repulsing the common Enemy of the Christian Religion At the same time that the Court was giving Orders to demolish the Churches of our Protestants she was labouring to find out some colourable pretext to hinder the Emperor from turning the Mosquees of Hungary into Christian Churches And what an impious piece of Villany was this At last the business of Cologne furnish'd her with the pretext that she desir'd but it was certainly a very bad one For what right had the King to interpose in the Election of an Archbishop of Cologne and because he had an itching desire to seize on the Palatinate he took the advantage of a pretended right of the Dutchess of Orleans to the Estates of the late Elector Palatine her Brother Immediately an Army was sent to invade Germany The Dauphin took Philipsbourg and the Cities of Mentz Worms Spire Manheim and Heidelberg with several other places surrendred without Resistance God usually blesses such Atttempts for he does not always work Miracles to defend us against an Enemy that breaks Truces and Treaties of Peace confirm'd with the most solemn Oaths to assault us unprepar'd When I say that God blesses such Attempts you cannot mistake my Meaning 't is plain that I speak in the Style of the Court where 't is also said in the same sense that God blest His Majesty's Arms when he broke the Peace of the Pyrenees to invade the Dominions of a Minor Prince who rely'd on the Faith of a Treaty made with Spain or when he rush'd like an impetuous Deluge upon the United Provinces who never design'd to give him the least ill satisfaction These are the glorious Exploits of Lewis the Great this is that course of Prosperity with which God has blest His Reign this is that which has excited the Envy of the Potentates of Europe and engag'd them in an unjust War against him Let us examine these last words I beseech you a little Attention will serve to discover the ridiculousness of them 'T is not my Business to draw up a Manifesto for the Allies and they are able enough to demonstrate the Justice of their Arms without my Assistance But since we have begun to examine the Preface of the King's Declaration let us proceed to enquire Whether the Author of it could say with the least shadow of Reason That the Princes of Europe are combin'd together to carry on an unjust War against France In the first place 't is certain that no Prince in Europe has invaded France since the Pyrenean Treaty But how many Irruptions has our King made into the Spanish and United Netherlands Germany and the Dominions of the Duke of Savoy And the rest of the Confederates have only put themselves in a posture of Defence or assisted their injur'd Allies So that these seems to be a prejudication in favour of the Confederates The King always begun the War but the question is whether he had ever examin'd the Justice of his Cause before God or made it appear to Judicious and dsinteressed Persons If he has done neither he stands Condemn'd before God and Men for robbing his Neighbours answerable before both for all the Desolations with which he has fill'd the Spanish Netherlands the United Provinces Germany Savoy and Catalonia and guilty of the Blood of above a Million of Men and is also convicted before the same Tribunal for placing his delight in ruining his own Kingdom and reducing his Subjects to the last extremities of Misery Does not this course of Prosperity with which Heaven has blest the Reign of Lewis the Great make you tremble when you reflect upon it and fill you with Amazement and Horror * Inferre bella finitimis ac populos sibi non molestos sola regnandi cupiditate conterere fâ—bdere quid aliud quam grande Latrocinium nominandum est August de civit Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. 6. He that makes War upon his Neighbours says S. Austin meerly to satisfie a Lust of Dominion and subdues Nations that never provok'd him is usually extoll'd by his flatterers as a great Conqueror but to speak sincerely he is only an Illustrious Robber * Rem tâ Jus itiâ quid sunt Regna nisi ma na Latrocinia ipsa Latrocinia quid sunt nisi parva Regna The Captain of a band of Robbers and the Commander of a Crew of Pyrates are little Conquerors and a Conqueror who follows blinldy the impetuous desires of a lawless Ambition is but a great Thief Thou Wretch said the greatest Conqueror in the World to a Pyrate that was brought before him what Reason mov'd thee to interrupt the liberty of Trade on the Sea The same my Lord answer'd the bold Corsair that moves you to disturb the quiet of the whole Earth I am a Pyrate because I am Master only of a small Vessel and you are a Conqueror because you Command a great Fleet. It is then an uncontroverted Truth and receiv'd for such by all Nations that a Prince who Attacks his Neighbours only with a design to aggrandize himself and to purchase Glory is in the sight of God and Men a Robber and a Pyrate It is not only lawful but a Duty to make Leagues against him as it is to join together to pursue a Thief or chase a