Designs he proceeded now to shew how Absolute he would be in them and therefore on the 4th of May he passed an Order in Council that his Declaration of Indulgence should be Read in all Churches and Chappels throughout England and Wales in Time of Divine Service and that all the Bishops in their respective Diocesses should take Care to have the same accordingly performed There is no question to be made but they understood the King's Meaning well enough and that under a Shadow of Favour to be intended hereby to Protestant Dissenters all the Good imaginable was meant to the Roman Catholicks and that whatever was intended by it there was no Good meant to them nor their Church and therefore it was their Business to ward off the Blow which 7 of them endeavoured to do in an humble Petition to the King wherein their Reasons were set forth why they could not comply with the Order of Council But they were so cautious in the Matter that after it was drawn up they would let no other see it before it was presented And the same was as also the King's Answer to this Effect TO THE KING'S Most Excellent MAJESTY The Humble PETITION of William Archbishop of Canterbury and divers of the Suffragan Bishops of that Province now present with him in behalf of themselves and others of their absent Brethren and of the Inferior Clergy of their respective Diocesses Humbly Sheweth THAT the great Aversness they find in themselves to the Distributing and Publishing in all their Churches Your Majesty's late Declaration for Liberty of Conscience proceeds neither from any Want of Duty and Obedience to Your Majesty our holy Mother the Church of England being both in her Principles and in her constant Practice unquestionably Loyal and having to her great Honour been more than once publickly acknowledged to be so by Your Gracious Majesty nor yet from any Want of Tenderness to Dissenters in relation to whom we are willing to come to such a Temper as shall be thought fit when the Matter shall be considered and settled in Parliament and Convocation But among many other Considerations from this especially Because that Declaration is founded upon such a Dispencing Power as hath been often declared Illegal in Parliament and particularly in the Years 1662 and 1672 and in the Beginning of Your Majesty's Reign and is a Matter of so great Moment and Consequence to the whole Nation both in Church and State that Your Petitioners cannot in Prudence Honour or Conscience so far make themselves Parties to it as the Distribution of it all over the Nation and the solemn Publication of it once and again even in GOD's House and in the Time of His Divine Service must amount to in common and unreasonable Construction Your Petitioners therefore most humbly and earnestly beseech Your Majesty that You will be pleased not to insist upon their Distributing and Reading Your Majesty's said Declaration And Your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray c. Will. Cant. Will. Asaph Fr. Ely Jo. Cicestr Tho. Bathon Wellen. Tho. Peterburgen Jonath Bristol His MAJESTY'S ANSWER I Have heard of this before but did not believe it I did not expect this from the Church of England especially from some of you If I change my Mind ye shall hear from me If not I expect my Command shall be obeyed But how unpleasing soever the Petition might be to the King which is sufficiently evinced by his Answer and what Revenge soever he might ruminate within himself to take upon the Bishops for it the Chancellor though he thought his Ecclâ—siastical Commission big enough to suspend the Bishop of London and the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge and to expel the Master and Fellows of Magdalen College in Oxford yet is seems he did not believe it sufficient to suspend these Bishop And therefore it was said he advised the King to Try them upon an Information of High-Treason at the King 's Beneh-Bar In order to this they were committed Prisoner to the Tower and that on the Day before I think the Legendary Birth of the Prince of Wales who came to Town on Sunday Morning the 10th of June that they might not have the Opportunity as it was the Place at least of some of them to be present thereat and make any Inspection into that pious Fraud But though the Nation was mightily alarm'd at their Commitment and more particularly with the Time and Circumstance of it and that this Discontent might have been read in the Faces of almost all Men â—â—ve Romanists yet the Court unconcerned held on their Pace and accordingly the Bishops were Tryed in Trinity Term following at the King 's Beneh-Bar upon an Information of High-Misdemeanor as aforesaid for their Petition to the King But how secure soever the King and his Chancellor thought themselves of the Judges and though Sir Robert Wright who was Chief Justice and Sir Richard Allibone a known Papist were Two of them yet they were not all of a Piece for Mr. Justice Powell both learnedly and stoutly defended the Cause of the Bishops And though I believe the Jury of themselves upon considering the Merit of the Cause were sufficiently disposed to acquit them as they did accordingly yet surely if they had done otherwise I question whether all the King's Guards could have secured them from the Fury of the People who were not a little chafed with these Proceedings and wrought such Seeds of Discontent in the Minds of most Men that afterwards broke forth with a Witness And though it is not to be doubted but the Great Men of our Nation began before this to look about them and to have a watchful Eye upon every Motion of the Court yet this awaken'd them to purpose to seek for a Remedy against the impending Evil by such Methods and from such Persons as were most interested to divert the Course of them But of this we shall more particularly speak hereafter the Course of our History leading us 〈◊〉 to the Prosecution of Foreign Affairs and Campaigns 〈◊〉 ready to begin And first we shall again begin with Hungary We left off last Year with the Surrender of Agria a most pleasing Piece of News to the Imperial Court as was that of the Fortress of Mâ—ngaâ—z early this Spring no less grateful to it Famine and no other Reason was the Occasion of the Surrender of this Place as well as the preceding one The Fortress had been held out by the Princess Ragotzi Count Tecâ—eley's Lady in a manner ever since the Beginning of the War But now dire Necessity constrained that Noble Lady to surrender both it and her self into the Emperor's Hands as it appear'd evidently by her saying when the Capitulation was brought from Count Caraffa to be signed by her Must I Sign my Husband's Death For I am perswaded that as soon as the Turks come to know I have abandoned this Place they will take off his Head The Terms of
whose Cause the whole Body of the Allies interested themselves in so far as to press for an Answer to his Pretensions delivered in by President Canon But the French finding now that their former Exception of his wanting a Minister at the Congress would not do raised another to stave off the foresaid Instances and declared They could give no Answer about Lorrain till the Bishop of Strasburg's Agents were received by the Allies Upon this the Emperor made an invincible Difficulty declaring He would never treat with a Vassal of his own and in these Conferences about Lorrain the French Embassadors began to insinuate to the Mediators That their Master never intended that Matter to be treated as a Principal but only as an Accessary to the Treaty As they did also shew themselves positive in having full Satisfaction and Restitution made to the Swedes before they would conclude the Peace It was believed since it was much discoursed of that there was a new Alliance entred into between those two Crowns at Paris and that it was by Concert between them that this Attenite was given by the Swedes to the Congress Neither was there any Decisive Action in the course of the rest of this Campagne which was ended in Flanders by a successless Attempt made by the Prince of Orange to surprize Charleroy And if on the German side the French thought they had the Advantage by taking of Fribourg in Octob. this Year by a Feint of the Mareschal de Crequi before the Duke of Lorrain could come up to relieve it the City of Stetin's falling into the Hands of the Duke of Brandenburg this same Month after a most vigorous Resistance of its Garrison left the Scales even as they were before between the two Leagues The Campagne being ended as aforesaid the Prince of Orange who had long desired to take a Tour into England and had to that purpose the June before sent Monsieur Bentink over to make way with the King for such a Journey who at length granted him leave tho' with great Indifferency and Difficulty enough did upon the 9th of Octob. Land at Harwich and rid Post from thence to New-Market where the Court then was and where he industriously declined to enter upon any Conferences about the Peace or War as being resolved first to see the Young Princess which made the King to humour him leave that place sooner by some Days than he designed The Prince upon his Arrival in Town had no sooner set sight on that Incomparable Princess our late Sovereign Lady but he was so pleased with her Person and all those Signs of such an Humour as had been before described unto him that he immediately made his Suit both to the King and Duke which was very well received and assented to but upon Condition That the Terms of the Peace abroad might be first agreed on between them which after many Contestations on both sides the Prince would ne'er agree to saying The World would believe he had made that Match for himself at their Costâ— and that he would never sacrifice his Honour to his Love He grew at last to be so sullen upon the matter that he desired a Friend to tell the King That he designed to stay but two Days longer in England if things continued still on the same Foot That it repented him he had ever come over And that the King must choose how they were to live hereafter for he was sure it must be either like the greatest Friends or the greatest Enemies This so wrought upon the King who at the same time expressed the great Opinion he had of the Prince's Honesty that he ordered Sir William Temple the Messenger to go immediately to carry hâ—m the News That he should have his Wife Accordingly the Match was declared that Evening at the Committee before any other in Court knew any thing of it The Marriage was no sooner consummated but they very quickly fell into Debate upon the Terms of the Peace and had various Discourses of the Ambition of France the Necessity of a good Frontier to Flanders and it was at last agreed upon these Terms That all should be restored by France to the Emperor and Empire that had been taken in the War the Dutchy of Lorrain to that Duke and all on both sides between France and Holland and to Spain the Towns of Aeth Oudenard Courtray Tournay Conde Valenciennes St. Gillaine and Bince That the Prince should endeavour to procure the Consent of Spain and the King that of France To this Purpose he was to dispatch away a Person immediately over with the Proposition who should be instructed to enter into no Reasonings upon it but demand a positive Answer in Two Days and then forthwith return and my Lord Duras a Favourite of the Duke's was at last the Person pitched upon and sent But he after the Delivery of his Message was prevailed with to stay longer than his time and after all came away without any positive Answer From which manner of Procedure we may discover foul Prevarication somewhere and so the Business came to be drawn out into so many Messages and Returns from France that at last it dwindled into nothing especially after the Departure of the Prince for Holland who had spirited the Vigour of the whole Resolution which Departure happened to be with his Princess on the 21st of Nov. However the News of the Match had got to Nimeguen some time before and if the Confederates did before this begin to hope more than ever that it would not be long before England declared in their Favours they made no doubt of it now But it had quite another Effect in Holland especially at Amsterdam where the French Emissaries found the Secret of raising Jealousies of the Measures taken between the King and Prince upon this new Alliance as dangerous to the Liberty of their Country and to make it there believed that by the Match the King and Duke had wholly brought over the Prince into their Interest and Sentiments whereas the Prince went indeed away possess'd of having drawn them into his tho' they were all equally mistaken But how different soever their Apprehensions abroad might be of Things the King in England quite receded from his Engagements to the Prince of entring into the War with all the Confederates in case of no direct and immediate Answer from France upon the Terms of the Peace and contented himself to send Mr. Thynne over into Holland with a Draught of an Alliance to be made with the Dutch in order to force France and Spain into a Compliance with the Propositions agreed on year 1678 and to consign the same into the Hands of Mr. Hyde then at the Hague which was done and the Treaty Signed on the 16th of Jan. tho' not without great Difficulties and much Dissatisfaction on the part of the Prince of Orange who was yet covered in it by the private Consent of the Spanish Minister there in behalf of his
repulsed And yet the same Night tho' a Prisoner gave the Besieged an Account of the Confusion the Turks were in by reason of the approaching Succours they thought it convenient for all that to make another Signal to the Duke from St. Stephen's Tower and the rather since the Turks seemed still obstinate in carrying on their Attacks which they continued with no very great Advantage till the 11th of Sept. when that same Afternoon they drew all their Forces out of their Camp and marched towards the Calemburg which was a certain Sign to the Besieged that their Succours were marching that way and taking the Advantage of the Night endeavoured to get up the Hill whilst the Christian Armâ— met them in the Descent At that time the Besieged also had the Satisfaction to see the Rockets which were thrown up on the Top of the Hill as a Signal of their Approach and which they expected with so much Impatience The next Day which was the 12th of Sept. after Sun-rising the Christian Army advanced from the upper part of the Calemburg moving slowly in close Order from the Carthusian Monastery and St. Leopold's Chappel and extending it self more and more until they made their way out of the Forest when they closed their Lines and marching towards the Plain left a Space for them that followed and room for themselves to move in their Cannon playing upon the Enemy at several Intervals But the Turks were guilty of a very great Oversight in not securing the Passages of the Wood or other advantageous Posts which the Christians found difficult enough to pass tho' they met with no Opposition but perhaps the former vainly trusted to their Numbers having still an Army of an 120000 fighting Men tho' they had lost near 60000 at the Siege whereas the Christian Army without was not above 80000 and 6000 within the Town who yet did good Service upon this Occasion The Right Wing of the Army was given to the King of Poland for that he had most Horse and that the Country was open on that side the Left to the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Lorrain because they were strongest in the Foot and that the Country was inclosed on that side all along the Danube and the main Body to the Elector of Saxony and Prince Waldeck In this Disposition the Generals that Morning according to Appointment met upon the Hill to give the necessary Orders and were no sooner come together but a Body of 10000 Turks appear'd and advanced towards the Christians whereupon a Battallion was ordered to post themselves in a Vineyard that was on an Hill hard by being supported by 3 other Battallions which made the Turks stop For not enduring the Fire of those Battallions and being all Horse and in a Ground where they could not well attack the Foot they contented themselves to make one Discharge accompanied with an hideous Noise and so retired Whereupon the King of Poland and the other Princes having observed the the Disposition of the Enemy drew the Army into 3 Lines and closed without any Intervals as before mentioned and ordered them to march very slowly towards the Enemy and to stand when the Turks came to Charge them keeping themselves very close and not to fire till the Enemy had made their Discharge which was exactly performed for the Enemy advanced towards them with an horrible Cry as if they meant to break in upon them hoping thereby to make them give way or to put them into Disorder But finding the Christians stood firm and expecting them in a very close Order they durst not push any further but halted and still finding the Christians did not stir but stood expecting them they then made their Discharge and wheeled off Upon this the first Line of the Christians fired and that done the whole Army advanced slowly and so gained Ground upon the Enemy who returning came up as before the Christians thereupon made an Halt and expected them and the Turks having made their Discharge retired again which they repeated several times without adventuring to break in upon the Christians who still gained Ground driving the Turks before them like a Flock of Sheep Being come near the Enemies Camp a Body of Foot and Dragoons were detach'd to attack their Cannon which they made themselves Masters of without any great Opposition the Enemy having but a small Number of Foot to defend them and even their Horse made no great Resistance any where tho' they endeavoured on the side of the Right Wing to Charge the Christians in Flank which the King of Poland mistrusting caused part of the second Line to advance and make a Front on that side and charging the Enemy in Person with the first Line made them give way During the hottest of the Battle the Turks attackt the Town and put the Besieged so to it that Count Staremberg was forced to send to the Duke of Lorain for Assistance whereupon the Duke sent Prince Lewis of Baden with a Body of Horse Foot and Dragoons into the City with whose Help all the Turks that were in the Attack where cut to pieces In short towards Evening the Enemy began to give way and fled being pursued by the Christians beyond their Camp and there they made an Halt the Soldiers upon pain of Death being Commanded not to stir out of their Ranks and the whole Army remained all Night in Battle array as if the Enemy had been still present Next Day the Camp was Plundered half a Company going out at a time while the other half continued at their Arms and when they returned these went out in like manner All the Enemies Baggage Provision Tents 50 Pieces of Cannon 2 Horse-Tails the Grand Seignior's Standard and the Visier's own Horse were taken and most of their Foot cut in pieces being computed at about 15000 the rest having perished during the Siege and the Victory was so much the more glorious to the Christian Arms in that they lost not above a 1000 Men in all and very few Persons of Note the Duke of Croy and some others being wounded and that the Capital of the German Empire was hereby relieved which otherwise must inevitably have fallen into the Hands of the Infidels in less than 48 Hours more having already endured 9 Weeks Siege for want of Provisions and a sufficient Garrison to defend it longer their Number being diminished one half and the Turkish Mines ready to blow up the last Retrenchments they had for its Security And because it is fit the Memory of those Great Men that appeared this Day at the Head of the Christian Army and under whose Conduct this signal Victory was obtained should by all just Means be perpetnated to future Generations they were these that follow The King of Poland the Electors of Saxony and Bavaria the Duke of Lorain Prince Waldeck General of the Empire the 2. Princes of Baden the Prince of Anhalt the Duke of Croy the Prince de Salm the
a height as had not been seen They dispersed Libels of me every day told the King that I betrayed him that I ruined him by perswading him to make such shameful Condescentions but most of all by hindring the securing the chief of the disaffected Nobility and Gentry which was proposed as a certain way to break all the Prince's Measures and by advising His Majesty to call a Free-Parliament and to depend upon that rather than upon Foreign Assistance It is true I did give him those Counsels which were called weak to the last Moment he suffered me in his Service then I was accused of holding Correspondence with the Prince and it was every where said amongst them That no better could be expected from a Man so related as I was to the Bedford and Leicester Families and so allied to Duke Hamilton and the Marquess of Halifax After this Accusations of High Treason were brought against me which with some other Reasons relating to Affairs Abroad drew the King's Displeasure upon me so as to turn me out of all without any Consideration and yet I thought I escaped well expecting nothing less than the loss of my Head as my Lord Middleton can tell and I believe none about the Court thought otherwise nor had it been otherwise if my Disgrace had been deferred a day longer all things being prepared for it I was put out the 27th of October the Roman Catholicks having been two Months working the King up to it without Intermission besides the several Attacks they had made upon me before and the unusal Assistance they obtained to do what they thought so necessary for the carrying on their Affairs of which they never had greater hope than at that time as may be remembred by any who were then at London But you desired I would say something to you of Ireland which I will do in very few Words but exactly true My Lord Tyrconnell has been so absolute there that I never had the Credit to make an Ensign er keep one in nor to preserve some of my Friends for whom I was much concern'd from the last Oppression and Injustice tho' I endeavoured it to the utmost of my Power But yet with Care and Diligence being upon the place and he absent I diverted the Calling a Parliament there which was designed to alter the Acts of Settlement Chief Justice Nugent and Baron Rice were sent over with a Draught of an Act for that purpose furnished with all the pressing Arguments could be thought on to persuade the King and I was offered forty thousand pounds for my Concurrence which I told to the King and shewed him at the same time the Injustice of what was proposed to him and the prejudice it would be to that Country with so good success that he resolved not to think of it that Year and perhaps never This I was help'd in by some Friends particularly my Lord Godolphin who knows it to be true and so do the Judges before named and several others I cannot omit saying something of France there having been so much talk of a League between the two Kings I do protest I never knew of any and if there were such a thing it was carried on by other sort of Men last Summer Indeed French Ships were offered to joyn with our Fleet and they were refused since the noise of the Prince's Design more Ships were offered and it was agreed how they should be commanded if ever desired I opposed to Death the accepting of them as well as any Assistance of Men and can say most truly that I was the Principal Means of hindring both by the help of some Lords with whom I consulted every day and they with me to prevent what we thought would be of great prejudice if not ruinous to the Nation If the Report is true of Men Ships and Money intended lately for England out of France it was agreed upon since I was out of Business or without my Knowledge if it had been otherwise I believe no Body thinks my Disgrace would have happened My greatest Misfortune has been to be thought the Promoter of those Things I opposed and detested whilst some I could name have been the Inventors and Contrivers of what they have had the Art to lay upon others and I was often foolishly willing to bear what my Master would have done tho' I used all possible Endeavours against it I lie under many other Misfortunes and Afflictions extream heavy but I hope they have brought me to reflect on the occasion of them the loose negligent unthinking Life I have hitherto led having been perpetually hurried away from all good Thoughts by Pleasure Idleness the Vanity of the Court or by Business I hope I say that I shall overcome all the Disorders my former Life had brought upon me and that I shall spend the remaining part of it in Begging of Almighty God that he will please either to put an end to my Sufferings or to give me Strength to bear them one of which he will certainly grant to such as rely on him which I hope I do with the Submission that becomes a good Christian I would enlarge on this Subject but that I fear you might think something else to be the reason of it besides a true Sense of my Faults and that obliges me to restrain my self at present I believe you will repent in having engaged me to give you this Account but I cannot the doing of what you desire of me What followed next were various Reports concerning the loss the Dutch Fleet had sustained in a Storm which to amuse us was heightned in their own Prints and about the same time a Parcel of the Prince of Orange's Declarations being intercepted in London when that Expression came to be read That the Prince was most earnestly invited hither by divers of the Lords both Spiritual and Temporal and by many Gentlemen and others the King sent for some of the Bishops and required a Paper under their Hands in Abhorrence of the Prince's intended Invasion But they refused to do it as contrary to their Privilege of Peerage and their Profession in promoting War against a Prince so nearly allyed to the Crown and earnestly desired that might be left to a Free Parliament at which the King parted from them with great Indignation The Wind had been now for almost 3 Weeks perpetually West during which time the common Question every Morning was Have we a Protestant Wind yet And a Seaman was observed to curse the Dragon on Bow-Steeple for turning his Head where his Tail should be But in the latter end of Oct. the Wind came Easterly to the great Sorrow of the Roman Catholicks and the Joy of the rest of the Nation And when almost all Men expected the Invasion would have fallen in the North and nothing talked of but Burlington-Bay as a Landing-Place on the 3d of Nov. between 10 and 11 a Clock the Dutch Fleet was discovered about Half-Seas over
again to their Ancient Prescriptions and Charters And more particularly that the Ancient Charter of the Great and Famous City of London shall again be in Force And that the Writs for the Members of Parliament shall be Addressed to the proper Officers according to Law and Custom That also none be suffered to chuse or to be chosen Members of Parliament but such as are qualified by Law And that the Members of Parliament being thus chosen they shall meet and sit in full Freedom that so the Two Houses may concur in the preparing such Laws as they upon full and free Debate shall judge necessary and convenient both for the Confirming and Executing the Law concerning the Test and such others Laws as are necessary for the Security and Maintenance of the Protestant Religion as likewise for making such Laws as may Establish a good Agreement between the Church of England and all Protestant Dissenters as also for the Covering and Securing of all such who live peaceably under the Government as becomes good Subjects from all Persecution upon the Account of their Religion even Papists themselves not excepted and for the doing of all other things which the Two Houses of Parliament shall find necessary for the Peace Honour and Safety of the Nation so that there may be no more Danger of the Nation 's falling at any time hereafter under Arbitrary Government To this Parliament we will refer the Enquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales and of all things relating to it and to the Right of Succession XXII And We for our part will concur in every thing that may procure the Peace and Happiness of the Nation which a Free and Lawful Parliament shal determine since we have nothing before our Eyes in this our Undertaking but the Preservation of the Protestant Religion the Covering of all Men from Persecution for their Consciences and the Securing the whole Nation the Free Enjoyment of all their Laws Rights and Liberties under a just and legal Government XXIII This is the Design that We have proposed to our selves in appearing upon this Occasion in Arms in the Conduct of which we will keep the Forces under our Command under all the Strictness of Martial Discipline and take special Care That the People of the Countries through which we must march shal not suffer by their Means and as soon as the State of the Nation will admit of it we promise That we will send back all those Foreign Forces that we have brought along with us XXIV We do therefore hope That all People will judge rightly of us and approve of these our Proceedings But we chiefly rely on the Blessing of God for the Success of this our Undertaking in which we place our whole and only Confidence XXV We do in the last place invite and require all Persons whatsoever all the â—eers of the Realm both Spiritual and Temporal all Lords-Lieutenants Deputy-Lieutenants and all Gentlemen Citizens and other Commons of all Ranks to come and assist Us in order to the Executing of this our Design against all such as shall endeavour to oppose us that so we may prevent all those Miseries which must needs follow upon the Nations being kept under Arbitrary Government and Slavery And that all the Violences and Disorders which have overturned the whole Constitution of the English Government may be fully redressed in a Free and Legal Parliament XXVI And we do likewise resolve That as soon as the Nation is brought to a state of Quiet we will take care that a Parliament shall be called in Scotland for Restoring the Ancient Constitution of that Kingdom and for bringing the Matters of Religion to such a Settlement that the People may live easie and happy and for putting an end to all the unjust Violences that have been in a Course of so many Years committed there We will also study to bring the Kingdom of Ireland to such a State that the Settlement there may be Religiously observed and that the Protestant and British Interest there may be secured And we will endeavour by all possible means to procure such an Establishment in all the Three Kingdoms that they may all live in a happy Union and Correspondence together and that the Protestant Religion and the Peace Honour and Happiness of those NATIONS may be Established upon Lasting Foundations Given under Our Hand and Seal at Our Court in the Hague the 10th Day of October in the Year of Our Lord 1688. WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange By His Highness's Special Command C. HUYGENS. To this Declaration the Prince upon further Information of things thought fit to add another to this purpose AFter we had Prepared and Printed this Our Declaration we have understood that the Subverters of the Religion and Laws of these Kingdoms hearing of our Preparations to assist the People against them have began to retract some of the Arbitrary and Despotick Power that they had assumed and to vacate some of their unjust Judgments and Decrees The Sense of their Guilt and the Distrust of their Force have induced them to offer to the City of London some seeming Relief from their great Oppressions hoping thereby to quiet the People and to divert them from demanding a Re-establishment of their Religion and Laws under the shelter of our Arms They do also give out That we do intend to Conquer and Enslave the Nation and therefore it is we have thought fit to add a few Words to our Declaration VVe are confident That no Persons can have such hard Thoughts of us as to imagine we have any other Design in this our Undertaking than to procure a Settlement of the Religion and of the Liberties and Properties of the Subjects upon so sure a Foundation that there may be no Danger of the Nation 's Relapsing into the like Miseries at any time hereafter And as the Forces we have brought along with us are utterly disproportioned to that Wicked Design of Conquering the Nation if we were capable of intending it so the great Numbers of the Principal Nobility and Gentry that are Men of Eminent Quality and Estates and Persons of known Integrity and Zeal both for the Religion and Government of ENGLAND many of them being also distinguished by their Constant Fidelity to the Crown who do both accompany us in this Expedition and have earnestly sollicited us to it will cover us from all such Malicious Insinuations For it is not to be imagined that either those who have invited us or those who are already come to assist us can join in a wicked Attempt of Conquest to make void their own Lawful Titles to their Honours Estates and Interests We are also confident That all Men see how little Weight there is to be laid on all Promises and Engagements that can be now made since there has been so little regard had in the time past to the most solemn Promises And as that imperfect Redress that is now offer'd is a plain
