the Princes which he endeavour'd to oppress gather Strength every day more then other and that their Union became more Potent resolv'd to make 'em very advantagious Proposals of Peace as likewise to Francis I. the most formidable of all his Enemies believing that if he consented once to an Accommodation he should easily compass the rest And this is the Course that Lewis the Great takes at this day However it were France having luckily attain'd her end after she found the knack of separating the Hollanders from their Confederates surceases her offering Peace to the rest but imposes the Law upon 'em and forces 'em to an Acceptance mangre their unwillingness So that Spain was constrain'd to resign Irrevocably and for ever Franche Conpte together with the Cities of Valencionnes Bouchain Conde Cambray Aires Sc. Omer Ipres Warâ—ic and Warnton upon the Lis Cassel Bovay Maubege with all their Signiores Appurtenances and Dependences France on the other side engages but with Mazarin's Mental Reservation to restore Charleroy Binch At h Oudenard and Countray which had been resign'd to her before the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle In like manner she restor'd the Dutchy of Limberg and the Country of Oultremouse together with the City and Citadel of Gaunt the City of Leuve in Brabant St. Ghilain in Hainault and the City of Puicerda in Catalonia Now look how much France advances in the Negotiation of the Peace at Nimeguen especially after she had found a way to satisfy the Hollanders and Spaniards whether to their content or no it matter'd not but more especially the foremost who were the principal Sinews of the League she raises her Tone a litter higher and never concerns her self with what the rest of the Confederates will do She knows what she had to do to bring 'em to her Bow So that the Emperor the Princes of the Empire and the Duke of Lorrain who are the last to be agreed with having nothing to do but to prepare for a new War if they obstinately stand out and refuse the Propositions that are made 'em Blows immediately follow Threats she marches her Forces into the Territories of those Princes and constrains 'em by the unheard of Ravages and Cruelties there committed to accept the severe Conditions which she offers 'em and so sells 'em their Peace at a dear rate After this manner the Treaty between France and Spain was concluded in 1678. and the Emperor was fain to comply the next Year Between whom and France it was agreed That his Imperial Majesty and the most Christian King should renew and confirm the Contents of the Treaty of Munster in 1648. except in some Points By this Treaty the most Christian King engages to resign and transfer to the Emperor and his Heirs and Successors the perpetual Right of Protection and Possession of the City of Philipsburgh which he possess'd by vertue of the Peace of Munster On the other side his Imperial Majesty in the name of the whole House of Austria and of the Empire promises to resign and transfer to his most Christian Majesty and his Successors the City and Cittadel of Friburgh with the three Villages depending upon it excepting the Diocesan Rights which were reserv'd to the Bishop and Church of Constance to which it belong'd Next to the Emperor the Elector of Brandenburgh was forc'd in his turn to obey France and to restore to Sweden all that he had won from that Crown so that the Elector finding himself the only innocent Victim of the Party whose Interests he had so â—enerously espous'd laid it so heinously to Heart as to vow That if he had bin so easie â—s to the time past to intermeddle with other Peoples Quarrels he would be so prudent for â—e future as to consider twice before he deâ—ar'd once What a Consolation it was to â—e most Christian King to see that all â—â—ings went to wrack on the Confederates â—de after the Hollanders had quitted that Union Therefore most Serene Princes may â—othing ever be so prevalent as to disunite â—our Confederacy for 't is by your united â—orce that you will obtain a lasting and â—urable Peace nor is there any other proâ—able Means to bring down the Pride of France As for Prince Charles of Lorrain it was â—greed by the XII Article That he should â—e restor'd to the Territories which Duke Charles his Uncle enjoy'd in 1670. at what â—ime France made her self Mistress of 'em â—pon condition that the City of Nanci and the Dependencies should belong to the King in Soveraignty And it was also agreed That besides the Thorough-fare which the deceased Duke had granted to his Majesty in 1667. Prince Charles should engage to allow him two more from Nanci to Metz and so unto Franche Conte In this manner France consents to the Restitution of Lorrain as she had done by the Pyrenean Peace but Colbert Croissi in imitation of Mazarin labours 〈◊〉 preserve a Thorough-fare and High Roaâ—â— for his Majesties Forces to the end that if 〈◊〉 Fancy should take him to seize upon thâ—â— Dukedom a third time he may always find 〈◊〉 open and ready to receive him Moreover the King engag'd by
of which he â—resented one to every particular Person telâ—â—ng 'em with a Smile at the time that he â—ade the Presents That his Majesty was not 〈◊〉 rich as fully to remunerate the great Obligaâ—â—ons which they were about to confer upon him however that they had to do with a Prince who â—â—anted neither Good-will nor Power to make 'em Great Lords in France At the Fourth Conference 't was agreed That Louvois should engage for the payment of 400000. Livers in ready Mony to the Chief Burgo-master and that every one of the Proâ—osts Consuls and Magistrates the were of â—he Cabal should have for their share 300000 Livers in consideration of which the Keys of the City should be put into his Hands and the said City was to be put into his Majesties Hands to reck'n from the 23d of October 1661. which was the Day made choice of for his Majesties taking Livery and Seizsin Besides that Louvois engag'd to alloâ—â— the said Magistrates their House-Rent freâ—â— at his Majesties Charge from the time 〈◊〉 their Arrival at Paris assuring 'em of 〈◊〉 Majesties Friendship and Protection againâ—â— all that should make any Attempt upon theâ— Liberty France having thus made her self Mistreâ—â— of the Capital City of Alsatia Louvois seâ—â— word to the Duke of Mantua that if he 〈◊〉 a mind to quit Casal for Mony he would 〈◊〉 him down two Millions upon the Nail 〈◊〉 Importance of that Negotiation and the feâ—â— the Court was in lest the Secret should be 〈◊〉 vulg'd caus'd his Majesty to make choiceâ— Colbert Croissi in the absence of Louvois 〈◊〉 had proffer'd to undertake a Journey 〈◊〉 Italy as he had done into Alsatia but thâ—â— the Fatigues of his first Journey would 〈◊〉 permit him At length Colbert Croissi depaâ—â—ed in all haste after he had receiv'd full 〈◊〉 structions and came to Casal Incognitâ—â— where he had a Conference Face to Face 〈◊〉 the Duke As they were about to take the leaves after the first Treaty which they 〈◊〉 together Colbert pulling out some Papers out 〈◊〉 his Pocket unluckily let fall his Memoirs uâ—der the Table which the Duke took up so soâ—â— as the Minister was gone out of the Roomâ— and having read 'em he found the Purport 〈◊〉 'em to be That in case the Duke made aâ—â— scruple to part with Casal for two Millioâ— Colbert should come up to his Price what-ever 〈◊〉 were and that if he only stook for Mony â—â—at he should mount up to four Millions â—aving the rest to his Prudence But above 〈◊〉 things he had order not to return till 〈◊〉 Affair was fully concluded The next day in the Morning coming to â—tend the Duke as he was dressing himself 〈◊〉 of the Prince's Pages neatly slipt the â—emoire into the Ministers Pocket without â—â—ing perceiv'd and then the Duke making 〈◊〉 if he knew nothing of his Orders told 〈◊〉 'T was impossible to deliver up such an â—â—portant Place as Casal under less then four â—â—illions in Silver and that he expected 'em 〈◊〉 be paid upon the Day that the Town was 〈◊〉 be deliver'd or immediately after signing 〈◊〉 Treaty Colbert was extreamly surpriz'd 〈◊〉 hear that the Duke's Mind was so strangely â—â—er'd from what it was the Day before and â—â—gning that he would return home without â—â—ing any thing told the Duke that he would 〈◊〉 as much as lay in his Power and that he â—â—ould presume to exceed his Master's Orders 〈◊〉 far as some few hundred thousand Livres â—â—ould reach above the two Millions that he 〈◊〉 offer'd the Day before 'T was agreed 〈◊〉 That his Master should give 500000 â—â—vres more above the Two Millions that he 〈◊〉 offer'd the Day before together with an â—â—nnual Pension of 200000 which should be â—â—gularly paid during his Life Upon this the poor Prince fell into the Snare and 〈◊〉 glitter of the French Lewidores daz'ld him 〈◊〉 that degree that he sign'd the Contract of Salâ—â— and Colbert returned to Court in less then Siâ—â— Weeks Thus France became the Mistress of Twâ—â— strong Barriers without so much as drawinâ— a Sword which secur'd her both on Germany and Italy side Besides these notorious Attempts upon the Peace the most Christian King besieg'd Courtray and won it Whiâ—â— done he spent no less then 3000 Bombs upâ—â— Luxemburgh and laid it in Ashes If the Spâ—niards complain of these Cruelties he 〈◊〉 swers 'em That the Marquis of Grana 〈◊〉 committed Acts of Hostility which he nevâ—â— so much as dreamt of and then like a 〈◊〉 Man le ts loose all his Fury and sends Botâ—flers and Montal to commit all the Ravagâ—â— imaginable orders 'em to waste all befoâ—â— 'em with Fire and Sword to the very Gaâ—â— of Mons and to act those Villanies and Crâ—elties in the midst of Peace that scarce couâ—â— have bin committed in the height of a 〈◊〉 bloody War If Charles the Bold Duke of Burgunâ—â— had the Sir-name of Terrible given him 2â— Years after his Death because he renewâ—â— the Rigour of War in former Times 〈◊〉 which had been discontinued for some Agâ—â— among the Christians it may be said 〈◊〉 Lewis the Great has out-done him and 〈◊〉 never any Prince has rendred himself more Terrible in History or more odious to the World then this Monarch has made himself by his Cruelties and Barbarities during the whole Course of his Reign But let us proceed to the other Breaches of the Peace The most Christian King perceiving that â—ll the Princes of Europe lay secure and careâ—ess and that not so much as one of 'em stirr'd â—o oppose his Designs while every one minded noting but his own particular Interests thought himself at Liberty to do whatever he pleas'd Thereupon he bethought himself of building Fortresses along the Rhine upon the Territories of his Enemies and Barriers and Securities of his Conquests but which expos'd their Dominions to the first Fury and Havocks of a War in case of a Rupture and enabl'd him to carry his Arms into the Heart of Germany before the Forces of the Empire could be in a Condition to march With this Design he erected that important Fortress of Mount-Royal upon the Moselle within the Peninsula of Trebon upon a steep Rock almost encompass'd with the River he fortiy'd Sar-Lewis upon the Sar and rais'd the Fort of Huninghen consisting of Five Bastions seated upon the Rhine with a wooden Bridge a little below Bale in Sungouw To which we may add the Forts which he rais'd upon the Rhine near Strasburgh c. When these Enormous Actions were complain'd of in France the Answer was ready 〈◊〉 For the Imperial Ministers were told That their Master had no reason to be jealous 〈◊〉 what she did for that she was very well satisfy'd there was nothing done contrary to the Peace In the Year 1684. France gives the Catholick King to understand that he was to deliver into her Hands the Equivalent that had bin offer'd her in lieu of the Country oâ— Alost and upon the King
Peace For as to what remains said he I should make no scruple to acknowledge the seeking after Peace when the Progress and Reputation of the King's Arms in the next Campain shall have advanced his Majesties Renown to the highest pitch it can arrive at c. These were the Sentiments of the most Subtle and Crafty Minister that ever France had who decides the Question in few words The Most Christian King has so well profited by the Maxims of that great Politician that 't is with him an inviolable Law not to swerve from the Practice thereof to this day Nor was Mazarin alone of this Opinion The Marquess of Louvois jumps with him in the same Sentiments And tho' he were not of so â—ublime a Genius as Mazarin the Reputation he acquir'd during his Ministry renders â—im Authentic enough to be quoted for a good Author You shall hear what he said to Colbert Croissi when he gave him his last Instructions how to carry himself at the Negotiation of Nimeguen whither he was sent with the Character of a Plenipotentiary I know very well said he that the Confederate Princes will make a Judgment to the Prejudice of his Majesty of his Conduct in inviting 'em to a Peace but it matters not the Advantages he will receive thereby will amply recompence the Wrong which his Honour will suffer besides that we shall come off well enough by giving out that his Majesty vouchsaf'd to afford Peace to Europe Thus you see what has been all along the Temper of France this is no Maxim of Yesterday as being practis'd by several of his Majesty's Ancestors Witness what Comines reports of Lewis XI That that same Prince to get himself out of the Bryars at a time when Paris the Capital City of his Kingdom was within a very little of being Besieg'd by the Burgundians deem'd it the only way in the World he could take to Temporize He thought it by no means proper to venture his Kingdom upon the Hazard of a Battle and therefore labour'd under-hand to Dis-unite the Princes and Lords of the Confederacy which succeeded very luckily and by that means he got the better of his Enemies Henry IV. and Lewis XIII took the same Course And still when France has been overwhelm'd with the great number of her Enemies it has been always her way to ruin their Union with fair and plausible Proposals of Peace But if it may be said that the French Monarchy had always Great Masters in this Scienice Lewis XIV has out-done 'em all His Reign has been a continued Series of deceitful Promises violated Faith and Treaties broken In a word this Prince observing himself Attack'd by the most Potent Confederacy that ever was entred into against France can never take a better opportunity to propose Peace then when her Triumphant Arms may seem to boast of some Advantages The same Arms are fickle and uncertain and Fortune that has favour'd him hitherto may forsake him and reduce his Affairs to the most Pitiful Condition in the World It looks then if we may judge of Events by the disposal and management of things as if France affraid of strange Revolutions sufficient to ravish from him in an instant all the Honour and Glories he has hitherto enjoy'd and despoil her Conquests gain'd by breach of Treaties sought to effect by Policy what she cannot compass by Force There are four things that urge the Crown of France to press the Confederates so earnestly for a Treaty