Pyrate Now tell me Sir whether you could have the confidence to maintain in a company of Honest and Intelligent Persons that the King had lawfull Reasons to invade the Spanish Netherlands after the Death of the late King of Spain to enter the United Provinces with a formidable Army to send his Son to Germany to take Philipsburgh and to seize on the Palatinate and the greatest part of the Electorates of Triers Mentz and Cologne What could you alledge to justifie the first Attempt of which the two last are fatal Consequences Would you have recourse to the pretended Rights of the late Queen to Hainanlt and Brabant She had renounc'd them in the most solemn Treaty that has been seen within our Memory and the King her Husband had sworn upon the Holy Gospels to observe all the Articles If that Renunciation be not good there can be no Faith or Religion in the World and 't is a folly for Princes to treat together Let them henceforth lay down their Arms when both Parties are weary of Fighting and reserve a right to renew the War assoon as they shall be in a condition to prosecute it For such Maxims would be found to be infinitely less pernicious than the impious Politicks of those who make a mock of Religion and swear by all that is most venerable in it to observe the conditions of a Treaty which they are resolv'd to break upon the first favourable occasion But you will perhaps say that the King of Spain constrain'd his Daughter to act against her true Inrerest and treated her with the highest Injustice Constraint and Jnjustice Sir Can any Man of sense make so ridiculous a Supposition The
Affairs is altered and nothing of moment is imparted to these They are too happy when His Majesty suffers them to pass some idle and tedious Hours at Versailles or to go to the Camp to be kill'd like private Soldiers Not only matters of State are not communicated to them but they are not suffer'd to be Masters even at home nor so much as consulted concerning the Marriage of their own Children 'T is well known after what manner the Duke of Chartres married Mademoiselle de Blois The Prince to preserve an Office and a Government in his Family and to secure the Fortunes of his Children was forc'd to marry them to Bastards whose Mother's Name would not be permitted to be mentioned in any publick Deed. The Prince of Conty is Master of all those excellent Endowments both natural and acquired with which a Person of his Quality ought to be adorn'd But what Treatment does so rare a Merit procure him at the Court He is left without Command Office or Government while the chief Employments are given to to those that are infinitely beneath him I know some Gentlemen who are oftentimes wont to complain that the Princes of the Blood are not more tenderly touch'd with a sence of their own Disgrace and our Miseries But neither is their Power considerable nor do we merit their Assistance The late Prince inspired with a just Indignation against the French Nobility used to say I put the Sword in their Hands I cry'd out against Tyranny and they answered me with Musquet-shot The Consideration of his Misfortunes has taught our Princes Caution And if any one among 'em should have the Generosity to declare himself the Protector of the Common Interest who could assure us that our Country-men would not still be Fools enough to fight against him The Dukes and Peers and Officers of the Crown are likewise by vertue of their Dignity chief Counsellors of State and have a Right to go to the Parliament when they please Ah! vain Shadow of the Glorious Priviledges of the ancient Peers of France No matter of Importance was transacted without their Consent They remain'd unconcern'd Spectators of the Wars that were begun without their Approbation leaving the King to pursue his own private Quarrels and serv'd him only in those Wars which they judg'd necessary for the common good of the Realm Such is the obedience which the present Princes of Germany pay to the Emperor and you know better than I that the Government of France did very much resemble that of Germany before our King 's had remitted to the Crown those great Fiefs that were dismembred from it during the Reign of Hugh Capet When the King acted contrary to the Priviledges of the Nobility or to the good of the People they did not fail to oppose him they appeal'd to the States-General and enter'd into Leagues among themselves and with the principal Cities to prevent the Execution of the unjust attempts of their Prince Philip Sirnam'd the Long had form'd a design to seize on the fifth part of the Estates of his Subjects under the pretext of reforming or New-coining the Money But the Princes and the Prelates says * Abridgement of Mezeray one of our Historians would not suffer the King's Commissaries to Execute his Orders they appeal'd to the States General and enter'd into Confederacies with the Cities which had so good an effect that the Imposition could not be Levied Do you think that these generous Patriots would have suffer'd a King to seize