Confession of those Violences of the Government that we have set forth so the Defectiveness of it is no less apparent For they lay down nothing which they may not take up at pleasure and they reserve entire and not so much as mentioned their Claims and Pretences to an Arbitrary and Despotick Power which has been the Root of all their Oppression and of the Total Subversion of the Government And it is plain That there can be no Redress no Remedy offered but in Parliament by a Declaration of the Rights of the Subjects that have been invaded and not by any pretended Acts of Grace to which the Extremity of their Affairs has driven them Therefore it is that we have thought fit to declare That we will Refer all to a Free Assembly of this NATION in a Lawful Parliament Given under Our Hand and Seal at Our Court in the Hague the 24th Day of October in the Year of Our Lord 1688. WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange By His Highness's Special Command C. HUYGENS. At the same time an Extract of the States-General's Resolution was privately Printed at London wherein among other Reasons why they had intrusted the Prince of Orange with such a Fleet and Army is this which follows THE King of France hath upon several Occasions shewed himself dissatisfied with this State which gave Cause to fear and apprehend that in case the King of Great Britain should happen to compass within his Kingdom and obtain an Absolute Power over his People that then both Kings out of the Interest of State and Hatred and Zeal against the Protestant Religion would endeavour to bring this State to confusion and if possible quite to subject it There was also Printed about the same Juncture this Letter of the Prince of Orange to the Officers of the Army Gentlemen and Friends WE have given you so full and so true an Account of Our Intentions in this Expedition in Our Declaration that as We can add nothing to it so We are sure you can desire nothing more of Us. We are come to preserve your Religion and to Restore and Establish your Liberties and Properties And therefore We cannot suffer Our Selves to doubt but that all true English Men will come and concur with Us in Our Desire to Secure these Nations from Popery and Slavery You must all plainly see That you are only made use of as Instruments to enslave the Nation and ruine the Protestant Religion and when that is done you may judge what ye your selves ought to expect both from the Cashiering all the Protestant and English Officers and Soldiers in Ireland and by the Irish Soldiers being brought over to be put in your Places and of which you have seen so fresh an Instance that We need not put you in mind of it You know how many of your Fellow-Officers have been used for their standing firm to the Protestant Religion and to the Laws of England And you cannot flatter your selves so far as to expect to be better used if those who have broke their Word so often should by your Means be brought out of those Streights to which they are at present reduced We hope likewise that ye will not suffer your selves to be abused by a false Notion of Honour but that you will in the first place consider what you owe to Almighty God and your Religion to your Country to your Selves to your Posterity which you as Men of Honour ought to prefer to all private Considerations and Engagements whatsoever We do therefore expect That you will consider the Honour that is now set before you of being the Instruments of Serving your Country and Securing your Religion and We shall ever remember the Service you shall do Us upon this Occasion and will promise you that We shall place such particular Marks of Our Favour on every one of you as your Behaviour at this time shall deserve of Us and the Nation in which We shall make a great Distinction of those that shall come seasonably to join their Arms with Ours And you shall find Us to be your Well-wishing and assured Friend W. H. P. O. This Letter was spread under-hand over the whole Kingdom and read by all sorts of Men and the Reason of it being undeniable it had a great Force on the Spirits of the Soldiery so that those who did not presently comply with it yet resolved they would never strike one stroke in this Quarrel till they had a Parliament to secure the Religion Laws and Liberties of England Which the Court on the other side had resolved should not be granted till the Prince of Orange with his Army was expelled out of the Nation and till all those that had submitted to him which were not many then were reduced into their Power to be treated as they thought fit In the mean time the Fleet came about from the Buoy in the Nâ—re to Portsmouth under the Command of the Lord Dartmouth where it arrived on Saturday the 17th of November and on the Monday following the KING entred Salisbury which was then the Head Quarters of the whole Army But on the 16th of the aforesaid Month the Lord Delamere having received certain Intelligence of the Landing of the Prince of Orange in the West and seeing the Irish throng over in Arms under pretence of Assisting the King but in reality to enslave us at Home as they had already reduced our Country-Men in Ireland to the lowest Degree of Danger and Impuissance that they have at any time been in since the Conquest of Ireland in the Reign of King Henry II. He thereupon Assembled Fifty Horse-Men and at the Head of them marched to Manchester and the next Day he went to Bodon-Downes his Forces being then 150 strong declaring his Design was To join with the Prince of Orange This small Party of Men by degrees drew in all the North and could never be suppressed Now before His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange left Exeter there was an Association drawn up and signed by all the Lords and Gentlemen that were with him the Date of which I cannot assign but the Words thereof are as follow VVE whose Names are hereunto subscribed who have now joined with the Prince of Orange for the Defence of the Protestant Religion and for the maintaining the Antient Government and the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland do engage to Almighty God to His Highness the Prince of Orange and to one another to stick firm to this Cause and to one another in Defence of it and never to depart from it until our Religion Laws and Liberties are so far secured to us in a Free Parliament that we shall be no more in danger of falling into Popery and Slavery And whereas we are engaged in this Common Cause under the Protection of the Prince of Orange by which means his Person may be exposed to Danger and to the cursed Attempts of Papists and other Bloody Men we do therefore solemnly
to require all Colonels and Commanders in Chief of such Regiments Troops and Companies by Beat of Drum or otherwise to call together the several Officers and Soldiers belonging to their respective Regiments Troops and Companies in such Places as they shall find most convenient for their Rendezvous and there to keep them in good Order and Discipline And We do likewise direct and require all such Officers and Soldiers forthwith to repair to such Place as shall be appointed for that purpose by the Respective Colonels or Commanders in Chief whereof speedy Notice is to be given unto Vs for our further Orders Given at Our Court at Henly Decemb. 13. 1688. Prince of ORANGE From Henly he advanced by easie Marches towards London being invited thither as already noted by diverse Noblemen and Citizens as the King was also by some Lords to return which he did on Sunday the 16th in the Evening a Sett of Boys following him through the Streets and made some Huzza's while the rest of the People silently looked on But before the King's Return the Privy Council and Peers met and made this Order on the 14th VVE the Peers of this Realm Assembled with some of the Lords of the Privy Council do hereby require all Irish Officers and Soldiers to repair forthwith to the respective Bodies to which they do or did lately belong and do hereby declare that behaving themselves peaceably they shall have Subsistence pay'd them till they shall be otherwise provided for or imployed And the said Officers and Soldiers are to deliver up their Arms to some of the Officers of the Ordnance who are to deposite the same in the Stores in the Tower of London And We do require and command all Justices of the Peace Constables and other Officers whom it may concern that they apprehend and seize all such Soldiers as shall not repair to their respective Bodies and that they be dealt with as Vagabonds Given at the Council Chamber at Whitehal the Fourteenth of Decemb. 1688. Tho. Ebor. Hallifax Dorset Carlisle Craven Nottingham Rochester N. Duresine P. VVinchester North and Gray J. Trevor J. Titus It was high time to put out this Order for on Thursday Dec. 13. about Three in the Morning there was a terrible Allarm That the Irish in a desperate Rage were approaching London putting Man Woman and Child to the Sword which made the People all rise placing Lights in their Windows from top to bottom and every Man guarding his own Door with his Musquet charged with Powder and Ball and all the Traindbands of the City were in Arms so that there was nothing heard but Shooting and Beating of Drums all Night And what is very strange this Allarm spread it self over the face of the whole Kingdom and all that were able to carry Arms vowed the Defence of their Lives Laws Religion and Liberties and stood resolved to destroy all the Irish and Papists in England in case any Injury were offered them but few Papists suffered in their Persons only their Houses were generally rifled under a pretence of searching for Arms and Ammunition The Prince who was now at VVindsor had sent M. Zulestein to the King to desire him to continue at Rochester but missing him the King came to VVhitehal and from thence sent the Lord Feversham with a Letter to the Prince to VVindsor to invite him to St. James's with what number of Troops he should think convenient to bring along with him But the Prince referring the Consideration of the Subject-Matter of the Letter to the Peers about him they concluded that the shortness of the Time could admit of no better Expedient that the King might be desired to remove with a reasonable Distance from London and Ham an House belonging to the Dutchess of Lauderdale was pitch'd upon and a Note or Paper dâ—rawn up to that purpose which was ordered to be delivered after the Prince's Guards were in Possession of the Posts about VVhitehall the Substance whereof was as follows WE desire you the Lord Marquess of Hallifax the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Lord Delamere to tell the King That it is thought convenient for the great Quiet of the City and the great Safety of his Person that he do remove to Ham where he shall be attended by his Guards who will be ready to preserve him from any Disturbance Given at VVindsor the Seventeenth Day of December 1688. VV. Prince de Orange The Guards who were commanded by Count Solmes made it 10 a Clock at Night before they could reach London And the Kings Guards then on Duty not being very forward to dislodge it was Twelve before the Lords could deliver the said Paper of which they first sent this Account to Secretary Middleton My Lord THere is a Message to be delivered to his Majesty from the Prince which is of so great Importance that we who are charged with it desire we may be immediately admitted and therefore desire to know where we may find your Lordship that you may introduce My Lord c. Hallifax Shrewsbury Delamere He accordingly presently introduced them the King being by that time in Bed where they made an Apology for coming at so unseasonable a Time and delivering him the Paper the King read it and said He would comply with it Upon this the Lords humbly desired he would remove so early as to be at Ham by Noon to prevent Meeting the Prince in his Way to London where he was to come the same Day His Majesty readily agreed to this too and asked whether he might not appoint what Servants should attend him To which the Lords replied That it was left to him to give Order in that as he pleased and so they took their Leave of him When they were gone as far as the Privy-Chamber the King sent for them again and told them he had forgot to acquaint them with his Resolutions before the Message came to send my Lord Godolphin next Morning to the Prince to propose his going back to Rochester he finding by the Message M. Zulestein was charged with the Prince had no Mind he should be at London and therefore he now desired he might rather return to Rochester than go to any other place The Lords replied That they would immediately send an Account to the Prince of what His Majesty desired and they did not doubt of such an Answer as would be to his Satisfaction Accordingly they sent to him who was then at Sion-House and before 8 next Morning there came a Letter from M. Bentink by the Prince's Order agreeing to the King's Proposals of going to Rochester Hereupon he went the Guards being made ready and Boats prepared that Night to Gravesend in his own Barge attended by the Earl of Arran and some few others The same Day being Dec. 18. about Three in the Afternoon His Highness the Prince of Orange came to St. James's attended by Monsieur Schomberg and a great Number of the Nobility and Gentry and was entertained with
Commalin Castle-Durmont and so beyond Carlow from whence he sent forward a Party of Horse under the Command of the Duke of Ormond to take Possession of Kill-kenny and so to secure the Protestants and other Inhabitants of the adjacent Countries from being plundered by the Enemy for by this time some of them begun to look behind them and to return to take along what they had not Time nor Conveniency to carry of at first From Carlow the Army passed on to Kells thence to Loughland-bridge and so to Bennet's Bridge 3 Miles to the N. E. of Killkenny and upon the 19th of July His Majesty dined with the Duke of Ormond at his Castle of Killkenny which had the good Luck to have been preserved by Count Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture and left in a good Condition not without the Cellar well stored with what they had not time to drink at their going off Munday the 21st the Army encamped at Carruck from whence Major General Kirk with his own Regiment and Colonel Brewers as also a Party of Horse were sent towards Waterford more Forces designing to follow When he came before the Place he sent to summon the Town by a Trumpet who at first refused to surrender there being 2 Regiments then in Garrison However their Refusal was in such civil Terms that their Inclinations were easily understood for soon after they sent out to know what Terms they might have which were the same with Drogâ—eda But not liking those they proposed some of their own which were rejected and the heavy Cannon drawn down that way and some more Forces ordered to march When the Irish understood this they agreed to march out with Arms and Baggage on the 25th and were conducted to Mallow The Fort Dunâ—annon a strong and regular Place and well fortified with Guns was also surrendred into his Majesty's Hands upon the same Terms with Waterford which last place was view'd by the King the day it was given up who took great care that no Persons should be disturbed in their Houses or Goods and here the Lord Dovâ—t was admitted into a more particular Protection from his Majesty as having formerly applied himself when the King was at Hillsborough by Major General Kirk's means to desire a Pass for himself and Family to Flanders July the 27th the King left the Camp at Carrick and went towards Dublin in order for England which occasioned various Speculations and some fears that the Affairs of this Kingdom were in no pleasing Posture He left the Command of the Army to Count Solms lay that Night at Carlow and upon some Advice from England exprest himself doubtful whether to go over or return to the Army However he went on to Chappell Izard and spent there some time to hear divers Complaints and redress several Grievances He publish'd a second Declaration to confirm the former and ordered a weekly Fast But having a further Account from England that several wicked Designs were discovered and prevented the loss at Sea not so considerable and that the French had only burnt one small Village in the West of England and so gone off again he resolved to retuâ—â— to the Army which he did on the 22d of Aug. at Golden-bridge and by the 27th â—eached Carrigallis where Lieutenant General Douglas joined him next day and on which in the Morning early my Lord Portland and Brigadeer Stewart were sent towards Limerick with 700 Horse and Foot who advanced within Cannon-shot of the Town with little Opposition from the Enemy and before whose return the King himself accompanied by the Prince my Lord Overkirk Lieutenant General 〈◊〉 and divers other great Officers with about 300 Horse went very near the Town and drove in a Party of the Enemy's Horse who made a shew of opposing them On the 9th the whole Army made its approach in excellent Order For no sooner had the Pioneers cut the Hedges that were in the way but the Men advanced which made the Enemy draw backwards till they came to a narrow Pass between a Bogs within half a Mile of the Town which was not above 150 Yards and this full of Hedges and other Incumbrances Herein however there were Lanes that led to the Town the middlemost being the broadest where stood the Irish Horse To the right and left of which the Hedges were lined all with â—â—â—squeteers of whom the English Foot were now got within less than 200 Yards The detacht Party of Foot was upon the Advance towards the Center The Horse a little to the right of them the Danes to the left And the blew Dutch with several English Regiments upon the right And all this in such Decorum that though the Hedges were very thick and troublesome yet the Front kept all in a Line except the advanced Party who went always some distance before Whilst these things were going on thus the King ordered 2 Field-pieces to be planted towards the left where they could bear upon the Enemy's Horse and fired from thence with so good Success that the Enemy soon quitted that Post And it is very remarkable our English Foot were so little concerned that tho' they knew the Enemy to be in the next Hedges yet whilst the Pioneers were at work they would sit down and ask one another whether they thought they should have any Bread that day for they began to want their Breakfasts tho' some few of them went into the other World for it while the Danes to the left stood with all the Care and Circumspection in the World and some of them observing the Posture of our Men and hearing what they said they thought they had no mind to fight But they were quickly convinced to the contrary for the Hedges were no sooner down and one Front advancing in a narrow Field and that the Irish fired a whole Volley upon them from the neighbouring Hedges but some of the English cried out aloud Ah you Toads are you there We will be with you presently and so they ran without any more ado along the Field directly towards the Hedges where the Irish were planted who thereupon quitted one Hedge after another So as that the Danes advancing on the left and the blew Dutch with the English on the right and the Horse coming on in the Center the Irish in less than half an hour after the Volley were driven under their very Walls and not a dozen Men lost on our side in all the Action which if the Irish had managed their business well would have cost us a great many more But as soon as they got under their Walls they plyed our Forces with their great Guns that killed several as they marched in which the whole Army did before 5 in the Afternoon and most of them incamp'd within Cannon-short Orders were given forthwith to draw 4 Field-pieces to Cromwell alias Iâ—eton's Fort to play upon the Town and Out-works The Danes according to their Post encamped to the left where
to my Affairs But howsoever it pleases over-ruling Heaven to dispose of Me and Mine or into whatsoever Recess I may be thrown I can assure your Majesty That I shall always preserve to the last Gasp of my expiring Breath that due Acknowledgment which I still retain of your Favours and constant Friendship Nor can any thing more contribute to my Consolation than to hear as I hope to do when I have wholly quitted your Dominions of the quick Return of all your wonted Triumphs both by Sea and Land over Your Enemies and Mine when my Interest shall be no longer intermixed with yours I am Monsieur my Brother Yours c. JAMES REX While we are now thro' the Blessing of God secure from any Foreign Invasion by the good Success of our Fleet against the French there was a Conspiracy as dangerous and of a much baser Nature contrived abroad by one Granvale a French Officer to assassinate his Majesty's Person who when he came to the Camp at Bethlehem-Abby about the 28th of May was inform'd of the Design and the foresaid Person secured for the present but of this you will hear more by and by when we come to his Tryal In the mean time how unsuccessful soever the French Fleet had been at Sea that King was bent upon keeping up the Reputation of his Arms by Land by making some further Progress this Campaign in the Spanish Netherlands tho' now in a much better state than formerly since the Elector of Bavaria became Governour as he did the beginning of this Year And therefore on the 22d of May he invested Namur a strong Frontier-Garrison in Person before which the Trenches were opened on the 1st of June and tho' upon the News of our Sea-Victory King William caused all the English Artillery to be drawn in his Camp at Bethlehem to the top of an Hill upon the Right of the Army that looked towards Namur and placed the Dutch Artillery upon the same Hill to the Left and that the whole Army was drawn out to express their Joy for the same by a triple Discharge of all the Cannon and small Shot yet it was said the French King took so little notice of it that he should say Here is a mighty pudder indeed about burning 2 or 3 Ships But how light soever he might seem to take it the Consequence shewed it was the unhappiest Blow that befel that Nation in the whole Course of the War who never after durst look our Fleet in the Face and hereby left all their Sea-Coast to be insulted by us as we pleased I shall not enter into the Particulars of the Siege of Namur which was carried on with great Vigour and which King William was no less sollicitous to relieve resolving if possible to fight the Duke of Luxemburg who covered the Siege and who upon Information that the King moved towards the River Mehaign marched that way likewise and upon the 8th of June the two Armies which were very strong and pretty equal as to number the Confederates being reckon'd at 80000 Men came in sight of one another the River remaining between them The Confederates possessed themselves of all the Posts upon the River on their side as the French did of two Villages surrounded with strong Hedges and Thickets on theirs but the Confederates by Planting of Batteries at all their Posts were so far Masters of that River that the French Soldiers could not come for a drop of Water to it And that same Evening the King gave Orders to build Bridges over the Mehaign in order to pass it the next day to attack the Enemy which was so ordered that the whole Army might pass in a Front at the same time but the great Rains that begun that Evening and held on for several days that it broke the Bridges made it unpassable for the Cannon and rendred this glorious Undertaking abortive the Consequence whereof was the Surrender of the Castle of Namur on the 30th of June for the Town had been given up before which considering the Strength and Importance of the Place with the shortness of the Siege made most People believe there was some fellow-feeling in the Case However it were some did then report who pretended to understand the Affairs of the Court of Brussels That the King had desired the Elector of Bavaria to withdraw the Prince of Brabaâ—â—son from his Government of Namur and gave him his Reasons for it and that it was thereupon agreed the Prince should make the Campaign with the Elector And this went on so far that the Prince was at Brussels in order to it But the French threatning to sit down before Namur before the opening of the Campaign on the Elector's side he could not refuse his going to his Government when the Prince desired it lest he should discover the Mistrust he had of him However the Elector at the same time ordered the Count de Thian to accompany him in this Siege and gave him some particular Instructions therein The King's Camp was at Melle when Namur was given up where he formed a Design to surprize Mons and was very near being executed when the Enemy having Information of it took care of their own Preservation From Melle the Army march'd to Genap thence to Notredame de Hall and on the first of August passed the River Senne in several Columns when they were joined by the Hanover Troops to the number of 8000 all fine Men. The French encamped at the same time at Engheim with their Right extended to Steenkirk and where the King resolved to attack them In the Evening Orders were given out for 6 Battalions to be ready to march an hour before day and to parade at the Head of Prince Waldeck's Regiment The Battalions were the 2d of the 1st Regiment of Guards the 1st of Sir Robert Douglass's Col. Fitz-Patrick Col. O Farrel's a Battalion of the Danish Guards and the Queens Orders were likewise given for 17 Men in each Battalion in Churchil's Brigrade to be ready at the Time and Place and to be commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Manwayring their business being to make the Ways through the Desiles they were all to receive a Ducat a Head for their Labour and as they were to join with the Van-guard in time of business they carried their Arms with them as well as Hatchets and Spades All this Detachment was to be commanded by the Duke of Wirtemberg as the Van-guard of our Army Orders were likewise given for the whole Army to march very early in the Morning the General to beat at break of Day and the Army to be ready at Sun-rising All these Preparations were in order to attack the French the next day in their own Camp at Enghein who the same Day as we march'd from Gennap to Hall decamp'd from Soignes and made all haste to Enghein lest we should get that Ground from them and thus oblige them to get farther to their own Conquests Luxemburg's Right
covered the Left of our Body of Foot which upon the Enemies Approach wheeled from the Left to the Right to bring up their Left to the Brook of Beck where 't was cover'd by this Village of Neerlanden The Ground was open between Neerwinden and Neerlanden whereupon his Majesty order'd a Retrenchment to be made in the Night from the one to the other to cover our Body of Foot which indeed was but a slight Breast-work as a Man may judge by the time they had to make it and the number of Men that worked about it viz. 30 Men per Battalion and yet the French were pleased afterwards to magnifie it with the Name of A formidable Retrenchment and what not Now the Remainder of the Body of Foot was drawn up in one Line within the Retrenchment to defend it and the Dragoons upon the Left were ordered to the Village of Dormal to guard that pass upon the Brook of Beck and from thence the Left Wing of Horse reached to Neerlanden where 't was covered by this Brook and from thence turned off to the Right behind the Body of Foot However it were it was reported Luxemburg upon his Viewing of the Camp that Evening should observe some Deficiency in it and say Now he believed Waldeck was dead who was known to be perhaps the best Man for Encamping in the World The King who had been on Horseback till late in the Evening not only to give all the necessary Orders but to see the Execution of them ordered his Coach at last to be brought to the Rear of Stanley's Regiment where he reposed himself about two Hours and early in the Morning sent for Doctor Menard one of his Chaplains into the Coach to pray with him suitable to the Occasion a rare Example and worthy of Imitation by all but especially of Military Men who carry their Lives in their Hands but more is the pitty have usually the least Concern of any for a future State which was no sooner done but all things were disposed for Action It was the 19th day of July this mighty Battel was fought which will be talked of in all future Generations and of which take the following Account By Sun-rising the French were drawn up within Cannon-shot of the Confederates Camp who plaid upon them with their Cannon with good Success and this the French received with admirable Constancy till about 6 they made a Movement to come nearer the King's Retrenchments and about 8 Luxemburg ordered a strong Body of Troops to attack the Villages of Lar or Neerwinden which they did with great Fury and various Success having gained and lost those Posts once and again But at length the Confederates tho' much inferiour in number remained Masters of them And here it was the Duke of Berwick was taken Prisoner But this ill Success of the French upon the Confederates Right did not discourage them from Attacking the Confederates Left Wing at Neerlanden which Post tho' it was not in it self weak yet it was attacked with a great Disproportion of Forces and the Fire was very smart on both sides the French gained and lost the Advantage several times but were at last after two Hours hot Dispute entirely beaten His Majesty's Example and Presence as being there in Person mightily heartning the Confederates to stand stoutly to it and hitherto the Success of the day was manifestly on the Confederates side and the French seemed by their Countenance as if they designed to draw off But Luxemburg having still several Brigades of fresh Men resolved to gain the Village of Neerwinden a second time and to that end attacked it with great Fury and here the Dispute lasted a long time His Majesty doing the Office of a private Soldier as well as a grand Captain at the same time as did also the Elector of Bavaria who distinguished himself upon this Occasion by several Repulses he gave the Enemy And in short nothing but Numbers prevailed over the Confederates who together with the Field of Battel whereon his Majesty staid rallying some Horse till he was almost surrounded lost most of their Cannon and retreated to Lewe unpursued by the French who tho' they gained the Battel yet their Loss was such that they might very well say with Pyrrhus King of Epirus when complimented upon his Success against the Romans That such another Battel would quite Ruin them The King in the Day of Battel shewed himself as he had always done a brave Man and it was only the wonderful Providence of God that preserved one that exposed himself so much as he did who narrowly escaped 3 Musket-shots one through his Perwig which made him deaf for a while another through the Sleeve of his Coat which did no harm and the third carried off the Knot of his Scarf and left a small Contusion on his Side and in short his Majesty this day gained so far the Respect and Admiration of his Enemies that 't was a common Saying among them That they wanted but such a King to make them Masters of Christendom And the Prince of Conti in his intercepted Letter to the Princess his Wife said He saw the King every where present where there was any Action exposing his Person to the greatest Dangers and that surely so much Valour very well deserved the peaceable Possession of the Crown he wore It would be an endless thing to enter into the Dispute about the Loss in this Battel on each side the Confederates indeed thought theirs at first much greater than afterward upon a Review it did appear when they missed not above 5 or 6000 fighting Men killed wounded and taken Prisoners whereas the French would have them to be no less than 20000 and their 's 2000 killed But here the Confederates might justly turn the Tables For it is past all doubt the French had above the number of 2000 Officers killed and wounded and if the Allies did somewhat exaggerate the Loss of the French in computing it at about 18000 yet surely Luxemburg's not pursuing them at all upon the Retreat and his continuing for 15 days together at Waren without making the least Attempt gave a considerable Reputation to what they said But for their Cannon and Mortars the Confederates must be content to own they lost the greatest part of them However the French to give some Reputation to their Assertions in what they said in relation to the Battel did at last resolve to besiege Charleroy which they invested on the 31st of Aug. after they had been reinforced with the Troops from the Sea-Coast and a great Detachment under Boufflers from the Rhine which confirmed still their Loss as aforesaid It is not my purpose to give a Journal of the Siege it 's enough to say That the French with these new Reinforcements attacked the Place with great Fury which was as well defended by the Besieged that tho' they had little or no prospect of Relief yet they gallantly held it out till the 1st
His Royal Highness for his part will contribute all in his Power thereunto who likewise flatters himself that this Treaty lately signed with his most Christian Majesty may be a Means to divide these Princes whose Vnion will infallibly oppose your Majesty's Return to your Dominions which may facilitate a general Peace the first Effects of which will undoubtedly be your Majesty's Re-establishment on your Throne This has been the Occasion Sir of his Royal Highness's withdrawing from the Allies and which he hopes will be thought fully to answer his promises to your Majesty's Ministers seâ—t to sollicite him in that behalf This he would have perform'd sooner but Your Majesty may be inform'd from the most Christian King what Reasons inclined him to the contrary These Sir are the sincere Protestations of his Royal Highness which he will endeavour to make appear by his continued Prayers for the Prosperity of your Sacred Majesty But to return the French King in Conformity to his Articles made a formal Resignation of all manner of pretentions to Savoy and the Dukes Territories whilst his Royal Highness upon the expiration of the Truce on the 15th of Sept. put himself at the head of the French and his own Troops to drive his Friends the Allies out of Italy or to accept of a Neutrality for it A strange Metamorphosis and such as I think cannot be parallel'd in any History Ancient or Modern that one and the same Prince who equals himself to Crown'd Heads should successively in one and the same Campaign Command the two Armies of two Enemies This was a pace none of his Ancestors ever made though they shewed themselves unconstant enough between the French and Spanish Crowns upon divers occasions But so it was that the Duke marched at the head of his Army and laid Siege to Valentia a Citty in the Dutchy of Milan belonging to the King of Spain which was carried on with much Vigour while the Treaty was agitated on both sides by the Prince of Fundi from the Emperor Marquess of Leganez on the part of the Spaniards the Lord Gallaway for the King of England and the Marquess de St. Thomas for the Duke of Savoy and many Conferences were held before they could be brought to any Conclusion But though the French and Savoyards were so eager to take Valentia they found an harder thing of it than was expected having lost above 3000 Men before it and the approach of the bad Weather and the Winter Season made the matter very Dubious at last and things on all hands were brought to this Crisis on both sides whether the French should run the hazzard and Dishonour that would accrue to them of raising the Siege or whether the Confederates would venture the losing of it and with that protract the War in Italy But all Parties having considered the advantages and disadvantages the Neutrality was agreed to and signed upon the 7th of October containing chiefly the following Articles I. That there shall be a Neutrality or Suspension of Arms in Italy till a General Peace II. That the Imperial and French Troops shall depart out of Italy and return into their own Countries III. That in lieu of Winter Quarters which the Princes of Italy were otherwise oblig'd to allow the Imperialists they should furnish them with 300000 Crowns that is to say One third before their Retreat and the remainder at a time prefix'd upon sufficient Security IV. That so soon as the Imperialists should begin to March off with some part of their Troops the French should proportionably do the like V. That the Treaty should be ratifyed within two Days by the Duke of Savoy by the Emperor within a Month and within two by the King of Spain Hereupon the Count of Thesse and Marquess de Vins were sent Hostages to Turin by the French is were also the Prince of Trivultio and the Marquess de Burgomaniero by the King of Spain and the Marquess of St. Thomas to Milan by the Duke of Savoy Things being thus concluded on in Italy in respect to that particular Peace there was a mighty Discourse all the while of a general One with the rest of the Confederates and Monsieur Dickvelt's going about the same time to the King's Camp when News came to him of the former made the same hotly Discoursed of People supposing he came to His Majesty to give an Account of his Negotiations about that important Affair And that which confirmed Men more in this Opinion was That Monsieur Dickvelt made this Journey more than once between the Camp and the Hague but this matter we shall pursue no further at present it being time we should proceed to see the Operations of the Campaign in Hungary this Year The Armies on each side were Commanded by the same Generals as the preceding Year the Grand Seignior pretty early in the Summer came to Belgrade at the head of very numerous Troops while the Elector of Saxony about the beginning of June joined the Imperial Forces whom he found to be so good that according to all the Intelligence at that time of the Enemies Numbers he might be able to fight them or if they refused to sit down before some considerable place Whereupon several Counsels of War were held according to Custom wherein it was resolved at length to Besiege Themeswaer but whether it were really designed for a formal Siege or that it was only a feint to draw the Mahometans to a Battle is uncertain However the Duke approached the place viewed it raised Batteries and in some measure made a formal Attack upon the Town while advice came in the mean time thick and three-fold that the Sultan was preparing to cross the Danube with his whole Army which made the Elector glad of the News rise from before Themeswaer and immediately to set forward to meet the Infidels But this proving to be a false Rumour the Elector returned to attack the place again though this was thought to have been done that the Turks might be more eager to follow him and indeed the Stratagem took For the Sultan to divert him from the Siege came on amain which made the Elector to make some small motion towards the Enemy to the end he might take his measures to observe their Countenance and the Scituation of their Ground So that the Imperialists continued their march when on the 21st of August by break of Day they found the Turkish Chavalry begin to appear in very great Numbers which made the Elector and General Capara to cause the Army to march in order of Battle But at the same time the Infidels came pouring down upon the Christians from several parts with extraordinary Fury But they met with such Vigorous resistance from every Quarter that after a sharp Recounter they were forced to retreat and the Germans pursued them close at their Heels with an intention to drive them upon their Infantry in hopes to have come up with them the same Day and