of Peace The First is the â—ondition of her Affairs which at present is savourable enough in regard of the Progresses which her Arms have made The Second is her Apprehensions lest the Confederates considerably augmenting their Forces and redoubling their Efforts should weaken her in such a manner as to disable her for the future from making a further Progress upon her Neighbours if they permit her to keep her own The Third is the hopes that she has of luckily obtaining her ends by the same Artifices which she made use of at the Peace of Nimiguen And the Fourth is the low ebb of her Exchequer and the deplorable condition of the People reduc'd to utmost Misery by Famin and want of Corn. As to the condition of her Affairs most certain it is that France is well advis'd in taking this time to make her Proposals of Peace She was never so happy nor so much caress'd by Fortune as now For five Years together that the War has bin declar'd excepting the First Campaign wherein the Confederates triumph'd upon the reducing of Mayence Keiserwart Bon c. to which we may add that famous Atchievment at the Boyn the memorable Victory with which it was attended the Engagement by Sea and the Duke of Savoy's Irruption into the Dauphinate all other things may be said to have been prosperous for France So that if she could inveagle the Confederate Princes into a Negotiation at a time when every thing smiles upoâ— her she may have just reason to expect thaâ— such a Negotiation will be attended with 〈◊〉 Peace no less glorious and advantagious foâ— her then that of the Pyreneans Aix la Chapelle or Nimeguen For proof of which then needs no more but to reflect upon the Offer of the Envoys of Denmark to the Court oâ— England and the States of the United Provinces which we have already recited Which Offers are so inconsiderable That 't is a meeâ— Insulting and an Affront put upon the Honour of so many Princes to presume that they would ever listen to such Proposals As to the Apprehensions of France lest the Confederates should redouble their Efforts and constrain the most Christian King to confine himself within much narrower Limits 't is as certain That her Fears are not groundless and that 't is but good Counsel given to the most Christian King to advise him to bid his Generals and his Souldiers whet their Swords betimes and have their Arms in a readiness because that in all Likelihood we shall have a warm Campaign of it The most Christian King perhaps did ne're expect that England turmoil'd as she had been with Factions and Dissentions that harrass'd the Peace and Tranquility of the Kingdom would have taken a Resolution to conclude the War by Efforts of Puissance and constant Opposition by granting the Men â—nd Mony which King William desir'd Nor 〈◊〉 England the only Confederate so well inâ—in'd to the common Cause The United â—rovinces and the rest of the Princes and â—tates that compose the League unanimously â—onclude to sacrifice the whole toward the â—btaining a lasting and durable Peace And â—ence it is that we behold such numerous Armies such prodigious Forces muster'd together on the Confederates side amounting â—â—s they say to no less then 400000 Men Which if it be true France will find it a difficult Task to fend off the Blows on every side And I am persuaded that Marshal Luxemburgh as much pufft up as he is with the Advantages that he
of those two great Men that he perswaded both Crowns to lay down their Arms and so second the Repose and Tranquility of Europe which was almost in the same Confusion as now it is France having always observ'd that the Popes had bin always the Sovereign Umpires and Arbitrators of the Quarrels between the Two Houses could not take a more advantagious and more favourable Course then â—ow she did But as we have already obâ—erv'd 't was not sufficient for France to be â—econcil d to the Court of Rome by sacrificing â—o her all her Resentments which seem'd to â—end to a personal Enmity and Disobedience which France had display'd to all the World with so much Pride and Haughtiness and â—y this means to have induc'd her to espouse â—er Interests there was a necessity of something more that should have met in the Person of the present Pope a cunning Dexterity â—ike that of Clement VIII and Paul III. who Mediated the Peace between Charles V. and Francis I. If Clement was put to so much Trouble before he could pacifie the Troubles that render'd Henry IV. and Philip II. Irreconcilable Pope Paul had much more to do with Charles V. and Francis I. who being come to Nice where Pope Paul III. expeced 'em to put an end to their Differences as a Common Father and Mediator all that the Holy Father who was the most Perspicatious and Politic Prince of his Age could do was to make those two Monarchs agree upon a Truce for Ten Years without seeing each other it being impossible for him to perswade 'em to a final Peace So that one may safely say that Affairs are at present in the same posture and that there appears but very little hope for the Most Christian King to expect a Peace by the way of Rome The Union of the Confederate Princes is knit so fast that 't is in vain for him to think to dissolve it by any Intrigues of the Spiritual Court. As Crafty as the Cardinals Fourbin and d' Estrees are and whatever Artifices they make use of we do not find they have made any progress as yet So that France having nothing to trust to but her Arms of necessity she must renew her preparations for the War or propound more Honourable and Advantageous Offers in order to a Peace then those already presented by the Ministers of Denmark The Confederate Princes will never consent to any Treaty that is not attended with the Restitution of all that France has Usurp'd since the Pyrenean Treaty Let her thunder out her Resentment in the rage and fury of new Cruelties Let her Burn and lay all Waste before her Let her do all the Mischief that formerly was practis'd by Charles the Bald Sur-named the Terrible with a design to obtain by Force what he cannot obtain by Gentle Means Let him make his Protestations in all the Courts of Europe that he is ready to lay down his Arms Let him proclaim as loud as he pleases by the Mouths of his Emissaries the sincerity of his Intentions Let him exalt himself in Promises and with a thousand Rodomantadoes sound forth the Advantages which he offers the Confederates All this will never inveagle 'em to accept of a Treaty The Confederate Princes are now resolv'd to imitate the Conduct of Henry IV. toward Philip II. For Henry having too often experienc'd how little all the Promises of the Spanish Monarch were to be rely'd upon would never enter into any Negotiation till he had made Restitution of all his Conquests and order'd him to be told that when he had restor'd back all that he had taken from him then should the Spaniard see what he would do The Confederate Princes have both reason and are likewise in a condition to hold the King of France's Nose to the same Grindstone When he has restor'd to every particular Person what he has wrested from 'em by Invasion the Estates and Fortresses of which he has despoiled several Sovereign Princes Then the Allies will enter into a Negotiation to the end they may all together agree upon the Means the most effectual to procure a solid and lasting Peace If they delay to enter into a Negotiation till France shall make a Previous Offer of restoring all she has won fince the Pyrenean Treaty there is no question but she will do as she did at the Peace of Nimeguen that is to say she will commit more Havoc and Cruelties then in the greatest heat of War on purpose to make 'em hasten the conclusion of the Treaty and be more willing to grant her Demands This Condct of hers is so much the more Advantageous because she knows by Experience that her talking of Peace was wont to lull the Confederates asleeep while on the other side Misunderstanding crept in among 'em besides that they were willing to lessent their Forces at a time when it became 'em rather to redouble their Efforts If the King of France had the good luck to Succeed and that he effectually perswaded the Confederate Princes to accept his Offers He had no small reason at that imte to boast his having restor'd Peace to Europen but they might well cry out with Horace for all that Quid dignum tanto feret hic Promissor hiatu Parturiunt Montes nascetur Ridiculus Mus. Andbe had likewise as much reason to say that he had the honour to make all the Confederates draw their Swords and to Disarm 'em when they had done and that that same Potent League sufficient to have made the French Monarchy Tremble and reduce her to her ancient Bounds did nothing more then only Forge the Shackles themselves with which France intended to have bound 'em to a more cruel Slavery then what they had endur'd before To be convinc'd of this there needs no more but to consider that all that France offers to restore to the Confederates may be re-taken by her Arms in less then one Campain so soon as the Confederates should have laid down their Arms and Disbanded their forces There 's no necessity for me to enlarge upon the Proof of this 'T is sufficient to say â—he King of France has no other Aim then to â—evive his old Maxims presently after the conclusion of the Peace And indeed 't is a hard matter for an Unlimited Prince to set Bounds to â—is Designs and to root out of his Heart the principles which Ambition and Avarice have Planted there with so much Industry even from â—is tender Youth And therefore we must not â—buse our selves so long as Lewis the Great continues Great as being surrounded with such a real and effectual Power as he now Possesses which may be said to be the highest degree of Exaltation and Grandeur to which 〈◊〉 Prince can attain he will always give Laws to Europe and all the rest of the Princes must depend upon him in such a manner as never to be able to Affranchise themselves but by his Downfall Let 'em Upbraid as much as they
Custody and Preservation of one of these Places is entrusted with the Spaniards and for that Luxemburg has had too much experience of the Bravery of the Hollanders 't is not his Opinion that his Majesty should adventure his Fame and Reputation upon a Siege where he must fight against whole Armies of which the Garisons are Compos'd So that his Majesty in all likelyhood will be contented with taking a Journey into Flanders to give his Ladies a little fresh Air and if he finds no probability of doing any thing considerable he will return by the way of Dinant under pretence of some Indisposition of Body If the Marshals of Luxemburg de Lorge Catinat and Bouflers are to be believ'd there will be some set-Battles this Year and therefore it was not thought convenient to undertake any this last Winter for fear of Tyring out the Soldiers considering the need of Fresh Men to support so many great Actions Only the French could wish their Cavalry were a little more Numerous and that they could be suppli'd with the Horses which the Jews of Metz engag'd to procure ' em But the strict Order taken by the Confederates was an Invincible Obstacle which they never expected Thus you see what famous Exploits were design'd in the Cabinet at Versailles But if the Confederate Princes do their Duty and act by concert 't is in a manner certain that France will only Triumph in Imagination and that she runs a great hazard of seeing her self in as bad or worse Condition in the end of the Campaign as she was at the Beginning The Confederates with much more reason hope to Ruin her by prolonging the War and to enforce her in despight of all her Flourishes and Bravado's to Surrender back all her Usurpations 'T is a good Omen for the Confederates that France begins the first of all to talke of Peace and that she offers to restore some part of her Conquests 'T is a sign she is weary of the War and that her Conscience upbraids her with Perfidiousness and at the same time ordains her to make restitution of her Usurpations if she intends to be Reconcil'd with her Enemies As for the Confederates who are without Reproach in that Particular they are not yet so Harrass'd by the incumbent Necessities and fatal Exigencies attending a long War but that with far less Prejudice they can still maintain their Resolutions of never hearkning to a Treaty unless that France submit to surrender whatever she has possess'd her self of by Invasion since the Pyrenean Peace ADDENDA THAT it is the general Interest of Europe to have the Pyrenean Treaty restor'd to its full Force has been shewn at large in the foregoing Discourses but how particularly England is concern'd in that Restitution is what will appear by the following Reflections wherein I intend to shew that it is particularly both the Interest and Honour of this Nation never to consent to a Peace till the Affairs of Europe be reduc'd to the same condition as they were when the Treaty we speak of was concluded 'T is agreed on all hands That the Peace of Christendom cannot be lasting and firm unless there be an Equilibrium between the two Greatest Powers For when at any Time one prevails over the other Ambition never wants a Pretence to make War which in its consequence tho at first began only between them Two yet in the end sets all the States of Christendom together by the Ears and involves them in all the Miseries that attends a most barbarous and unmerciful War So long as the Spaniards were at the Top of the Wheel what Troubles Wars and Misfortunes did they not occasion in Christendom by their foolish and immoderate Ambition to Lord it over all the World besides And since the French have succeeded them in their Fortunes and Designs what Barbarities desolations and Cruelties have we not seen and felt This therefore sheweth the absolute necessity of an Equilibrum between France and the House of Austria but the Question is how to come at it Whosoever will be at the pains to consider well what has bin said before must agree That there is no other way left to balance those two Powers but to revive the Pyrenean Treaty which put such reasonable Bounds to those two contending Empires that I dare say it would be very easy to preserve Peace in Christendom did the Christians but mind their own true Interest But perhaps some will say against this How can you affirm that that Treaty did set the Scales even between those two Crowns seeing the French are grown so powerful since that time and the Spaniards on the other Hand have suffer'd such considerable Losses This is a great Objection I confess indeed and that which seems at first a Demonstration that that Treaty was too advantagious to France yet when it is throughly enquir'd into it will appear to be very trivial and of no force at all as I hope to shew before I have done And the better to clear this Difficulty I say first That to pretend to set such an exact Equilibrium between France and the House of Austria as may infallibly secure the Peace of Europe without the concurrence of the other States is a foolish and an idle Speculation and indeed an Impossibility 2. That all that we can reasonably expect is to set France and the House of Austria in such a condition that whenever one of them shall venture to disturb the Peace of Europe it might be in the power of another State to turn the Scales and command them to be quiet And 3. I say That the Treaty concluded at the Pyrenees left France and the House of Austria in such a condition Now to prove this I have nothing else to do but to shew That there was then such a Power in being as was able to keep both the French and Spaniards in Peace and that was England But to set this truth in its full Light I shall only put the Reader in mind of the Causes of the Growth of France in which the Author of the foregoing Treatise is in my Opinion very defective For tho' the great Ability of their Ministers of State the good use of their Mony and the Arbitrary Power of their King may have contributed very much to these Conquests yet after all they owe more to say not all to the kindness of King Charles II. and to the supine carelesness of the English This will appear the more visible if we consider the happy Circumstances that King Charles was in upon his Restoration The Effeminacy Luxury and other Vices which have bin since so common amonst us were then unknown to the English for Cromwel had left him a true sober and warlike Nation Our Seamen having curbed the Dutch they defied and that with Justice all the Powers of the World to contend with them for the Empire of the Sea We were Masters of Dunkirk a very considerable Place and which lying between the French