on the fifth part of all the Coin'd Money in the Kingdom twice in less than Four Years by commanding it Arbitrarily to be new Stamp'd And when did we renounce our Right of having recourse to those means which our Ancestors might lawfully make use of for the preservation of their Estates and Liberties No sooner had Lewis XI mounted the Throne but he began to * Abridgement of Mezeray Govern without a Council and for the most part also without Justice and Reason He fancyed himself an abler Politician than his Predecessors and left no means unessay'd to make himself terrible He chose rather to follow the Dictates of his own unruly Humour than to observe the Wise Laws of the Nation He thought he could not make a nobler use of his Authority than by oppressing his Subjects and that the best way to display his Grandeur was by ruining the greatest Families in the Kingdom and advancing the meanest of the People This is what some call says Mezeray to pass the Mon-age of Royalty and to rule without a Tutor but they ought rather to say without Sense or Reason Thus the King by endeavouring to assume an Arbitrary or Despotick Power irritated the Minds of the Princes of the Blood the Nobility and all true Lovers of their Country who resolv'd generously to shake off the Yoke that they were not accustom'd to bear Charles Duke of Orleans and first Prince of the Blood undertook to represent their grievances to His Majesty in the presence of a numerous Assembly of Persons of Quality who were met at the Court. Accordingly he spoke to the King with all the freedom that his Age Reputation and Quality Authorised him to use But these Remonstrances offended His Majesty and were received with Indignation and Scorn adds the same * Abridgement of Mezeray Historian The good Duke Died with Grief two Days after But not long after the King's Brother the Count of Charolois Son of the Duke of Burgundy the Dukes of Bretaign Calabria Bourbon and Alenzon with several other Princes of the Blood the Duke of Vemours the Counts of Armaguac Dunois S. Pol the Mareschal de Lohear the Lords of Albret Bueil and Chaumont-Amboise and almost all the Nobility and old Officers of the Army enter'd into an Association to oppose the pernicious Designs of the King And this Confederacy was call'd the League of the Publick-Good Lewis was then reduc'd to so great an extremity that if the City of Paris had joyn'd with the League they might have easily driven him out of the Kingdom Our flatterers are wont to call this Confederacy an unlawful Rebellion But Philip de Cominees did not think fit to give it so odious a name he was better acquainted with the Rights both of the Subjects and Sovereigns of Europe Far from that he only blames the United Princes for neglecting to secure the Interests of the People when they made their own Peace with the King * l. 1. c. 2 3. c. The Publick Good says he yielded to private Interest †Abridgement of Mezeray A modern Historian adds that it was agreed to nominate Thirty and Six Persons whom they called Notables consisting of an equal number of the Nobility Clergy and Lawyers who should be impowered to consult together and to fall upon proper Methods to ease the People of their Grievances and to redress the disorders of the State This instance gives us a clear view of the ancient
LETTERS WRITTEN BY A French GENTLEMAN GIVING A Faithful and Particular Account of the Transactions at the Court of FRANCE RELATING To the Publick Interest of EUROPE WITH Historical and Political Reflexions on the Ancient and Present State of that KINGDOM Communicated by Monsieur VASSOR LONDON Printed And Sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick-Lane 1695 THE CONTENTS OF THE First Letter INtroduction Page 1 An Account of some Considerations that might have deter'd the French King from imposing Arbitralily a General Poll-Tax on his Subjects Page 2 The Injustice of such an Imposition further demonstrated Page 3 That notwithstanding all these Reasons the Edict for that Taxation will pass at all adventures ibid. That the French are tamer Slaves than either the Romans of Old or the Danes at present Page 4 The Motive that makes the French King endeavour to enslave England and Holland Page 5 That the Poll-Tax is the last Refuge of the French Court Page 6 A Remark upon the Inscriptions on the Gates of Paris ibid. That the Poll-Tax will not raise such vast Sums as the Emissaries of that Court give out Page 7 That the Countrey is extreamly impoverished and the King's Revenues very much diminished Page 7 8 That the present Misery of the French Nation is too great to admit of any Alleviation from the Prospect of better times to come Page 9 That none dare presume to Petition the King to Assemble the Estates of the Kingdom ibid. That according to the Primitive Constitution of the French Government the Soveraign Authority was lodg'd in the States General of the Nation Page 10 That the Power of the Prince was limited among the ancient Gauls and other Northern Nations Page 11 That the