our Reasons may appear both now and for the future in the Acts of the present Negotiation We the Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries whose Names are underwritten earnestly desire their Excellencies the Embassadors Mediators that this our Remonstrance may be inserted in their Protocol or Register and that they may have an Act given 'em to confirm the presenting it Protesting also at the same time that their Masters are no less Zealous for the Peace then the rest of the Princes of Europe and that it is great Grief to 'em that they cannot sign in their Master's Name by reason of a Difficulty that was no way foreseen The Embassadors and Plenipotentiaries here present have sign'd the present Declaration and thereto fix'd their Seals in the Names of the Electors Princes and States of the Sâ—cred Roman Empire of the Confession of Auspurg who sent us their Deputies to the Treaty of Peace At the Hague 15th October 4 November 1697. In the Name of the Elector of Saxony Christopher Dieteric Bose the Younger Dutchy of Deux Ponts George Frederick de Snoilsky Saxon Gota Adolph Christian Aveman Duke of Brunswick Zell E. Klinggraffe Landtgrave of Hesse-Cassel William Vultesius Elector of Brandenburgh W. de Schmettau N. E. L. B. de Dankâ—lman Duke of Sauon Coburg Henry Richard L. B. de Hagen Margrave of â—â—â—eith E. L. B. de Stein Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbutel John William de Mansberg Dutchy of Holstein Gluckstar Dethlevus Nicholus de Lewencron But to return the Conferences still continued at Ryswick and all things were agreed on by the 30th of Oct. and the Treaty Signed then being Two Days before the time limitted by France to accept of her Offers The Articles were to this purpose IN the Name of the most Holy Trinity Amen Be it known unto All and every One that a cruel War attended with the Effusion of much Christian Blood and the Devastation of several Provinces having been waged for some Years last past between the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Leopâ—ld elected Emperour of the Romans always August King of Germany Hungary Bohemia of Dalmatia Croatia and Sclavonia Archduke of Austriâ— Duke of Burgundy Brabant Stiria Carinthia and Carniola Marquiss of Moravia Duke of Luxemburg of the Upper and Lower Silesia of Wirtemberg and of Teckay Prince of Suabia Counâ— of Habâ—bourg of Tyrol Kybourg and Goritia Marquiss of the Sacred Roman Empire Burgaw of the Upper and Lower Lusatia Lord of the Sclavonian Marches of Port-Naon and Salins c. and the Sacred Roman Empire on one part and the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Lewis XIV the most Christian King of France and Navarre on the other part Now his Imperial Majesty and his most Christian Majesty having most seriously apply'd themselves to terminate and put an end as soon as possible to those Mischiefs that daily encreas'd to the Ruine of Christendom by the Divine Assistance and by the Care of the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Charles XI King of Swedeland Goths and Vandâ—ls Grand Prince of Finland Duke of Scania Esthonia Livonia of Carelia Bremen Perden of Stetin Pomerania Cassubia and Vandalia Prince of Râ—gâ—n and Lord of Ingria and Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliens Câ—â—ves and Bergues of Illustrious Memory who from the very beginning of these Commotions did not cease effectually to sollicit the Christian Princes to Peace and afterwards having been accepted as Universal Mediator never desisted gloriously to labour even to his dying Day to procure the same with all imaginable speed having to this purpose appointed and settled Conferences in the Palace of â—yswick in Holland and after his Decease the most Serene and most Puissant Prince and Lord Câ—arles XII King of Sweden Goths and Vandâ—ls Grand Prince of 〈◊〉 Duke of Scania Esthonia of Livonia Carelia Bremen of Ferden Stetin Pomerania Cassubia and of Vandalia Prince of Rugen Lord of Ingria and of Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliers Cleves and Bergues Inheriting from his Royal Father the same longing Desire and Earnestness to procure the publick Tranquility and the Treaties having been brought to their perfection by the foresaid Conferences the Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries lawfully appointed and established by both Parties being met to this effect at the aforesaid place that is to say on the Emperor's part the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Dominic Andrew Kaunitz Count of the Holy Roman Empire Hereditary Lord of Austerlitz of Hungarischbord Marischpruss and Orzechan the Great Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece intimate Councellor of State to his Sacred Imperial Majesty Chamberlain and Vice-Chancellour of the Holy Empire the Sieur Henry John Stratman Sieur de Puerbach Count of the Holy Roman Empire Lord of Oâ—th Schmiding Spatenbrun and Carlsberg Imperial Aulique Councellor Chamberlain to his Sacred Imperial Majesty and the Siuer John Frederick free and noble Baron of Seilern Imperial Aâ—lique Councellor to his Sacred Imperial Majesty and one of the Plenipotentiaries in the Imperial Diets And on the part of his Sacred most Christian Majesty the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Nicholas Augustâ—â— de Harlay Knight Lord of Boneuil Count of Cely Ordinary Councellor to the King in his Council of State The Sieur Lewis Verjus Knight Ordinary Councellor to the King in his Council of State Count de Crecy Marquiss of Freon Baron of Couvay Lord of Boulay of the two Churches of Fort-Isle and other places together with the Sieur Francis de Callieres Lord of Callieres of Rochechellay and Gigny By the Mediation and Intercession of the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lords the Sieur Charles Bonde Count de Biornoo Lord of Hesleby Tyres Toftaholm of Graffteen Gustavusberg and of Rezitza Councellor to his Majesty the King of Sweden and President of the supreme Senate of Dorpat in Livonia and of the Sieuâ— Nicholas free Baron of Lillierooâ— Secretary of State to his Majesty the King of Sweden and Extraordinary Ambassador to their High and Mightinesses the States General of the United Provinces both of them Extraordinary Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries for confirming and establishing a General Peace who have faithfully discharg'd their Duty of Mediatorship with Integrity Application and Prudence The Plenipotentiaries of the Electors Princes and deputed States of the Holy Roman Empire being Present Approving and Consenting after the Invocation of God's Holy Name and the Exchange of their full Powers made in due manner and form did agree for the Glory of God's Holy Name and the Welfare of Christendom upon Conditions of Peace and Concord the Tenor whereof is as followeth I. THere shall be a Christian Universal Perpetual Peace and a true Amity between his Sacred Imperial Majesty and his Successors the whole Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdoms and Hereditary States their Vassals and Subjects on the one part It shall be faithfully and sincerely maintain'd so that the one shall not undertake
â—o unskilful in Government as the Name they gave them did import 'T is indeed not to be doubted but that the Division made of the Empire by Theodosius between his Two Sons Arcadius and Honorius into the Eastern and Western did very much precipitate the Ruine of it For tho' the former for many Ages after made a Shift to keep up yet it came infinitely short of the Ancient Roman Empire for Power and Splendour and was so harassed by degrees with the Insults of the Neighbouring Nations and diminished by the Conquests of the Bulgarians over one part of it by the Saracens subduing Palestine Syria Egypt and Cilicia by the City of Trebesond and the Neighbouring Countries withdrawing themselves from under the Obedience of it and chusing an Emperor of their own as Greece set up divers petty Princes to govern the different Parts of itâ— That the poor Remains thereof was not only swallowed up at length by the Turks but most of the said conquer'd or revolted Divisions to other very great Acquisitions of their own made both before and after fell under their Dominion also which made them for a Time more formidable in Power than any other single Dominion known to us in those Parts of the World But the Fate of the West Part of that divided Empire came on a pace the same becoming a Prey to the Germans and Goths who about this time came in prodigious Numbers to change their poor Habitations for the pleasant and fertile Provinces of the Romans Britain became a Prey to the Saxons Spain fell to the Share of the West-Goths The Goths Burgundians and Franks made bold with dividing France between them Rhoetia and Noricum were conquered by the Suevians A great part of Pannonia and Illiricum fell into the Hands of the Huns The Vandals fixed their Habitations in Africa And one part of the Goths set up a Kingdom in Italy and did not think Rome once Mistress of the World and the common Mother and Habitation of Mankind a fitting Place for their Kings to reside in The Empire being thus mangled and rent into so many different Pieces the next Thing according to the Course of a corrupted and vain World these Invaders went upon after some tolerable Settlement in their respective Acquisitions was to incroach upon their Neighbours and to endeavour to introduce such a Dominion again upon the Earth as might in Imitation of that glorious Empire which all of them in their several Turns had given an Helping-hand to overthrow over-top all others and merit the Name of a Supream and Universal One But there have hitherto in the Course of Divine Providence such Rubs been laid in the Way of this Design that it could never be accomplish'd tho' divers Princes have attempted it with the greatest Application and some seeming Probability of Success As Islands are not so liable to be invaded as those Kingdoms and States that lie upon the Continent So neither are they on the other hand so proper to make Conquests of others and to enlarge their Territories And if Great Britain has come in any respect short of other Countries in this Particular this is a sufficient Reason for it But there were other Causes and Considerations which we shall a little consider before we go any farther Tho' tho Saxons made an entire Conquest of the best and fruitfullest Part of Britain yet neither the most Northern Parts of the Island possessed by the Picts and Scots nor the Southern known since by the Name of Cornwall much less the ancient Habitation of the Britains wrongfully called Wales could they subdue in a long time nor the first indeed at all entirely Add to this That the Saxons themselves had no less than Seven Dynasties or petty Kingdoms amongst them known all together by the Heptarchy which took them up from their first Landing under Hengist by Alliances and the Power of their Arms not much less than 400 Years to unite them into one Monarchy which happen'd under K. Egbert about the Year 800. But tho' this Conjunction of Seven into One was very considerable and that now some grand Efforts might have been made for reducing the remaining Parts of the Island under one Head the Danes now a very Potent and Sea-faring People in the very same King's Reign invaded Britain Between whom and the English there were continual Wars for the Space of 240 Years and the former so far prevailed that Three of their Kings reigned successively over England for 26 Years when the Government returned again into the Hands of the English But it was so weak and feeble that in a short time it fell into the Hands of Will surnamed the Conqueror and his Normans in whose Son 's Reign Henry I. by Name the Dukedom of Normandy was annexed to the Crown of England This so considerable Accession of Strength upon the Continent came yet short of a Compensation for the still remaining Disjunction of Scotland and Wales from the rest of Britain which the succeeding Kings little minded to effect For tho' Henry II. was the greatest King at this time in our Western World as being besides K. of England and Duke of Normandy by Inheritance Duke of Anjou and by Marriage Duke of Aquitain and Poictou yet he was so far from going through stitch with his intended Conquest of Wales or reducing Scotland that his chief Aim was upon the Conquest of Ireland which tho' a noble Design and in a very great Measure effected yet it was misplaced and should have followed the Reduction of the other two Yet what came to Henry upon the Continent by Right of Inheritance his Son King John and his Grandson Henry III. in a manner totally lost But of all the Kings of England to this Time Edward I. was the only Prince that seemed to have a right Notion of Extending his Dominions and therefore he never gave over till what by fair and foul Means with an Intermixture of Policy he entirely united Wales to the Kingdom of England and made in a manner by the same Methods a perfect Conquest of Scotland which nothing humanely speaking but the Weakness of his Successor obstructed the Consummation of So that henceforward all the Thoughts of our Warlike Kings were the Recovery of that Right they alledged to have to the Kingdom of France whose Conquests there if they had been as wisely secured as they were valiantly made had added a much greater Glory to the English Name than our Annals would otherwise admit of But that which our Kings would not or could not add to their Dominions by Conquest within the Island it self I mean the Scotch Kingdom which always obstructed the Progress of their Arms upon the Continent at length fell in of it self in the Course of Succession So that England Scotland and Ireland were in the Person of King James I. united under one Head In the mean time one of our Neighbour-Nations was arrived to that Pitch of Greatness and another of them in
Points and Articles therein contained and declared have for our Selves our Heirs Successors Kingdoms Countries Lands Lordships and Subjects accepted approved ratified and confirmed and do accept approve ratifie and confirm the same and do promise upon the Word and Faith of a King to keep and observe the whole inviolably without ever acting to the Contrary directly or indirectly in any sort or kind whatsoever and thereto we oblige and mortgage all and every our Goods that are or shall be In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with our own Hand and have made our Seal to be set thereto Given at St. Germain en Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The ARTICLE concerning the Prince of Orange AS in pursuance of the War which for some Years has happened betwixt the most Christian King and the States-General of the Vnited-Provinces of the Low-Countries his Majesty caused to be seized all Things belonging to the Prince of Orange as well the Principality of Orange as other his Lands and Seignories lying in France and granted the Revenues thereof to Monsieur the Comte d' Auvergne who enjoys the same at present and since by the Grace of God a Peace is settled by the Treaty this Day concluded and so all the angry Effects of War ought to cease his Majesty hath promised to the said Prince and doth promise by this separate Act that immediately after the Ratifications exchanged his Majesty will take off the said Seisure and cause the said Prince to be restored to the Possession of the said Principality and of the Lands which belong to him in France Franche Comte Charleroy Flanders and other Countries depending upon his Majesty's Rule and to all his Rights Actions Privileges Usages and Prerogatives in such Estate and Manner as he enjoyed the same till he was dispossess'd by reason of the present War Nimeguen Aug. 10. in the Year of our Lord 1678. Marshal D'Estrades Colbert De Mesmes H. Beverning W. de Nassaw W. Haren WE well liking the separate Article aforesaid in all and and every Point thereof have by these Presents Signed with our Hand allowed approved and ratified and do allow approve and ratifie the same promising upon the Faith and Word of a King to fulfil observe and cause to be observed the same truly and faithfully without suffering any Thing to be acted directly or indirectly to the Contrary thereof for any Cause or upon any Occasion whatsoever In witness whereof we have Signed these Presents with Our Hand and have caused Our Seal to be put therto Given at St. Germain in Laye Aug. 18. in the Year of Grace 1678. and of our Reign the 36th Signed Lewis By the King And underneath Arnauld The Day after the Signing of this Peace came over the Ratification of the late Treaty between the King and States with Orders to Sir Will. Temple to proceed forthwith to see the Exchange of them which he did accordingly tho' after the Counter-pace made by the Dispatch sent by De Cross and the Consequences of it the same seemed now as unnecessary as it had been at first unresolved at the English Court and unexpected by the Dutch who many of them now were as unsatisfied with the Peace and especially with the Precipitation of Monsieur Beverning to Sign it upon the sudden Offer of the French Ministers to evacuate the Towns and before he had acquainted the States with it and received new Orders thereupon as the generality of that Nation were weary of the War but the Thing was done and after some Contestation the City of Amsterdam declaring her Approbation of it the rest of the Provinces came soon to acquiesce also in the same But while these Matters were transacted in the Cabinet there was a Work of another nature undertaken in the Field Mons had been straitly Blocked up for some time by the French Army under the Command of the Duke of Luxemburg who was so confident of the good Posture he was in that he sent the Mareschal d' Estrades one of the French Plenipotentiaries at Nimeguen word He was so Posted that if he had but 10000 Men and the Prince of Orange 40000 yet he was sure he could not be Forced whereas he took his Army to be stronger than that of the Prince But the Prince for all that and in spight of many Disadvantages from an Army drawn so suddenly together so hasty a March as that of the Dutch and Posts taken with so much Force and Fortified with so much Industry did upon Sunday the 17th of Aug. in the Morning Decampt with his own and the Confederate Armies from Soignes marched towards Roches and from thence resolved to advance towards the Enemy whose Right Wing was Posted at the Abby of St. Dennis and the Left at Mamoy St. Pierre with such advantage of Situation that they were almost thought unaccessible for besides the Woods there was only a Precipice led to them and that by narrow Paths About 12 the Cannon began to play upon St. Dennis and the Prince went to Dinner in the open Field just as the Duke of Monmouth arrived in the Camp when Dinner was ended the Battalions under the direction of Count Waldeck began to act on the side of the Abby and about 3 in the Afternoon made their Attack the Prince himself being there present and that with extraordinary Bravery all the Regiments of his Left Wing seconding one another in excellent Order In the mean time the Spanish Troops under the Command of the Duke de Villa Hermosa acted on the side of Chasteau being assisted by the Prince's Guards who had the Van and the English and Scots Troops Commanded by the brave Earl of Ossory The Action lasted from 3 in the Afternoon till 9 at Night during which the Prince rid toward Chasteau where the Dispute was likewise very sharp the Guards behaving themselves with extraordinary Vigour and the Earl of Ossory with his Troops doing Wonders The Prince himself was Ingaged among the foremost of the French who on such an occasion were not well to be distinguished from the Confederate Troops and Monsieur Overkirk shot a French Commander who attackt his Highness At last after a great Slaughter on both sides the Confederates remained Masters of St. Dennis Abby having thought fit to quit the Post at Chasteau by reason of the great difficulty they found to second their Attacks on that side The Duke of Luxemburg finding how things went on his side thought fit to Retire in the Night leaving his Dead many Wounded his Tents c. behind him and the Prince next Morning went to view the Camp the Enemy had Abandoned taking up his Quarters at the Abby of St. Dennis where the Duke of Luxemburg had had his the Day before But Advice of Signing of the Peace coming to the Prince next Morning from the States hindred the prosecution of this Advantage which
embarking his Forces on several Ships and being himself present at their landing he managed his Matters with such a prudent and happy Conduct that in less than a Days space he rendered himself Master of the whole Island and without losing time went and laid Siege to Stralsond which after 2 Days Battery he got surrendred up to him But the French Forces having marched into the County of Juliers and possest themselves of Aix la Chapelle undoubtedly lessened the Conforts of the Elector's Success in the North where we leave him at present and observe that the great Preparations the French made to attack the Empire under Pretence of forcing them to conform to the Terms of the Peace did so alarm the Princes of the Rhine that the Electors of Mentz and Triers with the Duke of Neuburg sent away in great haste to the States to desire they might be included by them in the Peace they had made by Virtue of an Article therein which gave them Liberty within 6 Weeks to declare and include such as they should name for their Allies But this was opposed by France and refused to any particular Prince of the Empire and allowed only to the Emperor and the Empire if they should joyntly desire to be declared and included in the Peace tho' the Dutch assured them that the Emperor himself would e're long accept of the Peace and insisted upon it as a Matter that was just and conformable to the Article of their Treaty About the same time the Duke of Lorraiâ— seeing all Things go to wreck and that every one minded his own particular interest accepted his part of the Peace as France had carved it out for him and chose that Alternative offered by that Crown whereby Nancy was to remain to France tho' this afterwards came to nothing The Treaty between the Emperor and France was still in agitation tho' it went but slowly on the main Difference being about the free Passage of the French Troops through the Empire whenever they sound it necessary for the Execution of the Treaties of Westphalia But for the Spaniards who would still act in Concert with the Emperor and therefore let not only he Term expire for the Ratification of their late Treaty with France and even the Prolongation of it agreed to by that Crown they were at length moved out of their slow pace by the Outcries and Calamities of their Subjects in Flanders which suffered such cruel Ravages from the French Troops in this time that it was a question whether the Spanish Netherlands were not more ruined between the Signing of the Peace and the Exchange of the Ratifications than they had been in so much time during the whole Course of the War and the Ratifications came from Spain about the beginning of Dec. but were not exchanged till the 15th the last Term given by France There were divers other Difficulties started between the Empire and France in the Course of this Negotiation which spun out the greatest part of the Winter one the Affairs of the House of Funstemburg the Emperor insisting those Princes should by their Submissions crave Pardon of him and make him publick Satisfaction for having espoused contrary Interests and another France would have the Result of the Diet of Ratishone mentioned in the Treaty by which it might appear that the Embassadors of the Empire were sufficiently Authorized to stipulate in the Name of the Empire but at last when all Things seemed to have been agreed on the Embassadors on both sides fell into such Heats and Contests about the Right of the Dutchy of Bouillon the only Point now in Controversie that the Conference ended in a total Rupture and with so much Animosity on both sides that those who formerly desired the Peace had cause to fear the Treaty would hardly be set on foot again This made the Embassadors of Denmark and Brandenburg nick the Opportunity that Evening which was Feb. â—st about Eleven a Clock to make a long and smart Remonstrance to the Imperial Embassadors without taking any notice of the Rupture That their Proceedings with the common Enemy so much the more alarmed them as that in the Place where they were shut up they could not come as much as to the Speech of them that they might represent to them how sensibly they were affected to see they made such Mysteries of that which the Enemy scrupled not to make publick That they intreated them to consider the Faith of their Leagues the Decrees of the Empire and the Injuries they would do to the Princes their Masters if they restored Sweden to the Benefit of the Treaties of Westphalia contrary to the solemn Conclusions that declared they had forfeited the same â—hat above all they desired them to give away nothing that belonged to them and not to suffer under the Name of a Peace that the War might be carried into those Parts of the Empire unto which the Enemies Forces were never yet able to advance Adding withal that if the Imperialists abandoned them to the Discretion of their Enemies they must not take it in ill part if they made use of their own Misfortunes for obtaining some Reparation from those who would sacrifice them and their Interest in that manner and in fine adjuring them by the Majesty of the Sacred Roman Empire that they would conclude nothing contrary to the Rights of their Masters seeing they were ready on their Part to make Peace conjointly with them upon equitable Conditions or otherwise to take all necessary Measures for a vigorous Resistance But notwithstanding all this Remonstrance and the Seasonableness of the Conjuncture the Zeal and Conduct of Sir Lionel Jenkins the English Mediator brought Matters so to bear that the next Day which was the 2d of the Month the Conferences were renewed again And the Pope's Nuncio who all along had been covertly very active to accommodate the Differences of the Catholick Princes and particularly in the present Negotiation fearing least this single Difficulty might obstruct the Fruit of so long and tedious a Work bestirred himself so much and brought Matters to that pass that the Sieurs Charun and Vomderveck Envoys from the Prince and Chapter of Liege declared That since nothing but the Pretension which their Master had to the Dutchy of Bouillon obstructed the Peace they consented that upon the Account of that particular Interest the Welfare and Repose of the Empire should be no longer retarded So that now all Things were adjusted and in the same Conference which lasted till Midnight the Embassadors agreed to Sign the Peace which was done on the 5th without the English Mediators whom the Imperial Embassadors would by no means allow to Sign first and therefore they declined doing it at all unless as Mediators in which Case they ought to have the Precedency And tho' a French Gentleman is pleased to droll upon Sir William Temple hereupon saying He said true when he protested a long time before that
and 4 Senators to the French Court to make their humble Submissions But while the French Monarch was thus triumphing over the little republick of Genoa the Campaign was not in Hungary the general Rendesvouz of the Imperial Army was upon on the 20th of May at Schlesia upon the Waag from whence they moved and Encamped the 30th of the same Month near Schenowitz and from thence by several Marches and Halts by Monday the Fifth of June they came within â—aif a Mile of Neuheusel having as 't was thought a design to Attack the place but being informed on the 10th that the Garrisons of Pest and Budae consisted only of 8000 Men and that there was no more Force besides there save 2 or 3 Thousand Tartars that Encamped near the place and that even the whole Turkish Army between Buda and Esseck consisted of no more than 17000 Men and that there was not any Discourse of a greater Number they ordered thereupon a Bridge of Boats to be made at Cran which the Army marched over and so joined General Mercy and Collonel Heusler who had several Regiments of Horse under their Command and some Foot and the Duke on the 14th after having sent 500 Men under Count Sâ—â—rum before went directly to Vicegrade which was a Turkish Pass and a strong Mountainous Fortress on the Danube where his Artillery arrived next Day he ordered the place to be Attackt at which the Enemy put out a Red Flag for a Signal of Defiance having sent all their Women and Children before with the best of their Effects to Buda However the Infantry posted themselves immediately under the Walls of the Town against whose Walls and Pallisadoes they fired 12 pieces of Canon on the 16th all the day long and in the Evening stormed it which the Enemy not enduring were forced to flee to the Castle and adjacent Mountains but they found no security there neither For the Castle was so Bombed next day that about Noon they began to Capitulate but it happened so that the Conditions could not be agreed on that day because of a flying Report that came from Gran That Baron Halliwell had been worsted by the Enemy which made the Duke with some Horse immediately move that way But upon Confusion of Reports he thought fit to send the Prince of Baden with some Squadrons thither who upon his Arrival found the Action already over which hapned briefly thus The Turks upon their approach to Graâ— about Noon appeared and sounded an Allarm Whereupon General Halliwel who was much mistaken as to their Number went and posted himself upon the left Hand betwixt the two Mountains in a straight Pass with about 500 Horse and gave at the same time Orders to the Lieutenant Collonel of Sax Lauemburg to advance through the Passage and put himself in order Things being thus effected the General from an Hill where he had posted his Men found contrary to expectation the Enemy much stronger than he had thought drawn up in the form of an half Moon and advancing with a design to inclose him which made him think of retiring but it proved too late for he was here killed though Lieutenant Collonel Rabâ—â—â— did all he could to relieve him falling upon the Enemy with great Fury whom he drove back and pursued above 5 Miles from the Place to an advantageous Post where they rallied and in this Action came off with a greater Loss than the Christians From Vicegrade the Duke of Lorain directed his March by the Way of Gran and Barkan towards Waisen sending Colonel Hâ—uster before with 500 Horse to view the Posture of the Enemy who on Monday the 26th brought Intelligence that the Turks were advancing towards Waisen in the hollow Way Whereupon the Duke continued his March and next Day arrived in the Plains of Waisen where the Enemy being about 15000 strong appeared drawn up in Battallia Their right Wing flanked with Janizaries stood upon the Mountain but their left drew towards the City which made the Duke put himself immediately into a Posture of Defence flanking the Cavalry with the Infantry This was hardly done when the Enemy discharged 5 Pieces of Cannon they had with great Fury several times upon the Imperialists right Wing but without any Damage so that they quitted that Station and fell briskly upon the left but were soon beaten back in great Disorder and Confusion towards the right where they were so warmly plied with the German Cannon that they immediately retired the Horse towards Pest and as many of the Foot as saved themselves into the City having lost in all about 1000 and among them one Basha but with very little loss to the Germans especially since the Duke of Lorain escaped so well though so narrowly for his Horse was shot through the Neck during the Engagement The Consequence of this Success was after the firing of some Cannon the Surrender of Waisen upon Discretion From hence the Army marched towards Pest after having garrisoned the other Place with 2000 Foot 500 Curassiers and 300 Dragoons On Monday the 10th of July the whole Army got over the Danube and encamped at a Place called St. Andrew their Left Wing being secured by the Danube and their Right by an unaccessible Mountain and right against them a broad and long Marsh But for all this the Enemy not only advanced towards Noon but divided themselves into 2 Wings and leaving the great Marsh in the middle fell with great Noise and Fury upon the Germans whose Cavalry thereupon a little advanced upon their Left Wing but were immediately ordered back by the Duke's Commands In the mean time the Turks had beaten back the Christians Watch but the Prince of Salm who commanded the Rear-guard stoutly opposed them and being reinforced with a Battallion of Infantry and with some Pieces of Cannon from the Duke he utterly routed and pursued them near upon 2 Miles when the Turks rallied again and fell with great Fury upon the Right Wing tho' a continued 〈◊〉 from 20 Pieces of Cannon which the Germans had planted quickly drove them back to the Tops of the Mountains where they thought to secure themselves But 〈◊〉 Bastemburg Battallion who had before hid themselves in the Bushes of those Mountains did so â—epper them with their Shot that the foremost were constrained to quit them Saddles and the hindermost to seek for shelter among the Bushes from whence they were beaten down headlong by another Battallion into the Valley where they were again extremly gauled by the Germans Cannon and being forced to retire to their Right Wing which by this time had put themselves into some Order they fell with their whole Power upon the Christians Left who bravely opposed them and upon their retreat were intercepted by Sâ—affeâ—berg's Regiment and a Party of Dragoons who had posted themselves on the Right-hand of the Marsh and divers of them slain Upon this they fled to a Mountain where their Artillery was planted and tarried