and Spaniards was as we may say a Throne upon which a King of England could decide without Appeal the Differences between France and Spain In short to crown all this King Charles found the most liberal People that ever was Now after this who will deny that England was then in a condition to restrain the French and oblige them to stand still tho' they had bin in a much better posture then they were For these Divisions were not altogether appeased and their Fleet at that time was so very inconsiderable that they made but a very little figure at Sea By what has bin said I hope it appears That if a Peace has not reigned in Europe since the Pyrenean Treaty it is not because there was not an Equilibrum set between France and the House of Austria but only because those whose gloriuos Province it was to maintain the publick Peace were corruptible Men and therefore I conclude that if that Treaty be restor'd if the Affairs of Eurpoe were reduc'd to the same Condition as they were then in we shall enjoy a lasting Peace For it is not to be supposed that any King of England for the future will be persuaded to sell Dunkirk to the Franch to teach them how to manage their Fleet to join with them against the Dutch our Confederates and in a word to suffer them to swallow Flanders or any other Country 'T is said indeed that Glory is the inseparable Companion of Princes but sure I am that the Prince we speak of must be excepted out of that Rule for had he felt any sting of that noble Passion is it to be believ'd that he would have divested himself of the most glorious Advantage and Title that ever any Christian Prince enjoy'd viz. of being the Vmpire of Europe and the Defender of the Peace as well as of the Faith Now since the Restitution of the Pyrenean Treaty is so absolutely necessary for the Peace of Christendom 't is plain That England aâ— well as other Nations now in Confederacy witâ— her must be engag'd to continue the War tiâ— we obtain it but besides we are engag'd by the Ties of Honour and Glory in thâ— Quarrel It hath been our ofrmer Princes Negligence or our own that hath made sâ— wide a Breach in Europe and are we noâ— bound in Honour as well as in Justice tâ— make it up We have lost the fairest Floweâ— of our Crown in parting with the Advantaâ— ges I have mention'd are we not bound therefore for the Glory of our Country tâ— strive to regain them Dunkirk I know waâ— not yielded to the English by the Pyreneaâ— Treaty but was it not then our own sinoâ— soon after King Chrales sold it How much the loss of Calais was bewail'd by our Fore-fathers I think needless to teâ— my Reader since it hastened the death oâ— Queen Mary her self but with what Tranquility we suffer'd the loss of Dunkirk is indeed a Subject of Wonder but I think it still a grerter to hear many People say that it is against our Interest to demand the Restitution of that Place unless they will say that Calais was of more advantage to England which I have no reason to believe as I could easily shew if I would break the Bounds which I have prescrib'd to my self I would conclude here and truly 't is high time but I think my self oblig'd to answer or at least to prevent an Objection which some People may possibly make If almost all the Princes of Europe in Confederacy together are scarce now able to resist France how is it possible that England along should keep the Balance even between that Kingdom and the House of Austria To this I answer that if France was supposed to be always as powerful as it is at this day or as it has been for many Years of late the Objection would then hold good and I should reckon my self something worse then a Fool to believe that England and Spain would be able to counterbalance it since as it is observ'd so many States in conjunction together find it a difficult matter to do it but if the French are once brought back to the Pyrenean Treaty and once shut up within these ancient Bounds then I dare say That England will be able to turn the Scale to what side soever she pleases and especially if Dunkirk be rrestor'd to us All the World knows that the French have made great Conquests and consequently that they must be stronger then they were formerly but the better to make this Truth sensible and to give at the same time a just Idea of their present Strength I 'll offer to the Reader a List of the principal Towns and Countries which they have acquir'd to use their own Phrase since the Pyrenean Treaty Dunkirk Bergue St. Vinox Ypres Menin Furnes Tournay Lille Douay St. Omer Valenciennes Conde Bouchain Cambray Aire St. Guilain Mons Charleroy Namur Huy Dinant Charlemont Maubeuge Luxemburgh with all its Dependencies The whole Dutchy of Lorrain The County of Burgundy in which are very Considerable Places as Besancon Dole Salins c. Treves or Tryers with almost that Electorate Montroial Strasbourgh Philipsbourgh Landau Friburgh The whole Dutchy of Savoy Suse Cazal Nisse Ville Franche Roses and many others which for brevity-sake I shall omit All these Places are extraordinary well fortified and have large Dependencies and this makes France so powerful and almost impenetrable either in Flanders or Germany but it must be granted that if the French were once oblig'd to restore them to their right Owners they would cease to be so formidable from whence I conclude again that it is in the Pyrenean Treaty alone we can find that Equilibrium I have spoken of and which is so absolutely necessary to the Peace of Europe FINIS Books Printed for Richard Bladwin at the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane A Poem on the late Promotions of several Eminent Persons in Church and State by N. Tate Servant to their Majesties Pleasure with Profit Consisting of Recreations of divers kinds viz. Numerical Geometrical Mechanical Statical Astronomical Horometrical Cryptographical Magnetical Automatical Chymical and Historical Published to recreate Ingenious Spirits and to induce them to make farther scrutiny into these and the like Sublime Sciences And to divert them from following such Vices to which Youth in this Age are so much inclin'd By William Leybourn Philomathes To this Work is also annext a Treatise oâ— Algebra according to the late Improvements applied to Numerical Questions and Geometry with a New Series for the speedy Extraction of Roots as also a Converging Series for all manner of adsected Equations By R. Sault Master of the Mathematical School in Adam's Court in Broad-street near the Royal Exchange Letters of State written by Mr. John Milton to most of the Sovereign Princes and Republicks of Europe from the Year 1649. till the Year 1659. To which is added An Account of his Life together with several of his Poems and a Catalogue of his Works never before Printed Bibliotheca Politica Or an Enquiry into the Ancient Constitution of the English Government with respect both to the just Extent of Regal Power and to the Rights and Liberties of the Subject Wherein all the chief Arguments as well against as for the Late Revolution are impartially represented and considered in XIII Dialogues Collected out of the best Authors both Ancient and Modern To which is added An Alphabetical Index to the whole Work The Works of Francis Rabelais M. D. Or the Lives Heroick Deeds and Sayings of Gargantua and Pantagruel Done out of French by Sir Tho. Vrchard Kt. and others With a large account of the Life and Works of the Author particularly an Explanation of the most difficult Passages in them Never before publish'd in any Language Mercury or the Secret and Swift Messenger Shewing how a Man may with Privacy and Speed communicate his Thoughts to a Friend at any distance The Second Edition by the Right Reverend Father in God John Wilkins late Lord Bishop of Chester Printed for Richard Baldwin where are to be had The World in the Moon and Mathematical Magick An Essay concerning Obedience to the Supreme Powers and the Duty of Subjects in all Revolutions With some Considerations touching the present Juncture of Affairs A Collection of Speeches of the Right Honourable Henry lat Earl of Warrington viz. I. His Speech upon his being Sworn Mayor of Chester in November 1691. II. His Speech to the Grand-Jury at Chester April 13. 1692. III. His Charge to the Grand-Jury at the Quarter-Sessions held for the County of Chester on the 11th of October 1692. IV. His Charge to the Grand-Jury at the Quarter-Sessions held for the County of Chester on the 25th Day of April 1693. FINIS
THE Bounds set to FRANCE BY THE Pyrenean Treaty And the Interest of the CONFEDERATES Not to accept of the Offers of Peace Made at this Time by the FRENCH KING To which are added Some short Reflections shewing How far England is concern'd in the Restitution of that Treaty Together with a List of the Towns and Countries that the French have taken since that Time LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin at the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane 1694. THE BOUNDS OF France c. FOUR Things have contributed to render France so Potent and Formidable as we behold her at this day In the first Place the ill observance of her Word in reference to Treaties of Peace or Truces concluded with other Soveraign States and which she has violated in a little time after the Exchange of the Ratifications which has been the Original of all the terrible Misfortunes that have turmoil'd Europe for above these Thirty Years and which perhaps will hardly end but with the Princes Reign that first began the fatal Disturbance The second Cause of the Grandeur of France was the easiness she met with to give her Ambition its full Swinge by pushing forward to the utmost of their Extent her Exorbitant Pretensions to the Territories and Dominions of her Neighbours with a Resolution to confine 'em within no other Bounds then those of all Europe unless a greater Force oppos'd her The third Cause of her Grandeur is the Arbitrary Power and the Soveraign Authority which the Reigning Price has made himself Master of by degrees by encroaching upon the Liberties of the People and the Authority of Parlaments And the fourth is the extraordinary Means she makes use of to encrease her Teasury and the good use she makes of it through the good Conduct of those who are entrusted with the management of it As to the first of these Causes which is The Violation of Treaties and which we have made choice of for the Subject of this Discourse All the World knows the Condition to which France was reduc'd before the Conclusion of the Pyrenean Peace or to descend a little lower during the King's Minority She could hardly then bring an Army of above thirty thousand Men into the Field and â—ind Mony proportionable to pay ' em For proof of which the Queen Mother has been often heard to say talking Face to Face with her prime Minister Mazarin Good God! where shall we find Men to continue the War and Mony to supply so many pressing Necessities And a little while after did we not see M. de Turenne reduc'd to melt down his Plate and as it were strip himself to the last Farthing to keep his Army from Perishing So hard a thing it was to get Mony from the Court for that many times the Chequer was quire drain'd and utterly unable to pay the Soldiers It may be said that the French Monarchy was supported then by the Cunning and Policy of her Ministers rather then by her own Forces Witness what Mazarin said one day to the King Sir said he in respect of the Treasure Your Majesties Conquests in your Cabinet are without all Contradiction far the greater Number then those of your Armies In a word the Negotiations and Alliances which were made during Mazarin's Ministry and afterwards under the Marquiss of Louvais contributed more to the Aggrandizing France and extending her Limits then the Force of her Arms. France then having extreamly suffer'd during the space of several Years that the War with Spain lasted she was reduced to a lamentable condition by reason of her Teasure's being exhausted and the oppression of her Subjects and it may be said that notwithstanding all the Polities of Mazarin the King was fain to put a good Face upon a bad Matter which is a thing frequently practis'd among the French Tho' at the same time she made a bouncing shew of nothing less then of being inclin'd to Peace a Conduct quite opposite to what she observes at this day And yet the Proceedings of Mazarin made it plainly appear that France had a greater Inclination to it then Spain In a word that Minister had hardly time to bid the Queen adieu so earnest he was to be upon the Frontiers of the Kingdom But some will object against this the Pains that Don Antonio Piemontel took at Paris to perswade Mazarin to hearken to the Propositions of Peace The great number of Conferences which the Cardinal had with Don Lewis de Haro the Delays and Difficulties that occurr'd before the Points of that Peace could be agreed to all which things manifestly prove the contrary and that France was not so low as I represent her to be But I answer that this was only a Master-piece of Mazarin's fine-spun Politicks who made use of all the Shifts and cunning Artifices imaginable to incline Don Lewis and Don Piemontel the Spanish Plenipotentiaries to grant him all those Advantages which he look'd for In a word Experience shews us that he was not deceiv'd since the Project which he had drawn up at Court was follow'd point by point and every way to the Advantage of France The greatest Fault that Spain at that time committed was that she did not make choice of a Plenipotentiary more sharp-sighted and more nimble-witted then Lewis de Haro who was mifinform'd of the Rights which the Princes had who were most remarkably concern'd in that Peace Don Lewis made a World of Oversights in that Negotiation and had committed many more but for the Assistance of M. d' Aigremont whom the Prince of Conde sent away Post out of Flanders to instruct him in many things of which he was ignorant It was to have bin wish'd that for the good and repose of all Europe and for the particular Interests of the House of Austria that Spain had been more circumspect in an Affair of that great Importance wherein the high Dispute was not only about concluding a solid and lasting Peace but the Marriage of the Infanta And I am persuaded that if the King of Spain had had any Idea of good Policy he would have taken juster Measures then he did since it was impossible but he must have foreseen that by that Alliance he went about to lay the foundation of the utter Ruin of the House of Austria Nor did he want any other Example then that of Lewis XIII to teach him that the Matches of the Infanta's of Spain with the Kings of France had bin always fatal to the Spaniards It must be acknowldg'd that the Spanish Court at that time labour'd under a most terrible Blindness that while they were moyling at the Negotiation of Peace and the Marriage of the Infanta one of the two young Infant Princes happening to die there remain'd no more then the Reigning Price to suceed to the Crown and he so young and so sickly that 't was much question'd whether he would out-live the third Year of his Age. Nevertheless the Tidings of that young Prince's death which ought to