French have still a just Title to their ancient Priviledges ibid. A Comparison between the ancient and present condition of the Princes of the Blood illustrated by some particular instances Page 12 13 An Account of the ancient Priviledges of the Dukes and Peers of France Page 13 That they had a right to oppose the unjust Designs of the Prince by entering into Leagues against him Page 14 The History of the League of the Publick Good against Lewis the XI Philip de Cominees Opinion of that Confederacy Page 16 That the same Custom was and is observed by several other Nations Page 17 That the present Dukes and Peers of France do only enjoy a shadow of the Priviledges of their Ancestors Page 18 Of the ancient Authority of the Parliament of Paris and of the gradual encroachments of the Crown upon it Page 18 19 An Exhortation to that Body to imitate the illustrious Example of their Predecessors and the chief President la Vacquierie under Lewis the XI Page 20 That the Courage of the Nation may be easily reviv'd by their Example Page 21 A brief view of the State of France with relation to Impositions under the Reign of several Princes Page 23 24 An Account of the immense Sums that are exacted by the Ministers of the present King Page 24 Of the stupidity of the French who strive to encrease the Power of their Oppressor ibid. That the Forces which the King maintain'd in time of Peace made him more terrible at Home than Abroad Page 25 That his present numerous Armies are more fatal to his Subjects than to his Neighbours ibid. The Conclusion Page 26 THE CONTENTS OF THE Second Letter OF the blind Submission of the Parliament of Paris to the Orders of the Court. 27 The present Misery of the French Nation compar'd with that of the Romans under Domitian 28 An Account of some extravagant Rhodomontadoes in the Preface to the French King 's late Declaration 28 29 Of the ridiculous Vanity of that Expression in it that the Glorious State of France has excited the Envy of its Neighbours 29 Of the true meaning of that Phrase 30 That it was the Injustice of that Monarch's Attempts that excited the indignation not the Envy of his Neighbours 31 Of the Glorious and Happy Condition of the United Provinces when they were invaded by the French King 31 32 Reflections on the unjustice of that War and on a Solaecism in a Letter from the French King to the States General 32 A Justification of the Medal that was the pretended Cause of the War 33 That the Prosperity of Tyrants ought not to be call'd a Blessing from Heaven upon them 34 Of the shameful Flatteries of the French Clergy and the juster sentiments of the Court of Rome 35 Of the prosperous Success of the Emperor's Arms in Hungary and the impious Designs of the Court of France during the Siege of Vienna 35 36 That in all the Wars since the Pyrenaean Treaty the French King has been always the Agressor and is guilty of all the Desolations and Blood-shed that has been occasion'd by them 38 Of the Difference between a Conqueror and a Robber 39. Of the Queen 's pretended Right to Brabant and Hainault of the Validity of her Renunciation and of the Injustice of the King's Irruption into the Spanish Netherlands in pursuance of that Claim 39 40. That 't is lawful to oppose a Neighbouring Prince who strives to aggrandize himself by unjust Methods 41 That 't was barbarous in the King to kindle a bloody War against the Hollanders meerly upon the account of a Medal which they also had taken care to suppress 42 Of the Intolerable arrogancy of some Parisian Inscriptions 43 Of the Satyrs of the Dutch Gazettier that provok'd the Court of France 43 The French King's Expedition against Holland compar'd with that of Theodosius against Antioch 44 That it was not a Zeal for Religion that prompted the King to invade Holland 45 That Subjects are obliged not to assist their Soveraign in the prosecution of an unjust War prov'd out of Grotius 47 That they ought even to refuse their Assistance when the Case appears doubtful demonstrated out of the same Author 48 That the Justice of the French King's Attempts must not be measur'd by their Success 50 That after all he had no Reason to boast of the Success of that famous Campagne 51 That he ow'd his Victories to the Skill and Experience of his Generals and not to his own Valour 51 Of the difference between Summer-Heroes and the pretended Heroe of all Seasons 52 That the French King acquir'd not any real and solid Glory at the Sieges of Mons and Namur 53 What Opinion after Ages will have of all his Victories and Conquests 54 THE FIRST LETTER SIR YOU are pleased to desire an Account of my Thoughts concerning that General Poll-Tax with which we are threatned And to invite me to make you the Confident of my Sentiments on this occasion you have said enough to convince me that I was not mistaken in believing that you agree with me in esteeming it our Honour to be of the number of those True Frenchmen who continue still to be Lovers of their Country For so long as there shall be Men of Sense and