there all Night and next Day marched in all haste towards Buda after a considerable Loss while the Imperialists in the mean time pitched their Camp within a Mile of the said City in a large Plain and rested there till the 12th of the same Month and on the 12th invested the Place The Germans for the 3 following Days continued to raisâ— Batteries and make their Approaches and on the 18th the Camp was changed part of the Infantry and Cavalry being detached over the Mountains to besiege the Town on thâ— side when a strong Party of the Enemy appeared on the Eminence towards Alba Regalis which the Duke resolved to attack But they intended to assault the Germans Approacheâ— while the Besieged made 4 furious Sallies and beat the Germans on the Danube side even to the Powder-Mill but therâ— were at last every where repulsed and drove into the City The Imperialists the next Day attack'd the Lower Towâ— in 2 different places with that resolute Braverâ— that they eâ—tirely carried it and that with the Loss but of 10 Men the Enemies amounting at least to 200 but the Place having dâ—ring the Assault been fired both by the Turks and Christianâ— thoughâ— the Flame increased not much at first yet a Wind aâ—â—sing in the Night it reduced it almost to Ashes On the 20th the Besiegers begun to raise a Battery on the Right hand of the Upper City upon Gerrard's Mount and towardâ— Evening possest themselves of that Block-house which thâ— Turks had abandoned and the Day following they continue their Battery with much Application when at Night 〈◊〉 't was resolved the Duke of Lorain should go and see out the Enemy who were Encamped about Four Milâ— of concerning which and the Victory that ensued taâ— the Account from the Duke 's own LETTER to the Empâ—ror IT having pleased Almighty God to give Your Imperial Majesty Yesterday being the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen a great and signal Victory I could not omit sending this Express Count Charles de Magni Colonel of Dragoons to give your Imperial Majesty an Account of it with all the Circumstances that have accompanied this great Action Upon the Advice we received on the 21st Instant we were resolved to leave all the Infantry and what Horse was necessary before Buda and with the rest of the Cavalry and 1000 Musqueteers commanded by the Count de Aversburg and 1500 Hussars commanded by Count John Esterhasi to go and meet the Enemy who were encamped 2 German Miles beyond Buda near Hanschabets We marched all Night and by Break of Day were within half a Mile of the Enemies Camp who might easily see and observe us being very well intrenched They came out of their Camp being about 20000 strong put themselves into Battalia and made a shew for some time of attacking us in our Flank but we did our part to hinder their Design and so the Fight begun and God blessing your Majesty's Arms we put the Enemy into Confusion they fled and we followed them very close and became Masters of their whole Camp as at the Raising of the Siege of Vienna of all their Tents Baggage Artillery and all their Riches 4000 of the Turks were slain upon the Place and a great many wounded beside those that were killed wounded or taken Prisoners in the Pursuit we having sent the Hungarians and the Poles after them The Turks had with them 1000 Janizaries who were all cut off We have taken the great Standard of Mahomei which the Sultâ—n gives to the Grand Visier when he takes upon him the general Command of the Army and the Pavilion of the Turkish Officer who is known by the Title of the Serasquier and commanded in Chief this Army in the Absence of the Grand Vifier This Victory through the Almighty Hand of God may be said to be compleat and entire and gives us a Prospect of being in few Days Masters of the Town and Castle of Buda Prince Lewis of Baden Nephew to Prince Herman of Buden pursued the Enemy above 2 Hours at the Head of the Regiments of the Prince of Sâ—â—oy and of General Goiz And it was he that took the Enemies Cannon The faithful Hungarians and Prince 〈…〉 Poles followed them likewise a great way We cannot sufficiently commend the Gourage of our Cavalry and we may say to your Majesty that all the Officers have behaved themselves extreamly well and have out-done what could be expected from them We must truly own that the Count de Caprara Mareschal de Camp General Prince Louis of Baden the Prince de Salm and all the Officers of the Imperial Army have very much contributed to the Glory of this Day We have caused Te Deum to be sung for this Victory And for the rest we refer it to Count Magni to give your Imperial Majesty a more particular Account of what passed CHARLES Duke of Lorain But tho' this Success did considerably heighten the Courage of the Besiegers yet it did at not all abate the Resolution of the Garrison to defend so important a Place to the last Extremity and therefore tho' the former attacked it every way with all the Resolution imaginable yet the other obstinately persisted to repulse them by frequent Sallies and making new Intrenchments and other Defences behind the Works that were ruined by the Imperialists Cannon And this continued for the Remainder of July the whole Month of Aug. and to the 11th of Sept. when the Duke of Bavaria with his Auxiliary Forces arrived in the Camp who taking up their Post on the Left-hand of the Bridge immediately raised a Battery against the Castle and the Elector on the 13th sent a Corporal of his who understood the Turkish Language with a Summons in Turkish and in Latin in his Imperial Majesty's Name to surrender the Town giving him a Captive Turk for a Guide The Basha ordered the Messenger 15 Ducats and told him That he had no need to give up the Town being provided with all Things necessary for its Defence Whereupon the Bavarians fell furiously on and advanced the Siege very much on their side but the Germans succeeded not so well And this continued for several Days when on Monday the 25th of Sept. the Enemy made a more vigorous Sallâ— than they had done at any time before while the Serasquieâ— who had a good Army without used all his Endeavours at the same time to put some Troops into the City over the Hill on the Left of Weissemberg and notwithstanding the great Efforts made by the Christians to repulse them they succeeded so well as to get 600 Men into the Place Now the Siege began to be fainter and fainter and the Besieged appeared every Day more vigorous than other And so Things continued almost for a Month longer when the Garrison made 3 great Sallies on the 24th and 25th of Oct. with so much Resolution that they killed abundance of the Christians and ruined several of their Works the Bavarians were forced
Gentry and Commons of Scotland are now in Arms upon the like Motives and Inducements that we are and in Prosecution of Ends agreeable with ours we do therefore approve the Justice of their Cause commend their Zeal and Courage expecting their and promising our Assistance for carrying on that glorious Work we are jointly engaged in being obliged for avoiding Tediousness to omit the Recounting many Oppressions under which that Kingdom hath groaned and the giving a Diduction of the several Steps that have been taken for Introducing of Popery and Tyranny We think fit therefore to signifie both to our Countrymen and Foreigners that we intend a larger Testimony and Remonstrance of the Grievances Persecutions Cruelties and Tyrannies we have â—â—late lain under and therein a more full and particular Account of the unparallell'd Crimes of the D. of Y. And we make our Appeal unto GOD and all Protestant Kings Princes States and People concerning the Justice of our Cause and the Necessity we are reduced unto of having our recourse to Arms. And as we do beseech require and adjure all sincere Protestants and true English Men to be assisting to us against the Enemies of the Gospel Rights of the Nation and Liberties of Mankind so we are confident of obtaining the utmost Aid and Succour which they can yield us with their Prayers Persons and Estates for the Dethroning the said Tyrant c. Nor do we doubt being justified countenanced and assisted by all Protestant Kings Princes and Commonwealths who either regard the Gospel of Jesus Christ or their own Interest And above all our Dependance and Trust is upon the Lord of Hosts in whose Name we go forth and to whom we commit our Cause and refer the Decision betwixt us and our Enemies in the Day of Battel Now let us play the Men for our People and for the Cities of our GOD and the Lord do that which seemeth good unto him When the Prince of Orange heard of the Duke's Landing and that he began to gather Strength and was proclaimed King he thought himself so far concerned that he not only dispatched over the 6 English Regiments in the Dutch Pay but also sent away Monsieur Bentink to the King with Orders to acquaint him That tho' he looked upon the Duke of Monmouth to be a Man of no great Parts yet that he had a Warlike Genius and was better skilled in the Military Art than any the King was to employ against him and that therefore if His Majesty pleased he would not only lend him his Troops but come in Person also to Command his Army But the same Thing in effect having been communicated to Skelton at the Hague he was so maliciously bent against the Prince and his Interest that he used such Diligence as to give the King Notice of his Intentions before Bentink could arrive and that with such evil Interpretation upon the Prince's Offer that the King put off Monsieur Bentink with telling him He should acquaint his Master that their common Interests did require the Prince his staying in Holland and further opened his Mind unto him in such Terms as sufficiently discover'd he did not take his Highness's Zeal for his Service to be at that time seasonable However King James did well enough at this time without such Assistance and he was so far favoured in the Course of Providence that the Duke was utterly Routed at Sedgmore soon after taken and ordered to be brought up to London forthwith with no other Design you may be sure than to have his Head chopt off However not to be wanting to himself under such hard Circumstances he thought fit on the 8th of July to write the following Letter to the King from Ringwood SIR YOUR Majesty may think it is the Misfortune I now lie under makes me make this Application to You But I do assure Your Majesty it is the Remorse I now have in me of the Wrong I have done You in several Things and now in taking up Arms against You. For my taking up Arms It never was in my Thoughts since the King died The Prince and Princess of Orange will be Witness for me of the Assurance I gave them That I would never stir against You. But my Misfortune was such as to meet with some Horrid People that made me believe Things of Your Majesty and gave me so many false Arguments that I was fully led away to believe That it was a Shame and a Sin before God not to do it But SIR I will not trouble Your Majesty at present with many Things I could say for my self that I am sure would move Your Compassion The chief End of this Letter being only to beg of You That I may have that Happiness as to speak to Your Majesty For I have that to say to You SIR that I hope may give You a long and happy Reign I am sure SIR when You hear me You will be convinced of the Zeal I have for Your Preservation and how heartily I repent of what I have done I can say no more to Your Majesty now being this Letter must be seen by those that keep me Therefore SIR I shall make an end in begging of Your Majesty to believe so well of me That I would rather die a Thousand Deaths than excuse any Thing I have done if I did not really think my self the most in the Wrong that ever any Man was and had not from the Bottom of my Heart an Abhorrence for those that put me upon it and for the Action it self I hope SIR God Almighty will strike Your Heart with Mercy and Compassion for me as He has done mine with the Abhorrence of what I have done Therefore I hope SIR I may live to shew You how zealous I shall ever be for Your Service and could I say but one Word in this Letter You would be convinced of it but it is of that Consequence that I dare not do it Therefore SIR I do beg of You once more to let me speak to You for then You will be convinced how much I shall ever be Your Majesty's most Humble and Dutiful MONMOUTH What Impressions this or what afterwards the Duke told him in Private might have upon the King's Heart I know not but the Consequence proved he little regarded it by hastening of the Execution which was done the next Day but one after his arrival upon Tower-Hill July 15 unheard by Virtue of an Attainder past upon him in this Parliament A brave but unhappy Man not only in the Manner of his Death but the Education of his Youth whereby he became too much Tainted with the Vices of the then Court where he could learn no better but it was hoped he did not end as he began for he said himself upon the Scaffold and acknowledged it for a Mercy That for 2 Years before he had led a Better and more Reformed Life than ever And here I can't but take Notice of the Manner
his Summons to him to surrender by telling the Messenger Go tell your General I 'll meet him upon the Breach The Brandenburghers entred the Town much the same time as the Imperialists did and the Bavarians soon after so that forcing the Enemy from their several Posts and Retrenchments the Assailants advanced to the Market-place and in an Hour's time were absolute Masters of the Place But the Turks after the Christians were entred the Town sprung a Mine and by the Means of a Train laid for that Purpose set several Houses on fire which continued burning till next Morning and consumed abundance of rich Movables However the Soldiers found a great deal of Plate Jewels Money c. insomuch that many of them got 2 or 3000 l. a Man It was computed there was 5000 fighting Men in the Town at the time of the Assault and that 3000 of them were slain in the first Heat and Fury of the Soldiers but about 1500 of them retiring into a Redoubt on the side of the Castle put out a White Flag and begged for Quarter which after holding a Council of War was in Consideration of the approaching Night and the Confusion occasioned in the Town by the Fire granted them But the Vice-Basha and the Aga of the Janizaries with some others of Note were taken Prisoners before this Of the Christians there were about 500 slain and not quite so many wounded but the Number of Cannon and Mortars they found in the Town was very great there being no less than 400 Pieces of Cannon in all and of them 170 were fit for Service but most of them dismounted and there was also considerable Ammunition left still But what made the Conquest of this important Place so very glorious was That it was obtained in the Sight of the whole Turkish Army commanded by the Grand Visier in Person who lay encamped within a Mile of Buda and had possess'd himself of an Hill from whence he pretended to incommode the Christians with his Cannon yet being observ'd narrowly by the brave Prince Lewis of Baden who commanded upon this Occasion he set fire to his Camp as soon as he heard the Town was taken and retired towards Alba Regalis It was reported by a Deserter That the Basha of Buda had 2 Days before the Place fell into the Hands of the Christians written a very bold Letter to the Grand Visier telling him That for his own part he had performed his Duty by a long and vigorous Defence but that the Grand Visier could not excuse himself that he had so long been in sight of the Place without Relieving it which he could not but have done had his Men had but as much Courage as the Women in the Town had during the Siege Things were no sooner set in order at Buda but the Army moved to Paxi the Duke having sent Count Caraffa with a strong Detachment to lay Siege to Segedin and the Prince of Baden with another to take in Five Churches of whose Expedition we shall first give a short Account and then return to the other The Prince having joined some of the Croatian Forces did on the 16th of Oct. after a very difficult March arrive before Five Churches the Turks at the same time setting fire to the Town and retiring into the Castle But the Imperial Dragoons presently scaling the Walls threw themselves into the Place with their Sabres in their Hands and opened the Gates to the other Troops who immediately quenched the Fire and intrenched themselves in the principal Posts as far as the great Mosque and the Night following advanced within Musket-shot of the Castle and began to raise Batteries However the Castle being an irregular Square fortified with 4 Roundels and some other Works according to the Modern Fortification and encompassed with Hills of very difficult Access and having a Garrison of 2500 Men in it commanded by a Basha and 7 Beys made the Siege go on but slowly at first and especially in that the Imperial Troops stood in great need of Forage Yet on the 18th and 19th the Besiegers battered the Place continually with their Cannon and having made a Breach next Day began 3 Mines the Prince in the mean while sending threatning Summons to the Besieged to surrender who returned no Answer that Day but next Morning by a Letter desired that some Person might be sent to them Hereupon Hostages were exchanged and the Treaty of Surrender was set on foot which the Prince would allow upon no other Terms than at Discretion and the other wanting Ammunition were constrained to submit to so that not only the Garrison but the Inhabitants which were many in Number were made Prisoners of War As soon as ever the Prince of Baden had put a good Garrison into Five Churches he divided his Forces into 2 Bodies with one of them himself marched towards Dardâ— and the Count de Sherffenberg advanced with the other to Syclos and on the 25th of Oct. arrived before it After he had sent his Summons to the Turks who were retired into the Castle and by their Answer appeared resolute to defend it he began his Attack the next Day and continued it till the last Day of the Month with that Success that his Mines being ready to be sprung the Besieged surrender'd at Discretion the Garrison being made Prisoners of War and the Women and Children conducted to other Places After this the Count marched to rejoin the Prince of Baden marching as before towards Darda Upon whose Approach tho' there were 2 Basha's with 3000 Horse posted there to cover the Fortress yet they retired into Esseck leaving only a small Body of Horse behind to observe the Motions of the imperialists who advanced directly towards Esseck and with several Fire-works prepared for that Purpose set the Bridge on fire And notwithstanding the Enemy played upon them all the while with their Cannon from Esseck yet they quite destroyed it from Darda to the Drave as likewise the Bridge of Boats which the Turks had over that River After this the Prince marched back to Capsowar which the Turks quickly surrender'd upon Articles and were conducted to Sigeth the Prince at the same time now the Season was advanced and the Weather grown very bad putting his Troops into Winter-Quarters where we will leave them and return to Count Caraffa who on the 5th of Oct. invested Segedin This Work was afterwards left to be carried on by General Wallis or Welch and English Man in the Absence of Count Caraffa who performed his Part very gallantly and being reinforced with some Horse and Dragoons from the Duke of Lorain under the Command of Major-General Veterani he pushed on the Siege with great Vigour though the Garrison made a stout Resistance and Provisions grew scarce in his Camp To which adding the other Difficulties that arose from the Season they began to render the Enterprize after all very hazardous But the Care the
Capitulated And now the General finding the Winter Season advancing and his Forces much diminished by the many Detachments he had been obliged to make to Garrison so many conquered Places he was constrained to lay aside the further Prosecution of his good Fortune till he had received new Supplies of Men and other Necessaries from Venice which we leave him at present in expectation of Thus we have seen two of the Tripple Confederacy acting their Parts with equal Glory and Advantage to themselves in Conformity to their Stipulations Now we are to see what was done by the Third Ally the Polander who made great Preparations this Season to bombard Caminiec which they executed for 2 Days together viz. The Last of Aug. and 1st of Sep. under the Command of Prince James His Majesty of Poland's â—â—ldest Son being accompanied by 2. Generals Some Days before it was resolved on in the King's Council That the Forces should march towards that Fortress and that not having been able to block it up so as to famish it they should at least use their utmost Endeavours to lay it desolate by a great Number of Bombs and Mortaâ—s Prince James after having received these Orders marched that way and myested the Place just as if he had a Design to lay a formar Siege to it He found the Basha encamp'd without it and hindâ—ing the Approaches by continual firing by which means 25 or 30 Polanders were killed upon the Spot Nevertheless Prince James caused the Town to be batter'd as we said with the Cannon and at the same time a World of Bombs were thrown into it one of which set fiâ—e to the Basha's Hoâ—se The Basha being acquainted with this and that some Officers had ordered several People to go to extinguish the Fire tho' they were appointed to attend other Business he made Answer That he had a great deaâ— more to lose than a World of others who could not be assisted while they were employ'd at his House That they should only save his Stable and that he was not concerned for the rest In the mean while he sent to entreat Prince James to let him know where were his Quarters and that he would hinder any firing that way The Prince sent him back Word That he was obliged to him for his Civility but that he had no fixed Quarters and that he was every-where as he judged necessary And indeed in going and coming from one side to the other there came a Cannon-Bullet that made its first bound so near him that it covered him all over with Dust He seemed not in any wise concerned tho' this was his Tryal of Skill which wonderfully pleased the Poles that were near his Person He gave further Instances of his Courage upon a Sally the Turks made a Moment after and he had been the first to have made Head against them if he had not been withheld The Turks presently made an Onset upon the advanced Guard and likewise caused a Squadron to buckle that came to its Succour But a fresh Body of Polanders making up they retreated in good Order the Poles were hindred from pursuing them far by some Pieces of Cannon charged with Chain-shot In the mean while the Serasquier who had some time before put Succours into the Place and who was still hovering thereabouts to observe their Motions had no sooner Notice of what had passed but that he sent for a Body of Tartars that were at some distance to come and join him immediately This News being come to the King of Poland's Ears who was advanced towards the Neister to assist the Prince his Son in case of Need he sent him Order to draw off his Troops from before Cammiec and to come and join him Prince James having hereupon informed the Two Generals of the King his Father's Pleasure he gave a Discharge of all his Cannon by way of Farewel and having drawn them off placed himself in their Rear The Basha of Caminiec detach'd some Squadrons after him but they contented themselves with giving certain Tokens of Contempt and Derision at the late Enterprize But for all this formal Bustle the Damage done was inconsiderable insomuch that some turn'd the Action into a handsome Ridicule by saying That the Bombs of the Christians had a secret Vnderstanding with those of the Infidels and so did them no harm Having done with the Poles it might be expected I should say something of the Muscovites but you are to note their time of Action is not come yet 'T is true they took the Field with a very numerous Army but returned Home without doing any more than threaten the Tartars and whose General Galtizen to cover his own Credit charged the Fault of all the Miscarriages of the Champaign upon Samuclowitz General of the Loyal Cossacks as being guilty of holding Correspondence with the Tartars and whom for that Reason or at least Pretence together with his Son he took into Custody confiscated their Estates and had them both carried Prisoners to Moscow and I do not remember to have ever heard of them afterwards This Year was fatal to divers learned Persons particularly to Father Rapin a most celebrated Critick and a Person very â—amed in the Commonwealth of Learning to our great Mr. Waller the most Famous Poet of the Age to Mr. Francis Turretin of Geneva a most Eminent Professor in Divinity and to divers others of different Faculties and Quality year 1688 Now we are come to a Year of Wonders wherein happened such Changes and Revolutions in the Face of Things within the Confines of our European World as can hardly be parallell'd in any Age whatever since the Dissolution of the Roman Empire A mighty Monarch thrust from his Throne A cruel War began in all the Parts almost of Europe And a Way â—haâ—hed out in the Course of the All-wise Providence of God for the Rise of a Prince who otherwise than as to his Personal Merits was not so considerable in Power so far as not only to attain to the Possession of 3 Crowns but to become the Head of the most Serene Allies not only in the Management of the War but in the Prosecution and Accomplishment of the Peace that ensued with equal Glory to himself as Advantage to his Confederates and it s reasonably hoped will prove most of all so to his own Subjects But to be a little more Particular we shall begin with England first before we enter upon new Accidents that happened Abroad and the Operations of the various Campaigns when we shall return to see how far and in what manner they have affected our Nations with whose Aâ—fair we shall conclude as well as begin the Year I need not repeat what the Transactions of the last were amongst us nor how far the Dispensing Power was then carried on I shall therefore now proceed and shew that as the King thought he had then laid a sufficient Foundation tho' it proved but a very Sandy one for his
Place was now sanâ—table no time should be lost in carrying it on with the utmost Vigour so that the 3d 4th and 5th being spent in battering the remaining Works facilitating the Ascent and giving the necessary Orders on the 6th the General Assault was given when the Soldiers boldly mounted the Breach where the Besieged with great Resolution made an Obstinate Resistance and defended the same with so much Vigour that the Besiegers were twice heaten off But the Elector who was himself in all Places of imminent Danger did so animate the Officers and Soldiers upon the 3d Assault that the Besieged finding all their Efforts in vain began to lose Courage and by Degrees to retire and fled into the Castle yet the Besiegets now entring like a Torrent and passing on with great Fury entred Pell-mell with them and put all they met to the Sword Not could the Riches any offered prevail to the saving of their Lives which the Basha perceiving he caused 300 Christian Slaves to be brought chained together which he placed before the retiring Turks 〈◊〉 such a Manner that they must have received the Shot made at the Enemy in Compassion to whom the Soldiers stopped in the Heat of Blood and the Elect or commanded that Quarter should be given Whereupon about 500 Turks that under the Favour of this Stratagem had saved themselves together with the Basha Governour and two other Basha's submitted and were made Prisoners of War the first of whom falling prostrate before the Elector entreated he might not be made a Prisoner But he was answered That he should experience the Christians used their Prisoners better than the Turks used to do and That he should be sent to the Emperor 31 at which he seemed extreamly pleased And thus the famous City of Belgrade â—ell into the Hands of the Christians in the Space of 22 Days and by its Reduction opened a Way into all the Turkish Dominions that were considerable in Europe as was manifested in a great measure the succeeding Campaign yet this Felicity was oâ— no long Duration But before this Seige was entirely compleated the Imperial Arms under the Conduct of Prince Lewis of Baden met with another extraordinary and unexpected Piece of Success in Bosnia which was in the following Manner The Prince upon the 4th of Nov. having Notice that 4 or 5000 Turks were Encamped about 6 Miles from Brod he marched with 3000 Horse and Dragoons all Night to encounter them but in the Morning to his no small Surprize he found himself greatly misinformed as to the Number which amounted to 15000 Horse and Foot under the Command of the Basha of that Country However calling the Officers about him he told them it was to no Purpose to think of retreating as being too late by reason of their too far Engagement among the Enemy but that they must now fight for their Lives and Victory which was chearfully consented to However before they had well put themselves into a Fighting Posture the Turks had surrounded them and vigorously charged them 4 or 5 times which was sustained with so many brave and bold Returns that the Turkish Horse perceiving themselves over set fell first into Disorder and then to open Flight leaving the Foot to shift for themselves whose Ranks being forced by the Imperial Horse breaking in upon them they were miserably beaten down and slain to the Number in all of 15000 and 200 made Prisoners with 36 Colours and the Baggage taken Now we shall take our leave of Hungary and those Parts and cross over to Venice where we find the Doge Marco Antonio Goustintano departed this Life March 28 this Year after the Solemnity of whose Burial the Senate assembled in order to the Choice of a new Prince which unanimously fell upon Captain General Morosmi then in the Levant to whom they immediately sent the Ducal Cap by a Secretary with a Letter to this Purpose The Senate of Venice's LETTER to the New Doge THAT whereas the most Serene Marquess Giustiniano a Prince of good and glorious Memory is by the Disposition of the most High called away from hence to his everlasting Rest the usual Councils were thereupon called together in order to chuse a Successor according to our Laws the Four Electors being thereupon Assembled and having called upon the Name of the Holy Ghost they have cast their Eyes upon your Serenity and well weighed the special Gifts and Qualifications that adorn you from whose Courage and Conduct our Republick hath already received so great and weighty Services in several of the chiefest Employments particularly that of Captain-General of the Seas in which you have this third time so worthily acquitted your self they have thereupon unanimously chosen you this Day with general Joy and Satisfaction to be the Prince and Chief of our Republick We are extreamly satisfied to see your Serenity raised into that Employment and Dignity which was most justly due to your Worth and Vertue and do congratulate thereupon with our selves and with your Serenity under whose happy Conduct and Influence we hope to see the Affairs and Interest of our Republick grow and flourish every Day We assure ourselves that your Serenity shall be willing to continue where you are as we have judged it necessary you should during this Conjuncture till we shall otherwise order and that you through your natural Foresight Prudence and Zeal will apply your self in procuring those Advantages for our Republick as you in your High Wisdom shall think most conducible for the Common Good for your own Glory and the Honour of your Country In the mean time we shall co-operate all we can in bringing to Perfection any of your Weighty Enterprizes and Perfectly agree with you the Head of our Republick to support you as you must do it which our Secretary Luccato shall more fully unfold to your Serenity whom we have sent to bring you this with the Ducal Bonnet and to whom you may give full Credit and so praying the Divine Majesty to preserve your Serenity with long Life we take leave and are c. There were also the following Instructions given to the said Secretary First That the said Secretary should carry the Ducal Bonnet to the Army and shall have 700 Ducats for his Journey and 100 Ducats a Month for his Incidental Charges 2 dly His Serenity may use any Solemn Rejoycings upon this or any other Occasion and shall use the Leaden Seal of the Senate 3 dly That all Letters hence shall be addressed to our most Serene Prince Francisco Morosini the Seigniory of Venice c. wisheth Health 4 thly That Two Councellors shall attend the Doge and have each 900 Ducats for their Advance and 300 Ducats a Month for their Maintenance 5 thly Each shall have a Gally to attend him during the Campaign and which shall precede next that of his Serenity 6 thly Two Councellors and one Chief of the Council of 40 shall live in the Palace of the