end he might bind both the one and the other so much the faster to his Interests and because it should n'er be said that Spain should one day boast to have inforc'd France to make Restitution of what belong'd to those Princes at the Peril of his Majesties Clemency who reserv'd the Honour of it wholly to himself But if Spain took little care of the Interests of her Confederates France took a quite contrary Course in respect of Portugal the Dukes of Newburg Savoy and Modena her Allies for whom the Cardinal procur'd all the Advantages they could expect What an Honour was it for France what a Happiness at the same time for the Duke of Newburg He did but enter into an Alliance with France and presently had his Territories restor'd him France quits all abandons a part of her own Interests and causes Restitution to be made of the City of Juliers to the prejudice of the Emperor's and the Duke of Brandenburgh's Claims While on the Part of Spain such Soveraign Princes as the Duke of Lorrain who had serv'd her above Eight and twenty Years are depriv'd of all In truth most Serene Princes who are at this day united in Confederacy against France as I cannot but reflect upon a Conduct so little becoming the Justice of a potent Monarchy so I cannot but humbly lay befnre you this Noble Memento That being upon the point of concluding a Peace with the Most Christian King 〈◊〉 stands with your Honour to take a care â—â—at it be not a Peace like the rest and that one of the Princes comprehended in this August Confederacy wherein you have so justly â—rm'd your selves may have the like occasion to charge you with the same Reproach Methinks I hear France already loudly giving out as she did in the time of Charles the 〈◊〉 and Francis I That the Protecting of the House of Austria was never capable of secuâ—â—â—ng the Princes that sided with her from Oppression Witness say they what at that me befell the Dukes of Savoy and what has befallen Duke Victor Amedeas II. Which maner of Arguing makes me judge that France as a strong Confidence in the Engine she is â—tting at work to bring him off from the confederacy she fails not to Peal in his â—ars that he is upon the brink of being Forken by the rest of the Princes as his Anceers the Duke of Lorrain and the Prince of himai were formerly and as an accumution to his Misfortune of seeing his unhappy Dominions become the Innocent Victim of he Common-Cause which freequently Sacrifices the Weakest But let ut return to our Subject And now behold all Europe wistfully expecting to enjoy he Sweets of a solid and durable Peace after which she has panted so many Years Spain is the first that has reason to conceive great Hopes from so August a Treaty and an Alliance that one would think should revive the Amity that flourish'd betwen the two House in the Reigns of Ferdinand and Lewis XII Those two Princes in testimony of their intended constant Union and inviolable Friend ship would needs that the first Article of the Treaty of Blois should be express'd in theâ— Words The Most Christian King and the Catholick King shall be as two Souls in one an the same Body Would to God we had as much reason oâ— our side to continue the same Language and that we had not rather cause to say of Lewis XIV what the Historian said of the Dauphin who fled for Succour to the Court 〈◊〉 Burgundy that upon the Marriage of the Monarch with the Infanta of Spain Hatred Altecration Discord Brandling c. Aâ—â— the Devils entred with him into the House 〈◊〉 Austria 'T is also observable that the daâ— when that unhappy Alliance was conclude was so Tempestuous and so outrageously Stoâ— my that the Plenipotentiaries were at a loâ— whether they should stay or run out of the Room so great the Danger was that threatnâ— ' em It seem'd as if Heaven had had a deâ— sign to have hinder'd the conclusion of a Contract that was made on purpose to sow the Seeds of those Dismal Confusions and Calamities that afterwards o'erwhelm'd all Europe And thus we have seen the Bounds that were prescrib'd to France by the Pyrenaean Treaty Now let us see how far either her Ambition or her breach of Faith extended 'em and the Springs that she set at work to Inâ—ade the Possessions of her Neighbours and to Cloath her self with the Spoils of so many Oppressed Princes whom she Sacrificed to her Avarice to form the Powerful Monarchy that so long has been the Terror of Europe Modern Historians have great reason to say That France is now no longer to be found in France she is become so much alter'd and out of Knowledge How many States Signiories Demesnes and Principalities has she Invaded What Potentate could vaunt himself secure from her impious Tyranny I find not any in all the four Parts of the World The whole Earth upbraids her with her Infidelity Let 'em not tell me that France has obtain'd to that high degree of Exaltation and Power by the Rights or Claims that have been yielded to her by virtue of Alliances or Treaties which have succeeded that of the Pyrenans For to that I answer That the Princes of the League are not to take notice of any other then the Pyrenean Treaty and that 't is a favour done her if they should not dispute the Places with her that were allowed her by that Treaty which was brought to Perfection to the Advantage of France by the Treachery and Cunning of Mazarin prevailing over the Weakness and witless Insufficiency of Don Lewis 'T is a Truth so generally receiv'd that all the World knows it That France constrain'd the Confederates by force of Arms to conclude the two Treaties of Aix la Chapelle and Nimeguen So that if the Duke of Venice Andrea Gritti call'd the City of Cambray the Venetian's Purgatory because all the Treaties there concluded between the two Emperors and the two Kings of France had bin fatal to the most Serene Republick We may with as much reason call the Cities of Aix la Chappelle and Nimeguen the Purgatories of the Spaniards and the Confederates in regard of the Injustice of France appropriating to her self while she had such numerous Armies on foot the greatest part of their Territories under pompous and chimerical Titles claims of the Queen Right of Devolution Dependency and Covenience c. And indeed if I may presume to say so France may be said to have soundly purg'd both Spain and the Confederates by the Treaties of Aix la Chapelle and Nimeguen if we consider the Losses which they have sustain'd through the surrender of a great many Towns and Fortresses to which the King of France's Power constrain'd 'em and to which he had no Right God grant we may not fall into the like Misfortunes if it should come to another Treaty in the management of which
it will behove the Confederate Princes to make choice of able and faithful Plenipotentiaries Let 'em remember that if Mazarin had the Honour to carry away all the Advantages that France could expect from the Pyrenaean Negotiation Colbert Croissi was no less successful in that of Nimeguen And that both the one and the other of those Ministers were as cunning to improve their Interests as the t'other side were unwary and negligent in suffering themselves to be surpriz'd After the Pyrenaean Peace the first step that France made to the extending of her Limits into Germany was to take a fair occasion to despoil the Duke of Lorrain of his Territories And this that follows was the suggestion of her Crafty Ambition The King of France always made a cunning use of Marriages and we see but very few Negotiations wherein he has not affected to employ Women because they are really insinuating for that the Man must be very obdurate who can resist the effects of their Charms The King then proposed to the Duke believing that he would refuse him a Match between Prince Charles his Nephew and a Princess of France The Duke appear'd as could as Ice as having no mind to listen to the Proposal and in short refused to consent to it persuading himself that the Alliance would prove fatal to him and be the infallible Ruin of his Territories and his Nephew that was to succeed him France finding the first Hook would not take bethought her self of another Artifice She set a foot Suspitions Distrusts and Menaces Suspitions by representing to the Duke that Prince Nicholas Francis 〈◊〉 Brother and Prince Charles his Nephew betray'd him and held Intelligence with the Court of France tho' there were nothing so false Which done perceiving the Duke would not declare himself she rais'd her Tone a little higher and gave him to understand that if he continued obstinate in giving his consent to the Marriage she would seize upon his Territories and deliver 'em into ' the Hands of his Nephew The Duke who had had sufficient Experience all his Life time what France would do if she were not obey'd thought there was no way to recoil but that her unfortunate Destiny had plung'd him into an Abyss from Whence he should never be able to deliver himself but by the loss of what he had most dear and valuable in this World that is to say his Liberty and his Territories So that he resolv'd to strip himself of his Dutchies of Lorrain and Barr with their Dependences and Annexes in favour of France to the end that she should enjoy 'em after his Death with all the Rights and Priviledges of Soveraignty and that they should for ever be united and incorporated into the Demeans of the Crown only that he should enjoy 'em during his Life But the Duke of Lorrain who had shew'd so much Constancy at other times when France sought his Destruction now imprudently fell into the Springes which she set for him Which made the Politicians say That he had more Folly then Judgment in his Conduct If we consider one Circumstance that happen'd the very day that he surrender'd his Territories to France and which is very remarkable it must be agreed that the Duke had in a manner lost his Senses For you must know That this same Prince being lockt up in a Chamber where he was left all alone for a while and afterwards told That he must never think to be let out again till he had renounc'd his Territories The Duke who found himself to be a Prisoner resolved at length to purchase his Liberty at the expence of all his Signiories To which purpose he took the Pen Ink and Paper that was left him upon the Table and drew up in Writing a Draught of the Resignation of his Dutchies to France After he had finish'd the Draught he fill'd the Margin of Resignation with a great number of little Birds which he drew with his Pen and sent the whole to be deliver'd to his Majesty who could not forbear Laughing to see such an Aviary in Paper An undeniable Proof that the Duke knew not what he did These were the first Fruits which France reaped from the Pyrenean Peace and the effect of the LXVII and LXIX Articles Mazarin took care to insert into the Articles of the Treaty and which he needs would undertake to dictate himself By the first it was agreed That neither Duke Charles nor any Prince of his House should continue in Arms but should be oblig'd to disband his Forces upon the Publication of the Peace The second Article confirm'd That the Duke should allow a free Thorough-fare for his Majesties Armies to march into Alsatia to Brisac or Philipsburgh when ever the King should demand it Observe the depth of the Artifice France consents the Lorrain should be restor'd to her Lawful Sovereign but she reserves Passages and Thorough-fares to return thither when she pleases She consents That a Sovereign Prince shall enjoy his Liberty for the future but first he must lay down his Arms secondly he must demolish the Fortifications of his strong Holds and France must have the keeping of the Keys of his Dominions to the end that when she has a mind to make her self Mistress of 'em she may do it without meeting any Resistance Thus you see the Bounds of the French Monarchy enlarg'd of a sudden and extended into Germany by the addition of all the Territories of a Sovereign Prince without having any Right or Pretence to Invade 'em but because they lay convenient for her Tho' Advocate Talon spent all the Reason and Argument he had to the last drop to prove the contrary in a full Parliament asserting That Lorrain had always depended upon the Crown of France and consequently that 't was but just it should be re-united to the Crown The King of France considering the good luck that had attended him on Germany side turn'd all his Designs toward the Low Countries to see whether Fortune would present him with any favourable occasion to aggrandize himself and enlarge his Frontiers that way To that purpose he cast his Eyes upon Dunkirk with a Resolution to sacrifice Hecatombs so he might but get that Important Place out of the Hands of the English And indeed the strict Ties of Amity contracted with King Charles during his Exile had decoy'd that Unfortunate Prince into an Engagement not to refuse him any thing and knowing his weak side he made him an Offer underhand of four Millions and a fair Mistress over and above the Market-price Charms sufficiently powerful to engage him to make such a false Step as render'd and will for ever render both him and his Memory odious to Posterity But the Ambition of France stopt not here there was a necessity of giving it its full swinge the Revenues and Right of the Church must not be spar'd when the Aggrandisement of France was the main thing in dispute Her Bounds were still to narrow for