President and Fellows of St. Mary Magdalen College in Oxford IV. That your Majesty will graciously be pleased to set aside all Licenses or Faculties already granted by which any persons of the Romish Communion may pretend to be enabled to teach Publick Schools and that no such be granted for the future V. That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to desist from the Exercise of such a Dispensing Power as hath of late been used and to permit that Point to be freely and calmly debated and argued and finally setled in Parliament VI. That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to inhibit the four Foreign Bishops who stile themselves Vicars Apostolical from further invading the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction which is by Law vested in the Bishops of this Church VII That your Majesty will be pleased graciously to fill the vacant Bishopricks and other Ecclesiastical Promotions within your Gift both in England and Ireland with men of Learning and Piety and in particular which I must own to be my pecular boldness for 't is done without the privity of my Brethren That you will be graciously pleased forthwith to fill the Archiepiscopal Chair of York which has so long stood empty and upon which a whole Province depends with some very worthy Person For which pardon me Sir if I am bold to say you have now here before you a very fair Choice VIII That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to supersede all further Prosecution of Quo Warranto's against Corporations and to restore to them their ancient Charters Priviledges and Franchises as we hear God hath put into your Majesties Heart to do for the City of London which we intended to have made otherwise one of our principal Requests IX That if it please your Majesty Writs may be issued out with convenient speed for the calling of a free and regular Parliament in which the Church of England may be secured according to the Acts of Unformity Provision may be made for a due Liberty of Conscience and for securing the Liberties and Properties of all your Subjects and a mutual Confidence and good Vnderstanding may be established between your Majesty and all your People X. Above all That your Majesty will be graciously pleased to permit your Bishops to offer you such Motives and Arguments as we trust may by God's Grace be effectual to perswade your Majesty to return to the Communion of the Church of England into whose most holy Catholick Faith you were baptized and in which you were educated and to which it is our daily earnest Prayer to God that you may be re-united These Sir are the humble Advices which out of Conscience of the Duty we owe to God to your Majesty and to our Country We think fit at this time to offer to your Majesty as suitable to the present State of your Affairs and most conducing to your Service and so to leave them to your Princely Consideration And we heartily beseech Almighty God in whose hand the Hearts of all Kings are so to dispose and govern yours that in all your Thoughts Words and Works you may ever seek his Honour and Glory and study to preserve the People committed to your Charge in Wealth Peace and Godliness to your own both temporal and eternal Happiness Amen We do heartily concur H. London P. Winchester VV. Asaph W. Cant. Fran. Ely Jo. Cicestr Tho. Roffen Tho. Bath VVells Tho. Petriburg And because the King would seemingly remove all Jealousies from the Church of England he on the 5th of Oct. declared that he would dissolve the Commission for Ecclesiacal Causes and gave Directions to the Lord Chancellor accordingly to cause the same to be forthwith done But at the same it was not declared to be illegal which was the only Way to give Satisfaction in respect of it And because Magdalen College in Oxford was no less aggrieved with the High Commission than the Bishops themselves were the King after having Oct. 12th declared his Resolution to preserve the Church of England in all its Rights and Immunities did as an Evidence of it signifie his Pleasure to the Bishop of Winchester as Visitor of the said College to settle the College Regularly and Statutably Who accordingly on the 16th caused a Citation to be fixed on the College Gate to re-call Dr. Hough and the former Fellows of that Society by the 2d of Nov. following and the Bishop went down accordingly to re-instate them and was received with abundance of Joy But pray mind the Temper of this King For an Account coming that very Post that the Dutch Fleet had suffered very much in a Storm on the 16th of the same Month. N. S. and that they would hardly be able to sail till the Spring the Bishop was re-called to London and the Restitution deferred Yet soon after that false News being contradicted the Affection to the Church revived and so the Business of the College was effected on the 24th of the said Month. About this time the Queen-Dowager and others that attended at the Queen's Delivery as also the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London and divers Peers of the Land were ordered to attend to hear what the former could say concerning the Birth of the pretended Prince of WALES But now all Men's Tongues were let loose against the Government And my Lord Sunderland's being dismissed from his Office of prime Minister and Secretary of State made a mighty Noise That my Lord is a person of vast ability is a matter not to be doubted and that how various soever the reports then since have been concerning the cause of his being laid aside I think it 's good manners for us to listen to the account he was pleased to give himself in his Letter of March 23d 1689. which will fall pertinently in this place The Earl of Sunderland's Letter to a Friend in London published March 23d 1689. TO comply with what you desire I will explain some things which we talked of before I left England I have been in a Station of a great noise without Power or Advantage whilst I was in it and to my Ruin now I am out of it I know I cannot Justifie my self by saying though it is true that I thought to have prevented much Mischief for when I found that I could not I ought to have quitted the Service Neither is it an Excuse that I have got none of those things which usually engage men in publick Affairs My Quality is the same it ever was and my Estate much worse even ruin'd tho' I was born to a very considerable one which I am ashamed to have spoiled though not so much as if I had encreased it by indirect Means But to go on to what you expect The Pretence to a Dispensing Power being not only the first thing which was much disliked since the Death of the late King but the Foundation of all the rest I ought to begin with that which I had so little to do with that I
these our good Intentions that they have endeavoured to alienate the King more and more from us as if we had designed to disturb the Quiet and Happiness of the Kingdom XVIII The last and great Remedy for all these Evils is the Calling of a Parliament for securing the Nation against those evil Practices of those wicked Counsellors but this could not be yet compassed nor can be easily brought about For those Men apprehending that a Lawful Parliament being once Assembled they would be brought to an Account for all their open Violations of Law and for their Plots and Conspiracies against the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects they have endeavoured under the specious Pretence of Liberty of Conscience first to sow Divisions among Protestants between those of the Church of England and Dissenters The Design being laid to engage Protestants that are equally concerned to preserve themselves from Popish Oppression into Mutual Quarrellings that so by these some Advantages may be given to them to bring about their Designs and that both in the Election of Members of Parliament and afterwards in the Parliament it self For they see well that if all Protestants could enter into a good understanding one with another and concur together in the preserving of their Religion it would not be possible for them to compass their wicked Ends. They have also required all Persons in the several Counties of England that either were in any Employment or were in any considerable Esteem to declare before-hand that they would concur in the Repeal of the Penal Laws and that they would give their Voices in the Elections to Parliament only for such as would concur in it Such as would not thus preingage themselves were turn'd out of all Employments and others who entred into those Engagements were put in their Places many of them being Papists And contrary to the Charters and Priviledges of those Boroughs that have a Right to send Burgesses to Parliament they have ordered such Regulations to be made as they thought fit and necessary for assuring themselves of all the Members that are to be chosen by those Corporations and by this means they hope to avoid that Punishment which they have deserved tho' it is apparent that all Acts made by Popish Magistrates are null and void of themselves So that no Parliament can be Lawful for which the Elections and Returns are made by Popish Magistrates Sheriffs and Mayors of Towns and therefore as long as the Authority and Magistracy is in such Hands it is not possible to have any Lawful Parliament And tho' according to the Constitution of the English Government and Immemorial Custom all Elections of Parliament-Men ought to be made with an entire Liberty without any sort of Force or the requiring the Electors to chuse such Persons as shall be named to them and the Persons thus freely Elected ought to give their Opinions freely upon all Matters that are brought before them having the Good of the Nation ever before their Eyes and following in all things the Dictates of their Conscience yet now the People of England cannot expect a Remedy from a Free Parliament Legally Called and Chosen But they may perhaps see one Called in which all Elections will be carried by Fraud or Force and which will be composed of such Persons of whom those evil Counsellors hold themselves well assured in which all things will be carried on according to their Direction and Interest without any regard to the Good or Happiness of the Nation Which may appear evidently from this That the same Persons tried the Members of the last Parliament to gain them to consent to the Repeal of the Test and Penal Laws and procured that Parliament to be dissolved when they found that they could not neither by Promises nor Threatnings prevail with the Members to comply with their wicked Design XIX But to Crown all there are great and violent Presumptions inducing us to believe that those Evil Counsellors in order to the carrying on their ill Designs and to the gaining to themselves the more time for the effecting of them for the Encouragement of their Complices and for the discouraging of all good Subjects have publish'd That the Queen hath brought forth a Son tho' there have appeared both during the Queen's pretended Bigness and in the manner in which the Birth was managed so many just and visible Grounds of Suspicion that not only we our selves but all the Good Subjects of this Kingdom do vehemently suspect That the pretended Prince of Wales was not born by the Queen And it was notoriously known to all the World that many both doubted of the Queen's Bigness and of the Birth of the Child and yet there was not any one thing done to satisfie them or put an end to their Doubts XX. And since Our dearest and most entirely Beloved Consort the Princess and likewise We Our Selves have so great an Interest in this Matter and such a Right as all the World knows to the Succession to the Crown Since all the English did in the Year 1672. when the States General of the Vnited Provinces were invaded with a most unjust War use their utmost Endeavours to put an end to that War and that in Opposition to those who were then in the Government and by their so doing they run the hazard of losing both the Favour of the Court and their Employments And since the English Nation has ever testified a most particular Affection and Esteem both to our dearest Consort the Princess and to Our selves We cannot excuse our selves from espousing their Interest in a Matter of such High Consequence And for contributing all that lies in us for the maintaining both of the Protestant Religion and of the Laws and Liberties of those Kingdoms and for the Securing to them the continual Enjoyment of all their just Rights To the doing of which We are most earnestly sollicited by a great many Lords both Sipiritual and Temporal and by many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks XXI Therefore it is That We have thought fit to go over to England and to carry over with us a Force sufficient by the Blessing of God to defend us from the Violence of those Evil Counsellors And We being desirous that our Intentions in this might be rightly understood have for this end prepared this Declaration in which as We have hitherto given a True Account of the Reasons inducing us to it so we now think fit to declare That this our Expedition is intended for no other Design but to have a Free and Lawful Parliament Assembled as soon as it is possible and that in order to this all the late Charters by which the Elections of Burgesses are limitted contrary to the Ancient Custom shall be considered as null and of no Force And likewise all Magistrates who have been unjustly turned out shall forthwith resume their former Employments as well as all the Boroughs of England shall return
are too often accompanied I am not ignorant of the frequent Mischiefs wrought in the World by factious Pretences of Religion but were not Religion the most justifiable Cause it would not be made the most specious Pretence And your Majesty has already shewn too interested a Sense of Religion to doubt the just Effects of it on one whose Practices have I hope never given the World cause to censure his real Conviction of it or his backwardness to perform what his Honour and Conscience prompt him to How then can I longer disguise my just Concern for that Religion in which I have been so happily educated which my Judgment truly convinceth me to be the Best and for the Support of which I am so highly interested in my Native Country And is not England now by the most endearing Tye become so Whilst the restless Spirits of the Enemies of the Reformed Religion back'd by the cruel Zeal and prevailing Power of France justly alarm and unite all the Protestant Princes of Christendom and engage them in so vast an Expence for the Support of it Can I act so degenerous and mean a Part to deny my Concurrence to such worthy Endeavours for the disabusing your Majesty by the Re-inforcement of those Laws and Re-establishment of that Government on which alone depends the Well-being of your Majesty and of the Protestant Religion in Europe This Sir is that irresistible and only Cause that could come in Competition with my Duty and Obligation to your Majesty and be able to fear me from you whilst the same affectionate Desire of serving You continues in me Could I secure your Person â— by the hazard of my Life I should think it could not be better employed And would to God these your distracted Kingdoms might yet receive that satisfactory Compliance from your Majesty in all their justifiable Pretensions as might upon the only sure Foundation that of the Love and Interest of your Subjects establish your Government and as strongly unite the Hearts of all your Subjects to You as is that of c. The Lord Churchill left a Letter to the same purpose which runs thus SIR SInce Men are seldom suspected of Sincerity when they act contrary to their Interests and tho' my dutiful Behaviour to Your Majesty in the worst of Times for which I acknowledge my poor Services much over-paid may not be sufficient to incline You to a charitable Interpretation of my Actions yet I hope the great Advantage I enjoy under Your Majesty which I can never expect in any other Change of Government may reasonably convince Your Majesty and the World that I am acted by an higher Principle when I offer that Violence to my Inclination and Interest as to desert Your Majesty at a Time when Your Affairs seem to challenge the strictest Obedience from all Your Subjects much more from one who lies under the greatest Personal Obligations imaginable to Your Majesty This SIR could proceed from nothing but the inviolable Dictates of my Conscience and a necessary Concern for my Religion which no good Man can oppose and with which I am instructed nothing ought to come in Competition Heaven knows with what Partiality my dutiful Opinion of Your Majesty hath hitherto represented those unhappy Designs which Inconsiderate and Self-Interested Men have framed against Your Majesty's true Interest and the Protestant Religion But as I can no longer join with such to give a Pretence by Conquest to bring them to effect so I will always with the hazard of my Life and Fortune so much Your Majesty's due endeavour to preserve Your Royal Person and Lawful Rights with all the tender Concern and dutigâ—l Respect that becomes c. Upon this the Army retreated to Reading and the King very disconsolate returned on the 26th in the Evening to London from whence the Princess Ann of Denmark his second Daughter was gone privately the Night before and if she had not left a Letter behind her to shew the reason of her Retreat the King 's own Guards had in all probability torn all the Popish Party to pieces upon a surmize that they had made her away The Letter she left for the Queen was as follows MADAM I Beg Your Pardon if am so deeply affected with the surprizing News of the Prince's being gone as not to be able to see You but to leave this Paper to express my humble Duty to the King and Your Self and to let You know that I am gone to absent my self to avoid the King's Displeasure which I am not able to bear either against the Prince or my self And I shall stay at so great a Distance as not to return before I hear the happy News of a Reconcilement And as I am confident the Prince did not leave the King with any other Design than to use all possible Means for His Preservation so I hope You will do me the Justice to believe that I am not capable of following him for any other End Never was any one in such an unhappy Condition so divided between Duty and Affection to a Father and an Husband and therefore I know not what to do but to follow one to preserve the other I see the general Falling off of the Nobility and Gentry who avow to have no other End than to prevail with the King to secure their Religion which they saw so much in danger by the violent Counsels of the Priests who to promote their own Religion did not care to what Dangers they exposed the King I am fully persuaded that the Prince of Orange designs the King's Safety and Preservation and hope all Things may be composed without more Blood-shed by the Calling of a Parliament God grant a happy End to these Troubles that the King's Reign may be prosperous and that I may shortly meet You in perfect Peace and Safety Till when let me beg you to continue the same favourable Opinion that You have hitherto had of c. The first thing done upon the King's Return was the turning Sir Edward Hales out from being Lieutenant of the Tower and then to order Writs to be issued out for the sitting of a Parliament the 15th of Jan. but that was too late and the Nation was now in such a Ferment that neither this pace nor a Proclamation of the 30th of Nov. requiring the Elections to be done in a fair and legal manner signified any thing so that the King now began to provide for his Family and first he sent away the Prince of Wales to Portsmouth but my Lord Dartmouth would not suffer him to be carried into France yet the Queen soon after found a way to convey him her self and divers others thither And indeed it was high time for Scotland now was as much alarmed as England and some of the Nobility and Gentry were sent up with a Petition for a free Parliament all the North of England was secured for the Prince Newcastle receiving the Lord Lumâ—ey and declaring
of what Condition soever they be who shall refuse to assist Us and in Obedience to the Laws to execute vigorously what we required of them and suffer themselves at this juncture to be cajoled or terrified out of their Duty we will esteem them the most Criminal and Infamous Men Betrayers of their Religion the Laws and their Native Country and shall not fail to treat them accordingly resolving to expect and require at their Hands the Life of every single Protestant that shall perish and every House that shall be burnt and destroyed by Treachery and Cowardize Given under Our Hand and Seal at Our Head-Quarters at Sherburn Castle the 28th of Novemb. 1688. WILLIAM HENRY Prince of Orange By His Highness's Special Command C. HUYGENS. This was the boldest Attempt that ever was made by a private Person for it 's certain the Prince knew nothing of it disowned it as soon as he heard thereof but it did him good Service and I have been told that Captain B. boldly carry'd it to my Lord Mayor and charged him with the Execution of it But before this the Marquess of Hallifax my Lord Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin had been sent by the King and Council to treat with the Prince of Orange and to adjust the Preliminaries in order to the holding of a Parliament who Decemb. 8. sent these Proposals to him Proposals sent by the King to the Prince of Orange then at Windsor SIR THE King commanded us to acquaint you That he observeth all the Differences and Causes of Complaint alledged by your Highness seem to be referred to a Free Parliament His Majesty as he hath already declared was resolved before this to call one but thought that in the present state of Affairs it was advisable to defer it till Things were more composed Yet seeing that his People still continue to desire it He hath put forth His Proclamation in order to it and hath issued his Writs for the Calling of it And to prevent any Cause of Interruption in it he will consent to every thing that can be reasonably required for the Security of all those that come to it His Majesty hath therefore sent us to attend your Highness for the adjusting of all Matters that shall be agreed to be necessary to the Freedom of Elections and the Security of Sitting and is ready to enter immediately into a Treaty in order to it His Majesty proposeth That in the mean time the respective Armies may be returned within such Limits and at such distance from London as may prevent the Apprehensions that the Parliament may be in any kind disturbed being desirous that the Meeting may be no longer delayed than it must be by the usual and necessary Forms Hungerford December 8. 1688. Hallifax Nottingham Godolphin To this His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange returned this Answer VVE with the Advice of the Lords and Gentlemen Assembled with Vs have in Answer made these following Proposals I. That all Papists and such Persons as are not qualified by Law be disarmed disbanded and removed from all Employments Civil and Military II. That all Proclamations that reflect upon Vs or at any that have come to Vs be recalled And that if any Persons for having assisted Vs have been Committed that they be forthwith set at Liberty III. That for the Security and Safety of the City of London the Custody and Government of the Tower be immediately put into the Hands of the said City IV. That if His Majesty should think fit to be in London during the Sitting of the Parliament that We may be there also with an equal number of our Guards And if His Majesty shall be pleased to be in any Place from London whatever Distance He thinks fit that We may be at the same Distance and that the respective Armies be from London Forty Miles and that no further Forces be brought into the Kingdom V. And that for the Security of the City of London and their Trade Tilbury-Fort be put into the hands of the City VI. That a sufficient part of the Publick Revenue be assigned Vs for the Support and Maintenance of our Troops until the siting of a Free Parliament VII That to prevent the Landing of the French or other Foâ—eign Troops Portsmouth may be put into such Hands as by His Majesty and Vs shall be agreed on The King was so far from being pleased with this Answer that he resolved to withdraw from London as he did privately aboard a little Smack but he and his Company were seized by the Inhabitants of Fevershâ—m and somewhat roughly handled before they came to be known whence the King came to Rochester but before this he gave the E. of Feversham Directions by Letter to disband the Army Which Letter was to this effect My Lord THings being come to that Extremity that I have been forced to send away the Queen and my Son the Prince of Wales that they might not fall into the Enemy's Hands which they must have done if they had staid I am obliged to do the same thing in hopes it will please God out of his Infinite Mercy to this unhappy Nation to touch their Hearts again with true Loyalty and Honour If I could have relied on all my Troops I might not have been put to the Extremity I now am in and would at least have had one Blow for it But though I know there are many valiant and brave Men among you both Officers and Soldiers yet you know that both you and several of the General Officers and Soldiers and Men of the Army told me It was no ways advisable for me to venture my self at their Head or to think to fight the Prince of Orange with them And now there remains only for me to thank you and all those both Officers and Soldiers who have stuck to me and been truly Loyal I hope you will still retain the same Fidelity to me And though I do not expect you should expose your selves by resisting a Foreign Army and a poisoned Nation yet I hope your former Principles are so inrooted in you that you will keep your selves free from Associations and such pernicious things Time presseth so that I can add no more JAMES Rex The Earl of Feversham presently after the Receipt of this Letter disbanded 4000 Men which was all the Army he had then with him and under his Command After which he sent this Letter to the Prince of Orange SIR HAving received this Morning a Letter from His Majesty with the Vnfortunate News of his Resolution to go out of England I thought my self obliged being at the Head of his Army and having received his Orders to make no Opposition against any Body to let Your Highness know it with the Advice of the Officers here so soon as was possible to hinder the Effusion of Blood I have ordered already to that purpose all the Troops that are under my Command which shall be the last
Order they shall receive from Feversham This was directly a clear and full Abdication or Desertion of the Army which unavoidably necessitated them to submit to the Prince of Orange they having no Body to lead or head them against him And it is not conceivable how they could avoid entring into an Association or Oath of Allegiance to the Prince now the King had left them without exposing themselves by resisting a Foreign Army and a poisoned Nation For neither would the Nation continue long without a Prince nor would any Person who should have succeeded in that Capacity have suffered them to live within his Government without giving him Security by Oath for their Submission and Loyaly to him So that the whole Design of this Letter seems to be the Sowing Division in the Nation that when he left us we might not unite or settle our selves under the other but be divided by our Principles that so we might the more easily reduce us again into the State we are in when the Prince first designed his Expedition against England The King being gone as above-said Decem. 11. in the Morning the Principal Officers of the Army about the Town thereupon met about 10 a Clock at Whitehal and sent an Express to the Prince of Orange to acquaint him with the Departure of the King and to assure him that they would assist the Lord Mayor to keep the City quiet till his Highness came and made the Souldiery to enter into his Service Much about the same time the Lords Spiritual and Temporal about the Town came to Guildhal and sending for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen made the following Declartion The Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Aâ—â—â—mbled at Guild Hall the 14th of December 1688. VVE doubt not but the World believes that in this great and dangerous Conjuncture we are heartily and zealously concerned for the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land and the Liberties and Properties of the Subject And we did reasonably hope that the King having issued out his Proclamation and Writs for a Free Parliament we might have rested secure under the Expectation of that Meeting But His Majesty having withdrawn himself and as we apprehend in order to his Departurâ— out of this Kingdom by the pernicious Counsels of Persons ill affected to our Nation and Roligion we cannot without being wanting to our Duty be silent under those Calamities wherein the Popish Counsels which so long prevailed have miserably involved these Realms We do therefore unanimously resolve to apply our selves to his Highness the Prince of Orange who with so great Kindness to these Kingdoms so vast Expence and so much Hazard hath undertaken by endeavouring to procure a Free Parliament to rescue us with as little effusion of Christian Blood as possible from the eminent Dangers of Popery and Slavery And we do hereby declare That we will with our utmost Endeavours assist his Highness in the obtaining such a Parliament with all speed wherein our Laws our Liberties and Properties may be secured the Church of England in particular with a due Liberty to Protestant Dissenters and in general the Protestant Religion and Interest over the whole World may be supported and encouraged to the Glory of God the Happiness of the Established Government in these Kingdoms and the Advantage of all Princes and States in Christendom that may be herein concerned In the mean time we will endeavour to preserve as much as in us lies the Peace and Security of these great and popalous Cities of London and Westminster and the parts adjacent by taking care to disarm all Papists and secure all Jesuits and Romish Priests who are in or about the same And if there be any thing more to be performed by Us for promoting his Highnes's Generous Intentions for the Publick Good we shall be ready to do it as occasion requires Signed W. Cant. T. Ebor. Pembrook Dorset Mulgrave Thanet Carlisle Craven Ailesbury Burlington Sussex Berkeley Rochester Newport Weymouth P. Winchester W. Asaph F. Ely Thoâ— Roffen Tho. Petriburg P. Wharton North and Gray Chandois Montague T. Jermâ—n Vaughan Carbery Culpeper Crewe Osulston Whereas His Majesty hath privately this Morning withdrawn himself we the Lords Spiritual and Temporal whose Names are hereunto Subscribed being Assembled in Guild-Hall in London having agreed upon and signed a Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in and about the Cities of London and Westminster Assembled at Guildhall the 11th of Decemb. 1688. do desire the Right Honourable the Earl of Pembrook the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Weymouth the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Ely and the Right Honourable the Lord Culpeper forthwith to attend His Highness the Prince of ORANGE with the said Declaration and at the same time to acquaint his Highness with what we have further done at this Meeting Dated at Guild-Hall Decemb. 11. 1688. The same Day the Lieutenancy of London signed this following Address to the Prince of Orange at Guild-Hall and sent it by Sir Robert Clayton Kt. Sir Will. Russel Sir Basil Firebrace Kts. and Charles Duncomb Esq May it please your Highness VVE can never sufficiently express the deep Sense we have conceived and shall ever retain in our Hearts that your Highness has exposed your Person to so many Dangers by Sea and Land for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom without such unparalleled Undertaking we must probably have suffered all the Miseries that Popery and Slavery could have brought upon us We have been greatly concerned that before this Time we had not any reasonable Opportunity to give Your Highness and the World a Real Testimony That it has been our firm Resolution to venture all that is dear to us to attain those Glorious Ends which your Highness has proposed for Restoring and Settling these Distracted Nations We therefore now unanimously present to your Highness our Just and Due Acknowledgments for that happy Relief you have brought to us and that we may not be wanting in this present Conjuncture we have put our selves into such a posture that by the Blessing of GOD we may be capable to prevent all ill Designs and to preserve this City in Peace and Safety till your Highness's happy Arrival We therefore humbly desire that your Highness will please to repair to this City with what convenient speed you can for the perfecting the Great Work which your Highness has so happily begun to the general Joy and Satisfaction of us all The Prince of Orange in the mean time finding the Kings Troops now without Head to commit many Disorders put forth the following Declaration By the Prince of Orange A Declaration VVHereas We are informed That divers Regiments Troops and Companies have been incouraged to disperse themselves in an Vnusual and Vnwarrantable Manner whereby the Publick Peace is very much disturbed We have thought fit hereby
a Joy and Concourse of the People which appeared free and unconstrained and all the Bells in the City were rung and Bonfires made in every Street The King continued at Rochester till Dec. 23. and then about 1 or 2 in the Morning he privately withdrew himself and taking only with him Mr. Ra. Sheldon and Mr. Delabady he went towards Dover and embarked in a Vessel laid ready for his Transportation to France The Queen who went hence the 10th arrived at Calais on the 11th and was in great pain not knowing what had happen'd in England for the King whom she expected every Tide But the King before he withdrew the second time wrote and left behind him the following Letter which was afterwards printed by his Order in London His Majesty's Reasons for withdrawing himself from Rochester writ with his own Hand and â—ordered by him to be Published THE World cannot wonder at my withdrawing my Self now this second time I might have expected somewhat better Usage after what I writ to the Prince of Orange by my Lord Feversham and the Instructions I gave him But instead of an Answer such as I might have hoped for what was I to expect after the Usage I received by the making the said Earl a Prisoner against the Practice and Law of Nations The sending his own Guards at 11 at Night to take Possession of the Posts at Whitehall without advertising me in the least manner of it The sending to me at One of the Clock at Mid-night when I was in Bed a kind of Order by three Lords to be gone out of my Palace before Twelve the same Morning After all this How could I hope to be safe so long as I was in the Power of one who had not only done this to me and invaded my Kingdoms without any just Occasion given him for it but that did by his own Declaration lay the greatest Aspersion on me that Malice could invent in that Clause of it which concerns my Son I appeal to all that know me nay even to himself that in their Consciences neither he nor they can believe me in the least capable of so unnatural a Villany nor of so little common Sense to be imposed on in a Thing of such a Nature as that What had I then to expect from one who by all Arts hath taken such pains to make me appear as Black as Hell to my own People as well as to all the World besides What Effect that hath had at home all Mankind hath seen by so general a Defection in my Army as well as in the Nation amongst all sorts of People I was born free and desire to continue so And tho' I have ventured my Life very frankly on several Occasions for the Good and Honour of my Country and am as free to do it again and which I hope I shall yet do as old as I am to redeem it from the Slavery it is like to fall under yet I think it not convenient to expose my self to be so secured as not to be at liberty to effect it and for that Reason to withdraw but so as to be within Call whensoever the Nation 's Eyes shall be opened so as to see how they have been imposed upon by the specious Pretences of Liberty and Property I hope it will please GOD to touch their Hearts out of his infinite Mercy and to make them sensible of the ill Condition they are in and bring them to such a Temper that a Legal Parliament may be called and that amongst other things which may be necessary to be done they will agree to Liberty of Conscience for all Protestant-Dissenters and that those of my own Persuasion may be so far considered and have such a Share of it as they may live peaceably and quietly as English Men and Christians ought to do and not be obliged to transplant themselves which would be very grievous especially to such who love their Country And I appeal to all Men who are considering Men and have had Experience whether any thing can make this Nation so great and flourishing as Liberty of Conscience Some of our Neighbours dread it I could add much more to confirm what I have said but now is not the proper Time Rochester Dec. 22. 1688. The Prince being come to London the Common-Council met and in the Name of the City returned him Thanks and congratulated him upon his great and glorious Expedition Then was there an Association signed at St. James's by near 60 Peers And at the Princes Request the Lords met at Westminster who desired him to take the Publick Administration upon him and agreed a â—onvention should meet on the 22d of January The Prince also put out the following Paper WHereas the Necessity of Affairs does require speedy Advice We do desire all such Persons as have served as Knights Citizens or Burgesses in any of the Parliaments that were held during the Reign of the late King CHARLES the Second to meet Vs at St. James's upon Wednesday the Six and Twentieth of this Instant December by Ten of the Clock in the Morning And We do likewise desire That the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London would be present at the same time and that the Common-Council would appoint Fifty of their Number to be there likewise And hereof We desire them not to fail Given at St. James's the Three and twentieth Day of December 1688. W. H. Prince of Orange By His Highness's especial Command G. HUYGENS. The Commons attended accordingly and concurring fully with the Lords the Prince sent out his Circular Letters for the meeting of the said Convention With which we shall conclude the Affairs of this Memorable Year Only I must observe that it proved fatal to one of the most generous and bravest Princes of Europe the Elector of Brandenburgh who died May 10. in the 69th Year of his Age. year 1689 THis Year cannot be begun with any thing more memorable than with the Meeting of the Convention Parliament which was on Jan. 22d and the manner of their Proceedings Upon which Occasion the Prince of Orange directed to them the following Letter My Lords and Gentlemen I Have endeavoured to the utmost of my Power to perform what was desired from me in order to the Publick Peace and Safety and I do not know that any thing hath been omitted which might tend to the preservation of them since the Administration of Affairs was put into my Hands It now lieth upon you to lay the Foundations of a firm security for your Religion your Laws and your Liberties I do not doubt but that by such a full and free Representative of the Nation as is now met the Ends of my Declaration will be attained And since it hath pleased God hitherto to bless my good Intentions with so great success I trust in him that he will compleat his own Work by sending a Spirit of Peace and Union to influence your Counsels