the XVII Article to 〈◊〉 sign and transfer to him the Propriety anâ— Soveraignty of the City of Toul with 〈◊〉 Banlieu or Precinct of a League in compass belonging to it to make him amends for 〈◊〉 loss of Nanci France had also promisâ—â— to give him in exchange for the City anâ— Provostship of Longwic and Equivalent in oâ—â— of the three Bishopricks But she made a 〈◊〉 of that Article as well as of all the rest Whâ—â— the day of signing Treaties is once over shâ—â— never thinks her self bound to perform anâ— more The Landgraviate of Alsatia and the Government of that Province the three Bishop ricks of Metz Toul and Verdun and Sangoviâ—â— with Brisac were also to be resign'd to France by the Treaties of Munster and Nimeguen After so many Resignations and Surrenders one would have thought that this Ambitious Potentate should have bin satisfied but faâ— from that he gave the Emperor to understand in a short time after that since he had surrender'd one part of that Province to him the whole belong'd to him by Rights of Dependency Convenience Equivocation Compensation and a thousand other Chimerical Plaims which he readily invented and which â—ought Re-unions into Fashion So that the are Langraviate with Brisac and Sandgaw which lie in the upper Alsatia being resign'd 〈◊〉 him they must be taken for the whole Alsatia tho' they make but one part of it As to the Government of the Province which only referr'd to the lower Alsatia 't was â—â—presly agreed by the Treaty That France â—ould only enjoy the Right of the Adminiâ—â—ation of Justice without appropriating to â—er self any Right of Soveraignty but she â—ugh'd at that Exception So that 't was a â—anifest Usurpation and a meer pretence to â—ppress the Liberty of all Alsatia as being â—â—vested with a single Prerogative That â—iberty which had been always so dear to â—hat Province and which it had enjoy'd for â—o many Years as a Member of the Emâ—ire I would fain know to what purpose serv'd â—ll the Care and Pains which the Emperors Plenipotentiaries took to insert expresly the Names of the Countries and Places which were to be resign'd to the Emperor and which were not to be surrender'd 'T was said That the Landgraviat and all the rest of Alsatia should enjoy the same Franchises and Privileges which they had enjoy'd under the House of Austria But France passing by all these Reservations made a Jest of 'em aâ—â— using the Lands that were not surrender'd 〈◊〉 the same Pride and Cruelty as those 〈◊〉 were has so order'd the Matter that the Subjects of that Province have sufficiently experenc'd the rigorous Effecrs of his Tyranny It would require a large Volume to enumerate all the Articles that France has violated and therefore we shall refer those thâ—â— desire a more particular Account to thâ—â— Authors who have discours'd at large upâ—â— the Negotiation of the Peace of Nimeguen All Europe wearied with so many Breachâ— and wicked Incroachments panted after 〈◊〉 thing but Peace and prepar'd to enjoy it 〈◊〉 some Years and there was some reason 〈◊〉 hope that France having reap'd such a plenâ—â—ful Harvest of Advantages from the Alliâ—â— would have set bounds to her Designs aâ—â— liv'd in perfect Unionw i th the House of Aâ—stria and the rest of the Princes of Europâ—â— But neither is all this any thing Her Limiâ—â— are not yet enough extended nor will anâ—â— thing less content heer then the Limits of thâ—â— whole Earth The Reason why I cannot here forbear tâ—â— recite the words of St. Austin To make Waâ—â— upon our Neighbours and thence to carry it stiâ—â— farther into other Countries oppressing People that never did us harm and this meerly out oâ—â— an Ambitious Desire of Empire what is it elsâ— but a glorious sort of Robbing upon the Highâ— way Thus in a few Words you have the 〈◊〉 of all the Heroick Vertues of Lewis the â—â—eat his Panegyrick in Miniature To â—â—ich we may add those Verses of Juvenal â—â—eaking of the Insatiable desire of Alexander 〈◊〉 aggrandize his Fame Vnus Pellaeo Juveni non sufficit Orbis Aestuat Infoelix Angusto Limite mundi Vt Gyarae clausus scopulis Parvoque seripho Cum tamen a figulis munitam intraverit Vrbem Sarcophago contentus erit That Prince who was too little for the Universe and the Universe too little for him â—â—d whose Ambition could never be asswag'd â—eing enter'd into Babylon was forc'd to be â—â—ntented with a single Coffin My Opinion is that as much may be said 〈◊〉 Lewis the Great and that this swelling Monarch having bin the Scourge of his Age â—he Terror of his Enemies and the most Ambitious Prince that ever sway'd the Scepter of France will be at length constrain'd to confine the vast extent of his Designs and his Insatiable desire of Aggrandizing himself to a â—canty Tomb prepar'd for him at St. Denis's â—here to be laid up among the Illustrious and High-born Lumber of the World But this is not the Business in hand we must stay till he 's dead In the mean time let us see what he has done further He has violatâ— the Pyrenean Treaty and that of Aix la Châ—pelle now let us consider whether he held 〈◊〉 Peace of Nimeguen more sacred or more 〈◊〉 violable In the Year 1688. France makes her 〈◊〉 Mistress of two the most Important Places 〈◊〉 Europe To which purpose observe the Artifices that Luovis makes use of He coâ—ceals his Order of Knighthood under his uâ—per Coat puts himself into a Disguize takâ— Post-Horses and flies from Versailles attented only by one single Lacquey and comes 〈◊〉 cognito to Strasburgh Being arriv'd at 〈◊〉 Entrance into the Plain within Canon-shâ—â— of the City there he found the Coach of 〈◊〉 Chief Burgo-master of the Town that 〈◊〉 for his coming into which he whipp'd 〈◊〉 fear of being known and order'd his Lacqueâ—â— who was also in the Disguise of a Horâ—â— courser to go before with the two Horseâ— and lodge at the White Horse where he 〈◊〉 to stay and make a shew of trucking for Hoâ—â—ses till he had notice of the Day and Heâ—â— of his return Louvois was conducted to the Chief Burgeâ—â— master's House who had found a way to ridâ—â— himself of his Wife and Children by sending 'em to his House in the Country about thrâ—â— Leagues from the City keeping no Body 〈◊〉 attend him at home but a very faithful Valâ—â— de Chambre The rest of the Magistrates that were of the Cabal were to randezouze in 〈◊〉 Night-time and as soon as they were 〈◊〉 together they fell to the Business Louvois began the Treaty with a Proposal of great â—â—dvantages and Rewards which his Majesty â—â—serv'd particularly for them after the Conâ—â—usion of an Affair which he lookt upon as 〈◊〉 Concern of great Importance to his other â—â—esigns And to render his Chapmen the â—â—ore favourable he added to his other Marks 〈◊〉 Friendship and Acknowledgment some â—â—urses of 500 Luidores apiece
of Spain's refusing immediately to satisfy her new Pretensions Lewis XIV lays Siege to Luxemburgh and in less then a Month makes him Master of that important Fortress the Key of all Germany After she had thus worry'd all Europe she bethought her self of citeing the Princes oâ— the Empire before Soveraign Courts and Tribunals erected at Mets and Brisac where French Commissioners being both Judges and Parties pronounc'd Sentences of Condemnation by vertue of certain Parchments gnaw'd by the Rats and soyl'd with Dust and Smoak to the end they might look old and consequently the more Authentick Which Writings being drawn by a Famous Advocate of Paris contain'd Claims and Pretensions of France to several States Signiories and Counties by vertue of Reunions and Dependencies of Lands which had been granted by the Treaties of Munster and Nimeguen But 't is to be observ'd that these Claims were so much the more Imaginary and Chimerical because it had been agreed by the Articles of the Treaties That France should renounce 'em Yet all those Renunciations were not able to put a stop to her She had always one Code or Digest at hand apart by themselves and when she had a fancy to despoil any Prince of his Territories or to seize upon any Lands that lay convenient for her she never fail'd of a Pretence Her Laws were like a Saddle for all Horses and she gave 'em what Interpretation she pleas'd So that 't is no wonder to see her Commenting upon all the Articles of the Treaties and wresting the Sense to her own Advantage Two Months after the taking of Luxemburgh France perceiving that that New Conquest had manifestly discover'd her Ambition and set the Low Countries and all Germany a Murmuring and very near incens'd 'em to a new War and disappoint her Designs which were still to be gaining at a cheap rate under the shadow of Peace bethought her self of one of the neatest knacks of Policy that ever she was guilty of She propos'd to the Emperor to Spain and the States General of the United Provinces a Truce of twenty Years and in regard her Armies were still marching at the same time that she makes her Demands that she may be able to make 'em good she order'd her Embassadors to let those Potentates understand That if they refus'd to consent to the advantagious Offers of a Truce to secure the Repose and Tranquility of Christendom she was resolv'd to declare open War against ' em Who would have thought but that France had then bin full of Sincerity and good Will To hear the Language of her Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries a Man would have sworn That the Truce would infallibly have prov'd more sacred and inviolable then the three preceding Treaties The Hollanders were the first that fell into the Snare in hopes to have enjoy'd a solid and durable Peace a Lure which France has all along dextrously made use of when ever she had a design to amuse the King of Spain who seeing himself the continual mark of that Ambitious Crown was willing to have secur'd his poor Countries from the Ravages to which they were expos'd and to deliver 'em from the Mischiefs they had suffer'd for almost thirty Years together And therefore for these Reasons they consented to a Truce for 20 Years The Emperor who was already engag'd in a War with the Ottoman Port whose prodigious Numbers made all Germany tremble found himself in a kind of Necessity to temporize with France for fear of drawing that powerful and dangerous Enemy upon his Shoulders and so submitted to the Truce after the Example of Holland and Spain And thus you see how the most Christian King obtain'd his Ends. For by this Treaty he secur'd his Conquests lull'd the Hollanders asleep and amus'd the Emperor and Princes of the Empire All these Potentates being so credulous as to fall into the Snare maugre the Experience they had so many times already had of his Infidelity What does Lewis the Great do after this He prepares to bring to an absolute Conclusion the Grand Work which his Ambition had set on foot and which he had bin labouring to bring about for above forty Years together I mean the Universal Monarchy To which purpose there was no Precaution which that Prince did not take He ally'd himself to the Ottoman Port he dispatch'd away Marshal d' Humiers to the Court of England and engages King James to side with him He purchases the Friendship of Poland and the Czars of Muscovy he proposes Offers to the Northern Crowns and the Princes of Italy he endeavours to gain the three Ecclesiastical Electors and to appoint Coadjutors that were devoted to his Interests He does all he can to carry Fustenburgh's Election he quarrels with the Court of Rome he revokes the Edict of Nants drives the Reformed out of his Kingdom makes strict Alliances with the King of Siam to ruin the Hollanders's Trade and bargains with the Switzers what he shall give 'em to sit still and look on We might here give a particular Accounâ— of the great Preparations of France to sprinâ— the Mines that were to make her Mistress oâ— all the strong Holds of Europe She reckon'd upon the Conquest of the Remainder of the Low Countries and Holland as a certain and infallible thing King James had given him a Promise of it and that Prince's word was Irrevocable Germany being at the same time attack'd by all the Forces of France and Turky must have sunk under the Burthen and have become the Prey of potent Enemies And at the same time likewise all the Dominions of the King of Spain were just ready to change their Master and to see themselves subdu'd under the French Monarchy which was to have no other Limits then those of all Europe The most Christian King had so surely built upon these Foundations and had taken such true Measures that a Man might have justly said That nothing could have stopp'd him But then of a sudden happens the Blow which could only do the Business a Blow the most fatal and deadly that ever happen'd to France and which render'd abortive all her Designs in an instant ranverses that Colossus of Pride and Ambition that had bin Erected upon the Ruins of so many poor States and Soveraignties at the expence of Treaties broken and which consisted only in the hopes of Invading the rest that lay fit for Convenience I mean the Revolution of England the Prince of Orange his vow'd Enemy is made King of Great Britain and made it appear That only England was able to deliver Europe from the oppression of the French Crown And now most Serene Princes you are within 〈◊〉 very little of reducing France within the Bounds of the Pyrenean Peace if your Union subsists but two Campaigns longer Therefore whatever Advantages France proposes â—ow soft and obliging so ever her Caresses may be reject 'em all Let the Experience of what is past instruct ye to avoid at present what has
been the Ruin of all the Leagues that have been formerly contracted against her You have to do with a crafty and potent Enemy and as she has found the Benefit of her Maxims practis'd in the late Wars she makes use at present of the same to break your Union How earnest is she at the Court of Rome How importunate with the Northern Crowns and the laudable Cantons to persuade 'em to take the Meditation upon ' em To this purpose she spares neither Gold nor Silver nor Embassies and it is in good part discover'd that she offer'd six Millions to any one that could procure a Peace And which is worse we find to our Sorrow that her Pains have not prov'd altogether fruitless by the Steps that some People tread who interest themselves too much in her Concerns But some zealous Adherents to that Crowâ— will object and say That 't is high time to puâ— a stop to the Miseries that afflict Europe anâ— you ought not any longer to refuse that Peacâ— to France which she demands since she makeâ— such advantagious Offers seeing the Deniaâ— will render you responsible before God foâ— all the Blood that is shed and for all the dismal Calamities that attend War The moâ—â— Christian King say they offers the Confederates Conditions altogether reasonable hâ— offers 'em Barriers sufficient to secure theiâ— Liberty and to secure 'em for the future from the prodigious Forces of that Crown Those Offers are these that follow France proposes by the Danish Envoy That first in respect of the Emperor the Princes and States of the Empire the Dutchess of Lorrain and Savoy the Advantages which his Armies have gain'd upon his Enemies shall make no alteration in the Conditions that have bin communicated to his Danish Majesty That in respect of the King of Spain his most Christian Majesty might justly keep all his Conquests after the Example of the Catholick Kings but that to facilitate a Peace he is willing to restore Roses and Belevers and in a word all that he has conquer'd in Catalonia during this last War He adds That he had still more reason to keep for the safery of his Frontiers all the Conquests that he had won in Flanders yet for the forming of 〈◊〉 Barrier that might remove all occasion of â—isquiet from the United Provinces he would â—estore to the King of Spain Mons and Naâ—â—ur and offer'd to demonish Charleroy As to the Country of Liege he would reâ—ore the City and Castle of Huy to the Biâ—hoprick and make amends for Dinant and Bouilion by reuniting such a Portion of the Country of Luxemburgh as should lie most for the convenience of the Bishoprick and as should be deem'd reasonable by chosen Arbitrators He consents to the re-settling of Trade with the States General according to the Agreements in the Treaty of Nimeguen without any Alteration In case of the King of Spain's Death he consents that the Elector of Bavaria shall enjoy those Countries provided the Emperor will declare the same to be his Will and Pleasure And that tho' the Deceased Queen's Renunciation to Spain during her Minority be Void for the Reasons already made publick to the World his Majesty is willing as well for himself as for the Dauphin to confirm he said Renunciation in favour of the Duke of Bavaria with all the requisite Formalities adding withall that he makes no question but that this Engagement will convince the Confederates beyond all other things of the reality of the Peace which he proposes to ' em As to the Affairs of England the Royal Majestyâ— being wounded in the Person of the K. of Greaâ— Britain his Most Christian Majesty makes no question but that the King of Sweeden and the Emperor himself will propose some Expedient to put an end to that Difference And moreover his Most Christian Majesty has no pretention directly nor indirectly to England excepting what he claim'd during this War to the Islands and Continents of America of which he demands Restitution being ready to renew with that Crown the last Treaty of Commerce which was in force when the War began As for what concerns Germany his Most Christian Majesty-consents that the Treaty of Munster and Nimeguen shall remain in full Force and Vigour That the Truce in 1684. might be chang'd into a Definitive Treaty of Peace nevertheless with these Exceptions That in compensation for Strasburg France shall Surrender up Mont Royal and Trarbag after the Fortifications are Demolish'd granting that it be for the security of the Empire Besides that his most Christian Majesty will restore Philipsbourg and Fribourg to the Emperor and the Empire together with the Fortifications in the same condition as now they are That Fort Lewis and Huninghen shall be Demolish'd That Heydelburg and the Palatinat shall be restor'd to the Palatinate France taking upon her to make Madam amends for the Succession of the Electors her Father and Brother an Article which his Most Christian Majesty stands very much upon In regard of the Duke of Lorrain the Most Christian King consents that the Treaty of Nimeguen shall be observ'd Sar Louis Briche and Hombourg excepted for which there shall be an Equivalent given of an equal Revenue That the most Serene Republic of Venice shall be Arbitratrix if there be any Reunions to make and for the putting a conclusion to all Differences between France and the rest of the Princes she will agree to any just and reasonable Proposals that shall be made on their Part and in their Name In truth we must acknowledge that France is become all on a sudden very Tractable and very Consciencious she who was wont to gripe all and restore nothing now offers the Confederates the Restitution of all the Places during the last War Most Serene Princes here is a particular Favour which the Most Christian King vouchsafes ye He is willing notwithstanding your Obstinacy to continue the War to heap his Graces upon ye to the end you may have reason to forget the Mischiefs he has done ye He offers to be Reconcil'd with ye and lay down his Arms provided you will accept of his Propositions of Peace and rely upon his Promises After this 't is to be thought that you will have no cause to Complain And the Adherents of France will be apt to tell ye that Lewis XIV is at this day Triumphant and Victorious and consequently that 't is for him to give Laws to his Enemies and to make no Restitutions at all but what he pleases himself But to this I answer If France has got such great Advantages over the Princes of the League and is so much a gainer by the War why do's she talk of Peace To spare you therefore the pains of alledging some good Reason or other in justification of a Prince whose Interests you so heartily Maintain I shall only repeat what Mazarine upon the like occasion wrote to M. Lionne Secretary of State concerning the Negotiation of the Pyrenaean
obtain'd by number will be constrain'd to acknowledge himself mistaken when he promis'd the King his Master that he would sing Te deum before the end of April in the Cathedral of Maestrich As to his hopes of attaining his Ends by means of the same Artifices which he made use of at the Peace of Nimeguen that you may be plainly convinc'd of it there needs no more then to reflect upon the Conduct which he observes in respect of every Prince in particular and of all in general to disunite and draw 'em off the one from the other He began with the Duke of Savoy upon whom he put the Duke of Orleans believing his Highness might be wrought to a Condescension when touched in the most sensible part which was when he came to be importun'd by the Dutchess his Wife It may be said that she omitted nothing to infuse into him favourable Sentiments in the behalf of France She has been seen to weep warm Tears to fall upon her Knees and imbrace the Prince her Husband beseeching him with all the Tenderness imaginable To put an end to the War to have Compassion upon his Family and his harass'd Territories and lastly to rememember that France was only able to restore him to his ancient Liberty She also deliver'd to him Letters written with the King 's own Hand wherein that Monarch promis'd him upon the Faith of a Prince that he would forget what was past and that he was ready to grant him all the Advantages that he could desire That to render the Peace the more venerable and inviolable it should be seal'd for a perpetual Alliance between the two Houses to which his Majesty would add the Marriage of one of the Sons of France with the young Dutchess of Savoy when they should be of Age which would knit those indissoluble Knots that nothing would be able to unty for the future c. After he had thus assail'd the Duke of Savoy what Springs did he not set at work in the Court of Rome to gain their Favour and incline the Pope openly to favour his Interests by inculcating into the Catholic Princes the Necessity of Breaking those Engagements â—hat united 'em with the Protestants A Union added he that drew after it the ineviâ—able Destruction of the Roman Religion and â—rected Heresie upon the Ruins of it if the Holy Father did not save it by inspiring into â—he Emperor the King of Spain and the rest of the Cotholick Princes speedy Inclinations â—o reconcile themselves with France As for his Imperial Majesty what Pains â—as he Court of France not taken to draw him off from the rest of the Confederates And finding that all the Importunities of the Court of Rome wrought no impression upon the Mind of that Prince and that nothing was able to shake his Constancy did not the most Christian King dispatch an Express to the Court of Vienna to present the Emperor with a Treaty of separate Peace and make him very advantagious Offers if he would but consent to it After he had gone thus forward did he not publish a Manifesto upon the Rhine and in all the Courts of Germany to engage the Princes and States of the Empire to lay down their Arms and stand Neuters or else to accept the Proposals already made ' em What has he left undone to obtain the Mediation of the Northern Crowns of the Republick of Venice of the laudable Cantons to incline those Potentates to espouse his Interests Has he not sent away Embassie upon Embassie and how many Millions has he offer'd besides The Count d'Avaux offer'â— Sweden the Restitution of the Dutchy of Deuâ— Ponts and repayment of all the Losses sustain'd reckoning from the very first Day thaâ— France made herself Mistress of it beside four Millions and 500000 Livres which would be actually paid down together with a Pension of 200000 Livres if his Swedisâ— Majesty would effectually interpose his Mediation with King William the most zealouâ— for continuance of the War Upon the Kinâ— of Sweden's refusal to accept these Offers Bonrepos offer'd the Court of Denmark Six millions together with Mademoiselle de to be given in Marriage to the Prince Royaâ— of Denmark according to the Project beguâ— at Paris before the departure of that Prince 〈◊〉 his most Christian Majesty offering besides 〈◊〉 pay the Dowry and to decree all things immediately after the Ratification of the Peace And the Steps which the Envoys of his Danish Majesty tread both in the Court of England and in Holland have made it appear that those Offers were not made in vain Now let us see what Proposals M. de la Haye the French Embassador made to the Republick of Venice He offer'd the Signiorie besides Three Millions in Silver which were to be paid down that the King his Master should engage to prevail with the Grand Signior to grant her Great Advantages and conclude a separate Treaty of Peace with her 〈◊〉 the Exclusion of the Emperour and â—he King of Poland if she would imploy her Good Offices as well at Rome to perâ—wade the Duke of Savoy to restore Peace to â—taly as in other Courts of the Catholic Princes in confederacy against France I omit several private Conferences between his most Christian Majesty and the Venetian Envoy upon this Subject before his departure from Paris when he went from thence to reside in â—he Court of Spain How did Amelot labour with the laudable Cantons He display'd all his Eloquence in several Speeches which he made in their Dyets and left nothing undone to advance the King his Master's Interests His most effectual Propositions were reduc'd to an Offer of Four Millions and 500000 Livres to which he addded the Payment of all their Arrears All which Advantages said he farther would be attended with a perpetual and inviolable Alliance with the Crown of France by vertue of which the laudable Cantons would be protected at all Times and the Liberty and Repose which they have enjoy'd hitherto would be secured from the Attempts of all that sought their Disturbance And all that the King demanded for so many Favours was only that they should be Mediators for a Peace Let us proceed to the fourth Reason that engages France to sue for a Peace which is the low Estate of her Exchequer and the miserable Condition to which the People are reduc'd And to be fully satisfied in this particular there needs no more then to consider That the most Christian King has so little spar'd his People in Time of Peace that 't is no wonder to see 'em now reduc'd to utmost Misery Certain it is let him put on as good a Face as he pleases that he clearly repents of a Conduct so opposite to his real Interests Good Policy requires that a Prince should diligently labour in search of all the most probable ways to procure the flourishing Condition of his Kingdom while a sound Peace secures him from all Attempts and Interruptions of his Enemies
To discharge his Subjects from the ponderous Burdens with which they are overwhelm'd during the War to revoke all Decrees and Declarations that tended to their Ruin and lastly to deliver 'em from all those Burthensome Impositions and chargeable Taxes with which they were oppress'd in Time of War to the end they may have liberty to take Breath and recover their decay'd Strength that they may be the better enabl'd to bear new Burthens when the Exigencies of the State require it Quite the contrary were the Proceedings of Lewis the Great for no sooner were the Pyrenean Peace the Treaties of Aix la Chapelle and Nimeguen concluded but he turns his Arms against his own Subjects and not content with the Devastations of all Europe he ransacks the Bowels of his own Kingdom â—nd causes his People to wish a thousand Times for War rather then Peace to the end that so many miserable Wretches might live â—ecure from his Ambitious Tyranny What â—s there to be imagin'd that France has left â—ndone to ruin his own Subjects Her Counâ—il has exhausted it self in Decrees no â—ooner is one made publick but three more â—re in the Press The Parliaments and Soveâ—aign Courts that were formerly Protectors of â—he People and which were erected in the Raigns of this King's Predecessors to ballance â—he Royal Authority are now reduc'd to such 〈◊〉 base and sordid Compliance with the Prince â—hat they only sit to consent to and authorize â—is incroachments upon the People The Farmers and they who have manag'd â—he Publick Treasure what have they left unâ—â—one what Artifices have they not made use â—f to draw all the Mony of the Kingdom inâ—o the King's Coffers Have we not seen a â—olbert almost murder himself by tormenting â—is Brains in finding out a thousand Tricks to â—educe the People to utmost Beggary That Great Man was the Object of Court Adoration but the Abomination of the People Nor can I here forbear to recite what one Day â—e answer'd his Majesty upon occasion of some new Imposts that were going to be laid upon his Subjects For upon the King 's telling him That such Exactions would enforce the People to cry out meerly for Wanâ— and finding themselves utterly unable to pay their Assessments for that no body could pay who had it not O Sir said he your Subjects are like a Sack of Flower the more yoâ— shake it the more Meal comes forth However it were both that Minister they that preceded and they that follow'd him in thâ— management of the Finances understood 〈◊〉 well to squeez the Kingdom of France thaâ— whereas Thirty Millions was the highest Suâ— to which the Revenue of the Crown amounted formerly they have rais'd it to above 〈◊〉 hundred and threescore We must not therefore think it strange to see that Monarchy opprest as now it is and the People reduc'd tâ— utmost Misery Besides all these ways the most Christiaâ— King still puts in practise a great number 〈◊〉 others which have equally contributed to thâ— Ruin of his Subjects such are his Quartering of Soldiers Creations of New Offices and suppressing of others his pretended Extirpation of the Huguenot Heresie and hiâ— Pious Foundations of which the Kingdom iâ— full His sordid Compliance with the Monkâ— and Clergy who possessing the fairest Poâ—tion of his Realm have heap'd up vast Treasures