that no interruption may be given to an happy and lasting Settlement The dangerous Condition of the Protestants in Ireland requiring a large and speedy succour and the present state of things abroad oblige me to tell you that next to the danger of Vnseasonable Divisions amongst our selves nothing can be so fatal as too great a delay in your Consultations The States by whom I have been enabled to rescue this Nation may suddenly feel the ill Effects of it both by being too long deprived of the Service of their Troops which are now here and of your early Assistance against a powerful Enemy who hath declared a War against them And as England is by Treaty already engaged to help them upon such Exigencies so I am consident that their chearful Concurrence to preserve this Kingdom with so much hazard to themselves will meet with all the Returns of Friendship and Assistance which may be expected from you as Protestants and English Men when ever their Condition shall require it Given at St. James's the 22d Day of January 1688. Will. H. P. d' Orange Their first Act was an Address of Thanks to the Prince of Orange for what he had successfully undertaken for the Nation a desire he should continue the Administration of Publick Affairs and take particular Care of the Affairs of Ireland with a promise on their part to dispatch the Affairs that lay under their Consideration with utmost Application to which having received a very kind Answer on the Prince his part both Houses immediately fell to their Work and after 8 days the Commons past the following Vote Resolv'd That King James II. having endeavour'd to subvert the Constitution of this Kingdom by breaking the Original Contract between King and People and by the Advice of Jesuits and other wicked Persons having violated the Fundamental Laws and having withdrawn himself out of this Kingdom hath abdicated the Government and that the Throne is thereby vacant The Declaration of the Commons being sent up to the Lords for their Concurrence that House entered into a Debate upon it and so far agreed with it that they had only by way of amendment put in the word Deserted instead of Abdicated and left out and that the Throne is thereby vacant and sent a Message to the Commons to acquaint them therewith But they were so far from approving of what the Lords had done that they proceeded to give their Reasons against the Amendment alledging that they could not allow the word Deserted instead of Abdicated which their House had made choice of because it did not fully express the Conclusion necessarily inferred from the Premises viz. That K. James II. had endeavoured to subvert the Constitutions of the Kingdom as before in the former part of the Declaration to which their Lordships had agreed seeing Deserted only respected withdrawing whereas Abdicated did respect the whole Neither were the Commons better pleased with the Lords for leaving out the last words And that the Throne is thereby vacant and the Commons did so much the more insist upon it because that if they should admit of the Lord's Amedment that the King had only deserted the Government yet even thence it would follow that the Throne was vacant as to King James II. deserting the Government being in true Construction deserting the Throne Besides the Commons did conceive there was no necessity to prove to their Lordships or any other that the Throne was vacant since the Lords themselves both before and after their meeting in the said Convention had addrest the Prince of Orange to take upon him the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military and had appointed a Day of publick Thanksgiving to be observed throughout the Kingdom by all which the Commons understood it was their Lordships Opinion that the Throne was vacant and that they signified so much thereby to the People of England To which they added that it was from those who were upon the Throne of England where there was any fault that the People of England ought to receive Protection and to whom for that Cause they owed the Allegiance of Subjects but there being none then from whom they expected Regal Protection and to whom for that cause they owed the Allegiance of Subjects the Commons conceived the Throne vacant The Issue of these Reasons was a Conference held on Feb. 5. between the two Houses who appointed Managers accordingly The Lords insisted hard upon their Amendments and some of them run so far upon the Debate that they did in a manner seem to recede from the Premises which their House had allowed of viz. That the King had endeavoured to subvert the Constitutions of the Kingdom as before but the Commons stood stoutly to their Declaration and to the forementioned Reasons added a great many fine things to back the Argument which 't were pity to curtail any way and I have not room to insert the whole but in conclusion the Conference ended in appearance with less likelihood of Agreement than when it first began Yet though there was some further struggle made in the upper House for the Interest of the late King at length it was by Majority of Voices Feb 7th agreed to by the Lords to send a Message to the Commons that they had agreed to the Vote sent them up Jan. 25th touching which they had had a free Conference the Day before without any alteration So that the next thing that came under Consideration was the form of Government to be establish'd I do not remember that a Commonwealth was mentioned to be set up at all in either House though Father Orleans is pleased to say so in his History of the Revolutions of England the two main things then to be considered was whether to set up a Regency or to continue a Regal Dignity in a new Subject But the former of the two being well known to be attended with many publick Evils it was at last concluded for the latter and that in Favour of the Prince of Orange our Deliverer and her Royal Princess who was immediate Heiress In pursuance of this a Declaration was drawn up in order to such an Establishment as that the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom might not again be in danger and for vindicating and asserting the Ancient Rights and Liberties of the People in these Words VVHereas the late King James the Second by the Assistance of divers evil Counsellors Judges and Ministers employ'd by him did endeavour to subject and extirpate the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom By assuming and exercising a Power of dispensing with and suspending of Laws and the execution of Laws without Consent of a Parliament By committing and prosecuting divers worthy Prelates for humbly petitioning to be excus'd from concurring to the said assum'd Power By issuing and causing to be executed a Commission under the Great Seal for erecting a Court call'd The Court of Commission for
into one and the French Man whose Name was de S. Sanvem with his Granadiers into the other But though Colonel Lloyd went away that Night with the loss of many of his Men in his Retreat yet the French Captain having carried in some Provision and finding 3 Barrels of Powder in the Fort stood bravely to it The Nights were then dark and he fearing the Enemy might make their approaches to the Fort undiscovered got a great many Fir-deals and dipping the Ends of them in Tar they made such a light when set on fire and hung over the Wall that he discovered the Enemy coming towards them with an Engine they call a Sow but having killed the Engineer and 2 or 3 more the rest retired and he burnt the Engine Day no sooner appeared but the Enemy were forced to quit a small Field-piece they had planted in the Street they were so plied with shot from the Fort by the English who presently after made a sally and killed divers of them But at last their Provision being spent and there being little or no Water in the Fort they surrendred it upon honourable Terms and at their marching over the Bridge Colonel Sarsfield stood with a Purse of Guinea's and profered every Man that would serve the late King Horse and Arms with 5 Guinea's advance yet they all made answer They would never fight for Papists exept one who the very next day after he had got Horse Arms and the Gold brought all off with him But how disadvantageous soever the loss of the fore-mentioned Places were like to prove to the English Army they felt yet a more sensible Blow within themselves by the Death of a great many brave Officers and Soldiers Among the former was Sir Edward Deering a gallant Gentleman and much lamented in the Army by all that knew him and a Person who as he contributed more than any Man in the County of Kent towards bringing about our happy Revolution so he left a good Fortune in England purely to serve the King in this Expedition as did 3 more of his Brothers whereof one of them John Deering died since at Trangâ—dee and was a very ingenious young Gentleman Here died also soon after him Colonel Henry Wharton Brother to the now Lord Wharton a brisk bold Man and had a Regiment which would have followed him any where and being withal a comely and handsome Person he was truly much bemoaned by all that knew him and so was Sir Thomas Gower a young Gentleman of pregnant Parts and C. Hungerford a hopeful young Gentleman and of a considerable Fortune who with a great many other brave Officers were swept away by Death in this unhappy Camp And for the common Soldiers there perished in and about Dundalk at least 1700. and there were about 1970 sick Men shipp'd off at Carlingford and Dundalk to be transported to Belfast but of them not above 1100 came ashoar the rest dying at Sea Nay the Mortality was so great that several Ships had all the Men in them dead and no body to look after them whilst they lay in Carrigfergus Bay and all this besides some thousands that died in the great Hospital at Belfast that Winter So that upon a modest Computation of the whole there was nigh one half of the Army that was transported over lost We will at present leave the surviving part in their Winter Quarters whither they marched the beginning of Nov. and see how the Campaigns have passed abroad of which we were unwilling to take any notice hitherto that they might not interfere with the more immediate Affairs of Britain whereof we have now given you the relation The Confederate Army this Year in Flanders was commanded by Prince Waldeck as that of France was by the Mareschal de Humieres between whom there passed very little of moment till about the middle of Aug. when the Prince decamping from Fountain Eveque passed the Sambre and fell into the Enemies Country and having taken up his Camp at Thit-Chateau the French encamped so near him that the Out-guards were not above half an hours march from one another The Mareschal on the 25th hearing that a great number of Dutch Horse were out a foraging attempted to surprize them to which end he made a motion with his whole Army which some days before had been reinforced with 6000 Men. The Prince had no sooner notice hereof but he fired some Pieces of Cannon to give his Foragers notice as had been agreed upon before However that did not prevent their being vigorously charged by the French who took some of them and their Van-guard advancing attack'd the Village of Forge where 800 Foot were posted to secure the Foragers being commanded by the English Colonel Hodges Lieutenant Colonel Goes and the Major of the Regiment of Hesse who for above two hours defended themselves gallantly but had been overpowered by multitude had not Râ—â— Major General of the Cavalry who was sent to bring back the Lieutenant Generals Webbenum Marleborough and d' Hubi come with their Horse timely to their succour With that reinforcement they made a retreating Fight against the main of the whole French Army that came pouring in upon them till they came to a rising Ground near Walcourt where they joined a Battalion of Lunemburgers which had been reinforced by another of Colonel Hales The French attack'd the Town with great resolution which lasted an hour and an half during which time Prince Waldeck ordered Lieutenant General Alva to march with 3 Regiments to their relief the same being also followed by the Guards of the Body and 2 English Regiments commanded by the Lord of Marleborough while Major General Slaugeburg advanced almost at the same time with some other Regiments of Foot to the other side of the Town all which Motions when the French perceived they retreated in great haste and some disorder leaving some Cannon and Ammunition with many Men slain behind them but they could not be pursued because of the hilliness of the Ground which without doubt hindred their coming to a general Battel and which in all probability would not have been to the Advantage of the French since the Dutch and other Forces were never more eager to have fought it out than at that time However they kept their Post all that night as a token of their Victory It was said the French had near 2000 killed and wounded in this Encounter though they would never acknowledge near so many among whom were reckoned a good many Officers The greatest loss on the Confederates side were some of the Foragers killed and more taken Prisoners in the first Action so that the number of the slain did not amount to above 300 but this was minced of which the chiefest were Lieutenant-Colonel Grimes of the English the Major of the Dragoons of Zell one Captain and some inferiour Officers And thus ended this Campaign in Flanders without any other memorable Action saving that the Spaniards demolished
new strength to them For on the contrary the Governor when he heard the noise of the Cannon was so surprized that he sent out to know the reason of which being well informed he could hardly believe it at first so strong was his Imagination that the Town would have held out much longer But finding it to be true and the Elector sending him word it was time to Capitulate he began to make some Overtures tho' they were so unreasonable that his Highness would not accept of them but finding Gen. Sconing now returned to the Camp he resolved to undertake the Siege vigorously and not to quit the Place till he had reduced it which now was rendred so much the more easie by a Reinforcement of 4000 Foot and 1000 Horse sent him from Mentz the Duke of Lorrain arriving also in the Camp on the 25th of Sept. Wherefore the Approaches and Batteries were hastned with all Diligence and the Trenches at length carried on to the very Foot of the Counterscarp and the Breaches being made all things were prepared ready for a general Assault And they had fallen on the 5th or 6th of Oct. had it not been for the Rains which fell two Days together Therefore Sunday the 9th was appointed for the Work To this end the Imperialists were to storm the Horn-Work while the Hollanders Brandenburgers and Munsterians attack'd the Counterscarp of the Half-Moon and Covert-Way In pursuance hereof they all fell on being resolved to vanquish or die in the Attempt and the Brandenburgers first lodged themselves upon the Counterscarp and drave the Enemy so far that had the Breach been wide enough for 4 Men abreast they had entred the City Pell-mell with the French and taken it by main force They were harder put to it on the Imperialists side but after they had been once repulsed they lodged themselves at last-upon the Horn-work tho' this Attack was not made without considerable loss However the Baron de Hasfield seeing the Out works carried with so much Bravery and fearing the Town would be taken by Storm made it his chief Business to capitulate In pursuance whereof Hostages were exchanged and after divers Disputes and Contests the Articles were agreed on and ratified the 12th of Oct. at 6 in the Afternoon whereby all the great Guns Ammunition and Provision were to remain in his Electoral Highness's disposal the Hessian Intendant Commissary of War Treasurer Commissioner and Receiver of the Contributions to continue Prisoners of War and all things that were to be found in Specie belonging to Mainard Count de Schomberg to be restored for you must know they had basely seized upon that gallant Man's Baggage some time before for the sake of the Plate and the Jewels of both which there were a considerable quantity with several other Particulars too long here to be inserted and with which we shall conclude the Campaign on the German side and see what has been doing all this while in Hungary between the Imperialists and Ottomans since the Affairs of Catalonia can give us no Interruption there being nothing memorable that passed this Season between the Armies of France and Spain on that side The Duke of Lorrain who had been all along the Emperor's General in Hungary while well being recalled to serve this Campaign in the same Quality on the Rhine of whose Actions we have already given you the Particulars his Imperial Majesty could think of no Person so fit to succeed him as Prince Lewis of Baden a worthy Choice indeed and who performed even in this first Campaign all and more than was or well could be expected from him About the 10th of June he arrived at Belgrade where he found only 13000 Germans but they were followed by a greater Number and from thence he sent Orders to Picolomini to come and join him with that Body of the Army that was under his Command designing to dispute the Passage of the Morave with the Turks or to give them Battel if they had pass'd that River already But finding the Turks were not over-hasty to meet him and understanding they were so far from any such thing that they had repass'd the Morave and were retired towards Nissa where all their Magazines lay and where they had strongly entrench'd their Camp the Prince himself pass'd that River over Bridges of Boats with his whole Army whom he ordered to take Provisions along with them for 3 Weeks and marched directly towards Nissa with a Resolution to give the Enemy Battel as being informed their Army was not above 50000 strong and that of them there was not above 10000 well disciplined Men. But two pieces of News that he received by the way caused him to suspend his March which were first That there had fallen such excessive Rains for some time that had made the Ways so bad as it would be impossible for him to march with his Army and Artillery without endangering the ruining of both And the other was That the Turks had made themselves Masters of Zwornich no strong Place in it self but was a Post that opened a Way into Sclavonia into which Country the Turks design'd to fall as the Commander in the aforesaid Place who defended it gallantly and at last surrendred it upon honourable Conditions informed the Prince who thereupon sent away to the Count de Cauriani to march forthwith towards the Save with all the Force he could draw together and hinder the Enemy from passing the River The Prince in the mean time returned with the Army to the Fort they had built near Passarowitz in order to secure the Bridges they had laid over the Morave And Aug. 27th the Foot arrived near the Bridge at Grabovez and the Horse got thither the next day And tho' the Turks were no sooner informed of these Motions and being incouraged no doubt by the Retreat of the Christians but they sent the same Day a Detachment of Horse to fall upon the Foragers they were valiantly repulsed At the same time another considerable Detachment of Cavalry was sent towards Semendria where the Imperial Magazines lay with a Design to cut off the Prince's March and hem in his Army on all sides This being discovered by the Deserters a Resolution was taken to fall first upon the first Detachment and then to turn upon the other Part of the Enemy which they had left behind and which was not above an hour and 〈◊〉 March from the Christians To this effect the Bridge being finished 500 Men under the command of two Colonels passed the River and posted themselves on the other side of the River the same Evening being followed by 500 more and in less than 3 hours had sufficiently intrench'd themselves Next Morning the Dragoons of Stirum and Serau planted themselves upon an Hill very near the Bridge and 500 Horse possess'd the 〈◊〉 between the Army and the Bridge to secure their March In the mean time the Infantry commanded by Baron Heister and the Count
upon them which being done also by the Turks posted on the other side of the River this manner of Treatment forced the Fugitives to renew the Charge But alas that served only to augment the Confusion that was already very great in the Ottoman Army For the Christians taking advantage of the disorders flew upon the Enemy from all parts who then betook themselves to their Heels not knowing whither to fly So that only Night protected them from the fury of the Victors But several of them in seeking to save their Lives in the Dark not being able because of that to find the way to the Bridge adventured in hopes to pass the River to escape by swimming but the stream was so rapid that most of them were drowned insomuch that of all the Turkish Cavalry there were but very few that escaped In their Camp the Imperialists found great store of Utensils for Pioneers 30 Pieces of Cannon of an extraordinary bigness of which some were four square a great Number of Carcasses Glass Granadoes Bisquet Barley Rice Meal Oats Tobacco Camels and other things but of all the Plunder the Prince of Baden reserved only for himself the Serasquier's Tent which was very magnificent and which had been sent him by the Grand-visier in regard he had lost his own in the former Battel After the Army had pillaged the Camp they entred Nissa without opposition where they found Provisions enough for the Subsistence of the whole Army for 5 or 6 Weeks and took above 3000 Horses and Mules and what still made this Victory the more considerable was the smallness of the Imperialists loss there being not above 300 killed and not many more wounded whereas the Turks were computed to have been worse for this Battle by 8000 Men. The Prince still to pursue this great advantage dispatcht away the very next day 3000 Horse under the Command of Picolomini to look after the fugitive Turks with orders to advance as far as Sophia and view the Country who returned the 13th of Sept. without having been able to meet with any of the Enemy but reported the Countrey was very good having suffered but little by the War that he had put Garrisons into Pio and Mussa Pafora which the Turks had quitted upon his Approach and that he understood by some Prisoners he had taken that the Infidels were retired to Sophia where they endeavoured to rally their broken Troops This Intelligence moved the Prince to fortifie Nissa and so much the rather because the Country People who came in great Numbers to implore his Protection assured him that the Country was good and â—ertile and if preserved sufficient to furnish an Army with all necessary Provisions and when he had done he made Count Pic lomini Commander of the Place and the adjacent Country depending on it and soon after Couâ—t Tekeley who had some time before possessed himself of Orsâ—wa thought convenient to quit it but he first set the Town on fire and then retired to Silistria Mean while the Prince of Baden not willing to conclude this glorious Campaign with this last Action set forward Oct. 6th with his Army for Widin another important Place with a good Castle upon the Danube and upon the 11th arrived at Breslau where he staid one Day in expectation of the Baggage and from thence sent a Detachment of Germans and Hungarians to view the Country and to get some intelligence of the Enemy These returned next Day with some Prisoners and reported that the two Bassa's were retired near Widin with their Forces and that Tekeley had taken the Road to Sophia Hereupon the Prince re-sumed his March and on the 14th by 10 in the Morning got to the Plains of Widin when the Enemy who knew nothing of the Army's March were strangely surprized to see the Imperial Foragers foraging very near their Camp and their Consternation was so great that before they could recover themselves the Prince his right Wing had passed the great stone Bridges that were built upon the Moras and was drawn up in Battle-array expecting the coming up of the left Wing which passed immediately after Neither did the Enemy endeavour to hinder them which gave the right Wing an opportunity to take up their Posts very near the City and to secure themselves with the Danube The Turks seemed at first very couragious but they were charged with so much bravery by the right Wing where the Prince of Baden was in Person that they were driven to an Intrenchment they had made about the Town upon whom however the Imperial Cavalry advanced receiving the Fire of the Janizaries which killed some Horse-men and made the rest recoil Yet they presently rallied again behind a rising Ground and advanced within 40 Paces of the Enemy's Moats where they stood their Ground till the rest of the right Wing had planted themselves near a Church-yard that was there In the mean time General Veterani who commanded the left Wing ordered 200 Dragoons to alight and attack the Enemâ—'s Intrenchments which they did so well that they entred in a short time the City pell-mell and were soon seconded by the Cavalry and the rest of the Forces killing in the whole of this Action near 2000 Turks with the loss of 400 of their own Men. Those of the Turks that could not save themselves on the Barks that lay upon the Danube or with that part of the Cavalry that fled to Sophia retired to the Castle of Widin where they resolved to hold out a formal Siege which made the Prince send to Semendria for his great Cannon In the mean time he ordered his Men to begin to open the Trenches that all might be ready upon their Arrival for widening a Breach and storming the Place But the besieged upon better Thoughts would not stay for the Cannon and therefore upon the 18th of Oct. they capitulated to march out of the Place with Arms and Baggage and were conducted by Water to Nicopolis with which the Prince of Baden concluded this long and most glorious Campaign distributing his Army into Winter-quarters in Transilvania and Vallachia sore against the Will of the Hospodar who could not help it and then he returned to Vienna But while these things were transacted in the Field the Ottoman Embassadors at Vienna for some part of the time pressed very much the Negotiations of Peace wherein they found the Emperour but little disposed Yet having at length received some dispatches from the Grand-Seignior they themselves grew much more remiss in their instances The reason whereof the Emperour and his Allies could not well penetrate into And therefore to sound them the more it was thought fit the Pretensions of the Allies should have been imparted to them to see whether they had any orders to conclude upon those Conditions which Proposals were 1. That the Kingdom of Hungarry should be restored with all its Dependances and the Principality of Bosnia in such a manner that the
his Boot but did all that the greatest of Captains could do upon this Occasion he chose the Field drew up his Army gave out his general Orders where-ever he was in Person and demeaned himself throughout with that Gallantry Resolution and Presence of Mind so peculiar to himself and was such a Poise for the Inclination of the Battel to his own side that even his very Enemies confess'd That if we changed Kings with them they would fight the Battel over again with us For the late King during most of the time stood with some Squadrons of Horse upon the Hill called Dunmore and when the Officer that commanded saw from thence how ill it went with their Friends below and as it was said moved his Master that they might go down and help them His answer was What will you leave me alone and so march'd off to Duleek and from thence in great haste to Dublin where the first News was That the English General was kill'd and the Prince of Orange as they called him taken Prisoner But of this they were quickly undeceived My Lady Tyrconnell when he got into the Castle asked him what he would have for Supper who told her what a Breakfast he had had which made him have but little Stomach for his Supper And next Morning after having told the Citizens that he was necessitated to yield to Force and some such Stuff and that they were become a Prey to the Conqueror but that he should not cease to labour their Deliverance as long as he liued he posted away for Waterford where he arrived the same day taking care to have the Bridges broken down behind him for fear of being pursued and where he went on board a Vessel called The Count de Isauzun that was ready to receive him But the Sieâ—r Foran Chief of the Squadron meeting him at Sea obliged him to go on board one of his Frigats for his quicker Passage and so he got once more into France In the mean time the English Army rested the next day after the Battel to refresh themselves while 5 Battalions of Foot and 4 Squadrons of Horse were detatch'd under the Command of Mounsieur Melonier to take in Drogheda the Governour whereof received the first Summons very indifferently but at last considering better of it and believing now the Irish Army to have been totally routed he laid hold of the Offers made him and the Garrison march'd out of the place with their Baggage only leaving their Arms behind them King James had no sooner left Dublin but the Protestants took Possession of it and the Duke of Ormâ—nd whom the King sent thither found Captain Farloâ— Governour who but two days before had been Prisoner and the King himself with his Army arrived at Finglass within 2 Miles of the City on the 5th of July from whence he went next day to St. Patrick's Church but returned after Dinner to the Camp where 2 days after he set out his Declaration to the Irish assuring all under such a Quality of his Protection and then divided the Army going himself with the greatest part of it beyond Dublin in order to march Westward sending at the same time Lieutenant General Douglass with 3 Regiments of Horse 2 of Dragoons and 10 of Foot towards Athlone which is 50 Miles N. of Dublin He having sent out a Party while on his March to get Intelligence besides a great Prey of Cattle which they brought from the Enemies Quarters they also took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one of which was to advise one Tute to defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of Value And in another which was from an Officer in Athlone to his Father in the Country There was Information given That the Earl of Tyrconnell the Duke of Berwick and several great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that their Army would be there in 2 or 3 days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he express'd it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army That the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets That Duke Schomberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too That their King was gone for France but it was no great matter said he where he was for they were better without him which shews they had no great Opinion of him And after the Letter was sealed he writ on the out-side Just now we have an Accout by a Gentleman that is come from Dubâ—in That Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again From Mullingar Douglass conntinued his March and July 17th reached Athlone Incamping within a quarter of a Mile of the Town from whence he sent a Drum to summon it But old Colonel Grace the Governour fired a Pistol at him and sent word Those were the Terms he was for The Place was strong by Nature and Art and our Force not very considerable for that Enterprise however they contrived some Batteries and planted 2 Field-pieces which did the Enemies Guns some Damageâ— and an 150 Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines And about the 19th they had a Battery of 6 Guns finish'd nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach towards the top But the Train was too small for the Enterprise However the firing continued on both sides but the Misfortune of Mr. Nelson the best Gunner being killed with a small Shot and the News that Sarssield was was advancing with 15000 Men to raise the Siege made the General to send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar and next day in the he Evening called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told the Necessity of raising the Siege especially since he had but very little Bread all the while and that there was some Reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off his Communication from Dublin So that there were Orders given to be ready to march at 12 that Night when the Baggage was sent away and at break of day the 25th the Army followed having lost about 30 Men before the Town but their number was diminished thro' other Distasters at least 3 or 400. The King in the mean time moving Westward as we informed you reach'd Kill-Kullen-Bridge July 11thâ— and being himself that Morning passing by the Ness and seeing a Soldier robbing a poor Woman he was so much inraged at it that he beat him first with his Cane and gave Orders that he and divers others guilty of the like Disobedienceâ— should be hanged the Munday following But tho' some People were so Audacious as to put an ill Construction upon this Action of the King 's yet it had so good an Effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any Violence done by the Soldiers during that whole March to