and Riches to the impoverishment 〈◊〉 the meaner sort who subsist only by their Laâ—â—our and Industry His prodigious Expences 〈◊〉 building Royal Houses and erecting sumâ—â—uous Monuments to his future Fame The â—ast Treasures he has wasted in bringing Riâ—ers into Places in despite of Mountains the â—â—lid Oppositions of Nature which he has â—â—t through and Valleys which he has fill'd 〈◊〉 all which cost France several Millions and â—â—rty Thousand of her best Men. We may â—â—d to all this the joining of two Seas and â—â—e Royal Canal in which hard Labours the â—â—ing sacrific'd the same number of his selectâ—â—â— Subjects The enhauncing and abateâ—ent of Mony which has ruin'd Trade and â—â—ck'd his People to the last drop of their â—â—ood The vast number of Forts and Forâ—esses which he has built and rais'd upon all â—e Frontiers of the Kingdom which has cost â—m immense Sums The Pensions which he â—â—s paid in all the Courts of Europe to make â—â—liances or for the maintenance of his Emisâ—ries which costs him several Millions and â—e keeping afoot near two hundred thousand â—â—en in time of Peace and 400000 in time of â—â—ar the vast Sums which he expends in â—â—ring out great Fleets besides what his Maâ—â—zins of Ammunition and Provision upon the â—â—ontiers cost him All this I say contriâ—â—tes to the Ruin of France and to reduce it 〈◊〉 that deplorable Condition wherein we find â—â—at this day Let it be as it will the most Christiaâ— King having consum'd the most solid part 〈◊〉 the Crown Demesnes in so many extravagant ways of Expence it may be said Thaâ— he has acted like those unwary Gamesteâ—â— who having undone themselves by Play 〈◊〉 know not where to betake themselves to geâ— more But this Prince is not only contenteâ— to have plaid away his own Revenues 〈◊〉 has also gam'd away the Estates of his Subjects and by that means has reduc'd Franâ—â— to those Extremities which are enough to overturn it So that 't is no wonder to see Famiâ— rage within his Kingdom The most Christian Lewis XIV might havâ— wish'd that his Father Lewis XIII in imitation of Dagobert the ' Leventh King of Francâ— had bin so pious or rather a Person of so muâ—â— Fore-sight as to have cover'd the Church 〈◊〉 St. Denis with Silver to the end that afteâ— he had drein'd his Exchequer he might havâ— had the same shift at a Pinch as Clovis the Soâ— of Dagobert had who uncovered the Church and made use of the Mony to save Francâ— which then began to be afflicted with a moâ—â— terrible Dearth But Henry IV. and Lewiâ— XIII had so much Work upon their Handâ— that their Reigns might well be said to bâ— rather Iron then Silver Reigns and that theâ— were so far from having any Overplus's to laâ— out upon Dagobert's pious uses that they weâ—â— forc'd to borrow to supply the Exigencies 〈◊〉 the State Lewis XIV was the Prince who of all the Kings of France possess'd the vastest heap of Treaâ—ure and who beheld himself the most puissant of all his Predecessors by the prodigious Improvement of his Finances and Reâ—enues To be convinc'd of this there needs â—o more but to consider That the Revenues of the Crown hardly mounted to 16 Millions in the Reigns of the Valois's In Henry â—V.'s time they ascanded to Thirty Richlieu â—nder Lewis XIII rais'd 'em to Forty five â—nd after him Mazarine advanc'd 'em to aâ—ove sixty Which was nothing to what they are mounted at present for according to an exact Computation Colbert and the rest of â—he Publicans and Sinners have advanc'd 'em â—o above a hundred and fifty Millions
But â—f the Treasures of this Monarch were more â—mmense his Ambition was also proportionâ—ble and if they have bin so far from being sufficient to satisfie it that he has bin also fain â—o sacrifize the Estates of the Church and â—he Spoils of the Altars after he has laid Imâ—osts upon all things else imaginable he must â—e forc'd at length to lay a swinging Tex upon Urine as formerly Vespasian did An unfortunate Gamester after he has lost all endeavours to recover himself by all the ways he can imagin and managing the Cards or the Dice by himself in his own Hand beâ—hinks himself at length of playing soul Thus the King of France having ruin'd himself his People and his Kingdoms by imprudently engaging himself in a burthensoâ— War and which having been prosperous aâ— the beginning has prov'd fatal to him in thâ— end endeavours to get himself out of thâ— Bryars as well as he can To which purpose he offers Peace to the Princes of the Confederacy and sets all Springs at work to breaâ— the Union He makes 'em Proposals ambiguous and full of Delusion what he offer to day he revokes to morrow He order Cardinal Fourbin to tell the Court of Rome That he is ready to lay down Arms and tâ— enter into a Negotiation with the Confederate Princes but first there must be a settlement for King James agreed upon To the Northern Crowns his Embassadorâ— talk another sort of Language and tell ' emâ— That as to the Affairs of England in regard that Royal Majesty appears to be wounded in the Person of King James he makes no question but the King of Sweden and the Emperor will take it upon 'em to propose some Expedient to determin that Difference As to the Court of Vienna 't is about ten Months since that he made Proposals of Peace to his Imperial Majesty quite different from those that appear'd in his Manifesto publish'd upon the Rhine There is not any one of the Confederate Princes or States to whom he has not offer'd Proposals altogether different from those which he now propounds Witness his Temptations to the Duke of Savoy first by Chanlais then by Catinat and then by other Ministers As to the States General of the United Provinces France made 'em Proposals first by Oxesterne formerly the Swedish Embassaâ—or who had two Audiences to that purpose â—esides the Proposals made 'em by M. Lenthe the Danish Envoy She has observ'd the same conduct at the Court of England where M. Scheel now talks at another rate Several other Projects have been presented at the Courts of all the rest of the Confederate Prinâ—es wherein there is nothing solid or constant shich is a convincing Proof that the most Christian King seeks only to draw the Confederates into a Negotiation to obtain a Cessation of Arms on purpose to amuse 'em while he on the other side assays by more powerful efforts to ruin their Union And this is Lewis XIV's foul Play and the compass which he fetches to â—attain his Ends and disintangle himself out of the Noose that hampers him by saving if possible the best part of his Conquests and delivering his Impoverish'd Dominions from the ponderous Burthens which they groan under And now 't is for the Confederate Princes to consider what they have to do and not to suffer themselves to be deluded by the false and deceitful shifts of France and seriously to reflect upon the fatal Misfortunes that will infallibly attend the conclusion of a disadvantagiou Peace if lending their Ears to the Offers oâ— France they neglect the fairest opportunitâ— that ever was to humble that haughty and perfidious Potentate at a time when he beg for Peace and when there needs no more theâ— two Campaigns to obtain all the Advantageâ— which they can expect to reap from theiâ— Perseverance Which is so much the moâ—â— Important as being the reason that has arm'â— all Europe against him and occasion'd thaâ— august and potent Confederacy of so many justly incens'd Princes and who are equally interested therein But what Assurances shall they have thaâ— the Peace which the most Christian King now proposes shall not be violated like thâ— Pyrenean Peace and the Treaties of Aix 〈◊〉 Chapelle and Nimeguen How can they rely upon the Oath of a Prince who acknowledges no other Law then that of his Ambition and Will At the Peace of Arras lip the Good Duke of Burgundy not being willing to trust Charles VII who had brok'n his word in several other Treaties was desirous that the last Article of the Treaty should run in these words That the King for assurance of the observation and full performance of the said Treaty should deliver it seal'd by the Princes of his Blood the Grandees of the Kingdom and the principal Men of the chief Cities and that in case of any Breach those Princes and Lords should be absolv'd from their Oaths of Fidelity toward the King and be oblig'd to serve the Duke against him The Precautions of the Duke of Burgundy upon that occasion might in some measure serve as a Garranty to secure the observance of Charles VII's Word and Oath But it is â—o be consider'd That the condition of the Grandees of the Kingdom was not then the same as now it is Charles VII wanted a great deal of being so well belov'd and so much fear'd by the People and Nobility of France as Lewis XIV at this day The ways which he has taken to gain the Affection of his Subjects are quite different Formerly a little thing would have open'd a wide Gate to Faction and Revolt and incens'd the Grandees and Lords of the Kingdom to take Arms But now the Case is alter'd The King has reduc'd 'em all equally to such a dependance upon him that no Body dares stir and it would be in vain for the Confederate Princes to think of laying the foundation of a solid and lasting Peace upon any such Article in imitation of the Duke of Burgundy For proof of this we may observe that since the beginning of this Reign looking backward as far as the King's Minority France has no longer car'd to be sensible or take notice of the Troubles that had lacerated her very Bowels So that notwithstanding all the Efforts that were usd to re-kindle the same Sparks it was impossible to bring it to pass To which it may be said that Mazarin and the Ministers that succeeded him as also the King himself who is sharp-sighted enough did not contribute a little by means of their good management at the beginning And in regard the People are ignorant in Polities and for that it is impossible for 'em to dive into the secrets of the Cabinet 't was an easie thing for that Monarch being so good a Matchiavilian as he is to reduce his Subjects under that Bondage wherein we now behold ' em He easily brought it to pass by depriving 'em of all the means that might prove a Bait to Insurrection
Therefore it behoves the Confederate Princes to take another course which is to oppose him with a puissant Force proportionable to his own and to tire him out by a prolongation of the War which will at length enforce him when throughly debilitated and brought upon his last Legs to restore to every one their Rights and what he has usurp'd by breach of Treaties and no less treacherous in observance of his word As often as I revolve in my mind the Quarrels which Lewis XII had with Ferdinand King of Arragon and compare the Genius's of those two Princes one with the other as well as their Conduct I cannot forbear to apply it to the Contests at this present between Lewis XIV and the Confederate Princes For in all the Treaties that Lewis made with Ferdinand the latter was always too hard for the former And it may be said That of the Princes that ever reign'd there never was one more perfidious or who more gloriously vaunted in the Display of his Dishonesty as may appear by the Reply which he made his Secretary who telling his Master how Lewis complain'd extreamly of his having deceiv'd him twice Twice reply'd Ferdinand By God he lies like a Tooth-drawer I have cheated him above ten times I am persuaded that the most Christian King has out-done Ferdinand in point of Knavery So that if the Confederates should reproach him with having twice deceiv'd 'em he might truly answer that he had deceiv'd 'em as oft as he concluded Treaties with ' em So that the Confederate Princes have no more to do then to consider how little Ground they have to depen'd upon that Monarch who boasts the Trophies of his Perfidiousness no less then Ferdinand But the Friends of France will answer That Lewis XII was as little scrupulous in violating his word in his Treaties with Maximilian the Emperor witness the Treaties of Trent and Blois Which if it be true and that Princes violate their Words and Oaths as soon as they have pledg'd and sworn 'em to what purpose do Treaties serve We must say as Silius said to Hannibal That Alliance and Justice hang at the point of the Sword and that prevailing Power is the only Law among the great ones And thus you see a wide Gate set open for Plunder and Robbery and there Remains no more for us to do but to prepare our selves for open and perpetual War and the continual shedding of Blood with as much Cruelty and Barbarism as Beasts of Prey According to the words of Seneca speaking of unjust Wars I can safely say 't is not only a piece of Cruelty but the natural Inclination of a Savage Beast to delight in nothing but Blood We may call it a turning of the Brains topsie-turvie or a sort of Madness for there are several kinds of it Tho' none more visible then that which transports Men to Murder and Butchery We may aver without wronging the Honour of Lewis the Great that Seneca learns him a good Lesson in this Place and not only him but all other Ambitious Princes Nor is Seneca the only Abhorrer of these abominable Principles That Man says Aristotle must needs be lookt upon as very cruel who makes his Friends his Enemies out of a Desire only to make War In like manner says Dio the Prusiean To be prone to War and Combat without a Cause is a pure Madness that seeks Mischief for Mischief's sake However it be this is certain that the most Christian King himself being the Author of all the Calamities and Misfortunes that at present turmoyle Europe as well as his Counsellors among whom we may number Luxemburgh who may be call'd his Right Hand and the Person who infuses into him a good part of these Cruelties which his Armies commit will be no less responsible before God then if he should imbrue his Hands in the same Massakers Let him give out as long as he pleases by his Ministers and Emissaries in all the Courts of Europe That he burns with a Desire to stop the Bleeding Veins of of so many Innocents who shed their Blood in this cruel War Let him publish by sound of Trumpet by Heralds at Arms in all the chief Streets of his Capital City his eager Passion to restore Peace to his Subjects Let him order the Archbishop of Paris to order the tiring all the Saints in Heaven with his Forty Hours prayers Let him weary the Holy Father with Importunities to mediate an Accommodation between him and the Catholick Princes as formerly did Paul III. between Charles V. and Francis I. We must answer him in a Word that 't is not his Grief for the Sufferings of Christendom that inclines him to a Peace but his eager desire to dissolve the Union of the Confederate Princes whose power infuses into him Fears of dreadful Consequence resolv'd after he has recover'd Strength to recommence the War and plague all Europe with more Mischiefs in the midst of Peace then in the heat of blody War If this Monarch have now more pious and equitable Sentiments and such as are truly different from those which he had when he concluded the Three so often-mention'd Treaties together with the Truce for Twenty Years let him make 'em appear by the Restitution of all that he has usurp'd since the first Peace concluded in the Island of Phesants The Roman Lawyers affirm That he is a public Robber who being demanded wherefore he detains the Possession of such or such a thing has no other reason to give then only because he possesses it To which we may add that Saying of Aristotle speaking of those who advise War That they very seldom take any heed whether it be Just and Lawful to reduce their Neighbours under the Yoak of Bondage who never gave 'm any Cause or to oppress those who never did 'em any Injury Should the Question be put to France by what Rights she now possesses so many Principalities and separate Dominions of which she has despoil'd so many several Soveraign Princes It would not suffice her to allege her chimerical Rights of Reunion Dependence and Convâ—â—â—â—ence pumpt from the hollow Noddle of some old Advocate of the Parlament of Paris more fit to be derided then to be the Ground of any serious Contest wherein important Matters of Fact must be supported by sound solid and undeniable Reasons But if you can but get France from thence as out of her Fortress in regard she had no other Reason to give she must be constrain'd to acknowledge that she possesses 'em because she possesses ' em So that is not this a perfect Robbery and a manifest Usurpation of her Neighbour's Rights and is there any Wrong done her in demanding Restitution Ought she not to be contented with her having enjoy'd 'em so many Years and to have all-a-long receiv'd the Revenues which amount to immense Sums It may be thought also that the Princes of the League would do her a great Favour if they discharge her
at so cheap a rate as the restoring 'em in the same Condition as actually now they are which without Contradiction is far worse then what they were in when she first seiz'd upon ' em For examgle Alsatia Franche Conte the Dutchies of Burgundy Lorraine and Bar of Luxemburg and Deux Ponts the County of Chini the Principality of Orange part of Brabant and Flandâ—â—s all which she has usurp'd and annex'd to the Crown No Body can be ignorant that all these were opulent and flourishing Countries under the Dominion of their Lawful Soveraigns whereas at present they are impoverish'd and reduc'd to utmost misery Could a true Computation be made of the Wealth which they abounded in before they were invaded by France I am perswaded there would not now be found so much Mony in all together as one single Principality was worth at that Time So that if France be discharged for making Restitution of 'em in their present condition she must needs be a prodigious Gainer considering that she goes clear away with all the Spoils of which she has stript those Provinces to their Skins to erect a Puissance always formidable to her Neighbours On the other side it may be said that if the Confederates enforce that Crown to dismember from her Dominions so many potent Principalities and so many lovely Acquisitions they may justly promise to themselves a just and durable Peace by disabling her to extend her ambitious Incroachments as hitherto she has done There is no doubt but the Predecessors of Lewis the Great would shave been as active and as troublesome to their Neighbours as he had they had the same Force and the same Treasures The Desire of growing Great is natural to all Sovereigns and it is look'd upon as a Noble Passion when it is sufficiently supported to carry on Great Enterprizes and is attended with Prosperity So that if the Raigns of Henry IV. and Lewis XIII were not so fortunate and flourishing as that of Lewis XIV 't was because they wanted Power and because their Revenues were so small that they could hardly bring into the Field an Army of above 40 or 50000 Men whereas France under this Ragin has extended her Limits so far as she has done by the vast Augmentation of her Forces and prodigious Advancemen of her Revenus to which her Violation of Treaties has greatly contributed She finds herself enlarg'd by a great number of Dukedoms Earldoms Principalities Lordships Signiories and Territories sufficient altogether to compose a Kingdom as vast and of as large an extent as ancient France nay tho you should consider it as it was before the Pyrenean Peace 'T is Time then most Serene Confederate Princes to bethink your selves of prescribing Bounds to this ambitious Puissance such as may secure your Liberty your Repose and the Welfare of your Dominions You know full well what your staying so long has cost ye and past Experience ought to instruct ye that you have no time to lose and that if you let slip this favourable Opportunity which Fortune has put into your Hands such another may not suddenly return The Marquiss of Louvois told the King some Months before his Death That he foresaw this War would be like the Preceding That your Projects and your Enterprizes would vanish in Smoak That Misunderstanding began to get footing among ye that one Campaign more would shatter the Vnion and that there wanted nothing but the Loss of a Battle to make a second Peace of Nimeguen That is to say a Peace both Glorious and Advantagious for France and unfortunate to the Confederates This Minister zealous for his Master's Interests grounded his Arguments and Conjectures upon the small Resistance which you made till now which occasion'd the loss of several Battels and the taking of several considerable Towns And to speak as we find things it was not greatly for the Honour of so many Princes as the Confederacy consiss of that only England and the Vnited Provinces have fought effectually against France These Two Potentates have done every thing have paid every thing have supply'd every thing So that ' is no wonder if they have obtain'd signal Advantages At the same Time France assails ye on every side Her Armies are early in the Field they ravage your Territories and carry all before 'em with Fire with Sword and Desolation while you remain immoveable in Winter-Quarters till the Enemy has made himself Master of the most Advantagious Posts and consum'd your Forrage I bury in silence a great number of Defects and Failings which King William has endeavour'd to repair with indefatigable Pains and Industry 'T is to that great Prince to whom all Europe is at this Day heholding for the happy condition of her Affairs which put all the Confederates in hopes of a speedy and solid Peace It is only to be wish'd that the Zeal of that undaunted Monarch were well seconded and that all the Confederate Princes and States would push on their utmost Efforts towards putting a final End to so glorious an Enterprize after which so many People under Oppression so earnestly pant Now to be convinc'd that there needs no more then the good fortune of one Compaign successful to the Confederates to obtain of France what has been usurp'd since the Pyrenean Treaty let us only consider her Advances and her Condescensions to obtain a Peace Having hitherto sown in vain her Treasures in all the Courts of Europe to purchase the Neutrality of several Members of the Confederacy or the Mediation of the Northern Crowns and other States and Princes devoted to her Interests finding that all this produc'd nothing she flatter'd her self as her last Remedy that the Court of Rome would have Authority enough to awe the Catholick Princes into an Accommodation To that purpose she left nothing omitted to procure the Favour of that Court and it may be said that her Sedulities were not Fruitless on that side and that it was none of the Holy Fathers Fault if the Emperor and the Catholick King did not abandon the Common Cause to make a separate Peace It had bin well for France that the presenâ— Pope had had the good luck or the Genius oâ— Clement VIII at the Peace of Vervin concluded in 1598. That Holy Father press'd sâ— importunately upon Henry IV. and Philip Iâ— that he perswaded those Two Princes at length into a Reconciliation and to restore Tranquility to Christendom Nevertheless it was not procur'd without a world of Toyl and Difficulty witness the extraordinary Painâ— that the Popes Legate Cardinal Alexander dâ— Medicis took who was sent to Henry IV. and had not that Cardinal bin as cunning as he was he had never succeeded nor done his Business as he did with that Prince Nor was the Reverend Father Friar Bonaventure Calatagirone General of the Franciscan Order less dextrous in perswading Prince Albert Archduke of Austria and Nephew to Philip. II. So that the Holy Father wrought so effectually by the means
please Charles the Gross with his want of Sincerity during the whose course of his Reign and the paltry Artifices he made use of to rid himself of his Enemies he never alter'd his Conduct nor his Maxims so long as he had the Power in his Hands he was always the same and it may be said that he never began to live in Repose and to become wise till he was Banish'd into a Village of Swabia with a very mean Pension where he Died for Grief Lothair the Son of Lewis Oultremer the XXXIV King of France was a Prince the most Perfidious and the most Turbulent that ever ascended the Throne of the French Monarchy and as he liv'd so he dy'd and retain'd his abominable Principle to his Death So that we may safely say That so long as the most Christian King continues as Potent as he is at present he will never suffer his Neighbours to be at Quiet and the Confederate Princes must be always preparing themselves for new Combustions after the conclusion of a Peace Which will be fo far from lessening his Forces that it will acquire him new degrees of Glory and Grandeur Since then 't is so absolutely necessary to reject the present Offers of the Most Christian King and that there is no other way to obtain a firm Peace but by the continuance of a brisk War in order to bring down the Power of this Monarch there is no time to lose within a MOnth or six Weeks his Armies will be in the Field and if we may believe him he will be no longer bound to stand to his Royal Word which he gave the 15th of March. The Duke of Luxemburg begins to Liquor his Boots and is preparing in earnest to shew us some new Trick of his Necromancy And this same Marshal whom the Prince of Conde was wont to call L'Enfant perdu or a Child of the forlorn Hope in referrence to his turbulent and sanguinary Genius has promis'd his Majesty that tho' it cost him his Life he will make him Master this Campaign either of Liege or Mastricht or at the worst of a second Field-Victory no less Glorious then that of Landen out of a confidence that one of these Events will force the Confederates in despight of their Teeths to accept the Peace which he Offers But to return to the Battle of Landen I cannot forbear to write a pleasant Passage which is reported of the Marshal So soon as the Battle was over seeing himself inviron'd with a crowd of Lieutenant Generals Camp-Marshals Brigadiers Major-Generals and other Officers of the Army who came all to Congratulate him for the signal Victory he had own Ha! Boys said he How shall we call this Battle Upon which while every one stood gaping one upon another not knowing what to Answer and that some were of Opinion to call it be the Name of the Place where it was Fought according to Custom the Marshal replied No Gentlemen we will call it the Bavin-Battle instead of calling it the Battle of Landen we must call it the Battle of Bavins And indeed he had reason enough to call it so However if he deceiv'd the Confederates by Attacquing an Army of no more then Forty Thousand with another of a Hundred and twenty Thousand let him take heed he be not deceiv'd in his turn if ever he be forc'd to Fight upon equal Terms as in all probability he may be this very Campaign Nevertheless we may be bold to tell him this That if he acted like a Master in the Art of War in time of Fight he committed the fault of an ignorant Apprentice in not pursuing his Victory and reaping no Fruit of so much Blood as had been shed But to return to the Subject Boufflers another Favourite of the French Monarch promis'd him Mountains and Wonders and for a greater proof of his Zeal and Devotion to his Majesty's Service he has already caus'd his Sword to be Whetted and his own and the Arms of the French Guards together with the Flambeaux for the House-Burners to be Bless'd by the Arch-Bishop of Paris with a resolution to fight like a Termagaunt and to lay Waste all before him with Fire and Sword Catinat also no less famous for the Lawrels he gather'd in the Field of Marsaglia makes as great Promises to the King his Master and if his Majesty will believe him the Duke of Savoy runs a great hazard of losing the rest of his Dominions and of hearing French Te Deums Sung in the Cathedral of Turin The Dauphin also who is to Command in Germany if he be not Countermanded wants neither Courage nor good Will He has given signal proofs of both upon several Occasions and if we may believe him Lewis of Baden's Business is only to seek for an Asylum and a Camp that may secure him from the loss of a Battle like that of the last Campaign And as an accumulation to the Vauntings of so many Hero's that labour by Concert for the Honour of their Prince and to draw Dun out of the Mire there wants nothing but a second Smyrna Fleet and Tourville Admiral of a French Navy to render him as Glorious by Sea as the other Generals pretend to be by Land We are then in great expectation of some extraordinary Event which must decide the good or bad Fortune of so many Princes which the Most Christian King has enforc'd to betake themselves to Arms. And the Confederate Princes are so much the rather enclin'd to terminate the Differences by the Sword because they find it impossible to obtain by any other means an Accomodation with France Which is no more then what the most Christian King has made most clearly apparent by the ridiculous Proposals offer'd by the Ministers of the Northern Crowns So that War being indispensably necessary it behoves 'em to prepare for it in good earnest If we may believe the News that is brought us from some Persons residing in the Court of France 't is said that his Most Christian Majesty was in a pelting Chafe to hear that his Offers were rejected with so much Scorn and there was not a day past over his Head that he did not confer with Marshal de Luxemburg about what Enterprize was fiâ— to be undertaken and where it was most proper to open the Campaign For the King well knowing of what Importance it would be to his Affairs would fain have something done Remarkable to raise the drooping hope of his dejected People and which might aâ— the same time uphold the Reputation of hiâ— Arms and constrain the Confederates aâ— length to accept the Peace which he Offer ' em All these Considerations put him to a great Nonplus To begin in Flanders with the Siege of some Place of Importance would not be amiss But as ill Luck will have it there are no more Mons's and Namur's to take there remain two Places only be worthy the Presenceof so great a King Liege and Maestriecht But the