French Army was above 40000 strong Luxemberg having drawn a great Number out of the Frontier Garrisons and having been reinforced 3 days before by a Detachment of the Marquess de Boufflers consisting of 18 Batallions 45 Squadrons and the flying Camp commanded by the Count de Gournay The Prince indeed had some Notice of this Conjunction but it was very uncertain and some say the Governour of Namur gave notice of it by a Letter but that it was not to be believed upon any good Grounds However it were the Fight being resolved upon the Command of the Right Wing was assigned to the Prince of Nassau General of the Horse accompanied by Lieutenant-General d' Huby a Spaniard and the Prince of Birkenfield with his Brigadiers the Prince of Nassau Governour of Friezland and Mareschal de Camp and the Lieutenant-Generals d' Alva and Webbenum had the Charge of the Left Wing and the main Battle Some Horse also before the Fight-began were sent to line the Right Wing of the Army which lay in a good Post but whether none were sent to line the Left or that they who were commanded thither did not do their Duty they did not perceive that the Enemy slipped several Troops behind a rising-Ground and a small Wood next the Sambre who posted themselves behind the 2d Line of the Left Wing which constrained them to face about and turn their Backs to the Line whereby being much weakened some Batallions of the Right Wing were sent to secure their Flank and assist to keep their Ground Which was no sooner observed by the Duke of Luxemburg but he said to the Duke of Main who was then next him Do you see what the Enemies are doing I foretel they will be beaten In short the Left Wing was attack'd at the same time in Front Rear and Flank the 1st Line from which as has been said one Batallion was taken to reinforce the 2d after they had fought some time were forced to give Ground Whereupon the Enemy who knew how to make use of that Opportunity advanced to the 2d to fall upon their Rear Now that Line was already advanced to make head against the Cavalry which they had before them and which they had routed and drove back in disorder upon the French Infantry But the French had 3 Lines so that no sooner was one over-turned but fresh Batallions renewed the Fight and with more ease repelled the Dutch quite tired with the Brunts they had already sustained Prince Waldeck perceiving the Left Wing in that Condition and that the Horse weary of such hot Service had for the most part given Ground sent to their Relief the Horse of the 2d Line of the Right Wing from whence the Foot had been already drawn for the same Reason While this was doing on that side the 1st Line of the Right Wing was also engaged with the Enemy and had bravely routed them several times and General du Puy who charged them in Flank had gained 10 of their Cannon But the Enemy having 3 Lines on that side also and being continually relieved by fresh Numbers the Dutch Cavalry were dispersed and broke to that Degree that the whole Body could never be rallied again However the Count of Flodorp got together about a 1000 or 1200 about an hours riding from the Camp and brought them on again but then it was too late for that the Infantry were retreated But however Matters went with the Dutch Cavalry in this Action they have had the Misfortune to be esteemed ever since the worse Horse among the Confederates And certainly if they had behaved themselves as well as the Infantry did upon this Occasion I think there had been no room left to doubt of their attaining a compleat Victory For it may be truly said without any Exaggeration That never Foot performed greater Wonders for after they were forsaken by the Horse they alone sustained the Charges of the French Cavalry and Infantry both being charged in Front Flank and Rear at the same time and yet could not be broken They let the Enemies Squadrons approach within Pistol-shot of them and then let fly with such an unconcern'd and steddy Aim that the whole Squadron together seemed to sink into the Ground at once hardly 30 of the whole Number getting off and this Course they so accustomed themselves to observe that at length they laughed at their Enemies crying out Let them come on we will give them their Belly full The French on the other side were so dasht with the Execution done upon them that they fled as soon as they saw them but once present their Musquets nor durst they any more come near them but suffered them to retreat in good Order without ever offering to pursue them Which made the Duke of Luxemberg say That they had out-done the Spanish Infantry at the Battle of Rocroy Where notwithstanding the Spaniards performed Wonders Adding withal That it was for Prince Waldeck to remember the French Horse and for himself never to forget the Dutch Infantry But what-ever some have said in Justification of the Dutch Horse the Deputies of the States General when they took a View of the Army at Hawn to see the Damage they had sustained seemed to be of another Opinion for as they went from Company to Company in every Regiment they gave every Foot Soldier a Piece to the Value of 3 Franks as a Reward of their Bravery but gave the Horse nothing at all as being accused of faâ—ling in their Duty This Battle was very bloody on both sides the Dutch themselves owning they lost 4600 Men upon the Place a great many wounded and near 3000 taken Prisoners besides part of their Cannon which they needed not to have done had not the Waggoners cut their Harness to facilitate their Flight And yet of them the Garrison of Charleroy brought off 25 Pieces and 3 of the Enemies two days after The most remarkable Persons among the slain were the Prince of Saxon Masquerg the Count of Stirum one of the young Counts of Nassau the Baron de Heide and several Colonels Captains and inferiour Officers And however Prince Waldeck might have been mistaken as to his Intelligence concerning the Constitution of the French Forces before the Fight yet 't is certain he did all that could be expected from a General of his Age and so unweildy as he was during the Battel and retreated that Evening with the rest of the Army in very good Order to Nivell and next day to Bruxells as the Duke of Luxemberg did to Villain and from thence to the Place where the Prince encamped before at Pieton having put all the Country round about under Contribution which besides the Honour of a Victory was some amends for the many Men he lost in the Battel some computing them to 12000 slain wounded and made Prisoners though themselves would never own nothing near the Number But what Inequality soever there was in the strength of the Armies when they engaged
Principality he passed the Iron-gate without any Opposition and advanced the 12th of Sept. as far as Weâ—sot where he staid two days till the Baggage came up which could not follow so fast by reason of the Mountains and narrow Lanes through which they were to pass the 24th he set forward for Hatzech and encamped the 25th at Nelans and Beras near the River Stretta The day following he marched through the Plain of Hunniad to that of Maros not far from Szalvaras where they met with a small Party of Tekeley's Men who were scouting abroad to inform themselves of the March of the Imperial Army of which some they killed and took others Prisoners and having rested the 2 next days they continued their March towards Alba Julia or Weissemburgh But what-ever methods Tekeley might take to get Intelligence the Prince of Baden managed his Business with so much Prudence Celerity and Secrecy that Tekeley found himself invironed by the Imperial Army before he was well aware of it So that he could go neither forward nor to the left nor right without venturing a Battle which because he did not find it convenient to do he laid hold on the only Course that remained for him to take and so safely retreated to Moldavia But he was in so much haste that he left part of his Baggage behind him and had between 2 and 300 of his Rear-guard cut off So that the Prince cleared all Transilvania in a trice Then having taken all the Care imaginable to secure the Passes from Moldavia and Wallachia and those which were next the Danube to the end they might be free from the Fears of any new Invasion He separted the Army on the 1st of Nov. leaving a good Body in the Province it self under the Command of General Veterani who had the Duke of Hanover and the Baron de Pace under him and with the rest march'd himself towards Clausemburg and from thence soon after posted to Vienna where he was much expected and received abundance of Honour for his great Services where we shall now leave him and take a step into Poland tho' we had in a manner as good stay at home For there passed there in the whole Course of this year very little of any Consideration The Tartars and Turks both made home-Attempts to draw the King to disunite from the Confederacy and to that end both of them sent their respective Envoys to him who tho' they made a meen of being desirous of a general Peace yet all their Solicitation tended to induce the King to make up a particular one for himself which yet at last did not succeed contrary to their own and most Mens Expectations But while the Tartarian Envoy was carrying on his Negotiation as aforesaid in order to a Peace their Forces committed a thousand Disorders upon the Frontiers harassing and burning all before them and carrying into Captivity all that had not the foresight to make their Escape and entring further into Pocutia and Volhinia with their usual Ravages also This so nettled the Polish Forces who had the first Intelligence thereof that they mustered in great haste together out of their Winter-Quarters where they lay tho' in truth their business that time of the year which was now Summer had been to be in the Field pursued and over-took the Enemy and charged them so vigorously that they were forced to repass the Borysthenes where when they had got they rallied again upon a rising Ground and from whence perceiving the Poles marching in disorder without any care of Discipline they immediately repassed the same River and attacking the Christians before they could rally themselves they cut 17 Companies in pieces and this gave them another opportunity of making a second Inroad into the Country and that farther than they had done before and you may be sure with no less Ravage This rouzed up the Polish Courage once more wherefore there was a Muster ordered to be made of the Polish Army which was found to amount to 5000 Horse 2400 Dragoons and 12000 Foot After this about the 1st of Sept. they passed over the Neister above Weynits with their Artillery and march'd directly towards Moldavia the most Eastern Part of the ancient Dacia confining upon Poland where the King making himself Master of Sockow the Metropolis of that Province seated on the South-side of the River Sereth he furnished it with a Garrison of 800 Men under the Command of General Harstal and all manner of necessary Provisions for 6 Months purchased with the Money which the Pope had sent him When they had so done they march'd homewards without any further Attempt this Campaign where we will leave them and see whether the Venetians have not been more active than they this Season against the common Enemy of Christianity Towards the beginning of the year the Doge arrived at Venice where he entred in great Triumph resigned up his General 's Truncheon and was received by the People with the loudest Acclamations of Joy and Wishes for his Prosperity as the Defender of their Country which yet received some Damp from the ill News brought in that Conjuncture from the Levant of the Turks having put fresh Relief into Napoli di Malvasia which we told you they had block'd up last year as fearing now the Blockade would prove as unsuccessful as the Siege then had done But the Republick not being discouraged herewith not only ordered the Blockade to be reinforced but prepared all things in a readiness to begin the Campaign betimes and so much the rather because of the Assistance of 300000 Livres the Pope their Country-man gave them at this time for the Expences of War and that they believed they should meet but with little Opposition on that side since the Turks would be forced to imploy the main of their Forces in Hungary and only be upon the defensive in the Morea In pursuance of this Resolution and Preparations the Sieur Cornaro now Captain-General of the Venetian Forces caused the lower Town of Napoli di Malvasia to be attack'd where he met with very stout Resistance tho' the Garrison were now reduced to about 300 Men who killed at least 200 of the Christians upon this Occasion before they could carry the Place which yet raised their Hopes mightily that it would contribute to the speedy surrendring of the Body of the Town especially when they found by an intercepted Letter of the Commander that he had not Provision for above 15 days and in effect so it came to pass For notwithstanding all the Efforts the Turks made to relieve it it was actually delivered to General Cornaro on the 12th of Aug. and with it the entire Conquest of the Morea compleated by the Republick for whose use were found in it 73 Pieces of Cannon and above 130 Christian-Slaves hereby recovered their Liberty This matter tho' slowly yet being thus happily terminated the General thought fit to imploy the remainder of the fair
Cambrun before any of the Confederates knew any thing of the matter Nay when Count Tilly who commanded in the Rear sent the General an Express of it he could hardly believe it But the first Line of the Confederates was hardly drawn up before they were charged by the French King's Houshold while the second was forming of such Troops as were ordered to pass the River with all the speed that might be The Conflict was very terrible and the first Line of the Confederates was constrained to a disorderly Retreat but they rallied again behind their second Line which last gave Ground also before the Enemy But the Confederates Cavalry rallied in the sight of the French near the place of Action the French not daring to return to the Charge who perhaps were loath to push it on too far for fear of the Infantry and thought they had already done enough to kill them above a 1000 Men and some of good Quality with the loss themselves of about half the Number and with this Action the Campaign ended on that side While the Spaniards remained pretty well content that they had lost no more but Monâ— which tho' it were considerable yet they were more nettled at some thing that happened to them nearer homâ— For the Duke of Noailles who commanded the French Forces advancing himself with part of the Army to Belver to make head against the Spanish Troops sent the rest under the Command of Lieutenant-General Chazeron to besiege Vrgel which tho' no very undefensible Place besides that it haâ— a Garrison of 1500 Men in it and most of them consisting of Regular Troops yet they basely gave it up in a littlâ— time and themselves both Soldiers and Officers to be Prisoners of War only the Militia were dismiss'd home And notwithstanding the Court at Madrid being mightily surprized herewith sent several Reinforcements to the Vice-Roy yet they could neither hinder the French to fortifâ—â— Belver nor make any other Diversion And I am ashameâ— to say That when the Duke of Medina Sidonia advanced 〈◊〉 attack Proto Melo that most of his Troops forsook him having no great Stomack to the Business But and if thâ— Spaniards thus appear'd both weak and dastardly by Laâ—d you cannot think they were in much better Condition 〈◊〉 Sea since they could not prevent the Mareschal d' Estrees 〈◊〉 bombard Barcelona for two days together by which he threâ—â— in several hundreds of Bombs which wrought a terrible Dâ—solation in the City And now having briefly shewed how ill it went with the Spaniards every way we are to observe on the German side that the French were rather Winners than Losers For tho' their Design of surprizing the City of Mentz by a treacherous Correspondence they held in the Place with one of the Emperor's Commissaries Consburg a Whestphalian utterly failed them by a timely Discovery of the Treason yet they could not go out of that Neighbourhood without doing something and therefore they attack'd Algesheim which is not above 5 or 6 Leagues off and after some Resistance took it and they for the present retired towards Creutznach But tho' great things were expected from the Elector of Saxony and General Schoning the former whereof Commanded the Imperial Army in Chief this Campaign who had Count Caprara under him and that notwithstanding the French who were apprehensive the Germans design'd to cross the Rhine took all the care they could to prevent it by entrenching themselves near Manheim as supposing the other would attempt it some-where thereabouts the German Forces did actually pass the said River not far from the forementioned Place yet they could make no Benefit of it but rather the contrary for the French to divert them passed the Rhine also at Phillipsburg which after a hot Consultation made the others to follow them yet not with that Expedition and Success but that the other took the Town of Portzheim situate in the Marquisate of Baden Dourlach 3 Leagues from Grosinguen in a Neck of Land that gives an In-let into the Country of Wirtemberg which they had all along a design to put under Contribution and had never so fair a Prospect of effecting it as at this time with which and the taking of another little Place called Genbach besides the Ravaging of that part of Juliers that belongs to the Elector Palatine was their Summer's Work that way But they made a much more considerable Progress on the side of Italy For besides the Success already mentioned to have attended their Arms in the Spring of the Year by taking of Nice the Summer was not far advanced when they took in also Villana which induced Monsieur Catinat to undertake the Siege of Carmagnola being a Place seated in the Marquisate of Saluces and not above 9 Miles distant from Turin the Capital City of Piedmont The Trenches were opened June the 8th and 3 Attacks formed which were carried on with so much Vigour that the Besieged finding themselves so closely blocked up on all sides and without hopes of Succour it was agreed the disciplined Men should march out with their Arms and the Militia with a white Stick in their Hands and be conducted to Turin This was no sooner done but the Marquess de Feuquieres was commanded with a considerable Detachment of Horse Foot and Dragoons to invest Coni a Place considerably strong by Nature and garrisoned with 700 Vaudois and French Refugees and about 500 of the Militia of Mondovi with some other Troops commanded by the Count de la Rovere And before it was invested the Regiment of Saluces together with some other Troops to the number of near 3000 were ordered to put themselves into the Place But Feuquieres having notice of their March he attacked them with a great deal of Vigour and there were abundance of Men slain on both sides and the Issue was that part of the Relief at last entred the Town which was presently invested by the French to the number of 14000 Men who push'd on the Siege very smartly the Garrison at the same time being as obstinate in their Defence So that now 17 days were spun out when Prince Eugine of Savoy was sent with a Detachment of 4000 Horse and 6000 Men of the Militia of Mondovi to relieve it This Monsieur Catinat had no sooner notice of but he sent an Express to Monsieur de Bullond who commanded now at the Siege not to stir out of his Lines with a farther notice of a Detachment of 2500 Men that were on their march to re-inforce him under the Command of Camp-Mareschal Sylvester However the Mistake happened Bullond thought it convenient to raise the Siege and that with so much Haste and Confusion that he left behind him one Piece of Cannon 3 Mortars good store of Bombs Powder and other War-like Ammunition besides good store of Provision and other War-like Utensils with several sick Men But for his Reward Catinat had Orders to seize him But by
of Oct. and then made an honourable Capitulation and in truth this was the only place that made a brave Defence in Flanders since the War and afforded no Suspition of any Treachery in the Surrender of it But tho' Charleroy was the only Garrison the Spaniards lost in Flanders so late in the Year and for the saving of which they themselves were so far from being able that their Allies in Conjunction with them had not been able to effect it yet they were no better provided in Catalonia where the French so early as the 29th of May invested Roses both by Sea and Land and carried the Siege of it on with that forwardness that on the 5th of June the place was surrendred to them I do not find they made any great Efforts to enlarge this Conquest on that side neither would the Spaniards give them any further Opportunity at present but it had been well had they timely enough thought this to be too much and so prevented it but it 's in vain to talk they will have their fashion and so we leave them and see what is done in Germany Here the Germans were so slow and the French so forward that the latter passed the Rhine at Phillipsburg and without any Opposition on the 18th of May the Marquess de Chamilli with 2000 Men invested Heidleburg which had been long threatned by them and the Duke de Lorge crossed the first Mountains with 30000 Men to oppose the Prince of Baden that this Year commanded upon the Rhine but was not yet in any condition to act but defensively and hardly that so that poor Heidelburg was to shift for her self and God knows that was done but sorrily For besides its weakness otherwise there was such a Division between the Soldiers and the Townsmen about the Money that was called in and which they would have go Current again that when on the 19th the Regiment of Sconbeck was ready to enter the Town to re-inforce the Garrison the Townsmen were so incensed against the Soldiers that they opposed the Entrance which gave Melac an Opportunity to seize a Redoubt from whence he could batter the back-part of the Works of the Town and in short the French on the 21st entred the Subburbs with little Opposition and their Granadiers drave the besieged with so much haste to the Castle Gates that they left above 600 of their Soldiers without who were all put to the Sword The Governour of the Castle fearing the same Destiny sent a Capuchin with Proposals to de Lorge which the other was so far from admitting of that he prepared for an Assault which the Governour finding he accepted of the Offers made him by the French and on the 2d the Garrison to the Number of 1200 Men 2 Pieces of Cannon and 12 Waggons laden with Baggage were conducted to Wimpel But the Burning of the City and Castle of Heidleburg by the French and other Barbarities committed in the Palaâ—inate let others relate them that will I have no Stomach to them Flush'd with this Success M. de Lorge advanced towards the Neckar with a design to attack the Prince of Baden who was encamped on the other side of the River over which the French laid 2 Bridges in order to pass it but they were so warmly received by the Germans both here and afterwards at Wimpsen where they attempted the same thing that they were forced to quit the Enterprize and come off with the Loss of near 1000 Men. Some time after this the Dauphine joined the Army which was near 70000 strong and finding the Pass of Zwingenberg would be of great Advantage to them they took the said Castle by Storm after they had routed some Parties without and a very hot Dispute from within with its small Garrison who yet found a way to escape This with other petty Successes and their greatly out-numbring the Prince of Baden in Men made the Dauphine desirous to attack him in his Camp near Flein wherefore tho' he knew how advantageously he was intrenched yet on the 26th of July he crossed the Neckar and advanced within 4 Hours march of the Prince who thereupon re-called all his Detachments to strengthen himself and so much the more since he had certain Advice on the 31st That the Dauphine resolved to give him Battle and that he would fall on the next Morning In short the French advanced the same day with all their Cavalry and 4000 Granadiers and having raised some Batteries set themselves to work to force the Entrenchments and encompassed the Left Wing of the Camp which made the Prince send a Detachment of Horse into the Valley of Winsburg to dispute the Pass with them and when about 2 he thought the French would have begun the Fight they drew off and re-passed the Neckar with some Loss Neither was there any other thing of Moment done there this Campaign save the French putting a Garrison into Stugard and raising a very little Contribution-money tho' they had such a strong Belief that the Dauphine would engage the Prince that publick Prayers were put up for his Preservation every-where so that after he had sent the fore-mentioned Detachment under Boufflers to the Siege of Charleroy and another into Piedmont he returned in the Month of Aug. to Versailles with which we shall leave Germany and see what has been doing in Piedmont this Season It was indeed time to open the Campaign when the Duke of Savoy was quite recovered of his long Indisposition whereof mention was made last Year and then he joined the Army which was considerably strong and made the Inhabitants of the Dauphinate fear a worse Irruption into their Country than the last and to begin to provide for their Safety accordingly But the Designs of the Confederates seemed to drive the French first out of Italy by dispossessing them of Cazal and Pignerol neither of which was effected 'T is true Cazal was block'd up for some time and the Fort of St. George taken by Storm which compleated the Blockade of that Place but things went no further And the Duke with the main Army laid Siege to Pignerol took the Fort of St. Bridget that covered it after the Loss of above 1500 Men and such an obstinate Defence on the Besieged's part that after all it was made a doubt whether they should carry on the Siege of the Town or Bomb it All this took up so much time that Catinat being reinforced with more Troops and particularly with the foresaid Detachment from Germany found himself in a Condition to act Offensively and therefore he descended into the Plains and this seeming to the Duke as if he had threatned Turin he drew off from about Pignerol and encamped at Marsiglia The Consequence whereof we 'll give you in the following Letter written October the 5th by the Resident of the States of Holland from Turin to their High and Mightinesses upon that Occasion I Gave my self the Honour to acquaint your
extraordinary Vigour and good Success and so on till the 27th when the Fort on which the Turks had planted Cannon from whence they play'd with great Fury on the Besiegers was utterly ruined And this encouraged the latter to work hard on a Battery which they had begun to raise on the Left Hand to ruine the Out-works of the Turks on that side and though the Turks made stout Resistance and made no less than 14 Mines 11 of them were discovered and the Besiegers discontinued their Works till they had found the other 3 which yet did not discourage the Turks who hourly expected Relief to come up Of this the Imperialists were sensible also so that on the 31st of Aug. a Council of War was held and Two Expresses sent away one to General Veterani and the other to Colonel Kiba with Orders for the latter to march with all the Men under his Command near Minoviza for the Security of that River and in the mean time the Siege went on and on the 7th of Sept. a General Assault upon the Counterscarp was resolved on But all things not being ready till it was late though the Attack was made with wonderful Bravery the Turks who had in the mean time Intelligence of it and had made Provision accordingly made such an obstinate Defence that what with that and the Darkness of the Night they failed to carry it Whereupon the General understanding the Grand Visier with 80000 Men was marching up it was on the 10th resolved in a Council of War to raise the Siege which was done accordingly and the Retreat made without so much as the Loss of one Man though the Enemy failed not to pursue them The Grand Visier having thus gained his Point sat down contented without undertaking any Enterprize And so the Campagne terminated without any other Action saving that the Ban of Croatia was said to have taken a considerable Town in Bosnia which I do not find named any where and that the Count of Heidersheim routed a considerable Body of Turks and Tartars near Guila killed several of them burnt all their Provision and took above 2000 Camels and Horses from them We have made so little a Digression about the Affairs of Europe on the Turkish side that it will be needless here to recapitulate what has been already said of things nearer Home in order to a better View of the little that is yet remaining only I desire it may be remembred how successful the Frenâ—â— King's Arms have been by Land and unfortunate our Fleeâ— at Sea which the States of Holland were so sensible of thaâ— they took an early Resolution considerably to augment boâ—â— their Army and Navy for which the King thanked them 〈◊〉 their Assembly before his coming over for England and after his Arrival to shew particularly the Dislike he had of the Sea-Proceedings did the Day before the Meeting of the Parliament declare in Council That he had appointed the Right Honourable Edward Russel Esq to be admiral of the Fleet and on the 7th of Nov. which was the Day of the Parliament's meeting delivered himself to them in the following Speech My Lords and Gentlemen I Am always glad to meet you here and I could heartily wish that Our Satisfaction were not lessened at present by Reflecting upon the Disadvantage We have received this Year at Land and the Miscarriages in our Affairs at Sea I think it is evident that the former was only occasioned by the great Numbers of our Enemies which exceeded Ours in all Places For what relates to the latter which has brought so great a Disgrace upon the Nation I have resented it extreamly And as I will take care that those who have not done their Duty shall be punished so I am resolved to use My Endeavours that Our Power at Sea may be rightly managed for the future And it well deserves Our Consideration Whether We are not defective both in the Number of Our Shipping and in proper Ports to the Westward for the better Annoying our Enemies and protecting Our Trade which is so essential to the Welfare of this Kingdom My Lords and Gentlemen I am very sensible of the good Affection wherewith you have always assisted Me to support the Charges of this War which have been very great And yet I am perswaded that the Experience of this Summer is sufficient to convince Vs all That to arrive at a good End of it there will be a Necessity of encreasing Our Forces both by Sea and Land the next Year Our Allies have resolved to add to Theirs And I will not doubt but you will have such regard to the present Exigency as that you will give Me a suitable Supply to enable me to do the like I must therefore earnestly recommend it to you Gentlemen of the House of Commons to take such timely Resolutions as that your Supplies may be effectual and Our Preparations so forward as will be necessary both for the Security and the Honour of the Nation The House of Commons quickly came to an unanimous Resolution to support Their Majesties and likewise shewed a good Disposition to comply with the King's Desires in the Increase of his Forces both by Sea and Land But at the same time they did not forget to spend some time in the Examination of the Mis-carrying of the Smyrna Fleet conâ—erning which they came to this Resolve That the House was of Opinion that there had been a notorious and treacherous mismanagement in that Affair But it is great pity the Rogues had not been found out and hanged for their Pains However Bembow's Bombing and Burning some part of St. Maloes about this time gave some sort of Contentment to Mens Minds tho' it was no Reparation of the Loss With this Action we shall close up the Year on the last day whereof the brave Prince Lewis of Baden landed at Gravesend from whence he went to Whitehall and thence to Kensington to wait upon his Majesty who received him with great Civility and Respect year 1694 His Majesty while the Parliament was deliberating upon Raising the necessary Supplies for the Navy and Standing Army and such Additional Force as was to be levy'd was pleased to entertain this Prince with the Diversions of Hunting Hawking and other the like innocent Recreations to say nothing of the weightier Affairs of the War concerted between them And the Bill of 4 s. in the Pound for carrying on a vigorous War against France being ready he gave the Royal Assent to it on the 25th of Jan. as he did some Days after to a Bill for Granting several Rates and Duties of Excise upon Beer Ale and other Liquors for Securing certain Recompences to such Persons as should voluntarily advance the Summ of 1000000 l. towards carrying on the War against France But before the Signing of any more Acts came the unfortunate News of our Loss in the Mediterranean which tho' a most melancholly Story yet it is not
so fatal was the Slowness of this People to themselves in insisting that the Miquelets should be Prisoners of War that the Governour in the mean time having notice that Noailles was marching to his Relief redemanded his Hostages and refused to stand to the Articles so that the Siege was immediately raised But by this time the Confederate Fleet and such an one as those Seas never saw before was arrived in the Streights under the Command of Admiral Russel as much to the heartning of the Spaniards who seemed before to have given all for lost in Catalonia as it was a Mortification to the French who did not expect any such thing and now saw their Error in sending their Grand Fleet into those Seas where they must be couped up in the Harbor of Thoulon and be forced to leave all their Coasts both on the Ocean as well as the Mediterranean side unguarded and subject to every Insult of the Enemies And tho' Monsieur Tourville once adventured out to Sea with a design to slip by the English Admiral yet he quickly found the other had so sharp an Eye upon him that he was forced to return to his Port again and rest contented to lie in Souce there for the rest of the Winter from whom at present we shall take our Leave and post into Germany Here we find the Prince of Baden at the Head of the Imperialists and Monsieur de Lorge commanding the French Army which towards the beginning of June passed the Rhine and adventured in Order of Battle towards the Prince incamped near Hailbron who believing they would fight went on to meet them But they considered better of it and retreated towards Wiselock passed the Neckar burnt the Town of Lawdenburg and ruined the Flat Country which so incensed the Prince of Baden that though he were not yet reinforced by the Saxons yet he advanced to Wiselock a Post near which there happened a sharp Rencounter between a Detachment of French and Germans wherein the former lost near 300 Men and the latter near half the number but withal gained the Post which Monsieur de Lorge was so far from liking that he repassed the Rhine 3 Days after viz. Von the 28th of June After this we had nothing from both Armies for a time but that they had posted themselves the best they could in order to observe one another till at length the Prince of Baden impatient of Action resolved in his turn to cross the Rhine and to that end ordered the Marquess of Badeâ— Dourlack to pass the said River at Schwartzbach and Daxland with 23800 Horse and Foot who was followed next Day by the Prince himself which de Lorge no sooner heard of but he marched towards Landau But the Prince advanced and possessed himself of divers small Places and all the Passes as far as Croon-Weissemburg and mighty Expectations there were that the Germans now would either force the French to a Battle or manage their Affairs so as to secure Winter-Quarters on that side the Rhine or at least compleat the Ruin of the Country but neither succeeded For the first News that almost came was their repassing the Rhine again which was said was chiefly occasioned by the great Rains that fell which very much endangered the breaking down the Bridges the Prince had laid over that River However they made a safe Retreat brought away with them 14000 Head of Cattle destroyed a vast quantity of Forage in the Country and some Magazines of the French which put an end to the Summer's Work on that side There is little to be said of the Affairs of Savoy this Year for though the Duke absolutely rejected the Proposals made unto him by France after the Battle of Marsaglia yet he did or would do little or nothing now in the Field where the French were not so considerable as since they have been For besides what the Vaudois did in the Valley of Pragelas in burning some Villages of the French and taking some Mules laden with Provisions and the routing some Irish Detachments sent against them in the Valley of St. Martin which gave them an Opportunity to make a Ravage into Dauphine as far as Brianson we have nothing to say of the main Army For though it was expected on all Hands they would have besieged Casal and the Success of the Enterprize not much doubted of yet all that was done was the taking the Fort St. George and thereby further straitning that Place of which Siege you shall hear more next Year Neither were there any great matters done in Hungary for though the Turks were considerably superiour to the Imperialists in number who were this Year as the last commanded by General Caprara yet all that ever the Grand Visier could do could not force their Camp near Carlowitz nor destroy their Fleet so that the Grand Visier upon the â—st and 2d of Octob. drew off his Camp having sent away his Artillery and Baggage before and left only some few Carriages Hutts and other things of little Value behind them But because the Reasons of the Turks Retreat give the best Account of the Principal Passages that happened during their Attempt upon the Imperialists they are these that follow 1st Because a Detachment of Hussars from the Garrison of Titul being out upon a Party towards the Danube near Salankemen intercepted 20 great Boats laden with Meal and other Provisions together with a Frigat that convoyed them and constrained several other Barks to row back to Belgrade as fast as they could They killed above 100 Men in the Ren counter and forced 100 more into the River where they were either drowned or taken Prisoners of which Number was an Aga together with seven Colours So that the Ottoman Army had been seven Days in great Want 2dly For that it having rained for three Days and five Nights the Turks Approaches were very much endamaged and the Janisaries so discouraged by standing up to the middle of the Leg in Water and for want of Victuals that they refused to work any more 3dly Because the Grand Visier having by his continual Importunities obliged the Cham of Tartary to send a numerous Detachment of his Horse to the other side of the Danuâ— that Detachment had been vigorously repulsed by the Imperialists under Major-General Bassompierre So that the Tartars were constrained to flee part on this side the Danube and the rest on the other side of the Theysse with the Loss of Sultan Galga's Son and 500 more killed besides those that were drowned in the two Rivers and they who perished in the adjoining Marishes So that of 7000 Men of which that Detachment consisted but very few returned to the Camp they that escaped to the other side of the Theysse under the Command of Sultan Galga and had taken the Road to Temeswaer not exceeding the Number of 2000. 4thly Because that upon this ill Success the Cham had fallen out with the Grand Visier upbraiding him with
my self a Member of the Church of England I must take this Opportunity and I do it for God's Glory to apply my self to you that are Royalists of that Church of the same Faith and Principles with my self and I beg of you for God's sake and the Love of your Souls to be very constant and serious in all Religious Offices and holy Duties of Divine Worship and Service which I have too much neglected as I own to my great Sorrow Let no Excuse no Dangers prevent or hinder you in these most necessary and serious Matters and be I beseech you very careful and circumspect in all your Actions Behaviour and Conversation as I earnestly exhorted all that came to me I have I thank God a great deal of Satisfaction in my present Sufferings and have found it so ever since I have been under them And blessed be God it doth continually increase upon me And I do now lay down my Life with all Chearfulness and Resignation in sure and certain Hope of a Resurrection to Eternal Life through our Lord Jesus Christ through whose Merits alone I hope for the Pardon of my Sins and the Salvation of my Soul And so O Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth And I do heartily and humbly beseech thee Almighty God and my most Gracious â—ather to forgive and bless this sinful Nation deliver it from the Guilt of Rebellion Blood and Perjury 〈◊〉 is now on all sides more than ever and from all those other heinous Sins which cry aloud Preserve and bless this Church Comfort our distressed King Restore him to his Right and his mislead Subjects to their Allegiance Bless also his Royal Consort our Gracious Queen Mary his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales That he may grow in Stature and in Favour with God and Man Support and Strengthen all those that suffer in any kind for a good Cause give them Patience under all their Afflictions and a happy Deliverance out of them Forgive all mine Enemies Pardon my former Neglect and remissness in Religious Worship and Holy Duties and all the Sins I have been guilty of to this very moment Consider my Contrition accept my Tears And now Thou art pleased to take me hence take me into thy Favour and grant that my Soul may be without Spot presented unto Thee through the Merits of thy Most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen John Freind Sir WILLIAM PERKYNS's Paper IT hath not been my Custom to use many Words and I shall not be long upon this Occasion having Business of much greater Consequence to employ my Thoughts upon I thank God I am now in a full disposition to Charity and therefore shall make no Complaints either of the Hardships of my Tryal or any other Rigours put upon me However one Circumstance I think my self oblig'd to mention it was Sworn against me by Mr. Porter That I had own'd to him that I had Seen and Read a Commission from the King to Levy War upon the Person of the Prince of Orange Now I must declare That the Tenour of the King's Commission which I saw was General and directed to all his Loving Subjects to Raise and Levy War against the Prince of Orange and his Adherents and to seize all Forts Castles c. which I suppose may be a customary Form of giving Authority to make War but I must confess I am not much acquainted with Matters of that Nature But as for any Commission particularly levelled against the Person of the Prince of Orange I neither saw nor heard of any such It 's true I was privy to the Design upon the Prince but was not to act in it and I am fully satisfied that very few or none knew of it but those who undertook to do it I freely acknowledge and think it for my Honour to say That I was entirely in the Interest of the King being always firmly persuaded of the Justice of his Cause and looked upon it as my Duty both as a Subject and an Englishman to Assist him in the Recovery of his Throne which I believed him to be deprived of contrary to all Right and Justice taking the Laws and Constitution of my Country for my Guide As for my Religion I die in the Communion of the Church of England in which I was Educated And as I freely forgive all the World so who-ever I may any ways have Injured I heartily ask them Pardon April 13. 1696. William Perkyns Here the Bigottry of these poor and wretched Men cannot but be admired and pitied that they should justifie their Treasons to the last Gasp which hot-headed Charnock did not think fit to do But this can be attributed to nothing else save the blind Zeal and rebellious Principles of those Clergy-men that were with them and who fairly if they had had their Desert should have been hang'd for Administring Absolution to them without any precedent Confession in direct Opposition to the Laws of that Church whereof they would be thought Members which thereupon was condemned by 14 Bishops being all that were then in London and assented to by all the rest that were Absent It 's well they liv'd under so mild a Government though they were unworthy of it had they been guilty in the late Reigns of any that had come near the pitch of their Crime they had infallibly swung for it when Julian Johnson was so severely Whipped and barbarously Used for his honest Address to the English Soldiery and Seamen The other 3 that followed viz. Cranborn Rookwood and Lowick all confessed the Crime though in a different manner but the 2 latter who were Roman Catholicks somewhat more modestly than the former tho' a pretended Protestant who called it a righteous Cause for which he suffer'd The Papers they deliver'd were these Major LOWICK's Paper In the Name of the most Holy Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen IN the first place I die in the Religion I was Baptized viz. Roman Catholick and humbly beg the Prayers of all Good People for a happy Resurrection and of all Catholicks for the Good of my Soul As for being ingag'd in this for which I die it was never so positive that I had a Horse from the beginning to the very last nor never see any allotted me or the two Men I was to provide as was sworn against me at my Tryal nor had I any on that Account nor was I at any of their Meetings when they settled any such thing And as for any Order of Commission from King James I never see any since I came last into England which is now above 5 Years and I am confident none that knows King James will believe he would give any such Order Indeed I must confess I believe King James was a coming to assert his own Right and I should if on Shore have done any thing in my Power to have assisted him and in order to
Lawful Sovereign King James the Queen and Prince of Wales and Restore him and his Posterity to this Throne again for the Peace and Prosperity of this Nation which is impossible to prosper till the Government is settled upon a right Foot And now O God I do with all Humble Devotion Commâ—â—â— my Soul into thy Hands the great Maker and Preserver of Meâ— and Lover of Souls beseeching thee That it may be always 〈◊〉 and precious in thy Sight through the Merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ Amen J. FENWICK But to leave this ungrateful Subject the Parliament besides the passing of the usual Land-Tax made an Act â—o Granting to His Majesty several Duties upon Parchment Papâ— and Vellum to encourage the Bringing of Plate and Hammer'â— Mony into the Mint to be Coined As there was also another Act To encourage the Bringing in of Wrought Plate to be Coineâ— There was also Divers Impositions upon Goods and Merchandizâ—â— continued The Deficiencies of Funds made good The Capâ—â— Stock of the Bank of England enlarged And For Raising the Publick Credit Besides which there were Impositions laid upon Leather and Malt A farther Subsidy of Tonnage and Pounâ—age granted and an Act made For Licensing Hawkers 〈◊〉 Pediars But before these Things were compleated in England the Preliminaries of the Peace were agreed on in Holland and signed the 10th of February And they are these that foâ—â—low I. THE French King doth consent and agree that the Treaties of Westphalia and Nimeguen shall be the Basis and Foundation of the Negotiation of the General Peace to be made with all the Allies II. That the City of Strasburgh be restored to the Empire in the State it was when taken by His Majesty III. That the City of Luxemburgh shall be restored to the King of Spain in the Condition it is now But here you are to observe that France made an Offer to the Allies by way of Equivalent for the said Cities IV. The Towns of Mons and Charleroy shall be given up in the Condition they are at present V. That those Places in Catalonia which are in the French King's Hands and which he hath taken since the Peace of Nimeguen shall be restored in the same State as they were taken VI. That the Town and Castle of Dinant shall be given up to the Bishop and Prince of Liege in the State they were taken VII That all the Re-unions which have been made since the Treaty of Nimeguen shall be void VIII Lorrain shall be restored according to the Conditions of the said Treaty But here it was agreed That in case the Concessions made in respect to Lorrain did not please this Article should be referred to the General Treaty with Promises that greater Offers should then be made and that it should be the first Point treated on in the Negotiation It was also farther agreed That upon the Conclusion of the Peace the Most Christian King should acknowledge the Prince of Orange for King of Great Britain without any manner of Difficulty Restriction Condition or Reserve That as for other Princes whether in the Confederacy or not their Pretensions should be reserved to the General Negotiation under the Mediation of the King of Sweden IX The Dutchy of Duux-Ponts to be restored to the King of Sweden with all its Dependancies X. Philipsburgh to be restored to the Bishop of Spire XI The Fort of Kehl and other Fortifications made on the Rhine to be rased XII As also Fort Louis and Hunninghen XIII That Trarbach and Mont-Royal should be given up but first dismantled upon Condition they should never be fortified again XIV The French King agreed to give up to the Elector Palatin not only all the Electorate but also the Dutchies of Simmeren and Lauthern with the Earldom of Shanheim as also all other Places whereof he had been dispossessed to this present Time XV. That Madam the Dutchess of Orleans was to do nothing upon Account of her Pretensions Via Facti but might bring her Action according to the Law in relation to the Electors XVI That the Castle and County of Veldens be restored to their lawful Owner XVII Bisweiler to the Count of Hanau XVIII The Seigniories of March Marmosy and Dagstein and the Counties of Louningue and Dagsbourgh should be delivered up to the Count of Overstein XIX That the Seigniories of Salms and Valkenstein should be given up to the Prince of Salms or to their Proprietors seeing that the same is still in question XX. The Seigniories of Latzensteim and Altheim to their Proprietors XXI Otweiler to the House of Nassau XXII That the City and County of Mompelgard Harcourt Blainont and Chatelette should be put into the Possession of the House of Wirtemburgh XXIII That Germersheim should be also given up to the Elector Palatin notwithstanding any former Treaties to the contrary XXIV That Stadeck and Landsbergue be given to the Count of Veldentz XXV That the Principality of Orange be given up to its Sovereign But for all this some of the Ministers of the Allies after having consulted their Masters hereupon Declared That as to what concerned the first Article they fully agreed to it But for Strasburg they further insisted it should be restored with its Fortifications and Dependances and that no equivalent should be accepted for it They accepted of the Third Fourth and Fifth Articles only they insisted that not only the City but the County of Luxemburg and that of Chinay should be given up As they did that the City and Castle of Dinant should be yielded together with the Dutchy of Bovillion in the same state they were They Declared themselves satisfied as to the Seventh Article touching the Re-unions but not so with the agreement made about Lorrain which they would have restored to the Duke its Sovereign without any manner of restriction In pursuance to the said Preliminaries and Reswick as the Place of Treaty being after many Difficulties and Scruples fully agreed to by all parties concerned The Conferences began about the 9th of May and were not carried on to any considerable length before there was a work of another Nature done in the Field Where the French as having made a Peace with Savoy as we have told you last Year and as being their last Effort were very powerful this Year especially in Flanders and Catalonia In the first whereof they had still the advantage over the Confederates from the remoteness of the German Troops and the slowness of their march and who hardly came into the Camp this Year â—ill the French had done their work in the Reduction of Aeth which tho' it gave some farther Reputation to their Arms and Cause yet it came far short of the Boasts they had made all the Spring of attacking a no less considerable place than Namur But their grand design upon 〈◊〉 His Majesty by his great Prudence Courage and Celerity utterly Disappointed so that their intentions to become sole Masters of the Peace and
granted pass'd and stipulated between the above-mention'd Plenipotentiary-Embassadors of the said Most Christian and Catholick Kings in the Name of their Majesties which Plenipotentiaries by virtue of their full Powers Copies of which shall be affix'd at the bottom of this present Treaty have promis'd and do promise under the Obligation of all and every the Territories and States present and to come of the Kings their Masters That they shall be inviolably observ'd and accomplish'd and that they will cause them to be sincerely and uprightly ratify'd without any Additions and to produce the Ratifications by Letters Authentick and seal'd wherein the whole present Treaty shall be inserted Word for Word within Six Weeks to commence from the Day and Date of the present Treaty or sooner if it may be Moreover the said Plenipotentiaries have promis'd and do promise in the said Names That the said Letters of Ratifications being produc'd the said Most Christian King as soon as may be in the Presâ—nce of such Person or Persons as the said Catholick King shall please to appoint shall solemnly swear upon the Cross Gospel Canons of the Mass and upon his Honour fully cordially and faithfully to observe and fulfil all the Articles contain'd in this present Treaty And the same thing shall likewise be done as soon as may be by the said Catholick King in the presence of such Person or Persons whom it shall please the Most Christian King to depute In Testimony of which Things the said Plenipotentiaries have subscrib'd the present Treaty with their Names and seal'd it with their Seals Given at Riswick in Holland September the 20 th 1697. Thus Sâ—gn'd in the Original L. S. N. I illieroot L. S. De Harlay Bonnueil L. S. Verjus de Crecy L. S. De Callieres But though the Imperialists seemed to be a little concern'd at these Proceedings of their Allies yet they thought it the most advisable way to agree to a Cessation of Arms which was done two Days after the Signing of this Treaty and Expresses were immediately Dispatched to the respective Armies upon the Rhine to cease from any further acts of Hostility Yet before advice could come hereof to Prince Lewis of Baden he had taken the Castle of Eberemburg and was going to lay Siege to Kirn also But what was perhaps more mortifying to the Imperial Ministers than all the rest was that advice had not come a few days sooner of the wonderful Success of the Emperors Arms in Hungary which would in all likelihood have a little cooled the eagerness of those powers that had already signed the Peace and made the French more complyant with the Emperor and Empire's Demands But though they failed herein yet certainly such an advantageous Battle has not been fought in the whole course of this Bloody War which had now lasted for 15 Years And before we go any further its fit we should give a few particulars of this memorable Action The Imperialis is true miscarried in the first Design they had concerted to begin the Campaign with the taking of Bihatz the more than ordinary Opposition they met with there and the Rebellion that brake forth in Vpper Hungary which was calculated to have begun about the time of the Election of Poland having occasioned them to draw their Troops that way But though the Head of this last Hydra was quickly cut off yet the Turks headed again by the Grand Seignior in Person seemed to come very formidable into the Field and threatned to give new Life to this Monster again or to push quite through Transylvania and thereby entirely despoil the Emperor of the Benefit of that Principality Though other Aspects of the Enemies Motion gave the Germans Umbrage that they designed to attack Peter Waradin But while Prince Eugenius of Savoy who commanded the Imperial Army lay at Belsche he received upon the 12th of Sept. the Confirmation of the Intelligence that he had had before That the Infidels had a Design to march directly to Segedin with this Addition That several Parties of Turks and Tartars were sent out to burn and plunder the Country A Captain of Zenta also Tokeli by Name reported That about Noon the Enemy was at Zenta and that they had detached a Body of Horse in order to destroy all before them For the better Assurance of the Truth of which two Parties of 60 Horses apiece were sent upon the Scout In the mean time the Army decamped before Day and marched in 12 Columns Six of Horse and Six of Foot the Artillery in the middle in which Order they continued their March till 9 in the Afternoon in which time some of the Parties sent to get Intelligence brought word That they met the Enemies Guards near Zenta Hereupon the Hussars were immediately sent away to succour and bring them off who having performed their Orders took a Bassa Prisoner and returned without the Loss of one Man The Bassa was examined and threatned to have his Head cut off if he did not tell the Truth He told them That the Grand Seignior had a real Design to march directly to Segedin and to try if he could make himself Master of it in his March because he was assured by Tekely and the Corussâ—s That it might be easily taken before the Imperial Army could overtake them and withal That the City was defenceless But understanding that the Imperialists who were decamped from Peter Waradin followed them close at the Heels and that there was a numerous Garrison in Segedin he had stopt at Zenta and had laid a Bridge over the Theysse which they had brought in Waggons and which had been built at Belgrade last Winter by the Direction of a Frenchman being a neat good commodious Invention That now the Grand Seignior had a Design to march into Transilvania and Vpper Hungary to which purpose he had already passed the Theysse in Person with some Thousands of Horse That the last Night when this Bassa was sent upon the Scout the Artillery and heavy Baggage began to pass the same River but that the rest of the Army was still on the other side with above an Hundred Pieces of Cannon nor could he tell whether those Troops would pass the River or no That in the mean time the Turks were already intreâ—ched and that they had begun to cast another Intrenchment at the Head of the Bridge The Bassa added That the Tartars Corusses and some Turks burnt all the Country before them though as he said they had received no such Orders from the Sultan which was not easie to be believed Upon this Information the Army continued their March receiving Advice every Moment by the Hussars and Spies That the Enemy was still crossing the River and that their Cavalry were stirred out of their Intrenchments according to Custom to skirmish with the Christians Two Hours after other Prisoners gave an Account That the greatest part of the Horse were already on the other side of the River and the
rest were hasting to pass it All this while the Imperialists could not imagine that the Infantry could stay alone on this side the River because that the Night before they had done no more than only begun to make a second Retrenchment according to the Report of the Bassa and other Prisoners This obliged Prince Eugenius to advance with the Cavalry and some Artillery within an Hours March of Zenta receiving divers Confirmations in his March of what had been reported The Prince being come to the Place before-mentioned staid there for the Foot which being arrived he drew up the Army in Battle-Array the Right Wing was secured by the Theysse the Left was extended as far as the Men could take up any Ground the Left Flank was reinforced with a Second Line In this Order he made a Halt till 3 of the Clock and half an hour past at what time the Army marched in Battle-Array Being come near Zenta they could perceive but Two Thousand of the Enemies Horse The Van Courriers also reported That they viewed the Turks Bridge over which Troops were continually passing insomuch that there was a great deal of Confusion upon the Bridge Upon which Prince Eugenius took three Regigiments of Dragoons out of both the Wings and two more out of the second Line of the Flank with some Pieces of Cannon and putting himself at the Head of that Detachment advanced towards the Enemy with all the Speed he could giving Order for the rest of the Army to follow him in order of Battle All this while the Enemy's Horse made over the Bridge as fast as they could so that the Prince could easily perceive the Confusion that was upon the Bridge there being a World of Baggage still on this side Being thus advanced within Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Detachments the Turks began to play upon the Imperialists with their great Guns which the Christians answered while the Army still advanced and the six Regiments which had been detached were ordered to their Stations in the Army In this Order the Army advanced within half Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Entrenchments there remaining no more than two Hours of Day-light The Right Wing was then as it were lin'd by the River together with some Regiments of the Flank of the Left at what time they perceiv'd the Enemy's Horse were endeavouring to slide between them and the River and so fall upon that Wing but they found that impossible In the mean time they planted some Pieces of Cannon upon that Wing with which they plaid continually against the Bridge and the same Order was observed in the Right Wing and immediately after the Fight began on every side I have already told you that the Turkish Cavalry endeavour'd to slip between the River and the Left Wing which the Imperialists perceiving and observing that there was a Space of Ground between 30 and 40 Paces broad between the Enemy and the River from whence they might fall upon the Enemy's Rear they planted some Cannon there with all speed and ordered the Enemy to be attack'd by the Infantry of the Flank and the Left Wing some time before the main Body and the Foot of the Right Wing could do it This succeeded 〈◊〉 notwithstanding the thick Fire of the Enemy with their great Guns laden with Cartouches and the continual Vollies of their Small-shot so that the Infantry of the Left Wing broke in upon them and then the Army as well Horse as Foot fell on at the same Instant that the Enemy was already in some Disorder by reason of those who had already fallen upon their Backs There were two Entrenchments one behind another besides a Barricado of Waggons and they were so good that it is not easie to apprehend how the Foot could force them The Victors passed them both in half an Hours time during which there was nothing but Fire and Smoak on both sides The Horse also advanced at the same time with the Infantry to the Moat of the Entrenchment where they stood the Enemy's Fire and charged in the same manner as the Foot which perhaps was hardly ever seen before So soon as the Infantry of the Left Wing had broken into the Entrenchments all the Army acted together with equal Force nor was it possible to restrain the Soldiers One part of the Cavalry alighted from their Horses and passed the Moat over the slain Enemy In the mean time the Germans of the Left Wing and Flank cut off the Turks way to the Bridge whence followed a most horrible Slaughter as well within the Entrenchments as upon the Bridge and in the River into which they threw themselves to escape the Imperialists For the Soldiers were so eager after Blood that they gave Quarter to no Body neither Bassa's nor Officers tho' they promised large Ransoms Hence it came to pass that so few Prisoners were taken and those only such as were found among the Slain or in the Barks that composed the Bridge By those it was understood that all the Turkish Infantry was in the Fight there being not any on the other side of the River but about 2000 Men for the Grand Seignior's Guard Whence it may be concluded That the Foot were all destroy'd and that several Thousands were slain The Fight ended with the Day nor can we sufficiently set forth the Valour and Courage of the Generals the Officers and Soldiers from the highest to the lowest but principally the Skill and Dexterity of Prince Eugenius is to be extolled who tho' much inferiour to the Enemy knew so well how to watch his Opportunity that he made himself equal to him in some sort by falling upon him at a time that but one part of his Army could fight the other being on the other side of the River and not able to succour those that were distress'd All the Imperialists retreated out of the Trenches after two Hours within Night and spent the rest of it as well as they could However it were so order'd that the greatest Number was posted along the Theysse but it was impossible to rally them all again under their proper Colours Some were appointed to Guard the Bridge beyond which was set an advanced Guard The next day being the 12th a Camp was marked out for the Army and it was found that the Action was much more advantageous than it was thought as well for the Number of the Slain as the Number of great Guns the vast quantities of Bombs Carcasses Granadoes Ammunition and Provision besides great and small Cattle by reason of the Enemy's Camp beyond the River which was half a League wide and which the Turks had quitted The Fugitives reported That the Grand Seignior fled in great Consternation to Temeswaer In their Camp were found all their Tents with that of the Grand Seignior's himself several Camels and other Beasts heavy Artillery Bombs Carcasses and other Ammunition besides a prodigious quantity of Provision and about 6000 Waggons on both sides the River and some Men
is not to be forced in Matters of Religion and so regulate their Actions accordingly But however it may prove with these of the Popish Communion and how rigorously they may be still bent to extripate that which they mis-call by the Name of Heresie and how great soever the Demerit of our Suffering Brethren may be the general and solemn Days of Humiliation and Prayers appointed for their Deliverance by almost the Universal Authority of all the Protestant Princes and States of Europe is one good sign that their Salvation draweth nigh The INDEX A. ABstract of Peace between the Empire and France Page 58 c. between France Sweden and Brandenburgh 66. between France Sweden and Denmark 71 c. Ackmet Sultan of the Turks his Death 534. Aeth besieged and surrender'd to the French 593. Agria surrendred to the Imperialists 235. Aghrim a Relation of the Battle there 429 c. Albania ravaged by the Turks 407. Alba Regalis surrendred by the Imperialists 249. Alexander VIII Pope his Death 456. Allâ—es endeavour to keep Spain out of the Peace 38. Altercations about the Basis of the Reswick Treaty 595 and 599. Ann Princess her Letter to the Queen 289 c. Argyle E. of lands in Scotland 267. his Declaration 268 c. taken and beheaded 269. Articles of Alliance between England and Holland 23 c. of Peace between Holland and France 28 c. between France and Spain 41 c. between Strasburgh and France 113 c. between France and Savoy 565 c. Of Neutrality in Italy 575. Of Peace between England and France 603 c. between Holland and France 609 c. between France and Spain 619 c. between the Empire and France 647 c. of Alliance between France and Sweden 676 c. Assassination discovered 541. Assassins tried and executed 552 c. Association at Exeter for the Prince of Orange 285. Athens submits to the Venetians 242. Athlone besieged in vain by the English 375. besieged again 425. taken 427. Avaux Count de his Memorial at the Hague 259. Ausburg the League there 131. B. BAden P. Lewis of defeats the Turks at Brod 254. made General in Hungary 336. defeats the Turks at Patochin 337 c. At Nissa 333. reduces Transylvania and expels Tekeley 414. beats the Turks at Salankemen 453 c. Barkan the Battle there between the Christians and the Turks 147. taken by the Germans 148. Bavaria Elect. of arrives with his Troops before Buda 158. made General in Hungary 250. his Letter to Osman Basha 252. takes Belgrade by storm 254. Beaumont Lieutenant-Colonel his Speech refuses Irish Soldiers is imprisoned c. 260. Belgrade besieged by the Imperialists 250. taken by Storm 254. besieged again by the Turks 411. taken by Storm 412. besieged again by the Imperialists 489. Siege raised 490. Berghen Prince of his Letter to Villeroy 522. Beverning Dutch Plenipotentiary his Saying of the French 11. of the King of England ib. Acts the Mediator ib. complies with the French 19. Articles against him 40. Bill of Exclusion 91 c. rejected by the Lords 94. Bishops seven their Petition to King James 245 c. imprison'd and acquitted 246 c. Advice to him 261 c. Black Box the story of it 80. Bonne besieged and surrendred to the Elector of Brandenburgh 335 c. Boufflers Mareschal de seized at Namur 530. released 531. Boyle Robert Esq his Death and Character 475. Boyne the Battle there 369 c. Brandenburgh Elector of solicits Peace in France 62. Fails and endeavours to embroil the Peace of the Empire ib. his Letter to the French King 64 c. receives Money of France 67. his Demands of the States ib. his Death 305. this Letter to Elbing 684 c. Brussels bombarded by the French â—22 Buda besieged by the Imperialists 156. the Siege raised 159. besieged a second time 208 Battle there 205. the siege continued 209 taken by storm 211. C. CAlais bomb'd by the English 561. Catamata abandoned by the Turks 195. Cambray surrendred to the French 9. Caminieck relieved by the Tartars 507. Canea besieged by the Venetians in vain 475 c. Canisia surrendred to the Imperialists 408. Carignan the Action there between the French and Confederates 403. Carigfergus besieged by the English and surrendred 324. Carmagnola besieged and taken by the French 449. retaken by the Confederates 451. Casal the siege of it and taken by the Confederates 532. Castle-Nuova besieged by the Venetians 240. surrendred 239. Charlemont Castle surrendred to the English 365. Charleroy besieged by the French and surrendred 482. Charles II. King unconstant to his Engagements to the P. of Orange 13. tempted with Money from France 18. concludes an Alliance with Holland 22. his Letter to the Duke of York 75. constitutes a new Council ib. unconstant 76. disclaims any Marriage with Monmouth's Mother 80 c. his Different Demeanour to the Addressors for Parliaments and Abhorrers of Petitioning 82. his Speech to the Parliament 90 c. petitioned by several Lords for the Sitting of the Parliament at Westminster 97 c. dissolves the Oxford Parliament and his pretended Reasons for it 108. prosecutes Protest-Dissentors 115 his Methods to get Charters surrendred and his design therein 129. demolishes Tangier that cost him so much 130. contemptible abroad 149. his Death and Character 165. Charnock his Paper at his Execution 552 c. Chialafa besieged by the Turks in vain 216. Churchill Lord his Letter to King James 289. Ciclut taken by the Venetians 505. Colledge Stephen tried at Oxford and Executed 110. Congress at the Hague 421. Comet appear'd 97. Commons the House of debate King James's Speech 184. address him to turn out the Popish Officers ib. Conferences about Peace renewed at Nimeguen 55. Coni besieged by the French 449. relieved 450. Conspiracy in the Army in Ireland 328. in England 458. Conti Prince of goes from Poland and his Letter to the Republick 640. returns 641. Corinth abandoned by the Turks 241. Cork besieged and surrendred to the English 384 c. Cornish Mr. tried 181. executed 182. Coron besieged the Battle there 192 c. taken by Storm 194. Coin remedied 540. Courland Duke of his Death 689. Cross du his Message from England to Holland 25. contriv'd in Portsmouth's Lodgings 26. Czar of Muscovy his Travels 682. D. DAngerfield Thomas whipp'd and kill'd 203. Dauphine Married 87. Debates of the Lords and Commons about Abdication 307 c. Declaration for Liberty of Conscience 224. at Nottingham in favour of the Pr. of Orange 286 c. of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal at Guildhal 297. of Right in England 308 c. of Right in Scotlandâ— 312. English Declaration of War against France 320 c. of the Protestant Princes against the 4th Article of Reswick 643 c. Deynse surrendred to the French 520. Delamere Lord rises for the P. of Orange in Cheshire 284. Demands of the Allies at Nimeguen 5 c. Denmark Ambassador of enrag'd at